So, who here made some New Year’s resolutions this year? Eat less, move more, eat lentils, drink water, stop smoking, walk to work……….. all the usual? Well, there’s one remarkable Welshman who had a slightly different mission this year, and one that makes my resolution to eat more curly kale seem a little insignificant! Just…

Last week, the subject of our blog post was the wonderful RSPB charity, which is dedicated to looking after and conserving the country’s birds and wildlife. The charity is very well known for its work with the bird life of Britain, but did you know that they also look after many thousands of acres of…

An exciting new project has recently been completed in Mid Wales, that is hoped to bring plenty of visitors, tourists and mountain bike enthusiasts to the area. The Melindwr Trail is NRW’s first blue-grade mountain bike trail in Mid Wales. It is a five-kilometre, intermediate-level trail suitable for people with previous mountain biking experience. The…

Any whisky fans who read the Oakeley blog? And what about Welsh whisky fans? We’ve previously explored the history of the iconic Welsh whisky brand Penderyn (you can read the blog post here), but when the Penderyn distillery opened it’s doors in 2004 it was the only whisky distillery in Wales and was the first company…

Any whisky fans who read the Oakeley blog? And what about Welsh whisky fans? We’ve previously explored the history of the iconic Welsh whisky brand Penderyn (you can read the blog post here), but when the Penderyn distillery opened it’s doors in 2004 it was the only whisky distillery in Wales and was the first…

Last Sunday morning, crowds turned out in nearby Barmouth, to welcome a new state of the art £2.2 million lifeboat, delivered by the RNLI. The boat, named the Ella Larsen, was escorted by lifeboats from Aberdyfi, Criccieth and Pwllheli. The new Shannon Class boat replaced the previous Mersey Class one at Barmouth (Moira Barrie) which…

The majestic deer is one of Britain’s most iconic animals. These historic beasts with an air of elegance hark back to the days of kings and queens on their country estates. Deer would originally have been kept at manor houses and estates as reserves of game so that the owners and their associates could head…

It is a story of fierce survival, steely determination, and a fight for recognition; but it is also one of the most famous success stories of twentieth century conservation, so it’s little wonder that the beautiful Red Kite has been unofficially adopted as the icon of wildlife in Wales. And it is their quiet tenacity…

Hands up who saw the amazing footage from this year’s Ironman Wales Triathlon, hosted in the lovely South Wales beach resort of Tenby? And hands up who felt tired just thinking about what the amazing participants had to complete?! A triathlon is defined as a series of swims, cycles and runs and the Ironman Triathlon…

It’s a week of books here on the Oakeley blog! Earlier in the week we delved into one of the most fashionable travel books of the nineteenth century – George Borrow’s Wild Wales. And today, we’re exploring a more modern work of fiction, although the novel itself spans many decades and generations. A few weeks…