My Coffee Is Good

 

Trelawnyd from above the Gop


Late April is perhaps the best time of the year to see Trelawnyd, especially on a sunny day. 
For those that read about this rather insignificant little village, I am sure most will have their own mental pictures of it, but I am aware that apart from some photographs I have never attempted to describe this place where some 500 souls make their home.
The village is situated some five hundred and fifty feet above sea level in the Clwydian Hills and is tucked on the South facing base of Gop Hill, which is the second hill in the range if viewed from across the bay in Llandudno.
Gop Hill and the Neolithic Burial Mound( the village lies bottom right)


Gop Hill is partially wooded , but the slope which backs onto the village is grazed and is covered in gorse bushes which glow gold in April when they start to flower. 
I am looking at the Gop as I type this green and gold against the blue sky.
On its summit lies the Neolithic burial cairn, and the black stick figures of dog walkers can just been seen standing on the top.

The village is protected from the North Winds by the hill and lies along one road ( London Road) with the church and school dominating the West flank and the Village Hall and Pub bordering the East.
The centre of the village lies nearer to the Hall with the older houses dating from the 17th and 18th Century spreading North and South just a little. 
My cottage , one of two built in the 1660s lie down a little lane which follows the boundary of the Church wall. The lane snakes down the valley to the Felin ( Water Mill) before climbing again to the South, so the village is comfortably surrounded by hills and is perched above a valley which slopes gently down to the coastal plain and the sea which is only five miles away.
The largest building in the village is the Memorial Hall which was built at the turn of the century by the Greek Consul to Liverpool Mr Michael Antonia Ralli in memory of his wife Polymnia 


The Golden Gorse covering most of the southern part of the Gop


We had a power cut this morning. The village what’s app group buzzed it’s annoyance .
I went to Mc D ‘s and got a large coffee to start the day properly. 
It’s sunny and lots of friendly faces are about.


I feel recharged today. Proper sleep has helped with that as did a good debrief with a friend about sad case at work which laid heavy on my mind
I’m off to buy a wisteria this afternoon and tonight I am catching up with Gorgeous Dave for a beer in his garden.
But for now I’m typing this at my office desk and as I look out of the window I spy a couple of villagers I know chatting in the lane. Pippa walks down, past them with Meg
And from the gardens comes the crow of the little bantam as he answers the call from the riding stable cockerel.

The sun is bright on the houses that border London Road and above their roofs I can see the golden gorse on the Gop glow a warm yellow.

My coffee is good




91 comments:

  1. You sound as glowing as the golden gorse. That rest has done you good. You'd make a good travel guide, your description is poetic. xx

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  2. It is good to hear, that you are rested and feeling brighter. Lovely place, nice people.

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  3. So beautiful!!
    And a neolithic burial mound? Fascinating.
    It looks fantastic.

    XOXO

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  4. A cozy portrait of your home turf!

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  5. This was a happy read.

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  6. Your village is a little bit of heaven, or so it seems from my perspective. It's a bit jolting though, to think about McDonald's being there.
    Enjoy your day, John. Looks like you have a good start on it.

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  7. You get over the peace and tranquility of your village to perffection KJohn but do remember each member of the village contributes to that feeling and you have been a guiding light there for as long as I have known you - so you take take some credit - it sounds a lovely place.

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    1. You are my biggest supporter pat and for that I will be always grateful x

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  8. It's a wonderful village, both the location and the people make it a very special place. I've loved it every time I've been to it or passed through it ... and you always do it justice when you speak about it and your home in it.

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    1. You have been a part of the village by entering the flower show and by doing so you hold a special place in my heart x

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  9. Replies
    1. I can think of one better ...a kiss on the back of my neck

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  10. Glad to hear you are rested and coming out of your most recent long stretch of working hours. So fortunate, John, to be living in an old cottage in a village that I perceive as perfection. Add the pets to your picture and it's the best! Hugs from the mini-mountain in Maine.

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    1. I do feel better after a sleep and a debrief ....

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    2. Mave-John's debriefed x

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    3. You do make me larf

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  11. You have brought Trelawnyd to the world, John, and we thank you!

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  12. There's a lot to be said for village life, but I would have hated it as a teenager.

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    1. Me too ......I’m lucky I’ve done the town thing Prestatyn , the city thing chester, york, & sheffield , and now the village thing

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  13. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  14. Trelawnyd = Royston Vasey (League of Gentlemen)

    Seriously though - a nice description of your home village.

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    1. Thank u , you would love the local walks

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  15. It almost seems like "normal" (whatever THAT means anymore eh?) is slowly creeping back into your village. Wish we were on the other side of that hump here in Ontario These days.

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    1. We are almost there...just been to gorgeous Dave...nice to chew the fat with him

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  16. Such a lovely commentary along with your pictures of Trelawnyd ... a place I'll never see except through your eyes and your words! Thank you, John!!

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  17. Barbara Anne3:09 pm

    Isn't it wonderful, what a good night's sleep will do for you?
    Love this morning's chat about this and that and the view of Trelawnyd from Gop Hill. I enlarged the photos and tried to find you cottage by looking for a church and a nearby field suitable for one lonesome horse. Will have another look as I didn't find you.
    Enjoy your gloriously free time!

    Hugs!

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    1. Barbara Anne4:22 pm

      Happy Earth Day, too!

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    2. And to you deArheart

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    3. The back of the cottage can clearly be seen , go right from the church ...

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  18. McDonald's coffee is truly excellent. Some of it is resting in my belly right now,

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    1. I know, I buy one every morning as a treat

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  19. the gorse is beautiful. so is trelawnyd.

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  20. Lovely description, John. Thank you for the morning travelogue.

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    1. I’d be interested to hear how other people saw the village

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    2. To me-your lovely Village looks a perfect haven of contentment-and a bit midsommer murders tv programme(without the murders and telly tubby land with those Hills cosseting you whilst you sleep)x

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  21. Such a lovely patchwork of fields surrounding your town! Looks and sounds so nice. My family moved to my town when it was 14,000 residents back in the 1960s. Now it has grown to a city of over 145,000! Typical Chicagoland suburb - not as picturesque as yours...but still my home!

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    1. Barbara Anne12:26 am

      Hi Ellen - I lived in suburban Elmhurst when in 6th through 12th grades, then departed for my Memphis hometown for nursing school and as it turned out, married and stayed for years thereafter. Not forever though. ;)

      Hugs!

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    2. Hi Barbara Anne, I grew up in Lombard (until 1966 when we moved to Naperville) so we near each other! What a coincidence!

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  22. Beautifully descriptive writing. Your village has such a tiny population - mine has about 350,000 people! You would make a great tour guide around Trelawnyd. Fancy giving up your day job? :)

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    1. The population includes all the farms and cottages in the district

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  23. It sounds like a lovely place to live.

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  24. What a lovely description of your very special little village. Your pictures are beautiful including the one of your desk. I love seeing people's desks in action. It's like a personal peek at the person that uses it.

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    1. I do too....I adore walking around other peoples houses

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  25. A place for everything and everything in it's place

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  26. Every time I see your little village, I think of The Vicar of Dibley.

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  27. You fit into both lives well... Village and City.
    Is work in the City or town?
    Sylvia

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    1. Anonymous5:53 pm

      This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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    2. Work is in Llandudno
      A large seaside town

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    3. Thank you John. My life is country but iv good neighbours that have kept me going since my hubby died. One year next week.

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  28. I think you could work on radio John reading some of your diary notes until your book is completed-you have such a deep husky sexy voice just perfect for radio I would have thought or those audio book thingys x(or ads -"My Coffeee tastes soooo gooood!"x

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  29. I like your puffin.

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    Replies
    1. So do I , it’s beautifully crafted

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  30. Beautiful village in the sun and green fields ! Your desk is perfect space.

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  31. A lovely wee village, full of life, if not always power!
    Power cuts make us appreciate things...coffee....silence...sunshine

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  32. It may appear insignificant to a passing traveler, but you describe a warm and welcoming community, full of kind friends, and set in beautiful countryside, a lovely place to make your home...better that the passing traveler passes through!

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    1. It’s lovely to share what I see with others
      I feel listened to x

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  33. Do you have a canal to go with the mill?
    What a lovely village.

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  34. You live in a village made for story books. A quaint very scenic community filled with love and dedication for everyone living there. The golden gorse in flower is spectacular. I also bought a vine today: a yellow flowering, scented, honeysuckle.

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  35. Anonymous11:13 pm

    It looks very pretty and an ideal place to send up a drone.

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  36. Thank you for visiting my blog. I am not sure if you were being truthful or facetious about your dislike of jazz. I admit there are some forms of jazz that are not to my liking.... but the modal jazz movement has some very beautiful pieces. If you have not specifically heard any modal jazz works, it may change your mind a bit.... if you really are not a fan. The Miles Davis song I linked on my site is a true favorite of mine.

    I do like many other genres of music as well (especially wind ensembles, plus more common venues), so I was not wanting to give the impression that I am an “only jazz” person. :)

    Your garden is quite pretty. In my region, we are just starting growth out of Winter.... so I am looking forward to similar colors in a month or so.

    I hope you were able to enjoy a beer with Dave.

    PipeTobacco

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    1. I was being truthful , I can’t abide it ...but then what do I know

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  37. Your description of your town and and morning is lovely. Even though I started life in NYC, I have loved the charm of small town living.

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  38. My small town is the size of yours. Everyone knows everyone. It's a lovely way to live.

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  39. Thanks for sharing your lovely village photos and a day in the life John it does read like a radio program as someone mentioned nice to listen to on a road trip.
    Enjoy your weekend sorry I'm trying to catch up will continue reading the days I have missed.

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  40. Splendid post. Quite proper for Earth Day.

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  41. What a lovely picture you have painted for us all. Thank you

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  42. Damn. I have a Wisteria potted-up ready for someone who wants one. My village is so different. By the church (which I suppose is the focal point) there is the Mayor's office and a couple of houses. Otherwise all the homes are spread around out in the countryside. It's essentially a farming community, so there's no concentration of houses.

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  43. I commenting fairly late, but I do have two questions. First, what is Trelawnyd's population. Second, is that McDonald's in Trelawnyd? For some reason, I can't picture Trelawnyd having a McDonald's unless it's in a refurbished 18th century inn.

    By the way, when I type in "Trelawnyd", I get that squiggly red line underneath telling me I spelled it wrong. So I clicked on the box and got "Trelawny". An alternative spelling, perhaps?

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    1. Trelawny is in Ireland ..lol
      No we have no McDonald’s in the village , I drive up to the a55 which is the main road into Wales for my fix of coffee which is about four miles away
      The village population is under 500 but the official number is made larger by the people living in the slightly wider area

      Trelawnyd literally means a town of wheat

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  44. Are you familiar with Garrison Keilor's old radio show "A Prairie Home Companion"? You have created John Grey's Welsh version.

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  45. You live in a beautiful place. I had no idea your cottage had such history to it.

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