Let’s Pop Over the Border to Wales
Many of us in England, only know Anglesey as the ‘place where you take the Holyhead ferry to Ireland’, if you’re not flying to the Emerald Isle. And puffins! But it’s got a lot to inspire, from the tip of North Wales.
If out walking, always follow the Countryside Code, to keep all creatures safe. At the coast, read our post on keeping dogs safe by the seaside.
Known as ‘the mother of Wales’ (Mon Mam Cymru!), Anglesey is best-known for its untouched landscape (though like anywhere, local volunteers have to regularly clear up litter from tourists on its sandy beaches.
One creature that thrives here is the red squirrel. Not due to grey squirrel culls, but because the pine forests are intact, providing native homes for shelter and food. In England, only Northumberland really has a thriving population, as its pine forests are not logged.
Read more on how to help both red and grey squirrels.
Anglesey is home to one of the longest village names in the world:
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
Sea Parrots on Isle of Anglesey
Puffins are common on the Northumberland coast, and also on the island of Anglesey. These birds spend most time at sea (diving for 30 seconds at a time, using their wings to ‘fly through the water), coming ashore to raise ‘pufflings’ who live in burrows underground (adult beaks are dark grey, only changing to orange during mating).
Despite their comical appearance, our puffin friends are in serious decline, due to climate change, over-fishing and rising sea temperatures (having to dive deeper, to find food).
Most puffins lay one egg yearly with the same lifelong mate, then spend six weeks keeping the egg warm, until hatching into ‘pufflings’ which live on oily fish, to survive.
In England, there has been a recent ban on sandeel fishing to protect dwindling numbers of both puffins and kittiwakes. This is being fought by the EU (so presumably Ireland has not had a ban, as it is still a member of the European Union).
Welsh wildlife TV presenter Iolo Williams is recovering after a heart attack, but due to his job, ‘death doesn’t affect me one bit. I know that life – a mayfly, an oak tree, a fox or a human – comes to an end’.
He says when his time comes, he would like to be placed in a linen sheet and somebody plant an oak tree on him, so his energy will help nature!
A Huge Concern (nuclear power on Anglesey)
Recently, the increasingly barmy Labour government has decided to install a polluting, dangerous and unnecessary nuclear plant on one of the least polluted islands in the British Isles.
There are also huge concerns over the fate of local birds on this beautiful island. Read why no nuclear power is needed.
Tenby Connects (how to ‘do’ a community website!)
If you visit most ‘town websites’, you are likely to find a boring generic site filled with ads for visiting zoos, aquariums, and directions to the nearest superstores and car park directions. Not good enough! Let’s pop over the border to beautiful Wales, to discover a site that is a sublime example of how to foster community, and makeover your town or village!
Tenby Connects is a beautifully designed website for one of Wales’ most popular holiday destinations. It’s packed with profiles of local volunteers and small shops and businesses, plus has many projects that local people can get involved with. It’s really inspiring, take a look!
The projects in Tenby include:
A Community Fridge – This is where people donate food (not yet out of date) and people basically just help themselves for free (read our post on food safety for people and pets).
Friday Wellbeing and Cooking Group – this is held over winter to offer tips on healthy budget cooking, and to try out wellbeing techniques (it’s aimed mostly for unpaid carers).
The No Throw Party Kit – for a small fee, you can borrow a set of reusable plates, bowls and beakers for 30 guests (with table cloths and reusable cutlery) to avoid buying single-use plastic items.
Litter-Picking Groups – equipment can be borrowed to pick up litter at regular meets by the harbour.
Repair Cafes – these are held once a month, where volunteer experts repair items brought in by members of the public – for free (or perhaps a cup of tea and some biscuits!)
Town Ambassadors – volunteers basically wander around the town on foot, answering questions to help local people and visitors. An ideal hobby for resident chatterboxes!
A Community Edible Garden – this is run by volunteers, again to provide free food for local people. Volunteers also help look after plants for pollinators in public gardens.
Use no-dig gardening (and avoid netting) to help wildlife (and ensure ponds have sloping sides). Also read our post on pet-friendly gardens.
Patch of the Planet (courses on nature gardening)
If you like growing food or flowers but also want to help native birds and wildlife, download Patch of the Planet’s self-paced course 10 Steps to a Nature Garden. By a couple of ecological gardeners who know all there is about pollination, insects and wildlife-friendly gardening!
Before running their permaculture and wildlife-friendly gardening courses in Wales, this couple used to design ecological gardens for clients.
The couple blend an experience of environmental campaigning with extensive knowledge of fruit trees and orchards (one is the brother of environmental/spiritual writer Paul Kingsnorth).
Between them, there’s nothing they don’t know about growing a beautiful garden, and protecting all the life that lives within it, from native mammals to tiny insects!
Use no-dig gardening (and avoid netting) to help wildlife (and ensure ponds have sloping sides). Also read our post on pet-friendly gardens.
Discovering the England and Wales Border
Whereas England has around 60 million people, Wales is far smaller, with just 3 million or so. A beautiful country with gorgeous beaches, people in North Wales tend to speak Welsh, while the south tends to speak English with their beautiful musical sing-song accents.
The Offa’s Dyke Path is a 177-mile train that follows the Welsh border, which can be combined with walking the Wales Coast Path, if you’re feeling fit!
Always follow the Countryside Code, to keep all creatures safe. It at the coast, read our post on keeping dogs safe by the seaside.
Also just over the Welsh border is the town of Hay-on-Wye, known for its annual festival in the ‘town of books’. With more second-hand bookshops than anywhere in England, many writers, readers and artists visit here, from around the world. Shropshire (and Bristol) are also close to Wales.
Oswestry (nearest English town to Wales)
Oswestry is a market town in Shropshire, just 2 miles from the Welsh border. Named after King Oswald of Northumbria, he was killed in a battle here in AD 642. Like Berwick-upon-Tweed (in Northumberland), this town has a long history of changing hands, sometimes being rules by England, and other times by Wales.
You can still see ruins of a Norman castle from 1000 years ago, on a hill that overlooks the town.
Hay-on-Wye (a book town on the Welsh border)
Right on the Welsh border is Hay-on-Wye, which has more second-hand bookshops than any other in the UK. It also hosts an annual book festival, which draws thousands of visitors from across the world. Introvert bookworms meet new literary friends, in this most unique place.
Trying to save your independent bookstore? Be inspired by this town, which over 20 of them! Most follow the golden rule of niching down, rather than just selling books about anything and everything. Some bookstores here focus on:
- Children’s books
- Antiquarian and rare books
- Nature and botany
