March 25 Llangadog Walk and Classic Car Show March 25, 2018

It wasn’t raining, it wasn’t snowing and it certainly wasn’t freezing cold so it must be Philip waving his magic wand again  to give our Walking Well group pleasant enough weather for our walk around Llangadog.

We all met on the bridge overlooking the Sawdde river.

We followed the road around the perimeter of the common where all the sheep roam freely  and passed through the village of Felindre into the fields beyond.

There must be a new initiative to sign walks which are near the railway station  and the Heart of Wales line. Hopefully, these new signs, showing the Cynghordy  Viaduct   will help walkers to keep to the track and not get lost!

Passing  on through kissing gates…(no kissing allowed!) and through farmyards with cattle in barns and lambs in fields  we reached a stopping point outside a lovely old farmhouse.

All beautifully behaved animals …even the lamb helping  to put out the washing!

Lovely to see buildings like this alongside  fields full of  sheep and  lambs  and a grazing horse, who was not over impressed with seeing us all.

The track led us on through the farm fields. In  the distance the railway bridge over the Towy river could be seen and a couple of Canada geese flew overhead as a sort of flypast to acknowledge our walking accomplishments!

Of course no walk led by Philip would be the same without a bit of mud. However, this time he did offer us a rest on a bench!

The river was flowing rapidly  and  some sharp eyed walkers saw a kingfisher swooping by….I didn’t…maybe I should stop talking and start looking!

Thank you Philip for a lovely walk that we all enjoyed.After such a  springlike walk some walkers returned to our house for a coffee and biscuit.

Yesterday  we caught the 5.39 train from Llangadog to the NEC Birmingham …again!

Coming into New Street station at Birmingham we passed a train pulled by a double headed Class 37 Diesel  locomotives  with everyone on board enjoying a Rail Tour. (Thought you’d like to know that detail!!)

This time, at the NEC, we were going to the Classic Car & Restoration Show…as one might guess not my idea  even though I do love cars. Years ago my heart was set on  a Triumph Vitesse with a V8 engine!! Over the years we have  owned a Sprite, Midget, Morgan, Mini, BMW …..etc… and to see all the wonderful cars on display in the Show and all the restoration work going on was really great and interesting.

There were a few  classic bikes too.

…there were even classic caravans. I’d love one of these! The teddy bears on display are the exact ones that my brothers and I had as children ….maybe we are classics now!!

‘The Morris Minor was the first British car to sell a million units and as that milestone approached, BMC decided to create a special edition car – a common event now, but a rarity in the 1960s.

So the Minor Million was created. Mechanically a standard 948 Minor 1000 this special edition of 350 cars was distinguished by vivid lilac paintwork. 350 ‘Millions’ were produced in December 1960. Every showroom had a car on display on the official launch date -4th January 1961.
The actual millionth car rolled off the production line on 22 December 1960′.

Everyone used to own a Morris Minor…our family did and we’ve still got one! Wish it was one of these lilac millionth ones though…they are worth a fortune!

Even the police used minis !

Special treat was to see, hear and smell some amazing traction engines…our grandparents used to own similar…wish we had them now!

 Never liking to waste a moment on our days out we stopped off on the train journey home at Shrewsbury to spend a couple of hours.  Such a lovely town full of character and  interesting shops!

 

The guns are pointing into town from outside the regimental museum.

 

Even the pretty flower borders were laid out in a very organised and orderly fashion!

 

 

Shrewsbury has much to offer with all its  shops and history. The statue of Darwin outside the library is really  special.

Travelling back to Llangadog later on the Heart of Wales line we missed all the wonderful scenery as it was dark. Even though we were rather tired after our days excursion we remembered to turn the clocks forward  so I’d be up early and chirpy for my visit to Aberglasney to see David Cowdry’s  Art Exhibition and the display of spring flowers. Both were wonderful and the garden in the spring sunshine was beautiful.

Wish there  were more hours in each day to fit in all the things I want to see and do….but this weekend I think I’ve filled in every second…thank you for reading and sharing the weekend with me….a great start to Summer time!

 

David Cowdry Aberglasney Exhibition and Outings! August 29, 2016

 

Really enjoyed visiting Aberglasney to see David Cowdry’s new exhibition. It was wonderful as usual  and there were  many paintings that I just wanted to tuck under my arm and bring home!

                                                           Jim’s favourite painting.

I didn’t  have a chance to photograph my favourite painting  as David was busy chatting to friends in the doorway  to the room where the beautiful woodland scene and owl was on display. Never mind , I’m going back to see the exhibition again  before the end of the week as it’s too good to miss!

It was time again for another walk with Walk Well Carmarthenshire. The walk was around Carmel Woods where there was a whole meadow, purple with field scabious. It was a delightful walk in the august sunshine  with interesting folk, who explained some of the history of the site, including use of the lime kilns.

Lime kiln

We’ve had the family staying for a holiday and our grandson likes to visit the seaside….so do I!

Llanstephan is the place to go. There’s a beautiful beach, with perfect sand castle building sand, a castle, a tea room and a fish and chip wagon….what’s not to like!

The castle also has amazing views over the estuary and the best roly poly hill in the world…so says the grandson!

Next stop was a day walking around Garn Goch- an iron age hill fort- just 20 minutes drive from home.

There are two forts at Garn Goch and the remains of the walls are still to be seen and they are breathtaking!

Even after all this hill walking , the grandson still had energy to run all the way round our field and back again!

Just a reminder to visit David’s exhibition.

 

 

 

 

 

August 21 Busy Times! August 21, 2016

It’s Summer and that means getting out and about  and enjoying  all the events and visits before autumn creeps in!

A week ago I joined the Walking Well Group for Carmarthenshire http://www.walkingwellcarmarthenshire.org.uk/ to keep fit ( as well as  all my gardening)  whilst Jim’s knee gets stronger! We met at Llandeilo railway station and walked up to Dinefwr Castle , back through the water meadows  and returned to the station via The Vintage Café  for a coffee and cake! It was a thoroughly enjoyable walk with lovely companions so I’m looking forward to the next walk this Friday.

 

Dinefwr Castle Llandeilo

My legs started to ache on the last hill up through Llandeilo!

Later in the week, we spent a very enjoyable time on a visit to a friend’s house, where plants were for sale and  delicious nibbles and drinks on offer. She  will be opening her  plant nursery here next year so it was  lovely to visit her home and cross the  river  into her beautiful garden via a bridge ! There were no trolls under it!

 

Visiting another pal, Jayne Russell,  at her wonderful exhibition in Aberglasney Gardens http://aberglasney.org/exhibitions/  was another  delightful excursion out.

  

With the damp weather the grass keeps growing and the plants need extra tending but another trip out was on our agenda….to Birmingham…don’t ask!

The high point was the amazing new station – it really was magnificent!

 

Unexpectedly, we discovered a Welsh chapel in the centre of Birmingham!

This week it was Show Time! Llansadwrn Show is a jolly affair  when the community gathers together   to share their interests and to enter items for   judging in many different categories.

Photos, paintings and  plants were some of my entries  as  the other categories are too hard for me! There are some very talented cooks,  florists, vegetable growers, stick makers, jam makers , needle women and more in our village so  it is  great to wander around the marquee and enjoy  everyone’ s  entries.

  

As expected in a country show there were a number of horses and sheep around!

As well as visiting places we’ve welcomed some lovely visitors to the cottage. It’s such a pleasure to meet new and ‘old’ visitors. The visitors last week have been coming to the cottage for eight  or is it nine years…who can tell when you are having fun!

         

This week our family are staying  and our first port of call today was the Botanic Gardens of Wales. There was a Woodcraft exhibition on  in the dome and some truly amazing wood carvings  on display. The borders were a delight to see.

    

The Great Glasshouse was as magnificent as ever but the highlight for our grandson was the visit to the Butterfly House. He loved it ….as  did we!

 

November 11 St Peter’s Church Carmarthen November 11, 2015

During our shopping trip to Carmarthen yesterday we popped into St Peter’s Church. This is a church that we have  passed many, many times before  but had never ventured over the threshold. Maybe as it was pouring down with rain this was a chance to stay dry and visit a church that has the remains  of Rhys ap Thomas,  who supposedly had killed Richard 111 on the battlefield at Bosworth  Field. (Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 1483 until his death in 1485, at the age of 32, in the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty.)

There’s a very good website  telling the story of the church : http://www.netministries.org/churches/spetercarm

In the porch there was this Roman Altar reflecting the Roman occupation of Carmarthen.

The door opened from the porch into the church and before us  at the end of the nave was a magnificent stained glass window. The side walls of the church also had wonderful windows with beautiful patterns and colours.

The church was surprisingly large inside with dozens of pews – all of which has little doors on the end which one had to open to step up into a pew to sit  and reflect.

There were a few side chapels   and a lovely pulpit, lectern and altar. Near the lectern  was the tomb of Rhys ap Thomas. The top of the tomb could be viewed by looking in the mirror conveniently  placed above it.

We shall definitely revisit the church and discover more about its history as  even on a wet and dismal day it felt very welcoming and full of interest.

September 14 The Adventures of Rufus! September 14, 2015

Rufus, our Maine Coon  kitten will be 1 year old next month and I can’t believe how much he has grown and become a real part of the family- except that is  for Holly!  I am sad to report that Holly and Rufus are not the best of friends and we have to keep them apart for feeding and sleeping!!

Holly, is  a normal, beautiful moggy, who  sleeps all day and night and enjoys a cuddle on the settee in the evening. Rufus thinks he’s a collie dog and bounds ever hopefully towards the sheep, who quite readily butt him away!

Part of our daily routine  is now taking Rufus for a walk around the garden and up the field, where he has many adventures, exploring the trees and everything growing above and below ground!

Trying to catch dragon flies

 Pondering whether to climb this tree or wait until the larger lime tree appears!

Not sure whether Rufus should be sniffing toadstools but this slug is getting  to grips with eating it in any case.

At the base of our magnificent  lime tree before his decision to climb half way up and then fall off!

Back to the willow tree for some easy climbing practice……

before he ran off into the large willow tree copse  and climber higher and higher until the branches became too narrow so he had to learn how to reverse…not very elegantly!

The hips, haws, blackberries and sloes were all sniffed as we made our way to the top of the field.

Rufus liked sitting on Jim’s bench   looking back towards the house and the  Brecon Beacons hidden by low cloud before he set off at an incredible speed to the bottom of the hill again!

          

He roamed through the borders  until he reached the apple and crab apple trees where he had another  climb!

 

The one tree he didn’t  try to climb- our Monkey Puzzle Tree!

At last he had worn himself and me out and settled  down  and tried to make pals with Holly!

June 12 2015 Aberglasney Gardens June 12, 2015

http://www.llettycottage.co.uk

I know! I know! I’m always writing  or posting  photos somewhere about Aberglasney Gardens. Why? Because I cannot believe how many folk still haven’t visited them and  enjoyed the  most amazing garden experience that one could wish for. It is the finest garden in Wales…I say!

Recently I  was fortunate enough  to spend a  couple of days away visiting gardens in Gloucestershire. The various gardens had  beautiful features, different historical backgrounds and wonderful plantings  and indeed they were all a joy to visit . However, when I returned to Aberglasney last weekend it was like returning home. The Gardens have a definite special atmosphere  and are truly outstanding.

The new bridge under construction

I took these photos on Sunday. They do not show the  borders in full bloom, the unusual plants, the Ninfarium, the Sunken Garden, the wood, the pool, the café, the rose arbour, the Cloister Garden…I could go on…best thing is …visit  and see it for yourself.

I rest my case!

May 26 Photos from our Visitors May 26, 2015

We have the most amazing and friendly visitors staying in Lletty Cottage and we love hearing about all the places they visit and things they do whilst on holiday here. Sometimes   we are able to share their holiday by viewing their photos which they send on to us and here are a selection from a regular visitor/friend  who stayed recently.

This squirrel eats all the bird seed up every morning. I don’t mind one but when 6 turned up one morning I was annoyed!!

Blue tit and a nuthatch on the bird table after the squirrel had left!

Woodpecker on  nuts…at least the squirrel can’t get these! Today we had a jay and two wood peckers on the larger nut feeders.

 This photo wasn’t taken in our garden! Chris visited the Wetlands Centre in Llanelli to capture this wonderful picture.

 A visit to the waterfalls is top of the list for many of our visitors.

 All our visitors are encouraged to visit Aberglasney Gardens not just because I’m a volunteer there but because they have the most amazing plants, woodland, rose arbour,  historical parterre,  a Yew Tunnel , a wonderful mansion with art and craft exhibitions throughout the spring /summer, a fabulous café where you can sit  out  enjoying your coffee and cake by the Pool garden seeing the swallows swooping down  and so many other delights…you just must visit!

Thank you Chris for sharing your brilliant photos with us all!  Hope to welcome you back to the cottage in the future.

I will be relying on lots of photos from visitors as my camera which was only a year old has seized up! It is a Panasonic DMC SZ3 with a Leica lens. It was wonderful  and a great point and shoot camera. Do you think taking it to Tenby beach and taking lots of photos of the twins  playing in the sand has anything to do with it not working any more??!!