A Welsh village on a frosty morning. Terraced houses bathe in golden sunshine while mist covers the valley below.

Golden Frosty Morning

0°c at 4am dropping to -2.5°c by 7am. A dry, frosty morning. I absolutely love this view looking down the valley on mornings like this. Cold mist, golden light on the trees. The sun is low and the hills of […]

Winter sunset down the Upper Swansea valley from Brecon Road, Ystradgynlais

A Cold Dry Snap

We’re currently in a cold snap. A week of dry weather is such a novelty after such a wet 2023. I prefer the bite of the wind and frozen fingers to the continual damp. I love the way on dry […]

Winter sun sinks behind the silhouettes of a forest

Happy Winter Solstice 2023

The winter solstice is here. The shortest day. The longest night. I profoundly struggled with the darker, winter months in past years. These days I’m a lot better, but the winter solstice still holds a place in my heart. Not […]

Sunset over the Upper Swansea valley seen from Brecon Road, Ystradgynlais

Living in Sunsetland

Another sunset snap on Brecon Road, Ystradgynlais. Taken quickly on my phone while busy doing other things. But it did trigger the thought “I feel like I live in sunset land”. All my 30 odd years living in Sussex, it […]

Sunset from Tesco car park in Ystradgynlais

Tesco Sunset

Something I love about winter is that with all the rain and the shorter days, skies tend to be really interesting. Even the most mundane tasks (popping into Tesco to get supplies for the weekend) grant sublime moments.

Looking towards the Brecon Beacons from a stone wall on a rainy winter's day

First Walk at Penwyllt

My solo walks have been thin on the ground this year. So when I had the opportunity to go this weekend, I jumped at it. Having lived in Ystradgynlais for around three years now, there’s no shortage of nearby places […]

View of Caehopkin in the snow with the Brecon Beacons in the distance.

Caehopkin in the Snow

Waking to snow, I packed my rucksack and headed out into it. Up onto Cycle Route 43, then through the forestry on the edge of Nant Helen open cast mine, all the way to Caehopkin. Whilst overcast when I set […]