Archive Girls On Tour Once More

This time it's taken us four years for what we always intend to be an annual archive girls reunion - of course the Pandemic did rather interrupt proceedings, and we'd only ever really managed a biennial event anyway!

Another new location (mid-Wales, a quicker journey for the Aber contingent), with Hay-on-Wye selected as our main 'day out' as a result.

Visited the fully refurbished Hay Castle, lots of bookshops (obviously), and enjoyed the last food market of the year, all on a gloriously warm and sunny October Saturday.  

For once I didn't buy any books, but did come home with a box of very nice cider!

Dinner out at the local pub on Friday night, then cooked-up a feast on Saturday while watching Strictly (as is tradition).

Finished our Saturday night toasting marshmallows sitting around the outdoor fire pit, glasses of wine in hand.

All in all a lovely couple of days - goodbyes were said on Sunday morning as everyone had places to be, but looking forward to (hopefully) doing it all again next year!

Firepit Barbecue

Haven't lit the fire pit that much this year, but as it was a warm late September evening, and we'd acquired a grill to go over the top, fired it up and barbecued some burgers for tea.  Then sat out by the fire into the early evening, watching the light fade, and enjoying the flames.

Nice end to the day . . .

Pimped My Cauldron

Winter is Coming (couldn't resist it) and thought I'd better do something to protect our very rusty DIY fire pit, in the hope that it might survive for at least another year.

So after some research, found something called Owatrol Oil online, which is supposed to 'consolidate' the rust, and acquired a small tin from a local hardware supplier.  Eh voila . . .

Applied the oil to both the outside of the 'cauldron' and the makeshift lid (neatly plugged with an old cork to prevent the rain getting inside).  It does darken the colour, but looks good, and appears to have had a waterproofing effect.

We'll see how it lasts, but it certainly looks a lot smarter!

DIY Fire Pit

Ended up dismantling this as part of our '#kitchencourtyardredesign' - which revealed an old and very rusty domed cauldron, with a small hole in the base.

It rolled around the courtyard for a bit while we considered what else we might plant in it, then we had that 'eureka' moment - what about a fire pit?

Cleaned off the worst of the rust, and propped it up on some bricks (with its handy air hole at the bottom).

Then - serendipitously - found that an old rusty metal parasol base, that was also knocking round the garden, fitted exactly on the top as a lid for a rainy day!

Time for a test firing . . .

. . . and looking good!