...Nelson visited Monmouth?

It's with an overwhelming sense of defeat that I have to put this in the words of an historian:
'If you don't know history, you don't know anything.'  I probably don't know much!
  Just beyond the crumbling walls of Monmouth Castle, is the town, and a short walk to the Nelson Museum  where there's supposedly a whole lot of Nelson Memorabilia.  And the talk is the big guy himself visited Monmouth twice...and after one of these visited the Navan Temple was built on top of the Kymin...and, most importantly who was this guy Nelson anyway?
  Nelson was one of Britain's biggest war heroes back in the day.  Born September 29 1758, he infamously died on 21October 1805 at the Battle of Trafalgar.  Nelson was a flag officer for the Royal Navy, and was especially great in the Napoleonic Wars.  He was best known for being an inspirational leader who used unconventional tactics - which actually won him some totally awesome naval victories.  And it was on a grand tour with the Hamiltons on military business that he visited Monmouth and had tea at what now is the Nelson Gardens and ate dinner at the Kymin Round House.

Sign outside Nelson Museum

Wow, after a visit to the Nelson Museum I can safely say it is packed full of Nelson memorabilia and more!  It's great!  You get to see Nelson's life, loves and death through frankly awesome displays of weapons, pictures, silver and glass and fine ceramics, not forgetting ship models and letters.  I found this really interesting on a personal level, as before I was born my parents ran the Nelson Inn in Nelson and always had fond respects for the big guy.

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Next stop on the Nelson tour must be the Nelson Gardens...after festival fever!

Roo 

Marvellous Monmouth's festival is our tomorrow

Marvellous Monmouth has excelled itself with its marvellous festival, here's some photos from 'our tomorrow' last night...all photos Roo copyright 2013

 The guys were totally awesome, they sung awesome and just breathed awesome energy on a crowd which was soon awesome fans...
Roo

...and what's so marvellous about ants?

Hey Monmouth may be marvellous and everyone is really, really awesome and friendly, but I did have a few unwelcome visitors...

Midnight

Midnight did find me, after a hot summer's day,
Dressed parka, gloves, mask, wellies to my dismay.
Laying a line of white powder, no nothing perverse,
You see I'd just been hit again by dreaded ant curse.

Innocently I had gone to switch off the lounge lamp,
And saw an ant scurry like some kinda vamp.
True, that was all the sign I really needed to see,
For my stomach to sky dive, and that ant frighten me.

Last year when Olympic flame paid Monmouth a visit,
Went, saw, came home to find a million ants in-it.
Back then the army marched under the front door,
And quickly paraded all over the wooden floor.
Knew very well if another ant invasion was planned,
The hallway would be just the place to make my stand.

Slowly opening the hall door, I gave a loud scream,
Twenty ants dancing, how could they be so mean?
Grabbing some loo roll, I hissed like a wild cat,
Proceeded to splat, there a splat, everywhere splat, splat.

So neighbours you really must forgive me,
If last night out your window you did see.
A parka, gloves, mask, wellies to your dismay,
Believe me, it wasn't the best way to end a summer day.

Roo

And to end with something nice...last weekend the awesome people of St Thomas church held their fete on Monnow Bridge - and boy was it awesome!  Photos Roo Copyright 2013

In every day, in every single way Monmouth is marvellous!

Roo

And what has Thomas Beckett to do with Monmouth?

That's such a good question...let's see if you can guess!    Roo Copyright 2013 
 St Thomas Church Overmonnow is named after Thomas!

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walking in from the bright sunshine the air was surprisingly cool.  The yellow beams of sunlight zig-zagging the windows played on bare stone walls, red carpet. 

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I must be right; this must be the most peaceful place in Mopnmouth.  St Thomas Church is just off Monnow Bridge.  As soon as you close the church door, the world gets locked away.  It's silence.  Just silence.

  At least part of this enigmatic building dates from around 1180, and it has a totally awesome chancel arch.  Although it was largely rebuilt after the great Monmouth fire in the early nineteenth century.

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Just coming in here makes me feel marvellous.  Makes my soul feel marvellous.  Ready to face the world again.

  I went back outside.  I walked over Monnow Bridge, through the car park to my trusted car.  By now the sun's real strong, awesome weather - a July heatwave, not a cloud in that piercing blue sky.  Keep marvellous you marvellous Monmouth.

Roo

 

And what's this about telephone boxes?

Marvellous Monmouth is home to the cutest little red telephone boxes by the Shire Hall...but for how long?

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Here's my   Ode to the Little Red Telephone Box

Little red telephone box I dedicate this ode to you,
Driving lately noticed they're decommissioning a few.
In youth you were 10p for that precious call,
Last heard was 60p, how the mighty did fall.
Down through my childhood you were always there,
Whenever in trouble a phone call to someone to care.
On rainy dog walkies you were someone to hide in,
Now where does that leave me, under the lid of a bin?
Saturday night's drunks on you would be everywhere sick,
Years later, visiting with their kids consciences did pick.
Vandals tried to wreck your dear little phone,
Leaving the next caller, to moan and groan.
Still I'd come back to you whenever in need,
And in your big tummy with 10ps I'd feed.
Where will I go when my silly mobile won't work?
Traitor, serves you right for using one, you smirk.
Yes, thinking it over we all played a big, big part,
In your downfall, breaking your enormous red heart.
Now you're being exterminated like the British fox,
I'll never forget you, my little red telephone box.

Roo

and now for a little story....

Something a little different...and an extra blog enrtry...a short story inspired by marvellous Monmouth...or is it only a story!?!...I will leave that up to you to decide!  Roo

Silence.
  Henry peered out from behind the pillar, trying to see where he was.  Trying to see, where they were.  But it was so dark, it was hard to see anything.  He blinked hard, and again.  As his eyes adjusted, he saw the Monnow Bridge to his right.  He scrunched the faded photo in his pocket and closed his eyes.  The year was 2013, the year that photo was taken.  The picture flashed into his mind, without looking, he knew every pixel of the baby's face on that photo, every single pixel.  From the curly blonde hair, fair pale skin, cherry red lips, to the bright blue eyes.  If he was right, that baby would be here tonight.  The reason he had come so far.  Until the men had spotted him.  Now he was the hunted.  Henry shivered, his skin pale, grey.  Slowly he opened his big, black eyes echoing the black night.
  Getting back to his ship was his only goal now.
  He saw two men moving across the river.  He glanced upstream and saw another man crossing, and another beyond that.
  Henry backed away from the river, moving deeper into the mean street.  Then he turned, and ran.  No-one knew Monmouth like Henry, he had researched it so hard, for so many hours.  He was half-way along the street, gasping for breath when a man jumped infront of him, hissing.  Henry dodged, changed direction.  He glimpsed the knife in the man's hand.  Henry turned again, and the man fell behind.
  Still coming, still coming.
  And Henry noticed the red telephone box peeking out from behind the Shire Hall.
  Henry thought, I'm not going to make it.
  But he had to try.
  The man was getting closer.  And there were more footsteps.  All getting closer, closer.
  Panting, lungs bursting, Henry sprinted for the old red telephone box.  Only ten more yards now.  His arms pumped.  His legs galloped.  His breath came in gasps.  And he pressed the red button on his belt.
  The telephone box began to hum.  Henry felt a slight vibration in the tarmac beneath his feet.  The hum built quickly, until it was as loud as a scream.  Henry felt his whole body tremble involuntarily.  He had a moment of panic - as he usually did - as he was teleported back into the old red telephone box.  And a moment later, there was a blinding flash of light - coming from around him - as the box decloaked into his ship, and started ints hurtle back through time - fast!
  The world around Henry was silent, so silent - till -
  The ships's door was flung open.
  Henry's mother - grey, black-eyes and strangely tall, 5'2'' for a 31st Century woman - stood there frowning, hands on hips, tapping her three-toed foot.  "How many times Henry, no time-travelling before dinner...now give me that photo of your great-great-great-great-great-great-times-a-hundred Grandma, I should never have given it to you.  You were going to see her birth?  Huh."
  Henry shrugged, and looked intently at the ground.
  "Humans are so destructive,' Mum said.  "I sometimes think back then we were a kind of plague.  We destroyed things so well.  They were so frightened of sightings of us.  And they think we're alien not their great-great-great-great-great-great grandchildren..."

Independence Day...Monmouth Style

Today in Marvellous Monmouth me and the gang are celebrating Independence Day!

America, Happy Birthday to you,
We love your flag red, white and blue.

Mickey's celebrating Monmouth-style,
It'll keep him busy for awhile!

Have fun today is all we say,
And have a great Independence Day!


Roo


ps Marian, Evan and Neil have a great Independence Day stateside!

Monmouth...a shopper's paradise

Let's time travel back a few years, and one wild car ride later, I stood blinking in the sunlight.
"Welcome," said my eldest, "to Monmouth."  It was our first visit.
  My kids grinned at my amazement.  As we stepped through the archway on Monnow Bridge, up led a long high street which twisted and turned out of sight.

Monmouth Hish Street
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The sun shone brightly on this shopping paradise, a town of tearooms and cafes, and a retail heaven of clothes shops.  Here's a few big names: Following photos Roo Copyright 2013

 

Something really extraordinary seemed to be happening inside this normal little town.  It was so exciting.  So alluring. The intoxicating, heady mix of independent and big chain names - offering something for everyone.   I longed to know what Monmouth's big secret was, but knew better than to ask - as it would risk it all just disappearing in a puff of smoke - nothing more than a mirage in the desert of life. Even the kids were happy, setting up base camp in The Works and refusing to budge!

Except to venture to Greggs and back for some yummy treats!

Then there was the bookshops, foodie shops, kitchen shop (for my youngest a chef-in-training!), the shopparama just goes on and on and on.........and to be truly honest, shopping in Monmouth just gets better and better and better!

From the first visit in Monmouth, as the late afternoon sun hung low in the sky as we made our way back to the car, I knew I was hooked on marvellous Monmouth...so much so this convert even moved here!...until next time dear bloggers    Roo