Penrhyncoch Church received a visit from internet sensation and keen photographer Gez Robinson, known throughout the world for photographing a mouse family living in his garden during lockdown.

Gez converted nest boxes for the mice and has built an entire village to house his furry friends. He shared photographs and videos of them on social media and millions tuned in to see them. He has also appeared on TV to talk about his photographs and the mice!

Penrhyncoch enjoyed a fascinating afternoon listening to Gez’ stories about the mice, fox and frog who live in the garden, accompanied by his fascinating photographs and videos.

Although Gez is from Rotherham his regular visits to Aberystwyth, where his daughter studied, was picked up by eagle-eyed church warden Meriel, a big fan of the mouse family. Meriel invited Gez to Penrhyncoch, who shared a moving account of how the photographs and videos helped his father, who has Alzheimer’s, with memory recollection and were also a source of great joy.

Gez has published two books and a calendar to raise money for Alzheimer’s, and his mice family videos also play constantly in several care homes to help residents with Alzheimer’s.

To see more of Gez’s photographs and films, follow his Facebook and TikTok accounts (The Mouse family who live by the brambles! and The Mouse Family that Live by the Brambles (Ge Robinson).

Gez said: “During lockdown in 2020 I found a little mouse family in our garden by the log pile, surrounded by brambles near the sundial.

“Out came my camera. I started to click, but I didn’t realise that they were so quick. Their trust I would have to gain.”

Gez decided to visit them at the same time every day after work.

“As the weeks passed quickly I began to realise me and the mouse family we had become allies.

“I would take them food sit and watch with camera in hand.

Gez said the joy they gave “was hard to explain”. His grandchildren said the little mouse family in the old log pile made them smile and suggested he share the story of this mouse family with the rest of the world. Social media was the way to do that, and that is how Gez and a family of mice found fame around the world.

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