Cathedral Quest

Several days ago I received an email from Bev Anastasiou who lives on the island of Anghistri, twenty miles from Athens. In it she told me about a sponsored bike ride being undertaken by her 48 year old brother, Gary. The idea was to drum up some financial support for Gary who is cycling around England, Scotland & Wales, calling at every cathedral on the way. My wife and I know Bev because she and her husband Christos run a small hotel where we stay whenever we visit Anghistri. We have even named our house after the island.

Gary is doing the cycle ride to raise money for two quite different charities. The first is the restoration of Letton Church close to his home, and the second is Macmillan Cancer Support. Now by sheer coincidence I happen to be the Secretary of the Anglesey Macmillan Committee. Looking at Gary's itinerary, I noticed that he was due in Bangor, just over the Menai Strait on the mainland on Monday, 12th May. It occurred to me that I should meet Gary to say "Hello, my name is Keith from the Anglesey Macmillan Committee and I know your sister, Bev."

I contacted Eleri Brady, Fund Raising Manager for North Wales for Macmillan to tell her what was happening. She contacted Bangor Cathedral who knew nothing about the event. However, in the meantime, my wife rang Bev in Greece and said I was going to meet Gary. Bev told her to ring Gary's mum who told her that he was having trouble with his cycle and would not make it on Monday as planned. So the plan now is to be at Bangor Cathedral on Wednesday to greet Gary and transport him plus the bike to our home so he is fed and has somewhere to stay overnight. On Thursday I shall take him back to Bangor Cathedral to continue his ride.

If anyone would like to support Gary and make a donation then go to this website: http://www.cathedralquest.org.uk/ where all details of the sponsored cycle ride can be found. On the website full details including a blog are there so you can see how he is doing. Please make a donation to these worthwhile charities. It will make a difference if you do this.

Motor Racing in Anglesey!

Today turned out to be quite different! Yesterday a former work colleague emailed me to say he would be in Anglesey for the weekend taking part in a motor sprint at the Trac Ynys Mon. Mike Ashcroft has been interested in motorsport all his life and is a director and Clerk of the Course at Aintree Circuit Club. At Aintree they use what is left of the former Grand Prix racing track. This weekend's event attracted many keen motorsport enthusiasts, some of who had pitched tents or brought caravans to the event. You might think this is a young man's sport but I saw many men older than myself (64 years) in racing suits.

The circuit is a remarkable achievement on what was once a small military establishment. The quality of the road surface is excellent and all necessary facilities are there. At one point I saw the red flag go out to stop all racing as a car was blocking the circuit. All safety measures were taken and the whole event was very professionally run. Some of the competing cars were single seater racing cars whilst the majority were cars seen on the road everyday. There were various categories to include cars which remained as standard everyday models and cars which were clearly developed and designed as racing cars and transported on trailers to the event.

Refreshments were available at all times and the cost of admission was £6.00. I was lucky enough to have a complimentary ticket. It was fascinating to walk round the car park and see such an array of motor cars, new and old. The people there were very friendly and loved to talk about the beasts they were about to drive at great speed round this quality track.

There is a very full and busy season there and if you wish to go along and see an event it is not too difficult to locate the site. Simply travel to Rhosneigr and then continue along the road to Aberfraw, past Porth Trecastell and turn right where the signs are shown. Eventually you will find yourself travelling slowly along a humped road as far as the gate of the circuit. After paying to enter simply follow the road before you and it leads you to the car park. Silverstone it isn't,but you will see some excellent motorsport going on which is the main reason for going.

The site is certainly exposed and when I was there the south west prevailing wind was blowing in from the Irish Sea. Wrap up warm and the rest is all fun! The photos are of my friend, Mike, enjoying his sport.

Down by the Menai Strait

It was on Sunday afternoon, 2nd March that we decided to go out and find a sheltered spot away from the westerly wind. "Where shall we go?" was the problem. Then I remembered my friend, Richard Butler, telling me that there was access to the Menai Strait for walkers near the Co-op in Menai Bridge. We drove over and found the car park which was actually near the Chinese Restaurant. We got out of the car and walked slowly down the path through the trees to the Anglesey bank of the Menai Strait.

The tide was out so many pools existed for an Egret and an Oystercatcher to walk around in search of food. As we dropped down to the level of the strait we found ourselves approaching the causeway over to the church of St Tysilio on its small island. We walked across and strolled through the little churchyard where many graves spoke of the hard life known by people from the earlier part of the 20th century. There were parents and children sharing graves. Often the children had only lived for about 6 months. Some graves told the visitor that the deceased had drowned in the Menai Strait.

The tiny church of St Tysilio had a door which could only be described as ancient and above it was a sign telling us it was a first century church. In fact the island was the site for the saint's cell since about 630AD.Surrounded by many slate gravestones the church is to be found on its island just by the Menai Suspension Bridge. Its name forms part of the full name of the village we call Llanfairpwll. The full name is Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. Part of the long description talks about the church being in a hollow by a whirlpool. This is born out by its location below the general level of the surrounding land and adjacent to a part of the strait known as the Swellies where all sorts of water movement happens, including a circular motion. The present church is mediaeval but was restored like many others in the 19th century. This was usually the kiss of death in terms of architectural beauty but as the door was locked I say no evidence one way or the other.

The photographs show the bridges and the tiny church that appears to float on the Menai Strait when the tide is high. It was both beautiful and peaceful down on the footpath that leads round to the base of the Menai Suspension Bridge. Neither of us ventured that far because Pauline had back trouble and my chest condition was active that day. Both of us had to climb the footpath back to the car park so we saved our energy for the steady climb. But these pictures show another view of a very beautiful island which is now our home.

Llanfairynghornwy

The tiny village of LLanfairynghornwy is situated off the main road near the north coast of Anglesey. Unless you have business there you will probably never visit it as it is not on a road to anywhere in particular. Yet it has a claim to fame. The rector's wife (early 19th century) was a relative of Charles Darwin.

Rev James Williams became rector in his father's footsteps. His father, Rev John Williams had held the office of chaplain at Windsor. King George IV had been in Ireland and was on his way home from there. He stayed at Holyhead for a visit before continuing his journey home. Knowing the King was in Holyhead, John Williams petioned him on behalf of his son. His request was granted and Henry instructed the Bishop of Bangor that James was to succeed his father when the living became vacant.

The 19th was the century of church restoration and many architects were gainfully employed in designing the changes. Sadly for many, this was to render many churches and cathedrals less beautiful than before. But this was not the case at Llanfairynghornwy because the new rector took on the task himself and ensured the job was done with taste.

James and his wife arrived at his new home on a stormy day and when James took his bride down to the coast they had a great shock. A sailing ship called "Alert" was impaled on the rocks and helpless. She sank quickly and one hundred and forty souls were lost. The newly weds vowed there and then to provide the means for saving lives around Anglesey's treacherous coast. Through family and social connections, the rector raised the funds to buy and maintain a lifeboat which was kept at Cemlyn Bay. Frances, the rector's wife, painted watercolours and sold copies of a picture of the King landing at Holyhead from Ireland. In 1828 they had formed the Anglesey Association for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck.

Over 50 ships were lost off the shores of Anglesey in 1833. James Williams helped to design the lifeboats and the rocket launching equipment used. The Association lasted from 1829 till 1856 when it became part of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. During that period over 400 lives were saved by Anglesey lifeboats. James himself was a winner of an RNLI Gold Medal for bravery for his work in rescuing lives from 2 ships. Frances herself was a great supporter of the movement. One day she sailed in the Cemlyn boat to the Skerries where the lighthouse keeper was ill. She ministered to him and returned to Anglesey, both passages being in rough seas.

They had a son, Owen Lloyd, who followed his father into the church and became rector of Boduan on the Llyn peninsular. Owen took charge of the lifeboats at Porthdinllaen and Abersoch and received bravery awards for his service.

A lesser known story of this village is the one that involved Dannie Lukie, a smuggler. One night Lukie was out in rough weather and found a ship in distress. The crew of three had abandoned ship and were rowing for the shore. On reaching them Lukie found a dead man and two boys very much alive. He took them to Mynachdy where lived Doctor Loyd, who cared for them until they recovered. One of the boys ended up working on the farm and he was called Evan Thomas. He took interest in Dr Lloyd's practice and accompanied him on his rounds. The boy showed a talent for mending broken bones and this ability grew as he became older.

Evan married and his son showed a talent for bone-setting as did other descendants and family members. The family practised on Anglesey, in Liverpool and in many other places. It is surprising how so much amazing talent and commitment should emanate from one small village in Anglesey.

The way to the tip

This photograph is of one of my favourite roads in Anglesey. It is a road I have travelled many times. When we arrived in Anglesey in September 2004 and unloaded all our goods and chattels we found a great many cardboard boxes to discard.

Back home in Milnrow, Rochdale, we would have taken them in the car over a period of time each time we went to the supermarket or visited the town centre in Rochdale. The facility we used in Rochdale was very well planned and consisted of a series of cliff edges in herringbone fashion. Over each one of these we could throw our rubbish. Some were specially marked for green refuse, metal, wood, etc. The entrance to the site had a bar to prevent lorries arriving and filling the skips with trade waste. One day I took Pauline's Ford Focus with a load of long items which protruded from the boot. This meant I had to leave the tailgate open. Not having tied it down, the tailgate was in an elevated position. As I passed through the tip gateway there was an almighty crash as the rear window smashed!

This waste facility in Rochdale was about 2.5 miles from our house in Milnrow. When we arrived in Anglesey we found that going to the tip with our excess rubbish was a journey of 30 miles there and back. So, whenever we had rubbish we loaded it into whichever car we were using to go to Bangor, Llanfairpwll or Menai Bridge. During the first few months we were engaged on many jobs as we made improvements to our bungalow and so it meant we were forever travelling the journey to the tip.

This was the down side. The up side was that we drove along this road on the final mile to the refuse tip. You can really get a move on down this tree lined lane because you can see so far ahead. If you see a vehicle travelling towards you there are numerous lay by passing places to stop in. Not only this but the road has a lovely smooth surface unblemished by reinstatements such as you encounter on the road from Milnrow to Rochdale. Once in leaf, the many different trees form a beautiful avenue throughout the late Spring, Summer and Autumn.

Since we came an old farmhouse has been transformed into a very attractive house with double garage and pretty gardens just before you arrive at the gate to the site. I remember the day when we had to stop and wait until some men had unloaded and then driven a huge excavator through a gap in the hedge to get onto a farm. Living in the country means you are required to have a great deal of patience as slower vehicles share the roads with you. Most tractor drivers pull into the occasional layby to allow the traffic to flow again. But I think that this photo shows that we have the most pretty route of anywhere for a road to the refuse tip.

The Holy Wells of Anglesey

Recently, some members of U3A Anglesey Branch have formed an Archaeological Group. For our first project - suggested by the Gwynedd Arcaeological Trust - we are going to locate and record all details surrounding the Holy Wells of Anglesey. U3A is an organisation formed to give retired men and women an opportunity to feed their minds. Its full title is University of the Third Age. The first age is that of child hood and education; the second is that of work and adulthood; the third age is that of retirement. The word, University, is used in its earlier meaning which did not require exams and qualifications.

The photo at the top of this blog is of St Sieriol's Well close to Penmon Priory, a short distance from Beaumaris. The well is now sheltered by an old brick structure. The brick structure probably dates from the 18th century. Close by can be seen the old foundations which are all that is left of Sieriol's cell.

Springs were sacred to the ancient Celts, and were often used by the early Christians for baptisms. Indeed, we know of at least one holy well near Cemaes Bay which is actually a stream. It may be that, as we progress, we shall discover more wells which take the form of a small stream.

During Spring and Summer this year, our group will be travelling all over the island in search of the many wells of which we have heard. If you happen to know the location of any of these wells it would be appreciated if you would get in touch with us to help us find them and record details of them. If you have any information please email me as follows:

keith@alexander54.freeserve.co.uk

Some of the ancient wells are said to have certain healing qualities. The well of St Gallgo, just off the A5025 and to the south west of the church, is said to be good for healing and a pin thrown into the water was once thought to bring good luck. On the other hand, near St Gredifael's church, a mile from the village of Penmynydd, nthere is a well which is said to be able to cure warts after they have first been pricked by a pin! So, you see, Anglesey turns out to be a healthy place to live.

I have never come across any place in England or Wales that is quite so full of prehistoric remains and monuments as Anglesey. For the most part this was brought about by people crossing from Ireland to see what opportunities existed on this side of the water. For instance, the passage burial chamber Barclodiad y Gawres at Porth Trecastell is constructed in the style of very similar monuments found in Ireland. As for standing stones, the island abounds with them. Sadly, although we have so many standing stones we know absolutely nothing about them as is the case elsewhere in the United Kingdom. Only in the case of those found in circles have archaeologists been able to provide an interpretation.

A Windy Day in Anglesey

Saturday 29th December was a windy day and I had been out only once for a couple of food essentials. The wind was blowing from the South West and I remarked to the check out operator at the supermarket in Amlwch that the building had been built in their favour. So often you see staff shivering with cold as the open doors of the supermarket allow in the cold wind.

We we watching the cross country skiing from the Czech Republic when my wife suggested we should go out for a drive to see the waves that the present wind would be creating on the sea. I was keen to do this because I was bored and the skiing was just about to finish. I grabbed my camera, we jumped in my car and set off across Anglesey for Treaddur Bay where we could see the waves without leaving the car.

The sea was, indeed, quite lively, at Trearddur Bay this afternoon. The largest waves sent spray flying high into the air. It was quite spectacular to see it. Then, as we usually do, we set off along the road that winds back the long way to Holyhead. From this road there are numerous sea vistas that reward travellers. Eventually we came to the junction with the road to South Stack lighthouse. The sun was beginning to set so we thought it might look good from the car park, high above the lighthouse. I managed to get this photograph before setting off via Holyhead on the way home. As we like to drive along past the Maritime Museum we again went that way. We suddenly noticed the huge waves breaking over the massive breakwater that protects Holyhead harbour from the prevailing south westerly winds.

Once more we parked up and watched the waves tumbling over the high wall on the breakwater. I remarked to Pauline that one day I would like to travel along the breakwater which is about 2 miles in length. Beyond the breakwater we could see a freighter which seemed to be at anchor. We were surprised it was not sheltering in the harbour. The light began to fade and the lights of the ship came on as did the lights of the special pier for the Anglesey Aluminium Company. It was time to leave.

Little did we realise until a short time ago, when I was browsing the BBC News website, that a drama had enfolded about lunchtime involving the breakwater. A man and his 2 sons from Nelson in Lancashire (we also come from Nelson!) had been fishing at the end of the breakwater when the wind increased sending huge waves over the wall. They called the lifeboat for help. Oddly enough, the lifeboat is kept in the marina on the quiet side of the breakwater so it was there anyway. The inshore boat was launched with the all weather boat on stand by. All they could do was to escort the van along the breakwater as it dodged the waves. As each series of waves ceased they drove further along until they had cleared the dangerous part.

So now we have a practical demonstration as to why the breakwater was built and why it is so long! As we drove past the inner harbour the fast Stena catamaran was moored in calm water.

If you have an interest in shipping there is an interesting website, http://www.aisliverpool.org.uk/ and this gives the positions of ships in the Irish Sea. I can always tell if the Stena Adventurer is in port at Holyhead and whether the Prince Madog is in the Menai Strait. Many ships shelter off our coast on the north east of Anglesey as it gives excellent shelter for 5 miles into Liverpool Bay. Often they are are anchored until the Liverpool pilot can guide them to the port.