More photos of a themed nature.

DROPS

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CHURCHES

St Peter's Church, Pontardawe, West Glamorgan

St John's Church, Cilybebyll, West Glamorgan

All Saints' Church, Salhouse, Norfolk

St Andrew's Church, North Burlingham, Norfolk

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BRIDGES

Clare College Bridge, Cambridge

Westminster Bridge, London

Second Severn Crossing, Wales-England Border

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Bücher - Im Westen Nichts Neues.

Geben Sie mir Auskunft über irgendeine Fehle, die ich in diesem Text höchstwahrscheinlich gemacht habe!

Please inform me of any mistakes that I have most probably made in this post!

IM WESTEN NICHTS NEUES

Erich Maria Remarque (1898 - 1970)

Veröffentlicht 1929.

„Wir legen neun Kilometer hinter der Front. Gestern wurden wir abgelöst; jetzt haben wir den magen voll weißer Bohnen und Rindfleisch und sind satt und zufrieden. Sogar für abends hat jeder noch ein Kochgeschirr voll fassen können; dazu gibt es außerdem doppelte Wurst – und Brotportionen – das schafft. So ein Fall ist schon lange nicht mehr dagewesen: der Küchenbulle mit seinem roten Tomatenkopf bietet das Essen direkt an; jedem, der vorbeikommt, winkt er mit seinem Löffel zu und füllt ihm einen kräftigen Schlag ein. Er ist ganz verzweifelt, weil er nicht weiß, wie er seine Gulaschkanone leerkriegen soll. Tjaden und Müller haben ein paar Waschschüsseln aufgetrieben und sie sich bis zum Rand gestrichen voll geben lassen, als Reserve. Tjaden macht das aus Freßsucht, Müller aus Vorsicht. Wo Tjaden es läßt, ist allen ein Rätsel. Er ist und bleibt ein magerer Hering.“

Dieses im Jahre 1929 veröffenlichte Buch erklärt nach dem zwanzigjährigen Soldat Paul Bäumer einen ergreifenden, eingehenden und persönlichen Einblick in den Daseinskampf, um den von ihm, seinen Freunden und seinen ehemaligen Kommilitonen bekämpt ward, während der Sinnlosigkeit, der Fährnisse und der Verwahrlosung - und auch der Einerlei – des Grabenkriegs des Ersten Weltkriegs.

Die Probleme, die diese Soldaten antreffen, prägen ihre Leben, ihr Dasein – und sie bestimmen ihren Vorblick auf das Leben. Trotz ihres jungeren Alters zwischen achtzehn und zwanzig, erfahren sie mehr, was ihre Eltern, Lehrer und Stammesälteste in ihren ganzen Leben erfahren hatten. Sie ertragen äußersten Hunger – auf Ratten jagen und sich von faden Bohnen ernähren – und die Gefahr vom endlosen Beschuss. Sie lassen auch zu, den Mangel an Erfahrung und Abrichtung der jungeren sofort aus dem Ausbildungslager abgeschlossenen Rekruten, und sogar den Mengel an Frauen! Diese Geschichte geht um Krieg, aber sie konzentriert sich auf das Alltagsleben und den Zustand, bei den diese junge Männer sich ertappen. Es gibt keine heldische Taten und keine Gefechte nach Rambo Art, sondern ein brüderliches Verhältnis, die in der Gruppe sich entwickelt, als sie ihre Anstrengung in den Graben fortdauern.

Der Krieg ist das Leben dieser Männer, als es klar wird, sie leben und sterben über den Ertrag und den Verlust der Teile in fremden Ländern, die oft banale Größe sind wie zum Beispiel ein Fußballplatz, die keinesfalls im Verhältnis zur Zahl der Unfälle stehen. Bäumer erwähnt, wie in diesem Augenblick, er solle eine herrliche Zeit verbringen – Reisen, Frauen, eine Karriere machen, mit seinen Freunden und seiner Familie sein und vielleicht auch seine eigene Familie gründen. Das bringt dem Leser einigermaßen ins Erkenntnis zurück, dass wir oft das Leben als erwiesen annehmen. Diese Soldaten – sie wollten nicht da sein, und sie wollten gar nicht anwerben, wurden sie stattdessen von ihrem Lehrer gedrängt, dann begriffen sie das Gefühl, dem Ruf der Pflicht folgen, in einem Krieg kämpfen, den sie nicht verstanden.

Als Paul auf Urlaub zu Hause war, bemerkte er, dass er andere Einstellung und Ansicht zur Lebensforme hat. Sein Heimort und die Leute sind alle von dem Kriege ungerührt, deshalb kann er mit ihnen in Einklang nich wieder bringen. Das Alltagsleben in diesem Dorfe ist ihm zu normal, allzu still und eben in Treiben an der Front ungebildet. Überraschend – oder vielleicht nicht wegen seiner Erfahrungen zu Hause – fühlt er sich zuhause, wann er in den Graben ist, wohin er erfahren ist; wo er mit seinen Kameraden eine bestimmte Bindung bildete, da die einzige Person, zu der er eine wirkliche persönliche Beziehung haben kann, ist seine im Sterben liegende Mutter.

Zurück im Kriege erfährt er viele, beide gut und schrecklich, die ihn und seine Freunde zu Menschen formen, die sie nicht werden wollen. Am Ende hatte Paul genug vom Leben, und er sagt, es sei ihm egal, was passiert. Sein Leben endete, als er anmeldete – die Verlust alle Freiheit und Ziele, als der Krieg weiterkämpft; seine Generation wird an normales Leben ohne eine hoffnungsvolle Zukunft nie wieder gewöhnt sein. Wie Remarque schon am Anfang des Buches sagte: „Dieses Buch soll weder eine Anklage noch ein Bekenntnis sein. Es soll nur den Versuch machen, über eine Generation zu berichten, die vom Kriege zerstört wurde – auch wenn sie seinen Granaten entkam.“

Dieses Buch – nicht eine Kriegsgeschichte, sondern eine Antikriegsgeschichte, und als einen Monolog erklärt – wurde von einem Veteran jenes Krieges. Es wurde leider von den Nazis bald verflucht und danach öffentlich verbrannt. Heutzutage wurde diese Geschichte als einer der besten literarischen Werke des zwanzigsten Jahrhunderts weithin betrachtet. Er beschreibt die riesige Schwierigkeit, die die Soldaten bekämpfen, und wie sie wehren sich, ins Zivilleben zurückkommen. Die Zivilisten zuhause, auch mit den Generalen, den Obersten, usw. wissen anscheinend die erschreckende Zustande and der Front und die von den einfachen Soldaten gefühlte Seelenqual an der Front nicht.

Die Geschichte zeigt den Einblick des Lebens eines Soldats, und wie unbedeutend war er als ein Einzelner während dieses Kriegs, und es könnte auch gleich an der anderen Seite des Niemandslands. Obwohl die Geschichte von einem deutschen Veteran geschrieben wurde, und in den deutschen Graben feststellte, gilt es nicht, dass die gleiche Lebensstandards; der Daseinskampf; die Kriegsgräuel und auch die Hintansetzung von den befehlshabenden Offizieren über Leben auch allgemein waren.

Es ist auch gut, über den Ersten Weltkrieg zu lesen, weil es so viele Werke in allen Art der Medien, die um den Zweiten Weltkrieg gehen (ich meine denjenigen, die an jenem Kriege beteiligt, keine Missachtung). Es ist auch seltener, etwas von den „Vernichten“ lesen, und es ist auch ein interessanter Einblick, wie die Soldaten zurechtkamen, selbst wenn es Fiktion ist. Wer kann aber sagen, dass diese Sache nicht stattfanden? Heute kann niemand leider völlig verstehen, wie das Leben den Soldaten in den Graben so furchteinflößend, entmutigend, angsteinjagend und vernichtend war, und wie das Leben wirklich schwach und zufällig sein möge.

Books - All Quiet On The Western Front.

IM WESTEN NICHTS NEUES

(ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT)

Erich Maria Remarque (1898 - 1970)

Published 1929

„Wir legen neun Kilometer hinter der Front. Gestern wurden wir abgelöst; jetzt haben wir den magen voll weißer Bohnen und Rindfleisch und sind satt und zufrieden. Sogar für abends hat jeder noch ein Kochgeschirr voll fassen können; dazu gibt es außerdem doppelte Wurst – und Brotportionen – das schafft. So ein Fall ist schon lange nicht mehr dagewesen: der Küchenbulle mit seinem roten Tomatenkopf bietet das Essen direkt an; jedem, der vorbeikommt, winkt er mit seinem Löffel zu und füllt ihm einen kräftigen Schlag ein. Er ist ganz verzweifelt, weil er nicht weiß, wie er seine Gulaschkanone leerkriegen soll. Tjaden und Müller haben ein paar Waschschüsseln aufgetrieben und sie sich bis zum Rand gestrichen voll geben lassen, als Reserve. Tjaden macht das aus Freßsucht, Müller aus Vorsicht. Wo Tjaden es läßt, ist allen ein Rätsel. Er ist und bleibt ein magerer Hering.“

“We are at rest five miles behind the front. Yesterday we were relieved, and now our bellies are full of beef and haricot beans. We are satisfied and at peace. Each man has another mess-tin full for the evening; and, what is more, there is a double ration of sausage and bread. That puts a man in fine trim. We have not had such luck as this for a long time. The cook with his carroty head is begging us to eat; he beckons with his ladle to everyone that passes, and spoons him out a great dollop. He does not see how he can empty his stewpot in time for coffee. Tjaden and Müller have produced to washbasins and had them filled up to the brim as a reserve. In Tjaden this is voracity, in Müller it is foresight. Where Tjaden puts it is all a mystery, for he is and always will be as thin as a rake.”

This book, published in 1929, tells a moving, detailed and personal insight, through the eyes and words of twenty year-old Paul Bäumer, into the fight for survival of his and his friends and former schoolmates during the futility, dangers and squalidness of – as well as the monotony – of trench warfare of the Great War.

The problems which these soldiers come across shape their lives; their being – and also define their outlook on life. Despite being such a young age, between the ages of 18 and 20, they experience more than what their parents, teachers and elders have in their entire lives. They suffer extreme hunger – hunting rats and living off bland beans; the peril of shells and continuous bombardment; the lack of experience and training of younger recruits at boot camp; and even the lack of women! This story is set during war, but it focuses more on the everyday life and the situation these young men find themselves in. There are no heroic deeds and Rambo-style actions, but instead a fraternal bond developing within the group as they endure their struggle in the trenches.

These men’s lives are the war, as it becomes clear that they live and die over gaining and losing pieces of foreign lands often of trivial sizes, not at all proportional to the number casualties, such as that of a rugby pitch. Bäumer mentions how, at this point in his life, he should be having the time of his life – travel, women, starting a career, being with his friends and family and maybe even start a family. It somewhat brings the realisation back to the reader that we do often take life for granted. These soldiers, they did not want to be there, they did not even want to enlist, and instead they were urged to do so by their schoolteacher, then realising they felt the duty to do so, to fight in a war they did not understand.

What Paul experiences when returning home on leave is a change of attitude and to a different outlook on life. His village and its people are all unaffected by the war, and therefore he cannot fit in again. Life in this village is too normal, too quiet and even ignorant to what goes on at the front line. Surprisingly – or maybe not due to the case of his experiences at home again – he feels more at home in the trenches, to where he has grown adept and where he has formed a special bond with his comrades, since the only person he can really connect with is his dying mother.

Returning to war, he experiences many things, both good and terrible: shaping him and his friends into people they did not want to become. Paul, in the end, has had enough of life, saying that he cares no more on what happens. His life ended when he joined up: losing all freedom and aims in life as the war battled on; as his generation shall never be able to settle back to a normal life again and without a promising future. As Remarque stated at the beginning of the book “This book is to be neither an accusation nor a confession, and at least of all an adventure, for death is not an adventure to those who stand face to face with it. It will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped the shells, were destroyed by the war.”

This book – not a war story, but an anti-war story and told as a monologue and in a “first-hand account” – was written by a veteran of that war. However, it was soon banned and subsequently publicly burned by the Nazi Party, but nowadays it is widely regarded as one of the greatest pieces of literature of the twentieth century. He describes the immense difficulty that these soldiers live in and how they struggle to come back home to civilian life. And the civilians back home, as well as the generals, colonels and such, are seemingly unaware about the shocking situations on the front and the anguish felt by the normal soldiers.

This story shows the insight of the life of an ordinary soldier, and how insignificant he was as an individual during this war, and it can also be the same for the opposing sides. So even though it was written by a German veteran and set in the German trenches, it does not mean on the other side of No Man’s Land, that the same standards of life; the struggles of survival and the atrocious conditions, as well as the disregard of life by commanding officers were commonplace.

It is also nice to read about the Great War, since there is so many works in all types of media about the Second World War, though I really mean no disrespect to those involved in that war. And it is also even rarer to read something coming from the “defeated”, and a very interesting insight to how they coped, even though it is fiction. Who is to say these things did not happen? But, there is nobody today who is able to fully understand how much life was so terrifying, frustrating, frightening and damning to those soldiers in the trenches, and how fragile and random life can really be.

My Prediction.

I apologise for the lack of entries for the games of the rugby world cup, but what I'll do is... I'll just post them another day, maybe in my own words... maybe not. We'll see. Just that these early, uncivil hours take the toll after a while!

Anyway, as it stands now, there are 8 games left to be played in the pool stages, but the winners and runners-up of the pools seem to be set. And a couple of teams are on the next flight home already...

So, for Pool A, it is definite that, with all wins and bonus points, New Zealand are steaming ahead of France, the current runners-up. New Zealand will be playing the runner-up of Pool B in the Quarter Finals, which is a spot being fought over by Argentina and Scotland. However, Argentina seem to be favourites for it (in my books, anyway), since they have Georgia to beat while Scotland need to win against the current pool leaders, England. But Scotland don't just have to win... they need a bonus point win, or a win with lots of points and also without the Argentines having a bonus point. To be honest, I can't see that happening. Not with the Scots playing England and the Argentines playing the Georgians.

Therefore, England will be at the top of the pool B , with Argentina coming in second place.

Now, for the runners-up of pool A, it seems to be France, and they will be up against England in the quarter finals. This will be a huge game! England have problems with discipline and France have a problem with... being France, I guess! England have performed very well when they are not dropping (or changing) the ball, missing the posts or giving a knee to someone's head. France have also done good when they finally screwed their heads on. But, when France are good, they really are. So I predict that the French will win, but it will be close.

Now for the quarter-final involving New Zealand. I predicted they will be playing Argentina. But, let's face it... it has to be New Zealand. And if you want to know why or you think I'm going crazy... you haven't at all been watching them play. And, though they're known as 'chokers', I really can't see them choke against Argentina. The Kiwis are too on form for that. I don't think it will be as close a game as the English-French game either. The Argentines have more brawn than brain, but the New Zealanders are very skillful and the passing of the ball is impeccable.

So, from Pool A and Pool B, I think New Zealand and France will be going into the semi-finals. But, not against each other... not again!

They will both be playing the winners of the other lot of quarter finals, and it seems from Pool C, the winners seem, unexpectedly at the beginning of the tournament, Ireland. After their historic victory against Australia a couple of weeks ago, it seems they can indeed top the table. It is still possible for Australia to top the pool, since they will be playing Russia and come away with an easy win. But Ireland also have an easy, but not so easy, game against Italy. From the 6 Nations, Ireland and Italy have annual fixtures, so they know each other's game, but it won't be as much of a walk-over as the Australians have it. The only way Australia can top the pool is if Ireland lose. And will that happen? Well... if it does... Ireland will sink to third, leaving Australia and Italy to qualify. Anything can happen in rugby... and things like this have happened before. But I can't see Ireland throwing it away at this stage in the game. They have too much experience for that... so I guess having such a senior team isn't that bad!

Now, for Pool D, Wales are second in the pool due to that heart-breaking defeat against South Africa. But this seems to be the strongest, most confident Welsh squad in a long, long time. They had every intention to win against South Africa. They could have beaten them, but it was not to be. However, being one of the youngest squads in the world cup, they are playing very impressive rugby. The high-scoring win against Namibia will boost their confidence a lot for the game against Fiji, against whom they must be very wary. But I'm sure they won't let history repeat itself, which they proved against Samoa.

South Africa, then, they're safe at the top of the table and seem to be lined up to play Australia in the quarter finals, leaving the Irish play the Welsh. It works in the favour of the Welsh, and possibly the Irish, too. With the South African performance against the Australian, I can see the South Africans doing well against them and will advance to the semi-finals. But the closer game will be against Ireland and Wales. Both nations will want to win this one... and they won't give it up easily at all. I think it will all come down to the Welsh fitness and youth against the Irish 'old-age wisdom' and experience. But what I've noticed lately, the Irish can tire. And this will be their downfall. And I think because of this, Wales will just about clinch it. Just about.

So, who do we have in the semi-finals?? New Zealand v South Africa and France v Wales. Exciting!

Now, I'm having trouble in deciding this one. Both games will be close, however, with the pressure under New Zealand being hosts and the knack of bottling it, they will be giving it their all against South Africa, and New Zealand have been on better form than the South Africans, and for that reason, I'm putting New Zealand in the final.

But Wales and France? That's a tough call. The problems they have are starting and being there. The Welsh take a while to get into the game. They aren't the best starters, as proven against South Africa. They may only take 5 minutes to get properly immersed into the game, but in those five minutes, a try may be scored against them. At this stage of the tournament, they cannot allow that to happen. I'm sure they'd have learnt that with the South African game, so they will be needing to score those first points. The French, though... they are either there or aren't. That's the thing with them. They can play really well, but in some games, they don't know where they're going or what they're doing. For the sake of the Welsh, let's hope their minds are concentrating on cheese. But whatever the outcome, it will be a close one. France are no longer the France they used to be, but Wales are better than the Wales they used to be. So, with only a couple of points in it, Wales could well indeed go ahead against New Zealand in the final.

And that is where it could all end for Wales. It has been nearly 60 years since the Welsh have beaten the New Zealanders. And New Zealand will not let them do it again. Not in this tournament and not in the final match. New Zealand have so much running on this world cup, they cannot afford to let anyone hinder them. But then, who knows what the psyche will be in the Welsh team... it would be the first time they got so far. The last time they would have done as good was 24 years ago when they came third in the tournament.

As I mentioned earlier, anything can happen in a game of rugby, and a lot of things have happened in this tournament that were unexpected. But we'll just have to see. It isn't over yet...

Letters.

If I were paid for every letter and

postcard I write,

I'd be rich.

Caneuon.

Dw i ddim yn gwybod pam, ond ers y penwythnos dwethaf, roedd modd gen i i glywed i ganeuon traddodiadol Cymraeg. Efallai glywes i gân yn ystod y penwythnos neu rhywbeth. Felly, ysgrifennais i lawr rhai ohonynt. Rwy wedi gwrando i'r geiriau hefyd, a na gallai meddwl am air i'u disgrifio. Hudol? Nerthol? Gwladgarol? Efallai dim o'r geiriau, neu effallai'r gyd. Does gen i ddim syniad... ond beth sy'n sicr, mae yna rhywbeth yn eu geiriau.

Mae gen i restr yma o ganeuon, a fyddai ddangos i chi rhai ohonynt. Gwasgwch enw’r gân am eiriau Saesneg. Mae flin gen i hefyd am rai o’r fideos... dim byd i wneud â fi! Ond mae'r lluniau yn perthynogu i mi. (For the non-Welsh speakers reading this, click on the song titles for the English translations, and I’m sorry for the quality of some of these videos, but it has nothing to do with me. Just listen... Also, the photos were taken by myself.)

Ar Hyd Y Nos

(video)

Holl amrantau'r sêr ddywedant

ar hyd y nos.
Dyma'r ffordd i fro gogoniant
ar hyd y nos.
Golau arall yw tywyllwch
i arddangos gwir brydferthwch
teulu'r nefoedd mewn tawelwch
ar hyd y nos.

O mor siriol, gwena seren
ar hyd y nos,
i oleuo'i chwaer ddaearen
ar hyd y nos.
Nos yw henaint pan ddaw cystudd,
ond i harddu dyn a'i hwyrddydd,
rhown ein golau gwan da'n gilydd
ar hyd y nos.

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O Gymru

(video)

Ti yw'r unig wlad i mi, O fy Ngwalia,
ti sy'n lloni nghalon i, ti yw ngwynfa.
O Gymru, O Gymru, rhof i ti fy mywyd.
O Walia, o Walia, ti ydyw fy ngwynfyd,
fy Ngwalia, fy heulwen wyt ti.

Pan ddaw gofid ambell dro, daw i'm lloni
lun o geinder, bryn a bro, gwlad fy ngeni.
O Gymru, O Gymru, rhof i ti fy mywyd.
O Walia, o Walia, ti ydyw fy ngwynfyd,
fy Ngwalia, fy heulwen wyt ti.

O fy Ngwalia rhof i ti gân yn llawen,
cân o fawl amdanat ti, ti yw'r heulwen.
O Gymru, O Gymru, rhof i ti fy mywyd.
O Walia, o Walia, ti ydyw fy ngwynfyd,
fy Ngwalia, fy heulwen wyt ti.

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Calon Lân

(video)

Nid wy'n gofyn bywyd moethus,
aur y byd na'i berlau mân:
gofyn wyf am galon hapus,
calon onest, calon lân.

Calon lân yn llawn daioni,
tecach yw na'r lili dlos:
dim ond calon lân all ganu -
canu'r dydd a chanu'r nos.

Pe dymunwn olud bydol,
chwim adenydd iddo sydd,
golud calon lân, rinweddol,
yn dwyn bythol elw fydd.

Hwyr a bore fy nymuniad
esgyn ar adenydd cân
ar i Dduw, er mwyn fy Ngheidwad,
roddi i mi galon lân.

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Myfanwy

(video)

Paham mae dicter, O Myfanwy,
yn llenwi'th lygaid duon di?
A'th ruddiau tirion, O Myfanwy,
heb wrido wrth fy ngweled i?
Pa le mae'r wên oedd ar dy wefus,
fu'n cynnau 'nghariad ffyddlon ffôl?
Pa le mae sain dy eiriau melys,
fu'n denu'n nghalon ar dy ôl?

Pa beth a wneuthum, O Myfanwy,
i haeddu gwg dy ddwyrudd hardd?
Ai chwarae oeddit, O Myfanwy,
â thanau euraidd serch dy fardd?
Wyt eiddo im drwy gywir amod
ai gormod cadw'th air i mi?
Ni cheisiaf fyth mo'th law, Myfanwy,
heb gael dy galon gyda hi.

Myfanwy boed yr holl o'th fywyd
dan heulwen ddisglair canol dydd.
A boed i rosyn gwridog iechyd
i ddawnsio ganmlwydd ar dy rudd.
Anghofia'r oll o'th addewidion
â wnest i rywun, 'ngeneth ddel,
a dyro'th law, Myfanwy dirion,
i ddim ond dweud y gair "ffarwél".

------------

Gwahoddiad

(video)

Mi glywaf dyner lais
yn galw arnaf fi,
i ddod a golchi meiau gyd
yn afon Calfari.

Arglwydd, dyma fi
ar dy alwad di,
canna f'enaid yn y gwaed
a gaed ar Galfari.

Yr Iesu sy'n fy ngwadd,
i dderbyn gyda'i saint.
Ffydd, gobaith, cariad pur a hedd,
a phob rhyw nefol fraint.

Yr Iesu sy'n cryfhau,
o'm mewn Ei waith trwy ras;
mae'n rhoddi nerth i'm henaid gwan,
i faeddu mhechod cas.

Gogoniant byth am drefn,
y cymod a'r glanhad;
derbyniaf Iesu fel yr wyf,
a chanaf am y gwaed.

Pontardawe.

A map of Pontardawe. My home town.

Photos of the place will be up soon!

Even more themed photos.

ABOUT ME

Photography.

I like taking photos of almost everything and I also love to explore places for new subjects and ideas, as well as looking at other people's photos for a light of inspiration.

Travel.

I love to travel, both at home and abroad. And I hope to see many more places and experience many more cultures.

Rugby.

I do love this game. It always has this element of excitement to it, being a rough and tough game. This particular photo was between Wales and France during the 2010 Six Nations Championship in Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

Countryside.

The countryside is an important part of the world for me, since it's peaceful, ideal for hiking around and a great place for photography. This photo was taken in the Lake District.

Pub.

And beer, of course. The pub is an important place for many reasons. To socialise, putting the world to rights. It's the centre of communities across the country. A place to drink good beer with good people, and if available, watch sporting matches, play darts and spectate live music.

LINES

This piece of cloth was to make passers by aware of the low cable lines leading to a lighthouse on this north Devon coast.

The railway lines at Cardiff Central station.

The musical stave.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

A busker's accordion in Cardiff, Wales.

An organ at the monastery in Altenburg, Odenthal in Germany.

My old harmonica.

LIGHTING

A lamp in Antwerpen.

The old bridge in Würzburg.

A lamp in a house.

Gleision Colliery.

It has been nearly 16 hours. 16 hours for 4 men in pitch darkness, cold darkness. Uncertain darkness.

At just before half past nine in the morning of the 15th of September 2011, in the small, cramped Gleision mine of Cilybebyll, a neighbouring village of my hometown of Pontardawe, seven miners were working this morning and, even though it is unknown what happened and how, a wall gave way. Behind this wall was a reservoir of sorts, seemingly forgotten over the years, when mining in this part of the mountain dates back decades. The water broke through, and in a matter of mere seconds, the tunnel was flooded to the ceiling. Three men managed to escape out of the tunnel, even though one of them suffered internal injuries. The other four, however... well, who knows? Since the tunnel became blocked, no contact has been established between the four men and the outside world.

You hear of these events happening the world over in recent years. Chile, for example. And even non-mining incidents like Japan and Haiti. Indeed, the incident I am talking about may be minute in numbers, but just as much of an impact being on the doorstep.

I first realised there was something up this morning, when I heard a load of sirens wailing by in front of the house, which is on the main road leading from Pontardawe to Rhos and Cilybebyll. Shortly afterwards, I heard that a mine had collapsed in Cilybebyll, a tiny, sparse village consisting of a historic church, a few houses and farms, an old manor of the Gilbertsons, a local family who owned many of the local businesses, factories and foundries. And, of course, a coal mine.

The roads to and around this village are narrow at best. I have been around there a few times, and it is not easy to maneouvre a car, let alone several police vehicles, fire engines, ambulances, mine and cave rescue vehicles, large emergency support vans and other random support vehicles. I even saw the air ambulance helicopter sitting on a road in a clearing. Impressive flying, I thought. The free space available on the lanes were taken up by the media. ITV, BBC and Sky were among the others, including local radio stations, reporting back to their viewers and listeners about this sudden event. The news spread nationwide, sidelining Cameron's and Sarkozy's historic visit to Libya in the shade.

So who are these 4 men? It took a while for them to be named, and they are experienced miners and come from the local area. It is believed that they would know how to react to such a situation. They know the mine like the back of their hands and know where to find refuge and decent supplies of air in the complex maze of the mine. But what is most worrying about this event, is that nobody knows the situation or conditions they may be in. Everyone wishes and hopes for the best, but at the same time fearing the worst. We cannot say about how the miners themselves are feeling or going through, but surely it would be as an anxious time for them as it is for the relatives and friends.

But how is the progress going? It is slow. It has taken over 16 hours, and the water level in the flooded tunnel is receding by the several pumps brought in for the task. It is unknown how much water has flooded the tunnel and nobody knows whether there may be obstructions or hazards in the way. This may be why it has taken until approximately half past one in the morning, when two divers finally took to the water. Currently (01:50), there is no news yet from the divers, but things are looking promising.

So what would become of Gleision after this is over? What would become of the other handful of mines in South Wales? Mining companies and authorities vow things like this shall never happen again, but they do. The only way that this type of thing would never happen again is to shut down every single mine going. And is that going to happen? Doubtful. And if this mine does close? What will become of the workers? Even though it is a small mine, it would become victim of an already struggling economic region, which is in a difficult enough situation with unemployment and the lack of available jobs and businesses.

I'll leave it for now, but before I go, I thought I'd show the church of the village of the centre of attention of national news. I'm sure there would be at least a mention of this in the service on Sunday, whether the miners are out or not...

The Gower.

I have finally started to watch the current series of BBC's Torchwood... and in the opening few minutes (5 minutes exactly... give or take a second or two), the scene pans across some cliffs and coastline. And I recognised it immediately as the Gower! So, I thought I'd share some photos of mine of the area of Gower were filming took place... (well, the places I recognised). You may also recognise these locations if you have also seen the episode! So, I hope you like... and maybe comment if you wish. Would be nicely appreciated!

WARNING: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS!

The following photos are parts of the southern Gower coast, which may have been included in the aerial shots in the first episode. I think I saw some bits I know... but I have another photo or two, which definitely has the scene. Almost the exact shot, actually!

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And here it is! This is what you'll see first when the location switches from the hospital room (with the big, bright light into which Rex is looking up at), to the Gower.

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The photos below show the Old Rectory, which is the setting for Gwen Cooper's house.

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This is the view from the car of the CIA official, Rex. Now, in the episode, it looks as if he's just arrived in the village of Rhossili. But, if you know the area, you may come to realise, that the only way up that road from that direction is from Worm's Head. And to get to Worm's Head by car, you need to pass this point. So... unless he got lost, missed the site and turned around, he must have driven the car up some cliffs... from the sea. hmm...

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Here is the beach, which the house faces. This is the northern end of it, with Worm's Head to the south and out of view. I'd like to note that the camping and caravan park there (Hillend, near Llangennith) is the only road access to the beach, which is opposite to where Jack was driving the 4x4 when being chased by the helicopter. In fact, he was driving towards cliffs (see below this photo). But this could be an intentional motive by the producers. I'm just saying...

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An aerial view of Worm's Head and the bit of land where Rex "turned around". See below for that one.

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This is the view from the summit of Rhossili Down, which is where Gwen Cooper's house is (and it's just below this trig point).

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This is the shipwreck of Helvetia. This is also the beach where the helicopter chases the 4x4.

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This is Worm's Head, taken from the path leading up to the top of Rhossili Down, which is the hill on which Gwen Cooper' house (or the Old Rectory) is situated.