Herefordshire Week 206: Tuesday 05 – Monday 11 December 2023

Wet week and a couple of lovely Christmas meals.


Booked next year’s Crickhowell Walking Festival walks, which included figuring out routes, guests and dates for next March. It’ll be here soon enough.

Gym routine resumed, we had the aerobics ladies Christmas lunch at The Kilpeck Inn (smashing all round) on Wednesday and later in the week C and I sorted out our schedule for my first go at PT starting in Jan.

As the Christmas cards start to arrive, I wrote the bulk of this year’s listening to Marina Hyde and Richard Osman dissect Nigel Farage on I’m a Celebrity…. and the David Beckham, Robbie Williams and Ronnie O’Sullivan documentaries on The Rest is Entertainment (big tick!).

On Saturday we drove to Hay for their Christmas Market only to find it had been cancelled due to high winds. I’d spotted that Vowchurch and Turnastone were having their Christmas Market the same day, so we’d stopped off there en route. Other end of the spectrum when it comes to scale but a really nice atmosphere. We returned with cakes from Hay Deli and A Book.

Very wet walk with the GVWC on Sunday: Llanthony Low Level Loop, which was a new route for me. A lot of rain for the first hour or so and water streaming off the hills all the way round, not always in Official Waterways, with a lovely warm mulled wine at the end courtesy of Llanthony Priory’s Cellar Bar.

GVWC: Llanthony Low Level Loop
GVWC: Llanthony Low Level Loop

Distance: 8.62 miles
Elevation gain: 1,191 ft
Walking time: 3½ hours
Elapsed Time 4hrs 10 mins

Then on to Abergavenny for the Loosemore Family Christmas dinner (and B&B) at The Angel Hotel, featuring mulled wine and mince pies, a lovely dinner, a vast bed and a leisurely breakfast on Monday morning. Thank you, dad!

Monday was a beautiful day and I spent a couple of hours in the Orchard tending to the compost heap and the ex-tomato plants in the greenhouse. Leeks looking good.


Low chinooks and loud explosions at the army camp this week.

Upgraded iOS on my phone. Generally OK but the tapping at the start or end of any text highlights it and suggests typos and alternate words, when all I want to do is edit at that location. Grrrrr.


TV: Andor (season 1), Beckham (last episode), Doctor Who (Russell T. Davies, David Tennant & Catherine Tate return in the 60th anniversary specials, but waaaay too twee for me), Grand Designs (another unfinished project), Fleishman is in Trouble (first two episodes, not sure…. but then that’s what I said about Andor and I ended up really enjoying that)

Podcasts: History Extra, Case 63 (season 1), The Rest is Entertainment

Audiobook: Mrs England


Photos: Herefordshire week 206 on Flickr.

Phil: w/e 2023-12-10.

Herefordshire Week 205: Tuesday 28 November 2023 – Monday 04 December 2023

Week 205.

All being well, I’m back from Nepal and had a brilliant trek to Kangchenjunga & over Lumba Sumba with Val Pitkethly Mingmi.

December, eh….

05 Dec 2023: Update: Yep, I’m home, after a week that took me from the sunny hills above Kathmandu to the damp, grey skies of Herefordshire. But I’m home!!!

Settling in....
Settling in….

Tuesday and Wednesday I was still in Kathmandu. A relaxing morning at the Chharari Retreat on Tuesday then back to the Marshyangdi and Thamel. Treated Mingmi and Tenzee to a falafel wrap lunch, then shopped. Met Annick for dinner at the New Orleans, Mandala Street. Tiredness catching up with us all.

Wednesday was our last full day in Nepal and was earmarked for three things: indulging in the Hotel Marshyangdi buffet breakfast (the fresh fruit in particular), shopping and dinner with M&T’s family. We managed two out of three. The last didn’t happen, and put a big damper on the whole trip.

Thursday was the long flight back to the UK. An early start thanks to Qatar bringing our KTM-DOH flight forward by 2 hours, and a corresponding longer layover in Doha’s Hamad International Airport – home of the $9 coffee and $25 curling cornered sandwich…..

Perishing cold in London. Thankfully the Gresham Hotel was only a short, cold, walk from Paddington train station and was warm and snug. M&S “bits” for “supper” (not a term I usually use), eyelids held open with metaphorical matchsticks. Then sleep.

We’d got up at 4.30am Nepal time and were in bed 10.30pm UK time = a 23 hour 45 minute day = Knackered and a headache.


I slept better than expected and only really woke up around 7am on Friday morning. Breakfast in the basement – very efficient and ruthlessly clean, these ladies could teach Tumlingtar’s squalid Hotel Makalu a thing or two! – took me back to the one and only visit to London I had as a child – I can still picture the poppy wallpaper and recall my amazement at a Dining Room being deep in the depths, and with no windows.

Trundled back to PAD for our respective GWR trains home, mine on the overcrowded 09.52 through the frosty fields to Herefordshire.

Last leg ..... almost
Last leg ….. almost

Phil met me at Hereford station and we headed home for a late lunch of homemade fresh bread, a cheese board, hummus and carrots. All my meal dreams come true.

And in the evening, pizza!

Friday Night Pizza!
Friday Night Pizza!

Saturday and Sunday featured lots of unpacking and washing and computer admin. Caught up with T & L for a couple of hours on a wet Sunday afternoon. Saturday started cold and frost and stayed cold and frosty all day.

Frosty morning, Forty Acres
Frosty morning, Forty Acres

Monday was mostly admin, including doing my tax return – woo hoo – and Christmas present wrangling.


Lots of sparrows back on the bird feeders. Lots of squirrels in the garden. Lots of finally fallen leaves. And a leaf mulch bin, courtesy of my lovely husband!

Leaf mulching
Phil’s photo – Leaf mulching

TV: Beckham (guilty pleasure, but it is a pleasure!), The Bear (season 1 – not sure it’s my thing), Grand Designs (Series 23, Episode 9: South Herefordshire), Andor.

Podcasts: Anglo-Saxon England

Audiobook: Mrs England – Stacey Halls


Photos: Herefordshire week 205 on Flickr.

Phil: w/e 2023-12-03.

Herefordshire Week 199: Tuesday 17 – Monday 23 October 2023

A lot of rain. A lot of Nepal prep.

I named this sheep "Robin"
I named this sheep “Robin”

Admin on Tuesday morning, weeknotes, money stuff, a bit of Nepal prep – visa application, running through the itinerary (and getting extra detail from the Mountain Company one (Kinda wish I was doing their one that goes all the way to Makalu BC….), first pass at the kit list, putting together the Kangchenjunga & Lumba Sumba: Prep blogpost.

A speedy apple pick (a bucket of Laxton Superbs from the Orchard) and chopping / freezing the windfalls and pecked ones, washing the others and putting them into the apple racks. Almost full.

In spite of the sunshine, I got stuck into Nepal prep in the afternoon. I’d been itching to do it all morning. Started sleuthing weather forecasts for our route on yr.no – got a surprisingly large number using the map and the “places nearby” feature.

Yr.no Weather Forecast Map for the route to Kanchenjunga Base Camp (North)
Yr.no Weather Forecast Map for the route to Kanchenjunga Base Camp (North)

In the evening. Pilates followed by leftovers – Maurice’s Mexican Feast.

Also, not sure if it’s coincidence, but since I’ve got back from Italy my email spam has gone bananas.


Up early on Wednesday with a bit of time to start looking at my GVWC walks for 2024 before aerobics and calisthenics-not-stretch at the gym. Back for my physio stretches then an afternoon of Kangchenjunga & Lumba Sumba prep – fine tuning my kit list, finding the final few elusive locations on yr.no, finalising my itinerary spreadsheet, printing out that plus my insurance and the etickets for our flights, finishing off my Kangchenjunga & Lumba Sumba: Prep blogpost and publishing that.


Thursday featured more early morning musing on my GVWC walks for 2024 (I’ve only got to come up with the first 3!!) before LBT at the gym. Back for physio exercises and then a dry run packing my kitbag and using my new travel scales to weight it. So far, so good… 14kg, and that’s with a shoe box of donated eye glasses and two jars of damson jam….

I’d also finally plucked up the courage to unpack last week’s eBay purchase of a second hand Mountain Equipment Annapurna down jacket. Everything seems in working order. It’s Mens, size small, and it fits perfectly as does the stuff sack I bought in KTM for last year’s Rab down jacket purchase.

All ready for packing next week .....
All ready for packing next week …..

After lunch I got sucked into OS Maps Explore and AllTrails … but did eventually finalise my walks. I’ve also plotted a few new Golden Valley routes I try out over the summer, all being well.

Tried to get back into Flickring and doing my “Photos & Notes” write up for the Pyrenees but I only managed 1 day. My mind is elsewhere…, and it seems a long time ago now what with Italy trip and the difference in the weather between those trips and this week’s relentless rain.

Made dinner (always worth a mention given it’s so infrequent).


Friday morning was another early start with time for a bit of computer admin before driving over to the gym for aerobics and stretch. Back for a bit more admin, an early lunch then into Hereford for food shopping, bird food reup, trek admin, picking up my mended chain from the super Andrew Lamputt, then over to dad and Jean’s for tea and pastries. Dad no longer yellow!

A very slow rainy rush hour drive home. Just enough time to get things ready for TJL’s arrival and a lovely early evening catch up over nachos and dips, wine and beer, with the log fire lit.


Still raining on Saturday. To Pontrilas: post office and weeknotes in the cafe for me, gym for P. Back at base we booked Premier Inn Clerkenwell for three nights in January for our anniversary, KMC dinner (honorary guest) and MMRR meet up.

Most of the afternoon and a chunk of the evening flickring my Pyrenees photos and (almost) finishing my Photos & Notes blogpost, listening to a lot of Everything But The Girl.


Sunday = giving the dining room table in the conservatory a second dose of lemon oil treatment, finishing off and publishing my Into the Pyrenees with Alfonso & Manu: Photos & Notes blogpost and apple picking in the orchard with Phil (Three buckets of Laxton Superbs). Then we walked to Ewyas via Abbey Dore and Dulas Mill for lunch with dad and Jean at The Temple Bar Inn. Lovely walk, lovely lunch.

Strava Map: Ewyas Harold via Abbey Dore and Dulas
Strava Map: Ewyas Harold via Abbey Dore and Dulas

Back to ours for coffee. Beautifully sunny. A stroll around the garden then a snooze on the corner sofa in the conservatory ….

Watched the first episode in the new series of Grand Designs – it was in Herefordshire, at Clifford near Hay on Wye!


Woke up with a bad case of the blues on Monday.

Did some computer admin, mainly finishing off my Pyrenees write up and photos and saving the blogposts as PDFs. Then doing the same for our Northern Italy holiday. Then creating my Pick of the Pics album to share my favourite photos from the Pyrenees. That took up all of the morning.

But Rach did send some lovely photos.

Me and Alfonso, Pic d'Arlas (2044m) descent
Me and Alfonso, Pic d’Arlas (2044m) descent

Mowed in the afternoon, with a quick trip to The Forge for petrol in the middle. I was only going to do the verge and the grass by the bins but ended up getting the ride on mower going to do the always-quick-growing-grass on the slope down into the Hollow and ended up doing the whole hollow, the orchard and the front lawn too.

Felt a bit better for having Done Something. But still 🙁

KMC Catch up in the evening.


We had a goldcrest bonk on one of the conservatory windows on Tuesday afternoon. They’re tiny. It sat on the outside chest looking a bit dazed but must have recovered enough to fly off. A good sign. Phil reminded me that he had two goldcrest casualties last November when I was away in Nepal. We’ve not had any at other times of the year.

Starlings materialised on the seed feeder on Wednesday, resplendent in their spotty winter plumage. I don’t think we’ve had them here before. Or if we have, it’s been a rare event.

On Sunday, a speedy sparrow hawk visit to the bird feeders and font. No casualties. And during Monday’s mow I counted 6 kites circling over Kiln Field / Quarrels Green (although Phil thinks 2 of them might have been buzzards).


TV: Fleabag, This Farming Life, The Mandalorian (wrapped up season 1), Grand Designs, What We Do In The Shadows (started season 4).

Podcasts: Shedunnit, In Our Time,  Empire.


Photos: Herefordshire week 199 on Flickr.

Phil: w/e 2023-10-22.

Herefordshire Week 198: Tuesday 10 – Monday 16 October 2023

Pembrokeshire for the Everest Trek Get Together No. 19.

Marloes Circular: The Gang
Marloes Circular: The Gang

My first full week back home = still catching up.


Tuesday comprised catching up on admin and weeknotes 196 and 197, walking to and from Ewyas Harold for my first in person Physio appointment at the surgery (VG. Assessment = Hip pain, right glute med tendinopathy + some ITB / Iliotibial Band Syndrome symptoms), Pembs Prep, another catch up with Val, more apple collecting, a great update from dad on his jaundice.

Beautiful day.

Home to Ewyas Harold: Top Sheep
Home to Ewyas Harold: Top Sheep

Pilates in the evening – getting back into the gym routine, even if it’s only for a couple of weeks.


Having failed to book onto the morning gym classes, Wednesday was more admin, mainly money – I’m still working out my “being retired cash flows” – and we had our catch up with Carol. Also some Nepal prep – working out paying, online tourist visa (bearing in mind the max 15 days in advance constraint) and checking eBay for Expedition grade down jackets….

Over to J’s for dinner in the evening. Lovely. On my way there, I spooked an owl down by Blackmoor Farm.

A very rainy day.


Thursday morning featured LBT at the Gym and Chutney Transport Box pick up from the shop, then back home to finish off weeknotes 197, which also entailed fully Flickring Italy photos.


More gym on Friday morning, a petrol fill up at the Forge, more computing (I forget what), then off to Pembs for Everest Trek Get Together No. 19, picking up Hazel at Carmarthen en route to Mayhem where Steffi supplied a Greek Feast as a change from the usual Curries. Replete, Dave drove us to the van and we polished off a bottle of wine.

The heavy rain had cleared to sunshine on the drive west.

Steffi spotted Starlink low on the horizon. It was that or anti alien tracer fire….


Saturday’s walk was the Marloes Circular, with sunshine, seals and a super lunch at Runwayskiln.

Strava Map: Marloes Circular
Strava Map: Marloes Circular
Marloes Circular: Seals
Marloes Circular: Seals
Marloes Circular: Runwayskiln lunch
Marloes Circular: Runwayskiln lunch

Back at the van, a cup of tea then down to the beach for a gorgeous sunset.

Magic sunset, Newgale Beach
Magic sunset, Newgale Beach

Once darkness had descended, we relaxed in the van where wine and crisps were followed by cheese and biscuits, fruit and wine. And bed.


Mandatory Sunday morning stroll on Newgale Beach, then back to Mayhem for Mexican! Lovely sunny day. Cold and crisp overnight and in the shade. October has arrived.

Newgale Beach
Newgale Beach

Home by 6pm, got the log stove going – first time this year (well since the spring at any rate).


It had been cold overnight, so on Monday morning we put the heating on. First time…

A couple of hours prepping (these) weeknotes and updating already-flickred photos (Pembs and previous) and doing my new physio exercises, then out to bonfire.

Slow going, and very smoky, but over the next 6 hours or so I got through the three piles of hedge clippings and the older pile(s) of tree / shrub loppings. During the marathon session Phil brought my lunch out to me and laid on the 4pm tea and biscuit on the patio. I was done by 5pm-ish, give or take a few extra bramble cuttings.

Bonfire: Almost all done
Bonfire: Almost all done

In between times I trimmed the broken branches I could reach on our Wedding Plum, deconstructed the old, broken deck chair in the quarry and repurposed it as compost heap “fence” and refreshed the bait in the rodent trap – something had moved the box and dug a path to it; hopefully rats as the bait was all gone.

Listened to a lot of the Empire podcast episodes.

Got my Disney+ subscription up and running in the evening and started The Mandalorian.


The days are definitely drawing in. Dawn colours lingering over Grey Valley at 7.30am, and getting dark by 6pm.


TV: Fleabag, The Ghosts cast on the show’s final series | BFI Q&A (plus the Comic Relief Kylie Special and Bloopers on YouTube), This Farming Life, The Mandalorian.

Podcasts: In Our Time, Shedunnit, Empire.


Photos: Herefordshire week 198 on Flickr.

Phil: w/e 2023-10-15.