A New Year Getaway
I’m not a huge fan of New Year’s Eve. In my opinion it’s overrated, but each to their own. Our daughters had plans with friends and Mr Crafty Teacher was working so I decided to pack up Aoife the van and take Peppa to Anglesey in search of beaches, washed up treasures and peace in nature.
We weren’t disappointed. Despite the chilly wind, we had a fabulous last day of 2025, walking along the coast, finding sea glass, sea pottery and searching for penguin shaped black pebbles to create a piece of art I’d been asked to make. The beaches were deserted apart from the odd dog walker and of course the two choughs I’ve become familiar with, oyster catchers and the odd heron.
What I love about long walks around the coast is the change in terrain. One minute you’re walking on sand, then pebbles and gravel then climbing over rocks or avoiding slipping into rock pools. I found lots of pretty pieces of sea glass and sea pottery as well as periwinkle shells of every colour you could think of. Every so often I was awestruck by the scenery and in particular the constant sight of the same lighthouse. I must have took its picture countless times, each framed by something different. I’ve seen it before on other trips and have taken previous photos of it when visiting Traeth Ynys y Fydlyn. It sits on The Skerries, a group of tiny islands off the north west coast of Anglesey. Built in 1717 by William Trench it was first lit in the same year. It has a Fresnel lens, which I learned via google, is a glass optic that concentrates light from a central lamp into a narrow beam. Its name in Welsh is Goleudy Ynysoedd y Moelrhoniaid. I’d love to go over to the island but would need a boat. The lighthouse became automated in 1987 and is now controlled from Holyhead.
All too soon, the sun started dipping and me and Peppa needed to head back to Aoife. We settled in for the night, watching the tide come in. At midnight, a ferry that was docked at Holyhead tooted its horn. Does anyone remember fog horns? I used to hear them a lot around that area and all coastal areas for that matter when I was little but haven’t heard one for years. Anyway, fireworks started almost immediately and from our viewpoint across the harbour we were treated to a multitude of different displays. All watched from the comfort and warmth of our van, surrounded by the beautiful treasures found that day.