22 Nov 2020

Introducing Ruby.

posted in: Other stuff, Renovation, Travel, Wales |

I’m not often given to anthropomorphism but then it’s not every house that comes with a free Austin 7. This one, a 1937 Austin Seven RUBY, has been under a tarpaulin at Fedw Fawr this last twenty odd years and the previous owner felt it, nay, she, belonged with the house. Today we bit the bullet and moved Ruby to a purpose-built shed. This gorgeous little car should now slowly come back to life along with the rest of this neglected old house.

20 Oct 2020

Three Days in October

posted in: Countryside, Different stuff, Renovation, Wales |

We’re now 15 months into the long renovation of C17 Fedw Fawr. It wasn’t long after we bought this (frankly a wreck of a) place that we uncovered a serious problem with the mighty main chimney stack. Centuries of rain had washed out all the clay mortar from between the stones. That and the sheer weight of the thing had created a long deep fracture and dangerous slippage about half way up. I could put it off no longer and so spent 3 long days in October at the top of a tall ladder with buckets of lime mortar, spiral steel helixes and lots of rocks to stitch and point it all back together again.

6 Jul 2020

Highland Cattle in Cwmrheidol

posted in: Countryside, Gardening, Wales |

Daniel’s Highland cows have been coming up to our back gate at Dolfawr lately. These are curious beasts and we’ve had to push them back out of the garden several times, and later evict them from the yard by the pole barn. It’s not so much as they were seeking food, more like they just had to see for themselves what was there.

4 Dec 2019

Happy birthday to me

posted in: Bollocks, Countryside, Different stuff, Travel, Wales |

Another of our regular trips to Portmeirion. Can heartily recommend Bridge House #4. We spent the evenings with the lights out just watching the Dwyryd estuary go by. Hotel food sublime as ever; breakfast in the room – luxurious and the woodlands and beaches fabulous. And best of all, we had the entire village pretty much to ourselves ( the food fair started the day after we left).

18 Nov 2019

Flying the Budgie

posted in: Countryside, Flying, Wales |

A whizz[sic] around the block in my mate Pete’s flying pushchair – affectionately known at Welshpool as “The Budgie”. Cold, draughty, slow er… did I say cold? But the most fun you can have in a tiny 2 stroke aeroplane. Actually getting in the thing is an art-form in itself, but it’s a doddle to fly and is about as thirsty as a lawnmower.

19 Jul 2019

Latest project

posted in: Countryside, Other stuff, Wales |

Despite previous denials, I admit, we are now serial renovators. Our lovely new project in the hamlet of Capel Betws Lleucu in westest Wales. To find it go to the middle of nowhere and turn left. I foresee many years of hard manual labour. Watch this space.

Front view of Fedw Fawr - a grade 2 listed house requiring renovation in west Wales.
1 2 3 4 5 6