Shout Out

A big shout out and thanks to the RNLI Lifeguards and Borth Coastguard for all their help today.

A sunny day up on Borth Cliff all went a bit pear-shaped when a family visitor was taken ill - the lifeguards and coastguard were brilliant though - and the ambulance were there waiting for the coastguard helicopter back in Aberystwyth.

All turned out ok in the end - it was a rather more eventful visit than we'd hoped for mind you.  Very thankful for our emergency services, in all their incarnations, and very impressed with the  RNLI lifeguards in particular - they were real stars!

Further East

From Stratford we moved on to visit family in East Anglia, and celebrate a 'significant' birthday.

Lovely family Sunday dinner out - nice country pub - a fine selection of fowl (chickens and peacocks) in the garden (assume they are there for decorative rather than culinary purposes!).







Next day took the folks on a trip out to Burghley House - another extremely impressive Tudor property.

The interior - which has been remodelled signifcantly over the centuries - features expanses of elaborately painted walls and ceilings depicting mythological scenes - including the so-called 'Hell Staircase'.

The parkland, landscaped by Capability Brown, survives and has been augmented with the addition of a sculpture garden and garden of 'surprises' - was interested to spot the 'bunny' in the sculpture bit!


All in all made for a fascinating day out - the house is magnificent, and there is plenty to see in the gardens too - not least Alan Titchmarsh recording a tv programme on the Lion Bridge!

Avon Days

Couple of weeks holiday - managed to escape from the garden (and the hedges!) for a few days around Stratford upon Avon, and a bit of a National Trust 'tour'.

First stop on our travels - Brockhampton Estate - a charming tudor manor house with a moat, and a tiny timber-framed gatehouse - with lots of swallows and house martins making their homes in the eaves.

On to Stratford itself where we had three nights in the local travelodge - taking in the pubs, curry houses, and other National Trust properties in the area.  

Baddesley Clinton - another Tudor moated property, with lots of Catholic connections, and stories of priest holes and raids.

Packwood House - 'presented' in Tudor style, but actually a C19th remodelling of an older property, with stunning gardens and yew topiary.

Finally, Coughton Court - another Tudor house, with Catholic connections and beautiful gardens.




All in all, a lovely few days - history, cider by the Avon, a curry or two, and the weather even turned out hot and sunny for us - what more could we ask?