British Summertime

What a wonderful weekend! I spent yesterday exploring Denbigh Castle with my son. Built in 1294 during the reign of Edward I, it remains in fantastic condition when you stop to consider its troubled history. The last incarnation of Denbigh Castle was financed by Edward the first following the defeat of Dafydd ap Gruffudd in 1282. Dafydd was the last of the Welsh princes to hold the strategic site and Edward the first's entire reign was spent suppressing Welsh uprisings. This culminated with the eventual retreat of Owain Glyndwr in 1304. Yesterday was a lovely dry autumn day - perfect weather for exploring a medieval castle. CADW is the organisation which maintains the upkeep of these magnificent relics from our past. As town residents, we are granted free access but visitors are not afforded the same privilege. Two parents and a child would get 35p change from ten pounds. That is just scandalous . Aside from the fact that the entire visit only takes about an hour, there is nothing there to occupy children. At a time when we should be feeding their curiosity, children visiting with their parents are effectively being turned away by this exorbitant tariff. To understand our past is the key to working out our future. It is therefore unforgivable to be deterring children and their families in this way. You won't be surprised to learn that we had the whole place to ourselves! We also paid a £5 deposit to access the old castle walls and were treated to some of the best views you could ever hope to see. For any small child, Goblin Tower and its steep staircase is a must. The walls are remarkable intact and you can easily imagine yourself in the late 1200s. Of course, this being Wales and CADW being CADW, this is unfortunately another well kept secret. This should be the focal point of Denbigh but is being kept in the background while the existing High Street dies a slow death. If this were the responsibility of anybody other than the Local Council and CADW, that would soon change. We had a great day but I couldn't help feel that the experience was being needlessly denied to visitors to the town. If you are ever in Denbigh with an hour or two to kill, I urge you to take the opportunity and go to the castle (£3.40 per adult) or just pay a £5 refundable deposit for the key to the Castle Walls - well worth it and especially if you have children. This afternoon, we were at a rugby tournament for children mainly of Primary School age. It was great to see so many children running around being supported by coaches and parents. It was a credit to Mold Rugby Club. What was interesting was the variation in how the coaches of the different clubs embraced their task. Our coach has the attitude that the children should just enjoy the day. For other coaches though, enjoyment was not in the equation. The whole point of being there was to win. I stress that these were children of Primary School age. Interesting. Pressure comes along soon enough as we enter our adult lives so it makes no sense to me to try and introduce it any earlier. Childhood should be enjoyed, not suffered. By far the most enjoyable match was the last one in which both coaches only sought enjoyment. The atmosphere was great and unsurprisingly, the children were happy. You reap what you sow... In just a fortnight, we shall all enjoy the double edged sword of an extra hour in bed at the expense of darker nights and darker mornings. I fear we shall all be missing that wonderful summer as the winter months edge ever closer.