The Vagabond Trail

Our winter activity.

2012-01-17T07:11:00.003Z

So, how is every one? Christmas and New Year activity a rapidly fading memory? It is for me too. To be truthful, it is no longer a time that I engage with enthusiasm, dark evenings, cold weather, unnecessary expense, in fact I think that I can safely say that I am glad to see the back of it. I am desperate for some warm spring days, so that I can get outside in relative comfort and breathe fresh air all day long, but of course there is still some way to go. We have spent the last few months fairly static, moving only when there is good reason. On the plus side, we have seen a good deal of the family (our girls and grandchildren, that is.) I am however, not so sure that they would agree, they probably feel like they have been invaded sometimes. We also have the pleasure of an additional grandson, Jack. Who, now two weeks old and at the time of writing this should still be in the warmth of his mothers womb for another two weeks, so he was only 4lb 8oz (2.2kg) at birth. He caused a bit of commotion for a day or two but things have settled somewhat now. Pat's parents are both sadly suffering age related health issues, which have been both worrying and time consuming. Fortunately, time is the one thing that we are able give, but it has had it's toll on Pat. She has had little in the way of respite, continually doing battle with care organisations that don't actually seem to care for the elderly and making frequent hospital visits.

So, that is briefly, an idea of what we have been up to for some weeks. We have lengthening days and warmer weather to look forward to, can't wait.

Keeping myself amused

2011-10-24T09:03:00.003+01:00

I have been told, on occasions that I am childish, I do like a laugh I admit, and some might say that my sense of humour is a little sick, neither of which are true, of course. It's just that sometimes I see things a little differently to some people. On a recent journey from point A to B I noticed the amount of "road kill". The crows and magpies have a banquet first thing in the morning, don't they. The next time that I sat down to give my guitar a good beating a few light hearted lyrics kept popping up in my mind. Before long, I had the makings of a little song, so while things were quiet I thought that I'd record it in a video. Have you ever done that, as soon as you press the record button, your mind, hands and brain seem to lose all coordination. Any way, eventually I had something that I thought was worth saving, so if you click on this link http://youtu.be/13fZEz8zesU you can have a look. Hope you like it.

We are not alone

2011-10-24T08:04:00.003+01:00

Are we the only people that this happens to? Arriving at a new location, (bearing in mind that we never use commercial or club sites) and given the choice, I take into account many things, some of which are.................

The points of the compass, because I like the sun to shine on the door.

Wind direction, because I don't like the wind on the door.

The landscape, we like to have a pleasant view.

The proximity of trees, we don't want heavy rain water or branches drumming on the roof.

The location of other trucks or caravans. I like to have some space, nor do I want to disturb other people.

So with all of these things in our thoughts, we choose our preferred pitch. I don't care about the proximity of hook ups, water supplies or waste disposal points etc. We settle in, take in the surroundings and relax to enjoy our new view. I could almost bet a months pension on it, that soon after we are sorted, another outfit arrives and no matter if the site is huge, comes and parks either right next to us or right in front of our view. What are they doing? Why do they do that?.........Invading our newly found haven! Yes; I know that we are on a touring site and all have the same right to use it. It is funny though, how we become somewhat possessive of our temporary space or am I getting grumpy? Sorry.

Close encounter

2011-10-13T14:19:00.003+01:00

Today we have left behind the damp grey weather of North Wales and headed back to the midlands. Our route took us along a few miles of the A5 which is in places a little on the narrow side for modern traffic. We had a close encounter with a tractor on a bend, that pulled out in front of us while we were moving at about 50 mph, happily we were able to stop in time. A little further on and a truck, that was coming towards us, was barely able to keep to his lane, due to the width of the road. One of its mirrors struck our off side mirror with a bang, our truck being left hand drive, poor Pat nearly needed a change of underclothes. Fortunately the damage was minimal but it was a little too close for comfort.

My new 12 string acoustic guitar.

2011-09-05T20:46:00.007+01:00

For more years than I care to remember, I have attempted to play the guitar, had I been left to my own devices I would now own many. Pat has never understood the attraction, to me, they are instruments of beauty, made to be caressed with affection and feeling. Because space is at a premium I have never carried one in the truck, but I have missed my guitars and earlier in the summer I made some space by removing a few non essential items and installed my 12 string, which is now a little more than forty years old. A couple of weeks back I decided to treat myself to a new one, we travelled 145 miles to buy it and Oh how I love it! Maybe one day I will be able to play it as well as I would like.

Early sunsets

2011-09-05T07:35:00.004+01:00

The early sunsets and distant flocks of cackling geese, as they fly in streamers across the horizon have made me only too aware that another summer is all but over. The "Vagabond Trail" I know, has been neglected and I make no apologies, nor am I going to attempt to fill in the blanks, we have been busy, there have been ongoing episodes of family illness, our own medical issues and also the marriage of our youngest daughter (to Danny) have all taken a little of our time, some more than others. None the less, it has been a great summer and we are still, very much enjoying our alternative lifestyle. We are currently sitting in the morning sunshine, with about four acres to ourselves, and still thinking how lucky we are.

Mundane can be good.

2011-05-30T08:29:00.004+01:00

New subject matter, that's what I have been hoping to find, but I have to confess that I am struggling, the last few weeks have been spent mostly making more leather goods (but I don't wish to bore you with more pictures of that) keeping warm, interspersed with a little fishing. So, nothing new there then. In fact, mundane is probably a good word to describe the last month or more. On one occasion, I even mowed acres of grass (free of charge) on the site for something to do, it was quite fun, riding on a tiny tractor after having repaired three punctures in one front wheel first. I have also repaired a leaking water pipe, unblocked toilets and assisted with the repair of several cars, in addition I have re-erected awnings that were flattened by the wind, emptied waste bins full of water that were filled by children for a little fun and yesterday replaced the ignitor block on our own heating system. The last time this device failed (in 2005) I had to wait three weeks for a service agent in the midlands to get the part from Truma, imagine my delight, yesterday (a bank holiday Sunday) when discovering the fault at 08:00 hours and fitting a replacement before 11:00 hours and for twenty pounds less than listed on the Internet. We have of course re-kindled a fair few old friendships as people have turned up for weekend breaks and it has been good to see them all healthy and happy. I think that we will be moving on soon even if only to break out from under the perpetual cloud that has covered the skies here for a fortnight or more.

This place, this time.

2011-04-18T07:28:00.007+01:00

At last the roof mounted solar panel has been earning it's keep, with a little more sunshine and of course the lengthening days of spring. We have been able to hand wash some clothing and dry it outdoors saving a significant amount of money on visits to the local launderette. The fishing has been sporadic and so have attempts with my leather work productivity. We have enjoyed many hours with friends, some old and some new, including one lady from the USA and another from Brisbane, Australia, with the later taking a bespoke leather cigarette box back to the land of "Skippy". Gus, a local terrier, is sporting a new collar bearing his name and my makers mark. We have been given rhubarb, fresh eggs and cake by the site owners, which of course have all been put to good use and the local crop of wild garlic is just about ready to start adding to our meals. If you haven't tried wild garlic, then you really should if you get the chance. When finely chopped, the leaves give a very pleasant but mild garlic flavour to any meal. All we need now are a few fresh fish, which I am of course working on. I have indeed caught many fish, far too many to keep a tally of, but as usual, they are quite small here so I have returned them all. Yesterday evening I went with my brother, Ian and Damon, a friend, to see if we could catch some mullet. After a couple of hours, our sum total was zero, but what a lovely evening, the sort you see in films about distant places. We saw some truly huge fish, cruising like silent submarines and creating huge bow waves that could be seen from 100 metres or more, in the shallow waters near the estuary. We saw trout, leaping into the air, two feet high or so and crashing back into the water shattering the silence of the warm, still surroundings. This place, this time, was paradise and I would defy anyone not to be taken by the tranquility and beauty. Even the gnats were friendly, as they nibbled quietly on my ear lobes and buzzed softly as they departed with full bellies. I wished I had brought my SLR camera, I could have taken countless photographs. All too quickly, we had to leave and begin the mile walk back to our base before it got too dark, where we were greeted by the ladies and the usual leg pulling of more empty fish bags. So, this is not a tale of "the one that got away" but a reminder of why we chose this life style and the experiences that we would not otherwise have the delight to encounter.

The Good Life

2011-04-05T08:00:00.015+01:00

During the middle of last week, the call of the coast became too loud to ignore, so with a freshly washed and fettled truck we made our way to Wales for a spot of "The Good Life". The journey was fine, apart from the rain that is, the truck was filthy by the time we arrived on site. Once at our desired location I filled a couple of buckets from the river and quickly washed off the truck, I hate it looking dirty.

It didn't take me long to get the fishing gear set up either and soon I was hauling in the first wild brown trout of the season, remembering the difficulty I had catching this time last year, I was very pleased with myself and this fine fish (albeit small). The next couple of days were quite relaxing, fishing whenever the mood should take me, enjoying a reasonable amount of sunshine and when I wasn't fishing, tying a few flies. Sadly, the weather began to take a turn for the worse, winter made a stealthy attack, and left teeth marks in our rear, the river has been running fast and brown since. So the last couple of days, have seen us confined to the "not so great indoors" and the comfort of the gas central heating. I took to making a few more items from my leather stocks, the first is a belt that I carved, I really like the pattern, it is not too garish and I left the leather in it's natural colour, just polished it with some beeswax. I may put it in my internet shop. Then, I thought that I would treat myself to a new wallet, so for two days solid, I sat building the most ornate wallet that I have made to date using calf skin and some cow hide for trim. It's a bit fancy, but what the hell and it is probably worth more money than it will ever carry at any given time. Of course, I made a matching

belt loop and rein to go with it and I even remembered to put my makers mark on this one. Now the forecast is for a few days of warm sunshine, so with a little luck it will be back to spot of fishing and maybe a little saving on the gas.

The west coast is calling

2011-03-27T07:31:00.003+01:00

Our last stop off was on the Welsh border near Oswestry, the location was on high ground with superb views across the Shropshire plain towards the West Midlands. Given the time of year, the weather was quite reasonable but we were still both glad of an electric hook up, specially at night. Most days I sat making small leather goods, taking in the views and dreaming about a spot of fishing.

Encouraged by friends and family, I have now opened an internet shop, (you may have seen the link on the right) how time consuming is that? It has certainly put me off advertising items on E-bay despite the number of people that use it. The early response has been encouraging though, with over 400 views in the first week.

We now move into that time of year when, despite four years experience in this way of life, we never know whether to strip out much of our winter clothing, or leave it a few more weeks just in case the winter sneaks up from behind to give us a defiant nip. The problem is, that we can not carry an all season wardrobe, there is just not the storage space or load capacity in the truck. I suppose the answer is, buy a larger truck, but with diesel now around £7.00 per gallon I am reluctant to do that. The last few days have seen us "Spring cleaning" washing the curtains, putting a little paint on the wheels etcetera in order that we do not look even more like a couple of destitute vagabonds. One thing is for certain, the west coast is calling and the voice is getting louder with each passing day.

A "Western" style wallet

2011-03-12T16:29:00.006Z

We have now left our winter location and are back on the move. The truck has two new tyres on the rear, after the harsh winter had taken it's toll causing the walls to crack and bulge badly. The premium tyres that we had to scrap were only 2 and a half years old, had 6mm of tread remaining and were in a dangerous condition, I hope these new ones fair somewhat better. We also have 13 months MOT under our belt and a complement from the tester who said that the underside of the truck is exceptionally good. I have spent some more time working with leather and am now considering putting a few items for sale on the internet, but we shall see. The items that I have made recently have a "Western" style to them and I got a great deal of pleasure out of designing and constructing them. These items have been made using vegetable tanned calf skin that I bought a couple of weeks back. The greatest challenge has to be the construction of the inside and then assembling it all in the correct sequence. This particular wallet took about twelve hours to make and another two or three hours for the reign and belt loop. I have completed four or five different wallets recently along with a couple of belts and another handbag. For the next few weeks I will show them to friends and family and note the comments and reactions before making any decisions.

In the pink

2011-02-10T18:57:00.004Z

The last few days has seen a slight curbing of my activities, due to my careless use of a knife the tip of my left forefinger is no longer where it should be. For several days I had been working on a very pink hand bag and whilst cutting the final piece of leather I sliced off the tip of my finger and it's attached nail. Isn't it amazing how such a minor injury can have such a debilitating effect, although right handed, it would seem that my left forefinger is used for almost everything that I do. Any way, I did manage to complete the offending bag albeit somewhat more slowly than anticipated. I told you it was pink! The following day, a local farmer here, offered me three wood pigeons that he had shot as part of his pest control regime. Neither of us had eaten pigeon before so I jumped at the opportunity to try something different. I removed the breasts from the birds and diced them while Pat prepared the other ingredients before putting it all in the slow cooker. I have to say that it was both very tasty and very filling. I have tried a little fishing but again returned empty handed, I believe that during the recent cold snap, when the river froze over from bank to bank many of the fish left the small river here for the deeper water of the nearby river trent and as yet have failed to return. So, I'm afraid that's about it for now.

Warmth on my face

2011-02-01T07:30:00.010Z

I like mornings, the quiet, the stillness, the solitude and yesterday while the world was rushing about to get to work I went for a walk accompanied by Meg and my camera. The temperature was -5C and our feet made soft crunching sounds as we walked across the grass. I have no idea how many photographs I took but here are a few. On our return to the truck the frost had begun to thaw as the sun climbed slowly higher and for the first time in months I could feel its gentle warmth on my face. For ten minutes or so, I sat on the step in the doorway and savoured this almost forgotten feeling before setting about a morning of domestic chores outside. The truck had its first wash for several months now that the water was not going to freeze before it hit the ground, Megs bedding was given a good airing and I fettled my fishing gear before going off in search of fish. No fish............but I really couldn't give a damn, it had been a lovely day and bringing it all to close was as dramatic a sunset as one could wish for.

Voices in my head

2011-01-30T16:20:00.006Z

I really ought to know better by now, but sometimes I ignore the voices in my head, usually at my cost I might add. I know that many would say it's rubbish, also that some will understand but I don't really care what others may think, the fact of the matter is, sometimes.............I know in advance that certain things are going to happen. It doesn't "spook" me, because it has happened for most of my life. I should explain...........For several days I have had a constant nagging about the mains electrical connections which are beneath the false floor in the wardrobe, I have even woken in the night and got up to check that we still have power. This morning, the sky was heavily overcast and the frost was beginning to thaw. I sat considering how to spend the day, be it fishing or working some item of leather when Pat asked if I would like some toast. The toaster however, refused to work and it was then that I discovered that we had lost our mains supply. Removal of the contents of the wardrobe followed by lifting the floor gave me access to the electrical components that distribute power around the truck. Removing the cover from the RCD exposed the problem, a multi connection block had melted along with several wires in and out. A couple of hours later, punctuated with only occasional expletives and I had replaced the damaged components. A few tests out of the way and "Bingo" we were cooking on gas (and electric) once more. It worries me that I did not inspect it sooner, the consequences could have been disastrous and I have enough similar experiences to know better, as those closest to me will know.

This is a closer look at the offending parts, which almost fell to pieces as I removed them. Thank heaven things didn't turn out worse.

January

2011-01-28T18:11:00.004Z

January as usual, has been quiet for us, it is a matter of taking whatever the weather throws our way and waiting patiently for the spring. The occasional bright sunny day and slowly lengthening days are most welcome, so too, are visits from friends and family. With all of the melt water from the recent snow the river has resembled grandma's soup and so my many attempts at fishing have been completely fruitless. Our bird feeders have been well attended but not by anything out of the ordinary and we have watched the occasional fox jogging through the neighbourhood. I have made a few leather items in order to keep my hands busy and my mind active and my collection of fishing flies has increased by at least 100%. I think Pat has read the weight of the truck in books and I have read enough magazines to cover a rally field. With our winter need for mains hook ups and hard standing I don't imagine that we will be venturing far for the next weeks.

The "Santa run"

2010-12-27T07:44:00.012Z

With the festive feasting all but finished for a while I thought that I would write a few words. We both had the Christmas that we wanted, (as I hope you did too) quiet, but also with some time with our loved ones. This is the scene that we woke to here in rural Staffordshire, a crisp -10 degrees Celsius, absolute stillness and not a machine could be heard to spoil the silence. After walking Meg along the river bank we loaded up the car and set off on the "Santa run". Our family all live quite close by (within 15 miles) and so it wasn't long before we were looking at their happy smiling facing. I suppose we spent about an hour or so in the homes of each of our daughters, getting spoilt and bombarded with the excited chatter of the children. As always, we were presented with some lovely, thoughtful gifts for which we would like to thank them all very much. The thing that gave me personally the most pleasure was the giving of the gifts that I had spent weeks making and whilst they may not be adorned with those desirable designer labels or high price tags there is much love and respect in every hand stitch that I made. Girls, I do hope they are ok.

So, with Santa's sacks all now empty and my heart filled with contentment, we returned to the truck where we opened our gifts to each other before Pat set about the cooking of the most delicious Christmas dinner. Thank you all, so very, very much.

"Sods law"

2010-12-22T17:13:00.007Z

The winter solstice was yesterday and for me it is always a day to look forward to, the return to lengthening days perks me up and with today's repeated dumping of snow I am pleased to have something that lifts my spirit. For the last four or five days, "T", who is 9 years old and one of our grandsons came to stay with us, he likes to go fishing with me and seems to have a growing interest which I am keen to encourage. Many times he has told me that he would love to fly fish, so after a few fruitless sessions, in temperatures that can invoke temporary, involuntary sex change in men we made a trip into town where he bought himself the basics in fly fishing gear. He is naturally very proud of his new equipment and despite the fact that the river has been frozen over for much of it's length we kept having a bash. I would love to have seen his face when he hooked into a decent grayling, but sadly this time it wasn't to be. This morning we had to take the little chap back home to his Mom in order to ensure he is in his own bed when "Santa" calls by. As we returned to the site around midday, the snow began to give way to the sun and I went walkabout with my camera. It was so pleasant, that within half an hour I decided that I just had to try my hand fishing once more. I made my way to a spot that I know often holds a few fish and knelt down facing the sun. Casting here is difficult, there is only a narrow window of about six foot between the boughs of trees but my little 7ft rod is perfect for the job. The water here runs quite slowly and so I laid the fly with as much delicacy as I could muster. It took no more than ten minutes before I was in a full scale battle with a good sized fish. I was sure that I had hooked a grayling because this fish fought me long and hard for several minutes. When the fish finally conceded defeat and was nestled quietly in my net I saw that it was in fact a chub, the second in a week and weighing in at 2lb 1oz. I felt so sorry for "T", only a couple of hours since his departure and "sods law" applies.

One more cast

2010-12-15T18:03:00.004Z

Today has been quite overcast and despite a temperature of 5 degrees Celcius, with the northerly wind it felt more like 0 degrees and with nothing very pressing to do I went fishing, fishing for grayling that is. For an hour and a half, I searched a stretch of water of about half a mile or so without so much as a sign of any fish. Having only caught one fish each time that I have been out this week, I wasn't too surprised. When the cold had penetrated my bones to the point of near immobility I decided to head back to the truck. Every 20 metres or so I would stop, peer into the water and make another few half hearted casts in the hope that I may get lucky. As I approached a sharp bend in the river I saw a large dark fish, unfortunately it also saw me and moved away. Like a geriatric commando, I crept away and upstream in the hope that the fish wasn't feeling too energetic and may still be in the area. From a kneeling position I made several casts of a fly followed by a slow and gentle retrieve. Another half a dozen fruitless attempts and a small collection of rotting twigs and I decided, one more cast and I'm off back in the warm. So, one final cast and a long dead drift toward the bend before beginning the retrieve. To my surprise I felt the hook set into something quite heavy. Slowly I pulled in the line thinking I had hooked a dead branch or tree root, then the line really tightened, my rod bent over and I had to ease my grip on the line so that my 2lb line tippet didn't break. This was followed by a large swirl on the surface of the water and the brief showing of a fin. Gently and smoothly I hauled in the line and brought my prize over the net, a big fat chub. Before releasing it I weighed the fish on the new digital scales that Pat bought me for our anniversary, 2lb 8oz. what a corker.

The dangers of a safety rail

2010-12-12T17:05:00.009Z

Well, what have I been up to for the last couple of weeks? Shovelling snow, defrosting water pipes, consuming huge amounts of fuel in an attempt to keep warm, much the same as the rest of you, I imagine. Of course, I took a few photographs just to look back on in the future. I have continued making Christmas gifts and have just about completed my list.

For the most part we coped with the last cold snap quite well, the one persistent problem was the freezing of the waste water pipe. It is routed on the exterior of the truck under the floor and therefor I don't really see that lagging it would serve much purpose in temperatures below minus five degrees Celsius. Defrosting was not an option and so we just took to using a bowl for washing etc. and emptying it in the normal place. Pretty as the landscape may have been I am pleased to have sight of green grass and tarmac once more. For a couple of days we had to return to the house, each day the children board the school bus just a few metres away from where we park up. The pick up point is on a corner and for the safety of the children there is a tubular steel safety rail to stop exuberant children from spilling into the road. Six of our eight grandchildren catch the bus here each day, one of them being Anabelle, aged nine. Now "B" as she is often called, is the kind of child that if you tell her not to do something because of inherent danger she has to find out if it is true. One day last week the temperature locally reached a piercing minus ten degrees and "T" (our grandson) warned all of the kids "Do not touch the rail with your tongue because you will stick to it" So, you guessed it. "B" did no more than walk over to the rail and licked it like a lolly. You can imagine her panic, when she tried to call for help with her tongue stuck firmly to a length of scaffold type railing. Her arms and legs flapping as she tried to attract attention to her plight. Unfortunately all of the supervising adults, myself included, were unable to assist due to incapacitating laughter. Poor little "B" eventually broke the bond and dripped a trail of blood in the snow back to the truck for some first aid by her Nan. Like a true hero she boarded the bus to school, a little embarrassed and with advice not to eat any salt and vinegar crisps for a day or two.The evidence was clear and visible for the next 24 hours and not just on her tongue. Oh "B", sorry for laughing but it did look funny.

Going soft?

2010-11-27T07:20:00.003Z

When I opened the curtains this morning, my heart sank a little as I looked out at our first snow of the winter, albeit only a sprinkling. From the warmth of the truck, I watched the birds as they flitted about in their search for food, for a breakfast, to fuel them through the day. Then for some reason, this got me thinking about the past. From the age of about six we lived in a council house, as did everyone that I knew and because it was new, it had central heating on the ground floor, real luxury. I remembered some of the winters, substantial snowfalls and frost were normal. Of a morning, our then pretty young Mom, would wake us for school before she went downstairs to light the coal fire, which heated the water for the radiators. Clambering over my disgruntled brothers bed, I would pull aside the curtains to look outside, to find the windows encrusted with ice. The net curtains would be locked in the ice on the glass. I would place the end of my thumb on the glass to defrost a hole through which I could look. "It's snowed, it's snowed" I would excitedly tell my brother Ian, whose head would wearily lift off his pillow as he sat up to check whether I was lying or not. The moisture in our breath was visible as we excitedly chatted and dressed. Mom made us wear a vest in winter, a white singlet beneath a grey flannelet shirt and a short sleeved jersey, that is now called a tank top. For the winter months we both had thick grey shorts and long grey woolen socks that were held up with bands of elastic called garters. We both hated wearing a vest, it was cissy, but our garters were essential and if one was displaced it would sometimes cause a minor skirmish. By the time we got down stairs, the fire would be burning bright, but with no heat in it yet and the room would be filled with the smell of coal and wood smoke. After breakfast, we put on our second hand corduroy "windjammer" jackets and knitted balaclava's before we set off for the mile and a half walk to school and a snowball fight or two, the last words from Mom would be "Have you put your vest on?" Sometimes, the snow would come up to our bare knees and beyond, our socks would be soaked before we had got two hundred yards. The leather of our "Tuff" shoes (a boring but quality brand) beginning to absorb the wet as we kicked about in the snow and slush. All day long we sat with wet feet, the schools never closed due to the weather, later with the shoe leather slowly beginning to turn white as it dried on our feet, it would be time to walk home again and tuck into a plate of sandwiches for tea, or if Dad had finished work a plate of belly pork or perhaps even neck of lamb.

Maybe this morning isn't so bad after all.

Misty morning

2010-11-16T07:00:00.008Z

We are back in the midlands and have been for about a week, there is not much happening so we are just kicking back as we prepare for Christmas. Most of my time has been spent making more gifts, it has so far been a very useful exercise because I have made items that I perhaps would not otherwise have tried. Last Sunday we turned out for the local Remembrance Parade, which sadly I found a little disappointing. The only serving military presence was two army officers, with the majority of the parade made up by children of the cadet forces, scouts and guides etc. Not a good example to the youngsters I thought.

Due to the increased frequency of frosty mornings I have fitted some carpet in the truck, it takes the edge off placing feet on the cold cushion floor when getting out of bed and scraping ice from the inside of the windscreen yesterday, spurred me into repairing the ageing external thermal screen cover which we made about three years ago.

I am not one for lying in bed, even in the winter when it is cold and dark and this morning was no exception. No more than five minutes walking and I caught this chap just as the sun was rising at the start of a lovely day. I walked for about a mile or so before turning back towards the truck, this is the view that I returned to.

Resting up

2010-11-04T18:28:00.007Z

On Tuesday we went Christmas shopping, we had a fairly successful day and came away a few pounds lighter, both physically and financially. As the day went on Pat seemed to be getting less and less well, coughing, sneezing and croaking like Kermit. Despite dosing up with decongestants and paracetamol the following morning she was far worse. We went into town at 09:00 am to try and get to see a doctor, but the health carers at two surgeries didn't care and so we had to attend the hospital. I ask you, hospital for a dose of antibiotics. Happily, half a dozen capsules later and she is already sounding a lot better. While Pat was resting up, I decided to take advantage of our inactivity and make some Christmas presents. No clues and certainly no pictures. The weather has been very pleasant and for most of today we have sat with the door open. As the daylight began to fade, the sun cast a brief golden light across the field which I thought worthy of a photograph or two.

A time to worry?

2010-11-01T16:30:00.007Z

Well, things have been somewhat slow. We have carried out a few grandparent duties as planned but with our daughters' independent streak, the requirement has been less than anticipated and so we have now left Staffordshire and our daughter with foot still in plaster, for warmer climes, ie. Somerset. Over the last few weeks there has been a short series on TV about the "Eddie Stobart" trucking company, with both of us having a passing interest in trucks, we have watched several episodes. We were told, in one of the programmes, that on average a "Stobart" truck will be seen every four minutes. Well, something is clearly amiss. Last week, we made a brief shopping trip to Belgium and back by coach, none stop, in 16 hours. During that long, mind numbing, butt crunching, night and day of relentless motorway travel we only saw about 25 Stobart trucks, but who's counting. Today we began our journey at 09:30 am. We travelled non stop, by motorway for 140 miles until 12:05 pm. Now I don't want to be alarmist, but we only saw ten Stobart trucks. What's going on? Have I really become that sad? No....I just need to get out more, Now then, where did I put my anorak?

Flying the canal

2010-10-18T07:15:00.014+01:00

Sunday, I went fishing. I met Dean and Dave at about 07:00 am and after scraping the ice off the windscreen we were on our way to a nearby canal. I had toyed with the idea of taking my SLR camera along but decided against it because I felt it would distract me from fishing, that was my first mistake. We had only been driving a matter of minutes and I cursed leaving the camera behind. The weather was perfect, frosty, still, and enough mist to give some superb photographs. We parked up at the canal and walked a few hundred metres, I was distracted by the mood of the morning, as was Dave. For the first hour neither of us fished with much enthusiasm, instead we were clicking away with our cameras trying to capture the scene. People on the boats were beginning to stir, the occasional bump from on board, the gentle rolling of the boats as people inside moved about and smoke spiraling from the small chimneys on the roofs. Dean was fishing away, oblivious to the surroundings, concentrating on the task in hand, fishing. "What sign?" He said.

Dave wandered up to the next lock, trying to wear out his new camera as I made a few casts of the fly, but it was cold on the hands and I was focused on the peace of it all. The world was waking slowly, the occasional dog walker strolled by, whispering quiet "Good mornings" and ducks quacked noisily in protest as the dogs herded them into the cold black water. We remained in this first spot for about half an hour and with no fish, slowly walked back towards the next lock down. The sky was getting brighter as the sun cut through the silhouetted trees with light sabres that cast bright shafts of gold through the mist. The constantly changing light display called for quick action with the camera and even with my little point and shoot compact some times I was not quick enough.

Poor Dean became our caddy, loaded up with our rods as Dave and I fired off shots while we walked.

We spent a further hour or so fishing this stretch of water before changing location completely by driving about ten miles in search of some fish that were a little more interested in playing along with us. At this second venue, I became a little fixated on a fish that I had seen rise by a submerged branch. For half an hour or so I tried to tempt this fish with my fly before finally he very gently, took it. It felt like a good sized fish, heavy and without panic, he played along with me until the net was raised ready to land it and then he was off. In a state of disappointment and depression, I pointed out to Dave where I hooked it, my second mistake, who then nonchalantly cast his fly to the indicated spot, hooking and landing the only fish of the day. A lovely zander, of about four pounds or so. Well done Dave, ya bugger! It was a great morning, I really enjoyed the company, thanks guys.

My pleasure

2010-10-14T07:04:00.007+01:00

One of our daughters had a couple of operations in hospital last week, so for the time being we are staying close at hand in case we are needed. She has three children of her own and also looks after her nephews and nieces for a couple of hours most days. Being female, she is very independent and so we have not done a great deal to help out at the moment. The river trout season is over for another year so with the exception of taking two of the grandchildren for a couple of hours on a local canal my fishing tackle remains unused.

The recent spate of dismal, overcast days has made it difficult to carry out any close work but still I have tried to produce a couple of items in leather. Some months back, I made a fairly basic fly case which has worked very well and I now felt that I could do a better job so I passed a few hours by making a second one. The functionality of the first case was good, it was the appearance that I was not happy with. On this latest item I added some leather sides which needed to be "box stitched" in place, I have never box stitched before so it would be good practice I thought. I had a trial run with a couple of bits of scrap and then set about things for real. I took my time, cursed a lot and ended up with this. For a first attempt, I was quite happy with the outcome, it is both strong and neat. Because the light was so poor I decided against hand carving (or incising as it is also known) and stamped a trout design along with my initials.

I continued the stitching all around the edge of the pouch, this serves two purposes, the first is to stop the leather from stretching so much with use and the second, to enhance the overall appearance. The inside contains a piece of dense, closed cell foam to accommodate the flies. Our oldest granddaughter is now a "Guide" and she asked if I could make a woggle for her. Having three daughters, I understand the importance of fashion accessories so I made a small selection in order that she could vary this most prestigious of Guide uniform items. She seemed suitably impressed and I was rewarded with thanks and a big hug. Molly, it was my pleasure.

Boys stuff

2010-10-04T07:09:00.005+01:00

As we are not far from the family at present, we asked if our two oldest grandsons would like a weekend in the truck and maybe, do a spot of fishing. Well, of course they couldn't get here fast enough, armed with sufficient bedding, clothing, goodie bags and fishing tackle for a fortnight. All week the fishing had been quite fair but Friday it rained heavily all day and the river resembled a chocolate fountain but none the less, half hour after their arrival we went fishing. The evening was warm, and the light started to fade but both boys managed to catch a couple of minnows each in no time at all. It soon became evident that there was a pike close by, little fish making frantic darts to escape this marauder, getting airborne and landing on the water like a handful of thrown gravel. Imagine my surprise, when following a large splash "T" shouted "Grandpa. Help." His little four foot rod bent almost double as he wrestled with a pike. In no time the fish was off but the buzz and excitement that it caused continued well into darkness. Saturday, the weather was much more pleasant, it was warm with long sunny periods but sadly the river was still virtually unfishable due to its colour. That said, the boys had a fantastic day, pulling minnows from the water one after another, from about 08:30am until 6:50pm with only short breaks for essential things like toilet breaks and food. In the evening we all sat and watched "Merlin" on TV as the boys slowly unwound before bed. Sadly, most of Saturday night it rained again, making the river rise significantly and the daylight hours saw no break in the deluge. Fishing would have been both fruitless and dangerous and by midday the boys were on their way home, eager to do the homework that they had put off all week. So, to their Moms, sorry about all of the washing, and to the lads, hope you had fun, we'll have to do it again one day.

Strange feelings

2010-10-01T07:25:00.003+01:00

Yesterday the truck had it's annual service, oil, all of the filters and the timing belt were replaced, we always use the same mechanic because he is good and his pricing is fair. Due to our circumstances he usually carries out any work while we are on a campsite and can stay in the truck. Yesterday however, he did the work in his unit, because of the timing belt change, not a pleasant job, as access is difficult, rather like wall papering a hall way through a letter box. The weather was good and we took ourselves off into nearby Burton upon Trent to pass the time. We enjoyed the morning mooching around looking at things that we could not afford etc. and on the return journey we called in at Barton marina. We had a walk around the shops there and of course, the trout lakes that could be fished for a price beyond our budget limitations. All morning I was distracted, it's the truck you see, being in the care of a different custodian, however careful and well trusted was not conducive to a settled mind. It was rather like a close relative having some minor surgery and just waiting for it all to be over and that they are well again. It was 1:00 pm when we got back to the truck and what a relief, like coming home after an enforced absence. We both commented about our feelings for the truck and the unpleasantness of being parted. How does this happen? Feelings for inanimate items that are so strong. Is it the journeys we have all made together, the great places that we have seen, the good times we have had, the friends we have made and the problems that we have had to overcome. Or the comfort it provides, the shelter from the cold, the shade from the sun or all of these things married together. I'm sure many people would not understand, but we have a relationship with and an affection for our truck that is difficult to describe and I hope it continues for many more years.

The spark that lit the flame

2010-09-29T09:14:00.005+01:00

In 1977 I left the army and began life as a civilian, my father was suffering from severe heart problems, which were probably partly related to some of my active service and he had subsequently spent many weeks off work. Without work or a liveable wage my Dad used to get seriously depressed, two young daughters still at school and a mortgage to pay, etc. I imagine he felt awful.

One day while cleaning my old mini, I got chatting to a guy who had a 1964 Bedford Dormobile for sale, the thought of cheap holidays for my parents and sisters (something they had not had for several years) not to mention myself and the then tidy sum of fifty pounds changed hands. For the next few weeks my Dad was in his element, slowly repairing and preparing this old bus. With all necessary work carried out my Dad, Mom and sisters set off to Weymouth for a their holiday. Sadly, a few days into this holiday, my Dad suffered another heart attack and was cared for in the local hospital. He never returned home and of course the family were devastated. A few weeks later my brother and I returned to Weymouth to recover that old Bedford. My memory of what happened to that camper is a blank, I do know that I never got to use it.

Today, I saw an old but tidy Bedford Dormobile that brought all of those memories flooding back. The roof lifts up at an angle of about 45 degrees and two bunks are suspended in the cutaway of the roof. The kitchen is at the rear and consists of nothing more than a two burner hob and grill and a few small cupboards. There is no on board toilet, fridge or heater. By today's standards, it would not really qualify as much more than a poorly equipped "day van" but for me it was the spark that lit the flame. Those young mans thoughts of limitless holidays with maybe a girlfriend or two, going anywhere desire would take me, made more of an impression than I realised at the time. The fixed bed in our current van is just about the size of the complete interior of this old van, we can stand comfortably anywhere inside without having to lift the roof up and when the days are cold we turn on the central heating. My word, how things have changed. This Bedford is 46 years old and it has probably worn better than myself, I can not imagine what improvements motorhomes will have when our current van is a similar age.

Tales of the river bank

2010-09-27T20:53:00.004+01:00

Over the weekend I treated myself to a new fishing rod, and while I was waiting for the opportunity to put it to use I made a few flies. Because the trout season is almost at an end for 2010, the flies that I tied are some that I understand to be useful for tempting grayling. Today, we changed location, to a site in Staffordshire with a very small but pleasant river running through it. I have caught grayling here before, all I had to do now was to find them. The river bank was very overgrown and access to the water was difficult but with care not impossible. Despite the recent rainfall the river level was low, add to that the amount of vegetation which invaded the water and the river in places was not much more than a trickle. It took only half an hour or so to find signs of fish feeding and so I made my way into the flow and began fishing. A kingfisher flashed under my rod, skimming the water with wings whirring quietly and banking sharply round an upstream bend. My attention back on my fly and a fish jumped noisily, close to my fly. Within seconds another splosh as it snatched my fly below the surface. The line tightened and my rod bent into a tight curve as the fish headed off downstream. It was a good fish, my tackle was light so I played it slowly and cautiously so as not to break the fine line that was tied to the fly. I soon saw that the fish was a chub, clean bright silver with bright orange fins. I have never landed a chub before, I released it as quickly as possible and watched it swim away. While my heart settled, I rolled and smoked a cigarette as I changed the fly for another that I had made. The kingfisher, flashed by, in the opposite direction and distracted me momentarily. I fished on and it wasn't many minutes before my fly was attacked with a vicious attack by a grayling. Carefully again, I brought it to the net, but this time it took a little longer. I was impressed with the performance of the rod and also with my concoction of fur and feather. For me, a rewarding hour or two and I returned to the truck quite satisfied, for the time being.

Transition

2010-09-25T07:00:00.002+01:00

We have made a move back to Staffordshire, we have to make the transition from summer to winter equipment. It is a chore that neither of us enjoy, but because space in the truck is somewhat restricted we have to do this at least twice a year. Any summer weight clothing gets ousted and replaced with more seasonal items. We put in larger electric heaters and a few electric cooking devices, we will be paying for electric hook ups now and so we use it. Our movements usually get more restricted at this time of year because hard standing also becomes a priority, three and a half tons on wet grass with front wheel drive can get entertaining, particularly after being in one spot for more than a day. We learnt long ago to always carry and park on heavy duty rubber mats, it can often provide enough traction to move out of the depressions in the ground caused by the wheels in order to get moving and when the ground is very wet we have used them to slowly lay tracks until firmer ground is reached.

The trout season is coming to an end and so my fishing excursions will be to target Grayling instead, I have tied a few new flies in preparation. This year I need to review the internal lighting in the truck, our ageing eyes struggle in all but the best light, to do close work and given both of our hobbies this can be restricting.

There are good points about being out through the winter, everywhere is generally quieter, the views open up with less foliage about and we usually see more wildlife as a result. Access to the river banks is less of a struggle and the atmosphere seems crisper for photography. So, with October round the corner and Christmas a few weeks away, we hope to be ready.

Just routine

2010-09-15T18:16:00.008+01:00

The last day or so I have received a couple of complaints about the lack of input to "The Trail", well I have been sometimes lazy and others busy, you know, just routine. We left Staffordshire and headed off for Wales about a month ago, the nearer to the coast we got, the wilder the weather became. Had we made a mistake? As things turned out, not at all. The first hour on the site we sat indoors while the rain hammered the roof then for three weeks we could almost count the rain drops. We were back on the Lleyn peninsula, a favourite place for us. During the first day or two we met a guy called "Mac", a real gentleman who spent a great deal of his time giving me tuition with my fly fishing technique and half the contents of his fly box. We spent many happy hours together, enjoying our pass time and putting the world to rights. About a week into our stay, we were joined by our good friend Andy from Yorkshire. The same day, our friend Damon and his wife Erica arrived from Bolton in their 1966 Ford Cortina 1600E which had been restored to a very high standard. It was great to see everyone again. Over the week, we spent much time together, had loads of laughs and of course a little fishing.

Last Thursday we departed Wales bound for Malpas in Cheshire. We went to the vintage vehicle rally where we had a good few days before moving here to Shrewsbury. Odd days here and there, I have tried to extend my leather work ability, specially the tooling process. I have made a few belts, they fascinate me somewhat and every stage is a challenge for me.This is one that I attempted, in a traditional design, of the style that is used in America. The pattern repeats about every eight inches and is 1 1/2 inches wide. I have to say, I did not find it easy, sitting in the sunshine, ten feet from the river and listening to the trout splash every now and again as they snapped up some tasty unfortunate fly. From start to finish, this belt took about 25 hours to complete. This next belt is a pictorial carving making a continually changing North American scene as it is viewed along its length. I do not feel that the photograph does it justice, as it looks a little "flat" seen in this way. I made this belt because Pat kept on at me to give it a try, as it happens, I think that it has turned out OK. I haven't posted pictures of it's full length, but here is a little more.

The nights here have been punctuated by the heavy throb of low flying Chinook helicopters, I wish they would come over in the daylight, I love to see this aircraft. Yesterday we had home made apple pie and custard, which was made with apples that Pat took from an adjacent tree. Trouble is, she made so much that we could not eat it all and so she gave half of it away and for my evening meal today, I ate the last of the trout that I had in the freezer box. So that's it, you're up to date.

More leather stuff

2010-08-20T16:01:00.009+01:00

Recently Pat discovered a leather merchant in Skipton, North Yorkshire, so one day last week we took a mad dash up the motorway to see what they had on offer. We left with enough leather to keep me busy for a while, the truck weight was up and my wallet weight was seriously down. Over the last week I have been having a little go at making some different bits, I began with a couple of simple belts. The top belt is made so that the buckle can be changed therefor there is no stitching. I then had a go at a small hand bag, very plain but functional. I have to say this was a bit of an experiment to see if I could get the pattern right. It is my intention to make some more elaborate bags in the future with a little carving or tooling for decoration. Finally, over the last couple of days or so, I made a carved and tooled belt, it may seem a small item but it took more time than anything that I have made so far.

I need a spot of fishing now, got to have a rest.

Early September?

2010-08-19T06:36:00.003+01:00

It seems like the dust on the trail has settled a little just lately, it was our intention to have a week or two in Somerset, then our plans changed slightly and we were to go to Dorset instead. For one reason or another we will not now be visiting Dorset either, so what do we do? I have absolutely no idea. We have been holed up in Staffordshire on a new site that is quite close to the house, in fact, we can almost see it. We have been here for just over a week, I have been busy with the leather and Pat has made up a lot of new pieces of jewellery, sadly there is no fishing here or I may have been trying to bend my rod too. The mornings of late have been cooler (this morning was 9 deg. C)and I can't help feeling that September has come early, so we have been pleased that we have an electric hook up for a change. So, all's been quite dull I'm afraid, perhaps not such a bad thing while the country is taking it's annual summer break.

"Belting"

2010-08-03T20:41:00.003+01:00

It's that time again. Time for my recurring summer apology, I really struggle to "Blog" during these days of warmth and long light evenings. I just cannot be indoors, there is too much time for that in the winter, so; sorry all. I have not been idle, far from it in fact, from the Lleyn peninsular after refreshing many old friendships we made our way up the coast to Anglesey, to one of our favourite haunts at Holyhead. We spent a week or so there and met up with lots more old friends. It has been really good to see everyone is well and smiling. We have some of the most amazing friends, and most of them would do almost any thing to help us out, should we need it. So while I think about it, to all of our friends and family thanks, you are all diamonds and I love ya. We are currently in Staffordshire for a few days and then who knows, maybe back to the coast for a paddle. I could do with a holiday. The last couple of days I have been working the hide some more, I have a fancy for making some elaborate belts, so I have been having a little practice to see what designs I could come up with, these are some of those I have done so far. Judging by the time that these small pieces have taken a full length belt is likely to take me about eight hours or so.(Glad I'm still only a 32" waist.) Maybe I should belt up now, so, catch ya'll later. Keep safe.

Some more bits I made

2010-07-16T21:15:00.007+01:00

The last few days I have been keeping myself busy one way or another, I have done a spot of fly fishing and topped up the freezer box in the fridge with some nice wild trout and I have tied a few flies to replace all of those that I have lost in the process. I have spent a little time making some leather pieces, new colours and new designs. The bracelets took me a while to work out the button on the end but I did not want to use metal closures as they are just not strong enough.

These small pouches have a leather loop inside with a split ring attached and so can be used to hold keys as well as small items or coins etc.

The pouch on the left is one that I made to take a multi tool and is probably my favourite piece, it took a full day to make and dye but the other two I made a little more quickly because I had already worked out the pattern and assembly method. All of these items I made without the use of any electricity and are entirely hand crafted.

Strange, but true.

2010-07-12T08:57:00.007+01:00

There are occasions in my life where odd things happen, most people would call them coincidence, I call them strange. This weekend, we put in an appearance at the Denbigh Country Show where lots of things were laid on to entertain the public, one of which was a display of classic cars. Many years ago I owned a Mini, which was the source of a few thrills and spills in my younger days and so, seeing a couple of this now rapidly declining species I took a closer look. The first car was rather pink and girlie, but very well modified and presented, the second a blue car, that was a little more sporty and equally well turned out. I walked round the cars and took a couple of pictures before I spotted anything odd. One of our daughters is called Rosie and likes all things pink, one of our granddaughters is called Molly and seems to be turning quite sporty. You may now understand my surprise when seeing the names on the back of each car.

Whilst talking with the guy who did the restorations and explaining the coincidence he told me of a third car that he was currently working on called Millie, now I find that strange, because we also have a granddaughter called Millie.

In the bag

2010-06-28T06:19:00.005+01:00

This weekend we put in and appearance at a steam and vintage rally near Chester, the weather was perfect for such an event and it certainly brought out a crowd. We wandered around, taking pictures and remembering most of the vehicles from our childhood years.

There was no such thing in those days, as "Carbon footprints" and the military truck on the left made that quite clear, with a fuel consumption of 1 mile per gallon at best we were told. We mooched around, looked at the trade stands etc. while Meg plodded along beside totally unimpressed. I paused to take a look at a stall where the guy made and sold walking sticks, I was interested to see the techniques he employed and the materials he used for making the handles. With some embarrassment I stood while Meg adopted that arched back stance that dogs do when they decide to evacuate their bowel. Now I don't remember what Meg had eaten the day before, but it came out even more quickly than she can eat. Sheepishly I pulled out a "Doggie bag" from my pocket and carefully placed my hand inside, making sure that it contained no holes and covered my hand right up to my wrist. This was not going to be nice! the offensive deposit had all the consistency and form of custard. I leaned forward, trying to keep my nose as far away as possible from the noxious substance when it happened.........My phone, leapt forward from my shirt pocket and landed right in it like a flake in a "99". With two fingers I carefully removed it and placed it on the grass while with the other hand I tried to scoop up the slippery mass into the safety of the bag. Oh my god, I did not want to do this. With sufficient content in the nappy sac, to make the recovery look effective I knotted the bag, recovered the phone in a second bag and made myself scarce with some haste. Please don't call me, I'll keep you posted.

Flushing out a breakfast

2010-06-23T21:17:00.011+01:00

After a while near Oswestry we have now moved to the Wrexham area, not far I know, but it is a change of scenery if nothing else. This morning I had a little walk around and took a few pictures. Behind the truck is a walled garden to the old farm house and we are surrounded by open rolling fields.

At the corner of the walled garden is an old summer house, derelict now, but I would love to have seen it when it was in use.

As I wandered around I kept thinking that there had to be some fruit trees here, they did not keep walled gardens for nothing. I heard a couple of blackbirds having a right squabble and so looked in their direction, there, hanging over the wall and heavily laden, was a cherry tree. The next ten or fifteen minutes saw me filling my pockets with a free feast, Pat came along in her pyjamas to help and together we raided the blackbirds larder. Shame we didn't have any cream, but they were very nice, none the less.

We sat around as we filled our bellies and lazily enjoyed the early morning sunshine before taking a shower. With our ablutions complete, Pat set about cleaning and drying the shower, she called me in, "Have a look at this" she said. She had removed the toilet roll dispenser and beneath it, in the plastic housing was a substantial amount of water. "Where has this come from?" she asked. Well, I had no idea. For the next half an hour or so, she soaked up the water with a sponge and gradually emptied it into a bowl. "Do you know?" she said, "I had two bowls full of water from there" With everything back together, I needed the loo as the three earlier cups of coffee were flowing through my system. I tried to flush the loo but the tank was now dry. "Strange?" I thought, "it was full first thing". I filled up a water container from the tap and emptied it into the tank, which in, effect is a cistern. While I was doing that, Pat had removed the loo roll holder and was looking inside, "You know what?" she said, "I've just soaked up the contents of the cistern with a sponge". Oh well, it passed the time a little eh?

Mixed feelings

2010-06-14T05:55:00.011+01:00

The slow heavy tapping of raindrops on the roof woke me early on Sunday, but I didn't mind, another fishing trip had been planned. At 06:00am I was sat in Kristan's car with my brother Ian and Kris's friend Mervyn, all bound for Llyn Crafnant in Snowdonia. As you would expect at this hour, the roads were quiet and we made good time, arriving at the fishery before the gate was unlocked. We booked in hurriedly and made our way down to the waters edge. This is a stunning venue and even if the fishing was poor, I new that I would enjoy being close to the mountains again, I miss our once frequent climbing trips. We all got togged and tackled up ready for a day of action, within minutes lines were cast and chairs were put in place, but I was not at all comfortable with the prospect of sitting still for hours. I cast a fly several times and despite being in great company, decided that I was off, I had to walk the shoreline, I needed to feel the solitude that I only ever experience in the mountains. The lake is nestled in a steep sided valley, covers an area of about 63 acres and is 3/4 of a mile from end to end. I filled my pockets with food and headed off alone. As I walked, I watched the water looking for signs of fish, casting occasionally into likely looking spots and continually being distracted by the crags that towered all around me. Sadly, the further I walked, the more annoyed I was getting, mans lack of respect for the environment was everywhere. Items of discarded clothing, bits of angling equipment, beer bottles, tin cans, plastic wrappers and the like, were commonplace. It hurt me to realize once more, just how little respect so many individuals have. I walked on, across the pool tail and onto the far bank, now moving up the valley. It was approaching 10:00am and on the other side of the lake cars were arriving, the sound of high speed tyres on gravel carried across the water, the familiar thump, thump, thump of audio equipment invaded my ears. I didn't want this, there was no solitude and I fought hard with my thoughts of discontent. I continued on for another half mile or so to the most inaccessible part of the lake. I fished with more concentration now, my thoughts more settled and soon I was playing a brown trout into my net. I dispatched the fish and stowed it in my bag before pressing on a little further. Movement to my left caught my eye, it was Kristan, I know he thinks a little like me and I watched him as he cast his spinner a couple of times. I sat down on the waters edge and waited for Kris to catch up. We rested and chatted briefly and watched Merv on the far bank land a fish and continued to make our way round the waters edge. We spent a few minutes fishing a brook that ran into the lake and stumbled across the marsh land which was carpeted with cotton grass, we came upon a solitary wild orchid and bent down for a closer look. Few fishermen came here, it would be too difficult to access for many to bother about, but the fishing looked good. Kris caught a couple of nice rainbow trout and I missed one or two. My belly was persistently telling me that it was lunch time and we made our way back to the others where we chatted and joked whilst refueling. I was impressed with Mervyn's earlier catch, it was the largest fish that had been caught between us and weighed about 3lb. The cloud slowly engulfed the high ground and the wind speed increased, bringing a 15 minute downpour that had us all stood under the trees with hands deep in pockets and shoulders hunched. As the weather cleared I got ready to return to our previous spot, Merv decided to stay put and Ian followed several minutes later leaving Kris to bring up the rear. For a while the fishing was difficult, the wind still gusting made casting somewhat entertaining. Quite unexpectedly my fly was suddenly hit by a small brown trout and just as Kris voiced his encouragement it leapt clear of the water by several feet and shed the hook. A few more disjointed casts and the wind dropped, the water settled and I saw a fish rise within my casting distance. I placed my fly right on his nose and teased it slowly across the surface, whack! he was on. I savoured the fight for a few minutes, letting him run, before bringing him in slowly and carefully to the bank. This was a nice rainbow of around two pound and he was going in my bag. Ian managed to haul in a minnow, that was dwarfed by his worm bait, taking the prize for the days smallest fish and Kristan landed his third two pound rainbow. Before we knew it, time had closed in and the process of packing up had to begin. I took a couple of pictures prior to loading up the car. I certainly enjoyed the day, as did I think, everyone else, which leaves me once more to thank the guys, for another day that I will not forget. On the journey home I sat quietly in the back seat and reflected on another great day, but I was troubled by an uneasy feeling, a feeling related to the ethics of this kind of fishing. Fishing that is fueled primarily by the desire for profit and secondly for mans pleasure. You see, I have no problem with fishing for food and I really do enjoy it, the hunting, the battle of wits, the need to eat and living closely with nature, but is it right for man to impose his desire on every last thing that we encounter? I am not saying it is wrong and I have played my part, I am just asking the question, but this is an issue that will always disturb me and I know I will never be completely comfortable with should I continue along this newly encountered, commercially driven trail.

Bank holiday Monday. A day out with the boys.

2010-06-02T06:40:00.006+01:00

I was very kindly invited by my nephew Kristan to go fishing on bank holiday Monday and not having the chance to fish much just lately, I couldn't wait. Four of us left the camp site, my brother Ian, his son Kristan, Kris's friend John and I, bound for some mystery location in the welsh hills. The journey in itself was interesting with the bumps lumps and tight twisty turns, fine; if you are up front in a nice comfy seat, but I was in the back of the van with John travelling economy class. The location was really quite tranquil, no traffic, no people just mountains and two pools. Now I have never fished in a fishery, in fact I have never fished a pool and things are different. Casting was so easy, no trees or bushes or bank side vegetation, just a gentle breeze to bear in mind. The ripples on the water made it difficult to see any gentle rises so I chose a spot facing into the wind where I thought any natural food would get blown towards. The other guys walked passed me and round to the far bank, maybe I had chosen a bad spot. I fished for an hour or so, spotting the occasional fin breaking the surface of the water. Ian and Kris walked over to the next pool leaving John and I with the pool to ourselves. Soon I began to notice a little fish activity to my right, I moved round the bank keeping well away from the edge and then stalked my way forward, keeping low so that I didn't spook the fish. Three or four casts to a spot four foot from the bank and bingo. My little rod bent well over and the fish set sail for the middle of the pool. I let him run a little, I wanted to savour playing the fish and I didn't want to break my light tackle. Slowly I coaxed him back to the shore and picked up my net in readiness, I was expecting him to lie on his side as he gave up the fight. But he was a long way from finished with me yet, down he went like a bungee jumper, testing my rod to the maximum, I eased off the pressure and he took me from side to side seeking sanctuary from his captor. He was shrewd, because now he made a hard fast pull for the bank by my feet, where there was a small clump of reeds. Try as I might I could not stop him and there he sat, solid, like a concrete block. No amount of bullying was persuading him to give up his stronghold, "What do I do now?" I thought. Several minutes he stayed fast, just like he had dropped anchor, resting and regaining his strength, I eased the pressure right off in the hope he might think he had won, sure enough, slowly, out he came, I put the tension back on and for a few more minutes we wrestled. With my rod in one hand held high and net in the other he flopped on his side and into the net. What a beauty, I was well pleased. My biggest brown trout to date, I unhooked him and returned him safely back into his world. I continued to fish the same area for a while longer but the wind had increased a little and I saw no more fish. I decided to join the others on the larger pool and as I was walking over I could see Kris into a full scale battle several rod lengths out. By the time I got to them he had landed the fish and was ready to cast again. His face said it all, sporting a large smile from ear to ear, "It's a blue" he said. I didn't know there was such a fish. I took Kris's picture holding his prize. For another hour we fished on, swapped rods with each other here and there, trying different set ups. I lost one good fish on John's gear just short of the net and I missed a couple more. All too soon our time was up and we had to leave, but I must say, it was a really great day out and one that I am sure I will never forget. Thanks guys. When can we do it again?

Bootyfull

2010-05-31T06:08:00.003+01:00

For many years we have been avid car boot goers and we have nearly always returned home with some real bargains, yesterday was such a day. In order to bag the best deals, experience has taught us to arrive early. Very early. So on Sunday I got out of bed at 04:20am. and by 5:30am. we were on our way to a large car boot sale that is several miles away. The weather had clearly had an impact, with sellers arriving but being reluctant to set up their stalls in case it rained. For an hour or two we wandered around thinking that we were not going to find much, but by 09:00am I had a bag full of bits and was very happy with my haul. I have difficulty buying leather craft tools, it is a dying skill and I have only ever found two outlets in the UK that sell them. You can imagine my delight upon seeing an old boxed set of leather tools, complete with storage rack lying underneath a table. Clutching the box in an iron grip, I enquired about the price and for just £3:00, the tools now belonged to me, I knew that I had bagged a real bargain. On my return to the truck I checked my leather craft catalogue and pricing each item individually it came to a total of around £137:00. The previous week, I paid £7:50 for a pair of neoprene, chest waders, made by a well known manufacturer, still in the original box and completely unmarked, what's more, they were in my size. Checking on the Internet revealed that the current price for these waders was £89:99. So for £10:50 I had purchased about £227:00 worth of goods, worth getting out of bed for I feel.

Some new bits that I made

2010-05-29T20:54:00.006+01:00

The last couple of weeks have been a little disjointed but I have still managed to keep myself busy. Although I don't post pictures of them all on here I am constantly thinking about things to make and trying new ideas. So here are some of the things that I have come up with recently. I am trying to learn traditional methods of stitching leather and it takes much practice, I haven't perfected it yet and I imagine that it will take a while, but for me, it is both absorbing and rewarding, even if it makes my shoulders ache a little. The top three pieces are credit/membership card holders and the bottom three are simple purses. Being now, a much maligned smoker I also had to have a go at a couple of tobacco pouches. I try hard to make items of high quality and so, on all of these items the leather is a good deal thicker and more durable than most similar items I have seen in shops, for this reason I do not line the inside, as the leather will long outlive any suitable lining material I can think of. When each piece is complete, I give it a good polish with beeswax to help protect it from damp and dirt.

Things that go bump in the night

2010-05-29T20:07:00.003+01:00

If you don't know by now, I am a quiet sort of guy and I am not fond of busy or noisy places and that is why Thursdays location seemed so appealing. After a lazy few hours, taking in the scenery etc. we retired to bed at about 9:50 pm. As is normal practice, Pat lay reading and after clearing my mind I was soon sleeping like the proverbial baby. Subconsciously I felt the van move, but I am used to that now, it moved some more, side to side. "What's making the van rock?" said Pat. "Dunno" I mumbled, still half asleep. Back in the land of nod I was woken by a loud and heavy BUMP on the bodywork of the van. Meg began barking, which is now most unusual as she seems to be quite deaf. Another BUMP and the van rocked again, I could tell from the roof lights that it was not quite dark, Meg turned up the volume. I moved the curtain to one side but could see nothing, the bumps got louder and more frequent and the van was constantly moving. "It's the bloody sheep" I blurted out, so I clambered out of bed and opened the door nearly getting legged up by Meg in her haste to frighten off the offender, which of course sent a flock of about 60 sheep scattering and bleating across the field. So I am now running around a dark field, in my pyjamas and bare feet, chasing a barking dog that is causing a frenzied panic amongst a flock of demented sheep. With the sheep now half way down the valley, Meg and I returned to the sanctuary of the van where she slumped on her bed and watched me cleaning sheep shit from between my toes with baby wipes and moaning about nettle stings up my ankles. All this for just £6:50. We moved off the next morning.

On the move once more

2010-05-27T19:49:00.005+01:00

The last couple of weeks have been a little demanding one way or another, but for now at least, we are on the move again. We are in north Shropshire, not far from Chirk, facilities are minimal but that is fine by us. A small stream runs through the farm but sadly, I am told, it does not contain any fish. On arrival we chose a spot at the lower level of the land and spent the afternoon there enjoying the sun. Meg passed the time searching for sheep shit and scoffing it, so I imagine she is going to be sick over the next day or two. Why do they do that? Yet, I can put down a bowl of dog food and she wont touch it. Says a lot for the taste of dog food doesn't it? Or maybe I should begin canning sheep shit. After our evening meal I checked the water level in the tank and felt it prudent to top it up now rather than run out in the middle of our ablutions in the morning. We drove up the valley to the tap (it is about 1/4 mile) and the view was much better there, we decided at this point to stay on the high ground instead. I imagine that we will stay here for a couple of days at least.

A bit of a standstill

2010-05-18T21:19:00.002+01:00

For just over a week now things have ground to a bit of a halt. Last Friday, my father in law (who is 78 years old) had a very nasty fall and sustained quite a serious head injury. He has been temporarily hospitalised. We have therefor holed up in order that we can give help and support where and when it is needed. At present, I have no idea when normal service will be resumed. As you may imagine, we are undergoing long periods of waiting around and also long periods of intense activity travelling to and from hospital. He has improved a little over the last few days but it seems there are many issues that need attention.

"Stream Fisher" My New Blog For My Fishing Stories

2010-05-05T17:11:00.002+01:00

Recently I have been very conscious of my increasing number of fly fishing related postings, I understand that some of my readers are not the slightest bit interested in fishing and so in an attempt not to bore them I have started another blog, Stream Fisher purely for my fishy tales.

Clun Green Man Day

2010-05-04T19:59:00.009+01:00

We left Wales on Thursday in order that we might be somewhere quiet for the bank holiday weekend and ended up in Shropshire once more. For the first few days we had no phone signal, no Internet and the best brook trout fishing that I have ever experienced, but that is another story. We had been told that the Clun "Green Man Festival" was a good day out and so, on Monday, that is where we went. First of all, I would like to thank my friend Chris for telling us to go along, it was a brilliant day and somewhere we would not have gone had it not been highly recommended. On the left you can see the two main characters of the day that everyone turned out to see. I think that they were photographed more than any party leader on a political crusade but here (on the right) is one of them just to try and redress the balance. Visitors were kept constantly entertained by various re-enactments, fire eating, folk music and maypole dancing etc. The guy on the left looks like he had just been evicted from the round table and he could have used a good dose of light machine oil for his knees, he was certainly not about to sneak up on anyone. The atmosphere was excellent, with most people really entering into the spirit of the day. The entire day was overseen by the guy below, who, for some reason, seemed to have a phobia of small boys running around with hand saws. Our thanks to the organisers and the people of Clun for a first class day.

Moonlighting

2010-04-24T19:12:00.007+01:00

Last Sunday, we arrived here in Wales at one of our preferred locations on the Lleyn peninsula and the weather so far has been wonderfull. It is the same location where, last year, on the last day of the trout season, that I caught my biggest brown trout to date. As you may imagine, since that day I have been longing to return and pitch my skills against the wits of those wiley wild fish once more. So for almost a week I have patrolled the river, fishing and examining every place where I know the trout frequent. Not a fish. All week, the river has been barren of fish life, not the slightest sign did I see, I began to wonder if the fish were still here at all.Then yesterday evening, whilst reading a popular monthly trout fishing publication, I read that early in the season, dawn and dusk could be the most productive times, it being 2050 hours I put the magazine down and went to have a look at a pool close by. Sure enough and to my delight, fish were rising, not masses of them but enough to put the fire into my blood. I returned to the truck, excited, like a little boy and told Pat the good news. "I suppose you will be fishing at dawn then" she said. "If I wake up early, I might have a go" I replied trying to sound nonchalant. Well, I slept like a small child on Christmas eve, full of anticipation, checking my wrist watch every hour. What a long night it was to be. Finally this morning at 0410 hours I got out of bed, guzzled two cups of coffee in quick succession and put on my fishing clothes. As I left the truck, I checked the thermometer, 2 degrees Celsius. It was dark still when I got to the waters edge and I was feeling the cold already. The moon cast its cold bluey light on the water, I looked on, as I rolled a cigarette with shivering hands. A duck clattered across the water, taking flight at my intrusion and shattered the silence. Soon, the dawn chorus began and the sky was getting light in the east. I cast a couple of times and I shuddered as the cold water from the line touched my hands, thirty minutes previous, I was in a nice warm bed. Clumsily, I changed the fly, for one that I had tied myself, it seemed to take forever, I remember thinking that only arctic explorers and dead things felt as cold as my hands now did. This rather insignificant little fly is called a "pheasant tailed nymph" (PTN) and it is one of the first flies that I tied. I had read that the PTN is a very effective fly throughout the year and specially in the early season. For ten minutes I fished, getting distracted by the painful cold in the hands, the line gave a gentle twitch, I lifted the rod slightly to tighten the line and sure enough, I could feel the light, jerky movement of a fish. Carefully, I retrieved the line and brought in my first brown trout of 2010. I was so happy, I held the fish and admired the jewel like spots along it's body and the perfect form. I noticed the coldness of my hands again and wondered how these fish can live in such cold. Shivering, I took a photograph and returned the fish to the water, elated by the whole experience. Small isn't it? But did I care? not one bit. It just felt good to be back with the trout. It was several minutes before I realised that I had caught the fish using a fly which I had tied myself, another first and a satisfying feeling. A further twenty minutes passed before I hooked a second fish, this one was bigger, not much, but enough to notice the difference through the rod handle. I removed the hook as quickly as I could with fingers that had no sensitivity to touch and released it back into the ice cold water. The world was slowly coming back to life, sheep rising from their grassy beds, crows flying off in search of fresh road kill and the warmth of the truck was calling me louder and more persistently. With a very satisfied feeling inside I began to make my way back, "I'll come back later" I thought, "Once the air is warmer".

By mid morning, the sun had done it's work well, the temperature was up in the high teens and there was not a breath of wind. Time for another look. I approached the riverside with the stealth of an old fox and made a couple of casts to the occasionally rising fish. To my right, slight movement attracted my eye, there was a little splashing at the pool tail. "It's a fish, trying to jump from the shallow water" I thought. I watched some more. More splashes; then, when I saw the offender, I could hardly believe my eyes. It was an otter. How lucky was that? For the next twenty minutes or so I looked on, delightfully entertained by this lovely little chap as it darted in and out of the rocks, diving under the water and sending fish in every direction. It seemed to be playing, totally unaware of my presence, rolling on it back and splashing about in the crystal clear water. Slowly it worked it's way along the far bank, ducking under overhanging rock and tree roots, oh why didn't I have my SLR camera. I had forgotten about the fishing, this was better than "Springwatch" Once he had made his way upstream to the bend I was off, back to the truck to tell of this secret display, the like of which I have only ever seen on the TV. Gosh I felt good.

I spent the rest of the warm day, sitting in my shorts, tying flies and fighting the desire to doze in the sun. For lunch, I ate the tastiest hot fresh cheese and bacon quiche, followed by hot apple pie, that Pat had made while I was out of the way. Things really don't get much better than this, but come dusk, I went back to the pool and revelled in the delight of catching a further two adult trout. I got into bed, totally exhausted after such an early start, but what a day. Absolutely breathtaking.

A Happy Easter

2010-04-05T06:48:00.005+01:00

We decided that for the Easter break we would stay put, many camp site owners get very greedy, most places become far too busy for our liking and the weather is often wintry, more than enough reason in my book to keep a low profile and maybe just go fishing. So on Friday evening, when Dean, a good friend of mine invited me to fish a local canal with him, I jumped at the chance. I do not own any coarse fishing tackle and I am happy to practice my fly casting anywhere. My "Buddy" caught a couple of nice fish on spinners, but despite three hours of frantically flicking flies I drew a blank, except for a little mocking by the three wise men who were passing by, saying things like "I don't think there are many trout in here mate" and "Are you lost? Shouldn't you be fishing the lochs of Scotland rather than canal locks?" I heard much laughter from them as they walked on and I so wanted a passing cyclist to knock them into the water. The following evening, Saturday, we went to the same spot for a little more punishment accompanied by another keen angler, Dave. After only fifteen minutes or so, imagine my delight when something of a couple of pound hit my fly and went straight to the bottom. Dave stood happily taking pictures as I wrestled the fish to the bank on my 7ft., 4 to 5 weight brook rod. Dean came over with the net and here is a picture of my prize. Not a bad specimen, but where were the wise men now? After carefully releasing the fish I combed and fettled the fly back into shape and continued to search the black water. For half an hour or so, all was quiet, except for the occasional "dog walker" and the other guys were getting a little despondent, then inches from the bank I was into a second good fish. It took the fly out toward the far bank and went down to the bottom, bending my rod well over, the water surface boiled and we saw briefly that it was a pike. Out came Dave's camera for a second time while I carefully brought the fish closer, I noticed the flash fire a couple of times as the fish broke the surface before going deep again. Oh where oh where were those mocking men of Friday, sadly, nowhere to be seen. With the catch safely on the bank, I posed with my second fish of the day with the fly still in the scissors of the mouth, and the first pike that I have ever caught. I know that it is not large in pike terms but I was chuffed to bits anyway. As happy as a dog with two tails, I put the fish back and washed my hands in the canal. Thanks guys, for a great day, I can't wait to get back for another go.

Men in Black

2010-03-29T08:11:00.009+01:00

I need another hobby like an MP needs another scandal, but it would seem that I have one any way. As you know by now, I do enjoy a little fly fishing and because of our lifestyle, getting "flies" has been a challenge at times and so, out of frustration, my new interest was born. I have equipped myself with a basic fly tying kit, in order that the next time we are in the back and beyond and I lose my favourite fly, I can replace it without an expensive and time consuming expedition. My knowledge of fly tying is even less than that of fly fishing but I have given it a little go and here are the first two that I tied. It would seem that it is customary to name flies and so I called these "Men in black" because they are dangerous things, rather like the men in black that profess to run the country in our best interests. These are very basic and I have some doubt as to their effectiveness, but, at some time in the future, I will give them a try. Having got a bit of a taste for it, I then tried something a little more elaborate. This fly is tied using Guinea fowl feathers that have been dyed in various colours, to make them more attractive. It would be fair to say that this was a bit of a fiddle, but perseverance paid off in the end and I produced this somewhat attractive little thing that looks quite harmless. In reality, it will probably be of less use than an audit into MP's expenses claims, but at least it looks good. The name, "Election manifesto" comes from the fact that it looks OK, has a very nasty hidden bit, is intended to deceive and probably won't work anyway. This new pass time has already given me a good deal of pleasure as well as topping up my fly box, and who knows, I may even end up filling a cabinet.

The Long Mynd

2010-03-17T18:56:00.003Z

For the last couple of weeks, this has been the view that we have had the pleasure of waking up to. We have been staying with a friend of my brothers, in a village not far from Churchstoke in Shropshire. With the exception of walking we have been quite idle except for the last couple of days. The recent warmer weather has prompted some much needed spring cleaning of the truck interior. We have stripped off all of the upholstery and washed it, removed the winter carpet and replaced it with a new one, cleaned all of the walls and ceiling and touched up a few small areas of chipped varnish. Recently, on my morning walks with Meg I have noticed an increase in birdsong, yesterday, I saw a red kite and I noticed that the crows have begun nest building, so at last it seems like winter is fading a little and I for one, will not be sad to see the back of it.

Rain dancing

2010-03-05T20:36:00.006Z

This morning we arrived at the MOT test centre first thing and waited while our ageing truck was given it's annual health check. Funny how I don't mind making the payment in return for a pass certificate and yet for a failure it feels rather like being mugged, fortunately today all was OK and we departed with that most precious print out. We then made our way to Welshpool and took a leisurely stroll around the town, walking only on the sunny side of the street, we bought fish and chips and made our way back to the car park to indulge in our treat. We were parked close to the canal, (incidentally, motorhomes can stay here overnight for free, 1 night in 7) where a number of ducks were splashing about and showing off as if enjoying the sunshine. I picked up my camera and with greasy fingers fumbled to change lenses, I had to try and get a shot of the back lit frolics that were being so skillfully displayed. I tripped on the dog in my haste to get out of the door but thankfully recovered well enough not to damage camera or my body. I managed to get a couple of shots off before a little girl caused a duck stampede by throwing in handfuls of bread. Happy enough, I went back inside to finish eating my lunch.

Moving on

2010-03-04T18:56:00.005Z

Over the last few months we have moved very little, but yesterday we made a fifty mile journey into Shropshire. Our stay in this area is intended to be quite brief, but having no firm plans we will wait and see what happens. We are located adjacent to the Shropshire Way and so Meg and I have done a little leisurely walking taking in the change of scenery. We walked to some nearby high ground and stood for several minutes, taking in the view across the Shropshire plain all of the time being watched by a Buzzard riding the thermals on this pleasant spring day. Every now and again this buzzard let out a loud mew, as if objecting to us intruding on his privacy. As we walked back toward the truck the sun seemed to be sinking fast, the air began to chill and I could tell that tonight there would be another frost. When we arrived at the site the sun silhouetted the trees on the horizon, I took a few shots, getting very muddy feet in the process but it was worth getting moaned at for leaving mud on the carpet again.

Keeping busy

2010-02-28T17:58:00.008Z

The annual MOT test for the truck is looming and for me, that is like waiting to have teeth pulled, but, I have looked the old girl over and now we will just have to wait and see what happens at the end of the week.

Meanwhile I have been making a few items out of some leather scraps, trying out my new carving tools and mallet. I haven't had too many disasters and generally I have been pleased with the results. Each new piece that I have made I have learned a little bit more and slowly got a little more ambitious, heaven know where this will all end, but at the moment I am really enjoying learning this oldest of crafts. My daughters and granddaughters have all been impressed with the hair slides and my eldest daughters "Yorkie" is wearing his new bespoke collar. I don't know what to make next but I am sure that something will come to mind.

Getting hammered on the cheap

2010-02-18T15:49:00.012Z

Today it was time to put on my bushcraft clothes and go hunting for a piece of timber, having used my new leather craft tools yesterday, I quickly realised that my awning peg mallet was far too unwieldy for such fine work. I don't like to cut trees unnecessarily and I knew where the farmer, having trimmed some trees, had piled up the limbs ready for logging. I selected a piece of what I thought was sycamore and quickly cut off about 10 inches. I set up workshop in the awning and with the aid of one of my knives began roughly removing the wood from what was going to be the handle. In about twenty minutes I ended up with the basic shape of the mallet. I wanted the construction to be one piece because it would be easier to make and I wouldn't have the problem of the head coming loose. So from this point on I began removing wood with a little more care. The handle needs to be comfortable because I imagine that I will be holding it for hours at a time as I work the leather.

So here the handle is all but finished it just needs a little careful shaving to leave it smooth. The next stage was to fashion the head and because I was leaving it round this was very easy, it was just a case of removing the bark and soft sap wood. So within about an hour and a half from start to finish it was all done ready for use. I know it's a bit like me, not very good looking and a bit working class, it just needs a little time to dry out and if it doesn't work I'll take it back for a refund.

Some new toys

2010-02-17T19:43:00.005Z

Today, with my thirst for photography quenched for a little while I needed another project with which to amuse myself. The weather this morning was in total contrast to yesterdays with fog and drizzle being the order for the day, as I set about my daily chores of fetching fresh water and disposing of waste etc. I kept thinking about what I was going to do, I wanted to perhaps make something but what. Fortunately, before I got engrossed in anything I had a phone call from my daughter telling me that a package I had ordered had arrived at the house, so, not being too far away we made the journey over to fetch it. The package contained some bits and pieces for my leather craft that I had ordered about a week ago, some of which were a few specialist tools. When we got back to the site it wasn't many minutes before I set about testing my newly acquired toys. The tools are for carving and decorating leather, a process known as tooling. I have done a few bits before but the use of such tools was going to be a completely new process for me to learn. I prepared a piece of scrap leather that measures about 2 inches by 4 inches and then drew onto it the outline of a simple floral design that I had seen in a booklet. Slowly I built up the design over a couple of hours until eventually I considered it complete. Clearly I have much to learn, but I got a great deal of pleasure from this and I am looking forward to a second and hopefully more successful attempt.

The early birds reward

2010-02-16T18:39:00.011Z

Today we had to go to the shops for provisions, we usually make an early start in order that we miss the crowds. This morning however, was such a lovely morning that I just had to go out with the camera and take a few shots. The image on the right is the shroud that was wrapped around the windscreen, it was a shame to see the sun melt it away. It was barely light when I left the van and the air was cold and still, which is the best time for photography in my opinion. So before the sun came up I walked along the river bank with the grass crunching under my wellies when I captured this next picture.

It was my intention to shoot the sunrise but it seemed to take for ever before the sun crept over the horizon. My hands were freezing and my winter body warmer no longer lied about the cold around me, I tried to keep active while I searched the landscape for potential pictures. For the next photograph I had to lie on the heavily frosted grass at the edge of the river with my clothing soaking up the moisture. By now all of my gear and my glasses were also freezing cold and so the warmth of my breath caused me problems with condensation, obscuring the view finder and my specs. I really wanted the shot, so I wiped the optics more than once, but in the end I got it.

Experience has taught me that once the sun comes up, there are only a few minutes in which to get the shots before the sun becomes too bright. So I constantly watched the sky for clues, aircraft vapour trails can be a good indicator if clouds are few and far between. At this crucial moment I saw another potential shot forming on the western horizon that I

found I was becoming drawn towards. It took a lot of will power to let it go and position myself for the next shot looking down the river, but here it is, the early birds reward. I love the morning, I always have done and I find it amazing how the same view looks different with every passing minute.

The good old days?

2010-02-14T06:35:00.003Z

There is little for me to write about at present, we have not moved for weeks, things have slowed down to a crawl while we wait patiently for the onset of spring. Maybe this is not a bad thing but it does cause my mind to wander and reflect on things that were all but forgotten, you know, "The good old days" and it is this reflection that can occasionally get me down. It is said that you only remember the good times, and I am sure this is true, thankfully, over the years, there have been many good times for me, but my memory disturbed me and caused a little discontent. So yesterday in an attempt to overcome any dissatisfaction I was feeling, I looked hard at our current lifestyle and the benefits that it has brought us. First of all is our health, so much better now that all of the daily stress of working has gone. Secondly is the freedom of choice, for the most part we do whatever we like, whenever we like, wherever we like, within the confines of the law of course. Thirdly, is our closeness to nature, surrounded by open countryside, the wildlife and that peaceful, easy feeling that goes with it. So, given the choice, would I go back to those "good old days" that sometimes tug gently at my mind?..................Not a bloody chance. I know just how lucky we are.

Running at a slow idle

2010-02-03T21:29:00.007Z

Last week we were joined by my cousin Graham and his wife Sheila, it was good to see them both and to catch up on things. We had a couple of good walks around the local countryside and many hours laughing, sadly though, they have now gone back to their world while we stay put, still running at a slow idle. I have tried some grayling hunting but I've had no recent success, every time the water begins to run clear it rains some more, brings the level up and puts the colour back. Never mind, nothing we can do about that. I have been keen to make something most days, (I have to keep busy) and I have experimented with different techniques for cutting, dying and polishing. The items on the left are pocket knife pouches and the three on the right are pouches to fit "Zippo" lighters. Because I struggle to obtain the correct tools I have recently modified a few for specific jobs and so now it is my intention to make some of my own design. Other things that I have difficulty getting my hands on are press studs and rivets and when I do find some they are very expensive. The bird life is still keeping us amused with daily squabbles at the feeders and one day last week, we had a kestrel land right outside the awning, where it wandered around for several minutes, I don't recall ever being so close to one in the wild before. One morning we saw a group of five little egrets on a nearby bend in the river which does not seem to impress the herons and we see a fox most days, checking out the hedgerows.

Sunday morning workshop

2010-01-24T17:02:00.008Z

This morning began with lots of bright sunshine and mild temperatures, so after a few minutes spent watching the birds to the sound of the village church bells I thought that it would be nice to sit outside. So I grabbed a chair and my tool kit and set about some leather work. Late last year, a good friend of mine bought for me another pocket knife, it is a knife of good quality and a modern design. I wanted to make a pouch in which to keep it clean and handy and already had a rough design in my head. So here is the knife, it is made in a style that is becoming increasingly common. I wanted a pouch that would attach to a belt and permit access without a lot of fiddling about with cold hands when I am out fishing. First of all I cut the leather for the front and moulded it into the shape of the knife, while that was drying I cut out the back and belt loop. I stitched the belt loop in place and then fitted the two pieces of leather together I marked it out ready for sewing. Once the hand stitching was complete I trimmed up and burnished the edges. The next job was to hand tool the design into the leather before dying and polishing. I always have a little difficulty when it comes to dying leather because I only want to change the colour slightly, just enough to make the tooling work a little more visible. I have found in the past that coffee gives the colour that I like, so I mixed a very strong solution of Kenco and brushed it onto the desired area. Once dry, I applied two good coatings with a clear leather wax and buffed it to a gentle lustre, this protects the leather and seals in the dye. So, that was it, sunshine over and back to sit indoors and listen to the raindrops on the roof. This had been a very enjoyable little project for me and the fact that I was able to sit out in the fresh air on a quiet Sunday morning made it all the more pleasant.

A little of my treasure

2010-01-22T14:21:00.004Z

Today the weather has been lousy, it has barely got light, none stop rain, steamy windows and a gentle but constant tapping on the roof. Should have been a Monday. So, I worked briefly on some leather but my ageing eyes struggle in the half light and so I had to give up. Never mind eh, at least I am looking at the right side of the grass. As I cleared away my bits and pieces I thought that I should maybe photograph some of the treasure that I have slowly acquired. You must understand, this is by no means the full extent of my gatherings, in fact, far from it, anyway have a look, you may even be a previous owner. It was not in fact until I laid these items out, that I realised I should have photographed them in the condition that they were in when I added them to my hoard. Never mind, maybe I'll remember to do that in the future. The two pocket knives I bought at car boot sales for a few pence, they were completely unusable, but they cleaned up very well and both hold a superb edge. The small black stone is called an "Apache tear" I carry it with me a lot. There is a story of how this stone got it's name and to save me writing it all out if you look on the Internet http://www.minehead-online.co.uk/apachetear.htm you will be able to read it. The small, four fold, 12 inch rule I bought at a flea market in Yorkshire, it would barely open, it was so neglected. I cleaned it, lubricated the joints and hinges and then researched it on the Internet. It is made in Birmingham UK by Rabone and sons. It is made from ivory and brass and is I believe around 150 years old. I was going to sell it, I have had some good offers, but I can't, it is a thing of great beauty and is just nice to hold. At Christmas my daughter Sarah, gave me a gift and as always wrapped it with great care, she embellished it with this peacock feather which I kept. In the picture below is a small anvil which I use sometimes in my leather work and jewellery making. I have polished the surfaces so that I get a good finish. Just below that is my old regimental cap badge (Royal Corps of Signals) of which I am proud. The yellow fluffy hook is called a "bunny bug", it was tied and given to me by a fellow fly fisherman the first time we met. Below that is a piece of buffalo horn that I intend to slice and make into some buttons at some time in the future. The old penny is one of many coins that I have and to its right is a second penny that I made into a piece of jewellery for a wrist band or something similar should I get round to finishing it. The awl I use regularly and is antique, it is a real pleasure to work with no one makes handles like that one anymore. The strange shaped item on the bottom is a carborundum stone mounted on a wooden handle, I have never seen one like it before or since but it gets a fair amount of use sharpening the old knives that I collect and use.

So there you have it, a very brief peek into my box of treasures and now I have to put them all away back into the box where there isn't any room.

Flashing Lady

2010-01-21T18:31:00.004Z

The week has been rather slow and drawn out, the television has had a good bashing and apart from the usual daily tasks we have not been very active. Pat has made a couple of pieces of jewellery and Meg has had her little legs walked off as I try to keep myself from becoming a couch potato. So the best I have is another fishing story and to those not interested I am sorry.

Last weekend we had rain and lots of it, put together with the melting snow and several burst water mains the river that runs close by rose rapidly by about 4 feet. Now that alone is no problem, but because the river colours quickly, fishing is not worth the effort, so every day when walking the dog I made an inspection to see if it was worth getting my waders on. Today the water was running much cleaner and so I decided to get the rod out. As I stepped into the water, with a three fly set up, in order to fish my preferred swim the first thing that I noticed was that the shape of the bottom had changed quite a lot, many large rocks had moved and I was very wary about where I put my feet. I moved about the river cautiously, trying all of the likely looking spots, but failing to locate any fish time and time again. After about an hour, success, my 7 foot light weight brook rod was bent well over and the usually well camouflaged "Lady of the stream" flashed silver repeatedly as it tried to shake the hook. The fish only ran for about 10ft and so it didn't take long before it was safely in my river net, I quickly removed the hook and photographed my prize before returning it to the water. The fish was caught in a deep hole at the end of a fast run on the far side of the river and is a place where I have caught on the dry fly. I am told that grayling shoal, so I fished on, in the hope of a little more sport, sadly this was the only fish of the day but never mind, for me it has been the highlight of the week.

2010-01-11T16:08:00.003Z

I thought that everyone would be sick to death of the snow, frost and ice by now, so no stories about that, anyway, some of you didn't believe the last entry I made; can't think why. I have been keen to go fishing, however, I've had difficulty mustering the courage to break the ice at the edges of the river. So, I have spent hours on the Internet aimlessly mooching, suffering daytime TV (not that it is any worse than evening viewing) and keeping on top of daily chores. I have made a few more leather items, the one on the right being being the latest. It is entirely hand made and lined with very soft glove leather. For a mid afternoon snack today, we roasted a few chestnuts and sat munching them whilst watching the birds on the feeders. So there you are, all very ordinary I'm afraid, but perhaps given the recent weather that isn't such a bad thing.

An Old Flame And A Cold Night

2010-01-07T07:32:00.003Z

Due to the recent cold spell, and the problems that it can cause, on odd occasions I have taken to lighting a large church candle and placing it in the awning. It helps to keep the frost off the inside of the fabric. Last night when we went to bed I forgot about the candle. This morning when I got up, there was ice on the inside of the windows, you know, in nice floral patterns. Slowly I got myself moving, let the dog out as usual and prepared some food for the birds. I noticed the candle which I had left lit and tried to blow it out. I couldn't, the flame had frozen solid. Blimey, it must be cold, I thought. I took my penknife from my pocket and carefully cut the flame off the candle and put it in my pocket for safe keeping. I put the food out on the bird tables and dived back into the truck to get warm. I sat down with a nice hot coffee to watch the birds. About half an hour later I jumped up with pain in my right thigh, spilling my coffee and smoke coming from my pocket. The damn flame had defrosted. Hope it warms up soon.

Frosty reception

2010-01-04T15:47:00.003Z

For the last week we have enjoyed the company of our friends Bobby and Trevor, sadly, today we had to say farewell to them, as they decided to return home. We have been friends for many years and had many happy times in their company, we will miss them. So, at the moment there is no one here but us frozen chickens. This is our current set up with the frozen brook in the foreground. Today, the weather has given us our first minor problem of the season, the waste outlet froze and so the washing up water would not drain away. Experience has taught me to leave the waste gate open during the cold weather and place a bucket underneath to catch the water, which up until today has worked fine. At 3 o'clock the temperature rose just above freezing for about half an hour and the plug hole began to gurgle, so, problem over. During the recent cold snap, we have been much more fortunate than much of the country, because as you can see, we have had barely any snow. As I sat down to watch some TV at 4pm., I noticed that the temperature was again below freezing. How fitting, that the programme that was on the television was "Frost", like the weather, it was a repeat.

The Feel Good Factor

2010-01-03T20:13:00.005Z

I didn't really know what to write in my first entry of a new year and like most days, on new years day I saw the sunrise, it was much the same as many that I have seen and it wasn't until about an hour later that I realised that it was the first day of a new year and also a new decade. So, I thought that I would post my first picture of the year. I was eager to get out for a walk while the world was still hung over and so after walking the dog and taking a few photographs, that is exactly what I did. I invited our friends and current neighbours to join me, which they were keen to do and off we went for a couple of hours. It was a lovely day to be out and the "Feel good factor" that I always get when walking was stronger than ever and just lately I had missed it. Since the age of about twelve I have walked for recreation, I don't know why and I have walked thousands of miles over hills, mountains and moors, in snow, wind, rain and sunshine and I never get tired of it. Our new years day excursion was quite short, about five miles, only about two miles of which were new ground for me, but I enjoyed every step. As we approached the awning on the van I heard the gentle "ding" of a bell, it was the timer on the electric oven and unzipping the doorway I was greeted by the mouthwatering smell of fresh baking. Pat then opened the truck door and taking the hot baking out of the oven offered us all coffee and quiche. For the next five minutes I sat not just eating but refueling, it was gorgeous and thinking what a fantastic way to start a new year. Wondering, how come, I have never completed a walk of any length, in any weather and not really enjoyed myself?

Another year goes by

2009-12-31T17:32:00.003Z

As we all say farewell to 2009 I know that I have much to be grateful for and I would like to say thank you to everyone who has endured "The Vagabond Trail", for the comments and the encouragement. I will also take this opportunity to wish you all a healthy and happy new year.

2009-12-28T07:00:00.004Z

It has almost become a daily ritual for us to spend the first hour of daylight watching the bird feeders, which are sited about 10 ft in front of the truck. Beyond the the feeding station is a narrow brook, then a small open field the far side of which is bordered by the river blythe. A couple of days ago, whilst watching a small raiding party of about 9 long tailed tits bashing the feeders something in the background caught our eyes. At first, I thought that it was a lapwing but when taking a closer look with the binoculars it turned out to be a snipe. In the past, I have only ever caught fleeting glimpses of these birds as they dodge low and swiftly over the fields, this chap however, sat for ten minutes or so allowing me to attempt a couple of photographs. A short while later a little egret that we had been watching for a day or two had now become a pair, smart little birds they are, in their pure white outfits. This it seems, did not please one of the local herons who slowly circled the air space above while calling out like a pterodactyl. The brook is a regular fishing beat for him where we have watched him take countless small fish and frogs and when the brook is not frozen he wades right in front of the truck and sometimes posing for the odd photograph. We have also recently seen a pair of bullfinches but they are not quite as obliging when it comes to modelling for me. We had a brief surprise inspection by a cock pheasant too, checking out the standard of the cuisine around the foot of the feeders and all of this being watched by a robin, who stands like a guardsman and occasionally chasing off interlopers of any size with great courage. Well it is almost 0750 hours, time for the next episode, catch you later.

Lady of the stream

2009-12-27T08:03:00.005Z

The Grayling is a fresh water fish that has earned itself the title "Lady of the stream" it is a "game" fish that is said to make good eating. Over the last week or two, I have been passing some of my time reading about Grayling, learning their habits and feeding preferences. I have not been fly fishing for a full year yet, but I have really learned to enjoy it. The Trout season ends with the onset of autumn but the Grayling season continues through to spring so I wanted to learn the best tactics for catching these fish. Through the summer months, I caught quite a large number of these fish but all were quite small, no more than six to eight inches. Now I read about a technique called Czech nymphing, it involves using a team of three different flies on one line and is said to be the best method. When I fish with a single fly, I always get tangled, miss bites, lose flies in vegetation, all clearly an indication of my ineptitude, none the less, I still enjoy it. Boxing day I decided that I would give this Czech style a try. The day was cold and crisp with lots of sunshine, I set up the tackle and took myself off in search of some of the "Ladies" I made a couple of gentle casts to try and get the feel of things and within minutes had a huge tangle of line and flies on the end of my rod. For about twenty minutes I stood untangling this mess, hands and feet getting cold, my temper beginning to fray. All sorted, I stretched out the line and cast again only to achieve a second and much worse tangle, for another half an hour I went through the same frustration of trying to untangle this multi-fly rig. I almost reached the point of taking my knife and cutting the line off and giving up this stupid technique. By now, through lack of movement, I was freezing cold and so had a short walk along the river casting carefully in several different spots that I thought may hold fish. Nothing. Not a bloody sniff. Down hearted and nearing a state of depression I turned back upstream to head for the warmth of the truck when I saw another stretch of water that might be worth a try. I lay my net on the bank and carefully waded back into the ice cold river, I made three casts then "Bang" the rod tip took a sharp dive and about twelve foot of line was pulled off my reel. WooHoo I am thinking trembling with the thrill of some real sport, carefully I played the fish, then it broke the surface and I caught site of the large reddish dorsal fin of a Grayling. The fin alone was half the size of any previous fish that I had caught when it took a dive, pulling the rod tip down again and shaking like a Jack Russell terrier. For the next five or ten minutes I savoured the fight before landing the fish in my net. What a lovely fish, the biggest fish of any species that I had caught so far. I photographed my prize and thought about the meal that it would provide before placing it back in the water and releasing it. Lady of the stream? it fought like a true warrior, no way could I take this fish for the table. I have no idea of it's weight nor do I really care but the fish was about 13 to 14 inches long and in superb condition. I cleaned up, gathered my bits and pieces together and returned to the truck feeling really pleased with myself. Those Czechs, it seems know a thing or two about the ladies.

Thank you ladies for Christmas

2009-12-27T06:54:00.005Z

I feel that I must say thank you to the women of the world, without who's tremendous efforts, Christmas would become a forgotten tradition. The anticipation of Christmas changed dramatically for me when our girls had grown up and left home. Instead of looking forward to the great wonder in the faces of the children I began to wonder "Why bother any more". Sadly, this year was no different and the pre-Christmas weeks have been a real struggle for me. It is not so much the financial side of things, it is the work, the hunting for gifts, the street fighting with other shoppers, the parking wars and the intrusion in my ears of those same nauseating songs every where I go and so, each excursion becomes more of a chore. It is of course, much the same, for women but with great determination they battle on, slowly, ticking items off lists, undeterred by the moaning of men and their accumulation of "Humbugs!" As Christmas gets nearer I get more agitated and despondent, but the women get more focused increasing their drive and efforts to succeed. Then on the arrival of the big day, everything comes together, most of the magic is returned, I am spoiled with gifts and treats that I would never have thought about, the children are in an excited daze and every ones face carries a large smile. So I saviour it all, enjoying the sounds of the little one's laughing and playing. Yet still the women carry on, disappearing into the kitchen at regular intervals never taking a seat until dinner is served, displayed and tasting like a feast for royalty. Ladies; you are nothing short of wonderful and I say once more, "Thank you all, I really enjoyed the day" I know that without you Christmas would soon become just another day. XXX

Light enterainment

2009-12-13T16:10:00.007Z

For the last couple of days we have had neighbours, they put up a stirling effort to capture the festive mood. They had two twenty foot poles with twinkling lights to the top, a six foot fibre optic tree and rope lights all around their vans. In the dark clear evenings the effect was very impressive but the neighbours have gone now and likewise the lights. This evening however, we had another display of light, it began at about 1530 hours, it didn't last for long but I thought that you might like a look.

There was a chill in the air and the light faded fast so I snapped quickly, a few more shots before returning to the warmth of the truck. I don't miss the neighbours but I do miss the light show.

Well and truly "dug in"

2009-12-11T07:46:00.002Z

I am sitting here, looking across the frosted landscape which is shrouded in fog, there are few, if any, signs of life. On the dash board are two brightly flickering church candles and there is a silence, a silence the likes of which, only seems to be present during the winter months and yet there is an air of cosiness. It could be because I have the heating turned up high, it could also be the security of familiar surroundings, but I think, that it is much more to do with the fact that we are well and truly "dug in". The awning is pitched, giving us a larger than normal living space, the bird feeders are in place for premium viewing and I have a strong feeling of contentment. It is our intention, to stay here now for a few weeks and so avoid much of the seasonal panic and anxiety. I do love this life.

Problems!

2009-12-09T11:22:00.008Z

Oh dear, what is it with me? I have the bug for leather craft now. I must have had more interests and hobbies than a dozen men. Those who have been keeping an eye on my activities will have seen already a few pieces that I have made and now I have a few more. This one, is, I hope, more comfortable than real barbed wire wrapped around the wrist.

The one above on the left is a design based on some of the tribal tattoos that seem to have become so popular over recent years. It is hand cut, dyed with coffee and then given a bit of a shine using bees wax. The last one here is of course a Celtic

design and is made using embossing stamps that I

recently bought from a leather craft shop. I have about another dozen or so, each one different, but I don't want to post them on here as I may give them as Christmas presents. Now, all of this is causing me problems. Space, we need a larger camper, I am running out of places to store all of my hobby materials. Time, there are never enough hours in a day to devote sufficient time to my interests, I think that I will have to give up sleeping in order to get more done. So, that's it, you're up to date with things, except that Meg (my dog) has been very poorly for the last couple of days. In her never ending search for food, she has, I think, eaten something that has given her diarrhea and sickness and it has really knocked her about.

A Christmas Wish

2009-12-09T08:52:00.003Z

Well, there are only about two weeks until Christmas and it is a time of year that I always have some difficulty with. I detest the mayhem of the shops and the buying for the sake of it, the TV adverts that apply emotional pressure and the loan companies that feed on the struggles of the less fortunate. I never know how to deal with it all, I want it to be a happy time for my loved ones and everyone else but how can it be done? So often in the past, I have tried to please everyone and as a result Christmas has been such an anti-climax. What a shame, that so often Christmas causes much upset when the intentions are all so good. What is the answer? I don't have a clue.

I do have one wish for Christmas though, so Santa if you are about.............How about making it one day, that no children in the world cry with tears of pain, fear or hunger.

Back in Staffordshire

2009-12-01T19:34:00.003Z

The last couple of weeks there has been little to report. It seems the day that we left Yorkshire was the beginning of the monsoon season and our week at Wrexham was wet to say the least. Fortunately, as I said before, we were pitched on hard standing and so did not have to be towed off site like the rest of the vans. From Wrexham we returned to Staffordshire and spent some time with the family. I do enjoy seeing the family, in fact, not being near them is the hardest part of full timing for me. So we are now at one of our favourite sites, it is not too far from the family and is as pleasant as you can get. We have not done much to prepare for Christmas, in fact, each year the festive season becomes much more of a chore and much less of a pleasure. Humbug! I am quite looking forward to a spot of fishing, maybe some bird watching and who knows what else. I have today put out some bird feeders and cleaned the binoculars ready for action. Today, whilst in Lichfield I bought an old folding knife from a stall on the market, I know that I will get great pleasure from cleaning it up and making it serviceable once more. Over the last couple of weeks we have watched more TV than we have for years, I have set up the digital box and we have both enjoyed some of the documentaries that have recently been shown.

From A to B

2009-11-07T19:27:00.004Z

This morning we departed Yorkshire at 9 o'clock, off the site and straight up on top of the moors. I really would like to have lingered, taken a long look over the landscape and maybe some photographs but the weather was set against us, the cloud was down to ground level and the screen was splattered with sleet. Driving was very unpleasant and we were both pleased to get back down below the cloud base. The remainder of the journey was quite uneventful and by 11 o'clock we were at our new location, Wrexham. The site owner kindly allowed us to set up on his drive due to the site being very wet. The view is pleasant and it is a top coat warmer than Yorkshire.

What Car?

2009-11-06T19:36:00.010Z

Sadly our brief stay in Yorkshire comes to an end and I have to say a big thank you to our friends Andy and Pip who have been fantastic hosts, they have fed us, entertained us and chauffeured us around. Unfortunately, when they ordered the weather, they got the dates wrong. Yesterday, I went along with Andy to walk the dogs, it was rather wet but I enjoyed the scenery. That was after we had ransacked Todmorden flea market and collected a couple of goodies to help with the ballast.

Sadly, my footwear was not really the best for plodging around the very wet landscape I would love to have walked for longer.

This northern landscape of crags and ghosts of industry, has an attraction for me that I find difficult to explain, I am sure that we will return, hopefully in the not too distant future, any way, we have to, because the pies are magic.

Today, our hosts took us to Ramsbottom, a town that I have never heard of, but we had great time and ate what has to be, one of the best servings of fish and chips that I have eaten for a long time. Whilst there, we visited the local "Morrisons", Andy parked the car next to a small blue car that had a couple of modifications, one of which I don't recall having ever seen before. In the rear of the car was a pile of old polythene bags, the rear wings of the car were heavily splattered with mud, the screen, bonnet and wipers were sprinkled with straw and right in the centre of the bonnet was a lump of sheep shit.

I had to take a picture, at which point Andy said, "Do you know what this car is?.......it's a Turdbo" Thanks for having us, Tarra.

Moochin' about

2009-11-04T19:39:00.005Z

Tuesday we went for a little mooch about Stockport, our friend Andy took us there in his car, the weather was not good and our hearts were not in it. As a result, we did not stay long. I have no wish to offend anyone, but it really is not my kind of place, too busy by far.

Wednesday we went to Hebden Bridge and had a mooch around there. We spent a good deal of time at the flea market, where I bought a couple of old tools. We thought it to be a lovely old town with loads of character. We bought a hot pork pie from a local bakery which we ate "on the hoof" and thoroughly enjoyed before walking along the Rochdale canal back to the site.

All of the boats in these pictures were being lived in, some had clearly not moved in years. I have to say, I for one, would not mind joining them, unfortunately Pat does not like water.

Ay up me duck

2009-11-03T07:08:00.005Z

Wasn't the weather good for October? I don't remember any rain all month. Well Sunday 1st November certainly made up for it. We left Staffordshire at about 0900 hours bound for Yorkshire, Hebden Bridge actually, and it threw it down all of the way. Driving conditions were atrocious, we were both relieved when we arrived on site (in Mytholmroyd) at 1210 hours. We had a good deal from the site owners, being low season, the daily fee being just short of eight pounds with a hook up. For half an hour or so, we just sat, looking and relaxing after the journey. Suddenly, the van shook violently, rocking from side to side, woodland debris rattled on the roof and the leaves flew horizontally like golden snow. 15 seconds later all was calm once more. Except for one man that is, who emerged from a twin axle caravan 60 metres away from us, a tall silver birch tree had snapped off at the root and fallen across the rear of his van. Fortunately it turned out that there was only minor damage where the tree clipped the back end, 6ft forward and his van would have been a write off.

A couple of hours later our good friends Andy and Pip arrived, took us both back to their house and fed us like kings. We chatted and laughed for hours before they returned us to the truck. Next day, Monday, Andy picked us up again and took us for a little tour of the locality and back to the house. I went for a walk around the nearest town, Todmorden, while the other three sat chatting. I took a few pictures of this old town, wondering how on earth they built it all those years ago. The river runs through the town, the Rochdale canal runs over the river and the train line runs over the canal. Houses and mills have been squeezed into any area larger than 20 square feet. Funny, I don't think that we have ever been here before but it felt homely somehow. Anyway, here are a couple of pictures.

I got the feeling that many of the current locals didn't have much interest in just how difficult life would have been for the original occupants of such a town and I wondered if they even saw the attraction that was so obvious to me.

I like it here and I can't wait to have a closer look at the moors and dales. Many years ago I spent a couple of years of my youth living in Yorkshire, nearer Harrogate though and I was sad to leave it then.

Time to get my own back

2009-10-20T19:00:00.009+01:00

Yesterday I managed to get out with the camera for a little while, something which has taken a back seat over recent weeks. Despite the fact that throughout my life, I have seen more sunrises than I have missed, they still impress me. Yesterday was just such a day. I took about 30 photographs but here are just a couple.

Well those of you that know us personally or follow "The Vagabond Trail " will know that Pat, my wife, makes costume jewellery. For years I have been asked on an almost daily basis "What do you think of this?" or, "Do you think this stone goes with that?". Etc. etc. Well now the time has come for me to take some revenge. I like to keep my brain and hands busy too, so as a result I have many hobbies. Being recently inspired by my friend Sandy's unusual wrist cuff I decided to have a go at making something different for myself. So, the other dark evening, whilst being bored to tears with the TV, I sat with a sketch pad and pencil and doodled for a couple of hours. This was the first design that I came up with. It is made from copper,

brass and silver plated wire, then mounted on a thick leather cuff. "Hey Pat, what do you think of this?" I said. Well, she was full of praise so I decided to have another go. I already had an idea but I needed some old coins, I knew where to get some, so off I went on a mission. Armed with the necessary bits and pieces I turned out number two.

I am sorry that the image is a little blurred but it is not meant for a photography competition. "What do you think of this one then, Pat" I asked. Once again, she kindly made more positive remarks. Of course, I didn't need any more encouragement to have another go so here is another one.

Now, having got the sweet taste of revenge in my pallet I had to keep feeding it, so I messed about with a pendant and came up with this idea. Who knows where this new found pleasure will end, but I do have quite long arms for my height.

Just an update.

2009-10-20T07:30:00.002+01:00

From Criccieth we went to stay with two good friends Sandy and Maureen, they live near Llanrwst. We stayed with them for about four days and had a really good time, they are a lovely couple and between them, made us feel very welcome. From there we headed back to the midlands, one of our grandchildren had been admitted to hospital so we felt that we should be close at hand in case any help was needed. Fortunately, after much medication and four days, she was well on the road to recovery and was discharged. We had no need to travel and so booked into a camp site about 10 miles away, we need electricity at this time of year in order to be comfortable. It is nothing to do with the weather, the batteries just cannot cope with the demand of the darker evenings. We have been here for about a week now and seem to have done more miles running around than ever. This is going to have to stop, the price of fuel is making travel by road a luxury once more.

Riverdance

2009-10-03T08:30:00.009+01:00

A couple of days back I posted a photograph of a piece of driftwood that I had marked out and begun to whittle. Now here is the finished item, it's a ball in a cage made from a single piece of wood using no more elaborate a tool than a pocket knife. Sad aren't I? to spend hours producing an item that has no useful purpose. I can accept people taking that view, but for me it was a really satisfying way to spend some time. First came the pleasure of mooching along a deserted beach, just Pat and I, that we had walked a mile or so to get to, just to see what had washed up on the shore.Then picking up bits and pieces, examining them and trying to think how I might put them to use and at the same time watching the wildlife, at ease, because it was so quiet. We saw hundreds of birds in the hour or two that we were there. Several days later, I sat outside on my tool box, in the warm afternoon sun and began to whittle away. I was completely absorbed in what I was doing, working slowly and with caution, so as not to cut my hands, removing slivers of wood chip by chip. It was so peaceful the warm sinking sun on my face, Meg by my side and thoughts running through my head. I thought about my girls and their families, I thought about my Mom, I thought about my Dad, I thought about a couple of soldiers that I served with who didn't live long enough to see 21. I was then disturbed by the "Kronk" of a raven, followed by the "Mew" of a buzzard and I looked up to watch their aerial squabble. Then in the shadows of the back lit trees, I noticed the flying insects, thousands of them, dancing in large groups, swooping down as if all linked together by invisible cord and then up again as one body to be shattered into a thousand individuals as a grey wagtail darted into the hoard to snatch one for a meal. Quickly they regrouped, to continue their dance in the sunlight. I thought about the film "Riverdance" the hours of training, the countless rehearsals and retakes just to record a few minutes on film for our viewing pleasure. These fellows, the insects, gave such a display, no time for rehearsals, no training; most only live for a day, yet the dance was perfection with only the birds to provide the music. All too soon the sun sank below the horizon, the dancers all gone now, my eyes struggling to see in the low light and my hands niggling with a blister from holding the knife, I retired to the truck. A waste of time? ......................Yea. If you say so.

More things that have kept me busy

2009-10-01T16:24:00.007+01:00

In addition to the items that I posted yesterday, I have some more, should you be interested. The first picture is of a couple of leather knife sheaths that I made. I like knives (quality ones that is) and I have quite a collection. These two knives I bought second hand, on separate occasions and neither one had a sheath, so I designed and made a couple using a piece of thick saddlery leather that I bought for fifty pence at a car boot sale, once I had cut them out I hand stitched them using some waxed linen thread that I again bought from a car boot sale. I made the small sheath first just to see if I could do it then the larger one once I was happy. Don't ask me why I like knives, I have no desire to do a Rambo impersonation or anything, I think it is the feel of something well made that attracts me, rather like marine boat fittings and climbing equipment. Anyway, there they are, no one is ever likely to see them for real as I keep them locked in a safe, out of harms way.

The next item that I have posted uses the silver fork that I picked up at a car boot sale in Portmadog last Sunday for twenty pence and a short piece of driftwood fencing that I salvaged from the beach near Criccieth. In case you have no idea what it is, let me tell you. It is a tea towel hook. The wood is mounted on the wall and the towel hung from the fork handle. I'm sorry if you do not like it, I thought that it was a bit of a novelty.

Finally, here is a work in progress, another piece of drift wood that I have begun to whittle. I will not divulge what it is intended to be, like most of the items here I have never made one of these before so I don't know quite how it will turn out, we shall just have to wait and see but I think it will take many more hours yet.

End of the brown trout season

2009-10-01T08:03:00.004+01:00

30th September is the last day of the brown trout fishing season, so yesterday I took full advantage of the weather and our location which is in very close proximity to the River Dwyfach (about 20ft). For a good hour I could not find what the fish were feeding on, even though they were feeding voraciously. I kept at it, changing flies, changing tactics and getting more and more frustrated. I had a couple of bites but missed them. When just about at the point of giving up BANG! a large fish hit the fly, I lifted the rod and the hook was set. I could see it was a trout, as it thrashed about violently in a valiant attempt to throw the hook. I did not want to lose this fish. I kept the rod high and slowly brought the fish to the bank, all of the time thinking what a fighter this was. Safely out of the water and on the bank the fish did not look as large as I had thought it might be. Quickly I measured it, 9 inches, this was a specimen fish for such a small river and just on the size limit to take. I then photographed it, because I know that no-one would believe me. Doesn't look so large, does it? It's all relative you see, fish do not grow to any real size in this river, because the food is just not available. This summer I have caught about fifty fish here and have never hooked into anything the size of this one. I savoured the moment and admired my catch for just a few seconds longer before returning it to river, maybe I'll see it next year. As you might be able to tell I was ecstatic, so while waiting for my evening meal I fished a little further down stream for another half hour. I landed another two fish, the usual size and lost several more. What a great note on which to end the season. Thank you river, thank you fish, for the company, the many happy hours and I have really enjoyed the challenge.

Keeping myself occupied

2009-09-30T19:56:00.009+01:00

In addition to my hobbies of photography, fishing, bird watching, walking etc. I like to make things, I like the principles of recyling and try to learn new skills. I consider myself quite fortunate, in so far as, I am quite good with my hands, a gift that I had passed on to me from my mother and father who between them could make or repair just about anything. For those that are interested I have put a few pictures on here to show the sort of things that I have made recently.

The first picture is of a couple of "monkey fist" knots, they were originally intended to weight the end of a rope to aid throwing it ashore. The coloured rope I found on the beach, I cleaned it and taught myself how to tie the knot. I have seen them used as paper weights and door stops. I just like them.

The second picture is a table mat, the rope is window sash cord that I had left over from the second monkey fist. The key rings and fobs I made from bits of odd leather and nylon cord.

On the right are some friendship bracelets that I made, I have made hundreds, in every colour of the spectrum. Once I had made a selection of colours I needed a way to show them off to their best advantage so I made a small version of a wire coat hanger on which to display them.

Adding some light on the subject

2009-09-30T08:18:00.002+01:00

I just thought that this may be useful to any caravaners who have experienced a similar problem.

For several months now the 12V hob/worktop light in the truck has not worked, so whilst out and about we have looked in many caravan dealers and accessory shops in an attempt to buy a 12V 23" flourescent tube. We have often asked for help, we have been told many times, that it is not a standard size, and that we would probably need to get one from Germany as no UK manufacturers fit a 12V tube of this size. Today we went to a caravan accessory shop in Portmadog to be told a similar tale. Whilst carrying our old tube as a pattern, I looked at the rating that is printed on the glass and I noticed that there was no mention of voltage. I said to Pat, "I wonder if the voltage does not matter then" I decided to have a look in a domestic electrical suppliers outlet called CEF, I explained at the counter the background and questioned the voltage. The man said "You are right, tubes have no voltage rating and one used for a mains supply will work on 12V too". So I paid the man £3.91 and returned to the truck to test it out. Bingo, it lit up and worked just fine.

Taking it easy

2009-09-29T08:28:00.002+01:00

Hi,for the last week we have been taking things easy, making the most of the warm autumn days. From Tuesday to Sunday last week the truck did not turn a wheel, we found more than enough to keep us occupied right where we are. I have fished every day at some point and some days have been more successful than others, still nothing that you could class as "pan size" though. I hooked one fish that I found very difficult to remove the hook from so now I have taken to removing the barbs from the hooks, as a result, I have lost a few fish. I don't mind though, it is better than doing damage from which the fish may never recover.

Sunday morning we were on the road early, to Portmadog. We went to the car boot sale and picked up a few bits and pieces. I bought an old silver dinning fork, I had an idea for making a towel hook with it. I bought a new fly reel with three spools and Pat picked up some bits for Christmas presents. Minutes after our return to the camp site, our friends Sandy and Maureen came, it was good to see them. Pat cooked a really tasty chicken dinner (as she always does) which everyone seemed to enjoy. We chatted and laughed, put the world to rights and all too quickly it was time for them to leave. Monday we had a long walk, down to the sea and along the beach, we collected some drift wood and watched the sea birds. The great thing about the coast at this time of year is that it is so quiet, we did not see a living sole other than a man in a fishing boat far from the shore.

It is early here, about 0800 hours and I have just watched a buzzard fly up the river skimming the water and dodging the over hanging tree branches, not twenty feet away from the truck. I have never viewed a buzzard from above before, what a good start to the day.

I am sensing that Pat is getting itchy feet again, so I wouldn't be surprised if we are on the move before much longer, personally I could stay here indefinitely. Be good, be happy. See you soon.

Thorn on the cobs

2009-09-23T15:57:00.005+01:00

Well, here we are again, back in Llanystumdwy. We arrived here yesterday at about 1600 hours after a steady journey from the midlands. I am surprised at the amount of people that are still on holiday or it could be, like us, they are retired. I had to check out the river soon after arrival and during an hour and a half hours fishing ,caught a dozen or so fish, all trout and salmon parr, all too small for the table. It doesn't matter though, I thoroughly enjoyed myself and went to bed quite content.

Today began with a little rain, but it slowly got better and warmer so I had to give the river another bashing. Seven fish, including what must be the record for the smallest trout ever caught on the fly. What a little cutie it was, less than 2 inches from tip to tail, perfectly marked and released unharmed. I wish that I had photographed it just to show how small it really was. Early in the afternoon we went for a little walk, the intention was to collect some damsons if there were any still about. Sadly not, but we did come across a field full of "corn on the cob" or maize. I just had to have a couple, so with Pat reluctantly keeping watch I straddled the barbed wire fence with pen knife at the ready. I selected two beauties and was trying to find a pocket large enough in which to hide them when Pat warned me of an approaching car. In my haste to get back over the fence I caught the barbed wire right in my wedding tackle. Pat asked "Did you manage to get any?" "Yes" I replied "And a thorn on the cobs" She of course was highly amused and I bet she has a smile on her face when we eat it. Tarra for now. Bond............Vagabond.

Don't ask!

2009-09-10T21:14:00.002+01:00

Where did the summer go? Don't ask, I can be of no help there. All that I can say is that we have had the most fantastic time. We have not been to many new places, but we have met loads more people and the quality of life keeps getting better. I am afraid that there is far too much to try and tell, it would take me weeks to put it all in writing and whilst I do enjoy writing I am afraid that I just don't have the time at the moment.

At present we are in Staffordshire but only for another 24 hours then it is "on the trail" once more. I have to keep this session short, but I will try to put in an appearance a little more frequently than I have done of late. So take care everyone, see you soon.

Another fishy tale

2009-07-17T07:16:00.006+01:00

I think today we will be moving on, the weather is not good and Pat is getting bored, there is no-one to talk to, the shops are ten miles away and I have been fishing every day. Paradise for many a bloke.

Having said that, I think that this weekend will see the campsite overrun with children and holiday makers. Wednesday I walked the river bank for about a mile, checking out where the big fish might be, I found many a likely looking spot but saw only mullet and lots of them. I fished a spot where the Dwyfach and Dwyfor join for a couple of hours but apart from a couple of kingfishers I had no entertainment. On my return to the campsite I went to fish the pool at the top of the field and the action was none stop. I caught ten fish in just over an hour, at last I seemed to be getting it together.

Needless to say, I went to bed feeling very pleased with myself. Thursday, I went out to the same spot at the same time with exactly the same set up and caught one fish in about two hours. So how does that work? I tried different flies and techniques, the fish were rising continually but the word was clearly out that Taylor the trout basher was about. So it seems to me that I still have a great deal to learn about trout and this fly fishing game. Perhaps I am in need of a mentor, someone who knows my frustrations and pleasure. When I go out on these little forays I would love to take my proper camera with me, I do see some great potential shots but it is my luck that I would take an untimely swim and ruin my pride and joy.

Salmon parr or trout?

2009-07-14T18:30:00.009+01:00

Sunday we both felt the need for a change of scenery, we had been static for a week, so we left and stopped a little further along the coast when we found this little spot. No pay and display here I might add. This is only about 5 miles down the coast from where we had been and I wonder why we have never found it before.

We continued on to Llanystumdwy and I could not wait to get out the fly rod once again. Monday however, the weather was far from ideal and the fish were not very active, except for one. It was a large trout of about 10 inches in length and it jumped a good 18 inches into the air then landed with a loud splash, I tried for an hour or so to catch it but I never saw it again. Tuesday I fared a little better with two more trout on the score card, (now running at eleven) but it has to be said that I did have to work hard and had some help.

Meg has been getting increasingly lazy of late and so I took her along with me. At first she wandered around the bank and adjacent field looking for food but when she found none she decided to have a look at what the river had to offer. She reminded me of a Grizzly bear, patrolling up and down in the water and staring into the depths. Every now and again she would try and bat something with a paw and then push her nose two inches under water, but she was not doing any better than I was. A couple of times she got my line tangled around her feet and stumbled about a little and at one point, whilst rolling in the grass, she fell into the river, head first and upside down. When she stood up, she looked at me as if I had pushed her. That was it, she went a lay twenty feet away and turned her back on me. She thinks that we are married.

I continued to fish trying different tactics and different spots and was finally rewarded with a fish, about half an hour later a second fish. I tried to determine whether these fish were indeed Trout or Salmon parr, I have researched this on the Internet and the two are very similar. I have several photographs and I have to say that at least some of the fish I have caught are Salmon parr. Either way they are lovely little fish and I have been very careful not to harm any, having said that, if I catch any Trout the size of a dinner plate they may well get a free tin foil shroud. So, have a look at the next photograph, I would be interested to hear opinions, expert or otherwise. So be careful and fly fishing tips welcome.

Light Show

2009-07-08T20:36:00.006+01:00

Last Friday we left Criccieth and made our way North to Caernarfon, we spent last weekend there and had a very enjoyable time. We went to the North Wales agricultural show and stayed at Bethel overnight. There was not anywhere that I could fish so the camera was put to much use. Sunday we had a look at Llanrwst and met up with our Dutch friends, Willem and Wilhelmina. We agreed to move to the coast just south of Caernarfon and spend a little time together. So over the last few days I have done a little walking with Willem and I have tried to fish but with no success. The weather has been mixed but warm with significantly more rain than we have grown accustomed to of late.

Whilst walking the other day, I came across these two, I haven't seen them for years. I remember when we were small, we used to catch a few of these pretty little moths and keep them in a jam jar, with a lid made of paper full of pin holes and held on with a rubber band. My Mom didn't like the little critters that we would bring home and usually made us keep them outside. That of course was before Nintendo and other modern wizardry.

I love the skies here, I have hundreds of photographs of them that I have shot over the years, I would be hard pressed to find a favourite but it is not just the colours, the sky seems so big. So, it has been a very relaxing week but I fear with the school summer holidays rapidly approaching it will soon become very busy and it may be time to get the wheels rolling once more.

Brown Trout and bullocks

2009-07-01T15:27:00.005+01:00

Sundays car boot sale did not produce the bargains that we had hoped for, but we did meet up with our friends Andy and Pip and as always it was great to see them again. Andy was selling (he likes to dabble in antique type junk) but we just had a nose around until we could take no more. At 1130 we headed off to Llanystumdwy near Criccieth (birth place of Lloyd George) where Andy and Pip would meet us later. We had a very scenic drive over the mountains and arrived at about 1400 hours. Pat prepared an evening meal which we all promptly scoffed as soon as Andy and Pip arrived. It had been a long day with a pre-0500 hours start and we were all knackered, so it was early to bed.

I didn't sleep well, it was a hot and humid night, so at 0400 hours I armed myself with my fly fishing tackle and set off to do battle. Almost two hours later, 0550 I hooked and landed my first wild brown trout. What a feeling........what a beautiful little fish, I was elated. I removed the hook and returned it gently to the river. Within the hour I had my second fish.........I can not express what a sense of achievement I felt. Now, if I had put the two fish side by side on a plate I would have been hard pushed to make a fish finger, they were only about 4 inches long, but I didn't care I was ecstatic. The day was getting warmer and we just sat about all day chatting and kicking back, then in the evening I went off to the river again. Two more trout, maybe the same two, they were certainly the same size, but again I felt fantastic. The night was long and hot, none of us slept well and so at first light I was back in the river pursuing this very flighty new quarry. A couple of hours later I returned to the vans with two more fish on the score card. Later in the morning Andy and I had a walk to the sea with the hope of doing some damage to the fish stocks for tea, sadly, all we caught were three dog fish which we returned. Tuesday we all had a trip into Porthmadog for a couple of hours and returned to the site exhausted by the heat. By the end of the day I had notched up a new total of six trout and was still flying high on the feeling. Wednesday Andy and Pip departed, bound for Towyn, they like it there. We stayed put and I caught two more trout before they left, score card now running at eight. Now I was getting to grips with this most subtle discipline of fishing, I needed a bit more of a challenge. A little way down stream is an old road bridge, underneath looked like a good holding pool for bigger fish. The far bank was gently sloping pasture but I could only fish from the camp site bank as I don't hold the necessary permit to fish from the other. It was a bit of a hairy climb down the old stone bridge walls but I descended the eight feet or so safely. Once standing between the arches I looked around, the arches were fenced off and both banks were indented with hoof prints, lots of them. But there was very little bank to fish from on the side I was on as it was heavily overgrown with trees and fenced off to keep the horses behind me safely penned in. Casting was difficult to say the least, no room to back cast you see. So I found the roomiest spot between two of the arches and sat on the silt and did my best. I wasn't having much success, I missed a few bites. I was baking in the sun and getting a muddy wet backside and a little uncomfortable when I heard, in the distance cows "mooing". I looked in the direction of the sound and saw about 6 cows descending the opposite pasture. I carried on fishing...........I then heard the "mooing" again, this time accompanied by a muffled thunder-like sound. When I looked again the cows, which I could now tell were bullocks were about 50 metres away and running. Safely separated by the river, I continued to fish. When I looked again to see what all the noise was about they were in the water, still running and bellowing quite loud, in fact two were only ten metres away. Now throughout my life I have faced some aggressive situations, been fired at by terrorist's, petrol bombed and threatened by enraged felons wielding knives and clubs, I have always stood my ground and defended myself. Here however, armed with only a light weight fly rod and some imitation flies I felt a bit vulnerable. "Keithy", I thought, "This is not the time nor place to get stuffed with several beef sausages and renamed Daisy" so I showed them a muddy arse and the soles of my wellies as I slipped and scrambled my way up the old stone walled bridge. I stood on the wall of the bridge and looked down into the eyes of these sex crazed beasts, as I gasped for breath, I could feel them thinking "next time Daisy dear". I slowly made my way back to the van and I was thinking to myself "People will call you a wimp". Well call me a wimp if you like, but just imagine, if there is an after-life how would I have explained that to my dearly departed Mom. Beef sandwiches for tea I think.

Moving

2009-06-26T15:31:00.002+01:00

It seems like we have been static for so long, but we are on the move again. Today we travelled to Oswestry, which is a frequent stop over point for us en route to the welsh coast and it is likely that we shall stay in the locality until Sunday afternoon. There is a fantastic car boot sale held close by on Sundays and we would both like to visit that before moving on. I am looking forward to trying my fly fishing technique, I have been very unsuccessful with other forms of fishing so I am hoping that this will change things for me.

Pain relief

2009-06-02T06:28:00.003+01:00

I can't believe that it is June already, where does the time go? Again the week has been quite busy, I have been working on a few family portrait photographs that I have taken and Pat has been manufacturing more jewellery we have caught up with a few friends from our previous and less desirable life in the rat race, some of which looked very well and some which looked quite ill. There was a hectic family celebration over the weekend (Saturday) for our eldest granddaughter who is now nine years old, her Mom made the most wonderful cake on which the candles would not stay lit in the balmy summer breeze and Rupert the young Yorkshire terrorist had a feast cleaning up on discarded morsels from the barbecue. Sunday we went and raided the local car boot sale and returned with quite a haul of "booty" one item of which was a new radio/CD player for the truck. Under normal circumstances I would not buy electronic items from a car boot sale, but this guy seemed honest and genuine. I have since fitted the radio and it is marvellous, remote controlled too.

Well, since our stay in Criccieth I have been tolerating severe pain in my right shoulder and numbness in my right arm, probably caused by fruitless and frantic fishing forays, during the week I visited the doctor who had great sympathy and gave the useful advice to take paracetamol, brilliant aren't they, my nine year old granddaughter would have told me that. A nearby friend is a physiotherapist and on Sunday, in desperation, after hearing me whinge relentlessly for weeks Pat went and asked her if she could perhaps help me. Well for a good half an hour or so I was subject to torture at the hands of this very kind lady. (Strange how onlookers bear such a broad grin) and she said that she would return on Monday with some acupuncture needles if I didn't object. By now, I was desperate and would probably have agreed to amputation without anaesthetic. Monday saw me hobbling around the shops like Quasimodo's apprentice carrying a bunch of flowers for my saviour and if the worst came to the worst they could have been placed at my headstone. At 1700 hours the sport began. I sat slumped over the table and had 16 needles stuck in various parts of my back, shoulders and hand none of which caused me any pain or even discomfort. We all chatted for 15 or 20 minutes while the magic needles did there work. I then had a further 8 or 9 needles inserted directly into the point of pain, Oh my God...............did they hurt? I think that they had been preheated to red hot on the gas ring. Another 15 minutes or so and they were removed. Did I feel any better? Boy, you bet I did, mere muscle spasm pain was heaven compared to those little red hot devils of Chinese torture. Now I know there are those of you out there who will doubt the magic of this ancient art form, well let me tell you................it did absolutely nothing for me except stimulate the tear ducts and the desire to express high volume and random expletives, but don't let my experiences put you off, you may well get some sort of distorted pleasure from such agony. We both thanked our friend for her efforts, gave her the flowers and I then sat speechless for half an hour while the sweat and tears dissipated along with any thoughts that I had about groaning. Sometimes.................it is better to suffer in silence. Do you get the point?

Waiting for summer

2009-05-25T11:40:00.003+01:00

The week has passed quickly again but we have done very little. Monday we attended a fund raising function in a nearby restaurant and on Wednesday we were invited to give a talk to a local ladies group about life in a motor home. It was a little daunting, stood in front of 60 or so ladies with no idea of what they wanted to hear. We began explaining the reasons why we took early retirement and chose this lifestyle of ours and very quickly we felt fairly comfortable. Before we new it, it was time to finish off, the comments that we subsequently received were very encouraging and rewarding.

On Wednesday afternoon we were going to move to a nearby CL but decided against it for a while longer, so here we are, still sat on the drive at the house and beginning to feel that summer is never going to arrive again.

Back to the Midlands

2009-05-17T15:12:00.005+01:00

We stayed at Chirk on Saturday in readiness for the car boot sale held there on Sunday, we like it there it has become a bit of a social event. First we met with Steve and Hiedi, friends that we made on our way round Wales several years ago. They too, live in a motor home and have a very similar outlook to our own. Then we met Hayden (one of lifes real characters) and Margaret who live in Treaddur Bay and also own a motor home. We did not spend much money there, despite our best efforts. I did however, manage to acquire a nice, as new fly rod for a fiver. It couldn't have gone to a better home, it will probably never now the struggle of landing a sizeable fish. After a good days bargain hunting we decided to head back to the house, we have a few things to sort out over the next few weeks.

Sunshine in Shropshire

2009-05-08T18:29:00.003+01:00

Yesterday the wanderlust got the better of us, around 1400 hours we decided that it was time for a move. We packed a few things away, including half of a driftwood rain forest and headed up the coast towards Caernarfon. Here we did a little food shopping before making our way to Llanberis. We were going to stay there for the night, but some inconsiderate so and so had decided that the car park needed to be widened by 2ft and so 100yards of the car park had to be closed in order to complete this major improvement to the facility. We hung around until 1800 hours and drove up the Llanberis Pass through Capel Curig and on to Betws y coed. We found a suitable place to park but for some reason couldn't settle, so it was off again, to Oswestry. We are on a CL (certified location) that is only 150 yards from an A5 traffic island. We have been here before, it is convenient for the town.

At 2130 hours nearby voices attracted my attention, in the adjacent lane a man and young lady were trying to coax a sick Citroen into life. The battery was flat, I got my jump leads out and connected both of their cars together. I told the girl to try it now. She seemed completely bewildered and asked me what she had to do....... Any way it started. They thanked me and were each about to depart in their respective cars when the Citroen stopped again. We went through the procedure a second time, this time I noticed that there was no "Vee" belt attached to the alternator. I questioned the lady about it. She didn't know what I was on about but said that the engine gave a bang and made some other funny noises about 3 days ago, and that it had not run right since, also there was a red light on her dash board which she thought was something to do with the battery. She asked me if that was what was wrong with it then, it's a good job that I didn't say "No,Shit in the carb" or heaven knows what she would have done. After a further hour of attempting to get this lady mobile she said that she was in the RAC and perhaps she should give them a call. I must confess I was now beginning to think that she was like the lights on her car, not too bright. This amazing "emergency service" said that being a lone female they would give her priority and be with her in 75 minutes. Maybe, they came from Caernarfon too. So she left the car and went off to the pub, I went to bed.

This morning the car was gone. Today I have done little, just watched the world go by. The traffic never stops, it is like having a ring side seat at the "Wackey Races" and the venue being the "Magic Roundabout". Between us and the roundabout is large pasture staging a feature length episode of "Watership Down" and a full dress rehearsal of "Emerdale Farm" taking place behind us, complete with Molly Sugden who sold me half a dozen fresh eggs, thank heaven the phone rang when it did or she would still be chatting come the next bank holiday. It is quite amazing how a place so rural can be so busy. We like it though and at three pounds per night it is hardly expensive.

Vagabonds or crabs

2009-05-05T19:01:00.005+01:00

The last week has raced by, leaving me in a bit of a daze. The site that we are on here at Criccieth got quite busy but has now become deserted, I have to say, I like it like this. On Friday, my brother Ian came in his motor home, on Saturday morning our daughter Sarah came with her two daughters and stayed overnight. On Saturday evening Ian's friend Maria came to join in the fun. It was great to see Sarah and the girls, I think that they all enjoyed themselves, it is just a shame that the weather was not a little warmer for them. Sunday saw Sarah head off back to home.

I have been trying my hand at a little fly fishing for trout, needless to say, I have been no more successful at that than any other form of fishing. I must say however, that I have really enjoyed it. I have no idea what I am doing but it feels good none the less.

Monday saw heavy rain and we went for a drive with Ian and Maria, we headed for Abersoch. Well I can honestly say that I have no idea what everyone raves about. It is overpriced and overcrowded, I doubt that we will be in any hurry to return. From there we drove to Portmerion, another disappointment, at £7:50 per person to enter the village they can go and whistle, I never liked "The Prisoner" anyway. By 1500hrs Maria could stand the rain no more and departed, 1700hrs Ian followed, 1800hrs Pat's brother Anthony arrived with his new girlfriend Sharron after getting lost and stuck in the mud in some field en route. 1930hrs and they too were off, leaving us now alone on an empty site.

Today, Pat and I walked the mile to the beach where we were on the look out for sea glass and driftwood. We want the sea glass to make some jewellery and the driftwood is an idea that I have to add another dimension to our occasional craft stalls. This is where the fun began. The beach was completely deserted, thank heaven, because Pat and I must have looked like a couple of crabs mooching around the beach and rummaging in the shingle. I found the first piece of glass, which turned out to be the only piece. We moved our attention to the driftwood, we had several carrier bags for our haul and soon had filled two of them. I really wanted to find some Ivy, it looks so intricate the way it has wrapped its way around a host. Well we trudged along the beach for about a mile stuffing more and more into our now bulging bags as we went, then I saw it. A half of a tree, complete with a six foot twisted shroud of Ivy. "I am having that" I said. The only thing was, that the tree was "Y" shaped and the Ivy was all around it. I wanted to keep it's full length, so out came the pruning saw with eight inch blade to cut through a tree trunk of nine inches or so. I took time to study where to cut, so that I could slip it from inside the strangulation hold of our quarry without causing any damage. Two hours later, the tree fell in two and between us we removed the two pieces leaving our prize in tact. It is a lovely piece of wood, more than two inches thick in places. All we had to do then was carry our salvage back the two miles to the truck. We must have looked like a couple of refugees, carrying all of our possessions in carrier bags with a huge bundle of firewood that was taller than I, on my back. Any way, we made it OK. Upon our return I set about washing our rather large haul in the river and scrubbing away any sand and dirt. Whilst back in a crab like posture standing in 9 inches of fast flowing water, two Hawk trainer jets flew over head at about 200ft, I nearly shit myself and stood up a little too quickly, looked up, went all dizzy and almost did the weeks washing at the same time. I used the Ivy as a crutch and avoided a cold dip. I am now thoroughly knackered, but I bet I go to sleep smiling.

Back to Criccieth

2009-04-29T06:59:00.004+01:00

Yesterday we made a visit to the car boot sale at Y Felin (Valley), but it was not very good. We did a load of washing at the local launderette and later we drove back to Criccieth. The journey takes about an hour and the driving is fairly relaxed, we arrived here just after midday. The site is quiet at the moment but we anticipate that it will get busy for the weekend. I have had a little wander around with the camera but I can see that I will have to put in more effort.

Right from the word go this morning, we had the sound of rain falling on the roof of the truck, as the day got longer the rain got heavier. Meg would not get up for a walk and the mist would not leave the windscreen. The River Dwyfach, which is no more than ten feet away from us, began rising steadily. I could tell this was concerning Pat as she kept me posted with a running commentary on it's height and speed. I had time, time to sit and just think as I so often do, from the tragic killing of a young four year old girl who was murdered in the night near Liverpool, the child's mother has been arrested, to the soldiers to whom we owe our freedom. I felt such great sadness for them all, children, mothers and soldiers who could no longer enjoy life. In turn this made me remember people that were once close to me, soldiers, friends and of course family. So I set about some photographic manipulation that has been in my head for some time.

I had seen something similar whilst studying photographic techniques and wanted to create my own version. The picture is made up using four separate images, I had them all, with the exception of the soldier. I collected this final picture in Pwllheli last week when we went with Ian and Maria. It is a photograph of a war memorial that stands overlooking the harbour. I hope that you like it, we owe them all so much.