31st January 2026 - Consecration at Penarth

Thought for the day :"Ground coffee...where on earth does that come from?"

Wet

Day at Penarth for the Consecration of the new Court - not much to do today - after yesterday, but took the opportunity to dress the banqueting hall up properly .

A full day 

Cheers 

30th January 2026 - Penarth - Instruction

Thought for the day :"I bought a book called "Overcoming Kleptomania". Well, I say 'bought'."

Wet

Overnight stay at Llanelli and on down to Penarth - arriving a little early for the hotel or to get into the Lodge building.

But a stroll around Penarth and found a fish and chip shop for lunch. Spent the afternoon setting up the lodge and meeting with the team.

For interest in the future - here is the running order :

Instruction Ceremony Penarth 30th January 2026

WM Iain Sewell

IPM Ian Dingwall

EP Clive Hughes

SW Graham Murphy

JW Gary Evans

SD John Howells

JD Andrew Pippin

CoG Tom Beavan

Gd Alex Bogdanov (enter Court after Candidate is admitted)

Mar Terence Scarfe

DMar Gerry Newcombe

Procedure

Opening in full form (WM, Wardens and Guard please note)

Additional Candidates will enter the Court under the direction of Marshal and

Deputy Marshal and take places in front row on South and North. They will place

their Athelstan Apron under their seat - No regalia worn by additional

Candidates - only Token Candidate

Welcome Iain Sewell

Challenge Iain Sewell

Walking Charge Master - Iain Sewell

Junior Warden - Gary Evans

Senior Warden - Graham Murphy

EP - Clive Hughes

Master - Iain Sewell Leading to Obligation

Iain will advise Token Candidate to advance, and invite other candidates to take

their place behind the Candidate

Two Candidates behind Token Candidate

Four behind them

Dependent upon space up to 8 per row behind

All place left hand on shoulder of candidate in front and place right hand on

heart.

Nigel, Ian and Clive (EP)  to floor of Court - and bible placed in hands by EP

Nigel does obligation

Candidates drop arms at end and Token Candidate kisses bible

Additional bibles given by Marshal and Dep Marshal to each row to be passed from

Candidates - await for bible to come to end of the row and pass to next row.

Candidates invited to take their seats.

Deacons take candidate to the centre so candidates can see the secrets, retire to safe distance.

Ian gives the secrets

Ian returns to seat - Deacons conduct Candidate back to centre

Three return to seats

 

Iain (WM) "within our court you will observe..."

Deacons explain emblems at JW station

Deacons conduct to West - and PGM gives Hour glass

Deacons conduct to SW and PGM gives last 6 emblems

Deacons conduct to Rosetta Stone and Tim Clarke presents

Deacons conduct to centre of Court.

Iain - summary of Rosetta Stone and Emblems

Dep Marshal calls Circle of Nine. (Alex to act as Secretary) Remain in East

until Master Gavels.

Left turn by all officers and walk Clockwise to take up place in the Circle

Master will join circle and invite other candidates to form in the North and

South (as Parallels)

Deputy Marshal will bring Point within a circle to Master - and await its return

Then take post in the North to collect the Token Candidates apron

Circle of Nine by Office Holders- please ensure that each line is learned.

Token Candidate will give sign of fidelity as pledge and other candidates

instructed to do the same

SW will invest Token Candidate

Master will invite other candidates to put their own aprons on

All candidates will be welcomed with salutation 2 x 2

Master will return to Chair - Candidates will sit.

Circle of Nine left turn and and walk clockwise peeling off at their station

Token Candidate brought to Master for Warrant and Byelaws etc

Other Candidates will be advised that they can collect their paperwork from the

Secretary after closing.

Deacons conduct Candidate to the Centre and return to seats

Iain WM will give Final Address and conduct candidate to PGM for congratulations

Marshal to pick up candidate and take to seat.

Special Progression

Those below Past Master with exception of Candidates for SP will be invited to leave.

Iain conducts Special Progression

Iain Closes Court in Shortened form and comfort break

PGM will open Provincial Grand Court for Installation of the Assistant PGM 

iws v1.2 12/01/26

No Photos of the Instruction 

Cheers 

29th January 2026 - Burns Night St Teilo

Thought for the day :"The police have assembled a special team to deal with tense and potentially dangerous situations.. The team is lead by DS Calate"

Wet

Off to Llanelli this evening for the annual Burns Night Lodge meeting 

62 visitors this year and we have Rob Grey as our piper.

No videos this year sadly

Cheers 

28th January 2026 - A Viking Tale and Spring

Thought for the day :"My friends have told me I should not join Slimming World, but I have to go with my gut."

Dry

From the Viking Halls - Athelstan - The Preamble

To be told as a story

• The chill of the evening air clings to your cloak as you approach the timbered hall, its roof rising like a dark crown against the winter sky. Torches flare at the doorway, casting long shadows across the packed earth. A horn sounds—a deep, resonant note that rolls through the valley—and the murmuring crowd stirs. The feast is about to begin.
• You step forward, past the door-wardens who nod gravely, their spears gleaming in the firelight. Inside, the hall is alive with warmth and color: tapestries hang from the walls, their threads telling stories of kings and saints; the central hearth blazes, sending sparks spiraling into the smoke-thick rafters. The scent of roasting meat mingles with honey and herbs, a promise of abundance.
• Before you take your place, a servant offers a bronze basin. You dip your hands into the cool water, washing away the dust of the road—a ritual of purity and respect. Then you move toward the trestle tables, where ranks of benches stretch like rivers toward the high table at the far end. There sits Æthelstan / or Grand Master himself, crowned in gold, his cloak heavy with embroidery, flanked by his closest thegns. Their swords rest against the walls, gleaming like silent sentinels.
• You find your seat among warriors and traders, the hum of voices rising as trenchers of barley bread and platters of meat are carried in by dish-bearers. The meat glistens with honey glaze, and aromatic curry steams in great bowls, thick with spices and wild herbs. More Mead, dessert, and more wine follow, each dish a testament to the wealth and reach of the king’s realm.
• A cup-bearer approaches, bearing a horn brimming with mead. He bows slightly before passing it to the high table, where Æthelstan lifts it high. His voice carries through the hall: a toast to fellowship, to loyalty, to the strength of England. The horn passes from hand to hand, each guest drinking deeply, sealing bonds with every sip.
• Music begins—a harp’s silver notes threading through the roar of laughter. A scop rises, his voice weaving tales of battles fought and kingdoms won, of ancestors whose names still echo in the stones. You listen, the fire painting gold across his face, and feel the weight of centuries pressing close.
• The feast stretches into the night. Horns are emptied and refilled, honey cakes appear, and apples roll across the tables like small suns. Outside, the wind howls against the walls, but inside, the hall is a world of light and loyalty, of ritual and revelry—a kingdom bound together by bread, by mead or wine, and by the word of its king or Grand Master.

Meanwhile - back on the reservation 

Cheers 

Cheers 

27th January 2026 - Hywel Dda Athelstan in Aberystwyth

Thought for the day :"My oxo cubes have been stolen from our shop while stock taking."

Wet

Signs of Spring are peeping out 

Cheers 

26th January 2026 -

Thought for the day :"A werewolf who doesn't know that they are a werewolf would be an unawarewolf."

Wet

Flags are going to need replacing 

Cheers 

25th January 2026 - Dydd Santes Dwynwen

Thought for the day :"Someone accused me of  plagiarism. Their words not mine"

Wet

Today is Dydd Santes Dwynwen, Saint Dwynwen's day, often called the Welsh Valentine's day. St Dwynwen is our patron saint of love and friendship, and if you are reading this then we must be friends, so please know on this day and every other that I love you. Dydd Santes Dwynwen Hapus y Bawb! 

Cheers 

24th January 2026 - A Bit of Burns

Thought for the day :"The man who invented the speed boat has unfortunately passed away. His funeral is next Friday, 10am followed by a wake.."

Wet

Burns - Swansea

Main will have to be from Youtube later - too big to load directly 

There's no future in it ....

On the subject of tax avoidance - thanks to Bob Williams...

The Sibyls were oracular women believed to possess prophetic powers in ancient Greece.

The earliest Sibyls, ‘who admittedly are known only through legend, prophesied at certain holy sites, under the divine influence of a deity, the first being at Delphi. The Sibyl held her rites when people came to consult her, and her acolytes would take a small fee.

All went well until the rulers at Delphi realised that money was slipping through their hands, so told the Sibyl that she could only continue conducting her rites id she paid what amounted to a tax to the rulers.

The Sibyl was understandably very upset at this and decided that she and her entourage would ignore the rulers at Delphi and move lock, stock and barrel to the Hellespont.

This is the first recorded incidence of a Sibyl rites movement.

Cheers

23rd January 2026 - Burns Night

Thought for the day :"I've been offered a cheap puppet rental business with no strings attached."


Wet

Swansea for Beaufort Ladies Night with a Burns Theme 

All set up and ready to go 

 

Cheers 

22nd January 2026 - Getting fed up with rain

Thought for the day :"I'm on my way to fix Cat Stevens' caravan. Awning has broken..."

Wet 

Another lazy day - seem to have a few of them lately 

Puppies were a bit lazy as well 

Have the image for Hannah and Ollie's Wedding in July 

Resolved our long standing problem with Paypal Evri and Halal (The Chinese company that Susie bought her jeans from)

Spent a long time getting the time line right and getting all the emails in order to show that Evri were still looking for the package 7 days after the date that they retrospectively stated that it had been delivered.

Took a lot of patience but found a lovely lady called Jenny in the Dispute Section who sorted us out - heard the whole story and then refunded us with the amount claimed - which sadly Susie had entered on the list as £59.50 rather than £59.90 the cost ..  Lovely lady sent us a credit for 40p afterwards. 

So Susie has a Paypal Account again 

TillyVision

 

Cheers 

21st January 2026 - Another wet day

Thought for the day :"Thought I saw a cow sleeping on a building site but it was just a bulldozer"

Wet

Peacocks are still very bedraggled 

But, had a good evening with Ollie and Hannah to discuss their wedding reception in July.

Should be fun 

Trip to NCE to pick up Susie's meds and to Beulah to get more coal.  Filled the car up in readiness for the weekend where I shall be addressing the Haggis in Swansea at Beaufort Ladies' Night and heading off to Bristol for the Thomas of Accon Meeting.

Tillyvision for today :

Still got my head in the book for the Consecration and Instruction next week.

Cheers 

 

20th January 2026 - Signs in the Sky

Thought for the day :"Has anyone tried Stallone's Scones? They're the best thing since Sly's bread."

Wet

Signs of the time ? 
We now have a the aurora as far as West Wales 

Photos from local photographers in Rhydlewis

Sadly - nothing seen at Ffynnon Wen 

For us, the day was wet and dripping 

A wet view of the cottage 

Even Fabio is looking damp and desolate 

TillyVision 

Cheers