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We went down to Denver for the weekend. And we were staying just down the street from The Brown Palace (the building in the picture) so I was walking by it several times a day. We had a great time on our mini-vaca.
I love those types of buildings too! This on is the Brown Palace, one of the nicest hotels in Denver! But we were not staying there.


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Hear The Debut Single From Hybrid Green Day-Rancid Punk Supergroup 'Armstrongs'
Origin of article http://musicfeeds.com.au/news/hear-debut-single-hybrid-green-day-rancid-punk-supergroup-armstrongs/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hear-debut-single-hybrid-green-day-rancid-punk-supergroup-armstrongs
Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong has teamed up with Rancid's Tim Armstrong to release their first punk ditty as the logically-named new supergroup "Armstrongs".
The fresh project sees the verteran musos combining their East Bay punk powers in a lineup rounded out by their fam, Billie Joe's drummer son Joey (of SWMRS) and Tim's nephew Rey.
Yep, this band is 100% organic grain-fed Armstrong right here.
And they've announced themselves upon the world with a raw new anthem called 'If There Was Ever A Time', which recently featured in the Green Day's star-studded doco Turn It Around: The Story Of East Bay Punk.
"Anything that has to do with working with Gilman and Tim and Joey Armstrong, consider me in," Billie Joe says. "This is about our home and family. Viva Armstrong!"
"It was exciting to work on this song with Billie and crew for the film," Tim adds. "Stoked to share the tune with everyone out there and to be donating all the proceeds to Gilman, which is a place so near, dear, and important to us."
Armstrongs will donate 100% of the proceeds from their debut single to 924 Gilman: "a DIY, nonprofit, all-ages venue for music, art, and community events in Berkeley, California".
Give it a cheeky spin below.
The post Hear The Debut Single From Hybrid Green Day-Rancid Punk Supergroup 'Armstrongs' appeared first on Music Feeds.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Can someone please help me with this problem? I zoomed out page to create image.
Without seeing the real site, it's difficult … Can you post the link ?
Maby i publish css from theme here or something like that?


LetUsGoTo - Page 23 of 35 - Some read books, some wander!
Top travel hacks to travel like a pro!
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Finding a reason to visit Munsiyari? We bring you many!


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Category Archives: Walks
Vintage Postcards #6: Dysynni valley and Bird Rock
Amongst all the recent postcards, this is one of my favourites, mainly because it is so relentlessly prosaic. Straying out of Aberdovey, but not too far, it's a peaceful view of cattle in the Dysynni valley with Bird Rock unmistakeable in the background, seen from the west near the coast. Numbered 36502, and dating to 1895 (courtesy of the Francis Frith Collection website for the date) it is characteristic of Francis Frith photographs, offering a slightly unusual take on the usual subject matter. Unlike other contemporary views of scenery which focus on the romantic this shot is particularly evocotive of the the landscape as I have seen it so often, with Bird Rock looking rather intimidating, and the lugubrious cattle waiting patiently for whatever weather is about to emerge from the clouds. Cattle stand in water to cool themselves down on hot days (in some states in America where summer temperatures are usually high, cooling ponds are often provided) so although the sky looks rather overcast, it was probably a hot, sunny day. There is a real sense of timelessness about this photograph.
In a part of the Dysynni valley to further to the east (with Bird Rock this time to the west) and below Castell-y-Bere are fields along the river Dysynni that are still used for pasturing cattle, as well as sheep. There are some lovely walks along the Dysynni valley, which is well worth exploring.
The card was completely unused. I like the "Post Card" font, which has panache. I instantly liked the little saying at the top of the reverse side, below, "T.N.T. – Today, Not Tomorrow!" At first it amused me because it could have been written for me, as procrastionation is probably my worst sin, and I could often do with a bit of explosive to move me in the right direction :-). But when I looked into it, it turns out to be a wartime slogan introduced by British Minister of Production, Captain Oliver Lyttleton, during September 1942, the thrust of which was that there was a new urgency to the production of war supplies. It gives one pause for thought. What is interesting here is that, as above, the photograph is listed in the Francis Frith archive as dating to 1895, but it is clear that the early photograph was re-used later for post-1902 postcard production (see below) and in at least one of its more modern iterations carried a 1942 slogan.
Francis Frith is probably the best name, amongst non-specialists of early postcard production. There is a lot about Frith and his photography business on the Francis Frith Collection website, which is a going concern and preserves an archive of his work. It is a really fascinating story. Frith was born into a Quaker family in 1822 in Derbyshire. He built up a thriving grocery business in Liverpool, which he sold in the 1850s, making him financially independent, in today's terms a multi-millionaire. A founder member of the Liverpool Photographic Society, only 14 years after the invention of photography, be began to pursue his hobby on a full-time basis, travelling to the Middle East for fourteen years between 1856 and 1860. I was very familiar with his Egyptian photographs, having a particular interest in this field, but the Francis Frith Collection website gives a real insight into the scope of Frith's intersets and abilities. Marketed by Negretti and Zambra of London, he became rich on the sale of his images as prints and steroscopic views. After he married and settled down in England, he opened his company F. Frith and Co to "create accurate and unromantic photographs of as many cities, towns and villages of the British Isles as possible and sell copies of the photographs to the public, who were travelling in ever greater numbers and looking for souvenirs of their travels." He eventually retired and left the company to his sons, dying in 1898. His sons built on their father's legacy, and when in 1902 the Post Office agreed the design for the postcard, with a picture on one side and a divided plain side on the other for message and addresss, the Frith brothers jumped on the bandwagon and became one of the market leaders in postcard production and distribution in the first half of the 20th Century, using the extensive archive of existing photographs.
Digitization of the Frith collection, consisting of over 300,000 images, is ongoing on the other website, with a searchable archive, where 21 other views of Dysynni (and 105 of Aberdovey) can be found.
This entry was posted in Dysynni, Economic history, Heritage, Living, Nature, Postcard, Tywyn, Vistas, Walks on December 1, 2019 by Andie.
The canalized section of Afon Leri and West Wharf Boatyard, Ceredigion
Afon Leri from the Panorama Walk behind Aberdovey, showing the railway bridge and the boatyard. The road bridge is between the two, but difficult to see in this photograph.
I have been fascinated by Afon Leri ever since I first visited Aberdovey some twenty years ago. From my living room window it is an unwavering slender scar on the flat landscape to the east of Ynyslas. From up on the hill its opening is clearly perpendicular to the banks of the Dyfi estuary, and one can see the bridges that carry the road and railway over the river towards Ynyslas, next to a small boatyard. The river's course across this topmost corner of Ceredigion is obviously canalized, an engineered artifice, but why? What was its purpose?
Cors Fochno c.1790, before the route of the Afon Leri was changed. Source: National Library of Wales (where there is a zoomable version of this image)
The Leri rises at Llyn Craig-y-Pistyll below Pumlimon and passes through Talybont, (on the main road between Machynlleth and Aberystwyth) where it meets the Afon Ceulan before flowing behind Borth. The canalized section is 3.35km long and c.35m wide and runs from Ynysfergi in the south to Pont Leri in the north, crossing the low-lying Cors Fochno. Cors Fochno is a Special Area of Conservation and one of the largest remaining examples of a raised peat bog in Britain, which started to form from c.5500BC. Afon Leri now opens out into the Dyfi estuary at Pont Dyfi in Ynyslas. Work on the canalized section had begun by 1790 when the above map was created by T. Lewis, marked as the Pil Newydd.
Excerpt from the above map of Cors Fochno showing the former course of the Afon Leri at far left. The Leri begins at Borth and meanders along the coastline to the west of Cors Fochno up to the point where it emerges into Cardigan Bay at Aberlery (which means the mouth of the Lery). Source: The National Library of Wales (where a zoomable version can be found)
In the early 19th Century local landowners and neighbours Pryse Pryse of Gogerddan and Mathew Davies of Cwmcynfelin were incentivized by the General Enclosure Act of 1801 to reclaim land from the bog in order to develop it for pastoral agrarian use. Land reclamation would require the waterlogged land to be drained. There was little recorded opposition from parishioners, and royal assent was granted on June 22nd 1813. The land surveyor Charles Hassall saw the advantages of enclosing the 5106 acres but warned the landowners against contractors who were either duplicitous or ignorant of the task ahead. His words were almost premonitionary as successive problems plagued the project. Disagreements between land owners, contractors and commissioners, together with serious and ongoing financial problems, caused major delays.
Charles Hassall's plan was to divert a number of streams that entered the bog to drain away spring floodwaters and build embankments along the Dyfi estuary to prevent salt-water transgressions. He recommended an experienced contractor called Anthony Bower, who was employed in 1815. Bower suggested that using the river Leri to drain water from the land was the most viable solution, but there were problems. The course of the Leri ran along the far western edge of Cors Fochno and emptied a little further up the coast at Aberlery into Cardigan Bay. It was insufficiently deep and fast-moving to serve as a drain for the bog, so Bower suggested that the best solution was to deepen, widen and straighten the river. As Professor Moore-Colyer describes it: "A sluice was to be constructed at the river mouth from which a main drain would run through the centre of the bog. This would be accompanied by a catchwater drain which would follow the course of the Lerry to the foot of the hills and then along the south-eastern boundary of the bog to join the River Cletwr. By this means, Bower believed, water from the hills would be prevented from entering the bog while an embankment on the southern side of the Dyfi would preclude the entry of salt-water." Sluices and catchwater drains would be employed to control water levels.
Cors Fochno. Source: Coflein RCAHMW colour oblique photograph of Cors Fochno, Borth Bog, landscape view from east near Ty-hwnt. Taken by Toby Driver on 05/11/2012; Reference AP_2012_4205
In 1815, an alternative proposal was put forward by Griffith Parry of Penmorfa, and which carried an estimated cost of £10,000. Griffith Parry had trained under the great engineer Andrew Rennie on the construction of the London Docks. He also favoured diverting the Leri, but from the west end of Ynys Fergi in a straight line to Pont Afon Leri, and he too believed that deepening, widening and straightening the river was the solution, which he thought should be embanked with clay. In addition, he suggested deepening, widening and embanking surrounding ditches and streams to improve the drainage potential offered by canalizing the Leri.
Gogerddan estate, the seat of Sir Pryse Pryse. Source: Parks&Gardens
Hassall died in 1816 and was replaced by co-commissioners Robert Williams of Bangor and David Joel Jenkins of Lampeter. Williams was staggered by the estimated total cost of £30,000 proposed by Bowers which, with the widening and deepening of other existing drains, would absorb over 1000 acres, and would create a total landmass with a value of only £20,000. Bower and Williams fell out over both this and more personal reasons. For the next two years the parties vied for position, with Jenkins supporting Bower and Williams supporting Parry. Parry's plan eventually won out. Contractors, to be paid £2500.00 in instalments, were appointed. A final payment of £250.00 was to be withheld until two years after the project was completed, to provide insurance against post-completion problems. Additional costs, including raw materials, were provided by the Aberystwyth Bank after Pryse Pryse of Gogerddan provided security of £6000.00 for the loan, the balance of the cash was raised by selling land on the peripheries of the marsh for over £2340.00 initially. However, financial problems and disputes plagued the drainage scheme, particularly in respect of the contractors not building various elements to specification. Williams resigned and in 1822 Richard Griffiths of Bishop's Castle, with three successful enclosures under his belt, was appointed in his stead. After the change in commissioner, the appointment of the surveyor Charles Mickleburgh of Montgomery, a new Act of Parliament in 1824, the chaos of further financial difficulties, escalating debts and a court case, the project was eventually completed by 1847, and a small harbour was provided for the local shipbuilding industry. It is difficult to see how the project could ever have seen a return on its investment.
Google map of Afon Leri
The above map from the 1790s, the Google map to the left and the Ordnance Survey map below show the former and present courses of the river.
A road bridge, Pont Afon Leri, carries the B4353 over the river at Ynys Tachwedd, connecting Ynyslas with the A487. A small boatyard is located on the western side of the road bridge. The Cambrian Coast Line crosses just to its south on a 7-pier railway bridge that was built in 1863. The river is tidal along the length of the cut, and a footbridge over the Leri where the river meets the Wales Coast Path marks the boundary between the tidal cut and the non-tidal river.
The West Wharf boatyard at Pont Afon Leri has a history dating back to the 19th Century. Here's the description from the Coflein website:
Afon Leri from the hill behind Aberdovey, showing the boatyard by the Pont Afon Leri road bridge
Remains of timber-fronted quay on the west side of the entrance of the river Leri constructed by the railway company. The northern end of the quay frontage is degraded and the quay material has been washed out from behind the piling. The section in front of the boatyard has been repaired and remodelled to accommodate a modern boat lift. Sales particulars dating to 1862 reveal that short section of wharf already existed close the road before the coming of the Welsh Coast Railway. The wharf was part of the land holdings belonging to Issac Ll. Williams Esq under the Geneur'rglyn Inclosure Act. The railway company subsequently undertook the development of the wharf to act as a landing point for a new steamer working the Aberdovey ferry. The paddle steamer ELIZABETH started service on 24 October 1863, the day that the railway line between Aberdovey and Llanwyngwril opened on the northern side of the opened. The vessel was to operate every hour and to charge 6d per head for the crossing. Maintaining the service was extremely difficult as the ELIZABTH was frequently stuck fast on the Dyfi sandbanks. On 5 July 1867, George Owen, the Cambrian railway engineer reported that if the railway line to the north side of the Dyfi could not be fully opened soon, then the wharf would need to be piled. The line subsequently opened in August 1867. The ferry's use of the West Wharf might have ended then, but the railway inspectors required more work to be undertaken on the tunnels. Whilst passengers were taken round by road, goods continued to be shipped across the Dyfi by the tug JAMES CONLEY. The use of the ELIZABETH on the route was abandoned and the vessel sold in 1869. In 1893, it was proposed that that the barges transhipping slate from the Plynlimon and Hafan Tramway would be charged for using the railway company's West Wharf. Two years later, in May 1895, Mr I Hughes Jones, owner of the East Wharf sawmill proposed the transfer of the business to the other side of the Leri. This was accomplished soon after April 1896 when a new railway siding was opened to service the transferred sawmill. Also in 1896, is appears that the Hafan Sett Quarry (Plynlimon and Hafan Tramway) were still proposing to use the wharf, as they contacted the railway company with regard to installing a level crossing for the tramway. It is likely that the piling for the wharf was extended around this time to facilitate these new developments. The saw mill continued to occupy the wharfside through to the First World War.
Today the boatyard is still a functioning business, offering boat storage, slipway launching and repairs and has a 16-ton slipway hoist.
The Ceredigion Coast Path follows part of the course of the canalized section of the river, and intersects with the Wales Coast Path just east of Borth where the canalized stretch of the river begins, as shown on the above map. The Ceredigion Coast Path website has more details, and for those wanting to walk the Leri, there's a good outline of how it can be approached by Ben Fothergill on the UKRGB website. An official walk across Cors Fochno can be found on the Natural Resources Wales website.
View of the Afon Leri as it approaches the Dyfi estuary. Photograph by Chris Denny (under Creative Commons licence).
Afon Leri from the footbridge where the tidal section of Afon Leri meets the non-tidal section. Photograph by Nigel Brown, used under Creative Commons licence.
Afon Leri in the mist, seen from Aberdovey
Main source for this post and a lot more information, particularly about the financial problems, land sold for financing the drainage, and allotments of land to the poor, with my thanks:
Plwyf Llangynfelyn, THE ENCLOSURE AND DRAINAGE OF CORS FOCHNO (BORTH BOG), 1813-47 by Professor Moore-Colyer: http://www.llangynfelyn.org/dogfennau/cors_fochno_enclosure.html
This entry was posted in Borth, Ceredigion, Economic history, Heritage, Industry, Nature, River Dyfi, Shipping and shipbuilding, Wales Coast Path, Walks on November 30, 2019 by Andie.
A short history of the Ynysymaengwyn Estate, Ystumanner, including Tywyn, Aberdovey and Bryncrug
Any research into the Tywyn and Aberdovey areas in the 18th and 19th Centuries runs into the landowning Corbets and the Ynysymaengwyn Estate, one of the top eight estates of Merionnydd in its heyday. The Ynysymaengwyn Estate owned much of the land in and around both Tywyn and Aberdovey well into the Twentieth Century.
The Ynysymaengwyn Estate, showing Ann Owen's 18th Century house and the servants quarters and kitchens in a separate building to the right. Source: Coflein.
The few material remains of the Ynysymaengwyn Estate are located 1 mile from Tywyn on the road to Bryncrug. The name of the estate (pronounced Inis mine gwin) means island or river meadow (of) the white rock. In 1949 the piece of land that retained the last echoes of the estate was bequeathed to the people of Tywyn by Mary Corbett. Although it is now dominated by a mobile home park and campsite, parts of the former estate now contain woodland walks and some of the original features of the estate survive, although the house and most of the accompanying buildings were dismantled in the late 1960s. These remnants are discussed at the end of the post.
North wing at Ynysymaengwyn used in the 18th and 19th Centuries for kitchens and servants quarters
The Ynysymaengwyn estate included both highland and lowland areas, and extends down to the south bank of the river Dysynni, stretching along a portion of its valley. The Dysynni has silted up considerably and it is thought that it may have provided a natural shelter for small boats. One of the earliest buildings in the area is St Cadfan's Church in Tywyn, parts of which date to the 12th Century probably developed out of the clas (a semi monastic church) that was founded near the shoreline. There was also a small settlement at Bryncrug, where most of the land belonged to Ynysymaengwyn. Llanegryn church is listed in the 1253 Taxatio, so must have been the centre for a small settlement before that time. The core buildings of the Medieval Ynysymaengwyn estate would have been much nearer the sea than today. A second estate that was present in the Medieval period was Peniarth, also on the Dysynni. Gwynedd Archaeological Trust observes that "these two houses and their associated parks, together with the villages of Bryncrug and Llanegryn and the town of Tywyn emerges as focal points of this area in late Medieval and Modern times." There were also a number of early freehold properties such as Dolau Gwyn and Caer Berllan.
The commote of Ystumanner. Source: Wikipedia
The history of the Estate can be traced back to the reign of Elizabeth I. It passed through a number of families. Like all these family histories, it is a bewildering succession of names that are quite meaningless to anyone not trying to trace their ancestry, and a substantial amount of this family history is captured in a well researched Wikipedia page dedicated to the Ynysymaengwyn Estate and and the Dictionary of Welsh Biography and will not be reproduced here, although some details are unavoidable. The first name linked with certainty to Ynysymaengwyn was was Gruffydd ab Adda in the early 14th Century. He was bailiff (legal custodian) in 1330 and 1334 of the Ystumanner cymwd (anglified as commote, an organizational division of an area into about 50 villages for the purposes of defence and justice). His daughter Nêst married Llywelyn ap Cyunrig ab Osbwrn Wyddel, and from there the estate passed through the male line for over 200 years.
The family were noted patrons of Welsh poets. Hywel, the great great grandson of Llywelyn was the subject of an elegy by Hywel ap Rheinallt when he died of the plague, and Hywel's son Hwmffre ap Hywel ap Siencyn was in turn the subject of a famous cywydd (poem with a particular metrical form, in rhyming couplets) by Tudur Aled. In the poem Tudur Aled (c.1465–1525) takes on the role of a conciliator between kinsmen. Glanmor Williams describes the genre as follows: "Quite apart from any disputes kindled by faction and war, there might be serious splits between kinsmen in ordinary circumstances. Such quarrels could be more than usually bloodthirsty, 'deadly feuds' more dangerous than civil war . . . It was the intensity of such divisions that led poets to attach key importance to the role, which they shard with the priests, of being conciliators between kinsfolk." He says that the most celebrated of all the poems of this kind was Tudur Aled's cywydd to reconcile Hwmffre with his kinsmen "by urging them to remember the tragic futilities of past internecine differences, from which only the English had benefited at Welsh expense (p.109). I have been unable to find a translation of the poem, so please let me know if you have access to one. Hywel ap Siencyn's grandson Arthur ap Huw became vicar of St Cadfan's Church in Tywyn between 1555 and 1570, and was another patron of Welsh poets. He also translated Counter-Reformation literature into Welsh.
The raven at Ynysmaengwyn today
When Hwmffre died in 1545 his son John Wynn and then John's son Humphrey each inherited the estate in turn. On Humphrey's death the estate passed to his daughter Elizabeth and her husband Sr James Pryse of Goderddon, who was high sheriff of Merioneth (married in 1601). Both died in 1642 and and their daughter Bridget inherited. Bridget Pryse married Robert Corbet of Moreton Corbet, Shropshire, in about 1612, which was the beginning of the long association of the name Corbet with the Ynysymaengwyn Estate, which endured for the best part of the next two centuries. Robert Corbet was a passionate Royalist. During the English Civil War, to prevent Parliamentarians taking the property, the estate's mansion was burned down in 1635 and had to be rebuilt. The coat of arms of the Corbets of Moreton, whose name means "little crow" was a black raven, and the name Corbet is itself French, derived from "corbeau," from the Latin Corvus. It eventually gave The Raven Inn in Aberdovey its name. The family motto was Deus Pascit Corvos, God feeds the ravens.
Ann Owen Corbet c.1720. Source: ArtUK
The estate passed to their great granddaughter Ann Owen (1684-1741), who had married Athelstan Owen. Athelstan Owen clearly contributed new buildings to the estate, one of which is now the the Dovey Inn (formerly the Dovey Hotel and before that The Ship) built by Athelstan Owen in 1729. Above the door is a plaque inscribed "This house was built by Athelstain Owen Esq, Anno Dom 1729." He died in 1755, leaving Ann with three children. She lived for another 30 years and did not re-marry. She was known locally as Madam Owen, a woman of considerable personality. Anne purchased the Caethle Estate in Tywyn from Richard and Margaret Braithwaite, absorbing it into the Ynysymaengwyn Estate. She also built the central block of buildings on the estate, added the dovecote for 800 birds that still stands and in 1717 donated almshouses for five widows in Tywyn. According to Barbara Middlemass, however, her business methods could be ruthless: "Her favourite method of adding to the estate was to lend money by way of mortgage to needy farmers and then, when she knew they could not pay, call in the mortgage and seize the land to swell the Ynys acreage."
The dovecote and dog kennels
The interior of the dovecote
Ynysymaengwyn in c.1795 by etcher T. Bluck, T. Source: National Library of Wales
The two-storey house that Ann built in around 1758 was a built in a classic Eighteenth Century architectural style in local stone with details picked out in Portland stone, including an elegant pediment. It was an unusual sight in Wales. It was flanked by the two existing buildings, the north wing and the south wing, to make an impressive ensemble. The stone-built dovecote has a truncated pyramidal slate roof, a deep segmental arch in the front wall inset with a much smaller flat-headed doorway. She also appears to have been actively involved in building houses in Aberdovey. A house on Copperhill Street bears a plaque reading "Built By Anne Owen Widow AD 1733," and this was probably Madam Owen. Although there's a discrepancy on the dates (she could not have been a widow until 1755 if the date of Athelstan's death is correct), the fanlight window on Anne's plaque exactly mirrors the fanlights on the Dovey Inn, suggesting a close connection.
The Dovey Inn donated by Athelstan Owen and a row of three houses provided by Ann Owen
Richard Owen, second in line to inherit the estate after his elder brother Corbet, but both died childless so their younger sister Anne inherited. By Richard Wilson c.1748-50. Source: Richard Wilson Online
Of Anne and Athelstan Owen's children, Corbet and Richard died childless so their daughter Ann Maurice (married to Pryce Maurice) inherited the estate. To comply with Ann Owen's wishes, the estate then passed to Henry Arthur Maurice, who was Ann and Pryce Maurice's younger son, presumably chosen because Ann Owen disapproved of the elder son Edward's youthful activities, which included fathering at least two illegitimate children. An interesting twist in the tangle of family names is that when the property then passed to a male with a different last name (for example, where a daughter who inherited the estate married) those men were required in the terms of the bequest to change their last name to Corbet, ensuring that the name Corbet was always associated with Ynysymaengwyn. This was the case even when the estate passed out of the Corbet bloodline. Henry Arthur Maurice, grandson of Ann Owen, therefore changed his last name to Corbet. When he died childless in 1782, his elder brother Edward Maurice (1741-1820) inherited the Ynysymaengwyn Estate against his grandmother Ann Owen's wishes, and Edward also changed his name to Corbet.
Ynysymaengwyn mansion. Sources: Coflein (top) and Ynysymaengwyn Camping, Caravan and Woodlands Park (plan at bottom)
Although Ann Owen had disapproved of him in his feckless youth, to the extent of cutting him out of her will, the more mature Edward was not unlike her in terms of his urge to make improvements to the estate and to benefit its dependants. Lewis Lloyd says that he had travelled to London to learn from a physician "to acquire sufficient knowledge to dispense medicine to his tenants and others." He was a loyal supporter of Britain's role in the Napoleonic Wars, and was a captain in the local militia. During this period, much of the lowland and upland parts of the estate were enclosed and marshy areas were drained. Edward was noted for breeding horses, cattle and sheep, and beginning in 1788, the drainage of some 260 acres of peat land for conversion to hay fields for use as livestock fodder, eventually producing 500 tons of hay annually. This denied poorer members of the community access to peat cutting (turbary) and communal pasture, and many people left the area, some emigrating to the United States. The upland parts of the estate that Edward enclosed were of potential interest for their mineral content, and he established copper works and searched for coal. His loyalty to the English government and the crown led, at least in part, to his suspicion of Methodism, which he thought radical and borderline seditious, and which was growing fast in Wales. His persecution of Methodists in Aberdovey, for example, resulted in their eviction from their premises with bibles and benches thrown out onto the street, with fines imposed on anyone who gave them shelter for their meetings. Edward Corbet's obituary records that he "was a cynic and a wit, a man of the world and when he pleased a very polished gentleman. he was by turns petulant and affable, entertaining everyone. With the flashes of his wit and the bitter but often just severity of his satire."
Griffith Owen, butler and harpist to the Corbets at Ynysymaengwyn, portrayed in the last 1820s or early 1830s by Benjamin Marshall (1768-1835). Source: ArtUK
When Edward died in 1820, the estate passed to Edward's nephew Athelstan Maurice, son of Edward (Maurice) Corbet and Henry's brother Price Maurice, and he too changed his name to Corbet. Athelstan continued Edward's work building enclosures and draining land. His main achievement was to invest in the local road network, which was in very poor condition. He built a new road between Pennal and Aberdovey that opened in 1827 and improved the road from Pennal to Machynlleth. This improved communications and soon stagecoaches began to arrive with passengers, some in the area on business, some visiting as early tourists. Interestingly, when the Wesleyan Methodists were looking for somewhere to build their chapel, it was rented from the Ynysymaengwyn Estate in 1828, suggesting that Athelstan did not share his uncle's violent dislike of Methodists. The portrait to the right shows Griffith Owen (1750-1833) who fascinatingly combined the roles of butler and harpist to the Corbets before be became the landlord of the Raven Arms in Aberdovey.
Corbet Arms Hotel 1829. Source: Hugh M. Lewis, Pages of Time.
In 1829 Athelstan built the Corbet Arms Family Hotel and Post House at the western end of Aberdovey to cater to the needs of visitors. It was right on the edge of the sea before the construction of the sea wall. A bowling green was laid out in the front of hotel, and on the beach bathing huts were installed and donkey rides were available. Writing in 1833, Samuel Lewis described how horse races were held at Ynysymaengwyn every September by the side of the Dysynni, and one can imagine how perfect the wide flat floodplain would have been for this purpose. By the 1840s the estate comprised some 7201 acres, eighth in size of the 21 south Meiryonnydd estates. The nearest estate in size in the immediate area of Tywyn and Aberdovey was the Peniarth estate of 4421 acres.
In his account of Ynysymaengwyn Lewis Lloyd says that from the mid 1850s the history of the estate "was increasingly troubled." When Athelstan Maurice Corbet died, the estate passed to his sister Henrietta Maurice, who married Charles Decimus Williams with whom she had a daughter also named Henrietta. The younger Henrietta married John Soden of Bath, who duly changed his name to Corbet. In 1862 a Trust was established for running the estate and the trustees were given leave to raise £5000 for harbour improvements. In 1865 the harbour area, including the wharf and jetty, were leased to the Cambrian Railways Company. The Corbet Arms Hotel was rebuilt in 1867 to accommodate the visitors were anticipated would follow in the wake of the opening of the railway in the mid 1860s. The opening of the railway was discussed on a previous post.
Ynysymaengwyn 18th Century mansion. Source: Commando Veterans Association
Lewis says that most of the stewards of Ynysymaengwyn were local men until the late 1860s, examples being two former ship captains, after which English agents were apparently preferred, but he adds that not much is known about who they were and that this is research yet to be undertaken. In the 1860s the half-yearly rent audit of the estate was held in Tywyn and a dinner was given for the tenants in the Town Hall, and any important local issues were discussed. In 1863 this included the opening of the railway. It is quite clear that there is a lot of information about people who worked on the estate in various records held in the National Library of Wales and National Archives and elsewhere (see for example the results of a National Archives search on Ynysymaengwyn), so a major research project is awaiting someone.
John Soden Corbet died in 1871 and his son Athelstan John Soden Corbet inherited. Athelstan's majority was celebrated lavishly in both Tywyn and Aberdyfi in July 1871, celebrations that were reported at length in the The Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard on 7th July 1871. Reading the account with hindsight, the optimism and happiness with which he was greeted seem rather sad. Some highlights are copied here, but you can see the full account on the National Library of Wales website. The celebration shows just how important the Ynysymaengwyn Estate was to the local communities:
News report of Athelstan Soden Corbet attaining his majority. Source: National Library of Wales.
THE MAJORITY OF ATHELSTAN J. SODEN-CORBET, ESQ., YNYSYMAENGWYN. Towyn and Aberdovey were on Thursday the scene of long to be remembered rejoicings in honour of the attainment of the majority of Athelstan J. Soden-Corbet, Esq., of Ynysymaengwyn. The Corbets are one of the best known and oldest families of which the county of Merioneth can boast; their connection with Towvn, Aberdovey, and their neighbour- hood can be traced back for a good many generations, and, upon the whole of the extensive estate connected with the family property, the name of Corbet is never mentioned but with feelings of the greatest respect, for the Corbets have always been identified as liberal, go d-hearted land- lords, who are respected by their tenantry, and held in high esteem throughout the length and breadth of the county. Liberal sums were subscribed both in Towyn and Aberdovey, to celebrate the event in a manner be- fitting the occasion, and the hearty enthusiasm which was evoked cannot but have testified to the young heir the good wishes which his tenantry and numerous friends entertain for him. Towyn was quite en fete on Thursday; the demonstrations were of a varied and pleasurable character in honour of the young heir. The decorations were of the gayest, and bunting was profusely displayed from the residences of the principal inhabitants. Handsome arches spanned the roads and bore flags, banners, and mottoes wishing health, long life, and happiness to Athelstan John Soden Corbet, Esq.
Here's the account of the venue:
THE BANQUET, or complimentary dinner, given by the Ynys estate, to the friends and tenantry, took place in a large tent erected on the grounds adjoining the Corbet Arms, Towyn. The tent, with the decorations, was supplied by Mr Andrews, of Shrewsbury, and was embellished in a most tasteful manner. The sides were of scarlet, relieved with white and the supports were entwined with pink, blue, and white draperies, and suspended from them were festoons of coloured flowers. Each support bore a banner and armorial bearings of the county families, the principal being the shield of the Corbet family with motto Deus Pascit Corvos.
The food served must have been something to behold:
Soup.-Mock turtle, ox tail, green pea. Fish.-Salmon and lobster sauce, turbot, filleted soles. Entrees.-Yeal Cutlets, sweetbread, patties, steak and oyster pie, stewed pigeons, curried rabbit. Champagne. Removes.-Haunch of venison, roast beef, boiled beef, roast mutton, boiled mutton, lamb, veal and ham, veal and pigeon pies, chicken and tongue, ducklings and green entremets, &c. -Sir Watkin's pudding, plum pudding, strawberry, currant, and raspberry tarts, cheese cakes, jellies, blancmange, tipsy cake. Cheese and salad. Dessert.-Pine apples, grapes, strawberries, dried fruit. Claret, sherry, port.
The Corbet coat of arms, preserved today in the walls of the ballroom garden in the public area of Ynysmaengwyn today.
Athelstan married Mary Helen Annie Oldfied in 1873. The marriage failed very quickly and divorce followed. He was Justice of the Peace and became High Sheriff in 1875. In spite of all the high hopes of the community, Athelstan Soden Corbet's poor management of the estate combined with expensive renovations to the house, new furnishings, the costs of the divorce and heavy expenditure by Athelstan and his wife on luxurious lifestyles resulted in serious debts. Lewis concludes that "he did not share the sense of duty and regard for his estate in Wales and its people which his predecessors had demonstrated." In 1875 he decided to sell the 9347 acre estate, which earned an annual rent of £8241. Athelstan fled his responsibilities by going overseas, living a rich life, but his letters to his agent demonstrate that he was suffering increasing financial stress, and the estate was barely able to support him. Ynysymaengwyn was put up for sale in April 1876. In 1877, still living vastly beyond his means, Athelstan was forced to take out a series of mortgages on the estate, which by 1878 had reached £42,000 (around £2,779,757.40 today, according to the National Archives Currency Converter).
John Corbett. Source: Dodderhill Parish Survey Project.
Athelstan Soden Corbet must have been very relieved when John Corbett purchased the property for £51,000, which secured for Corbett the mansion, demesne and pleasure grounds. John Corbett (1817-1901) was, somewhat confusingly, no relation to the Ynysymaengwyn Corbets. He was a wealthy salt merchant who owned the Stoke Prior Salt Works near Droitwich, was the Liberal M.P. for Droitwich between 1874 and 1885 and the Liberal Unionist M.P. for Mid-Worcestershire between 1886-1892. In Droitwich he was known as The Salt King. He remained very involved with Worcestershire throughout his life, and like some of his predecessors did not live at Ynysymaengwyn on a permanent basis, although his wife moved there with their children. His Coat of Arms incorporated the symbol of the raven, an elephant and a castle. It can be seen on the gate posts at the entrance to Ynysymaengwyn and on the porch of the Aberdovey Literary Institute.
The main staircase at Ynysmaengwyn. Source: Coflein
The property when he bought it was described in detail in the Book of Sale of 1878, and this has been reproduced by Lewis Lloyd. Anyone wanting to see the full description should see Lloyd's book, but here are some of the highlights, which also indicate the extent to which Athelstan Soden Corbet was living beyond his means. The mansion was described, in typical estate agent speak, as "a commodious stone-built residence of commanding elevation," containing "a magnificent Central Hall, 42ft by 26ft, surrounded by the Reception Rooms, over which are the principal Bedrooms and in Two Detached Wings are the Secondary Apartments, Private and Domestic Offices, possessing all the conveniences necessary for a well-ordered establishment." Athelstan's renovations "in the most substantial manner and regardless of cost" were "in the purest feeling of the Adams's time and school." Furnishings were described as "of mediaeval style, most exquisite in design and unsurpassed in quality and workmanship. It is practically new, having been recently supplied to the owner, and is in admirable order, and in perfect harmony with the elegant surroundings." A London upholstery firm had been imported to restore the fabrics. Outside it lauded the "gardens and pleasure grounds." The estate itself was described as "a sporting estate" including pheasant, partridge, duck, widgeon, teal and snipe, and offered fishing in the river Dysynni with salmon, sewin and trout. Further attractions listed include yachting, sea-fishing, the seaside resorts of Aberystwyth, Aberdovey and Barmouth and "the unsurpassed beauty of the Welsh Mountain and River scenery." Details of the farms attached to the property and the rent they paid were also detailed. The house was home to Belgian refugees during the First World War. The Gwynedd Archaeological Trust says that in 1879 the estate began to be sold off piecemeal, and that this resulted in a period of land-speculation and development. It would be interesting to know more about how this happened and took up the opportunities offered.
When John Corbett arrived at Ynysymaengwyn he made many improvements to the property, including connecting the south wing and the north wing, which housed the kitchens, via stone corridors to the main house, which underwent extensive improvements. Remnants of these walls still remain at the estate. The south wing was gutted and provided with a ballroom, stage, gallery and additional bedrooms. He also invested heavily in the gardens and by the 1880s the gardens were were thought to be amongst the finest in Wales. The estate was expanded by the purchase of additional estates, farms and the Tonfunau granite quarry.
Literary Institute Verandah, with the Corbett coat of arms showing an elephant carrying a tower or castle in red, with the black raven beneath
John Corbett became a significant investor in Tywyn's physical, social and cultural infrastructure. His investments, most of which followed the sale of his salt business in 1888, included the development of Tywyn's water and sewage system, the construction of the promenade in 1889 (at a cost of £30,000), the Intermediate School in 1894, improvements to the Corbet Arms Hotel (renamed the Corbett Arms Hotel) and the land for and £500 towards building of the new Market Hall as well as £70 towards the price for its clock. In Aberdovey he paid for the charming porch or verandah for the Literary Institute in 1897, topped with his crest showing a raven, an elephant and a castle. He continued to invest in the school, as this short report in the Weekly Mail describes: "A meeting of the local managers of the Towyn Intermediate School was held on Saturday evening, Mr. Haydn Jones, J.P., presiding. Mr. J. Maethlon James announced that Mr. John Corbett, Ynysymaengwyn and Impney, Droitwich, had generously subscribed a sum of £100 per annum for three years towards enabling the managers to secure the services of an additional teacher and to increase the number of John Corbett's Scholarships. The Chairman remarked that Mr. Corbett had already given over £2,000 in cash, towards the school." In January 1896 the Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard reported "It is gratifying to find that Mr Corbett of Ynysymaengwyn, after having the matter brought under his notice, has given instructions that local tradesmen are to be allowed to lender for the work of constructing the Corbett Avenue and the Llechlwyd Tramroad. This gives a prospect of plenty of work for the spring and summer."
John Corbett's contributions to Ywyn. Top line, 1893 Assembly rooms (which he did not build, but to which he contributed) and the land and contribution to the building of the new Market Hall. Middle row: expansion and modernization of the Corbet Arms Hotel (renamed Corbett Arms Hotel) and its stables. Bottom row: plaque commemorating the new promenade and esplanade, and one of the gateposts into Ynysymaengwyn
Corbett's convictions was completely consistent with 19th Century beliefs in philanthropy, public education, the promotion of healthy activities and the social obligation for the rich to invest on behalf of the relatively deprived. This tendency was particularly prominent in industrial cities, where manufacturers and merchants like John Corbett conducted business, but as these successful city entrepreneurs became landowners in their own right, many of these philanthropic ideas began to spread into more rural areas. It also did local landowners no harm to invest in infrastructure to improve the local economy and boost their own incomes. John Corbett died 22nd April 1901. The Towyn-on-Sea and Merioneth County Times reported on the funeral, listing estate workers who attended the funeral in Droitwich, stating that all flags in Tywyn were flown at half mast.
Rear aspect of Ynysymaengwyn mansion. Source: Coflein.
In John Corbett's will, the estate was left to his brother Thomas Corbett, who besides Ynysymaengwyn inherited "Impney Hall and estates in the Droitwich district, brine baths and four hotels," (Welsh Gazette and West Wales Advertiser). John had been alienated from his wife, from whom he was legally separated in 1884. The will was contested, but although financial compensation was provided for John's children, Thomas retained the estate. It only passed to John and his divorced wife Anna's son Roger (1863–1942) on Thomas's death in 1906, on the fifth anniversary of John Corbett's death. Roger and Anna moved back to the property in the same year, news received with considerable enthusiasm by the residents of Tywyn, although Roger only used it as a summer residence. Barbara Middlemass says that in 1908 the house and grounds were "maintained by a housekeeper, eight maids, a chauffeur, seen gardeners and two game keepers. Among the activities of the last mentioned were the rearing of 500 pheasants for a single season's shooting" The Corbett Arms Hotel in Aberdovey, which had been rebuilt in 1867, burned down in 1914, remaining in ruins until it was knocked down to create space for a new primary school in 1968. In 1935 a Roman Catholic chapel dedicated to St David was established in a former Predbyterian Chapel in Brook Street. It has a rather fine stained glass window decorated with the Corbett raven. It only closed in 1989 when it was replaced with a new St David's.
Ynysymaengwyn mansion, interior views. Source: Flickr, Richard Griffiths
When Roger died in 1942 the estate passed to his sister Mary Corbett, who remained unmarried, and ended the line of inheritance at the Ynysymaengwyn Estate. During the Second World War the army occupied the Ynysymaengwyn Estate as a Royal Marines' Camp, although I have not found a date for when they took it over. When the Ministry of Defence handed the estate back to Mary Corbett in 1949 she transferred it in trust to Merioneth County Council, together with £3300, suggesting it might be converted to an agricultural college for the county. The house was in a state of significant disrepair, with extensive dry rot, and there was insufficient income from the estate to pay for repairs, which the council could not afford either, and the theft of lead from the roofs added to the speed of decay. Given the extensive revamps carried out by Athelstan Soden Corbet in the 1870s and John Corbett in the 1880s, it is frightening how fast the property deteriorated. One wonders to what extent the occupation by the army was responsible, but it is also clear that the estate was no longer in any condition to pay for itself, perhaps because of the war, and perhaps because of changing economic and social processes from earlier in the 20th Century.
The interior of the Ynysmaengwin ballroom wing. Source: Flickr, Richard Griffiths
Mary died in 1951. In 1957, under the terms of the 1906 Open Spaces Act, Merioneth County Council transferred the property to the Urban District Council of Tywyn "for securing the enjoyment of the said open space." New trees were planted between 1958 and 1962 and two fields were let out for livestock grazing. Initially the house was converted into a base for training and practice facility for the fire brigade and army, but was demolished in around 1965 (there is some disagreement about exactly when it was taken down). It was set on fire as an exercise by the Fire Service, and was finished off by the Royal Engineers who blew it up during a demolition exercise. It was a sad but far from prosaic end to its life. In 1966, part of the grounds were turned over to 115 static caravans, with an additional 4.5 acres developed as a campsite for tents, caravans, and campervans. This destroyed the mansion's pleasure garden, of which according to the Gwynedd Archaeological Trust there are now no traces. In 1984 the local government organization of the area was changed, and the following year a dispute erupted between Bryncrug Community Council and Tywyn Town Council regarding the management of Ynysymaengwyn, with the result that Tywyn Town Council took over the Caravan site, with profits being re-invested into the estate for its maintenance. The ballroom wing was demolished in 1989. In 2008 Tywn Town Council, with a £47,000 contribution from Cydcoed (Woods for All) completed the restoration of the woodlands, which had become dominated by conifers and were replanted with broadleaf trees, which are far more friendly to other wildlife, letting in more light and providing good mulch following leaf fall.
The video below shows the remains of the ballroom and the walled ballroom garden, some of the walled kitchen garden, and local scenery that would have been enjoyed by the occupants of Ynysymaengwyn (February 2019 – and sorry it's a bit jerky, I am still new to a camcorder).
Of the projects that John Corbett initiated in Tywyn and Aberdovey, the Assembly Rooms are still in use as a cinema, the market hall has been divided into three retail properties, the promenade is still going strong, the porch at the Aberdyfi Literary Institute is in excellent condition, but the Corbett Arms Hotel in Tywyn, a Grade 2 listed building, is in an appalling state of disrepair and is empty. I'll talk about each of these buildings in more detail on future posts.
Finally, there are two puzzling carvings flanking the last surviving remnant of the north wing, its porch, shown in the image below. The one on the right is still well preserved, but although there was also one on the left this is now very difficult to make out. I have seen no suggestions about when they were added or what they were supposed to signify.
The carvings flanking the porch of the north wing. Source of photograph at left: Coflein
A rather depressing adjunct to the story of modern Ynysymaengwyn was reported in the Cambrian News. In 2016 the neighbouring Ysguboriau farm and campsite attempted to claim between five and seven acres of the bequeathed land, having grazed sheep there for sufficient time to attempt to legally sequester the land for themselves, planning to fence it off. As Tywyn town councillor and trustee of Ynysymaengwyn, Cllr John Pughe, said: "the land they are claiming should be for the benefit of everyone." The dispute was still ongoing in 2018.
If you would like to visit, and I do sincerely recommend it, the surviving portion of the estate is open to the public as a woodland walk, with access to walks along the wonderful Dysynni river. Just drive through the gate posts on the A493 and head down the short lane, watching out for a left turn that will take you into the carpark. In the bottom left hand there's a map that shows you three woodland routes, the longest of which takes 30 minutes, but you can lengthen this by doing a section of the Dynsynni.
On the right is a noticeboard showing the walks, which are positioned at strategic places around the woodland. I have annotated a Google map on the left with approximate locations of some of the features (you can click to expand the view). The porch of the servants and admin quarters is to the right of the ballroom, minus the Corbet coat or arms, which was spectacular and is now preserved in on of the remaining walls of the ballroom garden.
One of the twin gateposts of the Ynysymaengwyn Estate today, with part of John Corbett's coat of arms
There are a few features of the 19th Century estate still visible, most notably the dovecote, the former vast kitchen garden (now just an enclosed area of grass, the remains of the former ballroom and its garden, the old entrance to the big block of servants quarters with figures carved into the stonework each side of the entrance, and several sections of wall. The snowdrops are splendid in February. Take a bag full of bird seed with you if you like bird life – the wild birds are borderline tame, and all expect to be fed, and yell vociferously if you stand there looking at them and don't provide sustenance! Here's the address:
Ynysymaengwyn Caravan & Camping Park
The Lodge, Ynysymaengwyn
Tywyn, Gwynedd
LL36 9RY
See the website for directions:
https://www.ynysy.co.uk
The starting points for this post, with my thanks, were Lewis Lloyd's A Real Little Seaport, and the Coflein website, supplemented extensively by other information resources, all listed below.
Anon. 1829. Wanderings in Wales. Cambrian Quarterly Magazine and Celtic Repertory, vol.1, 1829. https://bit.ly/2DujYjq
Eade, S. 2017. Towyn on Sea, Merionethshire. Volume 2. Sara Eade
Gwynedd Archaeological Trust 2007. Ports and Harbours of Gwynedd: Aberdyfi. A Threat Related Assessment. GAT Project No.1824, Report No.671.1, April 2007
Gwynedd Archaeological Trust 2011. Conservation Area Appraisal: Aberdyfi, Gwynedd. GAT Project No.2155, Report No.956, June 2007
Lewis, H.M. 1989. Pages of Time. A Pictorial History of Aberdyfi. Published by the Author.
Lewis, S. 1833. A Topographical Dictionary of Wales. Brython Press
LLoyd, L. 1996. A Real Little Seaport. The Port of Aberdyfi and its People 1565-1920, Volume 1. ISBN-1874786488
Marshall, D. 2009. Local Walks Around Tywyn in the Snowdonia National Park. (Walk 17). Kittiwake Press
Middlemass, B. 2017 (second edition). John Corbett. Pillar of Salt 1817-1901. Saltway Press
Williams, G. 1987. Renewal and Reformation Wales c.1415-1642. Oxford University Press.
Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard. The Majority of Athelstan J. Soden-Corbet, Esq., Ynysymaengwyn. Welsh Newspapers Online – The National Library of Wales.
Coflein. Ynys-y-Maengwyn Estate Cottages. http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/28895/details/ynysmaengwynynys-y-maengwyn-estate-cottages-bryn-crug
Geni.com. Historic Buildings of Merionethshire. https://www.geni.com/projects/Historic-Buildings-of-Merionethshire/25169
Gwynedd Archaeological Trust. Dysynni Historical Themes. http://www.heneb.co.uk/hlc/dysynnithemes.html
Gwynedd Archaeological Trust. Tywyn. http://www.heneb.co.uk/hlc/dysynni/dysynni3.html
Jones, A. 2016. We'll fight to keep land for the town. Cambrian News, 17/11/16. https://bit.ly/2N3dp79
Jones, A. 2017. Fence row erupts in Trust land dispute. Cambrian News, 02/01/17. https://bit.ly/2NJfav8
North Wales Daily Post 2008. New Life Breathed into Old Woods. Daily Post (North Wales) 03/07/08. https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/new-life-breathed-old-woods-2824545
Owen, Athelstan (1676-1731) of RHIWSAESON, LLANBRYN-MAIR, MONT. https://Biography.wales/article/s-OWEN-ATH-1676
Wikipedia. Ynysymaengwyn. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ynysymaengwyn
Wynn, Pryse and Corbet families, Ynysmaengwyn, Mer., and Gwyn And Nanney families, Dalau Gwyn, Mer. https://biography.wales/article/s-WYNN-PRY-1275
The Ynysymaengwyn Papers. Archives Wales. https://archiveswales.llgc.org.uk/anw/get_collection.php?inst_id=38&coll_id=1246&expand=&L=1
Ynysymaengwyn Camping, Caravan and Woodland Park website, history page https://www.ynysy.co.uk/history.html
This entry was posted in Aberdovey, Aberdyfi, Architecture, Bryncrug, Dysynni, Early Welsh History, Economic history, Heritage, Public spaces, Social history, Tywyn, Walks, Welsh history, Ynysmaengwyn, Ynysymaengwyn on February 14, 2019 by Andie.
Walking from Aberdovey towards Tywyn along the beach
Yesterday's walk along the beach was extraordinary. I had intended to park by the cemetery, but by accident parked opposite the row of houses at the foot of the road from the Trefeddian Hotel, crossed the golf course and emerged from the dunes at the Second World War pillbox. The sun was hazy and incredibly pale, but at the same time reflected off the wet sand, creating some beautiful colour and light combinations. I walked for far longer than intended, and it nearly became a case of walking into Tywyn and getting a bus or taxi back to my car! Instead I retraced my steps, and because of the light it was like doing an entirely different walk. It was lovely to see a pair of oyster catchers, obstinately refusing to do anything other than stand, preening in the sun! They are in the video at the end of this post.
This entry was posted in Aberdovey, Aberdyfi, Nature, Sea birds, Seaside, Tywyn, Vistas, Wales Coast Path, Walks, Weather on February 12, 2019 by Andie.
A walk down the Dyfi estuary on a beautiful January day
Thursday last week was a beautiful day, all sunshine and blue skies. A treat. About as different from today's gales as possible! I went down into Aberdovey to take photos of the interior of St Peter's Church, because I am working on a new post about the church. Someone told me that it was open every day, but perhaps that was just in the summer, because it was firmly closed. I took some photographs in the churchyard instead, and then decided to take advantage of the sun and headed down the estuary. It was an hour past low tide and the sea was coming in, but not fast enough to cover up the sand flats before I had enjoyed seeing them. At some points in this video there's some very wobbly footage, but it was such a beautiful day that even with some slightly dodgy camcorder work it seemed a shame not to share it!
This entry was posted in Aberdovey, Aberdyfi, River Dyfi, Wales Coast Path, Walks on January 27, 2019 by Andie.
January in Aberdovey
Wednesday last week was one of those rare but gorgeous January days that provides a welcome reminder that spring lies ahead. Almost too good to be true. The tide was on its way out, always a beautiful sight as dips in the sand fill with still water reflecting the blue sky, and the millions of deeply scored fractal patterns in the sand are revealed, with the contrast of the dark shadows and bright surfaces always a sensational feature of the low winter sun. Apart from a few dog walkers the beach was almost empty, sensible people remaining in the warm.
My garden continues to be a source of wildlife activity, all the local species filling up on solid carbohydrates to see them through the bitterly cold nights.
The goldfinches, which turned up in my absence over Christmas, are now a daily presence, between two or seven of them at a time, four on the nyjer feeder with the others bouncing up and down in frustration in the tree. When they first arrived I was very taken by their beautifully minimalist movements and intricate eating habits, but when there are more than four trying to get onto the feeder at a time there can be real jockeying for position in a great thrashing of brightly coloured feathers, with some of the angelic looking little things chasing off others quite ruthlessly. A gaggle of goldfinches is called a "charm."
Since I moved here in August, all the feeders have been popular, but in the last month the mixed seed feeder has been completely rejected, no matter where I hang it. Instead, most activity is concentrated on the fat ball, mealworm and peanut feeders. Do note that I put a soundtrack on the following video, just to get used to the software that I am using, but it is a really lovely piece of Bach, so hopefully not too intrusive.
This entry was posted in Aberdovey, Aberdyfi, Garden birds, Gardens, Nature, River Dyfi, Seaside, Vistas, Wales Coast Path, Walks on January 17, 2019 by Andie.
Winter walk on the beach
The best thing about living in Aberdovey is the ability to walk in some wonderful scenery. I love the hills and and the rural walks in the summer, but the vast open beach has an energy all of its own, particularly at low tide on a sunny day in the winter and spring. With the light casting sharp shadows and delineating wild patterns in the multi-textured sands and the gorgeous estuary waters feeding out into the waves there's almost nowhere in the world that I would rather be. Except, perhaps, the Sahara desert in the sun 🙂
This entry was posted in Aberdovey, Aberdyfi, Vistas, Wales Coast Path, Walks on January 13, 2019 by Andie.
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text:
Pittsfield sentence example
Pittsfield is a popular summer resort; it lies in a plain about 1000 ft.
In the south-western part of Pittsfield, on the boundary between it and Hancock, is Shaker Village, settled about 1790 by Shakers.
Pittsfield has water-power and important manufacturing industries.
The first settlement in what is now Pittsfield was made in 1743, but was soon abandoned on account of Indian troubles.
The settlement was first called "Boston Plantation," or "Poontoosuck," but in 1761, when it was incorporated as a township, the name was changed to Pittsfield, in honour of the elder William Pitt.
In 1891 Pittsfield was chartered as a city.
For thirty years (1842-1872) Pittsfield was the home of the Rev. John Todd (1800-1873), the author of numerous books, of which Lectures to Children (1834; 2nd series, 1858) and The Student's Manual (1835) were once widely read.
At Pittsfield and at Dalton is centred the manufacture of fine writing papers, including that of paper used by the national government for bonds and paper money.
According to the census of 1900 there were 33 incorporated cities in Massachusetts, of which 8 had between 12,000 and 20,000 inhabitants; 5 between 20,000 and 25,000 (Everett, North Adams, Quincy, Waltham, Pittsfield); 2 io between 25,000 and 50,000 (Holyoke, Brockton, Haverhill, Salem, Chelsea, Malden, Newton, Fitchburg, Taunton, Gloucester); 7 between 50,000 and ioo,000 (Lowell, Cambridge, Lynn, Lawrence, New Bedford, Springfield, Somerville); and 3 more than roo,000 inhabitants, viz.
Dawes died at Pittsfield, Mass., on the 5th of February 1903.
The village of Bennington is served by the Rutland railway, and is connected by electric railway with North Adams and Pittsfield, Mass., and Hoosick Falls, N.Y.
He studied medicine at Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and practised in Canada and in Wheeler, Steuben county, New York.
Henry Laurens Dawes
As a U.S. senator, Henry Laurens Dawes (1816-1903) sponsored important legislation designed to assimilate Native Americans into the mainstream of national life.
Elkanah Watson
Elkanah Watson (1758-1842), American merchant, banker, and promoter, was noted for his efforts in organizing agricultural societies and fairs.
Words near pittsfield in the Dictionary
Pitt Street farmer
Pittsburgh compound B
pitt william
pittsburgh-rare
pittsburgher
pittsburghers
pituicyte
pituicytes


text:
Collection agencies working in all lines of business will be watching to see how the industry is affected by the DOE contract cancellations.
"I think any time something
significant like this happens, we as an
industry need to pay very close attention
to why and how it happened," Williams
said. "We want to understand why that
business was pulled, and figure out what
we can do to proactively protect our
companies as well as our employees'
In spite of this drama, the DOE
private collection agency contract
remains "the single largest opportunity"
of the student loan collections market
due to its sheer size and increasing
volume of accounts, according to Taylor.
Bloomberg Business reported that the government paid $898 million to private agencies that collected defaulted student loans in 2013, a 92 percent increase from the previous year.
But the DOE contracts are difficult to get, and it could be at least 10 years before the next opportunity comes up, unless agencies get on as subcontractors for one of the current companies. Even those opportunities are limited, as many subcontractors have been working with the current unrestricted companies.
"The train has left the station," Taylor said. "The opportunities in this market going forward will be considerably less if you are not already participating."
The Fall of a For-Profit College
When the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau sued the troubled Corinthian Colleges in September 2014, it accused the for-profit school of luring tens of thousands of students to take out private loans to cover expensive tuition costs by advertising false job prospects.
In February 2015, Educational Credit Management Corp. purchased more than
50 campuses from Corinthian Colleges,
and transitioned them from for-profit
to nonprofit status. The acquisition was
made through Zenith Education Group,
a newly created nonprofit provider of
career school training and a member of
ECMC. Zenith eliminated institutional
loans and provided an estimated $480
million to help Corinthian students'
private student loan debt.
While the move reduced eligible students' private student loan amounts by 40 percent, that still left many with large outstanding federal loans to grapple with. Several state attorney's general have since urged the government to forgive the students' federal loans.
In early March, 15 former Corinthian
students announced they were going
on a "debt strike," refusing to pay
back their federal student loans. The
declaration attracted a flurry of attention
in the media—as well as among other
dissatisfied Corinthian students. By the
end of March, the "Corinthian 15" had
become the "Corinthian 100."
David Glezerman, assistant vice
president and bursar of Temple
University, estimated that the
Corinthian 100 movement has likely
affected as many as 20-30 companies
out of the more than 200 ACA members
working in student loans. He noted
that when dealing with students who
intentionally refuse to pay their debts,
collection agencies need to uncover
consumers' reasons to determine how
to proceed because there are potential
benefits available to federal loan
borrowers whose schools have closed.
According to the DOE, students may
be eligible for a complete discharge of
their federal student loans if:
•;The entire school closes while
students are enrolled, and they are
unable to complete their program.
•;The school closes within 120 days after the students withdraw.
Unfortunately, many former Corinthian students not covered by this provision. While not all of them are on a debt strike, many are unhappy or bitter.
Neeb said his previous company served a few for-profit colleges, and some of those former students were angry about their educational experience as well. They felt they had been taken advantage of by their college.
"There was a lot of push-back with
those consumers against their for-profit
college, which trickled down to us at
the collection agency level," Neeb said.
"Students would complain that they had
a dispute because the education they
received didn't help them get the jobs
Neeb trained collectors to be
sensitive to those consumers, and at the
end of the call collectors were required
to close the account and send it back to
the client for review.
At its heart, the Corinthian protest highlights two major hot-button issues: for-profit schools that sometimes engage in predatory lending practices and the skyrocketing cost of education. Agencies collecting student loan debt should keep a close eye on how the situation unfolds as well as how they


text:
Some Things Said
Home Some Things Said Some Things Said… (September 07)
Some Things Said… (September 07)
Richard Vandagriff
"The snag in the plane has now been fixed and the aircraft has resumed its flights," said Raju K.C., a senior airline official, without explaining what the problem had been.
Sacrificing goats may seem unusual, at least to Americans, one airline veteran said it's not outlandish in some cultures. "It's not that unusual to see a sacrifice going on," said Capt. Robert Norris, a former United Airlines pilot of 30 years who has gone climbing in Nepal. "We may say a small prayer ourselves when we take off. It's just a part of their culture," he said.
Ariel Glucklich, a professor of theology at Georgetown University, said that animal sacrifices go back to the beginnings of Hinduism. "The idea of sacrifice is you offer something valuable as a way of placating the god," said Glucklich. Still he said that kind of animal sacrifice by airline officials wouldn't be likely in India, another predominantly Hindu nation.
"The separation between religion and the state is a lot fuzzier in Nepal," said Glucklich. "I'm really stunned that airline officials would subscribe to that."
Not everyone agrees with that sentiment.
"It may be one of the most effective things they've done" to fix the planes, said John Adams, a visiting scholar at the University of Virginia who has flown on Nepal Airlines before… –excerpted from an article at Fox News Online, 09.5.07 by Matt Egan and submitted by Mark Zaveson
Explaining the Religion of Peace
Islam is not only a religion. It is a complete way of life. Islam guides Muslims from birth to grave. The Quran and prophet Muhammad's words and practical application of Quran life cannot be changed.
Islam is a guide for humanity, for all times, until the day of judgment. It is forbidden in Islam to convert to any other religion. The penalty is death. There is no disagreement about it.
Islam is being embraced by people of other faiths all the time. They should know they can embrace Islam, but cannot get out. This rule is not made by Muslims, it is the supreme law of God.
Please do not ask us Muslims to pick some rules and disregard other rules. Muslims are supposed to embrace Islam in its totality. —Nazra Quraishi, kindergarten teacher, as quoted in the Lansing State Journal, 7.05.06 (from Mark Steyn's America Alone).
Good vs. Bad
…A funny thing. We're so used to thinking of American troops as good guys that we forget: They're good guys! They have American class.
And it is not possible that the good people of Iraq are not noticing, and that in some way down the road the sum of these acts will not come to have some special meaning, some special weight of its own. The actor Gary Sinise helps run Operation Iraqi Children, which delivers school supplies with the help of U.S. forces. When he visits Baghdad grade schools, the kids yell, "Lieutenant Dan!" — his role in "Forrest Gump," the story of another good man.
Some say we're the Roman Empire, but I don't think the soldiers of Rome were known for their kindness, nor the people of Rome for their decency. Some speak of Abu Ghraib, but the humiliation of prisoners there was news because it was American troops acting in a way that was out of the order of things, and apart from tradition. It was weird. And they were busted by other American troops.
You could say soldiers of every country do some good in war beyond fighting, and that is true enough. But this makes me think of the statue I saw once in Vienna, a heroic casting of a Red Army soldier. Quite stirring. The man who showed it to me pleasantly said it had a local nickname, "The Unknown Rapist." There are similar memorials in Estonia and Berlin; they all have the same nickname. My point is not to insult Russian soldiers, who had been born into a world of communism, atheism, and Stalin's institutionalization of brutish ways of being. I only mean to note the stellar reputation of American troops in the same war at the same time. They were good guys. —excerpted from Peggy Noonan's column Declarations, in The Wall Street Journal, 8.24.07
Wouldn't Allah be better? That is what a Dutch Bishop recently wondered aloud when he suggested that people of all faiths should call God by his Islamic designation.
"Allah is a very beautiful word for God. Shouldn't we all say that from now on we will name God Allah?" Bishop Tiny Muskens told a Dutch TV station last week. "What does God care what we call him?"
That may remain a great mystery. Not surprisingly, though, the bishop's unilateral attempt at interreligious dialogue did not go down well with his own team. In a survey in the Netherlands's biggest-selling newspaper, De Telegraaf, 92% of more than 4,000 people rejected giving up what is not only a liturgical tradition but a central plank of Western identity.
"Sure. Let's call God Allah. Let's then call a church a mosque and pray five times a day. Ramadan sounds like fun," one reader wrote to De Telegraaf. –excerpted from an editorial in The Wall Street Journal 8.23.07
Illegal Religious Worship
Rabbi Avraham Bernstein, along with his wife and eight children, lives in a single-family home in the Freehold Township. Each Friday, as well as on other Jewish holidays, Rabbi Bernstein welcomes family, friends and neighbors to his home for fellowship and prayer. The prayer services take place in the Bernsteins' living room.
However, earlier this year, the Township notified Rabbi Bernstein that the religious gatherings in his home violated local zoning ordinances and subsequently issued a summons charging the Rabbi with illegally operating a "house of worship." Government officials even went so far as to set up a camera directly across the street from the Rabbi's home, allegedly to monitor and record the comings and goings of individuals who gather there for observances of the Sabbath and other religious holidays. —excerpted from an article from the Rutherford Institute a submitted by Muriel McConnon.
[One of the editors here is guilty of having started an assembly in his home, of renovating a room specifically for that purpose. To paraphrase the songwriter, the times they certainly are a'changin'. RAV]
Some Things Said… (March 07) (2)
Homosexuals Less Than 2% of Population Says Report Released Today Philadelphia, Mar. 23 /Standard Newswire/ -- According to two researchers, the largest random sex survey ever conducted has reported that only 1.4% of adults engaged in homosexual behavior. Analyzing a 2003 Canadian Community survey of 121,300 adults, Drs. Paul and Kirk Cameron told attendees of the Eastern Psychological Association Convention that 2% of 18-44 year olds, 1% of 50 year olds, and only a third of a percent of subjects 60+ considered themselves homosexual. Thus homosexual activity was much more common among younger adults.
Some Things Said… (Oct. 2010)
The Crystal Cathedral is in trouble. From today's WSJ: "Citing declining donations and $48 million…
Some Things Said… (Oct 05)
A great deception Recently there have been a few articles on creationism and Darwinism in…
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text:
Reds Surprise Indians in Season Opener 10-6 – Spring 2007
by David Grossman | Apr 1, 2007 | 2007 Games, Game Summaries
After the season opening parade, the Indians jogged onto the field with lofty expectations. They had a great warm up, numerous seasoned veterans and some fine young talent. Coach Grossman in an extremely rare pre game interview said, "You never can tell, but I like the feel of this team. They came together during spring training and I think we'll match up well with anyone in the league."
It certainly looked that way as the Indians jumped on the Reds starter, Miles, one of the hardest throwers in the league for a quick run in the first. Brendan drilled a long shot to right that was caught nicely by the right fielder who made a tremendous play for out one. Connor walked and immediately stole second. The next pitch he stole third and on an overthrow into left he scored. The Indians were on the board. Will and Charles walked, but Miles settled down to finish the inning. In the bottom of the first, Brendan threw blistering heat and struck out the first two batters as they each looked at strike three. He then got Miles to ground out to Nikhil at second who made a great play to throw out the speedy Miles at first as Will made a nice catch for out three. Three up and three down. After one, it was Indians 1 Reds 0.
In the top of the second, the Indians offense continued to roll. Christian V. was hit by a pitch and he calmly trotted to first. Christian stole second, then moved to third on a wild pitch. Nicholas grounded out to the pitcher but picked up an RBI as Christian scored. Miles settled down and shut down the Indians. In the bottom of the second, Brendan picked up his third strikeout on the day by blasting it past the Reds cleanup hitter. A tough popup to second resulted in a base . Next, a hard shot to right and a tough play at second, resulted in three runs for the Reds. Brendan settled down and got the next batter to ground out back to the mound and struck out the leadoff man to end the inning. After two, Indians fans watched nervously as the Reds had a 3-2 lead.
In the top of the third, the Indians quickly got back on top. Jesus walked. Brendan beat out an infield hit to put runners on at first and second. They moved to third and second on a wild pitch. An infield single by Bryon scored Jesus. Bryon stole second to put runners on at second and third. Connor continued the offense barrage with a shot to right to score Brendan and Bryon. Will popped out. Connor stole second. Charles walked to put runners on at first and second and two out. Christian smashed a single to right and Coach Grossman sent Connor home. He sped around third but the right fielder made a fantastic throw into the plate and a great play got Connor by a step at the plate. When the dust settled the Indians had a 5-3 lead. Charles came on in the bottom of the third and looked good in his first AAA appearance. He walked the first batter, but then got the next batter to hit a grounder to Chad at second who made a great play as he scooped the ball up and tossed perfectly to Christian T for out one. Charles threw a lot of strikes, but one Red hit a good shot to the outfield and some walks resulted in three runs. Charles beautifully struck out the last two batters to end the inning. After three it was a thriller at 6-5 Reds.
The Indians came up looking determined in the top of the fourth. After a leadoff strikeout, Nick walked and stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. Nikhil walked. Coach Grossman put on the double steal, the Reds made a great play and got Nick in a rundown. After several throws back and forth the Reds got Nick at third. With two outs Pedro walked to load the bases, but Max settled down to the end the inning and strand three more Indians runners. In the bottom of the fourth, Bryon came and threw nothing but heat. He struck out three batters in a row on 15 pitches. After four it was still Reds 6 Indians 5.
The Indians kept battling. Brendan walked and stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. Connor came through again with his second hit of the day and his third RBI to score Brendan. Charles popped out to end the inning, but it was now tied.
In the bottom of the fifth, Bryon walked a batter and gave up a good hit to left to score a run. He settled down nicely and got a 1-2 count, but unfortunately the next pitch hit the batter. Another walk and a hit batter and Coach Grossman came to the mound and Indians fans gave Bryon a big hand due to his three strikeouts on the day and overall great throwing. Will came in and induced a groundout to first where Will made a nice play to get the out, but unfortunately a run scored and the next batter hit a grounder to second where Chad made a nice play to get the second out. Unfortunately, four runs had scored so the inning ended. In some more bad news for the Indians, the umpired ruled that the game was now two minutes beyond the legal two hours allowed to start an inning and was deemed over before the Indians could bat again. Final Score: Reds 10 Indians 6
Coach Grossman in his standard post game press conference said, "Well you hate to lose on opening day, but we did face the best pitcher in the league and the Reds have a fantastic coach. When it was pointed out that the Reds coach is Coach Grossman's next door neighbor Coach Grossman said, "Take a look at his stats, his teams win a ton of games and more importantly his teams have a LOT of fun. He's a good coach and our league is lucky to have him and I'm not saying this because I see him all the time."
Coach Grossman said, "I really liked a lot of what I saw today. Our guys didn't make a single mistake on an easy ground ball and that's the thing we worked hardest on in practice. The Reds had to earn their runs. We also had very few base running mistakes. The Reds made a great play to get Connor and its awfully rare this early in the season to see a rundown go to the defense. I was very impressed with our catchers. They made blocked a lot of balls and the Reds didn't steal a single base on the day. All of our pitchers, Brendan, Charles, Bryon and Will threw good strikes. Brendan had three strikeouts, Bryon had three, Charles and two and Will didn't walk a single batter. We'll reduce the walks as the season progresses. The only thing that happened to us today is we just didn't get hits with runners on base. We left two on in the first, two in the third, three in the fourth, and one in the fifth. Whenever you leave eight guys on base you are going to have a hard time winning a game. We'll certainly focus on improving our hitting this week and overall, i saw enough of our guys with good stances and making contact that I think we'll see more line drives in the near future. I really have to thank all of our assistant coaches for a great pre-season I think defensively we are further ahead then a lot of my teams and I have only our assistants to thank.


Spatial Insights, Inc. announces the release of Point2Point Drive, an application that enables users to find-the-closest location using drive distance as the metric. Instead of the commonly reported straight-line distance calculated between latitude and longitude coordinates, this new tool offers a more realistic, 'on-the-ground' measurement of how far apart locations actually are from one another based on drive time or driving distance.
Point2Point Drive works in conjunction with Freeway™, a drive time analysis software able to calculate drive times and drive distances among two sets of coordinates. Freeway ™ is also available from Spatial Insights.
Point2Point Drive reads in a geocoded origin and destination file and allows for processing of all records in both files, or just the closest specified number or the closest specified percent from the destinations. Additionally, users can filter the results so that the results only reflect destinations within a certain radius, drive time, and/or drive distance of the origins.
"There are many tools that can find the closest location using crow-flies distance," noted Don Segal, President of Spatial Insights, "but using drive time provides a more realistic indication of proximity, and provides our customers with better, more accurate results regarding access to locations for competitive analyses, scheduling, and trade area delineation".