November 4th

For the first couple of weeks in November we are house-sitting for Sharon in Chepstow. She and her mum are off to New York on the Queen Mary 2, and while they are away we get to look after Pixie, her cocker spaniel. So we have got plenty of excuses to go for long walks and explore this part of Wales.  This is the view from Symonds Yat Rock, a beauty spot in the Wye Valley.  We took a lovey drive following the many bends in the river, and the autumnal colours were stunning!

We can see Chepstow castle from the lounge, kitchen and bathroom windows. Very popular with schools, so it seems! Also it’s not too far to take Pixie for her night time stroll!

The week before we came to Wales we took our nieces 10-pin bowling – you can see from the photos that the girls gave it their all! I only just managed to win…….. I know I’m a little older than they are………..but they had the bumpers up!!!

My nieces, from left to right, Esme, Zena and Eleanor.

Not sure where they got their good looks from, certainly not from my side of the family!

It has been great being around Romsey again. We got to visit the town hall to hear Zena sing as part of the Romsey Children’s Youth Choir.

Dad and I played a few holes with Elliot who is a teaching professional at Royal Winchester. It was a warm, bright  afternoon, ideal  to pick up a few tips.

Anyhow, I digress, back in Wales………

Jane really wants to get a dog but I’m not so sure, so this is a good test for both of us. I don’t mind the dog walking……..

……..but I’m not so sure about all the messy bits!

Whilst we are staying here in Chepstow, I have been getting up early to drive to the David Lloyd club in Bristol. It’s just like the old days, scraping the ice off the windscreen at 6 in the morning! One thing about driving to Bristol for the health club is that I have to cross the Severn Bridge twice every day. Most of you already know I have always had a fear and feel very uncomfortable about driving  over large suspension bridges. Up until now I have only had the odd occasion to have to cross these bridges. But with all my travels this year these bridges appear more and more  frequently. So this next two weeks should really help me put this strange fear to bed !

During a quick visit to Monmouth, I enjoyed the architecture, especially the tower on the bridge, and Jane enjoyed the shops, especially Joules!