We’ve spent the last week or so doing a bit of chugging around in Clover (a van). We set out for Wales and aimed for this field in Poppit Sands

a wonderful hidden gem of a spot we were introduced to last year – a back to basics camping spot in the with superb views, interesting people,  fires allowed and a very short walk to one of the best beaches I’ve come across. We spent a few days chilling, eating, sitting round the fire at night under the spectacularly unpolluted night sky showing her diamond cloak to full effect. Beach combing, ball and frisbee games, crab fishing, and splatting on the beach – some of the simplest but finest pleasures in life! Our stay in that part of the world took in a walk across the cliff tops to Witches Cauldron with a swim to a land locked sea cove and beach. An incredible stretch of coastline with some of the finest cliff views I’ve seen.

By Saturday we were ready for our next appointment – an evening with William Shakespeare. Our good friend Henry and family have been involved with a company called The Abbey Shakespeare Players that puts on an excellent play each year in St Dogmaels Abbey. This archaeological site of historical might is an apt setting for the dramatic might of the performance we were lucky enough to see – The Winter’s Tale. I’d secretly harboured a bit of a ‘ I just don’t get what all the fuss is about’ attitude with Shakespeare. I’ve seen several incarnations of The Bard’s work including a very fine Hamlet at the Harrogate Theatre, and the obligatory school readings but I’ve never been truly wowed – don’t get me wrong, I’ve liked it all immensely but part of me though – what am I missing? Some people get a whole lot more out of this than I’m doing.   This performance –  possibly assisted by the idyllic and timeless setting, the mesmerisingly  brilliant acting and company but largly due to the plot line and sinker of such a good yarn changed all that. I am now an official, self confessed fan of Billy Bard, albeit a novice one. A few learned stories about some of the times of the man himself added to the allure – he was the Rock and Roll of his day. He is, or rather was super cool.

After the show we joined the after show party which took place at the mill house and mill pond over the way. Good fun that was! midnight coracle races, Welsh language song recitals and the true mark of a successful party – to have people still ‘at it’ the next day was fulfilled (not be me, for a change I might add!). The next day I fought off the hangover with some graft n sweating n drinking loads of water (a winning hangover cure) as we helped de rig the stages.

Following on from that, we went back to Poppit for a night and a day before catching the ferry to the next leg of our adventure – the other side of the St Georges Channel in Ireland. We’ve done Holyhead to Dublin countless times for this crossing we headed to Pembroke, an hour or so away from where we were, to board the Isle of Inishmore Ferry to Rosslare.

NB – the Ireland leg of this adventure and photos to follow…