Ty Coch 2017

The Firework season begins

The Barmouth bridge is 150 years old.  The ferryman told us as we crossed to buy crabs in the harbour.  And Barmouth was in suitably festive mode, heaving with people.  We nipped up two flights of stairs to the Dragon Theatre gallery to  hear Trevor Roberts talking about his life on the railways.  There is so much to know.  The railway’s main customers are now tourists and school children.  The school children trump tourists because essential repairs occur during the ½ term break (negating a perfect excuse to miss school.)  Why have there been no (apparently lucrative) steam excursions on the line for over 3 years?  Not because Barmouth has finally caught up with the modern era.  It’s because a new train safety system has been introduced to all trains across Europe involving satellite tracking.  But why not fit satellite tracking to steam trains?  Some big bullies want to spoil a lot of innocent people’s fun.  I’m sure there’s a protest film brewing.  In the evening we walked to the end of the Fairbourne peninsula to watch the fireworks over the bridge.  An equally colourful spectacular was seen in the ques of cars on the peninsular, from one end to the other, and all along the cliff roads as far as the eye could see. 

The bridge

We went plane spotter spotting today.  The signs were the rustling of two flags, one was for the RAF, the other, the Americans.  Then we spied a small group of mainly males, warmly clothed, with enormous telephoto lenses.  They’d chosen the perfect spot, high up on the valley side, just next to the flight path of low flying jets.  It was as if they were hoping to reach out and high five the pilots as they screamed past.  After a while, we got our ‘eye in’ and saw another huddle of spotter on the other side of the valley, in little bivouac tents.  We enquired about whether this was a special event.  No, and there was no knowing whether they would be in luck today.  The best fishing requires an element of risk and possible disappointment.  But today was a grand day.  Small specks that suddenly grew large with a deafening roar.  Eurofighters turning side-on as the rounded the bend into the valley:  American S-wings shooting to the sky.  I noticed where further down the valley they made a sharp left turn.  Surely there must be more spotters down there too, but despite straining to see, no bivouacs, and long lens cameras.  All spotters must be prepared for disappointments.

Taken with a telephoto lens

Creggennan Lakes

Wales coastal path

Harlech- in appropriate lighting

by the estuary

Wonderful Ty Coch