An hour on the Gower!

Well it was more than an hour but I couldn't resisit Big A's assonance?!

We had very mixed weather while we were staying at the flat, an awful lot of heavy rain showers raced through on a blustery wind, but we did get a couple of nice days.

This was typical - looking out, to see a rain shower rushing up the channel!

A shower on the Gower!

The strong winds also meant there was a big sea running, one day the waves were 12/13ft, wonderful to watch from the protection of the flat!

On the Tuesday afternoon, Bridgie and I heard a horn sound, and the lifeguards got everyone out of the water. Very unusual, this, and we just made out the lifeguard call out that they were closing the beach because of Portuguese-man-o-war, (I think you Aussies know them as blue bottles?). They even got all the surfers out which was quite an achievement (though they went back in during the evening once the lifeguards had finished their duty!).

Next morning saw the lifeguard methodically combing the beach (low tide) and he scooped up something and dropped it in the back of his truck. I had to find out what it was, so went down to have a look, and this is what they'd scraped up...

It is only little, about 5" long, but I was very impressed, I may have seen one before but I don't remember it. I had a long chat with the lifeguard who told me he'd spent time in Aus and there, they just put up a warning and carried on as usual! Not on our little beach! Anyway, it was very exciting, and Tim (Uncle) tells me it even made the South West News, as they had been discovered at several places along the Welsh coast.

Pics of our visit to John and Chris next time :-)>

A wedding

More catching up now... after Meriel's visit it wasn't long before we headed up north ourselves for Chris and Louise's wedding. Chris is Gill's son, (Gill is Keith's sister) and we spent a couple of days staying at Meriel's but Phil couldn't make it because of his course.

The weather stayed fine for most of the day, they managed to get all but a few photo's done before it rained, but it blew away quickly and everyone had a wonderful time :-)

The ceremony was lovely, and the setting was super. The next pic is for the foodies amongst us...

...this starter was delicious... mmm... fig....

During the evening reception, about 10.30pm, they hustled everyone out on to some steps for some fireworks. I am not usually taken with fireworks but they were the most amazing fireworks I have ever seen. I wish I had been able to photograph them - they were awesome! If I can get hold of any pics I'll show you what I mean - but the were fantastic.

We drove home the next day (Wednesday) and packed the car up ready for an early start next morning, for Wales. Bridgie and I were planning to drop Keith off near Hereford (where I was at college - show Bridgie my old stomping grounds) and then he was cycling to Hay-on-Wye (of second hand bookshop fame) and Bridgie and I were going on down to the flat on the Gower where Katy was staying. Katy had just come back from a couple of weeks in Philadelphia/New York and was having a week in the flat before school began.

A gentle knock on my door heralded the news that dear Bridgie had been sick all night and couldn't come :-( She hadn't disturbed us but had been very poorly, so because Keith had B&B bookings all done, he and I headed off guiltily, leaving poorly Bridgie behind. We kept Hereford for another trip but I dropped him off as planned and he cycled off into the sunset...

I went on to the flat. Keith travels well equipped and had no punctures over the next few days, which was great,(I was on standby to rescue as necessary!) and the weather, though very windy at times, was ok for him.
Down at the flat the weather was wetter and windier than Keith's. We had this beautiful rainbow over the beach one afternoon.

Caswell Bay

Bridgie caught the train down on the Saturday and Keith arrived during the aftenoon too so it was then a full house. Katy returned home next morning and Keith, Bridgie and I had the rest of the week in the flat with another visit to John and Chris... more next time :-)

Catching up!

The sun is shining (unusual for this summer!) and the washing is blowing dry on the line. It's been an age since I last blogged, so here goes... though I shall have to do it in stages or you'll give up before you begin!

Phil has successfully completed his TEFL course and is back home now, awaiting final accreditation, and applying for jobs. He's decided against Indonesia for the moment, but is still planning to head out Far East. The course was very intensive and, as he hasn't really had a holiday this year, he's taken up an invite to go to New York with some mates.They are travelling up to Montreal and Back to Boston, and have two weeks altogether. He certainly deserves a good holiday.


Jobs are scarce over here, so Tim has been working in our garden to earn some cash, Bridgie seems to have nurtured her finances a little more shrewdly and has had some to spend. She's applying for some work while at uni which is a great idea... Costa Coffee or the like.


Meriel came to stay for a week in August and we went to visit Boughton House. En route, we stopped at Geddington to see the Eleanor Cross,




this is where the body of Eleanor the wife of Edward I laid on its journey to Westminster Abbey. Wherever they stopped he built a cross - I think there are only a couple left. The village itself was beautiful and had this pretty ford.

the house itself wasn't really my cup of tea, but the gardens were lovely. There was a beautiful walled garden,

with a wonderful sensory section. The garden had many water features, including this...

which if you can enlarge shows what it looked like before it was restored! There was also a raised mound - a bit like a pyramid with the top lopped off, and next to it a modern 'sculpture?' called Orpheus which I loved. We weren't allowed to walk on it as the grass had only just taken, but basically you can walk down the slopes to the pool at the bottom... and look into the Underworld. An amazing space :-)