" A visit to Swansea " at EveryTrail
 

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Chance for us to have a week away to visit our son and friends in Swansea. 

He has been promoted to "Stage Manager" for the Swansea Amateurs

and they are performing at The Grand Theatre Arts wing. The tickets are in hand for next Tuesday night.

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First there's a small matter of several hundred miles to drive,

a journey made more pleasant with a lunch stop along the way at the Cheshire home of Jill and Nigel Batchelor.

Perhaps we should give Harry a short walk before we turn up at the door.

This is part of the Trent and Mersey Canal system at Cuddington near Northwich.

A beautiful, long houseboat moored up on the opposite bank.

A very warm welcome from Jill at her new house . . .	. . . then it was on to Swansea to stay with friends at an older house !

Jill entertained us to a delightful lunch  but our time there was all too brief.

Nigel was at work during the day so we weren't able to see him, but thanks to him too for the invite.

In Swansea we stayed with our friends Jackie and Sandra . . . and met up with our son Gareth of course.

More of this walk later . . . I thought you might like to be introduced to the crowd beforehand.

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We used to live in the streets in Uplands above Cwmdonkin Park in Swansea.

In recent years the shopping centre seemed to take a bit of a dive . . . but the atmosphere is coming back.

We park up and walk through the shops to the new monthly " Uplands Street Market ".

Along the way we passed Mike Colliers's shop . . . he developed many a photo of mine back in the days of colour prints.

He's not been well recently but let's hope this finds him much recovered.

A classic Street Market has returned to Uplands.

Welsh cheeses a plenty . . .	. . . . and loaves to feed the five thousand.

Here's a mobile bookshop to delve into.	Dylan Thomas, classic pose.	Big thanks to the market organisers.

Come and have your car (or your bike) washed while you shop.

Have a trolley ... will create a stall.	Sandra and Gareth check out the cards to buy.

Down the lane to Roman Well, Southgate . . .	. . . with its own explanatory sign.

Perhaps it might be easier to read this.

Pobbles Bay, looking small this close to high tide but it is an extensive beach when the tide is out.

A lot of sea-bourne debris but this one in particular caught my eye.

Graffiti is a dubious thing at times but best if it is temporary and shows a level of intelligence or skill. 

I loved this offering.

Ann, Sandra and Gareth watch Rufus play on the sand.

Harry, it seems, is back in the water . . . surprise, surprise.

I seem to be a bit more adventurous (as usual you could say).

The view from the top.

I'm sure there used to be more sand in the bay when we were here last ?

The view east along Pennard Cliffs.

. . . and the view west across to Oxwich Point in the distance.

We walk the cliff path towards the local headland of Three Cliffs Bay.

The name of the bay is hopefully self-explanatory (see left of photo).

It is a river estuary of the Parkmill Stream and so some parts of the bay are not brilliant for swimming due to the unseen river current.

The rest is beautifully sandy and a delightful place to relax on a summer day.

This is dramatic limestone country and the sea scapes reflect the nature of the rock.

This is the first and major 'cliff' of the three.

Beyond it is the classic Gower headland with its vertical limestone strata . . . Great Tor.

That's me up there again.

Only the first summit is safely accessible.	Ann spots an interesting sky behind me.	I look back at everyone relaxing on the grass.

There's something interesting down there . . .	trying to catch the exact photo . . .	After a while we've taken sufficient.

First off we thought we'd seen an Atlantic Grey Seal . . .

. . . but zooming in, it turned out to be an Atlantic grey football.

What we were trying to do was catch the waves as they splashed through the natural arch.

Have a go yourself.

Hold your cursor over the picture to try and get another wave to splash as high.

That's the best I could do a second time.

Time to be going . . .we chose a different path for the return.

Looking back from the edge of the golf links to new people admiring the heights

and two ladies out riding their horses across the sandy tracks.

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Shall we go straight home or divert slightly to see the sights ?

The classic " Big Apple " at Mumbles still survives as a seasonal shop.

By the way, the shipping forecasts on the radio are enhanced by weather reports from the Mumbles Coastguard centre on the opposite headland.

Mumbles Pier, once terminus of the Mumbles Train

has survived the doldrums of the 80's and has a new lease of life as a tourist attraction.

Patriotic flags grace the flagpoles.

. . . and a new lifeboat house has just been opened at the end of the pier.

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Back to Sandra and Jackie's home and a chance for Rufus and Harry to play.

Rufus is just sixteen weeks old

Harry seems to be enjoying the play, little did he know it was practice time for the arrival of our Dylan within the week !

Rufus is delightful and loved Harry's company.

"I do like to cuddle up to my big, furry friend" . . .

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