Saturday 24 May 2008

Spinning, Jacob Sheep and a Castle

(Click on photos to enlarge)
Laburnum - which grows along the hedgerows in our part of Wales. Although it is poisonous to livestock, it seems tolerated. Legend tells that in the Great War, wood for fencing posts was in such short supply, that Laburnum was all that was available. Once stuck in the ground, it rooted! Hence hedgerows of the stuff - SO pretty at this time of year. It grows on Brenda's farm too.


This morning I had an invitation to visit a Farm Open day. I had promised a cake and some preserves for this too. I met Brenda, whose farm it is, at the Smallholders' Show last weekend. I had a lovely morning out, nice and relaxed, and bought some Celery from another of their stalls to plant up in my veg. plot. Brenda has an excellent flock of Jacob Sheep, and is an expert spinner and weaver - many of her textiles have won prizes. We had a good chat, and I will be joining her Spinning group this winter, as well as taking a one day course she is giving on Tapestry Weaving in January.

On the way back home, I stopped off in Newcastle Emlyn, the little market town on the banks of the River Teifi. I visited the castle for the first time in years, and treated myself to some Snapdragons, Violas, a blue Corydalis and some Celery seeds. The plants are planted, and I shall put some seeds in this evening, as I am late with them already - they should have been started off a month ago.

Of course, I had my camera with me, and took lots of photos . . .


Some of Brenda's Jacob Sheep.


Brenda spinning in her workshop.



Another view of the workshop.

Some of the beautiful things made from the Jacob wool.

Newcastle Emlyn town hall.

Newcastle Emlyn castle - the gatehouse. Here's the link if you want to know more about the history of the Castle. http://www.castlewales.com/newcas2.html

View through window towards the town hall.

The weir on the River Teifi.

View of River Teifi from the bridge.

Such a pretty cottage, with its Montana Rubens clematis.

The Garden Centre where I just HAD to stop and browse . . . I bought Violas, Snapdragons, Celery Seeds and a splendi Blue Corydalis.

View from the top of the hill near our house, looking across fields which have been cut for silage, towards Black Mountain.


More Laburnum growing in a hedgerow nearby.

3 comments:

nancy said...

Hi Jennie,
I really enjoyed looking at the enlarged photos in the shop. So much of interest on the walls and the shelves. She has obviously won a lot of ribbons and loving cups for her efforts.
Nancy

smilnsigh said...

Oh my, what beautiful photos you have here!!!

Who am I, and from where, did I pop it? :-) I saw your comment over in Nan's 'Letters From A Hill Farm' blog. It was about a snail-mail friend you had, who lived in Alaska. And had to carry a gun to go for a walk in summer, because of the bears. Wow!

So I did as I do often ~ clicked on your name link and came over to read. And Oh My! What a beautiful UK blog you have!

I love to see/read of the UK countryside, in any era. :-) It spells home, comfort, peace, natural beauty, old village ambiance, etc., to me. So how can I not return here????? :-)

Oh Dear, as if I need yet another blog to try to follow! -oh sigh- So many lovely blogs, so little time. Well, I'm a "Woman of a certain age" so it isn't as if I have a lot of work to do. But still... I spend too much time at my computer. -giggles-

So Hi to you and thank you for your beautiful blog. I'll be back...

Mari-Nanci
Smilnsigh
Photos-City-Mine

Bovey Belle said...

Nancy - yes - rosettes for her prize-winning sheep, fleeces, and of course her textiles. She has spun and woven all her life, and so did her mum and grandmother before her I believe.

Mari-Nanci - Glad you like my blog and the photos. I like to share my world with folks who find it totally different to theirs. I will come and visit you now! Haste ye back.