A Poem to Celebrate no More Deployments for AGES!!

So my better half; (he really is) my best mate, my soul mate and my partner and traveller I crime is as some of you know in the Royal Navy.

Today he  starts a course down south as he's been promoted to a higher rank. What this means for us as a couple is that he will be home EVERY WEEKEND for the next 14-18 months - yes that's right, NO MORE DEPLOYMENTS for absolutely ages. To celebrate this fact, and the fact that I'm so immensely proud of him, I thought I'd share a poem that I wrote when he was going on his first deployment a couple of years ago - an experience that was hell, heaven and a huge learning curve for us as a military family.
I'm sure there will be many more posts in the future about this subject that won't be as pleasant so for now - enjoy! Let me know what you think, honestly!


To My Best Friend

When there's a storm in your mind
I'll shelter you,
and if you want to create on, I'll be along
for the ride.
If my heart is breaking, I will wait for you;
When I've forgotten what you smell like,
I will wait for you.

If we're living different hours and paths, I'll wait for yours to fork
with mine once more; and
if I have to re-learn you 100 times,
then I'm luckier than those who only ever got to
learn you once.

H.W


Thanks for reading!

Holly x

Reasons to Visit Langollen

 

For those of you that may not know, or are not local, Llangollen (pronounced Clan-Goth-Len(ish)) is a market town in North Wales and one of my favourite places in the world.

I've lost count of how many times I've been here and this blog features some of my latest trip there and the many reasons I keep going back.

1. It's so easy to get to from the Wirral. Though it feels a million miles away, it's only a relatively short journey - just over an hour to drive via either the M53 and A483 or you can take the scenic route via the stunning Horse Shoe Pass. If like me, you don't drive you can still get there in less than two hours by taking a train to Ruabon via Chester and then a short bus journey (or bike ride!) or from Bidston to Wrexham and then a slightly longer bus ride.

2. It's beautiful. I wasn't kidding when I said it feels like it's a million miles away; nestled in the Dee Valley it is surrounded by hills and forests with the River Dee flowing through the middle of the town centre. Not too far outside of town there is the Horse Shoe Falls - the point at which the river is diverted into the world famous Llangollen Canal. The ancient ruins of Dinas Bran Castle  overlooks the town and is easily accessed.

3. It's peaceful. Any time I've had shit going on in my life I've headed here. Even though it is a tourist hotspot for families, bikers, mountain climbers and international travellers alike; moments of solitude can always be found and the surroundings alone are amazing for the soul. A walk in the hills, down the endless miles of canal paths, or even just around the many little vintage, antique and delicatessen shops in town is great for clearing your head and getting the working week or the city off your skin.

4. There is loads to do! For a small town it packs a lot in. Whether you're a solo traveller, a couple or a family you can not get bored here. Outdoor activities like mountain climbing and white water rafting would satisfy the more adventurous, and those after a quieter break can walk, paddle or cycle. There are tons of cafes, restaurants (and pubs! so many pubs!) and always something going on. Last week was the international Eisteddfod music festival; this week while we were there it was Llangollen Fringe, with loads of musical, comedy and crafty events going on. In winter months it is pretty much guaranteed snow - an activity in itself!

 

My Favourite Spots/Stuff To Do: 

 

Plas Newydd: The House of the 'Ladies of Llangollen'

 

 

This gorgeous house was home to the Ladies of Llangollen, Lady Eleanor Butler and Miss Sarah Ponsonby, from 1780 - 1829. They became celebrated throughout the country as the story of their 'friendship' spread through Regency Society. The grounds of the house include a small woodland with a cute stream and gothic stone bridges - boss for poo sticks! Pictured here is a circle of druid stones brought to the house in 1908; a beautiful spot for a picnic.

 

Llangollen Canal Path

 

 

As mentioned earlier, these beautiful paths are great for a walk or bike ride (that arse in the distance is me!) Take a picnic and a bottle of your chosen tipple and set up camp at one of the picturesque spots all along here. It follows the Dee so literally and goes on forever; me and my better half followed these for over 30k last summer and never saw sight of the end. You can rent bikes in the town but there is also a (cheaper!) company that will deliver a bike to where you are staying and pick it back up after 4 or 8 hours - HireCycles2Go - they don't have their own website but google and the phone number is on a few different sites. I always get a Dutch style and my partner a mountain bike but they've got road bikes too.

 

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct

 

 

Follow the canal path (or drive) 5k down and you'll come to the small village of Trevor, home to the Telford pub. A nice beer garden and good for a rest stop(it does food too.) The pub is named for the architect of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. An amazing spot for photos of the Dee Valley, it is the oldest and longest navigable aqueduct in Great Britain and the highest in the world! Selfie sticks at the ready! you can take a narrow boat journey along it or just walk down the (quite narrow) tow path.

 

Finally...

 

There are so many other things I could say about this great town but I've been waffling for ages now! I'll leave you with the below; the faery doors me and my OH guerrilla-decorated the canal path with - see a future blog for how we made them!

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading and visit soon!

Holly x

First Post Dread

So I created this blog almost two weeks ago...

Since then I have built up to this first post so much that at this point I just need to write any old shit and get it out there just to get it over with and get started.
It's not like many people are even going to read this one right?

So I've always wanted to be a writer and the first step towards that is actually writing and the second is just putting myself out there and letting people read what I have to say about life, love, travel, being a navy wag, working in the third sector by day and a bar by night - and generally trying to traverse life after my 20s!

Couple of content warnings:

1) I swear a lot (sorry Mum and Mum in law)
2) I love travel and I love talking about it
3) You'll have to read my poetry
4) I rant about things, especially when my other half is away, which is a lot.

Other than that this blog is just me, and I'm really looking forward to writing for all of you kind enough to follow me, and will embrace any feedback (apart from unnecessary trolling of course.)

Happy reading!

Holly x