Ruthin - Wales

Just a few photos from the nice RuthinCraft Centre show of Jesse Chorley who had some nice collections amongsther rather twee embroideries. Alo nice little show of Barry Flanagan's prints and ceramics. Had an alfresco lunch of cafe bought sarnies in the town square. A charming village rather spoilt by cars trying to park. Dropped Linda Merrimen off at bus stop so she could get home to Dollgelue. Audrey came too for the ride. Home by 3. Traffic was bit mad but nice weather. Rather too hot really. Phew!

North Wales

Nice couple of days in sunny Wales visiting old chums Linda and Ivor in Dolgellau and various other places from Ruthin to Bala. Linda showed us her crops and new spaces for sunny porch etc. Bad year for bees so no honey this year. They gave us some home made wine and delicious soda bread that Ivor made. Yum! Popped into Mold on the way home for a look in the giant junk warehouse. Hazel found some cheap material for quilt backing. £2 for about 10 metres! Weather was very kind to us after a little drizzle to start. Boiling on our second day. Collected berries and played with new doggy Blodwin. They also have 4 cats and 6 chickens. (Or was it 6 cats and four chickens?)

Wales - Dolgellau, Barmouth and Ruthin

Nice couple of days in West Wales close to Snowdonia - first to Dolgellau to visit Linda and Ivor who live in a hidden valley surrounded by sheep and chickens etc. We took them a pile of jam jars for their honey. They have several hives in the back garden. Got a jar to take home - yum! Then off to stay in a lovely B&B near Barmouth - a delightful old fashioned seaside resort on Cardigan Bay. Very hot and sunny - got burnt after a long walk over the mile long railway bridge to Fairborne. Got the tiny ferry back for fish n' chips. Then off to Ruthin the next day to look round the antique shops and the Craft Centre before returning home.

North Wales Antique Road Trip No. 2

Nice couple of days in the Welsh countryside, looking for antique and junk shops. First to Mold which was nice little town with a farmers market in full swing. Took refuge in pleasant cafe and got speaking to a local couple who told us the way to the Antique emporium some 5 miles out of town. Had a toasted tea cake. A couple charity shops to look in. The Antique place near Mold wasnt that exciting - everything was very expenive and brass kettles etc, polished to within an inch of their lives! We prefer grubby artifacts! Hazel bought a book about 100 objects ( see photo ) written in English and Welsh. Then off to Denbigh and the place we went to before on our last Antique Road Trip. A bit pricy too so didnt get anything. The owners sat outside on old armchairs sunning themselves. Hazel noticed an ambulance leaving in the next door garage and she wonder if the man she saw busy with something on the floor was in fact giving artificial resuscination to someone the ambulance had just taken away - something we missed when reversing out some moments before! Then to Ruthin and the Crafts Centre to see the exhibition of enamelling and work by John Grayson with some techniques he had discovered from working with old Midlands metalworking "toy" trades. The rest of the exhibition was rather dull ceramics. More good shops and antique places to look round. Found a lovely shops that sold old 60's novelties and toys including masks , plasic viewers ( religious ) shaped like cameras and tiny hand mirrors with cartoons of cowboys etc. Hazel bought a Rocket Watch which had four hands. Also some ball bearing puzzle games with silly faces. Stayed the night at an old rectory - a delightful B&B with owner to match, who served up a tray of lemon drizzle cake she had made with a pot of tea to welcome us. She laughed a lot which is always a good sign. We walked up the hill to the old church and got a good view of the village and the new school which was a bit of an eye sore - felt sorry for the peopleliving nearby who had to look at this horrible thing being built spoiling their view. Anyway, ate the baps and crisps whilst watching Little Miss Sunshine which we had seen before but enjoyed again. Slept rather fitfully due to heavy duvet and strange bed but enjoyed a massive breakfast the next morning. Then off to Wrexham which was a nightmare to get to down those narrow winding lanes. Equally awful to get out of via a spaghetti junction type road mangle!

Wales

Hazel was feeling brave so we drove to Wales for a few days - not really planned it in detail just wanted to get away and see some old friends and "have an adventure".
First stop was Knighton in Powys - just past Shrewsbury. Andy Hazell lives there in a converted school that he's filled with all kinds of interesting stuff, sculptures and staircases that seem to go up to hidden rooms and platforms filled with yet more things. It seems to be a large artist community and all around were easels and paintings in progress. In the playground are many "art cars" including a hearse and a space ship. They all light up at night. I made a pasta and vege sauce dinner and we drank some wine and had a nice chat. Andy kindly let us stay in his guest room in the west wing.
Popped over to Shropshire earlier too to a great little museum of just about everything in the village of Craven Arms- amzing room after room of junk and collectables all piled up higgledy piggeldy - like walking through a Bruce Lacey installation in the basement of Better Books in 1967.

The next day we drove through some torrential rain and sleet to Rudry near Caerphilly. Stopped off breifly in Hay-On -Wye to look round the bookshops and buy some naughty postcards. Went into a cafe for late breakfast and a cuppa tea. Rain was still falling so carried on our journey. Through the Brecon beacons where the snow was thick on the tops of the hills and the little lambs knees were knocking together. Quite alarming but we got down the other side OK- some amazing views through the drizzle. Hazel wanted to visit her welsh roots in Aberclunky but no time really and the weather put us off.
managed to find Big Al's house eventually at the end of windy potholed lane. He greeted us like old friends though we'd only met on the internet some 5 years ago!
So it was great to meet at lastand have a lovely lunch and tour of Rudry with chorus of chickens, sheep and dogs in the background.
Then off to a strange B&B nearby to stay the night that smelled a bit of old fags.
In the evening Big Al drove us over to one of his local pubs for a drink and chat.
The rain never stopped!
The next day it was off to Cardiff by mistake guided by the Tom Tom. So we decided to havd a wander round the market and arcades. Archie bought some dustcarts for his collection and we took a few photos of piles of welsh baps etc.
Then we met up with Jackie and Terry in Penarth - a small seaside resort nearby , and had a toasted teacake in the cliff cafe.
Still more rain. When would it ever stop?
Then to visit Jackie's Dad who was poorly in hospital.

Then the long journey home via The Forest Of Dean ( naughty TomTom !) and Ludlow for a stop off and stretch at large farmshop/deli place full of posh food.
Got home just in time to miss the first bit of the new Dr. Who. Phew ! it was great to be home though - we felt like we'd been away for a month!

Wales

Just back from a few days in Wales. We stayed at our favourite B&B in Llandudno with a nice sea view and a short walk to the shopping streets. We did a bit of shopping as the weather wasn't all that good and shops are good places to dive into when a rain shower comes along.
Our first day though was pretty nice and we got the old victorian tram to the top of the Great Orme for the wonderful views of the welsh hills and bays and Llandudno laid out far below. We considered the wirey dangler back but it was far too expensive so we followed some people down the hill in the direction of Happy Valley. We thought they knew the way but they were just as lost as we were! Eventually we found the right cliff track passed the leaping bunny rabbits and the smugglers caves ( old copper mine digs ) and found our way down to the bottom and the gardens of HP and the long slide, ice creams and standing stones etc. Great views of the pier in the distance. We walked along it later for game of air hockey and penny slots.
Had fish and chips on the prom in the evening surrounded by squawking seagulls.
The next day it was a short car ride to Conway and the castle and the smallest house in Breat Britain as seen in the short Flip film above.
The poor harrassed lady in welsh costume who took the money for souvenirs and entry fee was surrounded by a party of school kids. She asked "Have you any valium in your handbag?"
Looked round the towns shops and when the rain came we got back to the car and had lunch in Llandudno - spinach and cheese pasties. Sat on the beach and threw stones at the sea.
In the evening went for very nice Italian meal in a resturant weve been too before because they make lovely pizzas. I had a vegetarian pasta dish and Hazel had salmon and prawns in a very rich tomato sauce. She had so much she gave me some. Archie stuck with pizza.
More shopping today and more stone throwing and crab hunting on the beach. Home in time for lunch.

Llandudno-Angelsey

Lovely May weekend bank holiday. The weather was beautiful - too hot really . We all got burnt - forget to take the sun block. Usually it rains on bank Holdays so it took is by surprise.
Drove to Llandudno and stayed in hotel we usually stay in. It was double booked so we found outrselves in the house behind the hotel with a view of the car park. The landlady was very apologetic and tried to make us as comfotable as possible.
Another surprise was the annual Victorian Extravaganza - three days of steam fairs and parades and sideshows etc. All great fun though very crowded.
We got there early so able to play the penny slot machines without too much trouble. Some steam rides including a huge "galloper" with ornate horses and pipe organ in the middle. Lots of pipe organs on the sea front too including one on the back of an old van.

Crammed a lot into the first day including parade of all the floats, marching bands- including an amazing one from Woumhout in France. Traction engines, stilt walkers etc. Great to see the George Formby massed ukulele society of North Wales in the town square. We sat and watched them for a while.
Wonderful victorian inspired sideshow in a tent called Professor Voltini and Electra the electric lady who sat in an eletric chair and had sparks coming out of her via a cucumber and a spoon! Prof. Voltini also swallowed swords. Plus a rubber lady from Cuba whose contortions made your eyes water. A Faraday Cage finale with sparks flying round the tiny tent.
Walked down the pier to play the slots and back up to the Happy Valley gardens to have an ice cream and sit on the grass and watch the tide come in.

Later we had a lovely vegetarian pizza at a resturant we discovered a couple of years ago when we were here. There wasa film show in the eveing somewhere of "The Card" with Alec Guinness- filmed in Llandudno apparently but we were too tired to go and see it. Walked along the prom and collapsed at hotel.
The next day a long drive to Anglesey and beach party with Hazel's colleaugues at MMU and Nick who was retiring. Nice picnic and beach games on the beautiful sandy bay on the west coast down a narrow country track. Lots of kite flying and wine drinking etc. We all packed up at dusk and made out way home. Glad we didn't drive all the way from Northwich as it would have been too much. Thankfully a better room when we got back to the hotel and a sea view. A piper in full scottish kilt and regalia was on the hotel steps trying to lure people in to the 40's singalong inside the hotel bar but I think he just frightened them all off!