31st December 2020 - Last day of 2020

Thought for the day:"I’ve just found out that they won’t be making 12” rulers any longer..."

um

just a thought 

Year has finished...

Cheers !

30th December 2020 - Clearing the Warehouse...

Thought for the day :"I'm bringing out my version of the Band Aid song... ‘Duvet Know It's Christmas?’ It's a cover..."

LINK JOHNS HOPKINS
Office of National Statistics  

Carmarthenshire - 187

Ceredigion - 35

Pembrokeshire - 38

Figures are sad....

Meanwhile , a call from my house clearance people say that they cannot clear by the end of the year 
so I head to Llanelli.  The box trailer is already at 41 so it is a simple task to load the small trailer with rubbish from the warehouse and then hitch up the Box...

By the time I get back, Carl the Clearance Man is at the lock up and has loaded some of the furniture.. 
He says that he has run out of time to get the "other" stuff to the dump - so I decide to load the box trailer with everything I can get in - he loads with stuff that he wants and there is a van load to pick up and take to the dump on Saturday.. One way or another, we have achieved what I want - the warehouse is clear ion Saturday so I can give the keys back and Paul can put the new tenant in.. and £400 a month is saved!!

But I have a trailer full of furniture that is not wanted at the moment.. 

There is a company called "Swop Me" a few miles north at Llanrystyd - I do not know if they are open at the moment in the shut down but I will contact them tomorrow to see if they will want any of the stuff I have - otherwise we will be having a big bonfire...

But - we have the opportunity to give the keys back on Saturday - and that is a big step forward based upon what we had at the beginning of the year ...

In other news - lovely picture from Crete today ...

Cheers !

29th December 2020 - Parcels from Germany

Thought for the day :"My wife said "Come into the bedroom and I'll put on that black lace number...” I said "No thanks, I can't stand ‘Agadoo’...”"

LINK JOHNS HOPKINS
Office of National Statistics  

Carmarthenshire - 111

Ceredigion - 14

Pembrokeshire - 30

Trip to Llanelli today and it seems that my house clearance people have started cleaing the warehouse which is a relief - sadly they had left the lights on when they left - goodness knows how long they have been on....  but a trip to the dump and most of the debris is now accounted for - managed to take two bags of garden waste as well - so doing a bit of clearance all round. Left the box trailer at 41. Can load it up over a period of time.

Susie has been clearing the lower ponds and they are so clear .. 

Meanwhile - we got a Red Cross Parcel from Germany again this year - Steffi and Sascha (aka Seamus McElroy) 

Sadly - much cannot be eaten by Susie - but there are some that she can enjoy ...

Oh - and it is raining ! But no snow ..

Cheers!

 

28th December 2020 - Raining Again - Bank Holiday and local Musings

Thought for the day :"I had eczema, diarrhoea and haemorrhoids over the weekend... My best game of Scrabble ever."

LINK JOHNS HOPKINS
Office of National Statistics  

Carmarthenshire - 98

Ceredigion - 6

Pembrokeshire - 49

Still not looking good - still on lock - down .. Still Raining ...

England Hospitals say that they have exceeded the number of patients during the first lock-down.

Met Office give Snow Warnings for most of the country before New Year. We have more rain...

Up early and emptied the trailer today - should be the last from the warehouse. Have booked the dump for tomorrow at 2pm for the last of the rubbish from the lock-up. Will hope that some of the furniture has been removed - but not sure what will have been done.

Emergency repairs seem to be holding up - but another storm is on the way in this evening.

Chatted with another of the locals this morning - Bill, one of our regular walkers with the walking poles came by ion his own this morning - Malcolm not with him - he stayed in today but Bill doesn't like being int he house he says - so went for the walk anyway.  Seems Malcolm has a son who lives next door to him and may well have got lost on the Donkey Trail on Christmas day and ended up in our garden - seems no harm done ... Will have to check the bottom section and see if I need to put some signs up ...and maybe some fencing.

On other matters, talking with Heather yesterday it turns out that she was the owner of the shop and post office in the village until about 15 years ago. I wondered about the police sign and the Police Lamp

and it turns out that she was one of the first Police Volunteers - a project that I was responsible for while in the force. In fact the development and financing of the Police Lamps was also one of our innovations as part of the Quality Support Department. Apparently when she stopped with the shop / post Office the police no longer supported the office in the village but left the sign and the lamp... Another snippet of local news to add to the pot...

Bank Holiday Monday, because Boxing Day was on Saturday, today is a Bank Holiday. You would not know any difference. Life goes on the same ....

We appear to have been lucky as Sky Broadband has apparently been down today - we have not noted any problems yet - though my hard drive in the Tavern died and I will have to find another to make music - thought there is very little room to manoeuvre at the moment...   We are getting to the stage where there will not be much room for what is left in the house...

Cheers !

27th December 2020 - Storm Bella - Survivor

Thought for the day:"Bono had a negative COVID test and was relieved that he’s only got bad catarrh. “Well tonight thank God it’s phlegm instead of flu....” "

LINK JOHNS HOPKINS
Office of National Statistics  

Totals for the weekend 

Blaenau Gwent - 138

Caerphilly - 280

Monmouthshire - 92

Newport - 234

Torfaen - 185

Anglesey - 26

Conwy - 61

Denbighshire - 67

Flintshire - 128

Gwynedd - 30

Wrexham - 148

Cardiff - 486

Vale of Glamorgan - 210

Bridgend - 380

Merthyr Tydfil - 146

Rhondda Cynon Taf - 393

Carmarthenshire - 253

Ceredigion - 37

Pembrokeshire - 51

Powys - 55

Neath Port Talbot - 274

Swansea - 280

Unknown Location - 25

Wales Total - 3979

Resident Outside Wales - 163

Deaths - 70

Out this morning to find out how we fared in the storm...

The Veranda had survived with the batten in place holding it so that it did not do more damage..

emergency repairs held out over night

There are cracks but the panel is still secure and water tight..

Removed the panel 

Ready to put back...

Half Way

and machine shed glazing repaired as well..

Walked the dog around the block. Discovered why I heard it referred to as the Donkey Trail. Should have realised when I saw the Donkeys the first time I walked through the farm by Hawan Hall. 
Today - Barbara - who lives in the farm was feeding her donkeys with carrots and 'Thena was very interested. But we had a long chat and I introduced myself to her - seems she does not come out of the farm much...

Further into the village, I met up with Heather and Paul. Paul is a local decorator who built his house on the site of the old Rhydlewis Tannery opposite Bwlchgwyn - the site of the old Gwernant Arms. Apparently, when it was converted from a pub - it was formed into two houses and later converted back into one house. Also was told about Vera who lives near the end of the lane and was a good friend of Barbara and Victor who used to live at Ffynnon Wen - and may well have photos of the place as it was in its prime. Another thing to look up ..

After repairs and the walk around the "donkey trail", didn't get around to emptying the trailer. Maybe a job for tomorrow.

Sunday evening - Countryfile, Antiques Roadshow and a silly film or two I think...

Cheers !

26th December 2020 - Boxing Day - Storm Bella coming

Thought for the day :"I’m thinking of making some of that spicy hot wine this Christmas... I’m not sure though, might just mull it over...."

 

LINK JOHNS HOPKINS
Office of National Statistics  

Carmarthenshire 105

Ceredigion 7

Pembrokeshire 31

Still monitoring as we go into Boxing Day...

Storm Bella on the horizon - though mainly calm and fairly warm today...
Managed to peg down the chicken house - though listening to the wind this evening I am not sure how successful it will be - will find out tomorrow..

Had a sudden gust and a crash this evening on the veranda - went out to find one of the plastic panels had jumped out of its grooves and was hanging - think it will need to be replaced but put a batten up to keep it in place overnight - again hope that it survives..
Back to non-Christmas tomorrow - which means emptying the trailer !! Probably in the rain!
now 10pm and the wind is blowing a hooley..

Walked the dog up the lane - but started raining so did not do the full ring as it was too wet - called in on Johnny and Kaye to thank them for lending us the car yesterday and telling the full story and then popped down to Charlie and Spot to do the same...

And that was about a boxing day. As we mused after dinner - this time last year we had the family around us celebrating Christmas in a traditional Family way - with no idea that we would be moving this year  - we were set for another year in 41 !!  And now - we almost have the warehouse empty and the house is nearing empty as well - the start of a new year will be releasing out final ties to Llanelli.

That will be a relief...

And so - Once again I lift a Christmas Glass to you

Cheers !

 

December 25th 2020 - Merry Christmas - don't forget to fill the car up...

Thought for the day :"Seven Swans to rule them all, Six Geese to find them, Five Rings to bring them all and in the Pear Tree bind them."

 

LINK JOHNS HOPKINS
Office of National Statistics  

(no daily update today) 

So - we decorated a bit - not a lot - but enough...

a few cards

A Christmas Poinsettia

and some strange creatures

a lazy biker Santa on the windowsill 

Mr Lobster and a Cuddly Toy

A few more cards

Did Santa Call?

Checking the road outside

Some Fairy Lights

A few decorations and a tree

not many lights this year

Just a little tree this year

The Stairs

All lit up

Susie by the fire..

And a few more....

Well - we made an effort...

And so did Cwm Aur - I like this idea - may use it next year - we have a few spare tyres.

And so to today's short story of calamity..

Yesterday was an ideal day to fill the car up with diesel, it should have been done on the last trip to Llanelli but, well, I forgot! So doing the Santa run could have been an opportunity - after all we went to Brynhoffnant to the petrol station / store. We took them some mulled wine as a "Thank You". Didn't want to spoil the trip with shopping so I had got food in CK's in Newcastle Emlyn before our Santa Trip. So I looked at the counter and it said that I had 72 miles left .. That was enough for a shut down Christmas...

So, this morning I headed off to Llanybydder for Vic... and the counter showed 42!! That was not so good.

After collecting him and the return journey we were down to 17 miles - not enough for a round trip to take hmi home.  Having checked that our immediate neighbours did not have any diesel in a can, an finding that Tesco in Cardigan was 11 miles away - it would be the only place locally with 24 hour pay at pump - it is after all Christmas Day!

So, after Christmas dinner - I set off to Cardigan watching the counter go down quickly !!  faster that the milometer would suggest was correct! And with fingers crossed I crossed into Tesco's with 5 miles left on the counter.

There were bollards across the garage - power on and "Pay at Pump" signs everywhere. Maybe the bollards were for social distancing?  Checked the pump and put the card in - "Pay cashier after filling" the screen said...  tried the pump - locked into place...  A bit of a blow...

Back up the road to Penparc where there was a garage - stopped there on the way to Cardigan but worth a second try - no pay at pump! So I park up and call the RAC - or rather the Nissan Assist line which is the link to RAC. Got through fairly quickly considering it is Christmas Day and after an embarrassed explanation of why I was int he predicament I was - I explained to the lass that we were in darkest Wales - I think she realised when she could not pronounce any of the places I mentioned. The A487 confused her!

However - we established that likely wait time would be 5-6 hours. 

This proves a problem with Vic in the house and needing to return to his flat - preferably by the time it gets dark - and it is now 3 o'clock...

Call to other neighbour shows that he also has no diesel - only petrol but also offers to lend his car...

That is two neighbours offering use of their vehicles !! Johnny is the best option as he can drive down to Ffynnon Wen and Susie and Vic can get in and pick me up at the garage and then go to Llanybydder....   and so it is decided - and Susie come to pick me up...

Meanwhile, a family had walked past with a dog about half an hour before and were heading back - so I opened the window and as they came past wished them a Merry Christmas.

"Chilling out?" was asked - I said no and explained my predicament...

 Which was good - because he said that he owned the garage and that he would be open the next morning at 9am.

I asked if I could leave the car there and try to get a lift and sort things out ...  and that I was waiting for my wife with a borrowed car , and a father in law who had to get back to his assisted living ....
and the long and short was that he said he lived around the corner and that he would open up and let me fill up!!!

And that is what he did... Susie arrived and I transferred Vic and took him home and Susie returned Johnny's car - and all is well that ends well ..

But I have just written a glowing review on their google links ... and think I will be heading back there with a bottle of Mead tomorrow - or the next day....

A strange Christmas - but we seem to be surrounded by really good people ....

Christmas is a time of hope and helping people - not just getting presents .. which we seem to have skipped mainly today... Susie got me a new Owain Glyndwr Flag to replace the tattered battle scarred one flying - but it can wait until the spring....

I have to get her an apricot tree - but they are not in the nursery yet ....  So she has to make do with a Poinsettia and a Terry's Chocolate Orange.

Managed a quick video link with Bunnie and Scarlett and a phone call to Nan ..

That is the family links sorted ...

Sending love to Chrissie and Paul - Chrissie will read this blog later and pass the news onto Paul...

And so we are sitting down to watch Ice Age 2 - the melting or something like that ...  

Oh - Brexit was sorted yesterday ... 2000 lorries stuck in Kent 

just a week to go to 2021 - by the way - that was when Mad Max was set as a film...
(probably not true but there is so much fake news that I may as well add this as it is a common meme) 

Oh! Third Christmas  Shut-down Serenade out...

Opened a bottle of Red

Cheers !

 

December 24th 2020 - Christmas Eve

Thought for the day :" I've decided enough is enough and I’m going to stop posting any more Christmas puns. I'm sure yule be glad to hear that..."

 

 LINK JOHNS HOPKINS
Office of National Statistics 

Carmarthenshire - 105

Ceredigion - 19

Pembrokeshire - 34

So - Christmas Eve and we have done the Santa Run around our neighbours - which seemed to go down well...

Everyone seemed to enjoy the craziness of the "new" people coming around in costume!!

Christmas Tree is up and some decorations in the sitting room which I will photograph tomorrow...
Vic allowed to come for the one day - though not allowed to have him for Boxing Day as well..

And so the second Song in the Christmas Shut-down Serenades...

All set for Christmas ..

He knows if you've been bad or good!!

Cheers !

December 23rd 2020 - Pubs and Back to the Studio

Thought for the day:"Forget the past you can’t change it. Forget the present I didn’t get you one"

 

LINK JOHNS HOPKINS
Office of National Statistics 

Carmarthenshire - 186

Ceredigion - 33

Pembrokeshire - 42

Not a good sign...

Blaenau Gwent - 95

Caerphilly - 209

Monmouthshire - 62

Newport - 233

Torfaen - 94

Anglesey - 1

Conwy - 9

Denbighshire - 22

Flintshire - 66

Gwynedd - 13

Wrexham - 108

Cardiff - 425

Vale of Glamorgan - 157

Bridgend - 241

Merthyr Tydfil - 82

Rhondda Cynon Taf - 296

Carmarthenshire - 186

Ceredigion - 33

Pembrokeshire - 42

Powys - 45

Neath Port Talbot - 202

Swansea - 254

Unknown Location - 29

Wales Total - 2,904

Resident Outside Wales - 109

We are ready for our Santa trip tomorrow - properly socially distanced gift run with Santa and Frosty the snowman taking mulled wine and meads to our neighbours.. We have had such a great welcome that we decided to introduce the concept of the Tavern - we shall see what the Reverend John Green BA thinks of that (the one who shut all the pubs in Rhydlewis back in the early 1900's as we understand)

Searches of Rhydlewis show the following under the Cadw Registers

Twr-Gwyn Methodist Chapel was built in 1750, enlarged in 1779, rebuilt in 1816 and 1846, and then renewed in 1932. The present chapel, dated 1846, is built in the Simple Round-Headed style of the long-wall entry type.

Information of pubs in Rhydlewis

Details of pub: Gwernant Arms, Rhydlewis

Other names: Gwer-nant Arms
Address/Location: Bwlchgwyn, Llangunllo parish
OS Grid Ref: SN3471347261
Opened: before 1875      
Closed: c. 1914       Type: Pub
Summary: This was one of about 100 pubs which the County Licensing committee closed after the 1904 act to reduce the number of pubs in Britain, but this is one of the few for which details of the calculation of the compensation paid is available.

Notes: 1876
4 Jan, location of property auction. 

Y Baner 25 Dec 1875

1884
Location of auction of land Y Baner 30 July 1884

1890
"PENRHIWPAL. PETTY SESSIONS. On Tuesday, July 29th, before Rev R. J. Lloyd, Sir M. O. M. Lloyd, and Dr Lloyd, New. castle Emlyn, Hannah Lloyd, Gwernant Arms, Rhyd-lewis, Llangunllo, was charged by P.C. David James, New Inn, with having sold intoxicating liquors to two persons during prohibited hours on the 2nd July. William R. Jones, Dyffrynseri, Troedyraur, shop-keeper, and John Jones, Llain, Penbryn. farmer's son were charged with having been on the licenced premises of Gwernant Arms, during prohibited hours on the 2nd July. All of the defendants pleaded guilty and were fined 1s. each and costs. " Cambrian News 22 Aug 1890

1905
Petty Sessions: Penrhiwpal; number on list: 15; name of premises: Gwernant Arms; Parish / Place: Rhydlewis; Licensee: Lloyd, Hannah ; owner or tenant : tenant; registered owner : G H Ll Williams, Gwernant, Rhydlewis; free or tied: free; tied to: [blank]; type of licence: full; on or off licence: on; number of licenced days per week: 6. (1905 list)
27th February 1912
Henry Evans, Licensee of the Gwernant Arms; detailed description of the building; it is the only PH in the village; there is a Rechabite Club at Rhydlewis; a Temperance Hotel recently built; evidence from Gilbert Lloyd Williams, owner of the house; evidence from J E James, joint proprietor of the Salutation Hotel; printed questionnaire and hand-written answers used to calculate the compensation.
The nearest Licences house to it is Penrhiwpal where the magistrates hold their meetings.
County Council Clerk’s records, Bundle of correspondence relating to the licensing of public houses in Cardiganshire, 1910-1912, Ceredigion Archives, CDC/SE/14/2
1912
It was proposed to close the pub in 1912, but the process was slow and it was not achieved until 1914. £209 was paid,
County Licencing Committee, 1905-1938 Ceredigion Archives, Cards/QS/L/1

1 Carmarthen Journal 31 Jan 1913 regarding resolution passed by Temperance Society

2. Date and publication as above but a piece in the local news section under Rhydlewis regarding the petition.

3. Carmarthen Journal 6 Feb 1914 re the Brewster Sessions. (To date, haven’t been able to find anything in the intervening year).

4. Carmarthen Journal 27 Feb 1914 licence refused at Petty Sessions

5. Cambrian News 12 June 1914. The first official notice published re the case for compensation.

6. Cambrian News 10 July 1914. The amount of compensation awarded.

7. Cambrian News 30 Oct 1914. Report from Quarter Sessions re division of money awarded for compensation.

Carmarthen Journal 31 Jan 1913

Carmarthen Journal 31 Jan 1913

Carmarthen Journal 6 Feb 1914

Carmarthen Journal 27 Feb 1914

Cambrian News 12 June 1914.

Cambrian News 12 June 1914.

Cambrian News 10 July 1914

1904

1914

And so a little bit of history is recorded ..

In other news - I started the Christmas Shut-down Serenades... 
Stuck in the Smoke-hole of the Tavern..

 

Also managed Santa's lost his trousers and 6 White Boomers.
They will follow in the next two days.

Cheers !