Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines

 

Apparently, this gentleman was using a paramotor to fly over the pier at Southport.

"Paramotors (also known as a Powered Paragliders) combine the easy flying characteristics of a paraglider with the autonomy and range of powered flight".

“The tide never comes in at Southport”

 “The tide never comes in at Southport” has been a standing joke for decades when disappointed visitors arrived on the beach only to discover the tide was miles out at low water. Well, it does come in occasionally as this picture proves but its not as dramatic as the scenes you get at Blackpool.

Coastal Birds

 

A morning at Meols and a chance meeting with some waders, a resident bird the Redshank and also some winter visitors. The big question is what they are: Dunlin, Sanderlin or Knot. After much research, I decided on Knot because of there green legs.

Storm Clouds gathering at Lytham.

 

Penmon Point

 

Chasing Dragonflies at Bodnant

 My first attempt at taking pictures of dragonflies in flight, I think it’s a Southern Hawker but not sure which type I did realise there were so many.

Plas Newydd

 

Beautiful Butterflies at Bodnant Garden

 

We spent a wonderful day at Bodnant Garden this week, blue skies, warm sunshine, no wind and still lots to photograph including this beautiful Copper butterfly. Not sure if it was male or female as it never did open its wings but it did pose well in the Michaelmas daisies. It was nice to see everyone keeping to the rules of social distancing too, After shielding for four months I certainly felt safe there and I think a lot of other people felt the same. A peaceful haven in this strange world we now live in. 

Two Islands in one day.

 

Holy Island, is just off Anglesey’s western edge, has an area of just 15 square miles It is called "Holy" because of the high concentration of standing stones, burial chambers, and other religious sites on the small island.

The South Stack Lighthouse is built on the summit of a small island off the north-west coast of Holy Island, Anglesey, Wales. It was built in 1809 to warn ships of the dangerous rocks below.

Elin's Tower is a Victorian stone folly it was originally used as a summer house, was built between 1820 and 1850 for the Stanley family and it is named after Elin the Welsh wife of the 19th Century politician William Owen Stanley.

A rather bumpy ride.

 

I was looking forward to our trip to Penrhyn Castle and the walled garden. After seeing pictures and the description on the web.

 "Like the castle itself, Penrhyn’s grounds and gardens are extensive, dramatic, a feast for the senses and offer something for everyone. Peace and tranquillity can be found in the precise topiary, geometric lines, bubbling fountains and meticulous planting of the Walled Garden. Here, Walter Speed’s 19th-century vision for one of Britain’s top three gardens of the time can really be appreciated".

Sadly the garden didn't meet my expectations and only the top section of the walled garden was accessible to myself and my mobility scooter. It is built on a slope but unlike other gardens, the only way to access the lower part of the garden is by steps. There is a rather bumpy path down to the bog garden but the paths are steep and gravelled, one particular arched wooded bridge over the water stopped any further exploration for me.

I would also advise using the toilets at the visitors centre entrance as there are a lot of large cobbles in the courtyard of the ones in the castle's courtyard. The castle itself was not open due to COVID restrictions so I cannot comment on its accessibility inside.

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Penrhyn Castle

Penrhyn Castle was originally a medieval fortified manor house built In 1438. The current building was built between 1820 and 1833 for George Hay Dawkins-Pennant on the proceeds of the North Wales slate industry and sugar plantations in Jamaica. The neo-Norman castle was designed by the famous architect Thomas Hopper. The cost of the construction of this vast "castle" is disputed. It cost the Pennant family an estimated £150,000. This is the current equivalent to about £49,500,000.

Bodnant

 

Plas Newydd

 

The Grade 1-listed landscape at Plas Newydd consists of 40 acres of garden and 129 acres of woodland and parkland. The Italianate Terraces and Sunroom Courtyard are full of colour from early spring to autumn.  The Hot Border on the Terraces is a riot of reds, oranges and yellows, with the contrasting Cool Border opposite. 

Before the Storm

 

Llandudno Pier is a Grade II* listed pier in the seaside resort of Llandudno, North Wales, United Kingdom. At 2,295 feet, the pier is the longest in Wales and the fifth-longest in England and Wales.

Two Bridges

 

The Menai Strait is a narrow stretch of shallow tidal water about 25 km long, which separates the island of Anglesey from the mainland of Wales. The strait is bridged in two places: On the right is the Menai Suspension Bridge designed by Thomas Telford and completed in 1826. On the left is the Britannia Bridge which was originally designed and built by the noted railway engineer Robert Stephenson in 1850 as a tubular bridge of wrought iron for carrying rail traffic.

Back to Bodnant

July and our first adventure out since March and where better to restart our days out then Bodnant garden. We were lucky to get tickets straight away and picked a sunny day too. The gardens looked amazing especially since there have only been 3 gardeners working during lockdown out of the 30 staff who usually tend the gardens.

End of Days or End of Lockdown

Southport Pier the end of days or end of lockdown.

Powis Castle

Perched high on a rock above the world-famous garden terraces, Powis Castle, originally built circa 1200, began life as the medieval fortress of the Welsh Princes of Powys, who held onto their kingdom despite the threats of their more powerful neighbours in Gwynedd and England.In 1587, Powis Castle was sold to Sir Edward Herbert who created the romantic long gallery, which is richly decorated with the coats of arms of his ancestors. In 1784, the marriage of Lady Henrietta Herbert and Edward Clive, son of Robert Clive, the conqueror of India, combined the Powis and Clive estates.In the early 20th Century, the 4th Earl of Powis and his wife, Lady Violet, redecorated much of the castle and brought the garden back to life, introducing new varieties from all over the world.The world-famous garden, overhung with clipped yews, shelters rare and tender plants is laid out under the influence of Italian and French styles. It retains its original lead statues and an orangery on the terraces.

Beautiful Bodnant

A beautiful double Hellebore from Ashwood Nurseries. Sadly this was to be the last visit to Bodnant Garden for the foreseeable future as the garden was closed to the public due to COVID 19.

Ode to the Black Pearl

New Brighton's iconic 'Black Pearl' pirate ship has fallen victim to the elements after it was destroyed by high tides last night. Parts of the hugely popular driftwood attraction were swept away as strong winds yesterday and overnight. Built out of items from the beach, the ship was created by local artist Frank Lund and his friend Major Mace and attracted visitors from across the borough and beyond.

A Hunt for a Welsh Dragon.

Well technically a wooden dragon carved out of the trunk of a fallen oak tree and not really much of a hunt since the dragon is 25 ft tall with 12 ft wingspan looms out of foliage and trees on the A5 near Tregarth. Given his full title: Y Ddraig Dderw (The Oak Dragon) was carved by chain saw sculptor Simon O'Rourke in 2019.

Storm Dennis

Storm Dennis certainly lived up to its name, a rather wild and windy afternoon at Blackpool. I am not sure I will ever get the sand out of everything.

Winter Garden

The 4th of February and the winter garden at Bodnant was full of colour, daffodils, iris and hellebores flowers to name just a few. Along with the reds and oranges of the dogwood scrubs and the amazing scent of the Daphne bholua Jacqueline Postill