Y Pengwern Opens!

51 days after getting the keys this once run down pub is up and running; fuelled by the community and a core of committed volunteers.

This occasion was a test run to which shareholders and helpers were invited to check out the facilities and enjoy free beer. So much has been achieved in such a short time with the minimum of outside help, it’s a great community success.

Volunteer staff wore black shirts with the Pengwern logo. Service was efficient and with a smile.

In the cellar were many barrels including casks of real ale from the Purple Moose Brewery. The half drunk cask of Glaslyn was slowly tipped forward, by a spring lifting the rear end as the weight decreased; in this way, without disturbing sediments, you get 71 saleable pints out of a 72 pint cask.

All being well the public opening will be early June.

A visit to The Coach House in The Vale of Ffestiniog

We came, we saw, we conquered,
At least, that was the plan,
To come and climb a mountain,
All talk of work was banned.

We nearly didn't get here,
Our family of three,
Jo`s navigating skills were questioned,
Well, questionable actually!

Our haven was The Coach House,
Of heaven a little piece,
Amongst the trees, the streams, the hills,
We found soul quenching peace.

We visited the willow wolf,
Howling to the skies,
Watched the looping train,
Listened to birds cries.

Bess, the dog, was in heaven,
The day we chose to climb,
The highest peak in Wales,
And had a whale of a time!

Our adventures continued,
Aboard a 6 man raft,
Crashing through white water,
An adrenalin-full laugh!

We explored pretty Portmeirion,
Harlech beach & Harlech town,
Not one thing about our holiday,
Made us want to frown.

Big thanks to Ray & Marie,
Your beautiful cottage made our stay,
Perfect in every single way,
We hope that we`ll be back some day."

Chris, Jo & Bess - Chichester - Apr 2011

Forget Galapagos, come to Ffestiniog!

As well as steam trains the Vale of Ffestiniog offers spectacular wildlife and nature. Sea trout and salmon on the Afon Dwyryd and if you’re lucky you might see an otter. 

On either side of the valley Atlantic oakwoods or Celtic rainforest, more scarce than tropical rainforests and every bit as special with magnificent lichens, liverworts and slime molds. Redstarts and pied flycatchers arrived a few weeks ago. Right now the woods are blooming with bluebells and wild goats stepping carefully so as not to squash them.

Abandoned slate mines make perfect roosts for many species of bat such as the ‘lesser horseshoes’. ICI's explosives factory, Gwaith Powdwr, in which 17 million grenades were made is now a nature reserve where later this month you can hear the nightjars. Llechwedd Slate Caverns has nesting choughs.

We might have pine martens but are struggling to prove it. Ospreys returned to the area in 2004 and this year’s chicks recently hatched. Up in the mountains ravens and buzzards patrol the skies with the occasional red kite. Moths galore, last summer a holiday maker recorded 180 different species during his weeklong stay. Along the coast you might see bottlenose dolphins, porpoise, grey seals or maybe even a leatherback turtle – some years ago a turtle the size of a mini was washed up on Harlech beach and now sits in the National Museum of Wales.

Woodpeckers in early June with their nests precision drilled into the oaks.

Forget Galapagos, come to Ffestiniog! This is home to Ivor the Engine and Idris the dragon. What's more we've got a live wolf!

Y Pengwern in Hotel magazine

Y Pengwern in the news again in this month's edition of the trade magazine Hotel. Must be opening time soon!

The Pengwern – buy in to this adventure

Volunteers are hard at work cleaning, painting, fixing up The Pengwern. 22 days after taking possession they are on track to open the bar in mid May and this is how things are looking:

I’ve paid over my £100 and am a shareholder which means I’ll be able to turn up at meetings and cast a vote. I’ll also want to call in on a regular basis to check up on my investment!

If you’d like to volunteer or become a shareholder (from £100 to £20,000 = 1 vote) please send an email to pengwerncymunedol@googlemail.com

Ras y Moelwyn 2011

3^rd Saturday of April, must be Ras y Moelwyn, the rugged alternative to the London Marathon. From Blaenau through Cwm Cwmorthin, up Moelwyn Mawr, over Craigysgafn, then Moelwyn Bach, Moel yr Hydd and steeply home. Ten and a half miles with 2,800 feet of altitude gain in about 80 minutes – some do take quite a lot longer. This is what it looks like in the middle section on Craigysgafn and below Moelwyn Bach. The speed of the runners blew away the mist!

Diolch Blaenau Amateurs football club and Antur Stiniog.

Springwatch in the Vale of Ffestiniog - 2

My first swallow was on the 4^th of April, pied flycatchers on the 9^th, redstarts on the 10^th – as for the ospreys, they are well ahead of schedule with their 1^st egg on the 2^nd of April. Pied wagtails have been playing kiss chase at Dduallt station. Outside the kitchen loads of black bees humming around a fragrant shrub. Fresh soil is being pushed up through the mounds above the railway with millions of busy ants below. No kid goats thus far. Our gander watched on yesterday as one of the Indian runners tried to mate with the goose as she sat on her clutch of eggs.

But for me the most amazing sight was an emperor moth – common but impressive!