The news this week that the much heralded Swansea 
Ilfracombe ferry link is unlikely to get under way until next year is a bitter blow to tourism operators on both sides of the channel.
Mystery surrounds the announcement with the ferry company first blaming Swansea City Council for not providing suitable landing facilities (more…)
Last week was the start of the festival season in and around Wales and I could not have witnessed two more diverse events only 50 miles or so apart.
Remember that I’m writing this in the knowledge that, although Dylan spoke only English, (more…)
Oh dear – I’ve just offended an American!
I stumbled across a blog called the Ten Minute Ramble with some videos of Bob Dylan and just pointed out that he took his name from our own Dylan.
If I did! (more…)
Yesterday we arrived home from an extended holiday in Spain – thanks to the fallout (or should it be “fallouts”?) from the Icelandic volcano eruption our stay was extended from seven to fourteen days.
Most people who I’ve spoken to today congratulated us on our good fortune – an extra week they exclaimed – none realised that we were away for a week longer from our businesses at a crucial time of the year. (more…)
Dawn over Swansea Bay and the Swansea Cork ferry waits at Mumbles Head to dock
Yesterday’s early morning sight of the Swansea Cork ferry looming out of the mist off Mumbles Head got me thinking about our Irtish literary links.
The new service is in operation for the first time in three years and its appearance reminded me of Dylan’s admiration of James Joyce and Brendan Behan. (more…)
Sculptor Peter Nicholas with the head of Dylan which will form part of a new sculpture in the Uplands by 2014
The announcement today of the death at 95 of David Slivka who sculpted Dylan’s death mask brings to an end another link with the writer.
Both were born on 27th October 1914 and celebrated their 39th birthdays just days before Dylan died in a New York hospital on 9th November 1953.
Four years after Dylan’s death he made five bronze busts. Two are now in America, one in the National Museum of Wales, one in the BBC Headquarters and the fifth in the Dylan Thomas Centre. (more…)
Easter always seems a bit on a non event as a Bank Holiday weekend. The promised sun never seems to materialise and this year it was rain and cold winds to make it feel more like December.
While the beaches and attractions suffered we were ones to gain with a steady flow of house tours. I got me wondering which of the events of the weekend would Dylan have chosen? (more…)
Rugby is very much part of Welsh life but Dylan was never known to be much of a fan – cricket was his sport – well, watching it was!
He spent many hours at St Helen’s Ground watching Glamorgan and became great friends with the great cricket commentator John Arlott. Arlott was also a radio producer and used Dylan for many performances on (more…)
We’ve developed our tours and walks with the emphasis on the ambulant. Not that you need to be an Olympic athlete but Swansea, hilly as it is, inevitably means there’s a climb involved.
Our latest project has been to design a day long visit for an elderly group of literature lovers. (more…)
Join Dylan for breakfast
“…the most inspirational house in Wales…”
Leading European writer Eric Verdonck and his Welsh guide John Wake stayed at Number 5 during Eric’s visit to research a book about Wales.
John’s video is accompanied by evocative music from the group Osian whose lead singer Lorraine King joined them on part of their stay.
