Author Topic: Walking  (Read 821363 times)

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Offline hollins

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Re: Walking
« Reply #975 on: February 16, 2013, 07:10:27 pm »
Thank you Jack for posting such an interesting story. I thought I might have to bore people to death with my latest crochet project before you came to the rescue with your tale.
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Offline Michael

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Re: Walking
« Reply #976 on: February 16, 2013, 07:33:20 pm »
   The last post has jogged my memory a bit. Whilst I was still in school some of the lads had stories of "crashed planes" up above Aber.
   One or two went up there to some of the sites. One thing they brought back with them, I remember it well.
   It was broken pieces of perspechs, probably spelt wrong. Its was used for the windscreens and windows, you could see through it but when broken it wasn't sharp like glass.
   These pieces became like a currency. They were bought and sold amongst us, the price in LSD determined by the size and condition. "I'll give you two four inch square pieces for four sweet tokens from your ration book."


Offline Jack

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Re: Walking
« Reply #977 on: February 16, 2013, 07:41:19 pm »
   The last post has jogged my memory a bit. Whilst I was still in school some of the lads had stories of "crashed planes" up above Aber.
   One or two went up there to some of the sites. One thing they brought back with them, I remember it well.
   It was broken pieces of perspechs, probably spelt wrong. Its was used for the windscreens and windows, you could see through it but when broken it wasn't sharp like glass.
   These pieces became like a currency. They were bought and sold amongst us, the price in LSD determined by the size and condition. "I'll give you two four inch square pieces for four sweet tokens from your ration book."

Bet the German debris was worth more than the RAF bits?

When I was a kid we used to swap and barter Panini football stickers in the schoolyard  :(

Offline snowcap

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Re: Walking
« Reply #978 on: February 16, 2013, 08:42:25 pm »
when i was in school we swapped cardboard milk tops

Offline Fester

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Re: Walking
« Reply #979 on: February 16, 2013, 11:50:25 pm »
Jack, I am fascinated by WWII, and that story is excellent.
Its incredible that we know today what the mission of the German Heinkel Bomber was when it thankfully came a cropper.

The engine of the British Plane looks to be in remarkable condition considering how long it has be open to the elements.
The steel, for some reason reminds me of the 1980's robot, Metal Mickey,


Fester...
- Semper in Excretum, Sole Profundum Variat -

Offline Nemesis

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Re: Walking
« Reply #980 on: February 17, 2013, 09:22:15 am »
Didn't Pendragon post something about the 'crashed' planes somewhere above Pen ?
Mad, Bad and Dangerous to know.

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #981 on: February 17, 2013, 10:37:51 am »
I've never walked that scree path to the left of the waterfall but might do it this year Jack as it sounds good.  We are hoping to visit one crash site in the next few months too.


http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk/articles/aircraft-wreckage-in-snowdonia.html

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #982 on: February 17, 2013, 05:47:57 pm »
It was a lovely sunny day today so I thought that I would do the Llanrhos and the Vardre walk that Chris Draper describes in his book.  It's a short walk of about three miles and it takes in two of the most historic sites in the Llandudno area.  Llanrhos Church and Deganwy Castle, both are said to have been founded by Maelgwn Gwynedd in the sixth century. 
I started the walk at the public footpath by Maesdu Golf Course and made my way first of all to Granny's Armchair as we called it on account of it looking like an armchair from our front window.  It's actually a watch tower, part of a chain of watch towers constructed in the sixteenth century to keep an eye out for the threat of Pirates offshore!   After a quick look around it was down over the muddy fields to Llanrhos Church. It was nice to see all the Snowdrops growing over the graveyard and amongst many headstones.  One Chris Draper describes a touching story " Here lieth the body of poor Betty who for upwards of 50 years was a houseless wandering maniac, died February 1824. Y mae gorphwysfa yn y Nefoedd"   The Welsh translates as "there is a resting place in Heaven."    After visiting my own families grave I crossed the road, passing the Old School and the Cocoa House and took the footpath past St Mary's Well and made my way to Plas Dolau Farm as I wanted to see the sunken footpath that Chris Draper described in his book. It is an ancient path called a hollaway so I was interested to see it but the reality is disappointing to say the least.  It is the muddiest muddy path I've come across and has a stream flowing down the middle.  After what seemed ages I exited the path and then crossed two fields towards the castle and saw what would have looked like a good photo opportunity so I looked in my rucksack and there was no camera so I must have dropped it along the way from Plas Dolau. Carefully retracing my steps, I was halfway down the muddy path when I saw it. It was in the middle of the stream but sticking out of the mud on which it landed.   I was quite relieved when I found the camera so I made my way to the top of the castle where I had some refreshments and just stayed for a while admiring the views from the top.  It was then time to make my way back to my car and home.  I've never used them before but I'm going to have to invest in a pair of gaiters as the paths seem to be worse than ever.   

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #983 on: February 17, 2013, 05:50:01 pm »
Llanrhos and the Vardre

Offline hollins

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Re: Walking
« Reply #984 on: February 17, 2013, 05:57:03 pm »
Thank goodness you found your camera and that it survived. Lovely pictures and great views from up there. What a nice change it was to have such a clear sunny day today.

Offline Gwynant

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Re: Walking
« Reply #985 on: February 19, 2013, 02:29:40 pm »
                Took advantage of the beautiful weather to take a short walk in the Menai Bridge area yesterday. We parked behind the Antelope Inn on the Gwynedd side (with the prior permission of the Landlord) and then walked over the bridge into Ynys Mon and turned right down into the village. We then went down to the Pier area and walked  past a tiny whitewashed cottage and then under the bridge and round through the wooded area with a stone circle  onto the lane which follows the straits round to St. Tysilio's Church and then up through the woods and back over the bridge for a very enjoyable (2 for £10) lunch in the Antelope with a table overooking the bridge. There was hardly a ripple on the straits and it was 2 "shirtsleeve order" which is very unusual for this time of year.

Offline Gwynant

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Re: Walking
« Reply #986 on: February 19, 2013, 02:45:08 pm »
           More photos from Menai Bridge taken yesterday. The last one is the view from our table in the Antelope Inn where we had our lunch.

Offline hollins

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Re: Walking
« Reply #987 on: February 19, 2013, 02:51:53 pm »
Fabulous, makes me want to go there now!
We are being spoilt with this weather.

Offline martin

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Re: Walking
« Reply #988 on: February 19, 2013, 06:11:50 pm »
Lovely photo's from both walks.  Hugo, we were parallel to you today, but on the very easy Conwy to West Shore footpath, it's the first time I have done this walk, and my now fairly well healed broken ankle held up well.  The walk you did is one I have always wanted to do, where do you start please, and are there any maps that show the route?   One question you and many other will know, but I do not, is what is/was this place on West Shore please?

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #989 on: February 19, 2013, 06:35:54 pm »
That run down building I think is Welsh Water's pumping station for the sewage.  It broke down when Llandudno had the floods a few years ago and was replaced by the new pumping station by the Yachting Lake. 
I started that walk from the public footpath that runs alongside the 17th fareway on Maesdu Golf Club.  It's the field where the Donkeys are kept in the Summer.
The walk is easy to follow as you can see each place you are heading for but I would suggest that you leave it for now and do it in the Summer.   The ground is so wet and saturated that it made walking hard and my trousers were so dirty that I'm going to buy gaiters for the first time ever.
If I do it again, next time I will bypass Plas Dolau  and walk along Bryn Lupus Road and turn into Maes Castell where there is a decent public footpath to take you to Deganwy Castle.
Glad to hear that your broken ankle is healed and look forward to seeing your posts on walking  $good$