In other words, bindweed, nettles and foxgloves! I just wish they didn't grow in my vegetables patch.
2025
Picture Gallery Page
30th June 2025
I have a confession to make...
I am not a website designer, but I do design and create my own website without Wordpress, Squarespace or other pre-set design people, though I do use a platform called Pinegrow, which allows me to create my own site without knowing all the ins and outs of html code writing.
Some may say that it is obvious from the look of the product, but, I like the way it looks; it has all the information you need and it says more about the people we are here, than using a generic site that doesn't do what you want it to do.
I am having problems with the gallery page, however. I am trying to use something called a CSS grid which works perfectly well as a trial, but goes to pieces when I publish it! Isn't that what happens so often?
So... please bear with me while I find out what I am doing wrong and try to enjoy navigating your way around some rather distorted pictures!!!
Kittens born
27th May 2025
One of our cats has had six little kittens. Two black and four black and white. They are absolutely adorable needless to say!
My granddaughter, Kestrel is very taken with them.
Squire Cottage News
February 2025
As from May 1st this year, Squire Cottage will not be available to rent.
It is sad for all you folk out there who have enjoyed holidays in this lovely cottage and want to come back, but great for us!
My son and his wife and little girl will be moving in there in May, which will be wonderful - for them and for us!
2024
Update
November 2024
Done! the drain has been re-plumbed, the floor has been re-placed and Peter is installing a new washbasin - albeit quite small. Just have to give it a good clean and the wetroom will be finished.
Yes, the new floor is red! It just so happened that the flooring contractors had surplus red vinyl and offered it to us at a special price. It's a good job we already have red glass panels in there!
Coming soon!
October 2024
We are finally having the wet room in Xidong refreshed - it is long overdue.
Next week the plumber is coming to inspect the drain and when he and teh builder have sorted that, we have some specialist flooring men coming to replace the mouldy old vinyl which is in the wet room now.
Stay tuned for updates!!
Mr Frost lace work!
January 2024
Have you ever seen anything so beautiful? Created by Mother Nature herself (or is it Mr Frost?) with no human intervention whatever. Fantastic!
Mobile phone mast at last!
June 2024
UPDATE July - the mast went live some time ago, but we have only just found out that is is O2 and Vodaphone, not EE (yet). EE has some coverage anyway.
To some, it is an anathema, but to many it's about time!
For those of us with businesses to run in the valley - especially when we are out and about, communication is vital and although we have managed without a mobile phone signal for 18 years, it has been a problem at times.
Now we are blessed with both high speed broadband and soon, 4G phone signal. What will we have to complain about? !!!!
From egg to cockerel
Spring 2024
Last summer I incubated 16 eggs, 6 of which hatched and survived. Longshanks, the handsome Leghorn cockerel, is one of those survivors.
2023
Leaky dams and overflow scrapes
Spring 2023
Last year we were approached by a charity on behalf of Severn Trent to enter into an agreement to help alleviate excess water flow in our rivers. Being at one of the heads of the river Severn (a long way from it's mouth) we are in a position to help.
Does it work? Who knows, but our leaky dams are holding up water flow at our end and the field scrapes are filling up with all this rain we have been having, so I would like to think that the scheme is working.
Old sheep dip cleared
Spring 2023
A few years ago a beautiful big ash tree fell down across the old sheep dip/pond. The water flow down the stream had caused the bank under it's roots to collapse. I was in teh house at the time and it made remarkably little noise considering how big the tree was - just a little crunch!
As part of the water retaining excersise, the contractors cut up the tree, placing one part of its trunk against the pond bank and removing the rest for future firewood. They then dug out much of the silt build-up in the pond making deeper again.
What Peter calls the 'mad Max' machine
Spring 2023
The contractors who came to do the damming and scraping brought their multi-purpose mini tractor with them. This seemed to do all jobs, from hauling logs to transporting equipment. They had a minidigger for digging the scrapes and dredging the pond.