Last weekend, we went over to Llandaff for a Ghost Walk with Jim of Cardiff History and Hauntings.  We had previously done one of his walks with Rita and Roger last year and thoroughly enjoyed it, so as we had done one of the Edinburgh walks several years ago were keen to see this one.  A small group of us met Jim at the stone cross outside the Cathedral.  It was a cold night so I was wrapped up warm with a long coat and boots, and we'd remembered to bring torches too.  

The walk was an amazing mix of local history, folk tales and spooky happenings.  Jim does a huge amount of research so I was gripped by the many true stories about the Cathedral, the pilgrims who visited, the role of the area in many of the wars between the Welsh and the English, the English Civil War and its effects, Owain Glyndwr and his activities in the area, and stories about the village of Llandaff itself.  We explored the grounds of the cathedral, the Bishop's Palace,  the river bank, local woods, the graveyard and a piece of open ground just behind the Cathedral.  We also learned about the changing course of the river over time.  As the evening got darker, the bats flew overhead and the wind rustled through the trees, it was genuinely eerie at times. 

I can genuinely recommend the walks for anyone who is interested in the history and folklore of Cardiff.  Thankfully, there are no silly gimmicks and in fact Jim was showing us by the Cathedral a trick with his torch that made a very ghostly friar appear on the side of the building (clever use of shadows).  Whatever your views on the supernatural, this is a really interesting evening, but WRAP UP WARM!! 

I've been working in the Library today - extra shift for the Bank Holiday.  Worked yesterday as well.  The weather today has been dreadful - constant heavy rain and still quite cold.  In spite of it being May, I am still wearing winter jumpers and cardigans.