Back to the Lakes

Off to visit friends in the Lake District for a few days - it's been a while (pre-pandemic!) since we were last in the area, and it was lovely to be back, and catch up with people. 

Also took the opportunity for some Ikea van shopping on the way 😊 

First evening:

walk and sunset

Had a couple of days around the Southern Lakes area - which we are less familiar with.  

A day out visiting RSPB Leighton Moss took us for a wander and a spot of bird watching, although we may have spent longer watching a mini-digger trying to extract another mini-digger from a section of the mud flats they were obviously working on!

We had a lovely sunny Saturday, starting with our hosts doing the Windermere Parkrun - while we mooched around the lake, watching some rather extreme paddleboarding!

Moved on to Kirby Lonsdale, where I had the best ice cream from a local 'artisan' shop The Milking Parlour . . .

Biscoff Cheesecake ice cream in a waffle cone lined with melted milk chocolate 😋

Visited a couple of other places in the area, had a picnic, stopped for a pint, and just had a lovely day!

All in all a great break - good friends, excellent food, beautiful scenery, and some actual sunshine  🌞

Easter Journeyings

Good Friday saw us on the road to visit family once again - setting off early  to avoid the bank holiday traffic, and arriving in really good time as a result.  

Had a couple of days then enjoying some family time, and helping out with stuff like shopping and furniture rearrangements - while our Marci found a quiet corner to hide in . . .

Goodbyes said, we were back on the road again on Easter Sunday, heading across country towards Stratford-upon-Avon where we were staying the night.

Took a break to revisit Kenilworth Castle - stretching our legs, and enjoying tea and a pasty - before moving on to Stratford itself, where we duly booked in to our Travelodge.

The weather thus far hadn't been inspiring, but at least it was dry (outside) - unfortunately the same couldn't be said for 'inside' where a dripping noise was tracked down to the light fitting in the bathroom!

After some to-ing and fro-ing, we were moved to a new room, and also offered a complementary breakfast for the morning to make up for all the inconvenience.

Now we could enjoy the rest of trip without fear of electrocution . . .  including a few drinks and a curry that evening, and a wander round Stratford in the morning.  By midday (still full of that complementary breakfast) we were on our way home.  

Took the opportunity to visit another English Heritage site - Witley Court - along our way.

This would have been a very impressive historic house in its day, but was gutted by fire in 1937 and is now an impressive ruin instead - but still with lovely gardens, an extremely ornate church, and a fantastic fountain.

Really enjoyed our couple of hours meandering our way round - although we did spend a lot of that trying to take a decent photo of the fountain in action!  

Luckily we found a sweet spot in the weather and got to enjoy some sunshine before a rather wetter journey onward to home.

Posts that Didn't Happen - September 2022

And on to September - traditionally our main 'holiday' month, but also the month where there is usually a glut of garden produce to deal with.

So the first week of the holiday involved lots of sorting through apples, tomatoes and marrows - freezing some down, cooking up tomato and chilli jam, etc. etc.

Then there were other domestic tasks, such as cleaning the upstairs carpets; a Covid booster jab for Martin; and on the recreational front a fishing trip with his Dad up to Dinas Reservoir.

Other notable pre-holiday activities, included a walk along the prom taking in the sights of the Rali Ceredigion, which ran a short stage through town and round by the Castle.

Then it was holiday time 'proper' - bags packed, and on the road for our first slightly more extended break since before the pandemic.

First 'in-transit' stop took us to Malvern - lovely town, nice walk up to St Ann's Well with some great views - ending the day with a pint or two, and a very tasty curry.  All in all a good start!

From there it was a cross-country drive to Norwich - via the National Trust's Wimpole Estate - arriving late afternoon to news of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II - truly the end of an era.

Had a couple of days in Norwich, exploring the city, and visiting the Cathedral - where the sights included the Cathedral Cat, Budge, enjoying a nap; tributes to the Queen; the Book of Remembrance (actually turned to a page with my Great Grandfather's name inscribed); and this rather macabre 400 year old ode to mortality:

All you that do this place pass bye
Remember death for you must dye.
As you are now even so was I
And as I am so shall you be.
Thomas Gooding here do staye
Wayting for God's judgement daye.

From Norwich we moved on to the Norfolk coast . . .  meeting family for a beach walk and lunch at Winterton-on-Sea . . .

Visiting Cromer (with its roaming Goats) . . . 

. . .  National Trust properties at Felbrigg and Blickling . . .

. . . and Sheringham, with its murals and historic steam railway . . . 

Loved this piece of WW2 signage at Sheringham station - no 'leaves on the line' excuses back then!

Left our cabin on the coast for a couple of night's visiting family in Cambridgeshire, before returning home again.

Back to the reality of hedge cutting and wood chopping, and my own Covid booster jab - before returning to work the Tuesday after the Queen's funeral.  Life was more or less getting back to normal, then the 'new' government under Liz Truss released its budget, and appeared to be in the process of bankrupting the country.

In other news, we had the end outside wall of the Folly rendered (as you can see it wasn't in the best of nick before all the Folly works started).

The addition of the chimney for the log burner hadn't helped matters, but now we have a nice solid wall - just need to paint it!

Finally, the end of the month saw us down by Tan-y-Bwlch beach enjoying some late September sunshine (while waiting for the car to be MOT'd!) - watching the sea, and the passing Hercules aircraft . . .

Posts that Didn't Happen - June 2022

 And we're into June (only six months behindhand!).

Started the month with more garden work, including the first full trim of the hedges, and clearing out some old raised beds, which 14 years on were finally rotting away (and infested with ground elder).

Early June also saw the return of CycleFest to Aberystwyth - and we had a wander along the prom taking in the sights, which included the Welsh Circuit Race Championship. 

On to a birthday trip to visit family via Ironbridge and Blists Hill Victorian Town - had a good wander round the recreated Victorian town (all really interesting), enjoyed a cream tea in the sunshine, before moving on to Ironbridge for the night.  

Another really scenic spot, a cider or two, rounding it all off with a curry :)

Back home after the family visit, and a relatively quiet rest of the month - keeping on top of the garden, sitting in the sun reading, etc. 

We also harvested the first cherry from that cherry tree we had planted out of its pot and into the front garden last year.  Hopefully there will be more to come (if we get to them before the birds!).

Finally, decided it was probably time to go back to some sort of work (hopefully part-time), so the job search has begun - something to help pay the winter oil bill!

Back in the Peak

So for this year's 'trip out', we decided to revisit Bakewell and the Peak District, by way of family in East Anglia.

On our way to Bakewell, we took in Calke Abbey near Derby . . .

. . . lots of deer, spooky service tunnels, and a rather run-down property (described as an 'un-stately home' reflecting the condition in which it came to the National Trust).

Fitted in a long walk along Dovedale on one of the nicer days, starting at Ilam Hall, crossing the iconic stepping stones, and on to Milldale and back (a bit further than we'd intended - although Martin also made it up Thorpe Cloud). 

Some great views (lots of caves and arches), and even saw a dipper by the stream.

 

Our visit to Hardwick Hall was a little damper - although it all looked quite atmospheric in the rain, and the house is always beautiful.  The autumn cyclamen in the gardens were also looking stunning despite the weather.

Bakewell itself was much as remembered, although the bridge pictured on our last visit in 2013 is now so loaded down with 'love locks' that it's no wonder it needs repair!

Finished the trip with a long-anticipated visit to Little Moreton Hall - a moated, half-timbered Tudor manor house - very quirky and picturesque, and we got to see it in the sunshine too!

Sun, Sea, Sand, Swallows and Cycling

So, it's September and holiday time, with the sun still shining and beautifully hot - although the swallows are starting to gather for the long flight south.

In between hedge cutting, there's been time to hit the beach, with a trip to Ynyslas - an actual 'swim', and some beachcombing for shells, which aren't already occupied  . . . not sure who is trying to oust who here!

Nice walk also through the woods to Bow Street to watch the Tour of Britain fly past in the sunshine.

So that's the first few days of the holidays - next, an actual 'trip' away!

Birthday Visit #2

End of a week off - lots of gardening, hedge cutting, etc. done. - and then it was off to visit family for this year's birthday weekend . . .

Celebrated with a barbecue in the back garden - and one very interested little dog, when she wasn't hanging out in the shade under the foliage:

Great to be able to meet up with everyone again - and that the sun shone for us - good food too!

Out and About

September holidays - and with some sense that normal service is resuming, decided we would take a break and actually go 'away'!

Booked ourselves a Travelodge in Portishead on the Bristol Channel, and headed off for three days of sun, sea and sightseeing. 

 
Stopped off at Clifton on the way, walked round Portishead taking in the views (and the graffiti) and fitted in a return trip to Tyntesfield (which had to be pre-booked, and was all very one-way and socially distanced):

Also had a day trip to Clevedon - with its pier, and marine pool (really missing the opportunity to go swimming back home, but unfortunately hadn't brought my bathing gear).

All in all it was a nice few days - we mostly ate / drank in beer gardens (kind of regretted the one trip to a too-busy Wetherspoons) so it all felt safe enough - and the weather was remarkably kind.

At the same time we were glad to be going home again.

Stopped off for a final (pre-booked) visit to Duffryn Gardens - then back to the safety of our little bit of Wales.

What We Did on the Rest of Our Holidays

Back home in Wales, and plenty to do in the garden as ever - but there was also time to sit in the sun and read, and get out and about a bit.

Took a new route (for me) up Consti one day - following Cliff Terrace round past the radar station.





A trip to Llandrindod Wells - tea and cake by the lake - and a wander round Rock Park and Spa.  Can only imagine what it would have been like in its Edwardian heyday, although the tree stump castle is quite charming . . .

And, on a more active front, we signed up for Leisure Centre membership via the Ceredigion Actif scheme - swimming and gym sessions every week from now on!

(Birth)Days Out

A couple of weeks off, and in between gardening and other things, took a trip out East again for a birthday family visit - with a stopover in Ludlow along the way . . .

Time for a wander, a beer / cider or two, and a curry - the sun even shone for us.

Moved on the next day in time to cook up a frangipane for Dad's birthday, while melting in the heat of the kitchen.

Why is it always so much hotter in East Anglia than it is in Wales?   

Were glad of the opportunity to cool off in the hotel pool a couple of times over the visit!

Day out to Oxborough Hall - this time with the roof mended - beautiful day, although some flying creature took a bite out of my arm (just hoping it wasn't a horsefly).

The flower borders were particularly stunning, although I spent far too much time stressing over passing insects, worrying if anything else was going to bite me :(

Finished the day with a family dinner out that evening - very nice :)

Time before we left to help out with a bit of gardening -  then we were on the road back to a somewhat greyer Wales.  Hopefully we'll see a bit more sunshine before it's time to go back to work again.