The Great Oak Cafe

... In Llanidloes in mid-Wales, I last visited there in 1999. Not much has changed. The cafe was vegetarian, and homely. The flowers on the windowsill are not sharp, but I liked the contrast with the window and the green surround outside. It was a dreich old morning.

Helen and I visited the charity and junk shops first before repairing to the cafe for lunch. I bought three jigsaws, two books, and a pair of summer pjyamas because it's almost summer ;) Helen moved to Llani from Stroud about two years ago and this was my first visit. She lives with her partner Bob in a forestry commission house outside the town, in full -on country/woodside.

The electricity was switched off this morning because the forestry guys were cutting down trees, first with hand saws mounted on bendy poles, and then by tree surgeons with ropes and chain saws. I tried to take pictures but it was raining and I was keeping my distance. I do wish the children from nursery could see some 'real men at work' like this. They would have found it SO exciting