A month in the Country- September spent in Wales

 My solitary adventure started in a very sociable and friendly way, as I stayed with family for my first two nights and it wasn’t until I drove up the very bumpy track and saw the tiny cottage, which was to be my home for the week, that I said to myself “ Ok Jane- this is it”.

The peace and feeling of space started to seep into my mind as I sat outside that first evening. It was so quiet I could hear the faint soughing of the wind in the pine trees across the valley. And the sheep of course- dotted around the hillside in every uncomfortable place and in constant communication with each other.

I find the beginning of every holiday rather disconcerting. I try not to plan and so all the days lie ahead, clear and uncluttered waiting for me to fill them with enjoyment and to ‘make the most’ of every moment. I have to remind myself that this is not necessary and I have come here to escape from the constant expectations I have of myself. It has become very popular to try to live in the moment but even that can be tiring and I often feel I have failed to appreciate the beauty of life.

So I am being kind to myself and taking time to settle in. And so often the happy times and beautiful moments come to us when we’re not trying too hard. I was given some very good advice from my brother Jon during lockdown: ‘Take a picnic and eat outside’. Sitting in the heather and eating a hardboiled egg and oatcakes was one of those good moments.

So far the weather has kind, in fact yesterday was a day of blue skies and blazing sun. I had been told of a fine walk behind my cottage and I knew I ought to make an attempt at least.

I do not like walking up hill. I like it even less if the way is rough and uneven, however there was a slim road leading to a slate quarry at the top of the mountain, so I decided to take that route. There was some tripping and squelching, climbing and staggering but finally I reached the road at the bottom of the valley.

Once I can forget about my feet, I am free to look around me and enjoy myself. The hillsides here are quite bare, mainly rough grass, thistles and brown flowering rush. Some of the hillsides have heather but there aren’t the great expanses of purple flowers that I loved in Scotland. It is beautiful though and my heart lifted at the sound of the stream that accompanied me for most of my walk.

It was all so lovely I decided to carry on to the top and enjoy the view looking across the next mountain range. The path got steeper and at every bend in the road I thought- I must be there, only to find another bend ahead and still further to go. I cursed and I panted, I swore and I sweated but I was darned if I was going to give up. I was glad to be alone and so could take it at my grumpy snail- like pace without holding anyone else up.

At last I reached the top and there was... a rather ugly slate mine!

Nothing daunted, I followed the path a little further down the other side and was rewarded with a beautiful view. There was even heather to sit amidst, a picnic to eat and so I and stayed an hour or more feeling inordinately pleased with myself.

I will not speak of the walk back home-it was painful but I made it.

Later that evening I sat outside, tucked against the stone wall of the cottage and watched the sun go down and later the stars appear.

I am getting settled in.

A couple of jaunts

 Like many people, I have been having my holidays closer to home this year. However, I still managed to travel from the top to the very bottom of England.

My work had brought me North to be the celebrant at a handfasting ceremony and so I took the chance to visit two of my dearest friends Martin and Madeleine.

My stays with them are always filled with talk of books and life, Madeleine's delicious homemade food and wonderful walks. Martin had even kindly planned a route that I could manage, given my slightly wonky body.

I feel renewed and refreshed every time I visit them. Their way of life requires hard work and strength of mind and body, yet they seem to have found a balance between following a simple, more traditional way of living and while still appreciating some benefits of the modern world. They live according to their beliefs and I have great respect for them.

I am lucky to have such good friends in my life

One added bit of fun and coincidence was that whilst on my travels, my friend Pippa who lives in Devon, was also visiting the area and we managed to meet for an hour for breakfast!

For my second little holiday, I picked up Emily and we headed down to Cornwall to see Sam and Lillibet in their new home in Falmouth.

We packed so much into the couple of days we spent there. I love seeing both my children together, we live so far apart at the moment.

Sam is a great cook and we enjoyed his creations and also had a wonderful meal out at a boat restaurant in the harbour.

Falmouth is such a vibrant place, the sea is part of its character and never far away.

I have enjoyed myself immensely and it has whetted my appetite for my adventures in Wales.

Roll on September! It's less than a week to go.

The happiest of days

 

I knew that it would be a very special day and we were lucky, Emily and Jordan's wedding day was absolutely perfect.

The very fact that it actually happened, that we were all there in good health made it feel like a miracle.

From the moment we arrived at the wonderful Maunsel House, it was a day full of fun and laughter and the only tears shed were happy ones.

We all helped with the preparations- it was a true family affair and seeing Emily with all her bridesmaids was very moving. I have known them since their Primary School days and I count them as part of my family.

This next photo of Emily walking out of The King's Room in her beautiful dress was one moment when I did have tears in my eyes.

The day passed in a blur of Champagne, funny speeches, mad moments, and enough memories made to last a lifetime.

And for now, I  feel blessed to have such a lovely and loving daughter and want to wish her and Jordan their Happily Ever After.

Mr and Mrs Tomkins June 3rd 2021

Most of the photos are by myself and family members but the last one- the beautiful sunset silhouette was taken by Robin Goodlad their photographer. 

A June Wedding

As Summer approaches, excitement in my family increases because at the beginning of June my daughter Emily is getting married.

Emily and Jordan have been together since they met at university. He is such a talented, kind and good man and I have grown to love him dearly. He and Emmie are perfect for each other and I am so happy to think of him becoming one of the family.

It has not been an easy year for anybody planning their wedding. There has been uncertainty, there are still restrictions but we are finally allowing ourselves to feel excited.

After a solitary lockdown, Emily's recent visits to me have felt so special. We are doing a lot of the organising ourselves, so the pair of us have been having so much fun researching, discussing, and experimenting.

Their wedding is taking place in a beautiful old manor house and gardens, so vintage plates and antique glass bottles will suit perfectly.

For me, helping with the flowers is such a joy. I intend to enjoy every moment, from visiting florists, swooning over beautiful blooms, to growing just the right flowers in my garden to decorate the tables.

I am very lucky to have this time with Emily, to be together again and to be looking forward to such an important day in our lives. 

Family, flowers, antiques- champagne, silk, and lace, all mixed up together with love and laughter; no wonder I feel like celebrating!

 

Spring Dawn and Drovers' Roads

I am lucky to live in a beautiful part of the country and when I awoke early to misty sunshine, for once I lept out of bed intent on catching the best of the day.

I used to live in Bishopstone when I first moved to Wiltshire and I still remember the excitement I felt on discovering the countryside so near to our little cottage. Today, I returned there to explore the Cranborne Drovers' Road which took me up along the top of the hills above the village.

It is a perfect early spring morning and I wander along listening to the birdsong and taking my time to look around me. I have always been an ambler rather than a seeker. I like to take the time to become a part of my surroundings and will often sit with my eyes closed so that I can listen properly. Every flower is smelt and many trees are hugged. 

Winter ends early in this part of the world and already the Blackthorne is in bloom and butterflies are basking in the sunshine. When I start my walk, the heavy dew is still on the grass and the spiders' webs. I saw Wrens, Chaffinches, and a pair of Yellowhammers, and the Larks were splitting the skies with their song. As I descended back into the valley I came upon a pair of Munjack deer and most exciting for me- a Hare.

I think the best part of the walk was discovering a wonderful line of mature Beech trees. They are my favourite tree and I can see myself returning here again and again, so as to see them in every season.

I sat in the sunshine and ate my breakfast sandwich and felt that this was truly a 'moment of being'. I felt completely happy and so glad that I had taken this chance to capture this elusive time of year- everything seems to be just on the cusp, the buds are just about to burst open and the tide of spring is unstoppable now.

New beginnings, old friends

 As the lockdown finally starts to lift, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Spring is here, and everyone is beginning to look ahead, so I have been looking back over my blog here.

It is a long time since I have posted and many things have changed in my life. My work as an Independent Celebrant has taken up nearly all my working hours and I have been so busy writing ceremonies, I didn't feel capable of creating blog posts as well.

My varied and exciting life as a Celebrant

However, I have missed this lovely community and I have enjoyed re-reading stories from my past, which reminded me of the satisfaction of recording happy events with words and photographs.

So I have decided to start again.

There is a particular reason for this- in September I am taking a month off work and spending the whole of those glorious, golden weeks in Wales. I rarely take more than a week's holiday, so this will be a treat for me.

September has always been my favourite month

 I have already found four cottages to stay in and I may also spend the occasional night in a campsite, sleeping in my Berlingo car. To many people, this may not be very brave but I will be doing this by myself and to me, it feels like a true adventure!

My friends and family have asked me to keep a diary of this little expedition and as I plan to visit secondhand bookshops, independent shops and art galleries, local markets, and restaurants on my way, I hope other travelers might be interested too.

I have a few months before I go, so I intend to regain the habit of capturing the best of my days and sharing my stories with friends old and new.

It's good to be back.

 

Borders and Bees- on painting my hearth

I am not an artist, yet my house is filled with examples of my need to express myself and make my home unique to me. I still get a thrill when I step outside the normal rules and write on a wall or paint something in an slightly eccentric manner.

We have all become used to people painting their cupboards and chairs in delicate chalky pastels but to add words and patterns to the structure of the house feels different to me, more daring and so much more fun!

A friend asked me " How do you dare, what if it goes wrong?" I suppose I keep altering it in the hope it comes right, or in desperation paint over it...
 I always draw freehand and feel it doesn't have to be perfect, although I will admit that writing the first word is always nerve-wracking.

My most recent artiness is a painted heath rug. Well, it's not quite that but all my heath rugs had holes burnt into them by spitting logs and the original concrete hearth was damaged and ugly, so I decided to paint something instead- less of a fire hazard or an eyesore.
I started with a simple leaf garland,

and then added details as the mood took me. I love medieval Books of Hours, with their gold leaf, vibrant colours and their quirky borders with tiny flowers and creatures, so these were my inspiration.

I haven't the patience or skill to match their detailed perfection, for one thing it's darn painful trying to paint, lying on my tummy trying not to smudge any wet bits- but I think there is at least a 'feel' of these beautiful books in my slightly scruffy attempt.

I haven't been able to photograph the whole of the final painting, the room is small and the light bad, yet I hope this gives an idea of the finished result.

 

I still may add a suitable quotation but I have yet to find one with a hearth and fire theme that isn't too trite or sentimental. I'm happy though and I enjoy letting my creations evolve over the months and years.