Family on Tour

Pandemonium broke out when I picked up the hospital letter for Jnr Shepherd convinced his appointment was for 10:30 and found it was for 10:00 and he was supposed to be there 15 minutes before......there we were 12 miles away and its 9:40am...

An overnight bag was thrown together, washing to go back to Uni was stuffed unironed into bulging rucksack - quick, quick lets go - hang on...... I need my nice shoes if we go out for a meal tonight ....Ha!

Into the hospital at breakneck speed only to find the MRI unit is new - nowhere near X Ray - in fact at least a mile away down corridors that are still squeaky clean with newness......'You're late! Nurse in jackboots on reception greeted us, 'I hope you have filled the questionnaire in' - once more with even more venom as we look at each other with the unspoken words in a bubble hanging above us 'WHAT questionnaire?' She snatched the appointment letter out of Jnr's hand and turned it with a flourish and hissed, 'THISSSSSSSSS ONE!' In that case sweetheart no we haven't because we didn't even know it was there .....but before the comment took form in my hot and flustered brain she had whisked her patient away leaving me with an empty outer shell - one coat, a jumper and a pen -a bit like a chrysalis off some exotic moth.

Within 45 minutes we were on our way down the A49 heading South but in our panic to get on the road I had left the road maps behind hence a few fraught moments when I tried to do geography in my head to work out how to cut across Herefordshire to get to Powys - I blagged it! It wasn't too far out - probably a loss of about half an hour but we got to the Royal Welsh Showground at Builth Wells to catch up with the rest of the family for one of our family days out. The females partake of the mulled wine samples, hot cider, mince pies and any liquers going, whilst the menfolk wax lyrical about quad bikes, fat sheep and spanners. Christmas shopping is done by the bag full and the little ones get totally buried in the pushchair. I had a long conversation with a man who was selling chutneys and preserves after I tasted his Caramellized carrot relish - it is gorgeous, he told me it had a secret ingredient that gave it the distinctive flavour, within five minutes he had told me what it was - so I shall be having a go at that next weekend.
I know how Cinderella must have felt as the gang decided I should have new boots for Xmas - boots descended on me from all angles, havent had high boots for about 25years. Found a pair - gosh - there's posh! All brown leather and suede stripes .Then we had to part as the little family returned to Shropshire and we carried on to the Welsh coast to deliver uni student back to the student squalor he now calls home!

We helped him lug all his stuff back in and had a brief look at his room - not TOO bad, about the same state as his bedroom here - everything in total disarray but relatively clean, but dear God the communal kitchen - how they don't all go down with Dehli Belly is beyond me. The washing up water looked as though walking boots had been washed in it and the plates left to drain - well personally I would have slung them in a bin ......deep breath and walk away>>>>>>>>>

We met all the flat mates - lovely, lovely people. They spoke to us as though we were very aged grandparents, 'Now there's no need to worry we all keep an eye on him and we know EXACTLY what to do if he is ill, and we WILL ring you if we feel we need to....' etc etc as we were shovelled out of the door.

It would have been too much of a journey to drive home so we had booked a hotel on the seafront for the night. We found it and checked in - another madame whiplash receptionist greeted us, stacatto instructions about door keys and breakfast left us shaking. Fear soon turned to hysteria as I changed to go out for a meal and found I had one blue shoe and one black shoe - so it was on with the new boots!

Aberstwyth on a Monday night at the end of November - quiet? NO! It was heaving - we had a dreadful job to find a car parking space and an even worse time finding somewhere to eat. We ended up in the pub that we visited lat year, Mountainear, ChrisH, Preseli Mags, Bodran and yours truly. We sat in amongst the students - but hang on a mo - all the students were drinking coffees, it was me with the G & T! Is this a new era I wonder? Apparently so - drinking culture is rather 'yesterday'. They have whole sessions on the dangers of drink etc and it seems to be working, yes they still party like mad and get drunk etc etc but perhaps not quite so often and definitely NOT on a Monday night in November!

The deckchair area of the slabbed seafront has disappeared as the high storm tides have dumped most of the beach as far as the road - boots were a really good idea after all. The hotel seemed to pride itself on its heat - we found the continual high temperature somewhat oppressive and immediately dived for the window only to find it was on a safety catch of 2 inches max. At 5:30am I was gasping for air, glugging glasses of cold water and admiring the frost on the cars parked below - I just wanted to lick the roofs and roll naked over the bonnets.( too much mulled wine I reckon!)

After a morning of shopping and mooching round estate agents - just looking! Honest! We braved the bitterley cold wind at Nant Arian to watch the red kite feeding at 2pm. At 1.45pm there was nothing to see but at 2pm it was like a hundred or so pinky golden dragon flies fell from the sky as red kites just swept around us. Amazing and I dont suppose for one minute the photo shows any of it .... (just keep expanding to find the birds) we shall just have to go back on a warmer day ,,,,,

A strange few weeks...........

since I wrote anything on here. The bathroom is virtually finished, just an new extractor fan and a couple of coats of varnish on the woodwork and that little horror story is at an end. We are now resplendant in black marble, white porcelain and soft peach painted walls - not a tile in sight, no pale pink - big sigh of relief - NEVER AGAIN! Well not in this house anyway!

Meanwhile young Albert, the boy wonder tup has attended to 12 of our 14 pretty sheep in record quick time. We will change the colour on his harness at the weekend and see if his 'wham bam thank you mam' attitude has actually worked! He could have to go round again this time with feeling- or something along those lines........

The Junior shepherd is in his element at university, loves his course, is getting great marks and has made loads of new friends. I actually managed about a week without worrying. On 21 October he collapsed and with the quick thinking of one of his flat mates Emma he was admitted to hospital. He would not let anybody contact us. He told me by e mail when he was discharged!

A heart murmur was found and the talk of valves and open heart surgery nearly sent me into orbit. A very quick appointment with a cardiologist found the problem was actually an extra artery that is taking his oxygenated blood and dumping it in the wrong place. Said alien has to be removed - the procedure has been scheduled for the Christmas holidays. Our uni student doesn't want to miss a day of student life. IF he had had one of the old fashioned school medicals that we used to undergo this would have been found years ago! It wasn't until this happened I realised that none of my boys had any medicals at school! I was actually quite shocked.

Whilst we are in abject panic mode about the baby of the family middle son will not be outdone, he has to have an operation next week to repair a football injury - so I reckon I will be able to leave theose two to look after each other over Christmas while I run away to the hills - and scream........

Monday is our winter family day out at the Winter Fair in Builth Wells, we may be a bit late because Jnr has to undergo an MRI scan first thing then we will dash down to Builth have a mooch and then across to the coast to deliver him back in time for Tuesday's lectures. I think the plan is an overnight stop in a nice hotel overlooking the seafront ....mmmmm lets hope the crashing waves are a bit more under control by then.................

the saga continues.....

what was supposed to be a quick replacement of vile dusky pink sanitary ware in the upstairs bathroom for plain classy white has turned into a full length saga of epic proportions. The thought of the final cost leaves me slighty hysterical. I feel for the plumber - this was supposed to be a quick two evening job - so far it has been two Saturdays, four evenings and we haven't even hit the half way mark yet! I think the point of no return was when he decided he had no option but to replasterboard the ceiling - yes - the ceiling!!! As the tiles went cascading down the walls huge cracks appeared in the ceiling- down it came. It went out in bucketfuls - its still going out in bucketfuls.........my bucket is simply overflowing.

Meanwhile down in Steptoe's yard .... and no that gorgeous pic is of the veggie garden at Harlow Carr - it's not mine - I wish - this is mine below - a quirky area of weird containers due to living on a toxic lead mine site of the past .

Potatoes from a tractor tyre - in fact HUGE potatoes from a tractor tyre!

We have had meal upon meal of runner beans from the other tractor tyre.

Garlic, onions and beetroot have grown fabulously in discarded waste paper bins.

Leeks are still happily growing in yet another tractor tyre whilst carrots in an old style dustbin are still stretching their way down the bin.

There were failures - peas in a bath for a start - there's an old joke in there somewhere - they will have to go in a tyre next year the soil dried out too quickly in the bath, the radishes in a car tyre were a flop as well.

So the tyres have been topped up and finised off with a good thick layer of grass cuttings to keep them all snug for next year. Wallflowers and bulbs are in the old bath, all the strawberry runners are in feed buckets gathered around in the shelter of the south facing wall and very tidy it is too!

Meanwhile back in the bathroom - Oh I give up...I'm going to bed.

When the cat's away......

...the blasted mice had a field day!!

There I was in lovely Harrogate blissfully unaware what was going on back at home! Whilst I was happily wearing a purple felted braclet and wandering around tea shops gardens and restaurants the bathroom was being demolished in no uncertain fashion. As I walked up the path on Sunday afternoon I looked at all these heavy duty green plastic bags bulging in the borders and wondered - I unlocked the back door and an odour of damp plaster met me full on and I could see a layer of brick dust had settled on the tiled floor. Ye Gods what on earth had been going on? For goodness sake, I only went away on Friday and I left the place spotless and tidy - you would never have known! I negotiated the stairs trying to ignore the boot marks on the RED carpet - grrrrrr! I opened the door to the bathroom and lo and behold the plumber had been to put the new shower tray in that had been ordered ages ago - except that when he took the lowest line of tiles off to release the vile pink shower tray - dozens of tiles followed - the plaster was disentegrating faster than you could shout Polyfilla. Said plumber crept in last night - 'Plaster's knackered!' Fine - now what? They've all got to come off - so the shepherd started last night and finished tonight and we now have a naked shower room and hopefully the plumber will return tomorrow with some scheme to reinstate said bathroom - I hope he's coming tomorow - I have made him his fave - lemon dribble cake.

Meanwhile junior shepherd was back at the weekend to earn some money - he has changed! After just two weeks of independence at uni he now never shuts up! He ws always the quiet one - he can now talk the hind leg off any unsuspecting donkey - it was lovely to see him so happy, animated and joking, regaling us with tales from his flat, his course mates, the field trips and of course the hectic social whirl. He went back on the train on Monday lugging bags full of clean washing, frozen pies and lasagne - s'pose we can relax now and concentrate on the bathroom.....

its gone very quiet in Shropshire ..........

Well - if this is empty nest syndrome I can't honestly say I'm enjoying it. Yes I know, I know - set 'em free. cut the apron strings and all that jazz - done it, don't like it! Strangely enough the junior shepherd was by far the quietest of the three boys, a reader - happy in his own company. He never made much noise at the best of times but now he is not here it is dire.

I'm sure the little grub had been breeding mice in his bedroom. I decided to give it a good turn out today and the fattest mouse ever ran over my foot. I shoved the killer cat in there and shut the door. Later I peeped in to find killer cat fast asleep in the middle of the bed, hopefully full of mouse. No such luck - when I moved the chair out he rushed again - the cat carried on zzzzzzzz - bah!

I couldnt believe the grot that has been collected in little tins and boxes - tiny little characters, aeroplanes, train tickets - you name it - he has saved it. He has always had an interest in geology and has had a rock box since he could walk - I thought it would be better on the shelf and went to lift it - groan - it weighs a ton. All this detritus of childhood filed away carefully....its OK I wouldn't dream of interfering - have just dusted and returned it.

We left the student last Saturday getting to know his flat mates - a drop dead gorgeous, oozing confidence young lady and a couple of likely lads with wonderful welsh accents. They went to a meeting at 6pm - they just sort of went ....no good bye, not even a backward glance as they disappeared towards the student guild leaving a redundant pair of parents. That was it our baby had gone...............

We went down into the town sat on the sea front, ate fish and chips and drove home - that was that. One week has passed, two e mails and one phone call - he's having a whale of a time - we are pleased, very pleased that he is quite happy to face anything and make a go of it, but gosh its quiet here - when we aren't falling out like cat and dog that is............

count down to empty nest........

Thank god for Tesco shop and drop - shhhhhhhhhhh - the boxes are brilliant for moving house - saw 20 in action down in the valley just over a month ago. Cogs in brain whirred into action - real light bulb moment. Aha - we could do with some of those to pack all the 'stuff' in for uni. We borrowed six - they are all packed and stacked and ready for off tomorrow lunch time ....poor lad - he's out partying tonight, he WILL be going to work tomorrow morning at 7am and then its off to Aberystwth after a quick lunch. Then we will be coming back to the midst of a street party - wont have time to think for 24 hours anyway! Must remember to feed the cats ...must remember to feed the cats ...that has been jnr shepherd's job ever since he started school - bless.

The new sheep settled down well - I dont think! Every time we thought all was safely gathered in the phone would ring ....'have just seen two of your sheep legging it down the road...' so oft we went again up and down the road, at one stage there were 14 legging it down the road like a bull run in Pamplona except this was a sheep race in Snailbeach. These sheep are known to be flighty but the shepherd has been trying a spot of sheep whispering and it seems to be working because now they recognise the pick up and rush to the gate instead of away from it (absolutely nothing to do with 'whispering' the greedy girls know what's in the bucket.)

Have just had the week's holiday from hell - shopping, shopping and more shopping, the ironing mountain has been conquered- I stuck a flag in the top and ran away >>>>>>

Thursday afternoon I decided was 'MINE' all mine and with not one little glimmer of guilt I ran away to Clun. I have been known to run away to Clun on previous occasions and could be found either weeping or cursing, or both in the car park - I just love Clun it is my very favourite place where I have to retreat to when the jagged edges need soothing. The peace just falls down like an fluffy blanket with the only sounds being the conversation of the birds and a far off tractor working away on the hill. However I didn't run away on my own this time - there were two of us and then lo and behold there were THREE as Mountainear and I met Friko.

We wandered around the little lanes, stopping to look at the view, the cottages, we mused about the past in the sanctuary of the almshouses, we tactfully stood back as locals virtually fell on each other with news and views and before we realised it we were locals as well. It was a moment caught up in a crystal of time when three people who have collided through the medium of the written word flying through cyberspace met in real life and reverted to real conversation and much laughing over steaming tea. It just had to happen in Clun. Time simply flew by and with promises to do it all again soon we left Clun and travelled back to normality. I suppose it was a bit like going through the wardrobe to Narnia - a completely different world.

Big sigh - back to the ironing board and the packing..............

the Long and Winding Road

I'm not a regular at our local WI meetings - I think the tea bag folding some years ago sort of left me behind but if they are having a really top notch speaker somebody will give me a shout and off I go.

It was such a night last night and the hall had enticed quite a few extra members in to listen to Mr Idris Evans from Llangollen telling the story of the old drovers roads. His musical Welsh accent rose and fell, we were a totally captivated audience sitting forward on the edge of our seats to catch every word...... shhhhh just listen to the pin dropping...

As the spring appeared on the heavily wooded landscape the droves of cattle began from all points of the compass driving down the old roads towards London. Only three drovers per group had the luxury of horses, the rest walked using ear splitting whistling as a method of communication across the backs of the steaming stamping cattle. Their journey would take three weeks or so, never ever moving forward on a Sunday.

To protect the feet on the cattle they all had to be shod, a huge undertaking - special shoes for the cloven hooves having been made in batches all through the winter months. The men of Bala had been knitting their trademark heavy woollen socks all winter for the walking drover's well greased feet in their hand made wooden clogs. They greased their feet well with pig fat saved just for the purpose.

It wasnt just cattle that were on the move - pigs were on the move from North Wales to Whitchurch - they had to wear little laced leather bootees to protect their feet. Geese were driven into a shallow pool of hot liquid pitch and then out onto a sandy surface of crushed shell and grit which would protect their feet on their long walk to the North Shropshire goose fairs.

The North Wales drovers used large cattle dogs whilst the South Wales drovers favoured the small Pembrokeshire Corgi breed to snap at the heels of the animals and nimbly escape the flying hooves. The large cattle dog breed died out over time, it was so much like a fox many were shot in error. When the droves reached London and the drovers had time to relax and make merry waiting for the sales to begin they simply ordered the dogs to go home - they did just that stopping at the watering places they had stopped at on the way down to be fed and rest. They would be back home well in advance of the drovers allowing the lonely drovers wives plenty of time to get rid of any 'lodger' they may have taken in to help bide the time.

When the cattle reached the outskirts of London they had particular grazing areas, those from Anglesy and North Wales were around Chelmsford and there they rested and grazed for three weeks putting back the weight they had lost on the long walk South before being sold at the huge Smithfield market.

We listened avidly to the history of banking that started through the droving trade, the connections to Everest, Al Capone and the Romans, the signs in the countryside that are still there to interpret. It was a way of life for so many people, a sometimes dangerous occupation, a thousand head of stampeding cattle generating clouds of dust along unmade tracks doesn't really include any reference to good old Health & Safety.

By the time Idris Evans finished his allotted time of ninety minutes a hall of women sat open mouthed and transfixed, The sound of hooves became but a whisper in the curtains and the steam rising from a thousand resting animals drifted up into the rafters and away.................

The Hard Road to London by Idris Evans was on sale over tea and biscuits - he sold a case full.

Brilliant evening and if anyone gets the chance to see this man in action - just get there!