Foxglove border

I have now backblipped my entire holiday in Pembrokeshire, from 1-5 June. I’m pleased about that, as it completes the record of a memorable break in this monotonous year.

GG and I had a date to walk today. The weather obliged us by only drizzling occasionally. We drove to the bike shop to the east of Brimscombe port, where there is also a cafe, and parked up, our intention being to walk to the bottom of Chalford hill, where there is also another cafe, and walk back along the same route, there being no alternative apart from the road.

At the parking lot I discovered this beautiful border, so that was my first snap of the day. The first stage of the walk is unpromising, with the vegetation being very high, and a pulled-down factory site being levelled, presumably to make way for housing. There is usually a good view of the clear-running river Frome, the weedy canal (clear in places) and the railway line above, running parallel to the road. The route is lined with historic cloth mills in various stages of preservation.

At St Mary’s Mill there is a level crossing, with a twenty-four hour manned signal box. A man in a car wanted to cross, so he pressed a button on the gate, and the signal man came out of his box to open the gate for him. GG wanted to know all about his job, where he lives, etc. This man lives in the house next to the signal box, fortunately. The last signal operator at St Mary’s mill that CleanSteve and I spoke to, years ago, commuted from Wales every day for a twelve-hour shift. We didn’t see inside the signal box, but I’d already done that on the previous visit. We had a good look at the outside of St Mary’s Mill and Belvedere Mill, instead. The Stroudwater Textile Trust does have open days where they run the ancient machinery, so I must check out when the next one will be.

When we got to the second cafe, I thought we were going to turn around and go back to Belvedere Mill, where there’s a bench, to have our picnic, but GG wanted to go in and have a drink. It’s super-competitive getting in, owing to CoVid regs, but GG’s hair made the difference, and we were allocated a table. GG then said she’d get lunch for both of us! I had hot chocolate (DF) and a GF salmon and avocado sandwich. Tasty, though the salad was mostly made up of red onions and cucumber. Never look a gift lunch in the mouth.

We did the whole walk in reverse, then went to Waitrose, where GG insisted on my being her personal shopper. I am not cut out to be a servant, but I did find her some eggs for less than a fiver. I bought some stuff for myself, too. It depresses me to think that I’ll have to have packed lunches for the next six days, but the current hectic schedule only runs for the next five weeks, with some time off for good behaviour.