2013

Like any year 2013 has seen its fair share of comings and goings in the village.
The phrase " They don't make them like that anymore" was uttered more than once, I can tell you after we lost John Lloyd- Ellis ( aka " The Red Faced Welsh Farmer" ) in Feburary and Sylvia Evans in the summer.
The RFWF always reminded me of a scruffy and harder Brian Blessed. Big in voice and big in heart, he was the marmite of Trelawnyd. you either liked him or loathed him...... I was lucky for I liked him and after a shaky start ( we had a huge row over some water containers) we became good friends.
I still miss seeing his red landrover careering around Trelawnyd, with his fat red face grinning through its open window....and I miss his vocal tirades at the  community Council meetings where he gave the local counsellors a run for their money.
Trelawnyd is a much quieter and less colourful place without him.
The R F W F
Sylvia Evans was equally colourful in her own indomitable way A local matriarch, champion cake bake provider and village ' organizer', I got to know her when I joined the most elite of all village committees, which Was and IS The Trelawnyd Flower Show Committee.
Now Sylvia kept a tight rein over the committee, and presided over meetings around  Auntie Glad's kitchen table with , I am sure, a diastolic blood pressure of way over 100 and a very firm hand.Think of a more polite Agnes Brown from tv's Mrs Brown's Boys.....and you will understand where I am coming from. The flower Shows, under her captainship were always successful, and energetic affairs
I miss her dearly.
Sylvia Evans

It has not been all gloom and doom losses in the village however. Winifred arrived like  a whirlwind and in a relitively short time has dovetailed rather neatly into life in a tiny welsh cottage and on the field nearly forty " refugee" birds took up residence amid more unwanted ducks, hens and a disabled wild rabbit called Mary, who has gone from strength to strength in her neat little warm hutch by the field gate.
Winnie

What will 2014 bring?
More of the same no doubt.
Watch this space
Happy New Year x


47 comments:

  1. Health and happiness to you and yours in 2014 John x

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  2. Wishing you and yours health and happiness in the new year! I enjoyed seeing the Andrew Wyeth exhibit..went to his first big exhibit in Philadelphia in the '60's, and bought a very large "coffee table" book. Have several of his framed prints, including Master Bedroom, because we had a yellow Lab...saw the show on TV when I was in the UK over Christmas. If you get to Pennsylvania, check out the Brandywine River Museum, longwood Gardens and the Chadds Ford area, not far from where I live in the States....

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    1. The nearest I ever got was a trip to pittsburgh

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  3. Happy new year to all of you up there. Love the Winnie lookalike. x

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  4. I wish you all the best for 2014, John!

    BTW, can you please tell me the title of the film, or series, that Brian Blessed was starring in in the photo you used above?

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    1. I think it was a panto shot tom.... Although he did voice an animation film THE PIRATES BAND OF MISFITS so it may be a publicity shot from that?

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    2. Blast! I was convinced I saw him many years ago in a remake of Treasure Island but have never been able to find any record of it. Perhaps it was in a previous life!

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  5. Happy New Year to you and Chris and all your furred and feathered folk.
    Peter

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  6. I hope you have more 'ups' than 'downs' in 2014 John. I am sure your menagerie will expand and we will be introduced to many more wild and wacky animals!

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  7. Good health and contentment for Chris and yourself in 2014.
    Briony
    x

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  8. happy 2014 to all in the little welsh cottage!

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  9. All good things for 2014! Looking forward to reading more adventures of your menagerie :-)

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  10. I've only seen BB once. It was a Shaw revival play called Captain Brassbound's Conversion (I think), and he totally stole the show!!!!!

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  11. Feckin beautiful review....as Mrs. Brown would say. How Green Is Your Valley....Hopes for a beautiful year for you, Chris and your menagerie. Love you much!

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  12. Anonymous1:15 pm

    Happy New Year John...may 2014 hold more 'comings' than 'goings' for you.

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  13. Best wishes for the new year John!

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  14. Good Health and Happiness in 2014.x

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  15. A very happy new year to you and Chris and all your fellow critters!

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  16. Happy New Year to you, yours, and your village family, John. Steady as she goes !

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  17. Best wishes for a wonderful 2014 !!
    Barb from Canada

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  18. Happy New Year wishes, to you, Chris, the dogs, Albert, and all creatures great and small in your care. May 2014 shower you with blessings and enough Scotch eggs to make you smile while staying trim.

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  19. Oh I'll be watching, John! Happy New Year!

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  20. Happy New Year to you and yours.
    All best wishes for 2014.

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  21. Happy New Year, John, Chris and all your furred and feathered creatures. I am looking forward to a new year of your interesting posts! X

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  22. Happy New Year to you and to all sentient beings of whatever species around you. Looking forward to your continuing supply to us of further top quality 'entertainment'.

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  23. Happy new year John, Chris and all at the Cottage Ark. Wishing you much success in the new year

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  24. Anonymous5:07 pm

    Happy New Year, John Gray and family of all shapes and sizes.

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  25. Happy new year everyone..just getting ready for work

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  26. Wishing you all the very best for 2014!

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  27. It's been a bit of a year, one way and another here too. Happy New Year to both you and Chris. Here's to 2014 xx

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  28. I look forward to your take on it John, whatever the new year may bring. Hope it's a good one. Jx

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  29. Anonymous7:56 pm

    I hope that 2014 will be a good year for you and Chris.

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  30. Happy New Year to you and yours and all the creatures great and small! Looking forward to another year of laughter and tears! All the best to you! Love, Wanda

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  31. May God bless you and Chris and the dogs and Mary and all the other creatures.

    Love,
    Janie

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  32. Happy New Year John. Lots of love Jo xx

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  33. Happy New Year John - sending you lots of love from Sheffield xxxx

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  34. Wishing you all, feathered, furred and human a very good 2014. Best wishes from downunder.

    Jo in Auckland, NZ

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  35. John - I hope 2014 is kind to you & all creatures under your care. May theyl continue to bring comfort, companionship & chaos to you life (got to a some excitement eh). Good health, new adventures & lots of laughter for you & Chris.

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  36. Happy New Year to you too. :)

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  37. Happy New Year, John! Wishing you all the very best in the coming year.

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  38. Happy New Year and all best wishes for 2014 to you and Chris, and for all the furry, feathered and woolly creatures you share your life with.

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  39. Losses come with joy and the mix is life. Thanks for the usual smile. Happy New Year John, cheers!!!

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  40. A happy and healthy new year to you and yours!

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  41. Wishing you a very wonderful 2014 - long may your blog continue!

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  42. Happy New Year John to you and yours - and your Trelawnyd friends

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  43. Wishing you, Chris and all your furry and feathered friends all the very best for 2014, may we both flourish on our little pieces of this wet and wild country :-)

    And strangely enough when I first met my Lovely Hubby and my Mum asked me to describe him to her before they met, I described him as a younger and blonder Brian Blessed. I'm now very happy with my RFWF.

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