by John Brooks | Mar 10, 2020 | Cycling, events, family, Uncategorized
Anyone who has watched the last few Olympics will know how stunningly well our track cyclists have done in recent years. What you might not know is that Team GB and Paralympics GB prepared for their stunning successes in the four previous Olympic and Paralympic games...
by John Brooks | Feb 20, 2020 | Brecon Beacons, family, horses, Uncategorized, walking, zoo
It’s been raining so hard and so frequently recently that it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Noah building his ark in the flooded valley and ushering animals in two by two. There are plenty about. A lovely family from Watford came to stay with us over half term and for...
by John Brooks | Jan 21, 2020 | Brecon Beacons, heritage, Uncategorized
On the 6th July 1942 during WWII, a Wellington Bomber crashed into a mountainside in the Brecon Beacons killing its five Canadian crew. I’d heard about the memorial that had been erected at the site and on Sunday we visited. What I wasn’t expecting after all these...
by John Brooks | Jan 8, 2020 | churches, events, family, heritage, pub, Tintern Abbey, Uncategorized, walking
Christmas starts for us with the traditional Carol Service in the ruins of Tintern Abbey. It is held on the first Saturday in December and begins with a torch light procession around the grounds and into the Nave where a great host gathers to celebrate the season with...
by John Brooks | Nov 11, 2019 | churches, dogs, events, family, heritage, Tintern Abbey, Uncategorized
Daredevils Danni and Mel from Bristol, who stayed with us in the Skirrid with their dog Chester, took on one of the UK’s longest, tallest and fastest zip slides when they visited the National Diving Centre at Tidenham near Chepstow. Despite the rainy weather...
by John Brooks | Nov 4, 2019 | churches, dogs, heritage, National Trust, Uncategorized, walking
Our Skirrid cottage is named after a small Monmouthshire mountain which rises to 486m from the Gavenny Valley in splendid isolation. In Welsh, it is known as Ysgyryd Fawr and its owned by the National Trust. Ysgyryd translates as “shake” or “tremble” while Fawr is...