Tongwynlais.com is thirteen years old today!
I’ve written a few posts over the years looking back at the previous twelve months.
After reaching another new milestone, I thought I’d look forward at where I want the site to go.
It’s six years since I stopped posting about news. It was a tough decision but I couldn’t compete with information shared on social media. It was time consuming to produce and often not relevant shortly after publishing.
I’m happier creating content that you can go back to later and still enjoy.
2024/2025
I often describe the websites I run as outlets for my creativity and this year I published two posts about pixel art and one about my Lego creations.
Postcards and local history are another two passions so I was pleased to add more posts about these topics.
These are some of the photos I’ve taken over the last twelve months. The cloud inversion I experienced on the Garth was amazing and I’m so pleased with the shot of Garth Woods.
The Future
There are days when I think about how long I can keep updating the blog. My posting schedule is consistent and manageable, bearing in mind I publish a post on castellcoch.com every month too, but I’m starting to wonder if I should consider making changes.
I know I need to promote the site more but this isn’t something I enjoy. Everyone publishing content is competing for our attention and I don’t know if shouting louder is going to work or be appreciated. I’ve always focussed on creating the best content I can and hoping it finds its audience.
Competitions and giveaways used to generate interest so I may look at this later in the year. I have a collection of Castell Coch prints and some postcards that may be of interest to readers.
I’m grateful for the lovely comments I receive and the contributions people make online. If you have any questions or suggestions, please get in touch.
I grew up in the Ton and left when I was 25. I have great memories of my childhood and early adulthood years in the village. I visit the Ton once a year and I enjoy walking around the village and remembering the good times. I always find time to pop into the Lewis Arms for a meal and a drink. It was my father’s favorite pub along with the Old Ton ! I have only fairly recently discovered Tongwynlais.com and find it a great source of information on the history of the village and thank you for the hard work and research that goes into it. It is only after moving away that I can look back and appreciate what a special place Tongwynlais is.
Hi Jack,
Your posts are a most welcomed part of my online life. You don’t need to make any changes or add any competitions for me, as I appreciate the relaxing and enjoyable exploration of your sites as they are. Please know that your work is treasured on this end when read in Arizona, as much as on your end when created in Ton. Thanks for all your work and dedication in sharing the best of my ancestral home town.
What a great response David, I’m glad someone else has highlighted how much we love the blog as it is. I’m lucky in that, while not a native, I’ve lived in the Ton for 27 years and have found out more about the village from Jack in the last 13 years than I had in the previous 14!
Living in the village I’m lucky to bump into Jack and his delightful children in person, but I’m sure it is of equal value as a connection in Arizona. Talking of which, can I be nosy and ask which part of the state you are based in – done a couple of trips over the years and been in Arizona at least three times, so I’d be intrested to know (as I say only for my own nosyness so please ignore if you choose😂).
Hello Haydn,
Nice to meet you. You are so fortunate to be living in the Ton! I spend lots of time searching online for an affordable place to rent and imagine moving there after dozens of family history research visits. But that’s daydreaming. I first visited Ton in 1968.
I live in Scottsdale, a tourism destination just east of Phoenix. I’ve lived here off and on (mostly on) for 60 years! I have a small business providing weekly safety and security checks on the many condos nearby for mostly absentee Canadian property owners. I live in the Villages at McCormick Ranch, a development of about 1,000 condos, built between 1980 and 1992. Its a fairly quiet community of mostly seniors.
Hi Jack, if you are thinking of competitions, or maybe just a picture quiz, perhaps you could crop a section of your photos and have a ‘guess where this is?’ quiz, or similar.
Carol
Happy Birthday to the blog, and thanks again Jack for all the time and effort you put into the content which informs so well on the village, its history and its castle. Please keep it up, it is informative and well worth reading – no need for freebies to bring me back here.