About Me

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Hi! I'm Eunice and I live in Bolton, Lancashire, with my two dogs Sophie and Sugar and an assortment of cats - well it used to be Sophie and Sugar, now it's Sophie and Poppie. I first began camping back in 1997 when my then partner took me to Anglesey for my birthday weekend. We slept in the back of the car - a hatchback - using the cushions off the settee at home as a mattress, and cooked and brewed up on a single burner camping stove. The site was good, the views were great, the weather fantastic and I was completely hooked. Following that weekend we got a two-man tent and some proper accessories and returned to Anglesey two weeks later, then over time we progressed to a three-man tent followed by an old trailer tent, then a new trailer tent, a campervan and finally a caravan. When my partner decided that the grass was greener on the other side of the street - literally - in April 2009 and I suddenly found myself alone after fifteen years, I decided there was no way I was going to give up camping and caravanning if I could cope on my own. This blog is the story of my travels, trials and tribulations since becoming a solo camper - I hope you like it

Monday June 13th 2016 - Evening at Red Wharf Bay

Well unfortunately my wish for a day of sunshine didn't come true as I woke that morning to a sky full of grey cloud. The previous night's mist had gone and it was still warm but the cloud stayed around all day, and apart from walking into the village for a mooch round the shops which I've mooched round dozens of times before I didn't go anywhere - my 'big day out' would have to wait until a future Anglesey holiday.

 It was early evening before the sky started to clear and the sun finally came out and by that time it was far too late to go anywhere, but I didn't want to end my last full day with no photos so I made the short drive down to Red Wharf Bay. The tide was out and there was a slight haze lingering over the far side of the bay but I managed to get a handful of shots of some of the boats beached on the sand before the sun went down behind the hills.

Back at the tent I made a brew and watched an hour of tv before taking Sophie and Poppie for their last bedtime walk of the holiday. I had to keep reminding myself that the following day we had to pack up and go home; time had had no meaning over the last nine days and the holiday seemed to have passed so slowly that I felt like I'd been away for a month. With my brain totally switched off from my normal home life I was in danger of forgetting to go back to work and that would never do!

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20 comments:

  1. Eileen H28 June 2016 at 07:25

    Have I missed what you planned for your big day out or is that being kept secret until it actually happens?
    Time is a strange thing. When I was at school the summer holidays went on forever and now I have to wonder where the time goes, it's the end of June already!

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  2. Tigermouse28 June 2016 at 08:57

    No, you haven't missed anything, I've just never mentioned it. I'd intended going back down the Lleyn peninsula, revisiting Porth Dinllaen which I discovered last year, walking up the hill near the cottage where you stayed, going back to Aberdaron then taking a different route to Abersoch to find those beach huts, and if time allowed ending in Pwllheli. BUT being on my own and able to please myself, if I ever see a sign for somewhere I think could be interesting I'll deviate from my planned route and go to explore, so I could end up anywhere between those five places!

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    1. Eileen H29 June 2016 at 08:20

      We loved the Llyn Peninsula, but never went to Porth Dinllaen. I think we will have to revisit this year but husband is waiting to have an operation so can't book anything as yet! Reading your other comments we used to go to Chester and Liverpool quite a lot but I so much prefer north Wales and feel fortunate to live mid coast. I think your adventures are admirable.

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    2. Tigermouse29 June 2016 at 09:10

      If you've never been to Porth Dinllaen then you should - on a sunny day of course. You could chill out with a drink or a meal at the Ty Coch inn right on the beach. It's a lovely little place and well worth the walk through the golf course to get to it - unfortunately there's no vehicle access other than for residents. Have a look here for some photos of it -

      http://tigermousetales.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/thursday-june-4th-2015-part-1-trefor.html

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    3. Eileen H30 June 2016 at 07:01

      Thanks for the link. Our experience was almost identical to yours. We went down that lane in Morfa Nefyn, parked in the golf club car park, asked a golfer if it was OK to be there, told it was and we started walking the long path past the golf course. We decided that surely couldn't be the way to the beach and had to turn back as husband can't walk far. We saw those cottages in the distance. Never mind. The lack of signposts is definitely a problem!

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    4. Tigermouse30 June 2016 at 09:23

      What a shame you didn't manage to get there Eileen, it's such a lovely little place. There's a car park just off the beginning of that long lane up to the golf course but to park there and walk down onto the main beach and along to Porth Dinllaen is much further than walking through the golf course.

      I don't mean to be personal but if your husband can't walk far does he have a disabled badge? Just thinking that if he has, maybe it would be worth asking at the golf club if you could drive down to Porth Dinllaen.

      I agree with the lack of signposts - Porth Dinllaen doesn't even have a name. When I got to the golf club car park I just asked where the beach was and was told to follow the track through the golf course - I wasn't told what was down there or even that the little hamlet had a name so it was a total surprise when I got there.

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    5. Eileen H1 July 2016 at 07:17

      Yes, he does have a blue badge and it's a God send! Even on cost our council don't charge for parking but go into Rhyl (I live the other side of the Blue Bridge thank goodness) and we have to pay.

      There was a sign on the gate of the golf club saying something like no vehicle access, so don't ask :) Yet, a couple of cars passed us on the way! Funniy enough as we drove away I saw a sign post for Nefyn but by then we were disappointed and headed off to Aberdaron instead and how lovely that little place was. We've talked about re-visiting and your blog has been so informative, thank you.

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    6. Tigermouse1 July 2016 at 10:42

      Thanks for the compliment, I'm glad some of what I write is useful lol

      The cars you saw must have been residents as vehicle access is restricted to residents with permits only - if you do ever manage to get there you'll understand why. The hamlet is very tiny and narrow, nestling under the cliff, with just a low stone wall and paved walkway separating the cottages and pub from the beach. The track from the golf course runs down behind the cottages and ends literally on the beach, with just a small parking area for half a dozen cars and very little room to turn round.

      Have a look at this - http://blueseasurf.co.uk/midwales/dinllaen.php It's the best I could find to show you what it's like re vehicle access - what you see is what you get. The large building bottom centre is the Ty Coch inn and there's a few cottages to the left of it - in the bottom right hand corner the narrow tarmac lane goes up a short slope behind those cottages and joins the track through the golf course.

      I can imagine that you aren't the only people affected by some form of disability who haven't been able to get to Porth Dinllaen because of the strict vehicle access policy - it's a shame that blue badge holders couldn't be given some leeway. The only other alternative would be to use a wheelchair and push your husband part of the way. I know the place is owned and managed by the NT - it may be worth contacting them to see what they have to say on the matter?

      Incidentally, I've now enabled the 'contact me' facility in my profile (I haven't used it so far as I don't want lots of spam) but I'd be happy for you to email me on this or any other subject if you'd like to - it would be good to hear from you :)

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    7. Eileen H2 July 2016 at 06:56

      Thank you for your help Eunice. There were good reviews of that pub in the visitors book in the holiday cottage too! I'm so glad you found my blog and I found yours and thanks for the contact link for the future :)

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    8. Tigermouse2 July 2016 at 09:50

      No problem Eileen, I hope you manage to get there some day soon :)

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  3. nashvillecats228 June 2016 at 11:10

    Another wonderful place, how I do miss my camping days.
    Yvonne.

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  4. Tigermouse28 June 2016 at 14:04

    There's nothing much at Red Wharf Bay village, just private cottages and bungalows, a small shop, the Ship Inn which is very popular and a small cafe/bistro which isn't cheap, but it's a nice little place to while away an hour or so and take a few photos.

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  5. Anabel Marsh28 June 2016 at 19:07

    I had never heard of Red Wharf Bay until 20 minute ago when I read this https://coastalwalker.co.uk/2016/06/28/moelfre-to-red-wharf-bay/ - quite a coincidence!

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  6. Tigermouse28 June 2016 at 20:11

    Thanks for the link Anabel, I've just briefly checked out the blog and it seems Anglesey features in a lot of recent posts so I'm looking forward to reading more :)

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  7. Unknown28 June 2016 at 21:24

    Looking at some of the fabulous photographs it very hard to believe that liverpool is just around the corner..a completely different world

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  8. Tigermouse28 June 2016 at 21:40

    I've only ever been to Liverpool once, on a school trip when I was about 11, but I don't 'do' cities so it's not a place I would really want to go to now.

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  9. Su-sieee! Mac3 July 2016 at 03:07

    Yours was a great vacation. Nine days seeming longer. I like that.

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  10. Tigermouse3 July 2016 at 13:00

    The pace of life seems much slower there than at home. A simple life in a tent with the dogs away from home, no work to get up for, a nice quiet site by the sea and the freedom to be myself with no demands on my time - it really does seem to stretch the hours and days into weeks. If nine days there feels like a month I'd love to know what an actual month feels like :)

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  11. Bag End Gardener13 July 2016 at 23:18

    Despite the mists and murky days it sounds like you've had a lovely relaxing time. I know what you mean about feeling like you've been away for a month. Last year I had five days at Kielder in the caravan abut it felt like I had been away for at least a fortnight :-)

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  12. Tigermouse13 July 2016 at 23:54

    It was a very relaxing time, made all the more so by there not being anyone else on the site to disturb the peace and quiet. I've often wondered what it would be like in winter and if the time would stretch even more, but unfortunately that site isn't open out of season - shame really as I'd love to spend Christmas there.

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I really appreciate good comments - who doesn't? - but due to a recent tide of spam from anonymous readers all comments will now be moderated, and only those with a direct bearing on this blog will be published. I'm sure my regular blog readers/commenters will understand the need for this - and to anyone whose comment isn't published, you know why.

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