APRIL

My Easter lunch treat from my husband was to one of my favourite Bistros. This is the Harbour Front Bistro situated behind the Maritime Museum at Holyhead. It is in the old lifeboat station and we were lucky enough to get a table by the large window that used to be the doorway through which the lifeboat was launched years ago. In front of us was the Breakwater built from local stone which was completed in 1875 and opened by King Edward V11. This provides shelter for all kinds of boats during bad weather. However, when we were there, it was a lovely sunny day with a good breeze, so that we were entertained by the comings and goings of the various yachts in front of us. It is advisable to book, especially during the evening. You can peruse their menu on their website: http://harbourfrontbistro.co.uk

We are very fortunate that one of our recent U3A members has set up a website for us namely; http://u3asites.org/anglesey This now gives an insight into all our society’s activities each term. He is a railway renovation enthusiast also and has set up a very interesting webpage for the Joys of Life, Bethesda, where he is a volunteer. Joys of Life, is set in a lovely valley landscape. It is an especially good venue to take children to as they can have rides on the little trains. You can view a list of their Open Days on “Joys of Life Railway” website. Alan and I went to visit various art exhibitions during “Open studios” fortnight. The one we enjoyed immensely was to Jayne Huskisson at Dothan. Jayne produces beautiful vivid, uncluttered silk framed paintings based on local landscapes. If you prefer, you can but framed prints of the originals or even Greeting cards. My husband, being an artist, was highly interested and impressed with her work. My favourites were the beautiful machine-stitched appliqué work which she then used to make such things as book covers etc. and also quilted throws. You can often see Jayne’s work exhibited at various Anglesey and North Wales venues. Her website is : jayne@angleseytextileart.co.uk Examples of her work seen here are an appliqué - The 'Sails on The Menai Straits' and the other is a collection of silk paintings called 'Four Coastal Birds at Anglesey’ Lighthouses'

 My first visit relating to the story of Llyn Cerrig Bach this month, was to give my presentation to Age Well at St Cyngar’s church hall in Llangefni. Quite a number of old acquaintances came up to me at the end for a chat, which was lovely. I met also, the famous Welsh author, Mair Wynn Hughes, from Pentraeth. She has written about fifty books in Welsh for children and
young people. It was a nice surprise a couple of mornings later, to receive three of them from her by post, as a gift for my grandchildren. You can buy her books on Amazon.

My second visit of the month was to Kingsland School in Holyhead. This is quite a large school now. The Headmaster, Mr Tristan Roberts, had asked me before Easter if I would give the talk to two groups. Of course, I completely forgot about this, so when he said, “timed that well – you’ve 5 minutes before you start with the next group”, I asked would he press the rewind button on me first! As you can see from the pictures, it’s an extra pleasure during these visits to see the reactions on the children’s faces.

Following a request from two nice young men, Mike & Kenny, who power blasted our patios this weekend, I am putting their info. on my blog for others who may need similar work done. They have set up a business doing this and also car valeting. - Soap and Shine at the Cyttir Rd. Industrial site in Holyhead, around the corner from TJ’s) - 01407 764 860. Finally, this year’s Anglesey Walking Festival booklet is out. You can pick up a copy from the Tourist Centres on the island or from their website: www.angleseywalkingfestival.com There are loads of interesting walks and activities arranged,so do book early. I shall be giving a talk by Llyn Cerrig Bach on Saturday, June 2nd 9.30am - (WALK 2). On the Monday evening of June 11th at 7.00pm, at the Valley Hotel, ( Entertainment 2 I shall be giving a presentation on - “ The Iron Age Discovery in Llyn Cerrig Bach lake on RAF Valley in 1943”.

FEBRUARY - MARCH

I’m afraid that I’ve had to condense two months material because of being so busy, which is great for someone who has retired like me! It has become time for the local schools to study the Celtic period once more, so I’m in great demand to give my presentation on Llyn Cerrig Bach. Also I was invited to the Ladies Trefoil Guild at Benllech. Alan has produced more almost perfect copies of some of the artefacts. His collection now includes the bronze plaque, the shield boss, a votive sword and a piece of currency bar. However, I still go to Oriel Ynys Môn to borrow the replica of the gang chain and then have to take it back again. In order to save me doing this, Alan has decided that his next challenge will be to make a a good copy of the gang chain! A task that will take him quite a time to complete I should imagine.
These are pictures of Rhosneigr school children with some of Alan’s work and Ysgol y Tywyn studying them.



Our Wednesday Archaeology group is still 100% attendance most weeks. This reflects well on our tutor Rhys Mwyn’s ability as an interesting lecturer. One of the friends I’ve made is a Polish lady called Dana. I had been given a book to read by my daughter Delyth by Joy Mawby from Benllech. This was about a young girl being evacuated from Warsaw to Siberia during WW2. One Saturday evening this month I was at a play in Ucheldre, Holyhead when I met Dana and she introduced me to her cousin Joy Mawby, The book Joy had written was about Dana’s mother! It is called “Footsteps to Freedom” and an incredible read – I could hardly put it down. She based the story on the diary Dana’s mother had written which is kept in the Polish Archives in London. Joy has since written a second book, “Broken Warrior”. This is about Dana’s father’s experiences during the same journey. You can visit her website for details - www.jomawby.co.uk .


I still enjoy my walks along the Llanfaelog side of Llyn Maelog, especially with my granddaughters. However it became very wet and muddy where a little stream enters the lake. I e-mailed a picture of the area to Arwel Evans of the Paths and Highways. Thankfully he has solved the problem by diverting the stream through a pipe and the area is drying up nicely now.These are before and after pictures.

I still enjoy my walks along the Llanfaelog side of Llyn Maelog, especially with my granddaughters. However it became very wet and muddy where a little stream enters the lake. I e-mailed a picture of the area to Arwel Evans of the Paths and Highways. Thankfully he has solved the problem by diverting the stream through a pipe and the area is drying up nicely now.These are before and after pictures.





After our lecture in Llanfairpwll, Alan and I decided to go for lunch to Tŷ Golchi, Tudur Owen’s new restaurant venture. The food was excellent and the place was very well supported. Many like ourselves regard Tudur as our favourite TV comedian. We had been close friends with Tudur’s parents from when they ran the restaurant at Glantraeth, Bodorgan and we had also been members of Operation Friendship together. This is an organisation that allows teenagers from Wales to exchange holidays for a month with teenagers in American homes. Both my daughters visited America twice, whilst we enjoyed welcoming American youngsters to stay with us on alternate years.



On March 23rd, I took a group of over 30 members of the Anglesey U3A to Newborough. First we visited the newly refurbished John Pritchard Jones Institute. We were taken upstairs to a large room to have our talk. It is possible now to book this room for concerts, dances etc. Here, we were given an excellent talk on John Pritchard Jones’ life by Enid Mummery, one of the centre’s twelve trustees. He was born in 1841 and brought up as one of seven children in a cottage in Newborough. He became an apprentice draper in Caernarfon, then Yorkshire and finally in London where he eventually became the partner of the large department store in Regents St – Dickins & Jones. Consequently, he became a very wealthy man. He decided to donate large sums of his wealth back to his local community by building the Institute and six alms houses. It was he that financed the Pritchard Jones Hall at Bangor University which is named after him. He became Sheriff of Anglesey and was also knighted.




Amongst the varied rooms at the Institute there is a unique Cotgrave library system.
There is only one other in the UK and its worth a visit to see just this. Pritchard Jones donated all the books to the library and he used to top it up each time he visited from London. It would take too long to mention everything we saw, so my advice is to put it on your list of places to visit this summer. There is a café there during the summer season, from 11am to 6.30pm.Tues – Sun. Many walkers to Llanddwyn make use of this facility. We as a group had an excellent lunch there provided by Arlwyo Môn, run by Menter Môn. (booking for outside catering by them phone Wendy on 01407 840940.



After lunch, Rhys Mwyn took us along the road to visit Rhosyr.


This is an archaeological site which was unearthed by Neil Johnston in 1992. This is where one of the Royal Courts of Prince Llywelyn the Last was sited. Another is unfortunately buried under an estate of houses in Aberffraw. Edward 1 came here when he was surveying the kingdom he had defeated. Lots of the masonary and wood he transported over the Menai Straits to use in the construction of Caernarfon Castle. Edward built the castle at Caernarfon on top of the old Welsh castle that was there previously. For a full insight into the story of Rhosyr you can watch an excellent DVD at the Institute.