Storm Callum in Shropshire

Last October it was Storm Brian in a caravan on a clifftop in West Wales, this year we were in Storm Callum in a log cabin in Shropshire!  It was a break planned a while ago to give me a little treat for completing a first full draft of my thesis.  Any plans for glamour had to be abandoned; all you'll find in this post are waterproofs and jumpers I'm afraid - the trip was all about having a rest and a change of scene!

Leaving South Wales was quite the adventure.  Our quickest route took us over the "Rhigos" mountain, also known as Craig y Llyn.  It's the highest peak (2,000 feet) in our county of the Rhondda.  Spectacular views are guaranteed (as long as it's not foggy).  This day was no exception, partly due to the impressive waterfalls that were spilling over the mountainsides from the heavy and constant rain.  When we came down the other side, the roads were blocked with flooding in two directions...  A bit of a guess-work detour then, to try and get onto the main road we wanted, so that we could cross it and head off across the moors to Brecon.  Luckily, we didn't encounter any more major flooding, though when we rejoined the main road we were shocked to see the river level lapping just under the road bridge.  We heard later on the news that they'd closed the Rhigos mountain road not long after we'd crossed it.

The rest of the trip was fairly uneventful.  We stopped a few times, in Builth Wells, and in Llandrindod Wells, for petrol, supplies, and a teensy bit of charity shopping (vintage buttons, and a vintage belt).  After navigating some pretty water-logged roads, we were grateful to arrive at our home for the weekend, a little wooden 'dacha' (Russian holiday lodge) on Foxholes Farm near Bishop's Castle.  I found the place through Airbnb.  The cabin was thankfully cosy, watertight, and structurally sound!  It had lots of lovely vintage touches that I appreciated, like vintage crockery and framed old adverts.














We'd packed our waterproof gear, but even so, the weather was too windy and wet to venture on any countryside walks.  The storm really was relentless!  We decided to hole-up for the night, with lots of food and wine, and wait until the weather improved enough to go outside.  On the Saturday, fortunately it had cleared up enough for us to venture into the local town of Bishop's Castle.  It was a gem of a place.  We found a really good army surplus shop, where Chris bought a pair of 1970s workwear trousers.  There were also a couple of small antiques shops, including Decorative Antiques, which specialises in china and had a nice selection of Art Deco jewellery.  I spent ages in another shop that had beautiful cards and gifts, and came away with a card of a 1930s painting to frame.  One of the other delights was a general store with a large shoe section - out the back we spied a former cobblers workshop, and above the door was a selection of deadstock vintage shoes from days gone by.  There were 1970s' platforms, 1950s Clarks court shoes, 1920s ladies shoes, and even a pair of Edwardian looking ice-skating boots.  The original prices of the shoes were displayed too - it was 45/11 for the Clarks!  (Is that 45 shillings and 11 pence??)













In the afternoon we drove up to Shrewsbury.  I've wanted to visit for ages (especially after seeing Ann's post about her trip in the summer).   We weren't blessed with such lovely weather, so we didn't get to stroll around eyes upwards, and were dodging showers in and out of doorways instead.  There were lots of charity shops and a few antiques places.  I found a really nice Christie's black fedora to add to my collection, and I also bought a small length of fabric from an independent shop, Watson and Thornton.  My favourite shop was the fabulous Maggie Mae's Vintage, a 'proper' vintage shop stocking clothing and bits and bobs from the 1920s to the 1950s.  The owners were lovely, and we chatted for quite a while.  By this point it was getting close to closing time for the shops of Shrewsbury, but it had brightened up, so we strolled back along the river and over the suspension bridge.  On the other side, were a herd of long-horned cattle.  One of them had just one horn, prompting us to wonder what the story behind that was.





It was another cosy night in the dacha, and we left early on the Sunday morning to take a bit of detour home via Malvern, for an antiques fair.  I can't remember what I bought now.  A couple of sewing patterns possibly.  Chris got the most amazing coat, but that's a post for another time.  Our way home took us back over the Rhigos mountain.  The skies had cleared and it was the most beautiful evening,  which meant we had wonderful views across to the Brecon Beacons.

Home.  There's nothing quite like it!







I wonder where we'll be for next October's inevitable storm?!