Outside a house in Machynlleth - these figures tickled me!
A view of the street (you'd be heading back towards Aberystwyth if you headed down here (towards the woods). The figures are in the garden of the big house on the right.
This beautiful chair (based on American Windsor chair designs from more than 200 years ago) gained our admiration.
Above and below: inside and out at The Emporium. Of course, we couldn't resist the antique shops there . . .
This was a lovely antique shop - focusing on proper antiques - big chunks of GOOD antique furniture and complimentary non-china bits. How antique shops used to be.
Climbing up through the trees - fortunately not too much of a challenge to legs or lungs.
Looking up to the castle.
They certainly didn't want any unexpected guests!!
I first thought "Sweet Cicily" but growing too late for that, so it's probably Pig Nut (Earth Nut) as there was definitely some growing inside the walls.
Back with further photos in a fresh post later.
Sorry, too tired to do a looooooooong post tonight, so you will have to settle for being tempted by these two photos of where we went today - FINALLY celebrating my birthday from months ago. We headed into North Wales and Snowdonia is the setting for the photo below. The photo above i the clock tower in Machynlleth and below is the huge outcrop of rock on which Llewellyn the Great built his stronghold - Castell-y-Bere - in the13th Century. More over the next couple of days, hopefully . . . I took 96 photos so will have to sift through them. The new header photo is the beautiful lake below Cader Idris.
Another post which will be short on words, as it's getting late and my eyes are SO tired (still getting used to my reading specs). We had a wander round Cardigan recently - you'll have seen some photos - here are some more. Above are the old warehouses from when Cardigan was an important port, with ships going round Cape Horn. In Elizabethan times Cardigan was the most important town in Wales.
The river reminds me a little of the Dart, between Dartmouth and Totnes.
An old wreck - fairly recent as it has metal working parts!
Dark skies overhead.
Plenty of Rowan berries (Mountain Ash) here. At home the birds have taken most of ours.
Above and below: lovely buildings in the curtillage of the Castle.
I just loved this view down Market Street. The little building on the left had me wondering was it for storage, or had it been a Fisherman's cottage?
Looking back up from that same building.
Across the main street, another narrow one drops away. One to explore another time.
Today has been another hot (and busy) one, as my OH and I went to the WW1 100 year end of the war anniversary celebrations in Hay-on-Wye. Here is our friend Duncan, who is Pipe Master of the City of Swansea Pipe Band, and who gave me this lovely salute!
Some more photos for you - of the first parade around the town, with re-enactors, local worthies bearing standards, veterans etc., led by the Pipe Band led by Duncan, and with horses bringing up the rear.
The section of the Pipe Band who paraded today.
Re-enactors, who must have been SO hot.
British Legion standard bearers.
Even hotter, in their khaki and carefully-wound puttees, more re-enactors.
The nursing corps, followed by Suffragettes.
A well-behaved bay mare (point-to-pointer, I reckon, as her soldier owner was using a steeplechase saddle and rode short).
The pair of bay carriage horses, looking like butter wouldn't melt . . .
Here is the Bad Boy of the pair - note the very intelligent eye, possibly plotting something . . . Horsey people also note rein on the snaffle ring of the Army Reversible bit and NO curb chain.
When they moved off later, the Bad Boy shot into a canter down the little slope towards Lion Street (they were supposed to be walking sedately) and only the quick thinking and very strong hands of the driver averted an accident when he wheeled them into the High Town lane below the Buttermarket and slammed the brake on, with an iron grip on the reins. . . When they had settled, two "soldiers" took a horse each by the bridle, and the order came to "walk on" and Bad Boy shot off again, and they nearly came to grief going up towards the Bullring as the road was slippy for them. I think all concerned were glad to get back to base camp . . .
I believe this lady represented the millions of widows and girlfriends whose husbands/sweethearts had been killed.
Emma Brown singing. She has a beautiful voice.
Re-enactment soldier at the top of Hay Castle steps.
Hay memorial after wreaths and tribute red roses had been laid.
A great picture of Duncan and Keith (who, incidentally, is not a dwarf - Duncan's on the slope above him and his hat adds at least a foot to his height!!
A lovely day out, but glad to be back in the cool again now!
For once, we were the other side of the counter, so to speak, as we went down to the Carmarthen Fleamarket just to look around and chat with our friends down there. We chatted for about 3 hours!! I took a few blurry photos:
I should have asked the price of this quilt, but I didn't want to appear a time-waster!
My friend Ann. We are normally stalled-out opposite each other here, but I doubt we will do any more as people have stopped buying (not just at our stall - it used to be packed out but sellers won't turn up if no-one buys . . .)
Short and sweet tonight as I am tired and it's already 8.15 p.m. . . .
