It was the Monaco Grand Prix last weekend so this week’s F1 Wednesday post it seems appropriate to dedicate it to Monaco!
Our Life In Eryri / Snowdonia
I had an emotional moment on the way in to work this morning. The song The Black Hills of Dakota came on and it started me off crying. It was played at Nain’s funeral 3 years ago and it still makes me sob.
But after that Gwena by Gwibdaith Hen Fran came on and I saw this view. Maybe I’m daft but I felt like Nain sent me a sign to brighten my day. And so by the time I got to work I was fine and enjoying the crisp morning that it is here.
Funny things emotions.
5 days ago
🏴 Es am ginio i Buffers yng Ngorsaf Pwllheli heddiw. All rhywun ddweud wrtha i sut ar y ddaear tydw i erioed wedi bod yma cyn heddiw?! Bwyd blasus a lleoliad gwych!
🇬🇧 Went for lunch to Buffers at Pwllheli Station today. Can someone explain to me how on earth have I not been in here before?! Good food and a great location!
#Buffers #Pwllheli #AmserCinio #Lunchtime #PlatformLunches
2 weeks ago
Oedd yr 80au yn wahanol oes! Oedd Nain o hyd yn cadw fyny hefo ffasiwn. Oedd Nain yn awesome! Dal i fethu hi.
The 80s were a different era! Look at that fashion! Reckon it was very late 80s. Nain always kept up with fashion. Nain was freaking awesome! Still miss her.
3 weeks ago
Almost a week since our trip to Blackpool behind the beauty that is 45596 Bahamas - an LMS Jubilee Class loco.
Designed by William Stanier, built in 1935 by North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow, Bahamas operated under British Rail until it was withdrawn from traffic in 1966 when BR banned steam.
A preservation society was formed and saved her from scrap. She returned to mainline operation in 1972 when the ban of steam engines was lifted. She has been used for mainline excursions or as static displays (when out of ticket) ever since.
The full video of our trip to Blackpool with Vintage Trains will be on YouTube tomorrow!
#VintageTrains #BahamasLocomotiveSociety #MainlineSteam #HeritageRailways #HeritageRailwayPeople #SteamEngine #SteamTrainLife #BigTrain #45596 #45596Bahamas #Blackpool #Crewe #WestCoastMainline #HoganStiniog #BecsterTravels
3 weeks ago
Yesterday I joined the Blackpool Illuminations Express rail tour! Joined the train at Crewe and headed up the West Coast mainline. At Preston we branched off towards Blackpool taking the Preston and Blackpool line.
Our noble steed was 45596 LMS Jubilee Class “Bahamas”. I think she’s owned by the Bahamas Locomotive Society but being operated by Vintage Trains. Either way she’s a beauty!
Got speaking to some lovely people involved with the loco and it’s clear how much she’s loved by them. Thanks to all involved!
#45596bahamas #Bahamas #MainlineSteam #Railtour #VintageTrains #SteamTrainLife #heritagerailwaypeople #Blackpool #Crewe #WeetCoastMainline
4 weeks ago
🏴 Hwyl am y tro Amgueddfa Lechi! Wedi cau am 2 flynedd 😭 Fydd dim Nadolig yno eleni - Nadolig ydi fy hoff dymor yn yr Amgueddfa. Rhywbeth digon hudolus am y lle adeg Nadolig. Ond dyma rhai o fy hoff luniau dros y blynyddoedd diweddar. Diolch o galon i pob un o’r staff am wneud y lle mor arbennig! Welwn ni chi yn 2026!
🇬🇧Bye for now Slate Museum! Closed for 2 years 😭 There will be no Christmas there this year - Christmas is my favorite season at the Museum. Something quite magical about the place at Christmas time. But here are some of my favorite photos from recent years. Thank you so much to the staff who’ve made the place so special. We’ll see you in 2026!
#AmgueddfaLechiCymru #NationalSlateMuseum #LlechiCymru #WelshSlate #UNESCOWorldHeritageSite #Llanberis #GoodbyeForNow #Cymru #GogleddCymru #NorthWales
1 month ago
🏴Moelwynion o’r trên ger Pont Croesor. Oedd hi’n braf fel oedden ni’n dod am Porthmadog. Yn anffodus ddaru hi fynd yn reit ddwl erbyn i ni gyrraedd Blaenau yn y prynhawn. Dim ots! Dal fy off le yn y byd!
🇬🇧 The Moelwyns from the train near Pont Croesor. It was sunny as we were approaching Porthmadog. Unfortunately it had turned rather dull by the time we got to Blaenau in the afternoon. Never mind! It’s still my favourite place in the whole world!
#ymayrwyfiifod #blaenauffestiniog #moelwynion #moelwyns #adra #hoganstiniog
2 months ago
Megsy’s Grand Day Out!
Megs joined us on our Snowdonia Circular tour on the trains. Started off on a train from Caernarfon to Porthmadog. She loved it - look at that face!!
After a pitstop at Spooners and a walk around Porthmadog, we headed on an FR train to Blaenau Ffestiniog. Seeing as we had 2 hours to spare we walked around Blaenau (pics will be posted soon) before heading back to the station to catch a TFW train to Llandudno Junction.
At Junction we transferred to an Avanti West Coast Service to Bangor. From there we caught an Arriva Bus back to Caernarfon.
Megs is tired now… as are we!! Started out at 10am and getting back approx 8.30pm! 😴
#Megsypoo #JackRussellTerrier #jrtsofinstagram #ffestiniogandwelshhighlandrailways #Porthmadog #BlaenauFfestiniog #Eryri #Snowdonia360 #LlechiCymru #WelshSlate #grandDaysOut #DaysOutByRail
2 months ago
Megs ar dop y byd! Dim go iawn... mond ar ben Moel Tryfan. Ddaru hi wneud mor dda! Cerdded 3 milltir a hithau rwan yn 14. Mabi gwyn i!
Megs on top of the world! Not really... only on top of Moel Tryfan. She did so well! Walked 3 miles despite being an old pup at 14 years of age. My little baby!
#MoelTryfan #Megsypoo #JackRussellTerrier #JRTsOfInstagram #LlechiCymru #WelshSlate #GogleddCymru #NorthWales #VisitWales #DarganfodCymru
2 months ago
Tair mlynedd ers hyn! Cael mynd ar hyd y Settle & Carlisle tu ol i Tornado a’r Flying Scotsman. Welis i dim o Carlisle… nes i wario y 4 awr yn eistedd yn y stesion yn gwylio’r trênau!
Three years since this! Travelled behind Tornado and the Flying Scotsman along the Settle & Carlisle. I saw nothing of Carlisle… I spent the whole 4 hours at the station watching the trains!
#Tornado #TheFlyingScotsman #60103flyingscotsman #60163tornado #Preston #Carlisle #SettleAndCarlisle #SteamTrains #HeritageRailways #MainlineSteam
2 months ago
Chwarel Alexandra ar Moel Tryfan. Dwi’n gwybod dim byd am hon felly am fynd i ddarllen amdani yn llyfr Dr David Gwyn.
Alexandra Quarry on Moel Tryfan. Don’t know much about it so I’m going to read up about it in Dr David Gwyn’s book.
#LlechiCymru #WelshSlate #snowdonia360 #MoelTryfan #Eryri #Snowdonia #Hiking #NorthWales
2 months ago
I saw the comet! Looking fab over Dolgellau!
For clarity I didn’t and I know full well that is not the comet trail. I was actually watching aeroplanes.
#snowdonia360 #eryri #snowdonia #dolgellau #northwales #northwalestagram #visitdolgellau #cymru #wales #visitwales
2 months ago
Ar ffordd adra neithiwr… dwi’n hoffi’r Hydref pan mae yna haul. Noson lyfli Golygfeydd hardd o’n cwmpas chi.
On the way home last night… I like the Autumn when there’s some sun. Lovely evening! Pretty views all around us.
#snowdonia360 #penllyn #yreifl #trefor #clynnog #gyrngoch #eryri #sunset #northwales
2 months ago
Well that was something wasn’t it? I hadn’t planned on going out to see the Northern Lights but after seeing them from my garden in a built up area I had to go out. Ended up driving to the top of Lon Clegir above Llanberis. Amazing!
#NorthernLights #NorthernLightsUK #snowdonia360 #eryri #snowdonia #llanberis #auroraborealis #northernlightsphotos #UK #LlechiCymru #WelshSlate #LonClegir #GlynRhonwy
2 months ago
A James Spooner appreciation post. The F&WHR's newest Double Fairlie is a work of art. It's pretty epic what has been achieved by the team at Boston Lodge. Not every railway can boast they've built locomotives in each of the last 3 centuries!
She looked stunning in her off-black livery especially coupled to the vintage set including the newly refurbished curly roofed van. Some say it all looks too shiny but I love it! Stunning stuff.
Confession time though: It might not be my favourite Double Fairlie though. I can't decide! Merddin Emrys (1879) is the OG but I'm very partial to David Lloyd George (1992) as it was the new build from my childhood.... and EVERYONE loves The Square (Earl of Meirioneth)
#JamesSpooner #FfestiniogAndWelshHighlandRailways #BlaenauFfestiniog #Porthmadog #Eryri #Snowdonia #HeritageRailways #SteamLocomotive #SteamTrain #DoubleFairlie #BestRailwayInTheWorld #VisitWales
2 months ago
🏴 Am dro i Llyn Llywelyn a Coedwig Beddgelert heddiw. Bron i 4 milltir ddaru ni gerdded - wel fi, bychan a’r ci. Mae Megs yn 14 rwan felly methu cerdded yn rhy bell.
🇬🇧 Walkies to Llyn Llywelyn and Beddgelert Forest today. Almost 4 miles we walked - well me, littlest and the dog. Megs is 14 now so can’t walk too far.
#Megsypoo #Beddgelert #CoedBeddgelert #BeddgelertForest #Eryri #Snowdonia #LlynLlywelyn
3 months ago
If my calculations are correct then the Great Laxey Wheel turns 170 years old today!
Built to pump water from the Great Laxey Mine, the waterwheel was constructed over a course of 4 years and officially unveiled on 27 September 1854.
So here’s wishing a happy birthday to one of the Isle of Man’s most iconic landmarks!
#thegreatlaxeywheel #isleofman #manxheritage #iom #visitiom
3 months ago
New filming spot for me yesterday. A ledge near Tanygrisiau Terrace. There’s a lot going on in this photo for me
- the Penrhyn Ladies chuffing through with the Snowdonian
- the now iconic hydroelectric power station in the background
- Capel Carmel building where I got married (pretend ceremony we did whilst at school)
- Tanygrisiau Primary School where 3 generations of my family have attended. And I’m so sad that my kids never made it through that school.
- the now boarded up Post Office. I have fond memories of going there to buy penny sweets on the way home from school. (The rest of the history of the place is best forgotten about.)
- the park where I used to play
- and the fields in the background where I befriended a sheep and called him George
Tanygrisiau will always have a hold on my heart.
#Tanygrisiau #adra #YmaYrWyfIIFod #thisIsWhereIBelong #BlaenauFfestiniog #HoganStiniog #LlechiCymru
3 months ago