Exploring The Area

[Hugo]

Heavenly hideaway with beach and wildlife that's just off the A55
The Spinnies nature reserve is free to visit and is open 'during daylight hours'

It's a lovely place to visit if you're a bird lover but I hope that the same thing doesn't happen to anyone like it did to me and my two friends who went there.
The approach is down a narrow single track lane to the beach car park but as we neared the car park we were stopped by the Police from going any further.    There was an unexploded bomb on the beach and the bomb disposal squad were going to detonate the explosive there
So we turned the car around and parked it  and then made our way through the reserve to the Kingfisher hide.   It's a nice wooden hide and the best spot to photograph those elusive Kingfishers.    We all got our cameras out and took photos of some birds and waited for the Kingfisher to appear but then there was an almighty bang and the wooden hide rocked to and fro.    The birds all disappeared after that bang so we made our way to the beach and I spoke to the officer in charge of the Bomb Disposal Unit and asked him where did the detonation occur.    He pointed to a place in the field about 30 yards away from the hide and when I told him what had happened his face went white.   He never knew there was a hide there let alone anyone in it so he said that's a lesson learnt for the future



https://www.dailypost.co.uk/whats-on/trips-breaks/heavenly-hideaway-beach-wildlife-thats-24741921

[mondie]

I have looked at a Samsung Galaxy A53 and that sounds good too and more in my price range.    I'm more interested in the camera aspect than as a phone.  

Hugo, in that case, I would definitely suggest a Pixel 6 Pro. Fantastic camera and onboard processing and the price on them have come down quite a bit since release. The amount of R&D invested into camera phones is massive, it is one of the few differentiators these days.

I have no experience with the Samsung A53 but if you watch a few reviews on YouTube you will start to get a feel for whether it's for you.

Cheers Simon

[Hugo]

Hi Mondie    thanks very much for your help and advice, it's really appreciated.     After lugging around a 1 Kg camera for years it will be nice if I can go walking and just carry a phone around instead.
Ironically with an Achiles heel problem and hospital visits it may be a few weeks before I go walking again so it'll give me plenty of time to follow your advice and look up these tips you have given
Thanks again and I hope that you keep posting your photos on here

[mondie]

No worries Hugo, I hope your Achillies is healed up by now. We have been fortunate to have done a lot of travelling over the past three months so I don't have many worthy pics of the local area. Must get back out there.

[Hugo]

Thanks for posting those lovely photos Mondie, just seeing them makes you realise what a beautiful area we live in.   My Achilles is still playing up and it's been over 4 months now since I first had it.   After the last two short walks I did I ended up putting ice packs on the heel to ease it a bit.
That's one of the reasons I haven't bought a camera phone but hopefully it may get back to normal soon
Keep posting those photos as they are always nice to see

[SteveH]

Nice photos Mondie......

CAMERA Club member Chris Woodbine has shared some enlightening photos from inside St Asaph's cathedral.
The cathedral dates back 1,400 years, with the current building dating from the 13th century

And while we are familiar with the exterior of the building, Chris wanted to capture some of the interesting objects and architecture within its historic walls.

cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/23116605.amazing-photos-inside-st-asaph-cathedral/?ref=rss&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[Hugo]

Calls for public takeover of Owain Glyndŵr's 'forgotten' home which was once the noblest in Wales
Campaigners demand greater recognition for Welsh history rather than 'Norman castles'
I've only been there once before and thought then that more should be done to preserve an important part of Welsh heritage


https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/calls-public-takeover-owain-glyndrs-25742339

[Helig]

I agree that this should be in public ownership and protected as it is such an important part of the Welsh heritage.

[Hugo]

I spoke to Tellytubby this week and we said that we'd visit the site again sometime in the new year.    When we went there before I collected a number of acorns from the great Oak trees on the mound and intended to grow Bonsai trees so I stored them in my shed ready to plant them later.   When the time was right I went to get them but found that the Squirrel had beaten me to it and I later found little Oak trees popping up all over the place



http://www.castlewales.com/sycharth.html

[Hugo]

The 'most isolated' village in North Wales - which is anything but dull
The small Conwy village of Llansannan punches well above its creative weight     I'm sure that I read an article in the Daily Post a while ago that Llansannon was also one of the nicest places to live in North Wales.     When I was working I went  there in the Winter and the snow was so bad I ended up getting towed  out of the drift by a farmer.   Another time in the Summer when I called on a farm I ended up helping to deliver a calf.    Nice memories from a nice place



https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/most-isolated-village-north-wales-25760557

[Hugo]

It's a dry sunny Boxing Day today but it wasn't like this in 2015
Looking back at the 'extraordinary' Boxing Day flood that devastated North Wales and the A55
Boxing Day 2015 saw 32 flood alerts across North Wales as the deluge devastated communities

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/nostalgia/looking-back-extraordinary-boxing-day-25817153

[SteveH]

Anglesey's strange tombstone memorial to man who spent half his life in Chinese lighthouse
Unravelling the mystery of the unique headstone and the man who resides beneath it

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/angleseys-strange-tombstone-memorial-man-25755009?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[Hugo]

The wooden toll bridge that's become an Snowdonia landmark over the centuries
Penmaenpool bridge has become a fixture of the local landscape since it was built in the 19th century


It's also a good place to start the Mawddach Trail walk,    An 8 mile walk along a disused railway track to Barmouth and in an are of outstanding natural beauty.       Catch the bus back to Penmaenpool, pay the 20p pedestrian fee for crossing the toll bridge and finish the walk off in the nearby George III hotel.     It's well worth doing

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/wooden-toll-bridge-thats-become-25917072

[Hugo]

This article was in the Daily Post and it's about the walk I mentioned yesterday


https://www.dailypost.co.uk/whats-on/trips-breaks/magnificent-nine-mile-snowdonia-estuary-25924352

[Hugo]

Tellytubby sent me some photos of a walk we did 7 years ago in Cwm Eigiau.    I'm glad that we didn't go there today as the rain has been  atrocious