newsletter #3 | Shoots of spring, Nature Writing & Lightfoots first event of 2022.
It would seem that the shoots of spring are starting to sprout.
I’m always hesitant about building up my hopes when the first signs of the sun come around. It feels like every year I get more optimistic when we get a period of warmth but come April we get more bad weather. If the pattern follows as expected then here’s hoping it all washes away by May when I’m due to walk the Welsh Coast to Coast.
I attended an interesting Nature Writing workshop from the Field Studies Council in Bristol. As well as catching a really bad cold that had me resting for two weeks, something I wrote was compared to Robert MacFarlane. I didn’t let it go to my head as I’m no RM but when the man himself tweeted about hearing his first Skylark of the spring and asked if anyone else had, I replied. I sent him a link to this short bit I wrote on my blog. He only went and responded!!! He had read it (it’s not long) and gave it a thumbs up. The small things sometimes give you a bit of validation.
Finally, Lightfoot Adventures (our indie outdoor company) ran its first walk of the year here in the Brecons. We took up a lovely group up to Waun Fach via Y Grib (the Dragons Back ridge) It was a blue sky day with some amazing views across the national park (see photo above)
Here is a roundup of things.
My Writing
Gateway - I wrote about some time we spent in North Wales exploring the upland around Penmaenmawr. It is the gateway to the Carneddau range and felt like a different place from the busy roads around Conwy.
Like Armour - A short piece about an old hawthorn tree and its battle with a bramble.
Haiku, Spiders - My attempt at writing some haiku. The subject was spiders. Writing poetry is new to me and not something I normally do so this was an interesting exercise.
(all links are now removed)
Other Interesting Links
Lost At Sea - The story of a town in Dulwich that was lost to the sea.
Vanishing Oaks - Mexico has more species of oak trees than any other country. This is an article on why saplings of its most well-loved oak species have disappeared.
Wellbeing Walks - A piece from UKC on those helping the vulnerable get access to the outdoors.
Cold as a Mountain Top - Great audio on BBC sounds. Follow Robert Macfarlane as he climbs Buachaille Etive Mor, following in WH Murray’s footsteps.
Books I’ve Read & Enjoyed
Anna Fleming, Time On Rock - I really enjoyed this book. Some brilliant writing about Anna’s journey into climbing and the relationship she has with the rock. The characterisation Anna puts into the areas she climbs really comes out. Up there with Nan Shepherd and Rob Macfarlane.
Anthony Bourdain, A Cooks Tour - I love Antony’s TV show Parts Unknown (and previous iterations) and this book acts as an anthology to some of the earlier episodes, adding more detail and stuff they didn’t show. His writing has had a big impact on me and he is a big miss in the world.
That’s it for now. Thanks for reading. Get outside, explore and stay safe. Till next time.
Paul