A Welsh Incident - August 2013
“But that was nothing to what things came out from the sea-caves of Criccieth yonder.” (this has to be said with a Welsh accent). What were they?... well EFOG weren't at Criccieth, they were at Bangor, so perhaps we'll never know.
What I knew was that I was trying to breath, sitting on a slippery slab of rock on a Welsh mountainside with my feet in some bog moss, and not much of a view through the rushes. This was the same rock that will forever bear the imprint of my head, arm, ribs and hip because it didn't like the tread of my boot. Anyway, application of arnica by Charlotte seemed to do something of a trick and I walked down off the mountainside to the car.
Where I had to stay - Nant-y-Crogwen, PenmachnoMy intention was to have joined the EFOG group when they arrived at Bangor station on Friday 23rd August. I was booked on the same train, but had instaed travelled to North Wales a few days earlier with a friend. The stay on her farm north of Betws-y-Coed became an enforced one for a few days longer than I'd expected; arnica might only do so much.
Apart from lack of mobility, my other difficulty was mobile phone communications, as there is just one spot in the middle of a horse-field where it is occasionally possible to get a signal for a moment or two. The house phone wasn't much better because the group's mobile phones didn't seem to be functioning very well either for one reason or another... bloody mobile phones coverage.
I needed to arrange to join the group on Sunday to return home with them as originally planned. This was crucial because I thought I'd not manage my luggage alone. However the mice and men syndrome came in to play. I needed to meet with them during the day, but didn't know where they'd be. Although I knew where we were staying I had no means of getting into the university accommodation that we were using; it was a bank holiday Sunday and the reception would likely be closed. Charlotte needed to leave Penmachno to drive to Pembrokeshire, and all of EFOG's mobiles seemed unavailable. She'd be able to drop me off on route either to meet someone from the group who could help me with my bag or of course at the university. I envisaged me sitting on a wall in a deserted University complex with an immovable rucksack for about three hours, waiting for the Group to return from their day.
Waiting for the bus on the return from Bodnant I had a text message from Lynne with a University telephone number to call just as we were entering Bangor; my relief explains the number of x's I put at the end of my thanks-you text to her, although she may have wondered what they were for. A few phone calls later and Charlotte was able to leave me safely at the security office from where one of the security officers carried my rucksack up to the kitchen of the block in which we were staying. I was in!
The meal that evening was at a pub, followed by a quiz. It seemed a bit of a younger person's quiz to me, and I felt we didn't do very well. After the quiz we were given bingo tickets to play sit-down bingo. Strangely, this involves standing up until - if a number on your ticket is called - you sit down. First time round I was still standing with only three numbers to be called before being able to sit down. On the second go both Lynne and I - and happening to be next each other - were the only ones left standing! The tie-breaker number was called, and you may guess who I was hoping would win. If you can't guess then you don't know me as well as you may have thought. Number 45 came up... and we were both still standing! They decided to give us both a £5 food voucher so we had to go there again the next night.
The Group at the seafront at BangorI hadn't expected there to be a next night because I thought we were going home on the Monday. Thus I found I had a whole day to spend with the group. A number of us made full use of the lovely sunny day by visiting Bodnant Gardens and as I was able to walk around a bit by then, that was good. Tuesday morning gave us the opportunity of a morning walk either slightly energetically to Penrhyn Castle or incredibly leisurely to Bangor Pier, a lovely Victorian structure at Garth. I enjoyed watching jellyfish off the end of the pier with Duncan, Ann, Fred and Christine. Unexpectedly, all the others joined us having finished their walk and a friendly kiosk was opened up for us to get teas and coffees. Where else can you get tea, coffee or cappuccino all for the same price of £1? It's a good place, Bangor Pier.
I really can't do much of a write-up from the Group's point of view, but I know four of them climbed Snowdon on one of the probably warmest days ever at the summit, and my feeling was that - despite a few people enduring injury-pain from elsewhere and elsewhen - it was a most enjoyable trip.
Thanks to Ken for organising, it and thanks to all those that helped me with my rucksack and in other ways. It wasn't an easy break for me ( luckily it doesn't seem to have been a break at all, maybe just a crack), but nevertheless I enjoyed it and I was pleased that I was able eventually to join up with the others.
I can add mobile phone coverage to my litany which otherwise includes cyclists (on the canal towpaths, anyway), cats (in my garden, anyway) and stiles (the curse of mankind, everywhere.) All of these are usually prefixed by the word Bloody, but I don't know that I should use that on our website.
As for slippery slabs - and this has to be said with a Welsh accent, too - "I was coming to that". (look up Robert Graves ... but it has to be said with a Welsh accent.)
Participants: Ann, Christine, Duncan, Fred, Fozie, Ian G., Jill V., Jinan, Julie, Ken, Lee, Lynne, me. From Friday 23rd to Tuesday 27th August 2013
And this is what I came back to - my proposed cup of tea is beyond the book-fall...
Paul Ferris 29th August 2013