Wales Beckons

05/07/2025

It could be a lunchtime walk from the office for us. Could be for you, too, as part of your holiday to Wales we make specialy for you.
Get in touch. :-)

04/07/2025

An interesting and, it seems, little known fact about Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain, from our friends at Welsh Histories this morning.
We'll bet you didn't know that the mountain was named after a Welshman!
And, through our long haul hoiday division, 'NEI UK to...', we can even arrange a holiday when you can see Mount Everest from Nepal for yourself.

It was on this day (4 July) in 1790 when Colonel George Everest (pronounced "Eve-rest") was born in Crucywel (Crickhowell), Powys.

Did you know that the common name for the world's tallest mountain comes from a Welshman?

Whilst I prefer to use its native Nepali name, Sagarmāthā (sagar meaning "river", māthāmeaning "mother"), the tallest mountain - commonly referred to in the west as "Mt Everest" - comes from the Welsh surveyor, George Everest, who helped with mapping the mountain.

Everest actually opposed the mountain being named after him, instead preferring a native name. His attempts to argue in favour of a native name proved unsuccessful, likely because there were multiple native names across each of Tibet, Nepal and India.

23/05/2025

You might be wondering why this is being posted on this page? The answer is that we, for many years, have been aware of the dire consequences arising out of the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1959. At the time of the building of the children's school in Dharamsala, another school, in Leh in Ladakh, was also being established for the children of those Tibetans forced to flee their homeland. That school is floushishing and Peter and I were glad to be able to visit it last year. The pupils are now grandchildren, even great grandchildren, of those original exiles and a nicer bunch of children it would be hard to find. The school in Leh is very well equipped and the Head of the school responded very positively when told about the scheme we are developing to bring together children at schools such as his, via digital means, with schools here in Wales. This we are calling E-pals. If you are associated with a school here in Wales which would like to begin conversations with children from a very different area of the world, please get in touch and we have make the necessary introductions for you.

08/03/2025

This amazing college is the first to be collaborating with a school here in Wales on a venture, still in its early phases, to bring together, digitally, students from La Martiniere and Cefn Hengoed school here in Swansea. We have called it E-pals, giving a nod to the old Penpal arrangements made when some of us were young too. We have other schools in India which are waiting to join in this exciting venture, so if you are in volved in the running of a school or college here in Wales and this scheme interests you, please do get in touch.

01/03/2025

With Wales widely recognising our Patron Saint's Day, our best wishes go out to all who are celebrating this special day. Today we should also remember his sage words "gwenewch y pethau bychain" meaning 'do the little things'.

The ancient history of Wales is the subject of much investigation and comment and one woman who has investigated more than most is our friend the Reverend Dr Caroline Jones. Caroline has written a book called Time to Tell: St Davids Diocese in 100 objects. This is a beautifully written book and the basis of our tour 'Wellbeing in Wales'. It is a fascinating history of Wales in mediaeval times and it is fascinating how much evidence still exists.

We are expecting to be able to arrange a small group tour for September 2025 to cover some of Caroline's findings. The tour will be led by Caroline herself. Please contact us for further details. www.walesbeckons.co.uk or ring us on 01269 823355.

The photographs below are icons of St David himself and his mother St Non and were painted by the talented Caroline. She has her own small studio and holds sessions to show you how to paint these beautiful icons yourself. Again, for further information contact us as above and we will be pleased to put you in touch with Caroline.

26/01/2025

A fun piece of video for you today!!

25/01/2025

Happy Santes Dwynwen's Day

Every year on 25 January we celebrate Dydd Santes Dwynwen in Wales. On this day Wales' patron saint of love, Dwynwen, is commemorated with an exchange of cards, gifts and other romantic activities.
The story of Santes Dwynwen is inherently linked with the romantic Ynys Llanddwyn on Ynys Môn (Anglesey), where Dwynwen set up a convent, the remains of which which can still be seen today

11/01/2025

Fabulous news from Michael Sheen yesterday. He truly is an inspiration to all Welsh people.
Thank you Mr. Sheen.

Wales is lucky to have Michael Sheen. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿❤️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Hollywood actor Michael Sheen is funding a new theatre company to fill the gap left by the folding of National Theatre Wales.
He will be the artistic director of Welsh National Theatre, which will aim to tell "big stories on big stages for big audiences".
The first production, due in autumn 2026 and starring Sheen himself, will be announced in the coming months.
National Theatre Wales said it had "ceased to exist" last month after £1.6m in cuts to its core funding from Arts Council Wales.

31/10/2024

With thanks to Welsh Histories for this insight into the origins of The Mabiniogion.

It would be regretful if I didn't reshare this excellent Mabinogion map on Halloween.

For those unaware: the Mabinogion is a collection of the earliest known Welsh prose stories dating between the 11th and 12th centuries and they help to make up the Matter of Britain.

The stories themselves date far older as they are made up from some of the oral traditions which had been present in Welsh lands for centuries, if not longer. Many date to a time when the ancient Britons roamed the lands and these stories would have been spoken in the Brythonic tongue, the parent language of Cymraeg.

(Credits: Artist Margaret Jones & National Library of Wales - Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru, https://www.library.wales/index.php?id=13491)

31/10/2024

Bet you didn't know about the Welsh Hallowe'en? It is mentioned in the annuls of King Hywel Dda (Howell the Good) several centuries ago.
Many thanks to Welsh Histories for this posting today and hope they are OK with us sharing the knowledge.
Happy Hallowe'en everyone.

01/09/2024

What more could a tour operator ask for? Wales makes it very east for us to promote our country. Have a look at our website www.walesbeckons.co.uk and if there is not enough information there, we'll be surprised but get in touch and we can discuss your particular interest in visiting Wales. We're a Welsh company and are biased but you can rest assured that whether it's ancestry, adventure or castles which interest you, we can satisfy all your requirements for a memorable holiday. Ring us soon on (44) 01269 823355 and lets talk. www.visitwales.co.uk

The beach at Rhossili Bay has been repeatedly named in lists of the best in the UK, Europe and even the world, and it's not hard to see why