Anglesey Winter Wonderland...

Hi, come on in. We've got logs on the fire and mull wine on the stove. Make yourself at home.The pond by the willow

RYDER CUP COMES HOME...

If you're not interested in golf then look away now, cos this blog is all about the great game! Yes indeed, I did manage to get tickets for the greatest tournament on the planet and I've got the pictures to prove it; and what a tournament it turn out to be. Four days of nerve jangling excitement and what a finish. Held for the first time in Wales at the Celtic Manor near Newport it promised to be a battle of the giants, and what a battle it turned out to be, both in terms of the golf and the weather.Cameras were only allowed in on practice days and I had tickets for Thursday ( a practice day ) and Friday, the first day of the tournament. ( Less said about that the better.) The Americans went out early on Thursday and only played the front nine. Europe came out later and played the back nine. Because of problems getting to the ground I missed most of the Americans practice round. But I'm happy to tell you that I had plenty of time to follow the European Team to get some great shots of the winning side.
If you're into golf then you should know who is who, if you're not, then I'm not about to tell you, figure it out yourself.WELL DONE TEAM EUROPE!

Wind, Rain and Laughter...

The nice thing about living here in North Wales is that you get a chance to show it off to all your friends and family whenever they come visiting. This last couple of weeks have been rather manic, with three lots of visitors coming to stay over a two week period. The weather has been quite kind to us, although there has been plenty of wind and some heavy downpours. But, all in all, we've had more than our fair share of the sunny stuff.Most of our visitors are from the major towns and cities, so it's always a great buzz to take them out into the mountains and to watch their reactions as they take in the views and soak up all that wide open space. It isn't long before they start to unwind and relax.
Even after nine years of living here It doesn't get much better then this.

Horses for Courses...

We all love horses, although they don't always love me! But when you're given an environment like the Snowdonia National Park to ride in, then it's more then worth the effort to get to know your mare. Here in the heart of the park is a wonderful establishment that goes by the name of the Snowdonia Riding Stables. http://www.snowdonia2000.fsnet.co.uk/
Created over 30 years ago, it has some of the best trekking you'll find in North Wales. A beautiful selection of horses for all ages and abilities, and a fantastic group of leaders to take you up into the wonderful hills and mountains of Wales.I think the pictures say it all!

All in a Days Work...

Here we go again. Three locations to be photographed for Gwynedd C.C. all in the course of one day. Up at 5.30am for a one and half hour drive down the coast to Aberdaron. Need some atmospheric shots of this little village before it gets to busy with all the holiday makers.


Then on to Porthor, better known as Whistling Sands, a beautiful cove on the other side of the Llyn Peninsula. I managed to get there before the afternoon rush of sun bathers, and also before the sun decided to disappear behind a hazy summer sky. ( Blue skies are the order of the day)

Then, while we still had high tide hanging around, a quick stop at Trefor to capture this little harbour and pier, which can so easily be missed, as all there is is the tiniest of signposts showing the way to this peaceful out of the way village. By the time I got home I had been on the road for almost 12 hours, but I'm guessing that there are worst ways of earning one's keep.

I'm thinking that tonight I'll sleep like a baby.

My Babbling Brook...

This is my new secret hideaway. Somewhere to sit and think and contemplate the simple things in life. The sound of the birds singing, the whispering wind through the leaves and the sound of a babbling brook as it makes its way from somewhere to somewhere, but never ending.
I steal by lawns and grassy plots,
I slide by hazel covers;
I move the sweet forget-me-nots
That grow for happy lovers.
I slip, I slide, I gloom, I glance,
Among my skimming swallows;
I make the netted sunbeam dance
Against my sandy shallows.

I murmur under moon and star:
In brambly wildernesses:
I linger by my shingly bars;
I loiter round my cresses;

And out again I curve and flow
To join the brimming river,
For men may come and men may go,
But I go on for ever.

Alfred Tennyson. The Brook


This is the Wales I love the most.

Our Front Garden...

What a great mix of weather we've been having across this May month. The one outcome to all this sunshine and rain is that the garden has budded and bloomed like never before. And as we're heading into the Holiday period I thought it a great opportunity to show what this weather has done to our own front garden. Of course, we hardly get to enjoy the pleasure of this garden as it's part of The Old Stables ( Yr Hen y Stablau ) a property which we rent out throughout the year. So should you be looking for a place to spend some quality time with friends and family then check out our website:
www.thepondbythewillow.co.uk
And come and enjoy the pleasure of this beautiful front garden all to yourself.
You'll be more than welcomed....

Porth Dinllaen...

If you ever travel to North Wales, Porth Dinllaen is a 'must go see' location on the Lleyn Peninsula.
One of the most stunning settings I've had the pleasure to witness. And if you happen to play golf then don't forget your clubs because this location has one of the most breathtaking courses in the country.
Here comes some facts: Porthdinllaen (English Porth Dinllaen), is a small coastal village in the Dwyfor locality on the Llŷn Peninsula within Gwynedd, North Wales, previously in Caernarfonshire. It is near the larger village of Morfa Nefyn. It has been owned by the National Trust since 1994. With views across to Yr Eifl and Snowdonia, Porthdinllaen, with Nefyn and Morfa Nefyn, form a magnificent two miles (3 km) of sweeping bay. There are only about two dozen buildings at Porthdinllaen, with the Ty Coch pub the centre of the village. Vehicular access to the village is restricted to residents with a car permit; visitors must walk across the beach from Morfa Nefyn or across the golf course on top of the headland, past the Iron Age hillfort. Porthdinllaen was originally a fishing port, based around a natural harbour at the west end of a bay over a mile and a quarter (2 km) across, and with over one hundred acres (40 ha) of safe anchorage. The harbour is sheltered by a headland jutting out to the north from all but a north-easterly wind, and as the only such haven on the Llŷn Peninsula, it has been used for many centuries of trading, and as a place to run to for shelter in a storm. In May 1806, a parliamentary bill approved new buildings when it seemed that Porthdinllaen would be chosen over Holyhead, Anglesey, as the route to Ireland. The location was almost as far west as, but less accessible than Holyhead with Thomas Telford's road developments. Porthdinllaen Harbour Company was formed in 1808 in preparation by the Jones Parry family of the Madryn estate (the company's assets included the village and the harbour), but the bill before Parliament to constitute Porthdinllaen as a harbour for Irish trade was rejected in 1810.

Snow, Snow, Snow..

I was looking forward to a relaxing start to the New Year... then it snowed and all hell broke loose! Calls from Visit Wales and Cadw came hot on each others heels requesting a long list of location to be shot in the snow. There followed 3 days of early starts and late finishes with overnight stays, zig-zagging our way across North Wales. Getting caught in snowdrifts on the Llanberis Pass and slipping and sliding to out of the way places looking for decent shots of Castles and Abbeys covered in the white stuff. It was a struggle just to cope with the constant change in temperature as we jumped in and out of the car, trudging through heavy snow and freezing winds hoping that the light wouldn't let us down. By the time we got home we were completely exhausted only to discover that the mains water in the house had frozen. Thank goodness for our wood burning stove, at lest we had warmth. Within 24 hours the water came through and we got back to some sort of normality.
Quite an adventure and some pretty pictures to boot!