The Welshabet

Whilst visiting the Pontcysyllte aqueduct last week, I saw a sign for Wrecsam/Wrexham, which got me thinking, 'does Welsh use an X?'

I then fell down the another rabbit hole (no surprise), discovering that Welsh has 29 letters in its alphabet, and that doesn't include K, Q, V, X, Z. Instead, it uses ll, dd, ff and so on, as additional, separate letters (digraphs, the combination of which alters the sound). For example, 'ff' makes the sound of an f while f on its own makes the same sound as a v. How exciting, and extraordinary! It starts to make some kind of sense after a while!

So, here is what I call the Welshabet, without the j which has been more recently approved as an addition (1987).

Welsh alphabet

To complicate matters a little, the location of some letters in a word changes how that letter is said - English speakers shouldn't complain! The word for hospital (ysbyty) contains all 3 different ways y is pronounced, all in one word. (Remember y is a useful vowel)

To say hospital, ysbyty, try this: usbuhttee

Elegant Kite

Red kite soaring high:

Feathers glinting 'gainst the sun

Tail calibrates flight.

Driving Theory

Yesterday we both passed our driving theory and hazard perception test on our first attempt. It was daunting to receive an email reminder a few days beforehand, stating that

"54 out of every 100 theory tests

were failed between July and September 2025"

Aargh, it was a long hard week of dull cramming for our test. We had to watch video clips of developing hazards and click as soon as we saw one. The sooner you clicked, the higher your score (1-5), but clicking in a constant pattern (just in case) would result in 0 points. To pass this section, we had to score an average of 3 in 15 clips, to achieve a total of 44 or more out of 75

Watching clips and waiting for hazards gave me the willies - the tension in my neck afterwards was intense! I guess I just don't play enough video games.

And then there were the road sign questions too ... on which we had to score 43/50 to pass - these always got me ... 

No motorized vehicles

The U.S. sign for no cycling (below) is very clear to me. In the U.K. a round sign with a red ring around it is prohibitive (something you must NOT do) even without a slash through it. There are obviously also country-specific colors and shapes that have to be assimilated.

The test setup was intense - we had to shut down phones and then put them in a locker, had to turn all our pockets inside out, remove watches, have ears checked for hidden devices, and sleeves rolled up to check for ? Crib notes?

Chirk: Aqueduct, Viaduct and Tunnel

We visited the canal aqueduct and train viaduct alongside each other in Chirk after our Teddy Bears lunch. 

What this setup lacks in height and length (compared to Pontcysyllte) is made up for with its lovely two-tiered effect.

These beautifully arched structures span two countries (England, Wales) across the brilliant green floodplain of the river Ceiriog below.

The Chirk tunnel on the Welsh side is a dark, covered canal 1,380 feet in length, designed for a single vessel only, with a towpath alongside.

The arching roof of the tunnel

 made for a very uncomfortable walk for Dale

It was so much fun!