Amroth Cottages

Good Morning Everyone,

Well, it looks like it is going to be another lovely day here.   It is wonderfully clear and I can see Lundy Island rising out of the sea in the far distance, as I look out of the window at the view from our self catering cottages here in Amroth.  Yesterday was fantastic here, really warm in the sun and  it twinkled on the sea so brightly, it was a wonderful sight.   Although the air was cold it was a great day for walking and our guests in 2 of our cottages enjoyed walks with their dogs on the beach.  Both dogs are young and their frolicking reminds me so much of Wilson in his puppy years, especially the one dog, as he is a whitish golden retriever like Wilson was.

Well as half-term approachs, several attractions in Pembrokeshire are getting ready to open for the visitors.  Colby Woodland Gardens has some Family Activities ‘Wake up to Wildlife’ on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday next week and these are always excellent.  The gardens open on Saturday and anyone who has been before will be amazed at the work that has gone on this winter.

Manor House Wild Life Park opens for the whole of the week and I can recommend families to go.  I had a wonderful day there with my grandchildren in the October half-term and will definitely revisit this year to see how Steve the Gibbon is getting used to his new surroundings.  You can read all about the place on their web-site .

Battlefield Live Pembrokeshire is another great adventure for children (and adults), boys especially, as my husband found out when he took our grandsons last year.   They are just up the road from us at Llanteg  and they have a web site you can visit.

Folly Farm are of course open and St. Davids Cathedral will be giving guided tours.  Heatherton has lots of activities for the whole family and then of course there is the wonderful beach in Amroth.  The Pirate Cafe will be open this week-end so you will be able to warm up with a Hot Chocolate after a walk on the beach.

News from the Farm

The bulbs are beginning to peep through and I have one or two snowdrops out, but when we drove up to Castell Henllys last week we saw a fantastic sight of a long bank of snowdrops.  They must have been really sheltered but it does make you think that Spring can’t be far away.   I think all the snow this winter has made us  think what a long winter it has been and we look forward to seeing  the new life appearing.   On the way into Tenby outside the farm shop, there is already a super display of early daffodils, I could hardly believe it when I saw them.

The animals are all enjoying the cold dry spell we have had the last few days and they love the sun on their backs.  Dick and Harry, the goats, have been lying against the stable wall in the sun and have been toasty warm.  Jim and Annie, the ponies are enjoying the freedom of all the fields at this time of year, as I don’t have to worry about them getting too much grass. Charlie, our tabby cat who likes to be in the hay barn has had a bad paw, so another expensive visit to the vet!!!   The hens, sheep and other cats are all fine.  People keep asking if we will have another dog, but at the moment losing Wilson is enough.  We are getting used to the empty space in the kitchen but thank you to all of you who have sent us messages, it was lovely to hear how each of you had remembered Wilson.

Well I must away to plant some polyanthus in the pots outside the self catering cottages and clean up behind Mike who has just finished decorating the main bedroom in our largest cottage.   The cottages are full next week for the half term, so let’s hope the weather stays fine and dry for our guests, but it is so beautiful here and I am sure they will find plenty to do.

Until next time, regards to you all

Ann (Amroth Cottages)

Hi Everyone,

Well, it has taken me a fortnight to be able to write this and even now I don’t think I will be able to do justice to our beautiful retriever Wilson, who sadly died on Jan. 12th.

  I am sure all of you who met him will remember him at various stages of his life and for various reasons.  To us, he was a loyal constant companion seeing numerous ups and downs and changes in our lives over the 13 and 1/2 years of his life.

He was born and began his life on the Blackdown Hills, in Somerset, when he came to live with us as an 8 week old puppy with enormous paws , the reason Mike chose him!,  Mike called him Wilson, after his make of tennis racket, and over the years he grew into his name.  He was a bundle of mischievious fun but very defiant, and up until he was 0ne, I wondered if he would ever be trained. But then it just seemed like he got it,  and he proved to be the best dog we could have ever wanted.

His undying loyalty to Mike was incredible.  Even when he (Wilson) was struggling to walk, he would still try to follow Mike  to the garage or shed, to see what jobs had to be done. He would follow Mike everywhere from the very beginning, watch him painting the house, decorating the cottages, following him round as he cut the grass and of course he adored the beach and the wonderful walks in the woods around here that we all shared.

When we first came to live in Amroth he was 2 and his favourite activity was chasing seagulls or gulling, as we called it. He would plunge into the sea when they took flight and never gave up thinking he might catch one!!! I remember him once being fascinated by a shoal of fish in the shallow waters of the sea one day and he exhausted himself jumping up and down trying to pat one. He’d delight in finding a bucket lid on the shore line and Mike would throw it as a frizbee.

 He was rarely without a stick or a ball and I have, in the past, found numerous 1/2 balls in a bale of hay from our fields that Wilson had abandoned and they had been caught up in the cutter and baler, when our hay was made.

He absolutely adored the snow in his younger days, frolicing and rolling in it and chasing snowballs and it seems ironic that I think it was the snow and ice that brought him to his end. He had been struggling with his arthritis for quite a long time and the growth of the tumour on his back toe had begun to cause him pain for about a week beore he died, as he kept catching it on the ice and breaking the skin. When he fell over on the 11th and could not get up at all, Mike had to lift him and we knew it was time to let him go.

Any of you who have had to make this decision, know how hard it is, and at the moment I still have times when I question if we should have given him a bit longer.  It broke my heart to hold him as he slipped away, but he went with dignity as the beautiful dog he was. My friend with his digger came and dug a hole for me and Wilson is buried on his bed with his ball, over looking the sea, woods and coast path, that he so loved and where he had so many adventures. (Mike had to go out for the day, as he found the parting too hard)

If any of you have read Marley and Me you know how sad the ending is, and I knew that would always happen to us but I think we gave him a wonderful life and I hope he felt the same.  Someone in the village said they will always remember how majestically he walked with his beautiful white tail held high and one of our young guests referred to him  as the ‘polar bear’

So many wonderful memories.

Hopefully, my blog will be more cheerful next time but I couldn’t let his death go unmarked. He was too special to be forgotten and his life should be celebrated.

I am sure any of you visiting us this year will be sorry not to be greeted by him, he was a part of Amroth cottages.

Regards to you all

Ann (Amroth cottages)

Mike

Hello to Everyone from our snowy self catering cottages on the coast in Pembrokeshire.

Happy New Year. Well what a start!! The swim on January 1st from the beach in Amroth was a great occasion with several brave and hardy people taking part. Locals and visitors alike, some dressed in Elvis Presley costumes, ran over the sands, as the tide was out, to plunge into the icy water. It was a glorious sunny day and everyone seemed to have a great time. Mind you I wasn’t tempted as they looked so cold when they walked back up the beach. But it was a tremendous effort and a lot of money was raised for various charities.

It was the next day when the snow started to fall here and since then we have been pretty frozen up along with the rest of the country. However, it really is so beautiful looking out over the white fields from our self catering cottages to the sea, with the sun twinkling on the water and walking in Colby woods, the National Trust property next to our farm is magical. It is a shame in our busy lives that we don’t have more time to just enjoy the natural beauty around us but I know when everyone is battling with trying to get to work, get the children to school and all the other every day chores taking time out to just look can a luxury. I remember when we lived in Somerset on the Blackdown Hills and had a business in Taunton, travelling in bad weather was a nightmare for me, so I appreciate how many of you feel. However, those times are now over, and if  the roads are bad I either don’t go out or walk to the local Farm shop at Summerhill for essentials.

Some of our grandchildren live in Newcastle and of course they have had abundant snow. To begin with our daughter said they had a wonderful time playing in it, but now they are not bothered about being outside which is, I suppose, how children living in snowy countries feel.

News from the Farm

We have a wonderful variety of birds coming into the garden. Yesterday afternoon there were a pair of Lapwings on the big lawn in front of Granary Cottage and then a Sandpiper or Curlew with an enormous beak, was drilling down into the lawn. This morning there was a Redwing on the other lawn near Stables Cottage and we have more Mistle Thrushes this year than I have seen here in the past. Of course the huge variety of  Tits and Finches that we get, are enjoying the fat balls and seed and peanut caddies that we have hanging from the trees.

Well the animals are all keeping well, I am pleased to say. Jim, our little Welsh Mountain pony, has a new red winter coat and looks very smart in the field. He and Annie, our other pony, are both at this moment out in the field and I have been watching them this morning scrapping the snow away with their hooves to get to the grass. They do eat a lot more hay and haylage this weather, of course, as do the sheep and Dick and Harry, the goats. The ice on the troughs and water buckets is so thick in the morning and despite breaking it at 7.30 this morning it was iced over again at 10a.m., so I keep popping out to make sure all is O.K.

Charlie, our cat , who lives in the hay barn seems quite happy outside and despite Mike trying to bring him into the house several times, he is always so anxious to get out. Not like Bodmin, Boots and Hannah, who seems happy to stay holed up inside by the radiators.

Wilson, our dear old retriever, is struggling on the snow  as his legs keep giving way and then it is hard for him to get up on the ice. Such a shame as he used to love the snow and would chase snowballs and leap in the air to catch them and then roll in the snow with glee. Such wonderful memories. Still he is quite happy at the moment watching Mike paint in one of the cottages.

Well I must get back to my spring cleaning. My aim is to get all the cottages finished before our first guests of 2010 arrive on 15th January, so no time to waste!!!

Have a good day everyone and spring will soon be here. The snow can’t last forever!

Regards

Ann (Amroth Cottages)

Hi Everyone and a very Merry Christmas,

Sorry I haven’t been keeping you up to date for the last month or so, everything has been so hectic , as I am sure it has been for a lot of you. Lately I have been decorating our self catering cottages here in Amroth in readiness for the guests that have now arrived. The homemade wreaths are on the doors, the Christmas trees are up and decorated in the living rooms and the greenery decorations are all in place. Mike has put up the fairy lights along the garage roof and on the Barbeque House, so everything looks very Christmasy and we have even had snow on the ground as if to order!!!  How has everyone managed in the snow. I know it has been very bad in parts, fortunately Amroth doesn’t get a lot of snow generally but we have had some very icy roads, which has made getting up the hill to Summerhill pretty tricky. Actually I am a real baby driving in icy conditions and would rather walk, but having lived in the country for a lot of my life, we always have plenty of stocks in for the animals and humans, so no need to venture out.

The sea views here have been glorious the last few days. The air has been so clear that Lundy Island has looked so close and we have been able to see Exmoor(where we once lived) and the North Devon Coast. The frost on the ground has made everywhere look superb and it has been wonderful weather for walking and thank goodness we are not ploughing through mud all the time in the fields.

Tenby has a big event on Boxing Day which always gathers a huge crowd. Several, NO  hundreds of people dress up in fancy dress and at the sound of a horn all race for the sea and plunge in. Some of them really do swim quite a distance but others get wet all over and then come out. It is all for charity and several thousand pounds is raised each year. It is a great event to watch but I have never been tempted to join in, the sea is FREEZING and if there is a wind!!!!! Gosh it is bad enough watching from the beach but the Mulled wine afterwards in the local cafe or the pub (The Amroth Arms in Amroth’s case) soon warms you up.

Following this event we have the New Years Day Swim in Saundersfoot at 11a.m., followed by a Big Swim in Amroth at 12 noon. Two of the ladies from Summerhill Farm Shop are going to do both swims to raise money for CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) so I have sponsored them and will be there to support them. All these events are real social occasions for the villages and I take my hat off to all those who brave the icy waters. I know that several swims occur around Pembrokeshire but I have only been to the local ones.

News from the Farm

Glad to report all the animals are fine. The ponies are glad of their rugs this weather and of course have the freedom of all the fields at this time of year and are brought in at night for their hay and feeds. Dick and Harry, the goats are tucking into the haylage we made from our fields and they quite enjoy this crisp, cold weather. It is the wind and rain that they hate as they have no lanolin in their coats. The Jacob sheep are fine in the cold as their fleeces are so thick, I never worry about them, but obviously they also eat the haylage when the ground is frozen. The cats are fine and dear old Wilson has had some days lately when he has been acting like a puppy again, bouncing around but then he sleeps for ages!!! I think it is a case if the mind being willing but the body being weak.

Well I must away, our daughter and grandchildren arrived last night for Christmas so it is all excitement in the house. We will be off for a walk on Amroth beach later which they love, as they come from the Midlands.

Hoping you all have a wonderful Christmas and wishing you health and happiness in 2010. I will be back in the New Year with an update

Regards

Ann (Amroth Cottages)

Hello Everyone,

Where has the time gone this month?!! Apologies for not blogging from our self-catering cottages in Pembrokeshire but I have been so busy this month trying to get the garden into some sort of shape before the weather changes.

This morning is fabulous. Can’t believe it is the end of October and the clocks have gone back an hour.  I do hate the dark appearing around 5p.m. as it means the animals all have to be fed earlier and it makes for a shorter day. Still this morning the sun is shining, the sea is twinkling there is no wind and the leaves that are left on the trees, after the last 2 windy days, are a super colour and the berries and hips on the trees this year are so plentiful. My Holly trees and bushes are laden with bright red berries but I bet by Christmas the birds will have stripped them clean, just when I would have liked a few for the decorations!!. 

I have just mucked out the stables and looking down on to the sea, I have just seen 2 kayaks paddling along the bay. It is wonderfully calm on the water today, so I guess they will be able to go all along the coast. There are quite a growing number of them in Pembrokeshire now as the coastline is so spectacular and several places will hire them out (one being ‘ Walk on Water’  in Saundersfoot – 4 miles from Amroth) or guests can try out the Activity Centre at Morfa Bay near Pendine or Pembrokeshire Activity Centre near Pembroke Dock or go over to  West Wales Watersports in Dale or Newgale  if they want instructional hours, all fantastic areas to explore.

On Monday we went on a Trade day to Pemberton’s Chocolate factory, a few miles from here. It was so interesting and the hand-made chocolates they produce are absolutely delicious. When  you realise all the processes that the cocoa bean has to go through before the actual chocolate is produced, you realise why high class chocolates are so expensive, and I will definitely savour the truffles they produce with respect!!! It is certainly well worth a visit for our guests.

This week is 1/2 term and we are fully booked. There are lots of activities in the area this week. Colby Gardens has a Spooky Halloween trail in the woods and also a workshop making Halloween items from things that can be gathered. If this is like the workshop they did at the end of the summer, it will be excellent. There are also events at the Tudor Merchants House (National Trust) in Tenby, Carew Castle and Picton Castle and of course Folly Farm will have it’s traditional Find the Pumkin trails. So there is lots to do very close by for our visitors with children. However the weather is so mild and calm today, rock pooling or building castles on Amroth beach and going for a walk won’t cost a penny and will be fabulous today, so let’s hope the weather stays good for the week.

Our younger daughter and grandchildren are arriving on Tuesday and Mike, my husband, is taking the boys for a treat to Pembrokeshire Battlefield Live, a new Laser Combat attraction that is in it’s first year at Llanteg about 2 miles from here. I know the boys will love it and I hope to go with our grandaughter and little grandson to Manor House Wildlife Park, to see the Gibbon Monkey Steve who has been given a new home, having been kept in a concrete enclosure all his life. They have made him an island with trees to climb and improved his environment, but of course at present he is very nervous of the changes.

News from the Farm

All is well with the animals, I am pleased to report. The ponies still haven’t got their winter rugs on permenantly yet, although when it was very wet on one day last week, I did put them on. Their natural coats are now very thick so they are quite warm.

Wilson, our beautiful retriever, is still plodding on and the guests this week are delighted to see him again, as when they left last year, they wondered if he would still be with us. He seems quite happy, it’s just that he hasn’t got the energy to go further than the goats field now and prefers to watch life, the beach and Mike from the grass outside the house.

I am doing my best to dig over the veg. patch for the winter. We are still pulling delicious carrots and I have a little beetroot  and chard left. The tomatoes in the greenhouse were great this year and the last of the green ones I have made into chutney. Now the greenhouse is clear and ready to house all the fuschias, begonias and geraniums that I try to keep through the winter, so the next job will be to take all the pots apart, which is quite a big job as I think I have about  30 – 35 outside the self catering cottages and the barbeque area.

Well I must away. Lots to do as usual

Regards to you all

Ann (Amroth Cottages)

Good Morning Everyone,

What a simply glorious morning it is here in Amroth. The sun is shining, the sky is blue, the sea is twinkling in the light and the crisp viewing means I can see as far as the North Devon Coast and Lundy Island, which is not always possible. We have had a wonderful September weatherwise here and something that we all so appreciate, after the unsettled summer. Such a shame it wasn’t like this when the children were on holiday from school, but at least all our visitors, who have booked September holidays, have been able to enjoy the lovely September mornings, the sun and the lovely calm windfree days that we have had.

As I was talking to one of our guests a fortnight ago, the sky was alive with the House Martins that come every year to make their nests in our eaves and I remarked to her that they were getting together for their long migration. They sounded like they were almost geeing each other up for the journey. Sure enough the sky was quiet the next day and I knew they had left. The same thing happened last Friday night when I was moving the ponies from one field to another, the sky was so noisy with the twittering of Swallows and there were so many of them, again getting ready for their migration to South Africa. Since then I haven’t seen any but I do hope they have a safe journey, such a long way, and look forward to their return next spring.

Meanwhile the garden is full of Blue-Tits, Great Tits, Chaffinches, Greenfinches and the occassional Bullfinch. I have seen the Robins in abundance again and also the Nuthatch, Woodpecker, Jays and we have also had a Lapwing on the lawn. The Buzzards that nest in Colby Woods, we see almost daily as they soar high above the valley and our fields. You can hear their famous call as you are in the garden and sometimes they perch in the big tree near the vegetable patch. I used to see them a lot when we lived in Somerset and was delighted when we came here to have them on our patch again. Of course we get the usual Magpies, Crows, Jackdaws and Seagulls, on the big lawn all the year round but I have a lot of trees and shrubs that bear berries and rosehips at this time of year, teasels and of course the late flowers, which I hope bring more wildlife to our garden and fields.

Yesterday I took an hour off, much to Mike’s (my husband) surprise and went on a Seal Safari boat trip from Tenby Harbour. I have been to Skomer Island a couple of times to see the seals and also Marloes Sands but I haven’t done this trip before and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone , tourists or locals, who are in the area. It lasted an hour and we sailed over to Caldey Island where we saw lots of seals, but also a lone Gannet, who we assumed was a long way from his home on Grassholom Island. There were also so many Shags, sitting on the rocks and diving into the sea on the far side of the Island and the rock formation and cliffs are amazing and make you feel very insignificant when you are at the base of them and they tower above you. We also saw a big flock of Curlews, who were over there and a Peregrine Falcon high on the cliffs and of course several Gulls including the big Black backed Gulls. It was a great trip and a super hour well spent.

News from the Farm.

Jim and Annie, the ponies are fine and beginning to get their winter coats. Annie is all fluffy, as she has a very fine coat, but Jim has a thicker growth and has been sweating in the sunshine over the last few days.  The 2 old hens have decided to start laying again and I have had a few eggs lately.  The goats, sheep and cats are all fit and Wilson (our beautiful old Retriever) plods on very slowly.

I have made some lovely Green Tomato Chutney, Cucumber Pickle (excellent) and picked lots of Blackberries from our fields. I am still digging carrots and beetroot from the veg. patch and still picking runner beans, but I have also been trying to tidy the garden in readiness for the winter but there are still a lot of plants in flower and several butterflies are still visiting them, so I won’t cut them back yet.

Tonight it is the Local History Group meeting and tomorrow the Film club are showing ‘Australia’. On Sunday a film ‘The End of the Line’ is being shown in Narberth, about over fishing our seas and I have meetings on Thursday and Friday, plus my Computer course starts again on Wednesday. So a busy week ahead and I must away

Regards to you all

Ann(Amroth Cottages)

Hello again Everyone,

What a glorious morning we awoke to here at our self-catering cottages in Amroth, Pembrokeshire  and how pleased I am that we are seeing the sun again for our guests. Yesterday was dismal with a sea fret that turned to light misty rain all afternoon, while I know most of you in England had a glorious day! However it was warm and I managed to do some gardening.

Well, the school holidays are over and I really miss hearing the children playing in the garden or asking if they can help feed the animals. We are still fully booked, so hopefully it will be a good month weatherwise for our guests.

Bank Holiday Monday was very windy and we were down on Amroth Beach with our 2 granddaughters watching some people Kite Surfing. It was really exciting to watch them and must be so exhilarating to actually be doing it. Not for the faint hearted I assure you, as one chap was going at a terrific speed and appeared to be so far out to sea I was quite worried in case he got into trouble!!! To see them jump and turn in the air was great but I can’t imagine how tired their arms and shoulders must have been. We then walked along to Colby Gardens where the National Trust had a ‘Hands On’ Craft day for children. It was really fascinating and our grandchildren wanted to try their hands at everything on offer. We came home 3 hours later with 2 hand thrown clay pots, some felt balls to make a necklace, 2 corn dollies, a card and some wools for Japanese braiding and lots of ideas. It really was a wonderful day.

Last Sunday saw me down at Saundersfoot beach for a Rocky Shore Exploration looking at the marine life in the sand and on the rocks, with some marine biologists. It was so informative and interesting to hear their knowledge and learn more about what is around us.

I also attended a Taster Course on Nordic Walking which they do in Saundersfoot and really enjoyed it. It is quite different from pole walking, when the poles are in front of you to steady you. You have the poles behind you in Nordic walking to basically push you along and you get a much better work out. So perhaps I may go on a days course and try to put it into practice. There are so many things on my calendar this month but I just love finding out about everything that goes on in the area and learning more about the glorious place we live in.

News from the Farm

Well this morning was one of those perfect moments that we all so rarely experience, perfect silence in the still morning air. As I was out at the stables, I looked out over the beautiful sea that was twinkling in the early morning sun and there was complete silence. No sound at all, it was fantastic. I remember having that feeling once when I was in Mauritus many years ago and this morning took me back to that time and you somehow feel privileged to experience it. We all live such busy lives and rarely have the time to stop and listen or to hear complete silence.

Anyway enough of reminising, the animals are all fine. The hens are taking themselves to bed before 8p.m. now that the evenings are drawing in, Dick and Harry, the goats, are enjoying the sunshine today and Jim and Annie the ponies are pleased not to be wearing their raincoats (rugs). Wilson, our retriever, has met and approved of the  dogs that are staying in our cottages this week and is gently watching the world go by.

The damsons have been great this year and I have made Damson Jam and Jelly and Damson Chutney and put a load in the freezer. I have also made Beetroot and Ginger Chutney, Beetroot and Orange Jam (delicious with strong cheese) and must now make some bean chutney and tomato chutney. The carrots have been fabulous this year from the veg. patch as has the beetroot, french beans and peas and the tomatoes in the greenhouse have done well.

Now I must away and I am torn between finishing the ironing of the sheets from changeover at the week-end or going in the garden. Anyone who knows me will guess my choice!!! Tonight I am off to the Film night in the village hall ‘The Last King of Scotland’ which I am looking forward to, Saturday sees a Curry night at the local pub for Macmillan, Monday a harvest supper, Thursday an Environment meeting and then a visit to a new Wind farm. So much to do and not enough time, as most of us say I am sure.

Enjoy your day. From a glorious view of the bay on a sunny day in Amroth

Regards to you all

Ann (Amroth Cottages)

Hello Everyone,

Well the last 2 weeks have seen a mixture of sunshine and showers at our self-catering cottages here by the sea. You can watch the weather coming in over the sea from the farmhouse and cottages and run for cover as a shower approaches, some of which have been quite heavy, but within minutes the sun has been out and it has been really warm. This week hasn’t been as good as last, but everyone seems to have enjoyed themselves and had a few barbecues.

It is hard to believe we are more than 1/2 way through August and soon the children’s holidays will be over. Last week saw the return of 3 families who have stayed with us several times and the children had a great time helping me feed the animals. So a big thank you to Evan, Luke, Maddie, Aimee, Luke and Niamh, the animals have all missed you this week. This week  and next week we have families who have stayed with us before and it is always lovely to catch up and see the children growing up and still enjoying coming here.

The sea looks lovely at the moment, twinkling in the sun with patterns of silver all over it. The tide is out and I can see people on the beach and in the sea, as I sit writing this for you.  It has been the Pembrokeshire County Show this week, which has been a big draw for people and some of our guests went to Colby Gardens for an evening walk last night to find out about life in the woods. The children were delighted to have seen several bats and they also put out food for the badgers. Earlier in the day there was an activity session on woodland birds and Maria from the Birds of Prey Rescue Centre here in Amroth, was there talking about the Owls and other birds she cares for and  releases  back to the wild. Sadly some are too badly injured and have to be put down, others have to be rehomed into a safe environment, some remain permenant residents with her but her aim is always to get them well and release them. She works voluntarily and tirelessly for the birds and has to be really admired for her work.

Next week sees another village show, which I shall try to get to, Marley and Me is being shown by the Film Club at the village hall in Amroth, there are events at Pembroke Castle on Saturday and Sunday and several other activities are going on.

News from the Farm.

I have collected a big basketful of damsons from our tree in the garden and from the trees in our fields and I hope to make some damson jam and chutney this evening. There is masses of fruit on the trees this year compared to  last year, when I only found 2 damsons on the tree in the garden. I ate one and I think the squirrel or a bird had the other!!

My tomatoes are doing really well in the greenhouse and the beetroot and carrots have been wonderful in the veg. plot. The peas, broad beans and french beans have also done well and I am at last getting a few runners, but usually I have masses of these. My main moan this year is the armies of slugs and snails that seem intent on destroying my veg. and flowers and nothing seems to deter them.

The animals are all O.K. but mucking out the goat house yesterday was a trial as the goats refused to get up and leave the house as they didn’t like the wind outside!! If you have met Dick and Harry you will know how stubborn they can be!!!

Wilson, our beloved retriever now 13, seems to be struggling on his legs today, although he seems better this lunchtime than first thing this morning, when I was wondering how much longer he would enjoy his very little walk to the hens and goats. At the moment he is outside watching Mike cut the grass.

Well I seem to have rabbited on a bit so I must away to get everything in place for a busy changeover of the self catering cottages tomorrow. Bookings are coming in rapidly for next year which is great for us and keeping me busy with the paper work.

Regards for now

Ann (Amroth Cottages)

Hello again everyone,

Well I was just about to write this blog on Friday, when one of our guests gave me the article below for me to include in the Amroth Community Newsletter, of which I am on the editorial team. It was so lovely and such high recommendation of Amroth that I have decided, with her permission, to share it with you.  Our guest wrote:

Why is this our 9th visit to Amroth?

We never thought we’d be the sort of people who’d come to the same place year after year—but we do!  We love Pembrokeshire and especially Amroth Cottages with its wonderful views over the sea. We love walking the Coastal Path and there are many interesting places to visit and things to do round about here.

We stayed in Amroth really by chance the first time but continue to come here because it has real charm for us. The village is a small place with an old fashioned feel to it. It is quiet  and you don’t have the busy amusement arcades and so on that you find in many seaside resorts. The little gift shops have become like old friends to us over the years and we love the Pirate Restaurant with its good quality food and friendly service. There is a small food and convenience store and it’s great to be able to walk to everything from the lovely self catering cottage where we stay.

Most of all it’s the beach that we love. It is huge and there’s always loads of space on it. The tide completely covers it twice a day, so it is lovely and clean. This also makes the sand excellent for sandcastles and playing games. We love swimming in the sea and it is super in Amroth, as the beach is sandy (no nasty pebbles to walk on as you get in and out of the water) and it shelves very gradually, so it is very safe for swimmers and young children. One end of the beach has great rockpools and we always have at least one session searching for sea flora and fauna.

Another thing we enjoy is fresh sea food and we’ve found this in the Amroth area year on year. There are so many more things we enjoy about this place.

We have been coming here with friends since our children were 6 and 4, and they are now 14 and 12 and don’t want to stop coming. For us coming to Amroth Cottages and the area is true relaxation. We know what to expect and everthing we want is here. It’s like going on holiday, getting away from it all, and coming home all at the same time.

News from Me!

This is a lovely article and many many thanks to our guests, who don’t want to be named, for letting me share it with you. Might I add that they have watched our lovely retriever Wilson, mature from an excitable puppy to a mature old dog. Their one son has especially loved him and spent ages each time he visits just stroking and talking to him quietly. Wilson has really loved him.

Well, the last 5 days have been wonderful here, blue skies, warm sun and twinkling seas. Everyone at our self catering cottages has been enjoying the seaside and returning home for a barbecue or tea on their patios.

Thankfully, they have cut the grass in our fields, so now I hope they can bale it before we get more rain. I have been digging carrots,  pulling beetroot and picking peas from my vegetable plot and the wonderful fresh flavour makes the effort all worthwhile. I have lots of tomatoes coming in the greenhouse, so we just need more sun for them to ripen. I have made some Beetroot and Orange Jam for the first time and it is delicious with a strong Welsh cheese.

There is lots going on in the area this week. Colby Woodland Gardens have a special day for children on Thursday learning about the Badger, Pembroke Castle have a Falconry display on Tuesday, Harry Potter is on at the cinema in Tenby and the village hall has several activities, but let’s hope the sun keeps shining and everyone can enjoy the beach. I hope to be in Saundersfoot on Tuesday helping to raise money for the Macmillan Nurses by selling Welsh Cakes. Let’s hope it’s not rained off again.!

Must away and oh yes, the animals are all fit and well

Regards to all

Ann (Amroth Cottages)

Hello again Everyone,

I am so sorry it has been so long since my last update but life is so busy here at this time of year. I was so pleased to hear from a guest, who arrived this week, that they knew all our news as they had been reading my blogs. So the effort is worth it and I hope others of you enjoy the updates.

 We have remained fully booked in our self-catering cottages overlooking the sea in Amroth and what a varied sea it has been over the last few weeks!!. June was a wonderful month weatherwise, beautiful blue skies, calm seas and the plants in the garden, tubs and hanging baskets were doing so well. But since the beginning of July the weather has been mixed. Yesterday was wonderful, with lovely sun and everyone was on the beach and then a barbecue in the evening. Today we awoke to windy conditions, choppy seas and rain!! I feel so sorry for the holiday makers, Pembrokeshire is so lovely at any time of year but I appreciate everyone likes to see the sun especially on holiday. So much for the barbecue summer we were promised!!!

Today I was supposed to be helping cook and sell Welsh Cakes on the harbour in Saundersfoot to raise money for the Macmillan Nurses but it had to be cancelled due to the stormy conditions. So the 300 prepared cakes I made are now in the freezer.

On a bright note 2 of our guest’s children went on a 2 hour hack from Marros Riding Stables this morning and had a brilliant time, and another little boy is out on our lawn flying a kite, so I guess children don’t notice the weather as much as adults. Folly Farm also has a lot to offer for the younger child in all weather and of course there is now a wonderful pool (Blue Lagoon) on the Bluestone developement, which is open to anyone in the area.

Since my last update, I have managed to go to the Hampton Court Flower Show, which was fabulous. All the various plants and planting really inspires you to come back and try again with your own garden. I also managed a quick 48 hours in the Midlands to see 2 of our grandchildren, which was lovely. It is such a shame we live so far from them all, as the other 3 live in Newcastle on Tyne, but they love coming to visit us at the seaside.

News from the Farm 

Well we didn’t manage to get our grass in the fields cut, as I had hoped in June and since then we haven’t had a settled period to do it. Hopefully August may see an improvement, otherwise I can see myself buying in hay again for the winter.

Annie and Jim, the ponies, are fine, Dick and Harry, the goats, are hiding in their house today away from the wind and rain, which they hate, mind you they also hate the flies when it is muggy, so they seem to spend a lot of time in their house which they obviously love!! The hens are O.K., the sheep are well despite one of them losing a horn, how I don’t know, as I just found it lying in the field and the cats are all lolling around in the house. Wilson is asleep by the front door so he can keep an ear open for the guests, who he loves greeting.

The saddest news I have is that I had to have Smudge, our lovely black and white cat put down at the end of June, as the tumour in his jaw was making eating too difficult for him and I didn’t want to see him suffer any longer and go down hill, as there was no chance of him getting better. But he had had a wonderful life here and was 13 years old.

We had swallows nest in the garage again this year and despite one of our cats recking the nest the mother managed to raise 1 chick and it safely flew away with her. We watched it practising its exit several times and eventually it made it, so we shall look forward to them returning next year, hopefully.

Well I must away to complete next year’s tariff, which I will then put on line but bookings are already coming in for next year at quite a rate.

One more thing my veg. plot is doing O.K. not as well as I planned but the snails and slugs are a real pest here, and the squirrel has had my runner bean seeds once and the rabbit seemed to find the carrot tops. Frustrating I know but I keep plodding on!!!

Regards to you all

Ann (Amroth Cottages)