Wales is a beautiful country with stunning coast, high mountains and valleys. It only has around 3 million people (compared to England’s 60 million). Wales’ water board (which also serves part of Herefordshire) is non-profit. By comparison, many of our water boards (including Northumbrian and Wessex Water) being owned by foreign companies.
Recent controversies have been the pumping of raw sewage into Lake Windermere and letting untreated sewage flow into the North Sea due to not investing in alarm systems (Anglian Water was ordered to pay £2.65 million, (the largest ever environmental fine). Report sewage overflow to Surfers Against Sewage. This is usually brown foamy water that laps at the shore. They say ‘if it smells funky – it’s probably shit’.
the wonderful wildlife of Wales
BBC Welsh presenter Iolo Williams is happily recovering after a serious heart attack, but notes that 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 go back to help nature!
Iolo is a big critic of massive offshore wind farms for their effect on nature and birdlife. He’s not a fan of Boris Johnson either, after the latter tried to stop newts being protected for industry and when the former Prime Minister wanted to build a bypass on an inter-tidal zone of saltmarshes, flats and sands along the Severn Estuary’s north coast, Iolo wrote ‘Keep your money-grabbing mitts off the Gwent Levels’.
a nature garden on your ‘patch of the planet
Patch of the Planet is a lovely training centre for wildlife-friendly permaculture, run by a couple who specialise in ecological design. Alongside cosy campsite holidays, the courses including caring for soil, grafting apple trees and permaculture design. The good news if you can’t visit Wales is they offer an upcoming online course ”10 Steps to a Nature Garden’ with e-books and video tutorials. Create a thriving environment for you, wildlife and the planet, with support from a passionate online community.
If you’re a fan of nature, you’ll love the writings of the co-founder’s brother Paul Kingsnorth (who Aris Roussinos called ‘England’s greatest living writer’). Read his book Real England where he travels around our green and pleasant land, looking at how corporate consumerism is gradually eroding away all we hold dear. The book is so good, it was what first inspired this website!
sea parrots on the Isle of Anglesey
Puffins are common on the Northumberland coast, and also on the island of Anglesey (the route that makes you seasick, if taking the ferry to Ireland). 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. Defra is presently consulting on whether to ban industrial sandeel fishing within UK waters, to protect these endangered seabirds. If passed, this act would also protect kittiwakes and razorbills.
Wales is proud of its national language
20% of all people in (mostly North Wales) speak Welsh. More like Cornish than Gaelic, it’s said that if you visit someone in France who speaks Breton (from the Brittany area), you’ll likely understand each other. The language is not as difficult as it sounds, although the easiest language for someone in England to learn is apparently Norwegian (which is why some teachers are baffled why children are taught the far more difficult French).
My name is pronounced Rheen ap YORR-werth. Unlike a Labour source suggests, the people of Wales are not stupid, and can say it. Rhun ap Iorwerth (Plaid Cymru leader)
a little town in Anglesey has the longest place name in the UK: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
does Wales want to be independent?
Some people do, yes. Plaid Cymru has pretty good policies including a Nature Act (to restore biodiversity), providing safe green space within a 5-minute walk of all households, banning single-use plastics and ending waste incineration. It would also give free bus travel to young people and use money from the abandoned M4 Relief Road to build six train stations between Severn Tunnel and Cardiff.
Present leader Rhun ap Iorwerth follows on from Adam Price (the one who stood up to Nigel Farage in the last election debates, for excusing President Trump’s treatment of women). A former BBC Westminster journalist, he was elected unopposed and due to his former profession, is known to be media-savvy. So it will be interesting to see how he fares, in the upcoming general election.
Wales has its own Green Party. Leader Anthony Slaughter has recently been joined by 28-year old youth activist Phil Davies, who is the new deputy leader to bring fresh young blood. The party recently congratulated Welsh councils who made the decision to ban the giving away of live creatures (like goldfish) as prizes on council-owned land.
the land of sheep – and more sheep!
Of course, Wales is closely associated with sheep, but there are plenty of ways to engage with our woolly friends, without eating them. Read more on ways to help sheep friends!
40 favourite walks in Snowdonia
Eryri: 40 Favourite Walks in Snowdonia is a nice little pocket guide, if you fancy going over the border to Wales, to visit the upland landscape of Eryri in North Wales. Rich in mythology and full of archaeological ancient remains (along with medieval castles) this area is a walker’s paradise. The book features 50 walks that explore this magical mountain heartland, to take in the classic high routes, as long as less well-known gems along the way. Always follow the Countryside Code, to keep dogs, barnyard friends and wildlife safe.
‘Eryri’ is the ‘new name’ for Snowdonia, which means ‘highlands’ (related to the Latin word ‘oriri’ which means ‘to rise’. Home to many mountains and a historic railway that climbs to the summit of Wales’ highest mountain, from the top you can even see Ireland. The park is also home to over 100 lakes and craggy peaks (including Tryfan and Cader Idris).
Tom Hutton is an award-winning writer and photographer who writes for outdoor magazines, and has contributed to many walking, climbing and cycling guidebooks.
40 favourite hill walks in the Brecon Beacons
40 Favourite Hill Walks in the Brecon Beacons is a nice little pocket guide, if you fancy a trip over the border to beautiful Wales. Home to some of the most stunning mountain and moorland scenery in Britain, this area bridges south-and-mid Wales, with a park divided into three distinct upland areas, with the flat-topped peaks of the Brecon Beans sandwiched by the rolling ridges of the Black Mountains in the east, and the Black Mountain region in the west.
Brecon is the old Welsh word for ‘kingdom’. This area covers 520 square miles and most is upland, comprising of old red sandstone rocks. This forms four blocks of hills, which river valleys cut through. It’s also known for the 90-foot Henrhyd Waterfall, the falls at Ystradfellte and its caves.
