North Wales Adrenalin Rush Last year we blogged about a new adventure attraction that had transformed the ruins of an old quarry into one of the hottest new adrenalin rushes in Wales. Zip World opened its doors last Spring, and has since gone from strength to strength. The Zip World experience along over a mile…

Lost in Translation So, when it comes to the language of signs, you’d think that translating an English sign into a bilingual Welsh one would be a doddle right? Just find yourself a good Welsh speaker, and Bob’s your proverbial uncle. But, here at the Oakeley Arms Hotel in Blaenau Ffestiniog , we had to…

24 little days until Christmas! Well boys and girls, it’s the 1st December, at last! That means that the countdown to Christmas officially starts now! Here at the Oakeley Arms Hotel in the heart of Snwdonia we’re pretty excited about the festive season – the decs are up, the lights are on and the shopping…

News broke last week of a new calendar that has hit the shops of Wales, but that has been branded as so “dull”, it has failed to sell a single copy! Here at the Oakeley Arms Hotel we know that  in Wales, the scenery, surroundings, countryside and people are far from dull so just what…

Hello Doctor Last weekend, fans across the world celebrated the birthday of one of the world’s most celebrated doctors. Doctor Who  is the world’s longest running science-fiction television series (according to the Guinness Book Of Records); it was first broadcast on the 23rd November 1963 so this year marks Doctor Who’s 50th birthday. The show chronicles the…

Half Term Hoots So the October half term holidays are nearly upon us, and if the thought of a week with the kids is already causing a few more grey hairs than usual then you’re not alone! Parents across the country are wondering how they’re going to entertain their little angels for a week, but…

Food, Music, Art So, what are you up to next weekend? Here in our special corner of Snowdonia, there’s always something magical going on, but on the 26th and 27th October a little town not far from the Oakeley Arms will come alive with the sound of music, the smell of good food and the…

Worth a Royal Mint? Last week on the Oakeley blog we day-dreamed about all the things we could spend our many pennies on, should we be lucky enough to win the old lottery. Well one thing we missed off the list was a gold coin….. and of course, it’s not just any old gold coin.…

Feeling National Lottery Lucky? Did you know that it’s nearly 20 years ago that the first ever National Lottery draw took place?! Wow, neither can we, and no, here at the Oakeley Arms Hotel & Holiday Cottages we haven’t managed to hit the jackpot either! The news hit this week that the price of a…

Wales’ Red Squirrels What has red hair, likes hugging trees and loves chomping on nuts. No, it’s not one of the Oakeley regulars…. this week on the blog we’re celebrating the beautiful red squirrel because this week is National Red Squirrel Week (28th September to 6th October). The red squirrel is one of the most iconic…