Anglesey Visit September 2017

 

On 17 September, forty four members and friends of Chelmsford and District Welsh Society set out on the long journey to Ynys Mon (Anglesey) to enjoy a three day visit, originally planned for May by the then President, Arthur Williams. They stayed in Beaumaris at the Grade 1 listed Bulkeley Hotel, which was built as a Georgian Showpiece for the visit by Princess Victoria to perform the opening ceremony for Telford’s 1826  Menai Bridge, the first modern suspension bridge in the world. Arthur had planned an exciting itinerary: on the first full day a coach trip through the beautiful Nant Francon Pass and Llanberis Pass followed by a one hour trip through stunning scenery on the Snowdon Mountain Railway to the summit of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), and then a visit to a Slate Museum; on the following day, a cruise on the Menai Straits, which separates Anglesey from the mainland, under the Menai Bridge and Stephenson’s 19th Century Britannia Bridge, followed by a conducted tour of Anglesey led by the archaeologist Rhys Mwyn, which included a tour of an RNLI  boat house and a visit to a prehistoric copper mine. Excellent musical entertainment was provided after dinner on each evening: on the first evening Brodyr Magee, five brothers whose ages ranged from 20 to 6, gave a captivating vocal and instrumental performance; on the second evening, Meibion (Sons of) Goronwy a male voice choir formed a year ago: and on the final evening, another local male voice choir, Cor Meibion Y Foel.