#holyhead — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #holyhead, aggregated by home.social.
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Irish man charged after stolen taxi driven wrong way on dual carriageway in Wales – The Irish Times
An Irish man has been charged after police in Wales stopped a stolen taxi that was travelling the…
#EuropeSays #Britain #Europe #EU #UK #holyhead-port #UnitedKingdom #wales #wrong-way-driving
https://www.europesays.com/britain/112338/ -
Wildfires updates as battle to contain multiple blazes continues across North Wales
Changing wind directions means local wildfires may be affecting North Wales communities previously untroubled by smoke, the first…
#EuropeSays #Britain #Europe #EU #UK #Abermorddu #Anglesey #Brymbo #Flintshire #Gwynedd #Harlech #Holyhead #Holywell #NorthWalesFireandRescueService #UnitedKingdom
https://www.europesays.com/britain/88620/ -
https://www.europesays.com/britain/88620/ Wildfires updates as battle to contain multiple blazes continues across North Wales #Abermorddu #Anglesey #Brymbo #Flintshire #Gwynedd #Harlech #Holyhead #Holywell #NorthWalesFireAndRescueService #UK #UnitedKingdom
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Passing the Ports
I’ve been thinking for some time whether to renew my (expired) British passport, and finally decided to do so. No longer being resident in the UK I thought this would require a trip to the Embassy in Dublin, but that isn’t the case these days. One has to apply online, including supplying a digital photograph, send the old passport off by courier, then wait for the new one to arrive (by courier).
One problem with doing this is that the format of digital picture required for a British passport is not the same as for an Irish one, so most of the automatic machines (“Photo-Me”, etc) in Ireland are no use. I was able to take advantage of a recent trip to London, however, by using such a machine in Paddington station. I had plenty of time for that given the train delays. I got a few printed photos at the same time, in case I need them, but all you need for the passport is a photo code. The images are stored until used in the passport application.
And so it came to pass that today I completed the online application, paid the fees, and went to the local Post Office to send the old one to HM Passport Office. Now I have to wait and see how long it takes for my new passport to arrive. About a month, they say. We’ll see.
The new one will be dark-blue or black, like the very first one I ever had (left). That one was issued in 1986 and expired in 1996. I leave it as an exercise the reader to calculate how many I have had since then!
Whatever its design it will not allow me the right to live, work and retire freely within the European Union, so it will be of considerable less value than my Irish one.
I was for a time under the impression that having a British passport would make it easier should I ever want to enter the UK from somewhere other than Ireland, but I don’t think this is true. Unlike other EU citizens, according to the provisions of the Common Travel Area (CTA), Irish citizens do not require an ETA to enter the UK. They just need a valid Irish passport. Still, I think it will be useful to have a spare and I’m now used to having multiple identities!
I recently travelled to the UK and back by ferry. That journey being within the CTA a passport is not strictly required – other forms of photo-ID are acceptable – but I took mine anyway, as I don’t have a driver’s licence and we don’t have official government-issued ID cards in Ireland so I wasn’t sure whether they would accept any of the cards I have with my picture on it (e.g. my Maynooth staff card). As it happened the ID checks were very cursory. When I checked in at Dublin Ferry Port, the assitant there only wanted my ticket number and didn’t ask to see my ID at all. It was the same coming back from Holyhead. On arrival at Holyhead, there was a border post staffed by several officers, but they waved most passengers through (including me). On returning to Dublin the check was even more perfunctory: there was just one guy and he seemed more interested in welcoming everyone to Dublin than looking at any documents.
The CTA means that if you fly from Dublin to the UK you generally arrive at a place in the airport dedicated to such passengers. This is particularly convenient flying to Heathrow Terminal 2: on arrival you just walk through the Baggage Reclaim and out into the airport without passing any checks. You still need a passport, though, as airlines require this form of identification and it is scrutinized when you check in and when you board the plane. The only airport I know of that doesn’t have a simplified arrival system for CTA passengers is Dublin. They have no separate facilities, so you have to go through passport control with all the other passengers. That can be a bit inconvenient if lots of flights have arrived at the same time. I suppose the people who run Dublin Airport do not think it’s worth having a CTA arrivals facility.
#Dublin #ferries #Holyhead #passports #photoID #Travel -
Passing the Ports
I’ve been thinking for some time whether to renew my (expired) British passport, and finally decided to do so. No longer being resident in the UK I thought this would require a trip to the Embassy in Dublin, but that isn’t the case these days. One has to apply online, including supplying a digital photograph, send the old passport off by courier, then wait for the new one to arrive (by courier).
One problem with doing this is that the format of digital picture required for a British passport is not the same as for an Irish one, so most of the automatic machines (“Photo-Me”, etc) in Ireland are no use. I was able to take advantage of a recent trip to London, however, by using such a machine in Paddington station. I had plenty of time for that given the train delays. I got a few printed photos at the same time, in case I need them, but all you need for the passport is a photo code. The images are stored until used in the passport application.
And so it came to pass that today I completed the online application, paid the fees, and went to the local Post Office to send the old one to HM Passport Office. Now I have to wait and see how long it takes for my new passport to arrive. About a month, they say. We’ll see.
The new one will be dark-blue or black, like the very first one I ever had (left). That one was issued in 1986 and expired in 1996. I leave it as an exercise the reader to calculate how many I have had since then!
Whatever its design it will not allow me the right to live, work and retire freely within the European Union, so it will be of considerable less value than my Irish one.
I was for a time under the impression that having a British passport would make it easier should I ever want to enter the UK from somewhere other than Ireland, but I don’t think this is true. Unlike other EU citizens, according to the provisions of the Common Travel Area (CTA), Irish citizens do not require an ETA to enter the UK. They just need a valid Irish passport. Still, I think it will be useful to have a spare and I’m now used to having multiple identities!
I recently travelled to the UK and back by ferry. That journey being within the CTA a passport is not strictly required – other forms of photo-ID are acceptable – but I took mine anyway, as I don’t have a driver’s licence and we don’t have official government-issued ID cards in Ireland so I wasn’t sure whether they would accept any of the cards I have with my picture on it (e.g. my Maynooth staff card). As it happened the ID checks were very cursory. When I checked in at Dublin Ferry Port, the assitant there only wanted my ticket number and didn’t ask to see my ID at all. It was the same coming back from Holyhead. On arrival at Holyhead, there was a border post staffed by several officers, but they waved most passengers through (including me). On returning to Dublin the check was even more perfunctory: there was just one guy and he seemed more interested in welcoming everyone to Dublin than looking at any documents.
The CTA means that if you fly from Dublin to the UK you generally arrive at a place in the airport dedicated to such passengers. This is particularly convenient flying to Heathrow Terminal 2: on arrival you just walk through the Baggage Reclaim and out into the airport without passing any checks. You still need a passport, though, as airlines require this form of identification and it is scrutinized when you check in and when you board the plane. The only airport I know of that doesn’t have a simplified arrival system for CTA passengers is Dublin. They have no separate facilities, so you have to go through passport control with all the other passengers. That can be a bit inconvenient if lots of flights have arrived at the same time. I suppose the people who run Dublin Airport do not think it’s worth having a CTA arrivals facility.
#Dublin #ferries #Holyhead #passports #photoID #Travel -
Passing the Ports
I’ve been thinking for some time whether to renew my (expired) British passport, and finally decided to do so. No longer being resident in the UK I thought this would require a trip to the Embassy in Dublin, but that isn’t the case these days. One has to apply online, including supplying a digital photograph, send the old passport off by courier, then wait for the new one to arrive (by courier).
One problem with doing this is that the format of digital picture required for a British passport is not the same as for an Irish one, so most of the automatic machines (“Photo-Me”, etc) in Ireland are no use. I was able to take advantage of a recent trip to London, however, by using such a machine in Paddington station. I had plenty of time for that given the train delays. I got a few printed photos at the same time, in case I need them, but all you need for the passport is a photo code. The images are stored until used in the passport application.
And so it came to pass that today I completed the online application, paid the fees, and went to the local Post Office to send the old one to HM Passport Office. Now I have to wait and see how long it takes for my new passport to arrive. About a month, they say. We’ll see.
The new one will be dark-blue or black, like the very first one I ever had (left). That one was issued in 1986 and expired in 1996. I leave it as an exercise the reader to calculate how many I have had since then!
Whatever its design it will not allow me the right to live, work and retire freely within the European Union, so it will be of considerable less value than my Irish one.
I was for a time under the impression that having a British passport would make it easier should I ever want to enter the UK from somewhere other than Ireland, but I don’t think this is true. Unlike other EU citizens, according to the provisions of the Common Travel Area (CTA), Irish citizens do not require an ETA to enter the UK. They just need a valid Irish passport. Still, I think it will be useful to have a spare and I’m now used to having multiple identities!
I recently travelled to the UK and back by ferry. That journey being within the CTA a passport is not strictly required – other forms of photo-ID are acceptable – but I took mine anyway, as I don’t have a driver’s licence and we don’t have official government-issued ID cards in Ireland so I wasn’t sure whether they would accept any of the cards I have with my picture on it (e.g. my Maynooth staff card). As it happened the ID checks were very cursory. When I checked in at Dublin Ferry Port, the assitant there only wanted my ticket number and didn’t ask to see my ID at all. It was the same coming back from Holyhead. On arrival at Holyhead, there was a border post staffed by several officers, but they waved most passengers through (including me). On returning to Dublin the check was even more perfunctory: there was just one guy and he seemed more interested in welcoming everyone to Dublin than looking at any documents.
The CTA means that if you fly from Dublin to the UK you generally arrive at a place in the airport dedicated to such passengers. This is particularly convenient flying to Heathrow Terminal 2: on arrival you just walk through the Baggage Reclaim and out into the airport without passing any checks. You still need a passport, though, as airlines require this form of identification and it is scrutinized when you check in and when you board the plane. The only airport I know of that doesn’t have a simplified arrival system for CTA passengers is Dublin. They have no separate facilities, so you have to go through passport control with all the other passengers. That can be a bit inconvenient if lots of flights have arrived at the same time. I suppose the people who run Dublin Airport do not think it’s worth having a CTA arrivals facility.
#Dublin #ferries #Holyhead #passports #photoID #Travel -
Passing the Ports
I’ve been thinking for some time whether to renew my (expired) British passport, and finally decided to do so. No longer being resident in the UK I thought this would require a trip to the Embassy in Dublin, but that isn’t the case these days. One has to apply online, including supplying a digital photograph, send the old passport off by courier, then wait for the new one to arrive (by courier).
One problem with doing this is that the format of digital picture required for a British passport is not the same as for an Irish one, so most of the automatic machines (“Photo-Me”, etc) in Ireland are no use. I was able to take advantage of a recent trip to London, however, by using such a machine in Paddington station. I had plenty of time for that given the train delays. I got a few printed photos at the same time, in case I need them, but all you need for the passport is a photo code. The images are stored until used in the passport application.
And so it came to pass that today I completed the online application, paid the fees, and went to the local Post Office to send the old one to HM Passport Office. Now I have to wait and see how long it takes for my new passport to arrive. About a month, they say. We’ll see.
The new one will be dark-blue or black, like the very first one I ever had (left). That one was issued in 1986 and expired in 1996. I leave it as an exercise the reader to calculate how many I have had since then!
Whatever its design it will not allow me the right to live, work and retire freely within the European Union, so it will be of considerable less value than my Irish one.
I was for a time under the impression that having a British passport would make it easier should I ever want to enter the UK from somewhere other than Ireland, but I don’t think this is true. Unlike other EU citizens, according to the provisions of the Common Travel Area (CTA), Irish citizens do not require an ETA to enter the UK. They just need a valid Irish passport. Still, I think it will be useful to have a spare and I’m now used to having multiple identities!
I recently travelled to the UK and back by ferry. That journey being within the CTA a passport is not strictly required – other forms of photo-ID are acceptable – but I took mine anyway, as I don’t have a driver’s licence and we don’t have official government-issued ID cards in Ireland so I wasn’t sure whether they would accept any of the cards I have with my picture on it (e.g. my Maynooth staff card). As it happened the ID checks were very cursory. When I checked in at Dublin Ferry Port, the assitant there only wanted my ticket number and didn’t ask to see my ID at all. It was the same coming back from Holyhead. On arrival at Holyhead, there was a border post staffed by several officers, but they waved most passengers through (including me). On returning to Dublin the check was even more perfunctory: there was just one guy and he seemed more interested in welcoming everyone to Dublin than looking at any documents.
The CTA means that if you fly from Dublin to the UK you generally arrive at a place in the airport dedicated to such passengers. This is particularly convenient flying to Heathrow Terminal 2: on arrival you just walk through the Baggage Reclaim and out into the airport without passing any checks. You still need a passport, though, as airlines require this form of identification and it is scrutinized when you check in and when you board the plane. The only airport I know of that doesn’t have a simplified arrival system for CTA passengers is Dublin. They have no separate facilities, so you have to go through passport control with all the other passengers. That can be a bit inconvenient if lots of flights have arrived at the same time. I suppose the people who run Dublin Airport do not think it’s worth having a CTA arrivals facility.
#Dublin #ferries #Holyhead #passports #photoID #Travel -
Passing the Ports
I’ve been thinking for some time whether to renew my (expired) British passport, and finally decided to do so. No longer being resident in the UK I thought this would require a trip to the Embassy in Dublin, but that isn’t the case these days. One has to apply online, including supplying a digital photograph, send the old passport off by courier, then wait for the new one to arrive (by courier).
One problem with doing this is that the format of digital picture required for a British passport is not the same as for an Irish one, so most of the automatic machines (“Photo-Me”, etc) in Ireland are no use. I was able to take advantage of a recent trip to London, however, by using such a machine in Paddington station. I had plenty of time for that given the train delays. I got a few printed photos at the same time, in case I need them, but all you need for the passport is a photo code. The images are stored until used in the passport application.
And so it came to pass that today I completed the online application, paid the fees, and went to the local Post Office to send the old one to HM Passport Office. Now I have to wait and see how long it takes for my new passport to arrive. About a month, they say. We’ll see.
The new one will be dark-blue or black, like the very first one I ever had (left). That one was issued in 1986 and expired in 1996. I leave it as an exercise the reader to calculate how many I have had since then!
Whatever its design it will not allow me the right to live, work and retire freely within the European Union, so it will be of considerable less value than my Irish one.
I was for a time under the impression that having a British passport would make it easier should I ever want to enter the UK from somewhere other than Ireland, but I don’t think this is true. Unlike other EU citizens, according to the provisions of the Common Travel Area (CTA), Irish citizens do not require an ETA to enter the UK. They just need a valid Irish passport. Still, I think it will be useful to have a spare and I’m now used to having multiple identities!
I recently travelled to the UK and back by ferry. That journey being within the CTA a passport is not strictly required – other forms of photo-ID are acceptable – but I took mine anyway, as I don’t have a driver’s licence and we don’t have official government-issued ID cards in Ireland so I wasn’t sure whether they would accept any of the cards I have with my picture on it (e.g. my Maynooth staff card). As it happened the ID checks were very cursory. When I checked in at Dublin Ferry Port, the assitant there only wanted my ticket number and didn’t ask to see my ID at all. It was the same coming back from Holyhead. On arrival at Holyhead, there was a border post staffed by several officers, but they waved most passengers through (including me). On returning to Dublin the check was even more perfunctory: there was just one guy and he seemed more interested in welcoming everyone to Dublin than looking at any documents.
The CTA means that if you fly from Dublin to the UK you generally arrive at a place in the airport dedicated to such passengers. This is particularly convenient flying to Heathrow Terminal 2: on arrival you just walk through the Baggage Reclaim and out into the airport without passing any checks. You still need a passport, though, as airlines require this form of identification and it is scrutinized when you check in and when you board the plane. The only airport I know of that doesn’t have a simplified arrival system for CTA passengers is Dublin. They have no separate facilities, so you have to go through passport control with all the other passengers. That can be a bit inconvenient if lots of flights have arrived at the same time. I suppose the people who run Dublin Airport do not think it’s worth having a CTA arrivals facility.
#Dublin #ferries #Holyhead #passports #photoID #Travel -
Ferried Across
I took another ferry back from Holyhead to Dublin last night. The outbound journey was via Irish Ferries but I returned on the Stena Line. I left Holyhead at 22.15 and arrived at the Ferry Terminal at Dublin Port at 1.45am. I was a bit unsure what it would be like on such a late-night trip but the trip was uneventful. I’d had a very tiring day getting to Holyhead so I toyed with the idea of sitting in the bar and having a few drinks, but I thought better of that. Instead I found a quiet corner in one of the lounges where there was a bench seat, and managed to stretch out enough to get about an hour’s sleep.
I think quite a few passengers had booked cabins for the crossing. I didn’t think it was worth doing that for less than four hours aboard, but I will consider that next time I take a late-night ferry. There’s not much to see out of the window in the dark!
The disadvantage of being a foot passenger on these ferries is that you have to wait until all the people with vehicles have disembarked before getting a bus back to the terminal building, which adds about 30 minutes to the time. Anticipating the probability that I would be knackered topo fed up to try getting home by public transport with all my luggage in the early hours of the morning, I had booked a taxi to meet me at 1.45, the scheduled arrival time, but I didn’t actually meet the driver until after 2am. Sitll, I got home to Maynooth quickly and was tucked up in bed by 3am. I had to open all the windows as the house was very stuffy, but other than that all was well.
While I was staying in London I took a few trips by train here and there, most of them very shambolic. All the direct trains from London Paddington to Oxford were cancelled, so passengers had to get on very overcrowded trains that went through Oxford to other destinations. To get back to London I used a train to Marylebone which I didn’t know existed. It was slow, but got me back.
With these problems in mind I took an earlier train from Euston to Holyhead than I originally intended. I’m glad I decided that because even the earlier train was delayed by > 45 minutes leaving Euston. Worse, some other trains goint to Manchester and beyond were cancelled so passengers were advised to get on the train I was on and change at Crewe or Chester. The seat reservations weren’t working so the result was a very sweaty overcrowded train with standing room only, at least until Chester where many people got off. The uncomfortable journey made me break a 195-day blogging streak as I just couldn’t be bothered even when I got a seat. Instead I just relaxed and looked out of the window as we travelled along the coast of North Waves.
My train from Holyhead to London was delayed by over an hour as was the train back yesterday. The upshot of all that is that I get a 100% refund of the fare for the entire journey so it was effectively free (if you don’t count the cost of the stress and discomfort).
Anyway, this trip was my first experience of ferry+train to the UK and back. My summary of the experience is “Ferry Good, Train Bad”.
#Chester #Dublin #Holyhead #HolyheadToDublin #IrishFerries #LondonEuston #StenaLine #Travel -
Ferried Across
I took another ferry back from Holyhead to Dublin last night. The outbound journey was via Irish Ferries but I returned on the Stena Line. I left Holyhead at 22.15 and arrived at the Ferry Terminal at Dublin Port at 1.45am. I was a bit unsure what it would be like on such a late-night trip but the trip was uneventful. I’d had a very tiring day getting to Holyhead so I toyed with the idea of sitting in the bar and having a few drinks, but I thought better of that. Instead I found a quiet corner in one of the lounges where there was a bench seat, and managed to stretch out enough to get about an hour’s sleep.
I think quite a few passengers had booked cabins for the crossing. I didn’t think it was worth doing that for less than four hours aboard, but I will consider that next time I take a late-night ferry. There’s not much to see out of the window in the dark!
The disadvantage of being a foot passenger on these ferries is that you have to wait until all the people with vehicles have disembarked before getting a bus back to the terminal building, which adds about 30 minutes to the time. Anticipating the probability that I would be knackered topo fed up to try getting home by public transport with all my luggage in the early hours of the morning, I had booked a taxi to meet me at 1.45, the scheduled arrival time, but I didn’t actually meet the driver until after 2am. Sitll, I got home to Maynooth quickly and was tucked up in bed by 3am. I had to open all the windows as the house was very stuffy, but other than that all was well.
While I was staying in London I took a few trips by train here and there, most of them very shambolic. All the direct trains from London Paddington to Oxford were cancelled, so passengers had to get on very overcrowded trains that went through Oxford to other destinations. To get back to London I used a train to Marylebone which I didn’t know existed. It was slow, but got me back.
With these problems in mind I took an earlier train from Euston to Holyhead than I originally intended. I’m glad I decided that because even the earlier train was delayed by > 45 minutes leaving Euston. Worse, some other trains goint to Manchester and beyond were cancelled so passengers were advised to get on the train I was on and change at Crewe or Chester. The seat reservations weren’t working so the result was a very sweaty overcrowded train with standing room only, at least until Chester where many people got off. The uncomfortable journey made me break a 195-day blogging streak as I just couldn’t be bothered even when I got a seat. Instead I just relaxed and looked out of the window as we travelled along the coast of North Waves.
My train from Holyhead to London was delayed by over an hour as was the train back yesterday. The upshot of all that is that I get a 100% refund of the fare for the entire journey so it was effectively free (if you don’t count the cost of the stress and discomfort).
Anyway, this trip was my first experience of ferry+train to the UK and back. My summary of the experience is “Ferry Good, Train Bad”.
#Chester #Dublin #Holyhead #HolyheadToDublin #IrishFerries #LondonEuston #StenaLine #Travel -
Ferried Across
I took another ferry back from Holyhead to Dublin last night. The outbound journey was via Irish Ferries but I returned on the Stena Line. I left Holyhead at 22.15 and arrived at the Ferry Terminal at Dublin Port at 1.45am. I was a bit unsure what it would be like on such a late-night trip but the trip was uneventful. I’d had a very tiring day getting to Holyhead so I toyed with the idea of sitting in the bar and having a few drinks, but I thought better of that. Instead I found a quiet corner in one of the lounges where there was a bench seat, and managed to stretch out enough to get about an hour’s sleep.
I think quite a few passengers had booked cabins for the crossing. I didn’t think it was worth doing that for less than four hours aboard, but I will consider that next time I take a late-night ferry. There’s not much to see out of the window in the dark!
The disadvantage of being a foot passenger on these ferries is that you have to wait until all the people with vehicles have disembarked before getting a bus back to the terminal building, which adds about 30 minutes to the time. Anticipating the probability that I would be knackered topo fed up to try getting home by public transport with all my luggage in the early hours of the morning, I had booked a taxi to meet me at 1.45, the scheduled arrival time, but I didn’t actually meet the driver until after 2am. Sitll, I got home to Maynooth quickly and was tucked up in bed by 3am. I had to open all the windows as the house was very stuffy, but other than that all was well.
While I was staying in London I took a few trips by train here and there, most of them very shambolic. All the direct trains from London Paddington to Oxford were cancelled, so passengers had to get on very overcrowded trains that went through Oxford to other destinations. To get back to London I used a train to Marylebone which I didn’t know existed. It was slow, but got me back.
With these problems in mind I took an earlier train from Euston to Holyhead than I originally intended. I’m glad I decided that because even the earlier train was delayed by > 45 minutes leaving Euston. Worse, some other trains goint to Manchester and beyond were cancelled so passengers were advised to get on the train I was on and change at Crewe or Chester. The seat reservations weren’t working so the result was a very sweaty overcrowded train with standing room only, at least until Chester where many people got off. The uncomfortable journey made me break a 195-day blogging streak as I just couldn’t be bothered even when I got a seat. Instead I just relaxed and looked out of the window as we travelled along the coast of North Waves.
My train from Holyhead to London was delayed by over an hour as was the train back yesterday. The upshot of all that is that I get a 100% refund of the fare for the entire journey so it was effectively free (if you don’t count the cost of the stress and discomfort).
Anyway, this trip was my first experience of ferry+train to the UK and back. My summary of the experience is “Ferry Good, Train Bad”.
#Chester #Dublin #Holyhead #HolyheadToDublin #IrishFerries #LondonEuston #StenaLine #Travel -
Ferried Across
I took another ferry back from Holyhead to Dublin last night. The outbound journey was via Irish Ferries but I returned on the Stena Line. I left Holyhead at 22.15 and arrived at the Ferry Terminal at Dublin Port at 1.45am. I was a bit unsure what it would be like on such a late-night trip but the trip was uneventful. I’d had a very tiring day getting to Holyhead so I toyed with the idea of sitting in the bar and having a few drinks, but I thought better of that. Instead I found a quiet corner in one of the lounges where there was a bench seat, and managed to stretch out enough to get about an hour’s sleep.
I think quite a few passengers had booked cabins for the crossing. I didn’t think it was worth doing that for less than four hours aboard, but I will consider that next time I take a late-night ferry. There’s not much to see out of the window in the dark!
The disadvantage of being a foot passenger on these ferries is that you have to wait until all the people with vehicles have disembarked before getting a bus back to the terminal building, which adds about 30 minutes to the time. Anticipating the probability that I would be knackered topo fed up to try getting home by public transport with all my luggage in the early hours of the morning, I had booked a taxi to meet me at 1.45, the scheduled arrival time, but I didn’t actually meet the driver until after 2am. Sitll, I got home to Maynooth quickly and was tucked up in bed by 3am. I had to open all the windows as the house was very stuffy, but other than that all was well.
While I was staying in London I took a few trips by train here and there, most of them very shambolic. All the direct trains from London Paddington to Oxford were cancelled, so passengers had to get on very overcrowded trains that went through Oxford to other destinations. To get back to London I used a train to Marylebone which I didn’t know existed. It was slow, but got me back.
With these problems in mind I took an earlier train from Euston to Holyhead than I originally intended. I’m glad I decided that because even the earlier train was delayed by > 45 minutes leaving Euston. Worse, some other trains goint to Manchester and beyond were cancelled so passengers were advised to get on the train I was on and change at Crewe or Chester. The seat reservations weren’t working so the result was a very sweaty overcrowded train with standing room only, at least until Chester where many people got off. The uncomfortable journey made me break a 195-day blogging streak as I just couldn’t be bothered even when I got a seat. Instead I just relaxed and looked out of the window as we travelled along the coast of North Waves.
My train from Holyhead to London was delayed by over an hour as was the train back yesterday. The upshot of all that is that I get a 100% refund of the fare for the entire journey so it was effectively free (if you don’t count the cost of the stress and discomfort).
Anyway, this trip was my first experience of ferry+train to the UK and back. My summary of the experience is “Ferry Good, Train Bad”.
#Chester #Dublin #Holyhead #HolyheadToDublin #IrishFerries #LondonEuston #StenaLine #Travel -
Ferried Across
I took another ferry back from Holyhead to Dublin last night. The outbound journey was via Irish Ferries but I returned on the Stena Line. I left Holyhead at 22.15 and arrived at the Ferry Terminal at Dublin Port at 1.45am. I was a bit unsure what it would be like on such a late-night trip but the trip was uneventful. I’d had a very tiring day getting to Holyhead so I toyed with the idea of sitting in the bar and having a few drinks, but I thought better of that. Instead I found a quiet corner in one of the lounges where there was a bench seat, and managed to stretch out enough to get about an hour’s sleep.
I think quite a few passengers had booked cabins for the crossing. I didn’t think it was worth doing that for less than four hours aboard, but I will consider that next time I take a late-night ferry. There’s not much to see out of the window in the dark!
The disadvantage of being a foot passenger on these ferries is that you have to wait until all the people with vehicles have disembarked before getting a bus back to the terminal building, which adds about 30 minutes to the time. Anticipating the probability that I would be knackered topo fed up to try getting home by public transport with all my luggage in the early hours of the morning, I had booked a taxi to meet me at 1.45, the scheduled arrival time, but I didn’t actually meet the driver until after 2am. Sitll, I got home to Maynooth quickly and was tucked up in bed by 3am. I had to open all the windows as the house was very stuffy, but other than that all was well.
While I was staying in London I took a few trips by train here and there, most of them very shambolic. All the direct trains from London Paddington to Oxford were cancelled, so passengers had to get on very overcrowded trains that went through Oxford to other destinations. To get back to London I used a train to Marylebone which I didn’t know existed. It was slow, but got me back.
With these problems in mind I took an earlier train from Euston to Holyhead than I originally intended. I’m glad I decided that because even the earlier train was delayed by > 45 minutes leaving Euston. Worse, some other trains goint to Manchester and beyond were cancelled so passengers were advised to get on the train I was on and change at Crewe or Chester. The seat reservations weren’t working so the result was a very sweaty overcrowded train with standing room only, at least until Chester where many people got off. The uncomfortable journey made me break a 195-day blogging streak as I just couldn’t be bothered even when I got a seat. Instead I just relaxed and looked out of the window as we travelled along the coast of North Waves.
My train from Holyhead to London was delayed by over an hour as was the train back yesterday. The upshot of all that is that I get a 100% refund of the fare for the entire journey so it was effectively free (if you don’t count the cost of the stress and discomfort).
Anyway, this trip was my first experience of ferry+train to the UK and back. My summary of the experience is “Ferry Good, Train Bad”.
#Chester #Dublin #Holyhead #HolyheadToDublin #IrishFerries #LondonEuston #StenaLine #Travel -
Anglesey singer Beth Frazer on her way home from Australia after lifesaving surgery
The 20-year-old travelled to Sydney for an operation to remove her pineal cystic brain tumour Beth Frazer An…
#Australia #Anglesey #AU #Austrlia #Holyhead #Valley
https://www.europesays.com/australia/40831/ -
Eerie buzzing as subsea dolphins filmed by AI tech off Anglesey in ‘global first’
Eerie buzzing sounds and fleeting dolphin shapes marked a breakthrough moment for a tidal energy scheme off Anglesey.…
#NewsBeep #News #Wildlife #Anglesey #Holyhead #renewableenergy #Science #UK #UnitedKingdom #Wildlifeandnature
https://www.newsbeep.com/uk/642617/ -
https://www.europesays.com/uk/1031270/ Eerie buzzing as subsea dolphins filmed by AI tech off Anglesey in ‘global first’ #Anglesey #Holyhead #RenewableEnergy #Science #UK #UnitedKingdom #wildlife #WildlifeAndNature
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Brexit Britain now: Patrick Freyne revisits Leave voter heartlands 10 years on – The Irish Times
The Saturday night karaoke crowd arrive in the Rose and Crown in Holyhead, dapper older men with braces,…
#EuropeSays #Britain #Europe #EU #Brexit #holyhead-port #NigelFarage #patrick-freyne #UK #wales #weekendreview
https://www.europesays.com/britain/62072/ -
'Tag des Meeres' #FotoVorschlag
Crossing the Irish Sea and arriving at the Port of Dublin.
#IrishSea #Ireland #Dublin #PoolbegChimneys #IrishFerries #Holyhead #Shiftphone
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'Tag des Meeres' #FotoVorschlag
Crossing the Irish Sea and arriving at the Port of Dublin.
#IrishSea #Ireland #Dublin #PoolbegChimneys #IrishFerries #Holyhead #Shiftphone
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'Tag des Meeres' #FotoVorschlag
Crossing the Irish Sea and arriving at the Port of Dublin.
#IrishSea #Ireland #Dublin #PoolbegChimneys #IrishFerries #Holyhead #Shiftphone
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'Tag des Meeres' #FotoVorschlag
Crossing the Irish Sea and arriving at the Port of Dublin.
#IrishSea #Ireland #Dublin #PoolbegChimneys #IrishFerries #Holyhead #Shiftphone
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'Tag des Meeres' #FotoVorschlag
Crossing the Irish Sea and arriving at the Port of Dublin.
#IrishSea #Ireland #Dublin #PoolbegChimneys #IrishFerries #Holyhead #Shiftphone
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https://www.europesays.com/britain/52595/ Trapped woman on Rhyl beach up to waist in water with tide rushing in #Anglesey #Denbighshire #Holyhead #NorthWalesBeaches #Rhyl #RNLI #UK #UnitedKingdom
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Blog post: A Trip to Ireland, Epilogue.
A few thoughts, How much! 😲 and a lot of photos.https://snaprails.blogspot.com/2026/05/a-trip-to-ireland-epilogue.html
#TravelbyTrain #Ireland #Wales #Dublin #Swansea #Rosslare #Holyhead
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Blog post: A Trip to Ireland, Epilogue.
A few thoughts, How much! 😲 and a lot of photos.https://snaprails.blogspot.com/2026/05/a-trip-to-ireland-epilogue.html
#TravelbyTrain #Ireland #Wales #Dublin #Swansea #Rosslare #Holyhead
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Blog post: A Trip to Ireland, Epilogue.
A few thoughts, How much! 😲 and a lot of photos.https://snaprails.blogspot.com/2026/05/a-trip-to-ireland-epilogue.html
#TravelbyTrain #Ireland #Wales #Dublin #Swansea #Rosslare #Holyhead
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Blog post: A Trip to Ireland, Epilogue.
A few thoughts, How much! 😲 and a lot of photos.https://snaprails.blogspot.com/2026/05/a-trip-to-ireland-epilogue.html
#TravelbyTrain #Ireland #Wales #Dublin #Swansea #Rosslare #Holyhead
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Blog post: A Trip to Ireland, Chapter 5.
The long way home.
https://snaprails.blogspot.com/2026/05/a-trip-to-ireland-chapter-5.html
#TravelByTrain #Ireland #Dublin #Wales #Holyhead -
Blog post: A Trip to Ireland, Chapter 5.
The long way home.
https://snaprails.blogspot.com/2026/05/a-trip-to-ireland-chapter-5.html
#TravelByTrain #Ireland #Dublin #Wales #Holyhead -
Blog post: A Trip to Ireland, Chapter 5.
The long way home.
https://snaprails.blogspot.com/2026/05/a-trip-to-ireland-chapter-5.html
#TravelByTrain #Ireland #Dublin #Wales #Holyhead -
Blog post: A Trip to Ireland, Chapter 5.
The long way home.
https://snaprails.blogspot.com/2026/05/a-trip-to-ireland-chapter-5.html
#TravelByTrain #Ireland #Dublin #Wales #Holyhead -
Blog post: A Trip to Ireland, Chapter 5.
The long way home.
https://snaprails.blogspot.com/2026/05/a-trip-to-ireland-chapter-5.html
#TravelByTrain #Ireland #Dublin #Wales #Holyhead -
https://www.europesays.com/uk/966353/ North Wales rail service delays after engineering works not finished #Britain #GreatBritain #Holyhead #NetworkRail #UK #UnitedKingdom #Wales
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https://www.europesays.com/britain/18186/ Gorse fire and power outage on Anglesey after goose hits overhead line #Anglesey #Fires #Holyhead #NorthWalesFireAndRescueService #SouthStack #UK #UnitedKingdom #WildlifeAndNature
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https://www.europesays.com/britain/5154/ Tributes to Holyhead RNLI ‘much loved crew member’ who sadly died #Holyhead #RNLI #UK #UnitedKingdom
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https://www.europesays.com/uk/866551/ Anglesey space site aims to bring solar system closer to home #Anglesey #Astronomy #Holyhead #Science #Space #UK #UnitedKingdom
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We have had our final cup of #coffee at #CuffedinCoffee in #Caergybi today.
The place is a thriving hub of all the town (mostly locals) & feels really nice to just immerse ourselves in.
We shall really miss #Holyhead. Despite it's reputation, it feels really welcoming to us.
I laughingly mentioned the the @druid that it almost feels like Merthyr by the sea.
I have lived and worked in some of the most economically deprived, & yet such amazing places.
Holyhead is improving all the time.
😊 -
We have had our final cup of #coffee at #CuffedinCoffee in #Caergybi today.
The place is a thriving hub of all the town (mostly locals) & feels really nice to just immerse ourselves in.
We shall really miss #Holyhead. Despite it's reputation, it feels really welcoming to us.
I laughingly mentioned the the @druid that it almost feels like Merthyr by the sea.
I have lived and worked in some of the most economically deprived, & yet such amazing places.
Holyhead is improving all the time.
😊 -
We have had our final cup of #coffee at #CuffedinCoffee in #Caergybi today.
The place is a thriving hub of all the town (mostly locals) & feels really nice to just immerse ourselves in.
We shall really miss #Holyhead. Despite it's reputation, it feels really welcoming to us.
I laughingly mentioned the the @druid that it almost feels like Merthyr by the sea.
I have lived and worked in some of the most economically deprived, & yet such amazing places.
Holyhead is improving all the time.
😊 -
We have had our final cup of #coffee at #CuffedinCoffee in #Caergybi today.
The place is a thriving hub of all the town (mostly locals) & feels really nice to just immerse ourselves in.
We shall really miss #Holyhead. Despite it's reputation, it feels really welcoming to us.
I laughingly mentioned the the @druid that it almost feels like Merthyr by the sea.
I have lived and worked in some of the most economically deprived, & yet such amazing places.
Holyhead is improving all the time.
😊 -
We have had our final cup of #coffee at #CuffedinCoffee in #Caergybi today.
The place is a thriving hub of all the town (mostly locals) & feels really nice to just immerse ourselves in.
We shall really miss #Holyhead. Despite it's reputation, it feels really welcoming to us.
I laughingly mentioned the the @druid that it almost feels like Merthyr by the sea.
I have lived and worked in some of the most economically deprived, & yet such amazing places.
Holyhead is improving all the time.
😊 -
Cleaner ferry ports if infrastructure is in place http://dlvr.it/TRkKGw #Battery #Environment #Holyhead #Ireland
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Cleaner ferry ports if infrastructure is in place http://dlvr.it/TRkKGw #Battery #Environment #Holyhead #Ireland
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Cleaner ferry ports if infrastructure is in place http://dlvr.it/TRkKGw #Battery #Environment #Holyhead #Ireland
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Cleaner ferry ports if infrastructure is in place http://dlvr.it/TRkKGw #Battery #Environment #Holyhead #Ireland
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Cleaner ferry ports if infrastructure is in place http://dlvr.it/TRkKGw #Battery #Environment #Holyhead #Ireland
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https://www.europesays.com/ie/375740/ ‘Extraordinary circumstances’ see a number of sailings between Dublin and Holyhead cancelled – The Journal #Business #Éire #Holyhead #IE #Ireland #IrishFerries #sailing #StenaLine #Wales
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https://www.europesays.com/uk/813807/ Major disruption for Wales rugby fans as ferry services cancelled #Anglesey #Britain #GreatBritain #Holyhead #NorthWales #SixNations #TrafficAndTravel #Transport #UK #UnitedKingdom #Wales #WalesRugbyTeam
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Port disruption affects rugby fans’ return ferries
Some ferries between Dublin and Holyhead have been cancelled or delayed due to “technical” issues, affecting Welsh rugby…
#NewsBeep #News #Rugby #AU #Australia #Holyhead #Ireland #IrishFerries #sports
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/527410/ -
Port disruption affects rugby fans’ return ferries
Some ferries between Dublin and Holyhead have been cancelled or delayed due to “technical” issues, affecting Welsh rugby…
#NewsBeep #News #Rugby #AU #Australia #Holyhead #Ireland #IrishFerries #sports
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/527410/
