Tag Archives: Pontypool

A New Year, portents, traditions and looking forward

Posted on January 5, 2013 by BarryH

I’ve never been impressed by the hype of the ‘New Year’, never regarded it as a portent or a time to make ephemeral resolutions to change bad habits, never felt the urge to stand around with arms crossed, holding hands … Continue reading →

Posted in Grumpy Old Men, Monmouthshire, Mountains, Pontypool, Reflections, Wales, Winter | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Rambling through 2012, a year in pictures: Part 1, Wales

Posted on December 30, 2012 by BarryH

At the end of a busy year it seems appropriate to look back and remember the places I went and the things I did during 2012.  Far too much to cram into a blogable number of words so I decided … Continue reading →

Posted in Autumn, Grey Britain, Monmouthshire, Mountains, Pontypool, Wales, Winter | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Windows of opportunity and a mountain playground on the doorstep

Posted on December 27, 2012 by BarryH

We moved to our present house from Cardiff in 1975 in order to be closer to my work, thereby significantly reducing the daily each-way commute from 20 miles to 4, 45 minutes to 8.  The reasoning was that out of … Continue reading →

Posted in Grey Britain, Pontypool, Reflections, Wales, Winter | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Hibernation time and images of cold weather

Posted on December 12, 2012 by BarryH

Late nights have been more frequent recently.  Four times in the last week I have been up until 03.00 and this has started to impact on the time I get up.  My boast that I get up at 07.30 whatever … Continue reading →

Posted in Autumn, Pontypool, Wales, Winter | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

November Daily Blog 18: broad views and small details in the Brecon Beacons National Park

Posted on November 18, 2012 by BarryH

Sunday was indeed another good day.  Sunny days in Grey Britain are rare, opportunities not to be missed.  So, despite warnings to rest my knee, I walked up the ridge at the southern tip of the Brecon Beacons National Park … Continue reading →

Posted in Autumn, Monmouthshire, Mountains, Pontypool, Uncategorized, Wales, Winter | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

November Daily Blog 15: grey in the brain, lost in the mists

Posted on November 15, 2012 by BarryH

Wednesday night I fell asleep in front of the TV until 02.30 so on Thursday morning I groped and blinked my way downstairs even more befuddled and foggy-brained than usual. When we moved to this house from Cardiff we decided … Continue reading →

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November Daily Blog 11: sky, clouds, mountains.

Posted on November 11, 2012 by BarryH

It was the end of the afternoon before I went out for a walk on Sunday.  I had waved the family off, leaving after a late lunch, been sidetracked by having a chat with neighbours taking advantage of sunshine to … Continue reading →

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November Daily Blog 5: clichés, truth and poetic cobblers.

Posted on November 5, 2012 by BarryH

Mention ‘Autumn’ and like-as-not someone will think of and, if they don’t have a filter between their mind and their mouth, trot out the line “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”.  It has become so much a cliché that I … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Autumn, Grey Britain, Grumpy Old Men, Reflections | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Greece: getting ready

Posted on August 19, 2012 by BarryH

In less than a week I’ll be back in Greece.  I can’t wait to leave the grey skies behind. Still desperately trying to sort the garden out before I go I finally managed to rescue the potatoes from the sodden … Continue reading →

Posted in extreme gardening, Greece, Grey Britain, Monmouthshire, Pontypool | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Just add sunshine: gardens, cacti, thistles, Brecon Beacons, trig points.

Posted on July 30, 2012 by BarryH

Summers in Grey Britain aren’t as hot and sunny as they used to be.  Or are they? Is it that the pattern of summer has changed or it just that our memory of the past is coloured by a good … Continue reading →

Posted in Grey Britain, Pontypool, Reflections | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments