Preparing for Pembrokeshire

Newgale beach

Less than a week to go and I'm off.   To the sun sea and sand of Pembrokeshire.  I know it doesn't have the same ring as Miami or Bondi beach but it is in many way better ( all thought that assumes that I have visited both and I haven't - I just haven't got any inclination to do so).  Anyway back to Pembrokeshire - what is so special?  Well for a start going out of season you usually have the place very much to yourself.  The beaches are broad, wide and as can be seen above golden.  Now the downside, it's Wales and so you have to expect rain and cold weather.  None of these things really bother me.

One of the peculiarities of Pembrokeshire is that it is not really wales at all.  I know this is going to get many Welsh men and women up in arms but in their heart of hearts they know this is true.  Even the locals call it little England.  What does this mean?  Well around the coast and much of the western part of the county all the towns and villages have English names.  Whilst I was there last year I undertook a place name survey and the south and west of the country is all English names.  The further north you go the more welsh the place gets.  Even the local accent is different - more west country than west Wales.  So why is this?   Well I think we have to place the blame squarely on the shoulders of Edward the first (always worth blaming for such things!) who suppressed the Welsh principality and planted south west Pembrokeshire.  Now I am sure there is lot more complicated reasons than that but this will do for now.

Photographically Pembrokeshire is a wonderful place.  To see some of the photographs I made last year click here.

So the planning goes on and I can guarantee that all the planning won't make the slightest bit of difference to what I finally produce.  However, there are three projects I really want work whilst I am away.  The first is 'Birds of British Coast', the second is Landscape Photographer of the Year  and finally the 'British wildlife Photograhy Awards'  (in truth the first and last are very much the same thing) I know that there is great potential to add to all of these - lets just hope that things work out alright.