All photography copyright jsparks(c)2001
The Welsh it would seem to the visitor are of the same nature and attitude that is not the case There is a slight difference between the South North and Mid Wales although all Welsh people are fiercely proud of being Welsh and the majority defend its culture and its Language in every region you will find them a very friendly people by nature.
We will have to digress a little at this point to explain
the make up of the United Kingdom
Wales is a country in its own right people of other countries refer to the United Kingdom as England this does a disservice to the people of Scotland Ireland and Wales for they are not English neither are their countries belonging to England.
The United Kingdom is as it says ( United ) meaning
( A Kingdom ruled by a common monarch but made up of four distinct Countries )
Scotland, Wales, A part of Ireland, and England.
With representatives from the four countries governing the united kingdom from Parliament buildings.(The House Of Commons) in London.
The people of the United Kingdom have different cultures although the Celtic races
The Scots ,Irish
and Welsh
Have the same fierce pride in their separate cultures and Language with a deep pride in being part of their nation and of its heritage wherever these three peoples meet throughout the world they fall into step with each other.
The English have a different set of values just as important to them they are just as proud to be English and of England but they are not of Celtic Origin so do not understand this feeling of being Welsh Scots Irish it has always been a difficult thing to explain one word in the Welsh Language describes it and is incorporated into the Welsh National Anthem ( Hiraeth ) meaning a longing or nostalgia.
Now of Wales and its people one can put the country into three area’s the Welsh of the North speak a more pure form of the Language mainly because they remained isolated from the Anglicisation of the South this Anglicisation came with the opening up of the South Wales coalfields this can be read about at The Welsh Connection 17-1800’s when huge numbers of English people left the depressed agricultural communities of England to seek work in the opening industrial towns and valley’s of South Wales North Wales has a more rocky strata than the rest of Wales with huge mountains the most well known being Mynydd Snowdon
( Snowdon Mountain ) this area Snowdonia including Snowdon was bought for the nation in 2000 one of the benefactors who donated a large amount of money to the project was Sir Anthony Hopkins a film star who was born in Port Talbot In South Wales.
As in the whole of Wales North Wales has spectacular views for the visitor a painters and photographers paradise Mountains wild coastline and pretty valleys it also has remains of a long ago people one can see their dwellings left for us to see also the fine Norman castles but a very good site already exists giving a great deal of information this can be found at.
North Wales . the population has a mixture of Welsh and English speakers but most have Welsh as their first Language English can be heard more often these days as the English have found this Area a wonderful place for holiday and retirement homes in fact the county of Pembroke is known as Little England beyond Wales due to the fact that the English have moved into this town and county using it as a retirement home but the sad thing about the English holiday home buyer is that he has priced the limited available housing outside the price local residents can compete with some of these properties are unused for the bigger part of the year.
The same has now happened in the English horse racing counties as the rich eastern racehorse owners are buying up whole villages only to be used in the racing seasons by their entourage.
In Wales that gave extremists the excuse to firebomb English holiday cottages and helped recruit members for the Free Wales Army thankfully that dangerous practice has now ceased.
This is a picture I took in the North twenty eight years ago the Children in the doorway of this ancient dwelling are my Son my Daughter and my Niece.
Around the top of the wall would be timber and thatch walls and roof
Mid Wales has again tremendous scenic beauty mostly rural and farming communities with untouched picture postcard market towns and villages here again it is common to hear the spoken word of Welsh.
It was here that a group of
valleys was flooded to supply water to the midlands of England the dam is
called llyn Brianne the Reservoir is west of Llanwrtyd
Wells the huge water lakes that stretch back up through the mountains
area tremendous sight to see a route up from the Wye valley known as the Devil's Staircase leading to the Llyn Brianne Reservoir
Gives a beautiful route into the heart of sparsely populated Mid Wales
this route has so many highlights it is hard to put a preference.
For the hiker
and cyclist they have to be fit the route starts gently with a long, steady
climb to the north up a valley formed by the River Irfon any traveller should
be prepared for the outstanding almost vertical ascent of the Devil's
Staircase.
A descent down into the Tywi Valley gives spectacular views the Tywi river fills the spectacular Llyn Brianne Reservoir there is a roadway of a dozen or so miles around the reservoir if a traveller finds themselves in this area they would be foolish not to visit this outstanding feature as you travel down the main route you pass over the Towi Bridge sample the beer in the Towi Bridge Inn there are Magnificent views to the north up from Rhandirmwyn.
The lower end of the llyn Brianne Reservoir
The Welsh language is spoken but in small areas although when in the shops you will hear Welsh Spoken it is the first language for the minority.
Many of the surnames in the South’s industrial areas reflect the incoming West Country people who came to Wales from these English Counties of Somerset Devon Cornwall when the South Wales coal fields first opened up in the 1700’s my own among them there was also a large influx of Irish.
Our mountain scenery is second to none just a short drive anywhere off the M4 Motorway will take you into areas that will take your breath away
Our coastal area has high cliffs in Places that rival any
in Dover a place called Southerndown is one such place we also have miles of
golden sandy beaches unrivalled anywhere the sea water is clean and un-polluted
anywhere surfers are drawn from all over small boats sail in the bay jet skiers
also use the bay welcome visitors as long as they obey the water safety rules.The Area along the coast beyond Mumbles to the west is the Gower Peninsular another jewel in the Welsh crown this whole Peninsular designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty and preserved as such.
All along this coast is steeped in history it has golden beaches rocky bays huge cliffs many a Spanish treasure ship seeking refuge from storms have instead of shelter found a watery grave when they ventured near the coast even today Spanish coin and treasures are washed up on the storm beaches.
It is a Mecca for treasure hunters with their metal detectors this can also be said of the sands of Aberafan and Swansea Bay from the beaches one can see as a backdrop the mountains of South Wales.
Within these mountains are areas of outstanding attractions to the visitor who seeks wild and lonesome areas places like the Breacon Beacons and on the doorstep of Port Talbot a place the locals call Little Switzerland with its roads that wind and twist clinging to the mountain sides as it makes its way out of the Afan Valley it stretches to the top and over the Bwlch Mountain.
As one drives on this mountain road they are tempted to pause in their journey often as they come upon scenes that really one thought only were found in foreign countries ranges of undulating peaks valley’s falling away below their feet no sign of habitation for as far as the eye can see.
When the visitor reaches the top they can see the Rhondda Valley towns of Treorchy and Ystrad on the floor of the valley below these are some of the towns that made mining history just a little way beyond is Ferndale, Meardy, .Mountain Ash, Blaenrhondda.
On the other side of the mountain that one can see across the valley is Merthyr Tydfil. Aberdare these are all historical places in the history of the miner and iron workers struggle for a living wage.
Along the coast of Aberafan, Porthcawl ,llantwit Major, East towards Cardiff the coastal scenery is again fantastic clean seawater and golden sands a haven for the surfboarders and small craft the fish are making a comeback after the ravages of the Spanish and French trawlers although they will never be back in the numbers we were used to before those black days of open warfare with the foreign trawlers.
A view of the Bay across the waters is Mumbles head.
This photograph was taken from half way up Mynydd Dinas (Fortress Mountain ) with a telescopic lens in the foreground is the shoreline housing.
Jet skiers flash by.
Surfers head for the sea
A View along the Promenade.
This is used by walkers and cyclists from dawn to dusk.
The Childrens Play area.
Castle fun.
Children are well catered for all along the Promenade ample seating also provided along the whole promenade
The beach is protected by a dedicated team of Lifeguards
Fully trained in all types of rescue
And first aid.
The lower walk of the Promenade
Here the Fishermen try their luck on the old pier
What can be hooked
Bass Cod Flat fish Mackerel Mullet to name just a few
For those who like the green of gardens
There is the seafront garden walks and seating area.
The area into the mountains is a pony trekking paradise there are roads that cross over the mountains with views that make you want to stop and just stare at the wonderful sights.
This is one of the many views of the mountain scenery
That can be seen by car this actual view is only six miles
From the Port Talbot Motorway
We have coalmines that take visitors underground to show how it was that miners worked Big Pit is one near Cardiff and Newport and in the Neath valley is Cefn Coed.
A rail journey through mid Wales from the South is one not to be missed special trains are run all year round.
View of our sunset over the cooling towers
Of BP
In the foreground can just be seen the rails of the main
Swansea to London railway