LONDON, CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

 

 

 

London's tradition of streets having festive lights appears to have started on Regent Street, which has had Christmas decorations in some form since the 1880s — although they only became a regular thing in 1948 when the Regent Street Association (RSA — the organisation that represents the interests of the retailers, restaurants and offices in the area) decorated the street with trees. Lights followed in 1954, and the RSA is still responsible for arranging the display. Oxford Street got its Christmas lights in 1959, and over the years a tradition has evolved whereby the lights are switched on by a celebrity in mid-to-late November. Many other central London streets, such as Soho's Carnaby Street, also have their own lights, as do lots of suburban high streets. Some don't just celebrate Christmas — the ones in Edgware, for example, also celebrate the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.

SGWD YR EIRA WATERFALL, BRECON BEACONS NATIONAL PARK, WALES

 

The highest waterfall in South Wales is tucked away on the western edge of the Brecon Beacons. Plunging 90ft (27m) into a wooded gorge, Henrhyd waterfall is a spectacular sight and the surrounding Graig Llech Woods are a haven for wildlife. The falls occur on a geological fault on the river Nant Llech and have retreated up the valley by up to 165ft (50m) since the last Ice Age. The hard layer of sandstone forming the lip of the waterfall is known as Farewell Rock. Coal miners digging down to this layer in the mines of the South Wales valleys would say 'farewell' as there was little chance of finding coal below it. In the mid-1800s the area was surveyed by William Logan, an internationally noted geologist. While surveying for a detailed geological map of the South Wales coalfields he found two fossilised trees at the base of the falls. You can now see them outside Swansea museum.

MUSSENDEN TEMPLE, CASTLEROCK, NORTHERN IRELAND

Mussenden Temple is located in the beautiful surroundings of Downhill Demesne near Castlerock in County Londonderry in Northern Ireland. It perches dramatically on a 120 ft cliff top, high above the Atlantic Ocean on the north-western coast of Northern Ireland.  The Temple of Mussenden was built in 1785 under the leadership of Frederick-Augustus Hervey, 4th Earl of Bristol and Bishop of Derry. The Temple was built on the model of the Temple of Vesta, located in Italy, and was to collect large religious manuscripts. The Temple is named Mussenden in memory of Frideswide Mussenden, cousin of Fredrick-Augustus. Over time, erosion of the cliff on which the Temple is built has become a cause for concern and threatens the building itself. For this reason, the National Trust carried out a series of works in 1997 to stabilize the cliff. Since then, the building remains and seems to be preserved from any risk. visit is free of charge, and you can then admire a first inscription located in the Temple, with a quotation from Lucrecius, a poet and high Roman philosopher: “How pleasant and safe it is to see the shore, the roll, and to hear the roar of the storm“. The view is superb, with unrivalled panoramic views over Magilligan Point, County Donegal and the beaches of Castlerock. A view so sublime, that the place is a great classic for organizing weddings in Northern Ireland!