electrichalibut.co.uk (Free subscription) | 22/10/2009
In the first place divest yourself of all bias in favour of novelty & singularity of opinion. Indulge them in any other subject rather than that of religion. It is too important, & the consequences of error may be too serious. On the other hand shake off all the fears & servile prejudices under which weak minds are servilely crouched. Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call to her tribunal...
dooyoo newest opinions in UK / Irel (Free subscription) | 17/10/2009
a new opinion on www.dooyoo.co.uk about Caldicot Castle (Monmouthshire, Wales) written by blackmagicstar4 ~ Feast fit for a King ~ ...
Brew Wales (Free subscription) | 15/10/2009
The Star Inn, Talybont-on-Usk will be holding their first beer festival this weekend, the 17th & 18th October. The pub will also be celebrating their Pub of the Year 2009 award from Brecknock CAMRA. Real ales from local breweries such as Breconshire, Kingstone, Celt Experiance an Wye Valley will be available along with live music and food. Although the Star is a small, roadside inn, not too far...
Brew Wales (Free subscription) | 03/10/2009
Another traditional perry pear is the Hendre Huffcap, named after the part of Monmouthshire the tree was first found in. Quite a tannic pear, will probably blend with another, sweeter pear such as the Tainton Squash we just picked (did not blog that one, ganger was getting me to pick and pank, not blog!) Very good year for perry pears this year.
GENEALOGE (Free subscription) | 02/10/2009
Raglan Village Monmouthshire, Wales, UK Raglan Village (1254) exists in the shadow of Raglan Castle. The link between the Castle and Village was broken after the castle was destroyed in 1646. Subsequently, the Duke of Beaufort, owner of the ruins of Raglan Castle and the lands surrounding Raglan continued to be an important influence in Village life until 1920 when his lands were sold. During the Napoleonic...
Let nothing you dismay (Free subscription) | 29/09/2009
The disappearance of a sense of the sacred is an unavoidable aspect of modern (in the sense of post-medieval) British history. Standing amongst the ruins of holy sites, such as Tintern Abbey, just up the road from the parish here, always induces in me an almost tangible sense of loss. The disappearance of such obvious and living reminders of both the immanence and transcendence of God goes some way...
Usksider's Photo Blog (Free subscription) | 23/09/2009
A little while ago I posted a short piece about churches built in out-of-the-way places and thought I'd add an image here to further illustrate the point. Llanfihangel Rogiet, featuring St Michael's Church The hamlet of Llanfihangel Rogiet is located immediately west of larger settlement of Rogiet in Monmouthshire. Interestingly, Llanfihangel Rogiet was established before the Norman invasion, although...
Brew Wales (Free subscription) | 12/09/2009
Time for an afternoon beer, from one of my local breweries, Kingstone Brewery, Kingstone Gold, a deep golden 4.0% ale, brewed in Tintern, Monmouthshire. Quite a light and refreshing ale, good hoppy aroma and a smooth taste, leading to a bitter, moreish aftertaste. Both Fuggles and First Gold hops are used in this beer, brewed with spring water in the Wye Valley. The bottle label suggests matching it...
GREEN HEART DEN (Free subscription) | 10/09/2009
The buddleja on the North plot is attracting various butterflies and bees, including a Comma. Looking like a tatty Small Tortoiseshell, the Comma is a familar sight through most of England and Wales. This is one of the few species that is bucking the trend by expanding its range considerably. Once confined to the Welsh border counties, especially Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Monmouthshire, this...
upside down in cloud (Free subscription) | 09/09/2009
Of c ourse, and never mind what RS Thomas says , you can't live in the past: but every now and then you can take a day trip there , if only to worry the carcase of an old song. Saturday afternoon found me heading for the Valleys in , let's say, 1974 or so . So of course I couldn't use the Second Severn Crossing to get there, which suited me just fine. The old Severn Bridge feels much more bridge-like,...
GENEALOGE (Free subscription) | 03/09/2009
THE OLD REGISTER BOOK OF THE CATHOLIC MISSION OF PERTHÎR IN THE PARISH OF ROCKFIELD AND COUNTY OF MONMOUTH 1758 TO 1799 South Wales: Monmouthshire: Perthîr : "The County of Mounmouth, and especially the north-eastern half of the shire, is remarkable for the fidelity with which its inhabitants clung to the Catholic Church throughout the penal times. The Calvanistic Methodist movement...
Brew Wales (Free subscription) | 01/09/2009
First pick of the season and there is a good crop of perry pears this year. Picked an old Monmouthshire variety first this morning, called "Gwehelog" at an orchard near Raglan. Off to second orchard now and pressing later.
Mary in Monmouth (Free subscription) | 29/08/2009
St David Lewis, SJ Priest M (RM) He was born at Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales, in 1616; He died at Usk, August 27, 1679; beatified in 1929; He was canonized in 1970 by Pope Paul VI as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. David was the son of a Protestant school master and a Catholic mother. Amazingly enough, he was the only one of the nine siblings to have been raised as a Protestant--but...
Tog Blog (Free subscription) | 24/08/2009
I spent the last weekend at a fantastic boutique festival in Wales called Croissant Neuf. Taking place just outside Usk, Monmouthshire, it has been going for around 30 years and has a distinct hippie vibe to it, reminiscent of the Woodstock-era. The entire event was solar powered (from the lighting and amps to the showers), had [...]
The Artistic Stamper (Free subscription) | 24/08/2009
Over the weekend, we stripped out my studio workshop, well part of it to redo the work surfaces, and provide me with a better area to create in. Oh how I missed my computer, now installed on a new desk, and we put in a whole customised set of drawers too. The work bench is going in tonight! Yah! So tomorrow when the light is better and all the bits and bobs are in the drawers I will show you the finished...
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