Wednesday 30 June

[Kath Mulligan]

Well, tonight I have a very red face, and it's not because I have been out in the sun for too long. Elizabeth and I set off very early this morning to go to Llangollen International Eisteddfod .... had a good journey, arrived at the showground just before 9.30am congratulating ourselves that we would be in good time for the Senior Children's Choir competition that we had gone to see .... but the showground was all quiet, and the car parks were empty! Usually by then it would be buzzing and getting busy, so what was going on? Then we saw a poster .... the Eisteddfod doesn't start until this weekend, and our competition is taking place next Wednesday!! Since I was the one who had checked it on the website, I am totally to blame.

Anyway, all was not lost. We spotted a signpost for Bala Lake and Betws-y-coed, both places Elizabeth has never visited before, so we went there instead and had a wonderful day. We wandered for a while round the lakeside, taking lots of photos, then went on to Betws and Swallow Falls which were spectacular. We expected that they may be down to a trickle with it having been so dry, but no, the deafening roar as we pulled up warned us that there was water aplenty coming down and so there was. Lots more photos were taken here, then we drove on down to Llandudno and spent the afternoon there, walking along the seafront and having an ice cold lager and lime at the end of the pier - very welcome on such a hot day - then to cap a great day we even managed a short boat trip around the Great Orme headland.

So, our planned day took a completely unexpected turn, but became a really fun adventure, and of course, we still have Llangollen to look forward to next week!

Kath

[jane jackson]

All's well that ends well then Kath? Isn't that annoying when you get a date wrong and so easy to do! Now you still have the original trip to look forward to yet again. Wonderful day again today but with a bit of a breeze plus a few clouds this afternoon which we were very glad of as we went to The Minack to see West Side Story. Lots of good singing and dancing.

[gloria townsin]

Glad you enjoyed the day anyway. And also Jane glad you had a good time at the theatre.

[Annette]

Sounds a lovely day Kath, we always used to go to that part of Wales for holidays when we were children, its very beautiful. Since discovering Cornwall holidaying anywhere else just seems wrong somehow !. Must try and go again if only for a weekend.

On a very hot day a glass of lager and lime is perfect especially if its Roses lime juice. The taste of it always takes me back to the 70s :D

[pauline]

. Wonderful day again today but with a bit of a breeze plus a few clouds this afternoon which we were very glad of as we went to The Minack to see West Side Story. Lots of good singing and dancing.

Will you please stop telling us of the joys in Cornwall. I'm feeling so left out and envious! :cray:

[Kath Mulligan]

Will you please stop telling us of the joys in Cornwall. I'm feeling so left out and envious! :cray:

NOOO, don't stop telling us about your Cornish activities Jane, and Gloria too. I might feel very envious but at least I can get vicarious pleasure by sharing your experiences at a distance. Every time Jane mentions walking the dogs on Sennen beach I can visualise the sights and sounds and remember my walks there with her last October.

Annette, yes the Llangollen area is a very scenic part of Wales. We are lucky in that we are only a 2 hour drive away so it's quite easy to go there for a day. We left home at 7.30am yesterday and got home about 9.00pm so it was a long day and we were both tired but it was well worthwhile, especially at the moment with the long light evenings. We didn't actually leave Wales until about 7.15pm, having stopped for a bite to eat at a Little Chef just outside Colwyn Bay.

Kath

[jane jackson]

Sorry Pauline!!!!!!!!!!! It's raining here in PZ today so no need to feel envious although the garden and fields do need it. Have just been talkiing to my friend on Exmoor and she says folk there are getting concerned as the hay crop is so thin with hardly any rain earlier in the season. They're hoping if it rains now and then the sunshine returns they may get a 2nd cut.

No walks on the beach this morning as wanted to groom Rosie and Jessie and needed them to be dry for that. It takes an hour to do Jessie as she has such a thick coat, Rosie's is much thinner. Hopefully they'll feel a lot better in the heat now.

However much you love Cornwall Kath, you live in a beautiful part of this country and to be able to go for a day out like you had yesterday must be lovely, especially with Elizabeth being on holiday ~ reminds me of outings with my Mum.

[Kath Mulligan]

However much you love Cornwall Kath, you live in a beautiful part of this country and to be able to go for a day out like you had yesterday must be lovely, especially with Elizabeth being on holiday ~ reminds me of outings with my Mum.

Yes, I know I'm lucky in many respects, Jane, having the Peak District on our doorstep and being within a two hour drive of North Wales, the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales, but it still doesn't compare with Cornwall.

I hope Jessie and Rosie do feel better after their grooming. Funnily enough I saw a couple with a rough collie yesterday in Llandudno and I looked at the dog panting and thought I wouldn't like to be wearing a thick heavy coat like that in this heat!

We were threatened with heavy rain today but so far we have only have a few light spits and spots that have barely wet the ground and it has been dry again within minutes, but it is very sultry and uncomfortable and both Elizabeth and I have been finding that our asthma has been playing up a bit and making it harder to breathe comfortably. Could really do with a storm to clear the air a bit now.

Kath

[adesmith]

lime is perfect especially if its Roses lime juice.

I am very partial to Roses Lime Juice/Cordial but I tend to have it in some nice cold lemonade. My Nan used to have lager and lime and I do agree, it is rather nice.

Under no circumstances are Jane and Gloria to stop giving us Cornish updates! The times that your conversation has transported me to Cornwall and reminded me of so many happy memories and beautiful places! Besides, you will have a blow by blow account of our holiday in a month or so!!!

Whilst I think of it, how is Porthkidney looking, Jane? Got my fingers crossed that the car park will be available again.

Good news is that I finished the marking this evening :) It is such a weight off my mind and I feel like I can get my life back! I have a busy few weeks before the end of term but the end is in sight :) It is particularly busy and a little stressful because we are expecting an inspection soon after we return :( I have taken the attitude that as an ordinary teacher, I will do the best that I can but not accept the burden and the stress. Unfortunately this doesnt go down to well with everyone!!!

Kath, I saw the pictures of your day out on Facebook and it looked wonderful! I havent been to North Wales for years (decades even!) and I had forgotten just how beautiful it is. Funny enough, it is actually quite hard to get to from South Wales. No motorways or really good main roads. It is a bit of a trawl. Are you going back for the Eisteddfod next week? I will have to look out for you on S4C!

[jane jackson]

Not sure Adrian if PK car park will be open, no mention in the local paper yet. When we went there on Monday there were workmen on the site doing things so at least something is happening. We went down the usual route by the church and steps. The Beach House at the bottom of the steps where the artist John Miller lived at one time, has had a lot of work done on their garden and boundary walls and the steps on the path have been greatly improved. It looks a lovely place to live overlooking the estuary. Glad you've finished your marking, the holidays will soon be here.

[Mary Young]

Hello again to all.
We arrived back from or holiday in Dorset on Wednesday so seemed right to get on this thread. We were so lucky with the weather it was sunny for the whole ten days and the only rain we had was a shower overnight on monday.
I will admit on the way there I really wished we were going much further west (no surprises there then) but we had a really good time and visited places we have'nt been to before. We went to Sandbanks and saw the Millionaires row of houses (dream!) then over by boat to Brownsea Island where we saw red squirrels and wondered through the woodland there round the island for about two hours before getting the boat back to Studland where there is a lovely sandy beach and nature reserve. We also went to West Bay which was lovely. I dont know if any of you remember the series called Harbour Lights with Nick Berry but that was filmed there several years ago now but I remember he said he liked the place so much he bought a house there. I can see why.
We went to Lulworth Cove and walked along the cliffs there. Aso Lyme Regis, Weymouth and Charmouth to name some and we made the most of our National Trust membership and Visited several houses and gardens. I dont know if any of you have visited a house called Kingston Lacey but it is by far the best house ive visited and recommend if in the area.

A big well done to you Adrian for finishing the marking. What a relief for you. A bottle of something to celebrate at the weekend is well deserved I think.:goodjob:
Kath you day out sounds lovely. We have had holidays at betws-y-coed and Bala on the past and they are lovely places. Just wish it didnt seem like everywhere was uphill there lol.

Gloria good to hear you are at Bryher at last. Enjoy. You are so lucky.

Jane pleased you had a good weekend even though it sounded busy. The puppy is of course lovely and growing by the day. Be glad when those little sharp teeth go though lol.

Mary

[Kath Mulligan]

Yes Adrian, we are going back to Llangollen next Wednesday, doubt we shall feature on Welsh TV though unless caught in a background shot of something far more interesting!! Glad to hear that the exam marking is over at last. As for the school inspection, my teacher sisters-in-law often used to remark that the stress and anticipation, plus preparation for the visit was often far worse than the inspection itself, so your more laidback attitude to it is good in my opinion.

Mary, am so glad that you had a good holiday and that the weather was so kind to you. At least there would be no problem of packing up a wet canvas this time. Dorset is not an area I am very familiar with, had two holidays in Weymouth with my parents when I was a child, but apart from a weekend in Bournemouth about 8 years ago, haven't been there since. Patricia, of course, would know all the places you visited very well since she was brought up in Poole and lived there all her life until her move to St Buryan.

I was looking at the Sennen Cove webcam pictures of today a little while ago - must say I didn't wish I was there today, it looked pretty grim, very wet and misty. The rain seems to have arrived with us in the last hour or so, and it is getting quite windy too. Don't mind some overnight rain for my garden's sake, but I don't want too much since we have our RNLI stall at the One World Festival in our local park on Saturday and we shall be on grass.

Kath

[gloria townsin]

Welcome back Mary and Dave.......glad you had such a nice time. I'ts years since we were in that part of the country but it has a beauty about it, different from Cornwall but non the less beautiful. I used to like Harbour Lights and had forgotten about the programme.

Bryher has seen some lovely weather but today has been blowy and wet, guess we were in for a change. Eddie working hard still but it was too hot to go mad in the garden in no time I felt exhausted with the sun beating down. Still managed to take two large loads to the dump and not even started on the Cornish Hedge.