3 Days of Rory Refurbishment

From this:

To this:

We have just returned home from 3 days of van 'refurbishment'. We took a trip to my Grandparents house as my Granddad has the tools, the space and more importantly plenty of experience with woodwork. 


To see more pictures and see more details click HERE

Good News

Its been a while since I have added anything to the blog but its because I have been busy. I have been working, playing, been to my nephews Christening and my grandparents diamond wedding anniversary celebration, driving to and from reading and organising school visits and job applications ect. I even went and got myself a fantastic job in a brilliant school in Basingstoke.

It means I'm going to be leaving Costa del Snowdonia and moving back to Reading. I have already been looking for places to go and play but Berkshire is pretty flat. There are climbing walls about though and plenty of swimming pools, I may even start swimming again.

Really excited about the new job for September but in the mean time there are a few things I need to do before leaving Wales and starting a full time job. I know I can return on the weekends (thanks in advance to all those people who will find me appearing on their doorstep) but it sounds more dramatic this way. Check my next post for the 'tick list' because anyone can join me/us.

Brechfa Enduro 2012

(Kelly, Claire and I)

Claire asked us if we wanted to do a mountain bike race, we had a look at the website and decided yeah why not.

We trained pretty hard for it, since Christmas Claire went snowboarding and had a couple of days on the bike, we had few days on the bike and that was considered to be training enough. My bike broke again so I decided it was time to replace it, I bought a new one expecting it to arrive within a few days, i didn't. Fortunately, Leo lent me his for the race. Claire did really well and despite getting stuck behind someone on the downhill stage managed to get on the podium in 3rd place. Kelly shocked herself by coming in 5th and I came 53rd in the Mens just getting into the top quarter of the riders.

A generally good event, a couple of things could be improved but very social and I will be doing again when I can.

Not many photos but some from before, after and the prize giving ceremony.

Croesor - Rhosydd through trip!!!

(Leo and I)

Described as being something alongt he lines of a death trip in numerous ways this was a trip both Leo and have wanted to do for a while, Leo much longer than me. It was a wet miserable day, no climbing, no snow and I had no bike. That left an adventurous outing down a sketchy mine which requires several abseils, many dodgy bridges and using an inflatable dingy to cross a flooded chamber all underground. Which now has a raft rigged up on a pulley system. I would still take an inflatable in case you get there and it has fallen apart or is no longer there. I didn't think it was too bad, obviously I may have been oblivious to the dangers around me but we had a good trip taking under 5hours underground including plenty of exploration. Could be done in 3.5 if just wanting to leg it through.

Photos of the day and at the bottom a video of Leo.

Building Rory Update

I have just been back through the photos of us building up Rory into a camper and thought you might like to see what we did and the process we went through.

Link: Rory Update

As you can see it does now have a bed in but that is going to change soon. The lining, floor and ceiling are staying the same for the time being...when we can afford to but a window or two in we will but for now there are no spare pennies.

Rory needs a clean but this was
taken on our recent biking trip.

The next build is going to add some more storage, to add a dedicated cooking unit, fixing up some silvers for the windows and hopefully we will be able to add the leisure battery to run lights, charge camera batteries and bike lights ect. We recently bought a bike rack and on our most recent trip it has made a huge difference to our comfort. The bikes will not be living inside from now on which means the inside can now be change to suit that...watch this space!!!

A spot of mining - Penarth Mine

I've been working in an infants school recently so have not been out as much over the last 3 weeks.

I was on my own today but as I have my Mine leader assessment coming up a trip down a mine was needed just to make sure ... 

Penarth Mine

Entrance (left hole) from open pit. 

Me working the winch.

Some pretty funky slate ceiling feature.

Some artefacts plus beer cans.

Add caption

An old cart

 A 'Caban'