Terry Beggs

My recollections of the German visit during July 2009

With reasonably good weather on our side, MW, TB and MS drove to Llanberis to meet our German visitors. We were not exactly sure where we would find them but, after cruising around Llanberis, we found a large modern coach in a car park with an equally ample lady driver who just had to be German. Sure enough, we had located our party of approximately thirty staff and students but their driver was a Lancashire lass!! After brief introductions, MW set off for Llanfairpwll with TB following on board the coach as pilot. Manoeuvring the big coach into the car park beside the Marquess' Column was no easy matter but fortunately our Lancashire lass was both skillful and careful. MW led the group to see the Glaucophane Schist and her explanations were supplemented by Professor Buchel.

Half an hour later, we were back on the road, driving to the village of Newborough where we detoured briefly to drive past GeoMon's present HQ building, the Prichard Jones Institute. With no time to spare however, we carried on to Newborough Forest and were thankful to find that MW and MS had organised a gate-key to enable the coach to drive the two mile track through the forest, parking close to Llanddwyn Island. As nearly always happens, the incoming tide was about to cover the first exposure of Pillow Lavas and, after a short but hurried trek and suitable warnings about the non-use of geological hammers, the students were just in time to see and photograph the Pillows, before having to move on. MW pointed out the various igneous exposures, while crossing the isthmus, and then the party made its way towards Pilots' Cove at the southern end of the Island. Once again we were nearly beaten by the tide which had already covered some of the spectacular rocks of the melange, but sufficient examples remained to satisfy the visitors without them getting wet.
 
Something like a half-hour break for lunch was called at this point and everyone settled on the sunlit rocks to refresh themselves amid the stunning scenery, with the old lighthouse nearby. Quite an idyllic scene and we were struck by the excellent behaviour of the students. Without exception, they had shown interest in the geology, they were sensible and polite and it was a pleasure to be showing them around Anglesey. The walk back to the coach was fairly leisurely but it was now high tide and it had covered the isthmus. So, off came shoes and socks, trousers were rolled up and having to wade back to the mainland will surely have stuck in our German visitors' minds; not much of a tide where they came from!
 
Turning west towards Holyhead and South Stack, we had a somewhat slow journey to our final destination because the big coach was not designed for such narrow and twisting roads. Nevertheless, with the coach eventually parked in the RSPB carpark, much to the displeasure of a few motorists, our party made its way to the top of the flight of 409 steps down the cliff face to the little metal bridge that crosses to Ynys Lawd and South Stack lighthouse. At this elevated viewpoint, we were joined by Stewart Campbell and Andy (?) who would lead the group down to view and photograph the wondrous geology. MW briefed the party on what they should look out for and then off they went.
 
The incredible geology, explained by SC, would have been the high point of the day for the visitors. They will surely remember the marvellous scenery encompassing Ynys Lawd with its commanding lighthouse, the waves breaking on the rocks below and the huge dyke running parallel to the immense rock wall of metamorphosed sand and mudstones, displaying its famous large scale folding. The only pity was that the nesting season was over and the thousands of sea birds had flown, leaving the rock ledges vacant until next year. Upon their return to the top of the cliff, both staff and students made a bee-line for the cafe where the Jena staff kindly bought the GeoMon representatives coffee and cakes. It had been a very successful day, a pleasure for the visitors and hosts alike.

Back to the transport to Llanberis YHA and to our homes.
 
The following day, Tuesday, the German party focussed upon Parys Mountain near Amlwch and the once famous copper mines. GeoMon was not directly involved with this phase of their visit but TB drove over to Parys Mountain just to make sure that all was well. It was, except for the rain!! This was to be their last day in Anglesey for, on Wednesday, 29th July, the party moved down to South Wales before completing their geology expedition on Dartmoor.