Woolly says – I had woken early and having stuck my trunk outside and nearly lost my tusks in the wind I quickly realised that today might not be the day we had planned. Our idea had been to walk along the costal paths of Holyhead, Anglesey and as I sat waiting for the female to get up and ready for the off, I made good use of my time with looking at tourist information pamphlets in the hope of finding something that wouldn’t require a soaking.
As we climbed into the car the rain seemed to have eased a little but the wind was raging, our first stop of the day was to a place known as South Stack. South Stack is an island situated just off Holy Island on the northwest coast of Anglesey. It was formed by the wave erosion of sedimentary rocks that once connected the island to the mainland, geology of the area has been chosen as one of the top 100 geosites in the United Kingdom by Geological Society of London.
As we pulled into the RSPB car park I surveyed the outside conditions, Alfie the Dog sat panting and seemed eager to be out in the elements, I didn’t fancy it at all and as Jo opened the car door which the wind tried to wrestle from her grip I considered my small statue, the gale force winds and my inability to fly. Being of a sensible nature I readily volunteered to look after the car and sat cocooned in the dry interior watching my carer and the mutt attempting to walk in the gales.
The first few metres didn’t seem to back when suddenly a gust nearly took my feet from beneath me, Alfie the Dog’s paws left the ground but he didn’t seem phased and I wondered at our lunacy in going any further, but further was where we were going.
Far below I could see the sea lashing against the rock face, for an area known for it’s Puffins, seals and dolphins it seemed very unlikely that we would see anything today. As we fought our way towards the lighthouse the sea was blowing straight at us and all I could taste was salt in my mouth.
The Lighthouse was first built in the early 19th century and is connected to the mainland via a footbridge. When it was completed in 1809, it sat 41 m (135 ft) above the sea on South Stack with its lamp tower standing at 28 m (92 ft).
Originally the only way to cross to the island was in a basket suspended from a hemp cable. In 1828 an iron suspension bridge was built, it was replaced in 1964 with a steel cable truss bridge. However, in 1983 it had to be closed to the public due to safety concerns. After a new aluminium bridge was built, the lighthouse was reopened to the public in 1997. There was no way that we would be allowed access to it today.
As we rounded the corner it was nearly impossible to stay upright and taking a picture with the camera constantly moving was extremely hard work. With hopefully a couple of shoots in the bag to show the mammoth we followed the track back arriving inside the warmth of the car just as the rain started to pour down.
Woolly says – I laughed until my sides hurt at the state of Jo’s hair which would have made a lovely nesting place for a needy puffin, trying to contain my mirth I explained my idea for our next destination. With the weather intensifying there was no way I was going to be getting out of the vehicle unless it involved an inside activity, I had therefore found something that we might enjoy. With Jo in total agreement for once we set off towards Newcombe and the Tacla Taid, the Anglesey Transport and Agriculture Museum. Arfon Williams was a lorry drivers’ son and often accompanied his father on long runs growing up with a love for all forms of transport. At the age of 15 he took his first steps to renovating vehicles when he was given a battered 1949 Ferguson tractor that he completely rebuilt. By 1979 he had enough forms of transport to by require a hay barn to house them all, thirteen years ago, he was faced with a difficult decision. Should he dispose of his personal collection or add to it and create Tacla Taid, a unique museum of transport. In April of 2001 the museum was opened to the public and he has never looked back.
Leaving Jo to wait in the socially distanced line for admission I slipped through the door and into a huge area that smelt wonderfully of cars. All sorts of transport were spread out in front of me from Ford Escorts, to Jaguars with Bentleys squeezed in between, each and every one shone brightly after years of having been well looked after. A whole row of classic mini’s was followed by rows of classic vehicles.
The walls were covered in wheel rims and equipment that had been used over the years had been saved from the skip.
A set of stairs took me upwards to a tractor section with all sizes and shapes on display including the original tractor that had started the whole collection off.
Crossing an open area, I found myself in what are known as the workshops where work continues to preserve transport from the past, some gleaming as though new while others were still being restored. A beautiful old bus took pride of place, one that you would be proud to sit in although it might be missing on the suspension front.
Next door were military vehicles most of which looked in need of a good polish, a huge tank took my eye and as I climbed on top, I felt I could conquer the world.
Outside sat a small plane which was still being worked on, I wondered if one day it might give visitors a ride, now that would be exciting. Just as I thought I had escaped the deluges from above the rain descended again and I raced back to the car closely followed by her who must be obeyed and jumped in before a soaking took place.
We sat inside looking at the rain streaming down and I wondered what we could do next, hoping that the rain might ease I took the brave decision of driving towards a beach that had been recommended keeping my fingers crossed that the monsoon might be easier by the time we arrived.
Woolly says – She’s delusional as we drove nearer and nearer to the sea the weather and wind got worse and worse, the car was being pushed from side to side and I couldn’t see a tusk infront of my face, looking up at Jo I thought it was time one of us made a sensible decision and the look of relief on her face as we took the road back to our overnight area was enough for me to know that she had only been trying to find things for me to see, tomorrow hopefully it might be better, paws crossed.