Earth, Fire, Water, Trains and Rhyl

Thanks to Jacky for organising a short holiday to North Wales for seven EFOG members and a friend. This was from Monday 13th to Friday 17th of June.

Seven of us met at Ilford on Monday morning (Fozi joined us later) to board a David Urquhart coach for a holiday entitled “Great Little Train Journeys of Wales”. It's a good start, to begin such a journey in a coach, but we did need to get to Wales. To Rhyl, actually – on the North Wales coast and perhaps favoured by people from the NW of England as Southend is by those (us?) from the SE.

First impressions of Rhyl were – at least for me – not the most favourable, but then I had an idea what to expect from passing by a few times (by train and bus) and the expressions of friends-who-knew-it when I'd said where I was going. The hotel, at which we arrived about 4.30, was fine though – and my room had a sea view. At least, it looked directly across the promenade towards the sea, and the sea was definitely there, although a small bus-station and sea-front complex slightly hindered the view of the beach and crashing waves. It was OK, though – and I am not complaining.

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch - notice that the station name is not included in the photo!Our first GLTJ of Wales was preceded next day by a visit to a station by means of our coach. That station is the well-known one at Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch which if I have to repeat it I shall call Llanfair PG like what the locals do. In fact, it wasn't really a visit to the station or even the village but more to a Welsh version of a Scotch Wool shop – the type that sells everything a proper coach-tourist needs. Our photo opportunity by the station sign got missed because of importance of shopping and beginning of downpour. Also lack of camera angle.

It was good to arrive at Porthmadog Station and – for me – to see that Welsh Highland Railway trains had finally made it through to the same station as the more famous Ffestiniog Railway. Now there is a Platform 2 as well as a Platform 1 and one is able to change trains to enable a rail route all the way from Caernarfon to Blaenau Ffestiniog. The Welsh Highland train left the station as we waited to board the Ffestiniog train, and the platforms during the time they were both in were nearly as busy as Stratford.

The Ffestiniog trainJacky had paid a bit extra for our seats, which were in the rear observation car – almost a compartment to ourselves. It's a lovely journey from Porthmadog, first crossing the estuary of the Afon Glaslyn by means of the cob built in the early 18th century, and which also carries a road. The route winds up past houses, through trees, across viaducts, through cuttings and tunnels – becoming higher and higher as it travels into the mountains around Blaenau Ffestiniog where the slate was quarried which gave need for the narrow-gauge railway.

In the observation carWe boarded the coach at Blaenau, to the smell of cannabis which the driver explains is always present nowadays with the decline of the slate industry or any other form of employment save – mainly – tourism.

Somewhat after passing the market town of Llanrwst, with its stone circle, pretty bridge and market square large enough for three stalls, we were forced to a stop. Perhaps because of the weather conditions - which were showery if not stormy – at first the column ahead looked like the beginnings of a tornado. It's a shame it wasn't really, because then we could have included that in the holiday. But then we'd have missed out fire, because the terrific column ahead was the smoke from a burning camper van. The somewhat narrow road was blocked in both directions, and the coach had no chance of reversing nor turning, so we sat there for about an hour whilst the fire was dealt with. There was little left of the vehicle as we passed.

So – fire.

The Great Orme illuminated by a glorious sunsetThat evening we had for our evening hotel entertainment a really good singer who treated us to a non-stop performance of mostly popular songs from the 60s – which not surprisingly almost everyone staying at the hotel was quite familiar with. I waited for a convenient between-songs moment to hurriedly leave the hotel and reach the beach as I could see the beginnings of a beautiful sunset. Apparently, people in nearby Llandudno were lining the prom with their cameras and phones to experience the event, but in Rhyl – which doesn't quite have the class of Llandudno, there was only me.

Our hotel dining table. Not really - a miner's canteen at LlanberisThe following day we were taken to Llanberis, at the foot of Snowdon, to travel on the Llanberis Lake Railway. This is an even narrower narrow-gauge railway, and doesn't have the variety nor length of the previous day. It was mostly a nice sunny day, though, and a visit to the slate museum after the train journey was a worthwhile experience. The coach took us afterwards through the Llanberis Pass and on to Betws-y-Coed where our group split up to take a variety of strolls and shop-visits.

That evening, after dinner and part-way through the entertainment - which was 60s again but louder – Jinan and I went out onto the promenade to experience the sunset. We watched it, but it didn't do much – so we contented ourselves with taking photo-shoot photos of Jinan-by-the-sea in her new jump-suit.

Jinan climbing the heights of Rhyl at sunsetThe following day was a train-free day – or at least an organised-train-trip-train-free-day. There was a previous-evening discussion on possibilities and alternatives, and a lot of swaying between one or another. The final arrangement was that some – Jacky, Jinan, Helen and Fozi went to the “Electric Mountain” at Llanberis, Eleanor and Marilyn went to Bangor to meet friends, and Fred and I went to Llandudno to do the town, the promenade the pier and the Great Orme. Doing the town is a bit of an exaggeration, as it consisted of walking through part of it from the railway station (not the train station) to the promenade, where we promenaded along that and the pier, and then proceeded to ascend the Great Orme. The day was beautiful. Llandudno is a lovely town – known as the "Queen of the Welsh Resorts" - with elegant Victorian buildings and set in a beautiful bay. The sky was mostly blue, people were strolling in perfect sunshine along the prom and the Grade 11 listed pier, and lazing about in Happy Valley – the gardens on the slopes of the Great Orme.

We walked through Happy Valley, and upwards with a few seat-stops on the way to enjoy the views and the sun, to reach the artificial ski-slope and toboggan run. That latter took me back to a previous EFOG stay in Llandudno, in 2006 (See Here) when most of us had a toboggan run. Above that, the way became more open with numerous rough tracks across the limestone country that comprises the headland. Sheep graze across it, as well as Kashmir goats though we didn't see any of those, but there were many butterflies and day-flying moths. In fact, the butterflies were present in numbers that it is uncommon to see nowadays, including rare butterflies and ub-species that are only found here. There were also choughs up there – a very uncommon species of crow – as well as other moorland birds.

Llandudno, with the pier and Great OrmeWe walked alongside the Great Orme Tramway for a while, and watched two of the vintage trams pass each other at a loop, then eventually reached the summit complex where we had a cup of tea.

We had an opportunity to return via the tramway, but decided that as it was such a fine day we would walk down using a different route. That route was steep, and indeterminate in places, with some hairy bits. It was also hot, and when we did reach the safety of a paved path we sat down to recover overlooking the town, with Llandudno's two bays to either side.

We reached the railway station after our 5 mile walk (and 600ft ascent) with two minutes to spare to board the train, and had a quick run through to Llandudno Junction with plenty of time to get back for our meal. At the junction we then sat in the train for over an hour as the line ahead was flooded and it was quite possible that we might be returning – eventually – to Rhyl in a taxi provided by the railway company. The flooding – a flash-flood somewhere in Flint-shire – receded enough that the trains could move again, we got a free drink for our imposed wait, and got back to the Westminster Hotel with minutes to spare before dinner.

So – fire and water.

Llandudno and the Little Orme from the Great OrmeAfter everybody had returned and eaten - and instead of laid-on entertainment - we had a final evening get-together in one of our rooms, where we drank wine, ate nibbles and played some question-and-answer games Jacky had brought along. Thus we got to bed severely late for an early morning start. Even so, in the morning – after we had seen our luggage put onto the coach and before breakfast – a few of us went for a quick walk along the sea-front. The journey home was uneventful; even as we got closer to London the roads were not too busy considering it was a Friday, and we reached our first dropping-off point at Stratford in good time. Some of our party left there to catch the Central Line, I decided not too because Stratford station can be so crowded. The coach had an easy journey to Manor Park Broadway – where if I'd been allowed I'd have jumped coach and walked home. But from the Broadway to Ilford was just a solid mass of traffic. It was pointless returning from Ilford as I'd planned on the W19 to the end of my road, as the road was bad in both directions.

The problem was a temporary traffic light system due to a hole in the road. Hence the 'earth' aspect of the holiday's hold-ups. But I got home OK, by the train from Ilford to Manor Park, and I was able to narrate the very last part of my holiday to the TFL Questionnaire-man that has just visited asking about my experiences with travelling in London either yesterday(Friday) or the day before.

Apart from early-morning strolls before breakfast that some of us took, and Fred and my Great Orme adventure (5 miles), we didn't do much walking. However, I think maybe a good time was had by all, and we went on some trains. Thanks, Jacky.

Paul Ferris, 18th June 2016

Jacky, Eleanor, Fozi, Fred, Helen, Jinan, Marilyn, Paul