Surf & camp weekend in Pembrokeshire

This weekend myself and 4 other friends from climbing (incidentally, 5/6 of the group that also went to Austria last month) visited Pembrokeshire for a weekend of camping and surfing. We last did this 2 years ago and had a great time.

We stayed in the same campsite (Newton Farm), which is cheap and cheerful. You don't see £7.50pppn much anymore! It was a perfect base, and only a 4 minute drive from Freshwater West where we surfed both days.

We drove down on Friday after work, managing to beat the sunset to put up our tents in the light before having a cup of tea. 

On Saturday we headed to Stackpole Quay, a brilliant National Trust maintained estate. We parked at Stackpole Quay which looked perfect for paddleboarding and swimming in before walking along the coast to the beautiful Barafundle Bay beach. There is so much to see and do in this area including possible otter sightings by the Eight-Arch bridge, or big lily pools along a different route (see map below). It definitely merits a revisit. 

Stackpole Quay - comes with a second-hand book trailer!

Barafundle Bay. 

That afternoon we joined the Salty Sisters social surf session, with a calm sea providing not many waves to surf but a lot of lovely time to lie on our boards and relax. 

We drove to a local pub for dinner, and enjoyed watching the local pets - a dog who had found a perfect corner, two mischievous kittens, and a very chonky ginger cat. 

On Sunday we visited Saint Govan's Chapel and walked along the coast towards the Green Bridge of Wales (also needs a longer revisit!). We saw quite a few rope climbers braving the cliffs. 

The chapel is built right into the rock face. 

If you look really hard you may be able to see the climbers in the distance on the cliff. 

In the afternoon we again joined the Salty Sisters social for another surf with again calm waves followed by ice cream (obviously). 

We headed home after a lovely weekend, ready to fall into bed. I was very pleased that a (the only) benefit of this drought we're having is that I didn't need to dry my tent again at home after packing it up. 

End of ST1

This week marks my last week as an ST1, where I've been based mainly in the Grange University Hospital (Cwmbran) for the past year.

I've genuinely had such a fun and interesting year. It's been hugely hard work, with long hours and nauseating rota patterns, but I've learnt and done so much this year that I never imagined I would (caesarean sections, forceps deliveries, managing obstetric and gynaecology wards and emergency patients). I've also benefited from an amazing team of supportive and lovely doctors, midwives, nurses, and everyone else. 

I don't tend to take many photos at work, so here are a few snippets from this past year. 

Laparoscopy training.

A wee pumpkin hat! The Christmas pudding hats came later and what can I say, I love a tiny hat. 

Instrumental delivery training. 

Reading during a break on a gynaecology night shift. Once I moved to obstetrics, breaks were no longer a thing!

Pumpkins showing cervical dilatation. 

The view from my 'office'.

Working Christmas day!

Many post nights breakfasts, a new tradition I was introduced to by my favourite registrar.

I've got quite a few photos of our classic NHS working conditions, including dodgy keyboards and tiny tiny screens. 

Hopefully my next ID card will say of which speciality I am a trainee...

Selfie time!

Last week a wee garden party was organised to celebrate the end of our year (doctors tend to think in August-August due to rotations), and say farewell to those of us who are leaving. At some point when a speech was made, we realised I was the only one there who was actually going! (more people turned up later). Lots of lovely snacks in the walled garden by our hospital.

And a sad goodbye to my favourite reg for the past 5 months, who has not only taught me so much but has also been a companion in discussing romantasy books! Look at the gorgeous card she made!!

Next week I'm off to Cardiff for the next 2 years of my training. I've worked in this department before, back in my FY2 year in 2023/24, so much has likely changed but hopefully there should be some familiar faces. 

Cwm Llwch

Yesterday I had a day of annual leave, so headed to the Brecons for some much needed time in the hills. I tend to use my annual leave for sleeping and doing chores, so it was a real treat that I managed to motivate myself to get out yesterday. Well done me!

I woke up early enough to get a space in the car park (by my estimations - there was actually plenty of room all day it seems), but didn't think about the weekday rush hour traffic so sat in that for a little while. 

This is my I-don't-want-to-suncream-my-arms top. It worked well!

I chose to do the route anti-clockwise, meaning that I started on a road rather than ending on it. It worked well in some ways, as the view was spectacular either way, however I'd do it clockwise next time - keep reading to find out why ;)  

It started through some quiet fields past the usual residents.

I had a great view of Pen y Fan and Corn Du throughout. This route (apart from the summit bits) were very quiet the whole way, passing only a few people on the descent.

This direction took me past Cwm Llwch lake just as I was hitting the first steep bit of the ascent. The path down to the lake wasn't clear until you were nearly above it, and I didn't fancy losing elevation to see the lake - I wanted to huff and puff my way to the summit before resting. This is why I'd do it anti-clockwise next time (potentially up via the Cribyn ridge), as you get to enjoy and appreciate this lake on the way home. 

The next steep bit took me up past the obelisk to memorise Tommy, a 5-year old boy who became lost and died on the mountain in 1900. This is where the wind really picked up and I invented clipping my hat to my plait with the hope that if it decided to fly off my hair would catch it. Thankfully, I didn't need to test this!

Next up were the familiar summits of Corn Du and Pen y Fan. Whilst not too busy, queue etiquette for a photo at the top was still questionably observed... 

This was my lunch view. Cribyn is the one I call 'pyramid' looking, in the same way that I say Sugar Loaf looks like a volcano. 

Gorgeous views!

I'm always desperate for tea and cake after a walk, so I made my way to the Garwnant Visitor Centre just a 20 minute drive south by the Llwyn-on reservoir. Bara brith for £1! I've visited the other visitor centre (there are likely more than 2 I know) so wanted to try a new place, and this one looks fab for activities for the family or nice wee walks. 

Mark is in Fontainebleau (southeast of Paris) on his annual friends' bouldering trip. Their climbing was cut short by the forest fires over there, but they managed to get 3 good days in whilst still staying sensible about the risk. Rumour has it that he was at a Tour de France stage today, but I've not heard anything from him yet! Pictures to follow if he remembers to send me any. 

My other highlight was that today I walked out of work to find an ice cream truck giving free Mr Whippys to staff - yay!