Category Archives: Art

Come to Dinas to see the real thing

Posted on January 2, 2015 by bookvolunteer

We saw these birds by Ugo Rondinone in Berlin’s Hamburger Bahnhof earlier in the year. A few months later, the memory of the gallery installation worked to make the ordinary birds on the murky Newport river mud a joyous sight.

Posted in Art, Nature, Wildlife | Tagged bronze birds, crows, Dinas, Dinas Cross, February 2014, Hamburger Bahnhof, Newport, River Nevern, Ugo Rondinone | Leave a comment

Stitched in a chapel to be hung in the cathedral

Posted on December 12, 2014 by bookvolunteer

I was privileged to see the beginning of St Caradoc’s journey from a converted chapel, where he was being hand-stitched by Amanda Wright, to his appointed place in the great Cathedral of St Davids, where his bones are thought to … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Crafts, History, Religion | Tagged Amanda Wright, cathedral, Daniel Wright, Dinas, Dinas Cross, embroidery, Goat Street Gallery, St Caradoc, St Davids | Leave a comment

Catch a few crows

Posted on November 11, 2014 by bookvolunteer

Jane Seymour is an artist with a strong connection to our part of West Wales, having spent much of her childhood on her parents’ farm near Newport. Her father (John Seymour)’s guides to running a small-holding, beautifully illustrated by Sally Seymour, were … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Crafts, Farming, Food, Nature | Tagged Dinas, Dinas Cross, Fishguard, Jane Seymour, John Seymour, Newport, Sally Seymour, West Wales Arts Centre | Leave a comment

What’s going on in the Memorial Hall, Newport?

Posted on October 31, 2014 by bookvolunteer

When you are in Dinas make sure you find out what is going on in Newport’s Memorial Hall; it’s only three miles down the road. The building was constructed in 1922 as a memorial to local men who died in the first … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, books, Food, History | Tagged Dinas, Dinas Cross, events, Memorial Hall, Newport, Pembrokeshire, what's on | Leave a comment

Earth, wind, fire and water c1987

Posted on October 14, 2014 by bookvolunteer

The wooded valley leading down to Aberfforest beach once hosted an amazing exhibition of sculptures. They were fashioned from soil and slate, turves and trees and were destined to return to nature in their own time and leave no trace. We watched … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Crafts, Nature, Walking, Wildlife | Tagged Aber Fforest, Coastal path, Dinas, Dinas Cross, sculpture, Tegfan, waterfall, woodland | 10 Comments

Siop y Sgwar (or acquired taste 2)

Posted on October 7, 2014 by bookvolunteer

Have a look at this! You don’t have to go to Reykjavik to see the glorious potential of paint and corrugated iron. Maenclochog’s Siop y Sgwar glows at the centre of the village and invites you to stop, admire its bold presence and get … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, History, Welsh language | Tagged corrugated iron building, Dinas, Dinas Cross, Maenclochog, siop y sgwar, Village shop | 1 Comment

Nothing wins hearts like cheerfulness

Posted on September 30, 2014 by bookvolunteer

For the story behind this piece of fused and painted glass, click here. While you are visiting the artist’s website, make sure you have a look at the other wonderful glass pieces as well her paintings of Pembrokeshire. Linda Norris’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Crafts, Nature, Welsh language | Tagged artist, Dinas, Dinas Cross, glass, Linda Norris, Maenclochog, painting, Pembrokeshire, prints | Leave a comment

Help needed. Can you tell us anything about this sailing ship?

Posted on September 12, 2014 by bookvolunteer

One of this blog’s followers, to whom I am probably related, would love to know more about this ship. The picture hung in her grandparents’ house in Brynhenllan for as long as anyone can remember but nobody in the family … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, History, Sea | Tagged Bryn Henllan, Dinas, Dinas Cross, family history, maritime history, Pembrokeshire, Sailing ship | 2 Comments

The Windrush

Posted on September 5, 2014 by bookvolunteer

Until a few weeks ago this canvas lay hidden, rolled up in a trunk in the attic of a Dinas cottage where it had probably lain undisturbed for 100 years or so. The painting belonged to Capt John Walters, known … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, History, Sea | Tagged Capt John Walters, Dinas, Dinas Cross, master mariner, Windrush | 4 Comments

Who messed up?

Posted on September 2, 2014 by bookvolunteer

You may have admired the 1000 year old cross at Nevern and noticed that the top doesn’t fit on the bottom as it should. The stone masons who created the cross were clearly competent and the stone is weather resistant … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Crafts, History, Religion | Tagged Carew Cross, Celtic Cross, Dinas, Dinas Cross, Nevern Cross, Pembrokeshire | 7 Comments

What did the Sea Captains from Dinas do with their money?

Posted on August 22, 2014 by bookvolunteer

The first thing many of them did was to build a house and change the shape of the village. Dinas had originally been sited in the bay of Cwm yr Eglwys, where all the land was owned by large land … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Crafts, History, Religion, Sea, Welsh language | Tagged Dinas, Dinas Cross, sea captains, Tabor, Tegfan | 3 Comments

John Brett’s holiday rental

Posted on August 8, 2014 by bookvolunteer

When the artist, John Brett, decided to paint on the coast of West Wales in the 1880s he became a regular summer visitor to the Dinas area, renting Newport Castle to accommodate his large family. This was handy for visits to the bays … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, History, Nature, Sea | Tagged artists, Dinas, Dinas Cross, John Brett, Newport, Pembrokeshire, photography, seascapes | Leave a comment