---

 

 

 

 

 

Did You Know?

Wales has more castles per square mile than any other European country, with Caerphilly being the largest and the second largest in Europe behind Windsor.

Cardiff is the capital and largest city and the tenth largest city in the United Kingdom.

The oldest tree in Wales is the Llangernyw Yew in St Digain’s church yard, Llangernyw, near Conwy.It’s approximately 4,000 years old.

Snowdon is the highest mountain in Wales, at an elevation of 1,085 meters (3,560 ft) above sea level, and the highest point in the British Isles outside the Scottish Highlands.

Punch and Judy is a traditional puppet show starring Mr Punch and his wife, Judy. For 150 years, the show has taken place by the Victorian pier of Llandudno on weekends and school holidays between Easter and September.

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is the second longest place name in the world meaning: St Mary’s church in the hollow of the white hazel near to the rapid whirlpool of Llantysilio of the red cave.

Rugby is the national sport of Wales. The first international game took place in 1881 between Wales and England. Throughout 1907 and 1910, the Welsh were undefeated.

Considered by many as the greatest children’s storyteller of all time, Roald Dahl and his wonderful collection of books are an integral part of growing up (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Twits, Matilda, The BFG, James and the Giant Peach) What some don’t know is that he was born in the Llandaff area of Cardiff and spent his early years there. It’s thought that at the tender age of seven, whilst attending Llandaff Cathedral School his acute sense for mischief started forming.

Famous people include Richard Burton, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Tom Jones, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Shirley Bassey, Timothy Dalton and Charlotte Church.

Okay, the only joke here is that St. Patrick the patron saint of Ireland was anything but Irish, but that’s what we’re looking at.
The thinking is that he was born in Wales, but no one knows where exactly – some think to the South, others to the north or in Scotland. Nice and specific. Still, wherever he originated from he did rid a country of snakes, a practical skill in short supply these days.

St David’s Day/Dydd Dewi Sant is a day of music, culture and language, celebrated annually on the 1st of March. In honour of St David, this Welsh national celebration is one of the most colourful days on the calendar. It is custom to wear a daffodil or a leek, which are two of the national emblems and children dress in traditional costume.

Despite many years of extraction, It still has an immense source of many natural materials, and is responsible for many countries’ supplies from coal and slate to copper and steel. At one point, South Wales made up 40% of all coal exported by the UK.

When you’re trying to conquer everything, what you don’t want is angry clan folk who know their mountains better than you.
This is exactly what the Romans experienced in their Welsh campaigns between AD48 and 79. The guerrilla tactics of the local warriors made them a formidable force, and an embarrassing sticking point for total domination.