Rhuddlan Rocks 2010

Its almost a year since The Alarm rocked an ancient welsh castle to raise money for the Love Hope Strength Foundation. It was an amazing event and I was so proud to be part of it along with some good friends.

So much has happened in this last year and not all good. Friendships have failed, I have lost loved ones and the economic climate has put more pressure on us as a family.

I am always sorry to lose a friendship but if the friend is not tolerant and forgiving then ..... are they really the type of people I want or need in my life? The answer to that is very clearly NO.

I miss Poppy. I think that her death on 5th January 2011 was an omen for the year to come. She was a lovely dog and even better friend. I sometimes relive that awful afternoon when she was run over by a tractor. I can still see her head looking up confused. The only thing I can say that I am happy about is that I was able to pick her up, she looked at me as if to say "ah you're here" and then she died in  my arms and broke many hearts.

I will never forget Poppy and the fun and love she brought into my life.

After that I lost my beautiful and wonderful Auntie Heather. She was such a lovely person without a bad bone in her body. She died before her time and has left us all bereft. A huge gap has been left which will never be filled.

At a time when I needed friendship and support I was turned on by those I thought were true friends. I still don't officially know what I have done!

I have "been accused of being things I'm not" my crime being forgiveness..... and giving second chances.

Love Hope Strength - Rhuddlan Castle Rocks

The Love Hope Strength Foundation was established in 2007. The co-founder, Mike Peters of the Alarm has been hit by leukemia twice in his life, the last time being in 2007.

Mike is from North Wales, not far from where I live and has been treated in some of the same cancer units as I have. The Love Hope Strength Foundation has funded many of the new facilities where I have been treated so folks, I have directly benefited from the Love Hope Strength Foundations fundraising.

Oh where to begin telling you what they have done in the last 3 years. It has been totally amazing. They have rocked Mount Snowdon, they are about to rock Rhondda again next weekend. Everest, Kilimanjaro, Mount Fuji... the list goes on. They climb to the summit and rock it with their guitars!

They have established a bone marrow drive in the USA and are doing the same in the UK. At the Rhuddlan Rocks gig last weekend they established 75 matches. All you have to do is be under 40 (counts me out), cancer free (counts me out again) and give a saliva sample.

Please please please, follow my links and look at the work they are doing and have done. You can follow them on facebook and twitter.

Mike Peters wears combat clothes because he is active in his fight against cancer! To quote him in his song "I'm a soldier marching in an army I got no guns to shoot, all I got is one guitar...."

I was amazed and honoured to be rocking to my all time favourite band in such historic surroundings. My friend Sherry Binns-Smyth has been reading a novel based at Rhuddlan Castle and she asked me to kick some stones for her to defy King Edward I who built the castle in order to subdue us welshies. I willingly did this for her!

At the end of the night the litter strewn across the castle grounds was disgusting so Jason, myself and Lesley stayed behind to help clear up. Its something I feel passionately about, respect for others, for our surroundings and our heritage! I was able to have a brief chat with Mikes wife Jules and yes, with a few glasses of wine under my belt I had the courage to run up to Mike and give him a big bear hug! Why? because he has kept me going not only through life but in my cancer fight. The times I have felt like not going on I have had a message from Jules or I have put on Mikes music and I have continued the fight.

Rhuddlan Castle Rocks 7th August 2010

I do apologise for the poor sound quality on these videos but they were shot using my camara. "Walk Forever By My Side" was dedicated to Mikes wife Jules and their two sons Dylan and Evan.

The second video is of Mike singing with Fowler from Ocean Colour Scene.

The "doors" opened at 4pm and we entered the historic ruins of Rhuddlan castle. Never in my life could I have imagined seeing my all time favourite band play in this part of my ancestry. I was honoured and humbled to be there.

The gig was organised in order to raise money for Mikes charity The Love Hope Strength Foundation which is commited to combatting cancer on a global basis. Please visit their web site and look into their work.

Rhuddlan Castle Rocks

Just waiting for my friend to get to the house and we are off to Rhuddlan Castle to see The Alarm and the Levellers rock an ancient castle built by Edward I to try and subdue us Welsh. I wonder what he would say if he knew the welsh were rocking his castle!

Lets continue our walk....

The Castle has been lived in since it was built by Edward I in order to keep the welsh in place. During the civil war the castle was ordered to be raised to the ground by Oliver Cromwell and alot of the castle was damaged. The Middleton family lived in the castle until a couple of years ago and still have apartments in the Batchelor Tower. This view was taken from the buildings previously unseen by the public.

I love this part of the garden, it is full of colour and life. The picture doesn't do it justice.

Down one of the many footpaths you stumble upon the gravestones of pets who once belonged to the Castle.

A little further on and you come to the thatched summer house.

The flowers were breathtaking! The perfume off them was devine.

No garden would be complete without a water feature!

Let me take you for a walk.......

Yesterday, my husband and I spent the afternoon in Chirk Castle which is local to us. We went there for lunch then enjoyed a peaceful walk around the gardens. I took so many photographs, way too many for one post so I will take you on a walk with me around the gardens over a few postings!

This flower caught my eye instantly because of its colour - it was so beautiful, reminding me of blue skies or blue oceans....

This little fella was sitting all on his own on the other side of the ditch! He had his head tilted at a very cheeky angle!

A little place to sit and chill tucked neatly away right at the edge of the gardens. We sat there for a while listening to nothing - no cars, no children, no dogs barking, no people...... It was devine!