Day 36 - Welshpool (Llyn Efyrnwy / Lake Vyrnwy) to Cross Foxes via Bwlch y Groes - 17.4 miles
In addition to running the hotel, Chris is reserve fireman.
Over a pint with friends, a few years ago he'd pondered how difficult it really was to have a Christmas No 1 hit single. Off his own back he put the word out to his fellow fireman in Powys and other fire services in UK. There was interest!While showing guests to tables and serving breakfasts, Chris continued telling me the story...Within days he had his daughters organising auditions over the phone, he was talking to recording studios, checking on performing rights and even getting the ok from Bob Geldof. The choir was taking shape - The Fire Tones.
While keeping the selected song a secret from the choir, with Lucie, he was inspired to choose "Do they know its Christmas" - the Band Aid Christmas song.
Louise prepared all the arrangements for voices and with a date set for the recording studio - and in the spirit of the original - they all met from all corners of the UK not knowing of the chosen song, just 24 hours before recording the track.
Lucie went in to overdrive, and with a professional voice coach, honed the choir, selected soloists and duets. On Oct 28th, the recording was succesfully completed.
For it to be an official contender all sales had to regular over the counter purchases Chris arranged with the Charities commission and then for volunteers to arrange doorway sales at Tescos up and down the country.
Days before Chritmas, things were looking close with some big name contenders. In the end, they didn't win but came 4th. Pretty impressive for a casual chat over a pint!
Chris gave me a signed copy of their CD.
The recording of the Fire Tones CD was sponsored amongst others by The New Saints football team from Oswestry and Llansantffraid just up the road. I read that the manager had been recently quoted
"we have a quirkiness that we live on the border so instead of having the sea one side of us we've got England." Stirring stuff and very appropriate for walking Offa's Dyke path!
Because of having two days off because of my toe, I needed a taxi to Llanwddyn to get me back on schedule. Bill arrived in his Ford which had already done 280 000 miles and still going strong.
and there's a plaque celebrating it's opening and authorising the..
"taking and impounding of water".
As dams go, Lake Vyrnwy is attractive. Built in 1880, the reservoir supplies water to Liverpool,
I didn't notice whether it mentioned the flooding of villages.
On the far side of the dam, at the RSBP hide, there were families of beautiful
Siskin and
On the far side of the dam, at the RSBP hide, there were families of beautiful
The walk along the lake was lovely
I caught up with Ruth and Andrew who were out to walk around the lake and setting a cracking pace.
Prof Ruth McDonald teaches Health policy at Manchester. Andrew has been a keen sportsman and having taught for over 20 years, he's now getting back to his painting
and is building a studio extension to his house at Bryneglwys where he's in the process of planting 1000 trees.
While walking along the lake shore over the next hour, we had a great chat about their distant travels, experiences abroad during the pandemic, family histories, DNA analysis and of course politics. What is it about this walk and meetings of minds!?
When we arrived at the junction for Dinas Mawddwy at the end of the lake and spurred on by a great conversation, I set off walking in time with the tune in my head, Donald Fagen's " I.G.Y " and the chorus...
What a beautiful world this can be
What a glorious time to be free.......
As the road gains in altitude, trees become more sparse
until I was surrounded by moorland.
Apparently Bwlch y Groes used to be on an ancient pilgrimage route.
On the descent, there were fabulous views and the wind was blowing quite strongly
With toes still in fighting form, I eventually arrived at Dinas Mawddwy.
From Dinas Mawddwy to Cross Foxes is 5.5 miles of dangerous walking on steep narrow fast roads with no pavement. With no bus service on a Sunday and the nearest taxi over 20 miles away, I decided to hitch. About the 20th vehicle that came past was a van with a personalised FF number plate. This used to be the number plate for Merionethshire so assuming the driver was local, I opened the door and greeted him to which he responded in Welsh. We talked in Welsh all the way.
It was great to hear that Sion knows Pete Cleverly and others I used to know when I first started working in Dolgellau in 1974.
At Cross Foxes, I was again greeted in Welsh. I was home!
The hotel welcomes guests with some of slices of bara brith. With a pint of Purple Moose beer from Porthmadog
it's a marriage made in heaven.
I have two options for tomorrow, going over or around Cadair Idris - 2900 feet so depending on cloud altitude and wind speed in the morning, I'll look at the forecast and decide then.
I have two options for tomorrow, going over or around Cadair Idris - 2900 feet so depending on cloud altitude and wind speed in the morning, I'll look at the forecast and decide then.
Total distance walked so far = 446.3 miles
Total ascent so far = 56 191 feet
It looks like I need to somehow adjust settings to enable comments to be left. If you're having any difficulty please persist or don't hesitate to send me a text or email.
email: David.LL.thomas@gmail.com
mob: 07850109100
If you're tempted to contribute to any or all of the great charities I'm supporting, here are the relevant links.
Parkinsons UK - My dad had Parkinsons in his latter years and the research work this charity funds and the support it provides to patients and their families is invaluable. - https://www.justgiving.com/
Just Wheels UK - this is a small charity set up to provide wheelchairs in a rural community in Tanzania. It does this through funding training, education and the local fabrication and servicing of bespoke wheelchairs. My nephew uses a wheelchair and as he grows I can see the life changing freedoms that proper wheelchairs can bring to both users and their families.-
- RNLI - these are the brave guys who selflessly head out to sea to help others. I volunteer at Littlehampton RNLI shop and often meet families of those who’ve had first hand experience of their loved ones being saved from the sea. Having sailed for years I can say thankfully we’ve never had to call on the RNLI's services but it’s amazing what it does to know they are there
https://www.justgiving.com/
Comments
Post a Comment