08.04.10. It was very cold, but the view was amazing. A week later the ash from the Icelandic volcanic was much in evidence here...
Friday, April 30, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Blaenau Ffestiniog Station, Gwynedd, Wales
06.04.10. Our first morning in Blaenau Ffestiniog and the weather was as grey as the slate on which the town is built. Remembering the old adage: "When in Wales, expect rain"; also remember: "it can only get better..."
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Moira Furnace, Leicestershire
03.04.10 At last the sun came out and gave me the type of photo I was hoping for. Moira Furnace is a great place to visit. A lovely old red brick furnace building attached to a house. The canal flanks the building and there's a bridge across to the house.
April 2010
01.04.10: April Fool's day, but didn't hear of one funny incident. Nearest I came to it was taking a jewellery workshop at the new library at Mackworth, my watch not working and staying over by an hour when Lucy was waiting for me in town - definitely not funny! Collected Graham from the station at 9.45pm and Robert eventually arrived from Salisbury at 11.30pm.
02.03.10: Rained all day. Lucy had nose to grindstone trying to get her collection ready, so we three went shopping late afternoon. Bought two dressing gowns from Primark for £11.00 total!
02.03.10. At last the sun came out a bit, so I could at least have a go with my new camera. Robert and I went to Moira Furnace - a really lovely place just over half an hour away. Very old building flanked by a canal, a real 'find'!
04.04.10: Graham went off early to an autojumble at Newark and was back for lunch. Robert and I went for a long walk via Brackley Gate and back. It was good to soak up some sunshine and have a chat. The rest of the day was spent getting ready for tomorrow.
05.04.10: A real blustery day, but at least it was sunny. This was the beginning of quite an adventure. We set off to Wales at 11.30am in two cars, Graham and I in one and Lucy with Robert in the other. We met up at 'Dobbies' a garden centre on the outskirts of Shrewsbury for lunch and set off again about 2.30pm. We made it to Blaenau Ffestiniog for 3.50pm and didn't have long to wait for the owner to come and let us in and show us round. The house was called 'The Old Surgery' and situated off the main A470 up a side street. From the outside it looked nothing, but once inside it was like the tardis, spacious and light with a large kitchen, large living room, stairs down to a small sitting room and stairs up to a landing with three bedrooms, large double, largish twin and roomy single - and further stairs down to an enormous bathroom with bath, separate shower and walk-in airing cupboard. What more could we want? Having brought in everything and unpacked we set off in search of all our old 'haunts'. First stop was Llanfair and the house where we spent 10 holidays when Robert and Lucy were small. (was it really 10?). It hadn't changed at all and is probably still a holiday let with a cold lino floor and a hungry electricity meter full of our 50ps! Next, it was down to the beach to relive the many cold, blustery days we had spent there. It was even more cold and blustery than I remember. Back quickly to the car to warm up and unfreeze my 'dead' fingers and on to Barmouth for fish and chips. The Mermaid (fish and chip shop) hadn't changed at all and luckily the fish and chips tasted just as good. By now it was dark, so after a stroll around Barmouth and more 'dead' fingers we made it back to the car and made our way back to our new 'home'. The house was centrally heated at all times and the water tank ready to be drained of it's constant supply of boiling hot water - how blissful to be warm and cosy while the wind howled outside. If only I could have slept properly in my new bed!
06.04.10: This morning we awoke to a deterioration in the weather. We had a visitor at 8.30am, Warren, Robert's best friend from university, who lives near Llangollen arrived and the two departed to climb a near-by mountain. After breakfast we three had a short walk around the town via the railway station. It was cold and blowing a gale and we knew it would get worse. Back at the house Lucy and I did some more painting to one of the jumpsuits in her collection and then had some lunch. Around 2.00pm we received a phone call from Lucy's friends who were coming to join us, Dominic and Nare. Nare was to be our 'model' for Lucy's clothes, but at this point it wasn't clear whether donning summer outfits would be practical or possible. However, we all smiled and chatted trying to blank out our thoughts of the weather... At 3.30pm, we all set off for Portmeirion, our shoot location, trying to be positive by having a dry (?) run. By the time we got to Portmeirion, it was raining heavily and very cold. We met the manager Meurig and spent the rest of the afternoon trying to pronounce his name correctly. I did take a few photos with my small camera, trying not to get any rain on the lens. Graham bravely shot his with his Olympus and when we viewed then back, each one had water droplets somewhere on the photo. Back to the house for cups of tea and then out again for an evening meal at a local hotel at Tan y Bwlch. It was pleasant enough, if a little on the cool side. I had lamb shank, determined to sample the local produce. Outside it was so wet that the sheep with their lambs were pressed up against the fence trying to keep out of the field which was now lying in water. The good news was it had stopped raining by the time we came out...
07.04.10: Lucy had requested that we try to get to Portmeirion by 10.30am to begin our day's photoshoot. We made it by 10.40am, which was no mean feat with 7 adults in a house with only one bathroom. The rain gave way to warm sunshine and by 4.00pm we called it 'a wrap' and while Lucy, Dominic and Nare headed for the beach for some fun and frolics (judging by the photos), us two fogies (well not quite) spent the rest of the time taking just a few more photos...
08.04.10: Another beautiful day dawned in Blaenau Ffestiniog. Nare and Dominic spent most of it at the local Slate Mine while Lucy, Graham and I went in search of the Welsh countryside. We stopped off at Roman Bridge (a station, not at all Roman), then Dolwyddlan Castle, a walk around Dolwyddlan village followed by a picnic in the local park. It was then that Graham suggested we take a ride on the Snowden Railway, something we had said we would do, but never quite made on all our Welsh holidays. So off we headed to Llanberis, down the pass with all the scenery looking spectacular in the bright sunny weather and booked our ticket on the next available train (we were 4 from last on the last train of the day). Except for a very irritating woman who thought she should have more seats than she was entitled to, the journey was a wonderful experience with breathtaking scenery culminating in a quick dash to stand in the last snow of the year on Snowden. Disappointingly, we only went three quarters of the way up as a mechanical caterpillar barred our way as did substantial snowdrifts, but even so you had a sense of being on top of the world. All too soon it was time to squash back into the little carriages - (the irritating woman decided that she would join our bench as it looked less full than the one she had been allocated) and begin our descent back to normality. Thanks Graham, I thought it was worth every penny...
9.04.10: Was up reasonably early and dashed out of the house armed with my new camera before everyone was down for breakfast. I walked up the lane and towards the nearest slate mine. It was a steep trek, but the change in view every time I looked back made it all the more worth while. The precariously placed spoil heap of slate looked strangely alluring in the morning sunshine. It was just fun to be out with my camera in a completely different environment. - Fridays should always be like this... Everything was packed up by 11.30 and we said our good-byes to Dominic and Nare and left Blaenau Ffestiniog promising to return on an equally nice day. We had an added bonus on the way home, a quick stop at Llanfair Caereinion, the home of Colinette yarns' factory shop to buy 2 skeins of luxury yarn then another stop at Shrewberry for lunch and then we were back home...
13.04.10: Tap class at a different venue at St Benedick's school. Not many there due to the holidays. Debbie gave me cheque for ticket to tap show at Stock on 23rd April as I on't feel I can go as we have been invited to aunt and uncle's Golden Wedding 'Do'.
15.04.10: Debbie from tap came over and we went for a cup of tea at The Bottle Kiln. My small treat for her taking up my show ticket.
16.04.10: Trip to London to meet up with Chris. Met at V&A and visited The Quilt Show on there. There were some wonderful quilts - especially the old ones, but there were lots I had hoped would be there and weren't (eg those of Kaffe Fassett). I think my favourite was the one made out of Chinese paper money. We had a sandwich across the road and sat and chatted until the noise from the roadworks outside meant we had to reconvene at a Bisto around the corner. There we and drank cups of tea and watched the residents of Knightsbridge swan past in their up market cars until it was time to dash off and catch a train home...
17.04.10&18.04.10: Best week-end weather so far this year. Graham had ordered the new shed/green house and it duly arrived early Saturday morning. Both Lucy and I spent the rest of the week end helping to level the paving slabs and assemble the structure. We can all be pleased with our achievement!
19.04.10: Since last Thursday flights in Europe have been grounded due to the volcanic ash being spued from a volcano in Iceland. It seems that everyone knows someone affected, most stuck in a foreign country. Our next door neighbours were stuck in Morocco and my sister in Spain. Both made it back by Tuesday - glad it wasn't me!
20.04.10: Start of term yesterday. Wasn't convinced that my Jewellery Class would run in Alfreton, but I have 8 students (3 with Learning Difficulties), all very enthusiastic, two are 'real characters'...Went to Tap class
21.04.10: Was notified that PAT testing was taking place at Rycote, so hot footed it there and took advantage of this facility after the non-event at Village.
22.04.10: Dress rehearsal for our entry in the Derby Arts Festival, went OK, interesting to see all the other groups that Pauline teaches.
23.04.10: First Jewellery class of the term at Village Centre. I have 10 and two helpers. This term I want to concentrate on Recycled jewellery as a forerunner to a course I hope to run at The new Eco Centre being built at The Stones' Centre at Wirksworth. This week we made a bracelet from sweet wrappers...
Went shopping with Lucy and hurried back to get ready to go to The Guildhall. Graham wanted to come to and take some photos. In the event we (I) rushed as I'd said I'd collect Debbie (very silly in view of the fact it was rush hour on a Friday evening) and when we got there we had to wait ages for the last of the group to turn up, Graham had to leave after I'd finished as he was suffering badly from hayfever and - you've guessed it - we came last...
24.04.10: Graham off early to Stafford bike show and back by 3.30pm, then we set of to my mum's and arrived at 6.00pm. Got changed and scooted off to Condicote Village Hall where my uncle and aunt (Ted and Chris) were holding their Golden Wedding Anniversary celebrations. Nice evening with nice food and found out that my cousin's daughter (nearly 16) runs for the County and hopes to take part in the Olympics! Got to play the Grand piano, which was great, but it was a bit dark in the corner, or is it my eyesight?
25.04.10: Stayed over last night, but left at 11.00am and back for 1.00pm. Didn't have time to make dinner, so went to The Spotted Cow at Holbrook, if only all meat tasted like theirs...
27.04.10: One piano lesson and then off to Jewellery Class at Alfreton. Two more piano lessons and tap class in the evening. Have entered 3 of my pupils for their Grade one Exam - is a record ...
28.04.10: Up early and off to the Pain Clinic at Derby Royal (was the City Hospital). Getting there for 9.00am was a bit of a tall order in the rush hour and unusually Graham and I differed in the route we favoured! In hind sight I made the right decision... Very quick visit, yes I can come back for a further course of acupuncture, almost no questions asked.
29.04.10: Graham off early, back to my Mum's to collect parts of a bike, don't ask... I found my own way to Heanor Hospital to start physiotherapy (why did no one say there's no parking). Was very sceptical that I could be helped, but came away pleasantly reassured that I do have muscles that need exercising, I won't tell you where...
30.04.10: Second Jewellery Class at Village. Paper beads this week, but was disappointed that students weren't interested in learning about triangles to know how which ones make different shaped beads (understandably) Forgot to hand in pay claim, again!!
Sunday, April 04, 2010
Spring Is In The Air...
16.03.10. A sunny day and a short walk around Horsley. The crocuses in the graveyard were 'a picture'. I sent one in to the Derby Evening Telegraph on 29th March and they printed it on the letter's page on Thursday 1st April. (not this one)
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