Yesterday we had a cheer-me-up day out in Hay-on-Wye - last minute decision after going down the car boot sale. Well, I knew everything in Brecon is pretty well shut on a Sunday, but it never occurred to me that we would find a similar situation in Hay, but it should have occurred to me as it is such a traditional town, with no chain shops, and people who trade there obviously like to have Sunday off. So we needn't have paid for 4 hours' parking for starters! It took us 1 1/4 hours to go round, and that included a sit-down for a cup of tea and a piece of carrot cake (latter for me, as OH doesn't do cake at all. I am wasted on him!) The tea was virtually undrinkable, not being Twining's Earl Grey but a cheaper mimic, which tasted not of bergamot at all, but more like patchouli had been added. Yuk. The cake was nice though . . .
There were enough bookshops open for me to indulge myself a little. OH bought a book about Stalin's regime. I got these:
Perfect for me, with lots of Ag. Labs. in my family tree.
Another A S Byatt to devour, once I have finished her "Possession". This is two novellas - "Morpho Eugenia" and "The Conjugal Angel".
Two more poetry books for my collection.
This one I bought from Trecastle the previous Sunday. A selection of poems chosen by Dymock poet John Drinkwater. SO many of them are ones I remember from my childhood schooldays.
This lovely little book, with profuse photographs and lots of history, is one of the books I chose as a birthday present from my husband. It arrived early, so I am enjoying it early : ) I can't wait to be living in Herefordshire and enjoying these walks. My second book should hopefully arrive today and is Merrily's Border, based on the novels of Phil Rickman.
Right, into town first, to get my prescription, and drop a few things off at the Unit, and then back to painting the stairs . . .
Hope you have cheered up a bit by today - these bugs often leave one down in the dumps I find.
ReplyDeleteThat book of John Drinkwater's poetry brought back memories - he was one of my father's favourites.
I think the weather doesn't help-we need some sun!
ReplyDeleteI love all your books and am a great fan of AS Byatt.
The Victorian Farm book brought back memories of my time working in the Schools Library section. There were loads of these day-in-the-life books covering all sorts of different things and they always formed the basis of the project boxes we had to make up for delivering to schools.
ReplyDeleteI hope you soon get rid of the down in the dumps feeling soon.
I bought some seeds this morning, so that has helped! And some half price tomato seedlings in desperate need of tlc. I'm good at administering that too. Then my very poorly friend A phoned, to say she had coped with a lovely weekend away with her daughter so that has brightened me up even more.
ReplyDeleteThank you all for your kind thoughts. CT - yup, bring on the sun!
I am glad that you did not get the full on black treatment and hope that the grey dissipates fast. You found some good books there, I have bought a few recently but will save them for the end of the year, I hardly read at all from March to October, just the odd garden mag or craft book.
ReplyDeleteI think getting over a bug something takes a very long time. Not like when we were children.
ReplyDeleteI an happy to hear you have had some good news to make you feel better.
cheers, parsnip
I am an immense fan of Merrily Watkins!! I wish Phil Rickman would write another book in the series. Jx
ReplyDeleteMy friend from Glasto is in Hay this week, I dread to think how many books she will struggle home with on the train! I hope you're on the mend now. I'm sure you've already thought about this, but maybe some pro biotics afrer your course of AB's. The pro biotics always seem to be a good tonic.
ReplyDeleteKath - ah, probiotics. I blew over £20 on a course last year, but they turned me inside-out and I daren't take them! I am on probiotic yoghurt however, and seem to have reached a balance with the lactose intolerence now as I seem to be tolerating it (as long as I don't go overboard). I have even been able to have a little bit of my favourite Caerphilly or Wenslydale cheese recently too . . .
ReplyDeleteJan - I have read most of his books and am trying to get all of them in hardback now, as I re-read them. i really enjoy the Merrily books too. He is a great writer, and I love his books as I know some of the areas he's writing about. Some parts very well.
parsnip - I think you are right there. You don't bounce back so well, but everyone I know that's had this bug has ended up on a/b's for one infection or another (sinuses/throat/chest etc).
Pam - I normally only get the Big Black Dog for a day or so, but this was worse as it was hard to combat and lingered. Seed therapy is good! I also bought a little red and yellow frilly primrose which is with my indoor garden on the corner of the draining board. Such a pretty little flower.