On one such walk the first line of this poem ‘Sourcing of Masks’ hijacked my thoughts and quickly became a mantra with successive steps, ‘Today we have sourcing of masks’. Henry Reed’s famous ‘Naming of Parts’ had been buried in my grey matter since school days, for over 50 years, until quite suddenly I realised just how relevant the five stanzas are in these crazy, desperate times.
St Michael, and the Dragon of Radnor Forest
It is a well-known fact that St. Michael slew the dragon. Less well known are the five churches, dedicated to St. Michael, built in a ring around the Radnor Forest in mid Wales. They guard a sleeping dragon but who can tell what fate awaits us should the churches close?
Drovers Retreat nestles in the parish of Llanfihangel Rhydithon (Llanfihangel means Church of St. Michael). The other 'Michael' churches are at Discoed, Llanfihagel Nant Melan and Cefynllys.
This is my poem about the Dragon …..
Dark Skies in Mid-Wales - October 2018
Dark skies seem to be weighing us down. With constant mention of the six letter 'B' word I find myself shouting at the radio then reaching for my boots to escape to the surrounding hills. You can do just that. We have our own beautiful dark sky, of a different kind, right here on the edge of the Radnor Forest. Or you can venture on a short drive to take advantage of all that the 45,000 acres of the Elan Valley have to offer.
Whatever The Weather - August 2018
We seem suddenly to have arrived at the closing weeks of peak holiday season and what a mixed bag of weather we have had. Drovers Retreat has been booked up throughout, with guests from all over the world - from USA to Poland, Korea to Belgium, Ireland and of course UK. So much to see and do both outdoors and in, that the seasonal eccentricities have not palled the enjoyment of our guests.
Bluebells and Badgers - May 2018
Woodland Badger Path
Some time ago when my grandson was small I told him how I had surprised a roe deer in the Radnor Forest, a stone’s throw from Drovers Retreat. Wide eyed he enquired ‘Did you ride it?’ And that was the magic, not only that he should picture me doing just that, but that he believed in my imagined lithe leap on to its back as it pranced through the undergrowth. Now not all our visitors like deer of course. One guest this weekend remarked he had quite enough of them in his garden. In the photo you can make out a well trodden path through our bluebell wood. This was created, not by humans but by the regular passage of badgers from our ancient sessile oak wood. You can trace their footprints across our lane and into the thick thorny bushes that skirt the field opposite. And not everyone likes badgers, especially cattle farmers. But here there are different kinds of magic for everyone. The wilderness of the Elan Valley or the music filled town of Presteigne nearby, the chance to play a boisterous game of table football in the wet weather barn or simply to enjoy the peace of a night by the log burner on a chilly evening. Julia’s visit in March was cut short by the snow but she had time to write in the guest book ‘Have fallen in love with the cottage and the area. A wonderful, quiet, relaxing place. Just the sound of the dog snoring, the fire crackling and the tawny owl calling...bliss!’ Then come and see for yourself!