Heading north again

Off to The Grapes Hotel in picturesque Maentwrog in the Vale of Ffestiniog.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Worth a visit: Kidwelly Castle, Carmarthenshire

Image
IT’S right up there as one of my favourite family outings - a wander around historic Kidwelly Castle. Sure, there’s a decent health warning about climbing the ramparts, stone walls and spiral staircases, but children (and adults) love exploring. Our family’s most recent visit was in March, 2025. Here’s a few photos - and some words to explain what the castle is all about. Kidwelly Castle is a formidable stronghold, proudly overlooking the River Gwendraeth in the historic ‘Black Cat’ town of Kidwelly in Carmarthenshire. Kidwelly Castle's story begins in the early 12th century, around 1106, when it was established by the Normans under Roger, Bishop of Salisbury. Its strategic location was crucial for controlling the surrounding territory and securing Norman influence in the region. The castle's initial form was a more basic earth and timber structure, a "ringwork." This early fortification laid the groundwork for the more substantial stone castle that would develop over...
Read more

Former Gower MP Gareth Wardell the guest speaker at Llanelli Rotary Club

Image
Former Gower MP Gareth Wardell was the guest speaker at the weekly meeting of Llanelli Rotary Club held at the Stradey Park Hotel. Mr Wardell gave an illuminating address, weaving comparisons between his job as a politician and his late father's job as a Tumble barber. It was an amusing, highly-entertaining and thought-provoking address. Mr Wardell, now 69, won the Gower constituency seat in a Parliamentary by-election in 1982. The Labour MP held the seat until his retirement in 1997. He now works as a public affairs consultant in Wales. Mr Wardell's Parliamentary term was largely in opposition to Margaret Thatcher's Conservative Government. But his did make a significant contribution by being the youngest MP to chair the Welsh Affairs Select Committee. Mr Wardell recognised that in the 'fame stakes' he may have played second fiddle to his father, Jack, who was one of the UK's oldest barbers and who cut and styled hair for almost 80 years. Jac...
Read more