Dublin Marathon 2011

I know that the following will never get me acknowledged as Poet Laureate, it is just a little ditty that came into mind last Monday. It can be sung to the tune of "Blaydon Races". If you feel you can do better, feel free to have a go, but with one condition. To allow an even playing-field, you need to be running a Marathon as you pen the verse! Don't take it too seriously !

I went to run a Marathon, 'twas on a Hallowe'en

The year two-oh-one-one, in Ireland's land so green.

I left my kit at Merrion Square, but should have kept a hat,

For then the Heavens opened, and we all looked like drowned rats.

To be sure, you should have seen it raining.

We were all soaked in Phoenix Park, but no-one was complaining.

For all the lads and lasses there still had lots of fun.

It's a long way back to Merrion Square, the Dublin Marathon.

Organists !!

I don't want this to become a rant, but there are a few things I want to get off my chest, and this is probably the safest way of doing it.

Facebook friends will know that I have commented on organists a couple of times this year - usually after a service in which I have wanted to vent my spleen because at least part of the service was ruined by the organist.

Now, before I go any further, I have to make a few things clear. I am not against organists. Indeed, I am an organist myself, it is just over 26 years ago that the organist of my home church gave me my first lesson, the organ was my instrument when I took my music 'A' level and it has given me great pleasure ever since. Also, as a preacher and minister, I have worked with some excellent organists over the years - their sensitive playing in relation to the theme / mood of the service has been much appreciated and helped with the general atmosphere of worship. That said, there are others at whose playing I have had to grimace, even leaving me to wonder if I should say something during the service.

In the circuit where I currently serve, there are some capable organists around the churches and chapels. It is a joy to work with them. There are also some less than capable organists around the churches and chapels, and it can be a strain to work with them.

First of all, the question as to whether or not people should be playing the organ. On a good number of occasions, I have had people say to me, "Well, I play the organ for services, but I'm a pianist really". In that case, will you please play the piano. If that is the instrument you are used to, that is the instrument that will help you play to your fullest potential. I could not believe that a few months ago I was having to explain to one of these pianists who has been using the organ as a glorified piano what an 8 foot stop is for !

To some extent though, the blame is not with these musicians at all, but with the members of the congregation who worship the organ and make it into an idol. To them, anything else is, at best, second-best and if it's not on the organ, well, "It's not the same" but they seem to explain how exactly it is different other than the use of a different instrument.

Do people not realise that organ music in church is a relatively modern concept? How on earth did the church survive and grow for 1800 years before the Victorian age? Before then, for the most part, in the local church, music would have been provided by a small band, not unlike today's praise bands. OK, perhaps not electric guitars (!) but maybe a violin, flute, bassoon etc would provide the musical accompaniment. Yes, there may well be an organ in the cathedrals and other particularly large churches, but this was rather rare, it was the exception rather than the rule. So, in many ways, using a variety of instruments in worship is simply going back to an earlier tradition.

Then there's the question of tunes. if Methodism was born in song, it died when somebody changed the tune. Hymns have set tunes for a whole variety of reasons, musical, poetical, even theological to name but 3. True, in some cases there are alternatives, the hymn "Love Divine, all loves excelling" can be sung to either "Love Divine" or "Hyfrydol" as well as its most popular "Blaenwern". That said, sometimes hymn have just one set tune, it is a marriage made in Heaven and let no-one put asunder. why sing "Guide me O Thou great Jehovah" to anything other than "Cwn Rhondda"?

So if a hymn has a set tune, can we please play the set tune rather than just search for a tune of the same measure. To me, changing a tune just because "we don't know it" is musical sloppiness. There have even been times when the tune that has been selected in place of the set tune is not of the same meter at all, does not fit the words and the result is just an un-dignified mess.

You might have gathered that I'm coming at this from a Methodist perspective, and a Welsh Methodist perspective at that. Within Methodism, and I'm sure the same is true of other denominations, certainly other Protestant denominations, there is a great emphasis on training and further training for preachers, ministers and worship leaders. Yet it totally ignores the fact that the people who lead worship in our churches week by week are the organists, and there is no hint of further training for them. This is not good. Whilst the odd gaffe here and there is something we've all done and can cause amusement for the right reasons if handled correctly, not being up to it is a far more serious matter. This is where it gets difficult. I know our organists give what they can, but if there are some relatively easy tunes that they cannot play, what happens next? I don't ask that question lightly, but as there are pastoral procedures in place for ministers, preachers and worship leaders who are not up to it - usually based around training and encouragement, should not the same apply to musicians?

I like organ music, I love the great hymns of the church. I enjoy praise bands, I get excited about contemporary hymns and hymn-writing. They all have their place in the church. Long may this be the case. But may we also have musicians who are able to meet the challenge of worship today to the glory and praise of God.

Well, I suppose that's one way to set the cat among the pigeons.......!! Thoughts / opinions / comments are welcome, either below or on the Facebook link which will be provided in just a moment.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord (Psalm 150)

The Men of Harlech meet mud, mud, glorious mud !

The weather has worsened and taken a turn for the cooler and wetter. With occasional exceptions, this is how it is going to stay for the next few months. The shorts have been replaced by walking trousers, and there's every need for an extra layer on top as well!

I was glad of the extra mile last time - it gave me a bit of a start today and meant that I was able to finish a little sooner than expected, and, given what the weather was doing later in the day, that was not a bad thing.

After retracing my steps to Minffordd station, it was along the road, turning right at Penrhyndeudraeth. This junction was significant as it allowed me to cross the Mawddach estuary via a road and rail bridge, and means that after walking west along the north Wales coast, and then east along the southern side of the Lleyn Peninsula, I am now heading south. Broadly speaking, it's going to be south to Aberystwyth, then south-west to Pembrokeshire, but there is a lot of walking to do bef9ore that stage is reached.

Just a word about the bridge - there's not a lot of room for vehicles and pedestrians - it can be done, but drivers and walkers alike need to take extra care. Fortunately, it's not exactly the longest bridge in the world, and at Llandecwyn the road starts to lead down the coast whilst the footpath heads into nearby fields.

The off-road conditions underfoot have changed somewhat since reaching Minffordd almost a month ago. It is now squishy and muddy. My footwear could cope with it, but when I finished. I was very surprised to see just how much mud had splashed onto my trousers. Fortunately, they are walking trousers and are machine washable for this very reason, but all the same, I looked a sight !

Why can't paths be more clearly marked? The map did help, but some markers at the edge of the fields would also be useful. In the end, after covering some distance in this manner, I gave up and headed back to the nearest road. I had been trying to get onto the sand dunes to the north of Harlech. Last time I was here, just over a year ago, I had been to Harlech with friends, and we had walked north along the beach after looking round the town. However, then we have accessed the beach from Harlech itself. Trying to do so from further north is not easy. For one thing, at the estuary mouth, tidal conditions can make it difficult, not to say dangerous, and for another, there is some private, inaccessible land further down. Eventually, I settled on a compromise, following some minor roads / farm tracks down the coast as near to the dunes as I could comfortably get before reaching Harlech.

Whilst I did have a map, there was one particular way in which it was not needed. Ever since crossing the bridge earlier, the outline of the castle looms on the horizon and it gets larger with every step.

The weather was not particularly kind today - there had been heavy showers throughout the walk, and it became more or less constant when I reached Harlech. The original plan had been to have a look round the castle and the town, getting a bite to eat somewhere along the lines. With the weather being cold, wet and miserable, that was amended. I did have a look round the castle (I have just renewed my membership of CADW, so this helps me get my money's worth), but then I decided to call it a day and get the train back a good 2 hours earlier than planned.

A successful day's walking, but a bit of a miserable ending.

The extra mile

Today was meant to be from Criccieth to Porthmadog. Things started well and got better. The way out of the town is easy to begin with, it's simply follow the path along the railway line until you get to a hill, Graig Ddu, or Black Rock. There is then a choice of ways to go round the hill, but as the easy way was blocked by cows that I was not going to try and argue with, I had to stick to the coastal route and do a bit of scrambling. At least that is what the guide-book said. As it happens, it was not as bad as that. Yes, there were places where I had to put my hands on the rocks to steady myself, but I was not in serious danger of losing my footing at any point, it was for back-up more than anything else.

Once round the rock, the next bit is easy and glorious - right along the sands, and the scenery of the Mawddach estuary is stunning. Indeed, if I dare admit this, being a grown man in my 40s, there were times I almost wanted to cry, it was so beautiful. Before I run out of superlatives, I did realise that I would need to know where to get off the sands, otherwise various streams and rivulets flowing into the estuary could make life interesting.

Oh alright, so I didn't get the exit off the sands *quite* right - and at one point I did have to take off my shoes and socks to get across some flowing water. Not too bad when wearing shorts, as I have on the walk so far, but as I don't think there'll be many more days this year when I can get away with that, life could get a bit more interesting if this happens again in the coming months.

Skirting round the edge of Morfa Bychan seems to be caravan / camp site Heaven. I was more than happy to leave them to it. I was now turning my thoughts to Borth-y-Gest, a place which a friend of mine enthuses about. I can see why, it is a very pretty place and makes for a pleasant stay. My stay was a short one, but it was long enough to stop and have a coffee and scone, which to be honest, I found a bit disappointing.

Looking at the map, I could not believe that Porthmadog was so close. My original plan had been to stop there and have lunch, but as the short walk to the town from Borth-y-Gest got me there before lunchtime, and as I was still feeling a bit full from the scone, that plan came to nothing. So, after a map check, I wondered about going on a little further than originally planned. That is what I did, and following the track of the Ffestiniog Railway, arrived just over a mile later in Minffordd. As there was a train back to Criccieth where I had left the car in 20 mins, I decided that was enough for one day, I had gone a little further than planned and was slightly ahead of schedule.

So far, with the weather, I have been very lucky. But it is now the end of September, and whilst I don't plan to do quite as much walking in the autumn and winter months, I will be doing some. The shorts will almost certainly have to go away, and I suspect that the raincoat and waterproof over-trousers will be making more of an appearance. There's only one way to find out, I suppose.....

Pwllheli to Criccieth

Picking up where I left off last time, today I was accompanied by my friend Alan. The weather was a degree cooler than it had been for the bulk of the Lleyn Peninsula walk, and definitely breezy, but it was not bad once you got moving and kept moving!

The knack to today's walk was not to stick to the A497 too much. There were times when it was unavoidable, but at least in those areas there is a decent footpath running alongside. It was on the main road for the initial stage out of Pwllheli, but we were soon able to drop back towards the beach and follow the path along the sand dunes.

This is an area for holiday parks, and whilst Butlins may be long gone, the idea of it survives with caravan sites and other holiday camps all seeming to offer the same sort of facilities. They may have their place I suppose, but if I go on holiday, I like to see an area, not just an enclave of it.

Basically, it was a case of follow the path close to the beach until you reach Penychain, then back onto the main road. At this stage, I took a detour slightly inland to the village of Llanystumdwy, a village which would simply be a dot on the map were it not the home of the only Welshman to have been Prime Minister, David Lloyd George.

Lloyd George was the great Liberal Prime Minister during the First World War, and after the war, he won the subsequent General Election, formed a coalition Government with the Tories, which unfortunately put the Liberals out of Government until........

It's hard not to spot Lloyd George's connection with the village - there's the school where he would have been educated, the chapel where he would have worshipped, there's a museum decicated to him in what was his home, and just a whisker away from the village is his grave and memorial. That was also the venue for our lunch stop, not on the grave itself, but just alongside, with profound apologies to anyone who feels that too disrespectful. It was certainly not intended to be.

Just along the road from the gravesite, there's a path which drops down back over the road and railway and onto the beach. There, Criccieth Castle is clearly seen ahead of you, and it's journey's end for today's relatively short stage of the walk. A visit to the castle was a must - being a member of CADW, I can get in free. It turns out that both Alan and I had spent childhood holidays here and had visited the castle back then, and it was good to re-lived some of our respective memories. But boy, if it had been breezy on the walk, there was a positive gale howling through the castle grounds. I'll have to go back and have another look when the weather isn't quite so fierce, but I promise that it will not be another 30 years until my next visit.

Arriving in Criccieth also means that the Lleyn Peninsula is now complete. There's a lot more of the walk to do, but it feels that the next stage of the walk will be the next chapter of the story. Indeed, it will, for Criccieth is right down at the bottom corner of the map which has been so useful since Caernarfon.

Thank-you, Lleyn Peninsula, I certainly know where to spend some days out now, but with the coastline of Cardigan Bay in sight, there are more adventures ahead in that direction.

Abersoch to Pwllheli

Day 4 – Abersoch to Pwllheli

The shortest day of walking. And the first day on which I was accompanied – by my friend Phil. It did make transport considerably easier. He arrived in Pwllheli at about 9 o'clock and from there drove to Abersoch, allowing me to pick up where I left off yesterday. It's necessary to leave the town by road, but we were soon able to drop down onto the beach. In fact, the whole walk is beach all the way, but there are 2 exceptions. The first is quite a prominent headland that has no easy way round it. The beach turns to large boulders, which are passable with care at low tide, but it is easier and probably safer to climb up and walk round the top. It's not an easy climb, not only is it steep, but it's quite dense with gorse and brambles – not kind on the legs if you're wearing shorts. However, it is worth it. The views are pretty good – not quite as good as they were on day 1, but all the same, well worth taking a moment to take it all in, and also, at the top of the headland, there is a statue “The Iron Man”. It's interesting, there's probably more of a story behind it than I am fully aware of, but as Phil pointed out, I would rather have the Iron Lady!

Back onto the beach at Llanbedrog via a steep descent – happily marked by stairs for most of the way to the next, smaller headland at Carreg y Defaid. This is easier to negotiate – it only requires climbing about half-way up it before a path leads the way again.

It is also worth noticing that there is going to have to be a right turn at some point – not just yet, but looking to the horizon, the land leads off to the right as the coast goes south. There's a few stages of the walk to go yet – the turn will come at Porthmadog – but it's encouraging to see that you are making progress.

In what seems like no time, you have reached the outskirts of Pwllheli and the road by the beach looks to be a nice promenade. Phil and I followed this into the town centre, where a baked potato was called for. It was also my first and only proper chance to have a look round Pwllheli – since arriving here last Sunday night, I have either been leaving before the place has properly opened up or arrived back after it has shut up shop for the night. I'm not sure that I'd use it as a base for a holiday just for the sake of it, but as a place pretty central to the Lleyn Peninsula as a whole, it does have its uses.

So that brought the 4 days walking to an end. I drove Phil back to Abersoch to meet up with his car, then it was time to head home.

In the car, the Heavens opened. I had been so lucky with the weather. Only one heavy shower, which didn't last. Now it was coming on and would stay for the rest of the day – but as we were back in our cars, that didn't seem to matter.

There will be more to come, but that concludes 4 days in August spent walking the coast of the Lleyn Peninsula from Caernarfon through Nefyn, Aberdaron and Abersoch to finish at Pwllheli.

Bye for now.

Aberdaron to Abersoch

Day 3 – Aberdaron to Abersoch

Day 1 was the steepest, day 2 was the longest, today, day 3, offered the best beach.

To be honest, I am not sorry that the 2 longest days of the walk are over. After averaging 25 miles a day for the last 2 days, today's 15-miler was a doddle by comparison. It wasn't without its moments, but life is definitely getting easier.

First of all, the bus back to Aberdaron. One day I will return to this delightful place and have a proper look around, but that was not what I was here for today. Abersoch was calling.

Again, as the cliffs are unsafe to walk, the official path heads inland, and I found myself heading towards Rhiw. A pretty uneventful route other than to say that it is steep. However, what goes up must come down, and what a down it is. Not only is it through some stunning scenery, but the beach at Porth Neigwl comes more and more into view. It is 4 miles long and just as deserted as Traeth Penllech was yesterday. It's not the official path, but it is marked as a recognised alternative, and that will do for me.

As with yesterday, the water looked inviting, and I had a paddle, but carrying my stuff this time in order to keep moving and make progress. After a moment of that, I decided to walk along the beach would be better than keep dodging the water, and it was walking on the beach that I turned back to see where I had come so far, noticed a cloud, and noticed that any second now, this place was going to live up to its English name, Hell's Mouth.

Basically, what happened next was that Hell's Mouth unleashed its fury. Before I had time to get my waterproofs on, I was soaked. The downpour came from nowhere and was merciless in its attack. It must have made one of the strangest sights ever, me on the beach, in full waterproofs, coat and trousers – and bare feet! Well, it's one way of keeping the trainers dry!

Fortunately, the cloudburst was over as soon as it arrived. Having seen the cloud make its way along the beach, I now watched the blue sky make its way overhead – it was all over in 5 mins, but wow, what a surreal experience! Happily, everything dried out quickly!

The rest of the walk along Porth Neigwl was uneventful, though I turned off just before the end. There was a fast food van close to the car-park, and although I didn't buy any fast food, a cup of coffee was most welcome! From there, it was down a country lane into Llanengan.

What a beautiful village Llanengan is. It was a particular pleasure to discover that the church was open – it was a bit sparse inside, but non the worse for that.

Lovely though it is, it's a bit of a detour and is a little way away from the coast. That said, this is another place where there is no obvious right of way along the headland, so a brief excursion inland does have to be made. Eventually, I arrived on the beach to the south of Abersoch, and, arriving in that town, had plenty of time for a very welcome scone and peppermint tea before the bus back to Pwllheli.

Nefyn to Aberdaron

Day 2 – Nefyn to Aberdaron

The day with the most miles. The day with some stunning scenery (though any day spent walking on the Lleyn Peninsula could be described as that!), and also a day when it is worth bearing in mind before setting out that there are no villages between Morfa Nefyn and Aberdaron, so stopping for a quick coffee or sandwich is not possible unless you have brought your own in the first place.

Navigating could hardly be easier. Basically, keep the sea on your right and, so far as is possible, stay on the cliff tops. Certainly, after passing the golf course at Morfa Nefyn, it is cliff tops for mile after mile. With the weather today far better than was originally forecast, it was a glorious day for walking, and the waterproofs stayed in the bag, to be replaced by sun screen and hat!

Whilst the navigation is easy, there are areas to watch out for. At times, the path seems dangerously near the cliff edge. I'm sure it's quite safe really, but all the same, be aware that this is not necessarily a walk for sufferers of vertigo. Also, there are places where the path drops down onto the beach. Make sure that you drop at the correct point, otherwise it can be very hard to get back up without having to retrace your steps. The beach where you do need to head down onto is Traeth Penllech. This was reached after a good morning's walking, and it made a perfect place for a bite of lunch. To say it was a nice day in August in the middle of the school holidays, the place was virtually deserted. I don't want to spoil the secret, but, dear reader, if you want un-crowded beaches, head to the Lleyn Peninsula. You'll be spoilt for choice.

The sea looked so inviting that after the sandwich I decided to have a paddle and refresh the tired feet before heading on. It was glorious. Only in the water up to the ankles, but it did the trick nicely. Also, as the beach was deserted, it was perfectly safe to leave my bag and other stuff on the beach whilst paddling – there was no-one else around, nobody there to nick anything.

The walk in the afternoon was a bit more complicated, after getting back onto the cliffs, the path heads onto the road at Porth Widlin. Unfortunately, the cliff tops are no longer safe from this point on, hence the excursion inland. There are still some spectacular views to be had though as the route takes you to the Welsh Lands End. At the end of the peninsula, the next stop is Ireland. It is quite significant that in this coastal walk, whilst still keeping the sea on my right, I had now turned round and the sea was to the south of me for the first time. In some ways it felt like being on the home run, but it's not. The next couple of stages might take me a little nearer home, but then it really begins to get to the stage where a lot more advance planning is required.

Aberdaron is a lovely little place near the end of the peninsula. I am only sorry that after walking 25+ miles I was too tired to appreciate it, and also that I didn't really have long enough to spend any time there before the bus took me back to Pwllheli.

That night I visited friends from Birmingham who were having a holiday on Anglesey. It was my first time on the island for 23 years – it will not be that long before I go back.

Keep it Lleyn

Caernarfon to Nefyn

The last stage of the Welsh coastal walk took me to Bangor, and, as I have already walked from Bangor to Caernarfon, I am skipping that bit this time, and resuming at Caernarfon Castle.

Somewhere between Bangor and Caernarfon, an invisible barrier has been crossed. I don't wish to take away the Welshness of Llandudno and other such places along the North Wales coast, but on arriving in Caernarfon, and all the more so when heading West down the Lleyn Peninsula, and also when crossing onto Anglesey, it is noticeable that the mother tongue of North West Wales is Welsh. Indeed, through my 4 days on the Peninsula, I could tell immediately who was a local and who was a holidaymaker – the locals spoke to each other in Welsh, the visitors in English. There was nothing rude or un-natural about that, it was simply people speaking to each other in their own tongues. I did try to practice my Welsh as much as possible – with some success, but I also need to improve it if I am going to get anywhere with it. Anyway, that's for another day.

How do you pronounce this peninsula I am walking? It's the Lleyn Peninsula – think “Clean” but with spit !

The knack at the start is to get the right bridge across the Seiont. It's only a small river, but it's still important. I worked out that I needed to find a footbridge just round the back of Caernarfon Castle. Miss it and it wouldn't be the end of the world, but you could easily find yourself doing a couple of extra miles. Before making the start of the trek down the north side of the Lleyn peninsula, I paused to take in the scene. There's history and culture all around, and it would have been a shame to miss it in a rush to head off. Caernarfon Castle, with it's long history and historic association with the Princes of Wales is on the right, the Island of Anglesey is ahead across the Menai Straits, and to the left is the start of the road that will lead round the coast – after a fashion !

Broadly speaking, the route I have been trying to follow is the Ancient Pilgrim's Way walk to Bardsey Island. Why the route should choose the north side of the Peninsula when the southern side is flatter, has more beaches and is generally a sight easier to walk is one of life's eternal mysteries, as is why the official walk for day is only 6 miles long and leads inland to the village of Penygroes.

Well, I've nothing against the village – I have been there a couple of times, and very pleasant it is too, but it's not exactly a coastal walk. So, following the road that leads away from Caernarfon, I followed the trail through the village of Saron before heading away from the trail to divert to Llandwrog and make progress to Nefyn.

Perhaps at this stage a word about Welsh chapels, their name, their village name, and what they are saying today. Many Welsh villages have Biblical sounding names, Saron, Bethesda, Horeb, there's even a Bethlehem. Apparently, in some of these small villages, the village was named after the chapel. It would have been the centre of village life, things would have revolved around that, and people for miles around would have known that, How things have changed.

In this day and age where churches and chapels have closed and are closing, a casual glance does not always tell you whether or not the chapel is open today. If there's no notice board, does that mean the place is closed? Perhaps. It certainly makes it look closed. If there is a service there on a Sunday, at what time? No information for visitors is not good for mission. A couple of notice-boards I passed later on the walk did display posters, one showing when the one service a month would be (one service a month? What's that about, and what do people do the other 3 weeks?) and one, which I only managed a quick glance at, but there were posters which I recognised as coming from the Presbyterian Church of Wales, so that did at least tell me which denomination the chapel belonged to. Had I looked closer, I might have been able to find out more, but it was enough to tell me that something was happening there.

For the next stage of the walk, progress is considerably easier these days than it has perhaps ever been. That is because of a very good foot and cycle path along the main road. I have mentioned before how much I dislike walking along main roads - other than locally – but given the distance needed to travel today, it was necessary in order to make progress. To be fair, there are times when the path does divert away from the road slightly, but, for the most part, if follows the road from just after Llandwrog, going through Pontllyfni, Aberdysach and Clynnog Fawr before it is necessary to divert towards the village of Trefor and back to the coast.

Heading towards Trefor is not a problem – but what happens after that is guaranteed to take your breath away. It involves the steepest section of the Lleyn Peninsula walk, perhaps even the steepest section of the entire Welsh coastal walk. The path goes dash close to the summit of Bwlch yr Eifl and involves a steep ascent, an ascent on which I was worried. Not only was I warm to begin with (it was a glorious, hot day), but as the climb progressed, I found myself dripping with sweat (not good, so very not good), very thankful that I had my phone and plenty of water with me, and part way up I slipped and hit my leg against a stone. It looked as if it was going to come up in a large bump, but thankfully a quick application of anti-septic cream means that there is a nasty mark there, and it hurt for a good few minutes, but it could have been a lot worse.

In stopping to take a breath, as one needs to, there are some marvellous views to be had. Not only does Caernarfon Bay offer a magnificent sweep behind you, but from the path at the other side of the hill, there are good views of both the north and the south coast of the Lleyn Peninsula, and for the next couple of miles, the path stays high up, offering spectacular views, but it levels out, allowing one to get their breath back. Looking beyond the southern coast, there were views of the Ceredigion coast. I have seen the Lleyn Peninsula on the horizon from Aberystwyth many times over the years – it was nice to look towards Aberystwyth, recall those long-gone days and enjoy the view from the opposite direction.

With such clear views, it is hard to lose your bearings. However, my phone was lost. By that I don't mean that I had lost it, but that it thought it was in another country. Up in the wilds of West Wales, signals are patchy, but all the same, I was very surprised to receive a text reading “ Welcome to Ireland.” I refused to pay roaming charges when I was in Wales, so I decided that any mobile use would be strictly for emergencies only.

At this stage, I looked right towards the north coast and realised that this is a place where I could be doing to spend a week – the Welsh language learning centre at Nant Gwrtheyrn. As I found out 21 years ago, Welsh by full immersion is by far the best way to learn.

Walking up the hill was slow, hard, hot work, and I realised that I was not going to make it to Morfa Nefyn today. That did not matter, Nefyn is the official finish point for today, but as tomorrow is the longest day of the walk, a couple of extra miles start would have helped. From the hills, the road drops down to Llithfaen, where a minor road leads the final 3 miles through Pistyll to Nefyn and journey's end for day 1.

The journey home

After a very enjoyable fringe festival, the journey home began.

It was bad from the word go. All looked well in the waiting room, the board dutifully saying that the 10:51 to London Euston would be departing from platform 8, but we had not been on the train for long when the train guard announced that due to emergency engineering works between Haymarket and Carstairs, there would be a delay leaving Edinburgh.

The people at the table opposite me accessed the national rail website on their laptop, and were informed that the train would leave at approximately 11:45, nearly an hour's delay. As that time approached, the estimated departure time was moved to 11:50 with the news that the service was subject to cancellation.

The train guard had been keeping us updated as best he could, but the people opposite seemed to know far more about what was going on. Eventually, approaching mid-day, he announced that the train would now be departing at approximately 12:51 - 2 hours behind schedule. There were other services available via the East coast, and it was recommended that I take the Penzance train and change at Leeds. Well, I did. That left at 12:08, and at least I was moving. The problem is, I was moving in entirely the wrong direction. Still, for the first part of the journey, my worries disappeared as I sat back and enjoyed the beauty of the SE Scotland countryside and, slightly further south, a glimpse of one of my favourite places, the Holy Island of Lindisfarne.

The anxiety began to increase again as we approached Leeds - how would I go on for a connection to Manchester? And just how late home would I be? Well, although the train did arrive in Leeds on time, I missed a connection by seconds, but it was not too bad as there was only about 20 mins to wait for a train that was going to Manchester Airport, but calling at Picadilly en route. I could change there for a Shotton train.

Or so I thought.

As we were approaching Stalybridge, the train ground to a halt. We were informed that there was massive signal failure in the area, and the train would need to be diverted via Victoria, causing a delay of about 20 minutes. Well, ok, that still gave me about 20 mins to make a connection.

Or so I thought.

To say that the train was crawling along doesn't even begin to describe it. It was stop-start through Victoria, through Salford Central, turning round at Salford Crescent, eventually reaching Picadilly 40 mins late. You've guessed it, any chance of making a connection had gone right out of the window.

But, there was a Chester train about 20 mins after arriving. Whilst that would not get me home, it would be within 7 miles. That train passed Warrington just before 6. The train I was originally booked on should have reached Warrington just after 1:30. The irony is, that by now I was wondering if waiting for the delayed train to leave might have been quicker after all ?

At Chester, there was no train to Shotton for another half hour, but there was a train first stop Flint leaving in 2 mins. I got that one and got a taxi home from Flint. Broken rails and massive signal failure. Not a good day for the railways. And then we're encouraged to use public transport? Why ?

Edinburgh Review

Bespoke Magic

This was a 1-man show performed by Bruce Glen, an Australian magician who is also a member of the Magic Circle. He had done his homework on Edinburgh, and this became increasingly clear as the show progressed.

For most of the show, he took on the guise of the storyteller, allowing the audience to revert to the days of childhood and have a child-like wonder about things.

He set the scene by talking about some former Edinburgh storytellers – J.M. Barrie, Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle, Sir Walter Scott, and, in more recent times, J.K. Rowling.

The tricks performed all had a story running through them, Professor's Nightmare, Card Mess, the Knot Trick and a vanish and reappearance of 3 borrowed rings.

There were places where the show got a bit spooky, but then, Edinburgh does have a spooky history about it. Every night there will be ghost walks on offer somewhere in the vicinity of the Royal Mile. That said, this was family entertainment at its best, and Bruce's best trick was making an hour fly by !

Ali Cook – Principles and Deceptions

Previous reviewers have given this 4 or 5 stars, an accolade it very well deserves.

The show opens with a bit of fun, Ali taking the role of “The Enchanter” a cheesy 70s style cruise ship magician. That said, there was nothing cheesy about the Enchanter's 2 illusions, girl from cage, which I did spot the method but was still well done, then the levitating woman, which had me totally baffled. I do wonder if the woman selected was a stooge, but even with that question mark in my mind, I just cannot figure out how this was done.

Then Ali came on as himself. Interestingly, in his routine, he performed a trick which was essentially the same, but with a different presentation as one performed in Bespoke Magic earlier in the evening. It makes me wonder if that is a trick or just a phenomenon which cane take place under certain conditions. I won't spoil it my saying any more, but it has left me wondering.

Other routines included “Russian Roulette” but with the danger that he might drink from a cup that a volunteer had spat into (he didn't), the coin matrix, a love-letter prediction and the threaded razor blades

There was a brilliant illusion to finish with – poles through girl. I thought that I had spotted the method, then thought that it couldn't possibly be, only to discover that I was right all along. So how the middle bit of the illusion worked ??? Wow, that's the real magic !

A sell-out show, but do all you can to make a ticket appear in your hand !

Wet paint

This show took a while to warm up. Ben Hart struggled initially to have a rapport with the audience, though this did improve as the show went on.

The first trick was quite poor – a coin balance which obviously used adhesive. A coin cascade did not work, and was abandoned before it was due to finish.

As with “Bespoke Magic” some storytelling was used in the course of the show, and this helped break the ice and get the audience alongside that much more. The account of the Indian Rope trick had us spellbound. The only trick performed here was the straightening of a piece of rope, but the real magic was in the telling of the story to a rapt audience.

Linking rings – yes, we've seen that one before, but there was a twist here. Later, when 3 borrowed wedding rings were linked, the astonishment was complete.

Another trick I have seen elsewhere in this festival – the know trick.

The finish was a double act with Neil Kelso, and by now, the audience was enjoying the show. It's a shame they couldn't have started the way they finished.

Pete Firman – Jiggery Pokery

This show could easily have been spoiled by a certain, small section of the audience. There were 34 of them, and the start was delayed by a couple of minutes as one of them had been to the bar and was handing out beers – not to all of them, but to about 10. She didn't seem to notice that there was a room-full of people waiting.

It transpired that as we were taking our seats, Pete had been on stage all along, locked inside a wooden box. He could have done without the beer delay as well. A volunteer was chosen to verify that the key for the lock was indeed the right one, after which it got mixed up with 4 others. When they were eliminated one by one and mixed up with about 500 others, the key that remained did indeed open the lock and let Pete out of the box. Had that trick gone wrong, the show could have been very interesting indeed!

Instead of having 2 cabinets and swapping 2 assistants, a smaller version of this was done by swapping drawings which Pete and a volunteer had done.

What irked me most about what was an entertaining show on the whole was Pete's use of language. There is no need for swearing. Some might get a cheap laugh from it, but not everyone. Yes, I've heard the words before, but I don't expect to hear them when at a magic show.

The extended routine at the close of the show was well worked out. It started as a borrowed £20 routine – it was obviously going to be a vanish and reappear act. It was indeed, but with other acts along the way thrown in to keep the audience waiting, to keep the volunteer on the stage and to further the entertainment.

Between the vanish and the reappearance, there was a head-chopper routine, and the volunteer was made to realise that he had no option but to be the volunteer in this illusion as well. Brilliantly done.

The final reappearance of the £20 note was quite spectacular and brought the show to a well-received end.

A good act, sadly spoiled for me by his use of language and some members of the audience

Barry and Stuart – Show and Tell – The Show

I had an idea what to expect with this – I have seen these 2 Scottish magicians perform before – they are very good, but a bit too gory for my liking. That said, there was not too much gore in here.

The opening act was a memory feat, tearing pages out of a magazine, passing them to members of the audience and then recalling from the stage what was contained in the pages. Stuart was doing the act, and every time he hesitated, Barry made sure that his pain increased, to help him recall what was in his mond. The final pain challenge was Barry standing on Stuart as he was on a bed of nails. Ouch!

If facebook friends are wondering why one of my recent status updates read “Pick a card, not an ace” - it is because we were asked to set that as our Facebook status, and later, towards the end of the show, someone who had received a reply would be chosen. To everyone who replied “Birthday card”, “Credit card” etc, ha flipping ha :-) It turns out that you weren't the only ones – it happens every night !! And a serious thanks to those of you who did seriously name a playing card. When someone was chosen later in the show, the card selected by their facebook friend was indeed the card that came out of the pack. Magic using internet technology – the next generation indeed.

Another version of “Russian Roulette” followed - supposedly using sulphuric acid which could kill a goldfish. Instead, no fish were harmed, but a copper coin got some interesting treatment !

There are many ways to make a chosen card appear, but a good one is to make it appear inside Stuart's mouth, which has been taped over and he has been securely bound by rope. After the card appeared, Stuart, still bound, made his escape duelling Barry who was doing a handcuff escape – both against the clock – Barry won.

There was a second part to the show – the tell, which promised to reveal how the tricks were done. I didn't go to that – part of me can work out how some of the tricks were done, part of me doesn't want to know, and that show started at midnight. At one point in the show, trying to find the average member of the audience, it was said that the average age was between 16 and 40. Without giving another secret away here, I am over 40, and shows at midnight take quite some doing, especially when my train home leaves the next morning !

So, 5 magic shows in 2 days – along with 2 comedy shows (one of which I have not blogged about as it was good but rather “bitty”) That is just a tiny fraction of the fringe, and doesn't even touch the International Festival.

If you can get a couple of days free one August, try the Edinburgh Fringe. It's busy, it's mad, but it's brilliant ! Now back to work for a rest!

Holden and Revill - Edinburgh Festival Fringe

This was a free comedy show as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. I don't often attend stand-up comedy gigs, but I did go to this one as Jon Holden and I are cousins. So it's perhaps worth commenting from the outset that this is not a totally un-biased review but there is a degree of family loyalty here.

First of all, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It is huge. The International Festival is impressive in its own right, but when the fringe is in full flow, it's easy to forget that there is an International Festival on at all. (ok, so the first week of the fringe takes place before the International Festival starts, but that's a minor detail for the purpose of this blog, as when I was there they were running concurrently)

The venue was a pub on the corner of Hanover Street and Queen Street, the pleasant, Georgian part of the city and I arrived there with about 20 mins to spare. Jon And Paul were greeting people as they came in and handed out flyers, but when I arrived, Jon was stopped in his tracks. He didn't know I was in Scotland and was not expecting a member of his family to see the show, certainly not a member of his family who's a Methodist Minister! He said that he might have to tone some of the act down, but later said that he had not done so. I hope he didn't. I had gone to see his show, not a modified version of the show. Fortunately for him, he was on 3rd in the 2-man show (just go with that one !) and so had some time to gather his thoughts before doing his stuff.

After Paul Revill and someone else visiting from the Comedy Club in which Jon and Paul perform, it was Jon's turn. It was nice to be greeted as a special guest. His slot was basically comments about the North-South divide taking a questionnaire and asking questions to first 2 guys to find whether it was the north or the south who had the most manly men, and then later a similar sort of thing to find which area had the most feminine women. The sort of quiz where you choose an answer A, B or C and is quite good fun if you don't take it too seriously.

Jon also does a good line in shadow puppets, even if the chicken did look suspiciously like the rabbit! There's another one he hid which I'd perhaps best not mention on here - suffice to say, I don't think he modified that part of the show !!

So yes, although stand-up comedy is not really my preferred choice of entertainment, this show did entertain. It was good to meet up with my cousin and to see his talent in this area. What will come of it remains to be seen, but as far as the Edinburgh Free Fringe Festival is concerned, I'll remember that I saw him here first!

Daytrip to Bangor

No, I did not have a lovely time the day I went to Bangor. Don't get me wrong, it was a long way from being a disaster, though it did look as if it might be at one stage, but all did not go to plan. a cloudy / windy day, I had lunch on the way, which, whilst good value cost rather more than a pound.....

Enough of this nonsense - what happened ?

Well, basically, things went wrong shortly after Conwy. I was merrily taking the coast path, when I realised that I deeded to be on the foot / cycle path just a few yards away. That doesn't sound too bad, but the path I needed to be on was above me, and there was no way I could have scaled the sheer cliffs to get there. When the coast path ended not only going along a stony beach, but leading to where the sea met the cliffs, there was no way I could have gone on. I hated to have to admit it, but the only thing to do was turn back. At that moment, I felt utter despondency, which lasted in one form or other for the rest of the day. Indeed, I thought that if I had to go all the way back to Conwy, I would call it a day and come back another day to do the walk.

Fortunately, I did not have to go right back to the start, and when I saw where I could correct myself, I realised that even if I didn't get to Bangor, I could perhaps get to Penmaenmawr or Llanfairfechan which would at least be a few miles in the right direction.

The proper path took me alongside a busy dual carriageway. I hated this. Ok, it was a bit different from simply walking along the pavement in one's own locality, but all the same, the feeling of the open countryside was a million miles away. Things did get a bit better as the path moved away from the road, but for the next 6 miles, I was never far away from busy traffic.

To get to the point on the proper path which was above the place where I had turned round took 3/4 hour. There was no way I was going to make that sort of time up, and whilst I did have the whole day to myself, my planned order of events had gone right out of the window.

Anyway, I pressed on and reached Penmaenmawr just before 12. My spirits were lifting a bit now, and I decided that a spot of lunch might fortify me for the rest of the day. Nothing elaborate, just a nice cafe where I ordered beans on toast washed down with a cup of coffee - pretty good value, and as I sat and rested, I began to get the feeling that perhaps things were not so bad after all. No, this would not be where I ended the day's walking. Onwards to Llanfairfechan and assess the situation from there.

The foot / cycle path was yet another amazing feat of engineering. "I'm walking in the middle of the A55" was one of the thoughts that passed my mind as I headed onwards. Indeed I was, but a good, safe distance above the carriageway. Shortly afterwards, the path led to the left and into Llanfairfechan. That was a huge sense of relief, as not only was I finally away from the dual carriageway, but also the route now was either town or something that was far closer to my idea of a footpath - or so I thought.

Yet one question still buzzed round my mind - as I had already walked further than I had needed to, and as Bangor was still a good 9 miles or so, should I press on, or call it a day here ?

I have just finished reading Bear Grylls' autobiography. In that, he talks, amongst other things, about his SAS selection and what he had to go through to pass that. A lot of that took place in far more rugged Welsh terrain than I was on, in far worse weather than I was experiencing today and in altogether more unpleasant conditions. Was it something of his spirit, or just a determined / stubborn streak in me that caused me to decide to press on and get to Bangor today come what may? Whatever, off I set, along the sea front, past some fantastic nature reserves, looking over the water to the island of Anglesey which was looming ever nearer, and also Pernrhyn Castle, whose outline was appearing on the horizon. The map looked simple - continue along the coast, over a bridge, through the castle grounds and then on the final straight to Bangor. Was it that simple? Was it heck!

I realised that there was to be another problem when history repeated itself, and I saw that the bridge I needed to cross was above me, up a wall to my left. I could have cried. Attempts to find the path proved uncuccessful, so there was nothing for it but to head back to the road (a series of smaller roads this time rather than the A55) and follow them to get to Bangor. Feeling utterly beaten, at Tal y bont, it was very tempting to get the bus into Bangor and come back another day to finish things off, but a sign for the cycle path cheered me up, I followed it and soon came to the mile marker which informed me that there was just 1 mile to go to Bangor. OK, so I am going to finish it after all. Shortly after that I passed the city boundary marker, and was cheered up no end by knowing that whatever else happened, I was in Bangor. At this point, despite all the difficulties and set-backs I had encountered today, I couldn't help but start to sing *that* song by Fiddler's Dram http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMNrrLBdhuM To be fair, all told, the day was far closer to that than the Jasper Carrott alternative http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKpuU2k1zD0 ! Enjoy !!

The walk ended at the town clock. It was here, 22 years earlier that I had set out to walk to Cardiff. I was 19 then, I'm 41 now ! Since then, I have indeed walked the length and breadth of the land. Yet despite everything today, this is the end of the easy section of the walk round the Welsh coastline. No longer will I simply be able to get the train from home, get off at the other end, walk and then get the train home again at the end of the day - at least, not until I get to Borth, and as well as there being a lot of walking to do before I get there, the train home from there, and from other points further down the coast, offer a much longer journey than the north Wales line.

So, the next stage of the walk - Bangor to Caernarfon - well, I have already done it, it was the first stage of the walk to Cardiff all those years ago. Before heading to Caernarfon to tackle the Lleyn peninsula, I plan to spend a day on Anglesey, whose coastline is not part of the walk, but I do want to cross the Menai bridge just to acknowledge where I am.

It has been a fantastic journey so far, and although it has, in more ways than one, brought me back to where I started, in other ways, this is just the beginning.

To be continued......

Round the Orme

This is possibly the coldest July day I have ever known. Not the best day for the next stage of the walk, but at least the rain was no more than showers, so let's be thankful for small mercies. In today's section of the walk, I had my first encounter with 2 things one does tend to associate with Wales - rain and hills.

It was raining lightly as I made my way to the station, and had stopped by the time I reached Colwyn Bay to continue where I left off last time. However, there was such a cold breeze that it took my breath away, and I even wondered if I should have put further layers of clothing in my back-pack. As it happens, once I got going, they would not have been needed - though the raincoat did come out of the bag on a couple of occasions, but all the same, these are not the sort of questions one expects to be asking in July. I concluded that the weather was not bad for October!

The first few miles of the walk were easy, onto the sea-front at Colwyn Bay, then on to Rhos on Sea. I have been to Rhos a number of times before, it is where one of my former churches in Liverpool used to hold a church weekend away. As I walked past St Winifride's, the hotel where the weekends were held, I thought of some of the good times that were spent there. It was a time to get to know one another more informally and relax together in ways in which Sunday's and even church socials don't lend themselves to.

One thing from those weekends which I did remember was the location of St Trillo's chapel. It is easy to miss it, it is believed to be the smallest chapel in the UK, and it has seats for 6 people. Someone has a sense of humour if they choose the hymn "O for a thousand tongues to sing" there! Still, I did call in, spent a few minutes in quiet, and was all set to write a comment in what I took to be the visitors book, when I realised that it was in fact a folder of prayers left by the Mother's Union. Oh well! Onward Christian soldier!

Onward through Penrhyn Bay, and then the warm-up act to what was to come later - the Little Orme. That was easy. It was a bit of a climb after Penrhyn Bay, but nothing major. On the descent, it was quite something to catch my first glimpse of what has been described as the queen of Welsh resorts - Llandudno. Certainly it has got the finest promenade in Wales, and it was a good feeling walking along there, having reached this place, even if it was on a cool, wet, blustery day.

It was so cool that I decided to stop for a coffee and Belgium Bun. They should be called Bath Buns - who on earth do the Belgians think they are ?? It was very nice, but then I could have kicked myself as I left the coffee shop - I looked over the road, and saw that St John's Methodist Church had a sign that they were serving coffees. I could have called in there and perhaps saved a few pennies. But, it's interesting, my experience 0f church coffee mornings is such that if a stranger walks in - particularly a man on his own - he'll be treated with suspicion, perhaps to the extent of feeling most unwelcome, or he'll be asked so many questions that he won't have a moment to himself. That might be a bit unfair on some church coffee mornings, but it's not totally inaccurate. The beauty of coffee shops is that I could have a coffee in peace, check the map and generally gather my thoughts before the next stage of the walk. Still, by way of apology, if anyone from St John's is reading this and would like me to speak anytime about the walk, feel free to contact me. The same applies to other churches and church groups in the N Wales / NW England area.

Back along the Prom and past the pier to Marine Drive, a road which goes round the Great Orme. From the map, it didn't look as if there's be too much climbing. I need to take a closer look at the contour lines. Granted, the road did not take me to the top of the Orme, that was never part of the itinerary, but all the same, it does go up a fair way and it gives an idea as to why the Orme is called Great. It is big. The Little Orme of earlier this morning pales into insignificance. With the Orme towering up to your left and the sea on your right, it is next to impossible not to feel a certain sense of awe and wonder. It was certainly exhilerating. Nearing the top of the Orme, with the wind blowing freely, that feeling only increased.

After passing several headlands along the way, the road eventually turns a corner and the sight of Conwy Castle in the distance would mark the end of today's stage of the walk. There was some way to go before reaching there, though. At least the road was leading downhill, and offered some good views over the rest of the N Wales coast - well, they would have been good had it not been for the cloud and mist - and it set my mind thinking about how to tackle that stage of the walk. Is there a coastal path? The map isn't clear. There is a way that leads behind the mountains, and I can meet up with a coastal path after Llanfairfechan, but these are questions for next time, not for today.

So, downhill all the way to.... Llandudno. Yes, we're still in this resort, but this time the West Bay, which is a lot quieter than its northern neighbour and was a favourite holiday resort of the writer Lewis Carroll. I took a breather there for a sandwich, biscuit and drink of lucozade before heading through Deganwy.

After Deganwy, I found I had a stone in my shoe, and the moment or two I spent sorting that out meant that when I started again, I was walking in the same direction as a guy walking his dog. We got talking and walked the rest of the way into Conwy together. It was in the conversation that I used a phrase for the first time "I usually take Tuesday as a day off." Let me explain. In my 14 years of ministry before this appointment, I had always taken Friday as a day off. For various reasons, that isn't easily possible here, and I initially said that my day off would be a moveable feast. I would have a day a week, but it would vary as to which one it is. That has sort of worked, but in recent months, the pattern seems to have emerged that Tuesdays are usually free, so, having said it earlier, and now sharing it with you, dear reader, a new pattern is now official. Tuesday is my day off.

Upon arriving, I had a look in the castle (being a member of CADW I can get in free), and although I have been here before, I discovered the chapel, which, if I did come across on my last visit, I do not remember doing so. Yes, the chapel tower is a clue, but I had originally thought that the room which houses the castle exhibition was the chapel, it turns out to be the room below that. Although just an empty room these days, the clues are there, particularly the ante-room (vestry) and apse. So, day off or not, I found the place where it is likely the altar would have been and couldn't help but say the words "Cymerwch, bwytewch, hwn yw fy nghorff (take, eat, this is my body)" - thankfully there was no-one else around at that moment !!

So, a cold and miserable day weather-wise, but another stage of the walk successfully completed.

Prestatyn to Colwyn Bay

I've been walking again, continuing with the Welsh coast challenge. 17 mile walks do not get much easier than this.

The coastal path from Prestatyn is cycle path all the way. In my last blog, I commented how it felt as if I was miles from anywhere at times, even if it was just a few yards from the road, but this was decidedly busier. Not crowded out by any means, but there was a steady stream of walkers, joggers, people walking the dog, cyclists or just people taking the air. Once again, the weather was glorious, and happily this time, the sun cream reached all the places it needed to reach!

Walking through Prestatyn and Rhyl, my first question was "What has happened to the great British seaside?" Now, I realise that this is a school day just a bit out of the tourist season, so these resorts are very unlikely to be at their busiest, but all the same, it was sad to see kiosks, fun fairs and the like, not only closed, but looking like they have been severely neglected. I know that cheap flights, good package deals and the like to the costa notta lotta where there's a better guarantee of weather mean that holidays at home have declined, but what is the real cost we're paying ?

Approaching Abergele, walking by the large rocks that are used as sea defences, I noticed some wild poppies growing. They were beautiful. I thought about picking one and trying to press it to use as a visual aid in November when poppies once again come to the forefront of our minds. As soon as I did, though, a gust of wind blew the petals off and I was left with just a stem. A stark reminder of how fragile life is and of the futility of taking it away.

I felt as if I was flying. I was eating up the miles and it was possible to look along the great sweep of the North Wales coast beyond where I was planning to stop today. Indeed, at one point, I even considered pressing on, going beyond Colwyn Bay and trying to get to Llandudno. I didn't, but when the going was so good, the thought did cross my mind.

Before we go on, dear reader, can we please learn how to pronounce Llandudno correctly. Think "Clan did know" and you're not far off the mark.

I have driven along the A55 through N Wales many times, but did not appreciate just what a great feat of engineering there is in place around the road. At times, the road, railway, cycle path and sea all seem to go along side by side. Through a careful weaving of one through the other all traffic passes quite happily. whenever I pass that way again by car, I will make sure to just cast a quick sideways glance to anyone who might be walking or cycling along the path.

The final stages were uneventful, I reached Colwyn Bay, had a bit to eat and took the train home.

To be continued....

It is finished !

Last night, I did the final 4 miles of the CVM challenge. That has meant that over the past 30 days I have run a total of 131 miles, the equivalent of Oldham to Holyhead, or 5 Marathons.

The final 4 miles were along the sea-front at Rhyl - I went over there as I fancied a change of scene and it was something a bit special to finish with. Basically, along the front from the border with Kinmel Bay to the end of the Promenade and back is just under 4 miles, so a bit of a detour along the beach to make up the difference is what happened.

The detour, half-way through the run did not merely go along the beach. To celebrate the end of the challenge, what better thing to do than not merely run along the beach, but keep going and make a splash in the sea. It was fantastic!

So, now that I've dried off, cleaned the salt and sand from every nook and cranny and had a night's sleep, how do I feel now ? Tired, but fantastic!

There have been times during the challenge when I could not believe how tired I have felt. On the other hand, I also feel that I've been sleeping a little better, but perhaps not significantly so.

What has struck me in recent days is that a number of people have commented on how well I'm looking! It's kind of them to say so, I feel good, it must have helped with my fitness, and I feel somewhere between fighting fit and fit to drop!

I said at the beginning of blogging about this challenge that the principal of Sabbath rest is important. It is. All training schedules allow for rest, it is instituted in Genesis 2 and is one of the 10 Commandments found in Exodus 20. 30 days without a break is clearly in breach of that. Yet somehow, I feel that I can be forgiven.

I had doubts as to whether or not it is possible. It is. If I can do it, anyone can!

It's said that after successful completion of a challenge, allow yourself a little treat. Last night, when making a decaffeinated coffee before going to bed, instead of putting milk in, I used Baileys. How decadent ! But it was very nice as a little treat. I don't really feel like going out for a big celebration - that could easily undo all the benefits I have gained from this, but I am out for a meal with friends tonight, and no doubt they'll be keen to ask about how it all went and how it feels.

Maybe in the days to come, more thoughts will come through my mind. If that is the case, I will post further in due course.

Many thanks to all who have encouraged me these past 30 days - it's something I would consider doing again, but not right now. The CVM challenge is now talking about running 3 times a week, which is what I try to do anyway.

May I wish all readers of this blog "Your very good health"

Day 23 of the challenge - a 6-mile run, taking the total up to 100

Yet that's not what I'm thinking about most today. I'm currently working on another challenge as well - to see if I can walk the coastline of Wales.

I haven't blogged about this before as the first 2 stages of the walk, first from Chester to home and then home to Flint was hardly ground-breaking stuff. Today, though, was a longer and tougher walk, from Flint to Prestatyn.

However, before we go there, let's turn the clock back some 20 years or so to get the background to this.

Last time I was living in Wales, I was in Aberystwyth. Reading my Bible one night, I came across Genesis 13:17 - "Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you" - and consequently, one of the projects which I set myself during my Aberystwyth days was to walk from Bangor to Cardiff.

Since moving back to Wales, I have thought about walking from Chester to Bangor, to finish the walk at the town clock in Bangor where the trans-Cambria walk began back in 1989.

At "Spring Harvest" earlier this year, I bought the book "Legs of Lamb" by Gary Lamb, where the author tells of his walk around the British coast. That got me thinking - why stop at Bangor? why not do another Bangor to Cardiff but via the coast this time?

I really do not know how feasable this entire thing might be. Certainly, if it is to come off it will take years, with a good chunk of it having to be done during a sabbatical, but there's no reason why I can't make a start.

So, to Flint. There's a very good coast path from Flint past Halkyn and Holywell - it takes a bit of finding, but it is there. It is also surprisingly quiet - it seemed as if I was the only person around for miles - I wasn't, the path is v close to a main road and railway line, but it felt quiet and secluded.

The biggest surprise was coming acrosss the Duke of Lancaster. No, not the person, the ship. It's abandoned and derelict and seems totally out of place in dry dock in Mostyn. I don't plan to go into great detail about that here, but if you want to know more, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TSS_Duke_of_Lancaster_(1956) is probably as good a place as any to start.

The path then led back to the road. It does lead to the coast again, but this is short-lived, so I reluctantly decided to follow the road through Mostyn to Ffynongroyw. There, it seemed easy enough to walk along the beach to Talacre, but when I put one foot on the beach, I realised that it was mud not sand, and there was no way I was going to squelch my way through that for the next few miles. So it was through the village of Ffynongroyw itself, which was very pleasant and friendly, then back onto the path, getting baaa-ed at by sheep as I went until I reached the road that led to Talacre, the northernmost point of mainland Wales.

From there, it was beach all the way, which is not as easy as it sounds, but first, as it was lunchtime, what else to do but get fish and chips?

Turning left and heading along the sand dunes, it looked rather straightforward to get to Prestatyn. Not so. Walking on sand is not easy, especially if it is fine, dry sand, especially if it is hilly, as it is on the dunes. At one point I tried to get off the beach and head a little inland to see if that was easier, only to find myself in Haven holiday park. Eventually, though, after making my way to the exit, I recognised the North Wales cycle path which led via the golf club to Prestatyn and journey's end for today.

I am sunburnt - I covered myself with factor 30, had a hat and made sure I had plenty of water and lucozade, but I missed a bit on my neck and the backs of my legs, and don't I know it tonight.

So with a good walk and a 6 mile run, it's been rather an energetic day. It's certainly been a good one :-)

42

Day 10 of the challenge. Another 4 mile run taking the total up to 42. That's supposed to be the answer to life the universe and everything.

I don't say that I've found the answer to life, the universe and everything, but it has given me time to think and take a bit more notice of my surroundings.

I'm also feeling less tired than yesterday!

Mad dogs and Englishmen

I'm English. I live in Wales. I have fallen in love with the place and learnt the language. I can sing "Yr hen wlad fy Nhadau" just as easily and with the same feeling as "Land of Hope and glory". I can support both countries in the Commonwealth Games, but if Wales are England are playing rugby, I'd rather go for a long run.

I say that to justify using the term "englishmen" in the title of today's blog. I'm merely referring to myself, just put into the plural because of the song.

Anyway, to finally get to what today's entry is meant to be about. Running and mad dogs.

Today was day 9 of the challenge. I am getting v tired but surprising myself in many ways. This is now the most days I have ever been running without a day's rest in between. I'm sure it's doing me good in a number of ways.

Quite often when out running, I come across dogs being taken for walkies. Some just look at me as if I'm mad (they're probably right!) some bark, some try to run with me, and some hounds would give Cerberus a run for his money!

Yesterday's encounter was hardly ferocious, but the 4-legged friend saw me from a distance away, ran straight up to me and barked and barked and barked, doing his (or maybe her, I didn't look that closely!) best to stop me from going any further. Height wise, the pooch was barely above my ankles, but could that dog yap! Thankfully, the owner knew exactly what to do to get the dog under control and allow me to proceed in peace.

I had another dog try to follow me this morning - it simply ran into the road and stopped the early-morning traffic. Thankfully it didn't come to any harm, and the owner had some harsh words to say to it as a result!

38 miles covered so far, and it feels good!

6 for 6

Day 6 of the CVM Challenge (see previous post for more info)

Today, being day 6, I ran 6 miles rather than 4. That doesn't mean that I can only do 2 tomorrow, and it certainly doesn't mean that I will be doing 30 miles on day 30!

Being Saturday, I decided not to get up and run first thing, but go for a leisurely run early evening. It was lovely. I have been lucky this week with the weather, not too hot and only a few spots of rain. The forecast for tomorrow, though, means that tomorrow's run is likely to be in a downpour! Also, doing the challenge in June / July means that I have the light in my favour, no getting up on cold, dark mornings or running through a dark night. I've done both of those in my time, and I dare say I'll be doing it again, but not now.

Now, a good soak in the bath and something nice to eat is calling !

4 miles a day for 30 days

This is a challenge set by Christian Viewpoint for men. The aim is simple, to promote physical fitness by running 4 miles a day for 30 days. A number of people in this organisation started the challenge on 1st June, I came into it a little late, starting on 6th June, but I will still aim to do the 30 days, just finishing a little after the official end of the challenge.

Now those who know anything about me will know that I am no stranger to running - I have completed 25 Marathons, the most recent being in Rome in March this year. But, when I run, I usually run for about 2 or 3 days, then have a breather before the next session. There's a large part of me that says the principle of sabbath rest applies to exercise as much as to life in general.

Anyway, this is just a note to say that as of today it is 3 days down, 27 to go, and so far it feels good.

Best wishes to everyone in the CVM team, and I look forward to comparing notes as the 30 days continue to unfold.

Diana

I have heard a lot more about Diana today than I did yesterday. True, I'm sure she can't have been far from anyone's thoughts (least of all Prince William's). Westminster Abbey is, of course the church where his mother's funeral took place (and also where his great-grandmother's funeral took place).

It is true that for families up and down the country and indeed, around the world, the local church will hold such bitter-sweet memories. A church can hold joyous memories of weddings and baptisms just as much as it can hold more somber memories of funerals and less happy events. True, not every family sees its life played out in the public eye, but the general principle is still the same.

It may be that the reason I didn't hear much about Diana yesterday was that I was outside the Abbey and not able to hear any TV commentary. What various news channels have said about her is something I am unable to comment on. But today, the papers, and some papers especially, are full of her. I really don't believe that this is helpful.

There were subtle tributes to her in the wedding service yesterday, one of them being the first hymn, "Guide me O Thou Great Jehovah", which was sung at her funeral. Again, families across the country will have an association with hymns through wedding and funerals, quite possibly the same hymn being used for both settings.

But let the tributes to Diana be subtle, quiet ones. I am quite sure that she was smiling at yesterday's events, it was a truly joyous day. We honour her memory, of course, but now that we have seen her son grow up into a fine young prince with a beautiful princess at his side, it is now high time that we properly let her rest in peace.

A Royal Wedding

Friday April 29 2011.

The alarm clock was set for 4:45, but I was up before that. Leaving mums at just after 5 meant that I was outside Westminster Abbey just after 5:30. When the roads were closed at 6, I was 3 rows back, being able to see over the head on Mum who was imediately in front of me.

There were 5 hours to go before the service began, so perhaps this is a chance to say what I was doing there in the first place. Since the engagement was announced, I have been pleased for the couple, not swinging from the chandeliers with excitement, but pleased. If I had to say yes or no to the question as to whether Britain should have a monarchy, I would have to answer yes. I'm no unquestioning royalist, but when a friend texted me to say that Cromwell was right, I texted back to say that the experiment was called off after 12 years, Britain had seen the alternative and didn't like it!

The 5 hours flew by. There was chat to other well-wishers, then shortly after 8 guests arriving at the Abbey were seen queueing round the block. With 1900 to seat, it's not something that can be done in a moment. Also, I have to give full marks to the Dean of Westminster (in effect, the vicar ofthe church) who as well as greeting members of the Royal family and other dignitaries came over to chat to the crowd before official duties had to commence to welcome us to Westminster.

Among the guests, David and Victoria Beckham were spotted be members of the crowd, and I spotted Elton John and David Furnesh. Make of that what you will!

After the arrival of the groom and Best Man, it was amusing to see royals bussed in to the Abbey - a fleet of mini-busses carried minor royals to Westminster - I have to say, I was a bit disappointed that there was no carriage procession, but as the bride is allergic to horses, there are obvious problems there !

Arrivals of members of the Royal family in increasing order of seniority, culminating in the arrival of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh set the scene for the arrival of the bride. Although I was curious as to the dress, I cannot say that the question of its style had been puzzling me for weeks. That said, it was extrememly stylish, I could tell that just from the glimpse of it I had.

When she walked down the aisle to Parry's "I was glad", I was choked! I was. It was a very special moment. Whilst the service was broadcast on loudspeakers, I had to use a pocket radio for added volume. I thought that the Bishop of London hit the mark in his address, but wish there hadn't been as much chattering in the crowd during another Parry anthem, "Blest pair of sirens".

The carriage procession after the service did make for some good photos.

I went into Westminster Central Hall after that for a coffee whilst the crowds dispersed - I have later learnt that it was not easy to get away due to road closures and crowd barriers, but from the momement of the crowd I saw, kettling was hardly a tactic that was being used. Indeed, from my observations, whilst I was slightly un-nerved by the machine-gun carrying policeman in front of me (a sad comment about today's world that such things are necessary), it seemed as if the police presence was anything but heavy-handed.

After the coffee, getting a surprisingly quiet tube to Tower Hill and a picnic lunch, there was still a party atmosphere in areas of London away from the cameras. After walking back across Tower Bridge, it was then a bus back to Mums.

There's a lot more I could post, and I'd like to, but perhaps tomorrow when I've had a bit more time to think about the day! For now, let me just say that it is good to see that romance is not dead.

Lots of love, and the Best of British to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge !

What is church?

Over a year has passed since I last blogged - perhaps this is not my forte.

Anyway, since my last post I have moved appointment, I am now finally in Wales.

Well, to be fussy, although I live in Wales, I am in Italy at the moment, at Palazzola, a retreat centre run by the English College, Rome. Last Sunday I ran the Rome Marathon, and now I have been having time to recover.
Whilst here I've been reading "For the parish - a critique of Fresh Expressions". For a while I've been thinking about "What is church" and what does that mean in the 21st century?
So the following is just an attempt to get some thoughts onto "paper". Perhaps if any of you dear readers would care to add your own thoughts the way ahead might become a little clearer.

What is church? First of all, people.
Who is the church for? People! Everyone!
So why aren't we full to the doors every Sunday? Now that's the question.

For whatever reason, the church does not seem to be engaging with today's generation. Sure there are exceptions to this, but by and large, that is the case.
That is not necesssrily to say that people today have no interest in spiritual matters. There are people who find an expression of something in lighting candles, silence, chants, image. Interestingly, these are the very things that Protestantism has traditionally shunned. I'm not about to change denomination, but I am saying that they're not to be feared either.

So what is the way forward? This is where my thinking gets particularly muddy, and my thoughts particularly vague.
If the church is for everyone, it must be for everyone. That works better in theory than practice, though. So what happens where the practice falls down? Either people simply leave or decode not to join, or they form breakaway congregations.
Now in a sense that's the story of the church since the year 1215, but what we're seeing with Fresh Expressions is church for particular groups of people. All very well and good if it connects them with the Gospel, but surely, a sewing circle or whatever, in itself, is not church? Or is it ?
Now I know there may be many church which do have sewing circles, and that's great. It's a part of a larger whole. Those who are not seamstreses / tailors do not have to join the circle yet can still feel part of the larger church. And many churches have beautiful banners because of the skill and devotion of people who do belong to such circles.
Yet it is just a part of the whole. The church must be bigger than that. Also, if that is just a group within the church, is it outreach? It can be used as such, but surely the real mission of the church is the work of the church itself.
As a Methodist Minister, I find that by a long way, my best means of reaching people with the Gospel is through the occasional offices of baptisms, weddings and funerals. That is what the church has been doing, amongst many other things, for 2000 years. When people see a church, especially if they return there after such a service, they must see the church as being authentic and being true to itself. It may have its difficulties, it may have its problems, but let it not hide that but show that it is working around such issues.
It is where a church or even The Church conforms to the fads of this age that it is in trouble. We must not try to be hip and trendy for the sake of it, it will not work. That does not mean that church traditions which today's world would not call hip and trendy are the only way forward, but our music, our traditions our liturgy and everything else we do are merely signs that we are the church of God.
It's a question of holding on to what the church historically is whilst not losing sight of the world we live in and its needs.
My brain's starting to ache (it doesn't take much doing!) I want to post more, but I'm not sure where that would take me, so I'l leave it there and see how my thinking develops in the coming days.
I promise not to leave it so long before I post again !
Every blessing, or, as we say in Wales, pob bendith
Robin