Savouring Autumn at Insole Court & The Potting Shed, Llandaff

Insole Court is really one of those hidden gems that has such an exciting future ahead of itself as over the past year or so the National Lottery has funded this once dilapidated Manor house and outbuildings and have brought it back to life and provide a welcoming community hub in the heart of Llandaff City. Surrounding the Manor house is what I can only describe as a small secret garden, partly walled with lots of nooks and grannies to explore, perfect for families, dog walkers and those looking for a peaceful spot away from the maddening crowds of the city. There are also allotments on the site which while are private it's really nice to see keen green fingers folk going back and forth. While parts of the main Manor house is still under construction and with it being a listed building these things do take time, many of the out-buildings are already up and running with daily Yoga, language and creative classes taking place throughout the week. One part of the stab......

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Picking Blackberries & Celebrating Grandparents

It's that time of the year when it's coming to the end of summer but as the days get little shorter the berries that have been growing all season have become riper and ready to pick. We headed down to a place in Llandaff, near the Taff trail where we picked some last year but unfortunately the harvest was not as fruitful as last time although we still had a lot of fun in the process, especially as my mother and Mr A's grandmother joined us for this little outdoor adventure. I feel very lucky that Mr A gets to have active grandparents in his life, who can do things like this, share their knowledge, make crafts, garden, bake and provide a loving environment as well the occasional break for myself. I can't recall either of my grandfathers as the one passed away when I was 3 months old and the other who lived in the UK (I grew up in South Africa) passed when I was 5yrs old, I had met him when I was 3 but cannot remember him. I did have a great relationship......

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A little Llandaff stroll

 We discovered the Llandaff Circular walk last summer and it's one of those things we love to do on a lazy Sunday as we walk past the beautiful Cathedral, round onto the Taff trail and along the river, it's really quiet and peaceful and it gives us a chance to simply slow down in this busy city. The two boys always skim stones, while John skims the stones to be more precise which Mr A picks out the flats ones for him. We always find sticks to play pirates and picked some lovely blackberries in the hedgerows. We go on lots of adventure Mr A and I but it's always extra special when John comes with us, he works long hours and gets home late so the 2 days off a week he has are precious to us. I love to step back and watch them in their boyish element. ...

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A strange week

It's been a strange sort of week, our car has been kaput, a non-starter, sitting outside our home like a big rock you cannot budge and with so much planned, viewing houses, dentist appointment,  shopping for food, going to the accountant/bank/financial advisor, making all of these harder. It's not that we don't use public transport, because we do and I love the idea of not having a car, but this was not the week for things to go wrong, on top of that my camera has been a bit flakey (now fixed) but we have spent a lot of time exploring our local area with lots of walks in the park, bike rides, collecting leaves for autumn art and kicking the ball in our local field. Making some Autumn inspired art We took the train into the city to have fun in Bute Park, which now has a lovely natural playground with various wooden beans to balance on. The great thing about this park is we always discover something new and enjoy our favourite places as well, such as th......

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Boys Club Adventures

Well what a difference a few days make, John had Monday off this week so we decided to have a proper look around the old part of Llandaff City in Cardiff and do the Taff Trail circular walk near the old Cathedral that we have been meaning to do for a while. It was the last of the sunny days this week, so we had to make the most of it. We first had a little play around the old ruins that is Bishops Palace, a great little place to play an imagine you are a knight, there is also a wonderful tree to practise climbing on. Before we started out our walk we stopped off at The Malsters for a bite to eat, I had a lovely Greek salad and John went for a traditional ploughman's served on welsh slate and Mr A had a a chunky cheese sandwich. After our tummies were fill we set out on our little adventure. We started out walking down past the Cathedral and the school fields, then a short walk past UWIC University campus onto the walkway which follows the Taff Trail. We looked out for b......

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