Voting

We had 3 votes today.

There were referendum votes on Alternative Voting which is a big thing but I think a lot of people have probably found it dull and I wonder what the turnout will be.   I have voted in favour of AV because the first past the post system is clearly unfair.  The AV is a compromise but a step towards a fairer system.

Then we had the Welsh Assembly votes.  One vote is for a person, the other vote is for a party.  There was a lot of choice for the persons, but only 4 parties listed.

I am so fed up with politicians I found it difficult to decide, but came to a reasonable conclusion, and I feel very strongly that everyone should vote. 

I'm curious what the results will be.

Sun is going

It has been colder the last couple of days. 

It is probably getting to about the usual temperature for this time of year, but it has been so warm we have got used to feeling like being warm is normal.  Sigh

I shall have to get the socks back out.

And the cagoul because the weathermen say rain is  coming.  Think positive thoughts about how the farmers need the rain.

Highgate Cemetry

We had a family get together in London and went round Highgate cemetry last Saturday.It is in two halves and the West half, which has the more impressive architecture, is only viewable via a guided tour.  However although they don't accept bookings on the weekends and we were under the 10 people who need to book in advance, the grumpy lady who did the guided tours wouldn't let us in -because we should have booked.   ???  Despite that the East half is probably better to wander round.  It is full of all sorts of different memorials including a very subtle one of Karl Marx which brings the Pharoahs to mind.  Here are some of them

Here is the pic of Brian not quite falling into the stream

Walk round Strumble Head

 Here is a chough - a rare crow family bird with red beak and feet

Brian nearly falling off the stepping stones

Seal

We had a lovely walk - though longer than expected.

Holy Friday

We are in Pembrokeshire for Easter.  This is probably the first time because usually the kids are all home over Easter so we are in Llantwit, however as Kate has been home the previous 2 weeks, and both Adam and Nic are working over the weekend I have come to Pembs.

St Davids is a very small town/large village which is a city because it has a cathedral.  However the cathedral plays a huge part in the activity of the city and means that unlike lots of small towns in Pembrokeshire it is open all year, not just in the summer when the tourists are here. 

We looked up the website to see what was happening over the Easter weekend and found out that they were doing a sort of processional stations of the cross today, as well as singing Tallis Lamentations at evensong.  We went into town and pottered around, looked in the art gallery and then joined the stations of the cross.

It was very well done.  They had done a script with a reporter who saw the story of the crucifixion as her path to a good spread, but wanted the truth and went on to interview people about what had happened.  They had a press conference with a chap with a bowler hat, talked to women who had seen the crucifixion, the Roman centurion, some children who had seen the crucifixion and so on.  We all walked through town in a long crocodile,  and holding up the traffic.  There were about 50 plus people aged from under one to elderly, with dogs, so it covered a fair cross section of people.

This evening we went to evensong where the choir sang the first section of the Tallis Lamentations which I thoroughly enjoyed.  Brian found it lacking in expression, but in the context of the service I thought it worked well.

We also gardened(Brian) and sat and read Dagger books (me).  We didn't do the long walk we had discussed while in bed in the morning but - well tomorrow maybe!

Some photos

 This is a kestrel which arrived on the garden fence, quite calmly sitting there for some time on Saturday.

 This is the part burnt pampas grass - one side done before I chickened out and put the fire out

 Here are 2 of the 5 bags of rubbish I got from the pampas grass

This is the replacement for the pond, with a new flower bed and lots of new flowers.

One more day at work and then off for 11 days!  Whoop!