I de liddle bird wot tells you all de stories.
You seen dat cat? Wot dat cat do? Look out!
I see dat cat! O, you two better scatter.
Now why would anyone get nervous about li'l old me?
In Winter's grip in January:
January 2009
Reminder of recent weather:
Cold snap.
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Historic Cae Melwr in the January sun 2008. See page "Cae Melwr" for more.
Y Glyn, Melin-y-Coed.
Eco-friendly lawnmowers manicure the grass in front of Pen-y-Llyn.
Bryn Derwen as seen from the A5 between Llanrwst and Betws y Coed.
Winter can't hide the beauty of the land.
Our intrepid MYC cameraman risks life and limb to bring you this photo of the Bryn Derwen wall said to have been built to the exact measurements of the length of the Titanic in memory of the disaster.
February points us to the approaching Spring season:
You think it looks cold? You should have BEEN there!
Don't look at dat pigletrazzi, or you turn into prosciutto.
Oo, mam, I going to look at dat funny pigletrazzi anyway. Oo, mam!
A roof with a view. From high ground near Bryniog Plas to the Irish Sea, some sixteen miles away.
A section of the view to the sea with Conway Bay, Great Orme's Head, and Llandudno visible against the horizon.
From Bryniog Plas looking North to the Conwy Sands mussel banks where the mouth of the Conwy River meets Conwy Bay and on to . . .
. . . the Great Ormes Head (Penygogarth)and the Bryn Pydew tower visible against Llandudno Bay . . .
. . . over Glanywydden to the sea . . .
. . . and to Little Ormes Head (Trwyn y Fuwch or Cow's Nose) with Penrhyn Bay to the east . . .
. . . to Rhos on Sea and the far horizon of Colwyn Bay.
Now for a better look at the middle distance:
The extreme left of the photo in more detail.
Above: Reminders of the Great Orme.
A semaphore telegraph station was built aon the Great Orme in 1827. The Great Orme's Summit Complex building was originally "The Telegraph Inn" relaying shipping messages between Holyhead and Liverpool. It was rebuilt as "The Summit Hotel" and was the 19th hole for the Great Orme Gold Club (closed 1939 - high winds were a problem for the golfers.) During WWII it was bought by the RAF in 1941 and became the RAF Great Orme Radar Station. It was restored as a hotel and bought by middle-weight boxer, Randolph Turpin in 1952, the licensee until 1961. After he became bankrupt, the Llandudno Urban Council bought him out. His tenure is commemorated in "Randy's Bar" - the Randolph Turpin Bar.
The Cable Tramway started operations in July 1902. Its planning had been in train since 1894; in 1898 a company was formed. It has been called a 'double reversible funicular tramway'. Its automatic emergency brake was especially praised by the inspector, though the resident engineer in retirement aged 87 admitted to colluding with the winding engineman to pull the wool over the inspector's eyes a little on that issue. It caused problems from time to time, but proved to be effective in October when it automatically operated. Re-setting it took four hours, though. It caused so many problems it was disconnected in 1906. Despite then operating without brakes, it was 1932 before an accident happened, killing driver Ted Harris and 12 year old passenger Margaret Worthington. After design and installation of a new brake, service recommenced. In 2000 it received complete refurbishment.
The Orme's high winds were strong enough to blow a tramcar over in 1917, and again in 1922 and 1982.
The lighthouse was built in 1862 by the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company and served until 1985. It now offers accommodation, and the original glass panelled lamp room is a sitting room with 200 degree views.
First promise of spring.
MARCH 2008
St David's day comes and goes.
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