Herefordshire Week 096: Tuesday 26 October – Monday 01 November 2021

Home alone. Mouse-proofing the apple racks. Sunday lunch. A long walk. Torrential rain and glorious sunshine. T-shirt weather, in November.

Sunset over Hatterall Ridge, Canns Hill
Sunset over Hatterall Ridge, Canns Hill

Into Abergavenny on Tuesday morning to drop Phil off at the train station, do a top up shop and to get my flu jab. Back to 40A for the working week, with VWW and Family Zooms as usual, then back to Abergavenny in the sheeting rain to collect Phil late on Thursday evening. It’s quiet without him.


The walk back from coffee at K’s in Kerrys Gate on Friday morning provided the perfect opportunity for a spot of blackberrying along the lanes.

We were due to have the power off all morning while the electrician replaced the fuse box, installed the lights and the magic switch in the snug, LED lights in the loft plus a timer switch for the fly zapper and a few other things, but an emergency job meant he only had time to do the snug stuff. Still, having a light switch by the door in from the kitchen, without any wiring required, really is magic. Technically, it’s a wireless / kinetic light switch and receiver.

Headed back down towards Kerrys Gate in the afternoon and on round to Riverdale and back along the river. Lovely.

Back home, chopped up some of the small apples from the orchard and got them simmering with the blackberries (and then left them too long so that they burnt the bottom of the pan….) and had just enough time to start to look at car insurance before FaceTiming with S&S.

We decided Friday night pizza should be accompanied by a film but The Dead Don’t Die proved too much horror and not enough (not any) comedy for me so we switched to try out Paris Police 1900.


A very satisfying day Saturday – starting with mouse-proofing the apple racks, which have been relocated to the garage. A good morning’s work courtesy of the 6mm wire mesh, a staple gun and wire snips.

Mouse-proofing the Apple Racks ...
Mouse-proofing the Apple Racks …

Blackberrying in Thistly Field after lunch to get a replacement supply for tomorrow’s crumble, then restacked the apples into the relocated racks and then pottered in the greenhouse finally potting out the sage cuttings I’ve had growing roots in an old water-filled yoghurt pot, and applying the black, rubber nut & bolt covers dad had left over from Jean’s new greenhouse at the bungalow.

More tiny apple chopping segued into my cooking dinner (noteworthy as it’s not all that common an event) – Chetna Makan’s Black-Eyed Beans and Mushrooms – which we ate watching the first couple of episodes of Happy Valley, often recommended, and now on iPlayer.


It poured with rain overnight and all Sunday morning, with brief patches of blue sky and dry starting around midday. Very handily timed as Dad and Jean came for lunch, and they managed to get into the house with out getting drenched. A lovely lunch – leg of pork plus roast veg, all cooked by Phil. Jean brought a camellia and hydrangea from Dinedor, and some beautiful dahlias.

Washing up done, I spent a lazy late afternoon with the telly – I had completely forgotten that the clocks had gone back overnight and had got up at old time 7.15am / new time 6.15am. So that’s my excuse.

Hallowe’en Doctor Who then another episode of Hip-Hop Evolution. We’ve abandoned Paris Police 1900 and weren’t in the mood for Horrid James Norton / Happy Valley.


Out with the GVWC on Monday to recce next Saturday’s Challenge Walk: Eaton Bishop, Madley, Brampton, Cockyard, Wormbridge, Cobhall, Clehonger (17 miles).

GVWC Challenge Walk Recce: Eaton Bishop, Madley, Brampton, Cockyard, Wormbridge, Cobhall, Clehonger (17 miles)
GVWC Challenge Walk Recce: Eaton Bishop, Madley, Brampton, Cockyard, Wormbridge, Cobhall, Clehonger (17 miles)

A gorgeous day. I can hardly believe it’s 1st November. I spent most of the day in my t-shirt and got a rosy face. The only flies in the ointment were my Strava phone running out of battery – so only a partial map – and my feet / socks / boots getting absolutely sopping wet courtesy of a waterlogged farm track.

Strava Map - GVWC Challenge Walk Recce: Eaton Bishop, Madley, Brampton, Cockyard, Wormbridge, Cobhall, Clehonger (17 miles)
Strava Map

Back home for tea and Tunnocks in the conservatory, then out over Canns Hill to capture sunset over Hatterall Ridge.

Sunset over Hatterall Ridge, Canns Hill
Sunset over Hatterall Ridge, Canns Hill

TV: Four Hours at The Capitol, Nature and Us: A History through Art, The Dead Don’t Die, Paris Police 1900, Happy Valley, Effie Gray, Doctor Who, Hip-Hop Evolution.

Podcasts: History Extra, The Essay.


Photos: Herefordshire week 96 on Flickr.

Phil: w/e 2021-10-31.

Herefordshire Week 095: Tuesday 19 – Monday 25 October 2021

Back to the office. Utility Room revamped and loft boarded out. Tick Tick!

Oh yeah, and I bought a car 🙂

Never Say Never...
Never Say Never…

Yes, for the first time since February 2020 I spent my working week in The Office. Well, “An Office” as I headed up to Manchester for the week. Busy few days, but I did find time to indulge in a tour of the massive M&S Food Hall and to take a look at Uniqlo’s offerings. I got the TfW train up on Tuesday morning – not nearly as busy as the capacity checker suggested – and back again on Thursday afternoon. Shattered.

No VWW or Family Zoom though.


Friday morning, Neil came to start adding insulation in the loft ahead of boarding it out. We’re juggling a visit from the electrician as we’ll need to replace the ceiling lights before Neil lays the boards in the extension.

Spent the morning sorting out a few treats for December and January. We’ve rented an AirBnB flat back in Walton for a few days geared around a week in the London office for me and P visiting his folks, and a night plus dinner at The Angel Hotel in Abergavenny in January. I may have had some Autotrader tabs open too…

Into Hereford in the afternoon to the Hospice charity shop to drop off the unwanted stuff from the roof, then on to Screwfix and B&Q for DIY stuff. And a rat trap – it’s made itself at home in the compost bin if the entrance/exit holes are anything to go by 🙁

Pizza and Grand Designs in the evening. We rewatched one from 2001 set in the Black Mountains.


We had Neil and Sam onsite all day Saturday, but I spent the morning further up the Golden Valley with the GVWC doing a circular walk from Dorstone, to Merbach Hill and Arthur’s Stone. Good group. Good route.

GVWC Dorstone Circular - Merbach Hill & Arthur's Stone
GVWC Dorstone Circular – Merbach Hill & Arthur’s Stone
GVWC Dorstone Circular - Merbach Hill & Arthur's Stone
GVWC Dorstone Circular – Merbach Hill & Arthur’s Stone

Back for a late lunch followed by clearing cherry tree saplings and some brambles from the wooded slope below the solarium. Got quite a big pile for a bonfire now. It just keeps on coming!

Handyman Sam’s revamp of the utility room / downstairs loo was done and dusted by 4pm. It’s looking great; there’s so much more space. Now all we have to do is paint and find someone to tile the floor…  Sam and I spent a final 30 mins making the door for the apple racks. A much better result that I would have managed.

Utility Room Revamp - Handyman Sam Stage 2
Utility Room Revamp – Handyman Sam Stage 2 Complete

Dad called round to drop off 6 sacks of earth and stayed for a cup of tea. Lots of cars on the drive.


Neil was back early on Sunday to finish off in the loft. It is transformed.

Loft revamped
Loft revamped

Bit of computing and photographing the white porcelain dinner service ahead of an eBay bonanza, then down to Ross for my mammogram (the “feels a bit like when your blood pressure is taken” analogy held true), a mooch around the shops and a look at A Car. Back via Pengethley Garden Centre – nice farm shop, OK nursery – where I spent some birthday money on A Pot.

Slight hiccup getting back into the house after we realised neither of us had taken house keys, then lunch, log stove on – it’s a drizzly / rainy day – and reading.


Slow start Monday, and it was a glorious sunny day, blue skies. A bit of admin first thing, then Cockyard backwards in my T-shirt, arriving home just as Martin Watkins’ Jon arrived to replace various lights for us, and to install the magic light switch in the Snug.

Then down to Ross on Wye to pay a return visit to Bowen’s Garage, and to test drive the 2010 MAZDA MX-5 2.0 ROADSTER SE I’d spotted on Autotrader. I’d phoned up on Friday to arrange a viewing and they’d suggested I take a look on Sunday when the garage would be closed but the forecourt open. So I had, and I liked what I saw. And after today’s test drive I liked how it went so we did a deal. I’m picking it up next week.

Into Hereford for car key cutting and petrol and then over to Dinedor for tea and cake with Jean. Home for a mutual debrief. Adrenalin rush on the wane.


TV: Grand DesignsThe Get Down.

Podcasts: History Extra, History of JapanBookclub.


Photos: Herefordshire week 95 on Flickr.

Phil: w/e 2021-10-24.

Herefordshire Week 094: Tuesday 12 – Monday 18 October 2021

The last of the preserves production. Good garden jobs. Utility Room revamp & Loft prep.

Empty Loft
Empty Loft

We were woken before sunrise on Tuesday morning by loud screeches coming from two birds. No idea what – one was possibly a Jay, or perhaps it was Buzzard vs Owl?

Task No. 1 for the morning was to film my piece to camera for the ELR KM Database relaunch video. The things I do to get projects over the line. Thank heavens for Philip Gyford and both his acting experience and filming kit. The first time I’ve worn mascara since I don’t know when.

Me - the work version
Me – the work version

Job done, we strolled down to the Abbey and back over the field, chatting with Chris about Gigaclear / Fastershire fiasco en route.

Just enough time to tackle Task No. 2: Turning the last pick of the wild plums Allotment Garden Damson Jam. Both this recipe, using 1.2kg damsons, and the One Pot of Jam from Your Microwave recipe, using 550g fruit, produced 3½ pots. How does that work?

Damson Jam: rolling boil
Damson Jam: rolling boil

Early afternoon, as I was getting stuck into work, dad arrived and he and Phil took the two boxes of surplus flooring back to Simply Stunning for a refund. Smashing service from start to finish from Simply Stunning.


Work done for the week, I had a busy day in the garden on Friday – the lovely weather continues. Tidied up the tomato plants behind the greenhouse, picked up the worthwhile windfall apples from the fallen apple tree (what do you do with 4 bucketloads of small apples?) and lopped off the smaller branches, wheelbarrowing them to the bonfire and getting that going in the afternoon.

Apples from the fallen tree
Damson Jam: rolling boil

Further lopping down on the lower path, tidying up wild plum bushes and blackberry runners. We also relocated the apple racks and washing machine in the Utility Room ahead of Handyman Sam coming tomorrow.

It was a cool afternoon and evening so we lit the wood stove and luxuriated in our lounge admiring the new flooring – the downstairs space is transformed – as Thea and Joe were coming up in the evening for a Mexican feast. Lots of chat and a late night. Smashing.


I had signed up for Saturday’s GVWC Challenge Walk (17 miles around Peterchurch) but after all of Friday’s excitements I was shattered and sent my regrets late on Friday. Sod’s law meant Saturday was a glorious day, and after a leisurely start my energy levels were back to normal.

Still, a good day to be in as Handyman Sam was with us for part 1 of the Utility Room Revamp. Aka removing the remains of the boiler cupboard and all the boxing around the pipe work. He returns next Saturday to finish off, and he’s also going to extend the washing machine plumbing so that we can relocate it into the alcove. Score!

Utility Room cupboard removal - at the half way point
Utility Room cupboard removal – at the half way point

I spent the day doing computer things and jobs in the garden. More tomato tidying, cleared the herb bed and dug over the earth, planted out the Hergest Croft Herefordshire Russet apple tree.

Tidying up the herb bed in the Orchard
Tidying up the herb bed in the Orchard
Herefordshire Russet - Apple tree label
Herefordshire Russet – Apple tree label

More pruning on the lower path and lots of raking up of leaves from the swing slope. The bonfire was still smouldering, so, with the help of some of the dry leaves I revived that to burn more of the damp hedge trimmings that lingered around the edge.


Despite all Saturday’s activity, I didn’t sleep well, which is my excuse for sleeping in until 10am. Unheard of. And it was another lovely day of blue skies and sunshine. So rather than the Hereford Screwfix shop we’d planned (rat trap high on the list) we opted to walk the Bacton Square, chatting with Thea on the return stretch and picking a large bag of blackberries.

Orchard Shed Blackberries
Orchard Shed Blackberries

Dad and Jean had been due to come for Sunday lunch today, but nasty colds have postponed that plan. But an organic chicken won’t last forever, so we set to work on making Sunday lunch for two. A dry run for Christmas Dinner, but without the sprouts or bread sauce (sniff – two of my favourite items), and with the mutual grumps. A plateful each was followed by seconds, demolished in the sun warmed conservatory.

Washing up done, I opted to spend the rest of the afternoon lounging on the sofa watching telly. Sometimes you just have to, even on an unseasonably warm mid-October day. Eventually I found room for the apple and blackberry crumble…


Busy day, Monday! We emptied the loft (unearthing lots of lost treasures as well as dead flies and mouse traps), went to the tip (waving goodbye to the loft’s carpet and cardboard collection) and made another batch of Apple Chutney (Penny’s Recipes Apple Chutney with Dates, Sultanas, Mustard & Coriander Seeds. Double quantity, reduced sugar. 14 jars, various sizes – from large to small). The cupboards are FULL.

Penny's Recipes Apple Chutney
Penny’s Recipes Apple Chutney

Also strained the 4 jars of Apple Cider (Scraps) Vinegar. One jar is clear but the other three are cloudy, and they are the ones where there was a layer of mould on the chopped apples… Let’s see what happens over the next stage. (Yes, it does look a bit like wee.)

Apple Cider Vinegar - Stage 2: Strained
Apple Cider Vinegar – Stage 2: Strained

In less good news, I found the dead mouse in the garage that was the cause of the nasty niffs we’d noticed on Saturday. And Phil found second corpse in the mouse trap that had mysteriously moved overnight…

Started season 2 of The Get Down while polishing off Sunday Lunch Leftovers, and then packed for MN. My first trip back to the (an) office since Feb 2020.


TV: Grand DesignsThe North WaterThe CeltsWho Do You Think You AreThe Get Down.

Podcasts: History Extra, The History of England Podcast – Guest episodes, The History of English Podcast, Bookclub.


Photos: Herefordshire week 94 on Flickr.

Phil: w/e 2021-10-17.

 

Herefordshire Week 093: Tuesday 05 – Monday 11 October 2021

Weekend visitors. Hot sunny days. Gin and Jam.

Hazel, Cat and me at Dore Abbey
Hazel, Cat and me at Dore Abbey

After Monday’s excitement, Tuesday morning brought a headache, most likely a mixture of stress (week away + car + flooring) plus paint and glue fumes.

Confounding the forecast, it was a lovely sunny day so weeknotes done, and having got a second batch of Blackberry Gin underway, I headed out on the Cockyard loop, which included a chat with Carl on Stone Street and a pick up from dad and Phil just above Quarrells Green. Dad had come over for coffee and to talk through his LPA.

Started off Wednesday with Damson Gin, stage 2 – aka add the gin (I’m using The Allotment Garden’s Damson Gin recipe). Stage 3 – strain and drink – is due on Christmas Eve. Perfect timing. And another headache, so no VWW for me.

Damson Gin - stage 2
Damson Gin – stage 2

Thursday we had  our visit from the Welsh Water Engineer / Plumber checking for leaks (based on the temperature of the water at our connection to the mains). None found, he agreed it was most likely the pipe to our house. We still got the water usage reducing shower head and garden hose spray kit.


Admin Friday morning, primarily sorting out things to do with the Walton flat plus trying to open a new ISA Share Dealing Account. T-e-r-r-i-b-l-e form, but a really really helpful guy on their helpline who actually filled out the form in parallel with me and worked out the precise format required for the mobile phone number field: XXXXX XXXXXX in case you come up against the same “mandatory field with no guidance” barrier.

Nipped into Hereford late morning to do the weekend food shop and for Phil to buy some new wellies. I also reluctantly returned Great Circle to the library, unfinished. It’s been reserved so I only get 2 x 2 day renewal and it’ll take me longer than that to complete. I’m really enjoying it, so I’ve reserved it again. That is one of the downsides of being a library (as opposed to buying) reader, given it’s 13 miles to the library….


Cat arrived mid-afternoon for the start of a lovely weekend, and later that night we drove into Hereford to pick Hazel up at the station.

Cue a weekend with lots of catching up, eating and drinking, walking and reminiscing about our “how we met” trip on the Wayward Bus from Adelaide to Alice Springs and meeting up again in Thailand. Happy times.

After a leisurely start on Saturday we walked to Ewyas Harold to buy papers. Our route took us down to Abbey Dore, up onto the Common via the Deer Field (and no cows in the other fields) and down into Ewyas Harold via the access road. We returned along the lanes to Dulas, the footpath through The Park to The Old Trout, up Mill Lane and footpaths across the fields to Cwm Hill Road. Lovely.

Late lunch then a relaxing afternoon in the conservatory, Mexican feast prep aided by a bottle of fizz and nachos (classy!) and an evening with the photo album.

Sunday brought beautiful blue skies, sunshine and real warmth, so after a little ‘something to put us on’ we strolled down to the Abbey and back for brunch. Phil delivered a fry up feast, which we ate sitting out on the patio. It felt more like August than October.

Sunday brunch, al fresco
Sunday brunch, al fresco

Waved Cat off, then pottered with Hazel until it was time to drop her back off at Hereford Station. Getting more used to driving the Panda. Vroom!!

I spent the rest of the afternoon outside, clearing cuttings and mowing the orchard – it’s not had a trim since before the apple tree fell down, and that fallen tree means mowing needs the Honda Mower. The grass was decidedly lush, but the Honda coped and the compost heap got a healthy top up of grass cuttings. I prepped all the edges and tricky bits too, in anticipation of a full mow tomorrow.


Monday was another glorious sunny day.

Frustratingly I had to spend the morning sorting out various insurances but I got outside for the rest of the day, picking the tomatoes from the growbag behind the greenhouse, collecting the last of the wild plums, blackerrying along the lane and in Thistly Field with Phil and planting the ‘compost bin’ daffodil bulbs in the verges at our junction (still with Phil) and finally mowing, the repaired grass collector working like A Dream.

Last of the plums
Last of the plums

The colander full of plums came in at 1.8kg, and I turned 600g of them into 3 ½ pots of Damson Jam, following the recipe in my photocopied pages of One Pot of Jam from Your Microwave – which include the much loved recipes for Anglo-Indian Apple Chutney and Apple Mincemeat (Vegan, Brandy). And – at last – I’ve managed to track down the book they come from: One Pot of Jam from Your Microwave by Sonia Allison.

Damson Jam - made in the microwave: 3½ pots
Damson Jam – made in the microwave: 3½ pots

Even if October temperatures haven’t arrived, the Autumn colours have – red berries garlanding the hedgerows, hollies and hawthorns; green leaves turning red, orange and gold. Beautiful against blue skies.

Autumn Leaves
Autumn Leaves

And it looks like I may have a second batch of strawberries… incredible.

October Strawberries
October Strawberries

TV: Grand Designs, Maid.

Podcasts / audiobooks: History Extra.


Photos: Herefordshire week 93 on Flickr.

Phil: w/e 2021-10-10.

Herefordshire Week 092: Tuesday 29 September – Monday 04 October 2021

An On Off On Off week in Pembs with rainy days and dry sunny days alternating. Breezy throughout.

Sunday morning stroll, Newgale Beach
Sunday morning stroll, Newgale Beach

Back home…. a couple of significant new things:

New car!

Say Hello to our New Car
Say Hello to our New Car

Wooden Floors!

The wooden flooring is laid
The wooden flooring is laid

Heavy rain overnight so Tuesday was deemed as day to spend in the van, reading and chatting until cheese on toast lunch. The afternoon held dry spells and we managed the walk around the Southwood Estate picking blackberries and sloes. We stewed the former in anticipation of a crumble on Thursday and froze the latter ready to make sloe gin. Tasty Cashew Nut Curry Risotto for dinner with cheese and biscuits after.


Wednesday was the sunny day of the week so we drove over to Marloes and walked on up to Martin’s Haven and around the headland to Marloes Sands, returning via roads and field footpaths.

Pembrokeshire Coast: Marloes Circuit
Pembrokeshire Coast: Marloes Circuit

Lots of seals and pups in the bays along the way. Lots of photos.

Seal pup perseveres (video, 20s)
Seal pup perseveres (video, 20s)

Tea and welsh cakes back at base and bit of relaxing before Maurice arrived and drove us to Nolton Haven for dinner at The Haven Brasserie. My first evening meal out for a long long time.


Back to rain on Thursday – light windswept showers and heavier spells. Leisurely start then into Narberth. A damp and drizzly potter around time with our buzzer from Ultracomida in order to get a place at their tapas table.

Worth the wait for a tasty tapas lunch then tea with Maurice, Outlet & Lidl shopping in H’west and back to base for the evening.

Rain resumed. We tucked into cheese and biscuits followed by blackberry and apple crumble.


A wet start Friday cleared to leave a breezy sunshine-filled day and so it was off to St Davids to walk the Coast Path from Caerfai to White Sands.

A smashing day, blackberry picking, seal watching and with coffee and cake at Porthclais Kiosk.

Seal pup
Seal pup
Swimming seal, St Davids Peninsula
Swimming seal, St Davids Peninsula

Steffi took the footpath route back into St Davids which cut down the long road section at the end and brings you into St Davids via the Cathedral and Bishops Palace. Lovely.

By the end we were all glowing from a day of sunshine and fresh air.

Whitesands Bay
Whitesands Bay

Back to the van for tea and a welsh cake then wine and nibbles, Lidl Deluxe pizzas, crumble and creme fraiche.

October started well.


Rain returned in the evening and continued in and off overnight and into Saturday, heavy. Lazy morning featuring bed coffee and a late breakfast, sloe gin production, reading and listening to podcasts. And a fab sunset.

Sunset from the van, Newgale
Sunset from the van, Newgale

Early rain cleared on Sunday morning and another bright and breezy day lured us down onto the beach for a low tide stroll.

Then it was packing up and off to Mayhem for one of Maurice’s slap up Sunday lunches. Well up to the usual high standard, even if the gathering was significantly smaller than usual. we’d not managed our Everest Trek Get Together as D&G had decided not to come in light of the petrol shortages and weather forecast.

Sunday lunch - veggie version
Sunday lunch – veggie version

Easy drive home dropping Hazel off at Carmarthen train station en route, returning to find the downstairs walls and skirting painted by Phil and the grass collector bit of the mower fixed by dad and Phil.

Phil managed half of the box of Sunday lunch leftovers I was sent home with…..


Quite a momentous day, Monday:

    1. We collected our new car. It’s a Fiat Panda 4×4, to cater for the icy roads and occasional floods as well as potholes, narrow country lanes and Hereford parking. We did a part-Ex on the Nissan, which made me realise how attached I’d become to it. Sniff.

      Goodby old car.... Hello new car
      Goodbye old car…. Hello new car
    2. The wooden flooring was laid in the hall, dining room and lounge.

      New flooring in the lounge, dining area and entrance hall - before, during & after
      New flooring in the lounge, dining area and entrance hall – before, during & after

TV: Grand Designs, Maid.

Podcasts / audiobooks: History Extra, Great Lives, Books and Authors.


Photos: Herefordshire week 92 on Flickr.

Phil: w/e 2021-10-03.