Lletty's Blog

Croeso! Welcome to Lletty Cottage a lovely five star holiday cottage for two in Carmarthenshire. www.llettycottage.co.uk

February 24 Llandovery Walk, Heart of Wales line to Shrewsbury, Botanic Garden of Wales February 24, 2023

A rather misty and chilly morning saw us all gather in Llandovery Carpark for our mystery walk with Phil. He did explain before the walk that there were some steep climbs through fields before some excellent views back over the town and then there would be some wet places through woods, followed by very wet and muddy places and then a downhill tramp over a road back into the town where we could all enjoy a coffee and cake! And lo …it all came to pass!

After walking up through some woods and up the side of a hill we stopped and turned around to admire the view below! It would have been so much better if it wasn’t so misty and murky but it was still pretty special to see the whole valley below. The church took central stage and the townscape expanded from there.

After going up we started going down passing lambs and ewes grazing in the fields.

Next came the wet and muddy part of the walk! We passed the time chatting with some off roaders, on trail bikes, who had ridden from Newport and were completing a circuit on green lanes before heading back home.

It was down hill all the way from now on still seeing some hills in the distance and passing through some more woodland, where teapots were hanging from trees, all ready for birds to nest in them….very pretty and great idea.

Nature’s art was everywhere to be seen and enjoyed!

Thank you Phil for a wonderful walk and for taking us to West End cafe where we all enjoyed our cake and coffee! Great idea of yours to do the walk in reverse next time…look forward for that!

We enjoyed a lovely day out to celebrate Jim’s birthday on a visit to Shrewsbury on the Heart of Wales train line! He was really spoilt as I had also ordered online some Staffordshire oatcakes for him….his favourite ! They duly arrived and filled with cheese and heated in the microwave, they were his best present…apparently!

We set off from Llangadog station early in the morning in the pouring rain but by the time we arrived in Shrewsbury the rain had stopped and it was a pleasant day.

We enjoyed our walk around the town delighted to see many of the shops still open and we eventually ended in the museum. We always seem to end up in museums! Amazing places!

We later visited some of the churches and in one we were given a very interesting guided tour by an ex teacher. He certainly hadn’t forgotten his ‘teaching’ ways and would gain top marks anywhere!

The sign below details the sad tale of Cadman who in 1739 aged 28 tried to fly off the top of the church spire but didn’t succeed. Poor Cadman!

It was late when we arrived back at Llangadog station but we’d both had a great birthday treat!

A visit to the Botanic Garden of Wales to listen to an interesting talk about Plants on the Mekong was followed by coffee and cake in the Great Glass House.

Back home the sunrises, sunsets and sky nights have all been amazing to watch and enjoy.

Our pond is also filling up with all our amazing regular visitors! There are two mallards, two Canada geese and two moorhens and an occasional heron! There are birds on our feeders but not as many as before.

The garden is continuing to look more spring like with crocus and snowdrops all out and daffodil buds are slowly opening up too.

A painting of Saskia by Rembrandt has been lent to Carmarthen Museum by the National Gallery . I’ve enjoyed my visits to view it and my walks around the grounds.

For Ukraine:

Thank you for reading.

Hope all is well for you, your families and friends. Enjoy this time of year wherever you are in our world.

 

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.

DSC06770DSC06769We 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.

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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.

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

DSC06793Lovely 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.

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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!

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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!

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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!

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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!

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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.

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…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!

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Even the police used minis !

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

DSC06915 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!

 

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

 

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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.

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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!

 

 

 
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