Hi everyone. I intend to write something on here once or twice a week, because I enjoy telling people about places and the stories which go with them. I have an ulterior motive of course, to promote my business, 'Cambrian Safaris' which I'll push more directly another time. I have a separate identity on here for the business, where I will write about tours and places of interest.

First a little bit about myself.

I was brought up in the south east of England, but my association with Wales started with the majority of childhood holidays being taken in Cardiganshire (as we knew it then).

I am married to Hester, a Dutch lady I met at a the Dolaucothi Gold Mine (more about that someday) and we have 2 children, Dylan, 13 and Bethan,11. We live on the edge of a small village about 11 miles from Aberystwyth, a little way up in the hills, and have a few chickens and 2 Dogs, (Flatcoated retrievers). There are some great views to Cardigan bay from just up the road.

Places have always been important to me, perhaps partly because of the experiences I have had in those places. A theme I will no doubt expand upon in the future is how the place where you live the landscape in particular- influenced people and their fortunes in the past.

In my 'youth' I spent the best part of a couple of years in the Lake District, working with the National Trust... I've started writing about that somewhere... For the greater part of the last 17 years I worked at the Llywernog Silver Lead Mine, conducting guided tours through the mine and telling people what it was like living in the 'wild west' of Wales for the people who came here to work in the mines. I will definitely write about this a number of times no doubt, featuring how the Geology and Geography of an area influences peoples led their lives in the past.

Mid Wales has been my home for about 20 years now, including my time as a student in Aberystwyth. To me one of the things that is most special about the area is the variety in the Landscape.

The Wild west of Wales.

Ceredigion has a bit of everything, from a varied coastline, deep river valleys, green farmland and the Cambrian Mountains. The coast, from the sand dunes at Ynys las and Borth Bog, to the raised beaches at Llanon, and the cliffs from New Quay to Cardigan covered in nesting sea birds, is largely designated as a Heritage coast, with special wildlife protection stretching out to sea. Dolphins, Porpoises and Seals, are regularly seen here, boat trips are on offer from New Quay, and crab and lobster boats operate from here too.

The Cambrian Mountains guard the eastern side of the county, although they are a fraction of the size of the Rockies, they have always been a barrier to communications, nowadays the barrier is more psychological, in the past communities along the coast had more trade with Ireland than England.

The southern half of the county has more of a lowland character, although it is still pretty hilly with some deep valleys cutting into it, it is covered largely in farmland with - I believe mostly good grazing. The valley of the River Teifi runs along the foot of the mountains from Pontrhydyfendigaid, Tregaron and Lampeter, and runs down to the coast at Cardigan, (Aberteifi) through Newcastle Emlyn.

In the northern half of the county the Cambrian mountains stretch down to the coast, these hills are crossed by a number of fault lines along which the remains of over 100 old Silver Lead mines can be found, a mini 'wild west' with the stories of the people who came in search of riches here over the last 4000 years.

If you work your way up a valley like the Ystwyth, the landscape changes dramatically every few miles, from a broad open valley to an Alpine like V, a deep gorge and opening up into a forested estate, more farmland, heavily mined hillsides, and high wide open moor land, all in the space of about 15 miles.

This merely touches on the riches of a little known part of the world. It has long frustrated me that Wales is always divided into 'north' and 'south' when described from outside, tourism wise its all about the National Parks. Mid Wales is very much a non entity, and Ceredigion is barely heard of in the outside world,which is a very great shame. Things are hopefully changing, Ceredigion is slowly becoming known as a specialist food producer, Welsh Lamb, farmhouse cheeses, lobster, even wine!

Part of my idea for Cambrian Safaris is to play a small part in showing the rest of the world that mid Wales has something to offer, spectacular landscapes and the history and stories that go with it.