Welcome to my Blog

On the foothills of the Llantysilio Mountain lies one of the smallest villages you’ll ever find in North Wales. We’re not blessed with the familiar hubs of rural communities, such as a shop or post-office, and our nearest watering-hole is a round-trip of eight miles along an old drover's path high on the Clwydian Way. The ease of which to negotiate this path alters with each season. During autumn months we collect damsons and sloe berries; during early spring, we witness first-hand, the birth of new lambs. Shoulder-high in brairs and nettles in summer; in winter, it is about impassable for snow, ankle deep mud and streams of water running off the mountain. This antithesis of city life could not be more profound; and is a far cry from the busy world of my past as a hotelier, and later, as a teacher in the Middle East.

With lessons on the nuances of English, Babylonian Kings and themes under the auspicious heading of geography, came the opportunity to travel to faraway places with exotic sounding names and insightful cultures and traditions. Such was life in the desert.

Living in the countryside, however, is no less absorbing or productive. Welcome, then, to Peacocks in My Garden; a new blog designed to share whatever comes along that may be of interest, be they how-to’s or recipes, sentiments or reviews, short stories or life stories: there is doubtless a place for it here. Take a look through the port-holes below and explore what there is to date; and if you find you have something to say, feel free to leave a comment, or share with your friends.

Guest writers and contributors welcome.