Wales

This time they are going to store it for us for 4 days while we go to Wales for my Aunt and Uncle’s Celebration of Life.

Instead of camping we stored the MH at Arrowe Brook and rented a car so that we could take my sisters Beryl and Jaqueline to Wales, where our cousins John, Elizabeth and Helen had rented a huge 8 bedroom house for the event.

The house before the big crowd got there!

Elizabeth (Liz) has a boat for the British canal systems. Growing up her family were keen boaters as their Dad (my Dad’s brother Bill) was a journeyman Shipwright who built wooden boats professionally and later as a hobby. I was a Shipwright too but a modern one who dealt more with steel structures than wooden ones. I was in awe of his woodworking skills.

Canal Boats on the Llangollen Canal.

John, Liz and Helen (Hen) had decided to scatter their Mum and Dad’s ashes along the canal that they loved so much.

The house was full of their kids, grandkids and friends of the family so that even with 8 bedrooms and Liz staying on the boat it was full. Barb and I elected to stay in a pub (Duhh!) in nearby Llangollen called the Bridge End Hotel which by some quirk of fate was at the end of the bridge over the river!

The River Dee at Llangollen

Llangollen is a Welsh town in the hills and is pronounced more like Clan-Goth-Len in Welsh. When we were kids it used to be the destination for coach (bus) trips. We would meet at the tour bus company pick up point, then it would take hours along the narrow Welsh roads to get to the town. There was enough time for lunch and a walk along the river then back on the bus for the return trip. An all day event.

The main shopping street Llangollen

Quaint alley ways

Now it’s just an hour or so by car! Has the distance shrunk?

No, the roads have improved with motorways and four lane highways. It takes no time now, except during vacation periods and on Sunday evenings when everyone is returning to Liverpool, Manchester and the Wirral all at the same time.

It’s still the same place as it was, with nowhere to park and lots of tourist shops selling Welsh souvenirs.

A transportation hub with river, road, rail and canal

Jackie and Beryl were staying at the house and we got there before everyone else so they got their pick of bedroom. Pretty soon the others started to arrive from points around the country and it was a noisy fun place with lots of family to be met.

One of several lounges we found in the house

Dogs, Kids, seemingly endless rooms with people appearing and disappearing thru doors we hadn’t noticed before. It was a warm, cozy, chaotic time that we thoroughly enjoyed.

The Horseshoe Falls.
Man made to provide the water for the canal.

Saturday we all drove to the “Horseshoe Falls” the idea was that those who wished to would walk along the canal about 10 miles to the Aquaduct, and along the way at points that held fond memories they would sprinkle the ashes.

The whole family

Those of us that didn’t feel up to the very steep path down to the falls or the 10 mile hike would drive to an intermediate spot and have lunch with everyone at the “Sun” pub in a village called Trevor.

My sisters in the Sun Pub

Yum

Fancy that, the Downings in a pub! The lunch was good and so was the beer. I had to limit myself as the drink driving laws in UK are very strict.

The Sun pub in Trevor Wales.

After the walk we ferried people back to the falls to collect their cars and returned to the house for a cook out. Barbara and I chose to leave a little early so we could get back to the Bridge End and have time for a drink before retiring for the evening.

Sunday saw us say goodbye to everyone before the drive back to Jackie’s and for the 4 of us to walk to the Indian restaurant near her house for dinner. Very nice it was too.

Finally I drove Beryl home before going back and watching the Glastonbury music festival on TV and eventually getting to bed.