Day Fourteen – Saturday, 26 May 2012

Brecon

Weather – glorious sunshine with some wind

Temperature – mid twenties

After yesterday’s afternoon sleep we never thought we would sleep in….but we did.  I had to get David to check my watch which read 8.40am!! We quickly dressed and made it to the breakfast room before 9am.  Laundry was then collected in town as we’d left it for the lady to wash yesterday afternoon.  Everything came back clean (not ironed) for eight pound ten.

We booked a canal boat ride yesterday afternoon and just as well we did as the boat was fully booked.  The canal runs only a short distance behind the B&B we are staying at.  The ride lasted two and a half hours wending its way through the pretty green countryside and passed other boats and ducks.  Cyclists and walkers passed us as the maximum speed is 4mph!  This delightful little canal was restored in the 1950s as it fell into disuse and silting due to its closure in the mid-1900s.  Steam trains ended its demise as a commercial venture to transport coal.  The trip took 2 ½ hours with a stopover to turn the canal boat around.  The canal follows the Taff Trail and we saw many walkers and cyclists enjoying the sunshine – one group of about fifteen women cyclists were dressed as Spiderman however we had no idea why.

How about this....green green fields on a sunny day!

We hopped out to take photos and to allow the boat to turn around.

The boat owner had a little dog named Syd who knew the routine so well that he anticipated when to get off and on when it came to adjusting the lock.  The lock’s water depth had a variance of 3.1 metres so we descended on the way up the canal and rose on the way back.

A spectacular view from the train showing The Beacons in the distance.

It was then back into town to buy a takeaway roll and head to Brecon Mountain Railway near Merthyr Tydfil.  The railway is one of the so-called Great Little Trains of Wales and is one of ten lines passionately restored by steam train enthusiasts.  It’s a great way to see wonderful scenery and the Brecon line enters the Brecon Beacons National Park giving good views of the famous Beacons (mountains).  The engine was built in 1908 and came from East Germany.  The area houses a shed where two other engines are being restored.  The conductor was a dead ringer for the Fat Controller but I thought it a bit impolite to ask him for a photo however he did look the part – a dark suit, big tummy, tie and railway man’s hat!

Henry?  Thomas?  Percival?

Our day was running to schedule and we had a quick freshen up before a drink and bite to eat at the pub up the road.  It was then onto the highlight of our day – a concert at St Mary’s church with two Welsh choirs and some soloists.  The event was to raise funds to build a Welsh memorial on Flanders Fields as they are not represented there.  Twenty thousand Welsh soldiers perished on French fields so a memorial is definitely overdue!  The design has been agreed upon and will be three slabs of slate surrounded by the Welsh dragon and inscribed in English, French and Welsh.

St Mary's or otherwise known as The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin 

Two choirs performed on the evening - a male choir (Talgarth Choir) and a mixed choir (Cor Rygbi Gogledd Cymru).  Songs included This is the Moment, Song of the Jolly Roger, Stout-hearted Men and The Lord is my Shepherd.  It was great to hear Stout-hearted Men as my father used to sing the first two lines (Shoulder to shoulder and bolder and bolder, They grow as they go to the fore) and I’d never heard the rest!  Another was my grandmother’s favourite (The Holy City) and was sung exquisitely by the soloist Erin Mai.  I’m sure she would be on youtube if readers wanted to see her talent.

The evening ended with both choirs singing together with the finale being the Welsh national anthem – Land of My Fathers.  Everyone sang and the air was electric.

We wandered back to our B&B very happy chappies after such a wonderful day.