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Wales Online
9 hours ago
- Wales Online
Stunning coastal walk in North Wales named amongst world's best for 'no-sweat scenery'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A relatively short coastal walk in North Wales has been adjudged one of the world's most scenic for those who don't want aching limbs at the end of it. A bonus for walking slackers is the pub that lies en route - it has a global reputation for combining leisurely pit stops with stunning views. The walk, on the Llŷn Peninsula, Gwynedd, is just 3.6 miles (5.8km) and involves climbing no more than 54 metres along the way. Porthdinllaen Circular, along a sandy beach and dramatic cliffs, was considered to be among the world's top 10 'easiest walks to the world's best views'. Its rating, following an analysis by AllClear Travel Insurance, leaves the walk rubbing shoulders with iconic spots like the Giant's Causeway and Switzerland's Panorama Trail. The idea of 'easy walks' to scenic locations was conceived for those who struggle to access the world's 'most iconic views'. Medical conditions, limited mobility, time constraints or travelling with children can all make challenging hikes a no-go. The people behind the study imagine the concept will also appeal to idlers who want 'big views with minimal effort'. Or as they call it, 'no-sweat scenery'. The circular walk gives unspoilt views of Porthdinllaen Bay, a charming pub on the beach and, on clear days, views stretching all the way to Eryri's majestic peaks. The pub, Tŷ Coch Inn, was once named one of the world's best beach bars. There is one jarring note: the route highlighted, devised by an online hiking specialist, includes a section to a campsite that's actually private land. Alternative footpaths are nearby, perhaps offering even more scenic landscapes, but these will add distance to the trek. The shortest alternative may involve an extra 10-20 minutes to the 70-minute walk, so for most people it's probably not a deal-breaker. Whichever way you go, from the B4417, the destination is Nefyn Golf Course and the Llŷn Coastal Path. Following the latter takes you up one side of the Nefyn headland – a finger of land curving out from the bay – and back down the other side. Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now (Image: Jeff Buck/Wiki) One side offers cliff drama, the other stunning views across the bay towards Yr Eifl mountains. The latter passes the RNLI Porthdinllaen Lifeboat Station and its small but wonderful sandy beach. From here, you can follow the Llŷn Coastal Path down below, or stay atop the headland for better views. The high point was once the site of an Iron Age hill forts, whose ditches and ramparts can still be made out on the golfing fairways. Once on the beach, Tŷ Coch Inn awaits. Named by the Sunday Times one of the UK's top 10 'best proper' pubs earlier this year, it's the centrepiece of the tiny hamlet of Porthdinllaen, a former fishing community that once vied with Holyhead to become the main harbour for Irish trade. Since 1994 it's been looked after by the National Trust. Even in winter the Tŷ Coch Inn can be busy; on warm summer days it positively bustles. From here, the Porthdinllaen Circular continues along the beach to Morfa Nefyn, then back up to the B4417 via Lon Bridin and Lon Las. Visitors have two main options for parking – the National Trust car park off Lon Golff, and a set-aside parking area further up the hill at the golf club. Both charge a fee. Letitia Smith, of AllClear, said: 'For millions of people, reaching some of the world's most beautiful viewpoints isn't always easy. Our research highlights just how many incredible landscapes can be enjoyed by people of all ages, and all abilities, particularly those living with medical conditions.' Topping the list was Artist Point in the Yellowstone National Park, USA. The scenery is pretty good – the viewpoint looks out over the Grand Canyon and its Lower Falls. But the 'walk' barely merits the description – it's just a 200-yard stroll from a car park. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox According to the study, the world's most difficult viewpoint to reach was Indonesia's Mount Rinjani, an active volcano with an impressive turquoise crater lake. Getting there requires a steep and strenuous hike but the views are considered amongst the most rewarding in south east Asia. The Top 10 most scenic walks requiring the least effort 'Difficulty score' in brackets. Artist Point, USA (11.9) Cadillac Summit Loop, USA (14.7) Milford Foreshore Walk, New Zealand (17.7) Cape Flattery Trail, USA (17.8) Moraine Lake Shoreline Trail, Canada (18.5) Blue Trail, Path of Love: Riomaggiore-Manarola, Italy (21.3) Moro Rock, USA (21.9) Grand Canyon South Rim (22.3) Bastei-Basteribrücke Bridge, Germany (22.6) Porthdinllaen Circular, Wales (22.8); Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland (22.8); Bryce Point Trail, USA (22.8) Find family activities near you
Telegraph
26-03-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Firemen's male manicure campaign ‘a load of absolute woke nonsense'
A fire service has been accused of wasting time and resources by taking part in a male manicure campaign designed to ' redefine masculinity '. Firemen from Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service painted their nails red last week as part of the 'Hard as Nails' campaign which seeks to 'break down barriers' by 'challenging stereotypes, building empathy and redefining masculinity'. It sparked a backlash online from critics who branded it 'utterly embarrassing' and ' a load of absolute woke nonsense '. The firemen, based at Stapleford Fire Station on the outskirts of Nottingham, took part to prompt 'conversations about allyship and ultimately, men supporting women '. In a statement, the fire service said it was 'extremely proud' of the firemen. A spokesman said: 'Supporting the Hard As Nails initiative was a very small, but hopefully powerful, gesture and just one of many examples of the work we do with those in our communities.' 'We're extremely proud of our team at Stapleford Fire Station who got involved in this. Unfortunately, we did receive some negative feedback when we celebrated this work on our Facebook page.' The spokesman said this sort of backlash is not new for the fire station, and that they 'understand that people have different views '. He added: 'However, we are proud and passionate about making people safer right across the county, and that does look different now to how it did many years ago. 'We did also receive some overwhelmingly positive feedback on this work, too, which outweighed some of the negativity and was nice to see.' One Facebook user said: 'You can't convince me that paying staff to get their nails painted on station is a good use of time and resources.' Another added: 'What sort of picture are you trying to paint? [I am] pretty sure the public don't want to see this. Having a manicure whilst at work, no way.' Jeff Buck, 70, from Hard as Nails, told the BBC the initiative was important because of the need to debate masculinity. Mr Buck said: 'The whole purpose of Hard as Nails is to stimulate that debate, to get people talking, to have those conversations about masculinity, gender identity, all those things that need to be discussed. 'It's a nice antidote to all of that toxic masculinity, isn't it? Here were firefighters, who are some of the bravest men we've got in our society, who are quite happy to symbolically paint a nail and say: 'Yes, I'm supporting this project.' 'It can be light-hearted but with a very serious message and a very serious purpose. It really struck me that, when I was reading those messages, people probably didn't really understand what it was about.' Mr Buck said the firefighters were not 'sitting around, drinking cocktails and having a manicure'. 'They were doing something symbolic to show their support for a very important project.'
The Independent
25-03-2025
- General
- The Independent
Firefighters defend nail painting campaign after critics brand it ‘woke' and ‘embarrassing'
Firefighters have defended the decision to take part in a nail painting campaign to 'encourage allyship' and ' redefine masculinity ' across the UK after critics claimed the scheme was 'woke'. Nottingham Fire and Rescue Service firemen took part in a 'man-icure' organised by charity Hard as Nails to encourage debate about gender identity and toxic masculinity. The force posted a picture of a firefighter with red and green painted nails with the caption 'something as simple as painting your nails can spark a much bigger discussion '. 'It's a reminder that small actions can break down barriers, encourage allyship, and create spaces where men feel comfortable having open conversations'. But one resident hit back and said: 'While the LGBTQ+ & Woke brigade will love this, you are alienating a much much larger demographic by posting cr** like this!'. Another added: 'I'm all for talking about men's mental health but seriously. What sort of picture are you trying to paint? I'm pretty sure the public don't want to see this.' Others defended the move, with one user saying: 'Keep up the great work breaking down the boundaries for all. Looking forward to supporting this further in the future.' 'When you are cutting someone out of their car or saving their house from destruction they won't care what colour your nail varnish is,' another user added. Hard as Nails campaigner Jeff Buck, 70, said the firefighters were 'doing something symbolic' for a 'very important project'. "Here were firefighters, who are some of the bravest men we've got in our society, who are quite happy to symbolically paint a nail and say, 'Yes, I'm supporting this project,' he told the BBC. A Nottinghamshire Fire Service spokesperson said: "Supporting the Hard As Nails initiative was a very small, but hopefully powerful, gesture and just one of many examples of the work we do with those in our communities. "We're extremely proud of our team at Stapleford fire station who got involved in this. Unfortunately, we did receive some negative feedback when we celebrated this work on our Facebook page. "This isn't new for us, unfortunately, and we do understand that people have different views. However, we are proud and passionate about making people safer right across the county, and that does look different now to how it did many years ago. "We did also receive some overwhelmingly positive feedback on this work, too, which outweighed some of the negativity and was nice to see."
BBC News
25-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Nottinghamshire fire crew defends nail painting after backlash
Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service has defended its decision to take part in a project in which firefighters painted their nails after negative online fire service posted on Facebook after crews from Stapleford fire station applied nail varnish to participate in the Hard as Nails campaign invites men to paint their nails then record how people react in an effort to "challenge stereotypes, build empathy and redefine masculinity".While the post prompted many messages of support, there was also criticism from people who described it as "nonsense", "woke" and "embarrassing". The fire service said Hard as Nails was a positive initiative and in response to the negative comments it said: "It's not taken up a huge amount of crew time and it's about opening up conversations about allyship and ultimately, men supporting women."In a statement, a fire service spokesperson said: "Supporting the Hard As Nails initiative was a very small, but hopefully powerful, gesture and just one of many examples of the work we do with those in our communities. "We're extremely proud of our team at Stapleford fire station who got involved in this."Unfortunately, we did receive some negative feedback when we celebrated this work on our Facebook page. "This isn't new for us, unfortunately, and we do understand that people have different views. "However, we are proud and passionate about making people safer right across the county, and that does look different now to how it did many years ago."We did also receive some overwhelmingly positive feedback on this work, too, which outweighed some of the negativity and was nice to see." Jeff Buck, from Hard as Nails, worked with the Stapleford firefighters on their told the BBC he had been saddened by the negative comments and said it was import to have debates about masculinity - particularly in the light of Netflix drama Adolescence. "The whole purpose of Hard as Nails is to stimulate that debate, to get people talking, to have those conversations about masculinity, gender identity, all those things that need to be discussed," said Mr Buck."It's a nice antidote to all of that toxic masculinity, isn't it?"Here were firefighters, who are some of the bravest men we've got in our society, who are quite happy to symbolically paint a nail and say, 'Yes, I'm supporting this project.'"Mr Buck, 70, from Nuthall, in Nottinghamshire, added: "It can be light-hearted but with a very serious message and a very serious purpose."It really struck me that, when I was reading those messages, people probably didn't really understand what it was about."They [the firefighters] they weren't having a manicure, they weren't all sitting around, drinking cocktails and having a manicure. "They were doing something symbolic to show their support for a very important project."
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Driver headed wrong way on I-70 crashes into oncoming traffic, killing one of the drivers
A driver headed the wrong way on westbound Interstate 70 crashed into oncoming traffic, including a semitractor-trailer, killing one of the drivers, a police spokesman said. The fatal crash occurred about 12:25 a.m. Tuesday along I-70 near U.S. 40 highway and Blue Ridge Boulevard, said Sgt. Jeff Buck with the Independence Police Department's traffic safety unit. A preliminary investigation revealed that a driver of a Toyota Camry was headed east in the westbound lanes of I-70 and crashed into a Kia Optima, killing its driver, Buck said. The Camry continued east and collided with a semi-truck, Buck said. A Honda Accord then crashed with the Camry before traffic on the highway came to a stop. The driver of the Optima was identified as 64-year-old Ricky Monroe of Blue Springs. Two of the other three drivers were seriously injured in the crash and were taken to hospitals for treatment of serious injuries. The crash closed down westbound westbound Interstate 70 at Noland Road for hours before it was fully reopened shortly before 8 a.m., Buck said. 'Please use an alternate route,' Independence police, in a post on Facebook, asked drivers as they headed out on their morning commute. Kansas City Scout traffic showed that the shutdown caused traffic to back up beyond Lee's Summit Road and nearly to the interchange with Interstate 470/Missouri 291 highway during the morning commute.
