Wednesday 25 September 2013

August - September


 
It was my birthday at the end of August so we had a family get-together to celebrate. A massive birthday cake appeared, with an image on top, of me holding the Llyn Cerrig Bach gang chain. Someone had been hacking into my Pictures folder! Here I am with my three lovely granddaughters ready to cut into the cake.
 
 They also took me to the idyllic Llanddwyn Beach on a beautiful sunny day. There is this an intricately carved sculpture at the beginning of a board walk to the beach. The board walk allows people with walking difficulties or with children in prams to be able to enjoy the amazing  views across the bay towards the Lleyn mountain range and even Bardsey island on a clear day.
 
 
 
Delyth, my eldest daughter, piloted a project to establish a Trim Trail through part of Newborough Forest. It was nice to see so many people making use of the facility in order to keep fit. This is the first of many challenges to attempt. A great idea to have a gym in the fresh air.
 
 

I was very surprised to receive an email from a gentleman in Melbourne, Australia who has been following my blog. I am constantly surprised to notice how far flung some of my blog followers are around the world. His name was Earl and he was hoping I could take him to visit Llyn Cerrig Bach and also Barclodiad y Gawres chamber. Some of his ancestors were from South Wales, but he’d chosen to learn North Walian Welsh! His emails always began and ended always in Welsh. My family were rather worried about me meeting someone I'd never met and off the internet! My son Gorwel therefore accompanied me to Barclodiad y Gawres chamber and my husband came with us to Llyn Cerrig Bach. However, they needn’t have worried, as he was an extremely nice gentleman.  Since I live so close to Barclodiad, I was able to bring Earl back home for a light lunch with us.  We enjoyed a long interesting chat about the pre-history of Anglesey. Earl’s wife had been thoughtful enough to parcel a lovely gift for me with her own handmade Thank You card. Hopefully, they will both be able to visit us in the not too distant future.

 

 
 
Following on from my visit with Marion from Cadw regarding getting interpretation boards  placed by Llyn Cerrig Bach, I was able to arrange a site visit with Anglesey County Council’s Highways Principal Engineer, Colin Edwards. This was because the overgrowth each side of the entrance had to be cut back in order to comply with road safety requirements.  Both Colin and I were pleasantly surprised to meet up again since it turned out I was his Infant teacher many years ago! He has grown a lot since then and I've shrunk!
 
 

I realise that my profile states that my blog is about happenings relating to Llyn Cerrig Bach and various interesting places I’ve visited around Anglesey. However, I can’t help mentioning the thrill I had this month when I was able to see the Mold Gold Cape. It had come to Wrexham Museum from mid August to mid September. First, we walked along a passage and then came around the corner to a completely darkened room. In the centre was the gold cape, displayed in a lighted glass cabinet (you can see a reflection of the back of the cloak on the glass in my picture). Like everyone else there, I just stood in awe before taking a walk around the cabinet.

 

 
In 1833 workmen dug up a skeleton with bits of gold stuck to it whilst excavating a burial mound near Mold in Flintshire, North Wales. Because of the amber beads that were buried alongside, they think it must have been worn by a notable young woman. All the pieces were sent to the British Museum where after painstaking work they were fitted together like a big jigsaw. Due to the pieces of bronze along the inside of the neckline and a small bronze knife, they were able to date the cape to around 3,700 BC.
 
Our Anglesey Heritage website has its own address now and is also interactive. Hope you'll peruse it and also register on site in order to interact with us. As I wrote the Llyn Cerrig Bach page, I shall be mainly responsible for responding to comments and attempting to answer any questions about Llyn Cerrig Bach.