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We have been making the most of the glorious late Autumn sunshine here on Gower.
As soon as the dog-ban is lifted on the wonderful beaches we take the three Yorkies down to the local beaches for a blast on the expanse of sand at low tide. Many are less than 10 minutes drive by car.
The fishermen were hoping to catch Bass on Caswell Bay .... yesterday we talked to fishermen on the pier alongside where the Cork Ferry docks in Swansea Docks, and they were catching Ray, Plaice and Eels!
I love this photo and I hope you like it too!
Rhianne
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I liked this and thought I would share it with you:
When I'm getting ancient and fading away,
I'll think on those fine views across Swansea Bay.
First is the one from the Western Dock,
right across the bay, towards Knab Rock.
Then there's the view from Oystermouth,
That'll draw your eyes to north, east, and south.
I'll steal a glance at Mumbles' bright light
that guide ships home throughout day and night,
then look inland towards Blackpill,
past the Civic Centre and up to Townhill.
There's the classical front of Swansea Museum,
where famous bones merit queues just to see 'em.
But I'll forego a view of the Centre of Leisure -
it's not an image of Swansea I treasure,
with imitation waves that no one can ride -
what's wrong with the real ones, just outside?
I'll picture the sands and the open sewer -
for hundreds of years the bay hasn't been pure.
There's the outfall pipe polluting the oceans,
where some daily swam (or went through the motions).
These views inspired poets who stood on this shore -
Watkins, Thomas, Jenkins, Landor.
This panorama to us meant so much,
before some moved east, at fame for to clutch.
So give me these views in my final hour
of Swansea - my hometown in Wales, and my Gower.
Dai Verse, June 2009 altered
~ from the 'Gower Society Newsletter' Spring 2010
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Scott Centenary
There are memorials to Edgar Evans in Rhossili church and in Swansea Museum. He is the subject of articles in Gower journals volumes 7, 44,and 45, and the Gower Society brought out an illustrated publication Edgar Evans of Gower in 2008. In similar format to the publications about Churches, Caves, and Castles of Gower, it is available in local shops or from the Gower Society Website .
This extract appears courtesy of The Gower Society.
Evans is also the subject of the book Swansea's Antartic Explorer, on sale at West Glamorgan Archives in the Civic Centre at 7.50.
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Blaenau Gwent and the Heads of the Valleys is the home of this year's National Eisteddfod - one of the world's greatest cultural festivals - held at The Works, Ebbw Vale, from July 31 to August 7.
Yn gerddoriaeth, dawns, celf, perfformiadau gwreiddiol, gwethgareddau teuluol neu'n gystadlaethau, mae rhywbeth i bawb o bob oed yn yr Edisteddfod Genedlaethol, a chyda thros 160,000 o ymwelwyr bob blwyddyn, mae'n lle arbennig o dda i gyfarfod a hen ffrindiau - a gwneud ffrindiau newydd!
Music, dance, visual arts, original performances, family activities..., there's something for everyone at the National Edisteddfod, and with more than 160,000 visitors every year, it's a great place to meet up with old friends and make new ones.
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THE CELTIC MANOR HOTEL : Sir Terry Matthews
He thinks it's worth spending 30 million on bringing the Ryder Cup to Wales. The economic benefit to Wales is difficult to measure, suffice to say, it will bring a huge influx of visitors and their cash.
The global entrepreneur is currently in Wales attempting to deal with the planning application which has been refused on the ancient house known as Little Bulmore Farmhouse. It sits adjacent to the 2010 Golf House, soon to be home to the largest names in golf.
The public spat with the council over the ruin has hit the headlines in all the Welsh press . I visited the site two weeks ago to look at the ancient Little Bulmore Farmhouse and I have to admit it does sit very close indeed to the golf house. Unfortunately it appears to have had an incredibly unsympathetic extension added at some stage in it's past which is completely hideous. I cannot fathom why such an extension on a 17th century building, could have been acceptable to the planners at that time. The planning application applied for by Celtic Manor to demolish the building before the Ryder Cup, was refused, read the Planning Application here .
The building is totally overgrown with shrubs and climbing plants and it looks at some stage to have been set alight as the exposed roof trusses are charred black. The front of the building ( visible here ) with it's stone mullioned windows, is in my opinion, very interesting indeed, and could certainly have been enhanced by a sympathetic architect.
I really don't understand why the Folk Museum haven't shown an interest in this Grade 2 listed 17th centuary farmhouse. Why didn't they agree to take it away and re-build it at Amgueddfa Werin Cymru ?
So, will this be resolved before the Ryder Cup, who knows?
I may be day-dreaming but when the Americans arrive, what do you imagine they will think of the historic listed building, because I think they'll find it quite charming!
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Within minutes of joining this fantastic website I see the words 'Ystradgynlais Male Voice Choir' on the home page! That's only the place where I was born and bred! Wonderful to see that they will be on tour again in the States.
My mother Mair Griffiths of Glanrhyd, before passing away a few months ago, was a President of the choir and one of their biggest fans, travelling all over the world to support the boys from Ystrad. I have attended a fair few concerts myself too and have known many of the choir members all my life. I lived next to Rhydian Griffiths the Secretary for more than 7 years and what a stirling job he has done over the years in organising the concerts we all love.
Oh! to be able to attend their forthcoming concerts in the States .... I can highly recommend them and despite being smaller in number than at any time in their recent past - numbers once reached 100+, they will give you a night to remember for a very long time!
xXx to the boys (now mostly retired gents actually), from Ystrad!
Rhianne Griffiths
This is an interesting link that people might like to look at: photo's of Ystrad Past and Present
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