Wales – The travels of Mary Loosemore

Herefordshire Week 179: Tuesday 30 May 2023 – Monday 05 June 2023

To Pembrokeshire for Everest Trek Get Together No. 18. This autumn’s Nepal trek comes into focus. Frogs!

Tuesday morning, cool and breezy, a good time for admin: weeknotes, banking, emails, flights…. The morning brightened and I had time to rake some of the mown grass into more readily collectable lines and piles before lunch, and to take the ride on mower for a grass collecting (and more cutting!!) spin after. Just enough petrol….

We also topped up the pond with the 4 buckets of tap water we’d left standing for 24 hours to let the chlorine out.

Strawberries from the greenhouse for pudding at dinner.

Quite cold on Wednesday. Good for indoor jobs, and for an afternoon outing to Tescos. Second top up of the pond. More strawberries from the greenhouse for dinner.

The cool and cloudy weather continued on Thursday. Phil and I booked our Turin hotel for September’s trip, then on to more computer admin for the rest of the morning. I ought to feel like I’d achieved more.

In the afternoon – sunny, of course – I had my last under-the-radar 1-2-1 session with my LW successor. Good luck PH! P’s weekend guest, D, arrived and we had dinner in the conservatory before I headed on on a fast drive to AGV to collect H. Back for cheese and wine.

Another cool and cloudy start to Friday. P made two fresh loaves and we ate half of one for breakfast. Yum Yum. P and D headed out to walk Tremorithic while H and I waited for the courier to collect my work IT kit… in vain.

Just before lunch, as the sun came out, dad arrived with 2 bags charcoal ahead of the Annual Birthdays Party BBQ later this month, soon followed by D&G and P&D. Time for a potter around the garden, primarily to check on newts and tadpoles / froglets / frogs, then lunch on the patio. Lovely.

Mid-afternoon, D, G, H and I set off for Pembs taking the Bredwardine / Bridge Sollers route to avoid the Hay Festival. A gorgeous afternoon – blue skies and sunshine. Nice to be able to look out of the window; I’m usually driving.

We arrived at Steffi’s around 6.30pm. Gs&Ts on the deck waiting for CN to arrive – the M4 route turned out to be a bit rough – then the usual fantastic Friday night curry feast.

Then to the (still new) caravan!

Fantastic weather all weekend. Perfect for walking. Perfect for al fresco eating and (moderate) drinking.

On Saturday we caught the fflecsi bus Steffi had booked to Strumble Head and walked the Strumble Head Circular: 8.82 miles, elevation gain 1,460 ft; lunch at the memorial to the last invasion of mainland Britain; lots of wild flowers; TWO seals!

Strumble Head Circular: Strumble Head Lighthouse

And on the return fflecsi, our driver was all set to drive us all the way back to the caravan until we convinced him we were fine walking up the final hill.

Back at base, drinks on the decking, dinner inside, wonderful sunset.

The glorious weather continued on Sunday. Breakfast outside, a stroll on the golden sands of Newgale Beach at low tide, then back to Steffi’s for one of Maurice’s wonderful, table-filling Sunday lunches.

D&G drove me home, dropping off H at Carmarthen for the new direct train service to London. Back at 40A we found Phil & D had done some scything, the first of the year. Much easier than last year, Phil says.

Bit of a blue day Monday. Pembs took a bit out of (introvert) me, plus arranged to see JC when we’re in Birmingham in July and planning to visit Temple Fields.

On the plus side, I bought flights to Kathmandu for our Oct/Nov trek. And prepped and published my Where Next: Kangchenjunga & Lumba Sumba blogpost.

It warmed up in the afternoon.

Phil did some more scything.

In the small pond I spotted fully formed (small) frogs, together with froglets (front and back legs, but still with a tail) and the younger generation still at tadpole stage.

Frog(let)s in the small pond: A more mature specimen, with no tail left – centre of the photograph

Phil watched the Apple Keynote in the early evening. I’m all good to buy my Mac Mini. Thank heavens.

TV: Poker Face (finished season 1), Colin From Accounts (not for me), The Gallows Pole.

Podcasts: History Extra, Anglo-Saxon England, Empire.

Photos: Herefordshire week 179 on Flickr.

Phil: w/e 2023-06-04.

Herefordshire Week 171: Tuesday 04 – Monday 10 April 2023

Easter in Pembrokeshire.

Tuesday saw a frosty start after another cold night. Beautifully sunny though, so after weeknotes I headed out for a walk: Abbey Dore – Cwm Hill – Tremorithic Road – Fair Oak Farm – Bacton – Kerrys Gate. Gorgeous.

Hatterrall Ridge Panorama, Tremorithic Road

Usual work week, with VWW but no Family Zoom. Turned one of the bags of Wild Garlic into soup, riffing off Felicity Cloake’s How to make the perfect nettle soup.

Hazel arrived Thursday evening – good excuse for cheese and a glass of red wine before turning in for the night.

Up early on Friday for the drive to Pembrokeshire to spend Easter Weekend with Steffi in The New Van. Gorgeous day. The van’s lovely. We settled in on the New Decking for a late lunch and early afternoon van-warming…. which ended up lasting into the early evening.

Good Friday afternoon drinks on the decking at Steffi's new van, Newgale — Good Friday afternoon drinks on the decking at Steffi’s new van, Newgale

We eased into Saturday, walking to Newgale village to catch the 9.30am bus into St Davids. Coffee at the Really Wild Emporium, Oggies from Losh’s Pasties, and buying brownies/blondies for emergency rations from the Easter market at Oriel y Parc before setting off along the coast path to Solva.

A lovely sunny day and a lovely sunny walk. Spring flowers galore.

A stop in Solva for pot of tea in The Ship’s back beer garden then on to Newgale – where we polished off the brownies with a pot of tea back at the van.

Dinner was fish & chips from the Back Lane Chippy in H’west AKA the Coronation Chippy. Mushy pea fritter + chips + sweet ‘n’ sour sauce = Heaven.

Sunday was cloudier and brought more of a breeze. I drove us to Angle where we parked at West Angle Bay and set off on the Angle Circular. At Cafe Môr, The Old Point House, we tucked into a seaweed-themed second breakfast, then continued on towards Freshwater West and back to the car park for a cup of tea and a crumble slice from the Wavecrest Cafe. Yummy.

Angle Circular: Hazel and Steffi on the path

Then back to Steffi’s for the mandatory Maurice Sunday Feast – the Sunday Lunch (Dinner) that never disappoints!

The rain arrived.

We had pencilled in more walking on Monday, but the weather forecast was more rain so once I’d dropped H off at H’west and S at home, I continued the drive east getting home in time for lunch. And sunshine.

Phil had some sad bird news: he’d found two tiny green birds dead on the patio, and identified them as goldcrests. I’ve never seen them here.

The afternoon was a strange mixture of sunshine and occasional heavy showers, one of which featured hailstones. Phil and I sat out in the conservatory reading on the New Corner Sofa. A bit fidgety, I made Wavecrest-meets-Whitworths-inspired Brandy Apple Mincemeat crumble slices, and once I’d finished Barbara Kingsolver’s heavy-hitting Demon Copperhead, did (a version of) Meera Sodha’s New Potato, Chard & Coconut green curry for dinner – which we ate watching Succession, season 4, episode 3. Oh my!

In sprouting seed news, seedlings have emerged in the rocket and mixed lettuce trays.

Retirement Days Tracker: 16 ½ days to go

TV: Shetland, Succession.

Podcasts: Anglo-Saxon England, The History of England.

Photos: Herefordshire week 171 on Flickr.

Phil: w/e 2023-04-09.

Herefordshire Week 144: Tuesday 27 September – Monday 03 October 2022

Meeting L and Everest Trek Get Together No. 17.

Powered through more of the admin pile on Tuesday morning, work in the afternoon, and down the road taking dinner for T & J – and new arrival L! Lovely evening.

BAU Weds and Thurs, but no Family Zoom as dad and Jean were on their Northern Tour.

H arrived 10pm Thursday evening (Mary-the-taxi arrived at HFD a little later….), allowing for a cheese and wine supper once home. And a late night. H had very kindly brought the 9 tubs of (still frozen) damsons I’d left in her freezer – my post-Picos rucksack had proved too full to fit them in.

Cloud and damp on Friday, so H and I headed into Hereford for library, a look around and lunch. I think it’s the longest I have spent mooching around Hereford’s clothes shops ever. Nice! Plus lunch at All Saints / Bill’s Kitchen, Pembs contributions purchased from M&S / Waitrose and a leisurely look around Wren Kitchens….

Home to unload / repack, a cup of tea, then off West to Steffi’s for Everest Trek Get Together No. 17!

A smashing weekend – curries on arrival at Mayhem, then over to Newgale for our final stay in the current caravan.

Saturday was sunnier than expected, perfect for a circular coastal walk from Marloes, seal spotting, blackberry picking and lunching at the superb Runwayskiln. Very glad Steffi had booked!

Sunday’s forecast had been rain rain rain, so waking up to blue skies came as a surprise. An hour or so helping S pack up the contents of her kitchen, which D Jenga-Tardissed into his Touran, just time for a short walk along the beach (high tide imminent), then off to Mayhem for Sunday lunch. M, M & C did not disappoint.

3pm-ish, D & H headed off for Newport, and I drove home.

Another fab weekend.

VIP news from Phil while I was away: he’d seen goldfish in the pond!

Spent most of Monday preparing my talk for Kingstone’s Sunshine Club. N’s mum had suggested me earlier in the year, and I’d agreed to give a talk about Nepal. I’d planned to just do a “My first visit was in 2005 and this is what I saw/did …. My first trek was in…. ” etc but as I was pulling photos together into a Flickr Album I decided themes was the way to go – cities, villages and farms; transport, roads and bridges; homes, crops and animals; rivers, hills and mountains – and that worked much better.

TV: The Eddy, Grand Designs, Ghosts.

Podcasts: Not really any other than History Extra ones I fell asleep to (intentionally). Busy workdays sometimes lead to sketchy sleeping.

Photos: Herefordshire week 144 on Flickr.

Phil: w/e 2022-10-02

Herefordshire Week 126: Tuesday 24 – Monday 30 May 2022

Baby birds. Three fab days in Pembs.

Also I have a cold, so BriefNotes.

Tuesday morning = an hour of admin then the Cockyard Circuit with K.

Cow parsley lining the lane down to Camp Wood

Showers on our return, but a lovely sunny afternoon – perfectly timed (not) for work. Escaped at 6.20pm to join Phil in his daily Thistly Field walk. Took some photos of the former Stockley Coppice.

Usual Weds & Thurs, including VWW and Family Zoom.

Friday to Sunday were spent with Steffi in sunny Pembrokeshire.

I drove across Friday morning and we had time for a stroll with Bessie through Slebech Woods before lunch. Then to Newgale via Lidl and out again to walk the extended footpath route through the Southwood Estate. A rather too close encounter with a herd of bullocks required restorative rehydration at The Haven in Nolton Haven before taking the coast path back to the van and a G&T on the deck and dinner.

Recovery pint and crisps in Nolton Haven after the close encounter with the bullocks.... — Recovery pint and crisps in Nolton Haven after the close encounter with the bullocks….

Saturday saw us walk from Whitesands to Abereiddy and back. A fab day, flowers galore and sightings of seals and a sailing ship, and the coastguard helicopter at the Blue Lagoon. We rewarded ourselves with giant ice creams from The Bench in St David’s then back to the van for a small G&T and burgers.

Strava Map: Whitesands to Abereiddy and back

Pembrokeshire Coast Path: Whitesands to Abereiddy and back: Wildflowers

Pembrokeshire Coast Path: Whitesands to Abereiddy and back: Abereiddy Beach

Pembrokeshire Coast Path: Whitesands to Abereiddy and back: Seal

Pembrokeshire Coast Path: Whitesands to Abereiddy and back: Old sailing boat

A bit more cloud on Sunday, and an early start to drive to Castlemartin for one of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park‘s occasional guided walks along the section of the coast through the MOD firing range, which is usually out of bounds. Another fab day out, with four very knowledgeable volunteer leader-guides taking us from Stack Rocks to Brownslade Farm. Fossils, amazing geology, wildflowers and butterflies, iron age forts and D-Day Landings, sea birds – and complicated car sharing!

Castlemartin Range walk: Curvy coastline geology

Castlemartin Range walk: Freshwater West beach

Back to Steffi’s for a slap up Sunday tea from / with Maurice – sausages, mash, cavalo nero, carrots, leeks, cheesy broccoli, a yorkshire pud and gravy – then back home, with a doggy box of dinner for Phil.

Sunday Tea - SAUSAGES — Sunday Tea – SAUSAGES

The only fly in the ointment was discovering a scratch all the way along the MX5’s back bumper, presumably acquired in the Whitesands Car Park 🙁 That’s sealed its fate…

Phil’s cold had manifested on the drive home so I didn’t do much on Monday other than wash the MX5 and look at options for selling it. In the afternoon I indulged in a nostalgia marathon watching Top of The Pops’ The Story of 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996.

In other news, I got an email telling me that I’d won the Crickhowell Walking Festival Photo Competition with my photo of the snow on the slopes of Waun Fach:

CWF 2022 Walk 01 - Black Mountains N-S from Gospel Pass: Snow on the slopes of Waun Fach — Snow on the slopes of Waun Fach

The prize is the hire of an Electric Day Boat for a day out on the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, donated by Beacon Park Boats.

[I was due to be presented with my voucher today, but postponed due to cold.]

In bird news, it’s the time of year when the new arrivals go a bit mad with their new found powers of flight, bombing around from place to place without a care in the world. As a result, lots of bonks on various windows – and (so far) the greenhouse has claimed two tiny casualties and the conservatory one. All Great Tits.

But – alive – they are very cute and fluffy:

TV: Derry Girls (final series – wonderful), Better Call Saul (final series, in real time – no spoilers still!!!), TOTP: The Story of 1993, TOTP: The Story of 1994, TOTP: The Story of 1995 and TOTP: The Story of 1996 and The Morning Show (season 1).

Podcasts: You Must Remember This, SheDunnit.

Photos: Herefordshire week 126 on Flickr.

Phil: w/e 2022-05-27.

Herefordshire Week 120: Tuesday 12 – Monday 18 April 2022

Picked up the Panda. Easter weekend in Pembs = Everest Trek Get Together No 16 = More puffins. And cake.

Tuesday’s main event was picking up the Panda from Ponthir after its service. Expensive. Let’s hope it’s an investment.

Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday were work, but Thursday to Tuesday were spent in Pembrokeshire with Steffi, Hazel, Dave and Gwyneth for Everest Trek Get Together No 16 – it’s been a while – and my birthday.

Hazel arrived Wednesday evening, and Phil and I picked her up from Hereford train station after an Aldi/Sainsbury’s shop-a-thon.

Easy drive to Steffi’s on Thursday morning. Lunch, then a walk around Minwear Woods before driving on to Newgale via Lidl (supplies) and Morrisons Petrol (163.9p/l) in H’west.

Friday dawned a grey day, so we scrapped our plans to walk north from St David’s and walked around the Peninsula from Caerfai to Whitesands instead.

Around the St David's Peninsula from Caerfai to Whitesands: View from the path — Around the St David’s Peninsula from Caerfai to Whitesands: View from the path

No dolphins in Ramsey Sound, but good coffee and cake at Porthclais and a solitary seal near St Justinian’s. And sunshine by the end. Dave and Gwyneth arrived in the evening bringing Easter treats and Indian starters and sides for the traditional Friday Night Curry.

Saturday was Skomer day! Puffins and porpoises, rabbits and seals. Smashing. Young Jim was a brilliant host for the boat trip there and back.

After a wash and brush up back at the van it was off to Nolton Haven for a delicious dinner at The Haven. Highly recommended.

Easter Sunday was another cool day – unlike the South East which was spending the Easter weekend in record breaking temperatures. Still, good weather for a stroll around the Southwood Estate, taking in some of the new footpaths towards Nolton Haven. A drizzly, damp afternoon did not deter me from heading out to walk Newgale Beach end to end before driving the gang to Mayhem for one of Maurice’s traditional slap up Sunday Dinners. We were not disappointed.

Pembrokeshire Easter Weekend: Carmen's Amazing Birthday Cake — Pembrokeshire Easter Weekend: Carmen’s Amazing Birthday Cake

Another smashing walk along the coast path on Monday: Caerfai to Newgale via Solva. Sunshine all the way, and an ice cream at the end. In the evening, Mexican and Margaritas rounded off a lovely holiday.