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. 

Golden Wedding

Some photographs from our wedding in Dumfries on 26th August 1972

My dad was so proud of his new daughter in law. Unfortunately he only lived for 3 years after this but he did enjoy his lovely granddaughter Fiona for a couple of years.

My Best man John. we have been best friends for 64 years after we moved from Rowanburn to Langholm in 1958

Doreen

Outside the Cairndale Hotel in Dumfries

My cousin Hilary

Gaye's cousin Sheila

Nobody got married in Kilts in those days

 

Looking After Molly Weasley in Newcastle

We have been in Newcastle since Sunday 14th August looking after Fiona's cat Molly Weasley while the family are all in Holland. On Wednesday we visited this old Coal Bing near Crammlington called Northumberlandia. Its on the site of an old Opencast Mine and the bing has been landscaped to form a lovely park. These photos have not uploaded in the order taken but cover the period Monday to Thursday.

From the highest point you can see the pharmaceutical factory of Mercke Sharpe & Dohme (MSD) and over my working life from about 1998 to 2008 I must have visited this factory over 50 times. We flew MSD pharmaceuticals all over the Middle East for 10 years. They were a super customer to deal with and we enjoyed a great relationship with them. The account was with Wilson Logistics (UK)Ltd and then moved with me to EMS Cargo (Carlisle)Ltd.

Another part of Northumberlandia.

We also visited Newbiggin-By-The-Sea and the weather was beautiful. We had spent a week here a year ago and loved the place. When we arrived the beach had just been swept clean by the local council and it was immaculate. The hat Gaye is wearing was bought in Los Gatos California in 2019 for $1 from a charity shop. It has been very useful this summer. 

Another view of MSD. The area where the machines are working is a huge extension of Nortumberlandia where they are going to create another 9Km of walks and plant 88,000 trees.

On Monday we visited St. Mary's Isle near Whitly Bay. There were loads of Starlings about.

Having a paddle at Newbiggin-By-The-Sea.

This rock on the beach was left after the ice age

St. Mary's Lighthouse

From the highest point on Northumberlandia.

Morning Coffee at Cullercoats

The beach at Newbiggin-By-The-Sea 

St Mary's Lighthouse. As the tide was out there were loads of rock pools for kids to look for Crabs in

This is Molly Weasley. It took a couple of days for her to get used to me but now she follows me everywhere. She sleeps at the bottom of our bed and at about 6.00am comes and sits next to me and then purrs for a while while she gets stroked. 

The causeway to St. Mary's Lighthouse with loads of kids exploring the Rock Pools

Another view of Newbiggin-By-The-Sea beach.

 

A Visit from Bruce and Gaskell's Walk reopens

My friend Bruce Latimer arrived in Langholm for the Common Riding today and I spent the morning with him. We drove from The Cross keys where he is staying to Newcastleton and then over the Langholm Moor to the upper Tarras Valley which hopefully will be owned by the community by Friday. We had a paddle at the Ford at Arkleton cottage.

The bridge at Newcastleton

Bruce enjoying his paddle in the Tarras

It's 3 years since Bruce was last in Langholm. He lives near Hastings in Kent.

In Newcastleton they are building new flood defences. The village has been badly flooded twice in the last few years so hopefully this will prevent that from happening again. These bags of granite chips and sand form the basis for the barrier.

It's not a huge barrier and there are only 2 workers doing the whole job but it should raise the embankment by about 3 feet at least so hopefully it will work.

It's over a year since Gaskell's Walk closed as a result of a dangerous bridge having to be removed due to the erosion of the gully. At last and after only 3 days work the new route bypassing the bridge opened today. It has been a difficult process getting it sorted and especially organising the financial side of it.  

The slope down to the old path is fairly steep but that should not be a problem. 

The Contractor even put a new seat in overlooking Latimers warehouse. I had earmarked a Recycled Plastic seat for there but I think I have found another place for it so its a win/win situation.

It's a nice seat but like all wooden seats they have a limited lifespan.

The winding path along the top of the wood. 

 

Cooling our Feet in the Tarras

It was so warm this afternoon that we decided to go over to the Tarras Valley and have a paddle in the river at the Ford next to Arkleton Cottage.

It was perfect but the temperature was 34C or 90F and high humidity so we soon had to get back into the Air Conditioned Car and make our way back to Langholm. This was 15F higher than it was with Fraser in Saratoga, California. The first time ever it was warmer in Langholm than Saratoga.

 

An Advance Party of Kilmarnock Ramblers

Today I met a group of Walkers from Kilmarnock Ramblers Club. They were in Langholm to check out a couple of walks for their annual day out on 13th August when a full bus load of walkers will visit Langholm. The 2 men did Walk 10 Tarras Water and Whita Hill and the 2 Ladies joined me on Walk 7 Jenny Nobles Gill. 

This is Robina and Susan who thoroughly enjoyed the walk round Jenny Nobles Gill.

They were very impressed with the many floral bicycles round the town. The Bus Load of Ramblers come on Saturday 13th August so I am sure the town will give them a good welcome.

 

Wednesday Walk at Enzieholm

 

Todays Wednesday walk was up at Enzieholm as the start point and the first part was the minor road towards Eskdalemuir as far as Bailiehill where we took to the Forestry road. This is the junction at Bailiehill and the roads to Eskdalemuir or Lockerbie.

Niall is photographing some unusual Lichen at the side of the road while I try and swat flies buzzing round my head.

We stopped for a snack at the half way point in the forest and Tom climbed up this stack of timber, which is not the safest thing to do as they could have moved. It was a real struggle he had to get back down again.

There was plenty of Spagnum Moss about and if you fell into it you would have a very soft landing. 

Also plenty of Orchids.

More Spagnum Moss

At the end of the walk back down to Enzieholm we could see this Pond or Loch in the distance which was not there the last time we walked this route. Somebody has created this and it certainly enhances the view.

This is the pond from a closer view.

This was the view from higher up in April 2019 when we last walked the route