Leonard Cohen Walking Weekend, or Isn't It A Long Way Down?

[liverpoolken]

Margaret

I was in your fair city of Chester last week and whilst sitting in Chester station waiting for a train back to Liverpool I got talking to one of the staff. I asked him about the train connections from Chester to Barmouth. He told me rather that than use the train to travel to Barmouth to go outside the station and look at the bus timetables, especially the X94.
Sure enough the X94 bus takes you to Barmouth in about three to three and half hours.
The journey takes you through such beautiful places as Corwen, Llangollen, Llandrillo, Bala, and Dolgellau.

What a way to see North Wales! Especially for our overseas visitors. Much better than travelling down by train from Chester through Shropshire to Shrewsbury then changing for Barmouth

Even better is that you can do the trip from Chester or Liverpool on an Arriva day pass for £3:50!!!

I was planning to drive down to Barmouth but I may well be tempted to take the scenic route by bus.

Here is a link to the timetable.

http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/assets/pdfs/b ... rmouth.pdf

Ta Ken

[Byron]

ken, each of those places is worth a stopover, for those with time on their wrists and cash in their hands.
My sallies forth on my two wheeled velocipede have taken me and friends, of the two wheeled velocipede fraternity, to enjoyable ride-outs in warmer days to those delightful towns.
Alas, the price of petrol will soon be at £5 per gallon and my journeys will be carefully chosen.

[liverpoolken]

[Paula]

Byron do you remember the good old days when diesel was cheaper than petrol.

£1,000 for road tax for a 4x4 and £25 congestion charge.

Good job we are too skint to afford one.

[linmag]

Looks like interest is building in our Welsh walking weekend

Linmag, and others like myself who are not so fit, I will be researching some alternative options while the others are climbing mountains - see below

http://www.eryri-npa.co.uk/page/index.p ... contrast=1

The leisure walks are somewhat easier than the mountain walks.

Margaret

That sounds a bit more my style, Margaret. I trust there will be plenty of coffee shops involved too?

[Byron]

Get buying and be prepared. No excuses for not having the proper kit!!!



http://www.lidl.co.uk/uk/home.nsf/pages ... OI01DCS7ON

[damellon]

Byron - walking Poles and replacement feet.....exactly what I need!

[John Etherington]

I think the O2 visit will be enough of an LC hike for most people (i.e. those who will climb the 100 steps, and sing above the view!).

All good things, John E

[Diane]

A couple of people have been in touch wondering when we are going to update this thread. Give us a bloody chance ! Tim and I are nipping up to Barmouth on the weekend coming, to check a few things out. Upon our return we will add here a list of suggestions for accommodation. One of our number who resides in Liverpool is also in the area as I speak, and has kindly volunteered to check out the bars for us.

! I've had pm's asking what will happen if Leonard does decide to add a new leg to his tour at the time we are planning this weekend. Hmmm. I guess the thing to do is not to make any firm bookings until we know. If it turns out that he is touring then, or we don't find out for sure until much of the accommodation in the region has been booked, then we will re-schedule the date, possibly for next Spring (?), in consultation with everyone who would like to go, to try to make it OK for as many of us as possible. Life is complicated, isn't it?

[margaret]

Funnily enough Diane, I was reading this thread only last night and checking out the timetable of the X94 bus to Barmouth!

I thought of of taking the journey maybe tomorrow or next weekend (Saturday) Now you've mentioned it next Saturday would seem the better day.

Margaret

[Diane]

Oh how excellent, Margaret. We'll see if we can arrange to meet! I'll give you a call tomorrow night.

[Diane]

Due to continuing uncertainty about Leonard's Tour plans, we have decided to postpone this weekend until next Spring. We hope everyone who has expressed an interest will still be able to come, and possibly others too. Will update this thread in due course.

We might still have a smaller get-together in North Wales at the originally-planned time. Please pm if you are interested in this.

Thanks.

[William]

Dear Diane,
Glad to see common sense has got the better part of valour/hysteria.
No one in his/her right mind would venture into the Welsh Hills without at least two shotguns.
Nice idea, putting it off till next year, allows it to fade gently from memory without any great embarrassment to the Welsh coven.
God bless,
William
PS You mention the uncertainty of Leonard's tour plans. Good heaven's, you didn't expect him to join you, did you?
PPS What had you up at such an unearthly hour last Saturday? Were the natives revolting?

[Diane]

Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
I have MPD
and so do I

(Pl. excuse me, I just had an uncontrollable urge to write something nonsensical in this thread)

See you in the Spring, William.

[liverpoolken]

Diane

It looks like we may have a fight on our hands.
Maybe a little demonstration could be fitted into our schedule.

It could never happen, could it?

Outrage at Snowdonia airport plan
12 May, 2008

By Kate Ahira

Legal action under consideration to halt commercial airport scheme in Welsh national park

Plans for a commercial airport in Snowdonia have drawn fierce criticism from the three Welsh national park societies, with legal action a possibility.

The Snowdonia Society, the Brecon Beacons Park Society and the Friends of Pembrokeshire National Park all oppose the scheme at the former military airfield at Llanbedr, near Harlech in Gwynedd, on the grounds that it would damage the environment and the local economy.

The Snowdonia Society, whose director, Alun Pugh, is a former culture minister, is considering demanding a judicial review. Pugh is concerned that the Welsh government has not produced evidence to show it has met all its legal requirements.

Pugh told The Politics Show Wales that he had not seen evidence that the government had met the special planning requirements that apply to national parks under the Environment Act.

“If they’ve met their obligations then they would have produced the evidence,” he said. “We’ve made several requests using freedom of information legislation to the Welsh government and yet that evidence has not been forthcoming. And it makes you wonder why that evidence has not been forthcoming.

“We’re greatly concerned that Welsh ministers have not behaved in a fully lawful manner here.”

Pugh conceded that a judicial review was a last resort, as it would be expensive and long drawn-out. However, he said, “if the evidence is not made forthcoming that the government has indeed fulfilled its legal obligations” then it would be “something that we have to consider very seriously indeed”.

The Welsh government, which has offered to meet Pugh, told the BBC that the plan would have minimal environmental impact and emphasises “sustainable development in sympathy with the local area and community”.

Kemble Air Services, which is to run the airfield on a 125-year lease from the Welsh government, said that the airport would be used largely by aircraft such as small private planes. It also pointed out that aerial activity is not new to the area, which is already used as a training area for the RAF.

The airfield is not licensed for passenger flights, and Kemble said that development in that direction would be an expensive goal that could perhaps be pursued in the longer term in co-operation with the local community.