Flint

My Good Friday excursion too me back up to the coast with a visit to Flint.

I had a good wander round the castle (extras), including a daring ascent of the spiral staircase to the top of the tallest tower. Perhaps the least preserved of Edward I's colonial strongholds, it was purposely part demolished after the Civil War. Shakespeare immortalised Flint Castle as the place where Henry Bolingbroke deposed Richard II. (And for a recent blip connection, Richard II was the son of the Black Prince.)

The castle backs onto the Dee Estuary, and the Wales Coast Path provides good access to views of the wading birds for which this part of the world is renowned. My main image illustrates the contrasts in this industrialised corner of Flintshire, the mud flats and waders as well as Connah's Quay Powerstation in its forest of pylons, and the main pylon of the Dee Bridge.

Then to the football. Connah's Quay Nomads are currently ground sharing with Flint Town United, who's ground is next to the castle. Nomads were hosting Newtown in a Cymru Premier (Phase 2 Championship Conference) fixture. Nomads are currently in second and so are looking to secure European qualification, with perennial champions TNS uncatchable at the top of the table. The game ended goalless, with the most notable event being a ferocious hail storm in the closing minutes (extra). In a day of contrasts I’d also had a butterfly fly past me while I was seated in the stand, but I only had a passing glimpse, not enough to identify.

Returning to Denbigh I was later collected by Sister #2 for a lovely dinner at hers.