Moving on

New Years Tug

2012-01-01T14:38:00.010Z

Once again, the drunk and still shaking from the night before locals had an exercise session on The Green.

The ladies team returning...well done! Maybe victorious next year?

Beaumaris on a sunny day

2011-06-26T16:55:00.014+01:00

Today was Mayor's Sunday in Beaumaris and we found ourselves with an invite. So after a boozy Saturday night, we set the alarms and turned up at the church for 10:45am. My 2nd time to find myself in a church in 2 months. A bit unusual for me, especially as neither occasion was a funeral. So hymns were sung, in both English and Welsh, the new mayor was welcomed in... and then we went outside and walked to the town hall.

The new mayor and a few others said a few words and then the butties and wine flowed. But as usual, we had other priorities and had to leave fairly quickly.

Several hours later I popped back into Beaumaris to see the Vintage and Classic car display. Some of the cars were already going home by then, but I snapped a few...
One car seemed to have problems leaving and needed assistance.

the Isle of Man and the TT race 2011

2011-06-20T21:01:00.032+01:00

Mike and I spent a wonderful 9 days exploring the Isle of Man and watching fast bikes.
Photographing the bikes were a challenge, I took a lot of pictures of just empty roads. Some of this was because I was using either my phone or my old Canon Powershot A95. I wasn't going to take my new camera in a rucksack on the back of Mike's bike, too heavy and too risky!
This was our bike, as we set off...

Still in Wales, at that point. En route to the ferry at Liverpool.
This was the queue awaiting the ferry to Douglas, Isle of Man.

2 days we spent outside this pub, in Ballaugh. Between races being called of from bad weather and even a tragic accident, it was still fun, even behind the Germans that seemed at least 2 feet taller than me. But taking good photos? No way... but please judge for yourself...

They had even brought chairs.... just like the ones who beat us to the sunbeds with their towels, all along the Costa Del whatsit.

I tried.. with my phone.. hands above head... finally I got a picture of something other than an empty road!

2 days later we were in the same place, but I tried with my old camera... better?

The race was stopped
You can see I was not the only one to try and photograph these 2 riders. One, on the burgundy bike, is Connor Cummings, a local lad, who had been in a severe accident in 2010. Now certainly heading for a full recovery.
(the pictures will enlarge if you click on them)

He even had long enough to stop for a cuppa!
Spot the speed camera!
The above picture was taken by Mike, being more able to reach round the Germans and stretch further. I like the way you can spot the speed camera between the 2 bikers. That is to catch speeding motorists all the year round... and bikers!
But it wasn't all bikes. The Isle of Man did seem very similar to Anglesey and had its own beauty.

Castletown Police Station, above.

I did get dragged around the entire course, all 37 miles of it, on the Saturday, when I thought the racing had finished. Unfortunately the road was full of bikers and car drivers who were determined to relive the excitement...it was terrifying... but I hung on because I wanted to see this pub... Creg-Ny-Baa...I had no idea until my cousin told me but this famous pub was once run/owned by a great great uncle of mine. My family used to come here for piss ups many generations ago too.

Dawn and Trevor's Wedding

2011-05-22T16:39:00.052+01:00

I don't know how Dawn, Trevor and their families managed it, but the weather was spectacular, it was almost like that was included in the overall plan.
The church was the parish church of St. John the Baptist, in Harrietsham, Kent.

The picture below is the only photo I have of the inside of the church as we were requested not to photograph.

Once the bride finally put in an appearance and we proceded with the ceremony, the vows, the hymns... it was a very emotional service too, then we all gathered in front of the church for photos...
(please click on the photos, they will enlarge)

My first view of where the reception was to be... Leeds Castle

Mike...

A few unusual guests...

Those Canadians seemed to be everywhere...

This is incomplete...more to follow...

Only in Brighton

2011-05-19T10:10:00.002+01:00

I have always had a soft spot for Brighton, but I think its 20 something years since I was there. I worked the summer of 1976 in Eastbourne, which gave me time to get to know some of Brighton. But boy! Its changed... And my memories have distorted.
The seafront seemed similar, although I hadn't seen the burnt out pier...
I remembered more colour about the Brighton Pavilion, it seemed to have faded. But it was an overcast day.

Its only in Brighton, on an afternoon, that you might bump into Spiderman and Superman going for a wander and a smoke in the streets.

For some reason my dubious memory could remember driving up this road, towards the clock. Maybe less has changed?

Tilgate Park

2011-05-04T17:46:00.026+01:00

While Mike is working his cotton socks off, I am walking mine off too. I spent a couple of days exploring Crawley, invading shops, drinking the odd pot of tea, but now I am bored with that and the weather is just so gorgeous I need something to do, that allows me back to where Mike is doing his course for 4pm.
So today I explored Tilgate Park, with my camera...

The above is a map of the park. I didn't see all of it, I originally just went to see the 'zoo', but it was well worth walking through the woods too. £3 for a place to park, and a £1 donation to the nature/zoo...

Tonight's the Night!

2011-03-21T12:53:00.009Z

Tonight is THE night, the biggest darts match of the year. The George and Dragon are playing the return, home match, against The Bold Arms A team. They are not selling tickets but seats will be hard to find for this momentous occasion. The previous match was a cliff-hanging, nail biting event. So we are in for a fight to the bitter pointy end bits of the darts.

While the world is ripped apart with earthquakes and tsunamis, while war is escalating in Northern Africa. Anglesey has its biggest conflict over a round board with numbers on it, and a fight over who gets the best sandwiches afterwards.
The G & D didn't expect to win the previous match, as they were a new team, but someone up there gave them a push and the unexpected happened. The disappointment in the opposition was felt for sometime, as our joiner had to go off sick the next day. Was it defeat, as he plays for The Bold Arms A team? Or was it the beer?
So its a BIG Match... one pub on one side of the road... the other one facing it...
(I hope this bloody cold and paracetamol hits the spot, otherwise I might miss the event)

When we arrived at the pub, we were greeted with the sign from the otherside of the road, outside The Bold Arms :-

Inside The G & D was this warning sign... the battle was on...

The tension rose.. tempers became fraught.. the beer flowed...the match began...
To cut a long story short, The Bold A team were victorious, so we spent the rest of the evening crying into our beers.
Anyone seen a joiner today?

Neuadd Wen

2011-03-06T14:52:00.012Z

This picture was NOT taken by me, I don't have a handy low flying aircraft, and it was taken a few years ago, maybe 2006. It is a rather nice photo of the house that my mum wanted so much to live in. It was built by my great, great uncle Hughie and lived in by him and his wife Auntie Kate. I visited it first when I was 2. This photo shows my brother in the porch and the gardener, Tony, in the back.
This has been the target of our teams renovation skills for some months now.
I will put a few pictures here, mainly for my few remaining relatives to see how the works have been progressing.

This picture shows the 'cleared' area where the caravan once stood.

The space being created for a larger kitchen window. (note how the mains cable comes into the house, we are awaiting this being changed).

We have put in an archway, removing a window. This photo is looking from the backroom, through the kitchen towards the front door.

The same archway, picture taken from the kitchen, towards the back door. My mum would have loved this, much more open, and easier for her wheelchair.
The backroom, tiles 'in progress'...
The front garden, from the porch... the sea is out there somewhere... this is definitely showing work in progress...
This is upstairs, I call it 'Dad's bedroom' but now it is bigger, Coops suggested taking the wall down so now it has a seaview and windows both ends. The fireplace has been opened back up, Don has done some amazing wood and metalwork and layers of paint have been scrapped and dissolved off the buried old fireplace. Although not quite complete yet, this room is taking shape. I am toying with the idea of putting a four poster bed in here, when we put it up for the holiday rental market.

2011-02-28T13:56:00.003Z

Its been so long since I wrote anything here, do I still have any readers?
Let me know if you are even remotely interested in me posting a few pictures and writing more of my absolute rubbish. Somehow life has changed so much, yet there is a sort of repetition with all our renovation works. I didn't think it was worth displaying more crumbling walls and piles of dusty junk.
But... if there is anyone reading this... you might say something different.
Hi to all my readers...or reader... or my own imagination.

A Solstice view of North Wales

2010-06-21T23:40:00.005+01:00

I went for a drive on the longest day of the year and took a few photos. It has been a gorgeous day, hot and sunny and I was only just reluctantly shutting the roof of my car at about 10pm.
This was just beyond Bethesda...

This photo was taken at about 22:15, near Betws-y-Coed.

This was taken near Capel Curig, overlooking Llynnau Mymbyr.

Here's one for Kayo

2010-06-06T12:50:00.003+01:00

More on The Grund, Luxembourg

2010-05-29T19:24:00.002+01:00

Its hard to imagine this is in the centre of a busy European city on a 'bank' holiday.

We are back again

2010-05-22T16:38:00.003+01:00

Luxembourg - The Grund

Spot the Transit

2010-03-31T17:18:00.003+01:00

now, this is a sort of test... does it work? Can you find our transit in all of these?
CLICK HERE
Did you spin round?
That is outside the Bulkeley Hotel, Beaumaris, but a gorgeous view on the Menai Straits.

or this...
CLICK HERE again

And... That transit again!

That Transit is owned by us, not always driven by us or even parked by us, but I think its indelibly parked on google Earth.

What a difference a year doesn't make

2010-03-25T16:43:00.005Z

I am about to attach some rather boring pictures of our wild and dilapidated garden. Nothing spectacular or even a good choice of subject...
So why am I doing it?
Because the first one was taken in 2009, on the 21st March, and the second one was almost exactly a year later on the 22nd March 2010, after the harshest winter we have known for years.
First picture, March 2009

Second picture, March 2010

Some of the undergrowth was removed a few months ago, but this shows that there hasn't been a lot of difference in the plant growth. The daffodils may have smaller leaves, but the crocus have finished and the snowdrops are also over in both pictures. But we had very little snow here...

2010-02-08T21:54:00.004Z

Just a quick picture to show you what Beaumaris has looked like...
just click to enlarge the picture.

Budapest Trip

2010-02-02T19:07:00.006Z

On our recent visit to Budapest I took the usual pictures but I thought this was deserving of a blog. Its the chance we missed..
The picture below shows a bus/coach for sight seeing tours, nothing out of the ordinary?
But this was the second time I had seen this bus, the first time is in the next photo..

We were walking along the banks of the Danube, watching the building works on the bridge and the snow on Margrit Island and along came this...

We looked... blinked... regretted the guinness, and then realised I was sober.

Since our return to Wales and to my computer, I have done some research and found this waterbus

The next time we go to Budapest I will be booking with these You must look at this!!

More of my less amphibious pictures here, from both trips to Budapest *CLICK*

How to celebrate the start of a new decade in Beaumaris

2010-01-01T17:02:00.019Z

As time goes by I am starting to settle into my new way of life and I am still learning a lot about the Welsh/Anglesey culture and its ways of doing things. So once again I managed to down a few Guinnesses and maybe a few G & Ts, although the memory starts to fade about then. All this is the name of 'culture' and trying to make sure I don't offend the locals and I force myself to join in and fit in..
So the 31st December went out in a blaze of Fireworks over the castle, spectacular and I even kept perpendicular for it all.
What I find so strange is that the same blokes who were as pissed as farts, drinking into the small hours of the virgin new year, seem to find the best way for the relief of the hangover is to have a tug of war on the green. So at 1pm promptly about 15mins later, amser cymraeg, these men were all battling it out on a very muddy field and testing each others strength with a rope and then pulling an 8 tonne tractor along the sea front.

The crowds gathered...

Several attempts were made, I wasn't sure what teams were what, farmers against the lifeboat crews, I think.

Fighting talk!

Just behind me was Beaumaris Castle, note the weather, sun very bright at first, but now a cold gloom was descending. The snow was on the mountains across the Straits

Then after several goes of tugging each other they all turned on the tractor and pulled that.

The Brains of Beaumaris

2009-11-14T12:59:00.002Z

We won!!!.. We took part if the Beaumaris Town Quiz and won.

Halloween in Beaumaris (2009)

2009-11-02T10:17:00.020Z

Halloween was never really celebrated when I was a kid. Back in those bygone days November the fifth, fireworks and Guy Fawkes was the thing. But how things change..
As Halloween was a saturday night this year, it wa a good excuse for s pissup and and dress up. I took a few photos and have put them here and a few on Facebook, but I was wondering if I could pinch some more for my blog from other people?

A quick picture as people arrive...

A few odd faces appear, friends who can't even be recognised?

Even Vicky looks a little pale. Maybe its too much grotty larger.

The Grim Reaper arrived, now which one is that? Or is Mike falling asleep?

The picture above could be the most scarey fancy dress

Still early evening...
But the DJ begins... DJ Sock...looking a bit strange...

One of those rare moments when I let myself get photographed, with Maxine. And I had gone over to the darker side by then

Julie and Max
Carl
and again
A group at the bar
Pickles and Gareth
What is he doing?

Is this the end of the evening?

There has been a large gap

2009-10-18T14:12:00.006+01:00

Apologies to everyone, I have just been too busy to keep up with this. Also, life has been so hectic, yet boring, and wasn't the stuff to write about.
I even went for a few weeks when all I had to get online with was my Nokia n95 mobile phone, so I was limited.
But now, I am fully moved into the 'new' place. Not unpacked, my life is still in assorted boxes and bags and still my office isn't finished so my unpacking is on hold. I have clothes, somewhere, but never the items I want and I am very aware of the large quantity of worn out clothes and shrunken rags I have moved with. I should have gone through and emptied the clutter and not moved with it, but time was such it was all or nothing. Now I have the rest of my life de-cluttering.
Some windows have curtains, some don't need them at all. Yet at long last, Mike and I have a warm house, with water running in the right places and a cooker that works, so we have made progress, eventually...
One day I may find the remote control for my stereo.

Also, we moved in on a Saturday and by the following Sunday afternoon, we began looking after our first guest.

Molly has settled in well and her owners are due back in a week, but she is a full time responsibility. She is a rescue dog that has a thing about light and chases all sorts of reflected spots, if the sun shines.

Carl and Rob

2009-08-07T23:24:00.005+01:00

I wanted to put these on Facebook, where Carl and Rob could see them, but FB is very reluctant to upload anything from me just now, so I put them here.

The above were taken on a quiet quiz night in the George.

I am not sure that I really understand this need for our workmen to dress up, but they do seem to enjoy the odd tiara and a change of hair..

Don't buy a mercedes

2009-06-23T09:15:00.006+01:00

We bought a Ford Transit van, to help us carry all the building stuff and be a useful run-a-round with moving stuff. But Carl, our joiner, was driving home from a quick trip for his lunch and was hit up the rear end (the transit that is) by a Mercedes. We are not claiming on insurance as the damage was so superficial. It does show which is the stronger vehicle though...

2009-06-12T21:54:00.002+01:00

I had to laugh, this lorry caught my eye while I was stuck in traffic, in our transit van, on the way to Spalding a week or 2 back..

the story so far.

2009-06-01T11:09:00.007+01:00

As life has been so hectic and I am often a long way from my computer and even further from a way to connect to the internet, I have been using Facebook (as Sheila Too) and my mobile phone a lot more. Thank you the few of you that keep looking at this blog and as soon as my feet touch stable ground again, I will do more here. But for now, I sort of live in my car, sleeping either at my place or Mikes and then shooting off to either Heulwen or my parents house which is still a major headache and a long job to clean up all the debris.
Its been odd to think that we bought Heulwen 6 months ago and how things have changed.. including Mum's passing on.
I keep posting more pictures of Heulwen to my flickr site Heulwen pix , but its sort of getting too full to be anything other than boring and just a record of events for me.
I posted a few pix of our trip to the Grund and Zweibrucken but never even wrote a thing, but the trip wasn't long enough to sit and relax, just 6 nights..
Soon I will be hopping across UK to Spalding again, but since I had the phone disconnected there and stopped the broadband, you will be unlikely to get a blog when I am there. And I will probably only have a couple of days there.
All the time I can feel plaster crap in my hair, my skin has been dried by the dust and my hair is a mess. I wore a skirt yesterday for the second time in 4yrs and no one noticed so I must look a friggin mess. But what the hell!..
We have no idea when Heulwen will be finished, but even the word finished seem to mean different things to Mike and I. He doesn't include curtains, carpets and furniture in the statement, but I do, so it could be another six months or so...
And then we start the renovations again, on my late parents house...

the Grund, again

2009-05-10T16:17:00.003+01:00

ryanair - zweibrucken - Luxembourg 2nd time

2009-05-08T20:27:00.004+01:00

update on the house

2009-02-18T06:59:00.004Z

I have been keeping photos of how the work on the house is progressing. This has been just for my records, but some people have asked how is it going, so I thought I would put it on Flickr.
Click for Flickr slideshow
Its a mess, I am not really able to do much yet, just make tea/coffee...or 'panad' as the Welsh call it... A supply of crisps and stuff and be out and about buying new fires and odd bits from DIY shops.
Its been a bad time, mum's illness and death.. the funeral... and even more tragedy in the few family members I seem to have left. Yet its also been a time of support and a time to get to know some of my more distant family. Hectic... paperwork is NOT my forte, yet I am snowed under in it. All this and its been about the coldest winter I have known, yet we had no snow here. Just snow capped mountains.
But thanks for the support... especially Mike.

Mum

2009-02-15T17:57:00.002Z

I had to write a bit about my mum, for the vicar at her funeral, so here it is..

I think I have achieved some consolation to know that Mum does no longer have to put up with all of her discomforts. She has had a particularly hard time in the last few years, and it was certainly not the way Mum and Dad had planned it. Mum has had so many medical problems its amazing she managed so well. The amount of people that have said ‘she was a fighter’ proves my point.
She has coped with a major ankle operation, a few months ago, just to give her a bit less pain and a slight bit of mobility, she has been struggling to swallow, her bones were no longer able to support her, she was refused 3 times to have a new hip, she has fought MRSA on more than one occasion. Sometimes she has just struggled to breathe.
All that and then the passing away of both her husband, Alan and her only son, Del. The stress levels cannot be measured, and yet we were getting through. All the time, all Mum wanted was to go home.. to be at Neuadd Wen.
Yet her life was not always like that…
She grew up in Liverpool and was even bombed out twice. She got through losing her father to cancer at a young age too, Her mother had to bring up the 3 children and work and so mum had to assist as she was the eldest. Mum always told me she had wanted to teach, but with the war and missing matriculation, due to appendicitis, she didn’t get to do her teacher training until she was married and much older. Mum used to stay at her Uncle Hughey’s house in Benllech, as a child. I think her good times, in her youth, were at Neuadd Wen.

Mum worked at ‘Reeces Restaurants’, in Liverpool and I am told she had a number of duties but her first job was to empty the penny coin slots on the gents toilets, she complained, but still did it.

She also worked at Thomas Meadows, shipping company, but so did her own mother, the snag was her mother had been too proud and lied about her age, so they then had to add another lie and say that they were aunt and niece, yet every one in Meadows knew the truth.

Mum met Dad during WW2, although Dad was a Londoner, they met in Neath, South Wales. Mum was in the ATS. She told me that Dad eventually proposed to her under a bridge in Manchester and they got married in 1945. They reached their diamond-wedding anniversary in 2005, and received the acknowledgement from the Queen.

In WW2, Mum was in at the start of RADAR, she even went on a course at Ty Croes that she told me about only recently. She even found an excuse to stay at Neuadd Wen then.
When Mum and Dad married they moved to Enfield, North London. First living with Dad’s parents and then in houses of their own.
Mum did her teacher training in the late sixties and became an infant teacher. English was her main subject. She taught in Enfield for several years, but had to give this up for a while to look after her own mother. She began working for Adult Literacy and worked for many years as a volunteer and also as a part-time employed assistant. She also got a position, part-time, in a college in White Hart Lane. Teaching English to hopeful secretaries.
I can remember saying, when I left school, the last thing I wanted to do was to teach, it was too much like hard work as Mum always seemed to be working, cutting out bits of card, marking work and even doing those assemblies. Yet mum was pleased when I went to college, later than most, and taught for 25yrs. Mum was always ready with advice and help and encouragement to me.
Mum was also a keen gardener and helped me on numerous occasions, identifying plants as well as wrestling with brambles in one or other house that I moved to.
But all the way through she seems to have had health problems, She has successfully battled with breast cancer and its treatment, and coped with a swollen arm for years, a remnant of the cancer treatment.
I remember rushing to Enfield once, as Dad was concerned it was the end for mum, as she had an undiagnosed, at the time, cyst on her liver. Yet she battled with that too, and returned to full health.

Through 2 broken wrists, a broken ankle, that required more surgery, and a hip that was inoperable, she has strived to be mobile and self-sufficient. She always wanted her independence and to be at Neuadd Wen.
The last couple of years could not have been a happy time, but everyone who has been in contact with Mum has said ‘She was a fighter’ and she did try to make the best of things.

I do wonder if she is happy now, as she is finally ‘home’ with Dad and Del…

Nantes, France

2009-01-17T13:36:00.006Z

Happy New Year

2009-01-05T00:51:00.003Z

I just thought I ought to wish you all a happy new year and show you this local road sign (Thanks Coops!)

There is something so traditionally Welsh about it ;)

Beaumaris Pram Race 2008

2008-12-27T11:07:00.010Z

Another Beaumaris pram race, and above is the winning sheep shagging team, at the 'race' start.

Another couple of teams, a cheese pram.. and a car.

I have had a few people ask me how the house is coming along. Its going well, surprisingly well, in fact. But this gives me very little time to get online. If I told you that in the above sheep shaggers team is our plumber and central heating expert, and our joiner and double glazing fitter, then you will understand why there has been a gap in the work over this Christmas period. And a break has been much needed too.

We have had to get 37 windows for the place, some huge front doors, French windows, patio doors... plastering has been started...one central heating boiler has been bought, yesterday we bought a bathroom suite and an extra bog... and we have filled 3 skips with rubbish and more to dispose of. I have had to buy a Ford Transit for all the fetching and carrying. Its never ending, yet, its going well. We are looking to move into the annex, in about Feb or March, maybe...

Our New Neighbours

2008-12-12T17:15:00.003Z

The House

2008-12-03T08:58:00.005Z

We have been having a lot of help from this kind person.. Malcolm... with his duster!

After a few requests, here you go. A few shots of the house. And its certainly a different sort of project to the rest, but also a place to settle...

Beaumaris goes Victorian

2008-12-01T10:46:00.006Z

Beaumaris has put on a 'Victorian Evening' for several years and decided to improve and revamp it into a Victorian Day... well, an afternoon and an evening. Between filling skips and putting another demolished slab of kitchen on the fire, I managed a few mins to look around at about 5pm. I think my timing was a bit off. The parade was about 6pm, and I was relaxing waiting for someone to cook a Cordon Bleu instant meal by 6.

Beaumaris has had a problem with scaffolding and major road works for a few months now, but an effort was made to remove some of them, although agreement wasn't reached to stop all traffic passing through. Also, the castle wasn't lit up, and even the chippy wasn't open, but most people had tried their best and a good time was being had by all, when I went snapping.

The above picture shows a square, in front of a pub, a guitarist is playing, but its sort of devoid of people...

And now for the fake snow :D

Another 'new' house

2008-11-24T09:08:00.004Z

So..its happened! Mike and I have bought a house. I will not be online much now at all. There is too much work ahead of us. But I might try and post a few pics. The first one is of our garden, a few neighbours had popped over the wall for a quick browse...

This photo was taken through glass, it was pissing down. If you look closely you might even see the sleet/hail in the leaves and ground, but the sheep didn't mind. They just wanted the apples and the grass.
Also... some have nice coloured ink marks on them. Anyone know why? I do ;)

The Grund, Luxembourg and Zweibrucken, Germany

2008-11-06T12:31:00.003Z

Just one picture of The Grund, in Luxembourg.
More are on my Flickr site.
CLICK HERE

Rainbow over Moelfre

2008-10-27T14:09:00.003Z

Marooned on a Bar Stool

2008-10-19T17:33:00.006+01:00

As all readers of my blog will know, since I have come to Wales I have become a regular boozer in a pub, or 2. I enjoy a drink… and a pub quiz. I like conversation and its been fun. I have got to know a lot of lovely people and characters that Charles Dickens would have liked to have known. It has enhanced my life and dragged me away from internet addiction, yet, I am not so sure now.
I am very much against smoking as it seems to have done more than its fair share of killing my family. My mother has emphysema, my brother and uncle both died of lung cancer. Yet I was anti-smoking from an early age, finding that it irritated and made me feel ill, just by being close to anyone who smoked. I objected to having to wash my clothes, including coat and my hair every day that I was in a pub. I can remember walking out to just get some oxygen. In Beaumaris, I even walked along the sea front and the pier when I was so engulfed in nicotine fumes it was hurting to breathe.
But it’s all changed since the smoking ban came into existence. Now I am glued to a bar stool. I have to look after everyone else’s stools too, especially on a busy night. Even fend off drunks so that I can keep a few inches of elbow room, and then find that some people get very possessive about their own personal space on a bar stool. I do develop back pain if I can’t move for too long. A bar stool is a better height than a seat so the pain takes longer to penetrate than sitting at a table, in a pub. One cigarette can take from 1 minute to 3/4 of an hour to smoke, depending on company. So this balancing act of stool protection can take a variable time. I am also there to look after the drinks, as they cannot be taken outside, if the pub has no outside area.
I have to put up with body odour, farts, and some rather cheap and over-powering perfumes. No more can I venture outside to get some air. Even when menopausal hot flushes hit, I have to protect the bar stools for fear of death! Outside is another world, a hazy, smoky one; where everyone dribbles into their cigarettes and chats happily to strangers, united in one addiction, the aggression is left for the inside of the pub, and the stool and drink thieves. As my bladder fills with Guinness I struggle to remain seated while waiting for the addicts to return, as I don’t dare leave the stools unattended.
The smokers return, in mid conversation, so it either takes a while to join in, or I dash off to the bog for some relief. When I get back, the smokers then also go to the loo. And when they return, they start the routine of rolling up the next cigarette. Sometimes the cigarette gets smoked immediately, sometimes it is held aloft. Can I actually start a conversation? Or will it be cut short with the “I’ll be back in a minute, just going for a smoke”. So conversation is stilted now, punctuated by long gaps and then its so difficult to follow. The impending cigarette hangs like a sword of Damocles and I can't help but be aware of it.
I have tried going outside, in the cold, the rain, but the freshness of the air is now polluted, by the congregation of smokers, and the smouldering ashtray stuck on the wall. But its not always burning, it gets doused with water and rain, but the smell then is even worse. But it’s the mecca for the smoker now.
When the smokers return to the pub, they are oblivious of their own perfume, some even blast the last puff of their addiction into the pub, generously shared amongst the bar stool widows.
While I am alone, I can sometimes use my phone and get online in Yahoo or Facebook, it sometimes keeps me company, but typing on a phone keypad is difficult and slow to a professional chatter like me. I can’t phone anyone or SMS them, because there is no phone signal inside the pubs in Beaumaris, just WiFi, if I am in the right place. So I can’t move from that wretched stool.
Maybe I am better staying at home, and drinking alone?
I can’t remember the last time I walked down the pier or along the beach at night. (Maybe I need a drink!)
I can see why so many pubs are closing these days, since the smoking ban.
And all my problems are worse in foreign countries when I am left in strange bars, where I don't know the language and have to sit alone waiting for the smoker.

Big Bertha- Angie

2008-10-14T01:05:00.004+01:00

I have been told to put this photo on display, so here you are!

The label in the cleavage says "Big Bertha - beer with balls"
Please click on this picture ;)
Just another one of the great characters that frequent my local pub. But, can you suggest ways to modify this picture? It has been suggested that I put her in a wrestling ring.. a few changes to the background...

Any ideas?
:D

Pub Quiz

2008-08-30T15:26:00.006+01:00

Our usual quiz partners ( Ian and Gill ) are away visiting friends and family in the USA, so Mike and I endeavoured to maintain standards and we joined forces with a rival team "George and her Dragons". After a superb evening we even managed to beat all other rivals and win!
So the picture above is the "George and her Dragons' team, relaxing with plenty to drink, Twiglets and even a bottle of rust remover, disguised as wine.
But I am not sure what happened here...
Maybe I STEPped into the wrong pub...and something bewitched them...

Is it safe to stay in this pub?

Anyway, the next day I took another photo...
I could never drink that many Guinnesses in one go!

P.S. The scarecrow has not returned :(

Scarecrow 2

2008-08-19T23:32:00.001+01:00

Please click to enlarge and read....

Kidnapping!!!

2008-08-17T13:24:00.007+01:00

Every year, in my village, they have a scarecrow competition. Usually I miss out on this and it passes by without my attention. But this year I had a real shock when I came home one night at about 1am and was greeted with this scarecrow, in my shared driveway.
My neighbours had entered the competition and had displayed their artistic creation in our driveway.
As the days go by, I begin to really enjoy the greeting from the scarecrow. I have friends and relatives who pop by and have worked out which house was mine, by the scarecrow. It puts a smile on peoples' faces. I am sure I am even finding it easier to get out into the main road, as people as slowing down to see the huge creation.

But all is not well...

I return home and find my neighbours posting a sign up and no sign of the scarecrow. The night before the judging someone has stolen, or maybe kidnapped the poor scarecrow.
The scarecrow has gone!!!!!!
Will they get a ransome note?
I will let you know as events unfold...

It's even reached the papers... The Story and picture

Gezellig in 's Hertogenbosch

2008-07-18T14:40:00.002+01:00

I have been very slowly putting the pix from my phone onto my blog. Since the George and Dragon have got WiFi, this has been my easiest option, and sort of misses out the middleman of the computer. But I really can't type, unless I have a computer keyboard.
My main photos are on my Flickr site, including a few vids.
so.. try this.. My pix of Den Bosch

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There is so much hope for the future, when chat can bring so many people together, and you can sit in a foreign country with someone who is almost 85 and drink and smoke a joint together.
I had also met Dew and Mrs Dew on 4 previous occasions. One was also in Holland, and I have proof.
Utrecht

After we had all said good bye, gradually over a few days. Mike and I had even shot off to Antwerp, returned and had a final drink with Jaffa, Steve, Andre, Carly, Tom. Sad, but it was over. I never expected to meet that plumber guy across the other side of the station, in Den Bosch, the next morning. Especially as we were heading off to different airports.

John did it!!

2008-07-16T10:28:00.003+01:00

The stories so far...

2008-07-07T19:27:00.002+01:00

John has managed to complete his marathon and only suffered a few aches in his legs for a couple of days. He is now home and has phoned his mum today. I don't know how long it took him, but its an hell of an effort!.. Well done.

We are on our travels and I might be blogging from my phone, in other words pictures only and very little in the way of words. So watch this space for pictures..
Gary, if you read this, we never made it to the Waddy air show, we couldn't face the weather and the clouds were very thick and dense. We have also since heard(on local TV news) that the Vulcan never flew, they had mechanical problems.
The weather has been dreadful here.. rain sun rainbows and thunder, all rapidly changing for days..

I went shopping and nearly bought a MacBook Pro today. It won't be long, and I will be getting something better than my sturdy old G3 iBook. But I do think Macs are over-priced just now. But isn't everything?

Jill's John

2008-06-26T17:17:00.003+01:00

When I started school I met Jill, we were both 4 years old, and we became friends. Amazing but we are still friends now.
After a lot of tragedies and a few pints of beer, Jill even came to join me in Spalding when she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and her husband of 11 months buggered off.
I left her too, as my parents became ill... but you have read that on my blog, if you have stayed awake long enough.
Now Jill's son is doing something for his mother, and others like her. John has done his own site for this so please can you just take a few moments to read this..
John's Marathon

And the bugger has managed to get to Rio to do this!!!!

The big question is... would I do a marathon just to get to Rio? er.. no
I wish John good luck and a big hug, and I promise to get him several pints in The Poacher, if ever we can be back in Spalding at the same time as him.

The Cream of Beaumaris

2008-05-30T15:29:00.020+01:00

The above photo is Gill, she came up with a challenge for herself, or maybe it was a demonstration? Anyway, she offered to do this stunt as long as money was raised for a local childrens' hospice.
I think she has raised about £35 so far, but I will post more details when I get them.

(N.B. The Pub has raised a total of £200, including Gill's contribution.)
OK.. the 'challenge'... Gill offered to fill her mouth full of aerosol cream and project it as far as it would go, outside the pub.

This seemed too good an opportunity for me. It would at least provide a few seconds when Gill would be unable to speak, and also raise money for a good cause.
So I bought the cream, and this was all performed at our exceptional charity quiz evening.
Gill lubricated her throat in preparation with a few glasses of wine, all in a good cause...
We exercised our minds on the quiz and achieved a miserable 4th place, but the cheats who beat us donated their prize money to the good cause as well, so all were happy!

Thank you, Neil, for the better video than mine, but now I have neck ache, there has to be a way to rotate this, but I am still looking. (Neil is our quiz master)

It does illustrate what alcohol and cream can do to normally sensible people, anything for charity?

My vids are split into 3..

and the last one...

And Ian... did the aerosol cream come in useful later?

Now that you have watched all this, I hope you realise this was all to help the kids in a hospice here, kids who won't be able to spit cream down a road, but who do need some fun too. So any donations to either me, or to The George and Dragon, Beaumaris, Anglesey. (I will accept Paypal payments)
The promised link to the hospice, click here -->(Hope House)
Thank you for watching the Cream Queen of Beaumaris, even if she lives in Dwygyfylchi.

From You Tube...

Beaumaris - The Red Arrows

2008-05-26T16:59:00.012+01:00

The Red Arrows put on a display at Beaumaris, it was the first display of the year for them, but it was also the first time that I had seen them.
The weather looks lovely, but it was actually quite windy. The wind put a stop to the display of old planes for a 'Battle of Britain' fly by. oh well, another time :(

The video shows the dandruff on the guy in front of me..

I hope you can appreciate the landscape around here from the above vid.

I will put up some more pix, if I get time. I am hardly online with my computer these days. I had my mum in hospital the other end of Wales, in Wrexham, so she had to be visited, which meant I had little time for anything else. The operation went well, as far as we can tell at the moment. I will know more when she has a change of plaster on her leg.
Now I seem to log in from my mobile phone, while in the local pub, which means chatting is a problem, as I can't type on a phone key pad. I am terribly behind with emails, but I am still ok here..In fact no news can be good news ;)
hugs all
xx

Now I realise that travel is in my blood

2008-05-02T10:05:00.005+01:00

While I was doing the continual sorting and clearing, at my parents' house, I came across a 'birthday book' of my late grandmother. She was my mum's mum. She has entered a lot of the important family dates, and I am now going to have to continue it. Now that I seem to have lost most of my family, it now feels important to hang on to my roots.
But this did surprise me a little. I knew my great great uncle had been a sea captain, and that he had built the house that my parents had bought. But I knew very little of his wife, my great great Aunty Kate.
The newspaper clipping is about her, but I don't know when it was. She was 85, and she died on June 14th 1957, but as yet, I haven't found the year of her birth. I suspect that will turn up somewhere.
But she must have done her travelling at a time when people didn't travel much, with her husband, by sea. But Buenos Ayres and Antwerp... they seem an odd pair to pick, but I am pleased to have a remote family connection to Antwerp...(ok, Tropy and Wolfray?)
The other odd thing about this is 'Llanallgo', its a very tiny village just up the hill from here. I drive through it and have hardly dared to attempt to pronounce the name. To find out I have moved to a matter of yards from there, and both my great great aunt and my grandmother were members of the W. I. there... looks like I had better learn how to make jam.

An Afternoon Escape

2008-04-08T09:53:00.020+01:00

Last week, I reached the screaming habdab time, and realised I needed some escape time. So I hit the panic button and persuaded Mike to show me Wales. I hardly get off Anglesey, I get to Tesco on some real exciting days, but further a field is just a mad dash along the A55 and into England, usually for a hospital appointment or funeral or one of our cheapo escapes with Ryanair. There are real snow covered mountains out there, that I have hardly seen. They are in the distance from here, often obscured by fog.
Wales is beautiful, yet it disappears at 70mph and I miss it.
So here goes... My April Fools Day (Happy Birthday Lee... and Cheryle)...

The Ogwen valley, the river Ogwen meandering through.

It was a shame the afternoon started so cloudily, that murky look doesn't do justice to the beauty. Also, the snow didn't look so white close up and was a lot higher than we managed that day.
We drove on to Swallow Falls. I only took a couple of photos here, as it was just a quick stop and they required payment to get a really good look at Swallow Falls, so that will have to be another day.

The above photo is of the Swallow Falls Hotel, it over looks the waterfall.

The waterfall, (above) was a bit obscured by trees and a fence which I hope I avoided in that picture. But I would have seen less if it was summer and the leaves were on the trees, but the noise I won't forget.
Now I knew all these places existed, I had even seen some with Del, but I had no idea the next places we went to were there... this was new territory for me.
We drove on, through Betws-y-coed and took a few turnings and then suddenly I caught sight of this.

The roar from this was louder than the Swallow Falls. It was a reservoir, very cold, a chill that felt like it could rip your flesh off the bone. And deep, very black water...(Llyn Alwen)

Bleak yet beautiful. There is a person fishing a long way across, but you will have to click to enlarge to see that, if your eyes are good.

...................Don't jump!!

We drove a bit further, not far and got to another reservoir, this one was not so bleak and even had a visitors centre which did teas and coffees and food. This is Llyn Brenig.

For one brief moment the sun actually shone on the wind turbines.

From Spain

2008-03-18T09:39:00.003Z

Some friends of mine went to Spain, they spent a few days in Salou and the area near Barcelona/Taragona.
I didn't get a postcard, but they brought me back this photograph of some towels. They thought my readers might like to see what a Spanish Triathlon is all about...
;)

Thanks for the photo, Ian... and Gill

St. Paddy's, after Wales wins

2008-03-15T21:17:00.011Z

St. Patrick's day should be on the 17th March, but this year it has started well before that. I don't know if this is a cross between 'amser Cymraeg' and the Irish logic, but I am told that a Saturday is a better night to celebrate on, and that then it can last several days... and it maybe to avoid all this happening quite so close to Easter. I am not sure.
So here I was... an English person, in Wales... celebrating an Irish festival...Is that global enough?

So Wales won the Grand Slam, the Triple Crown, and even beat the English! Pah! All that with odd shaped balls... Rugby, seems a very good idea for a piss up.

This person has the habit of falling asleep while standing upright. I have taken many pix of him, but this is the first I have blogged... So, while the disco played, the pub got louder, Daffydd No. 4 took a quick 3/4hr sleep.. standing.. scaring the hell out of me with those whites of his eyes. He never even woke up when the felt tip pen was applied. What a way to celebrate a victory on a Saturday night! I was sitting next to Daffydd, but I felt it was safer to move, as my Guinness might have been knocked over, if ever he had obeyed the laws of gravity.

This is Neil, he thinks up questions for the pub quizzes and also did the disco for the St. Paddy's day piss up. He has a dubious nickname of 'the sock' which he is illustrating in the above photo.

more Budapest

2008-02-24T16:02:00.001Z

Budapest Station

2008-02-22T15:54:00.002Z

a good start to Budapest

2008-02-21T16:58:00.003Z

1st night and something about this place seems better than home.

escape

2008-02-20T18:22:00.006Z

After we had our plane de-iced, we escaped 4 a break in Budapest.
I am now blogging from my phone. Life is good 4 now!

"Hey Little Sister... start again"

2008-01-25T15:27:00.000Z

Dear Friends,
I want some advice, I know a few of you regularly visit my blog and you will know I have put some personal stuff up, but I generally avoid some of the more difficult things. I have a problem... I need help... When Del died, I was called to the hospital at some silly hour in the morning and I had a CD playing in the car. It was still playing when I came out of the hospital too, after I had seen Del pass away. The CD just continued from where it had left off. I liked the tune, I still do, but I can't help but cry every time I hear it. I thought I was getting over it, until Radio 2 just played it. And the tears came... not much use at 40+mph down narrow lanes on Anglesey, with tears streaming. I have also had to walk out of shops playing it
The song was nothing special to Del..it's just the timing... and something about the words... (just listen to the words, I haven't watched the video right through yet). How do I get over this one? Any advice?

Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!

2008-01-01T15:12:00.000Z

It was with much relief and alcohol that I finally saw the end of the worst year of my life. Usually, its a time to look back, but no way!.. I am just looking forward.
2008 has to be better...

Beaumaris saw the new year in like this...

Hot Pennies and Pram Race - Boxing Day

2007-12-26T17:12:00.000Z

It has been a long tradition in Beaumaris and with the Bulkeley family, to enjoy yourself on Christmas day and then throw burning hot coins at the passing peasantry the day after. This does seem to smell of something rather nasty and class ridden, but it has been watered down a little to the present day, but still hot coins are aimed at children by the Mayor. I was glad not to have parked my car anywhere near here.

These pictures show the hotel where the mayor stood on the balcony and aimed his pennies at the poor kids beneath... I took this photo before it began.

But it makes a change for the kids, and it does seem a fun thing to do, to get some fresh air after all the 'excitement' of Christmas day.

A few minutes later, further down the high street began the Beaumaris pram race. I took pictures last year that can be found in Dec 2006 on this blog.

This year there were only 4 contenders, as the 5th group had suddenly been called out on an emergency, they were the Lifeboat crew.

I believe the team with the pram made to look like a tank won, but it looked like they all had fun, and I hope the charities did well.
Of course... there was the band...ok, Alice, you got a mention!!

~~~~~

Pram racers...

~~~~

~~~~

~~~~

~~~~

A good time was had by all...but more teams would have been nice!!
~~~~

~~~~

Each team was started at a different time, but this did seem to cause some confusion, at first..
~~~~

I have also found this link, on facebook - youtube, I hope you don't mind me posting this, Wyn..
click!

Happy Christmas

2007-12-24T12:46:00.000Z

I am trying hard to be a bit less bah humbuggy, but its not easy...

I know a few people who speak other languages pop by my blog, so could you tell us all your ways to say the usual...

English = Merry Christmas and a happy new year!

Welsh/Cymraeg = Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!

Now your turn... pretty please...

Bah Humbug!

2007-12-20T17:42:00.000Z

Happy Christmas to all my readers!!!

I know 2008 is going to be a lot better..
Hugs to you all, and please keep sending me comments.

XX

My Parents Wedding

2007-12-04T20:56:00.000Z

So... any of you that were casting questions about my parentage, here is part of the proof. I found a photo of my parents wedding, it was in June 1945. It has been mentioned in my blog before, when they got the letter from the Queen for their diamond wedding anniversary, in June 2005, the same month that I moved to Wales and begun this blog.

08080000133 Bloody Vodafone!

2007-11-23T12:42:00.001Z

Hello everyone!!!... This is the most viewed part of my blog, please stay and look at some of my other boring stuff... but also try this...

You are NOT alone

I had a Vodafone mobile phone when I was living in Spalding, but when I moved to Wales, I found it had hardly any signal here. I asked Vodafone if this was going to remain that way, and presumed it would...
I kept the mobile for a couple of reasons, 1. they conned me into an 18th month contract and 2. It was actually the only company that had a signal in the care home, so it had had some uses.
Recently, I have been leaving my ancient Nokia, plugged into the charger, as it no longer holds much charge, in my kitchen, where it never moves.
Now I decided to cancel the contract... I phoned, I wrote to them.. I explained.. I had a phonecall from them, asking why...
I explained again... but cancelled.
While I was away in Spain I got 34 missed calls on the phone... the few that left a number were 0808 numbers..
Today I got a silent call from 08080000133. no sound.. nothing. So I googled it, and boy! I am not alone.
I will never ever have another contract with Vodafone if this is the way they treat us.
http://www.jamieclague.co.uk/blog/2007/04/30/mobile-scammers/
http://davidcarrington.co.uk/2007/10/08/08080000133-vodafone-want-me-back/
http://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/08080000133
http://www.whatmobile.net/forumvb/showthread.php?t=21527

How can a company think they will win customers that way?
It almost, but not quite, makes BT seem civilised.

It is now January 2009, I have been amazed at the global interest in just this tiny bit of my blog. I get people from all over the world googling this vodafone number and I have been curious as to why? Then it came to me. Vodafone are making money out of all you guys that move to other companies yet take the number with you. You call them back, maybe?
Also, the people who move away to countries far and wide and get UK 0800 numbers ringing them.. at their expense...
I guess the key is to NOT take a Vodafone number to another company. I hope the suggestion in the comments works, can someone let me know? My number has long gone, so I can't test that.

Zaragosa again

2007-11-16T17:41:00.000Z

We got back from Zaragosa a few days ago. Its still a wonderful city, even for a second visit. I will post more when I get time, but I was shocked/amazed/pleased/embarrassed to find we were already on a Spanish web site. So here you are, a preview..
( )

www.zaragozadenoche.es - > disco's and pubs - > Flaherty's
More information later...

another Portuguese Photo

2007-11-16T17:36:00.000Z

Another sign, from Ian... taken in Portugal recently. But I will say, they speak English better than I can speak Portuguese, but I wonder about Cymraeg?

As Time Goes by...

2007-11-12T18:43:00.000Z

Just to let you know, I have returned from a brief but much needed escape. I had a few days back in Zaragoza, and will be back in Wales in a few days. I have some pictures, but actually spent more time just 'chilling out' and trying to calm down for a while. I hope it worked.

Ian and Gill sent me a picture taken somewhere in Portugal, they thought it might amuse people...
Let's see...

See you either Wednesday or Thursday, Ian & Gill
xx

The Appeal of The Lincolnshire Poacher

2007-11-05T17:17:00.000Z

I find the Poacher is an OK pub...The company is friendly, the beer is good. But my other half seems to spend a lot more of his time there...
Can you see the appeal?

Update and resolved Dry Cleaning and dissolving BT

2007-11-01T23:16:00.000Z

Just to let anyone know that has been following the Dry Cleaning saga. It is now sorted... finished..
Johnson's Customer Care people... or one in particular have replied to my letter and sent me a cheque for £150.80 to cover not just Mike's suit, but also the cost of the cleaning, and they enclosed £15 of dry cleaning vouchers.
I am happy, I might not have a new suit, and I might still feel reluctant about using the Bangor Johnson's shop... but I will be happy to try another branch.
Well done!

I now have to do battle with BT once again. My parents house had 2 phone lines. One for my brother and one for my parents. I am now trying to reduce that and disconnect my brother's line. Unfortunately, after my first short call of about 30mins, the young lady that I spoke to has disconnected the other line :(
After my next call, to India and to another line that never actually got an answer...

I had to try a third time, and got India again and spent 31 mins in a queueing system before getting a jolly young man who I could almost understand.
He has told me that it will be sorted in 48 hrs... but that there will be a disconnection charge... then I saw red... which phone line? do they disconnect and charge me for both?
Maybe it was wasting over 2 hours in total to BT by this time..
I think this story will continue...

map and Bangor

2007-10-16T02:42:00.001+01:00

Thanks Bliss, I found this map on your blog. I liked the idea, but I do think it sort of exagerates where you have been...

create your own visited country map

Above is a small clip of Bangor shopping centre. The students are back at the University, and a busker was by the clock. I have seen these Peruvian style buskers in several large cities, it was nice to see a small city like Bangor wasn't missed out. It does make arguing with shop keepers easier to come out to this...
Bangor is a bit of a messy building site just now. But things can only get better...

Dry Cleaning

2007-10-12T16:18:00.000+01:00

It has been a sad time for me, and to hear that my ex-mum-in-law had also passed away, has done nothing to lighten the load. The practicalities of all this have been enormous, and made worse by the dry cleaners....
Let me explain...
Living on an island has some problems, as yet, I haven't found a dry cleaner that doesn't say.. "yes, we can clean that, but we send all our clothes off here. You have just missed this weeks load, so it won't go till next Thursday and be back for the following Thursday. "
You just aren't given that much notice for a funeral.
So I was pleased to eventually find a branch of Johnson's Dry Cleaners, about a 3/4hr drive away, with a 60p parking charge in Bangor, but they able to do my cleaning, and Mike's too, ready for the next day. After 3 funerals and a wedding this year, I was desperate!
I don't own many clothes that need dry cleaning, just this one, smart black suit.
So, I took my suit, and Mike's in on Friday. I was told it would be ready either late Saturday, or Monday. I returned on Monday, allowing a generous amount of amser Cymraeg.
"I'm sorry, our machine went wrong on Friday" I was informed.
"You what!" I gasped, "When will they be cleaned?"
"We have a service engineer coming on Wednesday," the girl said.
"I need both suits for a funeral, on Wednesday, in Norfolk, the other side across the UK, I am driving there tomorrow"
I was starting to see red by then.
"You could take the clothes to our other shop at Carnarvon"
I acquiesced, not much else I could do... looked at the time... then thought, sod it!... I will go dirty.
"ok, let me have the suits back," I demanded.
The girl went off to find them, but came back empty handed.
"I am sorry" she almost whispered, " those clothes are among the ones trapped in the broken machine, we can't get them out until Wednesday"
The world sort of went blurred at this point. I thought of facing my ex and his family with no clothes on, then I pulled myself together and spat feathers, saw red and all the cliches that go with being extremely angry and upset.
" what can I do?" I choked out.
"maybe you should discuss this with my manager" the girl said.
"ok, can I?"
"She will be back at about 1" she said
I needed fresh air, and went outside to wait the few minutes.
I planned my campaign.
I phoned Mike.
I returned to the shop, and spoke to the manager, who offered free service at their other shop for the clothes that were still in her machine. I explained. She suggested that I should phone their customer services department.
So, I drove home, 3/4hr to cool off and start to breath more steadily, to think if there are any other washable black things in my wardrobe, which in all honesty, there are. But Mike isn't the sort of guy to ever need 2 smart suits...

I phoned the 0845 number on my land line and got through to 'Steff" who was obviously far better at dealing with panicking customers than the branch were. She took my details, including my phone number, which was when I realised that the branch had had my number all along, but hadn't bothered to phone me and tell me the information, or even save me the time, fuel, and parking fee. Steff phoned me back and asked if I had anything else I could use, made similar offers, and I admitted I could probably find something, but not Mike, and there was very little time now as we were heading off the next morning.
"Would you be able to get a suit for £150?" she asked.
I said I would think so... so she said that if I got one, sent the receipt to her, she would reinburse me for up to £150.
I felt myself deflate, a strong feeling of relief, but also with amazement. As you can imagine, I agreed.
We went to the funeral, bought a nice suit for Mike en route too, and I borrowed a jacket from my mum, which was dry clean only, and shoved it in the washing machine, which did it no harm whatsoever.
I vowed to wash all things that say "Dry Clean Only" in future.
All went well... until I returned to the shop to pick up the original clothes, on Friday, a week after I had gone in there for the first time.
I had been thinking that almost a week inside cleaning solvent might have had a disasterous effect on the garments, but they all seem perfect now I have examined them, with my bad eyes..
Why is it I feel so annoyed that I had to pay another £21.80 for the actual dry cleaning? I got nothing, no compensation, just hassle and extra trips to Bangor and parking and not even free dry cleaning. Yet Mike sits back and gets a new suit out of this...Am I just being greedy?
I had to even ask for a carrier bag when I picked up our old but plastic wrapped suits.
I will keep you informed as to how this goes, I still have to claim back my money for Mike's new suit.

NB. please accept that my "quotes" are NOT direct, word for word quotes. My memory isn't that good! But I have tried to show what I felt and understood at the time.

The Care Home

2007-10-07T18:49:00.000+01:00

Life has had to continue for Mum and I. Yesterday I actually got her out in the fresh air which was almost spring-like. Sunshine, warmth... so unusual for October, but gorgeous. In the picture above, some of the people at my mother's care home, and mum herself, are enjoying an afternoon, just opposite the care home, watching a local football match.

A Practise session at The George

2007-09-19T23:50:00.000+01:00

A band wanted a place to 'practise' and so Gary allowed them to use The George on a usually very quiet Tuesday night.
I needed cheering up, and a few Guinnesses helped...
But I never expected them to be this good. Its a shame the video is so dark, but can you see the drummer? He is 81..

oh well...

This is my first time of putting a video on my blog and it seems to work ok. So maybe now is my time to put up some of my blackmail shots... like Tropy pole dancing.... or Nonzero's hiccups... please email me with suggestions. It seems that a few extra pennies could cheer me up right now.

See... I am getting over it all!!!

Del's funeral

2007-09-05T09:17:00.000+01:00

I wrote this for the vicar who did the service at Del's funeral. We are NOT a religious family and she didn't know him...
"Although Del had never excelled himself academically, he was considered by a number of people to be ‘the font of all knowledge’.
When we were at youth club, back in our teenage years, he was even given the nickname of “wise old freak”.
He could chat about anything, with knowledge, from politics, history, geography to sixties rock music. But saying that, he wasn’t a loud talkative person, quite the opposite. He would always prefer to hide in the background, lacking confidence and just quietly get to the forefront.
His humour was the only thing he was ever quick with. He could hit back with a pun or a quick quip, and make anyone smile. He also had an amazing memory for jokes, which most people forget. But maybe this also shows his rather eccentric mind that could retain all those ‘useless’ and often ‘useful’ facts.
Del’s punctuality was an art form, he was often late. No!.. he was always late… He would keep friends and family waiting hours. I can remember frequent frustrating times when Del always seemed unmoved and totally calm while everyone was panicking around him. You could say that his funeral is possibly the first time he has actually been early for an event.
Recently he has used another nickname for himself “The Mediæval Hippy” which did sum him up well, and shows his considerable power with words.
Del liked word games, puzzles, he could even finish the Guardian cryptic crossword. And he liked doing Sudoku too.
He liked to feed the birds and any wildlife. He was a member of the RSPB and had a variety of feeders and containers to feed the birds outside. He would not kill another living thing, which I often think included the weeds in his garden, as well as, rats and houseflies.
His hobby with the CB radio had led to a lot of friends in Enfield where he had lived until 1999 when he moved with Mum and Dad to Anglesey. He used to rush out at any time of day or night to help and assist other CB users. Del was a very kind person.
After his move to Wales, his use of the CB had diminished but he still kept in touch with a lot of the same people with his computer.
He used to watch volcanoes and took a great interest in earthquakes, some of this from live web cams. The computer was a source of more knowledge and a way to communicate for him.
He had taken on the job of looking after both parents, without really being aware of it, until it became too much. He had never learnt to cook more than a few things in the microwave. But he had even started to take on all the responsibilities of running a household, although we do seem to be a family that abhors paperwork.
The Pub-Quiz nights, at The George & Dragon, Beaumaris had been a time for him to shine with his knowledge and gift for useless facts. He had managed to get a carer to take care of mum to enable him to have 2 nights a week off, this meant he had a much needed break. Here he was starting to meet new friends and gaining respect.
Del has always been a very private person and also stuck in routines and was reluctant to face changes. I can only imagine how he had taken to his move from Enfield to Wales. In the past, he had often taken Mum and Dad on holiday, as he liked to drive and they wanted a chauffeur. They had explored a lot of corners of the UK, but never gone abroad. I think he came to Wales thinking it would be like a long holiday.
Del had grown his hair long, while he was at school, and had stuck with it to the end. His treatment was almost certainly going to make him lose his hair and I am glad he never had to face that. He was known by his long hair, I have found I only have to describe him and he is remembered… He had taken all sorts of teases and taunts about his hair, but he took a pride in it, it was always clean and combed meticulously.
Every person that I have told about his death has commented about his humour and quick wittedness. Even at the care home – Bryn Ceirios – the patients and staff have got to know the witty side of Del. Del seems to have had a talent to make people smile.
Del lacked any form of ambition and accepted life and everything it brought to him. Having no ambition also made the chance of failure unlikely and therefore, he was happy, while all around loved him, but also screamed at him to do ‘something’."

Now I have to continue life without him...
A friend gave me a box of chocolates yesterday... now I will have to find someone else to give the Turkish Delight ones too... Del always had those...
Thank you everyone for your comments, both in private and in here.
xx

Del

2007-08-29T09:27:00.000+01:00

My brother, Del, passed away yesterday, 28th August at about 5:30am.
He had been ill with lung cancer and had more tumours in his brain. He was facing palliative care and radiotherapy and has escaped all that, including losing his hair.
He had been in hospital since July 12th and had not smoked from that day.
I will miss him, his humour, his memories...I will write more when I can.
He was only 57.
His funeral is on Tuesday...

Life's a bitch again...

2007-08-07T08:32:00.001+01:00

I am just putting up a quick blog to apologise for the lack of information over the last few weeks. I have just been unable to write... life has got that bad.
My brother is still in hospital and I am very uncertain as to his future. I am not going to blog his details. You will have to ask me for that.
My mother is reluctantly still in the care-home, and is sort of bewildered as to what has happened to our family over the last few months.
I spend my time between visiting both brother and mother and also trying to catch up with solicitors and paperwork from my parents' house. I don't know how I ever had time to hold down a full time job, yet I would prefer that life to this. I was sort of smug about giving up teaching, but teaching was certainly more fun than this now.
I am hoping to escape back to Spalding for a short time this weekend. a shower tray to fix and a house to paint... and about 4 days to do it. Can I also fit in a dentist appointment?

I am not a very good chatter just now. But I am a bit like that in real life too. I am on an emotional knife edge just now, but at least I am aware of it.

I haven't even had the enthusiasm for taking photos... but, who knows what the future will bring...

Sunrise

2007-06-20T20:23:00.000+01:00

Sunrise looking towards Penmon

Zaragoza

2007-06-07T15:53:00.001+01:00

It was one of those last minute decisions, after a few pints of Guinness. I had needed a break for months, but had had to manage without. We had sort of hoped to return to Ljubljana but the cheapo flights were just not there. So when we saw a flight, for 1 penny to Zaragoza, we went for it.

Ryanair's penny flight was actually almost £95 for 2 return, when taxes were added, but I thought even that was cheap. We booked a hotel for one night and flew...

Zaragoza was at first a disappointment, it seemed shut on a Saturday night. The Hotel refused to let us have coffee after delays on the flight which meant we arrived sometime after 10pm. Also, taxis were a bit elusive at Zaragoza airport. We wandered around Zaragoza as it shut, feeling that we would be better getting a car and leaving it quickly.
Sunday was the next day, and this hotel nh sport said that we couldn't get a hire car as nowhere was open on a Sunday. Do NOT believe the adverts and web sites for this hotel, there is nothing there at weekends... no restaurant.. no car-hire desk.. no coffee. We did get a coffee at breakfast time.
We went for a walk, this time in the sun, and we got a book about the city. Suddenly it started to come alive.. a book market.. fountains... music. We walked more towards the centre and it just got better. Interesting buildings, the Spaniards relaxing on a Sunday, it was fun.

{Can you see what Barclays bank are like in Spain?}

And then it happened, we found this...

Somehow this pub just made the stay. We changed hotels to one close by, that even made us coffee. And we found that we could at long last unwind, with a Guinness and a pizza in our hands. We could wander the streets and explore the buildings, statues and bridges. Suddenly, the holiday had begun.

There was even bike racing on the TV..

And good company...

back in a few mins to complete this.... brb

We Escaped to Zaragoza

2007-06-07T14:29:00.000+01:00

We did it!...
We escaped, on a Ryanair flight, cost before tax = 1p

Pix will be posted very soon...

It was fun, so much fun that not only did we stay in Zaragosa the entire time, but we want to go back soon.

pix will be here soon....

School's out in Beaumaris

2007-05-26T12:01:00.000+01:00

I think I will let the pictures speak for themselves, but it was a school disco at the pub, last night. A good time was had by all, and I wore a skirt for the first time in years...
(after seeing this photo it will probably be the last time too.)

Thanks for taking the picture, Mike... I think...
I don't think you can see Gary's conkers...

Some more of the school kids in the pub.

Now you can see his conker... and his reflection...

I think I may have to remove the last 2 pictures, I am aware they are not the best angles, but the barmaids would never stand still... sorry, Elaine and Claire.

Cutty Sark

2007-05-21T19:07:00.000+01:00

I took this picture on 18th September, 2004. It was left in my iPhoto album, hardly looked ta until I heard the news today. I listened in horror to the news of how this lovely ship has been burnt..
Do you remember this, Chance?
Its now like this..

Just an example of the Welsh Lingo

2007-05-03T00:22:00.000+01:00

I might have stopped going to the Welsh classes but this sign has intrigued me for a long while. It is outside every ATS in Wales and shows how the words are sort of shared with English...

Now see if you can guess what it means, without looking below...
(maybe it should say "shocks".. but this is Wales)

Even dragons mustn't smoke

2007-04-26T00:15:00.000+01:00

The above implement has been left just outside the usual pub in Beaumaris. It seems it is for quenching the fire from dragons... only in Wales!

Signs of the Times

2007-04-06T14:09:00.000+01:00

It has finally happened. Wales has become smoke free. I am dead chuffed about it, and am now starting to realise what I have been breathing in for the last couple of years. I never saw any smokers when I was in England. I was shocked when I came to Wales and realised that I was in a minority.
But now... smoking has been stopped in all public places. The photo of the sign above was taken in The George and Dragon, Beaumaris. But it could have been taken in any pub in Wales. England is a bit behind us in this, as their ban only comes in, in July.
The regulars at The George and Dragon are now learning to live without cigarettes. The place is cleaner, my coat smells nicer, a few people do wander out to smoke in the street outside, but most are cutting down considerably.
There is an irony here. Tobacco wasn't discovered when this pub was first opened (1410), so we are only reverting to the way it was...
Below is a sign in the doorway of The George and Dragon, not an easy one to photograph.. poor light, no space...

More Catch Up Stuff

2007-04-01T09:29:00.000+01:00

I am sorry that my blog has been pushed to the background. My life has taken a turn around and I am finding it more difficult to write it now. Mainly because I am lucky if I can get online most days. When I only get a few snatched minutes at my computer, I check email, maybe go to the chatroom, if Yahell allows it, and then have to rush off to cook, clean, catch up with my washing or just sleep. I have been trying to keep my social life, but even that is sporadic now.
The reason is that Mum has left her care home. She is able to walk to the toilet, with use of a zimmer frame, so the theory is she can be 'independant', as the social services people say. I think she was just unable to remain there, as Dad had gone.
So my days have been spent, in the house where my brother and mother live. I am bored senseless and have to keep busy cooking in batches for Mum. She is unable to swallow well and all food has to be liquidised. She needs her feet raised and put down on the floor, as she is refusing to use the chair that has been provided as it is an NHS issue, that fits Mr Average. Not a small lady.
Mum's memory has sort of taken a jolt. She muddles the care home and home. She has an army of carers that come to wash and sort her out, 3 times a day. Some she has known for years, yet fails to remember them.
Anyway, as my brother only has dial up at that house, I can't connect my iBook(G3 on OSX.3.9), which is in serious need of upgrading. I am unable to keep in touch with you all. If the blog has stopped for a while, don't worry, I am still there. I do get to read my emails, even if I skip some of the jokes. I have also made it to the pub a few times, although finding time to eat seems to be the worst. After a day of cooking, I can't face eating.
A lot of the time that I do get online, I just sort of waste my time in reading. I have tried Camfrog a bit recently, staring at the trivia bots seems my limit.
Now the summer is on its way, the tourists are starting to fill Anglesey, I was hoping to get out and take more photos, but I will have to wait till it gets lighter in the evenings. Days are just too full...

The Next Stages - time creation

2007-02-13T08:43:00.000Z

I coped well with the funeral, it was nice to see some old friends and family that I hadn't seen in many years. Last week was a busy time just organising that... but I had no idea how much worse it would get afterwards.
Now its organise Dad's life and paperwork and prepare for Mum's return to the house. While my brother is still gasping for air from the many secondary effects of his cold at Christmas. (He smokes, heavily)
Suddenly the mountain of things that have to be done has hit me. I had to make a decision quickly...
I needed more time, and the one thing that could go was my Welsh classes. I did them from 9:15am to 3pm on a Tuesday. It is mid year now, and time to pay for exams, and the next half year... or be honest and admit I am not able to put the work needed into this, just now. I haven't had time for all the homework for quite a while. I can't get my head round it now. I can always go back, several people have joined the course.. and left to have breaks... the course is run like that. So I hope to go back again, although I will miss the people I was with. Its been fun, and I would like to keep in touch with them, if they read this...
All this and still a cough and sinuses that are giving me a constant headache.
Anyway, I must run... my car needs an MOT and I have a mountain of Dad's paperwork to file.
xx

Dad

2007-02-02T17:25:00.000Z

I took this picture on 29th January 2007, Dad had been in hospital for a couple of weeks suffering from a chest infection and dehydration. When I took the photo, he was feeling better and was able to laugh, smile and was back to his old self. But the next day he was a bit wheezy again.. and on 1st February, at about 3am, I got a phone call from the hospital to come quickly.
I am sorry to say that Dad had died, before I got there.

The emotions are very mixed up now. Sadness, a bit tearful, but also relieved. He had Alzheimer's and maybe his pneumonia and heart problems could have been a blessed release. He was 88.
I will miss him.

The sound of my Sheep Toaster

2007-01-23T00:35:00.000Z

A Mac friend gave me this link so that you can share the sound of my toaster. I really shouldn't have been surprised that someone else had put it on video... but I was.
sheep sound, eventually
So thanks, Imnotabunny.

Menai Bridge and snowy mountains

2007-01-22T17:03:00.000Z

I know I take a lot of photos of this bridge, but with the snow on the mountains it seemed even better than normal. And it had stopped raining...

My Toaster

2007-01-22T01:49:00.000Z

I have had a request to blog this item. It has novelty value but now I am so used to it I really don't see it anymore. I only bought my toaster because it made a noise that couldn't be ignored when the toast was cooked. It Baaas... although the sound does sound most unlike any sheep I have heard... more like an aborting ewe, I think... I only wanted the noise so I didn't miss out on hot toast, while I was distracted by the internet.
It means that I can eat my Mrs Dandan's Orgasmic Strawberry Jam without that charred taste of burnt toast.
I bought this toaster in Spalding, England before I moved to Wales, but there is something about it that seems to fit in with Wales.
Thanks for this photo, Youngbunny. It seems odd to think it has already travelled the globe just to get on this blog.

Dandan's blog

2007-01-18T12:41:00.000Z

Dandan has put his cruise stuff on his own blog now. Hopefully pictures will follow. I am looking forward to seeing the photo of Anne sprawled across the decks...
Click on this for his blog
DANDAN'S NEW BLOG

Dandan has now posted his final episode to his disasterous cruise on the Artemis.

Caz's wing

2007-01-15T19:17:00.000Z

These pictures have been put up to show what Caz from the George and Dragon, Beaumaris, did before she ran pubs. She built these wings, single handed from just a few feathers and bolsa wood... or maybe I misheard and need another Guinness...

Ljubljana, Slovenia

2007-01-14T17:15:00.000Z

We spent 3 days in Ljubljana, Slovenia. It was fun just walking round the city, but we had booked the hotel from hell...
The picture below is the view from the hotel window.

The Dragon Bridge... is this a touch of Welsh?.. Celtic?

This may look like a factory area, it even felt like it... but in each of the large wharehouses are a huge number of shops. This is the BTC shopping centre, it certainly beats West Edmonton shopping mall, which is impressive and that other nasty one at Minneapolis St Paul. I don't think UK has anything to compare but I am not a shopper-holic.

Sites in Ljubljana..

Below is a picture of Irena and Soncnica> Both are chatters but not in the same places. They didn't know each other, but I have known both of them for many years. I was pleased to try some lovely Slovenian food and learn more about the place from experts and locals... I owe you a good time in the UK, Irena and Soncnica. Thanks!

A view from the plane...

The Hotel left this on by our TV. It really doesn't give you a clue what it was like living with saws and machinery above our heads, working from 7 or 9am till about 5pm. Constant grinding/sawing noises. It was a lovely city... nice break. But I will never stay in a hotel like The Hotel Park, Ljubljana again. I hope a google bot finds this quickly.
I put this on one site that asked for reviews... It was the noisiest hotel I have ever stayed in. They do their refurbishment in January to March. It felt like the whole hotel was being rebuilt in the room above our heads. There was a letter of apology in the room, but that doesn't actually help anyone sleep. I shared a lift with mattresses, and bits of wood, but at least the lift worked.
The coffee at breakfast was undrinkable, no kettle in the rooms, but the bar downstairs had reasonable coffee, if I paid, and took it to my 5th floor room myself.
The internet access was fast, free and worked, but wouldn't let me access Yahoo messenger.

I found Ljubljana a beautiful city, with a meandering river and some lovely buildings. And I am still sure I could spend more time there.. exploring. They can even serve good Guinness.

future blogs

2007-01-14T14:55:00.000Z

I am now back from a very brief trip to Slovenia and will put up some pix in the next couple of days. Thanks to Mike, Irena and Soncnica... it was wonderful!
No thanks at all to the Hotel.

Dandan has made it back to UK and is dying from jetlag, more news to follow on that too...

watch this space over the next couple of days... all sorts to catch up with

xx

a chat meet, between Christmas and New Year

2007-01-13T18:17:00.000Z

I had the chance to remeet a friend from the Yahoo Mac room and his "friend". I was lucky enough that they both wanted to stay and I showed them life in a Welsh pub, on a quiz night, and we visited Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

So here is a pic of Youngbunny and Ceebs... and me.

A real rarity.. 3 Mac people in Wales.

New Years Day in Beaumaris

2007-01-08T03:49:00.000Z

Somehow, I sort of promised to show what the drunk and hungovered people of Beaumaris begin a new year with. Unfortunately, I ended the new year so well that I over slept the event and am now publishing just a few of Ian's photos.
The day began as yet another very wet day and at about 12:00 these hulks were ready and willing to pull on the end of a rope. Strange custom, but if they enjoy it.. so be it!

Rope pulling in Beaumaris... (tug of war)

Thanks Ian!
Maybe I will be awake on time next year... but one thing is certain, this is something I am happy to leave to the blokes to endure.

Dandan's replacement Blog 2

2007-01-05T02:03:00.000Z

Another chapter from Dandan and his er... exciting cruise. I just cannot believe that poor Dandan and Anne have actually managed to survive so far... you must read all this in order, so please look at the chapter numbers...

Chapter 3
Christmas and New Year Tales

"Christmas Eve on a cruise ship is different, no last minute preparations here, and being a childless ship no kids to worry about either. Artemis is decorated throughout, Christmas trees, baubles and all, abound. Alongside the dining room, the chefs have built a nativity village from gingerbread, marzipan and smarties. It is lovely and looks good enough to eat.

Anne has had her hair done and is feeling better. Dinner is an understated meal tonight, casual dress the order of the day, given the debacle ashore in Port Elizabeth earlier, it needed to be. Passengers feel cheated, having paid good money onboard to P and O for shore tours, only to find in reality, everywhere closed. Disquiet is apparent among the passengers over our itinerary; and the resentment appears to be gaining momentum. Where it will lead, who knows, can passenger’s mutiny or is it just a common old protest, they hang mutineers don’t they?

Upstairs and out on deck, the ship looks fantastic, she is lit up overall, with a string of lights running from bow to stern via the mast heads. A helicopter comes out to meet us, hovers overhead and Father Christmas appears on deck, don’t know how he got down, could have sworn he looked like Malcolm, the head of security, must have been the Buds and Gin and Tonics, I have been slurping. Anyway he leads us in a rendition of jingle bells, and then it’s down to the big lounge for some more liquid refreshment and a disco party. Around midnight we stagger off to bed.

Sleep wont come for a while, I feel guilty, restless, wondering, what these smiling citizens of the third world, whose countries we invade for a day, really feel about the well heeled hordes that pour ashore, from cruise liners. Descending like locusts, some pointing cameras at all and sundry, clicking away claiming another scalp, another place visited. Others scour the stalls and souvenir shops, spending more money on the mundane and useless, than the average local sees in a month. What does that guy standing on the cliff top, who also has a Christmas tomorrow and a family too provide for, what the hell does he think as he watches the ship, itself, lit up like a Christmas tree, turn and sail away, those same passengers now back on deck, often with a glass in one hand and waving with the other. Does he wave back with a smile, would I, bet your sweet life I wouldn’t

Christmas day. An early breakfast up in the conservatory, as we watch the sun rise, then it’s off to get Anne settled in her place on deck, where she will spend the day soaking up some rays, we dispense with lunch knowing what lies ahead 3 o’clock see us returning to our cabin to bath, and dress for dinner, it’s the white jacket, black shirt, red bow tie tonight, god how I hate it. Anne looks good in her finery and like most women enjoys it, so what the hell.

Before dinner the ships officers sing carols, the pianist, a very talented lady, late twenties, I would guess, who not only plays faultless piano whilst sight reading, but is also the ships Senior Doctor, and goes from here shortly, to organise the hospital onboard P & O’s new super liner, Ventura, that will carry three thousand passengers, she is incidentally, also extremely attractive with a superb figure and an easy laugh. She is also married, to a bloody great South African guy, wouldn’t you just know it.

Dinner is superb; the courses keep coming. First a choice of half a dozen starters, then there is Salmon as a fish course or alternatively, one of three soups, Champaign Sorbet comes next, then the main course, Turkey, Ham, Sausage, half a dozen different Veggies and all the trimmings or, if you didn’t fancy that, the Salmon or three other choices including Steak. Several different sweets, including Christmas pudding flamed with brandy, followed by Stilton steeped with Port, or the cheese board with its many choices, Then Christmas Cake, Mince Pies, and chocolates. All washed down by some very nice Merlot, Phew it was a sensational meal.

Dinner over there is a show to watch, or drink to be had, while the pianist plays a Christmas selection, we stayed a while then stuffed and tired we fell into bed and slept.

Boxing Day, P & O have done it again, we dock in Durban, Billed as the playground of South Africa, because of its stunning beaches and the life alongside them. The tours are booked solid, and coaches line the quay as we arrive. Unfortunately its boxing day, the day the authorities, bus in black South Africans from far and wide, this is there day in town, beaches are no go areas for whites, all streets leading to them are blocked off, road blocks manned by police bar the way. The Indian market, another prime location for tourists is also crossed off the list as being too dangerous, so we end up having a ride around Durban seeing all the statues, visit the Botanical gardens which were lovely. Finally being dropped of at the sea world aquarium for a couple of hours, where we browsed, supped a couple of beers and headed back to the coach and the ship.

People are getting angry two destinations in a row that were not worth visiting on the days we were there, whilst we could have easily have spent three days in cape town, the feeling is that P & O won’t pay the port charges for overnight and mooring fees, also they want us on board spending money rather than ashore, Mutterings that the American parent company Carnival is behind it begin to arise. Where is the planning, who did the research. Worse is yet to come

Discussions over dinner are heated, people are not happy. Dinner itself was great I passed on all the sumptuous dishes on the menu, asked for and got a plate of cold turkey, ham and stuffing with new potatoes, Large English pickle onions and Branston sweet pickle, delicious and just like home, wonderful, the other guys on the table were all sick they didn’t have it,

We now have three days at sea until we reach Mayotte part of the Comoros Islands, Madagascar; again it will be a Sunday, what waits there I wonder.

More trouble the Captain has been on the tanoy, we have the dreaded Norovirus on board. Diarrhoea and sickness is spreading, the main self service restaurant has been closed, all meals have to be taken in the main dinning room, as this will only seat half the passengers at one time, the queues are hopeless, we are only bothering with an evening meal the rest we miss. Toast and marmalade or croissants in your cabin are an alternative but eating on your lap was never my forte. Any one struck down with this sickness is supposed to report in immediately, for a free injection and then are confined to the cabin for 48 hours, needless to say many don’t bother. Where this will lead we do not know, it is the bane of cruise liners, and some ports refuse to have them dock if they are carrying it.

Oh dear Mayotte was the pits, awful, rubbish everywhere, rats were seen on the quayside, the buses were antiques, no air conditioning, ninety percent plus humidity and 32 degrees, A French Catholic country, so being Sunday much was closed. We went to see the monkeys, no monkeys as the trees that housed them had been cut down, the Vanilla museum, was two small rooms, another disaster, went to see the fruit bats but they weren’t there, after two hours of this torture, we arrived at a hotel for a drink, we were allowed one. They didn’t take Dollars, Stirling or credit cards, only Euros, so nothing else could be purchased, god bless the French.

It looked and felt like rain Anne and I headed for the bus, just before we got there the heavens opened. We were the lucky ones, this was monsoon plus. A cyclone was moving through, I have never seen rain like it; it was even raining inside the bus, the bloody roof leaked right over my seat. We stuffed handkerchiefs in to try and stop it. Outside instant rivers were forming literally, running down the road in torrents, water everywhere, the buses windscreen a waterfall. The hotel steps became rapids. Unreal, it beggared belief, half the passengers still sheltering in the hotel, the ship due to leave and you could hardly see across the street for rain.

Still, it gave us time to talk to our guides, they were a French couple living on a yacht with there 13 year old son, and together they had sailed three times round the world. The yacht was uninsured, insurance companies wouldn’t touch them because they couldn’t say were they would be at any time, meaning typhoons, monsoons, cyclones, rainy seasons, etc. couldn’t be built into the risk by the companies The lady had educated the lad thus far and now he was doing correspondence courses, which they could pick up and get marked and appraised in any of the French protectorates around the world, what an education.

The rain eased, the hotel produced some umbrellas, the rest of the passengers appeared, many were soaked, Lightening flashed, jumping from cloud to cloud, lighting up the sky, thunder cracked and echoed around, huge bangs, prompting the heavens to open again as the coach set off. Visibility again reduced to nothing, no blowers on the windscreen, condensation like we hadn’t seen since our courting days. Narrow roads, numerous roundabouts, the locals having removed there tops and shoes paddling along the road, difficult to see in the poor light, not much fun for the driver. A bleeper in the coach’s dashboard sounded continuously, driving us passengers up the wall. We passed a recreation ground where 14/15 year old youths played football naked in the rain, oblivious of their nakedness.

Eventually we reached the quayside, Artemis lay out in the bay, we had come ashore by tender and now we had to return. Still the heavens fell, even the swell travelling across the bay, was pressed down by the weight of the falling water, its crest not breaking into white horses as normal but, pushed back into itself as it rolled, lifting and dropping the moored boats it passed on its way. Anne with her stick has only one speed, but the guides worried about there son needed to get home, so we left the bus and headed for the tender, we were soaked through in yards. Luckily my camera bag is a good one and incorporates a rain cover which I had deployed; otherwise it would have probably meant the end of the cameras electronics. Eventually we reached the moored tender were helped aboard and headed for the ship.

All the tenders are driven by ships officers, in this case a female, she is about 25 and the third officer on the ship, she took us out, visibility was impossible through the windscreen with its small wiper, two ratings peered out through the open sides of the tender, giving course instructions as we went, we reached Artemis and with some difficulty lined the tenders disembarking point, up with the ships gantry and steps. The young officer asked Anne to let the other passengers go first which she did, and then we stepped onto the stairs and began to climb. Moments later an extra big swell, hit the tender lifting and pushing her hard into the gantry, Anne by now almost at the top, leaning on her stick as she climbed, was taken unawares and thrown heavily to the ground, hurting her hip. Her stick dislodged in the fall slid down the stairs and over the side, joining Neptune at the bottom of the sea. I got her to her feet and into the shelter of the ship, where she was put in a wheelchair and taken to the hospital. Nothing broken, but badly bruised and reduced to being pushed by me in the wheelchair, she was not happy, nor was I with another £50 bill, including a tenner for a new stick.

Again we dressed for dinner it being new years eve, I had managed to speak to my youngest as it was his birthday, thirty years old, god is doesn’t seem possible.

The New Years Eve dinner was a big one like Christmas except this time it was haggis to start this was piped in and the traditional Robbie Burns verse to the Haggis, was spoken by a young cadet and a right good job he made of it. Course followed course and this along with funny hats, streamers, clackers, whistles etcetera made for a fun time, Anne was in a wheelchair and not really up for it, so we went back to the cabin for a couple of hours before, joining some friends in there suite and seeing the new year in.

Trouble is brewing the passengers have just found out, that they have been debited twenty pounds for a visa for the dump we visited yesterday, no one was warned in advance, and a petition has been raised down at reception and everyone has been asking to have there name included. The captain has given in and we have all got our money back. People are still going down with the Norovirus despite all the precautions we are taking.

We are travelling a route between two cyclones, this has caused us to be caught in a unfavourable current and we are two hours late arriving at the Seychelles. The humidity is terrible when it is not raining; the islands are shrouded in mist and look more like the Scottish islands than the Indian Ocean paradise they are supposed to be. My camera had to stand for an hour, outside in the air, before the condensation clears from the lenses, so humid is the atmosphere. We go ashore and as we reach the end of the gangplank we meet Richard Digance the entertainer who is waiting to board. I ask him if he has had a good flight, “no”. he says “They have lost my bloody guitar, I am stuffed” he looked at Anne and said “Bloody hell you got a lovely tan,” Anne replied no its rained all the way this is rust. He grinned and replied “Bollocks” Anne loved it, and has been telling all who will listen.

We grabbed a cab, did a deal for the day and set of with a list of things to see, provided by my Daughter in law’s grandmother, a native of the island. It was a lovely day out, even though the blue skies were missing, and all was grey, most of the time. We got the flavour of the island, lush, green, fertile with Robison Crusoe beaches a plenty and wonderfully rocky. Giant stones stand isolated, where nature placed them, probably millions of years ago, worn smooth by the elements and surrounded by greenery like some giants rockery, they are a delight to behold. They must look stunning against the normal backdrop of blue sky and ocean. We stopped at one hotel for a cold drink and another for a barbecue lunch, asking the cab driver to join us, he seemed amazed. We were refused entry into the first hotel on our recommended list as a Minister was dining there, good job, don’t really want to eat at places politicians frequent, they lower the tone of the place.

There is virtually no unemployment on Mahe, in fact if anybody draws social security a job is found for them, in the words of the cab driver there is no sitting around here, we could learn from them. Interestingly though he wanted paying in dollars, because they have, he said to pay for spare parts in dollars, Seychelles Rupees being not acceptable.

Our day in the Seychelles over we headed back to the ship and off to sea again.

Wednesday 3rd Jan 2007 We are still tracing a route between two Cyclones, the weather is hot humid and changeable, alternating between rain and sunshine, with a constant wind a cross the deck, en route for the Maldives, we hope just for once for blue skies and seas.

To all my readers a happy new year from Anne and I, just a week left on here now. So probably one more post."

Dandan's replacement Blog

2007-01-03T06:38:00.000Z

I have decided as something has gone wrong and Dandan is unable to post to his blog, to paste all his emails here. I will delete this posting when he is back in UK and can put his own blog back together with photos.
But in the mean time.. please read this first... Dandan's blog
Click here now!!!Please read this first, I know it seems long, but its enthralling and has put me off cruising, which I never wanted to do anyway, for life. But you must read that first, its like a chapter one of his story!

Chapter 2
"Hi Everyone this will take you up to Christmas eve,enjoy. Hope you all had a great christmas see you in the new year

Into the Southern Hemisphere

Tuesday 12th we sailed along the coast of Ascension Island a bleak looking piece of rock, bristling with dishes, aerials, domes and an enormous runway capable of handling the biggest planes available, as befits the premier American base in the region. Having clicked happily away, photographing all this diverse military hardware as it paraded before me, I am expecting to be arrested on arrival back home, or at the very least offered a leading role in the next bond movie.

Wednesday 13th, at last a day dawned fair, the sun a golden disc climbed from the sea into a cloudless blue sky. Its rays warm at first. soon became hot, though a gentle warm breeze made for a glorious day as the ship crossed the equator, or line as the seamen call it, and entered the southern hemisphere. Here we gathered around the ships swimming pool. Whilst two teams, one representing Artemis and the other King Neptune, did battle to save the ship from the dastardly deeds, Neptune and his cohorts from the depths of the ocean, visit upon the unwary, ill prepared or disrespectful voyager.

Two young crewmen who had not previously crossed the line were brought out, handcuffed, gagged and bound to a stanchion. Nubile young ladies appeared and began to douse the helpless victims in gravy, custard and other noxious substances, before throwing plates of cream in there faces. Buckets of ice cubes appeared and were with great ceremony, poured down the sitting victims trouser fronts, remaining trapped there and freezing there assets, much to the delight of countless women passengers. Sadists these older ladies, glad I wasn’t the victim, didn’t fancy it at all. The price for the young of breaking out on there own, can sometimes painful I suppose. Eventually of course Artemis emerged victorious in the nick of time, the young victims escaped helped by their tormentors and all was well with the nautical world. Except the weather changed, the sun disappeared, winds picked up, driving cloud and rain squalls across the ship and it stayed this way until we reached St Helena.

On top of this Anne’s back which had seemed to be getting better, was now extremely painful and as the landing at St. Helena was by Ships tender it was obvious that Anne could not make it. So, it’s back to the hospital. The Doctors, now very concerned had taken advice on the x-rays from medics ashore and although the quality was not good, it was felt nothing was broken, a course of steroid tablets were prescribed. And while Anne, settled down in the cabin, to read. I jumped a tender and headed ashore.

The approach and harbour area of St Helena give the impression of a brown, inhospitable, rocky environment. I grabbed a taxi, did a deal for a quick one and a quarter hour tour, and was soon off, stopping on route for photo opportunities as they appeared. It soon became evident that first impressions were wrong, although the island is of volcanic origin and therefore hilly it is by no means brown, but green and tropically lush. Her size, a mere 47 square miles, precludes Helena from being self supporting; she therefore imports the majority of her food from South Africa by ship. But grows enough corn to feed the cattle that supply its milk, potato is also farmed, and everywhere the flax plants that provided the raw material for rope and string making, once the principle income provider, and export from the island, grows wild in the hedgerows.

But mostly it is a riot of plants, trees, and flowers, many of them catalogued by Charles Darwin on his way through on the Beagle. And the island is surprisingly ranked in biological importance alongside the Galapagos Islands. Coincidently one of the inhabitants, I was able to photograph, was a two hundred year old tortoise, roaming free in a meadow next to the governors house. Wouldn’t you know that some stupid woman from the ship thought it amusing to plant her foot in the middle of the tortoises back and get her husband to” take a picture”, like the big game hunters of old, real berks some of these old women, it is so difficult not say something, but not worth the trouble it would cause on board.

Situated 700 miles from Ascension Island and 1200 miles from Africa it is one of the loneliest islands in the world, with only the odd ship breaking the daily routine of the islanders (who call themselves Saints). Consequently they love visitors, are warm, friendly and very proud of there Englishness, being are a crown colony, and about 70% of there budget comes from the U.K

My taxi driver like many of the islands men had spent time working for the Americans on Ascension and the British in the Falklands earning the money to buy his cab and indeed many of the bigger houses on the island are owned and financed by people who do exactly this.

The houses themselves are bright and gaily coloured and apart from the vehicles it is very much an island where time has stood still, a fun place, a glad I came here sort of place, made so, as much by the people, as the scenic splendour of there rocky home.

Of course you cannot leave St Helena without talking about its most famous guest. Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled here by the British, for the last six years of his life, guarded by 3000 troops and eleven ships, he lived in regal isolation, at war with a vitriolic and mean spirited governor, who jealous of the man he held captive was as disingenuous as his powers allowed him to be. Napoleon finally died of cancer, was buried on the island after having his heart cut out, until finally being returned to France 19 years late

All too soon it was time for me to return to the ship, a unique and enchanting place St Helena, I watched from the stern as she receded and slipped below the horizon, sad that my trip was so brief, impressed by her lovely people and hopeful that one day I might return and do her justice. But Artemis turned her nose to Africa, Namibia awaits.

Sunday the 17th The tablets have worked a miracle, Anne is as free of pain and more mobile than I have seen her in fifteen years, she has only been given a few though, they are dangerous. Anaesthetic patches have been ordered from our next port of call, something else to try. Life is never dull

Weather still gloomy and overcast, sun worshippers not happy, but we press on.

Tues 19th we nosed our way into Walvis Bay Namibia, Its early morning, the sands of the desert reflect the light from the morning sun, flat lands, unimpressive when viewed from the sea, no Africa smell here.

A shuttle takes us into town about 4km, again nothing much to see a few supermarkets, and the desert encroaching into the town. I left my glasses case which contained some notes I had made, on a bench in a small shopping mall, returning twenty minutes later not expecting to find it, a young man sitting on the bench says security has it and a uniform walks over and returns it to me, reckon I would have lost that in England, one up to Africa. Anne bought some bits and we returned to the ship, lunch and then off to take a tour.

This was desert like I hadn’t seen before, large 170 foot high sand dunes marching alongside the arrow straight, up and down road. Dune number seven is commercialised, Quad bikes buzzing around, people climbing the dune and skimming down on a piece of old carpet, lino or board, looked great fun. One dad buried, his head sticking from the sand as an army of kids shovelled away, shouts and laughter, black faces beaming, white teeth, this is Africa. Take my photos, climb back on the bus and away.

The road leads deep into the dessert, magnificent nature, harsh even under the overcast sky, the dunes becoming starker as we move inland, leaving behind the coastal cloud, the early afternoon sun really gets to work, driving up the temperature. Mans encroachment is evident, if not in the sand covered road that causes each vehicle to tow a cloud of white swirling dust behind it, then in the march of the telegraph poles along the road. Then a new phenomenon appears, a pumping station pushing water from a river deep underground through a 12” diameter pipe that joins the road and the poles journey across the dessert, mile after mile they run parallel, dwarfed by the vastness of the unending sand.

We see a small heard of Antelope and some Ostrich in the distance, nothing else moves, but the occasional vehicle or road workers.

Finally we too stop, and the desert reveals another of nature’s miracles, the prehistoric Welwitschia Mirablis plants described by some as a wilted lettuce, it only has two leaves in a lifetime that can last for over 500 years. these leaves meander and twist around themselves forming a plant perhaps six foot in diameter, each leaf is in different stages of repair along its length, dependant on the ravages of time, but seemingly able to sustain life along the whole leaf, despite its damaged parts, it survives here in the hostile dessert landscape, as it has done since long before man walked the earth.

We turn back towards the coast and enter a different land again, an area of eroded valleys and hills known as the lunar landscape, though 20 miles inland it is covered and sustained by the sea fog that rolls in with the cloud cover and provides the moister that feeds the many types of lichen that thrive here. We stopped at a viewpoint to take our photo’s and ate from a tasty buffet laid out in tents, Asparagus is apparently grown in Namibia, at any rate the platefuls provided here with dips were delicious, although I gave the wine a miss, dehydration is easy enough out here without chancing your arm.

The Namid Desert runs all along the Namibian South West coast, is four times the size of the UK and believed by many to be the oldest desert in the world, much older for example than the Kalahari that lies in the east of Namibia.

The people, difficult to tell as we didn’t meet many, certainly the taxi drivers have to be treated with caution; we had to bail out a very old couple who had been charged £10 pounds, for a ride we had negotiated down to less than two. We gave them some South African rand, told them to tell the drivers they had no dollars and when we later saw them on the ship they were well pleased with there own newly learnt negotiating skills. On the other hand as I said earlier my glass case didn’t disappear. What this had to do with the security, and what security actually means I don’t know.

The journey back to the ship through the dunes made the desert look different again; the setting sun low in the sky highlighted some parts of the dunes, whilst casting shadows on others, and the wind has sculptured each dune differently. Convex and concave walls looked eerily beautiful in the differing light as the suns angle changed. Some magic photos were there for the taking, but unfortunately tour buses, like time, wait for no man, when there is a ship to meet. So the camera stayed in its case and we made the deadline

The roads had bounced Anne around somewhat and her back was again hurting, but a new pill regime and the anaesthetic patches were waiting when we boarded the ship, I applied them as directed and within the hour she was comfortable again, So it would appear we have it under control..

Next day found us still in Namibia in a port called Luderitz. Here was our first real taste of the dark side of Africa. Firstly our berth had been let out to someone else, so we had to drop anchor one and a quarter miles offshore and land by tender. Having paid a pilot to bring in the ship this far, we were now delayed a further couple of hours as the local authorities wanted a paid pilot on every tender, blackmail, extortion,you name it. Eventually a deal was done, money changed hands and the crew got on with the job of running us ashore. This is the real African problem up front, graft and corruption rules. The likes of Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Kenya are just the tip of the iceberg, it is endemic across the continent, we will return to this later.

Luderitz is a town of many languages, Afrikaans, local dialects and several European languages can be heard on the streets although the official language is English. The town itself has a sort of old worldly feel to it, reminiscent of my youth. Not that the architecture is English the town in fact having been founded by the Germans and the influence is there to see. Incidentally they also set up one of their infamous concentration camps here imprisoning the men women and children of the indigenous tribes over a seven year period starting in 1900 a role play and taste of things to come elsewhere perhaps, as 80% of the inmates did not survive imprisonment.

We browsed a bit found Anne’s magnets and then retired to a good restaurant overlooking the harbour and had lunch. Prices are incredibly cheap here adding to that oldie worldly feeling, many of the shops display old fashioned tin signs advertising, I would imagine, long defunct products, at least I had not heard of them, though some like the ubiquitous Coca Cola are still obviously household names. Lager at 80 pence a pint would no doubt interest some.

We idled an hour and a half away chatting to some White Afrikaans desperate for the future of the land of there birth, where they had also raised families. The belief that the death of Nelson Mandela who they think has performed miracles, will lead to an uprising and bloodbath, on the Zimbabwe scale seems well established among white South Africans, of all persuasions, coach guides I talked to, expressed the same views. These are all old hands and seemed resigned to a continent, weakened by the Aids epidemic sweeping the country and the graft and corruption at all levels of society, falling into disarray and into the hands of some despot dictator or other. Once again it seems the UK in particular and Europe in general, will pick up the bill as the whites dust down the E.U. passports they have kept for a rainy day and head out, leaving most that they own behind them. Many of the youngsters have left already. Pity then, that economic mercenaries, like Peter Haine, born in Kenya of white stock, sometime South African, and now busily trying to scheme the assimilation of Britain, the country he currently professes allegiance too, into a European partnership the majority of its people don’t want. Doesn’t pack his bag, return to his roots and help in the fight to save the Africa, he used to confess to loving. No chance of course, whilst there are richer pickings in Whitehall

Lunch finished we joined our coach for a ride out to a ghost town. The Namib Desert here was different again from yesterday, much rockier, with sharp ridged shale protruding from the sand. Patches of greenery much in evidence, again watered by the coastal fog and the rain from the night before, this is the rainy season. We crossed this inhospitable belt of rock on a fine new road; it must have been a nightmare on foot or horseback before roads. The sharp rocks would make short work of leather or hoofs.

Kolmanskop the ghost town was a thriving community built in 1908 as diamonds were literally being picked up here, expanded to its peak by the 1920s and gradually declining with the diamond stock, until its abandonment in the 1950’s as the miners moved on to the mouth of the orange river and new finds. Now substantial old houses, a testament to the former opulence of the area have been reclaimed by the desert and lie soulless, like a western movie set, gradually disappearing beneath the wind blown sands. Ludicrously perched in the sand is a bathtub, once part of an adjacent house, now derelict, it walls pushed over by the weight of sand pressing against them, the floor collapsing as they went pitching the tub, once someone’s pride and joy I expect, out into the desert. I wonder how and from where it had travelled, in those far off days to get here. One of our guides once was born here, how sad it must be visiting your former home on a daily basis as it falls apart.

Luderitz apart from being oldie worldly is also substantial port and the gateway to much of central Namibia. It will have a crucial role to play in the development of this country, though much of it is desert and sparsely populated. Its people badly treated over the years, have I think more testing years ahead. I wish it well.

On board we prepare for dinner as Artemis, stows her boats, sounds her horn and heads for the open sea and a 36 hour run to Cape Town.

5.30 in the morning, dawn just breaking, the sun rising low over the land, its rays dancing across the calm sea, ripples flashing gold and silver, reach out towards the ship. Through the haze, outlined against a blue sky, can be seen the classic view, table mountain, the lions head and signal mountain. We creep on in an almost silent world; the engines muted the sea gurgling at the bow, quite a change for this trip. What hasn’t changed is Africa, despite prior arrangements and us meeting our laid down deadlines, the captain is informed that the pilots have decided not to come out until the new shift starts at 8 O’clock, he sounds well peeved on the tannoy. We creep closer and wait. I put my camera away and go down for breakfast.

8.45 we enter the harbour; the haze has gone, though Table Mountain now sports a table cloth, a flat cloud that lies horizontally across the mountain top, no sign of the wind that is supposed to blow so often here, instead a gentle breeze flutters the flags, the sun shines and all is peaceful. As Artemis ties up and lets its passengers stream down the gangplanks and away. We jump the first available shuttle coach and head to the waterfront, magnets and hand made chocolates purchased I settle down with a friend for a coffee at an outdoor café overlooking table mountain, marvellous. Our waitress a tall, willowy, graceful, Zulu girl, with a superbly boned face, that lights up when she laughs, which she does all the time, as we chat, tells us with pride about her city. But warns us of the dangers for the unwary tourist, she really was a joy.

Anne returns from clothes shopping to join us, we wander back slowly taking in the sights, the stalls, the street performers, I even buy a CD from a troupe of percussionist playing on home made drums and instruments.

Reluctantly we return to the ship, swap coaches and head for the cable car, and a ride up Table Mountain. As we queued, from nowhere came a gust of wind, plucked my much travelled Tilley hat from my head, sending it over the railings and down the mountain side. Disaster, consternation, my hat, must have it, how can I get down, probably ok, how do I get back, with difficulty, god will these arms pull this fat old man back up. Anne panicking says leave it, we will get another one, you’ve got another one, don’t be stupid, leave it. Me reluctant I like that hat. It cost 50 quid. Meanwhile a young South African man, early twenties, standing behind us, quietly removes his back pack, vaults the railings, scrambles down and returns hat in hand. He is quiet, casual, and understated, class, well done, thanks, he smiles, “no problem, have a good trip enjoy Cape Town” So within hour’s South African youth, black and white has impressed me, there has to be a future for a country with such young people, I do hope so

The ride up the mountain is great but uneventful the cars with there revolving floors give a panoramic view of the city and surrounding areas, lovely views, lots of photo’s, more magnets at the top, a cold drink on a by now scorching day. After an hour, we do the return journey to the ship. Rest for a while, send text messages to the kids at home and at 6.30 catch another coach.

This one heads up Signal Hill, so named as this has been the early warning observation post, since the earliest settlers arrived. Here for a couple of hours we drink Champaign, eat oysters and canapés; enjoying the views as the setting sun, brings another stunning day to a close.

9. O’clock. Finds us back at the waterfront, illuminated now, and crowded with people sitting out, eating and drinking, enjoying the entertainment and the balmy evening. We head for the Victoria and Alfred Hotel,( yes that is right, her son not her husband), and settle down to a memorable meal, of crab cakes, huge lobsters, and sweets to die for, all washed down with South African Wine and coffee. Then an after dinner stroll back through the late diners, before catching the last shuttle to the ship, where a deck party was in full swing as we weighed anchor and sailed out of the harbour at midnight. Bound for Port Elizabeth

Just three days to Christmas now, we have sailed 6650 nautical miles since leaving Southampton on the second of December.

We arrived at Port Elizabeth on a Sunday that was also Christmas Eve it was shut, that was it really. . Christmas will follow next post"

Boxing Day Pram Race in Beaumaris

2006-12-27T17:47:00.000Z

It's one way to reduce the calories and exercise after the over-indulgence of Christmas day. It is also a way to start drinking at lunchtime and carry on all night...
But Beaumaris, once again has put on an event that is certainly different... A pram race!

Hair raising in George and Dragon

2006-12-21T08:48:00.000Z

It's amazing what a few drinks will do, but somehow a plan was conceived and Mick, from Belfast, has had his hair removed for charity. He used to have a pony tail, but has had it removed and is now collecting for an anorexia charity. His daughter is a sufferer and has been from Belfast to London for treatment recently.
I think Mick is donating his hair to the Brillo pad factory...

He has raised over £250 so far, but I will post here again when I have a complete total, in the New Year.
(photos taken by Carol from George and Dragon, Beaumaris)