It's always good to see a busy port, and none are busier than Mostyn these days. This used to be a general cargo port, and I used to use it in my days as a timber merchant in Nottingham. Nowadays it seems completely taken over by the assembly and shipping of off-shore wind turbines. I called to see them yesterday and was struck by their sheer size and the technical challenge that they present to those building them, taking them out to sea, and those who sink the cables that connect them.
This is not the place to debate their pros and cons as a source of energy, but I have to say that they are an engineering triumph, and almost a thing of beauty. They are certainly a source of work, though I can't help but recall that poem by RS Thomas - "Too Late" which ends with that call:
"Can't you see
Behind the smile on the times' face
The cold brain of the machine
That will destroy you and your race?"
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| Mostyn port from the east, showing the assembly of the masts for the huge off-shore wind turbines. |
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| The turbine hubs, showing the points where the blades attach. |
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| These are just the blades. Note the workman at the far end for scale. |
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| The finished product out at sea - where the wind is. These were viewed from the Talacre Lighthouse, and are known as the Rhyl flats. |
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