On the loose

Most of this was written several weeks ago and I have just realised that I never pressed the 'Publish  button.' So here is an updated version, so that my growing band of devoted readers get the bonus of two posts in 24 hours. I hope you both enjoy them both! I had reluctantly left New Zealand on the 13th April, my considerably earlier than intended departure had been hastened by my mother's rapidly deteriorating health: 95 years of age with a serious pneumonia did not augur well. Mr Trump's recent 'initiative' in the Middle East had resulted in considerable chaos among the world's airlines and having to change flights was a frustrating and expensive process. So with my credit card squealing, I bordered an Air NZ flight to Shanghai; this was the first time in many years that I had flown this route. Shanghai Airport - technically Shanghai Pudong airport - is a modern impressive facility which is just as well because I had 18 hours to wait here! I had booked a ...

20th May 2026: It was time to break out and find a little space for myself. I had no idea how walking fit I was but having invested in a new pair of Scarpa walking boots, it was time to set off and find out. It was a cloudy Wednesdaymorning as I checked Trusty Rusty's oil and tyre pressure and set off north up that familiar west coast road in search of adventure beyond Aberystwyth. The drive was uneventful, the road relatively quiet (it seems that petrol prices are inhibiting casual motoring) and the only real change I noticed compared to the last time I was up this way, were even more Welsh flags flying and a plethora of Plaid Cymru placards. The mood of the country seems to have changed a little after the recent Senedd Elections, when Plaid Cymru emerged to form a government for the first time. Labour were decimated in the Welsh Parliament elections, being reduced to rump a meagre nine seats. But enough of politics! I stopped for an ice cream at RSPB Ynys Hir, ( https://www.rspb....

It's been quite a while since I last visited these pages - and even longer since any of you were here! But, like an unscratched itch, the blog has been nagging away at me for the last few weeks, so I have decided to re-commence some scribblings here. Why do I bother? Ultimately these pages are here for me to read in my dotage. Is that a pending comment I hear - "Then why aren't you reading them already?"   It is possible that my absence of the last 18 months is largely because little of interest has happened? Maybe my life has become too boring to write about? Or maybe I have just been too busy doing "other stuff"? Whatever the reason, I'm back and determined to post something here at least twice a month, with the ever present possibility of a few historical updates as well. Please join me if you are at all interested. Here we go..... TO BE CONTINUED (HONESTLY!) More soon! I will be posting regularly on this blog. If you are interested, become a follower...

 It has been an exciting, nerve-wracking month as I have put the finishing touches to my second novel, "Masks of Gold". This is the prequel to the "Bell that never Rang". Yes! I wrote them in the wrong order! As the first one emerged out of family tree history during Covid lockdown I can, I believe, be forgiven for the mix up? I have now decided to make it a trilogy and I am pretty certain that the third edition will be the third in the series.   Self publishing is not for the faint hearted but it must be considerably easier than times past, when typewriters, photocopiers and sticky tape were the order of the day. Modern technology, namely Kindle Direct Publishing, allows files to be uploaded into kindle format or print copies. But there is a lot of detail to process first; a lot of typo tracking and layout issues which have to be ground out. And the cover must fit the size of book exactly. I have been supported by a team of helpers and editors who have laboured the...

I had checked his oil and tyre pressure, cleaned his grubby little windscreen and polished up the worst of his rusty spots, so Trusty Rusty was ready for the road again. One final check of camping gear and we were off, heading steadily north towards Llanberis. The General Election was but a few days away so I decided to count the signs supporting the various candidates and parties which decorated the road verge. I gave up at Machynlleth, the result was beyond any doubt: Labour 3, Liberals 4. Conservatives 2, Plaid Cymru 57. It was clear that Plaid Cymru were going to achieve a mighty landslide result throughout the country, although I have to concede that maybe my sample was little biased! I arrived in Llanberis about 5pm. A grand 50 year reunion had been arrange, with 3 of the former occupants of the first flat I lived in while studying in Glasgow in 1974.  My old school mate, Dai Lampard, and I had set off for Glasgow from the wilds of west Wales in September of that year. There ...

  Monmouth and beyond After a reasonable night's sleep, I was awoken at about 4.45am the following morning by a very inconsiderate blackbird. A really vibrant dawn chorus soon developed as I stretched my stiff limbs and began to break camp. Suddenly a dog appeared from a hidden side path and was rapidly followed by a young man who,  considering the climb up from the town below,  looked far too sprightly for that time of day. We were both a little surprised to see each other and after a brief conversation I continued to load the rucksack, eat some porridge and set off  again, following him  along Offa's path . I soon discovered a strange building which was marked on the map as a "Naval Temple". I had ascended 'The Kymin", which at around 800 feet was the highest hill in the immediate vicinity. The early morning views down to Monmouth below and onwards to the Welsh Hills were hazy in the morning mist. And the sound traffic was unmissable as the town...

The sun has been shining recently, as it should in June but the jet stream is still very confused and a strong northerly breeze means it is  bitterly cold most of the time. As nothing in the garden seems to be growing, I decided it was ideal walking weather and grabbing Sticky McSticky, I jumped into Trusty Rusty, and set off for a few days, planning to join a few more dots along Offa's Dyke. A few day's before had seen one violent thunderstorm, with an inch of rain in one afternoon, but generally the weather has been cold but sunny; my vegetable garden was planted, the trees were bursting forth and the little birds was on the wing. It can't last, I'm sure a plague of frogs is just over the horizon, and speaking of which, the PM chose that moment to announce a General Election. And apparently the finances of the country have now reached such a sorry state, that we could not afford to furnish him with an umbrella! He got soaked in the torrential downpour and Rishi got mo...