Save the Mumbles Big Apple!

Image by mr-numb via Flickr

Recently, one of Swansea Bay and Gower's best-loved landmarks, the Mumbles Big Apple, suffered severe damage when some fool drove their car into it.

Beloved by several generations of locals and tourists alike, the iconic Mumbles Big Apple may now have to be demolished. Fellow Gower blogger, Chris Elphick, has started an online petition, to be presented to the owners of the Mumbles Big Apple, and the nearby Mumbles Pier, in a bid to save the Apple. If you'd like to help save this iconic landmark, please sign the petition.

You can learn more about the Big Apple's history, and see images of the damage, here.

Apologies

My apologies to anyone who has been trying to view this site in recent days, and has simply come across a screen full of random characters. A script I'd added to my template, to format my blog posts, had either become corrupted, or been hacked. Whatever went wrong, the result was a random jumble of symbols and gobbledygook filling the whole blog. The script was removed as soon as I became aware of the problem, and all appears to be back to normal. My apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Gower Peninsula: King Arthur restaurant review

The King Arthur Hotel is a traditional country inn. Located in Reynoldston, at the heart of the Gower Peninsula, the hotel has a reputation for good, home-cooked food, and a wide choice of traditional ales. The hotel also provides accommodation, and an al fresco dining area.

The first thing that strikes you about the King Arthur, is its warm atmosphere, and friendly, courteous staff. The menu is varied and extensive, with an emphasis on locally sourced produce, such as locally-caught seafood, and local Welsh beef. There is also an extensive wine list, a children's menu, and a generous range of vegetarian options. All dishes are very reasonably priced, and it is possible to enjoy a three-course meal, with a couple of drinks, for around £20 per head.

Our starters arrived quite quickly after ordering. I sampled the cockles and laverbread, which arrived topped with bacon and melted cheese, served in a ramekin, with a side salad, sippets of bread, and a portion of Welsh butter. Laverbread, made from seaweed, is by its very nature, a little on the gritty side. However, the four main ingredients were combined in well balanced proportions, and proved such a flavoursome combination, that the tiny bit of grittiness did not detract from my enjoyment of the dish. In fact, I thoroughly recommend it.

The starter was surprisingly filling, so I was grateful for the slight delay before the arrival of the main course. I opted for traditional pub fare - a home-cooked lasagne, with chips and side salad. My food arrived well-presented, hot, and surprisingly tasty. The lasagne was cooked to perfection, with no hint of the dryness or overcooking which so often spoils restaurant lasagne. The meat sauce filling was generous, and of an ideal consistency, neither too runny, nor too dry. The cheese sauce topping was also just right - it complemented the pasta and the meat sauce, without dominating.

The King Arthur offers a generous dessert menu, ranging from traditional treacle sponge pudding with custard, to more sophisticated options, such as apricot and almond tart. Options also include locally-produced Joe's ice cream, available in more than a dozen flavours. I opted for the Turkish delight flavour, which was delicious. My companions all ordered treacle pudding with custard. There was a fairly long delay between the ordering of the desserts, and them actually arriving at our table, but the convivial atmosphere and friendly service more than made up for the slight inconvenience.

Overall, I would thoroughly recommend the restaurant at the King Arthur Hotel. It makes for a relaxed and enjoyable dining experience. What more could you ask for than tasty food, served in a clean, cosy and welcoming traditional inn, by efficient and friendly staff?

The King Arthur Hotel, Higher Green, Reynoldston, Gower, Swansea, SA3 1AD. Tel. 01792 390775, email info@kingarthurhotel.co.uk.

Gower Peninsula: the Verry Volk

The Gower Peninsula is a region rich in folklore. One of its more endearing legends, is that of the Gower Verry Volk - fairy folk. Local mythology describes these little people as capricious, lively, and fond of music, dancing and general merriment. W. Y. Evans-Wentz gave an interesting insight into the lore of the Verry Volk, in this excerpt from his book, The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries, now in the public domain, due to antiquity.

In the Gower Peninsula, Glamorganshire

Our investigations in Glamorganshire cover the most interesting part, the peninsula" of Gower, where there are peculiar folklore conditions, due to its present population being by ancestry English and Flemish as well as Cornish and Welsh. Despite this race admixture, Brythonic beliefs have generally survived in Gower even among the non-Cults; and because of the Cornish element there are pixies, as shown by the following story related to me in Swansea by Mr. —, a well-known mining engineer:

Pixies

"At Newton, near the Mumbles (in Gower), an old woman, some twenty years ago, assured me that she had seen the pixies. Her father's grey mare was standing in the trap before the house ready to take some produce to the Swansea market, and when the time for departure arrived the pixies had come, but no one save the old woman could see them. She described them to me as like tiny men dancing on the mare's back and climbing up along the mare's mane. She thought the pixies some kind of spirits who made their appearance in early morning; and all mishaps to cows she attributed to them."

Testimony from an Archaeologist

The Rev. John David Davis, rector of Llanmadoc and Cheriton parishes, and a member of the Cambrian Archaeological Society, has passed many years in studying the antiquities and folklore of Gower, being the author of various antiquarian works; and he is without doubt the oldest and best living authority to aid us. The Rector very willingly offers this testimony:

Pixies and "Verry Volk"

"In this part of Gower, the name Tylwyth Teg is never used to describe fairies; Verry Volk is used instead. Some sixty years ago, as I can remember, there was belief in such fairies here in Gower, but now there is almost none. Belief in apparitions still exists to some extent. One may also hear of a person being pixy-led; the pixies may cause a traveller to lose his way at night if he crosses a field where they happen to be. To take your coat off and turn it inside out will break the pixy spell. (1)

The Verry Volk were always little people dressed in scarlet and green; and they generally showed themselves dancing on moonlight nights. I never heard of their making changelings, though they had the power of doing good or evil acts, and it was a very risky thing to offend them. By nature they were benevolent."

(1) The same remedy is prescribed in Brittany when mischievous lutins or corrigans lead a traveller astray, in Ireland when the good people lead a traveller astray; and at Rollright, Oxfordshfre, England, an old woman told me that it is efficacious against being led astray through witchcraft. Obviously the fairy and witch spell are alike.

A "Verry Volk" Feast

"I heard the following story many years ago: The tenant on the Eynonsford Farm here in Gower had a dream one night, and in it thought he heard soft sweet music and the patter of dancing feet. Waking up, he beheld his cow-shed, which opened off his bedroom, filled with a multitude of little beings, about one foot high, swarming all over his fat ox, and they were preparing to slaughter the ox. He was so surprised that he could not move. In a short time the Verry Volk had killed, dressed, and eaten the animal. The feast being over, they collected the hide and bones, except one very small leg-bone which they could not find, placed them in position, then stretched the hide over them; and, as the farmer looked, the ox appeared as sound and fat as ever, but when he let it out to pasture in the morning he observed that it had a slight lameness in the leg lacking the missing bone." (1)

(1) The same sort of a story as this is told in Lower Brittany, where the corrigans or lutins slaughter a farmer's fat cow or ox and invite the farmer to partake of the feast it provides. If he does so with good grace and humour, he finds his cow or ox perfectly whole in the morning, but if he refuses to join the feast or joins it unwillingly, in the morning he is likely to find his cow or ox actually dead and eaten.

Fairies among Gower English Folk

The population of the Llanmadoc region of Gower are generally English by ancestry and speech; and not until reaching Llanmorlais, beyond Llanridian, did I find anything like an original Celtic and Welsh-speaking people, and these may have come into that part within comparatively recent times; and yet, as the above place-names tend to prove, in early days all these regions must have been Welsh.

It may be argued, however, that this English-speaking population may be more Celtic than Saxon, even though emigrants from England. In any case, we can see with interest how this so-called English population now echo Brythonic beliefs which they appear to have adopted in Gower, possibly sympathetically through race kinship; and the following testimony offered by Miss Sarah Jenkins, postmistress of Llanmadoc, will enable us to do so:

Dancing with Fairies

"A man, whose Christian name was William, was enticed by the fairy folk to enter their dance, as he was on his way to the Swansea market in the early morning. They kept him dancing some time, and then said to him before they let him go, "Will dance well; the last going to market and the first that shall sell."

And though be arrived at the market very late, be was the first to sell anything."

Fairy Money

"An old woman, whom I knew, used to find money left by the fairies every time they visited her house. For a long time she observed their request, and told no one about the money; but at last she told, and so never found money afterwards.

Nature of Fairies

The fairies (verry volk) were believed to have plenty of music and dancing. Sometimes they appeared dressed in bright red. They could appear and disappear suddenly, and no one could tell how or where."

Sadly, there have been no recent reports of any Verry Volk sightings on the Gower Peninsula. Local lore blames this fact on the coming of the motor car, the general modernisation of the peninsula, as well as the massive influx of visitors into this once remote region. According to local mythology, the last known appearance of the Verry Volk, was at Lagadantra farm.

Lagadantra lies at the end of the narrow lane that runs past St. Madoc's church, in the village of Llanmadoc. The farm is in a remote location, close to the dunes of Broughton Bay. Legend relates how the farmer's wife one day received a visit from a peculiar-looking and diminutive elderly woman. The visitor requested the loan of a sieve, in order to pan for gold. The farmer's wife said she didn't have a sieve, but the old woman reminded her that she had one which she used to strain hops.

The farmer's wife began to suspect her strange-looking visitor, with a seeming sixth sense, was in fact one of the verry volk. After all, how else could this peculiar stranger know she had a sieve, and what she used it for? Fearful of incurring the wrath of the verry volk, the farmer's wife cleaned the sieve and gave it to her visitor.

The old woman returned to the farm the next week, and gave the sieve back. She thanked the farmer's wife and revealed that she was, indeed, one of the Gower Peninsula's elusive verry volk. The old lady promised the farmer's wife, that in return for her kindness, Lagadantra's biggest beer barrel would never run dry - provided the latter never revealed the reason for this good fortune to another person. Like many fairy folk in different parts of the world, the secretive verry volk were said to reward those who showed them kindness, but to retract any reward if they broke their confidence.

Lagadantra's beer became the stuff of legends in more ways than one. It became known for its potency, and a capacity to inspire drinkers to dance and cavort with fairy-like zeal. Local legend relates that Lagadantra's magical beer enticed both customers and tenants away from local inns and hostelries, leaving them empty. Sadly, however, this chapter in Lagadantra's history was to be short-lived. The farmer himself became intrigued as to why the farm's biggest beer barrel was always full. Upon asking his wife, she unfortunately revealed the secret pact between her and the verry volk woman. That was the end of Lagadantra's good fortune, and the beer barrel ran dry.

Gower Peninsula: food

The Gower Peninsula offers holidaymakers and locals many gastronomic delights. Too many, in fact, to cover in one article. So, over the coming weeks and months, I'll be publishing various food-themed articles, which, hopefully, will add up to a useful guide for locals and visitors alike.

One good thing about visiting, or living close to a place like the Gower Peninsula, is the wide variety of locally produced food available. Many of the local farms grow and sell their own vegetables, fruit, meat, dairy and other produce, offering a nice alternative to the mass-produced goods available in local groceries and supermarkets.

One place I hope to visit soon, as I'll have access to a car, is Crickton Farm Shop, located at Crickton Farm in Llanrhidian, which is on North Gower. I believe the shop is open to the public on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The farm is quite easy to find. If you approach the village of Llanrhidian via the North Gower road from Swansea, on the left-hand side, you will see signs directing you to the farm, just before you enter the village. The shop sells a wide choice of vegetables grown at the farm, as well as Welsh cheeses, beers and preserves. If you have any queries about the shop and its produce, you can call 01792 390136.

Another place I'm hoping to visit this year, is Nicholston Farm, located just off the South Gower road, between Penmaen and Oxwich. I've passed there many a time and seen their enticing sign, but having always been dependent upon public transport, I've never stopped off and visited. There is a farm shop, as well as a cafe that comes highly recommended. The farm also offers you the chance to pick your own fruit and vegetables, especially soft fruits. The availability of pick your own is roughly 10th June to 25th July. I understand the farm often also has plants for sale in the spring/early summer. For further information, call 01792 371209, or check out the website (link above).

If you like lamb, you might want to try some award-winning Gower Salt Marsh lamb from Weobley Castle Farm. The sheep graze on marshland near to Weobley Castle, and thrive on a unique diet of saltmarsh grasses, samphire, sorrel, sea lavender and thrift. I'm reliably informed that this diet contributes to a fine-flavoured lamb, much sought after by top chefs and gourmets alike. The lamb is delivered to order, within 24 hours. If you wish to collect the lamb directly from the farm, this may only be done by prior arrangement. Contact information is available here.

The above are just a sample of what the Gower Peninsula has to offer in the way of fine local produce. I hope to uncover information about more local food producers over the coming weeks and months, and will be certain to pass my findings on. Happy dining!

Gower Peninsula: new buses for Gower Explorer route

The Gower Explorer bus timetable (link opens PDF) is to be expanded, from April 2009. This is a much-needed expansion, and it's good to see such changes being implemented.

From April 12th, a new early walkers' service, serving South Gower, will run on Sundays and Bank Holidays. This additional service will leave Swansea's Quadrant bus station at 9am on Sundays and Bank Holidays, and will serve Oxwich Bay, Port Eynon and Rhossili. The bus will return from Rhossili at 10.07am, via Oxwich Bay, to Swansea.

From April 14th, a new late bus will be introduced, serving South Gower. Every day (except Sundays and Bank Holidays), this new service will leave Port Eynon at 8.37pm, Rhossili at 8.50pm, and Oxwich at 9.10pm, and will end its journey at Swansea's Quadrant bus station.

It's good to see the Gower Explorer bus service being expanded in this way. It means people can now enjoy a day out on Gower, and unwind in a pub or restaurant afterwards, without having to rush off for a ridiculously early last bus.

More information on the new Gower bus services.

Gower Peninsula: Rhossili in March

After my visit to Port Eynon, a few days ago, I decided to venture further along the Gower Peninsula, to Rhossili. It was almost as hazy at Rhossili, as it had been at Port Eynon.

My main reason for heading to Rhossili, was to get some close shots of the Old Rectory. Alas, as on every other occasion I've tried to get such shots, the area close to the Rectory was overrun with cattle. I could see some walkers in the distance, who passed the cows without incident.


As I edged further along the path towards the Rectory, I decided not to risk passing the cows, as I had my little dog with me, and didn't know how he and the cows would react to one another. Cows can sometimes behave aggressively to dogs and their owners, so it was a risk I wasn't prepared to take.


I headed back uphill, passing this old building. For some reason, I had it fixed in my head that it's an old woollen mill, but further research suggests it's the old rocket shed, used by the Rhossili rocket crew, the forerunners of the present-day coastguard. If you're interested in shipwrecks around the Gower coast, I suggest you visit Chris Elphick's excellent Welcome to Gower site. He has numerous articles about the various shipwrecks and their visible remains, around the Gower coast.


Passing a hedgerow, I managed to snap a shot of a male house sparrow, who seemed blissfully unaware of my presence.


I'll end this post with a shot of my little Shih Apso (Shih Tzu-Lhasa Apso hybrid), Jake, enjoying the view across Rhossili Bay.


If you haven't visited the Gower Peninsula yet, add it to your to-do list. You won't regret it!