Remembrance Day

November is here cold, wet and foggy. That’s today. But what a fantastic month October was. I haven’t blogged for a while (well ages actually) due to a very busy couple of months. We have been making improvements in the house. New carpets, showers, beds to name but a few things.

It’s now Sunday afternoon and I have spent most of the day on the computer – catching up. So thought I should blog whilst I am here. I watched the Remembrance Sunday service on the TV today and whilst London was bathed in sunshine, it was overcast and dull here in Carmel. However the weather really fitted my mood today and I always get upset when I watch all the old soldiers march past the cenotaph. But the saddest thing is that it is not just the old soldiers now that we should be grateful to. Being born not long after the second world war I was brought up to respect all of those who fought during the world wars but how sad is it that even today we are still losing brave service men and women to conflicts that it seems will never be solved.

I have often blogged about technology being incredible and the things we can do today are fantastic. Is it better that we can keep in touch so easily or not? How many people who are away would love to receive a letter instead of a quick text? The fact that we can tell the world everything that we are doing instantly via Facebook and Twitter is amazing but does it really give us the time to stop and smell the roses. When I think about those old soldiers and their loved ones who only received letters very rarely is seems so sad, yet I am sure that those letters were full of news and love and were read and re-read many times. A tweet or a text seems to be here one minute and gone the next but unlike that letter they are in fact here forever.

A pile of old letters tied up with ribbon seems a much more romantic notion than a text. Maybe that’s why we have all started blogging – it fulfils that part of us that misses writing letters.

All dressed up with nowhere to go!

The tree is dressed, the lights are up and shopping is done. Well of course being so organised just means you end up being ready too early. Because no matter when you get the Christmas shopping done, the cake made and the cards written – when you are faced with bad weather and you don’t know if any of your visitors will arrive for Christmas you feel a bit like that : ‘All dressed up with nowhere to go’. The frustrating thing is that here in Carmel we haven’t had masses of snow, the roads are clear and traffic is flowing. We have got off lightly again - apart from the freezing temperatures - 10° last night, oh and a bit more snow forecast tonight.

Let’s hope that everyone gets to where they want to be for Christmas, that the snow thaws enough for the roads to be clear, the planes fly and that Father Christmas (please note that I am still don’t want to say the S word) brings everyone what they want for Christmas – providing they have been good of course. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone.

A Walk Round the Block

With the recent cold weather is had been hard to take the dogs out - but we have been braving the freezing cold and continued with our usual walk 'around the block'. This walk is about two miles long and is the one that many of our B&B guest enjoy when they stay with us. It is fair to say though that it is beautiful on a sunny summer’s day but is equally breathtaking on a bright and sunny snowy day.

From our gate you turn right and walk up to the Church at Gorsedd - we stopped en route to chat to the sheep and they always come to look at our Poodle Sam as they must think he is another sheep -

today we stopped in the churchyard to say hello to Les's parents who are both buried there. Turning left at the Church you then walk up a slight incline and walking a short distance until the next left turn into Monastery Road.

Walking along this straight piece of road to your right you can just see the A55 and the traffic racing through to Conwy etc. But beyond that you can see the Clwydian Hills majestically undulating and the top of Moel Famau just making out the Jubilee tower at the top.

A bit further on and you take the next left turn passing Pantasaph Friary and start making the steep climb to the top of the hill - the views are breathtaking here. And what a relief when you reach the top of this short but steep stretch. Follow the road along the top and you can see the sea and just make out the wind farm off the coast of Rhyl. We stopped to chat to a lady scraping her drive as she was off out at lunch time and was dreading the journey, we were able to assure her that the roads were clear - one of the things we really appreciate about living where we do.

Down the hill for the final left turn and you get a fantastic view of the Wirral Peninsula and the Dee Estuary, before returning back to Celyn Villa for a nice cup of hot chocolate.

Sunny Skies and Christmas Pudding

Well it has been a weekend of real contrasts. Saturday was an absolutely beautiful day and with the B&B a bit quieter, and no evening meal to cook, Les and I took the opportunity to go out for the day. Firstly we went up to Moel Famau to look at the work they have been doing to the top car park – although not quite finished it already looks so much better. The views from the top are always breathtaking but on a bright sunny day like Saturday it was wonderful and we could see for miles. We braved the steep, single track road down the other side and drove on via Ruthin to the top of the Horseshoe pass. By this time the dogs needed a walk so we had a stroll with them. The car park was full with others enjoying a wonderful day with the usual amount of bikers taking advantage of the good Welsh roads. A quick cup of hot chocolate and off we went again to the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, Thomas Telford's marvellous crossing over the river Dee, 100’s of feet below. 24 years ago we went over the Aqueduct in a narrow boat. We hadn’t long moved to Wales and two friends came with us on a week’s holiday along the Shropshire Union Canal – it was a great holiday – we both had Springer spaniels then and they loved jumping on and off the boat and running along the tow path as we chugged along. We walked over this time with Sam and Willis holding onto their leads tightly for fear of them jumping in the water.

Sunday was wet, cold windy and horrible. If an Alien had landed in Wales on Saturday he would have thought he was on another planet by Sunday, such was the contrast in the weather. Still not one to be idol I decided I would use the time to get on with a bit of Christmas preparation, so I got the Christmas pudding mix ready and made my Christmas cake. I always used Delia’s pudding recipe although double it up and find I get 2 x 1lb and 1 x l.5lb puddings from it. My Christmas cake recipe is one I have used for over 30 years and is always a success. Or it might just be the amount of booze I feed it with. Two things to tick off my ever increasing ‘To do list’.

Farmers Market - Carmel School

As this blog is about Living in Carmel I thought I should include a bit more local news. Today, a windy, wet and dull Autumn day - which also happens to be Armistice day 11th November our local primary school Ysgol Bro Carmel held a Farmers Market. I hope the first of many such occasions. Carmel School must have one of the most fantastic views from its classrooms of any school. Looking over the Dee estuary to the Wirral peninsula and beyond even on a dull day is a fantastic setting.

Sadly Carmel like many small villages no longer has a post office or shop so the opportunity to meet your neighbours particularly this time of year when no one wants to linger outside in the cold, is minimal. So it was with much enthusiasm my husband Les and I went along to Ysgol Bro Carmel today to support their new venture.

We arrived just after it opened and the hall was crowded with children, parents and many local people. The place was buzzing. I saw several people I knew and stopped to chat with them - even bumping into a lady who looked after my daughter at Nursery School 20 year ago.

There were a combination of 'school stalls' as well as the local buffalo farm selling their meat, a local cheese producer selling killer lime and chili cheese amongst others - although I brought the ginger cheddar and some apricot and ginger chutney (a bit of a ginger theme going on here).

They also had the usual cakes and crafts stalls and some lovely knitted toys which were beautifully made. The cotton bags with Ysgol Bro Carmel on were great and I brought three (someone might get one in their stocking this year).

I really hope that people appreciate how hard everyone worked to get the day off the ground and hope that it proves to be a regular event.

Swedish Smorgasbord Birthday

June 5th every year is a rather special day for me - some years I have welcomed it with open arms - well any age from around 3 to 29 - post 30 and the numbers seems to have come much too quickly and needless to say it was of course my birthday. But this year it was celebrated Swedish style.

After a week full of harrowing news and sadness from the dreadful shootings in Cumbria, two of our Welsh soldiers killed in Afghanistan and other world and local events that fill us all, I am sure, full of dread - I was lucky enough to spend a wonderful day with friends.

Very good friends of ours celebrated their joint birthdays and around 50 of their friends and family including 15 or so who flew in from Sweden for a very special '150'th. Apparently 75 is an age to really mark in Sweden whether it’s for what you have achieved or just for the fact that you have managed to get there, I’m not sure.

For me it was a readymade party – spending the day helping at first getting the Smorgasbord type buffet sorted and then enjoying it. They love to make speeches in Sweden and it was an informal and relaxed atmosphere where anyone who felt the urge got up and waxed lyrical. I managed to utter a few lines pointing out that coincidentally I was 57 (75 backwards!) and had happy birthday sung to me in English, Welsh and Swedish – which was slightly embarrassing but enjoyable.

We stayed in our friend’s lovely garden watching the children playing innocent games with each other whist sipping a chilled glass of bubbles. Skipping, running, hide and seek and the obligatory football - only coming indoors after 9pm when it turned slightly chilly. Not a game boy or mobile phone in sight.

It was a lovely day – one to cherish – friends and family are so important and how lucky we are those of us who can spend these special times together. The weather was perfect and the Smorgasbord – well simply delicious and the fact you can go back as many times as you like seemed to make it all the more enjoyable.

The healing waters of St Winifred ?

One of the Seven Wonders of Wales ' St Winifred’s Well' here in Holywell has long been known for its 'miracles'. However apart from my verruca incident - which frankly is best left forgotten (see Dixi Wills article in the Guardian March 1st if you want to read about it) - I have only heard in general terms about the miraculous cures. That is until this morning. We had a guest staying with us en route to Ireland – our B&B perfect for an overnighter for the Holyhead ferry – and after our usual post breakfast chat he mentioned that he was off to the Well to load up on holy water before heading for the ferry. He then recounted the following story.

In about 1992 he was with an Irish couple who had visited the Well several times before, but on this occasion the lady decided to go for full immersion. She had been suffering with bad knees for years having already had keyhole surgery on one knee, and was told there was now nothing to be done expect replacements for both knees. She went in the water (luckily prepared by wearing her swimming costume under her clothes) and because she believed you had to have three goes – she ducked in and out three times. She then changed and left with her husband and our guest and got into his car. After only 50 or so yards she started to scream in pain and say ‘my knees are burning’. They stopped the car and tried to help offering to take her to hospital but she was convinced that it was the holy water working. After sometime the pain eased and they continued their journey. Our guest finished he story "That was nearly 20 years ago and she has had no problems with her knees since. She does now need a stick but that is to do with her sciatic nerve and at more than 80 she is entitled to I think".

Well my husband Les and I were quite opened mouth about the story and I may well be off to the Well myself. But as our guest said ‘is it because she believed it would work – or it in fact a miracle? ‘

Twinning Weekend

What a fantastic weekend we had with our French friends. Holywell Twinning Association celebrates 10 years next year with St Grégoire, nr Rennes in Brittany. During that time we have spent some fabulous times both in France and Wales. This year’s visit could only be describes as 'excellent' as we had such lovely weather. 35 weary French men, women and children arrived on Friday 21st May at 1.30pm and they were welcomed with many kisses from their host families. It was lovely to see our friends again and we spent a very pleasant couple of hours eating (and drinking) in the garden – catching up and practising our French.

Later – whist they rested I rushed around the kitchen like a thing possessed – preparing a buffet for 17 (I had thought it would be nice to have a few people round for the evening). Greeting the French with glasses of Pims was quite amusing – but they loved it. In fact some promising to buy some on the return boat back to St Malo. What a great night we had - in the garden till gone 9.30 as it was so warm.

A rest for me on Saturday as the guests departed for a lovely day at Caernarfon Castle and then on to Portmeirion where they had lunch in the Castell Deudraeth. No cooking for me at all as we finished up last night’s leftovers for lunch (I love leftovers) and we were invited out to dinner with other Twinning hosts. The only problem – the French complained it was too hot – after all they were in Wales!

Sunday we took our guests to lunch at the Glas Fryn in Mold where we all tucked into a good lunch and then up to Moel Famau for a much needed walk . Sunday night was the usual get together for everyone (about 65 of us) and we had singing and more food and plenty of wine. A very early start the next day – and we said goodbye to our French friends for another year. More kissing but with a few tears this time and promises of learning more French by next year!

I've started a blogg

Something else to keep me busy - I have started a blogg and hope to write about life in Carmel, whats happening in our B&B and about my life generally - hope you enjoy it.