John Owen Jones

Alright! Oggy oggy oggy! Shamone you flippers! Haha!

Sorry, I’m just a little bit excited about my adventure next month. I’ve already started packing, believe it or not. I’ve got a new pair of ‘Hike’ boots to deal with some of the worst mountains in Wales – they’ve gone in the case. I also bought some hand cream.

I’ve already finished my mix tape (see below for the tunes), so I’m pretty much sorted. I’d like to take some sunglasses but I don’t think mum and dad are keen on that. They say the devil wears sunglasses! I don’t know about that.

People at work are trying their best to hide their disappointment at my impending departure trip by laughing and joking and saying “Never come back!” but I know that they will find the summer hard with me. Normally, I am the last one standing at their summer barbeques, even though I rarely drink. I’m also a dab hand at the SingStar computer on the Playstations.

The kids at school have shown great interest in my trip. I had a Year 10 theory class today and they just kept asking me questions about it. We didn’t get any bloody work done! One of the kids was even pointing his hand out like a gun and pointing it at me, as if to say “You are the man!” I felt like Richard Blackwood!

My first stop on the trip is Llangollen. It’s a fair old drive – maybe three hours or so – but the people are nice and friendly and they have some great service stations where I can eat my sandwiches and have a quick game of Solitaire. I might even see if I can bust a grave on one of those dancing machines the Japanese made. Hey, if I’m as good at that as I am at SingStar then I’ll never be a loser.

Enjoy your Wednesdays!

Just found this – brought a tear to my eye! Beautiful places to go is what the people of Wales are all about!

I cannot wait to head off travelling next month…

I’m gearing up for travelling now – blogging from the break room at school! The other teachers think I’m mad for going travelling around Wales, but I’ve always been an adventurer. For my last birthday, my parents bought me a portable CD player, so I’ve been busy ‘burning’ a number of CDs that I can listen to while kicking back and breathing in the Great Welsh Coast. With iTunes and my SDSL connections, I can get pretty ,much anything I want on those discs! Here’s my tracklist:

Mr Big – To Be With You

This is a lovely song, boyo. I used to jam out to this on my guitar in a field in my ‘experimental’ days. The trees were my audience, the birds my backing vocalists. Unfortunately, my days as a guitar player ended when Dad stood through it and broke it when I was asleep!

Stereophonics – Have A Nice Day

Very sad news. R.I.P. boyo, never forget!

Cliff Richard – Wired For Sound

I remember this from when I was a kid. “I like tall speakers, I like small speakers.” Probably the best song about speakers ever written! That and ‘Speakers In Heaven’ – an Eva Cassidy B-side.

Peter Kay and Tony Curtis – (Is This The Way To) Amarillo
This song is so funny! Have you seen the video? It’s got bloody Ken and Deidre! Classic – what a laugh!

Music is, of course, very good, and if there’s one thing I’m looking forward to then it’s listening to all of my great tracks during my trip out into the great unknowns of Wales.

“Yach gryllith!” (Happy listening?)

Tell you what! I have drawn up the best travel plan bloody ever! I think I’ve managed to really nail the essence of Wales with my crayon and unused, unwanted scrap paper. Have a look:

So the route is…

• Porthmadog – Home of the world’s biggest smile
• Llangollen – Home of the world’s biggest mini pork pie
• Rhayader – Home of the world’s biggest globe
• Whitland – ‘Whiteland’ until 1968
• Newcastle Emlyn – Named after ‘Emlyn Hughes’ and ‘Newcastle’
• Lampeter – The South of The East
• Brynmawr – ‘Brian Moore’ in Welsh
• Bulith Wells – Home of the world’s biggest exaggeration
• Abergavenny – Bouncy castle hotspot of the UK
• Llandloes – They once had a fancy dress party
• Aberystwyth – ‘The seaside Hull’
• Tregaron – Birthplace of Henry Richard (???)
• Machynlleth – Translates as ‘Mega leaf’
• Barmouth – As it sounds…
• Montgomery – 1974
• Dolgellau – Home of the world’s biggest tooth!
• Llanfyllin – Home of the ‘Llanfyllin Road’
• Harlech – Named after the sound you make when you accidentally breathe in dog
• Bala – Inventors of civil unrest
• Llanwrtyd – the smallest town in Britain.
• Porthmadog – Home!

I can tell my parents are worried about the idea of me travelling around Wales because they haven’t said a word to me since I told them. Still, I’ve been looking into ways of keeping in touch with them other than by phone (not comfortable with it). It might be that a VPN connection is a good idea, as it isn’t just open to me and my parents, but I could make it accessible to my friends. They could upload some of the latest Welsh music onto a shared folder and I could listen to it near a tree in Brynmawr, really getting the true Welsh experience.

Another idea is doing a ‘video blog’ like on fancy internet sites. I could put it on YouTube maybe! Stephen Fry can watch it!

The summer holidays are drawing closer by the day, and I have absolutely ‘nich fflegm’ (‘no idea’ in Welsh) what to do with my time. I’ve been tossing over the idea of going travelling and seeing the whole wide world of Wales. Going independently to find myself, just me, a flask of lovely Murroghs Welsh Brew Tea and my dad’s car. Maybe a couple of games of online bingo playing.

It’s certainly feasible moneywise, as the allowance can certainly cover any expenses petrol-wise – with the odd Ginsters in a lay-by at dawn! ;)

Ah, to see Wales in all it’s glory! From Abaty Cwm-hir all the way to Ystumllwynarth, they will know the name of John Owen Jones! Can you hear me, Knolton Bryn? Because I’m coming to explore you!

I’ve made lots of friends playing online casino and bingo games, so I shouldn’t think I’d be lacking a couch to stay on. I wouldn’t want to impose though so I’d be happy to put said couch outside for the night like I did at that party Aaron Bellamy was at (I just don’t like him!).

The more I write about this trip, the more excited I am! I wonder if Cadoxton-Juxta-Heath can handle John Owen Jones??? How about The Unitary Authority of Powtys? Haha, but seriously, I’ll need places to top up my credit.

If I go away for 30 days that means I’ll need to make at least 60 sandwiches to keep me going. I wonder how long that would take me? I think I’ll do 50 of them ham, 5 cheese, and the rest a mix!

These are just musings for the moment, but I think that in life you only get one opportunity to visit Caernarfonshire and this may very well be it!

NO STOPPING JOHN OWEN JONES ONCE HIS DAD SAYS IT’S OK TO TRAVEL WALES IN SEARCH OF HIMSELF!