WALES

We started off bundled up, but it wasn't long before the warm weather arrived.

We've been in training in SLC for fence staining!

Jan prepares the wooden panels to cover the bathroom pipes after having a new water heater fitted.

Thom covers the bathroom pipes along the wall and under the heater, and includes a shelf.

Dan and Thom check the beehives at The Elms.

The bees are extra busy during the warmer weather.

We take a day out to look for sandstone paving for The Elms, and stop at 

Cheshire Ice Cream Farm near Tattenhall, Cheshire, England.

There are fun parks there and a display of different animals. There were a dozen piglets altogether.

A stop at Aberkahn in Mostyn to buy some wool (yarn)

We also went for a drive out to St. Asaph, where Sheila attended "High School."
The Cathedral can be seen in the background.

We could have used this sign at our house a few years ago.

4 July 2013: Stuart arrives home from Kyrgyzstan (NW of China)
after 10 days cycling around the country with son Daniel.

We attend an event at church providing lunch and games for a group of children from Belarus.
Stuart is in the background helping with the skittles game.

The weather has changed warm. Everyone has the BBQ out!

Pictured are Stuart, Thom, Janet, and Stu and Jan's son Daniel.

We bike to the beach.

It's been decades since it was warm enough during our visits to take to the sand.

Jan and Thom stay behind while Sheila ventures off to...

the sea!!

In all the years Thom has been coming to Wales, he has never seen Prestatyn Beach so busy.

And here is a sight I've not seen before.

It's been so warm, the tortoises go in their hut for an afternoon siesta.

Perfect weather for Jan and Stu's grandson to arrive for a holiday.

Nothing like making gooseberry jam with his Nan to put a smile on his face -

unless its a piece of the cake his great-grandfather has made!

However, this portion of fish and chips and mushy peas has him looking round for help.

Waiting for the Prestatyn Carnival parade to start coming down High Street.

The test to see if there is enough icing on the cupcake.

Prestatyn Carnival parade

She's sitting on the top of the car roof - where is Health and Safety?
(Health and Safety is everywhere in Britain -
at church they had to add a separate sink in the kitchen for hand washing only)

Prestatyn Carnival parade

Thom mortars the base of the house, covering the exposed brick

Sheila prepares a bench ready for painting, with a little help from a friend.
There are three benches for The Elms from the recently disbanded Mostyn Bowling Green Club.

We have been going to the swimming pool but are not allowed to take photos there or the surrounding area, so here we are at the beach again with our six little crabs.


We have four benches from Mostyn Bowling Green, which has just closed.

They need refinishing, both the metal and wood.

We make a trip to the Velodrome in the National Cycling Centre in Manchester,
where Stuart, Thom and Dan are going to cycle.

The Velodrome is the top venue for cycling in Great Britain.

It's not easy to get a good photo, they are going at such speed, but here is Stuart with Dan behind.

The pedals keep turning even if you don't want them to, so keep going!

Only overtake on the right

Thom takes to the track.

Sheila takes a day trip to Chester, England, with Janet.

Chester is one of the most charming and historical towns in Britain,
with a Roman wall around it and with the ruins of the Roman Empire's largest fort within.

Back in Prestatyn, we attend the annual Flower Show at the Vicarage,
where locals have entries in floral, vegetable, honey, jam, cake, scone, etc. competitions.

Thom and Sheila at Prestatyn Flower Show in the Vicarage Gardens.

That afternoon, Janet, Alex and Sheila manned the Tombola and Raffle at Gronant Street Fayre. We raised money to help local lady Wilma fund the meals she makes each month for the village's over 75s.

Sheila shopped for a hand knitted cardigan for granddaughter Jax.

That night we pitched the tent at The Elms and spent the night. It rained hard all night -
the first rain in a month.

Sheila visited family friends Ronald and Nancy Williams in Dyserth.

We start the big job of resealing the driveway at Jan and Stu's.
It has to have the moss wire-brushed off, and then it has to be swept. Great to have help!

Dan puts a second coat on to reseal the driveway.

31 August 2013: We attended the first night performance of the first ever British Pageant, held in Chorley, England, in the grounds of the Preston Temple. It presented the early history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Great Britain, and included a part regarding Wales, featuring the story of John Parry from near-by Abergele. Parry was the founder and first conductor of the now famous Mormon Tabernacle.

Pre-pageant activities included getting clad in 1800s garb.

Judge Thom Winkelspecht

Here is the official photograph!!

The pageant had a choir in period dress who remained on the "bridge" the entire performance.
The music and singing was amazing.

The pageant itself had a cast of hundreds.

Our friend Beth Trebilcock is the music director for the Pageant.

The next day we drive to Anglesey, passing near the town you see on the road sign as Llanfairpwllgwyngyll. This is just an abbreviation. The real name is Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobywllllantysiliogogogoch.

We drive to Amlwch and meet up with our friends Granville and Jay Masters,
who take us to lunch at the local Trecastle Inn.

This is the Inn from just south of it. Anglesey is an island off the north coast of mainland Wales.

Amwlch has a beach and this is the village's working dock.
It is not uncommon to see boats high and dry when the tide is out.

Back in Prestatyn, it's time to finish up a few jobs. Here Thom recoats the patio deck.

Sheila paints the retaining wall.

Thom grinds the rust of one of the gates.

Sheila helps undercoat and paint the gates.

It's a dull, cool day in Wales but the rain holds off while we are at the National Eisteddfod for the day.

This year, it is being held in Denbigh, where residents welcome a chance to show off the Welsh flag.

An Eisteddfod is where competitions are held in Welsh culture, including folk dancing.

Note the Welsh national costume for the ladies includes the tall black hats.

Wales is famous for its male voice choirs.

The national instrument of Wales is the harp.

Our host to the eisteddfod is our friend Bernard Huntingdon, who is an Englishman learning Welsh. EVERYONE at the event was speaking or singing Welsh, and there were no bi-lingual signs.

Sheila and Thom at the National Eisteddfod.

The culmination of the eisteddfod is the chairing of the bard.

There was both an outdoor and indoor ceremony for the chairing of the bard. However, the submitted poems were judged as being below standard this year, and no bard was chaired. 

We took the shuttle bus to and from the Eisteddfod grounds. Note the proximity of both side walls to the sides of the bus - and it is a two way road with buses running the other way!

With only a day left in Great Britain, we took a trip to St. Winefred's Well in Hollywell, or Holy Well. It has been the destination of pilgrims for many centuries, and is called the "Lourdes of Wales."