Latest news with #WilliamWordsworth
North Wales Live
2 days ago
- North Wales Live
Ghostly remains of mysterious beach railway vanishing into sea off North Wales
Low tides have revealed the ghostly remnants of a railway line running across a beach as if heading out to sea. In recent days, long-covered wheels and axles have emerged from the water alongside stretches of iron tracks now gently rusting on the sand. The scene, on Barmouth beach in Gwynedd, has echoes of the Welsh legend of the submerged kingdom of Cantre'r Gwaelod in Cardigan Bay. Unlike the kingdom's bells, said to be still ringing beneath the surface, Barmouth's mysterious beach railway remains eerily silent save for the sounds of the seashore. It is thought the track has stayed hidden on the beach for more than a century. In recent years, it's been occasionally exposed by shifting sand patterns on a coastline that's constantly evolving. Several theories have been put forward to explain the railway's existence. An historic lifeboat launch site has been speculated, along with a ramp site for bringing fishing ships ashore for repairs. As far as anyone knows, the tracks end at the low tide line and so, disappointingly, they're unlikely to be part of a long-lost smuggling route from Ireland, as commonly supposed. It's often imagined the narrow-gauge tracks were installed to move Edwardian bathing machines up and down the beach – the idea being to preserve the modesty of ladies taking to the waters. Sketches from the mid 19th century confirm Barmouth did have these machines but they were never on tracks. Instead, horses were depicted hauling the huts to the water's edge. A great deal of construction was carried out on the beach after the resort's promenade was badly damaged by the Great Storm of 1928. Photos from the time show the entire seafront was turned into a giant building site on which steam-powered machinery did much of the heavy lifting. In 1930, iron tracks were laid along the promenade to carry away debris, and more on the beach for the construction of a new wave-return wall. A reasonable conclusion is the railway tracks seen today are remnants from that period of frenzied building activity. It's a theory that's been rejected by Barmouth historian Hugh Griffth Roberts, who believes there's a rather more prosaic explanation. Ironically, the existence of the beach railway may owe much to arrival of rail travel in the mid 19th century. For centuries, Barmouth was an important port serving the woollen, slate and herring sectors in Meirionnydd. It also had a ship-building industry that stretched up along the majestic Mawddach Estuary. Despite the poor roads of the times, by the 1750s the port town was already luring well-heeled tourists attracted by its location between the sea and the 'romantic' landscapes of Eryri. Visitors included the likes of William Wordsworth, Shelley, Byron and Charles Darwin. When Cambrian Railways opened its new coastal line to Barmouth, in 1867, the town's fortunes shifted dramatically. According to the Barmouth Heritage Trail, it triggered major tourism and building booms. 'When the first train arrived some 1,200 passengers got off and the town was barely ready!' remarked the website. As well as tourism money, the influx of visitors brought problems – a small lock-up was built around this time to deal with growing numbers of drunks. Another issue even more distasteful – what to do with the growing mountains of poo being produced by the town's rapidly expanding guesthouse sector? Get all the latest Gwynedd news by signing up to our newsletter - sent every Tuesday The solution was a new sewage holding tank at the north end of the beach whose contents could be discharged into the sea at high tide. This was constructed in 1890, alongside a 150 metre-long, cast iron pipe leading across the beach. Discharging into the sea was the custom at the time and, sadly, to some extent, it still is. However Barmouth's old discharge pipe was replaced in 1987 and buried deep beneath the beach. A new sewerage plant and pumping station were built at the same time. It's now thought the rail tracks seen on the beach today were used to lay the Victorian discharge pipe. The tracks may have simply been left in place to disappear beneath the sands, emerging again more than a century later.
The Sun
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Dilapidated 500-year-old cottage which once appeared in iconic 90s music video hits market – do you recognise it?
A DILAPIDATED 500-year-old cottage which once appeared in an iconic 90s music video has gone on sale. The 1.5-acre Silk Mill could be yours for £75,000 - and it once featured in a smash hit by a famous singer. 6 6 6 Bryan Adams' (Everything I Do) I Do It For You topped the charts for a record 16 weeks in 1991 and was the theme for the blockbuster film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Adams was featured performing next to Silk Mill in the track's music video, which was directed by Julien Temple. Now the mill, built 500 years ago near the village of Holford, Somerset, is on the market for £75,000. The 1.5-acre site includes areas of mature woodland, the fast-flowing Holford River, and the atmospheric remains of the former Holford Silk Mills, as reported by Luxury Property News. The spot is so special that Sir Paul McCartney even bought the surrounding woodland and later donated it to the League Against Cruel Sports as a wildlife sanctuary. Estate agent Ross Walls said: "Not many properties have such a back story. He added: "It's a great lifestyle or conservation opportunity. "I had an inquiry from a woman who loves Bryan Adams and was interested in leaving a property that means something to her to her children. "I've tried to contact Bryan Adams too, but so far without success." In the late 1790s, the poet William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy spent time living at nearby Alfoxton Park and frequently walked in Holford Glen. Soap stars' secret music careers revealed from EastEnders actress's 80s pop single to Corrie legend's TOTP appearance The waterfall along the river, just a short distance from the property, was one of their favourite places and is immortalised in Wordsworth's poem Lines Written in Early Spring. Mr Walls added: "It's an incredible place, truly magical." In the music video, you can see the ruin directly behind where Bryan Adams was singing. Founded by Huguenot refugees - protestants who fled France and southern Belgium from the 16th to the 18th century - the Holford Silk Mills once buzzed with industry, powered by the Holford River. But the mill fell into disrepair in 1860 after two fires destroyed it. Mr Walls said the property would not be suitable for someone trying to turn it into a home, but would be ideal for someone who wants to park up, go for a wander and escape. Adams, 62, is a Canadian guitarist, singer, composer, record producer, photographer, and philanthropist. Throughout the course of his career, he has sold over 100 million records worldwide and is responsible for the hit songs Summer of '69, Run to You, and Heaven. He is also known as one of the world's best-selling musicians and is reportedly the best-selling Canadian rock artist of all time. 6 6 6
New Indian Express
17-05-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
Mental health guardrails for the young
From exam pressure to screen addiction, economic strain to social isolation—India's next generation faces an invisible epidemic that demands urgent, holistic action Express Illustration Opinions Mental health guardrails for the young Higher competition and fewer opportunities are stressing out India's youth in unprecedented ways. Parents and teachers must help them navigate through such anxiety. Youngsters need more real-life mentors, not internet influencers Geetha Ravichandran Economic Survey 2024 focused for the first time on the loss of productivity due to mental health issues in India. It is estimated that 10.6 percent adults in India are afflicted by mental disorders. There is also a shortage of trained specialists, with only 0.75 psychiatrists available for every 100,000 Indians. The problem is more pronounced in rural areas. According to the WHO, the country's economic losses due to mental health concerns would amount $1.03 trillion for 2012-2030. At such a time, the number of younger Indians facing mental health issues is on the rise. This can impact academic performance, social behaviour and induce a proclivity for addiction among students. William Wordsworth had written: 'To be young was very heaven.' The youth today would find it difficult to relate to such lines and would consider it far removed from the reality of the challenges faced by them. The brutality of competition in higher education and the difficulties in finding suitable jobs only exacerbates stress levels and anxiety. Many students who are meritorious find that the dice is loaded against them due to the selection process. The results of the civil services exam declared recently saw a success rate of a mere 0.2 percent. While exam reform will hopefully happen soon, the harsh realities of hyper-competition devolves on the youth, who are unsuccessful despite their abilities and hard work. The crackdown in the US on visas for higher education is factor adding to the uncertainty of many Indian students. To move on from disappointing results requires resilience and grit, and professional counselling and guidance will help the process. The alarming drug crisis in Kerala has seen educational institutions emerge as epicentres. The root of the malaise is socio-economic and an issue for law enforcement to deal with. But mental vulnerabilities of youngsters, which are aggravated by the lack of opportunities, is a major contributory factor. The need to escape from circumstances that are difficult to cope with, peer pressure and with the inability to evaluate the damage to physical and mental health results in youth succumbing to addiction. This triggers a cycle of distress for the family and society. Perhaps the failure of the educational system to inculcate the importance of mental hygiene and self-care is one of the reasons for young lives spiralling down a self- destructive path. The role of social media on mental health has been widely documented. Australia has enacted a law banning its use by those under sixteen. In India, parents and educators have raised red flags regarding cyber bullying, exposure to pornography, screen addiction and displacement of real-life interactions among teens due to excessive social media engagement. Youngsters adopt a digital persona which determines their interactions and gives them a dopamine fix based on the likes their posts attract. But the potential damage to minds due to unhealthy comparisons, isolation and dissociation from reality has disastrous consequences. The recent Netflix series Adolescence has spurred conversations on how intense online engagement can be damaging for teens, with no warning signs before the big explosion. There are no easy solutions to tackling the scourge of mental illness. The taxonomy of mental health triggers is widening, with more aspects of deviant behaviour and causative factors being included. This is due to better understanding and an openness to discuss problems. However, it is also important that every emotion of sadness or disappointment, that maybe a legitimate response to an event, should not be labelled as depression. The widespread prescription of 'happy pills' to American schoolchildren largely benefitted the pharma industry. Patients are known to benefit from holistic therapies without medication as well. This requires time, effort and qualified practitioners. The primary responsibility for equipping children to handle stressors that affect mental well-being is that of the family. Inculcating discipline, respect and compassion for oneself and others begins at home. Schools also have a significant role to play. Many schools today have a counsellor who is available to children facing mental distress. What is even more important is that a mental health curriculum is mainstreamed in the educational system. Teaching children to identify aggression, body- or caste-shaming, colourism, sexual exploitation and the ability to be assertive could nip the problem in the bud. It is important that youngsters neither perpetrate nor become victims of aggressive or anti-social behaviour. Schools delivering well-being programmes would have a greater reach and increase mental health literacy among students and parents. Access to therapy and counselling would help rehabilitation, prevent isolation and foster support for those in need. Preventive mental healthcare is the way forward. The draft Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 released by the Indian government seeks parental consent for processing personal data of minors to protect them from exploitation. Instagram provides for parental supervision of teen accounts. While age-gating is a step in the right direction, more needs to be done. Restriction of screen time using built- in technological solutions, should be examined. Biohacks—proper diet, exercise, sleep, outdoor exposure and building healthy, non-digital, interpersonal relationships—can contribute to resilient mental health. Young minds are today born into a world where technology dazzles. The need is for them to have real-life mentors and role models, and not social media influencers, to help navigate the complexity with awareness and assurance. Geetha Ravichandran Former bureaucrat and author, most recently of The Spell of the Rain Tree
BBC News
14-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Keswick park linked to 'first' environment protest turns 100
A park believed to have sparked the first written environmental protest in England is celebrating 100 years since it was donated to the Park in Keswick was given to the National Trust by owners Sir John and Lady Randles "to look after on behalf of the nation" in 1925.A plaque designating the Lake District as a UNESCO World Heritage Site was placed there in park had been covered in oak woodland until the mid 1700s, when the then owners felled the trees to raise income for the Greenwich Hospital for injured soldiers, sparking objections from locals. They included a mention from poet Thomas Gray in 1769 in his Journal of A Visit to the Lake said: "I walked to Crow Park, now a rough pasture, once a glade of ancient oaks, whose large roots still remain on the ground, but nothing has sprung from them. "If one single tree had remained this would have been an unparalleled spot." Anniversary event The National Trust believed this to be the first written record of an environmental protest and a key moment in the development of the Picturesque movement saw poets such as William Wordsworth and John Ruskin take part in the debate around public access to open spaces, which inspired Cumbrian vicar Hardwicke Rawnsley to co-found of the National mark the 100-year milestone of Crow Park being donated to the charity, they are holding a two-day event, with acrobatic performances on 16.4ft (5m) swings and a chance for people to try Binns, Senior Programming and Partnerships Officer at the National Trust said: "With its historical significance and easy access to an iconic Lake District view, we are proud to continue to care for this special place while improving access so that everyone can enjoy nature, beauty and history here for generations." Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Times
09-05-2025
- Science
- Times
Want to stay sharp? How curiosity can boost the midlife brain
Have you found yourself doing a deep dive into birds of prey? Pledged to understand atomic physics? Made it your mission to revisit the works of William Wordsworth? If your thirst for knowledge knows no bounds, and you've long since left your youth, you'd be forgiven for feeling vindicated this week. While it has long been thought that the older we get, the more restricted our world view becomes, a new study has revealed that curiosity actually increases with age. Research published in the journal PLOS One found that although our overall inquisitiveness, also known as 'trait curiosity', largely declines with passing years, our interest in more specific topics, or 'state curiosity', continues to grow after middle age. 'In midlife people are focused on careers
