Ice Ice Murray

After a church service that involved watching one of my little girls twerking while we sang hymns. All things bright and beautiful....  I was ready for home time.  Just when my energy pot was almost all dried up (after the papichen drama) I was given the best gift. To make it even better, GO loves them and was very jealous, "Where's mine?" he asked.

Summer Bucket List 2015

After the success of my Christmas Bucket List, I had decided to make myself a summer version.  I look forward to checking of my list,  some I have already.

UPDATE

I managed most of my bucket list, although I didn't go on a blue ride (too many bike related accidents this year),  paint a picture, or watch any outdoor theatre.  There's always next year.

Yomping around the Brecon Beacons

When GO said we were going to the Brecon Beacons. The thing I was most looking forward to was hiking around the hills, and dales with spectacular views all around.  Unfortunately my trek around the waterfalls didn't happen this time.  I did however manage to get some time walking around the keeper's pond.

As we arrived at the car park we were all alone except for the sheep, they are everywhere in the Beacons, rightly so. I got out geared myself up for a wet and windy walk.

"I'll just set off, so I can take some photo's". I yelled.

"Hey, what are you doing?  Hey go away will you!  Stop it!"

I turned around thinking GO was shorting to me, only to discover a local getting very friendly with my husband.

Unfortunately I was no help, I couldn't help but laugh.  I just stood and watched as he somehow managed to escape his little stalker.

He doesn't look too traumatised.

The pond at the top of the mountain.

Still chuckling about the sheep.... What's that I see?

She's back and posing this time.

Lovely panoramic view, blocked by two tourists!

That's better

Look mum no hands, got to love the timer.

Messing around in the stream.

He's not scared of me sheep!

Photobomb.

I look daft, but I was warm.

Aw good times xx

Wales here we come.... Finally!

I am ashamed to admit that at the tender age of 38, after having lived in the UK for 15 years I have never visited Wales.

The bridge from Gavin and Stacey

I find it incredible that I, and more like me, have travelled that world.  Visiting every nook and cranny of the earth.  But we have never visited the many amazing sights of Great Britain.

We have, in the past made plans to visit Wales, only for us to change our plans at the last minute.  But this time G.O was in control of the trip planning, so we knew that not only would it be a trip we would carry out, it would be of the highest standard.  I tend to cut corners and drop a star here and there just to save a few pennies.

I made plans to add to my 1000miles by trekking through the Brecon Beacons and taking in the sights of all of the beautiful waterfalls.

View from the window

So we hopped into the car and nothing happened!  We tried again, nothing.  At this stage I gave up hope and went to lie down.  GAF was visiting and my head was pounding.

Just as I settled down for a nap GO came up stairs and told me we were off.  Apparantly the battery was flat, GO had called the recovery services and had a jump start.  "We need to run the car for a least fifteen minutes and it'll charge it up!"

So off we went, it was an emotional roller coaster of a day. I was excited about going to Wales, apprehensive about the car, yet also annoyed when the Sat Nav stopped working just as we needed it most.

My first Welsh cuppa

Eventually we arrived and the hotel was lovely, it was situated near a world heritage site, and was just on the border of the Brecon Beacons.  We settled in by the fire and had a relaxing cup of tea, it was great to have arrived.  We started to make plans for the following day, visit the Heritage Site before heading to the Waterfall centre and starting our trek. I checked us into Facebook (naturally) and began to chillax.

Next morning, after a good nights sleep we ate a traditional Welsh breakfast (pretty similar to an English only using local Welsh fare) and the made a move.  We got in the car, which started, all be it a tad wobbly.  

We wandered around the World Heritage Centre and found out all about the history  of Blaenavon and it's surrounding areas.  It had been a mining town up until Thatcher closed in down in the eighties,

but that's another story.  

I got chatting to a tour guide who was escorting local B&B and hotel workers around the town, teaching them about the history of the town.  He made a few suggestions about where we should visit, one place being the Keepers Pond just the mountain.  

We returned to the car and it wouldn't start, at first I thought GO was taking the Mickey. But he didn't look like he was joking and I realised that again the car was broken!  

I rang the breakdown services and rang the garage that we purchased the car from, I knew there were rules about just any body repairing the car.  After a lot of phone calls, all which basically told us the car couldn't been seen until the following week, not useful as we needed to be in Manchester the following day.

The breakdown guy arrived.  Again I couldn't listen to what he said and I went for a walk around the block.  When I got back to the car, breakdown guy had arranged for us to visit his friend's garage in the next town.  It was definitely just the battery that needed replacing. What a relief that won't be too expensive.

We arrived at Newtown Motors in Cwmbran and were met be a very friendly young man, who on hearing that we were on holiday assured us that the it was the battery and that it would be ready in a couple of hours.  He warned us that as our car was a powerful car the battery wouldn't be cheap. "£100-250". I laughingly said "well there's a morrison's down the road I could go pick up a couple of AA's for a fiver!"  

Discovering the massage chair

GO and I took a bumble around the town, stopping for a cup of tea and biscuit and doing some shopping.  When we finally returned to the garage, the guy old us that he felt so sorry for us that he wouldn't charge us for labour costs.  Which brought the total down significantly.  By that time the whole day had been written off, we returned to the hotel and had a lovely meal (KFC) and spent time in the hotel spa.  We we're determine ld to pack as much in as possible the next day.

Last Week of summer

When I proposed leaving the little village school one of the benefits of being a supply teacher was that we could go on holiday when everyone was back at school. 

We had intended to go away for the last week of summer, but then I agreed to take a long term (three month) supply post in a RC school in Oxford. 

As we couldn't go away when the prices were low, we decided to just relax at home together and go on the occasional day trip.

We started with a visit to Halifax.  G.O studied the finer art of cookery at Halifax New College where he; in his own words, "Cooked splendid and magnificent meals.  Proper food Northern style!"

We also made the most of our National Trust and Blenheim Palace passes.