02 Monday May 2011
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I was lucky enough to get a close up look at a beautiful bird of prey while walking on the Quay in Conwy Sunday afternoon.
Here is a picture with members of the Coastal Hawks Project, you can find their site at www.coastalhawksproject.co.uk
12 Friday Nov 2010
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Have you ever wondered what you could do with all the mud left over from building a tunnel under the Conwy estuary? No, me neither.
But, what they did do was to make a nature reserve for the RSPB at Conwy.
Situated on the banks of the Conwy estuary, with magnificent views of Snowdonia and Conwy Castle, this reserve is delightful at any time of year.
Accessed from the main A55 expressway along a tarmac drive. The car park is rolled stone and there are specific bays marked for disabled visitors in the area nearest to the visitor centre. The car park has a height restriction of 2 m, with limited parking outside the barrier.
There are dedicated parking bays in front of the Visitor Centre for registered blue-badge holders. Entrance to the Visitor Centre is directly from the car park via either a short flight of three steps or a wheelchair ramp from the disabled parking bays.
On entrance to the Visitor Centre, facing you is the reception desk and to the right the shop. Walking through the shop, a doorway with a small ramp takes you out onto the reserve and to a tarmac path leading directly to the coffee shop.
A large panoramic window looks out onto one of the lagoons of the reserve and then out to the Conwy Valley and the peaks of Snowdonia. Telescopes are available for people to use. Outside the coffee shop a number of wheelchair accessible picnic tables are available.
Unisex adapted toilets are available for disabled visitors within the coffee shop.
The trails are firm and generally level though a little rough in places. Wheelchair access is recommended only for the first kilometre – a loop that features two hides and a children’s trail before returning to the visitor centre.
It is possible to circle the entire site (3 km), including a section beside the Conwy estuary, but the surface is slightly less compacted though is level. Powered chairs are capable of this longer route. The estuary can be viewed from cars beside the entrance road, at the bottom of the slope, however parking here is limited.
Audio trail cassettes are available for the hard of hearing.
Two hides are within 500 m of the visitor centre overlooking the lagoons. All the hides are accessible to wheelchairs, with suitable bays for birdwatching.
One hide and two viewing screens on the estuary route are not easily accessible with rather steep approaches from the perimeter track.
One wheelchair available for loan – contact the reserve for availability.
The shop and visitor centre is open every day (except Christmas Day) from 9.30 am-5 pm. The coffee shop is open from 10 am-4.30 pm (to 4 pm from November to March).
Members free. Non-members: adults £2.50, concessions £1.50, children £1.
01492 584091
26 Monday Apr 2010
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Carers Outreach service is a charitable organization that provides practical and emotional support for carers aged 18+ in Gwynedd, Conwy and Anglesey.
Carers are people who look after a spouse or partner, child, relative or friend who is ill, disabled, or elderly and frail.
Carers Outreach Service provides a wide range of services including individual support through home visits, emergency planning, social events, support groups, health and well-being sessions, outings, and a quarterly newsletter. They can also assist carers to access grants and benevolent funds.
The calendar for May includes a social lunch at Pantri Bach in Pensarn, a carers circle where you can join them for a bite of lunch at The Craigside Inn Llandudno, and Carers Theraputic Sessions where gentle massage is offered by the British Red cross.
For more information see the link on the right of this page or contact:
Phone: 01492 533714
Email: help@carersoutreach.org.uk
21 Saturday Nov 2009
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The other day I was on a bus, travelling toward Bangor, when we were stopped just outside the Castle in Conwy. It turned out that a large articulated lorry, with an even larger flat-bed trailer, had tried to get through one of the narrow gates in the wall on the Bangor road. Obviously, it didn’t make it.
The bus was asked to back up by some of my friends in the Police, so as to let the Wagon reverse right back to the bridge!
It held everyone up for about half an hour.
So maybe this was one time that following a Satnav wasn’t such a good idea.
