Welshest Wales....

so a lot has happened since July 2011... for a start it's now January 2012 and we are now living in our little Welsh cottage in sarn 6 miles from Abersoch on the LLeyn Peninsular....

I say living here but more accurately pausing here between weekly trips to Poynton where we have our caravan on a lovely site near the Canal.. or New Mills to stay in a friends B&;B when it's too chilly in the van. Sometimes we stay over just on Thursday nights after singing... sometimes we stay a few days depending on what family and social / work events we have going on...

Odd life, but interesting and never enough time to get bored. Mind you I think the last time I was bored was about 1970 for about 5 days on a shit holiday wit my parents...

OK let's get to the notty grotty why did we come back? Hard to explain really, we missed the kids - us more than them, but that's normal, certainly we missed singing and all the associated fun, endorphin rush and showing off.. but equally important and harder yet to explain is that special Britishness, the cutural touchstones, the facilities...the shops,theatres, concerts, folk club, humour, irony, banter the proximity of everything we need and want, understanding the " nuances" of a communication, and well the stunning beauty of GB... ofcourse France is glorious and our part near Perpignan is beautiful.

 I am amazed to find that we were simply unable to adjust.. sunshine just isn't enough.... I missed the Beautiful rich range of architecture, the glorious GREEN grass and soft rolling hills and valleys, our trees, flowers, parnsips, cows and sheep, Late opening shops and cinemas,..... I missed the weather ( strangely !)and all the wet weather activities that are so plentiful in GB. I missed London, and Manchester and Bramhall, and Barbershop and singouts ( gigs) and close friends I have known and been close to for 40 years in many cases... whatever...... there is no logic, England or Wales is not better or worse than France ( we love Cassagnes and will go there for holidays )

All these "Retire to the Country" programmes, "Home in the Sun" twaddle forget that not all people are going to be able to adapt to the change. I was sure we would, we are flexible, adaptable people but we are not cut out for living abroad... end of..

We have to see if Wales is still too far away but as yet despite the loathesome grey cold of a British ( and often French ) January so far, so good !

We await news of our latest Grandchild and are on red alert to jump in the car to welcome him or her into the family... like wot I said before... life is never dull ...