Book - Fire and Fury

From Ystrad Library!  Of all places. Well, every word rings true. What else to say?  Once you start to read, you have to finish it. Has to be 5 on the door for Michael.

Gearing Up for Furniture Making

Miniature furniture, that this.  New acquisitions, wood-turning tools with a Proxxon grinding machine and Japan whet stones to sharpen them.

First attempts at spindle turning and achieving repeatability.  Thank goodness for U-tube.  But why are all the demos on 'how to do' done by dudes in the US of A?  The calipers and scribes are from Granddad Wilson's toolmakers kit, one with his initials stamped on it.  Granddad taught me to turn wooden bowls way back when, but I don't remember doing spindles with him.  I will master "the bead'. I will............ I will!!!!! Damn it, I have too.

Upton House, Banbury

Upton House.

We were here to take a look see at the paintings Gek has volunteered to provide miniature copies of for the houses's dollhouse, a project that is in the making.

Painting 1 

 Painting 2

Painting 3 

Not to be copied but had to be viewed, Upton's very own Canaletto.  

Newton House, Llandeilo

Originally built in 1660 and extensively modified in the 19th century, the Nation Trust rescued the house from decay in 1990.

No wonder I didn't know about this house, nor the castle, when I was living not 10 miles from this place in the 1970's.

Dinefwr Castle, Llandeilo

Quite a compact build this one.  Thought to have been constructed in the late 1100's.

A short walk across fields,

 up through a spooky wood,

 to the tiny front door.

another impressive build given the technology available 800 years back. 

 A great wall walk,

with impressive views around. Here across the river Tywi. I guess the views are as good a reason as any to seek out castles.   Out of the 600 castles Wales once had, 100 are still standing in one way or another.  Right, 12 down, 88 to go.

Rhossili

 The standard beach picture to start

 Pen Pyrod, with the worm at it's head.

 It has been just a little dry of late.  In normal times, a damp stroll to the life guard station this is.

Fall Bay, a short amble around the headland.

Burry Port Sunset

The lighthouse being lit from the outside,

And purple clouds reflected in the low tide waters. Extraordinary.

Cefn Bryn, the Other Side

A conveniently placed view identifier, pointing to the Beacon Beacons 38 miles to the north.

And Ilfracombe across the Bristol Channel to the south.

Cefn Byrn, Views From

Just a little breeze to help keep us cool.

The fields differing colours, from green through to yellow make the picture.

Time for a shadowie.

Arthur's Stone.  A neolithic burial site.

Across from Arthur's Stone

Pwll, pronounced Porth if you were wondering, as viewed from across the Loughor estuary, with Weobley Castle in the foregound.

On June 17, 1928 Amelia Erhart landed on the sands in front of Pwll after flying for 20 hours and 40 minutes non-stop from Tremassey Harbour, Newfoundland.  Not many people know that.

Weobley Castle

Sorry, but 700 plus year old castles are a Welsh thing.  

Actually, Weobley is classified as a 'fortified manor house'.   Looks pretty castle like to me.

 Marvelous view across the Loughor estuary.

Another pretty complete 'castle', given it's age.

Amazing civil engineering,

 for Gek to sit pretty in.

Penclawdd

The start of our exploration of the north Gower coast line. People have been collecting cockles here since at least Roman times and probably much longer than that.

Kidwelly Castle

Approaching from the town.

What you see of the castle today was built between the 12th and 15th centuries.

 Which amounts to quite a lot.

 T'was occupied by French and Brittany troops in 1403, only to be kicked out bya norman army three weeks later.

Gek to give scale.

Llanstephan

First a visit to the castle,

to take in the view from it's wall.

Plas Llanstephan, build in the second half of the 16 century, currently under going extensive renovations. 

San Fran house - Stairway

This has been quite a challenge,

 but the ground floor now has access to the first floor!!!

Couple of tiny, tiny jobs to do before totally satisfied with it, then time to make the furniture.

This photo for Swi.