Roman Chester

Chester was one of the main towns of Roman Britain and medieval England. For the Romans it was also a garrison town. Some of the Roman remains are clearly visible though there is still plenty under the streets waiting to be excavated.

I visited Chester last weekend. The first video below is of Chester's Roman ampitheatre. I understand it was the biggest ampitheatre in Britain. It's free to get into and can also be viewed from the medieval wall.

There is some talk of the ampitheatre being the inspiration for the Round Table of the mythical King Arthur.



The second video is of Roman Gardens, a park next to the ampitheatre and medieval wall. The entrance is next to the Newgate on the wall (the gate overlooks the ampitheatre as well).



The park is quite recent, opened in 2000, according to the bit of background research I did on it. It was previosuly the site of an 18th century clay pipe factory.

The park is used to exhibit various pieces of Roman stonework and contains a reconstructed hypocaust.

Back to the ampitheatre - a couple of photos:





This 2nd photo was taken from the top of Northgate. Note how only half the ampitheatre has been excavated.

Tan Dinas walk in Betws-y-Coed - the photos

In my previous post, I included the video I shot of the Tan Dinas walk near Betws-y-Coed in North Wales, made last week. Well, here are some of the photos I took on the walk as well. The walk itself is not long and is designed for people of all walking abilities.



Running water and waterfalls are regular sights on the Tan Dinas walk.







The walk takes you through pine woodland.



The walk includes a bridge over a stream which is more like a staircase. Nevertheless, it is easy going for people with walking difficulties.

Tan Dinas walk in Betws-y-Coed

I was in North Wales last week, one of my regular haunts. We took a trip down to Betws-y-Coed to wlak along the Tan Dinas path. This is promoted as an all-ability walk. It is reasonably short and if you like waterfalls and pine forests, you will like Tan Dinas.

Old Station Hotel, Llandudno Junction

This was another place I visited on Monday 25th October. The Old Station Hotel is opposite Llandudno Junction Station in North Wales. Nicknamed the "Killer" as it was used to kill time whilst waiting for the train to turn up, we went there for a meal rather than a drink.

If you are after something cheap and cheerful, this is the place for you. We went there as, in our group, there was a family with two young lads so family budgets were important. To get an idea of the costs, think about the fact that our meal of scampi, chips and mushy peas cost £7 for two of us.

Whilst the staff were really pleasant and chatted to us, the drawback was that we waited quite a while for our meal to arrive (over half an hour). And the dinner plates were left on the table when the others had their dessert.

But remember, this is a cheap and cheerful establishment so if you're travelling on a budget in North Wales and you are in Llandudno Junction, it's worth a visit.

Jamming at the Mountain View

I have just got back from another visit to North Wales so expect a few more updates on places to visit and things to do.

On Monday 25th October I paid the second of two visits on this trip to the Mountain View in Penmaenmawr. It is a pub in the heart of the village. It was visited by us on Monday because they have "jamming". Local musicians turn up to play guitars. You can bring your own or use one provided by the pub. Generally, they sit together as a group and play whatever takes their fancy. Alas, I'm no musician so I was there to listen.

It was a pity that there were so few people there. It was quite a pleasant way to spend an evening.

Cutty Sark pub, Greenwich

I visited the Cutty Sark pub in Greenwich last week. It's on the Thames waterfront in full view of the O2 arena. It's a few minutes walk from the centre of Greenwich along the Thames Walk, or for cyclists the Thames Route. Most people were enjoying their drinks on the pavement at the front of the building overlooking the Thames. Inside there are plenty of period pieces such as the fireplace. There has been significant modernisation including an internal wooden staircase but generally it is a pleasant pub. Useful to visit if you are out for a riverside walk. We got the train from London Bridge to Greenwich. It takes only a few minutes.

Things to do in the North East no 2 - The Gateshead Summer Flower Show

The Gateshead Summer Flower Show is held at the Central Nursery on Whickham Highway in Gateshead every year on the weekend at the end of July/start of August. It is a craft show as well as flower and vegetables show. Plenty of trade exhibits as well. I visited this year (as I do every year). The above video was actually shot 2 years ago but the photos below are from this year.

This is a good event to pencil into your diary well in advance.

(Crafts exhibition)


(Taking a leak)


(Say it with flowers)


(Eye wateringly large onions in the vegetable show)