It can be safe to say that coming to Wales, and to the cottages in Winter is always a bit of a challenge. Usually the challenge is to get the place warmed up, being a slate building this can be quite a challenge and we do not have the luxury of central heating or double glazing! However this time the heating was less of a problem.

I had decided to go up to the cottages on my own, to do some revision and to also tile the back ‘wellie’ shelf. Driving up on Sunday I did not bat an eye lid at the river Seven having burst its banks. I had been told that snow may be forecast for the area but this I douted as I got closer to the cottage. There were no serious floods on the way, in fact coming back in the summer it had been worse! On getting to the cottage I decided to pop to the nearest town, Mac, this I found was totally cut off by the river again bursting it’s banks, great! I have to add that this is the nearest shops of any kind. The only way round was the hill top route (now being used by everyone) that took half hour plus compared to the two minuet route across the bridge!

Ok so Mac was cut off, I turned round and headed to the cottage. Only to discover that because people have not being sending the keys back for the cottages I now did not have a key to number 2, only number 3. This is normally no problem. I slipped inside away from the howling wind and rain of the valley outside and headed to the connecting door in the back passage. This is a old door put in many years ago to allow the cottages to be rented as one or two, the lock is on number 2 side, as this was originally our (homely) cottage, it is never locked and just takes a hard push. Not this time, to my delight the last people here had locked it!!! So back out in the rain with my coat tightly done up I start to climb the hill at the back so that I can drop back down to get to the tiny courtyard of number 2. I get there soaking wet. I should note that I was clutching at straws at this point, but it worked. I managed to get through the back door (and no I am not telling anyone how). I take one step and hear the lovely squelching noise as I tread on the mat. I am standing in one very wet passageway, I look the left and into the bathroom, the tile floor is covered in water! It takes some perswachion to get the connecting door open, without the key but I manage it, this side is wet too.

It was not until the next day when I am sitting in the passgeway tiling the wall with the bottle tops, while the rain pours down that I discover why. The drain in the courtyard of number 3 was blocked, or rather not even visable! The water at this point has just started to seep through the door again threatening to distoy my drying out. So I unlock the door and pull, nothing! It does not even budge, I stand back and realise I do not have a chance, it is a wooden door and therefore has expanded and swelled in the damp. The only other hope is the window in the bathroom that opens just above the drain. So queue me standing in the bath, hanging out of a window with a broom handle getting very wet and trying to unblock this thing from above. I would like to say that I did actually manage it and the water went down surprisingly quickly.

There really was only one casualty in this whole thing, the mat! However I decided to throw it, as it was muddy etc… and I never did like it, I also know it cost a sum total of £1 so I will happily pay for it!