Tuesday 3 September 2013

Aberystwyth



We went to Aberystwyth for the day yesterday.  It's a little seaside town on the Mid West South Wales coast, about sixty miles away from where we live. In our family it's been almost a ritual that at least one day in the year is singled out for for the pilgrimage to Aber. My O/H when he was little, used to go with his mum, sisters and brother. His father was usually unable to leave the farm.  It was a time of great excitement - the brown cardboard suitcases, buckets and spades and all the paraphernalia you had to take on the train. They used to stay at Mrs Roberts' guest house, not the last word in comfort, but who cares when you're ten - and that's long gone. An empty weedy space where the house once stood.


And then his mum and dad used to take our children and my sister-in-law's children  when they were little. Mum and Dad retired from the farm now and  time out to spend with their  precious little  grandchildren



 We took our grandaughter for the annual pilgrimage to Aber. There's a lovely children's park right by the castle. She soon made friends with a little boy.   He was as Welsh as the hills and she a little English rose. They couldn't speak a word of each other's language but they had a great time playing together - like you do when you're four years old. She's eighteen now and off to Uni in the next few weeks. We won't see a lot of her now.


And yesterday we sat on the bench with my sister-in-law and wondered where it had all gone.
It was a lovely time. Most of the families had gone home and the college students not yet started. The place was all but deserted except for a few oldies like us. You could breathe in the bracing sea air and feel it doing you good. The seagulls dive bombed any titbit of food they spotted on the pavement.


We watched a  lone black headed gull, surfing the waves and then suddenly disappearing beneath them to come up a few seconds later with a wriggling fish in it's mouth. That gull had a good dinner yesterday.



We leaned over the rails and looked down into the rock pools. If you look closely the  pebbles and colours of sea algae are amazing.


Along the promenade there was a strip of deep blue salvias in a concrete rectangle. The bees were collecting almost the last of the nectar before they go. I love salvias. Must buy some seeds and sow them when I get home, ready for next spring.
Do you have a special place of happy memories? Everyone should.

30 comments:

  1. I do indeed....a flapping canvas tent in the still of the night with the loons calling across the water.

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    1. We used to go camping with our children when they were little. Sometimes it was good, sometimes not so, especially when it was raining stair rods.

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  2. Aberystwyth sounds like a little slice of heaven :)

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    1. I like Aber, the gardens around the castle are lovely.

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  3. Molly - wonderful memories - thanks for sharing. Love the photos.

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  4. A lovely post, Molly, and I know what you mean about wondering where it's all gone. It's not my place of very special memories, but I like Aber too. I was at library school in Llanbadarn Fawr in 1972-3 and we lived for a year at Bow Street before moving across Plynlimon to Montgomeryshire. I've walked along that promenade many times. :-)

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    1. My son went to the agricultural college at Llanbadarn Fawr - he had a great time there

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    2. We at the then College of Librarianship Wales used to share social and dining facilities with the Agricultural College, as it was really all one big campus. Happy days. :-)

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    3. Once when he was up there, I had to drive his old banger (kindly donated to him by his grandad) home because earlier on some of the students manually lifted one of his friends car and parked it next to a 'Keep Off The Grass' sign and he didn't want his to end up in the same place. He rang as soon as I got home to see if his car was alright. STUDENTS

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  5. Actually, thinking about it, I haven't been there - must rectify that if I ever get back to the U.K.

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  6. It looks clean!
    As for a special place?
    .......sitges in spain

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    1. They've cleaned it up a lot to what it used to be. Tell us about Spain

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  7. How nice you call it dear old Aber, a name I can wrap my tongue around. Is that a sailor's monument, with the sort of masthead, and the winged figure on top?

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    1. I think it's a war memorial with an angel looking out to sea. Not quite sure - I'll have to look it up to see if i can find anything out aout it.

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  8. What an absolutely lovely town that is, Molly. I have always enjoyed the beaches after all the tourists have left and the only sound you hear is that of the waves and birds.

    Seashores always brings back wonderful memories of joy, love, and youth. The summers of our lives go by so fast, but they stay forever in our hearts.

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    1. It's a lot cleaner than it used to be (lots of litter and graffiti but that's all gone now) but yes, I do like Aber, especially in September

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  9. I love the North Wales coast. All those long sandy beaches overflowing with shellfish. Brings back wonderful memories.

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    1. There are some lovely little places. The beach at Aber is very stony. Further along Aberdovey has a fantastic sandy beach and lots of little boats.

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  10. sounds lovely, I keep promising myself we will visit.

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    1. And I would love to visit Glastonbury and walk up Tor too - some day we will.

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  11. I saw this little town on a TV program yesterday! It looks beautiful.

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    1. Elizabeth, thank you for visiting my blog and leaving a comment. It's nice meeting new people

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  12. We used to go to Rhyl but mostly Milford Haven.

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  13. The Pembrokeshire coastline is beautiful. We've had some lovely holidays in Saundersfoot too.

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  14. I haven’t been to Aber very often but every time we went I enjoyed it. Shropshire folk from round here tend to congregate in Aber Dovey, another lovely place.

    All my real dream places are a long way away; I may never see them again.

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    1. Friko, I hope you do get a chance to visit your dream places even if it's only once. Aberdovey is unspoiled and beautiful. I'm so glad they haven't put the big stores there they seem to build everywhere else.

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  15. Aberystwyth is not on the north Wales coast it is cardigan bay and Ceredigion which is mid west South Wales. It is closer to the South Wales coastline eg Llanelli, Swansea gower peninsula . Prestatyn Conwy ,colwyn bay, Llandudno is the north Wales coastline and they are about 90 miles from Aberystwyth .

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    1. Oops, sorry - you're quite right. Geography was never my strong point. Anyway thanks for taking the time to comment. It's nice meeting new people.

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  16. Pembrokeshire is nice and saundersfoot is lovely if a little lively in the summer, if you want a pure secluded beach go to barafundle bay near stackpole Pembrokeshire , also another nice beach is pembrey county park beach near Llanelli .

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