TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART

So, Gaynor Hopkins, 

You held out for a hero, 

Left Skewen,

Met Bobby,

Moved to Mumbles,

And eventually became 

Lost in Portugal.

It is, indeed, a heartache.

(After E J Thribb.)

EFFI O BLAENAU (Film review - spoilers)

Effi o Blaenau 8.1

Off to see this much lauded Welsh drama @ the Taliesin. I read a glowing review recently, and then it popped up on the Taliesin's schedule. It's in Welsh with English subtitles. 

It's a retelling of Iphigenia in splott, it's set in North Wales. 

The Grauniad review here gave it 4 stars

I'd give it 9/10. Outstanding. Superb acting, wonderful scenery, real, witty dialogue, even though it was subtitled. Sad, gritty & uplifting all in one film. I'm not sure that I catch the links to Euripides, tho. Catch it if you can. 

 

FOOTBALL HAS A HEART?

The next global superstar, (?) Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana (born 13 July 2007) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a right winger or right midfielder for La Liga club Barcelona and the Spain national team. He is regarded as one of the best players in the world.

Niiiice. 

I have often thought that football is the sport of the underdog, the dispossessed, those from the wrong side of the tracks. Coincidentally, if you plot player birthplaces, the greatest number of players in world cup 2026 come from the suburbs of Paris. You're welcome. 

TOURIST AGAIN

A great article from BBC Sport on TDF 2026, today, including maps of the route. I suppose that after the excitement of the Frank gig, and Wales's 3rd win, I should go back to following Le Grande Boucle again. 

Can Poj win a record equalling 5th Tour? Time will tell.

CWRW'R WYTHNOS HANNER CANT

 

BLAIR MURRY CHANNELS HIS INNER RED PANDA

 

When you're tiny, you have to look as big as possible in the face of enemies.

CASTLEHUNTING 12 & 13

Another epic ride today. Off Castle Hunting for Hari again, but this time ruined Abbeys in the care of Cadw.

Firstly Talley, just North of Llandeilo, then on to Strata Florida, upside of Lampeter. Not much to see @ Talley, but Strata Florida was outstanding. 

Talley

Strata Florida 

The route?

149 miles, 4.5 hours, niiiiiice.

MY NAME IS....

RRS Ernest Shackleton - British Antarctic Survey 

We spotted this little boat on outr trip to Italy. If you look carefully, you can make our the former name:- RRS Ernest Shackleton. It seems that the vessel was leased? rented? from owners, Norwegian shipping company G C Rieber Shipping by the BAC for 20 years. Then it was punted out to the Italians.

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER RIDE

 

Took this bad boy for a test drive today. A Yamaha tracer 9GT Sport Tourer. Yamaha dealer offered me a free entry into a £10k prize draw if I took a test ride, and as my ride was in their workshop for fitting of a topbox, I thought it better than sitting, waiting, drinking shit coffee. I asked the salesman where to go, & he suggested Brecon, so, challenge accepted!

Took me 1hour 45mins - I think I need to adjust google settings for motorbike riding :-))

VIIKON OLUT VIISIKYMENTä

 

RAG & RIDE 2026 ed 2

Allora, I've plucked up the courage to go on my first 'Run - Out' (I think that's what they can be called). My local Cafe owner, and incidentally the purchaser of my trusty old CBR600F, has organised a 150ish mile jaunt along some of South Wales's legendary biker routes. He's called it Rag & Ride, similarly to his Cafe, Rag & Bone, and this is the second edition.

From the deion:-

Firstly, thank you for signing up to the Rag & Ride. We have a fantastic day planned and can't wait to share some of our favourite roads with you.

The idea behind this ride is simple: good roads, good people and a great day out on two wheels.

We'll meet at Rag & Bone from 9:00am where we'll kick things off with a bacon roll and a coffee before heading out on an epic route through some of the very best roads Wales has to offer. Expect stunning scenery, flowing roads and plenty of opportunities to enjoy your bike in great company.

This is very much a full-day adventure, with stops planned for fuel, refreshments and a chance to catch up with fellow riders.

We'll eventually make our way back south and finish at The Three Golden Cups in Southerndown for a well-earned drink and a chance to relive the day's highlights.

Good roads. Great company. Ride safe.

See you at Rag & Bone.

It sounds like fun, and the weather looks as if it will be great. 

If I have the chance to take snaps, I'll post them here later, so check back :-) Hopefully it won't include one of me on my arse.

The gathering

Take your bike to work day

How to fill a carpark

2500cc

125cc  

Harley Wallbanger - All sorts came along

Proof we got to the Towy Bridge Inn , Rhandirmwyn

The Devil's Staircase - filmed by one of the lovely guys I met on the ride

Step 1 - Wst cross to Brynamman

Brynamman to Rhandirmwyn

Rhandirmwyn to Llanwrtwrd wells via the devils staircase & Llyn Brianne

Llanwrtwrd wells to Brecon, then I got lost & ended up in CrugArwell

then home

What I SHOULD HAVE DONE!

COFIWCH DRYWERYN!

Looks like some Welshie scamp has been trolling the internet by including the 'Slogan' Cofiwch Dryweryn in an article about Celtic words being used in English. 

Firstly, in the word map at the head of the article, mixed in with other Celtic sourced words 

Then again, later under the section about the etymology of the word 'Slogan'

I wonder how many Anglophones realise that this slogan means 'Remember Tryweryn'?  A rallying cry for Welsh nationalists asking the reader to remember The Welsh village drowned to make a reservoir to supply water to English Birmingham.

From :-

10 English Words You Didn’t Know Had Celtic Origins | The collector 

YACHTS & YACHTING

 I have come to realise I will never have a yacht 

ZUGUNRUHE

 

Closest I get to flying - Kim has forbidden me to retake up paragliding as a hobby:-)