Bits and Bobs No. 10

[peter]

...I can be helpful, too
.....
...sheep, .......we've got plenty of. Not so good on stately homes and gardens.
By the way, people don't stay in Blaenau Ffestiniog, they leave it as quickly as possible Seriously though, an English family were attacked on the station by local yobs who heard them speaking English.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_west/7655250.stm

Alan, you are always helpful with the old and confused.

Oh no, don't get him started on sheep, in either sense fo the phrase.

From reading the link this would appear to be the local chav aggressive idiot, BUT, why do so many in North Wales apparently do their best to bugger up the tourist industry, which must now be one of if not the major part(s) of the local economy.

[oldherbaceous]

Thank-you all, this now gives me something to ponder over, a very big help indeed having place names to search.

Definitely no Sheep, not after my experience with Bar-ba-ra in Mid Wales in 2007.

[alan refail]

From reading the link this would appear to be the local chav aggressive idiot, BUT, why do so many in North Wales apparently do their best to bugger up the tourist industry, which must now be one of if not the major part(s) of the local economy.

Peter

If anyone had the answer to that one they could run the Welsh tourist industry
There is a strong tendency round here to rubbish anything which is different from the past. Some sort of feeling that things were better in the past - dying in the slate quarries, starving on small farms - tourism, for all its faults, has to be an improvement on that.
As for Blaenau Ffestiniog - North West Wales is an area of very low crime, but of the crimes (drugs, violence, car crime and the like) the vast majority are committed by people from that old slate-mining town.
There are, of course, also the twin issues of the language and history. English tourists have killed Welsh - not true since 75% use Welsh every day. Then there's the assumed hatred of the English invader (not helped I must say by rugby and soccer "wars"). In Wales Edwardian doesn't mean "the time of Edward VII" but "the time of Edward I" - 13th century - who conquered Wales and built the Iron Ring of castles in the north. How's that for long memories?

If I carry on this essay I'll be put in charge of tourism

[Geoff]

If you are into serious walking forget about Snowdon, after all it is only a small mountain in a small country even if it is the highest. Much better to tackle Tryfan and the Glyders (Google gets you lots of photos), more interesting mountains with lots of strange rocks and good views of Snowdon and lots more.
If you are interested in alternative technology there is CAT http://www.cat.org.uk/visitus/vc_conten ... ir=visitus

I used to think Black Rock Sands was the best beach in the area but that was nearly 50 years ago, it may not be what it was!

[Monika]

Black Rock Sands - that takes me back a bit! We went there in early June of that glorious summer of 1976, setting off at 5 o'clock in the morning from Yorkshire with four children in the back of our old Landrover with the canvas top off (no seat belt laws then). We spent all day in the water and on the beach and arrived back home about midnight, absolutely jiggered, but what a grand spot that was! Shallow, warm water, even in early June and miles of clean sand!

[alan refail]

Geoff/Monika

Blackrock still is what it was - especially off-season.

My photos here
Clickable thumbnails.

[oldherbaceous]

I think, i ask and then i receive.

Thank-you all again, i think i will have a day at Blackrock Sands where ever i stay, it will be quite an honour to think that i will be walking in Geoffs, Monikas and Alans footsteps.

[Geoff]

I think mine might have washed away. We are a spread out family with my eldest sister being 17 years older than me so when I was in my teens she had young children and we used to take them there from my grandfather's place at Dyserth, inland from Rhyl. Probably last there in 1964. The age difference created the strange result that I was a great uncle before I was a father and am now a great great uncle but still not a grandfather!
Pleased to see it still looks so good Alan.

[Gerry]

I have spent a lot of time avoiding Blackrock Sands as I sailed out of Porthmadog for nigh on thirty years. OH you will have a supper holiday in that area. I can't recommend it too highly.
Regards, Gerry.

[alan refail]

Thank-you all again, i think i will have a day at Blackrock Sands where ever i stay, it will be quite an honour to think that i will be walking in Geoffs, Monikas and Alans footsteps.

And I am sure we're honoured knowing we have walked where the great one will one day tread

[retropants]

Dear OH,
I have camped right next to the falls at Betws-y-Coed a couple of times (in February, for a motorcycle rally known as The Dragon Rally) The first year 1993 I seem to remember (my memory is not all it was, and I'm only 38!) It snowed, it was chilly, but lovely and the falls were most impressive. The second year it was torrential rain, the river burst its banks and many tents floated away, and bikes were stranded in a foot of water. I try not to think about that one too much! Needless to say we we all wet through, and spent most of the night in the beer tent or next to the camp fire. *shudder*

To sum up, the journey there, the scenery was really beautiful,and I'd like to return someday in fairer weather!

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Retropants, being an ex-biker i know well of the mad people that go on the Dragon Rally, really dedicated bikers indeed.

Have you still got a motobike

See you back there in the lovely warm Summer of 2010.

[Clive.]

I have had two holidays in the Betws-y-Coed area...stayed at Hendre Isaf...in accomodation converted from an old dairy.

Spent time above Bishop Morgans house dragging piles of brash from machine harvested conifer brash into heaps prior to replant with Oaks...rebuilt a length of stone wall...spent a day in the wet a bit higher up pulling spruce seedlings from an area of cotton grass moor. Day off visit to Penrhyn Castle.
Second visit we went further afield and cut down Rhododendron near Craflwyn, removed some tree guards, cleared young scrub tree growth at D??????...an old hotel near a black waterfall??...and tried a different type of walling rebuild below Cader Idris...this wall was much heavier more round stones. ...whilst that previously at Ysbty Ifan? was flatter easier to work with stones..

All good fun if you like that sort of thing..

Clive.

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Clive, i wonder if the stone wall built of the heavier, rounder stones is still standing.

I will try and make sure i stay somewhere well away from the walls, just incase.

[donedigging]

Dear OH,

It seems that once again you have brought a temporary stop to replies....
The power you have...lol!!!!!

Lets hope for everyones sake you don't find the walls and just stick to the tourist routes!!