Earthquake
On the
seventh of June 1931 Griffith Thomas Ael y Bryn was on watch at the
Coastguard’s lookout at Bytilith when he felt and heard an earthquake at two
in the morning. He recorded it in his diary ‘ Earthquake at 2 am, many who
were in their beds heard it. In towns away from here chimneys fell.’
This was the North
Sea earthquake, the largest ever experienced in Britain.
~~~~~~~
Stranded
on Bardsey
On the
seventeenth of January 1891 John Griffith Pencaerau went across to Bardsey on
behalf of the Methodists to report on how the ministry on the island was getting
on. Due to bad weather he was forced to stay on the island until the twenty
seventh of January, when he was finally able to return to the mainland and his
home at Pencaerau.
~~~~~~~
Neigwl y Plas (Palace of Neigwl)
On February the 4th 1788, Plas Neigwl, a
timber built manor house dating back to the 10th century, went on
fire, and burnt to the ground. Three infants Elizabeth, Catherine and Mary Jones
lost their lives. An inquest into their deaths was held on the 7th at
Llandegwning Church.
“On the night of the fourth of February
1788 aforesaid Neigwl y Plas in the Parish of Llandegwning accidentally casually
and by Misfortune took fire and was consumed, and it so happened that they were
suffocated smothered and burnt to death in their beds”
The house was never re-built, and no trace of it remains
today.
Neigwl y Plas was obviously an important place in times
gone by, as Edward I, King of England stayed there in 1284, from the 28th
to the 30th of July, when he was on his way to Bardsey Island, he
arrived on Bardsey on the 2nd of August.
~~~~~~~
Small World
In 1957
whilst Edgar Morris Ael y Bryn was out working in Australia, he visited a second
hand bookshop in Sydney with the intention of buying a book on photography. He
saw just the book he wanted it was ‘Negative Faults and how to correct them’
by Frank Harris A.R.P.S. part of a series of books known as ‘photofacts’.
Edgar bought the book and went back to his lodgings, and on browsing through the
book much to his surprise he found two very familiar photographs Penarfynydd
farmyard and Porth Ysgo Bay with Bardsey in the background.
Thanks to Mr Edgar Morris for this
snippet.
~~~~~~~
Caernarvon
and Denbigh Herald August 23 1851.
Pwllheli
– On Wednesday last, near twenty persons, male and female, from Rhiw,
Llanfaelrhys, and the neighbourhoods, passed through this town, on their way to
Liverpool, to embark for the United States of America.
~~~~~~~
Caernarvon
and Denbigh Herald January 31 1905.
There was a
serious fire in William Davies, Tyn Mynydd’s barn and everything in it was
destroyed but the building was saved with the aid of his neighbours.
~~~~~~~
Caernarvon
and Denbigh Herald April 4 1905.
The incline
of the manganese mines Rhiw has been completed, but the jetty remains
unfinished. Although there are only a few men employed at the mines the ships
continue to carry cargo from them.
~~~~~~~
Caernarvon
and Denbigh Herald June 6 1905.
On tuesday
evening whilst at work in the mines Mr David Roberts, Llainfatw, Llangwnadl
suffered a broken leg when a boulder fell on him. He was soon attended to by Dr
Griffith, Castellmarch.
~~~~~~~
Bedford OB SL71
This is a photo of one of the old Crosville buses that
used to run from Pwllheli to Rhiw and back to Pwllheli at three on Saturday
afternoons in the fifties. I used to travel on it often and it was very plush as
compared to the old ones.
The bus now belongs to Vista Coaches, Yatton near
Bristol and is used for special occasions as well as for weddings. The bus is
still in the old Crosville colours and is owned by a Welshman from Neath. Corgi
have made a perfect die cast model of her in the ‘Original Omnibus series’.
Thanks to Mr Carroll Hughes for this
snippet.
~~~~~~~
Gorse
Burning
In the winter months between
November and March, Gorse burning is a regular and essential part of hill and
mountain management. It’s timed because there are no nesting birds at this
period, it’s essential so that come the spring new grass and plants can grow
without being choked by gorse, heather, and dead bracken. It’s a tradition
that goes back meny centuries, and it is very carefully planned, and rotated
from year to year. And no one has come up with a better solution yet. The local
Fire Brigade is informed before hand, but unfortunately they are still inundated
with calls from people that see these fires, and dial 999, without a second
thought, thinking that the whole village is threatened by this inferno. So if
you spot one of these fires, please give the local farmers a call first, it will
save a lot of time, money and effort for a lot of people.
