A Short Public Footpath

 

When I did the loop round from the Michaelchurch road to Cusop Church I noticed this sign for a public footpath I'd never walked before, so yesterday I went back to follow it.

It's probably the shortest public footpath in the area - it only goes across two fields.  However, even though it's so short, it's still possible to get lost (or maybe that's just me!).  I assumed, without looking at the map, that the path would run more or less straight across the fields, which led me to a double fence with barbed wire and no obvious way out.  In fact, the path veers to the right at the second stile, though there are no indications on the style that this is the case, and comes out beside the house on the right side of the field.

Walking the Lanes

 It's been quite pleasant weather for the last couple of days, so I've been going out for walks - just short ones, to begin with, but by the time spring has really sprung I should be ready for something a bit more energetic.

Yesterday I did a loop around Nantyglasdwr, and today I went up Nantyglasdwr and then up to the Michaelchurch turning, looping back to Cusop Church and back down into Hay.  The views out to the hills were glorious, and two buzzards were circling over Nantyglasdwr Farm.

When I got  to Cusop Church I was going to mooch around the churchyard for a bit, but cars were arriving for a funeral.  The vicar was out by the car park, in thick black cloak and black mask, greeting people, and as I started down the hill, some more people in black coats were walking up.  A little further down, I met the hearse going up the hill.

From there I cut across the fields from Rosedale to the bottom of Hay car park, which was fine right up to the area around the gate, where I finally got my boots really muddy!

Filming at the Castle

 There was a film crew standing in the square under the Castle gate this morning, along with a white van with the logo "Y Beic".  

Andrew from Eighteen Parrot (who also works for the Castle) seemed to be in charge - he said it was something to do with a Guinness World Record attempt, and that Hay was just one stop on the way.

Poetry Competition

 Normally, they'd put out flyers, but that's not really an option at the moment.

Hay Writers Circle are holding a poetry competition, and they've got Mel Prince from the Poetry Bookshop as their judge.  This isn't the first time she's been a judge - in 2015 she was one of the judges for the Costa Book Award.

The closing date is 16th March.  It's an open theme, so any subject, to a maximum of 40 lines.  The details are on the Hay Writers' Circle website - the link is in the side bar.  The entry fee is £5 for one poem, but up to four poems can be submitted for a fee of £10. 

The first prize is £100, second prize £25 and third prize £15, with winning poems published on the Writers Circle website with the author's permission.

Signs of Spring

 

I've been looking for my first daffodils of spring, and found some crocuses on the grass by the old Library too.

Hay Music

 Despite the lack of live performances, Hay Music has been active online over the last year.

They've got two events coming up soon.

The first is free, on Tuesday 2nd March at 6pm, and is called Coping With Change: Two Views of the Professional Classical Music World.

This is in the form of a conversation between Paul Keene, the Classical Music Programmer at the Barbican Centre in London, and Nick Gethin, a cellist with the London Symphony Orchestra.  The conversation is chaired by Lucy Green, Emerita Professor of Music Education at University College London.  Nick and Paul are both members of the Board of Hay Music Trust.

Hay Music will be using the Crowdcast system, which they are hoping will be superior to Zoom.

Then on Thursday 11th March at 7pm there will be a concert by the Flora Brass Quintet.  The pre-concert chat from 6.15pm on Crowdcast will be free, but the concert itself will cost £7.50 per viewing device (or per viewer if the people tuning in prefer that, since all the profits are going to the players as a way of helping young musicians through this difficult time).  The players are all third year students at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

They also have a concert available to view until 16th June called Bach and the Romantics - tickets available from tickettailor.com  Further details can be found at www.haymusic.org

Tickets will be available soon

End of an Era

 There's a "To Let" sign in the newsagent's window today.

She says she wants to retire - she's "done her bit".

Artistic Photography

 This is what it's come to - I'm fascinated by the lady taking artistic photos of puddles and lichen outside my front window (and trying to be inconspicuous so she won't be embarrassed by me watching her).

Nothing else interesting has happened today.

Looking for Love in Hay-on-Wye

 To celebrate St Valentine's Day, here are some pictures from around Hay today:

Timeless Treasures

Between Timeless Treasures and the Chemists

The pavement by the Buttermarket

Backfold

Bartrums

Golesworthy's

The Antique Market (there is an Ace of Hearts on the red chair).

There were also hearts in the windows of Lucinda's, but they were dark red against a dark background and the Flower Shop, which is under scaffolding, so it was impossible for me to get a good picture of them.

Happy Chinese New Year

 

It's the Year of the Ox, so here are some medieval oxen (I think this is from the Luttrell Psalter).

Covid Testing Comes to Hay

 but only if you have an appointment.  And a car - it's a drive through service where the person being tested has to stay inside their car at all times.

There will be a mobile testing unit on the car park of the Recreation Facilities on Brecon Road from Monday 15th February.  These are being moved around the county so no-one will have to go too far to get tested.  The next closest testing centre is in Brecon, where people being tested can also arrive by bike or on foot.

Appointments can be booked at www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or by phone on 119 or 18001 119 for people with speech difficulties.  This is also the way to order a Home Testing Kit for people who can't get to the mobile units.

I Ate'nt Ded Yet

 To quote Granny Weatherwax from the Discworld books.

I just haven't had anything to write about.

We seem to have missed the worst of  Storm Darcy - just freezing temperatures and a brief flurry or two of snow, which is enough to discourage me from going out for any long walks.  There's not much else to do, outside the house, apart from a bit of shopping.  I've been making lucet cord while listening to podcasts, but I ran out of wool, so I moved on to paper art, and now I need some specific colours to finish a picture.  I peered into Bartrum's window, and I suspect they have the exact colours I need, if only they were open.

Oh, and my alarm clock died - not that I need to know the time in the mornings at the moment.  When the shops are open again I'm planning a Great Expedition to Hereford to buy a new one, from that nice clock and jewellery shop on the corner by All Saints Church.  It will be the most exciting thing I've done all year!