Marc Rees's Blog (41)

The Blind Harpist revisited

One of Barmouth's most intriguing and legendery characters was 'the blind harpist', Dafydd Roberts.
I met up with local musician Chris Knowles who actually has his Celtic harp, bought at auction. He played a composition by Roberts himself called 'Ar y traeth yn Bermo', 'On the beach in Barmouth'.
How appropriate!


Dafydd Roberts on the prom,…
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Added by Marc Rees on February 26, 2010 at 0:53 — No Comments

Barmouth by rail



If you intend coming to see For Mountain, Sand & Sea in the summer I would really recommend traveling by rail. Entering Barmouth via crossing…
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Added by Marc Rees on February 23, 2010 at 21:12 — 2 Comments

Talking tactics and Shed shenanigans:

3 days in Barmouth, February 16-18, 2010



Tuesday: Once again my train trip to ‘Y Bermo’ is blessed with sunshine all the way, even though I gather that its blizzarding back in the Diff. A few snowy signs emerge as I cross the Mawddach and sight the lightly dusted hills of Snowdonia.



The crossing once more takes my breath away and it…

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Added by Marc Rees on February 21, 2010 at 1:55 — No Comments

Gymnastic antics and electric horseplay

Barmouth uncovered:





My favourite discovery of the week in my ongoing 'For Mountain, Sand & Sea' research has to be an image I found on a Russian web site.





Harold Godfrey Lowe, 5th Captain of The Titanic; who…

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Added by Marc Rees on February 5, 2010 at 3:42 — 3 Comments

The Queen's Christmas message


NADOLIG LLAWEN PAWB! MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL!

Added by Marc Rees on December 18, 2009 at 6:18 — No Comments

Excursionists part II : the pleasure-seekers

Here’s another gem from the 'Caernarvon and Denbigh Herald'.



‘On Friday last the natives of Barmouth were rather astonished by the arrival of excursion trains from Oswesrty, Welshpool, and Newton, bringing between 1000 and 1200 pleasure-seekers. The weather in the morning foreboded rain, but it fortunately cleared off, and the day was quite fine, so that all enjoyed themselves as their inclinations led them; and some betook themselves to the mountains, some to the beach, while others… Continue

Added by Marc Rees on November 17, 2009 at 7:11 — No Comments

The Excursionists (Amended)

Sian and I are coming to the end of an extremely productive development week here in Bermo and ‘For, Mountain, Sand & Sea’ is emerging! I shall reveal more in a summary blog of our excursion next week. In the mean time here’s a rather wonderful report taken from the Caernarvon and Denbigh Herald in 1871 (not the Barmouth Advertiser as stated yesterday).



‘BARMOUTH. EXCURSION. – On Saturday last from 900 to 1000 excursionists were brought here from Manchester, per the Great Western… Continue

Added by Marc Rees on November 14, 2009 at 0:30 — 2 Comments

Road Trip Map - 660 miles

Added by Marc Rees on June 22, 2009 at 23:27 — 3 Comments

Day 5 road trip

After a night shaken about by the wind and a dawn chorus of evil seagulls on the roof, we beat an early retreat from the caravan park in search of a hot breakfast and a wireless connection.



After the disappointment of the Victoria Pier we didn't want to leave north Wales without a visit to Llandudno and the promise of a fully working pier. We were not disappointed. It's in immaculate condition and the glistening silvery towers inspired us to dream up a performative intervention… Continue

Added by Marc Rees on June 20, 2009 at 1:31 — 4 Comments

Day 4 pics

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Added by Marc Rees on June 19, 2009 at 7:41 — No Comments

Day 4 - Road Trip

After a full hearty Welsh breakfast we rolled down the hill to explore the wonders of Barmouth. It’s a captivating blend of faded Victorian grandeur; amusement arcade awfulness; bric-a-brac shops galore and numerous chapels of all denominations now crudely and unsympathetically converted into Bargain Bin stores one, horrifyingly, placing the till in the pulpit. I could almost hear the generations of Calvanistic Methodist ghosts who’d worshipped in these chapels for a century or more, groaning… Continue

Added by Marc Rees on June 18, 2009 at 22:31 — No Comments

Day 3 pics

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Added by Marc Rees on June 17, 2009 at 22:17 — No Comments

Day 3 - Road Trip

Sian’s chanting worked, the heavens opened and the boat trip was cancelled.

The visit to the island will have to wait but in the meantime here are a few images of the interior we found on the web.



So onwards to Barmouth via Fishguard through horizontal sheets of rain. We stopped for lunch at Melin Tregwynt and met with Mill owners Eifion and Amanda - the Welsh woolen wunder duo who have reinvented the traditional Welsh blanket, making their beautiful new designs (blankets,… Continue

Added by Marc Rees on June 17, 2009 at 22:05 — 2 Comments

Day 1 pics (properly uploaded this time!)

Just realised that they hadn't uploaded properly so here's the images from Day 1 of our road trip once again ( I am finally getting to grips with the technology...yay!)…

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Added by Marc Rees on June 17, 2009 at 18:07 — 2 Comments

more pics

Added by Marc Rees on June 16, 2009 at 23:30 — No Comments

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Added by Marc Rees on June 16, 2009 at 23:22 — No Comments

Day 2 pics

Added by Marc Rees on June 16, 2009 at 23:15 — No Comments

Road Trip - Day 2

Day 2



Met up with Graham Fry at his sea front hotel The Royal Lion, a sturdy statuesque figure who greets us on the doorstep with a tray of home made scones slathered with proper Welsh salty butter.



Graham has owned St Catherines Fort for the last 40 years.



He immediately reports an incident from the night before, bizarrely enough two people were arrested for trespassing on his island, the first time in forty years that the police actually charged someone. We… Continue

Added by Marc Rees on June 16, 2009 at 23:00 — 1 Comment

A room with a seagull view

Added by Marc Rees on June 16, 2009 at 21:45 — No Comments

Road Trip - Day 1

1st port of call, Porthcawl



On driving into Porthcawl Sian and I immediately fell into nostalgia as we both as kids spent many a summer’s holiday there. Our very red Vauxhall was transformed into a green half-timbered Morris minor packed with five screaming children, a drooling dog, Sian’s mam and dad, beach paraphernalia (including essential stripey wind breaker as Rest Bay was always windy) and a pressure cooker full of steaming stew!



No beach visit yesterday but to the… Continue

Added by Marc Rees on June 15, 2009 at 21:23 — 19 Comments

image block identification

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