Landlines, Raynor Winn

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We catch up with Moth and Raynor in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic on their thriving farm in Cornwall. Moth’s health is as bad as it's ever been as he struggles to walk short distances and has a fall that makes them worry his decline is reaching the point of no return. Raynor can’t help but hold on to the hope that their previous long distance walks gave her. Wracked with guilt, she broaches the topic of another one. When the state of the world allows it, they head north to tackle the Cape Wrath trail, famously one of the toughest, wildest walks the UK has to offer, and one Moth has always dreamed of. The fear that she’s pushing him too far, doctor’s words about not doing anything too strenuous circling her mind at every sign of difficulty. Moth has lost the confidence of his stride and developed a vertigo that makes scrambling up the sides of mountains a real challenge. As they battle bad weather, closed cafes, and communities that are suspicious of any outsiders, will their longest walk yet give them the miracle they’re dreaming of?

As they wind their way through the wilds of Scotland, Wynn reflects on the challenges of the communities they pass through. Many cafes won’t let them inside for fear of Covid, shops are bare of supplies because stock is held up at the ports in Brexit bureaucracy, and the landscapes are frequently devoid of the wildlife that should be there. She talks about the overfarming of land and how it is stripping away the goodness of the soil, losing the insects that signify a healthy ecosystem. Their own land in Cornwall has flourished with their gentler approach, with wildlife re-emerging. She often comments on the climate emergency and the role humans have and continue to play in it. 

The remote northern reaches of Scotland, once quiet communities, have become overrun since the North Coast 500 route was formalised. Now cars and campers line every spare section of road, parking dangerously and harmfully to local residents. They nonetheless find solitude in much of their walk as they move away from the well-trodden paths and roads, finding their own way. By the time they reach Fort William and the popular West Highland Way, the number of walkers make it feel busy compared to the emptiness of the landscapes they’ve traversed to get there. Along the way they have encounters with animals and birds, some of which they haven’t seen for a long time. When times are good the joy and peace of nature shines through.

Winn doesn’t shy away from the difficulties. Of course, they have Moth’s declining health to contend with, but there’s also the relentless rain, dwindling supplies between far flung shops, and the continual challenge of finding somewhere to camp. There are times when it all feels too difficult and they consider turning back, getting a bus to the closest town and taking a train home, but the call of nature is strong, as is their dedication to each other. At the heart of all of Winn’s books is her love for Moth, their shared life, and the confidence and hope it has given them both. There is sadness, of course, at the possible end being close, but it is this that drives them to try everything they can to make Moth well, to give them more precious time together.

With Landlines we return to a more linear story, and one that will inspire and give us all hope. Moth and Raynor are a remarkable couple, putting themselves through extreme challenges, but with a feeling that they are exactly where they are meant to be. It is also nice to see them be able to afford to stop in B&Bs and to buy a bowl of hot chips when they want to, a far cry from The Salt Path where they were having to make pennies stretch across weeks. A love letter to nature, their marriage, and friendship. A lovely read.

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The Bookshops of Hay-on-Wye

The Hay Castle Bookshop

It’s that time of year again, when book lovers would usually be descending on the small town of Hay-on-Wye for its famous literary festival. Unfortunately, the physical festival has had to be cancelled this year, but they’re still offering an impressive array of virtual events for us all to enjoy. The local bookshops will be suffering the financial hit of losing out on their biggest period of sales for the year and so I thought I’d do a run-down of some of my favourite bookshops there and how to support them during this time. I’d also highly recommend visiting when things are open again as it’s a wonderful place to visit at any time of year. The surrounding areas are stunning and Shepherds Ice Cream parlour is the perfect place to refuel in between all that book shopping.

Murder and Mayhem

Addyman Books own three bookish spots across the town – Murder and Mayhem, devoted to detective fiction, Addyman Books, and the Addyman Annexe. Their shops are full of quirky nooks and a great selection of books. You can support them online here.

The Hay Cinema Bookshop is a large converted cinema which is now filled with seemingly endless rows of books. They keep some of their stock outside so you can browse in the sunshine before heading in to lose a few hours browsing. They can be found online here.

Pemberton’s Bookshop is a great spot for those who prefer their books brand new. They offer a great range at good prices and also stock a range of greetings cards and similar. Find them online here.

Richard Booth’s bookshop carries the name of the man who was instrumental in giving Hay its book town status. It’s a wonderful, spacious spot that offers a huge range of both new and second hand books, and there’s even a nice café and cinema. Check them out here.

The upper floor of Richard Booth's bookshop

This is just a small taste of the bookshops in this wonderful little town. Many of the shops specialize in particular subjects whether it be children’s books, music, poetry, or natural history, there’s bound to be something for every reader. Check out the full list.

Wales 2018, Part Two

Thanks to a flat tyre en route, we arrived at YHA Pwll Deri just as the sun was beginning to set and the landscape was draped in a beautiful golden light. The hostel sits on the edge of a cliff on the Pembrokeshire coast and has one of the most stunning views of any I’ve stayed in. We spent a serene evening watching the sun gradually descend below the horizon and the sky transform into a pink and orange vision above the water. Other guests joined us in the experience, bringing to the fore the joy of youth hostels – community.

 

The next morning we eagerly set out to explore some of the walking routes shooting off from the front door. First we headed upwards, enjoying the panoramic views of the surrounding countryside and coastline. Following this we took the coastal path, a route that eventually leads to a lighthouse, a popular area with seals. We had to cut our walk shortly unfortunately as Snowdonia was calling to us.

The next day held the biggest challenge – reaching the peak of Snowdon. A task that has evaded me on multiple occasions due either to ill health or dangerous weather conditions (even as a child attempting to reach the top via the mountain railway the fog was so dense it would not ascend fully). We chose the Snowdon Ranger Path as it is heralded as a good route for your first attempt, quiet and picturesque. Thought to be the oldest route to the summit, it rises swiftly to begin before a gentle section leading to the start of the steep climb, a relentless hour or so of ascent on loose grave before joining the Llanberis Path in a more gentle climb to the summit. It was 27 degrees on the day and with no relief of shade we were thankful for the presence of the café and the ability to purchase cold drinks. The railway and café do somewhat ruin the peacefulness that you find at other peaks however. Every half an hour or so a new train load of tourists unload and climb the few steps leading to the summit. Thankfully, we arrived between trains and so had a few moments of relative peace before the onslaught of tourists.

Once we were safely back at the base our next challenge was to find somewhere to refuel. All of the pubs we passed had stopped serving food and we had begun to think we’d have to go without when we found Y Sgwar, a lovely restaurant in Tremadog. I felt out of place in my dust covered boots and walking gear when all the other diners had clearly dressed up for their evening date. The staff didn’t bat an eyelid however and with good food and excellent service it was a lucky find.

It was with a heavy heart that we began the journey home the following day. There was one stop still to make however, Cardiff Castle. Part Norman castle, part Georgian mansion, it made a fascinating break on a long drive. We enjoyed a tour of the areas once inhabited by the Marquess of Bute and his family with a knowledgable, friendly tour guide. The interior is lavish with no expense spared. The rooms are themed with inspiration taken from different countries, periods of history, and children’s stories. With the nationalization of the coal industry the Marquess decided to pass the castle to the people of the city of Cardiff after being in the family for two centuries.

The Norman castle still stands although it was damaged badly in the Civil War. The tower provides excellent views across the city. Furthermore, the walls of the castle were used during the Second World War as an air raid shelter. Visitors are able to walk the length of the tunnels, dark and unsettling with recorded air raid warnings playing.

Wales 2018, Part One

I’ve always had something of a soft spot for Wales. It may be the natural beauty and friendly inhabitants, or it might have something to do with the fact it was the first place I visited outside of England as a child. Being the closest to going abroad I’d get for some years I duly embraced the experience, trying to pick up parts of the language, a vocabulary which unfortunately hasn’t expanded since. This trip, however, made me see Wales in a whole new light as I’d explore the natural treasures it has to offer.

First was a popular tourist attraction nestled in the Brecon Beacons - The National Showcaves Centre for Wales. Dan yr Ogof is the centerpiece of  the site, an eleven mile cave system discovered in 1912 by the Morgan brothers and further explored by cavers for generations to come. Although visitors are not allowed to explore the entire system, there’s plenty still to see. Not only that, but there are two other caves open to the public – Cathedral Cave, a much more open space, and Bone Cave, thus named for the 42 human skeletons dating back to the Bronze Age that were discovered there. By far the smallest cave, it seeks to be the most educational, demonstrating humans’ use of the caves in the past and the other animals that would have shared the space.  

The Centre also boasts one of the world’s largest dinosaur parks with over two hundred life-sized models placed around the site. I’m not entirely sure why they’re there but they were set up within the landscape to look quite natural, and the dinosaur obsessed child within will likely be delighted by their presence. There’s also a small display of an Iron Age Farm.  If you’re interested in Iron Age life I’d recommend a trip to Castell Henllys instead where you are able to go inside the recreated roundhouses.

From here we went in search of Barafundle Bay. Part of the Stackpole Estate managed by the National Trust and voted among the world’s best beaches, it truly is a treasure. Accessed via a clifftop walk, it manages to retain a sense of seclusion even as its popularity grows. The geologically minded will enjoy the walk for the examples of both Carboniferous limestone and the red sandstone rocks. Whether you know about the landscape or not you can’t help but enjoy the clear water (which was still painfully cold), caves, pine trees, and sand dunes that surround this beautiful beach.

Hay Festival 2018, Part Three

Fiona Sampson spoke to us of her research for her new biography, In Search of Mary Shelley and how she felt comfortable writing a biography of Shelley as she was herself a biographer. She told of the sadness for Mary growing up in the house where her mother died and how her father taught her to write by tracing the letters of her name on the grave, meaning that writing and morbidity were linked from a young age. Despite the fact she came from a family who were very interested in memorializing themselves, no letters to or from Mary in her youth, or any of her juvenilia, survive.

Sampson highlighted what an error Mary made in believing Percy’s lies and running away with him, a mistake she would pay for dearly. Sampson believes that although Mary wanted to write, she wanted a nuclear family, not bohemia. There is also the suggestion that she was innocent of gender politics. When writing Frankenstein she still believed she could do the same as men – her great tragedy was realizing that she couldn’t.

The led nicely into the next event – Margaret Atwood in conversation. We started with the slightly unusual topic of subway adverts which she believes tells you much about the preoccupations of the age – from underwear suggesting you needed some kind of infrastructure in the 1930s and 40s to debt and helplines today.

She spoke of her first experiences of publishing and how crushing her first rejection was, made worse by a poetry book being accepted but not making it past the third editor. Her second novel was then lost by a publisher for two years. A difficult start to a glittering career.

Naturally, it wasn’t long before we got on to The Handmaid’s Tale which she wrote whilst living in West Berlin. She sees it as a warning – don’t walk into that hole, and yet the fact she didn’t put anything in it that hasn’t happened somewhere in the world (the same is true for the TV show) highlights the ongoing need for such warnings. Indeed, many believe the message is more relevant today than when it was written. The handmaid costumes have proved popular in protests. Atwood thinks this is an effective way to protest without having to say anything.

She also spoke of the inspiration for Alias Grace – a real life convict named Grace Marks who she first came to via Susanna Moodie’s writings on the subject. Atwood initially wrote a TV play working only from this, but when she came to write the novel she left no stone unturned, yet still can’t say whether or not Marks was innocent.

It was a fascinating evening with an author who clearly knows what she’s talking about and is incredibly insightful.

Hay Festival 2018, Part Two

Robert Webb spoke openly about childhood and the difficult relationship he had with his dad for most of his life. He commented on the gender stereotypes that can be so damaging to the male mind and how he saw three times over the regret of having missed out on love, friendship, and joy because of them.

The title of his memoir, How Not to Be a Boy, hints at his struggles with the idea of masculinity and naturally the conversation focused on this. He did however also talk about the fact he knew from a very young age what he wanted to do with his life, and despite his shyness was incredibly ambitious. That he has achieved 90% of his childhood aims is heartening and goes to show that no dream is too big.

 

Literary royalty in the form of Ian McEwan was next on the line-up. Ostensibly there to talk about adapting On Chesil Beach for film, we were also treated to a look back over his career and a reading of a recent, unpublished short story. He spoke of how as a young writer he thought British literature provincial and tame and aimed to shock (though he always denied this when suggested by journalists).

It is important, he believes, not to confuse books such as On Chesil Beach with sociology. They are about particular characters, not representative of all of Britain in the 1960s. Bringing the book to the big screen took several years and two different directors. McEwan believes this to have been a blessing as it meant Saoirse Ronan was the right age to play the lead by the time filming began. He also spoke of enjoying being able to add scenes that perhaps he wished he’d put in the novel.

Hay Festival 2018, Part One

Rain clouds loomed menacingly over the Hay Festival this bank holiday, but it did not dampen the spirits of the bibliophiles rifling through books and crowding into tents to listen to thought provoking talks. My first event was Andrew Davies discussing his current work in progress, an adaptation of Les Miserables. I don’t know if I’m the only one, but I book my tickets in a fit of enthusiasm and by the time the festival arrives can remember only what a handful of the events are about. This leads to some nice surprises when the event gets underway.

Davies spoke of his background in teaching and his passion for conveying the joy of literature to others. In adapting so many classics he has continued to do this on a much broader scale. When asked how he goes about adapting such epic tomes as Les Miserables he spoke of boiling them down to their essence, finding the main themes which then allows you to know what you have to keep in. Les Miserables being a complex tale with  many tangents and jumps in time he decided to rearrange events to show them in chronological order. Currently filming on location in Belgium and due to air early 2019, it’s sure to be one to watch.

Next up was Tessa Dunlop discussing her book The Century Girls, a study of six centenarians’ lives.

We had the added treat of one of the ladies, Helena Jones, on stage with Dunlop. Naturally the focus fell on Jones’ story but the other subjects were mentioned where appropriate. What came across strongly was how important family duty was when she was a young woman, keeping her eventual husband waiting six years so she could help look after a younger brother. It is clear that she was always an active, hardworking member of her community and that she reveled in her work as a teacher, which she successfully juggled with household duties and a number of community projects. She remains a well known figure in Brecon and at almost 102 is going strong, delivering two poems from memory for us.

Dunlop highlighted how innocent young women were in the early twentieth century, their mothers not explaining the facts of life to them leading to some alarming situations. What was also painfully apparent was the dearth of men after the war, which meant many women remained unmarried and childless. The thoughtful sentiments of one of the other subjects, that there’s no point worrying about what you don’t have but rather appreciating what you do, is advice that perhaps we should all try to live by.

Rounding off the day was Rowan Williams and Dr Hannah Critchlow discussing consciousness. They talked of the difficulty of defining consciousness but came to an agreement that it is the ability to form your own unique view of the world. They also pointed out its relative infancy and its relevance as something that works for us. The need for a sense of agency has been proved by studies mentioned by Critchlow whereby taking away a sense of free will led to people behaving much more selfishly.

We also had the unusual experience of seeing Rowan Williams’ brainwaves being measured during the conversation, physical activity, and meditation.