East meets West

Even in the second decade of the 21st century, it's surprisingly unusual to see black or brown faces in the outdoor tourist spots of the British Isles - here in the far West, at least. It was a delight to arrive in the car park at Abereiddi on the New Year holiday and find a group of young Asian men leaping around taking each other's pictures, clearly dressed for a coasteering expedition. This is them about to start by immersing themselves in the Blue Lagoon, a flooded quarry where local youth come in the summer to dive and 'tombstone' into the 25 metres. In winter it even looks cold from a distance. Certainly a lot colder than the waters of Bombay or Chittagong.