SUMMER 2020 £3.00 ABERSOCHLIFE.COM
OUR SUMMER IS HERE
WATERSPORTS COME ON IN. THE WATER’S LOVELY!
BLOOMING ABERSOCH
#STAYSAFE
ABERSOCH LOCALS THRIVE ON NATURE’S PERPETUAL BEAUTY
ABERSOCH SENSATION MAGAZINE SUMMER 2020
GETTING BACK TO NORMAL IN ABERSOCH
ABERSOCH’S SOCIAL MEDIA SUCCESSES INSTAGRAM AND ISOLATION A FORCE FOR GOOD
FASHION PATTERNS AND PRINTS
INTERIORS LET’S GET NAUTICAL
UNSUNG HEROES HELPING TO KEEP ABERSOCH SAFE
8 THINGS ABERSOCH WHAT MAKES ABERSOCH THE 8TH WONDER OF THE WORLD!
SAILING PRT2
THE DRASCOMBE DABBER
SUMMER BIRDLIFE
WHAT TO SEE IN HIGH SEASON ON THE LLŶN
PHOTO GRAPHERS SHOWCASE
DRAWING ABERSOCH WITH LIGHT
WWW.ABERSOCHLIFE.COM
ART SCENE
SUMMER 2020 ISSUE 69
WITH LOWRI LLEWELYN
SOCH HEADS | COMPLETE EVENTS GUIDE | MAP AND LISTINGS
WWW.ABERSOCHLIFE.COM
TheThe amazing amazing private private beach beach at The at The Warren Warren
Luxury Luxuryfor forless lesson onthe the Welsh WelshRiviera, Riviera,moments moments from fromAbersoch. Abersoch. Indulge Indulge in quality in quality time time - for - for youyou andand your your family. family. TheThe Warren Warren is your is your idyllic idyllic retreat retreat offering offering exclusivity exclusivity andand peace peace in abundance. in abundance. And And it it provides provides something something forfor all generations all generations so you’re so you’re assured assured that that everyone everyone willwill be be happy, happy, occupied, occupied, relaxed relaxed andand entertained. entertained. If you If you areare considering considering an an idyllic idyllic escape, escape, moments moments from from Abersoch, Abersoch, wewe would would be be delighted delighted to show to show youyou a selection a selection of chalets of chalets onon sale. sale.
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WELCOME CROESO TO THE ABERSOCH SENSATION MAGAZINE SUMMER 2020 PHOTO: IN A WORLD FULL OF CHANGE, THIS BEAUTY IS CONSTANT BY: OUTWEST IMAGES
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S TAY I N S T Y L E O N T H E L L Ŷ N
S TAY I N S T Y L E O N T H E L L Ŷ N
We're ready to welcome you! Enjoy stunning staycations with Abersoch Holiday Homes. Take a look at our collection today at: www.abersochholidayhomes.co.uk Our office is not yet open, but we’re ready to welcome you Photo courtesy of Totally Abersoch
CONTENTS ABERSOCH MAGAZINE SUMMER 2020
14.
INTRODUCTION
{50}
Editor Rebecca releases us back into Abersoch Life with a difference!
18.
SOCH PRESS
Hot off the press we bring you lots of punchy Abersoch news to bring you up to speed..
24.
UNSUNG HEROES
Lowri speaks to local businesses who have humbly gone above and beyond to help support those in need these last few months.
50.
32 .
PROPERTY UPDATE
Local property expert Martin lewthwaite updates us with what’s recently come on the market.
3 4.
LET US ACCOMMODATE YOU
Promoting some of the areas fantastic holiday lets .
36.
HAULFRYN
Return of the Great British Holiday
40.
LET’S GET NAUTICAL
Add a little coastal style to your home .
44.
TOGETHER - GET TING BACK TO NORMAL
COME ON IN, THE WATER’S LOVELY
Exploring the range of watersports activities, tuition and hire here in sunny Abersoch.
58.
8 THINGS ABERSOCH
What is it that makes Abersoch the, unrefutable, 8th Wonder of The World?
Beginning the long-anticipated progression to get back to normal, in Abersoch.
{32}
{58} 10 | ABERSOCH SENSATION MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2020
CONTENTS ABERSOCH MAGAZINE SUMMER 2020
6 2.
86.
DIARY OF AN ABERSOCH WANDERER
PHOTOGRAPHERS SHOWCASE
Lou gets deep, grateful, followed by The Loop de Loup Walk.
The big 3; Martin Turtle, John Wormald and Phill Boyd
6 6.
92.
Abersoch locals thrive on Nature’s perpetual beauty
Bold prints and patterns complement the summer season perfectly abroad
SUMMER FASHION
BLOOMING ABERSOCH
76.
94.
THE DRASCOMBE DABBER
10 4.
SOCH HEADS
Abersoch faces on or by the water
110.
BUSINESS LISTINGS
Your guide to all the key businesses in the area
114.
FINAL WORDS
By Harriet Beecher Stowe
ARTS COLUMN
Dabbers aground but footprints abroad!.
{cover}
Local talent .
80.
98.
What to see in high season on the Llŷn by Dave Lamacraft .
Abersoch pages, doing great things
Summer IS here. The flowers are out, the beach is full of sand and the sea is still very blue. Taken by John Wormald - Totally Abersoch
SUMMER BIRDLIFE
{66} EXECUTIVE EDITOR
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
ALL ADVERTISING Printed & online
Kevin Bell kevin@sensationgroup.com
Luke Pilling
Mark Durston Email mark@sensationgroup.com
EDITOR Rebecca Hinde rebecca@sensationgroup.com
FEATURES EDITOR Lowri Llewelyn
SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS Phill Boyd (outwestimages.myportfolio.com) John Wormald (totallyabersoch.co.uk) Martin Turtle (turtlephotography.co.uk) Luke Pilling (ABERSAPP) Eilir Davies-Hughes (eiliradventurephotography.co.uk)
STAFF WRITERS Louise Overfield James Noon Bethany Birch
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dave CLamacraft Emma Wood Sioned Jones
FINANCE MANAGER Tracy Brient
MANAGING DIRECTOR Mark Durston
SENSATION GROUP CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Nock Sandy James Tatham Matthew Ellis Ben Porter Kevin Bell
Rose Cottage Abersoch Gwynedd LL53 7DS Tel: 01758 710011 / info@sensationgroup.com www.abersochlife.com
All material is copyright and should not be reproduced without the permission of the publishers. All details are correct to the best of our knowledge. The publishers do not endorse or recommend any of the entries or advertisements in the magazine unless otherwise stated. We advise that you make your own judgments, enquiries and comparisons as with any other form of advertising. When contacting any business we suggest that you confirm the exact type of goods and services offered, the qualifications held and all other relevant aspects of the service that you are seeking. The publishers cannot accept liability for loss damage or difficulties resulting from contacts made through the magazine, from errors, omissions, from claims made by the advertiser of from omissions or inaccuracies relating to advertisements or other material regardless of how caused.
12 | ABERSOCH SENSATION MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2020
k! c a b e m Welco
INTRODUCTION Our Spring edition of Abersoch Life Magazine is usually a celebration of euphoric times ahead, but instead 2020 saw the most unreal editorial of the magazine’s 20 year history. Encouraging our beloved tourists to stay at home felt so unnatural and overwhelmingly disappointing, such a difficult and conflicting time for every single one of us. Now the Summer edition has arrived, we want to say an enormous “Thank You!” and extend the deeply held gratitude that we all share for the huge sacrifices that every person has made, and continues to make, to keep Abersoch safe. Thank you. Few seaside resorts can report the level of solidarity and unity that we saw displayed on the deserted beaches and radiating from every single empty holiday home on the Peninsula. The lack of people was very heavy to bear, unnerving whilst reassuring. However, the mutual love and respect that locals and tourists feel for one another, thanks to this unique place, has stood firm against the tide of
WORDS BY REBECCA HINDE
fear and uncertainty. Familiar faces that came together on-line, to support each other through to the other-side, can finally now be reunited in person and it feels fantastic. Our shops and businesses have been busy adapting and preparing, trying hard to ensure that the new restrictions will not hamper your enjoyment and that all of your expectations are fulfilled, wherever humanly possible. Please be aware that restrictions have only just been lifted for us here, meaning that everyone has had to get things moving at a remarkable speed (not so easy when many of us had finally adapted to lying on deserted beaches all day!). We are all back to reality now though, so check out our “Getting Back to Normal” article for guidance and tips on what to expect, and browse our fashion and interior pages for inspiration that will get you sailing back to the high street. If you cannot wait to get in or on the sea, we have an extensive Water Sports article so
14 | ABERSOCH SENSATION MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2020
that you can make the most of your longawaited return to the beach. Seeing the village buzzing back to life and Abersoch’s holiday spirit jubilantly awakening, feels more special than ever, because in Abersoch we believe in boarders not borders. The sound of laughter and children like ants across the shoreline. The hum of boat engines and calling of food orders across slowly filling beaches, even the pubs are whispering about re-opening inside! We must all remain vigilant throughout our excitement, and be kind and respectful of one another. The virus has not gone and the economy needs our support but most importantly, we need each other. The fight will be won by a massive team effort and we have shown fantastic determination. Thank you all once again and welcome back! From Abersoch, with love.
PHOTO: ST. TUDWAL’S ISLANDS HAVEN’T GONE ANYWHERE! READY AND WAITING TO WELCOME YOU ALL BACK BY: OUTWEST IMAGES
l! o N o s e Cro
CYFLWYNIAD Fel arfer mae rhifyn y Gwanwyn Abersoch Life Magazine yn ddathliad o’r amseroedd gwych i ddod, ond yn hytrach yn 2020 cafwyd y golygyddol mwyaf afreal yn hanes 20 mlynedd y cylchgrawn. Roedd pwyso ar ein twristiaid hoff i aros gartref yn teimlo mor annaturiol ac mor llethol o siomedig, amser anodd a chythryblus iawn i bob un ohonom ni. Erbyn hyn mae rhifyn yr Haf wedi cyrraedd ac rydym eisiau dweud “Diolch!” a chyfleu’r diolchgarwch dwfn rydym i gyd yn ei rannu am yr aberthau enfawr a wnaed, ac sy’n dal i gael eu gwneud gan bob unigolyn, i gadw Abersoch yn ddiogel. Diolch yn fawr. Ychydig o lefydd glan môr all adrodd am lefel y gefnogaeth a’r undod a welsom ar y traethau gwag ac yn disgleirio o bob llety gwyliau gwag ar Ben Llŷn. Roedd hi’n anodd dygymod â’r prinder pobl, roedd yn dychryn ac yn rhoi tawelwch meddwl yr un pryd. Fodd bynnag, mae’r cariad a’r parch y mae pobl leol a thwristiaid yn teimlo’r naill at y llall, diolch i’r lle
unigryw hwn, wedi aros yn gadarn yn erbyn y llanw o ofn ac ansicrwydd. Gall wynebau cyfarwydd a ddaeth at ei gilydd ar-lein, i gefnogi ei gilydd drwy hyn i gyd, ddod ynghyd wyneb yn wyneb bellach ac mae hynna’n deimlad bendigedig. Mae’n siopau a’n busnesau wedi bod yn brysur iawn yn addasu a pharatoi, yn gwneud eu gorau i sicrhau na fydd y cyfyngiadau newydd yn llesteirio’ch mwynhad ac y bydd eich disgwyliadau i gyd yn cael eu bodloni, os yw o fewn gallu dynol. Dylech sylweddoli mai dim ond newydd gael eu codi mae’r cyfyngiadau i ni yma, sy’n golygu fod pawb wedi gorfod cael pethau i symud yn sydyn iawn (ddim mor hawdd pan oedd cynifer ohonom wedi addasu o’r diwedd i orwedd ar draethau gwag drwy’r dydd!) Rydym i gyd yn ôl yn y byd real erbyn hyn, felly darllenwch ein herthygl “Getting Back to Normal” i gael arweiniad ac awgrymiadau am beth i’w ddisgwyl, a phorwch trwy’n tudalennau ffasiwn ac addurno i gael ysbrydoliaeth a fydd yn
eich cael yn hwylio’n ôl i’r stryd fawr. Os na allwch aros i fynd i’r môr, mae gennym erthygl hir ar Chwaraeon Dŵr fel y gallwch wneud y mwyaf o’ch dychweliad hirddisgwyliedig i’r traeth. Mae gweld y pentref yn byrlymu’n ôl ac ysbryd gwyliau Abersoch yn deffro’n fuddugoliaethus, yn teimlo’n fwy arbennig nac erioed, oherwydd yn Abersoch rydym yn credu mewn ffrindiau nid ffiniau. Sŵn chwerthin a phlant fel morgrug wrth ymyl y môr. Hymian injans y cychod a gweiddi archebion bwyd ar draws traethau sy’n araf lenwi, mae hyd yn oed y tafarndai yn sibrwd am ailagor y tu mewn! Mae’n rhaid i ni i gyd aros yn wyliadwrus er gwaetha’n cyffro, a bod yn garedig ac yn barchus at ein gilydd. Nid yw’r feirws wedi diflannu ac mae’r economi angen ein cefnogaeth ond yn bwysicach, rydym ni angen ein gilydd. Bydd y frwydr yn cael ei hennill drwy ymdrech tîm enfawr ac rydym wedi dangos penderfyniad ardderchog. Diolch i chi i gyd unwaith eto a chroeso nôl! Cariad mawr o Abersoch.
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KEVIN BELL Kevin spends his life in, on, or by the water and (unsurprisingly) loves all things Abersoch. Which is why after visiting for over half a century, he now lives here in a little house backing onto his favourite beach—Hell’s Mouth. With a collection of boards and boats that do not necessarily reflect his abilities, Kevin is a keen surfer, paddleboarder and sailor. When he’s not out on the waves or the water he’ll be found on the shore or in a boat with one of his equally embarrassingly large collection of fishing rods in his hands, chasing his favourite quarries, bass and wrasse. Kevin loves encouraging new writers and pursuing his own writing— about Abersoch, the wild places on the peninsula and the water-sports that have been close to his heart all his life. REBECCA HINDE Rebecca has recently made the move from London to live in Abersoch full-time with her family. Having spent 13 years living in South East London where she founded Someth1ng Gallery, she is now looking forward to bringing more contemporary art up to Abersoch and taking talented Welsh artists down to the city. Going back to her roots, she knows Abersoch to be the perfect place for children to have the necessary space and freedom to grow through adolescence. The unique combination of energy and opportunity, peace and escapism that Abersoch offers, while being surrounded by spectacular pristine beaches and water, have made the move a simple decision.
RHIANNON JENKINS Brought up on the peninsula, Rhiannon has dreamed of living in London ever since she was a child. At the age of eighteen, she moved to the big smoke in order to read French with English at King’s College London. Often found in a coffee shop with a flat white in one hand and a book in another, Rhiannon is an avid coffee drinker and has a great interest in literature, with Virginia Woolf being one of her favourite authors. Having just returned from a year abroad in a city near Paris, she will be returning to London in September to complete the final year of her degree. Following the completion of her studies, Rhiannon hopes to pursue a career in Journalism. LOWRI LLEWELYN Lowri is a freelance writer born and raised in North Wales. When she’s not keeping you up-to-date with happenings on the Llŷn, she can be found globetrotting her way around dark tourism hotspots, explaining to some hapless stranger how aliens definitely built the pyramids, or sniffing out the best hotdogs in the vicinity! JAMES NOON James is a photographer and writer originally from London. He made the bold decision to move to the Llŷn Peninsula with his wife four years ago, and they have recently welcomed their first son Monti
16 | ABERSOCH SENSATION MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2020
to the world. In addition to getting to grips with being a father, James runs JNP Creative, a Photographic and Digital Media company from his home office in Criccieth. James also co-owns The Little Tea Rooms, a food and beverage initiative based in Pwllheli. LOUISE OVERFIELD At the young age of seventeen, Louise went travelling for thirteen years! She spent eight winter seasons snowboarding the slopes of Meribel, where she met her partner Dylan from Abersoch. After her travels, Louise decided to go to university to study English Language and Literature, and she then went on to do a PGCE so that she could become a teacher. Louise now lives on the peninsula with her partner and two kids Luca and Ronnie, and Nelly the dog. BETHANY BIRCH Born and raised in the Midlands, Bethany spent her childhood escaping to the Welsh coast with her family where they holidayed most weekends. Bethany is currently completing her Journalism degree at Nottingham Trent University where she’ll be graduating from this Summer. Her post graduation plans consist of swapping the city smog for the fresh air and simplicity of seaside living. Her happy place is an evening spent at Llanbedrog beach watching the sky turn amber, with her partner Ollie (and a G&T in hand!) - Abersoch is calling!
SOCH PRESS Abersoch Magazine Summer 2020
News from In and around Abersoch this Summer
Salty wonders at West Coast Surf With the winter gales a fading memory and summer cruising just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about what you’ll be riding on the mellower waves now beginning to slip into the bay. Spout at West Coast Surf, right here in the village, has found just the ride for you, in the shape of the things of beauty that are his new SALT longboards
BLADES DELI IS BORN! A familiar face on our lovely High Street is the long-established Blades Cafe, who have been serving quality food for many years from their convenient location, tucked in opposite The St Tudwal’s Inn. This year sees a change in direction, with a lovely contemporary makeover heralding a new dawn as a deli business celebrating all that is wonderful about local Welsh produce, not least the excellent selection of home-made items created here in the heart of the village. It has long been the dream of Blades Café owner Kay Brennan to bring to the village her vision of a fabulous range of quality local and home-made produce. The problem was that she became so busy running the café that realising her vision was becoming something of a challenge! So, this winter Kay took stock and decided to go down the route her heart had always been pulling her towards – Blades Deli was born! Still serving great coffees (the flavoursome Bronco brew from the renowned Good Coffee Cartel) along with wonderful home-made cakes, artisan breads and
a range of wraps and sandwiches which will change by the day dependent on the availability of local produce, Blades Café will also continue to offer a simple eatin experience (current regs permitting) to partner the retail/takeaway offer. An alcohol license is in the plan so you will be able to enjoy a drink too (Welsh cider or wine in the sunshine anybody?). New items from local, Welsh producers are arriving by the day to add to the great selection of preserves, local crab, coleslaws, home-made cakes and local breads (my favourite remains the marvellous Seaweed Bread!). A growing range of vegan produce is joining the range and, because Kay makes many of the items herself, she is perfectly placed to advise on any allergy issues too. With beautiful home-made ceramics joining the range via Kay’s talented family you will have more than enough choice to tempt you to a little piece of Abersoch to take away with you .
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Perfect for summer cruising, these SALT Longboards don’t just look good they are shaped for performance surfing. Wide, flat rockered and carrying plenty of volume they will catch waves early and offer loads of stability. The tail lift and pinched rails should add an element of agility while maintaining flow. They are resin tinted, highly polished pieces of hand crafted art - form and function right there on our very own high street! Whisper it but they’re below the £600 mark too.
THE WHITEHOUSE IS COMING! At the time of going to press we received confirmation that a north west development company had bought The Whitehouse with plans to build a luxury hotel, spa and restaurant with apartments above. Work is due to start around the autumn. Watch this space! FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS GO TO ABERSOCHLIFE.COM OR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES @ABERSOCHLIFE
SOCH PRESS
Llanbedrog Beach Bar – back in business under new management! Y Gali (previously Aqua bar) has been taken on by John and Juliette Palmer as the Llanbedrog Beach Bar. The Palmer’s have a vast experience of the hospitality business and have been busy planning their offers and beers etc so don’t forget to pop in and visit them to see what is different. See their Llanbedrog Beach Bar Facebook Page for all that is on offer – including great breakfasts and to check out operating arrangements during the current circumstances. Remember, please do not drive down and park on the double yellow lines as it may be wanted for emergency access, please use the National Trust Car park at the top which is conveniently placed for the establishment.
Staying in Llanbedrog There’s a huge variety of accommodation available in lovely Llanbedrog. Check out our local letting agents and private owners on AbersochLife.com. One perennial favourite is the owneroperated B&B and Self Catering at Wern Fawr Manor Farm which is set in a delightful, quiet, unique location with 75 acres, no light pollution (#darkskies), carbon neutral and plenty of free parking.
ABERSOCH BOATYARD Back open for business and with some really exciting new nautical fashion brands on board, get yourselves kitted out Abersoch style. “Abersoch Boatyard is very happy to welcome back all our friends. As ever, we are focusing on our environmental impact using only W.r.a.p. factories, our Abersoch Brand using Organic Product as much as possible and only printing with our water-based inks. All our carrier bags are made of Corn Starch too.
Five cottages to choose from: The Forge (sleeps 2); Camellia Cottage (sleeps 2-4); The Cottage (sleeps 4-5); Rose Cottage (sleeps 6-8); Bragdy Wern (sleeps 10) plus a games area with darts, pool table, table tennis, exercise machines and a sauna in a rustic setting in one of the barns.
One of the few pet friendly establishments in the area, you can walk in our woodlands straight from your accomodation along a footpath walk to the local dog friendly beaches, pubs and restaurants in Llanbedrog. See more at www.wernfawr.co.uk
This year we are delighted to be launching several new brands: MAC and Meyer Legwear - for the perfect fashion fit. Sustainable Society – the ultimate environmentally friendly brand. Pelle P – a great Swedish family brand who have designed America’s Cup winning sailing kit as well as Simon Templar’s Volvo. Milano & Minaro – super smart Italian Ladies Brands. A great range to add to all of our classics such as Helly Hansen, Musto, Eden Park, Holebrook and Seasalt & Weird Fish.”
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ATTENTION
SOCH PRESS
COMING SOON READ
Plas Bodegroes Luxury just got more attainable. The outstanding Plas Bodegroes is reopening; indulge yourselves with exceptional, award-winning dining at this idyllic location and why not make the most of it and stay over in their sumptuous accommodation. “Chris and Gunna Chown are delighted to be reopening Plas Bodegroes on August 3rd. Not only are we taking bookings, but we have signed up for Rishi Sunak’s Eat Out to help Out scheme, which means that we are open both for restaurant
THE LITTLE TEA ROOMS AT MICKEYS Having been delighted during lockdown by the Little Tea Room’s exceptional, locally sourced and freshly made hampers, the Peninsula is beyond excited about them finally opening at Mickey’s. With steak prego sandwiches and lobster on the menu, Machroes beach has everyone swooning. The talented and conscientious husband and wife team, James and Carron, are making Abersoch beam with pride.
FRESH Nothing will stop us from getting our Fresh fix! The team have been working so hard to delight you with their takeaway options, and the results are magnificent. Beach lunches to exceptional gourmet offerings plus cocktails to go, yes please! “We are super excited to welcome everyone back for the summer! This season we are operating a takeaway service. Lunch menu “check out our beach boxes” from 12-3pm. Evening meals 4-9.30pm. Menus on the website fresh-abersoch.co.uk and social media and of course a selection of our delicious cocktails! Give us a call at the restaurant 01758710033 to place your order, or simply pop in and order and say hi! Can’t wait to see everyone...”
“To take on such a place meant we had a legacy to continue but we also wanted to place our own brand and local suppliers at the forefront of the new operation. Our brand began, and continues to be about promoting local businesses alongside our own. To build links in our communities and to support each other and the local economy. For the last 6 years we have searched for the best food, drink and produce that Wales has to offer.” 20 | ABERSOCH SENSATION MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2020
and rooms on Mondays in August and can offer £10 off our dinner on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. We have also reduced our prices following the chancellor’s VAT reduction, so rooms and dinner will be cheaper for the rest of the year. Call us on 01758 61236”
PWLLHELI & SOUTHAMPTON TEL: 01758 703 013 - 07813 581 937 EMAIL: SALES@IDEALBOAT.COM
WWW.IDEALBOAT.COM
Chaparral_IND_154.indd 1
02/04/2019 15:58
SOCH PRESS
COMBINING THE BEST OF LAND AND SEA Land and Sea is really pulling out all of the stops to fulfil every one of your motorized dreams both on and off shore. The fun starts here! “This year Abersoch Land and Sea is taking “LAND” very seriously and we have obtained the Solus UK dealership for the iconic ‘barefoot’ caravan range. The dealership for this exclusive range of caravan is a first for Abersoch and the North Wales region. The first pale blue barefoot caravan to arrive sold within weeks, other colours are also now in stock.
Continuing with our focus on LAND, our GP Moto dealership sells a full range of buggies and quad bikes to suit all ages and is proving very popular.
NIGHTSKY GLAMPING SUCCESS We are delighted to announce the re-opening of the fabulous Nightsky Glamping! Transport your bubble to the glorious tranquillity of the Welsh countryside and try to grab one of their sensational tents; these charming abodes give cottage style facilities with a glorious camping ambience. And don’t forget to say hello to the Alpacas! “The recent opening of Nightsky Glamping in Llangian has seen an instant success story emerge. Virtually the whole year is now already booked leaving only limited availability rom mid-September to mid-October. This comes not long after Nightsky Glamping was awarded 4th place in the Sunday Times Online top 40 Glamping & Camping sites in the UK. Options include Safari tents and Bell tents each with their own bathrooms and hot tubs, set in the tranquil countryside not far from Hell’s Mouth and Abersoch.
ABERSOCH RACES THE LOW-DOWN 2020 At the time of going to press the Abersoch races are still set to take place this year in September & October! Organisers have been working hard to ensure the races will be run in line with the new rules and guidelines of the various sports bodies and the government for social distancing and hygiene. You must keep checking the event websites though as there are still some restrictions that need lifting before the races are allowed to go ahead and things can change at any time. If you do take part in any of the races or go and watch, then please ensure you comply with all social distancing rules. these are important events for the area but we want everyone to stay safe. www.abersochtriplecrown.com
Be quick to get the lasts slots for this year or book early for 2021 and by all counts you won’t be disappointed! www.nightskyglamping.co.uk” 22 | ABERSOCH SENSATION MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2020
Abersoch Land and Sea is renowned for its focus on the SEA which is where we place our efforts and we are pleased to offer customers a full range of stunning boats to suit all budgets. We are delighted to welcome our SEAfaring customers back to Abersoch for the summer and we promise to do our best to provide the best park and launch service possible and to make up for lost time and make this summer truly memorable for everyone.”
FOR THE LATEST NEWS & PHOTOS VISIT ABERSOCHLIFE.COM OR GO TO @ABERSOCHLIFE
UNSUNG
HEROES OUR LOCAL LEGENDS KEEPING US GOING
PHOTO: NIGEL AND HIS SON STEFFAN AT LONDIS (TALAFON), WORKING HARD & ALWAYS WITH A SMILE!
24 | ABERSOCH SENSATION MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2020
WORDS BY LOWRI LLEWELYN PHOTOGRAPHY BY OUTWEST IMAGES
E
very Thursday throughout lockdown saw us clap for our NHS, and rightly so—to date, at least 197 frontline health and care workers have died of Covid-19. We are truly thankful. But, we mustn’t forget the others who kept life ticking as most of us
stayed at home; the people we sometimes take for granted but who have proven themselves essential to our wellbeing. Read on for just a small selection of Abersoch’s unsung heroes.
PHOTO: THE TEAM AT SPAR HAVE BEEN WORKING HARD TO CREATE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL CUSTOMERS
With the distance from Abersoch PHOTO: PERSPEX SCREENS AT TALAFON to Pwllheli exceeding the 5-mile driving limit, supermarket staff in Abersoch found themselves in the situation of having to keep us fed. According to Fiona, who manages the Spar, ‘Everyone was afraid, but we all thought it important to stay open for the locals. It was an anxious time for everybody. As a whole, I think we adapted well. We learnt to take each day as it comes, and anything that needed to be addressed was done ASAP; for example, the fact that we needed to fill shelves to ensure we were fully stocked. It wasn’t possible during opening hours as we Though Abersoch is now officially open for business, needed to minimise contact, so we adapted shops must still follow government guidelines. ‘The our working hours to enable the shop to challenges of preparing for the season are now coming be stocked while it was closed. We’ve also to light. We will work as a team to ensure that we offered local home deliveries for those who overcome them as efficiently as possible, hopefully need it. The flexibility and willingness of creating a safe environment for our customers.’ the staff has made managing the shop a million times easier.’ Looking back on the past few months, she says, ‘I can only thank my staff very, very much. Some had to go on furlough—they had no choice—but that was no | 25
PHOTO: TERRYS BUTCHERS WERE A KEY TEAM TO SUPPORT THE ESSENTIAL LOCAL DELIVERIES
fault of their own. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everybody, because we couldn’t have stayed open without them.’ Likewise Nigel, who manages Londis, is very proud of his team. ‘Everyone pulled together; no one quibbled. They were worried but just got on with it, and we’re so grateful. We’ve tried to support the community as much as we could. The majority of locals have been really good and we’ve supported them, doing home deliveries even as far as Dinas, Llanbedrog and Botwnnog. We’re going to carry on providing a service to locals as much as we can. We’re grateful to Dewi, also, for helping us with deliveries - he’s really gone above and beyond.’ Llanengan councillor Dewi Wyn Roberts is PHOTO: DEAN AND MARGARET AT GWIN LLYN WINES WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING DELIVERIES TO PEOPLE, AND NOT JUST reluctant to take credit. FROM THEIR OWN BUSINESS! ‘I don’t feel that I have serviced above and beyond, compared with social carers in our residential homes, or doctors and nurses in our local practices and hospitals. We are very grateful to them.’ He has, however, transported food and medication to those self isolating since the beginning of lockdown. ‘At the last count, I personally had made 2250 deliveries for local people. But having said this, I was part of a much bigger team who were working He continues, ‘It’s been a difficult in the local shops and pharmacies, and and anxious time for the people of there’s need to thank the staff of Londis Abersoch of all ages and abilities—the Talafon, Abersoch pharmacy and Terry virus has been something totally new the Butcher’s and Spar Abersoch, and and unexpected, and people have others who have continued with their reacted wisely by accepting the advice take away services in the village. Without that has been given by administrators, these services it would have been very the government, health services and hard on us all.’ Gwynedd Council. People have adapted
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quickly to a new way of living and by protecting themselves have protected the community by lessening the pressure on health services and local care. During this good weather many people have followed the conditions of staying in their homes and gardens, only going outside for exercise such as walking or cycling for an hour a day.’ Have any positives come from this situation? ‘I have met many people who have been extremely grateful for the service offered. It has become clear that neighbours have had each other’s backs in many ways, and this has filled me with much pride for the community I belong to and serve.’ He’s now hopeful for the future. ‘Let us now look forward to the new normal of being positive by working together. We will succeed in responding to the challenge ahead.’
There’s no escaping the fact that lockdown has been stressful, but helping us relax has been Gwin Llŷn Wines. As the country went into lockdown the hashtag #honk4plonk gained popularity, with customers honking their horns once they’d arrived outside the shop. ‘We would bring their purchases to their cars to save them coming inside,’ explains co-owner Margaret Pritchard. Her husband Dean, meanwhile, busied himself with delivering across the region. According to Margaret, ‘He’s visited parts of the Peninsula he didn’t even know existed,’ in his pursuit to keep the people well-watered—which of course called for
PWLLHELI & SOUTHAMPTON TEL: 01758 703 013 - 07813 581 937 EMAIL: SALES@IDEALBOAT.COM
WWW.IDEALBOAT.COM
Finnmaster_IND_154.indd 1
02/04/2019 15:44
UNSUNG HEROES
PHOTO: DYLAN ROBERTS, A FAMILIAR FRIENLDLY FACE AROUND ABERSOCH EXPERIENCED A HUGE INCREASE IN HIS WORKLOAD
another hashtag, #deanydyngwin. ‘The locals would see him out and he would honk in reply, and it seems to have stuck!’ explains Margaret. In an effort to take the load off other businesses, Dean also volunteered to deliver wares for the likes of Llŷn Seafood Pwllheli. Staying fit whilst stuck at home was a challenge over lockdown, but making things a little easier was Dan Brook-Sutton of DBS Sports Therapy, who had to adapt quickly in order to make sure his clients maintained their fitness. ‘As soon as I heard the lockdown was to be enforced, I made the decision to move my business online. In the past my business has been predominantly face to face, treating injuries and conducting fitness classes. The current situation forced me to take a step back and look at how I could keep my business going. I had previously worked with clients online on a one to one basis, delivering training plans and catching up via video calls, so it wasn’t too much of a daunting prospect, however, to completely move the whole business online within three days..! I had to choose an online platform and learn how to use it quickly. Zoom allowed me to deliver a live class but with the ability to still see the participants so that A, I’d check their exercise form was correct and B, make sure they weren’t slacking—it’s easy to stop when you’re not being watched!’ He continues, ‘I’ve actually turned the experience into a positive as this has
allowed me to offer classes and exercise rehabilitation to clients from all over the UK and Europe with class members in Wales, England, Scotland and Spain. It’s been a stressful and uncertain time PHOTO: DBS SPORTS THERAPY, so to be able to BROUGHT TO YOU BY ZOOM! offer exercise and advice to help with people’s physical and mental wellbeing themselves,’ he says. has been rewarding. Having said that, I cannot wait to see you all at Bootcamp on And provide he did. While many of us the beach this summer!’ spent the heatwave lounging in our gardens, life was made all the more One person who certainly gets in his daily complicated for Dylan. ‘It was really hard. exercise is postman Dylan Roberts. ‘It’s The van was hot and every time you left it been like Christmas every day!’ he says you had to roll up the windows. And wear about the workload. ‘Usually we have 20 rubber gloves!’ postmen working every day but because the office is too small to leave two meters So what exactly have people been buying? between everyone, we’ve had more ‘I think they’ve been ordering really sorting work but less staff.’ basic stuff because shops are closed, like wellingtons and juicers! People have Like many working parents, Dylan been turning their hands to something has had to sacrifice staying home with they’ve never tried before. And I think, his kids in order to provide for the sometimes, they’re just bored—they go community. ‘I’ve worked throughout on the internet and think, oh that’s nice, the lockdown and my wife’s a teacher, but in reality I don’t think they really want so the two kids have had to entertain it!’
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UNSUNG HEROES PHOTO: COUNCILLOR DEWI WYN ROBERTS WAS EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT FROM THE ABERSOCH PHARMACY & MANY OTHER LOCAL BUSINESSES
He notes that customers have been very generous. ‘I’ve had a bottle of wine, beer, chocolate boxes, water bottles, homemade jams. People have really shown they appreciate what we do.’ But his favourite gift? ‘I support Arsenal, so someone bought me an Arsenal snood!’ We chuckle over the fact he likely delivered it himself. Someone else who juggled family life and providing for her community was Annette Weston, who runs her own cleaning business. ‘I have five children and when I realised we were going into lockdown I wanted to stay home and look after them. But, I was worried about the community and obviously my income—I needed to provide for my family. I didn’t really think about it; I wanted to help and just got on with it.’ ‘My customers are a mix of locals and those from away,’ she explains. ‘So while the ones from away did stay away, I checked on their empty houses to make sure they were safe and secure. It was strange seeing the village so quiet and empty. And the ones who live here, my duties changed from cleaning to shopping! I made sure my clients were looked after.’ But she didn’t stop there, and was one of three people to set up the Pwllheli Community Group. ‘We just made sure the very vulnerable got the help they needed. We also secured empty houses to be made available for NHS staff to self isolate if needed.’ Annette refuses to take credit for her hard work. ‘My best mate is a paramedic on the front line—she had to work and had no choice. I wanted to help so I just did. I have friends who work in Asda… they are
definitely the unsung heroes!’ Over lockdown, the streets of Abersoch were transformed into what could have been the set of a postapocalyptic thriller. But in a town famed for its watersports, the lack of water activities and numbers of people were a welcome change for some inhabitants. This was a unique opportunity for locals to enjoy the local wildlife like never before, and one person who experienced this privilege firsthand is Rebecca Bodde, whose love of paddleboarding brought her face to face with the Peninsula’s marine life. ‘I’m the local physiotherapist working in Abersoch and as I was unable to work during lockdown I was spending each day homeschooling my gorgeous boys. It was a real privilege, then, to go out in the bay after a hard day.’ She continues, ‘The dolphins have been prolific. We would see them before lockdown, but once we were allowed to travel five miles and enjoy the bay, the experience was so much more intense. We’ve had some lovely experiences paddling around the lighthouse—one time, a family of dolphins followed us for an hour and a half.’ The incredible experience was “papped” by photographer Phill Boyd. ‘We’re so lucky to be here and have these experiences; we’ve fallen in love with it all over again.’ And it’s not just the village’s aquatic life that has thrived. ‘There have certainly been more animals around; it’s been a lot noisier. I’ve seen a lot more birds. Or
30 | ABERSOCH SENSATION MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2020
maybe we just have more time to notice them.’ Something almost everybody featured has in common is a desire to help their community, having willingly put themselves at the frontline of the pandemic regardless of the risks. Despite the distance put between us by lockdown, however, the shared experience of Covid-19 has brought us all closer together. So, as it comes time to order cocktails and rev up our jet-skis, let’s remember to respect each other’s physical boundaries. Life may have changed, but this is an opportunity to live more peacefully side by side than ever before.
TThhaannkk
! yyoouu aallll!
PHOTO: THE MAGNIFICENTLY SITUATED CRAIG Y PWLL
SUMMER PROPERTY UPDATE WITH MARTIN LEWTHWAITE FROM BERESFORD ADAMS
D
uring this difficult time, I’m confident that the village will bounce back from the pandemic in the months that lie ahead and the local economy will show a strong resilience - helped I’m sure by the local community and visitors that love Abersoch and the Llŷn Peninsula so much. We live in surreal times and we have not witnessed such an unprecedented experience since World War Two, thank goodness only a few parents and grandparents that are still alive can remember those dark days. I’m lucky that my mother is still alive at 94 years young, she can remember the awful times during the war period but for us now it is hard to understand. Abersoch very sadly lost a dear friend and character of the village early in this
pandemic. John Griffiths ( known locally as John Courts ), rest in peace John, was a true friend of the village and our condolences go out to his wife Gwenda and family. Walking through Abersoch’s high street and along the lovely beaches, all to ourselves with not a soul in sight, has been very strange to us locals, particularly through the bank holidays at Easter and Whitsun when you usually expect such a throng of activity from the visitors far and wide. We enjoyed the peace and quiet but realised without the influx of visitors and second home owners the area would certainly not survive as we know it now, it brings prosperity to the region which all businesses appreciate wholeheartedly. We are very much looking forward to things progressing back towards the way they should be for us all. On a personal note I would like to thank all front line staff, nurses and doctors who have worked tirelessly to fight this
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PHOTO: BRYN CELYN
awful disease. It has not gone away so be vigilant everybody and respect government guidelines, keep safe and well and here’s hoping 2021 will return to some sort of normality. Now onto property matters...
CRAIG Y PWLL On the Iconic Pen Benar Headland is “Craig y Pwll”, a clifftop position with private steps onto the beach and sea below. This is a modern two storey, marine residence with 5 bedrooms and stunning views across Cardigan Bay, Llanbedrog headland and on towards Snowdonia. Priced at £1,750,000. Photo above
VILLA ROCCINSINBALDA We have received some excellent instructions on property just prior to lockdown and since we started to re-open our office on 22 June, notably Villa Roccinsinbalda on the Harbour Beach front at £2,750,000. A truly magnificent residence, immaculately presented, offering style and versatility with 5 bedrooms and 4 en suite shower rooms. Built in 2016 with a host of bespoke internal features and winning an Award from Gwynedd planning authority as best Individual home built during this period. Externally it offers spacious parking, a separate boat parking compound with its own access onto the lane to the beach. Vast double garage, shower facilities, sauna room and hot tub.
LAND FOR SALE Not far from Craig Y Pwll, a little nearer to the Abersoch outer harbour, is a magnificent building plot having gained full planning consent to construct a very superior three level detached residence. All detailed plans and building regulations are approved with services connected to the site. Again there are private steps leading onto Harbour Beach below. This is the last plot which is currently undeveloped along the sea front, this affluent residential headland is fast becoming known as the “Sandbanks of the North”. The plot is being sold at auction late this Summer, unless sold prior, a guide price of “offers over £1.5 million.”
BEACH HUTS There are two freehold beach huts coming to market for the Summer period; No 1 Beach hut, immediately to the left of the slipway, approached from Golf road, a snip at £100,000. To the right of Footprints Café ( the permitted doggie walking area ) is Beach Hut No 10, priced at “offers over £125,000.”
Y TY PREN To the Machroes end of Abersoch Beach, we are favoured with instructions to offer Y Ty Pren, Beach Road, Bwlchtocyn. A fabulous two storey contemporary coastal residence, just a hop, skip and a jump from the beach and golf course! The property was formerly a cedar wood chalet but,12 years ago, the chalet was demolished and was replaced by this beautiful two storey house with 3 spacious ground floor bedrooms and a superb first floor open plan living/dining /kitchen boasting 2 sun balconies, commanding wonderful views across Abersoch bay to the mountains of Snowdonia. Excellent vehicular / boat parking and a seaside themed garden with pebbled stone areas, raised borders, palms, bamboo etc | 33
PROPERTY & INTERIORS
LET US
ACCOMMODATE YOU ABERSOCH HOLIDAY LETS ARE BACK!
I
t’s with unbridled pleasure that we are able to promote our fantastic holiday lets once again and wholeheartedly encourage you to come and stay with us and luxuriate on the Peninsula. As to be expected, many places are fully booked already, but there is still some availability (as everyone hastily prepares for the new guidelines) so be quick, or even book in advance for later in the year/next season. We will be making up for lost time with our beloved visitors by offering accommodation after the usual season has ended, we have really missed you and are going to make sure that you never want to leave! We have selected a few properties that are perfect to escape into with your bubbles, whoever you decide to allow into yours!
1.
BOOK
THE HOLLIES
www.abersochholidayhomes.co.uk info@abersochholidayhomes.co.uk 01758 740992
Beautifully refurbished, The Hollies forms part of Llanbedrog’s Old Rectory and sits idyllically in this quiet, pretty seaside village. Only 300 yards to the treelined beach for breakfast or a lunchtime beverage at the beach bar and restaurant. It’s a short walk to the Glyn y Weddw art gallery and cafe, the family friendly Glyn y Weddw pub and to the local convenience store and chemist. The Hollies blends the traditional features with contemporary styling creating an individual feel; a special find for many guests. Sleeping 8 guests; 2 double rooms and one family room with a bunk bed, this is the perfect location for relaxing, paddling or for an energetic woodland walk up to the Tin Man and along the impressive coastal path.
3 Bedrooms | Sleeps 8 | 2 Bathrooms 34 | ABERSOCH SENSATION MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2020
2.
BOOK
Y BEUDY
www.abersochholidayhomes.co.uk info@abersochholidayhomes.co.uk 01758 740992
Y Beudy is a beautifully converted 3 bedroomed detached holiday home bursting with quality, style and luxurious touches throughout. Perched on the hillside above Abersoch with stunning panoramic sea views, terraces and a balcony, Y Beudy enjoys an equally exquisite interior and exterior. At the heart of the house lies the superior lounge which seamlessly blends contemporary living with traditional architecture; an excellent social space for families and friends alike.
3 Bedrooms | Sleeps 6 | 2 Bathrooms
4.
BOOK
OWL COT TAGE
www.nightskyglamping.co.uk hello@nightskyglamping.co.uk 01758 712811
Two’s the perfect company and Owl Cottage offers a quintessentially cosy place for partners or friends to nestle away together. This beautifully converted, detached,16th Century barn is set in an idyllic and peaceful location. The cottage houses a modern, well appointed, granite topped kitchen, en-suite bedroom, bed settee, log burner, TV and a privately walled outdoor hot tub. History, nature, luxury; welcome to heavenly seclusion.
1 Bedrooms | Sleeps 2 | 1 Bathroom
3.
BOOK
FRON DIRION
www.abersochholidayhomes.co.uk info@abersochholidayhomes.co.uk 01758 740992
Beautifully designed and exquisitely styled, this semi-detached cottage perched on the Llanbedrog hillside has been transformed into a truly stunning holiday home with far reaching sea and countryside views. Sleeping 8 (including 2 bunk beds) each room feels indulgent, luxurious and perfect for spending times with family and friends. Llanbedrog village with all its amenities and glorious beach lies within a mile and the unrivalled coastal path can be easily accessed.
4 Bedrooms | Sleeps 8 | 2 Bathrooms
5.
BOOK
HORSESHOE COT TAGE
www.nightskyglamping.co.uk hello@nightskyglamping.co.uk 01758 712811
Get yourselves away with friends and family to this divine retreat. A beautifully appointed detached barn conversion with 5 bedrooms and suitable for 11 guests. Surrounded by glorious Welsh countryside, this stunning property is perfectly designed for relaxed holidays with family or friends. Offering the luxury of space both inside and outside, you can cosy up all together or roam freely apart, it’s the ideal base for exploring the area, either walking, heading to the beaches or driving to the bustling village of Abersoch. 5 Bedrooms | Sleeps 11 | 4 Bathrooms | 35
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36 | ABERSOCH SENSATION MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2020
RETURN
OF THE
GREAT BRITISH
HOLIDAY
AMIDST THE NEW NORMAL, PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY ARE EYEING A RETURN TO THE GREAT BRITISH HOLIDAYS OF OLD.
With the prospect of post lockdown air travel fraught with uncertainty and a host of added complications, thoughts are turning to bacon butties on the campsite, fish and chips by the sea, and drinks in the beer garden at the local – simple pleasures that rekindle fond memories of families spending time together in stunning locations. For the Haulfryn Group the spirit of the Great British holiday has not wavered. Its holiday parks throughout England and Wales embody the essence of the staycation heyday, albeit with all the modern comforts and conveniences you would expect from one of the UK’s leading holiday resort companies. For over 80 years Haulfryn has been welcoming generations of families to enjoy beautiful surroundings, premier accommodation and more.
across the country. As a part of the local tourist industry, The Haulfryn Group is keen to offer its support to local business in Abersoch as the country begins its recovery. If you represent a local business offering goods or services and would like to work with us, please contact us via info@the-warren.co.uk
STAYING SAFE Whilst how we holiday is changing, the spirit of a Great British Haulfryn Holiday remains the same. The company has already put measures in place for the protection of chalet-owners, visitors, team members and the local communities where our parks are located to allow safe, relaxing, wholesome breaks for all to enjoy.
WORKING WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES The Covid-19 pandemic has had a widereaching effect on businesses and sectors | 37
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A MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO
The events of recent months have taught us many things, not least the importance of community spirit and looking out for each other. The Haulfryn Group would like to express its gratitude to all of the local heroes in and around Abersoch who have worked tirelessly to support the community; the postal service, delivery drivers, shop workers and of course our NHS staff and carers, among many others.
The Sandbar will open to owners and local residents for takeaways and we are hoping to provide a table service as soon as we have had confirmation from the Welsh Government Visit us on Facebook at “The Warren” for more information.
KEEP IN TOUCH If you have any questions or comments for the Haulfryn Group you are welcome to get in touch with us at any time. Please email info@the-warren.co.uk
As a long-established business in the region, we want to reassure Abersoch residents that we have taken proactive steps to ensure the safety of the local community, our team members and visitors to The Warren. This includes implementing contactless check-in procedures, rigorous social distancing measures and new sanitisation and monitoring regimes. We are also asking all visitors to carefully check the advice from the Welsh Government, Visit Snowdonia and Gwynedd Council before they travel. We’re looking forward to welcoming all our owners back now that The Warren is open and to working with local businesses and the Abersoch community to ensure The Haulfryn Group can continue to make a positive contribution to the regional economy and the area in general. Stay safe. Echo Lu CEO of The Haulfryn Group
38 | ABERSOCH SENSATION MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2020
INTERIORS ABERSOCH MAGAZINE SUMMER 2020
CREATED BY BETHANY BIRCH
LET’S GET NAUTICAL
Why leave your love for the ocean beside the sea when you can bring a little piece of it home with you? Add a little coastal style to your home with our favourite nautical picks from Abersoch’s shops.
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1. & 2. LAVENDER HOUSE - Blue & Red Coral Cushions £29 3. TOTALLY ABERSOCH - Red Fish Cushion £28 4. TOTALLY ABERSOCH - Blue Fish Cushion £24 5. TOTALLY ABERSOCH - Lobster Platter Set £16.50 6. TOTALLY ABERSOCH - Fish Bowl Set £31 (assort sizes) TO FIND FULL DETAILS OF ALL SHOPS IN THIS ARTICLE VISIT WWWW.ABERSOCHLIFE.COM
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S TAY I N S T Y L E O N T H E L LŶ N
The ultimate collection of coastal chic self-catering properties in Abersoch and the Llyn Peninsula. Our high quality, specially selected properties range from large renovated farmhouses and boutique luxury homes, to pretty picturesque cottages. We have something for everyone.
HAFOD, LLANBEDROG
PENDUICK, ABERSOCH
T16 THE WARREN, ABERSOCH
WYNTOPS, ABERSOCH
4 Guests | 2 Bedrooms 1 Bathrooms | 2 Pets
5 Guests | 2 Bedrooms 1 Bathrooms | 1 Pet | Wifi
6 Guests | 3 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms | No Pets | Wifi
6 Guests | 3 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms | No Pets | Wifi
Boasting a fabulous large decking from the open-plan living area, this stylish chalet is positioned just a few metres from the sandy beach on the Warren holiday park.
Sophistcated detached property with well presented interior and garden in Abersoch village, just a short stroll to the bustling high street and beach.
HafodSis a charming Desirably located, just a short TAY I N S T Y L EWelsh O N T H E L LŶ N cottage which has been lovingly walk from Abersoch, this high quality transformed into a delightful, house offers beautifully presented Sympathetically renovated family accommodation and a large holiday home. enclosed garden.
TAKE A LOOK AT OUR FULL COLLECTION
abersochholidayhomes.co.uk
Our office is not yet open, but we’re ready to welcome you
INTERIORS ABERSOCH MAGAZINE SUMMER 2020
MAKE SURE TO CHECK OUT OUR FASHION SECTION ON PAGE 92
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1. LAVENDER HOUSE - Soft Blankets £25 2. KIN & CO - Luks Linen, Bergama Peshtemal/Hammam Towel £35 3. LAVENDER HOUSE - Wall Art Compass £39 4. TOTALLY ABERSOCH - Grey Whale Wall Clock £40 5. LAVENDER HOUSE Dog Bowl £18 6. TOTALLY ABERSOCH - Red Crab Wall Art £66 TO FIND FULL DETAILS OF ALL SHOPS IN THIS ARTICLE VISIT WWWW.ABERSOCHLIFE.COM
42 | ABERSOCH SENSATION MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2020
BOATING IN NORTH WALES? We’ve got it covered.
Authorised Suzuki Dealer for sales and servicing since 2009 Authorised agents for GRAND Inflatable Boats – the fastest growing RIB brand in the UK Marine engineering and brokerage boat sales
For more information, visit our showroom (LL53 5YT) or harbourmarinepwllheli.co.uk
Together
GETTING BACK TO NORMAL
together adverb 1. With each other; in conjunction; jointly; in partnership cooperatively; as one 2. Simultaneously; at once; at the same moment; as a group Adjective 1. level-headed; well balance; well adjusted; sensible; realistic; prudent; pragmatic PHOTO: ABERSOCH WAS EERILY EMPTY AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR USUALLY HEAVING SUMMER SEASON BY: OUTWEST IMAGES
44 | ABERSOCH SENSATION MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2019
PHOTO: THE ONLY TRAFFIC ON THE WATER HAS BEEN PADDLEBOARDS. AND THE ONLY VISITORS THE DOLPHINS. ROSIE, BEX AND JAYNE BY: OUTWEST IMAGES
N
WORDS BY REBECCA HINDE
ow that the whole world has taken this unexpected and dramatic swerve away from anything that we could ever have predicted, with time itself becoming skewed and human contact unimaginably switching from a source of comfort to one of anxiety - we are all now facing the exciting and daunting process of regrouping and reuniting. We are stepping out in our bubbles (a far more recent phenomenon here than in England) to begin socialising and working, beginning the longanticipated progression to get back to normal‌or as close to it as is possible. And where better to ease yourself back into it than right here in the relaxed, fresh aired, oasis that is Abersoch.
together. Now there are, as everywhere, many uncertain things that our businesses and community are having to contend with at this time. As they boldly navigate and accommodate the rapidly changing guidelines, many of our most vulnerable are also having to mentally adapt to the rapid reopening of the village. Visitors too are stepping out for the first time into the unknown, and placing their trust in us to protect them as best we can. By respecting and helping (but never ever hugging... when will they announce hugging?!) one another through this surreal time, we will ensure to make Abersoch Summer 2020 one of the most memorable and special yet. PHOTO: LIVING IN A GHOST TOWN. NOT EVEN LOCALS WERE ON THE STREETS FOR WEEKS OVER LOCKDOWN BY: OUTWEST IMAGES
We are so fortunate that Abersoch has been so well shielded from the pandemic and that her outdoor nature, abundance of self-contained accommodation
and spacious beaches means that we have the best ingredients to be able to welcome everyone back and enjoy this wonderful place
With many visitors knowing the village so well, having returned faithfully year after year, it’s probably more simple to outline what is not so normal to help us glide effortlessly through to our happy place.
| 45
GETTING BACK TO NORMAL
PHOTO: THE MASKED MAKER - DAWN & JAMES ROCKING MUM’S MASKS
PHOTO: THE VAYNOL 2020 - OUTSIDE DRINKING IS BACK ON!
MASKS: DO WE, DON’T WE, WILL WE, WON’T WE? The current confusion regarding guidelines and the differences with the rules in England and Wales around mask-wearing, is causing unnecessary stress. You will see our food outlets, waiting-on staff, and shop staff wearing them and many locals and visitors too. Local mum, Dawn Stanworth and her kids Elsie (7) and James (4) have been living a shielded life of sorts for far longer than this pandemic. Dawn’s much loved (and dearly missed by us all) husband Rich, tragically passed away 4 years ago. As well as Rich’s exuberant personality, little Elsie has unfortunately inherited the rare condition Loeys Dietz, plus severe allergies and asthma from her beloved dad. She has been hospitalised numerous times from the tiniest exposure to anything on her ever-increasing list of highly allergic items and this combined with her asthma has seen her and her family shielded for months. Does this get Elsie down? No way! Does Elsie know how to protect herself so she can enjoy things normally? Hell yes! Now she is able to go out more, seeing other people wearing masks makes Elsie feel safer and that people care about her - just as it does to anyone else who is more vulnerable than us at these times. Talented mum Dawn (always pragmatic and enviably never neurotic) has been busy making and supplying high quality, effective and attractive masks online and to local businesses. Buy them, wear them, look like a hero. But do not forget, handwashing and sanitising are still
do not hound our restaurants for bookings, instead check on their social media sites for updates. If they have space for you, believe us they will let you know, and if you are lucky enough to get a table make sure to make the most of it!
PHOTO: GLEEFULLY PROTECTED - NO MASK CAN PROTECT YOU FROM ELSIE’S INFECTIOUS SMILE
the most effective protection for us all, masks with dirty hands is like a cone with no ice-cream – useless and disappointing.
PUBS & RESTAURANTS: OUTSIDE IS THE NEW INSIDE The pubs and bars are extremely limited with outdoor, socially distanced, table drinking only. We have been advised that indoor dining and drinking may be allowed in Wales from the 3rd August but restauranteurs, with perishable stock and high running costs, have the impossible job of trying to predict if the costs to reopen will be greater than any profit they could make with such a small and restricted window of the season left. So please
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Every cloud has a silver lining though and Abersoch has unintentionally become the king of takeaways! We are blessed with fantastic chefs and after a few surreal weeks of lounging in the sun, these notorious workaholics needed their fix and began cooking and creating and they have come up with excellent solutions to satisfy every culinary delight. Check your local favourite venues for menus and timings, dining from home has never looked so good. With the shift from thousands of usually plated dinners moving into take-away packaging, there is obviously going to be an unprecedented increase in waste generated. Our businesses are great at being environmentally minded with recyclable packaging whenever possible, but please try to support us by disposing of your rubbish carefully, taking it to your accommodation waste facilities if possible and please never ever leave it on the beaches. For daytime beach dining, The Little Tea Rooms has taken over Mickey’s, so healthy strolls along the main beach can be gladly rewarded. Footprints have a distance queuing system well underway but regretfully Abersoch Beach Café will not be open, so be prepared for extra demand at the other places on the main beach when it is busy and remember to pack cold drinks in your beach bag…and that includes water, not just the good stuff.
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NEW & USED BOAT SPECIALISTS | UNRIVALLED BROKERAGE SERVICE
WWW. TOTALBOATSALES .COM Outer Harbour, South Beach, Pwllheli LL53 5AY
01758 437600
GETTING BACK TO NORMAL
PHOTO: SAVING OUR SOULS - OUR AMAZING LIFEBOAT SERVICES BY: GRAHAM EATON
COASTAL SAFETYLOOKING AFTER EACH OTHER Surfing, paddle boarding, fishing, motor-boating, sailing, jet-skiing and all the other water sports that Abersoch is famed for, were denied to every single one of us during lockdown - and now we are ecstatically throwing ourselves back into those pursuits that we have missed so much. The marinas opened to locals on the 10th June, having closed at 5pm on the 23rd March. This meant 30 boats a day being launched, which oddly made the sea feel really busy, and then from the 13th of July (with full reopening) we will see that number climb up to 100 boats put to sea daily. Glorious times indeed but there are changes that we must be aware of, while making the absolute most of our new found freedom on the waves. Marine wildlife significantly increased during lockdown, with far more visits from dolphins and their young, and so we must be protective and mindful of all those that we are blessed to share our seas with. Many athletes are back training in the water, after months of being stuck on land and with public pools still shut, please look out for increased swimmers and divers. Ensure that you understand and adhere to the marker buoys, and respect speed limits and be extra vigilant in order to keep everyone safe.
and others. This includes ensuring you are regularly using hand sanitiser as well as your sunscreen, wearing life jackets whenever you are on the water to protect yourself from swallowing water if you hit the sea unexpectedly, and trying to risk assess all activities in advance. Please keep your children safe, not forgetting older children, especially when using high powered boats and jet skis. Kids have the beauty of feeling invincible, sadly they are not and nor are those around them.
PHOTO: DAN BROOK SUTTON SEA TRAINING BY: OUTWEST IMAGES
Crucial to all of our safety is the presence of our emergency services. With the lifeboat now back in operation, staff are having to be retrained and restrictions are being put in place to protect Covid-19 from spreading and potentially debilitating our services. Guidelines on not providing mouth to mouth resuscitation, as well as crews needing to go into isolation if they are exposed to the virus, could leave us very vulnerable. Our first responders (locals who rapidly attend to 999 emergency situations, such as a heart attack, while the ambulance is deployed) could now potentially not be called if there is any risk to their safety. This goes against the very nature of all of our emergency response teams but is out of their control, and so please do all you can to protect yourselves, your families
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We have a beautiful and safe bay to enjoy here and a fantastically experienced and supportive community. Ask others for advice regarding safety and weather conditions and make sure that you have all the supplies you need when venturing out, not only on to the sea but also along the coastal path etc. Remember food and water, sun cream, flares if they could be required, and importantly your mobile phone. Do not go close to the edge of cliffs for a selfie, we have had a lot of rain and edges can crumble. Do not jump off rocks if you do not know the depth of the water below, you are not Bear Grylls, this is not the SAS. Do not let your kids rock climb higher than they can safely fall‌ Always make sure people know where you are heading and when you intend to be back. Relish the beauty and splendour as well as those adrenaline kicks, and if you do find yourself somewhere remote waiting for help, stay calm, you are not alone and someone is on their way.
COME ON IN
PHOTO: A SPECIAL SUNRISE PADDLE ON ONE OF ABERSOCH WATERSPORTS SUP SOCIALS
WORDS BY KEVIN BELL
THE WATER’S LOVELY! EXPLORING THE RANGE OF WATERSPORTS ACTIVITIES, TUITION AND HIRE HERE IN SUNNY ABERSOCH.
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s I write, we are deep into the time of the hot, heady days of high summer. Of course, despite our legendarily favourable micro-climate, it doesn’t always quite work out like that when it comes to the weather, but rain or shine there is always something to do on, in, or under the water here in Abersoch. With the growth in ‘experiencedbased’ breaks and holidays, visitors are increasingly looking to try a new activity to give them that buzz we all need, that break from the everyday-life, that feeling of truly being alive. Just being by the ocean itself can do that for many. Sitting on the beach watching the waves lap on the shore, or lifting their heads to look out to the horizon where the bay is framed by the magnificent mountains of Snowdonia is more than enough – it’s not exactly a bad way to spend your week is it? And nobody is judging you if your idea of ‘getting active’ is beetling down to the nearest Prosecco bar in the village and toasting the waves with a glass of your favourite bubbly!
But for those who want to feel an adrenaline rush – large or small, gentle or rough, Abersoch is the perfect destination. With it’s location at the end of the Llyn Peninsula enhanced by the local micropeninsula of Mynydd Cilan, visitors here have the beneft of the calm waters of Cardigan Bay to the east of Cilan and the wave-washed shores of the Irish Sea to the west. So, dependent on weather and wind, broadly speaking the beaches of Abersoch village, Machroes, the Warren, the Quarry and Llanbedrog provide a safe adventure playground for the sailors and the paddleboarders, whilst Porth Ceiriad and Porth Neigwl (Hell’s Mouth) offer the perfect venue for the surfing community. For the fishers and the divers amongst us, both sides of the peninsula offer great opportunities for adventure. The result is a perfect adventure cocktail with activities to suit everyone. If you want a gentle SUP in safe conditions then pootling around the bay off the main beach is your destination, with plenty of local providers here to help you on your
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way. As is Abersoch Sailing School, here to start you off on your journey under sail. If you want to feel the force of the waves, then we have surf schools standing ready to help you catch that magical first wave. And once you start to get the hang of your chosen activity those same providers have great hire fleets of boards, boats and wetsuits to keep you coming back for more. Challenging adventures too await you if you want to take diving tuition or to join the Coasteering crew who will take you to explore the wilder shorelines here or on the north side of the Llyn. Dig a little deeper still and you will find electric bike hire and fishing tuition too. So to help you take your first steps onto, into, or under our aqua blue seas we are going to take you on a tour of some of the watersports providers in and around Abersoch. Things may be a little different this summer due to social distancing rules, but one way or another our local providers are going to get you on the water!
ABERSOCH WATERSPORTS
PHOTO: ABERSOCH WATERSPORTS OWNER PHILL WOOD DOING WHAT HE LOVES ON ONE OF THE LOCAL BREAKS
SUP SPECIALISTS AND A WHOLE LOT MORE!
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n their new home looking out over the harbour, Abersoch Watersports offer the perfect venue for a huge range of activities as well as a great selection of gear for when the bug catches and you commit to buy. A long established Abersoch brand headed up by the enormously likeable Phill and Emma Wood, they have become increasingly associated with the rapid growth in Stand Up Paddleboarding here on the Llyn Peninsula. But they offer a great deal more than that, with a long history rooted in owner Phill’s love of surfing. Constantly updating their knowledge base to ensure they and their instructors are fully trained to deliver a professional service, the shop is a real hub of watersports expertise. The business has also acted as a great training ground for a procession of surf groms who have gone from helping out in the shop to leading the way in the local waves. Current North Wales Open Surf Champion Urien Davies-Hughes being one such Abersoch Watersports graduate! The business is constantly evolving, so keep an eye on AbersochWaterSports.co.uk for all the latest news. Right now they offer equipment hire across the range of watersports and lessons (which include all the gear you need) including: Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) Surfing SUP Tours (including Sunrise SUP Tours) with a great chance of seeing our amazing local sealife – not least the dolphins! Through a partnership with Elements Coasteering, the company also offer you exciting adventures along our beautiful coastline. Coasteering is a fantastic activity (I’ve been on a trip and can hugely recommend it) introducing you to traversing, cliff jumping, scrambling, rock climbing, and swimming whilst getting up and close to all the local wildlife. No two coasteers are the same due to tide, weather and swell conditions so location can differ, but always tailored to the age group, confidence and ability of the group to get the ultimate experience. All equipment including helmets and buoyancy aids, is provided. For a truly unforgettable day, photos of your experience can be provided too. Abersoch Watersports are also the home of the now legendary SUP Socials, where local and visitor paddleboarders are welcome to come along and paddle safely with a group of like-minded SUP lovers, from beginners to experts. There’s no charge – keep an eye on Abersoch Watersports social media for dates, times and details. Like many Abersoch businesses they also offer Gift Vouchers that can be redeemed against equipment or towards a lesson or gear hire. With ‘Weekend Fun Reports’ to keep you informed of upcoming conditions and a great range of gear to buy then, whatever your watersport, drop in and have a chat with Phill for all the advice you’ll ever need. AW are a main retailer of the market-leading ‘Red’ brand of paddleboards which tells you all you need to know about how highly regarded they are in the business. MORE INFO AT ABERSOCHWATERSPORTS.CO.UK
PHOTO: ANOTHER GEAT SHOT FROM ONE OF THE EVER POPULAR SUP SOCIALS
PHOTO: A LINE UP OF EAGER NEWBIES GETTING A SURF LESSON FROM ABERSOCH WATERSPORTS
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vests and holding onto the ‘foamie’ surfboards that will give them a safe introoduction to the waves. It’s great to watch them warming up together on the beach, and hearing the shrieks of excitement as the first ones of the group pop-up and catch a wave is truly life-affirming! Using International Surfing Association accredited coaches, West Coast offer expert surf tuition, for beginners through to improvers, right through the season, with all equipment available including boards, wetsuits and wetboots. Once you’ve mastered the waves, the shop also offers a full range of hire gear too.
PHOTO: SOME MORE NEWBIES ENJOYING THE WAVES AND SUNSHINE ON A SURF LESSON FROM WEST COAST SURF
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ome of legendary dawn-patroller, surf forecaster and local weather guru Spout, West Coast Surf is a proper old skool surf shop with a real focus on pure surfing. Spout’s daily Surf Forecast is the go-to checkpoint for surfers considering a trip to the Llyn. Many of those visitors will
have taken their first steps on the water (or more accurately achieved their first pop-up) courtesy of a lesson from Eilir or one of the other fully qualified and experienced instructors from West Coast’s original ‘Hells Mouth Surf School’. The West Coast van can usually be seen down at Hell’s Mouth most days from May to October, surrounded by a happy throng of eager learners in matching rash
You will soon be sold on the sport, so West Coast have a great range of boards to buy from sensibly priced beginner boards to stunning custom boards. As one of the UK’s leading Ripcurl retailers you can be assured of a quality wetsuit. For off the water warmth a great range of legendary cold weather specialist Patagonia gear is available too. FOR MORE DETAILS CHECK OUT WESTCOASTSURF.CO.UK
OFFAXIS WAKEBOARDING SPECIALISTS, PLUS SUP, SURF & MORE
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ffaxis have been providing water-sports tuition since 1997. Under their original name of AOA (Abersoch Ocean Adventure) they were PHOTO: THE FABULOUS SUPER AIR NAUTIQUE BOAT USED BY OFFAXIS FOR WAKEBOARD LESSONS AND TOWS based on the main beach in Abersoch offering wakeboard, waterski and surf schools. With decades of experience instructors carry the minimum NARS and extensive knowledge of SLSGB Surf Coach Lifesaver Award. the area, they have the know how to make your water experience a life long and The company continue to offer a full possibly life changing experience. Run by range of watersports activities and these a mix of older and youthful water people, days are perhaps best known for their you will be in good hands as all their Wakeboard Academy. Alongside their
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base in Abersoch village they have their wakeboard HQ at The Offaxis Harbourside Shop on Pwllheli Marina where lessons are held on their Super Air Nautique boat. All ages, genders and sizes are welcome to participate but participants must be good swimmers and feel comfortable in open
water. All Boat Coaches are fully qualified BWSW Wakeboard instructors and hold the BWSW: SBDA [ Ski Boat Driver Award ]
Offaxis will make sure you get the best advice and top tips from their qualified Wakeboard Instructors.
Tuition is available for all, from Beginner to Intermediate or Advanced Riders. Once fitted with a wetsuit you will then be ready to hit the water with 4-6 riders out on each trip (no passengers) for an approximately two hour round trip. Once out on the water each rider will take their allotted 15 minute set, whatever your standard
At the time of writing Offaxis have taken the view that they can’t safely offer Wakeboarding or water-skiing (but keep an eye on their social media as the situation evolves). It’s not just Wakeboarding though, as Offaxis run a busy surf school down on Hell’s Mouth too with fully qualified instructors further
ABERSOCH SAILING SCHOOL
trained up in house by owner Johnny Robinson. The shop is a treasure trove of gear too with quality brands including the brilliant local O’Shea SUP brand and loads of great wake gear. Check out the sale/second hand rail outside to pick up a watersports bargain too! FOR MORE INFORMATION CHECKOUT WWW.OFFAXIS.CO.UK
PHOTO: ABERSOCH SAILING SCHOOL HEADQUARTERS
TAKE TO THE WATER UNDER SAIL
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ased down amongst the beach huts at the village end of the main beach, Abersoch Sailing School is a hub of activity, launching watersports enthusiasts onto the water for the first time across a range of disciplines, including SUP’s and kayaks. Sailing tuition and hire is the heart of their business – they are the go-to destination for anybody looking to dip their toe into the wonderful waterworld of sailing. Run by Andrew & Danielle Johnson they offer a fully certified RYA & AALA Training Centre, with taster lessons enabling you to try the sport before you commit to an RYA Course. Lessons (either 1 or 2.5 hours) start with an introduction to sailing theory, then land drills, then onto the water. Full beginner courses are centered around the RYA Level 1 Start Sailing course and the RYA Level 2 Basic Skills course with a mix and match of boats including the Laser Funboat, Pico and the Laser 2000. Each Level comprises of a 2 day course with Level 1 on Monday & Tuesday and Level 2 Wednesday & Thursday. As somebody who has sailed dinghies all his life and was lucky enough to have a sailing instructor for a Dad I can’t recommend the sport enough – harnessing the wind to take you on an adventures is surely one of life’s greatest thrills!
PHOTO: THE LASER FUNBOATS AVAILABLE TO HIRE AT ABERSOCH SAILING SCHOOL
Once you’ve acquired the skills, Abersoch Sailing School also offer a great range of hire boats. You need to have basic sailing proficiency but a Safety Boat is on hand at all times too. The team also offer RYA Powerboating courses. A powerboat is a serious piece of kit and anybody thinking of buying one is well advised to get professional training first. Have a chat with
PHOTO: THE SAILING SCHOOLS KAYAK FLEET EN ROUTE TO THE BEACH
Abersoch Sailing School and get yourself booked onto one of their powerboat courses. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON EVERYTHING GOING ON AT ABERSOCH SAILING SCHOOL HAVE A BROWSE AT ABERSOCHSAILINGSCHOOL.COM.
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WATERSPORTS
NAVSAR MARINE POWERBOAT TUITION
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AVSAR Marine, based in Pwllheli, offer a comprehensive range of land and water-based courses from their headquarters in Pwllheli. With a team of fully qualified instructors, tuition can beoffered on NAVSAR’s own vessels or, for those who want to learn how to better and safely make use of their own boat, tuition can be provided on your own vessel. Committing to the purchase of a powerboat is as challengingas it is exciting. We cannot recommend strongly enough that you get professional training before you start exploring our beautiful waters in your new boat. Youwill get so much more out of it that way, keep your own crew safe and keep otherwater-users secure too. Do it safely and professionally with a course from NAVSAR Marine.
PHOTO: TOPNOTCH TUITION POWERBOAT FROM THE GUYS OVER AT NAVSAR
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT NAVSAR.COM
SCUBA DIVE LLŶ ŶN LESSONS BENEATH THE WAVES
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f you’ve ever wondered what the wonderful world of the Llŷn Peninsula looks like from beneath the waves then it’s time to make contact with Matt at Scuba Dive Llŷn. The Llŷn peninsula’s premier dive centre offers you a unique view of Abersoch’s beautiful underwater world through the eye of the scuba diver. With a course from Scuba Dive Llyn you can become one of the lucky people who get to explore these hidden worlds by becoming a fully qualified open water diver. And with more than 70% of the world’s surface being covered in water, Scuba Dive Llŷn offers you the opportunity to seek your own underwater adventures, whether they be here on the Llŷn or in preparation for a holiday in the tropics. The team offer a full range of courses, from kids courses, junior courses and beginner adults, through to refresher and advanced courses, giving the certification you need to dive anywhere in the world. Speciality tuition is available too, including night diving and drift diving. All equipment can be provided as required, along with guidance on the best gear to buy once you are hooked on your dolphins-eye view of the world! FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT MATT VIA SCUBADIVELLYN.CO.UK
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PHOTO: VENTURE BENEATH THE WAVES TO SEE WHAT AMAZING SEA LIFE WE HAVE IN THE AREA
PHOTO: POOL LESSONS OFFERED FOR THOSE NEW TO THE SCENE BEFORE THEY VENTURE OUT TO SEA
WATERSPORTS
FS GUIDING EXPLORE BRILLIANT LOCAL BASS FISHING Well-known local bass fishing guru Nigel Crook has established FS Guiding to offer existing anglers, or those keen to try the sport, an introduction to some of the fantastic bass fishing to be enjoyed amidst the beautiful scenery of our local waters. Fresh Salt (FS) Guiding are based here on the stunning Llyn Peninsula around Abersoch, operating over the species rich waters of the Llyn coastline, estuarine and river systems. European Seabass are the main target, the coastal habitat offering a multitude of extremely productive tidal hotspots, which are not only just a joy to fish, but also to appreciate the remarkably beautiful surroundings in which you can enjoy your fishing. For those looking for some variety there is also the option of tackling the shy-biting, hard-fighting Mullet that can be found to nationally respected sizes in our estuaries and along the coastline. This is fabulously challenging and rewarding fishing, as those who have ever tried it can testify. If you are interested in travelling a little further afield, salmon, seatrout and pike fishing guiding is also available, with salmon and seatrout predominately
pursued on private estate waters of the lovely valley of the middle Welsh Dee and pike on the slower-moving lower stretches of the river. FS offer guided fishing for anglers of all abilities, generally operating with a maximum of three clients per session, which ensures all anglers enjoy the optimum level of attention. So don’t be afraid to get in touch even if you are a complete beginner. FS Guiding are pleased to operate in association with Fresh Salt Fishing Apparel, Hardy, Penn, Abu Garcia, Spiderwire, Hodgman, Costa Sunglasses and many other leading brands so all tackle can be provided as part of the package. For those who already have their own boat and are looking for some help to improve their fishing results, the team are happy to join you on your own craft too. They target seabass from the start of April to the end of October, with varying seasons for the
ABERSOCH SURF SHOP
other target species to match the best catching times. To make contact with Nigel and the team for further details on tailored excursions, fishing light setups for the fin perfect European seabass, or any of their other target species, take a look at the contact details below. They are very much looking forward to meeting you on or near the water soon to give you a taste of our superb local fishing opportunities. And look out for a feature in the magazine later in the year when we will be accompanying Nigel on one of his guided trips to give you an in depth look at what should be a great experience. Don’t forget, a guided fishing experience would make a wonderful present for your loved ones! CONTACT DETAILS: 07919280679 OR FSGUIDING@GMAIL.COM
ABERSOCH LAND & SEA
NEW KID ON THE OLD BLOCK!
LAND, SEA & SO MUCH MORE!
The guys behind Abersoch Surf shop have been operating in the village in one guise or another for more years than they care to admit! Their latest offering boasts a great range of affordable surf, SUP and watersports gear together with occassional forays into specialist territory, like last year’s brilliant electric hydrofoil demo’s down at Machroes.
There’s plenty more going on in and around Abersoch with more hire specialists, including SUP hire from the excellent Jobe brand as part of the increasingly diverse range at long-time powerboat and PWC specialists – Abersoch Land & Sea.
For those looking to test the water, Abersoch Surf Shop have a hire fleet of SUPs for you to try before you buy. POP IN AND HAVE A CHAT WITH THE FRIENDLY STAFF OR VISIT THEIR ABERSOCH SURF SHOP FACEBOOK PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
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FOR A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO EVERYTHING ON OFFER IN ABERSOCH, YOUR BEST MOVE IS TO TAKE A VISIT TO ABERSOCHLIFE.COM. SEE YOU IN THE WATER!
8ABERSOCH WORDS BY REBECCA HINDE PHOTOGRAPHY BY LUKE PILLING
THINGS
AS ABERSOCH AWAKENS TO A NEW NORMAL AND PEOPLE BEGIN TO FINALLY MAKE THEIR WAY BACK TO THE PENINSULA, WE TAKE A MOMENT TO REFLECT ON THE LAST FEW MONTHS AND CONSIDER WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES ABERSOCH THE, UNREFUTABLE, 8TH WONDER OF THE WORLD!
PHOTO: WHAT A VIEW - THIS PLACE PUT ON A REAL SHOW OVER LOCKDOWN
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tmosphere – Even Abersoch’s reliably hedonistic and relaxed vibe did not initially escape the globally felt mood of fear and uncertainty, as the Covid-19 pandemic began to unfold in March. The worry about the unknown and the unforeseeable was palpable throughout our little community, as the staying at home rules separated us from each other and imposed the most alien of restrictions upon our wonderful village. However, with a rarely seen blessing of extraordinary weather, the very nature of this exceptional location (quietly cocooned on a remote and pristine Peninsula) meant that the irresistibly sunny atmosphere of the village soon shone through. The escapist character that flies on the very breeze of the Llŷn has continued to allay our anxieties, providing a constant tonic and glorious distraction. Not even the threat of an imminent apocalypse can hold back the unrelenting ambience of Abersoch for long.
PHOTO: TIME TO REFLECT - IT’S BEEN BEAUTIFUL HERE OVER LOCKDOWN BUT WE HAVE DEFINITELY MISSED OUR LOVELY VISITORS
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eaches – Undoubtedly one of the biggest draws to Abersoch is the idyllic, unspoilt coastline that boasts a glorious variety of outstanding beaches, easily capable of satisfying the most discerning sand-worshipper. With the village closed and the sea off limits (seriously, the actual sea, unimaginable) locals wandered in solitude across completely deserted coastlines. The sudden removal of all people unlocked some heartachingly stunning National Geographic-like scenes, with untrodden sands carpeting neverending skies. At no time has the sun shone so brightly and the sands remained so untouched. There was a castaway feeling on the isolated beaches, a sentiment of Abersoch having only just been discovered. Birds and wild flowers began to fill the gaps usually taken up by towels and children. Seabirds littered the beaches with banquets of crabs and lone locals dotted distant horizons, as walking replaced what would usually be long hours working.
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PHOTO: THE PRISTINE WATERS HAVE BEEN EERILY QUIET LIKE THE VILLAGE - BUT ABSOLUTELY STUNNING
nvironment - The arrival of the sun in Abersoch has always been coupled with the excited arrival of cars, boats and caravans. Exuberant engines and cheerful chatter permeate the peninsula and the aroma of BBQs, diesel, sun cream and great British summers clings to the air. Flip flops tack to the hot tarmac as the bustling holidaymakers stream through the shops, blanket the beaches and sprinkle across the bay. But the beginning of Summer 2020 saw a markedly different environment in the village and surrounding areas. Silence rolled over the village like an invisible fog. The air suddenly so light, holding nothing but sun and salt, felt completely intoxicating. Empty shops and roads now carrying only the soft sounds of bees and birds. Parking spaces oddly empty, an undisturbed flatness poured from the pavements, across the sands and into the, often, almost motionless sea. The village became a place of quiet contemplation, a gentle space to process and reflect.
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elaxation: Sun, sand and sea have long been synonymous with relaxation, and May and June in Abersoch went overboard. With businesses forced to close their doors and the country told to “stay at home”, the barmy days eventually lulled villagers into a lazy haze of calm. The extraordinary bank holidays saw people lockdown in their gardens and embark on lengthy walkabouts across the coast, with many villagers embracing the surreal holiday vibes. The strange event of long days with nothing to do saw plenty pop corks at lunchtime, making the very most of the unexpected rest period bestowed upon them.
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8 THINGS ABERSOCH
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PHOTO: A NEW DAWN ON A NEW DAY - TIME TO WELCOME ALL OUR LOVELY VISTORS BACK TO THE PLACE THEY LOVE
ea - Sea dreams are made of this. Cardigan Bay has had moments of unworldly beauty as Summer has taken hold. The temporary removal of all craft and swimmers allowed her to become almost impossibly still, like a bed of mercury creeping up the shore, a mirror doubling the majestic sunrises. Her stillness satiated everyone, near and far, even if that experience was only virtual. Dolphins sliding and gliding through the blue and golden expanse, with twice daily visits to the bay, as if coming to say thank you for their unfettered feeding ground. When restrictions were lifted and locals finally allowed back in the sea, paddle boarders joined our watery friends and the union of the two has been legendary. Spider crabs have grown dramatically in numbers and size with shoals of baby fish glistening in the shallows. Huge regal gannets dramatically piercing the water at unbelievable speeds, diving in full view from the costal path, as the only fishermen became those with wings. Our denial of the sea enhanced her very nature and there have been moments observing her bountiful splendour that have felt like pure fantasy.
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utdoors - Abersoch is most loved by those who need the great outdoors. The immersion in nature that reminds us of the insignificance of our daily worries, that reassures us with the natural beauty that is often lacking in contemporary society. Lockdown meant limited access to that space for many and limited time for those with it on their doorstep. The curtailing of our freedom to roam made even those who had never done so, yearn for it. When the world feels as though it is falling apart, nothing is more empowering than climbing high above it on the coastal path and viewing the land like a god. The lockdown led to many solitary walks which, anyone who has ever done one knows, are often ironically the best tonic for loneliness. Nature encapsulates you and there will always be some experience during that time that feels as though it has happened especially for you, and that feeling can only be described as spiritual and it is unrivalled when it comes to soothing the soul.
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hildren - One thing that every family has experienced during lockdown is spending a lot more time with their children, and children form the backbone of Abersoch’s culture. Most people who love Abersoch had this bond cemented during childhood. The bay, with its gentler seas, is usually packed with familiar faces and so offers the perfect Summer playground for unbridled fun, friendships and family time. Everyone is equal in their swimmers and seeing children mingle and mix, building dams and catching baby crabs, is what makes the packed main beach in the Summer feel so special. Memories and nostalgia, camaraderie and blossoming new relationships - that the old timers observing know are going to last for a lifetime. Over the last few months there has obviously been far fewer little people around, but those who are here have learned to appreciate and value the friends that they do have. The joy on the faces of the children when finally allowed to the beach, seeing kids from school for the first time in months, was very beautiful. What was even more heartwarming was witnessing families of locals suddenly getting to spend unconstrained family time on the beach. Parents and their children together all day, enjoying the sea and the sand for the first time in years or even, for some, the first time ever. In lockdown locals became holidaymakers and their kids loved it!
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olidaymakers - As special as Abersoch has been in these inconceivable times, the overwhelming thing that has been absent is our much-loved holidaymakers. Now I am not going to lie, us locals (like many across the country living in tourist destinations) have become slightly institutionalised and also spoilt, having had the beaches and the beauty of Abersoch all to ourselves during the sun-soaked early Summer months. But beneath the unexpected joy experienced, the eeriness of the empty village and the anxiety of rapidly dwindling finances has been a constant shadow in the background. Now finally the restrictions have been lifted, everyone is worried about how we will supply the known levels of hospitality while keeping to the important social distance restrictions. No packed pubs or restaurants, takeaways replacing dining in, queuing at distance just for a pint of milk! An influx of thousands of people with none of the familiar places for them to go is a daunting and perplexing situation, but we are very excited to finally be able to welcome you all back. You have been missed and we cannot wait to be reunited and to share this unrivalled place together once again.
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ABERSOCH WANDERER
PHOTO: ONE OF THE MANY BREATHTAKING VIEWS ALONG THE CILAN HEADLAND ABOVE PORTH NEIGWL (HELL’S MOUTH)
I HAVE NOW REALISED MORE THAN EVER THAT I MADE THE RIGHT LIFESTYLE CHOICE MOVING HERE FIVE YEARS AGO, THE TIME HAS FLOWN BY AND IT HAS BEEN LOVELY TO TAKE THE TIME TO ENJOY THIS BEAUTIFUL PLACE, I CALL HOME. THE COMMUNITY SPIRIT THROUGHOUT THIS LOCKDOWN PERIOD HAS BEEN PHENOMENAL. AND I WILL ALWAYS LOOK BACK ON THIS TIME WITH NOTHING BUT POSITIVITY. WORDS BY LOUISE OVERFIELD
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he local shops such as; Londis, Spa, Blades, Kin&Co and Terry’s the butchers kept everyone in supplies, they all went above and beyond, often out delivering sometimes in lunch breaks, the network of people that made sure the vulnerable got deliveries was overwhelming. People were working hard behind the scenes and I am sorry I cannot name you all it would fill the mag! Charlotte from Kin&Co made up little gift survival packages and dropped them off to some of the older generation who might not have got to the shops before curfew, she donated this herself. Kay at Blades was making cakes and food for the NHS workers all donated by herself. It was nice to see and to feel part of this welcoming community, Local Abersoch councillor Dewi was seen kitted up in his mask delivering to those that could not make it out, as were many other volunteers, it brought out the good in everyone. Councillor s Dewi Roberts, John Pent and Angela Russell all worked tirelessly to ensure the safety of the
whose plants had grown the biggest. We also decided to do some nature lessons in the garden and they built an RSPB bug hotel keeping a keen eye out for lucky residents, we had a few quite large slow worms I am hoping they have passed on through. Phaedra Wood brought us round lots of lovely plants to get our garden going, it has been PHOTO: BLADES DELI WERE lovely sharing plants and seeds INVOLVED IN SUPPORTING THE LOCAL EFFORT amongst each other. Sam from First Light gave us a sprinkling communities. The shops, pubs and cafes of Poppies and they are peeking have used this time to get ready to safely through our Butterfly and bee garden. welcome everyone back, we have missed We managed to entice royalty in the form you all. Please keep supporting the local of a Bufftail bumble bee and she was a shops they need our support, it’s a long magnificent specimen, it encouraged the winter folks. children to differentiate between bees and we got some beautiful photos of her. Lots of people were sharing a glut in plants, and we very much welcomed In the community, The Sun Pub quickly the vegetable plants that Kay Brenan realised that the weekly Wednesday from Blades cafe gave to my family. They night quiz would be sadly missed by lots were a much needed distraction and of locals, so they set up a Quiz online gave us the excuse to create a vegetable and this helped keep the camaraderie patch. Dylan managed to teach the going with everyone encouraged to set kids about gardening and growing, the quiz questions and take it in turns to they soon became competitive to see host the quiz. Freddie the yoga teacher
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made sure that all her regulars were able to join her throughout the lockdown and continued with her classes online and I know that lots of people found this invaluable; it was about checking up on each other and keeping healthy through meditation and yoga just another kind act. Behind the scenes the local schools were very supportive and made sure that all the children had equipment to do school work on. The acting head of Ysgol Abersoch regularly telephoned to make sure that we had everything we needed, she was very hands on. Luca enjoyed his schoolwork set by Ysgol Sarn Bach, often involving us all in his experiments especially the rocket launching bottle that his daddy seemed to enjoy a bit too much, they managed to launch it over our house. School ran very smoothly and the support has been greatly received, his teacher Mrs Jones went out of her way to send Luca some equipment he needed, it was all much appreciated. Ysgol Abersoch certainly came into its own as it welcomed the children back to school to touch base, as it is a smaller school it was able to offer all of its pupils a place back at school adhering to the Governments guidelines. The school is very happy to announce that it will have a few new children joining them in September and the children and teachers very much look forward to welcoming them. I as a parent have such piece of mind knowing that my child is in a smaller school to most children, this is definitely a benefit of such a unique
PHOTO: CHARLOTTE OF THE EVER POPULAR KIN & CO
school set in the heart of the village, classes can be taken outside underneath the sail weather permitting and I know that Taid (Aled) is looking forward to hearing the children’s laughter and singing again. Ronnie my daughter was unable to attend the last few weeks of school before they broke up for summer, so the teachers did not want her to be left out of her year group and they enabled her to take part in the lesson linked in via Google classroom. It allowed her to feel included and have some quality time with her friends, the personal touches like that will last a lifetime in her memory. The teachers made sure that they set exciting lessons, Mrs Owen liked to read the children a story everyday
and this was all done whilst she herself was looking after and homeschooling her own children. This type of creative learning style and thinking outside the box made little ones feel included and safe in a time of uncertainty. If you would like to contact the school directly to see how you could help, or to register a child, or to talk to the Head about fundraising and volunteering please telephone 01754 712764 or email RhianWynRobertsJones@gwynedd.llyw. cymru This lovely little school still needs your help, we would welcome any donations to assist with the everyday running, you can do this through ‘www. easyfundraising.org.uk’ (You can donate to Ysgol Abersoch by purchases made online), by dropping off unwanted clothes, materials, shoes to the school. This year is the first time the annual duck race was unable to go ahead, the money gained from this is used to send the children to the local swimming baths weekly throughout the year to ensure when they leave Ysgol Abersoch every child can swim, let’s make sure this little school stays where it belongs in the heart of Abersoch. One of my passions is walking around this beautiful peninsular so I wanted to take advantage of Dylan’s knowledge of the area to discover some new routes. I normally wander around in some form or other either by bike or broomstick with Joanne Whitfield, sadly because of social distancing we have had to postpone our mischief however it
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will resume. Dylan is originally from Abersoch and spent his childhood in a somewhat idyllic fashion spending his days; fishing, cycling, walking, skating and swimming and this is the reason we moved back here so the children can follow in his footsteps. I normally work on sunny days and holidays so I never get to spend time as a family doing these things and we have certainly not walked so much together in my children’s lifetime. It was lovely to take a drink and a Scooby snack and just head off in different directions to maintain our daily exercise and sanity. We managed to walk to Porth Neigwl (Hells Mouth) daily walking in a loop and back home, we did not see another soul and this felt very strange, it felt like we were in another place, we were on the edge of the world and we were the only humans out there. The beach looked entirely different it had a lagoon at low tide, the sand had been stripped by storms and the beach stones were everywhere you had to climb over them. The beach scene would not have looked out of place from a scene from Robinson Crusoe. Dylan cannot remember ever walking on the beach and not seeing another soul, it did feel surreal and I felt incredibly lucky. We saw dolphins at Hells Mouth although this is not altogether unusual we saw them more often than normal and they did not disappoint, jumping out of the water so gracefully shinning in their natural habitat, it felt like the earth was reclaiming its life back and showing off all of its natural glory, butterflies with colours you could only dream of, we saw a Scarlet Tiger Moth which is not a normal visitor to this location. Like most people’s hair normally trimmed and cut, the hedges in Llanengan were filled with wild flowers they were dancing majestically in the sunshine it was awash with colour and the fragrance and the birdsong was glorious. We watched lambs suckling onto their mums and inquisitively looking at us over the hedges, happily bleating away, babbling brooks teeming with wildlife, it reminded me of my childhood in the 70’s and I felt lucky to be able to share this with my children. They loved looking at the caterpillars wrapped in silk as they left Hells Mouth, normally life is hectic and we would rush along to get home missing nature hidden slightly from view , however they were able to take their time, they would marvel at how full the hedgerow was full with
PHOTO: AN EXCITING ROCK POOL HOP ALONG THE WAY
insects, birds and other creatures. Ferdinand the Pheasant put in regular appearances in my garden, obviously knowing he was off the menu at The Sun Pub he felt very brave strutting around Llanengan, he also enjoyed a large slow worm or two. We had a racing pigeon that seemed reluctant to go home (who could blame it), hedgehogs, and lots of baby birds just flying the nest.
PHOTO: LUCA LOOKING LIKE HUCKLEBERRY FINN!
PHOTO: A NICE LITTLE FIND! A SCARLET TIGER MOTH
THE LOOP DE LOUP WALK- LLANENGAN If like me, you may have indulged in one too many treats or an extra pie from Terry’s the butchers then it might be time to walk it off. One of my favourite family walks that we went on was circular and it started at Hells Mouth and I would recommend it to anyone who fancies getting away from it all and surrounding yourself in isolation and nature. We started off from Hells mouth up the coastal path to Cilan Head. We walked across Cilan Common back up on ourselves to the main road. Then we took the footpath adjacent to the old Cilan Chapel and we followed the footpath across the fields in a south westerly direction back towards Hells Mouth via Bachwared farm down into the valley (Nant), we then took the path that takes you around Nant farm back onto the public footpath towards Llanengan. My two children aged 7 and 9 enjoyed this walk very much, their favourite part of the walk was down by the brook listening to the water and looking for tadpoles. We passed by a house and Iris Griffiths was in
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the garden and we had a quick chat, she kindly gave the children an ice lolly as it was a very hot day and they thought this was so kind, again just highlighting what a lovely welcoming place the Llyn peninsula really is. My ancient Affenpinscher Nelly also managed some of the walk and the rest of it she spent in our rucksack. At times you have to climb and it does feel quite strenuous but the views are always worth it. The walk took approximately one and a half hours, and it is just short of four miles. If you want to go a bit further you could walk through Llangian to Abersoch and back, go on I dare you! I hope that if you do manage to do this walk you have a lovely time to reflect and take in the view, perhaps see a dolphin or two, you could time it just right and stop and have a bite at The Sun pub in Llanengan, sit and relax in the beer garden after the walk and watch the sun set and think about which part of the peninsula you are going to visit next.
ering! d n a w y p Hap
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BLOOMING ABERSOCH
Abersoch locals thrive on Nature’s perpetual beauty, we feed from it every day, sometimes without even really noticing. But there are some here who also harbour an innate need to further enhance the exceptional environment that we find ourselves in. There are those who delve deeper into Nature’s willingness to delight when she is nurtured, we call them gardeners, the alchemists of the outdoors. We wanted to take some time to appreciate and congratulate some of Abersoch’s soldiers of the soil and so went to (socially distanced) visit a couple of glorious local gardens and meet the people behind these blossoming landscapes.
WORDS BY REBECCA HINDE
PHOTO: BLUE HYDRANGEA, CROCOSMIA “LUCIFER” AND BUPLEURUM BY: OUTWEST IMAGES
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PHOTO: ON TOP OF THE WORLD IN BWLCHTOCYN BY: OUTWEST IMAGES
Crowrach
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EEDING POSITIVITY. The first few days of the lockdown felt as though the earth had slowly and quietly simply stopped spinning. Everywhere seemed to have frozen into a confused, stunned silence. Thankfully, the pragmatic amongst us soon found projects and activities around the home to busy their days and encourage the rest of us to make the most of our new found time. The blessing of the lockdown rolling from Spring into the balmy early Summer months, saw those fortunate enough to have outdoor space take to their gardens in unprecedented levels. Some, having never before even sown a seed, began digging beds and dressing patios, while seasoned pros spent undisturbed hours perfecting and appreciating, submerged in the blooming satisfaction of their rewards from years of patient dedication. Two such committed souls are the eminently beautiful Graham and Margaret Cook from Crowrach, in Bwlchtocyn. There is something reassuringly serene about gardeners
PHOTO: WINDING GRASSY PATHS FLOW AROUND THE FLOWER BEDS BY: OUTWEST IMAGES
in their gardens, they exude a kind of content zen that must come from the satisfaction of cultivating such beautiful lifeforms. We know that gardening is incredibly good for
health; proven to extend life, lower blood pressure and help with mental illness (there is actually a bacteria in soil called Mycobacterium vaccae, that has been found to raise serotonin levels in the brain), and these happy horticulturists certainly seem to be testament to the science. Crowrach sits on top of the world when it comes to Abersoch, lying high upon the Blwchtocyn hillside with enviable views across the bay to Snowdonia. Graham and Margaret retired here twenty years ago, when the now elaborate gardens were no more than empty mown fields. Having been inspired to garden by her father, Margaret particularly enjoys the satisfaction that comes from nurturing something from a simple cutting or seed into something strong and wonderful. Now those fields boast a maze of over 22 flowerbeds, crammed with hundreds of different varieties of flowers, shrubs and a diverse range of steadily maturing trees including olive, eucalyptus and tea tree.
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BLOOMING ABERSOCH
PHOTO: MIRTLE, BOLDLY CLOUD PRUNED BY MARGARET TO SHOW OFF ITS INTERESTING BARK BY: OUTWEST IMAGES
PHOTO: LABOUR OF LOVE - GRAHAM AND MARGARET TAMING THE WEEDS AFTER A HEAVY SPELL OF RAIN SAW EVERYTHING THRIVE BY: OUTWEST IMAGES
You could spend hours slowly meandering through the curved grassy paths noting each blossom; from Graham’s favourites - the hardy geranium (to which he has dedicated nearly an entire bed) to a stream of blazing crocosmia lucifer, to a miniature pond with water lilies flanked by angel’s fishing rods (Dierama). There’s lavender, rhododendron, hebbes, buddlia, the most exceptionally coloured hydrangea you have ever seen. There is a glorious raised summer house and a large slate bench area, where you can sit and listen to the insects sing the garden’s praises. Breathing up here, taking in the scents and freshly filtered oxygen, gazing across the mercury bay, backed by the misty blue mountains, is so rejuvenating. Marvelling at this garden on a hill, with delicate flowers that you would think incapable of surviving the often ferocious south westerly winds (so full of salt and chill) seems a real testament to endurance, hope and beauty.
it this is v d n a p u p Po arden! enchanting g It is easy to see why Crowrach is popular in the National Garden Scheme, an organisation championed by the Prince of Wales, where people pay a small fee to visit private gardens to raise money for nursing and health charities. Hopefully with the gradual lifting of the lockdown, people will be able to visit again soon, so keep checking www.ngs.org.uk/ and try and see this enchanting place for yourself, you will not want to leave.
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PHOTO: COLLABORATION - GRAHAM & MARGARET WORK TOGETHER WITH NATURE BY: OUTWEST IMAGES
PHOTO:HEAVENLY HYDRANGEAS BY: OUTWEST IMAGES
PHOTO: BEAR’S BREECHES BY: OUTWEST IMAGES
BLOOMING ABERSOCH
PHOTO: THE STUNNINGLY RESTORED HOUSE SAT ABOVE THE GLORIOUS GRAVEL GARDEN BY: TURTLE PHOTOGRAPHY
ABERUCHAF
A
STONISHING ABERUCHAF. The instinct to cultivate and control nature in the form of plants and trees, in order to fulfil our health and sustenance needs, has been around since prehistoric times. Jungle and monsoon areas saw simple, practical “Forest Gardens”, as the first examples of humans intervening to create areas of substance and protection by encouraging and eradicating selected species. It wasn’t until the Egyptians, followed by the Persians, Greeks, Romans and of course the ancient Chinese, that formally designed ornamental gardens began, as lavish displays of culture and wealth. Of course, these ancient gardens would have been constructed and maintained by a vast employed or enforced workforce, as would the much later gardens of stately homes and estates, many of which continue to rely on dedicated staff today. And then we come to a contemporary garden of bewildering splendour that was the vision and dedication of a single married couple, Bob Kennedy and Nina Lang. The history of elitist grandeur and wealth that drove the creation of vast orchestrated gardens could not feel further removed from the idyllic, tranquil space of Aberuchaf, situated across from the harbour in the very
PHOTO: SLOWLY WIND ALONG THE GRAVEL PATHS FLANKED BY COLOUR AND BEAUTY BY: TURTLE PHOTOGRAPHY
heart of the village. This garden is such a remarkable achievement as the sheer scale plus location of this garden could never have been achieved without the ample funding necessary to manifest this vision, but it feels completely natural and ethereal, as though it has just sprung up naturally in its astonishing glory. This has to be due to the artistic feel of the garden, there is a tangible creative and spiritual energy underlying it, this is a monumental garden that has been forged from love, not status.
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Meeting Bob was a pleasure in itself, he again emits this internal contentment that only experienced gardeners seem to possess. You can feel the pride he has for this place, 40 years in the making, it is an acknowledgment of the hard work and vision coupled with a satisfied sense of astonishment at how well nature has rewarded him for his efforts. On top of this you sense he still has plenty more ideas on how to expand this bountiful wildlife kingdom still further.
BLOOMING ABERSOCH
PHOTO: THE EXEPTIONAL, WALLED VEGETABLE GARDEN FLANKED BY THE BOB-MADE FOREST BY: TURTLE PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTO: ONE OF THE MANY PICTURE POSTCARD VIEWS YOU FIND WHEREVER YOU LOOK BY: TURTLE PHOTOGRAPHY
We begin the tour entering the most perfectly picturesque walled vegetable patch. So intoxicatingly lush at this time of year, the dazzling greens of fruit trees and plump sprouting vegetables of every variety, swelling after a good few days of rain, are highlighted by beautiful purple brick beds and slate paths. A collaboration of Bob’s vision and engineering knowledge, with the help of talented local tradesmen, has resulted in a visually delightful and entirely practical and resilient space brimming with nourishment. Maybe Bob is relaxed in the knowledge that they have everything they need to sustain themselves right here. The ability to cultivate your own food to such glorious success, must be reassuring during globally uncertain times. Bob’s only threat comes from the birds and rabbits, and his walling and netting combined with the abundance of his bounty, means everyone can pinch what they need without disturbing the balance.
PHOTO: A GLIMPSE OF THE LAKE FLICKERS THROUGH THE TREES BY: TURTLE PHOTOGRAPHY
Moving from the vegetable patch, we stroll through a sprawling, grassy
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pathed, wooded area (the extensive path is mown by the radiant Nina). It’s virtually impossible to imagine that once there was not this garden here. Bob tells me how when they arrived there was only one tree, this is completely unfathomable to me as we wonder through the forest. One could easily write an entire article on the trees alone, from oak, to olive, willow to wonderful walnut, but there is so much more that its actually hard to comprehend. A lake flickers through the trees but we take a turn to bring us out to a sudden view of Abersoch village, reminding me we are still here, like waking from a dream into a familiar place. Bob shows me the monumental stones he has had erected to mark the compass points, where they recently welcomed in the Summer solstice. You just know that he chose these steadfast upright rocks as if greeting old friends, that he recognised eachone of them. I sense Bob does not ask himself “How?” very often, but focusses (as we all should) far more on the “why?”
BLOOMING ABERSOCH
PHOTO: A CARPET OF WATER LILIES SURROUND THE MONUMENTAL STONES BY: TURTLE PHOTOGRAPHY
Behind us now is the vista of the harbour, it’s touching distance and entirely still - completely devoid of all boats and people. I will unlikely never experience that view in that context ever again, and it will remain with me. Bob ushers me on to his latest edition and I look ahead to see the beautifully restored Aberuchaf house, all oak and glass, sat proudly above. In front is a stunning expansive gravel garden. Steadfast heavy rocks anchor and protect the dainty dancing meadow flowers, fireworks of colour and scent, an abundance of joy and impossibly pretty. On, past the quietly observing house, the sensational lake is finally revealed and it’s almost too perfect. Brimming with life and nutrition, smothered with water lilies, this place is Eden. Bob and Nina’s garden is 7 acres of extraordinary dedication, creation and magic. They have created a whole new world of life-giving splendour, a place of immense solace for humans and wildlife. Dotted among the things I have briefly outlined are carved artworks, ornamental urns and even a well, it’s a never-ending treasure trove of discovery. I am (obnoxiously and embarrassingly) very rarely speechless, but when I left Aberuchaf I felt as if I were in a trance. Remarkable, enchanting, mesmerising and truly inspirational.
PHOTO: THE EDEN OF ABERSOCH AT ABERUCHAF BY: TURTLE PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTO: PLANTS & TREES FOR THE BIRDS & BEES! BY: TURTLE PHOTOGRAPHY
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PHOTO: NESTLED IN THE HEART OF THE VILLAGE BY: TURTLE PHOTOGRAPHY
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PHOTO: ‘LOOPS JOHN B’ WITH FREHSHLY OILED NAMEPLATE
road trip to meet our new little pal and one-day sailing mate. Meanwhile the Little Tea Rooms finally look to set to join the other cafes, bars, restaurants and pubs in Abersoch and throw open their doors for the first time – we cannot wait.
DABBERS AGROUND BUT FOOTPRINTS WORDS BY KEVIN BELL ABROAD! By now my beautiful Drascombe Dabber, that I eulogised so lovingly over in our special Spring issue, should be bobbing on her mooring up at Machroes, several adventures under sail already under her belt and plenty of silver-flanked bass already caught (and released!) from her stern. By now we should have sipped many a cappuccino at the newly refurbished Little Tea Rooms at Mickeys too, proudly watching over our lovely boat as she gleamed in the summer sunshine. Instead I have had to settle for one more coat of oil on the woodwork, one more scrub of the brightwork, one
more lick of paint on the hull as we have sat and witnessed every season in one over the last couple of months of frustrating inaction, my Dabber aground in lockdown as the weather lurched from heatwave to storm and back again. We even had our first grandchild – the excellent little Charlie – but, just as we haven’t been able to launch Loops John B, we equally haven’t yet been able to cuddle young Charlie. As I write that all looks finally set to change. All being well I should shortly be able to take a visit to Owi the Harbourmaster to sort out all the gear I need to moor our boat, ready to finally set sail. And we should finally be able to take an even more important
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So, what have we been doing with the new boat that has been moored in our garden for rather longer than envisaged? Well, as already alluded to, I’ve taken the chance to strip all the woodwork, renew the rigging where necessary and have the outboard serviced. Loops John B was originally built by Honnor Marine in 1979 and has been well looked after since, but much of the woodwork was looking a little tired. So, it was out with the scrapers and the sander as we took her back to bare wood. All the hull woodwork is hardwood so, after much research, I settled on International Woodskin to bring her back to life. The results are fantastic – the use of an oil rather than a varnish has retained the lovely weathered look of old timber whilst adding a rich patina to give a handsome deep sheen. Time will
DAD TOOK THAT ADVICE UP TO THE LAKE DISTRICT WITH HIM WHEN HE RETIRED, WHERE HE WENT ON TO TEACH HUNDREDS MORE FOLK TO SAIL – THERE ARE STILL PUBS IN THE AREA WHERE IF I MENTION JOHN BELL SOMEONE WILL POP UP AND TELL ME, “HE TAUGHT ME TO SAIL!”
tell as to how it weathers (although it’s already stood up well to several storms and a heatwave blasting our back garden which, exposed as it directly to the Irish Sea, is about as close to life on a mooring as you can get!). The beauty of an oil finish is that it doesn’t crack and blister, so refreshing it is just a case of a wipe down and recoat rather than another major re-strip. For the spars (the mast etc), I’ve used traditional Yacht Varnish and again I think the results are great. However, I should point out that I have recently joined The Drascombe Association and their accompanying Facebook Group. A big part of me wishes I hadn’t - looking at the refurbishment jobs undertaken by some of the Drascombe members has left me pretty much humiliated! Some of the work undertaken by these folk is remarkable. Their love for their craft is truly heart-warming and witnessing their handiwork is as aweinspiring as it is sobering compared to my efforts. My work will never match theirs, but it is a really friendly group with lots of useful tips and tricks freely shared – the world of traditional sailing boats makes the wider world seem a much better place!
PHOTO: SPARS NEWLY VARNISHED
with articles on each boat in the Drascombe range offering tips and modifications designed to improve the performance and/ or the look of your boat, in addition to advice on sailing, mooring, living on board, VHF radios and handling your boat in rough weather. If you can think of it, then more than likely this publication has got it covered, much of the information applying equally to other traditional sailing boats and dinghies as it does Drascombes.
Perusing the pages of this all-conquering Drascombe handbook got me thinking about another publication I knew was stored somewhere in the house. Exploring the boxes that shamefully still haven’t all been sorted since we made the move here a few years ago, I eventually found PHOTO: GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR PHOTO: BAGS OF INFORMATION INSIDE FROM BOAT COURTESY OF THE DRASCOMBE THE DRASCOMBE ASSOCIATION what I was looking for. ASSOCIATION Back in the day my Dad was a sailing instructor working with Cheshire Colleges and schools. Together with some friends at what was then South Trafford College, he produced a simple ‘Sailing for Beginners’ manual. I knew I had a copy somewhere and I can’t pretend it didn’t bring a tear to my eye when I found that dogeared booklet and read my Dad’s words. He The other big advantage took that advice up to of joining the the Lake District with mine of information and a perfect read Drascombe Association came dropping him when he retired, where he went on with a glass of red on the very occasional through my door a few weeks ago. Their to teach hundreds more folk to sail – evening of bad weather we enjoy here beautifully produced book – Getting the there are still pubs in the area where if I in sunny Abersoch. It’s a must-read Most Out of Your Boat - is an absolute mention John Bell someone will pop up for any traditional sailing enthusiast, and tell me, “He taught me to sail!” | 77
HT A AL BRO UG G MAN U URE - O LD S C H O
O L ST Y LE
PHOTO : T E A R TO D A D ’S D O G -E A R E D MY EY O LD S E A IL IN
So, whilst we may not yet be on the seas in our Drascombe, at least the beach we eventually launch from should be spotless! See you next time when we hope to finally be able to share our first adventures under Drascombe sails.
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: S A IL IN PHOTO
D AT
I may not have been able to launch my Dabber yet but working with the wood on the boat certainly re-kindled my enthusiasm for woodworking. I’ve used the downtime to shape some of my driftwood finds as part of a ‘Leave only Footprints’ campaign. I’m no great craftsman, but the driftwood ‘footprints’ installed at the entrance to many of our beaches look pretty cute and will hopefully encourage all visitors to join the vast majority who take their litter home.
PHOTO : T H E E N LE AV E O N LY TRANC F E TO O O OT P R IN TS - THE S U R LOV IG N S E LY B E N OW AC H E S P LAC E
Charming though the booklet is, I don’t think Dad would mind me saying that if you want to learn to sail now then, rather than pick up a dusty, fifty year old manual, you would be much better served heading on down to Abersoch Sailing School. They will soon have you on the water using modern, professional, RYA endorsed techniques – there’s more information elsewhere in the ‘Watersports’ article in this issue. I’d urge you to give it a go, or at least introduce your children to what is a wonderful, life-affirming hobby.
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PHOTO: DECKBOARDS GLEAMING IN THE SUNSHINE
SUMMER
BIRD LIFE WHAT TO SEE IN HIGH SEASON ON THE LLYN WORDS BY DAVE LAMACRAFT PHOTOGRAPHY BY BEN PORTER PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTO: THE STUNNING COLOURS OF AN EXOTIC LLYN VISITOR - THE BEE-EATER
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W
ith summer now truly here, the village coming back to life, and our local and seasonal birdlife in their summer colours, our local expert Dave Lamacraft takes you on a tour of the Abersoch area.
birdlife seasons, Dave introduces to the birds that have migrated here from all over the world and to this years chicks, now getting ready to leave the nest in their own unique ways. So pick up your binoculars, strap on your boots and let’s take a walk with Dave.
In this second article taking you through the Abersoch
PHOTO: A FAMILY OF CHOUGHS AT REST ON A LLYN HEADLAND
A lot has been happening in the local bird world since the spring issue. Just as Abersoch starts to open up to human visitors in this strangest of years, our local birdlife has kept to it’s own timeless calendar. Spring migration has peaked and ended, many birds are in the the throes of their nesting seasons, but for some it has already ended and autumn migrations have started. The spring migration, as it often does, brought with it some exotic visitors to the Abersoch area, most spectacularly a flock of 13 bee-eaters which turned up near Rhiw in May. These stunning tropical-looking birds that nest in southern Europe are not infrequent visitors to the UK, occurring as ‘spring overshoots’ where they accidentally pass their normal nesting areas and end up further north. They have nested here on occasion, usually in sand quarries or riverbanks where they excavate nest burrows, most recently in 2017 in Nottinghamshire. Meanwhile, the chough chicks have left the nest and are roaming further afield as family groups. It’s easy to feel sorry for the parents at this time of year with the young constantly (and loudly) begging for food like a gang of slightly unruly and very demanding kids. They will become independent by the end of the summer,
but for now the parents have a challenge finding large quantities of insect food. The mounds made by yellow meadow ants become a kind of take-away with chough families moving from mound to mound feeding on the ants and their larvae. The sea-cliffs of the St Tudwal’s Islands and Mynydd Cilan start to become quieter now. The auks guillemots and razorbills - will depart by mid-July to spend the rest of the year at sea, heading as far afield as the North African coast over the winter before returning again next spring. Before they leave, the young birds have to literally take a leap into the unknown. Until now their world has been a tiny part of a narrow cliff ledge, but when the time comes - at only a third of the weight of their parents, with their flight feathers not yet fully grown - they simply jump, from a height that can measure hundreds of feet, to the sea below using what wings they do have to slow their descent. They are then joined by the male parent and the two will swim out to sea, the parent staying with the chick for a month or two whilst it becomes fully grown and independent. The other seabirds take a little longer; shags and cormorants have large young, and some will have fledged by now, kittiwake chicks are still in their nests, as are fulmar chicks which are becoming big white fluffy balls. The fulmar chicks are often left sitting alone on their nesting ledges whist their parents are off foraging for food, seemingly vulnerable to predators. But they have an | 81
BIRDS OF THE LLŶN PHOTO: KITTIWAKE CHICKS CAN BE SEEN ON THE CILAN HEADLAND CLIFFS
PHOTO: A RINGED PLOVER IN FLIGHT OVER PORTH NEIGWL
effective defence up their sleeves, or rather in their stomachs; they essentially projectile vomit a thick oily fish paste at any potential predators. At Porth Neigwl the ringed plovers will hopefully have managed to raise some young. Nesting in the open directly on the beach they rely on the camouflage of their eggs to escape unwanted attention. They also have an elaborate display where they pretend to have a broken wing to attract potential predators, people and dogs away from the nest. At this time of year Porth Neigwl also starts to receive visitors from eastern Europe in the form of Mediterranean gulls. This gull, like a slightly larger and cleaner looking version of the familiar black-headed gull, has increased and spread from its original range of the Black Sea and the eastern Mediterranean to occupy much of Europe, including the UK. There is usually an influx of these birds into the Irish Sea in July after they’ve finished nesting, with many congregating at Porth Neigwl, some of these birds are marked with individual combinations of coloured rings on their legs, showing that they have originated from the Baltic States.
fast scratchy song from the tops of bushes or sometimes in an almost hovering song-flight. About the size of a great tit, but slimmer and with a longer tail, the males have a blue-grey head, rusty brown back and, as their name suggests, a white throat. Except when singing, they are generally rather shy birds, their liking for lurking in nettle patches earning them the name ‘nettlecreeper’. Elsewhere, the stonechats and linnets have young out of the nest, and can be spotted at Mynytho common and around the much of the coast path from Llanbedrog to Aberdaron. For some it will be their second broods of the year, but since Easter they have been joined by a host of other small birds, all arriving from various parts of the African continent to nest here; whitethroats, lesser whitethroats, blackcaps, chiffchaffs, willow warblers, sedge warblers, reed warblers, grasshopper warblers, swifts, swallows, sand martins and house martins have all made lengthy journeys to nest here. Whitethroats are one of the most common and more obvious of the warblers, they nest in thick hedgerows and banks of scrub where they sing their
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As with many of our migrant songbirds whitethroats spend our winter in an area south of the Sahara known as the Sahel. Different species have different strategies for migrating between their nesting and wintering grounds. Whitethroats take their time, making the most of the certain foods en route. After wandering the local area for a time most seem to make their way through France and down into Portugal, where they feed on sugar-rich fruit (as well as their normal insect diet) to build fat reserves to make the final leg of the journey to the Sahel. In contrast, the sedge warbler feeds up on energy-rich aphids for several weeks in the UK before making the journey in one or two legs, which could involve nearly 3000 km of continuous flying, quite a feat for a bird that weighs just under a tablespoon of sugar at 13g.
PHOTO: A GUILLEMOT CHICK WITH A LITTLE PARENTAL GUIDANCE IN IT’S FIRST MONTH AT SEA
Sedge warblers are quite common birds on the edges of wet habitats, the Afon Soch between Llanengan and Llangian is a good area for them, where they are joined by reed warblers, grasshopper warblers and reed buntings. They are characterful birds, very vocal, with their song like some kind of scratchy freeform jazz, often mimicking other birds. They are brown and streaky with a long pale ‘eyebrow’, and generally shy, except when singing from near the top of reeds and bushes, and in an ascending song-flight, much like the whitethroat. Life is hazardous for these songbirds, many only living for a couple of years, the migration alone is full of danger, but they also face pressures from man; hunters in the Mediterranean islands, habitat change from wholesale loss to smaller changes such as the ill-timed cutting of fields or hedges and our warming climate are just some of the reasons why there are 300 million fewer songbirds in the European countryside now than there were in the 1980s.
PHOTO: THE SHY WHITETHROAT OR ‘NETTLE CREEPER’
PHOTO: A SHY WHITETHROAT SINGING IT’S FAST SCRATCHY SONG
Another common bird that is in decline, and one that is a real feature of an Abersoch summer, is the swift. Often confused with the swallow, swifts actually look very different being larger and all dark, with long scythe-like wings and a barely forked tail. They are closely related to the hummingbirds and similarly designed for flying, but whereas hummingbirds are designed for aerial dexterity, swifts are all about speed and stamina; the high-speed jet to
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BIRDS OF THE LLŶN PHOTO: A SWIFT SOARING IN THE ABERSOCH SKIES - NOT JUST FAST BUT ENORMOUS STAMINA FOR LONG FLIGHTS TOO
the hummingbird’s helicopter. They are so perfectly designed for flight that they can fly as much as 5000km in just 5 days on their return from African wintering grounds and spend virtually their entire lives in flight, only coming to land to visit the nest; sleeping, eating, drinking and mating on the wing. They mate for life, but only see their life partner whilst nesting, meeting up again each again each spring at the same nest site. Nesting in the eaves of tall buildings, they have tiny legs and feet, making walking difficult, so need to be able to simply drop out of the nest and be instantly in flight, in Abersoch they nest in the eaves of Talafon and the Vaynol. You will also hear them, the village often echoing to the sound of their screaming calls as they fly above the streets at high speed. If I could be a bird, it would be a swift, mainly as it just looks like a lot fun. Sadly though, their numbers halved in the UK in the twenty years to 2015, a large decline in their insect prey and loss of nesting sites are thought to be key factors. They are only with us briefly, arriving in late May and most leaving for Africa by the end of July; their brief time with us here is one to be cherished. For many birds, what we think of as summer is really the start of their autumn, curlews start to return to the beaches and estuaries from their moorland nesting areas, shortly joined by
PHOTO: A STONECHAT PERCHED ON THE COASTAL PATH NEAR ABERDARON
other wading birds like sanderlings from the Arctic, whilst further offshore seabirds from northern latitudes, like the skuas, start to head south again, sometimes in the company of seabirds who are heading south to nest having spent the southern winter in the north Atlantic. By the next issue the autumn migration will be well underway, with our summer visitors departing, and winter visitors arriving, whilst our resident birds start to flock together for the winter. I look forward to introducing you to our new
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visitors and the winter wonders of our local birds in the next issue – see you there!
he t n i u o y See autumn!
Photography
Showcase
Beach Huts on Abersoch Beach by Outwest Images If you haven't caught the early morning sun blasting against the beach huts then you're definitely missing out!
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Photography
Showcase Machroes by Totally Abersoch An unusual angle over Abersoch to the far corner of Abersoch beach, over Cilan, across Cardigan Bay with the west coast of Wales in the background. Do you know what year this was taken?
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Porth Ceiriad by Turtle Photography Catching that late sunset is always a rewarding experience, especially when our favourite surf beach is unusually calm.
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Photography
Showcase Porth Ceiriad Wave Power by Outwest Images So in contrast to the previous photo, this is what Abersoch's neighbouring big surf beach can look like on a typical stormy day.
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FASHION PREVIEW ABERSOCH MAGAZINE SUMMER 2020
CREATED BY BETHANY BIRCH
PATTERNS & PRINTS - Bold prints and patterns complement the
summer season perfectly. Whether it be a bold leopard print number or a colourful tie-dye item we’ve got you covered with this selection of locally picked pieces.
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1. BOUDICCA - ‘Savannah’ Leopard Wrap Maxi Dress £65 2. FIRST LIGHT Huella Shirt £39.99 3. FIRST LIGHT ‘Aleksandrine’ Shirt £49 4. FIRST LIGHT ‘Blue Aluna’ Shirt £45 5. FIRST LIGHT ‘Nusdahla’ Dress £40 6. FIRST LIGHT ‘Athena’ Dress £45 7.FIRST LIGHT ‘Nublaze’ Dress £50 8. FIRST LIGHT ‘April’ Ankle Dress £28 TO FIND FULL DETAILS OF ALL SHOPS IN THIS ARTICLE VISIT WWWW.ABERSOCHLIFE.COM 92 | ABERSOCH SENSATION MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2020
FASHION PREVIEW ABERSOCH MAGAZINE SUMMER 2020
ACCESSORIES
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1. BOUDICCA - ‘Harmonica’ Gold Disc Earrings £20 2. LAVENDER HOUSE Blue Topaz Swirl Ring £POA 3. FIRST LIGHT Selene’ Necklace £38 4. FIRST LIGHT ‘Cowri’ Shell Drop Earrings £7.50 5. FIRST LIGHT ‘Abstract Charm Hoop Earrings £66 6. FIRST LIGHT Selection Of Available Sunglasses £various 7. Kin & Co Rains Box Bag £59 8. FIRST LIGHT Straw Bag £39.99 9. FIRST LIGHT Toho Belt Bag £17.50 TO FIND FULL DETAILS OF ALL SHOPS IN THIS ARTICLE VISIT WWWW.ABERSOCHLIFE.COM | 93
ARTS COLUMN BY LOWRI LLEWELYN
T
he arts community was dismayed by the results of a recent Sunday Times survey. Conducted in Singapore, the survey asked 1000 respondents which jobs they considered most crucial in keeping Singapore going, and found that “artists’’ topped the list of roles deemed non-essential. Can you imagine lockdown without the arts? We would have gone berserk far sooner without films, music and books to keep us entertained and escape into when the real world became overwhelming. For me, at least, they’ve been essential in maintaining some semblance of normality and good mental health at a time that could have been catastrophic. Thanks to the likes of Netflix, Spotify and Kindle, we now have access to the arts at the touch of a button. Personally, I was hooked on the escapades of Joe Exotic and his fellow Tiger King villains (Netflix), while the screen adaptation of Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere (Amazon Prime) was the most thought provoking and complex series I’ve seen in a long time. So, for this season’s column, I’m offering something a little different. With venues across the country closed indefinitely and many of us continuing to socially distance, all of these offerings can be enjoyed without leaving the house.
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First up, a talented musician from Nefyn. Martin Jones, whose debut album Mixed Emotions showcases gravelly vocals and soulful pop tunes, uses music to explore the ecstasy and agony of being in love, along with breakups and moving on. If you’re able to spare £10 to fund Martin’s European tour, send him a Facebook message for a physical copy of the CD. Next up is something I guarantee you’ve never encountered before: Hindi, Punjabi, English and Welsh fusion. Hailing from Criccieth, Nesdi Jones fell in love with Bollywood and bhangra music while volunteering in India and began posting videos of herself imitating the songs online. In time, she caught the interest of Indian superstar Yo Yo Honey Singh, who helped propel her to stardom with their explosive single London, the video for which has clocked up a whopping 21 million views. Drawing inspiration from two seemingly contrasting cultures, Nesdi’s music is a celebration of language and living harmoniously side by side. Head to YouTube for the Tere Naal video, which was filmed in Portmeirion. Remember Duffy? Having spent a large portion of her upbringing on the Peninsula, I’m encouraging you to revisit Duffy’s Grammy award-winning
ARTS COLUMN
album Rockferry. Since vanishing from our radars a decade ago, many of us have wondered whatever happened to the woman who put Pen Llŷn on the map. In a recent shock revelation, Duffy candidly shared with fans on social media the terrible truth of what drove her to disappear all those years ago. In solidarity with Duffy, who was warned her revelation would cripple any future comeback, now is the ideal time to delight in her music and show that the people of the Peninsula remain proud of her. Also worth a listen is Duffy’s soulful cover of Ar Lan y Môr, recorded for the soundtrack of indie flick Patagonia and best enjoyed on a beach at sunset. Taking us to the wider North Wales area now, my next pick is the album 2013 by Meilyr Jones. Drawing inspiration from his time in Rome following the breakup of his relationship and band, this haunting yet hopeful record is a true masterpiece; highlights include How to Recognise a Work of Art and Strange/Emotional, but the album is best appreciated from start to finish with the volume turned high. Next, I’d like to tell you about my favourite Welsh personality. Having started posting humorous videos of himself barbecuing on Facebook, Chris ‘Flamebaster’ Roberts and his beloved Roxy the dog have a passion for simple food made with fresh local ingredients— all cooked in their backyard of North Wales. BBQ Chris Roberts: Tân a Mwg (S4C Clic) is sure to have you chuckling and salivating in equal measure. In terms of films hailing from Wales, I’m very interested in but have yet to watch the aforementioned Patagonia, available for rent on Amazon Prime. Inspired by the Welsh settlers who arrived in Patagonia in the early 1800s, the film narrates the journeys of two women—one looking for her past, the other for her future—intercutting
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between their stories, one of which travels south to north through the Welsh springtime and the other east to west through the Argentine autumn. Starring Nia Roberts as Gwen and Duffy as Sissy. Also available to rent on Amazon Prime is Half Light, starring Demi Moore and filmed on location in Porthdinllaen and across North Wales. When a successful mystery novelist’s life falls apart following the drowning of her 5-year-old son, she retreats to a remote fishing village only for the tranquility to be shattered by a series of unexplained murders. Alongside film and music, something else which raised my spirits during lockdown was art. Decorating the walls of my home are prints by contemporary Welsh artists, one being the wonderfully whimsical Twinkle & Gloom. The artist’s work is a celebration of femininity, friendship, tea, pink and girl power, and I’m a huge fan of her punky Welsh ladies! Visit www.twinkleandgloom. com for more info. Another artist whose work explores the concept of friendship is local talent Niki Pilkington, who’s been hard at work releasing new designs over recent weeks. Got a high-risk friend who might be feeling isolated? A print through the post is sure to brighten their day. 20% of proceeds from the ‘Meddwl amdanat’ design are split between the NHS and food bank charity The Trussell Trust, so head to Niki’s Etsy shop to check out the goodies and do a good deed. With theatres, cinemas and galleries all closed for the foreseeable future, artists of all kinds are having a harder time than usual right now. Please consider supporting those who bring so much colour to our world. Whether you share their work on social media, invest in a physical record or just send them a message to say they’re loved, we must remember the arts are always essential.
A
bersoch is fortuned with many independent businesses lining both the high-street and surrounding areas as well as being based online. Despite the challenges presented - especially for small businesses - during lockdown, Abersoch’s locals’ have got creative and used their Instagram pages to continue supporting their business and sharing feel-good content. Whether it be showcasing the
@phillboyd_outwest - Action and adventure photographer Phill Boyd does wonders for celebrating Abersoch’s natural beauty. Predominantly focusing on elements of the ocean, Phill’s account sports a plethora of oceanbased photographs showcasing Abersoch’s marine life; local surfgoers and impressive wave shots. Phill continues to showcase his photographic work via his Instagram, sporting some wild and incredibly wonderful images of Abersoch’s coast.
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spectacular natural beauty that Abersoch is surrounded by via photographs and videos; keeping locals and holidaymakers updated with regular news posts or offering additional services to their online communities, social media united with our lovely local business owners have been a real force for good!
@abersapp - Abersapp works harmoniously with Abersoch’s local community and their online audience to announce daily updates of Abersoch and its surrounding areas. Be it photographs of dolphins emerging from the ocean at dawn or a drone shot of Abersoch’s iconic beach huts at dusk, basking in the afterglow of the sunset, Abersapp offers a visual slice of Abersoch’s undeniable beauty. Since the enforcement of lockdown Abersapp have remained present on Instagram, continuing to regularly post local images captioned with daily updates and heart-felt messages. Their ongoing posts have been a real force for good when the restrictions of lockdown kept holiday-makers from their beloved coastal village.
@JDscuba - Happiest when in the ocean, Jake from @JDscuba has been enjoying regular scuba sessions - once permitted and sharing his underwater experiences. His Instagram account features impressive underwater shots of marine life. With recent posts showcasing videos of a Compass jellyfish (Chrysaora hysoscella) and an adult Bull Huss (Scyliorhinus stellaris) it’s clear to see why Jake has such a love for this underwater sport. During lockdown Jake has also used his online platform to share some light-hearted entertainment with his cleverly edited videos (head to his Instagram to check them out). Not only does Jake do wonders at impressing his audience with underwater footage, he’s also the project leader for the Save Our Seas Foundation (@ saveourseasfoundation) and is employed as the Project Coordinator for Angel Shark Project: Wales, whose aim is to help better understand the critically endangered species!
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SPECIALIST IN RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES Tel 01758 740 125 Mob 07775 806 035 robdavidinteriordesign.com
@abersochlife Featuring the best of the local photographs, news, stories and events Abersoch Life promises to keep you up to date on all things Abersoch related. With the current climate being so relentlessly unpredictable, Abersoch Life are doing wonders for pacifying holiday-makers lust for Abersoch’s undeniable charm. Abersoch Life really triumph the importance of community spirit, collating a community of people with one key thing in common their love for Abersoch!
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SOCIAL SUCCESSES
@twoislandsicecream Abersoch’s perfect place for something sweet, Two Islands Ice cream have kept things ticking during these unprecedented times. Keen to adapt, Two Islands have continued baking their delicious goodies’ offering an alternative online service for those who are craving a tasty treat. After assessing the local demand for cakes and ice cream - as well as having open conversations with friends in the food industry - they decided to open up a click and collect service; while, adopting the appropriate safety measures and being conscious to abide by the enforced regulations. They’ve kept customers updated with their adaptations via their Instagram account, where they regularly post with mouthwatering images of decadent treats! With the new click and collect service in place, lucky locals could choose from a selection of cakes, including cinnamon buns, milk chocolate cookies and seasonally inspired items such as vanilla layered cake with local gooseberries and foraged elderflower. Their infamous ice cream was also available for collection in pint tubs, with flavours ranging from oldschool raspberry ripple as well as the slightly more unusual option of avocado ice cream with tomatillo marmalade (in collaboration with Pontoon Pwllheli). As restrictions have eased, the store now offers a take-away only service allowing the ice cream parlour running
independently on the high street while also serving coffee and cake from The Garden. Despite only being a small business, the founders of Two Islands - Laura and Jack - are passionate about doing better and being a force for good, which is reflected via their social medias.
@abersochdentist From tips and advice to general updates, Abersoch’s Dentistry have kept active over on their Instagram page during lockdown. Offering more than just a general checkup, they’re keen to keep things positive and stay connected with locals.
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@theroctri Consisting of a 1500m sea swim, 100km bike ride and a 12km run up and back down Snowdon, only to be finished off with a 1km beach run there’s no denying that ‘this is triathlon tough and redefined’. Despite having to postpone their spring race due to covid19, THE ROC have remained positive and enthused for their next race dates in September (5th & 6th). Offering beautiful local imagery and action shots of previous ROC participants, their account is a true testament to both the natural beauty that Abersoch offers and the sheer resilience and incredible tough-natured spirits of previous ROC triathletes. If you’re after an aweinspiring platform then @theroctri offers inspiration by the bucket-load!
SOCIAL SUCCESSES
@boudica_boutique Founded in 2016 by two friends, Sarah and Suzie, Boudicca was established on their mutual love for fashion. The shop is Abersoch’s perfect place for boutique fashion, combined with a personal and relaxed shopping experience, shopping here is enjoyed by many locals and holiday-makers. Throughout lockdown, they’ve stayed highly active on Instagram showcasing images of available pieces and styling ideas. Making good use of the ‘Instagram Stories’ they regularly feature new items via chatty-style videos. Focusing on the silverlinings of Covid19 they have recently created a website, allowing items to now be purchased both instore and online.
@firstlightabersoch Keeping things upbeat and light-hearted, @ firstlightabersoch features a mix of fashion and scenic images. With the women’s fashion shop’s content predominantly focusing on showcasing available items, they keep their followers updated on new arrivals and styling guidance. Despite having to close the shop due to lockdown restrictions, the team at First Light have re-adjusted their focus to support the business, keeping up with regular posts and encouraging customers to purchase items via their new online shop! The addition of an online store was something that was requested by many customers pre-lockdown, however the busyness of the shop never permitted time for creating a website. Once the restrictions of lockdown were implemented, time was something that Sam had plenty of, so a website and Instagram shopping option were added. Straying away from the online world, Sam from First Light also helped to organise a clear-up and added colourful adorned planters to the village to welcome holiday-makers and new-comers.
@giovanabraia Focusing her content predominantly on fitness, Giovana has been a real force for good during lockdown; supporting both locals and connecting with individuals worldwide to support their fitness journeys. Currently based in her home-town of Abersoch, Giovana typically splits her time between Wales and London - where she works as a Stretchologist, Fitness Coach, Screen Fighter and Professional Performer. Always one to focus on the positives, Giovana has worked on her branding and online-centred content to support her business. She has focused on providing fitness and wellbeing content such as 1-1 classes, personalised home workout plans and live training sessions during these unfamiliar and unprecedented times. Her Instagram seamlessly combines fitness centred content with motivational posts and chats, offering the perfect place to get fit, feel good and enjoy Giovana’s upbeat energy.
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R STA O OT PH
Alexander Kepler-Smith going overboard - kid’s got moves!
Sue Hunter and Helen Dean celebrate surviving being dragged around the bay behind their daughters’ jetski.
Molly Bates, aged 6, canoe ready and sea smile blazing
Thanks for all your ‘water’ entries this issue. Our ‘star photo’ winner is marked and will receive a 2 year subscription to Abersoch Magazine. Perfect day out with friends. Rosie Larkin, Oli Roberts, Tom Roberts, Avah Kinsey & James Anderson
If you want to submit your favourite Abersoch photos for the next issue then please send to rebecca@sensationgroup.com
Katie Dean ready for high octane fun
Neve Carter, Wakeboarding with a smile to die for
Beach Breakfast - Elsie & James Stanworth
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Cousins Lucy, Max, Nancy and Florence making a splash on the main beach.
Max & Nancy Morgan relaxing in the evening sun after a day on the water
Grace Walsh, beaming while she balances on her paddleboard off The Warren beach
All Togther Now - Sophie Edwards, Pippa Roberts, Gracie Tavernor and Chloe Lennon take the leap of faith
WOW! Osian and Iola wondering what memories they will make this summer
Luke and Emily Thomas with Claudia and Laurel Brown enjoying one of those lush warm days on the water Grace Royle, Isla Davidson, Ethan Davidson & Flipper!
Brothers Jack and Henry Bates getting schooled by Grandpa! www.abersochlife.com
Paddle Boarding Beauties - Hannah Batson, Luke Hughes, Laura Batson and Rob Batson
Linzi, Emily and Hannah Davies enjoying their spiritual home
Harry Howson having a moment of calm before tearing up the waves.
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BUSINESS LISTINGS ABERSOCH MAGAZINE SUMMER 2020
FOOD & DRINK 1 FRESH CAFE BAR & GRILL, High St. Abersoch. 01758 710033 Restaurant & Cocktail Bar. Breakfast, lunch & evening menus. fresh-abersoch.co.uk 2 TREMFAN HALL, Llanbedrog, Pwllheli 01758 740169 Delicious Food, Great Atmosphere, Stunning Views. tremfanhall.com 3 PLAS BODEGROES, Pwllheli, 01758 612363 Delightful Georgian Manor House, elegrant bedrooms & lovely grounds. bodegroes.co.uk 4 THE SHIP INN Llanbedrog, 01758 741111. Freshly prepared food & great beers. New outdoor dining area. theshipinn.org.uk 5 PORTH TOCYN, Bwlchtocyn, Abersoch, LL53 7BU 01758 713303 One of Wales' country hotel classics porthtocynhotel.co.uk 6 CRUST PIZZERIA Lon Pont Morgan, Abersoch, LL53 7AN 01758 712896 Your Italian Exerience, Crafted with car. Eat in or Takeaway www.crust.wales 7 WOODLANDS HALL HOTEL, Edern, LL53 6JB 01758 713303 Ideal Hotel Accommodation for Golf Breaks, weddings and breaks in North Wales. woodlandshall.wales 8 LLANBEDROG BEACH BAR & RESTAURANT, Llanbedrog, LL53 7TR 01758 740730 Fully licensed in the most idylic location on Llanbedrog beach aquabeachbar.co.uk
HOTELS & B&B'S 9 PORTH TOCYN, Bwlchtocyn, Abersoch, LL53 7BU 01758 713303 Continuous entry in the Good Food Guide since 1957. porthtocynhotel.co.uk 10 TREMFAN HALL, Llanbedrog, Pwllheli 01758 740169 Delicious Food, Great Atmosphere, Stunning Views. tremfanhall.com
11 PLAS BODEGROES, Pwllheli, 01758 612363 Delightful Georgian Manor House, elegrant bedrooms & lovely grounds. bodegroes.co.uk 12 MOEL YR WYN Rhiw, Nr Abersoch, LL53 8AG 07774 193864 / 07889 780160. An inviting rural bed and breakfast located in the heart of Rhiw village, near Abersoch. mywbedandbreakfast.co.uk
ACCOMMODATION 13 ABERSOCH HOLIDAY HOMES, 01758 740992 Stunning holiday properties to rent in the village. abersochholidayhomes.co.uk. 14 HOME FROM HOME BERESFORD ADAMS, 01758 712408 Offering a wide selection of personally inspected properties in Abersoch & surrounding areas abersochhomefromhome.co.uk 15 THE WARREN, Abersoch LL53 7AA. 01758 714100 One of the most exclusive holiday home locations on the Welsh coast. The stunning location is a true show stopper. the-warren.co.uk 16 BRYN BACH, Bwlchtocyn, Pwllheli LL53 7BY. 07391 561160 Touring Caravans, Camping & Boutique Camping in a superb location. abersochcamping.co.uk 17 WERN FAWR MANOR FARM, Llanbedrog, LL53 7PH 01758 740156 High quality holiday homes & cottages near Abersoch in a delightful & unique setting. wernfawr.co.uk 18 HAFAN Y MOR, Pwllheli LL55 6HX 01758 612112 A caravan holiday park with its own beach filled with family fun haven.com 19 NIGHTSKY GLAMPING, Llangian, Abersoch LL53 7LN 01758 712811 Luxury Safari Tents, Bell Tents and Alpacas. A memorable glamping experience in a stunning location. nightskyglamping.co.uk
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20 FAERDRE CARAVAN PARK, Botwnnog 01758 730515, Tranquil site, 10 minute drive from Abersoch and Aberdaron.
SHOPS 21 FLIPSIDE JEWELLERY, Aber Uchaf, Abersoch 01758 712772 Jewellery, handmade on the premises. Commissions undertaken. flipsidejewellery.co.uk 22 TURTLE PHOTOGRAPHY, Aber Uchaf, Abersoch 01758 713641 Landscape & seascape gallery, prints, postcards, framed pictures, photo restoration. turtlephotography.co.uk 23 TOTALLY ABERSOCH, Abersoch. 01758 713666 Gallery and gifts, 800 yrds up the road past Golf Rd & Cae Du. totallyabersoch.co.uk 24 SPAR CAE DU, Abersoch. Providing you with all your local shopping needs 25 LAVENDER HOUSE, Between Abersoch and Pwllheli on the A499, Nr Llyn Golf Range. 01758 614343 A great destination for home lovers. 10-4.30 p.m 7days a week. lovelavenderhouse.co.uk 26 STIX AND CO, Abersoch. @stixandco Stix Dog Coats made from Polartec Fleece. Water resistant, fast drying, breathable and washable. stixandco.co.uk 27 COURTS, High Street, 01758 712318 Local newsagents with a big selection of toys, sweets, beach items, and much more 28 WEST COAST SURF SHOP, Lon Pen Cei, Abersoch LL53 7AP. 01758 713067 Wetsuit sales & hire, Learn to surf, Ray-Ban sunnies, Patagonia clothing & wetsuits westcoastsurf.co.uk 29 AP CARAVANS, Abersoch LL53 7AA Caravan sales and repairts with Hobby and LMC apcaravans.co.uk
RECREATION 30 ABERSOCH GOLF CLUB, Abersoch 01758 712662 18 hole stunning links course. abersochgolf.co.uk 31 SOUTH CAERNARFONSHIRE YACHT CLUB, Abersoch, 01758 712338 One of the most iconic yacht clubs in the UK. scyc.co.uk 32 UK RAFTING, Frongoch, Bala, 01678 521083 Raft, Kayak, Canyon. The UK's National White Water Centre nationalwhitewatercentre.co.uk 33 FFESTINIOG & WELSH HIGHLAND RAILWAYS , Porthmadog, 01766 516024 Santa Trains, Christmas Gifts, Pullman afternoon Tea & Snowdonia Specials. festrail.co.uk 34 SCUBA DIVE LLYN, Abersoch. 07944 253 242 Dive in for an unforgettable experience and discover Scuba Diving. scubadivellyn.co.uk 35 ADVENTURE PARC SNOWDONIA, Dolgarrog, Conwy LL32 8QE. 01492 353 123 Zip over world-first waves. Conquer our climbing walls. Fly down extreme kicker slides. Go ninja in our aerial assault nets and explore a record-breaking artificial caving system. adventureparcsnowdonia.com 36 ABERSOCH SAILING SCHOOL, Abersoch LL53 7DP 07917 525540 Sailing & Powerboat courses, supervised hire of sailing boats, kayaks, SUP's and more. abersochsailingschool.com
MORE BUSINESSES ON PAGE 136 OR CHECK
ABERSOCHLIFE. COM
FOR FULL ABERSOCH RELATED BUSINESS LISTINGS
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BUILDERS & HOME IMPROVEMENTS 37 CHRIS JONES BUILDING & PLASTERING, Dinas Gwynedd, 07765 593221. Plastering, Roofing, Patios & Extensions 38 LLYN BUILDING CONTRACTORS Abersoch Road, Llanbedrog 01758 740406 Building and civil engineering contractors, plumbing heating and electrical contractors. Plus much more. 39 R WILLIAMS & CO LTD, Construction, Decking & Balustrades 01758 730724. Windows, Doors & Conservatories 01766 515786 rwmsandco.co.uk 40 DERWEN LLYN, CONSTRUCTION 01758 614 776, Pwllheli, LL53 7RT Delivering all types of construction projects throughout North Wales to a wide range of public and private sector clients derwenllyn.co.uk 41 FINN & LOUIE 44 High St. Pwllheli, LL53 5SE 01758 703066 Interior, Upholstery , Painted furniture, soft furnishings, french style, shabby chic, vintage finnandlouiehome.com 42 SUNROCK BALCONIES & BALUSTRADES, 07778 464464 Specialising in balconies & balustrading in a wide variety of styles, sizes & finishes. sunrockbalconies.co.uk 43 CJE DEVELOPMENTS, Aberssoch, 0845 299 3687 Your number one reactive maintenance and cleaning service provider cjedevelopments.co.uk 44 PENINSULA WINDOWS Gaerwen LL60 6AL, 01248 663591 Peninsula is the leading North Wales & Cheshire home improvements company serving all of North Wales, Chester, Cheshire and beyond. peninsulawindows.co.uk 45 DONNATELLA DOMESTIC SERVICES, Abersoch 07967 713417 Domestic cleaning for all types of accommodation. donnatelladomesticservices. com 46 BAY PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, 07539 866675 All aspects of property management covered. baypropertymanagement.co.uk
47 ROB DAVID INTERIOR DESIGN & ART, 01758 740125 Interior design with over 20 years' of experience on residential & commercial projects. robdavidinteriordesign.com
PWLLHELI BUSINESSES
HEALTH & BEAUTY
48 PETER COX, 01248 848785 Specialists in Rising damp, penetrating damp repairs, structural timber repairs, woodworm treatments, cavity wall repairs & waterproofing petercox.com 49 SCABETTI, 01538 371471 Renowned for their marine inspired sculptural chandeliers featuring ceramic, English fine bone china fish scabetti.co.uk 50 WILDEWOOD TREE SERVICES, 01766 810872 Experts in Arboriculture; Safe removal of hazardous trees. Corrective/Shaping/Reducing of trees wildwoodetreeservices.co.uk 51 MADOG ROLLER DOORS, 07951545050 Specialise in made to measure insulated aluminium electric roller garage doors in a wide variety of colours madogrollerdoors.co.uk
BOAT BROKERS & SAILING 52 ABERSOCH LAND & SEA. Abersoch 01758 713434 Boatsales new and second-hand and brokerage. Full launch and retrieval services. Clothing from Henri Lloyd. abersoch-land-and-sea.co.uk 53 IDEAL BOAT Pwllheli Harbour. 01758 614600 Dealers in Chaparral, AMP, Husky, Robalo, Capelli & Robalo boats. idealboat.com 54 HARBOUR MARINE SERVICES Pwllheli Harbour. 01758 701707 Authorised Suzuki Dealer and agents for GRAND inflatable Boats. harbourmarinepwllheli.co.uk
56 PEN LLYN PHYSIOTHERAPY, Abersoch Craft Centre. 07971 121613. Rebecca Bode, Chartered Physiotherapist B’Phys(Hons) MCSP. penllynphysio.co.uk 57 ABERSOCH & LLANBEDROG PHARMACY, Abersoch Rd, Llanbedrog, LL53 7TH 01758 740229 Offering a range of NHS & private services. Medicines, toiletries, health & beauty fferyllwyrllyn.co.uk
WEDDINGS 58 PLAS BODUAN WEDDING VENUE, Boduan, LL53 6DR 01758 720286 Plas Boduan is a beautiful Grade II listed Georgian style Manor House specialising in weddings with accommodation for the bride & groom only! plasboduan.com 59 TALHENBONT HALL, Chwilog, LL53 6SZ 01766 810247 Wedding Venue North Wales & Self Catering Cottages in the Heart of Snowdonia. Situated in 100 acres of private ancient woodland and gardens talhenbonthall.co.uk
1 IDEAL BOAT Pwllheli Harbour. 01758 614600 Dealers in Chaparral, AMP, Husky, Robalo, Capelli & Robalo boats. idealboat.com 2 GWIN LLYN WINES Pwllheli 01758 701004 Stocking all that you need by way of wines and spirits this summer with some fantastic brands on offer. gwinllynwines.co.uk 3 GWYN THOMAS ACCOUNTANTS, New Street, Pwllheli. 01758 701770 Chartered accountants gwynthomas-co.co.uk 4 ROBYNS OWEN SOLICITORS, Pwllheli, LL53 5RY 01758 613177 For all your legal requirements robynsowen.co.uk 5 HAFAN PWLLHELI Glan Don, Pwllheli, LL53 5YT One of the finest yachting venues in Europe hafanpwllheli.co.uk 6 HARBOUR MARINE SERVICES Pwllheli Harbour. 01758 701707 Authorised Suzuki Dealer and agents for GRAND inflatable Boats. harbourmarinepwllheli.co.uk 7 TOTAL BOAT SALES Pwllheli Outer Harbour. LL53 5AW 01758 437600 Boat brokerage specialising in ew and used Ribs, Sports Boats, Day Fishing Boats. totalboatsales.com
FOR OUR FULL LIST OF ABERSOCH RELATED BUSINESSES CHECK
ABERSOCHLIFE .COM LISTINGS
55 TOTAL BOAT SALES Pwllheli Outer Harbour. LL53 5AW 01758 437600 Boat brokerage specialising in ew and used Ribs, Sports Boats, Day Fishing Boats. totalboatsales.com
GET YOUR BUSINESS LISTED To get your business listed in this magazine and online to an audience of well over 500,000 people a year. Call 01758 710011 or email info@sensationgroup.com
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Pwllheli M ap
To Efailnewydd
To Caernarfon
To Criccieth and Porthmadog
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LAST WORDS
“When you get into a tight place, and everything goes against you till it seems as if you couldn’t hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that’s just the place and time that the tide’ll turn. - Harriet Beecher Stowe
PHOTO: THE ROCK BY: KGB
PHOTO: LUKE PILLING
114 | ABERSOCH SENSATION MAGAZINE SUMMER 2020
SUMMER 2020 £3.00 ABERSOCHLIFE.COM
OUR SUMMER IS HERE
WATERSPORTS COME ON IN. THE WATER’S LOVELY!
BLOOMING ABERSOCH
#STAYSAFE
ABERSOCH LOCALS THRIVE ON NATURE’S PERPETUAL BEAUTY
ABERSOCH SENSATION MAGAZINE SUMMER 2020
GETTING BACK TO NORMAL IN ABERSOCH
ABERSOCH’S SOCIAL MEDIA SUCCESSES INSTAGRAM AND ISOLATION A FORCE FOR GOOD
FASHION PATTERNS AND PRINTS
INTERIORS LET’S GET NAUTICAL
UNSUNG HEROES HELPING TO KEEP ABERSOCH SAFE
8 THINGS ABERSOCH WHAT MAKES ABERSOCH THE 8TH WONDER OF THE WORLD!
SAILING PRT2
THE DRASCOMBE DABBER
SUMMER BIRDLIFE
WHAT TO SEE IN HIGH SEASON ON THE LLŶN
PHOTO GRAPHERS SHOWCASE
DRAWING ABERSOCH WITH LIGHT
WWW.ABERSOCHLIFE.COM
ART SCENE
SUMMER 2020 ISSUE 69
WITH LOWRI LLEWELYN
SOCH HEADS | COMPLETE EVENTS GUIDE | MAP AND LISTINGS
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