Back from a wonderful weekend in the Welsh Borders to celebrate Ails's birthday.

We stayed at the Allt Yr Ynys Hotel near Abergavenny and made good on a promise we made a long time ago to have dinner at the Waltnut Tree restaurant -- expensive but worth it!

The Black Mountains is one of my favourite parts of the world -- the scenery's just breathtaking -- so we made sure we made the most of it by following up a morning's clay pigeon shooting with a walk up Skirrid Fawr.

It was the first time I'd climbed a hill with my artificial leg and it was definitely the stiffest test so far for the Flex Foot. I'm pleased to say it passed with flying colours....bring on Everest!

This morning we took a couple of ponies from Trevelog Farm for a ride through the Llanthony Valley. The Autumn colours were just incredible -- and the horses made easier work of the hills than I did!

Picture: Shooting 1
Picture: Shooting 2
Picture: Shooting 3
Picture: Shooting 4
Picture: Climbing Skirrid 1
Picture: Climbing Skirrid 2