We do like to be beside the seeeeeaside. On the coastline of Snowdonia, just a few miles from us here at the Oakeley Arms Hotel, are some of the most stunning beaches in the country. We think we’re pretty lucky to live so close to this magnificent coastline, so when it comes to looking after it, we’ll…

Rain, rain, rain….. So, this summer hasn’t exactly been scorching! There have been the occasional rays of sunshine flooding through the Vale of Ffestiniog and just about reaching the Oakeley Arms Hotel, but we’ve mostly been wearing our wellies! The weather may not be so great for us, but there’s a little place just down the…

Groove Rail There’s something in the air this week at the Oakeley – a bit of a groovy feeling perhaps?? That’s because we’re gearing up for the fabulous annual Ffestiniog Railway Jazz trains. These summer extravaganzas are back by popular demand, and passengers on the Jazz party trains are guaranteed an evening to remember, thanks to the…

Sunshine at last!! Wow, how giddy are we here at the Oakeley Arms? We are SO happy that the sun has decided to join us this summer at last. Better late than never! Sadly, we don’t have a lot of spare time to spend lazing around in the sunshine, but this lovely weather got us…

Saving memories! It was revealed last week that an album of precious photographs of welsh town Bala and nearby Llanuwchllyn that were found in an attic in Shropshire, have been purchased by Gwynedd Council, in a bid to save some of the rare pictures. The images depict a way of life long since lost in…

Go Cymru! Now don’t get too giddy! We don’t mean that Wales have conjured up their very own Olympic football team, but we were delighted to hear that quite a few fellow Welsh souls make up a good portion of the hopeful Team GB Football squad at the much anticipated London 2012 Olympic Games. Ryan Giggs, Aaron Ramsey,…

Lost and Found A new initiative was unveiled last month by the Snowdonia National Park, in order to help lost walkers and climbers on Snowdon find their way to safety. The Snowdon Mountain Rescue Team devised the scheme, in which small grid reference notices have been placed on fence posts, gates and stiles so that disorientated walkers can get back on the right…

There are few stories that we come across here at the Oakeley Arms that render us lost for words, but this week we’ve found one. America Through a Veil of Tears is the story of a father’s long journey to come to terms with the loss of his son. Leslie Kay and his son Cai had planned the trip…

Wales’ link to the European 2012 championship Ok, so Wales’ National Football team didn’t quite qualify for this year’s European Championships, but there’s still a reason for us Cymro to celebrate the sporting events that are taking place in Poland and the Ukraine this summer. One of the host cities of the games is Donetsk, a large city in…

Are you up for a cycle challenge? This coming weekend will be one to remember for cycling enthusiasts, as Gwynedd welcomes a brand new cycling event – the Etape Eryri will take place on Sunday the 17th June. Etape Eryri is a cycling race with a difference. Not only are the routes pretty challenging, but they wind, twist and…