Category Archives: Wales

Sport, politics, history: when the underdog gets revenge

Posted on March 19, 2013 by BarryH

I don’t watch sport of any kind either on TV or in the flesh. For a start I found that I was getting too-uptight but more importantly I decided a long time ago that I preferred to be doing something … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Greece, Reflections, Wales | Tagged basketball, England, european cup soccer, history, ice hockey, politics, rugby, soccer, sport, underdogs, Wales, Welsh history, Welsh language, welsh rugby team, world basketball championship | 1 Comment

Grey Britain, Canada, Greece: a philosophy of travel

Posted on March 4, 2013 by BarryH

It is widely believed that in the UK when the weather is dominated by high pressure the sky is blue and the sun shines, luxuriatingly hot in the summer, icy cold and exhilarating in winter. It can be but is … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Greece, Grey Britain, Grumpy Old Men, Mountains, Pontypool, Wales | Tagged ash tree, banff canada, bus routes, buses, button holes, Canada, grandchildren, Greece, Greek Islands, Mani, south wales coalfield, travel writing | 1 Comment

Go west young man, and do it without a list

Posted on January 9, 2013 by BarryH

I don’t make lists. To do so would be, from my warped perspective, to admit that my mind is failing. When I went to Greece for a long summer for the first time in 2010 I was urged to make … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Greece, Grey Britain, Mountains, Pontypool, Wales, Winter | Tagged brecon beacons national park, Calgary, Canada, Greece, lists, Pontypool, Pontypool Folly Tower, skiing, south east wales | 2 Comments

A New Year, portents, traditions and looking forward

Posted on January 5, 2013 by BarryH

I’ve never been impressed by the hype of the ‘New Year’, never regarded it as a portent or a time to make ephemeral resolutions to change bad habits, never felt the urge to stand around with arms crossed, holding hands … Continue reading →

Posted in Grumpy Old Men, Monmouthshire, Mountains, Pontypool, Reflections, Wales, Winter | Tagged auld lang syne, banff canada, brecon beacons national park, brecon canal, Canada, canadian rockies, Goose and Cuckoo, Lady Llanover, New Year, Pontypool, pub lunch, south east wales, unpredictable weather | 1 Comment

Rambling through 2012, a year in pictures: Part 1, Wales

Posted on December 30, 2012 by BarryH

At the end of a busy year it seems appropriate to look back and remember the places I went and the things I did during 2012. Far too much to cram into a blogable number of words so I decided … Continue reading →

Posted in Autumn, Grey Britain, Monmouthshire, Mountains, Pontypool, Wales, Winter | Tagged American Gardens, Big Pit, brecon beacons national park, Cardiff, Cardiff Castle, Cricieth, hoar frost, Pontypool, Pontypool Folly Tower, Pontypool Park, snow, waterfalls | 1 Comment

Windows of opportunity and a mountain playground on the doorstep

Posted on December 27, 2012 by BarryH

We moved to our present house from Cardiff in 1975 in order to be closer to my work, thereby significantly reducing the daily each-way commute from 20 miles to 4, 45 minutes to 8. The reasoning was that out of … Continue reading →

Posted in Grey Britain, Pontypool, Reflections, Wales, Winter | Tagged brecon beacons national park, mountains, Pontypool, Pontypool Folly Tower, south east wales | Leave a comment

Back from the shops: Jinxed journey and verglas

Posted on December 15, 2012 by BarryH

When I was a kid we used to have to write essays in school on less than thrilling subjects such as ‘My Summer Holidays’, ‘An afternoon in the Park’ or ‘My Favourite Pet’. So boring did I find this that … Continue reading →

Posted in Monmouthshire, Mountains, Wales, Winter | Tagged black ice, brecon beacons national park, Cardiff, demon barber of fleet street, ice, shopping, sweeny tod, trains, verglas | 2 Comments

Hibernation time and images of cold weather

Posted on December 12, 2012 by BarryH

Late nights have been more frequent recently. Four times in the last week I have been up until 03.00 and this has started to impact on the time I get up. My boast that I get up at 07.30 whatever … Continue reading →

Posted in Autumn, Pontypool, Wales, Winter | Tagged brecon canal, frost, log fire, Pontypool, south east wales, vapour trails | Leave a comment

November Daily Blog 18: broad views and small details in the Brecon Beacons National Park

Posted on November 18, 2012 by BarryH

Sunday was indeed another good day. Sunny days in Grey Britain are rare, opportunities not to be missed. So, despite warnings to rest my knee, I walked up the ridge at the southern tip of the Brecon Beacons National Park … Continue reading →

Posted in Autumn, Monmouthshire, Mountains, Pontypool, Uncategorized, Wales, Winter | Tagged Abergavenny, brecon beacons national park, brecon canal, flora and fauna, footpaths, Pontypool | Leave a comment

November Daily Blog 17: waterfalls, footpaths and shepherds

Posted on November 17, 2012 by BarryH

On Friday night grey and gloom was forecast for Saturday morning clearing to sunshine in the afternoon. So I planned a return visit to ‘Waterfall Country’ further west in the Brecon Beacons National Park. Despite the forecast I opened the … Continue reading →

Posted in Autumn, Mountains, Wales | Tagged brecon beacons national park, footpaths, Nedd Fechan, Pontneddfechan, south east wales, waterfalls | 1 Comment