大象传媒

The dust has finally settled after a hectic week at the Royal Welsh Show. The washing machine has been going flat out, boots have been cleaned and I'm still finding bits of straw about my person, but It was a great show.

I've now come back down to earth with a bump and an infestation of slow worms in the back garden which seem to be congregating near the drains and I have to admit, make me feel a little squeamish.

The children of course are delighted to have live 'snakes' to examine outside the back door, but I wouldn't be at all bothered if they moved on.

Earlier this year, I moved into Carmarthen, from a small, rural village and made the mistake of assuming that my opportunities for getting up close to wildlife would be limited, but I've been forced to think again.

In early Spring, I adopted a particularly punctual hedgehog who turned up at 10pm every night at the back door and didn't seem at all phased by either me or my energetic labrador, Bessie.

In fact, the hedgehog even appeared a couple of times in the daylight but despite me putting out small amounts of food, our prickly friend left us in May and hasn't been seen since.

My local hedgehog

Last month I was treated to a swarm of honey bees in the house. I came home from work, wondering what the noise was, coming from inside the living room?

As I opened the door, I was amazed to find thousands of bees, buzzing around the window - I couldn't even see out as the glass as it was covered by a thick, black swarm!

Luckily, I had two builders coming to do some repairs and they were able to help me 'usher' the bees outside. We decided they must have come down the chimney, so it's been blocked up and the bees have hopefully found more suitable accommodation.

So, I'm now wondering what will visit my 'wildlife sanctuary' next in Carmarthen? It's just possible that red squirrels might be on the list.

A red squirrel in North Wales. image by the National Trust

I hadn't realised we had any in Carmarthenshire until I read a recent press release from the Countryside Council for Wales, asking for volunteers to help survey near Pumsaint, Carmarthenshire, on Saturday,13 August.

You don't have to be a wildlife expert to take part - anyone interested in wildlife and enthusiastic about red squirrel conservation can provide invaluable help.

Perhaps I should be thinking of holding an open day of my own? I'd love to hear about your wildlife encounters at home, so feel free to leave a comment.

This week is and I'll be hitting the road and visiting each one in Wales over the next few days with Iolo Ap Dafydd our Environment correspondent.

Starting tomorrow we will be heading west and broadcasting live from a beautiful location in Pembrokeshire.

View of the Pembrokeshire coast near Moylgrove, West Wales. Image by Les Kinder.

On Wednesday we will head north to Snowdonia, and finally on Thursday we will be somewhere in the Brecon Beacons.

Thankfully, it looks like the weather will be on our side for most of the time with Tuesday and Wednesday looking like the best days with some sunshine.

It will also turn out warm with light winds and sea breezes but Thursday doesn't look so good with fronts bringing a little rain and drizzle, so the view from Pen y Fan may be spoiled by low cloud!

A rare chick hatched on Thursday, 21 July at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in Llanelli - only the second one to be hatched in captivity in the UK.

The first lesser flamingo chick to be hatched in captivity was at Slimbridge, Gloucestershire in July 2006.

The egg was actually incubated by to improve its chances of survival. The flock actually form a creche to care for their young, so the new arrival will receive better care staying with the Caribbean flock.

Watch footage of the egg being incubated by Caribbean flamingo on .

Read more about this story on 大象传媒 News.

Keith O'Brien has sent in these fantastic shots of a feral pony being rescued from Ardudwy Leat, near Trawsfynydd.

This feral pony had no way of escaping the conduit.

The Ardudwy Leat is a conduit which captures water from the headwaters of streams in the Eden basin and is roughly 10km long. Here is Keith's report:

Firemen begin their rescue attempt using shields for protection.

"Ostracized from the rest of the herd since February, this poor feral pony found himself in the Ardudwy Leat, near Trawsfynydd, North Wales (having probably jumped over one of the bridges) with no means of escape."

Rescuing a wild pony requires plenty of man power.

"He'd been there for at least a day but fortunately for him, the Fire Service came to his aid and did a great job in getting him out. He was soon back grazing with just a few minor grazes from his ordeal."

Firemen, using a thick rope manage to haul the horse up and out of the water to freedom.

I woke up this morning and was busy putting out the recycling when I spotted and almost stepped on a juvenile, female blackcap lying on the path.

I believe it to be a female as it had a light brown crown rather than the darker, chestnut brown found on the males.

I hoped it was just stunned after flying into a window or something but sadly it was dead. It had died fairly recently too as it was still slightly warm but the onset of rigor mortis had already begun.

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It was a tiny little bird though, which comfortably fitted into the palm of my hand and was perfectly preserved, indicating that no foul play was involved.

I can only presume that it flew into the side of the house, stunned itself and plummeted to its death on the concrete path below.

Very odd though, as there was no wind, no obvious signs of a predator (a sparrowhawk or cat would certainly have collected its prey), no nest above and it had already long since fledged, judging by the size of the bird and feathers.

Blackcaps although not uncommon, aren't your every day garden bird, so it was sad to discover a dead juvenile from this year's brood but exciting to know they are in the vicinity.

Blackcaps are still migratory but many are now regularly wintering in this country especially during milder winters, (not that we've had many recently).

Like most warblers they have a delightful song and the blackcap is no exception - nicknamed the 'northern nightingale' with a fluting warble that can give any blackbird, a run for its money in the vocal stakes.

Talking of blackbirds...I've currently got a juvenile blackbird in the garden that bashes into my lounge window a few times each day? But is thankfully is a lot more robust than a little warbler.

They save the best/craziest until last here at the Royal Welsh Show. The main ring is filled to bursting with prize winning horses, ponies, cattle, sheep, pigs and goats, each cajoled into behaving itself by some brave soul armed with nothing more than willpower and a short stick to tonk the beast on the nose.

Winners in the ring

Some of them are very male, perhaps disposed to friskiness by the amount of pheromones that must be permeating the air. (Not at all similar to the beer tent, then.)

Stallion

Even the young 'uns get in on the act, with this foal causing his handler some grief:

Frisky foal

The sheer number and variety of animals in the ring is astonishing, and it's a spectacular way in which to effectively close the show. It's the culmination of four days for me of exhausting but highly entertaining work, talking to some fascinating people and seeing some crazy sights.

There's a competition in which statuesque young men hack angles out of poles with an axe, into which they insert a specially-designed plank. They then stand on that plank for the next rung and work their way up. That is almost as puzzlingly entertaining as the sheep shearing.

In the main ring finale, this cow is modelling a great look:

Champion cow with rain protection

That my brain and legs are now shutting down in protest I shall take as a good sign. Sent as a fish out of water, I've grown vestigial lungs. It's been highly educational and largely a very enjoyable week. Of course there are some troubling elements, but those are for others to debate.

Around me 大象传媒 staff are dismantling the 'photograph your child as Doctor Who' room, so it's time to sign off. I feel like a less-qualified with Letter From Builth Wells. So noswydd da, good evening.

It's the fourth and final day of the show so I'm running low on energy and my feet are aching, but as听the show draws to a close, there's a chance to look back and think about this year's highlights.
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When I headed back to the shearing centre yesterday afternoon, there was a real treat in store. I arrived just in time to watch the Test Match between Wales and New听Zealand.

Those men in vests听definitely know how to put on a show and even before the competition started, the Kiwi team came on stage to perform the Haka and Wales replied with a rousing听rendition of our national anthem and there was hardly a dry eye in the house!听听

Gareth Daniels was named this year's Champion Shearer of Wales - a 'lean mean shearing machine' as the commentators described him. He wins a return ticket to New Zealand听and a chance to represent Wales in the world championships next year.听听 听
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Today, all eyes turned to听the future, with the Young Handlers competition in the cattle ring and an impressive 58 entries.听

I met听Ifan Phillips from Newcastle Emlyn who was competing in the Beef Young Handlers. His heifer looked great but proved a little temperamental on the day but on his way out of the showring, Ifan told me that it'd been an amazing experience. That's what this show is all about -听young and old alike, working and playing hard all week.听听听听
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It wasn't all work for me either. This year, strictly in the name of duty - I sampled some of the show's听nightlife at the National Sheep Association, where the workers were wearing t-shirts saying 'Star Baff' just to confuse the innocent!听

Also, there was a good atmosphere at the Welsh Pony and Cob Society building, packed to the rafters with revellers. I was also invited to a听Toga Party and for a singalong in the cattle lines - too many events, too little time.
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Another new competition to involve the younger generation was the Schools Garden Competition over in the Horticultural Tent where giant cabbages and enormous onions reign supreme. Again, an incredible 50 entries, but it was Y Bont Faen Primary in Cowbridge that impressed the judges most.听听 听
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It's not all about big bulls,听bulky rams and mighty stallions at the show though - there's even a section听to decide the best household pets.

This year听a rabbit called Miley (named after Miley Cyrus)听beat cats, guinea pigs and even a tortoise to become the champion pet. Her owner Megan, competing for the first time at the Royal Welsh was delighted with the red rosette.听
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We're almost homeward bound and tonight's programme is almost finished. The trailers are coming back on site to load up the livestock,听the trade stands are packing up and in the Food Hall听there's a last chance to grab a few bargains as听the exhibitors sell off their stock.听

I've also had the annual last minute dash to buy presents to take home for my boys as a few hints were dropped when I spoke to them last night... 听
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I've had a brilliant week at the show - caught up with lots of old friends and been a part of what has to be the best show in Wales!

It's time to go home now and catch up with听what's been happening in the听rest of the world (as I've been听 in the Builth Wells bubble for too long) but I wouldn't have missed it for anything.

The online team have taken some stunning photos this year which you can see in our picture galleries including today's final showground parade, so take a look when you get time.

Trust me to go for a lengthy walk a short while ago during the heaviest shower we've yet had at the Royal Welsh. Oh tell a lie, now is the heaviest shower and thank goodness I'm back in the palatial 大象传媒 building. Next door the room is full to bursting all of a sudden. They must be fascinated by the displays.

I take a walk down to the enormous (must think of a few new adjectives for this place) retail area, with craft and food stalls huddled together with charities, clothing emporia and all manner of things you never knew you needed, or even knew existed.

There are some wonderful example of and spelling, with this one catching my eye especially:

Even God gets in on the action, with a large tent exclaiming 'Dying for Jesus' and featuring some sort of puppet show. It's busy, and it's not even raining.

I stop by the stand where a little cross-breed takes a liking to my beard, while at the they appear to have found the cutest dog available to draw the donations.

Various craftsmen and women shine, whittle, fletch, chisel and whet their wares next to people coating hot dogs in sauce or strawberries in chocolate. And here I am, full of sandwich and already having my full complement of novelty shoehorns. Shame.

Walking around between the stands and marquees I see a disparity between the people at either end of the site. I get the impression that some of the crowd here must simply be here for some retail therapy, while others at the top end of the site may never venture beyond the show rings. Each to their own, and it's part of what the last four days has shown me: the Royal Welsh Show is as disparate as its 226,407-strong audience.

Derek Brockway has just shown me his radar. It's like someone's sneezed all over Wales. My drive back this evening over the Brecon Beacons should be fun.

I can't believe today is the last day of the Royal Welsh Show. The week has flown by and it's fair to say we've been very lucky with the weather this year. There was a little rain on Monday and Tuesday was dry. Most of Wednesday was dry as well apart from one or two light showers. Hopefully it will stay dry today too. I woudn't rule out a shower this afternoon/evening which could be heavy but given their random nature they may miss the show ground.

Sunshine has been in short supply this week, with plenty of cloud, so sun stroke hasn't been a problem. It has also been on the cool side but that's good news for the animals with no chance of them suffering from heat stress. And provided you've brought a jacket, temperatures have been ideal for walking around the show with light winds.

Looking ahead, tomorrow will bring a mixture of cloud, sunshine and scattered heavy showers but the weekend looks more promising. Generally dry, sunnier and a little warmer with light to moderate winds and sea breezes.

Next week, we could be in for a spell of more summery weather (at long last) with high pressure bringing a good deal of dry weather and warming up too. Obviously things could change but keep your fingers and toes crossed!

Well this is my last blog from Llanelwedd. I will be back in the big city tomorrow!

I like sheep. Despite apparently being knocked over by a ram, aged two, on Dartmoor, I admire their stolid disposition, their comparatively diminutive size and the fact that they have brains the size of a brontosaurus'.

Staring competition with a sheep

I decide to see what's happening at the sheep ring as they're meant to be crowning the top specimens of their classes and breeds, then the 'champion of champions'. It's really difficult for anyone not a bona fide sheep-fancier to tell what's what, let alone for me, who normally sees muddy brown sheep, covered in barbed wire and faeces on some windswept upland.

So forgive my lack of clarity; the elderly couple next to me "love sheep" but they can't help me out either. We chat instead about the "lovely coloured legs" of the stonking beast next to us, a class winner:

A class-winning sheep

Compared to the comparatively well-behaved horses (who only kicked a few people a few times), the sheep are a bit chaotic. The handlers are required to do a bit of ovine wrangling:

Wrestling a ram

Whipping out my macro long lens, I take this shot of a sheep's beady eye:

Sheep's eye

I'm really looking forward to the sheepdog trials starting in 30 minutes in the main ring. One Man And His Dog Redux, but without Phil Drabble.

I'm partial to gundogs, with two of my own crazy beasts (), so it's been great to see Elfyn Thomas of here with his pack.

Gundogs are divided into retrievers, setters, pointers and spaniels. Each group has its own specialism, but all of them can do the retrieving. The joke goes, of course, that they must be stupid, bringing back something their owner throws away, but these are some of the very cleverest dog breeds around.

Their capacity to understand and follow instructions, over-riding their instinctive behaviour until given permission to go, is what enables them to be used for the game hunting or other sports that their owners use them for.

Would that I were able to control my two as well as Elfyn, whose command of his spaniels and one Labrador is amazing. Even his new young dog, which has only been with him for a fortnight, behaves himself (just about). Patience, repetition and uniform training techniques are essential to make the pack do exactly what he wants. But he needs to ensure that the dogs are never bored, as he explains:

It's 7.40am on the morning of the last day of my first ever Royal Welsh Show. Low cloud hangs menacingly over the natural amphitheatre in which the show ground sits, and a morbid light is permeating the site. It's chilly. So far, we've escaped the bad weather, bar a couple of showers.

I hope today's forecast rain doesn't materialise. There's a lot to be said for not walking around with claggy mud caking one's boots.

I was asked a couple of days back what happens at the Royal Welsh in the evenings. I've been retiring to the half-Fawlty Towers, half-League Of Gentlemen B&B early, so I've not had first-hand experience of the night-time entertainment, but walking through the carpark this morning I saw a pair of boots, a pair of jeans and some knickers in a pile, so that answers that question.

It has struck me, though, that in addition to the young farmers and their wild excesses, and in addition to the serious-faced old hand exhibitors, the number of 'normal' people here is immense. People with an interest rather than a livelihood in rural life have flocked here in numbers.

There's a real enthusiasm for the wide range of the displays here, from yesterday's Welsh cobs, to the flower displays and the vintage farm machinery.

I've very much enjoyed seeing Elfyn Thomas and his small pack of gundogs (five spaniels and a labrador) doing retrieval work on land and water, and I've 'enjoyed' the atonal efforts of a singing trio yesterday on the Young Farmers Club stand. Heaven Is A Place On Earth by Belinda Carlisle was a particular highlight.

Just a little way down the hill on the bandstand was The Regimental Band of the Royal Welsh Infantry blasting out a brass version of Angels by Robbie Williams. It takes all sorts, I suppose.

Horses at Liberty

One particular highlight for me has been the displays by Jean Fran莽ois Pignon, which he calls 'Horses At Liberty'. Imagine a man with the air of as Robin Hood in (a great 1980s series, ask your parents), riding bareback, controlling his white steeds with seemingly minimal effort to perform tricks. All accompanied by music that - like that old Robin Hood soundtrack - sounds like Clannad.

All a load of hippy guff of course, but entertaining nonetheless. Just as entertaining has been Meirion Owen and the Quack Pack - ducks being herded by a sheepdog. I may try to locate him later on and find out how his Royal Welsh has been.

I've got a 12 hour stretch in front of me today so I'm going to be finding things with which to fill my last day. Glancing through the programme, I see pole-climbing, the Interbreed Sheep Group Championship and the Wrought Ironwork Live Competition. I know nothing about any of those, so that's a good start. If there's something the Royal Welsh lacks, it's not variety.

Wednesday is always the busiest day at the show, and this year is no exception. There are people everywhere, all eager to share the experience of 'cob day' at the Royal Welsh.

Before I start on today's competitions - just a few bits of news from yesterday. You never know who you're going to bump into at the show and it was great to see the actor wandering around the showground yesterday. I used to go to Sunday School with him and his sister Rachel! It must be quite surreal for him to be one minute filming in LA and the next visiting the Royal Welsh in Llanelwedd. Yesterday there was only time for a quick chat with Matthew before heading back to watch the stars in the cattle ring.

Rachael Garside with the winning Beef Team of Five

I mentioned the Beef Team of Five competition yesterday and it was a truly awesome sight to see the mighty pedigree beef animals parading around the ring in all their glory. All around me, I could hear people speculating as to who would win this year, but most were in agreement when the judge picked the as this year's winners, making it two years in a row for them. When I interviewed the team, they assured me there was some serious celebrating to be done last night.

The other impressive sight came in the skies above the show yesterday as we were treated to a flypast by a Lancaster Bomber, in memory of Dick Moseley who was honorary treasurer of the show for many years and who passed away two years ago. He served as a rear gunner in the bomber during World War Two and successfully completed more than 50 sorties.

Back to today and the competition to decide this year's Dairy Supreme Champion - picked from the champions of each of the four dairy breeds here - the Holsteins, Jerseys, Ayrshires and Shorthorns. Earlier in the week I mentioned a friend of mine who was busy cleaning her caravan ready for the show and wondering why she went to all that effort every year.

Well, today all that effort paid off because their cow, Castellhyfryd Spirte Rosina, was crowned champion. Husband Simon was leading her in the ring and when the result came, Sian was on hand to share the moment. She had tears pouring down her face and told me in their television interview: "We've been bridesmaid so many times here, but this year we're the bride!". It was a great moment.

I've just returned from the shearing shed, packed to the rafters with people waiting to find out who is this year's Welsh Shearing Champion. The atmosphere was incredible, helped along by the best team of commentators at the show. Six men in the final, shearing 20 sheep in the fastest time with the fewest mistakes. My nerves were in shreds by the end and I was only watching! I can't reveal the name of the winner, because it hasn't been announced yet; that'll have to wait until tomorrow.

One thing that doesn't have to wait is the champion cob competitions.The George Prince of Wales Perpetual Cup, for the champion Welsh cob, went to Abergavenny Morning Queen, a mare owned by Jonathan Batt. The cob stallion winner (over eight years old) was Powysvalley Mr Harry, owned by E P and J A Pugh of Adfa, near Newtown, Powys.

At the moment, the Grand Parade of show winners is making its way around the main ring - a reminder of just how much it means to people to win at this show.

See you tomorrow.

I have repeatedly passed the huge sheep shearing shed on the Royal Welsh site this week and today resolved to venture in and see what the hundreds of people are actually seeing. It turns out to be somewhat akin to a boyband.

Sheep shearing at the Royal Welsh Show 2011

Let me explain. The crowd has a good percentage of youngsters in it; there's a kind of 'young farmer' chic which is part preppy and part tweed. There are a lot of extremely risqu茅 and totally un-ironic t-shirts proclaiming so-and-so's willingness to do x, y or even z.

Most of them are puns or jokes that would require some patient explanation on The Archers or Farming Today. Suffice to say, a Royal Welsh novice like me doesn't get them. A lot of the audience have pints of beer.

The six competitors in the sheep shearing heats have two gates behind them on the stage: one to receive a hairy sheep through, and a smaller one to hurl a bald sheep back again. When a sheep is delivered, it is grabbed and held while its wool is shaven in double quick time, until 10 are shorn. I see a winner shear all 10 sheep in six minutes and 40 seconds.

The men - for it is only men - are muscled, toned young specimens in tight vests and hair tending to be spiked with pomades or waxes. It's like watching a young Westlife I would imagine.

I can only presume that the sheep shearing winners are hailed as heroes and like all boybands worth their salt, investigate whether those t-shirts are fibs.

Yesterday we got away with a dry day at the Royal Welsh Show and although it was cloudy and cool it was ideal for walking around the show. The visibility was also good and the cloud base high enough for the Lancaster bomber which entertained the crowds by flying right over the show ground during the afternoon - it was a spectacular sight!

Lancaster bomber flies overhead

Today it's Cobs day, which always attracts a big crowd, and the weather is keeping me on my toes. As I walked from Builth and over the bridge crossing the River Wye into Llanelwedd this morning it was dry and bright with some sunshine. However, clouds are building up now and there is a risk of a few showers this afternoon.

Tomorrow will bring a mixture of cloud, sunny intervals and scattered showers. The showers will turn heavy in places perhaps with a rumble of thunder. It will remain on the cool side for July with highs around 17 Celsius, 63 Fahrenheit but at least the wind will be light and when the sun comes out it will feel quite pleasant.

At the moment, most of the weekend doesn't look too bad overall but I will tell you more about that tomorrow. In the meantime, I am going to have a quick peek at what's going on in the main ring before my next radio bulletin.

If you get a chance, try and visit some of the conservation tents on site here at the show. All the big players are here including the, , , and more - all of which are being manned by helpful and willing staff, keen to enlighten you on the state of nature and the environment in Wales.

Some have even recognised me, 'mid sales patter', from the small thumbnail photo of me in the blog so it's nice to know that our blogs are being read by the people that matter.

I just had a good chat with Daniel Jenkins-Jones from RSPB Cymru who invited me over to the CCW stand where the were just announcing their new official presence in Wales.

I say new (the BTO have been active in Wales for some time), but two full time staff have now been appointed, Rachel Taylor and Kelvin Jones, who will be based in new offices in Bangor.

The BTO are actively involved in pushing 'citizen science' - mobilising ordinary citizens like you and me to get involved in the collecting of important, accurate scientific data which, once collated, can help influence key decision making such as the Severn Barrage Tidal Project at Welsh Government level.

Members of the BTO at today's Wales launch.

There are currently 40,000 BTO volunteers in the UK and 3,000 in Wales, who play a significant role in keeping tabs on the local environment, wildlife and ecosystems.

Who would have thought that the role of peat and upland habitats would have become so important particularly with water filtration and lowland flooding, which we've seen in recent times?

BTO data has helped recognise that green woodpeckers, for instance, are on the increase in west Wales whereas crows and wheatears are in decline. House sparrows in Wales are also bucking the national trend and actually doing well in Wales.

The BTO prides itself on evidence-based scientific and impartial findings and it is these volunteers who help provide the vital information that the politicians so deperately need.

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So far this week I've been finding out about the myriad mammals that form the core of the Royal Welsh, but I decide this morning to wander out to the far side of the site to check out the plant marquee. Hoping that my hayfever checks itself in at the door, I head in and, quite frankly, wow.

Wow because you don't know until you see them how much time and effort must go into these displays. Whether it's one of the crazy, pseudo-architectural sculptures of vividly-coloured flowers which burn my retinas, or the fantastic-looking vegetables, it's a sight to behold.

I am accosted upon entering by a lady keen for me to photograph her 'vertical garden'. This is an example of aesthetics meeting practicality: if you have trouble bending over, or your garden is tiny, her box system is pretty impressive:

Vertical garden

Next up is a lady manning a great-looking collection of acers. Now I'm not green-fingered but I am keen to find out why the acer in my back garden appears to be dying. Not dead, she says, possibly self-preservation from wind. You really do learn something new every day here. It may now be reprieved from its planned trip to the tip.

Acers

Here are some cool cacti and succulents:

Succulents

The displays of flowers designed to provide an arresting visual feast are amazing. Not to my taste, I have to admit, but hopefully this will give you an idea of the kind of thing these enthusiasts create:

Flower display

My favourite bit, by far, is the vegetables. I freely admit to being a gourmand, and there's something special about seeing perfect specimens of the finest foodstuffs, carefully arranged. Curvaceous cauliflowers, tumescent tomatoes and perfect parsnips - a wonderful opportunity to be alliteratively idiotic.

Gold medal-winning cauliflowers

Tomatoes on display

A rack of gold medal-winning parsnips

Check out our gallery more pictures from day three, including more plant displays a little later.

It's 8am on the third day of my first Royal Welsh Show and I'm just about getting a handle on this enormous place. Having successfully avoided condiment-based accidents at breakfast, I drive in across the upper moorlands between Brecon and Builth Wells, accompanied by a lone red kite and a train of Sunday drivers behind a horsebox.

Such are the perils of country roads on the way to the show.

Things are surprisingly easy once I'm parked up: don the wellies, check I've got my camera, the sound recorder and my essential bottle of coke for the morning caffeine hit. I walk along a corrugated temporary road/path, taking care to avoid being splattered with liquid mud by any 4x4s and get my card marked at the entrance.

Then it's a series of dog-legs, past the goat, sheep and pig sheds, right past the enormous food hall, left at M&S and another right at the cattle ring to bring me to the 大象传媒 building opposite the enormous main show ring.

Here's a picture of the ring just to give you an indication of the scale of this place:

Royal Welsh Show main ring

There's an awful lot of walking to do on the site. A little like a music festival, it seems to take forever to get anywhere (however, no felt festival hats are to be seen; it's all about the bowler, the deerstalker and the flat cap here).

Sensible shoes are a must; given this week's forecast of sunshine and showers, I took the wellies option and they've seen me right so far. With Derek Brockway forecasting some heavy showers this afternoon, I shan't be changing into my flip flops just yet.

Today is meant to be the most popular of the four days, according to the 大象传媒 Mid Wales news producer Carl, all down to that fact it's day. Over 60,000 people will be pouring into the site, a lot of them to view the cob varieties which have been used as working horses for centuries.

I'll be taking some pictures of some of them, no doubt. I might also be taking a picture of the who's guest of honour today. He might even be visiting the 大象传媒 hovel at some point too. We're expecting just the show president, but I'll polish my eyebrow ring in preparation just in case.

It's day two of the Royal Welsh 2011 and there's more of a buzz in the air.

Officially, attendance figures for yesterday were down by around two thousand on last year, but it definitely feels like there's more people around today.

I started out bright and early at 8am in the cattle lines - this time with the dairy cows. Another scene of frantic preparation as the competitors got their animals ready for the showring.

I met up with James Evans from Carmarthenshire who's here with his Jersey cattle - he'd brought an incredible eight cows in total, but with seven helpers on hand, 'Team James' were ready for action.

James told me he'd had some bad luck recently, his best cow and best hope for the show this year, died suddenly a couple of weeks ago and he's still clearly quite emotional when talking about her.

"I don't think people realise how attached we get to these animals, it's going to be quite difficult going into the showring without her this year", he told me.

But you wouldn't have known watching James in the show ring earlier and he was obviously delighted when his intermediate cow 'Daffodil' came second in her class, with the Show President, Dick Jones on hand to hand out the prizes.

On to the dairy goats and despite a disappointing number of entries this year, Shane Jones who farms just half a mile from the showground here in Builth Wells, is keen to promote goats and their development.

He's currently publicity officer for the and wants to spread the word. He's here this year with eight eight of his British Toggenburg goats, which were drawing the crowds over in the goat section.

I'm heading back over to the cattle ring next, to watch one of my favourite competitions at the show - the Beef Team of Five.

It's a tremendous sight to see 15 teams of mighty beef cattle parading around the ring, in a competition which was actually started at the Royal Welsh and has gone on to be 'adopted' by other shows across the country. I'll report back on the results tomorrow.

It's been great to sit down for a few minutes to write this but time now to head back into the crowds and get back to the show.

Everyone loves animals' pictures taken with wide-angle lenses don't they? South Park even based an episode around that fact. I have a nice 10-20mm lens and I love it. So what better way to have a saunter round the sheds and see what's waiting for the show ring?

This goat was a handsome lady:

But this one's not giving his best side:

This mare and her foal were prancing merrily away from the main ring:

This pig was debating whether to eat my camera:

Down at the sheep sheds, this one was being led out for its moment of glory:

And lastly, this duo... A strange profile!

Visit our gallery pages for lots more photos of the Royal Welsh Show.

There is so much to see and do here at the Royal Welsh that it's difficult to know what to write about but I'm finding the most interesting exhibits by simply wondering around and discovering them quite randomly (for example chainsaw wood carving, sheepdog geese-herding and a giant robot quoting lines from famous movies).

Late afternoon on Monday, I bumped into who was busily hacking up large blocks of wood with a petrol chainsaw and turning them into something wondrous.

Simon with one of his wooden creations

Simon informed me that he'd been sculpting with wood for many years but had only turned his hand to using a chainsaw over the last five or six years. It was at the Welsh Wood Festival in 2004 that Simon was first introduced to chainsaw carving whilst hand carving a wooden totem.

He soon realised he could carve much larger sculptures and also enter carving competitions all over the world and the rest, as they say, is history.

Heledd Walters from Swansea, tries out Simon's version of a double bass.

It's all quite incredible really when you look at what he's creating: intricate wooden sculptures, miniature wooden tractors, drums, ornate chairs etc and he's not shy about playing his wooden instruments either!

A small chainsaw carved wooden tractor.

It didn't take too much encouragement for him to blast out a tune on his double-bass hybrid and bang his homemade drum sticks all over a tree-drum installation. James might pop down with his microphone later and record some of Simon's instruments in action.

So, if you're passing the axe men display (well worth a look), check out Simon's space opposite and see what he's creating today. The cut and stitches on his head were caused by a falling teepee on day one though and not by his chainsaw!

This morning my eccentric and somewhat crude B&B landlord gets up early to feed me a full English at some ungodly hour of the morning. Very kind, I think. Out comes the steaming plate of fat and protein, followed by a vigorously-shaken bottle of ketchup.

Unscrewing the top, I am immediately blasted by a glutinous, gelatinous rain of red, sweet gunk. All over my jacket, my trousers, my sweatshirt, his tablecloth and the aged, bowed pastoral print beside me. That my breakfast is also smattered with ketchup is something of a happy accident.

After cleaning myself up as best I can (knowing that today I shall become a magnet for wasps, sigh), I resolve to go and visit some animals that have a reputation for being almost as dirty as I am: pigs.

Keith Brown of stands by his stall, in which is a sow ("I don't think she has a name") and her piglets.

"She's not very old," he says, "and those [pointing to the sleeping piglets] are an accident. She was with other sows but her brother got out and got her." He doesn't think the piglets will have any medical complications when I ask - the dangers of very close interbreeding in dogs is common knowledge.

I ask him if it's true that pigs are as intelligent as some dogs and he enthuses about the local pig shows his organisation is involved in. Apparently they do obedience and even agility, "but a bit slower than the dogs do it," he says.

I grab the dictaphone and ask him about his Royal Welsh:

Now it's time to go outside and avoid those wasps.

The first day at the Royal Welsh is drawing to a close and it's been an excellent start to the show.

I headed for the cattle lines first thing this morning where the mighty beef breeds were all being bathed and buffed to perfection. There was a deafening roar of hair dryers as competitors raced around wielding cans of hairspray, brushes and make-up - and its worth remembering that all this was for the cattle and not for themselves!

I spoke to an exhibitor who'd travelled down from Yorkshire: "I'm shaking like a leaf," he confessed as nerves got the better of him. I interviewed 23 year old Rhys Millichap from Tonyrefail who was entered in one of the first classes with his British Blue cattle - he'd brought with him a heifer called Davina and a four year old cow called Britney - great names!

Rhys saved up his birthday money when he was 16 to buy his first cow and has become something of an ambassador for the breed. I joined his parents ringside to see Rhys placed second with Britney. The nerves disappeared and he was grinning from ear to ear. A proud moment for the family.

All morning the 15 pedigree beef breeds competed to become breed champions, then this afternoon all individual champions went head to head to try and win the prestigious title of 'Beef Interbreed Champion'.

This year's winner was Du Mandy, a three year old heifer from the Ironstone herd, who'd travelled from Bloxham near Banbury all the way to Builth.

I also watched a brand new competition at the show - a 'Retraining the Racehorse' class, where former racehorses are retrained to become show horses. One of the competitors, Rachel Thomas from Bridgend, told me that so many racehorses end up being abandoned or neglected after their racing days are over and that having a competition like this at the Royal Welsh is a great way of raising their profile.

Then back to the cattle ring where I met Pat Tantrum who's clocked up an incredible 48 years there as a steward - he told me the Royal Welsh is always like a big birthday party and as the cattle paraded behind him, it struck me how amazing it is that all those huge beef animals can walk calmly around a show-ring. As Pat said, it's a credit to the stockmen and women who prepare and train these animals for months before the show, then lead them so professionally in front of the crowds.

held a ceremony to open their new building overlooking the cattle ring. The building itself is really impressive - just a shame that the kitchen wasn't finished in time, so there was no opportunity to taste Welsh Black beef.

I have to say that it didn't feel quite so busy today as it usually is on the first day of the show, so I'll be interested to hear what the attendance figures are like. A bad forecast may have put people off, but I've been reliably informed that it's getting better from now on!

Back again for another day at the show tomorrow....

I've always been a sucker for birds of prey. Like thousands of small boys, I got enthused by hawks, falcons and eagles to such an extent that I joined the , the 'youth wing', if you will, of the RSPB.

So it's still exciting for me to see raptors up close and personal.

At the Royal Welsh Show, I encounter Layla Bennett of with her collection of harris hawks, eagle owls, gyrfalcons, peregrines and barn owls, tucked away from the main arenas and with this generation's enthusiastic small boys posing for photos with a bird on their arms.

To one side, under the trees, I ask her about what her firm does - and it's not just displays these days - a lot of her business comes from pest control contracts:

Find out more about raptors on 大象传媒 Wales Nature.

Cor, this place is huge; like, properly massive. The population of a good-sized town has descended on these fields outside Builth Wells and this morning it's bustling with people keen to see the finest specimens of livestock.

That, or feed themselves freebies of lovely cheese, cider or cake.

This is my first time at the Royal Welsh Show and I'm really not an outdoorsy kind of bloke. I don't tend to like animals bigger than a dog, so seeing a two-tonne bull within feet, its horns nearly as impressive as its pendulous scrotum, is a step into the unknown for me.

People really seem to be getting into it, though, and there's a good, enthusiastic crowd for the bull judging. Round the corner, I go to look at some sheep (more my size, if a bit dim, by all accounts). Suddenly people start scattering and a brace of thick-wooled ewes crash out from behind a crowd and straight into one of the many stalls.

Escaped sheep at the Royal Welsh Show

Two ruddy-faced, burly farmhands grapple them back under control, but not before they've clobbered the stall's stock all over the pavement. The ladies manning the stall are surprisingly unflustered. All in a day's work at the Royal Welsh, I suppose.

While waiting for the elves that power my computer to wake up and do their job, I encounter PC Mike Ecksley, of Dyfed-Powys Police. He's about nine foot tall and looms into view like a fluorescent totem pole. He's giving out wristbands to potentially-errant children, so I ask him what he's up to today. As it turns out, he'd have been here anyway:

Now that Derek Brockway is on site and filling me with no confidence whatsoever that the weather's going to improve from this incessant drizzle, I shall be off. I've got to see a woman about some owls.

Well here I am again at the Royal Welsh Show in Llanelwedd (), in the mobile 大象传媒 Wales office at the showground opposite the cattle ring. I can't believe another year has gone by but it's good to be back, seeing familiar faces, meeting old friends and to chat to people from all around the country.

Blogging in the mobile 大象传媒 Wales broom cupboard - opposite the main ring

My first port of call this morning was the

The Offa's Dyke Path National Trail is celebrating its 40th birthday this year so I went along to say a few words and to cut the Trail's birthday cake! You can't beat a cup of coffee and a slice of cake for breakfast.

I've walked a few sections of the 177 mile path in the past, once around Knighton and in the Clwydian Range up to the Jubilee Tower. More recently I walked from Churchtown to Montgomery Castle for a new series of Weatherman Walking which you can watch in January.

The weather here today in Llanelwedd isn't great with some rain on and off so it's a good job I'm wearing my walking boots.

In Snowdonia over 125mm (5 inches) of rain has fallen on the mountains in the last 72 hours so some rivers are swollen including the River Wye which runs through Builth which was looking very high and very brown earlier. Incidentally, the July average rainfall for Capel Curig is 126mm.

Thankfully, the next few days look drier but not completely dry and a few showers are likely. The sun should break through the clouds at times too and with lighter winds it should feel a shade warmer despite temperatures remaining below average for the time of year.

It's all go here! I'm now off to do some radio now with Jason Mohammad and then prepare for my TV bulletin.

Welcome to the Royal Welsh showground! I had a good run up to Builth, following long lines of trailers carrying this year's livestock competitors to Builth. All around me people are putting up trade stands and caravan awnings. There's already a hive of activity outside the cattle sheds as cows are queuing up to be pressure washed for their first shower at the show.

I've had a first glimpse of the newly resurfaced main ring and have to say it looks great - not a blade of grass out of place, although with a week of unsettled weather ahead, it may not be looking quite so pristine in a couple of days' time... There's also a new building overlooking the main ring - the Members' Pavillion - and seeing as the show has 17,000 members, it should be a busy place this week.

Wandering around the site, it's always a strange feeling being here at the weekend before the show starts. The walkways, which will be crammed full of visitors, are empty and it's oddly quiet, with everyone waiting to get started. I've been chatting to a few familiar faces - people I only ever see at the show - and heard about a young couple who are spending their honeymoon at the show this year! I'll report back if I manage to track them down.

Hope you can join me live at 7am tomorrow morning on 大象传媒 Radio Wales. I'll be interviewing the environment minister, John Griffiths, speaking to a couple of Wales's Young Farmers, and finding out what members of the Welsh Blacks Society think of their new show building.

Bye for now from Builth.

Butterflies have had a hard time of it this year, what with the droughts in March and April, followed by the downpours during May and June.

But now is your chance to help, by taking part in the this weekend. Last year's survey saw nearly 10,000 people registering their sightings but organisers would love a similar turn out this year in order to help correlate all the data.

Getting involved is as simple as making a brew - just choose a place, sit down and spot butterflies and moths for 15 minutes. Then .

before you start or browse our Wales butterfly picture gallery to help identify species.

Alternatively, log on to Flickr and check out our fantastic .

I don't know about you but I've hardly seen any this year - plenty of moths and I know they are basically the same creature but I've not seen any of the old favourites like the red admiral, peacock or tortoiseshell butterflies.

Last week whilst walking in North Pembrokeshire I saw quite a few ringlets, a few six-spot burnet moths, some speckled woods and a painted lady but that's probably the most I've seen all year and that was over a ten mile walk.

Common blues by Dr Murray on Flickr

Last year I was lucky enough to be visited in my garden by a hummingbird hawk moth but alas there is no sign of it this year and my flowering red valerian are currently going to waste.

I caught Sir David Attenborough talking about butterflies on Radio 4 on Wednesday morning and he had a similar story to tell, saying that his giant buddleia bush at home in London was devoid of butterflies this year other than a lone red admiral.

I was mowing the grass quickly on Tuesday night, determined not to be caught out by Derek's 'sunshine and showers' and disturbed numerous butterflies and moths, hiding in amongst the long grass at the base of my hedge. Unfortunately for me, they all flew off before I had a chance to start counting spots!

Last night however, (whilst carrying out my nightly snail raids on the vegetable patch), I noticed a lovely little moth hiding in the top of the hedge, brown in colour with lots of pale blue/ white spots.

My mystery moth, Phlyctaenia Coronata. Apologies for the poor photo but it was taken on my phone in low light.

I grabbed my phone and took a few snaps but after scouring the inter web for a good hour trying to identify it - I gave up and submitted the photo to the excellent .

Thankfully, I'd already had a reply by this morning. My little, spotted moth was actually a - try saying that after a few drinks...It turns out that they are a fairly common species, although I'd not seen one before.

The weather looks pretty poor for butterfly and moth spotting in Wales this weekend but do let me know how you get on and leave a comment below. I think under hedges and in woods will be the best place to find them, seeking out refuge from the rain.

It's a fine, summer's day out there with sunshine and a few cumulus clouds. Pleasantly warm too with sea breezes but I'm afraid the sunshine is not going to last.

There is a big change on the way as (winds at 30,000 feet) over the Atlantic is heading towards us.

And that means it's going to turn much more unsettled by the weekend. In fact it's going to feel more like Autumn on Saturday and Sunday with rain, heavy showers and strong winds making it feel cool.

doesn't look pretty with low pressure over Britain bringing inclement weather.

Tomorrow is St. Swithin's Day and fortunately, there is no truth in the saying that if it rains on this day it will rain for the next 40 days!

Next week the gets under way. Rachael Garside, Gull and I will all be there so if you see us come and say hello!

Weatherwise, it's looking very changeable. Some rain and showers at times but not a total wash out and there will be some drier, brighter interludes too and a little sunshine to look forward to.

This time yesterday I was waiting for showers and thunderstorms to break out in parts of Wales.

Given their random nature it can be exactly where showers and thunderstorms will form as some places can get a good soaking, while others (just a few miles away) remain dry.

Yesterday afternoon most of the thunderstorms broke out in the south west of Wales with some heavy downpours and hail.

These storms were caused by the meeting of winds from different directions resulting in convergence. Because the air was moist and unstable, the convergence caused the air to rise sharply forming cumulonimbus clouds and thunderstorms.

Sea breezes meeting a breeze off the land can also lead to cloud development and showers. So it can be breezy and sunny around Swansea Bay but further inland there are towering clouds, heavy showers and thunderstorms e.g over the Brecon Beacons.

on the north and south Pembrokeshire coast can also meet inland causing showers to form if there is enough moisture in the atmosphere.

So, next time when you hear the words 'sunshine and scattered showers' in a forecast, remember it may sound a bit vague but pin pointing exactly where showers will be is a complicated business!

At the end of the day, meteorology is not an exact science - if it was, it would make my job a lot more straight forward but less of a challenge.

Don't forget to tune in tonight to watch The Great British Weather at 7.30pm on 大象传媒 One.

Derek

it's hard to believe, but it's that time of year again, when all roads in Wales seem to lead to Builth Wells.

is only a few days away and you can already sense the anticipation in the air.

Backstage, everyone is getting their animals ready for the mass exodus to Mid Wales, competitors are dusting off their show clothes and trunks and trailers are being packed to bursting with everything needed for a week at the biggest agricultural show in the UK.

When you actually think about it, the whole thing is a little crazy. More than eight thousand animals from chickens and goats to cows and sheep will be transported from their homes across Wales in trucks, vans and trailers all the way to the showground.

Once there, they'll be unloaded, put in pens or on straw beds then pampered and preened to their hearts' content until it's their big moment to step into the spotlight. Then, they're all loaded up again for the return journey.

I spoke to a friend yesterday who is taking to the show and was in the middle of cleaning out their show caravan. "Why do I do this every year?" she asked plaintively, "I never learn!"

But that's the thing about this show - it gets to you, and its faithful followers wouldn't miss it for the world.

I went to interview a young last week who is being honoured at the show this year. Dorian Lewis from Machynlleth is working flat out with his mobile forge, trying to get all his customers horses shod in time for the show. He said "There weren't enough hours in the day left to get them all done."

Even when I called in to the accountant's office in Carmarthen today, Bethan (the accountant) was preoccupied with getting her ready for show time. It's all anyone's talking about.

What's new at the show this year? Well, for starters the main ring has been re-turfed, after taking a hammering in recent years thanks to our wonderful wet weather.

will unveil its new building on the edge of the cattle ring and the (YFC) will be celebrating their 75th anniversary in style with a black tie dinner on Saturday night.

No doubt there'll be a few sore heads around on Sunday morning but not me though, I'll be presenting Country Focus live from the showground at 7am so I hope you can join me then for the start of the show.

I'll also be presenting the highlights from the show on 大象传媒 2 Wales every night, along with Sara Edwards and Dr Rhys Jones.

I'll be concentrating on the main livestock competitions - from the Beef Team of 5 to the supreme sheep championship. By the way, did you know that the Royal Welsh can claim to be one of the largest sheep shows in the world?

The only thing left to sort out now is what to wear....the annual dilemma.

To everyone travelling to the show this weekend - have a safe journey and see you in Llanelwedd!

I'm sure many of you are already familiar with Rachael's work but just in case you're not, here's a quick biog about our newest 大象传媒 Wales Nature & Outdoors blogger:

Rachael Garside was born in Cardiff but had a yearning for a life beyond the concrete streets of Canton...

After working as a reporter in the 大象传媒 Wales newsroom, she took up an unexpected job offer to become an agricultural correspondent.

Rachael Garside at the Royal Welsh Show. Image by Paul Sampson.

It was a steep learning curve, but never one to do things by half, she lived for a number of years on a dairy farm in Pembrokeshire, then a small village in rural Carmarthenshire.

Rachael now lives in Carmarthen and presents Country Focus on 大象传媒 Radio Wales, as well as making radio and television programmes as an independent producer.

Rachael has subsequently embraced all elements of rural life, and has the muddy wellies to prove it!

You can follow Rachael and and Derek Brockway's blogs from the next week and the online team will also be there, taking photos each day - so keep checking the 大象传媒 Wales Nature & Outdoors website for updates.

The Great British Weather, July 13 at 7.30pm on 大象传媒 One

A new series looking at our obsession with the weather begins tomorrow night on 大象传媒 One. The series aims to unpick the science behind the weather and explore some of the myths behind it.

The team consisting of Carol Kirkwood, Alexander Armstrong and Chris Hollins will be in St Ives for the first episode along with a live studio audience and special guests including the legendary Michael Fish!

A double rainbow in Wales by Rory Trappe.

Specialist Meteorological Reporter and 2010 winner of the TRIC award for 鈥淏est Weather Presenter鈥�, will also join the The Great British Weather team across the country as they visit Cornwall, the Lake District and Greenwich (London) on its tour with a live and local audience at each destination.

Episode one will be exploring: why Britain gets such variable weather, what part the weather played in the success of the D-Day Landings and why basking sharks visit our coasts each summer.

Online, viewers can interact with the programme, sharing photos and stories as well as taking part in an interactive a map. Viewers will be asked to send in their weather pics (live) in order to get a snap shot of what the weather is doing around the country.

You can follow the weather team on Twitter and send in your photos to greatbritishweather@bbc.co.uk

Apparently the team will be in Wales at some point, filming cows and discovering if they really do sit down before it rains....

It should be a great series and I'm sure Derek Brockway will be glued to his TV!

Last Friday Powys was hit by some heavy downpours with flooding in the Llanidloes area.

Thankfully, though, the weather did improve over the weekend and yesterday Anglesey enjoyed over 10 hours of sunshine. It was also sunny in Swansea Bay for the with a fresh south-westerly wind (sea breeze). Roy Edwards took this cracking picture of the Red Arrows as they flew over head.

The Red Arrows taken at the Swansea Air Show on Saturday, 9 July by Roy Edwards

It wasn't dry everywhere though with some parts of the country having showers and near Rhyl in Denbighshire 6mm of rain was recorded yesterday.

Over the next few days, there's more fine and warm weather to come. Sunny spells but it's not all plain sailing.

Some cloud and a few scattered showers are likely, especially tomorrow afternoon when they could be heavy with thunder although some places will miss them and stay dry.

As we head towards the weekend, the signs are that the weather will turn more unsettled with low pressure bringing some rain, showers and stronger winds.

There's always a huge air of expectation and excitement at springtime amongst locals along the banks of the River Severn and River Wye as the first eel fry or glass eels begin to arrive.

This mysterious fish, makes the incredible journey from the Sargasso Sea to our waters every year (nearly 3,500 miles) but their numbers are now in serious decline and there are concerns over the eels future.

Factors such as improved flood defences have prevented eels making their amazing journeys up and down our rivers but some locals are now coming up with an action plan to help.

Severn & Wye Smokery, with the help of local chef, Matt Tebbutt, have organised an active educational and restocking programme in Monmouthshire, which comes in two parts:

Eels in Schools

This scheme aims to put an eel tank into local primary schools in Monmouthshire - currently Raglan VC and Cross Ash Primary.

The school children look after and feed the glass eels for a period of weeks, during which time they learn all about the fishery, the environment and the significance of our actions on both.

At the end of term, the eels are then released into the Usk and Wye rivers as part of the restocking project. There are plans to roll this out to other schools next year.

Sustainable Eel Group

Severn & Wye Smokery is already an active member of the .

The group is made up of scientists, government agencies, suppliers and fisherman whose sole interest is the well-being of the eel and they are trying to address the issues that surround the eel.

Richard Cook from the Severn & Wye Smokery has been passionate about eels all of his life: "I have had a very privileged life involved in fishing, exporting and restocking this secretive fish".

Richard who only uses farmed eels in his smokehouse, feels that it's important we are all aware of the issues surrounding the eel and work to preserve this way of life and fishery for our children and future generations.

Celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Offa's Dyke Path National Trail on Sunday, 10 July at the Offa's Dyke Centre West Street, Knighton LD7 1EN.

Here's the itinerary:

1.30 pm Grand Parade leaves Brookside Square to Offa's Dyke Park where Fancy Dress. Competitions for all ages will be judged

2.30 pm Walkers from north and south arrive in the Park to be met by the High Sheriff of Powys

3.00 pm Optional 9km walk

2 - 5pm Fayre & Craft Market in Offa's Dyke Park behind the Offa's Dyke Centre

It doesn't feel much like summer at the moment ! With low pressure bringing heavy rain, showers and strong winds but at least it's looking better for the weekend but not exactly the weather we'd expect in July!

I think it's fair to say that the weekend will be much drier and brighter than today, still a few scattered showers but not as heavy and there will be a few bright and sunny spells too.

It will also feel a little warmer than recently with top temperatures between 16 and 20 Celsius and a light to moderate west to north-westerly breeze.

The pollen count today is low because of the unsettled weather but with more in the way of dry weather and sunshine over the weekend, the pollen count will rise to moderate.

Good luck to all those competing in the Taf Challenge Triathalon on Saturday which starts at Tegryn football club at 11am and finishes in which will be putting on live music and a BBQ. It involves teams of two taking part in a 21-mile cycle ride, a six-mile run, and a four-mile paddle in a canoe which sounds fun.

is taking place in Swansea on Saturday and Sunday. The 2011 air displays will feature the Red Arrows, Team Viper, Tornado GR4s, RAF Falcons parachute display, Black Cats helicopter displays and much more.

If you're going along, there's a 35 to 55% chance of a shower, otherwise it will be dry with some sunny spells. Top temperatures around 18 Celsius and a westerly breeze.

will be holding a surfing contest in Porthcawl on Sunday and at the moment the forecast looks good with light winds and decent wave period, so pop down and watch the action.

While in north Wales, the is under way.听 After today's rain I think the wellies will come in handy but thankfully the weekend is looking much drier and brighter with some welcome sunshine so enjoy the wakeboarding and live bands!

Derek

The National Trust has recently appointed Justin Albert as its new Director for Wales.

Justin has had a long and distinguished career in broadcasting and documentary film production in America and since returning to Wales, has worked with Horse and Country TV, become a founder of the Hay Castle Trust and, as a consultant, undertaken a substantial review of S4C.

Justin Albert

Justin has also worked on preservation and arts projects in Merthyr Tydfil and is a direct descendent of the Mabinogion translator, Lady Charlotte Guest. He is a vice president of the Hay Literary Festival and the Brecon Jazz Festival.

Justin Albert said: "I am honoured to have the opportunity to work with the team at National Trust Wales and look forward to sharing my passion and love of my country with all who live in or visit this wonderful land."

I'm just back from a two day walking adventure with Derek Brockway and the Weatherman Walking team. This particular walk took us from the small coastal village of Trefin near St David's along the coast to Pwll Deri hostel, taking in the beautiful old along the way.

Derek and Gwenno outside a colourful house in Trefin.

For this walk we were joined by our walking guide - actress - singer - broadcaster - surfer and life coach - , the 'Welshiest woman in Wales' who sang and 'wiggle walked' her way along the entire 8 mile section, entertaining us all with her tall tales and songs! If you could bottle her energy I'm convinced you could power a small city from it ;)

The first leg of the walk took us through Trefin, along Fford y Felin and right, onto the coastal path, passing an old ruined mill above a pretty cove.

From there we hiked up the hill and onto the coastal path towards Abercastle - a picture postcard seaside village with colourful boats and houses hugging the hillside overlooking the bay.

All along the path here you'll find yourself looking down into pristine little coves - perfect for exploring with a sea kayak but completely inaccessible to walkers but at least the seals get some peace.

Above the hill leading down to lies an impressive Cromlech or Neolithic burial chamber known as , named after a local priest who apparently once lifted the cap stone with his little finger.

The tomb is roughly 5,000 years old and has an enormous cap stone, measuring fifteen feet in length and nine feet wide. The tomb stands a good nine feet tall too and is an impressive structure by anyone's standards and certainly the largest cromlech I've ever encountered.

听

The site is also rumoured to hold around 1,000 burials so must have been a very special place for our ancient ancestors.

Alongside the tomb we bumped into some visiting art lecturers from Texas, who were busy painting and sketching the stones.

They, like most Americans, absolutely loved Wales and were enjoying the relatively cool weather (hot by our standards) having just left a drought and 100 degrees C+ temperatures back home. Meanwhile the crew were all busy getting sunburned, despite having applied the obligatory factor 50!

So, down into Abercastle we walked, heading back up the other side of the village, past an old ruined granary building and onto some spectacularly rugged coastal scenery.

Here we saw oystercatchers and gulls busily feeding in the dark sands at low tide and plenty of ringlet and meadow brown butterflies.

Derek and Gwenno marching down the hill towards Abercastle.

Jagged pinnacles of rock (which we likened to dinosaur teeth) rose up out of a translucent, blue ocean and we couldn't have asked for better walking weather.

Unfortunately we don't get to choose the weather when filming but it's always nice to showcase the best walks in Wales under sunny skies.

Gwennon and Derek began singing and with a warm sun on our backs we walked towards Abermawr with the sounds of Calon Lan ringing in our ears. I had ear ache that night ;)

Abermawr is a pretty, flat pebble, lined beach where we would end our first days filming. Having covered a good 5 miles, (over a whole day) we were all pleased to finally rest our feet and grab some food.

Arriving at Abermawr in the late afternoon sunlight.

Five miles over a whole day sounds absurdly simple but you have to remember that all the recording gear (tripods, cameras, batteries, tapes, food and water) has to be carried, scenes are repeatedly shot from different angles and re-shot, all of which are fairly time consuming. But whatever you're doing, spending 12 hours on your feet is always going to be pretty tiring.

We passed plenty of walkers along the way (most of which were heading to pubs!) but despite this, north Pembrokeshire is still relatively quiet - 'all the views without the queues' is how I summed it up i.e. you don't get the tourist traffic found in the south at Tenby, Stackpole Quay and Barafundle etc.

The scenery in the north is also much more striking but you don't get the same golden sands, found in the south unless you venture south to Whitesands or Newgale.

We'd all seen the weather forecast and knew the following day would bring wind and rain. I awoke to the sound of weather battering my window and peered out into the dense rain and sea mist, remembering I'd forgotten to pack my waterproof trousers...

We ate breakfast a little slower, hoping for the weather front to pass over us and visited for some indoor filming. As luck would have it, the sun began to break through and by 11am, we were seeing blue skies peeking through the cumulus clouds above.

Derek and Gwenno striking a pose outside the mill.

The mill was a fascinating place and dates from the 18th century. Nowadays the much sought after woollen products and tapestries are sold all over the world and fetch a high price at market, so if you're passing, pop into the shop and take a look at the lovingly crafted goods.

Back to the walk now, as we picked up where we'd left off from at Abermawr and walked across the neighbouring bay of Aberbach beach - famed for its smuggling antics.

The wind was breezy but the sun was doing its best to stay with us, so we plodded on, hiking up and down the various stone escarpments that stood in our way.

Our next stop was Pwll Crochan with it's steep sea cliffs and coves and I spotted the tell tale signs of a peregrine falcon - a clump of pigeon feathers left at the base of the cliff. From here we skirted the cliff edge and walked up and down the trail towards our final destination - Pwll Deri.

It's hard to describe coastal views, as they do tend to look very similar and you can only use the words 'stunning' and 'spectacular' so many times, but nothing else seems appropriate? It was stunning.

Views towards Strumble Head lighthouse.

The last mile, seemed to take forever, probably because we could actually see the end in sight but the views along this last stretch were probably the best we saw on the entire walk - with scattered islands below, vast green hillsides and cliff tops above and shining brightly in the distance.

Meanwhile the sculpted crags of Garn Fawr, Garn Fach and Garn Gilfach stood guard over proceedings, quietly watching and waiting for our arrival. The last rays of sunshine fizzled into the sea as we arrived at the, which has to have one of the best views of any hostel in Britain and we shot our final scenes.

It had been a great two days and once again we'd managed to dodge the rain. Another walk in the bag, with two more left to do in August.

I'm back today from a couple of days filming Weatherman Walking on the north Pembrokeshire coast from Trefin to Pwllderi.

During filming on Monday I noticed a pattern in the clouds called a Mackerel Sky which resembles the scales of a fish. There is an old rhyme: "Mackerel sky, mackerel sky. Never long wet, never long dry"

Or for sailors: "Mare's tails and mackerel scales, make tall ships carry low sails.

If you see this pattern in the sky it can mean a change in the weather on the way normally in the next 12 to 24 hours.

I told the crew to expect rain the following day which we got but thankfully the rain cleared, the visibility improved and I didn't need my waterproofs during filming!

We could see for miles with wonderful views along the coast towards Carn Llidi, Strumble Head and inland towards the Preseli Hills.

Last month was sunnier and wetter than normal with 106.4mm of rain (average rainfall for Wales in June is 83.4mm).

July got off to a fine and warm start with temperatures last Monday soaring as high as 22 to 26 Celsius but since then it has turned cooler and fresher. Temperatures today only 16 to 20 Celsius.

shows a swirl of cloud over SW Ireland spinning around an area of low pressure with a band of rain spreading across Wales.

The next few days will continue unsettled with showers or longer spells of rain at times. Some heavy showers are likely with a risk of hail, thunder and gusty winds. However, the weather should improve over the weekend with fewer showers and some sunshine.

Derek

July is getting off to a dry start this year and the outlook is settled for the weekend thanks to a ridge of high pressure.

I can't promise clear, blue skies but it will stay dry with just a small chance of a light shower. The best of the sunshine will be in the morning before clouds build-up with some coasts remaining sunny in the afternoon. It will feel pleasantly warm though with highs 18 to 22 Celsius with light winds and sea breezes.

Next week will bring a change. At the moment, Monday should be dry and warm. On Tuesday, some rain is expected in the afternoon. Thereafter the weather looks more unsettled with low pressure bringing some showers.

There are lots of events taking place this weekend. started today and includes 8 days filled with 43 walks and activities. We've recently been up in the area, visiting Penmaen Mawr for a new weatherman walk and it's a wonderful area for walking.

It's carnival day tomorrow in Y Felinheli, Gwynedd and it should be nice and dry so have a great day.

Meanwhile on Sunday the 大象传媒 Wales Roadshow will be in Llanelli at Parc y Scarlets from 10am to 4.30pm. I'll be there, so come along and have a go at reading the news or presenting the weather. There are lots of things happening and it's all free!

Have a great weekend. I'm off filming a new weatherman walk next week in north Pembrokeshire but all being well, I should be back on the telly by Wednesday. I'll write the odd tweet as I walk (if I can get mobile reception) so you can keep an eye on what I'm up to .

Enjoy the Wimbledon tennis finals this weekend,

Derek