December 10 2015

RIP Emyr "Ems" Jones

Some very sad news to report, as former Abersoch Lifeboat helm and Deputy Launch Authority, Ems, passed away last weekend, after a long and brave fight against a serious illness at the age of 63. Ems spent a large part of his life as part of the RNLI family in North Wales and particularly in Abersoch. Ems loved being on the sea, or under it, as he was also a very keen diver and was also a supporter and regular at Pwllheli Rugby Club and often made the long trip to Cardiff to watch the national team play.

Ems fought his illness with incredible dignity and many people who met him through his work, the RNLI or socially in the Vaynol or Zinc, probably would not have even known he was ill.

Ems was never happier than when he was with his loving wife, Linda, talented sons Tom and Will and dog Sam.

A celebration of Ems' life will take place this Sunday (13th) at Abersoch Village Hall at 2pm. All those who knew Ems are welcome to attend to celebrate the life of a true friend of Abersoch and if you can attend, please wear cheerful attire.

RIP Ems.

< photo: Ems (centre) with wife Linda, being presented with an RNLI long service award.

December 09 2015

Abersoch Magazine Winter Issue Out Now
The latest issue of the Abersoch Sensation Magazine is now available in Local Shops or you can Subscribe Online and receive it along with future issues.

There’s loads crammed in to the 51st issue including 3 very likeable locals; Emlyn Hughes, Fred Sutton and Lionel Thornicroft. Bob Valentine Shooting School is explored by editor Jo Toft and we learn about the life of welsh poet RS Thomas. The winter recipe is brought to you by head chef at Fresh, Graham Matts and we introduce you to the full Abersoch RNLI crew.

There are stunning photos in a 'reflections' showcase and an intro to the new Abersoch Holiday Homes Beach Chief race series along with loads more including the latest news, photos, holiday lets, events and Abersoch listing.

If you want to subscribe for yourself or for a Christmas gift to someone else then Click Here.

December 08 2015

Abersoch RNLI New Year’s Day Dip
Abersoch main beach will again be the place to be on New Year’s Day to get rid of your hangover by rushing into the sea for the annual Abersoch RNLI New Year’s Day dip. This year the fancy dress theme is ‘Pirates of Penrhyn Llyn’. We are looking forward to seeing the usual imaginative interpretations of the theme, with fearsome pirates and their ladies dashing across the beach.
Let’s make an heroic effort to raise as much money as possible, as all money raised will go directly to the RNLI to help ensure that our local crew can be equipped with the best equipment, clothing and training when they go out to sea in any weather. It is expected that if you join the Dip you will raise some money for the crew, who will be on and in the water at the event to look after everybody’s safety, so to take part a sponsorship form is needed. Forms are available in the village at Abersoch Boatyard, Abersoch Watersports shop and Abersoch Tourist Office or can be downloaded in 2 pages by clicking here for Page 1 and clicking here for Page 2
As usual the Dip will take place on the main beach at 12 noon prompt, and children will go in a couple of minutes before the adults. Hot drinks will be given to all dippers, in the beach café after the Dip.
In 2013 around 500 brave souls went into the sea, supported by around 2,000 spectators, so it is essential that you allow sufficient time to get through these crowds and the resultant traffic to get onto the beach before 12 o’clock. Each year we have seen disappointed people who didn’t manage to arrive in time for the Dip; we cannot delay the event as it would leave people waiting in the cold.

November 30 2015

Christmas Festival / Launch Weekend Photos
Photos from the Abersoch Christmas Festival that took place last weekend are now online at the Totally Abersoch website. They can be downloaded for free with a watermark, however, if you would like a print, there is a link where they can be purchased without the watermark.

To access the galley - click here.

November 24 2015

Dining Room Awarded Coveted AA Rosette

The Dining Room in Abersoch has been awarded a coveted AA Rosette.
According to the AA the ‘long-established AA Rosette scheme recognises successful cooking at various different levels across the UK.
About 10% of restaurants nationwide are of a standard that is worthy of One Rosette and above. This is indeed a huge achievement, and not to be underestimated.’
The Dining Room was opened in April 2010 by husband and wife Si and Jo Toft. Their aim was to create a contemporary British bistro which combined a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere with a high standard of food. The ever changing menu features Si’s often quirky takes on British classics and places an emphasis on fish due to the restaurant’s location in the beautiful seaside village of Abersoch.
Chef/owner Si Toft said,
‘I’m thrilled. The inspector actually visited on my birthday and getting a Rosette was certainly the best present I had this year!’
‘I spend a lot of time planning menus as we change our dishes weekly to reflect what’s in season. We always aim to use the best local produce available and, obviously as we are by the sea, we serve a lot of fish. We get great feedback from our customers and we have a lot of local regulars which must be a sign that we’re doing something right! But it’s absolutely amazing to have this kind of recognition, particularly as we’re such a small restaurant.’
‘Myself, Jo and our brilliant floor staff Emma and Rhea would like to say a massive thank you to all our lovely customers and we hope you’ll continue to support us.’
Keep up to date with The Dining Room news and events by following their Facebook page or visit www.thediningroomabersoch.co.uk.

November 24 2015

Latest Video On Our Graham Eaton Wildlife Page

Award winning wildlife and landscape photographer and regular visitor to Abersoch, Graham Eaton, has shot some wonderful footage from the rivers of North Wales, showing the annual salmon run.

The video can be viewed on Graham's wildlife page by clicking here.
Graham also has a website with an extensive collection of photographs from the local area and other parts of the world and this can be found at:
www.eatonnature.co.uk

November 20 2015

Apply for Grants From Abersoch Regatta For Up To £500.00
Abersoch Regatta has in the past given donations to a number of individuals and groups including schools in the Parish of Llanengan. This year they are inviting applications from individuals and groups for grants to a maximum of £500. If you wish to be considered please email or write to the address below outlining how much you are applying for and the purpose of the grant.
Closing date 31 December 2015: Write to:
Commodore (Jane Williams). New House, Beach Rd, Abersoch LL53 7DP.
or email commodore@abersochregatta.co.uk
Info at the Regatta website at: www.abersochregatta.co.uk

November 17 2015

Abersoch Christmas Festival

This year's Abersoch Christmas Festival takes place from Friday 27th November to Sunday 29th November.

The festival begins with Father Christmas / Sion Corn arriving on the Abersoch fire engine at 5pn followed by Christmas carols on the Vaynol patio at 5.30pm.

The village will have late night opening so there should be a great festive atmosphere
The weekend sees a Christmas Market & Fair in the village hall, bucking reindeer, bouncy castles, a BBQ, face painters, Punch & Judy and a lantern parade around the village.

Details of the timings and locations can be found by clicking on the image opposite or by clicking here.

November 05 2015

50th Issue Of Abersoch Sensation Magazine Soon To Sell Out.

Copies of the latest issue of Abersoch's long running magazine have nearly all gone. There are a few left in local shops and for new subscribers but the 50th issue of the Abersoch Sensation Magazine is set to sell out. According to magazine editor Mark Durston, "It’s been 15 years since the magazine was launched, the first issue was released back in Spring 2000 with 24 pages of pure scrapbook entertainment scrambled together for all Abersoch lovers. Miles Pickering bravely took out the first subscription and has been an honorary subscriber ever since. Richard Rowlands and Penny Hancox were on the front cover and somehow Supermodel Caprice managed to feature inside following a trip to Bob Valentine’s Shooting School."

Move forward to 2015 and Sensation Group have proudly published their 50th issue with 116 pages of quality content and thousands of readers. John Wormald of Totally Abersoch and Martin Turtle of Turtle Photography have been paramount in the magazines success providing outstanding photographs of prime Abersoch views and features and the magazine currently has many talented members of the team who are passionate about our great village.

You can pick up the last copies of the magazine in many of the local shops in and around Abersoch or just SUBSCRIBE and receive your copy of the 50th issue and future copies hot off the press direct to your door each issue.

The last issue of 2015 comes out in 3 weeks time and there’s big plans for Abersoch Sensation Magazine in 2016 so watch this space!

November 03 2015

Farrel Smashes Windsurfing 50 Knot Speed Barrier!!
Abersoch windsurfer and the head of the successful O'Shea clothing and watersports product company, Farrel O'Shea, has had an incredible day at the Luderitz speed canal in Namibia, becoming the first Britain to break through the 50 knot barrier on a windsurfer! Farrel broke his own British record set a couple of days ago, to record a speed of 51.2 knots (59 mph!) which puts him at 5th in the world speed rankings!

Farrel was one of the first British sailors to break the 30 knot barrier in the 1980's, however, at that time he was best known as one of Britain's most radical wave sailors with photographs of his exploits often to be seen in the popular windsurfing magazines of the time. More recently he has concentrated on speed and it appears that the hard work has paid off.

You can follow Farrels progress at the canal at www.boards.co.uk

November 03 2015
Venu Pwllheli WINS Best Commercial Interior Design Project at this year’s Northern Design Awards

Following on from our news item from a few days ago, there is some great news fom the team at Venu in Pwllheli, as they WON!...

In a star studded ceremony that took place in Liverpool on Friday night, Venu Pwllheli WON the award for “Best Commercial Interior Design Project. “ Venu was chosen from hundreds of entries by a panel of judges including TV presenter and architect George Clark, Wayne Hemmingway and Linda Barker. The awards bring together designers, retailers and property developers and represent the crème de la crème of the North’s vibrant design scene. This is a fantastic accolade is the icing on the cake after months of planning and hard work to get this mammoth project off the ground. Designers Clair Brereton and Sarah Pinnington of Brereton Pinnington Design have worked closely with owner Victoria Morris in a project that began back in the summer of 2014.
Clair Brereton said of the Venu build and team “We are unbelievably delighted to win this award and it is down to working with brilliant clients who had faith and a vision of what they wanted from the start. We were able deliver this.”
The awards fall on the same October weekend that Restaurant Venu served its first dishes from the stunning restaurant.
The restaurant has already generated a great deal of interest and tables are being booked well in to the New Year. With Christmas only weeks away, Restaurant Venu have released their Seasonal Menu for the festive season. Should you wish to venture to Venu over the festive period be sure to check www.venuclub.com and follow them on Facebook. The team in the office are happy to help should you have any questions. Please call 01758 701571.

October 29 2015

Abersoch RNLI New Year’s Day Dip
Abersoch main beach will again be the place to be on New Year’s Day to get rid of your hangover by rushing into the sea for the annual Abersoch RNLI New Year’s Day dip. This year the fancy dress theme is ‘Pirates of Penrhyn Llyn’. We are looking forward to seeing the usual imaginative interpretations of the theme, with fearsome pirates and their ladies dashing across the beach.
Let’s make an heroic effort to raise as much money as possible, as all money raised will go directly to the RNLI to help ensure that our local crew can be equipped with the best equipment, clothing and training when they go out to sea in any weather. It is expected that if you join the Dip you will raise some money for the crew, who will be on and in the water at the event to look after everybody’s safety, so to take part a sponsorship form is needed. Forms are available in the village at Abersoch Boatyard, Abersoch Watersports shop and Abersoch Tourist Office or can be downloaded in 2 pages by clicking here for Page 1 and clicking here for Page 2
As usual the Dip will take place on the main beach at 12 noon prompt, and children will go in a couple of minutes before the adults. Hot drinks will be given to all dippers, in the beach café after the Dip.
In 2013 around 500 brave souls went into the sea, supported by around 2,000 spectators, so it is essential that you allow sufficient time to get through these crowds and the resultant traffic to get onto the beach before 12 o’clock. Each year we have seen disappointed people who didn’t manage to arrive in time for the Dip; we cannot delay the event as it would leave people waiting in the cold.

October 28 2015
Venu Pwllheli A Finalist In 2015 Northern Design Awards
After months of developing menus and appointing a head chef, the Restaurant at Venu is set to open and is now taking bookings.
Venu, Pwllheli’s new & rather stunning entertainment space, first opened its doors back in August and the impressive building, is now a finalist in the 2015 Northern Design Awards and also now includes a beautiful waterfront restaurant.
When owner Victoria Morris originally took over the building back in 2014, the ultimate challenge was to transform an empty ex-carpet warehouse with no redeeming features into a cool, funky and upmarket venue and to make a large 5000 square foot shell of warehouse area, appear intimate yet atmospheric. In doing so the team behind the build have created a destination that has garnered support from locals and from those travelling from further afield.
It is perhaps not surprising then that the entry into the category of Best Commercial Design Project in the prestigious Northern Design Awards has seen Venu become a finalist. The awards, which take place in Liverpool on 30th October, bring together designers, retailers and property developers in a celebration of design and style and represents the crème de la crème of the north’s vibrant design scene. Venu’s unique design could see it take home the award.
The awards fall on the same October weekend that Restaurant Venu is set to serve the first dishes from its new restaurant. Described by owner Victoria Morris as "Quietly glamorous and sedately cool, Restaurant Venu epitomises elegance with its unique views of the inner harbour, complimented by unrivalled service." Venu's beautiful marina location is also only a 2 minute walk from the centre of Pwllheli and is easily accessed by train, car or even boat!
After months of research by Victoria, the restaurant will offer both A La Carte options and smaller plates and platters. The talented kitchen staff will serve up a tempting menu of contemporary yet classic dishes with the emphasis placed on exceptional fresh ingredients, local where possible, interpreted with a modern twist.
Chef Anna Evans, trained under Bryn Williams of Odette’s Primrose Hill, and moved back to the area 6 years ago. Originally from Nefyn, Anna has spent months developing the menus along with Victoria and Adam Gaunt Evans. Adam has managed kitchens in leading hotels, restaurants and resorts around the world, including the Burj al Arab, Dubai. His consultancy on this project coupled with Anna’s enthusiasm for the ingredients she sources and cooks with, has resulted in a menu combining casual dining concepts and creative contemporary cuisine.
According to Victoria, the restaurant has already generated a great deal of interest and tables are being booked well in to the New Year. With Christmas only weeks away, Restaurant Venu have released their Seasonal Menu for the festive season. Should you wish to venture to Venu over the festive period be sure to check www.venuclub.com and follow them on Facebook. The team in the office are happy to help should you have any questions. Please call 01758 701571.

October 27 2015

Pirate Festival Tug Of War Photos
Photos from the tug of war competition on Abersoch main beach, that took place during last weekend's Pirate Festival, can be found at the Totally Abersoch website - click here.

October 27 2015
Dragon Raiders Launch New Courses

There are many attractions to visit, places to see and events to attend in and around Abersoch, but Dragon Raiders Activity Park have just launched two brand new courses for you to book on!
A short commute from Abersoch, Dragon Raiders offers a multitude of activities including Paintball, Segway Adventures and the popular Bear Grylls Half Day Survival Course. Their adrenaline-fuelled activities, one of which was designed by Bear Grylls himself are ideal for school trips, corporate events and days out with family and friends.
The activity park has launched two brand new courses: Wild Camp Survival and Snowdon X2 Challenge. If you’re looking for a challenge that will take you above and beyond, pushing every boundary, then the two overnight courses are available to book now.
Wild Camp Survival: This course has been designed to cover a range of survival skills which include building your own shelter, foraging for food and laying traps, making a fire and the use of astro navigation techniques to find your way through Cabin Wood. Do you have what it takes to survive the wild?
Whether you are planning the activity for a school trip, group activity, a family adventure or for an adult only challenge, the course can be booked and tailored to meet your requirements. No matter who you have booked the course for, you will arrive on site at 3:30pm and finish your challenge at 10am the following day.
Prices include meals, accommodation and a large supply of equipment: sleeping bag and mat, rucksack, head torch, water bottle, knife, mug and all technical safety equipment that is required. Therefore there is no need to worry about packing all the heavy stuff. All you need to do is get you and your group into the right frame of mind to take on a challenge of a life time. Dates are available to book for 2015 and these can be found by visiting their website.
Snowdon X2 Challenge: This next challenge turns it up a notch with a 2-day experience like no other. The survival course will begin with a helicopter ride to the Caerneddau Ridge where you and other participants will be dropped off into a complete remote and wild location.
From there onwards you will have to find the aircraft wreckage that surrounds the location, which will contain your food rations for the 2-day experience. Beware; if you don’t find your food then you’re in trouble! If foraging for your own food during the entire duration of the course isn’t enough, physical challenges involve scaling down 100ft waterfalls, seeking shelter in a derelict quarry and fire survival, plus much more.
This course is guaranteed to blow your minds and teach you a number of Bear Grylls’ survival techniques, putting you to the ultimate test. Dates are now available to choose from for 2016.
For more info on the courses...

Snowdon X2 Challenge - click here
Wild Camp Survival for Families - click here
Wild Camp Survival for Schools/Groups - click here
Wild Camp Survival for Adults - click here

October 22 2015

White House Video
A video and further photos of the new Whitehouse development can be viewed at the developers Facebook page by clicking here.
The derelict building on the site is set for demolition this winter with the new hotel expected to be open in the spring of 2018.

October 22 2015

Pirate Festival Timetable
The first Abersoch Pirate Festival takes place from Friday 23rd October to Sunday 25th October.

The timetable of events can be found on the events page by clicking here.

Click the image for the event poster.

October 08 2015

Abersoch RNLI Cycle Sportive Raises £1000

The first Abersoch RNLI Sportive was successfully held on Sunday 4th October in perfect weather conditions, allowing the riders to enjoy the wonderful Llyn countryside and the spectacular views of the north and south coastlines. Riders set off from the centre of Abersoch to ride across the peninsula and then around to Hell's Mouth to return to Abersoch, covering 28 miles with 2,200 feet of climbing. The event managed to raise over £1,000 towards Abersoch RNLI, to help the volunteer lifeboat crew save lives at sea.

Aversoch Branch Chairman Phill Brown commented "I am really pleased that we did so well today and am pleased with the foundations that we have laid for future events."

The first riders back home were Dylan Morris and Arthur Evans.

One man who took part was Dave Hursthouse (top photo) who said he owes Abersoch RNLI an ‘enormous debt of gratitude’ after being rescued at sea.

It is the latest in a long line of fundraising feats completed by Dave, who was rescued by Abersoch RNLI after a serious sailing accident in 2007. He was struck in the face by the yacht’s boom and knocked overboard, breaking his nose and leaving him concussed and struggling in the sea.

Abersoch RNLI lifeboat volunteers raced to his aid and rescued him out of the water.

Dave, who lives in Sandbach, Cheshire, and is also a member of the RNLI’s Crewe, Nantwich and South Cheshire Fundraising Branch, has already completed a Three Peaks challenge, the Great North Run, the Great Salford Swim, the Tenby long course triathlon and a Scottish coast-to-coast bike ride in aid of the charity. And he jumped at the chance to support a new fundraiser for the very lifeboat crew which rescued him eight years ago.

‘I have always felt I do owe a huge debt of gratitude to those guys at Abersoch RNLI,’ he said.

‘I needed help after what happened to me and the volunteer crew at Abersoch RNLI got to me in no time with exactly what I needed.’

‘It was a fantastic day, the weather was beautiful and the scenery along the route was breath-taking. I can’t recommend it highly enough and I can see it becoming a really successful event in the future.’

October 08 2015

Pirate Festival Timetable
The first Abersoch Pirate Festival takes place from Friday 23rd October to Sunday 25th October.

The timetable of events can be found on the events page by clicking here.

Click the image for the event poster.

October 07 2015

News Round Up...

An Abersoch chef has landed a job in a Gordon Ramsay Michelin Star restuarant... according to the Daily Post, Paul Croasdale has been appointed head chef at the Heddon Street Kitchen in the Regent Street area of London. You can read the full article by clicking here.

Abersoch Coastguards had their 44th call out of 2015 in the early hours of yesterday morning to reports of a vehicle stuck in the sand on the Warren Beach, with the tide on the way in. You can read more on this and info on other rescues at their Facebook page by clicking here.

The Coconut Kitchen restaurant in Abersoch have a "buy one...get one half price" offer on from now until the 22nd October. The offer applies to any starter and any main course (the only exclusions are their 10oz steak and main course fish specials). It does not apply to side dishes, puddings or drinks. Not available Friday or Saturday. The cheapest dish purchased is charged at half price. Offer does not apply to takeaway – the usual 15% discount applies to most takeaway dishes.

October 06 2015

The New Abersoch Lifeboat Goes To Sea On Exercise
Abersoch’s new lifeboat, the Peter & Ann Setten, a state of the art Atlantic 85, was taken out on exercise this morning to Bardsey in order to familiarise the crew with its additional features and capabilities.

Photos from the launch can be viewed by Clicking here.

October 05 2015
New Abersoch Lifeboat Arrives With A Royal Seal Of Approval

RNLI volunteers at Abersoch enjoyed an exciting day in the station’s proud history today.

Not only did the station accept delivery of their new £214,000 Atlantic 85 lifeboat, they also welcomed RNLI President HRH The Duke of Kent to north Wales. The visit kick started a two day tour of six Welsh RNLI lifeboat stations.

His Royal Highness arrived at Abersoch this morning and had the opportunity to view the newly arrived Atlantic 85 lifeboat, Peter and Ann Setten. The new lifeboat which will replace the station’s outgoing Atlantic 75 lifeboat, is able to carry a fourth crew member, whilst also having improved space for kit.

The Atlantic 85 which is powered by two 115hp engines and has a stronger hull and greater top speed, has been funded by a bequest from Mrs Ann Constance Setten from Shropshire, who was an RNLI supporter during her lifetime.

Lee Firman, RNLI Divisional Operations Manager for the RNLI in north Wales says: ‘We are delighted to be able to welcome HRH The Duke of Kent to north Wales and our volunteers thoroughly enjoyed meeting with him. The fact the visit coincides with the arrival of Abersoch’s new lifeboat really is the icing on the cake for the local volunteers. It was a memorable day accepting this modern new lifeboat and being able to share their pride with the RNLI’s President.

‘The Atlantic 85 has some impressive features such as the added radar, which allows the crew to operate more effectively in poor visibility and she also has VHF direction-finding equipment. We wish the crew all the best in getting to grips with all their new lifeboat has to offer and are confident it will help them to save lives at sea.’

The Atlantic 85 carries a full suite of communication and electronic navigation aids, including VHF radio, VHF direction finding, intercom, DGPS and electronic chart, radar and hand-held VHF, as well as a searchlight, night-vision equipment and illuminating paraflares for night-time operations.

It was an especially proud day for Gareth Hughes-Jones, Abersoch RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager, who was presented with a pair of inscribed binoculars and a long service award certificate by the Duke of Kent for his 40 years' service to the RNLI charity.

<< photos: all courtesy of RNLI
- Abersoch Lifeboat Operations Manager Gareth Hughes-Jones receives his inscribed binoculars and long service award certificate for 40 years of service from HRH the Duke of Kent.

- Crew member Simon Clueit and Senior Helm David Fritz Williams meet His Royal Highness, with Abersoch Lifeboat Operations Manager Gareth Hughes-Jones (right).

- Vic Jones, Abersoch RNLI station mechanic, with His Royal Highness

- Abersoch RNLI’s only female crew member Elissa Thursfield and newest crew member Lee Oliver meet the Duke of Kent

September 27 2015

Photos From Jazz Festival Parade
The Abersoch Jazz Festival Parade took place yesterday in glorious September weather and photos from the event can be found at the Totally Abersoch website - click here.

September 22 2015

Abersoch Jazz Weekend 25th - 27th September
Abersoch’s Jazz Weekend returns from Friday and with the latest weather forecast looking very favourable, its all set to be a cracking weekend!
All band sessions this year are in the one venue - SCYC and there will of course be the very popular parade through the village on Saturday along with great opportunities to hear top class musicians and bands who are usually busy touring the UK and Europe.
Click here for the full line up and programme of events .

September 22 2015

Tributes To Pwllheli Lifeboat Cox Bob Wright MBE
In very sad events at the weekend, Bob Wright, the cox of Pwllheli Lifeboat, who has spent his whole adult life helping to save lives, passed away whilst commanding the lifeboat on a service to a yacht on Sunday evening. Many will know Bob as both a local councillor and also the owner of Llyn Tyres in Pwllheli.

Bob was taken ill during the rescue and despite the best efforts of his crew and medical personnel, Bob passed away.

Abersoch.co.uk would like to express our deepest sympathies to his family, friends and colleagues at Pwllheli RNLI.

Tributes to Bob can be found at the Pwllheli RNLI Facebook page and also there is an item in the Daily Post:

www.facebook.com/PwllheliLifeboat
www.dailypost.co.uk

September 21 2015

RNLI Christmas Cards Available In Abersoch
The ever popular RNLI Christmas Cards are now on sale at Abersoch Boatyard and Abersoch Garden Centre.

Both these businesses have kindly agreed to once again sell the cards on behalf of the RNLI and Abersoch RNLI is very grateful for their continuing, kind support.

September 21 2015

Abersoch RNLI Sponsored Cycle Ride

It is now only two weeks before the first RNLI sponsored cycling event on Sunday 4th October. All money raised from the event will go towards Abersoch RNLI fundraising. The ride will start at The Vaynol in Abersoch between 9:00 and 11:00am and will feature two routes: a 28 mile ride (click here) for experienced riders; and a 9½ or 16 mile ride (click here) - depending on the number of laps - for less ambitious riders and family groups with children.

Find out more and register online by clicking here.

Any queries can be addressed to either Phill Brown on 01758 712023 or Roy Taylor on 01758 740024.

September 20 2015

Photos From Abersoch's Half Marathon & 2K Beach Race

The Chaparral Abersoch Half Marathon and Abersoch Holiday Homes 2K Blast took place yesterday and photos from the event can be found at the Totally Abersoch website - click here.

The fine weather meant conditons were excellent for racing and Paul Green was the men's winner in a time of 1:13.25 with Rhian Roxburgh first lady home in 1:30.38.

Ian Roberts' 4th place was enough for him to claim the overall Abersoch Triple Crown title for 2015, which included the 10K and Sprint Triathlon events that took place earlier in the summer. Rhian Roxburgh was the ladies Triple Crown winner.

Many congratulations to all those who took part, or assisted in these popular races in 2015.

<- Ian Roberts: 2015 Triple Crown Champion (photo: John Wormald)

September 14 2015
Dwyfor Camera Club Exhibition & First Autumn Meeting

News from Dwyfor Camera Club... "An exhibition of our work is now being shown this week at the Plas Glyn y Weddw in Llanbedrog.

The new season is nearly upon us and we are looking forward to getting back together with all our members and also to giving a big welcome to anyone who would like to join us. We are a very friendly club and encourage photographers of all standards to come along as we try to cater for everyone who is interested in photography and wants to improve.

We have our first meeting on Tuesday October 6th at 7.30pm in Abersoch Village Hall. This is an open evening and everyone is very welcome to just come along and see what we are up to. Further details about the club can be found on our website www.dwyforcameraclub.co.uk ."

September 11 2015

Just 1 Week Until Abersoch's Half Marathon & 2K Beach Race

The Chaparral Abersoch Half Marathon and Abersoch Holiday Homes 2K Blast takes place on Saturday 19th September in Abersoch. A fantastic race with a great atmosphere whether you’re taking part or just supporting. You can ENTER HERE or for all the information about the races then go to the RACE WEBSITE.

The Half Marathon has a world class course and superb atmosphere which satisfies the appetites of both the elite runner and those taking the plunge to tackle their first half marathon. Great crowds support the race along the stunning course which takes in views of across Cardigan Bay, taking in sights like Snowdon, Bardsey Island and the famous finish along Abersoch bay.

The Half Marathon starts in the village just past Manana, following the main high street heading past Cae Du before heading over to Hell’s Mouth, Llangian and Llanengan before meeting some challenging tracks and roads near to the Port Tocyn Hotel and up on to a spectacular viewpoint over Cardigan Bay, Bardsey Island and the dramatic Snowdonia mountain range. To ensure a spectacular end to this challenging race, worthy of its stunning backdrop, the Half marathon finishes on Abersoch’s main beach. It’s a spectacular climax to the race with plenty of support from the crowds of spectators.

A professionally run race with a £1,000 prize fund and some nice product prizes too. It includes bibtag timing technology, good marshaling, clear mile markers as well as prominent start & finish lines, drink stations at 5.7 miles, 8.7 miles, 11.3 miles & the finish, medics & traffic management marshals, and a great party vibe later on!

If you’re looking for a shorter distance to get your teeth into or you’re not old enough to enter the Half Marathon (which is 17 & over) then the Abersoch Holiday Homes 2K Blast is for you. A fantastic race for all levels of runners with an awesome course along the beach, through the golf course and then back along the beach. Very nice medals to all finishers and a well deserved bottle of ‘Wet’ water!

The race raises money for the Welsh Air Ambulance and the Edwina Lilley Charitable Trust. Both great causes and well worth supporting if you get the chance. More details can be found HERE.

The 2K starts at 9am by the middle slip ramp and the Half Marathon at 10am just past Manana Mexican restaurant.

September 11 2015
Beach Hut Rental Page Added To The Site

A new page has been added to the site this morning, showing private beach hut rental for Abersoch main beach.

The new page can be accessed by clicking here.

If you would like to add your beach hut to the listing, please contact us for further details at: info@abersoch.co.uk

September 09 2015

Abersoch.co.uk Website Traffic - 1 Million Page Views So Far in 2015
Traffic through the website has continued to be very healthy this year and according to Google Analytics, we have just breached the 1 million page barrier for 2015 with 1,017,033 page views from 444,156 user sessions from Jan 1st 2015 to September 8th.
Many thanks once again to all those who continue to visit and support the website and for the positive feedback that we regularly receive from both visitors and advertisers.

If you feel that your business might benefit from an advert on the site, please contact us at: info@abersoch.co.uk

September 08 2015

National Award for Local Lifeboat Fundraisers
Abersoch RNLI Fundraisers were honoured to receive a national award at a recent RNLI annual awards ceremony held in Liverpool. The award to the Abersoch branch was one of only three awarded nationally and was in recognition of its long and valuable service. The branch hosts many popular fundraising events and such has been the success of its New Year’s Day dip that many visitors have returned to Abersoch for the new year period just to participate in the event.
Branch chairman Phill Brown said that he is proud that the branch has been able to consistently raise money to ensure that the local crew is always able to go out to sea supported by the best equipment. The framed certificate was presented to long serving Abersoch RNLI supporters Sue McGill (L) and Joan Timmins (R).
Adele Fuller, RNLI Area Manager commented ‘We’re thrilled Abersoch has received our very special branch award. They work so hard to help save lives at sea and we’re all delighted their support has been recognised with this well deserved award. Congratulations Abersoch fundraising team!’

September 07 2015

Abersoch Mackerel Race 2015

Bank Holiday Saturday has been the date for this event for many years, 2015 being no exception. Teams of fishers have competed for the Rose Bowl for over 100 years.

The crew of Quest, the winners for the last 3 years, did not enter this year "...to give others a chance...". As a result we had new winners to add their names to the much admired and hard fought for trophy.

In recent years the winners have been the crew of the first boat to return with 50 fish. Due to the lack of mackerel in the bay this year it was decided that the winners would be those who caught the most fish in an hour and a half. In retrospect this was a good decision since no boat caught 50 fish, some could still be fishing!

The winners, the crew of Monterey, returned with 47 mackerel. The fishers were a mixture of the Mills (Nathalie, Michael, Jonathan, Jessica, Christina) and Roth (Francesca, Ian) families. Nick Hughes family, with 45 fish, were second.

A good afternoon was had by all. All the fish were sold and the proceeds - £170 - were donated to Abersoch RNLI and Air Sea Rescue at the winners' request.

Next year's event will be on Bank Holiday Saturday, 27th August, start time depending on tides - put the date in your diary now!

September 07 2015

Photos From Abersoch Sailing Regatta Day 2015

Photos taken by the organisers of the annaul Abersoch Sailing Regatta, that took place earlier in August, are available to view online by clicking here.
For more info on this and other Abersoch Regatta events, which are community run events for local people and visitors to the area and to see where the money raised goes - check out their website at: www.abersochregatta.co.uk

September 04 2015

Abersoch RNLI Sportive Event

The Abersoch RNLI Sportive will be held on Sunday 4th October, and will be a non-competitive cycling event that starts and finishes at The Vaynol in the centre of Abersoch village. All money raised from the event will go towards Abersoch RNLI fundraising. The entry fee for single riders is £10 with a requirement to raise at least £15 in additional sponsorship, and for family groups the entry fee is £20 with a minimum sponsorship requirement of £20.

This will be the first time that Abersoch RNLI has run a sportive and we hope to make it an annual fundraising event.

We have decided to offer two routes: a 28 mile route for experienced cyclists, and a shorter route, which can be either 9½ or 16 miles, for families and those looking for an easier ride.

The 28 mile route will cross the peninsula and then go west to circle back round to Abersoch. Riders will leave Abersoch to go up to Mynytho, then go down through Rhydyclafdy and Dinas to a check point at The Lion in Tudweiliog. From there they will go south to Sarn Meyllteyrn, then through Bryncroes and Botwnnog to Hells Mouth and up to another check point at The Sun in Llanengan, then return to Abersoch. The route has 2,200 feet of climbing, with a long climb up from Abersoch to the top of the hill above Mynytho and several other challenging lengths of climbing further on.
The family route will be shorter and will use the lower land to the back of Hells Mouth to avoid the steep hills of the 28 mile route. Riders will leave Abersoch to go to Sarn Bach, then into Llanengan where they will start the circuit to Llangian and towards Botwnnog until they join the route of the 28 mile ride to come back to Hells Mouth. On entering Llanengan, where there will be a check point at The Sun, they can either do another circuit to give a total distance of 16 miles or return directly to Abersoch to give a distance of 9½ miles.
To enter on-line and obtain further information please go to the Eventbrite booking page by clicking here.

For the actual routes - For the 28 mile route - click here

For the shorter route - click here

Entries will also be taken on the day at The Vaynol, but this will be less convenient and may delay you starting the ride. Any queries can be addressed to either Phill Brown on 01758 712023 or Roy Taylor on 01758 740024

August 25 2015

Venu Lounge and Dance Bar, Pwllheli – Doors open on 28th August
Venu, Pwllheli’s new lounge and dance bar is set to open its doors for the first time on Friday 28th August at 7pm, after months of extensive renovation and a total overhaul of the premises on the waterfront on The North Quay. Venu engaged the services of award winning designers Brereton Pinnington, and the results are reported to be very impressive..
Venu has created many full and part time positions for local people. Everyone from the construction team, right through to the security staff and those behind the bar, have been sourced locally. It is estimated that by the end of the year over 40 full and part time roles will exist within Venu itself.
All of those employed have undergone a vigorous training schedule over the last few weeks to ensure that they will be able to offer the very best in customer service to anyone who comes through the doors.
From Saturday, Venu will be open 7 days a week from 11am to 2:30am
Owner, Victoria Morris says:
“The last few weeks have been a hugely exciting and busy time as we have seen the project finally come together after many months of planning and hard work behind the scenes. A project of this size requires so much to get it off the ground and my team have pulled out all of the stops to make Venu into one of the most incredible locations in the region. You must pay us a visit to see for yourself... We are currently developing our menus with a fantastic chef and will be bringing this second phase in the development, the waterfront restaurant, to you very soon.”
Venu opens its doors to the public on Friday at 7pm and there is already a huge demand for the VIP lounge which is situated on the first floor.
For more info on the VIP area or if you want to secure entry into Venu, especially on a busy night, a special event or party, when booking is recommended, then call 01758 701571 to discuss your options with a member of staff.
Go to www.venuclub.com for further information or follow Venu on Facebook and Twitter.

August 24 2015

Mackerel Race
News just in from the organisers of the Abersoch Mackerel Race that takes place on Saturday 29th Aug, that the defending 3 times Champions will not be defending their trophy - "To give others a chance"!
This is an opportunity for new winners names to be added to the Rose Bowl.
Weather permitting the race will start at 2pm from beach hut No 3, at the side of the Golf Slip Beach Cafe. Entry fee £10 per boat and £1 per rod. First boat to return with 50 mackerel wins the magnificent Rose Bowl. Any queries please ring Miles - 01758 712294 or email pickering911@btinternet.com. Proceeds to nominated charity.

August 18 2015

Forthcoming RNLI Fundraising Events Incl. New Cycling Event

Two action packed fundraising events are being planned by Abersoch RNLI for you to put onto your diaries:

The first is the Abersoch RNLI Sportive on Sunday 4th October. This is a fundraising non-competitive cycling event that starts and finishes at The Vaynol in the centre of Abersoch village. The event will feature two routes. Route 1 will be a 28 mile ride for experienced riders, and Route 2 will be a 9½ or 16 mile ride, depending on the number of laps, for family groups with children. Both routes are tried and tested by local riders and designed around our beautiful Llyn peninsula. Further details of this and on how to enter and the required sponsorship will be available shortly.

The second is our now well established New Year's day Dip. As usual, this will be on 1st January on the main beach, and this year the fancy dress theme is 'Pirates of Penrhyn Llyn'. After last year's poor weather, when we still saw enthusiastic dippers braving the elements, we hope that this year will see better conditions and even more people raising sponsorship by their efforts. Again, further details of where sponsorship forms can be obtained will be available shortly.

August 18 2015
Latest Video On Our Graham Eaton Wildlife Page

Award winning wildlife and landscape photographer and regular visitor to Abersoch, Graham Eaton, is producing a series of videos in association with the North Wales Wildlife Trust and us here at Abersoch.co.uk.

The third of Graham's videos is a look at the wonderful sea life that can be found in our local rockpools. The video can be viewed on Graham's Wildlife page by clicking here.
Graham also has a website with an extensive collection of photographs from the local area and other parts of the world and this can be found at:
www.eatonnature.co.uk

August 18 2015

Abersoch.co.uk Website Traffic - Busy Summer Period
This website continues to see large daily volumes of traffic, according to our web stats package provided by Google Analytics. The month from July 17th running up to August 17th saw just over 89,000 sessions on the site accessing a touch under 200,000 pages, which gives a daily average of over 2700 sessions for that period, accessing over 6200 pages per day.
The recent addition of the "Late Availability" page appears to have been very successful with many advertisers reporting bookings coming directly from it.
Many thanks to all those who continue to visit and support the website and for the positive feedback that we regularly receive.

If you feel that your business might benefit from an advert on the site, please contact us at: info@abersoch.co.uk

August 18 2015

Oceans Unite Fundraising Concert At Tremfan Hall

Tremfan Hall in Llanbedrog are hosting an outdoor concert in its spectacular setting on Sunday the 23rd August 2015 called "OCEANS UNITE" with sopranos Scarlett Quigley & Alessandra Paonessa and also the young classical singer Charlie Botting.

Tickets are priced at £25.00 to include a £5.00 donation to the heroes of the sea "The RNLI" and the food will include posh fish & chips and a glass of prosecco.... for more information & tickets sales please contact Tremfan Hall on 01758 740169.... this is an event not to be missed...

<< click on the image for the full event poster with further details

August 14 2015

Photos From Abersoch Regatta Raft Race & Crab Catching Comp

Events from the annual Abersoch Regatta have been taking palce over the last week and photos from the popular Crab Catching Competition and The Great Raft Race can be found at the following links on photographer, John Wormald's site: For the Crab Catching Event - click here. For the Great Raft Race Event - click here. For more info on the Abersoch Regatta, which is a community run event for local people and visitors to the area and to see where the money raised goes - check out their website at: www.abersochregatta.co.uk

August 05 2015

Fantastic 3 Peaks Fundraising Effort For Abersoch RNLI

On Monday the 3rd August, David McNidder, Tim Williams and Tom Marlow successfully completed the national three peaks challenge and in doing so raised almost £4,000 for Abersoch RNLI. The national three peaks challenge consists of climbing the highest peaks of Scotland (Ben Nevis), England (Scafell Pike) and Wales (Snowdon) and travelling between them all within 24 hours. The boys managed to complete the challenge with an hour to spare and having driven themselves. The boys took on the challenge in memory of David's recently deceased father, Brian, who was a regular holidaymaker in Abersoch and a staunch supporter of the RNLI in Abersoch. Having completed the challenge, the boys and Brian's wife Carol, presented a cheque to Phil Brown, chairman of RNLI Abersoch at the lifeboat station.

July 28 2015

Coastguard, Lifeboat & Helicopter Tasked to Porth Neigwl Incident

A team from Abersoch Coastguard were called out this afternoon after 999 calls were received by Holyhead Coastguard of persons in difficutly in the water at Porth Neigwl, due to rip currents. Abersoch Lifeboat and Rescue Helicopter 936 were also tasked to the incident. On arrival at the scene, the coastguards found that all persons were now safely out of the water and no medical assistance was required. Safety advice was given to those involved.

There is some useful info on the rip current phenomenon at thne West Coast Surf website - click here.

You can follow news of Abersoch Coastguard call out's at their Facebook Page - by clicking here and for Abersoch RNLI lifeboat shouts - click here.

July 27 2015

Graham Eaton Wildlife Video Page On Abersoch.co.uk

Award winning wildlife and landscape photographer and regular visitor to Abersoch, Graham Eaton, is producing a series of videos in association with the North Wales Wildlife Trust and us here at Abersoch.co.uk.

The second of Graham's videos relating to the wonderful wildlife found around the coastline of the Llyn Peninsula is now online and looks at the birds that you may come across during summer. Graham will be creating further videos though the rest of the year and they can be viewed via his video page on the site - by clicking here.

We would like to thank Graham for taking the time to create these videos of the local wildlife and sharing them with us

July 23 2015

Latest News On White House Hotel / Spa Development

A press release from the developers...

"Since being awarded Planning Consent to rebuild The White House, attention has now been drawn to the current inhabitants that have taken up residence in this prime location.
All Developers have a responsibility to ensure everyone and everything involved within a new project and surrounding Community are given full consideration.
It is this responsibility that has led the Developers to invite Cambrian Ecological Society to undertake a full survey of the structure and it’s grounds. This survey has led to the discovery of a number of Bats roosting in the Hotel and here alongside the common Pipstrelles reside a number of Lesser Horseshoe Bats. Guidelines from Natural Resources Wales are now being followed and they determine that the colonies should stay on site and due care and attention must be given at all stages of rehousing.
Time will now be taken to ensure all guidelines are completed to rehouse the Bats in way that causes them minimal disturbance. Cambrian will ensure that the Developers consistently maintain the welfare of the Bat within the rehousing process. A purpose built Roost is to be constructed under ecological specifications to allow a safe transition for the new residents. This will be a delicate and timely process but Nature must be protected for all our benefit.
The Development Company would like to extend their gratitude to Cambrian Ecological Society for all their help in this process and also to all the residents and visitors to Abersoch for their patience as they await The White House."

July 23 2015

20 Year Service Awards For Abersoch Lifeboat Helms

Two of Abersoch Lifeboats long serving crew members were last week awarded their RNLI 20 year service medals. Gareth "Tan Bryn" Jones and David "Fritz" Williams were presented with their medals by Launch Operations Manager, Gareth Hughes-Jones. The 2 crew members have spent much of there time on the lifeboat as helms and have taken part in many rescues in the area as well as a countless number of hours training on the boat and attending the many RNLI courses.

<< From left to right ... "Tan Bryn", Gareth HJ & "Fritz".

July 22 2015

Abersoch Annual Duck Race

The annual Duck Race is set to take place on Monday 31st August in the inner harbour of Abersoch, with all proceeds from the event going towards the cost of new equipment for the local school. Ducks are available at £2 each from various outlets in the village (click on the poster opposite for details of these).

The numbered plastic ducks are released from the bridge over the Soch in the inner harbour and then collected opposite the Lifeboat Station by RNLI crew members.

Prizes this year are as follows.

1st Prize: £100

2nd Prize: £50
3rd Prize: £25
<< Click on image for full size poster with further info

July 13 2015

Abersoch Jazz Weekend Event Timetable

The Abersoch Jazz Festival is back again this year from the 25th to 27th September, in its new format that includes the famous Saturday morning parade around the village, where hundreds of people parade through the village along with a jazz band and Lusitano horses. Buskers will again be playing on the Vaynol patio for both days of the event, with all jazz sessions taking place at SCYC.

The event timetable can be found by clicking on the image opposite.
All enquiries for tickets should be made to Avril on 01758 712929 or 01758 712000.

July 13 2015

News Round Up... NAVSAR ... Coastguard... Abersoch Lifeboat...

NAVSAR in Pwllheli are pleased to announce that they have formed an alliance with their close friends at Firmhelm, NYB and Ideal Boat Sales. Their new enquiry desk will now be open 9 to 5 at Network Yacht Brokers (NYB) in Pwllheli. Students of NAVSAR will now be able to benefit from a new voucher scheme running in partnership with Firmhelm. If you attend training with NAVSAR, you will receive a voucher to use in the Firmhelm Chandlery. For more info on NAVSAR: visit their website by clicking here.
It was a busy weekend for members of the Abersoch Lifeboat and Coastguard teams with the coastguard responding to 5 incidents and the lifebaot responding to several incidents on Saturday. For info on these incidents, visit the Abersoch Coastguard page on Facebook... and the Abersoch Lifeboat Facebook page.

July 13 2015

Tier 1 Tickets Sold Out For Glass Butter Beach

Glass Butter Beach is really taking off this year. There’s an exciting progression happening with the fast rising beach lifestyle festival that takes place in Llanbedrog and Abersoch between the 13th and 15th of August. This year you can expect many more bands, Djs and activities both on and off the water, a bigger variety of world food stalls, the introduction of a ‘Butter Market’ and a lot of creativity.

The festival is operating a tiered ticket system this year to ensure those that buy early get them at the best price. There are 3 tiers in total and the first tier allocation has now sold out. Tickets are available online at www.glassbutterbeach.com or you can buy them at any of the following local outlets. Offaxis and Coastal Culture in Abersoch, Red1, Huws Gray or the Tourist Information Centre in Pwllheli or the T.I.C. in Porthmadog.

There are exciting plans this year for much more creativity around the site, more sports on and off the water to watch and ‘have a go’ at and with 6 stages to choose from a lot more in the way of bands and DJs aver the 3 days. Confirmed are Professor Green, Kosheen, Less Than Jake, Mallory Knox, Michael Calfan, Bondax, Everlast, Goldierocks and many more. In fact over 100 acts will be performing on the stunning festival site that includes its own beach and views across Cardigan Bay.

Festival goers can enjoy wakeboarding, Stand Up Paddleboarding, paint fights, surfing, skateboarding and slacklining, as well as the newly introduced Flyboard & Hoverboard with some of the best riders in the world putting on an exclusive show at the festival on Friday night.

Before the main entertainment the action kicks off in Abersoch on Thursday 13th August with the hugely popular ‘Harbour Project’ pro wakeboard. Six of Europe’s top riders competing on the purpose built floodlit course; a totally unique spectacle on the high tide at 7:30pm – 9:30pm in the harbour.

Camping is highly recommended at Glass Butter Beach, always friendly with a great atmosphere and the campsite’s location is pretty spectacular with sea views & just a minute’s stroll onto the beach. Parking is very close by and the festival provides free shuttle buses to get you to & from Abersoch & Pwllheli to add to your overall festival experience.

For full details including the full line-up and all ticket information go to the website at www.glassbutterbeach.com

July 13 2015

Wayuu Handcrafted Bags In Abersoch

Handcrafted, one of a kind bags made by the Wayuu, a group of indigenous people who live in Columbia, South America, are now available in Abersoch! Yesely, is aqn authorized seller of these bags in the UK and explains their origins... "Our bags are 100% hand-woven, one-of-a-kind, Wayuu handbags from the Wayuu indigenous communities in South America to you. A bag takes approximately 20 days to be completed by the same Wayuu artisan. The bags are not only a way to express their emotions and feelings, but also their wisdom. The bags have been featured in Vogue and other fashion magazines. Wayuulifestyle, has concentrated its efforts in assisting the Wayúu, an indigenous group of over 450,000 people located in the Guajira Peninsula of Northern Colombia and Northwest Venezuela. Recently, supporting income generation to indigenous groups. The Guajira region is characterized by being very dry and arid, as well as extremely poor in most rural areas.
Wayúulifestyle has successfully improved the lives of hundreds of indigenous children by providing school supplies, and food; moreover, it has provided their mothers with employment and income-generating opportunities".
To see more about these bags, visit their Facebook page at:

www.facebook.com/pages/Wayuulifestyleuk/657119731098530 and their Instagram page at: #Wayuulifestyle

July 03 2015

A Big Thankyou From Harrison & Family

We have an update on the the news item below regarding the last rescue in Abersoch by RAF Sea King "Rescue 122" on the 27th June...

Little Harrison, suffered a seizure on Abersoch main beach and became unconscious and was air lifted to hospital by the Sea King. The family would like to pass on their thanks to all those involved in the incident which includes the RAF crew, the Abersoch Beach Patrol, the Abersoch Coastguard and also the Abersoch RNLI who offered assistance whilst returning from another service. On arrival at Bangor hospital Harrison, came round but then suffered another seizure in the evening. Fortunately, he has since made a full recovery. The family would also like to thank the "brilliant" hospital staff who looked after Harrison as well as taking care of their other 2 children.
In the words of Harrisons father, "We want to thank everyone involved for helping us through this ordeal. Harrison is now back in full swing and coming back to Abersoch this weekend".

Further info and photos can be found on the Facebook pages of:
Abersoch Coastguard and Abersoch RNLI.

July 03 2015

Skippered Charters In The Bay from £50!

Remember those wonderful dolphin photos in the news item below that were taken from the NAVSAR charter yacht, well they are now offering chartered yacht cruises from just £50 per person.

The range of cruises include day and evening sails and a Cardigan Bay Cruise aboard their 8 berth yacht accompanied by an RYA Yachtmaster skipper / trained instructor and experienced crew to provide a safe and enjoyable experience.

Food is provided, with a choice of menus available when booking.

For more info: visit their website by clicking here.

<- click on image for full poster

July 02 2015

Goodbye Rescue 122... & Thank You

The 27th June saw one of the famous yellow Sea King SAR helicopters that have graced the skies of North Wales for many years, carry out its last rescue in Abersoch with a landing on the main beach and resulting in a child being taken to Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor. The Sea King helicopters of C Flight 22 Squadron at RAF Valley, were finally decommisioned yesterday and have been replaced by new Sikorsky S-92 SAR helicopters that are based at Caernarfon Airport. These new helicopters are run on behalf of HM Coastguard as part of a £1.6 billion, 10 year contract by Bristow Helicopters and all the bases around the UK, including Caernarfon, will provide a 24 hour, 365 days of the year service. So, it is the end of an era and the start of a new one for those involved in the local rescue services and this website would like to say thank you for the countless number of lives that have been saved by these incredible workhorse helicopters and the professionialism and dedication of their RAF crew.

Further info and photos can be found on the Facebook pages of:
Abersoch Coastguard and Abersoch RNLI.

<photo: Abersoch Coastguard.

July 02 2015

News Round Up... Coastguard... Cafe... Surf's Up... Missing Dolphin...

Abersoch Coastguard have been adding crew member profiles to their Facebook page including this one of the man in charge, Osian Evans. Osian has been a crew member since 1999 and he became the station officer in 2007. Osian has been involved in many hundreds of emergency call outs and is an expert in cliff rescue techniques. For more profiles and info on the local team and the latest call outs - visit the Abersoch Coastguard page on Facebook... In other news, the popular Angorfa Cafe will be open from Friday 3rd July for the season and you can catch them for a spot of breakfast from 8.30am each morning.... This week has seen some high temperatures for a time in Abersoch and the fine weather also coincided with some excellent surf conditions at Porth Neigwl - photos of the surf can be found at the West Coast Surf Facebook page... Help is required by the Cardigan Bay SAC who have been watching a solitary juvenile common dolphin hanging around New Quay from December - April, this animal was spotted every day swimming in circles, always in the same place. At the end of April a group of 5 mature Bottle Nosed dolphins swam in very close to his favourite spot, and he wasn't seen again in New Quay; but a couple of days later a solitary common appeared off Aberystwyth where he hung around for a couple of weeks. It now seems he is heading north again, so if you spot a solitary Common dolphin in the area, please can you let us know and we will pass on the relevant information.

July 02 2015

Defibrillator For Abersoch

Some excellent news for the village in that a life saving defibrillator will be located at the Zinc cafe, in the centre of Abersoch, thanks to the moeny raising skills of Abersoch Regatta and a grant from the British Heart Foundation. Various people have been trained in how to use it, however, these machines can be used by anyone to treat someone who has had a suspected heart attack. In the case of a heart attack, or cardiac arrest, it really is a case of every second counts as every minute without CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and defibrillation reduces someone's chance of survival by 10 per cent. These are the instructions of the BHF if you come across someone in cardiac arrest...

Defibrillators are very easy to use. Although they don’t all look the same, they all function in broadly the same way.

If you come across someone who is not breathing or breathing erratically, the most important thing is to call 999 and start CPR. If you're on your own, don't interrupt the CPR to go and get a defibrillator. When you can, send someone else to find one. Once the defibrillator is open, all you have to do is follow the spoken instructions.

June 18 2015

Graham Eaton's Dolphin Encounter

The summer of dolphin activity continues with some more spectacular images captured this week by wildlife photographer and diver Graham Eaton. You may remember that Graham released a short video clip recently in association with the North Wales Wildlife Trust (see news item below) and this week Graham had another encounter with the dolphins whilst out in the bay off Abersoch. Graham observed some interesting activity with what appears to be a mother and her calf catching and playing with fish. The encounter went on for some time and Graham managed to get these wonderful shots which can be viewed by clicking here. Many thanks to him for sharing them with us.

Please remember that if you are on the water and are lucky enough to encounter these wonderful animals, then observe some basic rules - which are mentioned in Grahams recent video here.

For more info on Graham Eaton, you can visit his wildlife photography website by clicking here.

June 15 2015

Photos From The Abersoch Sprint Triathlon Online

Photos from the weekend's Abersoch Sprint Triathlon, that is part of the Abersoch Triple Crown series of races, can be found at the Totally Abersoch website - click here.

June 12 2015

Abersoch Holiday Homes 1K Sprint

This great race for the younger runners takes place tomorrow morning at 9am just before the sold out Abersoch Triathlon. Entries are still open and available at The Vaynol Arms tonight between 5pm and 9pm or tomorrow morning from 7am at Race Control by the middle slip ramp. All finishers get some really nice bespoke medals and a bottle of water and there are now trophies for boy and girl winners of the Under 14, Under 11 and Under 8 age categories as well as the open age category.
Full details at www.abersochtriplecrown.com

June 11 2015

Incredible Dolphin Photos From Navsar's Charter Yacht

We mentioned on a news item a few weeks ago that NAVSAR have added a charter yacht to the many services they offer - and it looks as though the local dolphins have taken a bit of a shining to the new yacht. Jon Geddes has sent us a series of stunning images captured off the Llyn coast yesterday of the dolphins swimming alongside and in the bow wave of their yacht. It must have been a truly wonderful experience for those lucky enough to be onboard.
There have been some stunning photos and video of the dolphins recently, but it looks as though these are the best of the lot!

To judge for yourself and to view the images - click here.

For more info on NAVSAR, the training services they provide and more info on the yacht charter - visit their website by clicking here.

June 05 2015

First Of Graham Eaton's Wildlife Videos - Bottlenose Dolphins

Award winning wildlife and landscape photographer and regular visitor to Abersoch, Graham Eaton, is producing a series of videos in association with the North Wales Wildlife Trust. The subject of the first of these videos are the Bottlenose Dolphins that are regularly seen off the coast of Abersoch.
The video can be viewed via Graham's Facebook page by clicking here or there is a higher res version on his YouTube channel here.
Graham also has a website with an extensive collection of photographs from the local area and other parts of the world and this can be found at:
www.eatonnature.co.uk

June 05 2015

Abersoch Branch Of Nat West Set To Close

Reports in the media this week suggest that 11 towns and villages in North Wales, including Abersoch, will lose their branch of the Nat West Bank after the summer season, being replaced by mobile banking services. The Abersoch branch of Nat West (formerly National Provincial) has been located in its current location in the centre of Abersoch for a very long time - as the photo opposite shows! The BBC have a brief news item on the closures at the following link:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-32999636

May 31 2015

Photos From The Abersoch 10k & 3k Races Online

Photos from another very successful Henri Lloyd Abersoch 10K race and the Abersoch Holiday Homes 3K race can be found at the Totally Abersoch website - click here.

May 26 2015

Footage Of Dolphins Off The Coast Of Abersoch

It has been a very good year so far for dolphin sightings off Abersoch and the bank holiday weekend saw further activity. A fantastic little video has been made by Rhodri from an encounter that he had on Saturday and includes footage of a pod of dolphins from both above and under the water. It is well worth a look and can be viewed on Youtube by clicking here.

This year, the Sea Watch Foundation are inviting members of the public to take part in dolphin, whale and porpoise surveys around the UK as part of the 14th National Whale and Dolphin Watch. The data collected during the event will help in developing a snapshot of the distribution of dolphins, whales and porpoises around the UK. This is an opportunity for everyone to become involved in the research which goes into understanding and protecting these magnificent creatures. For more info on the event and the foundation - click here and for information on the correct code of conduct if you encounter these amazing animals - click here. Many thanks to Rhodri for sharing the footage.

May 25 2015

"Chefs At Home" From Goslings

Goslings have been offering hampers and pre-prepared meals in Abersoch for locals and visitors alike for 10 years and they have now added a new service, "Chefs At Home". This new service will provide a personal chef and private cook service for a dinner party or party catering. They specialise in providing an affordable and quality controlled private chef service to suit a variety of budgets and locations in and around Abersoch and the Llyn.
- To make your stay even more special at your holiday home, select their host and chef service, which will cater for all your needs: Daily meals, cleaning and local information and advice.

Goslings can be contacted at: jane.gosling@btinternet.com or call 07792381904 for your personal quote.

May 23 2015

Navsar Sail Training & Yacht Cruises For Abersoch / Pwllheli

NAVSAR, who are based out of Hafan Pwllheli Marina, have expanded their fleet this year and are now offering sailing cruises and yacht charters.
The range of cruises include day and evening sails and a Cardigan Bay Cruise aboard their 8 berth yacht accompanied by an RYA Yachtmaster skipper / trained instructor and experienced crew to provide a safe and enjoyable experience. Food is provided, with a choice of menus available when booking.

Jon Geddes of NAVSAR has called the expansion for the company "exciting" and will add to the wide range of marine training services that they are now providing to both leisure and commercial clients in the area.

For more info: visit their website by clicking here.

May 21 2015

"Dinner Delivered" Launched In Abersoch

News from a new business that has just launched in Abersoch...
"A new business has been born, one that you have all been waiting for,
Dinner-delivered.com is the perfect solution for a cosy night in or if you are having a party with your friends!
In 3 simple steps you can have your favourite restaurant food delivered to your door! For updates and offers find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @abersochdeliver. For menus check out our website, and if you already know what you fancy call 07 55 55 75 300 to order. Open Thu - Mon 5:00-10:00".

May 21 2015
Abersoch RNLI Lifeboat Open Day - Mon 25th May
The annual open day of Abersoch Lifeboat Station takes place on Monday 25th May), from mid-morning onwards. Many of the crew will be on hand all day to show visitors the Lifeboat and associated rescue equipment and to answer any questions. Refreshments will be available.
Abersoch Lifeboat is funded entirely from public donations to the RNLI - so please lend your support to this vital part of our local emergency services.
www.rnliabersoch.co.uk

May 17 2015

Abersoch Bubbles For Nepal Earthquake Victims

A bubble blowing event is set to take place on Abersoch main beach on Sunday 24th May to help raise money for the victims of the recent devastating earthquakes in Nepal. The event will be in aid of the Indiegogo Helping Hands 'Helping Hari' appeal. You can read more about "Helping Hari" at the following link: click here.

The event details are as follows: Join in the fun and show your support - SUNDAY 24th MAY / Join hands in 'the big circle' at ABERSOCH BEACH / 11 am.

Donations for bubbles organised by Coral Stevens, or donate directly to the campaign online. Enquiries to coral.stevens@hotmail.com tel:01758 713760
<<click on image for event poster.

May 15 2015

Coconut Kitchen Wins Best Oriental Restaurant In Wales Award

Many congratulations to the team at the popular Coconut Kitchen restaurant in Abersoch who this week scooped the Best Oriental Restaurant prize at the first Food Awards Wales, held in Cardiff.
Head chef Preechaya and Paul have been running the restaurant in Abersoch since 2007 and also sell a highly successful range of cookery sauces.
To find out more about the Coconut Kitchen - click here.
For more info on the Food Awards Wales - click here.

May 08 2015

All Wales Boat Show This Weekend In Pwllheli

The first show of its kind to be held in Pwllheli is currently taking place...

For more info... visit the event website at: www.allwalesboatshow.com

May 08 2015

Promotional Video For Hafan Pwllheli Marina

An aerial promotional video showing the facilities of Pwllheli Marina has been recently produced by Filmbird.co.uk, who are specialists in aerial video and photography. The video show cases the 400+ fully serviced pontoon berths in waht is considered to be the North West's premier marina... you can view the video by clicking here.

April 30 2015

Dining Room Fundraising For Nepal

This Bank Holiday weekend The Dining Room restaurant in Abersoch will be fundraising for Action Against Hunger UK, helping them to help the people of Nepal. Si from the Dining Room says, "The girls will be asking for donations, instead of tips, and everyone that donates will be entered into a draw to win a meal for two. Obviously we're a teeny tiny restaurant but if we all give just a little this weekend together we can help achieve a lot."
Click here for the Dining Room Facebook Page.

April 28 2015

Beginners Yoga Classes Start In May

If you have ever fancied trying out yoga, but were afraid that the classes might be too advanced for you, well Freddie at Simply Yoga has the solution as she is starting a new beginners 6 week course at Llanengan Community Centre from May 19th. For more info and contact details, click on the Simply Yoga image.

April 28 2015

Coastguard & Lifeboat Crew Search For Dog After Possible Cliff Fall

Abersoch Coastguard team and Abersoch Lifeboat took part in a search on Saturday after a dog slipped its lead on Cilan and its owner thought it may have gone over the cliffs. The Coastguard team undertook a search with Abersoch Lifeboat searching along the base of the cliffs. Sadly, nothing was found and the crews were stood down.

You can follow news of Abersoch Coastguard call out's at their Facebook Page - by clicking here and for Abersoch RNLI lifeboat shouts - click here.

April 23 2015

Professor Green, Mallory Knox, Less Than Jake, Everlast & More For Glass Butter Beach 2015

Glass Butter Beach is really gathering momentum with more acts announced for the Llanbedrog and Abersoch based music and action sports festival. Professor Green, Mallory Knox, Less Than Jake, Michael Calfan, Everlast, Rag N Bone Man and many more join the likes of Kosheen, Bondax and Toguna this Summer for this rapidly rising new festival.

The beach based festival takes place between Thursday 13th and Saturday 15th August. The focus of the event is over in Llanbedrog by a secluded beach where festival goers can enjoy wakeboarding, Stand Up Paddleboarding, paint fights, surfing, skateboarding and slacklining, as well as the newly introduced Flyboard & Hoverboard with some of the best riders in the world putting on an exclusive show at the festival on Friday. This is also where the music takes place across 5 stages including a grand open air stage where the main acts will perform.
Before the main entertainment at the festival site the action kicks off over Abersoch’s way on Wednesday 12th August with the ‘Butter Beach Surf’ event at Hell’s Mouth followed by the first of the ‘Abersoch Sessions’ which includes up-and-coming bands & DJ’s playing intimate gigs with a great buzz around local venues. Thursday 13th August sees the action hot up with the hugely popular ‘Harbour Project’ pro wakeboard event in Abersoch inner harbour. Six of Europe’s top riders competing on the purpose built floodlit course; a totally unique spectacle on the high tide at 7:30pm – 9:30pm in the harbour.

Other entertainments are pro skateboarders on the vert ramp, the spectacular madness of the Flyboard & Hoverboarders, surfing, Stand Up Paddleboarding, slacklining, paint fights, fairground rides or just dive into the lush blue waters of Cardigan Bay.

Camping is highly recommended at Glass Butter Beach, always friendly with a great atmosphere and the campsite’s location is pretty spectacular with sea views & just a minute’s stroll onto the beach. Parking is very close by and the festival provides free shuttle buses to get you to & from Abersoch & Pwllheli to add to your overall festival experience.
For full details including the full line-up so far and the different events taking place check the website at www.glassbutterbeach.com

April 23 2015

New Cycling Event - The Llyn Coastal Sportive
A new cycling event is coming to Pen Llyn. Organised by the Welsh Sailing Academy and Arts Centre, a 50 mile cycle will wind its way around the beautiful Llyn Peninsula and the Wales Coastal Path. The event is designed to be a challenge for all ages and abilities, regardless of fitness and experience and takes place at Plas Heli at the Pwllheli Sailing Club on Sunday June 7th.

For more info on this new event:

- visit the sportive website page by clicking here

For more info on the new Welsh Sailing Academy and Events Centre:
- visit their website by clicking here

April 23 2015

Man Rescued After Cliff Fall

Abersoch Coastguard team was called out to an incident on Tuesday (21st), after a man fell from cliffs near Llanbedrog Quarry. Details of the callout were as follows ..."Callout at 15.03 to reports of a person who had fallen 10ft off a ledge near Llanbedrog quarry. Arrived on scene and went down to assess casualty with paramedic, casualty had suspected back injury. Strapped casualty to spinal board and then strapped that to our stretcher and took casualty off the ledge and down onto rocks closer to the beach. Performed caterpillar crawl to get him off the rocks and down onto the beach, where he was transferred into RAF rescue helicopter who took him to Ysbyty Gwynedd. Many thanks also for the help from Cricieth Coastguard who assisted us."

Photos of the rescue operation can be viewed at the Abersoch Coastguard Facebook Page - by clicking here

April 16 2015

Late Availability Accommodation Page
A new page has just gone online where our advertisers can display any last minute or late availability for their properties or serviced accommodation.

The page can be accessed by clicking here.

If you are an advertiser on the site and would like to use this free service, then please contact us at: info@abersoch.co.uk

April 14 2015

10 Pen Llyn Young People To Sail Tall Ship To Pwllheli
The All Wales Boat Show comes to Pwllheli from the 8th to 10th May and NAVSAR have secured sponsorship from local companies for 10 young people from Pen Llyn to sail the Tall Ship, 'Challenge Wales' to Pwllheli for the Boat Show.

Youngsters will be selected from local schools in April. Challenge Wales will be arriving in Pwllheli on early May Bank Holiday Monday in time for the show, escorted by NAVSAR and greeted with a reception at Pwllheli Sailing Club.

The public are invited to attend for the arrival of the vessel.

Timings released soon!

More info on NAVSAR can be found at: www.navsar.com

For more info the All Wales Boat Show: visit www.allwalesboatshow.com

<<click on image for larger version

April 09 2015

Glorious April Weather
The weather has surpassed expectations these last few days in Abersoch with an early taste of summer and how wonderful for the sunny weather to coincide with a holiday weekend and to continue well into this week. We have seen some great photos capturing the conditions and a lovely example is this photo sent to us today by Robin Thompson, who snapped this amazing aerial display of a couple of dolphins off the Warren Beach yesterday. You can find other recent photos taken over the last few days on our twitter feed at: www.twitter.com/abersochdotco - where we will always retweet an Abersoch related photo if we are tagged in on it (use @abersochdotco).

March 29 2015

Abersoch.co.uk Website Traffic
Many thanks to all those who continue to visit the site on a regular basis and for the positive feedback that we receive and for the support that we receive from our many advertisers. The site has now been running for over 15 years and continues to receive high levels of traffic. 2014 saw a touch under 1.5 million page views from just over 600,000 user sessions and we are hoping to exceed that in 2015, with recent traffic suggesting that we may do that. We currently have over 3.3K followers on Twitter and we tweet or retweet every day.

Remember, our daily weather forecast is updated early in the morning on almost every day of the year and we'll be keeping a close eye on the outlook for the Easter weekend during our updates early in the coming week.

If you feel that your business might benefit from an advert on the site, please contact us at: info@abersoch.co.uk

March 24 2015

Concerns Over Proposed Parking Charges At Porth Neigwl Car Park
Concerns have been raised after the Gwynedd Council cabinet decided in February to potentially start charging for parking at the tiny car park at Porth Neigwl (Hell’s Mouth). The council is currently consulting with the Llanengan Community Council, the local councillor and other statutory organisations.
According to the council, there are currently no plans to introduce parking restrictions on the highway in the vicinity of the car park or extend the existing lay out of the car park. If and when parking charges are introduced, all motorists will be expected to pay the required parking fees/s as displayed on site.
The proposal has been branded bizarre by one resident who says, “The proposal does not make sense. The car park is tiny and if charges are introduced, cars will simply just be parked on the road near the car park, as why pay when there is free car parking alongside? However, if the council then introduce parking restrictions along the road (which they say they won’t), then visitors to the whole of Porth Neigwl will be severely restricted, as the capacity of the car park is tiny!”
Comments on the proposal can be sent to the Parking and Road Safety Manager at Gwynedd Council: ColinJones@gwynedd.gov.uk

March 21 2015

Consultation On Exemptions To The Council Tax Premium On 2nd Homes

The Housing (Wales) Act 2014 has given local authorities in Wales discretionary powers to charge a Council Tax premium of up to 100% of the standard rate of Council Tax on second homes in their areas (from April 2017). Local authorities will be able to consider their local needs and circumstances before deciding whether or not to introduce the premium. They will also be able to retain any additional funds - though these do not have to be spent on addressing local housing needs - although they will be encoraged to do so. In the current financial climate, it is to be expected that local authorities would implement this doubling of council tax on second homes in the area.

The minister for public services in Wales is considering exemptions to this potential premium and is therefore currently holding a consultation.

Those who may be affected by the changes and who may wish to comment can do so by visiting the following links:

The Welsh Government consultation page - click here.

The Welsh Government consultation document (pdf) - click here.

March 18 2015

Video Of Recent Surf on Pen Llyn
A nice little video showing the recent excellent surf conditions around the coast of Pen Llyn, has just been uploaded to the West Coast Surf Shop Vimeo site.

The film was shot by local surfer Lleu Davies-Hughes.

If you are interested in learing to surf this season, then contact the guys at West Coast in Abersoch via www.westcoastsurf.co.uk, which also has a daily surf report, outlook and webcam, along with a large selection of suitable wetsuits and kit. To view the video, either click on the link to the left or visit the West Coast Surf Facebook page.

March 06 2015

Glass Butter Beach Make First Announcements

Glass Butter Beach have just announced their first acts and loads of new additions to the festival which are all available to check out on their new website at www.glassbutterbeach.com

Taking place in Llanbedrog & Abersoch between Wednesday 12th & Saturday 15th August, the rapidly growing music, action sports & beach lifestyle festival have just announced a handful of acts including alt rock legends Kosheen fronted by Welsh songstress Sian Evans, fast rising electronic music producers Bondax, and award winning folk rock reggae band Toguna, over on tour from Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean.

Also announced is the introduction of new activities & entertainments including Flyboard, Hoverboard, a Butter Market and some new stages amongst other things. Loads to find out about on the new website & tickets are currently on tier 1 after early birds sold out. More announcements to follow.

March 05 2015

New Abersoch Webcam
You may have noticed that there is now a new webcam view updating on the site. The camera currently updates approximately every 10 minutes and looks across the bay from Bwlchtocyn towards Llanbedrog Head.

It is hoped that an archive of the days images will be added to the page in due course.

Visit the webcam page to see the latest view from the camera.

March 05 2015

LLeyn Fuels

Living in a rural community is a lovely thing to do but can be a costly affair. So by buying your heating oil through Lleyn Fuels it gives you the opportunity to keep the prices down.

The Consortium was established in February 2015, to help save money for the communities of Pen Llyn. Buying commodities in bulk, Lleyn Fuels can beat the prices of individual buyers and passes the savings on to you.

Membership is free and more information can be found on their Facebook page by clicking here or email Richard at: lleynfuels@outlook.com
or via 07733 105 382.

March 03 2015

White House Luxury Spa Hotel Development Approved
Plans for a 42 bedroom spa hotel, restaurant and 18 luxury apartments, that would replace the derelict White House hotel site in Abersoch, have finally been approved by the Gwynedd Council planning committee.

There is no news at present on when this development might begin.

February 27 2015

Huge Interest In The Pwllheli All Wales Boat Show

Pwllheli has proved a big draw to sponsors and exhibitors, so much so that the organisers of the All Wales Boat Show expect to sell-out space at its new home in Pwllheli. New sponsors Haulfryn Group, owners of The Warren in Abersoch and Llyn Parks, are among many organisations backing the show to be a big succcess. Joining them as sponsors are GJW Direct, Hill Dickinson and Ideal Boats. The public will have plenty to see and do at the show, because as well as exhibitors, there will also be Wet Jets, Wakeboarding and a mass of other taster sessions. The show is scheduled to be launched to the public next week.

For more info... visit the event website at: www.allwalesboatshow.com

February 27 2015

Boot Camp On The Beach Returns

The very popular and successful BOOTCAMP on Abersoch Main Beach returns for 2015 and is set to begin on Saturday March 7th from 8.30am - 9.30am.

This year Dan Brook-Sutton will be taking over Kelsey's role and leading the fitness sessions throughout the season.

The price is £6 per session and the sessions are suitable for all levels, with exercises adapted to suit. The session will include a full body work out and is fun and functional!

To join in, meet at the Golf Rd Beach Cafe at 8.15am.

More info can be found on Dan's Facebook page by... clicking here or you can contact Dan on O7970 888813.

February 27 2015

Wakestock Cancelled For 2015
There will be no Wakestock music and wakeboarding festival in the area this summer. The festival has been running for 14 years and began as a small wakeboarding event with the evening festival on the headland in Abersoch by SCYC. The festival soon outgrew the village location and the evening events moved to the old airfield at Penros. Over the years the festival has been able to put on some big name acts from the music world.

The organisers of the event suggest that the festival will return in 2016.

For those that remember the early days of the festival, videos from the first 2 O'Shea Wakestock festivals can be found on our You Tube channel, which can be viewed by... clicking here.

February 27 2015

Planning Officers Recommend White House Spa Hotel Approval
Plans for a 42 bedroom spa hotel, restaurant and 18 luxury apartments, that would replace the derelict White House hotel site in Abersoch, have been re-submitted and this time Gwynedd Council planning officers have recommended them for approval. The application will go before the council planning committee next week. The developers, Broomco, suggest that the development would create more than 100 jobs for the area. The Daily Post have further info on the development at... click here.

February 18 2015
February / March Special Offers At Venetia

Venetia Restaurant & Boutique Accommodation, situated in the high street of Abersoch, have a variety of special offers for the remaining part of February and for March and April too.
Deals include "Wonderful Winter Warmer", Weekend Dinner & B&B Specials" and "Wednesday & Thursdays In March & April"...

For info on these offers and contact details for Venetia, visit their website at: www.venetiawales.com

February 01 2015

Recognition for Abersoch Lifeboat Fundraisers
As part of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s 2015 Awards, the Trustee Board of the RNLI has resolved to present Abersoch Lifeboat Station Fundraising with the Branch Award in recognition of its long and valuable service.
Over the years the Fundraising Team has arranged a variety of events to raise money for the RNLI, while at the same time enhancing the social life of the village, such as quiz nights, dinners with celebrity speakers, wine tastings, coffee mornings and the New Year’s Day dips as well as flag days and the station open days.  Phill Brown, current Chairman of the Abersoch RNLI and its Fundraising Team said “The work of the Fundraising Team over many years is recognised by this most prestigious award, which reflects the enthusiasm, dedication and hard work that so many people have contributed towards.  Only 10 of these Branch Awards were made in 2014, and I do hope that they will feel honoured and proud by this award and that they will derive great satisfaction in their contribution to it having been made.”

[Abersoch.co.uk note: Congratulations - this is a well deserved award to the many individuals (past and present) who work hard behind the scenes helping to raise the money to keep this wonderful lifeboat station operational.]

January 23 2015

Big High Tides Pass Without Incident

Last year, some big "spring" tides coincided with storm surges to cause havoc on the golf slipway end of Abersoch main beach, with several beach huts either badly damaged or destroyed by the waves. The storm surges were created by deep areas of low pressure and very strong winds that enhanced the tides in Cardigan Bay on several occasions. What made matters worse was that the sand level on the beach was scoured by the initial surges, leaving the golf end of the beach very vulnerable to the further surges. You can read news items from the time on our 2014 page here. Although there have been some big storms this winter in Abersoch, there have not been any surges coinciding with big tides, so the photo opposite, taken this week on one of the biggest high tides of the year (by John Wormald), shows that things are looking far more normal (so far!).

January 07 2015

Abersoch RNLI Sea Dip Report

The 8th annual RNLI New Year's Day dip was held this year under very testing conditions, with high winds and driving rain.  Around 250 brave dippers rushed into the sea, with many imaginative costumes on the theme of 'cartoon characters'.  Many thanks are due to them for making the effort to turn out and brave the elements, and to those who came to watch and support.  A total of £3,504 has been raised to date, with further sponsorship money anticipated.  
Grateful thanks are also due to the crew for their invaluable and energetic support in preparing the beach and providing safety cover in the water; to the many helpers who stood out in the rain with collection buckets; to the ladies in the café who served hot drinks to the shivering dippers; to the team on the beach who dealt with sponsorship and donations; to Abersoch Golf Club for the use of their car park; and to the Williams family for the use of their cafe and car park which gave a base for running the event. Photos of the event can be viewed at:  http://john53.zenfolio.com/p694218933

January 07 2015

Dru Yoga Day In Abersoch Village Hall

Why not join Freddie for a day of Dru Yoga at Abersoch Village Hall on January 18th. This is a great opportunity to explore the wide range of benefits to be gained from practising Dru Yoga.

Want to find out how Dru Yoga can improve muscle tone, sporting performance and combat injury? Then the morning session is for you.

Want to find out how Dru Yoga can help you relax, de-stress and generally feel good both physically and mentally – why not join me for the afternoon session?
SimplyYoga@btinternet.com / 07833663717   

<< click image for poster & more details.

January 07 2015

Gwynedd BG EPIC Training is coming to the Llyn Peninsula in 2015!

Fitness training designed and inspired by Bear Grylls. Beach BG Boot Camps, Outdoor fitness in Pwllheli, Abersoch, Nefyn, Porthmadog, Llanbedrog, Aberdaron and more areas of the Llyn Pensula in Gwynedd, North Wales. All ages welcome. BG KIDS also available. They will be visiting schools and running before and after school clubs. Give them a call for more info on 01758610003 / www.bgepictraining.com / gwynedd@bgepictraining.com

<< click image for poster & contact details.

January 04 2015

Lovely Aerial Video Of Abersoch
This lovely little video by Peter Morrison was shot over the Christmas and New year period using a drone and a Go Pro camera.
It is well worth a look... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SI9AMHu_Tk

January 01 2015

Abersoch RNLI Sea Dip Photos

Despite some atrocious weather conditions, consisting of gale force winds and driving rain, a huge crowd gathered again on the main beach this morning to watch the annual RNLI Abersoch sponsored sea dip. Many of the dippers were in fancy dress as the theme this year was "Cartoon Characters". You can see for yourself the results of their efforts, as local photographer John Wormald has kindly uploaded a large number of photos of the event and these are available as a free download. The photos are available via the following link...
http://john53.zenfolio.com/p694218933

December 19 2014

Broomco Appeal Against White House Planning Refusal
North Wales based Broomco has lodged an appeal with the planning inspectorate following the refusal of planning permission by Gwynedd Council earlier this year for their proposals to redevelop the White House Hotel. A 3 day public inquiry is due to be heard in the Spring of 2015.
Broomco are represented by Daniel Connolly of Chartered Town Planners Horigan Connolly. Mr Connolly commented: "Broomco were very disappointed that their application was refused in June particularly given the several years worth of negotiations that had taken place with the Council."
Jane Mclean of Broomco commented:
"There is a huge swell of community support for our proposals and anger at a local level at the Councils decision to refuse our application. We have sought advice from leading counsel and believe we have a very strong case for appeal. It is unfortunate that we have had to go down the appeal route as we remain committed to providing a high quality facility for Abersoch. Despite our experience so far, we would like to try to continue to work with the Council and as a result, in addition to the appeal, we have resubmitted the planning application for consideration by the Council.

December 04 2014

Coconut Kitchen Christmas Gift Sets

The Coconut Kitchen Christmas Gift Sets for 2014 are now available to buy online, from the restaurant and from some local stores. Made with fully re-cyclable material and packed with 2 bottles of sauce and 2 curry pastes.
This year’s set includes all 3 of our Great Taste Award winners so you're guaranteed to spice up someone’s Christmas with some quality Thai flavours. See www.thecoconutkitchen.co.uk/xmas-shop.php for more details.
Also comes with The Coconut Kitchen recipe booklet which gives lots of great recipes and cooking tips from head chef, Preechaya.
Gift set contains: 1 x The Coconut Kitchen recipe booklet, 1x CK Sweet Chilli and Garlic Sauce 300g, 1x CK Honey, Garlic and Pepper Sauce 300g (Great Taste 2014 * STAR winner), 1x CK Easy Massaman Curry Paste 125g (Great Taste 2014 * STAR winner), 1x CK Easy Green Curry Paste 125g (Great Taste 2014 *** STAR winner and TOP 50 foods of 2014 award)

December 02 2014

Abersoch Regatta Donate Thousands To Good Causes

The Abersoch Regatta is an annual series of events run by "the community" each August for local people and of course for all the visitors to the area.
The events are designed to be fun for both families and people of all ages and include the raft race, a golf competition and the famous sailing regatta day at SCYC, where the first Abersoch regatta was held back in 1881! Each year, the various events in the village raise money for local good causes and this year donations have been, or are in the process of being given to the following...

Abersoch RNLI: £536
Air Ambulance: £500
Clych Meithrin Llanengan: £500
Ysgol (School) Abersoch: £500 / Ysgol (School) Sarn Bach: £500

Alaw Ward at Ysbyty Bangor: £250
The Committee are also hoping to sponsor some sailing or possibly paddle boarding lessons for local children next year. For the latest news on the 2015 regatta events schedule, visit: www.abersochregatta.co.uk

<< Photo: Regatta Commodore Jane Williams presenting a cheque to the Cylch Meithrin.