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Telegraph
23-05-2025
- Telegraph
Why you're wrong about Wales – it's the perfect break
When the roads narrow, when the ruined castles rear up, when the houses disperse or disappear entirely into hills that shimmer in one hundred hues of green, then you know that you have arrived in Wales. This is a land lived outdoors, where national parks cover a fifth of the ground and farming still constitutes a fifth of the overall economy. The best and most beautiful things to do here invariably involve getting out into the mesmerising nature: hiking over mountains and along shorelines; biking a labyrinth of little lanes; surfing or swimming off pristine beaches. Towns and cities are few and far between, yet never interpret this as a dearth of culture. In fact, Wales' extreme topography – its mighty uplands, its innumerable inlets and rivers and bogs – have long kept outside influences out, and thus been largely responsible for conserving a culture defiantly distinct from neighbouring England. Here, even after the Anglo-Norman Conquest, distinguishing traditions survived: you'll see this in the Welsh language preceding the English translation on every sign, and in unique festivals championing everything from Abergavenny area's fabled produce to Wales' patron saint in his home city St Davids. Wales is no geographical giant, but its slow-moving roads and lonesome terrain will make it seem so. Bearing this in mind, this route does not take on too much and – avoiding the big cities, the big mountains and the big crowds – concentrates on communicating as much of the esoteric wild essence of Wales as can reasonably be revealed in 14 days, taking in all three of the country's national parks, plus the great unsung highlight of the country: Mid Wales. Follow along and it will be two weeks of devastatingly good-looking countryside, of bracken-blanketed hills and a jaw-dropping jigsaw of coastline, of bypassed-but-buoyant market towns, of ruined fortresses and restaurants where farm-to-fork is a distance of only a few fields. You'll follow the way out west from Southeast Wales to St Davids, the country's westernmost settlement and one of medieval Europe's biggest places of pilgrimage, before swinging north along the Mid Wales coast to vibrant Aberystwyth, making inroads into the big mountains and bewitching beaches of Snowdonia, before finally finishing on the sand-rimmed Isle of Anglesey. If you are blessed with more time, venture inland into the big unknown of Mid Wales' Cambrian Mountains, the UK's remotest land south of the Scottish Highlands. Wherever you go, avoid making the common mistake of attempting to squeeze all of Wales into a single trip: save some for another time. Although the starting point of our itinerary, Abergavenny, is well-connected to Cardiff and London by rail, it makes sense to jump off the train at Cwmbran for car rental or come with your own car: you'll need a vehicle for each day of this trip, except perhaps the final day. Car rental companies like Enterprise have offices in both Cwmbran and Bangor, near this trip's end, so you could arrange a Bangor drop-off and return home by train from there. Market town Abergavenny is the gateway to the Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog) National Park, handily huddled below rugged uplands the Central Beacons (west) and the Black Mountains (north). It happens to be flanked by three of the park's most iconic hills, too. Plump for a clamber up Sugar Loaf, which takes around two hours from the National Trust car park above Sugar Loaf Vineyard: the far-reaching views across South Wales' undulating patchwork quilt compensate for the tough climb. Abergavenny has a standout foodie scene, evidenced by the quality produce at its market (Tuesday/Friday/Saturday), at elegant central hotel The Angel with its hearty, local meat-driven dinner menu and epic afternoon teas or at Michelin-starred The Walnut Tree in nearby Llandewi Skirrid. Try one of these for lunch. Market goodies are best munched on a picnic in the verdant Abergavenny Castle grounds. Start this afternoon forging southwest to plunge into the region's titanic industrial past at Blaenavon. At this Unesco World Heritage Site the key attraction is the Big Pit, once among South Wales' leading coal mines, where you can be lowered into its inky depths for a harrowing insight into mining life. Finally, drive north along the eastern edge of the Central Beacons to one of the national park's prettiest communities, Crickhowell, where 500-year-old beamed hostelry The Bear Hotel doubles as dinner and as a memorable overnight stop Tolkienesque beauty and empty roads Crickhowell's independent shops and eateries warrant reconnoitring this morning: a coffee in the basement café of bookshop Book-ish makes a fine start to the day. The town is a major hiking centre, too, and the verdant, hilly surrounding landscapes also inspired JRR Tolkien into naming hobbit home Crickhollow after Crickhowell. The two-to-three-hour hike up Table Mountain (451m) from town shows off the bewitching scenery here. Next, beeline east on minor lanes for lunch at Llanvihangel Crucorney's Skirrid Inn, claiming nine centuries of history and most probably Wales' oldest pub: the tavern guards the entrance to the secluded Vale of Ewyas. One of South Wales' remotest roads bisects this steep-sided valley for almost 30km north to Hay-on-Wye, passing resplendent ruin Llanthony Priory, where you can stop off to quaff an ale in the adjoining 12th-century cellar bar or stay over in lodgings forming part of the original priory buildings, along the way. You could also mosey along to Wales' National Book Town Hay-on-Wye and go wild for the night in style at woodsy riverside glamping site By The Wye. Literary Hay-on-Wye is book-lovers' bliss: there are over 20 bookstores bunched into this tiny cobble-street town. Spend time this morning browsing shops stacked with tomes – Richard Booth's even includes a bookshop cinema – or venture on a two-hour kayak down the Wye, Wales' best river for paddling, with Want to Canoe? Long carving a reputation as one of the Brecon Beacons' best restaurants, Felin Fach Griffin is 18km southwest of Hay-on-Wye. Lunch here before your long-but-lovely drive west across the national park. Allow 1.25 hours without stops for the bewitching back route via Libanus, the Usk Reservoir and Trapp to Llandeilo, considering stops at Brecon's Norman cathedral and Carreg Cennen Castle, picturesquely perched on a crag above Trapp. Candy-coloured Llandeilo, tumbling down hillsides above the River Tywi, is your resting place tonight. Make central, antique-peppered boutique lodging the Cawdor Arms Hotel your go-to accommodation and dinner date. Llandeilo offers a vast array of shops and cafes considering its small size: try souvenir shopping in local craftspeoples' cooperative Crafts Alive and coffee at Flows on Market St. Before leaving town, dally on the delightful Dinefwr Estate with its 17th-century manor house, ancient deer park and the 12th-century ruined castle that was seat of the once-powerful dynasty of the Princes of Deheubarth. You then have a difficult choice. You could continue west towards Pembrokeshire through rolling Carmarthenshire past the broken hilltop silhouette of Dryslwyn Castle and nearby upscale bistro-cum-farmshop Wrights before dipping to the seaside after Carmarthen at estuary town Laugharne, former home of Wales' best-known and hardest-drinking bard Dylan Thomas. The writer resided at the Dylan Thomas Boathouse that juts out over the estuary, today a museum where you can learn about the man and his works. Overnight here at Brown's Hotel, Thomas' favoured watering hole. You could also detour south to the superlative Gower peninsula west of Swansea. This gorgeous combo of heathery heath framed by some divine beaches warrants a week of exploration in itself. For the abridged version, travel out west to the two-mile sandy strand of Rhossili Bay. Walk the beach along to Burry Holms and the smaller beaches just east, including natural rock-rimmed plunge pool the Blue Pool. Or keep the Dylan Thomas theme going with a tide-permitting adventure out to Worms Head, where the bard himself once got stuck. For beach views after the day-trippers have departed, Worm's Head Hotel is perfectly positioned above Rhossili. Whether you gravitate to the Gower or linger in Laugharne, next proceed west into Pembrokeshire. this itinerary deliberately skips big South Pembrokeshire beach resort Tenby, encountered soon after leaving Laugharne. The reason: to lead you to a less touristy part of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park's alluring crinkled shoreline, bending on from here via broad butterscotch-sand beaches, wave-pummelled coves and dreamy fishing harbours to St David's and beyond. It's about an hour's drive from Laugharne to Stackpole. Take to the minor coast-hugging lanes after Lydstep and break the journey at under-the-radar surf spot Manorbier, where a 12th-century castle and excellent village tearoom-cum-music venue Manorbier House will ensure this wild-feeling beach will waylay you this morning. In Stackpole, ivy-clad country tavern the Stackpole Inn can stand in as your lunch, dinner and accommodation. In-between times, explore Stackpole NNR, an exceptionally varied expanse of coastline. From Stackpole Quay, remote and ravishing Barafundle Bay, the wood-backed dunes of Stackpole Warren, the lily ponds of Bosherston Lakes, sandy Broad Haven beach and St Govan's Chapel, wedged in a cleft in the cliffs, are all doable on foot before dinner. Drive northwest via Pembroke Dock to fetching fishing village Little Haven, aiming for a mid-morning arrival. This allows time to grab a boat-fresh seafood takeaway at Lobster And Môr, a leisurely drink and a stroll along the beach out to The Point (the headland alongside). Little Haven is near the southern end of St Brides Bay, which you'll now be tracing north around to St Davids: the bay is distinguished by its several coves, idyllic inlets edged by quiet harbours, and you'll pootle past Broad Haven, Druidston Haven and Nolton Haven on the way to wide, tempestuous Newgale Bay, a great place to try surfing. Following the coast around, it is hard to resist pausing at another gorgeous fishing village, Solva, with its snaking, sheltered harbour, art galleries and enticing spots to eat and drink. You'll reach St Davids soon afterwards. Check in to modern, art-bedecked Twr y Felin Hotel at the top of the city for the next two nights and splurge on a meal at their restaurant Blas. For a quieter, more historic stay, there is Penrhiw Hotel, a 19th-century priory out on the way towards Whitesands Bay. Sacred sites and sandy coves The obvious first port-of-call in what was one of the medieval world's most important pilgrimage destinations is St Davids Cathedral – a dazzling 12th-century building fashioned in the locally-prevalent purple Caerbwdy stone with a history harking back to the monastic community St David established here in the sixth century. Also visit the adjacent (and ruined) St Davids Bishop's Palace, which rivalled the cathedral for majesty during the 13th and 14th centuries. Dinky St Davids is delightful for strolling around: don't forgo coffee, cake, souvenir shopping and perhaps a lesson in foraging in the Really Wild Emporium, where much of the food is made with locally foraged seaweed. This afternoon, it's beach time. You have several options, and could walk or drive to a few beaches rimming the beautiful section of the Wales Coast Path that circumnavigates the headlands around St Davids. But come to the big one – Whitesands Bay, to the northwest – maybe adding in a ramble along to sandy cove Porthmelgan. Above Porthmelgan is Carn Llidi, the prominent distinctively-shaped crag that probably made St Davids area such a revered place to begin with back in Neolithic times, dotted in prehistoric sites. St Davids Gin and Kitchen is an atmospheric, contemporary spot for dinner this evening. Lagoons, beaches and dolphins Start early today as you head up Wales' west coast. You're bound for Aberystwyth, Mid Wales' most vibrant town, a two-hour drive northeast. En route, make a diversion to see Abereiddy's Blue Lagoon, where the water is tinted a striking blue-green. There are plenty of hidden beaches along this stretch, such as Penbryn, tucked below some enchanting woodland. Ceredigion seaside town New Quay makes another great stop: you can go on a boat trip with SeaMôr to spot members of Europe's biggest bottlenose dolphin population, before continuing to Aberaeron's Harbourmaster, one of Ceredigion's best lunch stops. Here you could detour inland a few miles to the 18th-century country manor and garden of Llanerchaeron House. Booming beach town life Aberystwyth is probably Wales' most magical major settlement, and vied with Cardiff to be chosen as the Welsh capital in the 1950s. Stroll along the promenade's candy-coloured houses, taking in North Beach, the pier and South Beach, peek at Aberystwyth Castle ruins and be sure to climb to the impressive National Library of Wales with the highlight among the permanent exhibits being the Nanteos Cup, a possible candidate for the source of the Holy Grail legend. You might have time to slot in a trip on Valley of Rheidol Railway, taking a steam train up to the Victorian beauty spot of the dramatic Devil's Bridge gorge. Intersperse this with excellent dining at some of the eclectic eateries: Medina (Middle Eastern) and Ultracomida (tapas bar and deli) are sensational. Just take care to reserve well in advance. Secrets of Snowdonia Aberystwyth is close to the southern edge of Snowdonia (Eyri) National Park, which you'll soon find yourself in this morning as you proceed north via Corris, where you can pause to observe craftspeople from different disciplines at work at Corris Crafts Centre. Drive over the mountains to one of Snowdonia's prettiest little towns, Dolgellau, its grey houses bunched along labyrinthine streets below Southern Snowdonia's highest peak, Cadair Idris. Lunch at T.H., a central café ensconced in a 19th-century ironmongery. Snowdon itself is the national park's most overrated mountain and swamped with crowds: spend this afternoon climbing far-quieter and equally spectacular Cadair Idris from the Ty Nant car park on the 10 km Pony Path: a hike of around five hours. Dine tonight in Tafarn y Gader: Spanish tapas in a tradition-rich Welsh town. This route through Snowdonia National Park runs 33 km along the Mawddach estuary to Barmouth, and then up the coast to Harlech. Here, the first of this seaboard's imposing Unesco-listed castles, Harlech Castle, rears above the town from atop a crag. Opposite, at the top of what is allegedly the world's steepest street, Caffi Castell offers welcome refreshments. Afterwards, wander along wide, sandy Harlech Beach and explore the wildlife-rich dunes of Morfa Harlech National Nature Reserve. Historic royal town Caernarfon, 45 minutes' drive north, now beckons, along with an afternoon visit to perhaps Europe's most splendid medieval fortification, Caernarfon Castle. This Unesco World Heritage Site protrudes into the Menai Strait, separating North Wales from Anglesey. Finish the day by crossing the strait on the 1826-built Menai Suspension Bridge, the world's first major one of its kind, onto Anglesey, Wales' biggest island. Check into Nant yr Odyn Country Hotel, near Llangefni, and stay here for tonight and tomorrow night, eating at its well-regarded restaurant tonight. Wales's Biggest Island On your final full day in Wales, start off south of your accommodation in the car park at Newborough Warren, on Anglesey's south shore. Saunter from here along stunning sands to serene tidal island Ynys Llandwyn, where St Dwynwen, Welsh patron saint of lovers, lived most of her life. It's a rite of passage for romance-loving Welsh to visit this poignant spot. Anglesey is another one of those places that could waylay you for many days, but after your beach-side walk you should prioritise sojourns to titanic fortress Beaumaris Castle, in Beaumaris, and the country house of Plas Newydd, wrapped in beautiful wooded grounds. Dylan's in Menai Bridge makes a wonderful, atmospheric place to eat on your final day. Homeward bound Now, for all those twists and turns over the last two weeks, it will take less than 4.5 hours to return from Newborough to Cwmbran – almost a complete northwest-southeast traverse of Wales. Pick up mainline train connections after returning your hire car 13 miles northeast of Newborough, in Bangor. The main holiday season starts at Easter weekend and runs through to the end of September. Beat the crowds by giving the school summer holidays at popular spots like St Davids a miss. You're not necessarily foresaking the best weather by holidaying outside high season: May often has the most sunshine in Wales and September the warmest seawater temperatures. What to book Accommodation is not generally included in multi-day tours of Wales, although companies will book accommodation for you on top for a fee. Rabbie's Tours offer a three-day Mountains and Coasts of South Wales bus tour from Bristol, taking in St Davids, Laugharne, the Brecon Beacons National Park and Hay-on-Wye and overnighting in Tenby and Abergavenny (£235 per person in high season). Most visitors to Wales go independently, however. Abergavenny, which kicks off this trip, is reached by hourly train from London via Newport (South Wales) (standard single tickets from £134) and these trains also stop at Cwmbran, where the nearest car hire is located. Car hire in Cwmbran costs from £250 weekly. What to pack Pack waterproofs – Wales has a proclivity for precipitation – and swimwear – because the fickle weather can flicker over to sunshine in which the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park becomes one of the most inviting seaboards in Europe. If you're travelling in your own vehicle, bringing a bike lets you see that little bit more: lanes and tracks may be steep, but you'll often have them to yourself. Binoculars will help you spy South Wales' diverse birdlife, and local marine creatures like seals and bottlenose dolphins. Focus on changes of clothes for outdoor activities: the Welsh generally dress low-key, and one or two casual-smart outfits for the very best places to eat and drink mentioned here will suffice. Holiday reading On the Black Hill (1982) by Bruce Chatwin, detailing turn-of-the-20th-century farming life in the Black Mountains' Vale of Ewyas, should be the first book out of your bags. Try and finish this by day four, when you hit Dylan Thomas' erstwhile home Laugharne. Under Milk Wood (1953) is his most famous book, a 'play for voices' with the larger-than-life characters likely inspired by his lengthy sojourns in Ceredigion's New Quay and Laugharne. You might want to pack some poetry too. Thomas wrote evocative verses fired by the estuarine scenery around Laugharne and there is even a Dylan Thomas Birthday Walk around town, based on Thomas' Poem in October about a birthday stroll to St John's Hill. If you have time for a third book, why not begin at the beginning with Wales' first-known collection of prose, The Mabinogion. It's a 12th- and 13th-century transcription of wildly varying oral tales that date back far further, running the gamut from philosophy to fantasy to Wales' very different take on the King Arthur legend, and forms the basis for so much of the literature that came after it, too. Song Castle (2018) by me, Luke Waterson, set in the 12th century, narrates the colourful adventures of a group of bards travelling across Wales to a festival of music and song on the west coast in 1176: it unfolds across many of the same South Wales landscapes this itinerary passes through. Non-fiction-wise, and for a more general overview, late-Welsh travel writer Jan Morris' Wales: Epic Views of a Small Country celebrates the nation throughout history from its folklore to its politics. Expert tips The Welsh can be quite humble about their speciality foods, with the consequence that even those visitors from elsewhere in the British Isles often haven't heard of them. Watch out for Welsh rarebit (a cheese on toast variant with Worcestershire sauce in the mix), sewin (coracle-caught sea trout), cawl (a root veg stew with lamb or beef) and Welsh cakes (griddle cakes stuffed with dried fruit). Always allow more time for travelling between A and B on Wales' generally narrow roads, where tractors, stray sheep and downright spectacular scenery slow the going down. Rural Wales ticks to different opening hours than those travellers heralding from big cities may be accustomed to. Mondays and Tuesdays often see restaurants and attractions closed: expect Thursday to Saturday evenings and weekend lunchtimes as standard restaurant opening hours (anything more is a bonus) and check/book ahead. For further inspiration, view our guide to the perfect holiday in Pembrokeshire, including where to eat, the best hotels and what to do, here. Alternatively, discover how to swerve the crowds in Snowdonia in our dedicated guide.
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Covid 2020: An intimate look at health worker's lives amid a global crisis
Health worker David Collyer wanted to shoot a documentary photography project on the last years of the Welsh hospital he worked in. Then Covid-19 appeared. On 6 May 2020, a strangely atmospheric picture graced the front page of the British daily newspaper The Guardian. The picture showed a woman in hospital scrubs laughing as she was handed a birthday cake. In the background, another woman could be seen laughing too. The scene seemed to have been lit, mostly, by the flaming candles on top of the cake. The image was unlike most other front-page pictures The Guardian usually ran: it was black and white, for starters. The characteristic grain hinted that it had been taken on film instead of a digital sensor. And it was taken not by a professional news photographer, but by a fellow health worker, joining in the birthday celebrations as a brief respite from working on the frontlines of the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. David Collyer took this picture in the first few months of 2020, on shift for his job as an operating department practitioner (or surgical nurse) at the Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny in Wales. As the hospital began to be inundated with Covid-19 patients in the first wave of the pandemic, Collyer decided to document what he and his colleagues were witnessing, all captured on a small 35mm film camera. Documenting the day-to-day experience of the hospital's theatre staff was a project that Collyer had long considered. "The Trust that I worked for had built a big new central hospital which opened during Covid," Collyer says. "I'd already thought about doing this project to sort of document the last couple of years of Nevill Hall. And then, of course, Covid came along. "That was the catalyst that made me actually get the camera and say, right, we need to do this now. It was a project that was already planned, and it just so happened that Covid turned into the project." Collyer first became aware of the impending pandemic long before the hospital was inundated with patients. "I started seeing the images coming in on the news from Italy, really, that's, that's what was the real eye opener," he says. "We were suddenly aware that something was doing the rounds. And then, of course, you started to get these news stories coming onto the 10 O'Clock News at night." As government scientists started to warn of Covid-19's arrival in the UK, Nevill Hall's staff started making crisis plans. "Then when we stopped elective procedures, and, you know, we're only doing emergency procedures. And then there was this kind of lull where we didn't really know what was happening," he says. "It was a bit like a tsunami. You know it's coming. You've been told it's coming, and you're standing on the shore, you can kind of hear it, and you can see it… you're looking at the reports around the world, but you don't know when it's going to make landfall. "The hospital prepared by setting up an Intensive Therapy Unit (ITU) which would offer initial care to suspected Covid cases. Then all of a sudden, the first one [Covid-19 case] came through the door, and then the second one came through the door, and then, you know, one ITU space got turned into two, got turned into three. Every patient that came into theatre had to be treated as if they were Covid-positive." Collyer says this meant the hospital's frontline staff had to wear full personal protective equipment (PPE), as well as ventilating the air every 20 minutes. For around two months, Collyer took his camera – a tiny 1980s model called the Olympus XA3 – into work for each shift. The camera was small enough to keep on a neck strap under his scrubs when not in use, and its shutter is very quiet. Collyer chose not to use flash, either, giving his images a grainier look. None of his pictures were of the many patients receiving care at Nevill Hall – partly for privacy reasons, but also that was the focus of so much photojournalism being produced across the world. Collyer instead trained his camera on the hospital staff. He captured colleagues snatching a few minutes respite in-between cases, extreme tiredness etched on their faces, or sitting slumped on chairs and wheelchairs in staff rooms after long and hectic shifts. In one picture, a nurse ties back a colleague's hair in a break room; in another, a visibly exhausted health worker sits slumped against the wall, still wearing his PPE and protective visor. They are moments of calm away from the biggest health crisis the world had seen in decades. "If I'd wandered around with a DSLR, putting it in people's faces, then people act in a very, very different way. I've got something that's smaller than the palm of my hand, and it's literally just click, click, click. It lends a different sort of nuance to the to the body of work," Collyer says. The Guardian chose to run a photo essay of his work, and it was the image of his colleague's Lauri's shift-time 40th-birthday celebration that made it to the front page. "She'd chosen to come into work on her 40th birthday, when she could have got it off, to deal with this crisis," Collyer says, adding that NHS teams often bond over shared experience in difficult times. "In order to be able to get through something like Covid, you have to have ways of finding joy in the situation, as well as amongst yourself as a group of people. And to me, that photo really sums that up. Because if you don't have moments like that, then you can't really deal with what you see on a daily basis. "We all, in the courses of our career, have seen tragic events and people dying, but there was the element of the unknown coming with it as well. And was it going to get us?" The single location – the interior of Nevill Hall Hospital – also shows the monotony many of the health workers had to contend with. "What [photographer] Peter Dench said about my photos at the time was that they had this feeling of claustrophobia about them… that really resonated about what Covid was like. There was this incredible feeling of claustrophobia, not just because of the PPE that we were wearing, which was a lot more severe than we were used to. Because you were kind of stuck in the hospital a lot of time, you couldn't go home. You had to shower after every case, you know, you had to decontaminate yourself on the way in and out… so it was a pretty tough time. "On top of this, we were watching people die and, and we were hearing reports coming in from around the country of NHS workers that were dying as well, you know. I've got a friend who's a respiratory professor up in Leeds, and he lost five colleagues," Collyer says. "I wanted to sort of look at how we bonded as a team… because I didn't shoot patients, you almost take Covid out of the picture. It was really looking at how a team worked together under a stressful situation, and that stressful situation happened to be Covid. More like this:• Covid 2020: The body in the bed• Covid 2020: A landmark without a crowd• Covid-19: What happened to the countries that didn't lock down? "I always say that to work in theatres, you need to have a strong stomach and a dark sense of humour… you've got to be able to find moments of humour and joy in the darkest moments to do the job. That's really what I wanted to capture. Not just people with thousand-yard stare on, looking absolutely shellshocked, knackered at eight o'clock in the morning. But I wanted to capture those moments of human interaction and warmth that really sort of held us together as a team." Such was the reception of Collyer's work that his pictures were turned into a book called All in a Day's Work, which raised money for NHS charities. The project earned him the Royal Photographic Society's documentary photographer of the year in 2021. But the photographer's jubilation had to be put on hold: just weeks later he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. (He has since made a full recovery.) "All of a sudden, I'm the patient in the system, and I'm being shielded in a private hospital as an NHS patient, because that's where all of the cancer cases in South Wales are going to shield them from Covid," he says. Covid-19 was still widespread, and Collyer's cancer prognosis made contracting it potentially much more serious. "I just remember coming home from the operation, and I was sat on the sofa, and I suddenly I started getting the rigors, which is like where your body suddenly starts dramatically shivering, you're spiking a temperature. I was terrified that I was going to have to go back into hospital." --
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Bride reveals she hated her wedding pictures after 'trying too hard to make them perfect'... so can you tell what's wrong with them?
A bride's desire for picture-perfect aisle snaps backfired when she 'ruined' them by trying not to cry - as she looked like she was 'holding in sneeze'. Leyonie Brice, from Abergavenny, Gwent, Wales, walked down the aisle in February to her favourite song, James Arthur 's Falling Down the Stars, and started tearing up the moment the violin cover played. But the 'emotional' bride said because she tried to stop herself from crying it left her making a series of 'weird faces'. The 26-year-old admits she was worried about ruining her makeup as she spent a 'fortune' having it done, but said that she would have preferred to deal with that than see the 'horrendous' photos. Leyonie said she was gutted to see how her photos turned out and was too embarrassed to have them printed or share them on social media. But after walking down the aisle, Leyonie let herself cry when the couple started exchanging their vows and said she preferred the snaps showing her emotion. The mum-of-one said she gets emotional at happy things and can sometimes make weird faces when she cries. Leyonie said: 'I put a lot of thought into what I wanted my wedding photos to look like, I was thinking of my face the entire time. 'You spend months thinking about how you're going to look on your wedding day. I make some weird faces when I'm emotional. 'I wanted to look pretty but that went out the window when I heard the music while walking down. It was a violin cover of James Arthur, Falling Like The Stars. 'It's one of my favourite songs, I've always thought about it when I'm in love. 'When I was waiting around the corner I had already started tearing up and when the music started I thought "Oh God, can I keep it in?". 'I thought, "I wish I had just let myself cry, wish I had let it all out". But I was worried about my makeup. 'You spend a fortune having your makeup done and you get worried I don't want to ruin my makeup. I would have preferred to deal with that than look like that the entire time. 'My biggest worry was about how I looked, that's why I was so anxious leading up to it, thinking, 'am I going to like my hair, am I going to like my makeup?' 'I told myself not to cry which made it look like I was holding in a sneeze. They were horrendous, I didn't think they'd look that bad. 'It happened so fast and everything was so full of emotion, so when I saw the photos I thought 'Oh God, what did everyone else see me look like.' 'I thought I would just look like I was crying a little bit but not like that. I was a bit gutted thinking I cant use any of these, I'm too embarrassed about my face, I wasn't going to post them or have them printed. 'I don't really cry over sad things, I cry more over happy things. Like when you're watching a film and there's a happy ending. 'During our own vows, I couldn't hold it in then, but it was a peaceful cry.' 'VERY EMOTIONAL': Leyonie has described her big day as 'very emotional', and says she cried during the speeches as well as when walking up the aisle The master's student said she cried multiple times after that and that it was a very emotional day. Leyonie is now warning future brides to let themselves cry freely instead of holding in their tears. Leyonie said: 'I cried on and off the whole day really, in the evening, during the speeches, it was very emotional. 'I'd say, don't try to stop yourself from being emotional. If you feel like crying, let yourself cry. 'There are some photos where I am crying and I quite like those because I look normal. 'Don't try to stop yourself because you will have weird faces like mine. 'It was the best day of my life. I would have preferred to look nicer walking down the aisle, but I have lots of other beautiful pictures. Despite being unhappy with some of her snaps, Leyonie says her wedding was 'the best day of my life' (pictured with her husband Jackson) 'I wish I could go back and change it a little bit just to take it in a bit more.' Leyonie shared her experience online, with commenters sympathising and relating to the bride's experience. One commenter said: 'Yep, I held in ugly cries all the way down the aisle too, those photos man. Your photos are beautiful though, you look absolutely stunning!' Another said: 'Oh I cried, I ugly cried.' A third said: 'Thanks for the tip. I can honestly see me blubbering walking down the aisle. You look beautiful by the way.'
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Weightlifter, 31, diagnosed with "deadly" brain tumour
A weightlifter ended up in a coma and was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumour after ignoring "warning sign" headaches and nosebleeds - he put down to working long hours and heavy gym training. Scott Hinch, 31, led a fit and active lifestyle and - despite "experiencing a few headaches and nosebleeds" - had no significant health problems. But on his way to work on August 19, 2019, he suffered a seizure and was rushed to Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales. He was put in an induced four-day coma and, after waking up, an MRI revealed a grade 2 astrocytoma - a type of tumour that usually develops in the brain or spinal cord - and he was given three to five years to live. Scott before his diagnosis. A fit mountain climber was diagnosed with cancer after experiencing a seizure - despite ignoring headaches and nosebleeds, he now believes to have been warning signs. (Image: Brain Tumour Research Charity / SWNS) On September 4, Scott underwent emergency surgery to partially remove the tumour and started his first round of treatment to keep the cancer at bay - which will entail seven weeks of radiotherapy and 12 cycles of chemotherapy. But despite its initial success, Scott's cancer returned two years later, at the end of 2023, and he began his second round of treatment - which involved 20 months' worth of intensive chemotherapy, condensed into 10. He is now undergoing his third round of treatment for his tumour and says he suffers from "relentless fatigue" and that he is "dependent" on his mum, Fiona Lott, 51, because he "can't leave the house most days". Scott before his diagnosis. Now his mum is his full time carer (Image: Brain Tumour Research Charity / SWNS) Scott, who worked as a solar engineer from Abergavenny, Wales, said: "Looking back, I now realise there were signs. "Headaches, nosebleeds, things I chalked up to long work hours. "Maybe heavy training at the gym and not drinking enough water. "I even went to the opticians, but nothing was picked up. "Most days, I can't leave the house. "But I'm still here, and that's something I'm grateful for." Scott was diagnosed with a grade 2 astrocytoma after suffering a seizure on his way to work on August 19, 2019, despite experiencing "headaches and nosebleeds" in the months prior. Although the general prognosis is good, and those with grade 1 have a 96 per cent chance of survival after five years, it can decrease to below 30 per cent for those with grade 3 or higher. Scott woke from a four-day coma induced coma - after 45 minutes of continuous seizures - when a consultant told him the "devastating" news that he had three to five years to live. "I had no memory of anything since leaving the house," he said. "I had four days completely missing, I remember setting off for work and then waking up in the hospital with doctors and nurses over my bed. "It was frightening. "I was shocked and scared and didn't know what was going on.' The consultant at the University Hospital of Wales, in Cardiff, Wales, explained to Scott and his family that due to the tumour's diffused nature, only part of it could be safely removed - called debulking - which happened on September 4. "I was terrified," Scott said. "But I woke up a couple of hours later, cracked a joke, and asked for a cup of tea. "It was a relief to know my brain function was intact." After the surgery, Scott went through 16 "gruelling" months of therapy - including seven weeks of radiotherapy and 12 cycles of chemotherapy - which had kept things stable for two years. But a routine scan towards the end of 2023 revealed the tumour was active again and Scott started his second round of treatment with intensive chemotherapy - with no success in curing the cancer. "I take it one month at a time," he said. "The fatigue is relentless and most days I can't leave the house." His mum, Fiona, became his full-time carer and was "dependent on her" for everything. During this time, the 31-year-old had lost his driving license as a result of his seizures and sold his car. "I felt like losing my independence," he said. "I couldn't visit friends, and the risk of infection meant limited visitors. "I felt incredibly isolated." Scott during his treatment for a brain tumour (Image: Brain Tumour Research Charity / SWNS) Five years later, Scott is still battling cancer and is now undergoing his third round of treatment. But he remains determined. "I'm still here, and that's something I'm grateful for," he said. To help raise awareness, his mum, Fiona, and auntie, Lyndsey, are taking on the 200k in May Your Way challenge to raise money for the Brain Tumour Research Charity. Fiona said: "Watching my son go through the trauma of surgery and three rounds of treatment for brain cancer has been heartbreaking. "No family should have to experience the fear, uncertainty and pain that we have. "We need better outcomes, kinder treatments, and ultimately a cure. "If our efforts can help spare just one family from this suffering, then every step will be worth it.' To support Fiona and Lyndsey's 200k In May Your Way challenge, visit:
The Sun
16-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
‘Fit and healthy' man, 31, given years to live reveals the first sign of killer that he blamed on ‘working long hours'
A FIT and healthy weightlifter chalked up red flag symptoms to "working long hours" and "not drinking enough water" - but was given just years to live after a terrifying seizure landed him in a coma. Scott Hinch, 31, led a fit and active lifestyle and had no significant health problems - aside from "experiencing a few headaches and nosebleeds". 10 10 But on his way to work on August 19, 2019, he suffered a seizure and was rushed to Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales. He was put in an induced four-day coma after the seizures continued for 45 minutes. After waking up, an MRI revealed a grade 2 astrocytoma - a type of tumour that usually develops in the brain or spinal cord - and he was given just three to five years to live. Scott realised the headaches and nosebleeds he'd experienced over the last few months were in fact warnings signs of the cancer. On September 4, Scott underwent emergency surgery to partially remove the tumour and started aggressive radiotherapy and chemotherapy to keep the cancer at bay. But despite its initial success, Scott's cancer returned two years later, at the end of 2023, and he began his second round of treatment - which involved 20 months' worth of intensive chemotherapy, condensed into 10. He is now undergoing his third round of treatment for his tumour and says he suffers from "relentless fatigue" and that he is "dependent" on his mum, Fiona Lott, 51, because he "can't leave the house most days". Scott, who worked as a solar engineer from Abergavenny, Wales, said: "Looking back, I now realise there were signs. "Headaches, nosebleeds, things I chalked up to long work hours. "Maybe heavy training at the gym and not drinking enough water. "I even went to the opticians, but nothing was picked up. "Most days, I can't leave the house. "But I'm still here, and that's something I'm grateful for." Scott was diagnosed with a grade 2 astrocytoma after suffering a seizure on his way to work on August 19, 2019. 10 10 Although the general prognosis is good - people with a grade 1 have a 96 per cent chance of survival after five years - it can decrease to below 30 per cent for those with grade 3 or higher. Scott woke from a four-day coma induced coma when a consultant told him the "devastating" news that he had three to five years to live. "I had no memory of anything since leaving the house," he said. "I had four days completely missing, I remember setting off for work and then waking up in the hospital with doctors and nurses over my bed. "It was frightening. "I was shocked and scared and didn't know what was going on." Symptoms of astrocytoma Astrocytoma is a common type of primary brain tumour, which means it starts in the brain instead of spreading there. Astrocytomas start in stem cells, which eventually develop in to one of the different types of brain cells, such as astroctyes. Astrocytes are brain cells that connect and support nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. As astrocytes are found throughout the brain, astrocytomas can occur in many different areas of the brain. These tumours grow from cells that are vital in processing information in the brain, so they can disrupt the function of whichever area of the brain they are growing in. Some of these tumours grow in the cerebellum, which controls balance. They can also occur in the optic pathways, which are involved in sight. So, symptoms can be very different between people affected by these tumours. That being said, common astrocytoma symptoms could include: Headaches Difficulty speaking Change in vision, like double vision or blurriness Cognitive difficulties, like trouble thinking or remembering Seizures (epilepsy) Source: The Brain Tumour Charity The consultant at the University Hospital of Wales, in Cardiff, Wales, explained to Scott and his family that due to the tumour's diffused nature, only part of it could be safely removed. The procedure took place on September 4 and Scott recalled being "terrified". "But I woke up a couple of hours later, cracked a joke, and asked for a cup of tea," he said. "It was a relief to know my brain function was intact." 'Relentless fatigue' After the surgery, Scott went through 16 "gruelling" months of therapy - including seven weeks of radiotherapy and 12 cycles of chemotherapy - which kept things stable for two years. But a routine scan towards the end of 2023 revealed the tumour was active again and Scott started his second round of treatment with intensive chemotherapy - with no success in curing the cancer. "I take it one month at a time," he said. "The fatigue is relentless and most days I can't leave the house." His mum, Fiona, became his full-time carer and was "dependent on her" for everything. During this time, the 31-year-old had lost his driving licence as a result of his seizures and sold his car. "I felt like losing my independence," he said. "I couldn't visit friends, and the risk of infection meant limited visitors. "I felt incredibly isolated." 10 10 'Still here' Five years later, Scott is still battling cancer and is now undergoing his third round of treatment. But he remains determined. "I'm still here, and that's something I'm grateful for," he said. To help raise awareness, his mum, Fiona, and auntie, Lyndsey, are taking on the 200k in May Your Way challenge to raise money for the Brain Tumour Research Charity. Fiona said: "Watching my son go through the trauma of surgery and three rounds of treatment for brain cancer has been heartbreaking. "No family should have to experience the fear, uncertainty and pain that we have. "We need better outcomes, kinder treatments, and ultimately a cure. "If our efforts can help spare just one family from this suffering, then every step will be worth it." You can support Fiona and Lyndsey's 200k In May Your Way challenge here. 10
