One of Britain's oldest cathedrals, it was founded by Saint Deiniol in the the 6th century.

Bangor, a university town situated on the North Wales coast, is one of Britain's smallest cities. Its name is derived from the type of fenced compound of the original monastic settlement on the site of the present cathedral. Having been destroyed and rebuilt several times, much of the cathedral's present fabric dates from the 16th century, including the bell tower (right), and the 19th century when it was renovated by Sir Gilbert Scott, who built the central tower (left).

There was a time when every self-respecting British town had a town clock, either as part of a civic building or housed in its own tower. During the 19th century Bangor enjoyed an economic boom due to the growth of the local slate industry and its position on the new road and rail routes between England and Ireland. New houses, shops, hotels, banks and places of worship appeared, the cathedral was renovated (see above), a university was founded by public subscription, and by 1896 the city could even boast a 472 metre-long (1,500 feet) pier.

Saint Tysilio's Church on Ynys Tyslio (Tysilio's Island, also known as Church Island), said to have been founded by the saint in 630 AD during the seven years he lived here as a hermit. The present building dates from the 15th century (refurfished in the 1890s) and is surrounded by many old graves and war memorials.

Ynys Tyslio, between Menai Bridge and Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch,
Anglesey, North Wales.

See more photos of Bangor, Menai Bridge and Saint Tysilio's Church at:

Mince pies are among the consolations of the bleak mid-winter, along with roast chestnuts, porridge and other Great British comfort foods.

If you have never enjoyed a British mince pie you may be confused. The "mincemeat" in the pastry has nothing to do with dead animals or "hamburger meat", but is more like marmalade: a mixture of fruit, spices and sugar cooked into a thick, dark, sweet, sticky mass. The name goes back to ye olde English, when confections were known as sweetmeats (time to brush up your Shakespeare). Some mincemeat lovers will eat the stuff straight off a spoon, but baked in a pie it's simply irresistible.

In Britain (and now Belgium, apparently - Ed.), mince pies are traditionally eaten at Christmas, and commercially produced pies are usually only available around this time. So those who wish to enjoy these winter warmers outside the festive period have to bake their own. Good fun too. They come in all shapes and sizes, and real aficionados have their own recipes.

These scrummy-looking morsels were made by young Noah who has gone for the pastie shape. (Sorry, we can't go into the history of the Cornish pastie here. Maybe some other time.)

Beneath the steel arches of the "Magistratsschirm", the newly-renovated overhead section of the U2 U-Bahn (underground rail, built 1910-1913) line along Schönhauser Allee in Berlin's trendy Prenzlauer Berg district.

Much of Berlin's underground train system was badly damaged during World War II. After the war it was patched up with the help of British military engineers. Their efforts were not made any easier by the tensions between the city's Western and Russian occupying forces. With the division of the city by the Berlin Wall, many U-Bahn lines ended at either side of the border and much of the network was left to rot, especially in the eastern part of the city.

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