Gelligaer Common

“Any landscape is a condition of the spirit.”
Henri Frederic Amiel
BobsBlips saves the day. We’d arranged our day out to get our photo for the day despite the forecast of heavy rain; great decision – it was perfect for some dramatic skies and beautiful skyscapes. So as I got my camera ready for my first shot of the day and switched on – nothing. Dead as a dodo. Must be the boy scout in him, Bob offered me the use of one of his cameras, brilliant – and maybe a reminder to me to listen when the little voice suggests taking my other camera.
Our stops (mostly) coincided with the breaks in the rain so we managed to get what we wanted from the day, although I think Bob got a bit more damp than planned when he was getting his snaps of the mountain ponies (I sat in the comfort of the car for those). Did something of a circuit, beginning at Gelligaer Roman Fort, on to Capel Gwladys and then the mountain road to Fochriw (blip is just past the stone marker for the Roman Road across the moorland). Dropped down through Fochriw and had to stop for the decaying old Magistrates Court building, peeling paint will make a great B/W. After a quick detour through Rhymney to pay my respects to the old family we stopped by at the old Cholera Cemetery at Cefn Golau, again managing to get back to the car just as the rains started. In the valley below, Tredegar has an increasing selection of murals to past sons, notably Nye Bevan, instigator of the NHS. So we stopped to snap the latest before heading down to Bedwellty House tearoom for my coffee and cake break (I may have forgotten to mention the obligatory start to the day at the café in New Inn for cooked breakfast). There was a gallery of beautiful photos on display by the PAGB Masters of Print exhibition, some real stunners in there and worth the visit for a coffee break. Final stop for the day at Kemeys Commander church, which I only found out about a few weeks ago and one which Bob had not visited before, so a fitting end to our day out.