We’ve all been on a wonderful adventure today, commencing with a trip on the Gwili steam train – JD and Lola became internet stars as result of that one! The train is standard gauge and runs on a short section of the route that Beeching closed in 1965 between Carmarthen and Aberystwyth. When the track was being lifted in 1975 some locals got together and decided to save a chunk from oblivion, like, I’m sure, many other groups around the country. Hurrah for them. My mum told us that she’d travelled by steam train to school in Canterbury when she was a girl in the 1950s so the fact that this line runs steam engines not diesels is not out of time.

Later in the day this photo of my two favourite “fellas” was taken in Carew Castle. What an amazing place that is – there has been a fortification there for more than a thousand years. We looked out from its walls and decided that you’d have to be a brave soul to attack it. There is clear view all around for miles and one of approaches is across a muddy creek or the open sea when the tide is in.

It’s only four years since our first holiday in Wales and our first one with JD. We marvelled yesterday at how much he’s grown in confidence and poise since then. He was a model dog yesterday. Both of the dogs walked beautifully, accepted tickles from strangers, posed for photos and enjoyed an hour in the pub at lunchtime where we all were able to recharge our batteries and escape from the sun for a bit. This achievement has come after a lot of work and effort on our part but that’s not to deny him his rehabilitation victory one jot.