My Walk this Week 229 – Making Use of Cwmdonkin Park Swansea

Posted on 23/10/202022/10/2020 by Alastair

My walk this week is in Cwmdonkin Park in Swansea and the Autumn colours were starting to show. Many people were making use of the park on this sunny Sunday afternoon, not least because of impending tightening of coronavirus lockdown measures.

Cwmdonkin Autumn

The coronavirus lockdowns are taking their toll in many ways and most particularly on people’s mental health. It is hardly surprising that so many take the opportunity of a sunny day to get out to local urban oases such as Cwmdonkin Park. For some it is not so simple to get out and about, even without lockdowns, but maybe the short video below can help in some small way.

There is also a full StillWalks® Autumn video on the StillWalks home page if you are interested.

Grey Squirrel

Posted on 16/08/201416/08/2014 by Alastair

A common feature of Cwmdonkin Park in Swansea.

Abstract in Nature – Is there a face in there?

Posted on 15/08/201415/08/2014 by Alastair

I am currently working on the post-production for a StillWalks video in Cwmdonkin Park in Swansea. It is a while since I was able to look at the photos and I was surprised to come across the image below. It is not one that I am likely to use in the video but I love the abstract nature of this tree bark.

The colour and texture make it a painting for me, one which makes me feel a little uneasy! Is that a face in there? Can you see it?

Going Backwards – One More from the Park

Posted on 30/11/201330/11/2013 by Alastair

I am pleased to say that I am not actually going backwards – at least I hope not! Just leaving Cwmdonkin Park in Swansea until I have worked on other StillWalks productions from earlier in the year.

And below is the final sound clip I recorded before leaving the park. Are these squirrels or jays? I know they can sound similar and I know there were plenty of squirrels around but I saw no Jays at all. Also available on SoundCloud.

You can use the Donate button below to help StillWalks. Pay how much you want and receive a high quality download of this week’s featured StillWalks video – “Abertawe Walk” which is along the cycle path alongside the River Tawe going into Swansea, South Wales. Click the image below to watch the video. DVD Collections are available to order in the StillWalks Shop.

Time and Temptation

Posted on 29/11/201329/11/2013 by Alastair

At the rate I am going it may be next Autumn before I get the StillWalks video wrapped up from the production day I had in Cwmdonkin Park recently. The temptation is always to work on post production as soon as possible after the production walk but this does not often happen.

The number of StillWalks videos pending is mounting but there are only 24 hours in each day and you can’t spend all of them on one task. What I need is a time stretcher! 🙂 Hopefully I will be able to catch up over the next couple of months and expand the existing StillWalks video collection with several new ones from Spring, Summer and Autumn 2013.

Completing the Cwmdonkin video is a priority in this respect as next year is the anniversary of Dylan Thomas’ birth and there is a strong association between him, his poetry and the park.

The Sounds of Cwmdonkin Park

Posted on 24/10/201324/10/2013 by Alastair

There are a number of different features to Cwmdonkin Park in Swansea and if it was anything like it is now in Dylan Thomas’ time, then it is hardly surprising that he liked the place.

All the photos I have posted this week from my recce walk of the park have been take on my iPhone and I look forward to returning with my full StillWalks production kit. I had the kit in the car when I was there but neither had the time nor the inclination to go and get it!

Noise pollution – Too much of my time in the park was spent with the aural backdrop of somebody from the parks department using a leaf blower! I cannot think of a more irritating source of noise pollution.

There are two sound clips here, tell me which you prefer.

These and two other clips can also be listened to on SoundCloud.

You can use the new Donate button below to help StillWalks. Pay how much you want and receive a high quality download of this week’s featured StillWalks video – “Autumn Lakeside Walk” from Gnoll Park, Neath, South Wales. Click the image below to watch the video.

Cwmdonkin Water

Posted on 23/10/201323/10/2013 by Alastair

Cwmdonkin Flowers

Posted on 22/10/201322/10/2013 by Alastair

I know Cwmdonkin Park in Swansea has had some development work done in it recently but I do not know if that work included the flower beds. I wonder what flowers were there when Swansea’s poet, Dylan Thomas, used and wrote about the place.