I visited North Wales recently, back to the Llanberis Pass and Blaen y Nant  where I lived during the 1960’s. The only place that ever felt like home even though it had no electricity, no gas or running water – other than the stream which cascaded off Yr Wyddfa ( Snowdon ), down through Cwm Glas and beside the cottage  before flowing into Afon Nant Peris which flows from Pen y Pass to Caernarfon. It came as rather a shock to see the cottage in this state.

I often walked beside Afon Nant Peris on my way to catch the school  bus in the village about a mile away – often in the torrential rain we experienced in the mountains during the 1960’s.

Salmon used to come up the river in winter and could be seen in the pools. The river level was often much higher then than it is today – many occasions the river would almost be lapping over the  bridge, I had to cross to get to the road, as it thundered past – about 3 or 4 feet above its normal level.

The riverbed was like a mosaic of coloured stones and rocks.