Only about Severn miles from Chirk where we are staying is a small town called Pontcysyllte. Try saying that after a few beers or even worse try spelling it. Pontcysyllte has aqueduct and I just had to go and see this one as it’s so close. The name means the bridge that connects. It has eighteen arches and carries the Llangollen canal. It’s used by narrow boats daily. It’s stone and cast iron construction was built and designed by Thomas Telford. The same guy that built the Chirk aqueduct. This one took ten years to design and build. Finished in 1805 and stands 38 metres high. Yes it’s high when your stood on top.

Just by the start of the aqueduct is a boatyard full of narrow boats ready for hire. I should imagine in the summer most of them are out on hire, but today there were plenty there. I would think if you had never been on a narrow boat before, to get on one here and then go straight across the aqueduct being 38 metres up in the clouds with nothing on one side of you must be quiet daunting.

All this walking from end to end and back down the road to get a better photo, up and down the boatyard made me hungry. It just so happens there was a really nice old chapel building that had been converted into a cafe. I love the fact that old building are being reused as such.

We only have one more week before we start work. This winter has gone by so fast and we seem to have done a fair bit. I will work out all our facts and figures when we get to our next site where we will be for eight months of work. We will stay here at Chirk until Monday and then drive over there to get set up etc. So my next post will be from Snowdonia.

Chirk castle which is a national trust property sits on the land next to the campsite we are on now. Built in 1295 by Roger Mortimer De Chirk. A real Medieval castle. The castle itself is closed in the winter but I wanted to get some phots of the outside.

We walked from the campsite up the hill through the woods and across fields. As we walked my imagination was running wild thinking of all the invaders marching across these very fields towards the castle to invade it. Now it was just us and a few sheep looking on.

It really is a fantastic building. We will come back another day to look inside. The whole walk from the site, up around the castle and back to site was about three miles.

At the entrance to the grounds is a magnificent set of gates, all painted white with a red hand at the top. We have seen this red hand a lot around Chirk so we had to find out what it was all about. The story goes that the owner of the castle had twin boys, one was a little goodie two shoes and the other one was a bit of a rogue. The father could not decide who would inherit the castle and land so he organised a race. The first to cross the line would inherit the castle and grounds. The race started and the goody two shoes boy was winning which is what the crowd wanted, but as they neared the finish line the bad boy pulled out his sword and chopped of his hand and threw it over the line. We don’t know if he did inherit the castle but it makes a good story.

We drove out to our campsite where we will be working this year. It’s a fifty mile drive each way. We passed a lot of swollen rivers and flooded fields. It was a overcast day and some of the welsh mountains were shrouded in low cloud. I love Wales and the scenery is fantastic and will be even better on a nice sunny day. We passed a couple of big lakes and not a lot of traffic which was nice. The site was loverly with great views. We are both really looking forward to working there for the season and getting out and about in the area.

Last night we decided to treat ourselves to a beer and wine at a pub in the town. We decided to go to the Hand hotel after looking at the website. The hotel sits proudly in the town and as you enter you are almost thrown back in time, the decor pictures etc. The staff were so friendly and the prices very good considering we were in a hotel. A good late afternoon and early evening was had. This welsh dragon guards the bar area.

It was dark by the time we left the bar for our walk home. We crossed the railway bridge over the station and with the big factory in the background with steam belching out from it’s chimneys looked great against the dark sky. Another photo opportunity for my phone on night setting. Really pleased with the result.

We are now at Chirk, a small old fashioned town right on the Wales England border between Wrexham and Oswestry. A couple of pubs in the village, butchers, bakers but no candle stick makers. I love this greengrocers with stuff out side just like they used to be until Tesco and Sainsbury’s came along.

Chirk is famous for its aqueduct. It was completed in 1801, designed by Thomas Telford and built by him and some builders. It measures 220 metres long and is 21 metres high. Has ten arches and spans the river Ceiriog. It’s in two parts, one part is for the canal boats which must be quiet a thing to go across in a narrow boat. On one side you have the towpath and one the other side a sheer drop of 21 metres. You have to make sure you get off the boat on the right side.

The other part of the aqueduct is for the railway, and trains pass over to everyday. This part was built higher because at the time to travel by train was so much better so you could look down on the Canal. It amazes me how they built these structures all them years ago and even more that they are still standing and being used every day. If you walk across it, I did, Nikki can’t walk across anything high, her legs go to jelly and it feels like the ground is all moving under her feet. Me, I just love things like this so had to walk across it. The views from it are fantastic and you relies how high up you are and appreciate the builders work even more. When you walk across it you actually cross the border of Wales and England, so yesterday I walked from Wales into England. No wonder I slept well last night.

Another part of the canal is the tunnel which is 241 metres long and very dark. Known to the locals as The Darkie. It starts just by the railway station and exits at the aqueduct. It was one of the first canal tunnels to have a towpath. There is a handrail all along the length of it so you don’t fall in the canal if you choose to walk through it. I asked Nikki if she wanted to walk through it with me and her answer was a big NO. So I said to her I will see her on the other side as I went into the darkness and yes it was dark as I don’t normally carry a torch around with me. But the handrail was there to stop me falling in the canal. In the picture you van just a speck of white just above the handrail. There is light at the end of the tunnel. That was my goal to get there. I made it.

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Our time at Chester flew by. We had so much planned and never did half of it due to the weather. Thanks storm Dennis. We also looked at a car which took up two days, one to view and another to go back and pick it up. We do plan to go back to that site though and do all the things we never did this time.

Our friends David and Elaine were working there while we were there but we managed to walk down the pub with them and have a beer or two and some food. They are now gone off to their new site for the season. Another set of wardens we knew from Dulverton were also there visiting family. You just can’t get away.

Storm Dennis was a bit of nothing really in Chester area, yes it was windy and rained but not as bad as they said it was going to be. I know some places have had really bad flooding around the country and I do feel sorry for them.

At the campsite we are under a flight path to Hawarden airport so you see planes coming overhead. Nothing unusual there but there I was sat gazing out the window when this huge big plane come into view that looked like a flying whale. It looked like a Beluga whale. I jumped out the camper and took a picture. Not a very good one. sorry but it was up high and I had to act fast. Then I looked on google and found out it was actually called a Beluga airbus flying into Hawarden airport. They are used to transport wings for airbus planes and other large loads like Nikki’s wine supply. How did they know her glass needed topping up. They really are a weird looking plane. The picture below of one on the ground is not one I took but gives you a better idea of what they look like.

This was my attempt at getting a photo of it. Don’t laugh, it’s the best I could do in the circumstances.

After seeing the Beluga airbus the excitement never stopped because the next day we went to pick up the new to us car. We have never had such a new car, it’s four and a half years old. It will suit our lifestyle so much better. All went smoothly at the car supermarket and the payment didn’t get rejected, although the credit cards are now smoking in the corner. Nikki drove Timmy Toyota back to site and I drove Patsy Passat. Yes we named her Patsy Passat because she is absolutely fabulous. Remember the TV series. I know we are sad really….but we are happy. Yesterday I sat in Patsy pressing buttons and looking all round and trying to find out what does what while looking through the manual which is like a telephone book. Modern cars have so much in them now and so many electrics. All very nice when it’s working but a pain when it goes wrong.

Today we hitched up Timmy and Nikki got in Patsy and we headed out on the highway in convoy to Chirk. Only an hours drive and as we left the site I sung to myself. We got ourselves a convoy 10 4 good buddy. Chirk is just south of Wrexham. We are now officially in Wales.

I bring you Patsy Passat. For those that want to know she is a 2.0 TDI SE Business VW Passat.

While at Hollywood, or close to it the word was out there was a storm brewing and heading right across the uk. Storm Ciara was coming for us, batten down the hatches, don’t go out your front door, call the cat in, are sure you have enough food and water in the house for at least a month. I sat looking out the camper window at the trees and thought, could that one hit us, what if that branch fell off, shall I move pitch. We had some spindly trees directly behind us but I decided what ever pitch we were on there were trees around so it was going to be a case of hope for the best.

Storm Ciara came and went, yes it was windy and it did rain, a couple of little twigs fell of the tree behind us. No damage to the camper though. I know right across the country there was some damage but we were lucky. All we had was about an inch of flood water on some of our pitch. Well it’s not really flood water, it’s a puddle. It made a nice picture though.

The next day we had arranged to go and see our friends Jo and Tony, meet up for lunch and a catch up. They were are wardens at Cirencester last year. They live about 45 minutes away from the site we were on. So Nikki was doing the organising with Jo. All arranged Nikki said, great said I which pub we going to I will have a look at the menu on line. This is something I always seem to do when I know were going out. We’re meeting them tomorrow at 11am about twenty minutes away in a garden centre. A WHAT……..did you say a garden centre, yes that’s right a garden centre. We don’t even have a garden. A bloody garden centre. Is that so I feel like I am back at work surrounded by trees and bushes, plants and lawn mowers. I am only joking of course. We had a really nice time with them, catching up and a nice lunch. I know Jo follows my blog and knows my sense of humour. Next time we meet up jo, me and Tony decide the location.

Now we are at Chester after leaving Hollywood. Another motorway drive but it was another nice sunny day, dry roads etc. Got to site and checked in. While we were being checked in the sky went black and it started to rain and even a bit of snow. Got pitched up and checking the internet about the weather there had been a lot of snow in Wales. In fact the road that we will be taking to get to our workplace this year was blocked with snow and abandoned cars. Good job we weren’t going there that day.

Yesterday (Thursday) were due to get our levelling jacks refurbed. The company have to branches, one in Liphook in Hampshire and the other in the Wirral about half an hour from where we are now. We were originally going to get them done at Liphook I November but they messed me about so I rebooked for getting them done while up this way. You know when you get a feeling things are not right. I emailed them three days ago just to make sure we were still ok to come over and got a email back saying yes all ok but if the job runs over can you stay overnight in our yard. The job they are doing can easily be done in a day. I would have been there for 8.30 when they open and they don’t close until 5.30. Nikki never slept on Wednesday evening with worry about it and what’s going on with her mum etc. I was concerned about it so I emailed them back and said forget it. We will now get them done some other time with someone reliable. I will not be recommending that company to anyone.

If you follow this blog you will know we have decided to change the car for something more practical for us. Now when I get a bee in my bonnet I do a lot of research so I know exactly what I want and I go for it. Over the last twenty years Nikki has raised her eyebrows on more than one occasion to this but is glad with the outcome. The choice of car was going to be an estate which would give us plenty of room to put some of the stuff we carry about, could transport my surfboard and when fitted with a tow bar and tow bar mounted bike rack would mean we could get to places to go off cycling. Also a better car for long drives. I was on the internet everyday looking for either, a VW Passat my first choice being a Volkswagen lover. I also looked at Audi, Mercedes, Skoda, and a Volvo X60. I found a Volvo, on budget everything about it was good. Made an enquiry about it, they deliver the car to you but only to your home address. Not much good to us when we are 300 miles away from home. So that was crossed of the list. Second choice, found a VW passat estate, fell in love with it, on budget etc etc, only half hours drive from where we are now in Chester. I looked at that car on line every morning, lunchtime and evening just hoping it would still be there when we got to Chester. We were in Brighton at the time. The price dropped, it was still there. We left Brighton to go to Henley, it was still there. We left Henley to go to Hollywood, it was still there. We left Hollywood to go to Chester two day earlier than we had planned, it was still there. Due to arrive in Chester on the Monday I said to Nikki we will go and look at that car on the Tuesday. Looked on Sunday evening. SOLD I could have cried. I never, well I might have a little bit but I did do a lot of stomping around and shouting to myself. I was gutted. I know this may seem weird to most peaple but I am very passionate about my cars and you must know the feeling when your really excited about something then it just doesn’t happen.

Back on the internet the next morning I find another VW Passat estate. Well I found lots really but most were to high mileage or too far away etc. Only 45 minutes drive away from Chester and a much better specked car. The excitement starts again. Monday evening I have an online chat with a receptionist about the car and she says she will get someone to ring me the following morning. Tuesday morning I keep shaking my phone to make sure it’s still working, no call. Nikki points out it is only 7am. 8am passes, 9 am passes, 10 am passes. I can’t wait anymore I ring them and make an appointment to go and look at the car the nest day at 11am.They also put it it on hold for you for 48 hours so no one else can buy it, giving me first choice. So at least I knew I would have first choice on this one.

The rest of the day I continue to look at it every ten minutes and read all the specifications and show the picture of it to Nikki at least every half an hour. Wednesday morning arrives, I am up at 5am, showered and ready to go. Nikki is not. She is very excited about the car but not in the same way. It’s a man thing. The car was located in what they call a car supermarket in Trafford Manchester. About 1800 cars to choice from but I only wanted to look at one. Into reception, get given the keys and told where to find the car. You can get in it, start it but please don’t move it. If you want a test drive let us know. We went and found it.WOW it was better than expected, even the colour seemed different. Even Nikki said WOW but maybe not as many times as me. So third time lucky we have found our new to us car. Over budget yes, but we are buying it as a keeper so wanted it all to be right. We pick it up on Monday at 11am. Will I sleep Sunday night, properly not but I will have sweet dreams.

We were due to leave Brighton and head for Henley on Thames on the Saturday but decided to extend our stay there an extra couple of day’s. The route from there was all motorway M23, M25, M4 so a boring journey. It’s an easy journey with our outfit but so boring and I hate the M25.

The six nations rugby also started on the Saturday which I always like to watch, although this year was not a good start for England, but we won’t talk about that.

We got to Henley on the Monday again in glorious sunshine. I must say the weather has been ok this winter for us. Mild and some loverly sunny days, although the temperature is not as warm as Spain or Portugal. And the beer is certainly not as cheap here. Tuesday Nikki’s eldest son came over with one of the grandchildren so we went down to Wetherspoons and had lunch. Wetherspoons never fails really, you know what your going to get, cheap beer and pub grub.

This truck conversion was also on site. Not to everyone’s cup of tea, it I love it. I could just see us down in Morocco in that parked up by the beach. Me surfing and Nikki sipping her wine under the sunshade and reading her book. That truck would get me to places other motor homes could only dream of.

I really needed a hair cut so the next day we walked back into Henley, I went into the barbers and Nikki walked right up the other end of town to a wool shop. I told her to wait until we get to wales where there will be plenty of sheep to get some wool from but she went anyway. After my haircut and her wool shopping we met up and decided to have lunch out again, spoil ourselves because our holiday time is running out. There is a pub in Henley called the Bull which we have been to before and really liked it there. So the decision was made, lunch at the Bull. And very nice it was. I loved this writing on one of the walls.

So today we hitched up headed for a campsite called chapel lane, just south of Birmingham. Not far from a small town called Hollywood, and you all thought we had got on a plane to go and see the stars. Loverly old Abby building near the entrance to the site.

And the blue sky is real. A ten minute walk away from the site is a farm shop and we had to go and check it out. We could have spent a lot of money in there but resisted. Only just though. They have a cafe which I am not going to be able to resist because they do a loverly full English breakfast. We are here until Monday when we hitch up again and head for Chester. I need to get the levelling jacks serviced and that’s about half an hours drive from that site. More expense but it has to be done.

This is where We would like to be sat right now, a nice pint of real ale, a large glass of Merlot for Nikki and let the day drift away.