Webs Wonder Design

We have a local weekly newspaper in this part of west Wales called the “Tivyside Advertiser” which claims to be “The Voice of the Community for 141 years“. If you want to know who has been banned from driving, or hurt in a drunken brawl, or had a set of spanners nicked from their garage, read the Tivyside.

I have no problem with this, after all, it’s what a local paper is for - reporting local issues. In a relatively low crime area, small incidents are news. You either hear of these happenings over a pint in the local, or in a street corner conversation, or read them in the Tivyside.

Occasionally however the Tivyside displays poor editorial judgement by giving undue prominence to a story in a way which can leave a nasty taste in the mouth.

Take the Tivyside dated August 21st 2007, It’s headline reads “Kibbutz on sea”. The story is about the owner of Cardigan Island Coastal Farm Park in the county of Ceredigion, who is in a long running dispute with Ceredigion County Council over their plan to create a 95km coastal path (similar to the highly successful one in the adjacent county of Pembrokeshire) which will pass through his land. The owner lost an appeal to the The Welsh Assembly Government against the plan earlier in 2007, but he continues to fight on. He is reported as vowing to take the case as far as the UK High Court and the European Court in Strasbourg.

Continue reading “Kibbutz on sea” - A threat or a promise?

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There are a a couple of donkeys living in Cwm Morgan - Bill and Ben. They are expert escapologists. They can often be seen trotting around, pushing their long heads into people gates and getting in the way of the 2 cars an hour which pass through here.

Eventually someone tells their owner and we have a round up, with people standing along all possible escape routes until Bill and Ben decide to go back into their field.

This photo was taken by one of my neighbours yesterday before they boys went home. Can anyone suggest a caption for this photo? If so, please email me and I’ll choose the best ones.
Continue reading Donkey caption competition

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As I launch new sites, as well as adding them to my portfolio page links, I’ve decided to say something about new ones here soon after they are launched. This is the first, hence the number 1.

I build some websites for money. I build some websites for love. I wouldn’t build some for love or money. However a site I’ve just finished was for both.

In the town of Cardigan / Aberteifi (Aber - the mouth of ; Teifi - the River Teifi) is the Theatr Mwldan, which boasts two excellent auditoria, both presenting live performance, big screen cinema, plus studio space and a foyer including a café and bar plus Box Office and Gallery.
Continue reading TMfilmsoc.org.uk

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Last Sunday night we lay on the garden trampoline and watched Perseid meteor shower. Initially we had driven up to 1,000 ft above sea level, thinking that would improve the view, but it didn’t, because much more peripheral light crept into our field of vision from distant car headlights and even more distant settlements. The sides of our valley seemed to shield us from this ‘light pollution’ so we drove home to continued our star gazing .

Most people are moved by prolonged staring into the vastness of space, and I’m no exception. As your eyes gradually adjust and focus, the few major pin pricks of light forming the well known constellations merge into the background mass of stars and galaxies. What started as an inky blackness becomes brighter and clearer and vaster.
Continue reading The heavens and old photos

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BAA’s attempt in the High Court to prevent a wide range of environmental and other groups from attending peaceful protests at Heathrow Airport has backfired as comprehensively as a Jumbo jet running on diesel.

As well as providing huge publicity for the Plane Stupid campaign, BAA have only managed to get a injunction against 3 named organisers of Plane Stupid. Radio reports give the impression that Plane Stupid supporters (or people of like-mind, or is it followers?) are also banned from attending their Camp for Climate Action at Heathrow airport, August 14^th-21^st 2007.

Continue reading I’m *not* Spartacus, or Plane Stupid

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For the 80% of you out there who don’t live in the countryside. Let me explain. The Cych Valley where I live in west Wales is quiet, very quiet. We are 5 miles from the nearest town - Newcastle Emlyn (official population 1,000) and 3 miles from the nearest ‘A’ road - that’s one where the traffic can flow continuously both ways with no single track element. We’re 15 miles from the nearest Tesco (no loss there) and 75 miles from the nearest IKEA! (thank the Lord).

The Cych Valley is part of the Teifi Valley catchment and it flows into the River Teifi at Abercych. It is one of only 85 EU designated “Special Areas of Conservation” (Formerly SSSI) in Wales. All manner of scarce swimmy and hairy things live here because it’s wet and quiet.

Continue reading Sat Nav Blues

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One of my first memories was crawling across the quarry tile floor under the Belfast sink in the kitchen of my childhood home at 13 Kimberley Road Leicester to get to the dog’s bowl and eat his biscuits - particularly the black ones.

Nothing unusual about children doing strange things you might say. They put all manner of objects in their mouths. While undoubtedly true, I have to admit to something rather more serious. I still eat dog biscuits.

Continue reading Eating dog biscuits

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This is a shameless plug for a lovely album I bought recently. It’s the first album from Wild West Wales records and is a collaboration between musicians based in West Wales and USA. The album is a great mix of country and Celtic with pedal steel, violin and harp. It was recorded at Red Kite Studios in wild hills near Llandovery, Carmarthenshire. At under a tenner for the 16 track download version, it’s great value.

And how refreshing to know that Welsh towns and history can inspire these American writers with songs like “Farewell to Aberystwyth” and “Drovers Song”. You can read more, listen to snippets from the tracks, and buy the album on CD or as a download by clicking the banner.

You can also see a video on Revver. Just click the arrow on the screen below.

Continue reading Celtic Americana

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