Down memory lanes to 80…part one, Wales

Just back from a month in Wales, England and Ireland, celebrating a very big birthday, with family and friends. I chose to revisit some favorite haunts from my past, starting in west Wales. My parents built a small holiday home (which they named “Campions”- a local flower) a long time ago, in Noltonhaven on St Brides Bay in  Pembrokeshire. I well remember digging the foundations myself in a school vacation, living in an old bus. On a previous trip we had taken Andy and Nicky and their families to Herefordshire, and the house where I grew up, called Mill Orchard, with sister Ann and brother John

We rented a cottage for 4 days that was just big enough to accommodate the English families: Andy, Fiona, Alex, Charlotte and Issy Cotton, and Nicola, Julian, Perdy and Jack Richardson.

The area has changed remarkably little after 60+ years. The roads are no wider! The coastline is beautiful. The weather was better next day

The current owners of a much enlarged Campions kindly showed us around the house and garden. on a grey day which brightened as we moved up the coast to Solva and St Davids, the smallest city in Britain. It has an impressive cathedral.

Another highlight was a boat tour around Skomer island, a bird sanctuary that my mother loved.

We then drove through mid Wales to Stoke on Trent where I was due to speak at a medical conference, but stopped on the way at the Long Mynd, site of the Midland Gliding Club.

Gliding was a major preoccupation for my Dad, sister Ann, brother John and I for many years and the Mynd was the main focus. Sadly it was wreathed in cloud when we visited, but were able to wander and chat. Good memories.