After our fifth and final cooked English breakfast start to the day, we set out for the train station with enough time to spare for a ten minute stop in the small park on the south facing headland. It looks over the Tenby course and the woodland behind South Beach. Battery Road, along the ridge still has some of its ancient cannons punctuating the route, This was the natural first line of defence against invaders from land or sea, once upon a time.
The single coach train took us to Carmarthen and then on along the coast to Swansea, where the new Olive Green liveried GWR train to London Paddington starts its journey. Next year these Japanese made hybrid trains will run from Cardiff to London powered electrically. From Cardiff to Swansea, the trains will switch to diesel-electric traction, thanks to a miserable short sighted penny pinching government decision.
Ironically, a short section of electrified track will have to be installed just a few hundred metres outside Swansea station, to the site of the maintenance engineering depot built of HItachi to serve the new fleet of trains, probably before the Cardiff-Swansea electrification plan was scrapped. Along with the government's refusal to proceed with development of either a Severn Barrage or a Swansea tidal lagoon, both capable of generating huge amounts of 'green' energy, it's clear that a London English centred government has no interest in enabling Wales to stand on its own feet economically. It's a miserable state of affairs to say the least.
We got home just before three, which gave me time to unpack and tidy myself up before walking to Llys Esgob for the Bishop of Llandaff's garden party for retired clerics. I got the impression, from the mounain of cakes and sandwiches left over that it was less well attended than last year. It was so good to see Fr Graham and Eleri there, and Fr Hywel, amongst others. The Bishop said that Canton should hear about a new Team Rector in a week or so, as they are now taking up references. By the time the new incumbent is licensed, Emma will be starting maternity leave, so the Parish will still have an extended period with just one full time priest. The Bishop didn't seem as concerned about the impact of this on the Benefice as I am. Well, as long as I can't go abroad, I'm happy to continue plugging gaps. I still have no idea when the surgeon will discharge me as fit to travel.
When I got back home, Clare and Ann were out, so I started cooking what turned into a paella, with the portions of hake that were thawing a bit too slowly. I got a telling off for that from Clare, but the paella turned out just find, even if it wasn't on the menu du soir.
Ah, back to a normal comfortable bed tonight. What a relief!
No comments:
Post a Comment