Southport Christmas Lights

Southport LED conical Christmas Tree outside the Atkinson is the centrepiece of the Christmas lights in Southport. The custom-built tree was new in 2018 and has over twenty thousand LED lights sequenced into sparkling lights shows.

Gwynt y Môr

Gwynt y Môr or as I call it Atlantis as it comes alive at night looking like a city in the sea. Gwynt y Môr is a 576-megawatt offshore wind farm located off the coast of North Wales and is the fifth largest operating offshore wind farm in the world. The farm has 160 wind turbines the construction cost was two billions pounds.

Southport Starlings

Starlings starting to roost on one of the statues outside the pleasure beach.

Llyn Padern Tree - What happened to the branch ?

On our last visit back in February, it was intact but now in October, it’s hanging off. Another iconic tree no longer as photogenic as it was. Not the best weather to capture it, it was far to nice a day.

The Mad Hatter

In 2012 four sculptures of characters from Alice in Wonderland were made by woodcarver Simon Hedger for the town of Llandudno as part of Llandudno's link with Lewis Carroll. The design of The Mad Hatter was based on the original illustrations by Lewis Carroll capturing the moment where it is always time for tea! Commissioned by Llandudno Council, he stands on the promenade in Llandudno. He was made of half of a 9-tonne Oaktree.

Beyond the Bridge

Tu Hwnt I’r Bont is the 15th-century courthouse (now tea room) which turns red in the autumn and Y Bont Fawr is the three-arched bridge in Llanrwst which crosses the River Conwy to Gwydir Castle, a manor house dating from 1492.

September Sunset

As the nights draw in the sun sets at about 7.30. This was taken after one of our Wag Wednesday Evening in Bodnant. Sunset from south beach at Llandudno.

Bodnant in August

 August at Bodnant and the gardens are alive with perennials in full bloom, from the hot oranges of the Crocosmia to the rich blues of the Agapanthus.

Plas Newydd

The Italian Terraces 

Roses at Bodnant

Heaven meets Earth

"Gaia", meaning the personification of the earth, is a huge, seven-metre replica of the earth created by renowned artist Luke Jerram. One of the key pieces in the Changing Tides creative programme, Gaia features 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the earth's surface and is an opportunity to see our planet (to scale) floating above your head in Liverpool Cathedral.

The Laburnum Arch at Bodnant.

The 55 metre-long flowering feature was created by the garden’s Victorian founder Henry Pochin in 1880. He employed Edward Milner, apprentice to Joseph Paxton, to help design the formal garden around Bodnant Hall, including a Laburnum Arch based on pergola walkways of the 16th and 17th centuries. It is believed to be the longest and oldest in Britain. More than 140 years later, the display of golden Laburnum flowers is the most visited, photographed and anticipated event of Bodnant Garden’s year, 

More Magnolia's at Bodnant

This week at Bodnant my favourite picture was of this beautiful pink flower of "Magnolia Galaxy".

Menai Staights

The strait is bridged in two places: the Menai Suspension Bridge (Welsh: Pont Grog y Borth) carrying the A5, and Robert Stephenson's 1850 Britannia Tubular Bridge. Originally the Britannia carried rail traffic in two wrought-iron rectangular box spans but after a disastrous fire in 1970, which left only the limestone pillars remaining, it was rebuilt as a steel box girder bridge, and now carries both rail and road traffic (A55). Between the two bridge crossings there is a small island in the middle of the strait, Ynys Gorad Goch, on which are built a house and outbuildings and around which are the significant remains of fish traps, no longer used.

Magnolia at Bodnant

The Magnolias at Bodnant where beautiful this week, the centre of the flowers are seldom seen because of the height of the trees but they are amazing inside.

Storm Gareth

Storm Gareth was the seventh storm of this winter to hit the UK, these two pictures where taken at high tide at Crosby and Perch Rock, New Brighton.

Moody Blues in the Lake District

A walk or rather a buggy trip down to Friars Cragg on Derwent Water. 

The Tree at Llyn Padard.

Llyn Padarn is a glacially formed lake in Snowdonia, Gwynedd, north Wales, and is an example of a moraine dammed lake. The lake is approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) long (about 240 acres) and at its deepest point is 94 feet (29 m) deep, and is one of the largest natural lakes in Wales. At its south-eastern end, it is linked to the neighbouring Llyn Peris (which forms the lower reservoir of the Dinorwig power station).

Winter and spring in one day.

Another winter's walk around Bodnant.It was like winter and spring all in one day, there were snowdrops and daffodils flowering in the winter garden and there was a covering of snow in the garden which melted quickly but you could see some on the tops of the Welsh mountains.

New Years Walk

A cold day out at Bodnant Garden but the garden looked as beautiful as ever. The statue in the background was put up last year to mark the centenary of Votes for Women in Britain.

New Years Walk

A cold day but very beautiful day out at Bodnant garden.. The statue in the background was put up last year to mark the centenary of Votes for Women in Britain. #unbindthewing #NationalTrust