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 . . .
