Tag Archives: historic

Ancient Anglesey – Barclodiad y Gawres

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Continuing our explorations of ancient sites around the Isle of Anglesey, earlier this year we paid a return visit to Barclodiad y Gawres. Not far from our regular haunt in Rhosneigr, on the road to Aberffraw, this ancient tomb is one I’ve visited before – but it’s well worth another, better documented trip.

Barclodiad y Gawres means “The Giantess’s Apronful” in English. There are carparks nearby to reach the site, followed by a short walk along a pretty spectacular coastal path, with great views across the beaches towards Rhosneigr. The monument is visible from the road, and eventually you’ll reach it standing atop a hill.

The entrance is gated, though it is opened up to the public at certain times. You can see inside the tomb regardless, and discern some of the stones within. I’ve not been directly inside yet, but it’s certainly something I’d like to do. Some of the stones contained inside feature patterns made by the ancients – which would be a fantastic thing to see.

The location makes this site an atmospheric viewing. With Porth Trecastell on the far side, it’s surrounded by some wonderful scenery that really makes this a wonderful, magical place. Barclodiad y Gawres is an intriguing place and worth repeated visits – the Jones archeological team shall return.

For more info, visit Cadw.

Berlin Wall: A Piece of History?

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Tat or treasure? That’s what we’re investigating in this edition of the Tat section, here at Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub. We have an item that could be a genuine piece of history, or it could just be pure junk.

The item in question is a piece of the Berlin Wall. Or at least, it claims to be.

Sometime in October 1990, I was on a school trip to Berlin. The wall separating East and West Germany had come down the year before, a momentous event that heralded the end of the Cold War and huge changes in Europe. Studying the Rise of Fascism in Europe as part of my History A Level, a trip to the once and future German capital was an appropriate field trip.

Most of that visit involved my friends and I drinking lots of German beer rather than any serious historical study, but whatever.

Of course, on trips like these, it was customary to take souvenirs home. And what better souvenir than an actual piece of the Berlin wall? At a stall near the Reichstag building and mere feet away from the wall, I bought the small, plastic box shown here, containing brightly coloured fragments of the infamous construct.

I’ve heard since that visit, that the only way to be sure of owning an actual piece of the wall was to hack some of it off yourself. Pick axes were available to hire at the site for that purpose, and indeed some of my friends tried that approach (with little luck).

So the question remains: although bought at the site, is this an actual piece of Berlin wall – or did some unscrupulous Capitalist scumbag spray some random concrete in lurid colours and pass it off to me as the genuine article?

What do you think?

Anglesey Ancient Sites

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Over the last summer, my family and I spent some more time on the Isle of Anglesey in North Wales. Previously, we had visited the ancient burial chamber of Bryn Celli Ddu, which we all felt was an amazing, magical place. And so this year, we were keen to visit some more prehistoric sites on our travels around the island.

Staying as usual in Rhosneigr, our first destination was almost just around the corner, and easy to find. Heading out of Llanfaelog, taking a left turn and travelling along a small lane, Ty Newydd burial chamber was clearly sign posted and no problem to park close by. Hopping over a stone wall, the monument was visible immediately.

Ty Newydd stands in the corner of a field and though brick supports help to hold it up, the site is still impressive. It dates to the Neolithic age and was a communal place to bury the dead. With the capstone lying across the supports, Ty Newydd resembles a mini Stonehenge, and still awe inspiring.

Our first site was very straight forward to discover, encouraged by this and the wonder of standing close to something so unfathomably old, were decided to look for more.

Trefignath tomb was not as simple to locate, but it was definitely worth the effort. We headed up towards Trearddur Bay, and after a few wrong turns, found ourselves near a truck park. We knew the location was nearby, but coudn’t see any signage. With double yellows lining the road, parking was restricted. Pulling into a small turning space, we scouted about and – noticing a similar stone wall to Ty Newydd, could just see the top of the monument.

This site is actually three burial chambers constructed in close proximity throughout different periods of the Neolithic age. Although some of the construction has collapsed, the three chambers are still clearly identifiable and create quite a stirring experience. As per Bryn Celli Ddu, there’s obviously still some relevance here, with flowers and other items left on the site.

Our explorations came to an end eventually, it was time for the intrepid Jones archaeologists to retire. Both sites we had discovered were inspiring to visit, brilliantly magical places that were shrouded in mystery and history alike. There are plenty more ancient monuments to visit in the area, we’ll save those fpor another time.

Find out more about Ty Newydd and Trefignath sites.

Bryn Celli Ddu

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The highlight of my family holiday to Anglesey, North Wales this year was my visit to the ancient burial chamber, Bryn Celli Ddu.

The island of Anglesey (Ynys Môn in Welsh) is famously associated with the druids and ancient Celtic society. Many prehistoric sites can be found dotted around the whole of the island, from standing stones to burial chambers such as this. These sites blend myth and legend with actual history.

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Bryn Celli Ddu dates back to around 3,000 BC, where originally it comprised of a henge –  consisting of a bank, ditch and circle of standing stones. This was replaced around a thousand years later by a mound concealing a tomb, with a passageway leading to the centre. On the summer solstice, light shines directly down the passage to illuminate the central chamber.

We were able to park nearby and took a winding path which eventually opened up into a field. There in the middle of the field was the unmistakable mound of Bryn Celli Ddu. We were able to explore the site, and enter the small passageway to the tomb in the centre of the mound, crouching somewhat to negotiate the low height.

Light seeped in through the entrance, and through a gap in the opposite side. Inside the confined space, previous visitors had left various mementoes of religious or magickal importance, such as feathers, coins and flowers.

There was definitely a feeling that we were somewhere special, somewhere that although we may not understand why, held great significance. We were stood right in the heart of history itself, surrounded by questions and mysteries.

Bryn Celli Ddu is a fascinating place to visit.  It made a huge impression on me, and I intend to visit similar sites in the future.  If you’re in the area, make sure you turn off the main road and follow your way to this ancient and magical site. 

Read more about Bryn Celli Ddu here.

How Do Fossils Form? by Eloise Jones

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A rare guest contribution today, in the form of a piece of school work my daughter, Eloise (aged 10), wrote recently. Home schooling hasn’t been easy, but this piece really brightened my day. Great vocabulary and writing style, Eloise undoubtedly takes after me, haha!

I laughed out loud reading this explanation of how fossils are formed. Hope you enjoy Eloise’s masterpiece, and like meeting her two Tyrannosaurus Rex friends, Mick and Leon.

How Do Fossils Form? by Eloise Jones

So, everyone’s heard of dinosaurs, right? Wait, what did you just say?! You’ve heard of dinosaurs, but you have heard a thing called a fossil AND YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT IT IS?! Well, I might have to tell you because of my obsession with dinosaurs…

Well, it all starts with a dinosaur. Let’s say a herbivore was walking about, same day, no different, running away from dilophosaurus, and let’s go with a parasaurolophus, for a herbivore quite fast. At least 25 MILES PER HOUR! They were having a rest and woke up and said to themself; “YAWN!!! Man, I’m bored of sleeping all the time. OOoOooOo what’s that over there?????” 

He in fact saw the freshest, green, rich bush of leaves in weeks! He hadn’t had any for weeks, and finally a fresh bush would do him good. He ran over, excited. He started eating, and then when he was full, he lied down, full of fresh food. “Man”, he said, “I don’t feel too good”. He laid down, and died. What?! People have to die at some point, and he had been going for weeks without any good food.

THE NEXT DAY.

Two T – rexes were looking for food…

“And then, I pounced on him and did I have a stiff belly in bed that night. But that was the old days, hey, Mick? Eh?”

“Yep, I know about your cousin Rex who wanted to marry a Velocaraptor”.

“Yep, should have known you never listen. Next time I won’t listen to -”

“OH MY! LEON, LOOK!”

“What, you filthy two headed -”

“FOODDDD!!!!!!!!!!!”

“Mick you miracle! I knew you were good for something-”

“Leon, stop telling me about your boring cousin, eh?”

So the two greedy T – rexes saw the food and they ate it up in one go. Then they ran off, not full, looking for more food – (and arguing about Leon’s cousin). But, what happened next? 

Well, that’s a good question. Since the dead body of the parasaurolophus was near a little lake, his bones got washed over with water and later on got turned into mud, his body got turned into stone. Then I think you can guess what happened next. WHAT?! YOU HAVE NO CLUE?! Alright, I’ll tell you.

Millions of years later, archaeologists came into the game, wondering about a question they’ve always asked; Are the bones of a dinosaur still around, buried deep in the ground? Well some very clever archaeologists dug up some bones and named them fossils. Now you get it? Good!

Bye, thank you for reading my funny docs about how fossils have formed over millions of years. Buh – Bye, now! 

Horrible Histories Playlist

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My daughter Eloise had her 8th birthday last weekend.  At the moment, she’s a big fan of the BBC children’s TV series, Horrible Histories, and requested a party based on that theme.

If you’re not familiar with Horrible Histories, let me tell you it’s well worth checking it.  Both funny and informative, the show makes history appeal to kids (and adults) by illuminating some unusual – and sometimes gross – facts from various periods throughout the past.

We’ve all become big fans in our house, actually.  So the party was going to be fun – everyone could dress up as historical characters and entertainment geared to the theme.

Only one thing remained – some music suitable for days gone by.  Not having much music in my collection that was actually from previous ages, I had to dig out some tunes that could fit the bill.  Here’s what I came up with…

  1. Hanna-Barbera – “(Meet) The Flintstones [Main Title]”
  2. The Bangles – “Walk Like an Egyptian”
  3. Mikis Theodorakis – “Zorbas”
  4. Iron Maiden – “Alexander the Great”
  5. ABBA – “Waterloo”
  6. Chuck Berry – “Roll Over Beethoven”
  7. Boney M. – “Rasputin”
  8. Clutch – “Abraham Lincoln”
  9. Trio Guadalajara – “La Bamba”
  10. De Danaan – “The Cameronian Reel/The Doon Reel”
  11. Iron Maiden – “Ghengis Khan”
  12. Mariachi Mexico de Pepe Villa – “El Jarbe Tapatio (Mexican Hat Dance)”
  13. Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers – “Egyptian Reggae”
  14. Madness – “Night Boat to Cairo” 
  15. Sweet – “Alexander Graham Bell”
  16. Rodrigo Y Gabriela – “Vikingman”
  17. Iron Maiden – “Invaders”
  18. The Kinks – “Victoria”
  19. Boney M. – “Ma Baker”
  20. Sweet – “Wig Wam Bam”
  21. Mikis Theodorakis – “Varka Sto Gialo”
  22. Bananarama – “Venus”
  23. Tom Jones – “Delilah”
  24. The Beatles – “Roll Over Beethoven”
  25. Christina Aguilera – “Candyman”
  26. The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra – “The Raiders March”
  27. Eric Rogers – “Carry On Cleo”
  28. Eric Rogers – “Carry On Up the Khyber”

Ok, so some of those tracks are less scraping the barrell and more like digging the dust on an archaeological dig, but it did the job.  Basically, without Iron Maiden I’d have been screwed…

Ye Olde Kings Head – Mostly Haunted

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Ye Olde Kings Head

Chester

Would you dare to stay a night in a 300 year old pub, in one of it’s most haunted bedrooms?  Sound like fun?  I wasn’t 100% convinced, but that’s what Mrs Platinum Al and I decided to do recently.

You’re familiar with Most Haunted, right?  Where Yvette Fielding and her intrepid group of paranormal investigators visit aged buildings to discover what ghostly goings on they can find?  Well Ye Olde Kings Head in Chester, was featured on the programme not too long ago.  We watched the programme and were intrigued by the various strange occurrences the team observed.

So Mrs Platinum Al decided she wanted to stay the night there.  In the room that was supposedly the most active with things that go bump in the night…

Not like that, you smutty lot!

Ye Olde Kings Head is a wonderful looking building in the Tudor style – dark wooden beams highlighting the architecture.  Inside, the pub also has a real Olde Worlde, traditional style with plenty more wooden beams, comfy chairs and an open fire.  It is indeed very charming – you would swear you’re on a film set if you didn’t know better.  There’s also a well stocked bar, live music and a friendly welcome. 

We were staying in Room 1 – supposedly the most active in the paranormal activity stakes.  The room featured an enormous four poster bed and antique looking furniture.  There were yet more old wooden beams visible, these ones a bit lower – OK for any headless spirits.  An excellent spacious bathroom completed the impressive amenities.  All very cosy and not at all spooky, I wasn’t nervous at all.

Now I’m not necessarily a believer in the supernatural.  There’s usually a plausible real world explanation for most weird events.  However I’m not a total nay-sayer either; I’m certainly interested, and if something truly bizarre occurred I’d accept it.  But it would have to be pretty out of this world and happen right in front of my eyes.

After a few drinks and a top notch evening meal, we retired to our room to begin our own paranormal investigations.  With a glass of wine (or two) for Dutch courage, we waited to see if anything would happen.  We closely observed everything in the room to see if any objects had moved.

In true Derek Acorah style, we attempted some “calling out”.  You  know, all that “Is there anybody there?” malarkey.  No, I can’t believe I did that either.  I assured our ghostly hosts – if they were there – that we meant no harm and were only curious if they would like to make contact.

Unfortunately, nothing happened.  No otherworldly voices, no items moving of their own inexplicable accord.

Although just as we were falling asleep, the television switched itself on.

Now that occurrence might be explainable in many ways: a faulty TV for one.  But the fact that the same thing had happened on the Most Haunted episode had us intrigued.  I’m not saying I was convinced, but it was an interesting coincidence.

I then fell asleep in the giant four poster, easily the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in.  Happily I slept right the way through; my main concern of this visit was having to go for a wee, in the dark, in the middle of the night.

In the morning we had a great full English breakfast and were ready for a new day.

Our investigation at Ye Olde Kings Head didn’t deliver much in the way of ghostly goings on, but we definitely had a brilliant time.  We were well looked after, with the food and drinks being excellent.  Both the pub and the room we stayed in were really warm with an almost magical ambience.

We’ll definitely visit again, and attempt some further paranormal investigations.  Perhaps it was a little disappointing that we didn’t experience anything strange.  But we both had a relaxing break in a really good pub, and that’s good enough for me.

The website for Ye Olde Kings Head is here.

The Facebook page for Ye Olde Kings Head is here.

Ye Olde Kings Head, 48-50 Lower Bridge Street, Chester CH1 1RS

Tel: 01244 324855