Clawdd Newydd

Just a short blog today. I was given a 'Sunshine Award' last week. I haven't put it on my blog yet 'cos I haven't had chance to compile the list of folks to whom I'd like to pass it on. I've just been doing some reading but I've got a lot more to do and time is short.

Sorry about the 2-day gap. 16 year-old went to D. of E.  training for the week-end, and after her music lesson, we took 13 year old, with us for a night away. For some reason its easier to have week-ends away with only one of them. They have different interests, climbing v. mountain biking, and although both involve mountains its hard to combine the two.

On Saturday afternoon we pottered round Ruthin. We haven't been there for a while. I used to be involved in a cooperative craft venture there and I've got quite a soft spot for the place. Lots of local, not chain, shops and friendly people. Bit sad this time to see that Tesco has invaded, and the new store is on the edge of the town - I hope it doesn't draw people out of the centre. I bought some quilting fabric from a little shop I wanted to re-visit.

Then on to our campsite for the night. A row of hook-ups and stand pipes on the open hillside behind a community shop and hall. I don't speak much Welsh (I can understand a little spoken and written Welsh) and really felt like a stranger here - until we collected the toilet key from the shop. The people in this lovely little village couldn't have been more friendly. The community shop is in a corner of the community centre, with campsite! It hosts weddings, Church services and Sunday school, whist drives, football matches on the adjacent field, there is a small children's play area and it is largely run by volunteers. 'Clawdd Newydd' means 'new dyke'. That remains a bit of a puzzle. We didn't see evidence of a dyke and forgot to ask.

Our stand pipe was completely frozen on Sunday morning. I was, momentarily, concerned about 16 year old in tent doing D of E training. But then thats the whole point of the training and he has done an expedition in snow once before - even though it was April! How mad are we to  spend a night on an exposed hillside in March at something like - 4.

Hopefully one or two of our photos are OK. I'll download them later and stick them on the end of this. Then you can judge for yourselves whether the spectacular view of the frosted Clwydians in the morning mist was worth it!

-------o0o-------