Monthly Archives: May 2022

Rushmere Country Park

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27th May 2022

We have friends near to Rushmere Country Park. When they entertain us, we visit the park with them, for a walk. We went in May and November. I take my camera along, (cameras because the last three images are with the new camera) and snagged some portraits of the birds on the ponds. In May there were the baby birds, hitching rides on their mothers’ backs, the sun was shining, and the reflections and colours were gorgeous. In November, the birds were coming in close hoping to be fed.

Wotton Underwood

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22nd May 2022

We took a walk around Wotton Underwood Estate, only with my mobile phone, so I failed to get many shots of the wildlife. It is a shame to see the one old oak tree broken. It has always been magnificent with the strange spiral trunk. Now unfortunately it has been broken by the winds, still alive, but will be gone soon. It is a lovely walk, and you don’t get to see anyone, not even Tony Blair.

St Brides Major and Heritage Coast Campsite

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Sunday 8th May, we packed the van and left Fforest Fields campsite at 7.45 and headed south to St Brides Major. We were making good time and paused for a bacon butty on the A470 in the Brecon Beacons. The van was doing a roaring trade catering for the hordes of bikers who were enjoying the road.

We made it to St Brides Major and met up with our other club members, and then headed off to the quarry for the shoot. We managed to lose this leg of the shoot. Lunch was booked at the Star Inn, Wick, so I dropped Rosemary off and drove to the campsite we were staying at. It had been our intention to stay overnight there the night before, but because of a wedding, there had been no camping on the Saturday night. I arrived and dropped the van onto a pitch and raced back up the hill for lunch, on foot it was a little over 20 minutes fast walking and jogging.

A traditional Sunday lunch and some excellent ales, speeches and prize giving and then we were on our own as everyone left for home. We walked back down the road to the campsite and met the owner. Tale of woe, their cafe wasn’t open due to lack of staff. Chefs were hard to come by and could command a high salary.

Next day R and I walked to the coast, over the local stone stiles in places. R was incredibly pleased with the local flora. I continued down the coast, walking into Marcross and back to the campsite. Also walked over the old ruin of an Abbey in Monknash. Nothing to see other than masses of stone and a few ruins.

The next day we headed home. I decided to fill the van with diesel, the first time I had to pay more than £100 to fill the van and it wasn’t exactly empty with 150 miles to go.

First Camping Trip of the Season

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Tuesday 3rd May we headed off to our favourite campsite in Wales, for our first camping trip of 2022. It looked like the weather would be reasonable, and it was. I managed several walks in sheep country, following various tracks across the moors using the Outdooractive app to navigate. It’s like Google Maps for the walker, it uses open-source maps, or, if you pay, OS maps, for navigation. It can find a route for you automatically, or you can plan a route, or just wing it. You can also follow routes which other hikers have contributed. At the end you can also see how far, how much up and down, and your speeds. Just love it.

So, we had several fine days, and the evenings, though cool, were a photographer’s heaven with some glorious sunsets lighting up the hills in a golden glow. During the day, the birds of prey and Red Kites could be seen soaring on the ridges. We managed to get above a kestrel for a photo opportunity. Cuckoos sang morning & evening.

Still being off season, the cafe bar was not fully open, which was a shame as I had forgotten to bring any wine or beer. But, in the end, I was able to purchase a few bottles of beer and a bottle of wine for our evenings. When Friday came along it was pizza night. The first time we managed to be there for the event. Big mistake – we ordered gluten free pizza; the base was a bit soggy.

Several brave and intrepid swimmers took to the lake, I think I will delay swimming until September, when hopefully the water will be warmer.

Our last day there, Saturday, was a sunny day with a Northerly breeze. This had been predicted for numerous days, and low and behold a group of people started walking up the hill with large bags on their backs. Yes, a few paragliders had come to fly the hill. They were flying until early afternoon when the lift disappeared. No one managed to get away from the hill. It was lovely seeing these gliders and I don’t apologise for placing them on my blog.

Sunday, we had to leave early, so we packed away the awning on Saturday evening, in the dry. Sunday we quietly finished packing the van and left the campsite at 7.45, heading south for St Brides Major where we had a shooting match in a quarry.

Wotton Fête

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8th May 2022

Beautiful day in May was chosen for the Wotton Fête. We had not attended for a few years, something got in the way, and then it was COVID. Unfortunatey Wotton House was not open. It used to be for Fête days. The house not being open was a disappointment. We love the house to open, not so much to see the inside it, but to peer out of the upstairs windows into the grounds of Tony Blair’s country house next door. The last time we did this, there were only armed police in the garden, which, claimed R, would have put her off her G&T on the terrace.

The fête had the usual country treats; cakes, teas, a brass band and dog show competitions. A few classic cars are also brought along for nostalgic reasons. Tecnology is making its way, a wifi zone had been setup to make payments by card faster. Additionally, a number of electric cars arrived at the fête,

The church was also festooned with flowers, adding a graceful touch.

Still Four Fox Cubs

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I missed several days of fox cubs, they run the battery down on the camera in only a few days. One night the fox cubs spent the whole of darkness playing! The Infrared light soon depleted the battery! The batteries changed and, on the 4th and 5th of May the Fox cubs are still around. A little bigger, now steady on their feet and much more active.