Forget the big city - Pembrokeshire is the place for Castles and Christmas Fairs! While Christmas preparations seem to get earlier and earlier each year, save some time for the last two weekends in November and enjoy the magic of shopping for gifts, food and wine in Picton Castle and Pembroke Castle. Picton Castle , a beautiful manor house set in gardens and woodland in rural Pembrokeshire, makes a real effort to provide an inviting setting for a wide range of local crafts and produce. Visitors start in the main hall, warm and inviting with a crackling log fire, traditional ceiling-high Christmas tree stylishly decorated and the delicious smell of a warming glass of mulled wine. A string quartet plays classical carols, adding a soothing feel to the festive atmosphere. Now, the visitor is led through brightly coloured stands that line the corridor, down stairs to what was the wine cellar with low, stone arches that are no problem if you are only three-foot tall, and out to the...
Posts
Cardigan Bay Mackerel Festival It is a busy scene outside the Harbourmaster as Aberaeron gets ready to honour the humble mackerel and to celebrate its plentiful supply along the length of Cardigan Bay. But this is the end of August so is also the time to mourn the passing of another fishing season. What better time to hold a procession? Locals line the streets of the town, jostling to secure a great viewing point and enjoying the summer sunshine as they wait expectantly for it all to start. Cameras at the ready, Ipads and phones charged up, all eyes go towards the sound of the band and the wailing voices coming slowly along Market Street on the mackerel’s last journey of the year. The deep, rhythmic beat of drums and saxophones of the New Orleans style band lead the procession forward. Behind the band, the 20-foot papier-mache mackerel is pulled along, sun glinting off its shiny silver and blue-green sides, huge eyes staring out at the onlookers along the pavements....
Welcome to the blog dedicated to the finer things in life - travel, food, wine, theatre, and basically going out & being entertained. Definition Babyboomer : there was a spike in birth rates towards the end of WWII, and in 5 years following, as British armed forces personnel returned home. The real Babyboomer is, therefore, someone born between early 1940 and 1950. After that time, it slowed to more normal levels. So, we are all aged 67+ up to 77(ish!) years old. Of course, the next surge in birth-rates is when our children started their families and anyone over 80 years old now is not a Babyboomer. Look out for comments, advice & guidance, and some images that hopefully inspire you to get out there and enjoy something new.