Family Visit

My sister, her husband Peter and my little nephew James have been to visit on their way to France in the camper van, so it was interesting to wander round Hay and look at it through a visitor's eyes. Peter noticed that the flagstones on top of the wall round the picnic area had been screwed down so that they weren't pulled off and thrown into the river (which happened with the first lot of stones that were put there), and that the picnic tables are fixed to the concrete slabs they stand on, too (a couple of the original picnic tables ended up in the river, too). Thankfully, that group of Hay kids seems to have grown up, and are now trying to kill themselves by driving too fast down narrow lanes, and the latest bunch of kids seem less destructive.
James had fun in the swing park, though we were the only ones there. His favourite ride was the bucket seat that goes round and round and made him dizzy!
Peter was quite impressed with the sporting facilities - the tennis courts, and the cricket club and the football club.
We wandered back along the riverbank, where I don't go very often any more because Islay can't walk, and we discovered that the public footpath around the back of the beast market is about to be closed. I can't imagine why - it gets used, and it isn't in the way of anything.
There was a wedding in town on the Saturday, with a coach and horses going up Broad Street, and later we noticed a big marquee across the river, and could hear music coming from it, so that may possibly have been the reception - or it might have been something entirely different.
Among the canoeists on the river, there was a lad wearing swimming trunks and a yachting hat, and that was about it - he must have been quite cold!
There were quite a few vintage cars around town, of course, because the Steam Rally was on Sunday - sadly, they couldn't stay for that as they had a ferry to catch. Maybe next year. I'll probably take them to see Talgarth Mill next year, too.

We ate out - which I can't afford to do most of the time.
The first night, we went over to the Three Tuns. James struggled through most of an 11" pizza, and had the rest bundled up in silver foil to take away. Julie and I had the Steak and Guinness pie, which was very nice.
On the second night we went up to the Blue Boar, and I had the chilli. James was most unimpressed with the children's menu, and said so, loudly! He was eventually persuaded to have the sausage and chips - "with sauce!". He really wanted to have what the grown ups were having, only a bit less of it. Peter had the ham, though he didn't expect it to be cold ham when he ordered. But there was plenty of it, and it was tasty, and the waitress was very good with James (who is now just six).

It was lovely to see them, and I hope they'll be back soon.