Ryder cup - kicking off !

Celtic Manor Resort, NEWPORT.

Up until today you would not know that here was a major world wide golf tournament on my doorstep. However, sitting here late afternoon with my friend Mary, we heard helicopters flying overhead to what we assume was the Celtic Manor Resort helipad. Traffic so far has been as normal.  Me and hundreds of other locals are tuning into the Welsh (and national) news to see what is going on.  It's sort of surreal; not as if it's our Celtic Manor everyone is talking about!

Prince Charles was here today (we think that's why there were so many helicopters) and tonight, after a reception at Cardiff castle there is an extravaganza at the millennium stadium with Catherine Zeta-Jones, Dame Shirley Bassey and Kathryn Jenkins (where's Tom I want to know?) I would like to be a fly on the wall tonight especially when the Yanks try to sing the Welsh national anthem at the end!

The weather though has let us down, and the forecast is not too good for the remainder of the week - Sod's law!  It was fine for a while this afternoon, but it was not long before the autumn mists, already shrouding the beautiful rolling valley, blotted out the stunning views from the fairways.  I wonder if our visitors will ever see how beautiful this part of Wales is?