Berclas Blog
Waitrose at Menai Bridge
There has been a little excitement hereabouts; the Co-op in Menai Bridge has closed and after fairly extensive alterations the building will soon be home to the new Waitrose in Menai Bridge. Hopefully this will reverse the shopping flow across the bridges and the mainlanders will be heading to Anglesey to divest themselves of their hard earned cash. The new store will open on Thursday 25th March 2010.
Today Daf and I went to a Waitrose promotion day which was, of course, well attended. There was lots of information and a few tasty morsels of Welsh produce to try. The new manager was there to meet and greet and we were shown a scan-it-yourself system.
It seems the new staff are being steadily absorbed into the Waitrose way of doing things and I'm assured that to be a front-line, meet the public worker there are stringent rules of engagement.
I must say, I'm looking forward to a leisurely wander through the new store and a relaxed cuppa in the new Waitrose cafe but I think I might just wait until the queues reduce a little.
If you're coming to Coed y Berclas for a holiday, you can do your shopping here and save the suspension and the fuel consumption on your car - we now have a wide choice of supermarkets, a farmers market (once a month), Llangefni market (twice a week ) and a selection of independent shops in Menai Bridge and Beaumaris.
Dorothy Russell
Improvements at The Cottage
We have replaced the kitchen unit doors and drawers in the Cottage with solid oak and I have to say they look lovely - a great improvement - you just can't beat real wood. Winning 'Best Self Catering Establishment 2010' has not allowed us to 'rest on our laurels' - on the contrary, it has given us a lot to live up to - I have other improvements in mind for the near future!
Dorothy Russell
Spring
The snowdrops and crocuses are blooming together here at Coed y Berclas but, as yet, the camellias are refusing to open their buds - the temperatures have been a bit chilly lately, although, as we benefit from the warmth of the Gulf we haven't had the cold weather suffered by much of the rest of Britain. Today we have a stunning blue sky and glorious, warm sunshine and are looking over at snow on the mountains, which are breathtakingly lovely. Recent guests, on a similar day, sat out in the Cottage orchard enjoying the early promise of Spring.
I'm looking forward to warmer weather arriving, not just because I love being outside on a lovely day but also because I want to be able to look out for red squirrels - I still haven't seen one and here we are, living in 'Red Squirrel Woodland': there are plenty of signs up saying so! Fingers crossed!
Dorothy Russell
Cottage at Coed y Berclas has won the ATA Award 'Best Self Catering Establishment of the Year 2010'
Daf and I donned our best bib and tucker to attend the Anglesey Tourism Awards Dinner at Tre Ysgawen Hotel on the evening of Friday 29th January - Coed y Berclas was nominated in the category Best Self Catering Establishment of the Year.
It was a fantastic evening, in splendid surroundings, presided over by BBC presenter Rhun ap Iorwerth, with illustrious guests, Deputy First Minister for Wales, Ieuan Wyn Jones, Albert Owen, MP for Anglesey and speakers from Welsh tourism organisations. There were lots of old friends as well as new people to meet and the atmosphere was buzzing.
The perfect high point of our evening came with Coed y Berclas being announced as the winner in its category - Best Self Catering Establishment of the Year 2010. Take a look at the new logo; we're very proud to be able to use it.
I now feel we have something to live up to and I'm looking at ways to improve what we can offer at Coed y Berclas: in fact, we're about to replace the kitchen unit doors with solid oak, which feels like a good start!
A huge thank you has to go to Pip, Jane, Jo and everyone else at ATA involved in the organisation of this superb Awards evening.
Dorothy Russell
Kite Surfers at Llanddwyn and European Geopark Status
Daf and I had a lovely walk along Llanddwyn Beach in a brisk breeze and lovely sunshine the other day. It was great to get some exercise and blow away the winter cobwebs. Obviously the kite surfers felt the same way; they were out in force, their brightly coloured kites flying high and skimming them across the white capped waves. We just had to stop for a while to watch them: luckily Daf had his camera with him.
The Isle of Anglesey has been awarded European Geopark Status
On my first visit to Oriel Ynys Mon I stood in the history gallery fascinated by a relief map of the Isle of Anglesey which showed its fascinating geological structure. Huge upheavals exposing widely differing strata were evident and here lay the explanation of the environmental diversity across our Island.
Now this special geology has been recognised by the awarding of European Geopark Status. If, like me, you'd never heard of it and have no idea what it means, let me explain: a European Geopark is a clearly defined area with a number of important geological sites which are rare, aesthetically appealing and of scientific interest. They may also have cultural, archaeological and historic interest.
A superb description of Anglesey: there are beautiful examples at South Stack, Paris Mountain, Newborough and Llanddwyn and in many other places around the Island.
We have always known how diverse and beautiful Anglesey is and now we have 'official recognition'.
Dorothy 23rd January 2010
Beaumaris New Year Fireworks 2010
This Christmas there has been snow on the mountains throughout and we even managed a couple of flurries of hailstones and had ice on the pond here at Coed y Berclas. Daf took some lovely photos of frost patterns which might become inspiration for a quilt at some time in the future.
However the photo which just had to be featured in this blog comes from the New Year's Eve midnight firework display on the walls of Beaumaris Castle. The night was frosty and sharp with a clear sky and the most astonishing full moon cast silver blue light, creating strong shadows over the landscape. The backdrop of snowy mountains added to the magical feel as the crowd, dressed for the weather, was thrilled by the display. We really enjoy the sense of community this gathering gives.
Dorothy 1st January 2010
Anglesey Tourism Awards 2010
Dorothy 7th December 2009
2009 Beaumaris Victorian Christmas
Daf and I popped down to Beaumaris this afternoon to take a look at the Victorian Christmas event. The organisers must have been anxious as the day approached - the weather had been wet and windy (with a terrific thunder storm a week ago) but the day dawned with the mountain peaks covered in the first snows of Winter and, although it wasn't exactly dry underfoot, it wasn't raining and the day remained calm.
It was very much a local community event with 'things' happening in various locations around the town, such as Punch and Judy, a craft fair, charity stalls, judging of the best shop window display, best costume etc and it culminated in a procession led by the Beaumaris Silver Band along Castle Street to White Lion Square where the Christmas lights were switched on and prizes were handed out by the Snow Queen who had arrived in style in a horse drawn carriage accompanied by 'Queen Victoria' herself - the real Princess Victoria visited Beaumaris and stayed at the Bulkeley Arms Hotel before she became Queen - just part of the town's rich history!
Dorothy 28th November 2009
2009 Beaumaris Firewoks Display
We've just got back from another fun Bonfire Night at Beaumaris.
Bonfire Night at Beaumaris is rapidly becoming a main Anglesey attraction. If you can get here, it is definately one of the things to do on Anglesey in November. It seems there's always something new and this year the fireworks were timed to the music. However, what I noticed were the new colours - lilac and pink appeared alongside the usual red, blue, green, gold and silver. The effect was dramatic and despite rain showers, crowds of onlookers surrounded the huge bonfire and watched as the sky was painted with myriad sparks of coloured light. To add to the fun; from Beaumaris we get a backdrop of the mainland across the Menai Strait and have echoes of our own fireworks all along the coast.
What a lovely way to mark the beginning of the dark nights of Winter - does anyone give Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot a thought these days? How many young people even know what it was all about? How much better it is to enjoy the stunning display of explosive light with members of one's own community with fun and laughter. Roll on midnight on New Year's Eve and the firework display from Beaumaris Castle!
Dorothy 7th November 2009
Walks Around Beaumaris
Today was a beautiful early Autumn day with the sun shining from a blue sky. As yet there is little sign of the leaves changing colour so the trees are still in full leaf. Daf, Joshua - our son - and I took a short walk following a leaflet left by visitors to our cottage. The trail took us to the West End of Beaumaris, giving snippets of information as we went along about the old slipways on the shore where passengers and goods disembarked and the Customs Officer - only the third to exist in Wales, checked ships' cargoes. In 1792, there were 327 ships registered at Beaumaris - compared to only 11 at Cardiff - and wealthy merchants built themselves the beautiful houses which still adorn the town.
We left the edge of the Menai Strait, turning inland and following a lane which lead under one of the old bridges supporting a carraigeway on the Baron Hill Estate leading up to the, now derilict, great house of the Bulkeley family. We followed the path up a wooded valley to the ruins of two watermills. As our route meandered up the valley, on the left, the stream tumbled through its deep birch planted ravine, while to our right was the leet - the ditch along which diverted water once ran to power the mills. Beyond stood the moss covered stone dam whose pool had once provided the water, now sadly out of use - a romantic reminder of a past age.
We emerged from tranquil woodland by the Primary School - very close to the spot where the Roundheads defeated Royalist forces in 1648, before taking over Beaumaris Castle - then we rejoined the 21st Century, walking past Sunday homes, on past the massive stone walls of the old Gaol, to Castle Street and a welcome ice cream treat at Redboat.
The walk takes only about half an hour but is one of the tranquil things to do on Anglesey and is a reminder of just how much history is held within the lovely, small town of Beaumaris.
Dorothy 4th October 2009
Time to think of Christmas!.
Haf Bach, Beaumaris Fireworks display, Christmas and New Year Festivities.
Why does it always happen that the schools start back and the weather almost immediately improves. Here in Wales there's a name for this September/October phenomenon - it's called Haf Bach (Little Summer) and sure enough we are having beautiful sunny days and clear starry nights here on Anglesey. My Mother, who was a Primary School teacher frequently asked why British school holidays include August which is one of the most temperamental months, just as likely to be rainy as sunny. She suggested May, June and July as much more reliable and our experience would absolutely back this up.
However, here at Coed y Berclas we are beginning to contemplate November with the Beaumaris Fireworks display, and December which are not too far away; although I refuse to count the number of 'shopping days to Christmas'.
November brings the Beaumaris Bonfire and brilliant Firework Display
This year, the Beaumaris Fireworks display will be from about 6:30 - 7:50 on Saturday November 7th - have a look at our Tariff Page for availability of the Cottage and come along to join in the fun - Daf and I will certainly be there.
Christmas Day and New Years Day are on Friday this year
We are not sticking to our usual Saturday 'turn-round'. You can choose any days (minimum stay 3 nights) you wish to stay at Coed y Berclas over the Festive Season and anyone booking seven consecutive nights over this period will find a hamper filled with seasonal treats waiting for them.
Bring in the New Year at the midnight Firework Display at Beaumaris Castle just two miles from Coed y Berclas.
Dorothy. 13th September 2009.
August day for a Pilot Cutter.
As we looked out from our terrace at yet another flotilla of Beaumaris racing yachts disappearing like a gaggle of goslings, bidding for the best position, back towards their starting point near the Royal Anglesey Yacht Club; this magnificent reminder of a bygone era floated gracefully and silently into view and gently drifted past Bangor Pier shining with the light of late morning, ushering the unruly flock before her as she made her elegant way across the wavelets winking in the August sunlight. Her progress looked effortless and we watched contented until she glided serenely out of sight leaving a sense of tranquility in her wake.
...now Daf wants one.
Dorothy. 25th August 2009.
Beautiful August night.
After a beautiful August day, came one of those magical moments when the moon rose through whispy clouds over Carnedd Llewelyn, Snowdonia.
The sun's last pink glow, promising good weather for the morrow, had just left the mountains, handing them over to night's caressing darkness, when the creamy moon slipped silently up from misty, cloud shrouded mountain tops and rose high in the sky to glow with a mysterious and ethereal light. The Menai Strait lay becalmed and silent below, the lights of Bangor foreshore reflecting languidly in her still waters.
Dorothy. 5th August 2009... a few minutes ago
Quilt Show in Menai Bridge. August.
From 4th to 8th August look out for Llandegai Patchers Exhibition of Quilts at the English Presbyterian Church (next to the Victoria Hotel), Menai Bridge, Anglesey.
There will be all sorts of lovely quilts to enjoy - including one or two of mine - and with homemade cakes and a cup of tea or coffee on offer, stalls selling fabrics and accessories for patchwork and quilting, and a warm welcome to everyone - what could be a better way to spend a couple of hours? Entry is £1, children free and money goes to charity.
Dorothy. 3rd July 2009
Summer
On the lovely Isle of Anglesey, as elsewhere in the UK, we have been treated to a month of blue skies and long days of sunshine. This morning we have had a much needed shower to refresh the plants and encourage growth in my vegetable patch - some of the potatoes should be ready to dig up and enjoy while they are small and tasty.
Daf and I found time to sail over to Carlingford Lough, the border between Northern and Southern Ireland. It was beautiful with the Mountains of Mourne as a backdrop and we had a lovely relaxing time but the prices in Eire astounded us! I had heard from a number of friends that holidays in the Euro Zone were really expensive because of the comparative weakness of sterling but it still came as a shock - we certainly didn't eat out - luckily the boat was well stocked!
What I don't understand is why the whole of Europe and America isn't holidaying in Britain (Wales!) this year while the exchange rate is so much in their favour!
Meanwhile my current quilt workshop series has just come to an end and I'm preparing for the next - 'Beginners' and 'Intermediate' - which commence in September. It feels a long way off but it'll whizz by and we still have our Pot Luck Supper for the current workshop students to look forward to in a couple of weeks.
Dorothy. 3rd July 2009
Cauldron wins first prize 'Group Quilt' at Malvern.
Great excitement at Coed y Berclas - 'Birthdays' wall hanging by Cauldron
(members Dorothy Russell, Jenny Roberts, Gill Marshall and Doris Alcock) won First Prize in the Group Quilts category at the Malvern Quilt Show - Quilts UK. Now all we have to do is produce more prize winners - so no pressure there then!The next place to see my quilts - group and individual - is at the NEC, Birmingham, at Festival of Quilts in August; so if you're in the area drop in to see if you can find them in probably the biggest quilt show in Europe. Later in the year I will have a quilt in The Great Northern Quilt Show which takes place in September at Harrogate Showground.
In the meantime the larger group to which we all belong, Llandygai Patchers, will be holding our own Patchwork and Quilting Show in the English Presbyterian Church in Menai Bridge, Anglesey in the first week of August - this will include some quilts made by members of my workshop series.
The next issue of the Anglesey Informer will have a two page spread about my own Patchwork and Quilting and my Workshops. It will be out in June; it's free, and as the title suggests, it gives a lot of information about Anglesey. There is a little pile of past copies building up in our holiday Cottage.
Dorothy
Berclas Blog 1st June 2009
The weather is just gorgeous: the sun is shining from a clear blue sky onto a blue sea rippled by gentle breezes and the mountains are clear as though they had been cut out. All the trees are in full leaf and the sound of bird song fills the air. We watched recently as a family of blue tit fledglings left their nest in the cottage nest box one at a time - some of them were distinctly nervous of leaving their sanctuary, their little fluffy heads bobbing in and out as they summoned up the courage. The rabbits too have a number of young (well that's what rabbits are supposed to do!) including some really tiny babies. They form the welcome party at the entrance to our drive and frolic, as though to entertain us, on the lower lawns.
The buzzard parents have been teaching their young how to fly, calling to them to watch the most amazing aerial displays - we, of course, were watching too. How wonderful it must be to soar, swoop, hover and dive with such consummate skill - I can both admire and be envious of this wonderful bird and its astonishing abilities up there in the wide open skies.
Dorothy
Classic British Sports Cars at Coed y Berclas.
We had a treat over the May Day bank holiday... Two beautiful classic cars swept down the drive at Coed y Berclas - a Morgan and a Triumph TR6 - all the more poignant for us as Daf once had a TR4A and I had a TR6 and subsequently a Triumph Stag; all wonderful British sports cars. They were then to be seen touring round Anglesey for the next few days and I'm sure a lot of heads were turned. Usually classic cars, like butterflies, hibernate, (snug in their garages - getting a lot of 'hands on' attention) then come out, as the days get longer and the weather kinder, to display their beauty in the sunshine. We look forward to more visits in the future. I've just realised I haven't even mentioned their owners - well, they were all lovely too!
Dorothy
Quilt Workshops Anglesey.
I'm now half way through the twelve session quilting course I'm teaching to a group of new quilters and I'm enjoying it hugely. They are all lovely; they're getting on really well both with their work and with each other - and they want to carry on after this course - which is brilliant.
I hope lots of the quilts will be ready for the Llandygai Patchers' Exhibition in Menai Bridge in August this year.
I also offer patchwork/quilting lessons to guests staying at Coed y Berclas Holiday Cottage but recently I had a request to teach a lady staying elsewhere on Anglesey - I hadn't previously thought of offering quilt days to visitors other than those staying with us, but why not - so if you live on Anglesey or in North Wales or are visiting the area - wherever you're staying - and you would like to enjoy a few hours of Patchwork and Quilting tuition, beginner or improver, give me a call or send an email.
In September I will be starting another twelve session Beginners Quilting Course too - Contact me for information and to put your name down.
Dorothy
Ice Cream in Beaumaris
Sunday 22nd March 2009
Daf and I went to Beaumaris this morning to buy some teak garden furniture for the Apartment - there are quite often interesting sales in the Bulkeley Hotel Ballroom.
While we were there, we spotted a new arrival on Castle Street which is going to be a must for our guests - an Ice Cream Parlour called Red Boat - offering ice creams, sorbets, coffees, paninis and sandwiches. I enjoyed a Bounty flavoured ice cream in a cone and Daf had an amazing blend of pineapple and basil, which was really good. The only thing which worries me is that we may feel driven to try every flavour!
Spring
The snowdrops have now finished flowering and the daffodils are in full bloom especially on the aptly named 'Daffodil Lawn' which catches sunlight throughout the day. In fact, Coed y Berclas ushered in St David's Day (March 1st) with a fanfare of the first yellow trumpets opening their smiling faces to the sun. These lovely blooms were well chosen as Wales' national emblem. We brought one daffodil into the house where it glows in our kitchen against a backdrop of Snowdonia and the Menai Strait.
The Spring has begun here in earnest and the birds are busy, their song brightening our garden - I've been out there starting the seasonal tidying. There's plenty to keep me busy and soon I'll be out in the vegetable garden getting the seed potatoes in - I love going out mid summer, taking crops straight from our garden and into the kitchen. I don't know whether they do taste better but they certainly seem to and they couldn't be fresher. It always takes me back to my childhood, sent out to pick peas for Sunday lunch - there were always three for the bowl and one for me and I still eat a few while I'm picking - I refuse to cook any peas I've grown, they're much better fresh!
The days are lengthening now and Daf and I went back to Llyn Coed Mawr at Malltraeth - such a lovely peaceful place - and this time there were no fewer than ten egrets sitting together like sophisticated white mopheads resting in the last of the day's sunlight. Two pairs of Canada geese noisily layed claim to the same small island, Mallard were 'a dabbling, up tails all', a couple of Gadwall glided silently along with the 'peeping' coot, while a group of Shovelers paired up to perform an intricate circle dance. The bright eyes of the Tufted Ducks caught our attention before they vanished under water to come up some distance away. A large Buzzard flew low over the water but none of the waterfowl seemed in the least bit disturbed. High in a tree two Raven sat motionless, surveying the scene below. I'm sure you can see why Llyn Coed Mawr is now one of our favourite places.
Dorothy
Posted: 2009-03-08 23:27:27
Red Squirrels on Anglesey
10th Feb 2009
We had a visit today from Craig Shuttleworth of Menter Mon. He is responsible for overseeing the development of the Red Squirrel population on Anglesey and we're pleased to note that these lovely creatures are well settled in Pentraeth Forest and Newborough Warren. Not only that, they've been seen very near to Coed y Berclas and we're assured that it's only a matter of time before they are seen in our woodland.I can't wait! The last time I saw a red squirrel was on a visit to the Lake District in the early 1980s.
Menter Mon's work is supported by the Red Squirrel Survival Trust which has Prince Charles as its Patron. It is vital the grey squirrel is kept away from red squirrel settlements. Not only do they out-compete they also bring with them a pox to which they are immune but which brings a lingering and painful death to the reds. Just imagine how lovely it will be to wander through woodland and know that at any moment we might catch a glimpse of one of Britain's most endearing native creatures.
Dorothy
Posted: 2009-02-11 00:06:19
Telford's Awesome Suspension Bridge
I walked down from the scenic lay by on the old A5 road out of Menai Bridge, to pick up the Angesey Coastal Path down by the water edge. I wanted a shot of the Telford Suspension Bridge at dusk across the Swellies. It was low water springs and the ebb had ritually changed its mind. It wanted to get my feet wet. A heron flew across the shot, I sank a bit in the mud and didn't get the shot I wanted. The bridge was awesome.
I had quite forgotten how lovely the little Curch of St Tysilio is, nestling on the island beneath the bridge. By the time I arrived through Coed Cyrnol it was dark, so after a look around the little island, I returned over the causway and turned along the Belgian Promenade towards the bridge. Again I ventured to the water edge to see a most awesome view of the floodlit bridge with the moon beyond trying to poke her face through the clouds. The lapping water thought my feet weren't already wet enough. I had a word with Canute. I sank in the mud again. The tide doesn't seem to understand the photographer's needs. I got half a shot...
Daf... trainee photographer
Posted: 2009-02-11 00:05:52
Snow on the Carneddau
Sunday 8th February 2009
I'm looking out from our living room at Snowdonia, beautiful in its white overcoat. At lunch time, Daf watched tiny figures walking down Carnedd Dafydd, along the ridge which looks over to the Black Ladders. On Anglesey, protected by our proximity to the sea, we have the best of both worlds: we can look out at stunning views of snow on the mountains while not suffering its inconveniences. Well, it suits me!
On Friday a flock of 20 Canada geese flew low over the Cottage. The sound of their wing beats and their calls made them feel very close indeed. I'm also keeping a lookout for Red Squirrels which have been sited in the area.
Dorothy
Posted: 2009-02-10 22:19:59
Mon 26 Jan 2009... up tails all
After a chilly day, which had started grey and threatening, moved on to short rain showers with a stunningly colourful rainbow set against a mostly-blue sky; Daf and I took a pleasant late afternoon walk along the lane to the the lake, timing it so we would arrive as the sun was slowly setting, sending beautiful pink, flame and mauve reflections twinkling and rippling across the slow surface of the water
There are myriad lifeforms living in and around this old reservoir, most of which are shy of humans and keep themselves hidden. As we arrived, the coot and moor hens scattered in a noisy flurry of wings, settling again in the centre of the lake, safe from our intrusion.
However, as we stood quietly for some time, absorbing the tranquility, one of the pair of swans we frequently see here glided gently across the water towards us, leaving his mate, more timid, quietly circling near the other birds. Most elegant of birds, he serenely put on a display like an effortless ballet, all the time keeping an eye on his entranced audience - how lucky to be in the presence of such a magnificent creature.
Gaining courage, his mate joined him in a pas de deux more graceful than anything seen at Covent Garden. Finally, certain we were little threat they began feeding 'up tails all', not so elegant and rather amusing us, but still the control and gentility was striking. Eventually, in the gathering darkness, they glided away together and we turned from the lake to walk home to the warmth and comfort of Coed y Berclas.
Dorothy
Posted: 2009-02-01 23:11:14
Coed y Berclas Holiday Accommodation is No Smoking only. Strictly No Pets.
Quotes from Visitors Book
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Special thanks to Dorothy for including me in some of her quilting group activities and for the masterclass in machine quilting which was absolutely fascinating. |  |
Bonfire Night at Beaumaris
It's nearly time for Beaumaris' spectacular Bonfire and Fireworks
not to be missed. The Display will take place by the pier on Saturday 7th November at 6:30 till about 7:50.