Joan Whittle is now living in Penrhyn, a small development in the centre of Llandrindod Wells, in the heart of Powys. She is resident on the ground floor in a beautiful two bedroomed flat. Everything to hand, including daughter Sandie who lives with husband Harry about five miles away. These are the adventures of the three, two or one – HRH herself as she gallivants around – READ ON! Latest news first, so scroll down to read more.
It’s the place that just keeps on giving!
Multiple excitements today, Friday 4th., with a trip to Tesco, AND, Hay and Brecon Agricultural Merchants, AND, train spotting! No wonder elderly ladies live longer in Llandod – see below!
Joan was rewarded with a superfine close up of the Swansea to Shrewsbury (Heart of Wales line) DMU pictured here
Yes, it’s 153367 – the very one she was missing from her Ian Allan DMU’s Of Note. Bet she slept well last night!
☺️
Say no more!
Poor quality picture, as we were all in the dark, not least Alec (trician) who again was lurking around looking for work to pay for his Donkey habit – don’t go there!
Wednesday 14th. Final round of decorating being carried out, Joan has chosen a stronger colour to enhance the cabinets and finish the kitchen off.
Nordic Sky is the name, and some waste of space is painting – you know the sort, always wearing a hoodie, rings in his nose, sniffs a lot, long unkempt hair. Never mind, when it comes to jobs like painting, you can’t always have good quality workmen! Lovely colour, we all expressed satisfaction with it.
Monday 12th. Off to Hereford and it’s a must have break at Coffee#1
She says she loves this chain of coffee shops, as do we, they are so vibrant and alive. She especially loves the Portuguese tart (name of Jose)!
Mothering Sunday (“as I like to call it”) and Joan is round to Sandie’s for the day. Cards, presents, and lunch – what more could a Mother want?
Overcast and still quite chilly, but the daffs are not far off flowering!
Lovely arrangement from Sandie, only problem is that the jigsaw puzzle that remains of the glass bowl is minus instructions and glue. Anyway, those nice people at “Next” are sorting a replacement. Pooh that it was broken!
Snow is forecast so it’s stock-up time, a shopping trip to Mr T’s for the daily basics.
And it’s over! Been too busy back and forth to dialogue our week, but we signed off Stuart yesterday. That was ten days, longer than we wanted and estimated, but Stuart has done a good job. Just need to paint the raw plaster and make good, today is being spent making more dust, de-dusting, re-dusting, wiping down, re- stocking the shelves, but not making pretty. That will have to wait.
“It was on the Monday morning, the gas man came to call…..”. Not quite, but the old Flanders and Swan song seems apt.
Stuart is a good worker who concentrates on doing the job properly, and so it’s into week two we go.
Stuart is “cutting to length” the worktops and the sink and hob are to be cut out later. Once done, the lower units can be braced together.
Wednesday, and HRH and chaos reigns. No kitchen so the microwave in the sitting room and washing up in the bowl.
Meanwhile, the plasterers are in. Nice chaps, so friendly, and superb job. More milk/tea/coffee/sugar/shortbreads needed so the drudge is off to Tesco!
Shortbread biscuits? No wonder the plasterer has an embryo belly on him!
The next day there are big holes in the walls and Alec (Trician) is making even more! No electric or water, but the hairdresser has been in first thing (before the water went off) so Joan’s looking serene and coiffured. The holes should be filled today, and the plasterer is in tomorrow to skim the gaps. Getting there!
29th January. BIG day! Work starts on the kitchen. Up at 05.30 to make sure everything is ready for Stuart, the installer. Trailer on the Jeep ready to transport the freezer for storage at Merryhall.
Stuart’s arrives dead on time, and begins work; quiet, neat, tidy, no fuss – who is this maidens dream? Joan has given him his own kettle, and milk and tea supplies, and on he cracks. Electrician due tomorrow, so everything out today! Fingers crossed his plan works out.
Studious views to the monitor whilst we ask ourselves the fundamental questions of kitchen life. Which handles? Which finish? Which splashback? No problem – a click of the mouse and there it is. Spendid! But you’ll have to wait for the finished result!
Well, the New Year resolution has been made “I want a new kitchen!”. So, off we go! Firstly to Oakchurch for coffee and a sausage sandwich.
On the road again to Wickes in Hereford.
And then choices, choices, choices!
Isn’t there something sad 😞 about Twixmas Tesco? It all looks a bit yesterday. Perhaps a bit tawdry and flat now all the people have overstocked all their cupboards, all because it is closed for two days. The staff look as if they don’t want to be there, and have long faces. Bring back normal.
ews is that Joan is doing her bit to return to normal!
ked up and delivered to Merryhall for Christmas 🎄 Day. A quiet day, with lunch and presents, and watching the weather sweep in over the Cambrian mountains. The turkey was delivered to the butchers, and we picked it up OK (blog followers will know that there was some considerable confusion over whether we had ordered it).
To the menu – the well thumbed, last re-printed by Caxton, edition. and the choice is limited only by your imagination. So, being of limited creative ability, we settle on Scampi and chips (and optional peas) (the Tartare is in the blue inpenetrable packet on your table).
Boy what a feast! We all agreed that the last time we had Scampi was….. ages ago. And the helpings were enormous. Joan had her eye on the Sticky Toffee to follow, but in the expression “eyes bigger than tummy” she/we never made it. Lashings of salt, vinegar, Tartare (we piled up the blue packets) and spritzers and a pint of Jemima’s Pitchfork made this a memorable lunch. “Everything all right (with the meal)?” Be careful how you answer that one!
As David Jason used to say “Perfick”. We love this place.
Joan’s short of milk, so off we set
Now where did I put it? It’s that time of year, and all hands to the pump, to get the Christmas cards written and in the post.
But first to Coffee #1, after all, you can’t do battle on an empty tummy, and Portuguese Tarts were on offer (I think they’re called Angels, but that doesn’t have the same impact).