Hear Russia's massive meteorite explode: Sonic boom resonated round the world but was not audible to the human ear... until now

The infrasonic shockwave caused by the explosion of the meteor which slammed into central Russia nearly a fortnight ago was the loudest sound ever recorded by the global nuclear testing watchdog.
Seventeen listening stations operated across the world by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO) detected the sound wave as it traversed the planet.
The furthest station to record the sub-audible sound was more than 9,000 miles away in Antarctica.

Scroll down to watch - and listen - to video

Loudest ever infrasonic shockwave: This imge from a Russian driver's dashboard camera shows the explosion caused as a meteorite burned up in the atmosphere over central Russia a fortnight ago

Almost 1,200 people were injured when the untracked lump of space rock exploded over the Urals at 03.22 GMT on February 15, with the debris narrowly missing a direct and devastating hit on the industrial city of Chelyabinsk
Estimated by Nasa to have been 55ft-wide and with a weight of some 10,000 tons, the meteor is thought to have exploded above the Ural mountains with a force equivalent to about 500kilotons.

 

That makes its impact nearly 25 times more powerful than the atom bomb dropped on Nagasaki in 1945.
The low frequency waves emitted by the gargantuan blast were not audible to the human ear, but were recorded by the CTBTO's network of sensors as they travelled across continents.

Global tracking system: This Google Earth image has lines drawn to the 17 infrasound stations in the CTBTO's network that detected the infrasonic waves from the meteor as it broke up over Russia's Ural mountains

'We saw straight away that the event would be huge, in the same order as the Sulawesi event from 2009,' said Pierrick Mialle, an acoustic scientist with the agency.
'The observations are some of the largest that CTBTO's infrasound stations have detected.'
Until last week, the meteor explosion above Sulawesi, Indonesia, in October 2009 was the largest infrasound event registered by 15 stations in the CTBTO's network.
Infrasound has been used as part of the CTBTO's tools to detect atomic blasts since April 2001 when the first station came online in Germany.
Data from the stations is sent in near real time to Vienna, Austria, for analysis at the CTBTO's headquarters. Both the raw and analysed data are provided to all Member States.

'We saw straight away that the event would be huge': A visual representation of the infrasonic shockwaves generated by the fireball, as recorded by the infrasound listening station in Kazakhstan

HOW DID RUSSIA'S EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS FAIL TO SPOT THE ROCK?

Questions are being asked as to why Russia's powerful missile defence radar systems did not detect the meteorite that exploded over the country this month.

In the aftermath of the impact Russian politicians called on the world's powerful nations to urgently develop technology to spot asteroids and meteorites that threaten our planet.

But with Russia having one of the most high tech early warning systems of any nation on Earth, many are wondering why the nuclear superpower was not able to detect the incoming object itself.

Experts from the Russian Nuclear Forces Project have claimed that despite the size of the meteor, early warning radars 'never had a chance' - since they were never designed to detect rocks hurtling in from outer space.

The group published an image, above, showing how far into space the country's radar systems can penetrate.

A project researcher writes: 'As can be seen from the picture, the meteorite was out of the field of view of the Pechora radar and it was below the horizon as seen from Moscow, so the Don-2N radar could not see it either.

'The Dnepr radar in Mishelevka might have detected the meteorite if it looked up, but it didn't - as an early-warning radar its mission is to search the narrow strip of space just above the horizon, which a ballistic missile would cross if it ever comes.

'They don't (and shouldn't) much care about anything else.'

'We know it's not a fixed explosion because we can see the change in direction as the meteorite moves towards the earth,' said Mr Mialle.
'It's not a single explosion, it's burning, travelling faster than the speed of sound. That's how we distinguish it from mining blasts or volcanic eruptions.
'Scientists all around the world will be using the CTBTO's data in the next months and year to come, to better understand this phenomena and to learn more about the altitude, energy released and how the meteor broke up.'
There are currently 45 infrasound stations in the CTBTO's network that measure micropressure changes in the atmosphere generated by infrasonic waves.
Like meteor blasts, atomic explosions produce their own distinctive, low frequency sound waves that can travel across continents.
Infrasound is one of four technologies (including seismic, hydroacoustic and radionuclide) the CTBTO uses to monitor the globe for violations of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty that bans all nuclear explosions.
Seismic signals from the meteor were also detected at several Kazakh stations close to the explosion and impact area.
Days before the meteor, on February 12, 2013, the CTBTO's seismic network detected an unusual seismic event in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), which measured 4.9 in magnitude.
Later that morning, the DPRK announced that it had conducted a nuclear test.
The event was registered by 94 seismic stations and two infrasound stations in the CTBTO's network.
The data processing and analysis are designed to weed out natural events and focus on those events that might be explosions, including nuclear explosions.

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'Kids want happy parents!' Unrepentant Giuliana Rancic and Bill Rancic jet off without baby Duke after saying 'marriage must come first'

Giuliana Rancic caused a storm of controversy on Wednesday when she revealed she puts her marriage before her son.
But it seems she has no regrets, smiling as she and husband Bill jetted out of Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon.
Holding hands and looking relaxed and happy, the pair appeared to be without their son Duke, who turned six months old today.

No regrets: Unrepentant Giuliana and Bill Rancic jet out of Los Angeles on Thursday, apparently without their son Duke; the TV presenter has controversially claimed she puts her marriage before her son

Earlier Giuliana had defended her comments on her Twitter page, writing: 'Absolutely...kids want happy parents.' as she retweeted a link to an article about her comments.
While the Fashion Police mentor didn't refer directly to the controversy created by her comments, she was quick to retweet any messages that reflected her own viewpoint.
The 37-year-old sparked a flurry of responses on Wednesday with her comments.

He's my number one! Giuliana believes children need happy parents

‘We're husband and wife, but we're also best friends, and it's funny because a lot of people, when they have kids, they put the baby first, and the marriage second,’ Giuliana told Us Weekly.
‘That works for some people. For us, I find, we put our marriage first and our child second, because the best thing we can do for him is have a strong marriage.’
She added: ‘So we're even stronger than we ever were before and even imagined we could be.’

Beary cute: Bill tweeted this photo of Duke on Wednesday along with the caption: 'Just checking out the ladies!!!'

The TV star also revealed how she and Bill happily divide parenting duties, and how her doting husband ensured she was well-rested before covering the Oscars red carpet.
‘Oscar morning, Duke wakes up, like, twice during the night because he's so hungry and wants to eat every four hours,’ she divulged.
‘So Bill, like, no question was like “I got it. Tonight you get a good night's sleep.”
'And when Bill has shoots the next day or meetings the next day, I do it.
‘It's kind of amazing. I always say to Bill, “You were my first baby,” because he was! He was my first love and my first baby and Duke is my second baby.

Sharing the load: Giuliana and Bill take it in turns to tackle parenting duties when it comes to Duke, who is almost five months

Duke was born via gestational surrogate in August, and the couple hope to have another child.
Giuliana said: ‘We'd love to do it, so hopefully it's sooner rather than later.’
The beautiful brunette said that another thing that helps the pair maintain a strong marriage is having regular date nights.
‘We do it all the time. I had Oscars and then Fashion Police, and now I'm done. Awards season is over.
'So last night Bill surprised me. He had Chicago deep dish pizza flown in from Giordano's!’ she said.
‘He knows after awards season, I go to town! We had that and some frozen yoghurt for dessert and… walked around Santa Monica. It was sweet!’

Happy mom, happy baby? Duke stayed at home while his parents enjoyed some couple time

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She's got that post-pregnancy glow! Shakira looks radiant AND slim as she glams up in tight jeans and low cut top, just five weeks after giving birth

It has been just five weeks since she gave birth to her first child, a son named Milan, with her footballer boyfriend Gerard Piqué.
But Shakira was already showing off an ultra slim figure along with a certain post-pregnancy glow as she stepped out at a gallery opening in Barcelona, Spain on Thursday.
The 36-year-old Colombian star wore a low cut top, embroidered jacket and tight jeans which showed off her curves to the maximum.

Positively glowing! Glamorous Shakira shows off her post-baby glow at an exhibition in Barcelona, Spain on Thursday

The star smiled broadly all through her evening at an exhibition from director Jaume de Laiguana who helmed her video for 2005 song No.
High heeled black boots, minimal make-up and a furry overcoat completed the look and she happily posed with Jaume, also dressed in black.
There was no sign at the event of Shakira's footballer boyfriend Gerard who plays in central defence for Barcelona FC.

New mother: Shakira looked happy and relaxed as she attended a retrospective exhibition for director Jaume de Laiguana in Barcelona

However, the sportsman has been seen out and about in the Spanish city with the couple's tiny bundle of joy.
Earlier this week, the 26-year-old carried Milan in a baby carrier strapped to his front and planting affectionate kisses on the baby's head as his girlfriend walked on behind.

The singer has also introduced her newborn son to watch his father in action, taking him to watch his father Gerard play for Barcelona.
The soccer star even scored the winning goal in the match.

Back to black: Shakira posed with director Jaume de Laiguana who helmed the video for her 2005 single No

Visions of me: Shakira and Jaume looked at a black and white photograph of the singer posing pregnant

Glowing Shakira posted a picture of her baby and captioned the snap in Spanish: 'His first official time going out, in Camp Nou and watches his daddy score!'
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Shakira and her partner Gerard thanked hundreds of thousands of fans for taking part in their interactive World Baby Shower and buying life-saving items for vulnerable children in support of UNICEF’s work around the world. 
Meanwhile, Shakira is one month away from her stint on U.S. TV series The Voice in which she takes over Christina Aguilera's hot seat for one season.

New family: The 26-year-old football played appeared to be in awe of his little boy as he headed down the stairs

'We are thrilled by the generosity that has been shown by the visitors to our World Baby Shower site,' said Shakira, who in January gave birth to the couple's first child, Milan.

'Thanks to you, over 80,000 children will be protected from polio, almost 200,000 oral rehydration salts sachets will be distributed in times of need, the 3.8 tons of therapeutic food collected will save many children from severe acute malnutrition, among other life-saving tools that were purchased to protect babies and children.'

Baby's first outing: Shakira recently took Milan to a football match to watch his father play for Barcelona

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Losses mount at troubled Man Group with questions over insider dealing

The challenges facing the new boss of Man Group were laid bare last night after latest figures showed the hedge fund slumped to a loss.

It also emerged the employee arrested as part of an insider dealing probe on Wednesday was one of its star fund managers.

Manny Roman used his first day as chief executive to deliver a frank assessment of the year under predecessor Peter Clarke saying ‘2012 was a tough year for Man’ in which the shares fell 40 per cent.

Charges to answer: The hedge fund slumped to a loss as it emerged that the employee arrested as part of an insider dealing probe on Wednesday was one of its star fund managers

‘Trading conditions were challenging as markets continued to be dominated by political uncertainties in Europe and the US and macroeconomic risks,’ he said.

The firm has been battered over the past 12 months as its performance dipped dramatically with investors withdrawing billions of pounds in protest at poor returns from its key AHL fund.

 

It fell out of the FTSE 100 and suffered a protest vote on executive pay last year.

The current year has started in similar vein with Man admitting ‘we are yet to see a slowdown in the rate of redemptions’.

It was also rocked this week by a fresh crisis after it emerged Carl Esprey, a portfolio manager of its flagship European Long-Short Fund, was arrested at his desk for alleged insider dealing.
Man said the probe related to his actions as a private individual and not as an employee of Man or GLG.

Attempts to revive Man’s fortunes did not come in time for the end-of-year results where the firm fell £495million into the red from a pre-tax profit of £126million.

Much of the fall was due to writing down the value of the GLG hedge fund it bought three years ago, for a second year running, to the tune of £550million.

The firm’s shares closed down 2.7p to 100.3p.

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Auditioning as a Bond Girl? Katherine Webb covers up in a wetsuit but stills looks fantastic as she rehearses for Splash

She has struggled to contain her curves while rehearsing for new television show Splash.
And Katherine Webb still managed to attract looks on Thursday as she practiced her diving.
The 23-year-old was spotted at the pool in Los Angeles, California wearing a long-sleeve black spandex and leggings.

Looking good: Katherine Webb was seen practicing for new reality show Splash on Thursday

Despite concealing her figure, the star’s enviable form was still evident as her small waist, ample chest and rounded derriere were emphasized.

 

After taking her first plunge from a high spring board, she somewhat resembled a Bond Girl as she emerged drenched in H2O.
The image was reminiscent of actresses Halle Berry and Ursula Andress in James Bond movies Day Another Day and Dr. No.

Clingy clothing: The 23-year-old showed off her great form even though she was covered up

Hair we go! The star adjusted her hairband in between diving

Sensible attire: She donned a long sleeve top and leggings for the training

Her hair soaked and coming undone from her up-do, she could be seen readjusting her locks as the hair band came loose.
While performing the correct technical poses with her arms stretched out, it seems Katherine became aware that her underwear outline was visible and swiftly hugged her chest.
The Miss Alabama beauty queen is starting to look like quite the professional as she performed the required stretched prior to her session.

Body conscious: Katherine wrapped her arms around her chest at one point

Upside down: Katherine Webb showed off some cool tricks as she plunged into the water

Going in head first: Katherine looked impressive as her form was captured in the air

Later to cosied up in a casual grey hooded top and a cap to leave the venue, wearing a fresh face of make-up as she exited.
Nicole Eggert didn’t look as elegant as her competition, cannonballing into the water with a nervous expression on her face.
Kendra Wilkinson also developed her skills in preparation for the show which first airs on March 19.

Stretch it out! The star was seen limbering up prior to her session

Perfectly groomed: The brunette displayed tousled tresses and a full-face of make-up

Covered up: She left the venue in a grey hooded top

Comedian Louie Anderson, former NBA player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and actress Keshia Knight Pulliam have also bee seen practicing their skills.

They join fellow contestants Chelsea Lately star Chuy Bravo, singer Drake Bell and American footballer Ndamukong Suh as part of the line-up.

Trembling? Kendra Wilkinson donned a wet suit as she continued to practice her dives for the upcoming show

Cannonball! Nicole Eggert didn't look as sophisticated as Katherine Webb

Bond Girls: Halle Berry in Die Another Day and Ursula Andress in Dr. No

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A Silver Lining? Jennifer Lawrence's Oscars fall inspires spoof Dior ad (and it's pretty convincing...)

Jennifer Lawrence looks sensational in the brand new Miss Dior campaign. But a new spoof ad for the label might prove more popular than the real thing.
The mock-up, featuring a photograph of the Silver Linings Playbook star falling as she collected her Best Actress Oscar on Sunday, was created by Tumblr user i-nsan.
It shows Miss Lawrence, 22, holding her hand to her face in embarrassment after tripping on the stairs leading to the stage.

Spoof: A Tumblr user has created a mock Christian Dior ad featuring a photograph of Jennifer Lawrence falling as she collected her Best Actress Oscar on Sunday

Well-chosen photo: The reason the spoof is so successful is that while it demonstrates the actress's dismay, she still looks sensational, as does the Christian Dior haute couture gown

The reason the spoof is so successful though, is that while it demonstrates the actress's dismay, she still looks sensational, as does the Christian Dior haute couture gown, designed by the fashion house's new creative director, Raf Simons.

Miss Lawrence's waist looks almost impossibly tiny, an effect created by the sheer scale of the gown, which is pure drama with the full skirt and train cascading down the stairs behind her.

Helping hand: Miss Lawrence was styled for the Oscars by celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe

What's more, this is all achieved without a trace of airbrushing, while the real ads, the star admits, are heavily Photoshopped.
When shown the campaign images by Access Hollywood, she said: 'Oh my god, I haven't seen this. That doesn't look like me at all.
'I love Photoshop more than anything in the world. Of course it's Photoshop, people don't look like that.'

Airbrush attack: The real Dior ads starring Miss Lawrence are heavily Photoshopped, she admits

Miss Lawrence has been the darling of the fashion world since she shot to fame in The Hunger Games.
For the recent awards season she has had the pick of the latest Christian Dior couture collections, and thanks to the help of celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe, has won praise for every red carpet look.

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Prince Harry brings back the Mukluk! Why Royal's new girlfriend definitely WON'T get cold feet...

There are millions of girls who dream of being in the shoes of Cressida Bonas, Prince Harry’s latest love interest.

But few have yet paid much attention to what exactly the 24-year-old dance student Cressie wears on her feet.

Prince Harry has reportedly given her a pair of £300 designer snow boots, otherwise known as Mukluks.

Prince Harry and girlfriend Cressida Bonas joined the Prince's uncle on his annual skiing holiday in Verbier

The couple's relationship certainly seems to be blossoming (left) and the Prince is showering the society It girl with gifts, including the £300 rabbit fur and cowhide mukluks (right)

The 28-year-old Prince, holidaying with Cressie in the Swiss ski resort of Verbier, visited a specialist shop to pay cash for the footwear.

 

The grey boots are Mukluks, a shoe originally worn by Arctic people and made of reindeer skin (the royal pair are thought to be cowhide and rabbit fur).
Kate Moss has been seen in a pair numerous times over the past few years and they’ve appeared in countless fashion magazines. Just the thing to ensure a Royal girlfriend will warm to her Prince Charming.

The Duchess of York, so long excluded from royal circles, has a heart-to-heart with Cressida on the skiing holiday

[Celebrities Kate Hudson, Kate Moss and Paris Hilton (L-R) are all fans of the Mukluk boots

Cressida is certainly well place for her esteemed new role. Daughter of renowned Old Harrovian businessman Jeffrey Bonas and Sixties model Lady Mary Curzon — who posed semi-naked for a coffee table photographic book and went on to get married and divorced four times — Cressida is a familiar figure in London’s upper-class social scene.

The evolution of the fashionable furry boot

Whole websites like mukluks.com are devoted to the boots

The mukluk first hit fashion circles in the early 90s, but the cosy practical boots have been around for hundreds of years.
Worn for centuries by arctic peoples such as the Inuit, mukluks are still sold by some Aboriginal-owned companies.
Traditionally made from reindeer or seal skins, the boots allow movement while keeping the wearer warm, and they quickly became the boot of choice on ski holidays.
Their quirky decorative pom poms and fur sleeve caught the eye of fashionistas on the slopes and the mukluk trend was born!
A favorite of celebrities like Kate Moss and Sienna Miller in the early nineties, the mukluk was the ultimate 'it' shoe.
It has slightly fallen out of favour in the last few years, being replaced by Ugg and over-the-knee boots, but no doubt Prince Harry's purchase will see the Mukluk swing back into fashion once again.

And now, with yet more snow predicted to fall over the UK, we will no doubt soon be seeing Cressie out and about in fashionable areas of London sporting her latest gift from Prince Harry.
And of course, as always, when a royal girlfriend is pictured in something, every self-respecting Sloane Ranger and Chelsea resident will be dashing off to the shops to buy the same.

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Are you in drink denial? Half of adults down too much alcohol yet barely a quarter admit doing so

A unit is a small glass of wine, half a pint of lager or a measure of spirits

Millions of adults fool themselves into thinking they are modest drinkers when they down enough to be classed as ‘bingers’, a study suggests.
It found a huge mismatch between the amount of alcohol we say we are consuming and what is actually being bought.
When the two figures are compared, 40 per cent of sales are unaccounted for.
The study suggests that around half the adult population are binge drinkers.
However, only 13 per cent of women and 22 per cent of men admit to being in this category.
Using a complicated computer model, academics at University College London tried to estimate the true amount being drunk.
They based it on two sets of official data on alcohol consumption – the Health Survey for England and the General Lifestyle Survey – which covered 22,000 adults.
Their study – published in the European Journal of Public Health – found that 80 per cent of women and 75 per cent of men who often drank alcohol were binge drinkers.
That came to 43 per cent of all women and 51 per cent of men, once teetotallers and those who rarely drink are included.
Yet the latest figures compiled by the Government gave figures of just 13 per cent and 22 per cent.

The researchers said many people completing the official surveys underestimate, forget or even lie about the amount they drink. As a result, most are thought to drastically underestimate their intake

Only 13 per cent of women and 22 per cent of men admit to being in the 'binge drinking' category

Many of us are consuming far more than we realise and regularly exceed the recommended limits.

Guidelines from the Department of Health state that women should drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week while men should not exceed 21.
A unit is a small glass of wine, half a pint of lager or a measure of spirits.
The guidelines also classify a binge drinker as a woman who drinks six units at least one day a week or a man who drinks eight units.
Sadie Boniface, lead author of the study and based at the department of epidemiology and public health at UCL, said: ‘This study was conducted to show what alcohol consumption would look like when all of what is sold is accounted for, if everyone under-reported equally.
‘What is seen in the surveys and sales potentially has enormous implications for public health.’

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St David's Day: Falling in love with the land of beaches, Bassey and bird's eye views

Welshcakes at the ready, Wales is poised to celebrate its national day on Friday. Here are just a few ways to discover the beauty of Cymru...
Cardiff is leading the festivities with its annual St David’s Day Parade, which sets off from City Hall at 12.30pm and will feature dancers, pipers, dragons and children dressed in traditional Welsh costumes. (Welsh legends Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones and Nessa from Gavin & Stacey are also expected to make an appearance, albeit in papier-mâché form).

 

Dydd G¿yl Dewi Hapus! Or Happy St David's Day...

There’ll also be a St David’s Day market in the city centre from February 28 to March 2 and the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay will be showcasing Welsh music from March 1 to 3 (www.wmc.org.uk/StDavid).
But if you are looking for adventure, nostalgia or a bit of an adrenaline rush, opt for one of these great Welsh days out...

 

A head for heights: Zip World promises breathtaking views of the Snowdonian countryside

A bird’s eye view of Snowdonia

Book your tickets for the longest zip-wire in Europe, which opens in North Wales in March. Located at a disused quarry, Zip World will give thrill-seekers a bird’s eye view of the surrounding Snowdonian countryside, as they hurtle along 700ft above a mountain lake at speeds of up to 75mph. Tickets costs £50 for adults and £40 for children. www.zipworld.co.uk.
Snowdonia is also home to Sky Ride, Europe’s first five-seater giant swing. Thrill-seekers are hoisted 80ft above the Conwy Valley before being released to soar back and forth. You can also tackle zip wires, suspended rope bridges and a parachute simulator called Powerfan Plummet at the Tree Top Adventure park, www.ttadventure.co.uk

 

Natural beauty: The Welsh coastline was nominated the 'best region on Earth' by Lonely Planet

Walk this way for world’s best Coastal Path

The All Wales Coastal Path - an 870-mile public path encompassing the country's entire sea border - is the first path in the world to run the full length of a nation’s coastline, which was nominated the 'best region on Earth' by Lonely Planet last year.
It runs from Chepstow in the south to the Dee Estuary in the north and links to Offa’s Dyke Path to create a 1,030-mile walking route around Wales. Weave your way across remote heathland high above the dramatic coastline as the sea pummels the jagged cliffs below, www.walescoastpath.gov.uk

 

History at your fingertips: The Welsh town of Monmouth became the world's first 'Wikipedia town' last year

Get interactive at Britain’s first ‘Wiki-town’

Monmouth, the small Welsh town where King Henry V was born in 1387, made history again last year by becoming the world's first ‘Wikipedia town.’ Visitors can scan barcodes at points of interest to bring up a Wikipedia page about the landmark on their phones.
Around 1,000 different barcodes, plaques and stickers are displayed on the town’s schools, museums, historical sites and even pubs thanks to the project, which was dubbed ‘Monmouthpedia’. Find out more at the Monmouth Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:GLAM/MonmouthpediA

 

Scene-stealing backdrop: Harry Potter and Robin Hood were filmed at Freshwater West beach

Life’s a beach in Pembrokeshire

Pembrokeshire’s beaches are among Britain’s finest - the county boasts 12 blue flag beaches, more than anywhere else in Wales. Freshwater West beach is one such coastal haven and was the setting for scenes in the Harry Potter films as well as the ferocious battle at the end of Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood, starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett.
Without the rows of longboats and archers on horses thundering down the beach, it is a beautifully tranquil and unspoilt spot, and you’ll pretty much have it to yourself, save for the odd Harry Potter fan.

 

Full steam ahead: The Lyd - one of the UK's newest steam locomotive - crosses Pont Croesor in North Wales

Return to the golden age of travel

Climb aboard Lyd, one of the country's newest steam locomotives, for a trip on the UK's longest heritage railway.
Trains on the Welsh Highland Railway and Ffestiniog Railway travel from Caernarfon to the Ffestiniog Railway's Harbour Station in Porthmadog, with the two lines offering visitors a journey across Snowdonia National Park, past the foot of Snowdon and the village of Beddgelert, before travelling the length of the Aberglaslyn Pass - voted the most beautiful spot in the UK by members of the National Trust, www.whr.co.uk
Meanwhile, the Ffestiniog Railway’s Princess steam locomotive - the first to be used on the line in 1863 - will be at London’s Paddington Station on St David’s Day to promote the line's 150th anniversary. Don’t worry if you can’t make it down there on the day as it will remain at the station for six weeks. Visit www.facebook.com/festrail to find out more.

 

Cult classic: The Prisoner was filmed in the village of Portmeirion in North West Wales

North Wales idyll that's too good to leave

Cult TV series The Prisoner was filmed in Portmeirion in North West Wales and fans of the show will instantly recognise the village’s distinctive ornamental pond, bell tower and pastel-coloured Italianate cottages, designed by eccentric architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis.
The Portmeirion Hotel offers 26 rooms and suites dotted around the village and oozes Thirties glamour, while steam buffs can visit the Blaenau Ffestiniog railway, Snowdonia National Park is a short drive away and there's also the famous Portmeirion pottery, opened by Williams-Ellis's daughter, Susan,portmeirion-village.com

 

Literary rebirth: The rooms at The Brown's Hotel feature 1940s and 50s décor with a modern twist

A poetic place to stay

A major renovation project has breathed new life into The Brown's Hotel in Laugharne, Carmarthenshire, which housed Dylan Thomas’ favourite drinking den. The hotel’s 14 en-suite bedrooms feature 1940s and 50s décor with a modern twist and have been named after local places and Thomas’ poems. Enjoy a Buckley’s ale in Thomas’ favourite local downstairs or visit the reading room, which houses a library of books including, of course, many of Thomas' famous works.
You can also follow in Thomas' footsteps on the Dylan Thomas Birthday walk based on the writer's ‘Poem to October’, which details his own birthday walk to the shoulder of Sir John’s Hill, overlooking the estuary.  And, if it happens to be your birthday, you could pick up some free ‘birthday gifts’ on the way, including a pint at The Cross Inn, chips at the Castle View Chip Shop and free entry to The Dylan Thomas Boathouse. Just remember to take some ID,www.browns-hotel.co.uk

 

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