Down in the duldrums

Sorry for my absence.  We have had a difficult week, and it is hard to pick out many positives.  Keith had to have a blood test to check his thyroid levels. At least we managed to get to the surgery, though I had to use a wheelchair to get him from the kitchen to the car and of course, from the car to the surgery. We will be able to phone up for the results tomorrow or Tuesday. That said, he has been getting to teatime too tired to even eat, so I have insisted whatever the blood test says, he doesn't have his medication reduced.  In fact, when the GP heard how exhausted he was, she actually upped the meds again. (This is the same Dr who kept him barely alive on 25mg a day for a YEAR). They take a while to kick in though, and every backward step seems almost impossible to get back from where his walking is concerned.

I went out for a drive last week, exploring up around Maesmynis.  There was a + on the map - indicating a church or chapel but when I got there I was in for a disappointment as it was no longer standing.  Just the footings, and the graveyard.  The minute I undid the gate to go in, there was a beep-beep - you wouldn't think by parking in the parking area I was blocking anyone, but it was opposite the gateway to a field where our next-door neighbour farmers were busy baling silage, and needed that space to turn!

This is the back of the hill just along from our house - I threatened to climb up there when we first arrived, but lack the motivation now Tam's not here.  Plus, I am not fit enough for its steepness!

Looking back towards Llanelwedd Quarry (edge of town)

I believe these are the remains of the Salem Chapel, built in 1826, and rebuilt in 1873.  A photo I found from 15 years ago (on t'internet) shows it still standing. 

 

The last fields of summer.  Leaves are already beginning to turn, and I haven't seen my Swallows recently, so imagine they have either Left Early or are out feeding and getting the youngsters fitter for their epic journey back to Africa.

The Eppynt ranges in the distance.

The view from Tam's bedroom window. I am off out shortly, once I've got Keith settled in the living room.  I need a few bits from Aldi, and will then go blackberrying at Rhayader. I need some me-time.  I was going to go to Wigmore Castle, but had a bad bout of IBS last night and still don't want to be too far from home or "facilities". Update:  Plan B, after walking round Tesco's, I came straight home!

Some positives from the past week - Keith managed to get up to bed without having to use the wheelchair from room to room yesterday.  In one postal delivery, I got a further £15 voucher from Tesco, (I'd already been given £5) because a pack of their Pastrami which I bought, had blue plastic in it!)  Also a voucher for £10 for filling in a shopping questionnaire on line. I had to go to Brecon on Friday to B&M Bargains for cat food etc, and so I walked up from Aldi and went to W H Smith, which was one of the few places I could spend it round here.  I bought a fabulous gardening magazine, and a family history one, which have both cheered me up.  I've also done some positive improvements in the garden and am checking out greenhouses, now I have worked out where I can "plant" one.  

Off to Llandod, and then Rhayader with my foraging basket.
 

Tregaron Heritage Centre and .Tapestry and . . . Scrumping!!

 On Friday, Gay and I visited Tregaron Heritage Centre - via that mountain road.  I didn't even know the Heritage Centre existed, so it was a pleasant surprise.  Even better was the most amazing Tapestry on the wall inside.  Every bit of it sewn and embroidered by hand, all the fabrics used had been hand-dyed by professional Artist/Embroiderer Jill Nichols, and the panels were stitched with much enthusiasm by a team of 17 ladies from the area.  It took three years to turn the original painting (by Margaret Jones of Penllwyn) into this textile work of art and funds were raised by various local associations and individuals along with grants from Ceredigion County Council, the Arts Council of Wales and Grants for All Wales.

When we originally looked down the room at it, Gay and I thought it was a painting.

This work of art features local animals, wild flowers and the Droving History of Wales, but in particular Tregaron.  Huge herds of Welsh Black cattle were driven to the Midlands and London, where they went beyond to Kent and Essex to be fattened.  It was written that "the whole county of Ceredigion is so full of cattle 'tis said to be the Nursery, the breeding-place for the whole Kingdom of England south of the Trent."  (Daniel Defoe wrote this in 1724.)  

The drover's route of course was that very road from Abergwesyn which we had driven over that day.  The animals would be assembled in a field behind the Talbot Hotel, and would be shod before they set off.  By 1831 there were fourteen smiths in the town.  The cattle had to be roped and thrown, their legs tied together and only then could the shoes (or cues as they were known) nailed into place.  The charge was 10 pence or a shilling per beast.

Of course, sheep also feature large in this part of the world, and were well represented in the Tapestry. I love that these all seem to have individual characters and I love the way their fleeces have been sewn.  Tregaron was a centre for sheep and the big sheep markets were held in Brecon 40 miles away.

Sorry - this isn't very sharp.  I used the booklet for further photos.  Even a bank was set up for the moneys that the Drovers accrued from the sale of the cattle.  It was called the Black Ox bank and in Llandovery a building which is now a health food shop was once the original Black Ox bank.  Llandovery was the meeting point for all the Carmarthenshire drovers.

The cattle drovers needed places to stay overnight - inns, which had a field at the back where the cattle could be kept overnight.  "They always made our place a rest place for themselves and their animals during a night's stay, as we had a green field for the animals.  My mother and the principal drover would stand by the gate leading to the field and count the animals to make sure that none were lost.  She would have a quantity of peas in her pocket and when the number was twenty she would place one pea in another pocket; in this way she would know the number of animals for which she should charge." As told to Caroline Skeel, and written in the Tapestry booklet I bought.

Details from the tapestry - LOVE this cat and the rabbit is pure Beatrix Potter.

The back cover of the booklet.

This lovely piece (with pony trekkers at the bottom, as Tregaron was a very busy pony trekking centre until about the 1980s) was made for a Young Farmer's Club competition.  I think the archway is based on one at nearby Strata Florida Abbey.

Eistedfodds are held annually in Wales.  One year in South Wales,  the next in the North.  Our children took part when they were in Junior School.

A big collage made from the plants found in and around Tregaron Bog, collected by the schoolchildren of Tregaron.

This Welsh Great Wheel (also known as the Jersey wheel), has survived.  It was used for spinning fleece, and could also be used for spinning imported cotton.

Ah - these two stones fascinated me of course.  Both were removed from their original settings in the 1830s and placed in the garden of  Sir Samuel Rush Meyrick at Goodrich Court in Herefordshire, until donated to the Museum a century on.  The Eneveri stone (above) is now in St Fagan's Museum in Cardiff.   This early Medieval cross dates to around the 8th Century.  The Potentina stone is currently "in store" at the Museum. It reads Potentina, wife (in Latin) and dates to around the 6th Century.  Anyway, those will lead us nicely onto my next post about St David's Church at Llandewi Brevi . . .

 

Anyway, must dash as Keith has blood tests in an hour.  I spoke to the GP yesterday and she has upped his Thyroid medication again as he was getting to teatime too exhausted to eat!  You can imagine this was why it took 3/4 of an hour to get up to bed and involved a wheelchair from room to room downstairs . . . 

Yesterday I tried another recipe from The Bread Book by Sara Lewis.  This time, as I had Whole-wheat flour to use up, it was Oat and Molasses Bread.  I sprinkled the crust with coarse oatmeal too and it is delicious. 

Oh and the scrumping?  I happened to notice that half of an apple tree (cookers) in the garden of a long-empty house in town hung over the wall into the churchyard and there were windfalls. Far too good to leave to birds and slugs (they can have the damaged ones). I didn't have a bag with me but balanced 5 good apples on Keith's paper.  When I had to go back in the afternoon I took a bag and now have some lovely fruit to cook up.  Wondering if I dare to make chutney - perhaps if I take my stronger anti-histamine and have all the doors and windows open I may not be so badly affected?  We'll see.  Apple Pie tonight anyway.

Another visit to Powis Castle

 

It was worth going back and having a look around Powis Castle again.  My friend Gay hadn't been before, and really enjoyed it.  Of course the borders were quite different to late May.  Must go late June as some point in the future.

Isn't this lovely?  I'd like this in the garden next year.

Another one I want for the garden next year.

This is one of the Aeoniums - think it's Aeonium Schwarzkopf "Black Rose".

This was an amazing height - never seen Dahlias about 6 ft tall before!  Update: This is a Tree Dahlia.  Well, you live and learn!

I wonder if this was the Head Gardener's  house? 

Lovely anyway.

A Peacock was strolling about.  I'm not sure if this was the same one we saw elsewhere earlier.

Looking back up at the castle.

The lake at the end of the path.  We were both so hot by then we felt tempted to jump in!

    This was our first day out.  The weather was lovely and we certainly appreciated an ice-cream when we were on the last lap.  

    I dropped Gay off in Llanidloes this morning, for her coach home, which travels via Birmingham and London, so not exactly a direct route.  Changing at Cheltenham was so much more sensible.

    Keith is having a bad day today - a combination of low blood pressure and he is still struggling from being on that lower dose of Thyroxin.  He can barely move, which is such a worry.  Yet two days ago he was quite sprightly.  It's so hard to understand what the main problem is.  I will be phoning the GP in the morning.

    I am very tired myself now - once I'd set the alarm for this morning, of course I didn't sleep well.  I hope you have all had a good weekend.

                        

Crossing the mountains yesterday, plus extra photos

 

Just a couple of photos to go on with. I'll add more later.  We took the mountain road from Beulah across to Tregaron yesterday.  It was just as well I hadn't had too much caffeine as it was a bit hairy in places.  For those of you who know Porlock Hill, imagine this half the width (single track lane), often with sheer drops one side or the other.  Not for the faint hearted - going over a hillock to find the road disappearing from view and often going into a hairpin bend. But we survived, and stopped in Llandewibrevi to visit St David's Church (separate post) and then Tregaron (heritage centre, also a separate post), before going on to Llanarchaeron (separate post).    We also went to Powis Castle and I'll do a post on that too.

Looking back to where we saw 10 or a dozen Mistle Thrushes - they keep together in family groups late summer.   One youngster was hopping/flying up the lane ahead of us for quite a way so we got a real close up of him.  Beautiful birds.  Lots of Wheatears, Stonechats etc too.

And to think folk think WE live out in the sticks!!!

That's civilization in the distance!