Thursday 6 September, we called in at the Brecon Beacons National Park Visitors Centre, where Howard still does some part time work, before driving to Talgarth where we stopped to view the fully restored, 18th century, Talgarth Flour Mill. The only working water mill in the Brecon Beacons National Park, the mill produces flour for sale and for use in its café The Baker’s Table. Howard and Russ caught up with people they knew and we had a delicious lunch there. Running along the stream outside was a little garden, maintained by volunteers, with an apple-dripping tree and a wonderful woven fence.
In the evening we met up with some of Russ’s ex teaching colleagues and students at the 16th century Llanerch Inn in Llandrindod Wells. What an amazing welcome! Such warmth – and such affection for Russ. Sadly I was so busy meeting and talking with people that I failed to take any photos until many had gone. Sorry especially to miss a pic with Sally and Beth.
Following morning the sun shone early on the Brecon Beacons and the goats, sheep and chooks over the back kicked up a breakfast racket as we prepared to leave Howard’s home in Libanus. We repeated our previous evening’s drive to Llandrindod Wells and then on north through the centre of Wales to Welshpool where we stopped for a break at the National Trust-owned Powis Castle. (No time to write more about its long history of which you can discover more here.)
This was a surprise, not so much a castle (now) as a pink confection with a highly decorated interior (evidence of massive power and riches) and runaway gardens cascading down the hillside – autumn-toned perennial borders (good ideas here), clipped yews both formal and riotously rebellious, woodlands, heritage apples pruned to a single trunk rather than an open vase-shape… I loved the interior fabric of the castle (great wide wooden floorboards, dark oak panelling…) but not the opulent furnishings and artwork. The garden was a great pleasure.
We continued our drive up through the Manchester conurbation to arrive late afternoon in Kendal, just in time to book a B&B at the information centre before it closed. Both of us know the Lake District from multiple visits, though not especially Kendal, so we settled into our top floor room in a grey stone Victorian house and then walked the short distance along the river in search of dinner. We were stopped in our tracks by a big crowd gathered at Abbot Hall Park, part of the LakesAlive festivities. Children and their families were learning a simple, in/out circle dance with the help of a great little band and a ?? (the word for someone who calls a dance) – much excitement, laughter and delight. The kids all knew a dance we had never come across – involved manic shaking of the body left and right – very funny. Further on we stopped to watch drummers with intricate, illuminated headdresses preparing to march on the park.
Dinner was to be a lucky dip and much to our delight we struck the jackpot, stopping at a small unassuming place on Highgate called The Moon. Delicious, fresh, imaginative food (seafood in our case) accompanied by great friendly service. For Russ, a good antidote to the soggy panini purchased for lunch at a motorway service centre. Lord save me from those stopping places – though in this case loo-urgency trumped my distain!
JaneRussell journeys 