Markets and Barry Island in the stream!

Tues 11th Aug.

Woke up at 8am to ring Trans WA.
Got bus to Cardiff. Went to the market's but Sean's stall was shut. Went to Things Welsh opposite the castle and bought some more souveniers. Went back to the markets. Sean's was still shut, but the other Welsh guy was open. He's got some lovely stuff. Got chatting to him for a while, then went to the Millenium Stadium gift shop. Walked straight through the glass doors to watch the film that was playing in there. Videoed a short film about the staduim, then a guy stood at the front and addressed us. He said to follow him and they'd carry on the tour.
Oh dear, I'd joined the tour without paying. I went back into the shop and bought a dvd and a book.
Went back to Sean's and talked to him for a while. he's been to Oz of course (who hasn't?). I bought the tshirt I'd been after, and he gave me a Welsh hat for Carl. Nice. And the hat! lol.

Caught bus to Eastbrook where Catrin and Phoebe picked me up. We went to Laburnam Way, off Longmeadow Drive, so I could video Gav's house from Gavin and Stacey.
Then we went to Barry Island. Car park was chokkas, and there were people streaming through it towards the beach.
Filmed where Dave's Coaches stop, then went to the shelter to get a feed. I grabbed a table while Cartin and Phoebe queued up. It was a good half hour before they got the food! People everywhere!
I had chips and gravy and a nice coffee, then we walked along the spit/head/cliff thing. It was a nice hot day but it was blowing a gale! Took vids and pics, then walked down the beach. Phoebe wanted to paddle, so we made our way through the sludgy sand to the water's edge. I paddled too, and videoed my toes disappearing under the opaque water! haha. Soo funny! There were heaps of people swimming too.
Walked back along the packed beach and through the fun fair. Wow, that brought back memories! Actually I'm pretty sure the last time I went there would have been with Catrin, about 26 years ago!
Bought donuts and ice-cream, than back to the car. Lovely day.

Leaving the car park we were two cars behind a mini-van, which got stuck under the height restriction bar! God knows how he'd got into the car park in the first place.
We sat for a while until the 10 or so cars behind us got the message and reversed.

Drove down Cold Knap, cos I'd had no idea where it was! It's really pretty now - they've drained and cleaned the lake.

Left a message on my mum's phone for her to ring me but she didn't, so Catrin dropped me at my dad's.

Really sad to say goodbye, have had a brilliant laugh with her these last few weeks.

Went straight to sleep. Woke at 8, rang mum, she hadn't checked her messages. Said goodbye to her and Louise over the phone, then got on with the packing and swapping stuff between suitcase and hand luggage, to distribute the weight. Just got it right, but had to leave 3 books out for dad to send by mail.
Didn't bother going to bed cos I would've had to get up at 2am anyway.

Txted Ken, then we ended up exchanging 8 bloody txts!! A record for him. I told him to watch the video of me and him on YouTube, so he watched it NINE times!! haha. Bless 'im.

Packing.

Sun 9th Aug.

Back to dad's for roast chicken. Started packing. Weighed suitcase and it was 22.8 kilos. Not good. Stayed home on net.

Chinese! Yum.

Sat 8th Aug.

Went down mum's at 7. Louise came back from North Wales about 8.30, then we ordered Chinese. Didn't eat till about 9.30 though. I was starving! It was really nice though, and I had shredded seaweed for the first time.
Was falling asleep, but got watching some really interesting stuff on tv and didn't go to bed till 2.30. But still couldn't sleep till 4.30!

Cops, Keys and Shoes.

Fri 7th Aug.

Booked National Express but to London at 3.20am next Wednesday. Can't believe it's come around so quick!

Txted Ken and asked him if he was coming out tonight. Wasn't gonna bother going out if he wasn't, cos too tired!
He said he was and he'd see me down there, so off I went. Sat out the front talking to Elwyn Rees for an hour and a half. He's an ex cop, used to work in Cardiff Central.
Wondered where Steve and Booey were. Went to go to the loo and Steve walked in the men's in front of me. Talked to him through the door but couldn't hear what he was saying so he told me to come in. I stood in the doorway with the door open (as a young bloke was trying to get in past me), and Steve said, "I said come and hold this for me, it's too heavy!" Ha ha. Very funny.
He asked where I'd been and I asked him the same. Hesaid him and Booey had been inside playing pool for an hour and a half, looking out the window for me. Turns out they'd walked right past me when I had my back turned, talking to Elwyn!!
Went to the loo, then into the pool room with Ken and Boo. We went next door straight away, so I got my bottle of wine from Elwyn and we swapped phone numbers. Five mins later he txted me and said "Please be careful careful with those blokes" lol.
The 3 of us sat round the Star side for the rest of the night, just chatting and laughing. Ken accidentally bluetoothed me all of his photos. I now have some lovely pics of his back yard! lol.
They left in Steve's mate's taxi when the pub shut, and I stayed behind for a drink with Sue the landlady. God knows what time I left.

Chris Jones.

Thurs 6th Aug.

Went to mum's after tea for a bit. Mike gave me a lift up to Chris Jones'. We talked a lot about Pete, and had a bottle of raspberry wine that Dai made. She rang Wendy and I spoke to her. She's really having a hard time accepting Pete's death, and hasn't moved anything that was his, not even his last coffee mug. I said it's only been a short while and she'll know when she's ready. In the meantime tell everyone else to piss off. She said that's exactly what her counsellor said. She said I must come and stay with them next time I'm over.
me and Chris sat outside and she bluetoothed me heaps of ringtones Pete had sent her.
She also bluetoothed me some photos of him and the girls that I will print and send to her.
Dai came home from bowling at 11.30 and gave me a lift home.

Brecon, Andrew.

Wed 5th Aug.

I felt like absolute shit - hungover and not enough sleep - so nearly rang Catrin to postpone our trip, but thought better of it. Her and Phoebe called in at 11.30 and chatted with my dad for a while. We drove up through Merthyr Tydfil to something starting with P, to the Brecon Mountain Railway, a steam engine tourist ride through the mountain, next to the Brecon Beacons.
Catrin played a triple CD called Seventies Dinner Party, which was chocka-block full of seventies songs )as the title would suggest), some of which I hadn't heard for 30 years!!! Singing along madly all the way there!
Phoebe was the official navigator, but we got lost on the outskirts of Merthyr so just took a few turns that looked like they may lead to a mountain railway! lol.
Hung around the centre for a while, waiting for the train. Met two of the most gorgeous fluffy white dogs! One was a Samoyed and the other was a Japanese Spitz.
The steam engine was beautiful. It took us at a slow pace 3.5 miles along, past Taf Fechan reservoir, then backwards to a platform on the reservoir's edge.
Queued up for about 4 hours for a coffe and sandwich, then sat at the picnic benches. We decided to wait until the train came around again instead of continuing with it this time, and went in to the playground with Phoebe. Chatted away and took photos.
Caught the train back again and Catrin bought me a "Iechyd Da" mug from the souvenier shop.
Drove home in hysterics, singing along to some more of the seventies songs. Was crying with laughter!!

They dropped me off at tea time, and Andrew Surridge txted. Him and his mrs, Donna, picked me up in his white convertible Ford Escort! How cool! And he had Divine Madness playing on the dvd player in the front. Wicked.
Went to the Walston Castle down Penarth Marina. Sat outside and chatted for ages. He said I should just go to Ken's house, and was going to tell me where he lived, but I refused.

Martin Graham

Tues 4th Aug.

Andrew Surridge txted and asked if we could meet up again before I go. I asked him what he was doing tonight but he was busy. Txted Martin Graham, and we arranged to meet at the Railway. Had a good old chat. He apologised for storming out of my dad's house in 1983 and breaking my heart (for a week), and I apologised for kissing Stephen Hurst, which is what made Martin storm out in the first place! Haha.
He's had a few funny relationships. Got custody of his daughter when she was 2, then married someone he didn't want to marry at all, which lasted 11 months. Now he's living in a flat back in Dinas.

Still couldn't sleep! Dropped off around 5am!