A Welsh Get Together at Kippford

 On Wednesday we travelled to Barend Holiday Chalets to meet up with Doreen and Norman Southwell our friends from South Wales. They book a chalet there almost every year, but this may be the last time there as the journey north is now very tiring. This is the view from the balcony of their chalet. We usually go for a long walk when we are there with them but Norman had a bad back and I had problems with my achilles tendon. A sign we are all getting old. Tom as the oldest was in fine fettle and managed to enjoy  the day including drinking red wine plus several other drinks. He has much more stamina than Norman and myself.

It was a beautiful day so we headed down to Kippford for a drink at the Anchor and then a very short walk along the path beside the Urr estuary. Finlay the Golden Labrador is now 13 years old and very slow, but well looked after and a very happy dog. 

Tom with Doreen, Gaye and Norman.

Gaye and Doreen were friends and neighbours from their time in Dalbeattie and then after we were married Doreen came over for a Langholm Rugby Club weekend at the time Bryn Wanderers from South Wales were visiting LRFC and she met Norman. The rest as they say is history as she eventually married him and moved to Wales to live. 

While the men went a short walk along the shore Doreen and Gaye enjoyed a seat in the sun shelter looking onto the estuary and an out-going tide. 

Looking up the Urr estuary

Screel in the distance

Looking down the estuary to Rough island which you can walk to when the tide is out as there is a causeway. It is a spectacular walk that I have done many times over the 50+ years I have been visiting Kippford. 

A large Gnome looking at many other small Gnomes

Three old men who have been friends for many years 

After we had a very nice lunch back at Barend, Gaye and Doreen went to see Gaye's cousin Dora who was 80 that day. A most enjoyable day in good company and excellent weather. 

A Kippford to Rockcliffe Walk with the Southwells

 

We had arranged to meet our friends Doreen and Norman from South Wales at their chalet at Barend near Sandyhills where they are staying for 2 weeks together with their daughter and son in law. The weather forecast was awful but we decided we would still try and get a walk from Kippford to Rockcliffe and back. After we had coffee at the chalet we set out for the walk dressed for wet weather. We were soon casting off various items as it was dry, warm, and muggy, but a perfect walk. We left Gaye and Doreen back at the Chalet to catch up with all the news while Tom and I joined Norman and family for the 4 mile walk. This is the road above Kippford on our way back to the village.  

Rockcliffe at high tide but on a very quiet day

The Ice Cream van is always there and Milo waited patiently for his ice cream.

Norman with daughter Lindsay and her husband Jon

Tom and I have been friends with Norman since the days when he came to Langholm to play rugby for Bryn Wanderers against Langholm 2nds in the mid 70s. Tom used to play against him. He met Gaye's friend Doreen from Dalbeattie who was staying with us and the rest as they say is history.

We had great entertainment watching a couple blow up an inflatable Canoe at Rockcliffe.

When they eventually launched it we all gave them a round of applause

After our meal back at the Chalet this photo was taken by Jon. I will never complain about youngsters spending so much time on their mobiles again.

The Tree of the Year 2021 at Kippford

High Tide at Kippford

The party of walkers, Norman, Lindsay, Jon, and Tom

All 7 of us taken after dinner at the Chalet in Barend. A most enjoyable day in good company.

A Short Visit to South Wales

We have spent 3 nights in South Wales with our friends Doreen and Norman Southwell. Doreen was our Chief Bridesmaid 50 years ago and we had promised to visit them this year but they had Covid in April just as we were about to go and then in June we had to cancel due to a rail strike, so this was third time lucky and everything went to plan, except the weather was not very good.

We travelled down on Tuesday and on Wednesday we did a 3 mile walk at Ogmore by Sea. The dog with us is their daughter Lindsays one and who is looked after by them while Lindsay is teaching during the day. He is called Milo and is such a lovely dog. 

Back at home he has his own chair and he pulls the cover over himself to hide from everybody.

The river Ogmore enters the sea in this bay

Friday morning and a group photo before we get the train home from Bridgend

Thursday evening and dinner at Lindsay's with Milo realising Gaye is a soft touch for food.

The photo was taken by Lindsay's husband John who was the chef for the evening and an excellent meal it was too.

The mouth of the River Ogmore. Many years ago we were in Wales for the Wales v Scotland Rugby International in mid February and Tom, Norman and myself went a long walk and ended up on the wrong side of the Ogmore river. To avoid a 6 mile return journey we took our boots and socks off and waded across the river just here. Boy was the water cold and it was much wider than this and about 2 ft deep.

 

On Thursday we headed to a place called Pennsylvania Woods and a lovely 4 mile walk through a wooded area with plenty to see and at times some lovely views across the valley.

The Fence is in the form of a Welsh Dragon

The entrance to the wood and our walk. We were lucky as within 5 minutes of finishing our walk the heavens opened and for an hour our so it was extremely wet. A most enjoyable few days with good friends despite the poor weather. We came back by train on Friday and arrived back in Langholm on the Borders Bus from Carlisle station bang on time. 

Walking With the Southwells at Kippford

It is 2 years since we last saw Doreen and Norman from South Wales when they visited Langholm in 2019 but at long last they are back in Scotland and staying for 3 weeks at Barend near Sandyhills. Gaye and I and Tom Stothart met up with them this morning and after morning Coffee at their Chalet we took off to Rockcliffe to walk the upper footpath to Kippford and then back via the lower footpath.

The weather was glorious and both Rockliffe and Kippford was busy with walkers and bathers

Doreen and Norman's daughter Lindsay was up staying with them for a few days with her husband John.

Gaye with Doreen and Lindsay near Rockcliffe on the lower path

A few years ago I wrote an article for the E & L Advertiser about the walk from Kippford to Rockcliffe and I mentioned this Ice Cream van at Rockcliffe and we were delighted to see it is still there so Lindsay and Tom took advantage of it. 

This is Heston island viewed from Rockcliffe

All 7 of us at the start of the walk with dogs Findlay and Milo

This is Kippford from the upper pathway and the tide is coming in and will be at high tide in another hour.

Tom and Norman and Findlay the dog named after a Scottish Rugby Internationalist Findlay Calder

Gaye on the sea front at Rockcliffe in front of some lovely plants. After our walk we headed back to Barend and had a lovely meal courtesy of Doreen and Lindsay with new potatoes grown by Norman and brought specially for us from Wales.