In the war the Germans often utilised sea-mines as bombs and they
dropped them on cities such as Manchester.  One of the bombs came
 down on or close to MGS and a teacher was killed, which deeply upset
Charles Tunnicliffe. At the time, as well as daytime teaching, he often
had to help with night-time fire-watch duty on the roof of the school.
He also had to travel daily between MGS and Macclesfield, as well as
working in his garden studio-shed on a lot of commercial commissions.
He was working too hard, so John Clegg advised him to take a break
and go away on holiday. Tunnicliffe’s neighbours knew Anglesey quite
well and suggested Moelfre as a possible location for a break, and so
the Tunnicliffes decided to stay at Nant Bychan Farm, near Moelfre.


Tunnicliffe's drawing of Nant Bychan Farm (Courtesy of Oriel Môn)

Whilst exploring the area they met T. G. Walker (Wack) who had built
a holiday ‘hut’ nearby, only a couple of fields away from the farmhouse.
 Wack was headmaster of Hen Blas School, not too far from Malltraeth.
The Tunnicliffes became friendly with Wack and his wife, with Wack
often talking about the migrating birds that could seen at Malltraeth
through the seasons of the year.  It was not long before Wack drove
Charles and Winifred to Malltraeth and as he drove down the hill from
Bodorgan they were very impressed with the beautiful panoramic view
across Malltraeth, the Marsh, the Cefni Estuary, Newborough Forest,
Newborough Warren, Llangaffo Ridge, Snowdonia and the Llyn Penisula.
The Tunncliffes were also very impressed with the character of the
Malltraeth area and so more holidays were subsequently taken, staying
at The Joiners Arms, with landlord Bob Jones as their friendly host.


A view of Snowdonia from the front garden of 'Shorelands'

On these holidays Winifred and Charles spent time exploring the area
and on the edge of the village they came across ‘Shorelands’, which at
the time was unoccupied but not up for sale. They were very interested
in the property because it overlooked the estuary and would be a good
location from which to observe the migrating birds that Wack had told
them so much about. They stayed in touch with Wack and Bob and when
‘Shorelands’ did came up for sale a message was quickly sent to them
back in Macclesfield. The Tunnicliffes were delighted and so they
proceeded to buy 'Shorelands', moving to Anglesey in 1947,