Pen-Y-Bont Hotel, Tal-Y-Llyn

Breakfast time at the Pen-y-Bont Hotel, Tal-y-llyn this beautiful September. Whether you prefer your full Welsh, Vegetarian or Smoked Haddock with Poached Egg, it will set you up for some fine walks and adventures in the countryside of Merionethshire.

Small Tortoiseshell butterflies on the Patio, nectaring in the warm September sunshine. They will hibernate somewhere around the buildings until April, and then lay their eggs on a local Stinging Nettle patch. To get lots of butterflies visiting your garden, you need some caterpillar foodlants as well as flowers. I've got Nasturtium for the whites, and Currant for Comma butterflies. I don't use any poisons to kill weeds, as they will likely kill the caterpillars as well. Meanwhile, we had one last air display from the House Martins. There were 50 or more circling the building, before they left for Africa.

Today I want to ask for your help with a matter that is of great importance to the Pen-y-Bont Hotel and it's guests. When we first came here in 2006, we realised that traffic was shooting past at 70mph. We put a sign up the road as an advert and included the message SLOW DOWN. We were told by the Police that we had to remove the sign, as we could not legally place a road sign. I then asked the police if we could have an "official" road sign for traffic calming purposes. Noth...ing was ever done. We have seen, most Summer Holidays, a car or two losing control at the bend on the lake, and going into the water. Still no action. Now, there has been a fatality further round the lake, and Liz at Dolffanog Fach has set up this petition. I was wondering, could you take time out to sign it, and maybe suggest to others that they do so? Thank you in advance. Best Wishes, Brian
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Eventide in this long, hot summer. Note the low water level, we have been experiencing some of the hottest, driest weather in Britain in sunny Snowdonia! It's been good for the Butterflies and Moths though, with numbers up considerably on spring, or last year. I watched a Hummingbird Hawk Moth darting from flower to flower on the patio. This was particularly satisfying as I have planted tobacco plants and other brightly coloured nectar flowers specifically to attract them. We are looking for some help in the Summer Holidays, with Waiting On and Washing Up. More on this to follow..anyone fancy earning some cash in the Summer Hols?

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, Summer is here! With good weather forecasts over the weekend we look forward to seeing some of you this weekend. We have Glaslyn Ale from the barrel, draught Carling, Staropramen and Stowford Press Cider, plus a huge selection of bottled ciders. Come and enjoy this view for the afternoon, it's a day out in itself!

An album from the Bank Holiday of nice weather! All of these pictures were taken on May 5th 2018

And by nightfall peace had descended, the mountains reflected in the lake as not a breath of wind was in the air. Perfect.

And here is much the same view at lunch time. I'll try not to say I told you so!

You know it's going to be a nice day when the morning looks like this...we are open for meals and drinks, come and enjoy this view from the Beer Garden!

My thanks to Lukasz Czech for sending me this picture that he took of the Hotel. This high resolution picture was taken yesterday by drone. I think it gives a unique view of our location and will be of interest to many of you, so here we are, I hope you enjoy it.

In praise of Wallflowers....It's time to start planting on the patio now the frosts appear to be over. With shrubs like buddleia and lilac we hope to attract some butterflies for the summer. Before the Beast from the East hit us at 100mph I had about 40 wallflowers and 40 sweet williams that I planted in November for 2018 colour. Today I counted 19 of the former and very few sweet williams indeed (I think the slugs have just eaten them.) Most of the survivors are in sheltered positions away from the lake frontage where the winds were worst. So, I'm now re-replanting in the hope that May will bloom as well as April's daffodils which are late this year. No wonder daffodils are so symbolic of Wales, they seem to stand whatever wild weather is thrown at them! https://butterfly-conservation.org/…/di g-it--april-tips-fro…

OPEN FOR THE SEASON from Saturday March 24th, 12 noon until 5 p.m. We are closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, except following a Bank Holiday or during the six weeks in summer. For evening meals please book in advance and we will accommodate you along with our Bed and Breakfast guests. We are already fully booked from 1 till 3 p.m. on Sunday! Meanwhile, here is another of Mark Richardson's fabulous photos from around Talyllyn, this time of a Red Kite.

We get a regular airshow here as we are on the "Mach Loop", where military jets go round and around over Machynlleth. This stunning picture of a Tornado was taken locally by Mark Richardson. If you are interested in seeing more of his work you can contact him at markorichardson66@gmail.com.

"Beast from the East" vs. Storm Emma death match - as seen from The Pen-y-Bont Hotel, Tal-y-Llyn.

Britain is in the grip of a weather phenomenon right now, and Wales has got it pretty bad. It's not just the snow, but the very low temperatures and persistent 60 mph east wind that is blasting across the frozen lake. I'm sure it will only last a few more days, so I shan't worry about putting you off visiting. So I can tell you that, truly, it's like being sand blasted in a wind tunnel from Mars. Obviously, I've never actually done that but you'll get the idea. So, frien...ds in the Midlands, I hope you're managing to get the car off the drive and down the road to work. Friends in Scotland, you're probably used to this kind of thing. And friends in the beautiful South, for maybe the first time you're the ones I feel really sorry for, buried under the entire contents of Storm Emma's clouds as you no doubt are today. Keep warm and safe, as I am doing sat up in bed with the electric blanket on!
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We said a prayer for Canon Martin Riley last night, who sadly passed away this week. He was the last pastor at St. Mary's Church across the road before it closed it's doors in 2003, and was always a very welcome visitor to the bar throughout the years that we have been the owners. He loved this view and this location so much, and we many times shared our spiritual perspectives occasionally over a pint of Butty Bach. In the early days we were the only pub serving it locally, and I put it down to his powers of persuasion that it is now almost ubiquitous throughout the area! So farewell Martin, I imagine a great homecoming in heaven is being held right now. Back here we have lost a friend and inspiration. Our thoughts are with your family especially your Grand Daughter Kimberley who is here with us now.

This was a weather event that I happened to spot on Saturday during the heavy wintry showers. In the space of a minute, a bright patch of sunlight moved through a dark stormy sky across the mountainside, illuminating a curtain of snow or hail. It had already moved halfway across my field of view by the time I picked up my phone and switched on the camera. This was the first snap of five, and the best I think. If only I could have photographed it 30 seconds earlier, when it was at it's best! Anyway, I think it's still worthy of posting. It went around the north side of the lake and then changed direction about 90 degrees down the valley to Corris.

Dreamy scenes after overnight snow.