Chester, Wales and Malvern
Monday, 18th December, 1989
Chester Rows
hat a day! Chester is the furthest we have gone yet so we started earlyish. We needn't have bothered. We were stuck in a horrendous traffic jam owing to major road works which took an hour and a half to go half a mile. Then Chester was so busy, with no parking anywhere in the centre of the city so we drove around for half an hour looking for a space in a car park. It was lunchtime before we got into the city. However, it is certainly well worth seeing. The Rows, (arcaded and tiered shopping blocks from mediaeval times) are very picturesque even with the Christmas hordes, the city walls which surround the town still are very old and interesting and there are Roman ruins, they have excavated a Roman amphitheatre and there are lots of bits and pieces lying around of the Roman occupation of the fortress of Deva (Chester). It was five o'clock when we left.
o began the trip home. Because of the problems coming, we went home a different way, through Wales. It was raining when we left Chester, by Wrexham it was snowing. By Shrewsbury the snow was thick on the ground and on the car. We stopped at Shrewsbury for dinner in a very agreeable restaurant and when we came out the snow seemed to be melting. With much relief we went on, only to be caught, on top of a hill outside Shrewsbury in heavy snow. We could not get any traction. Luckily there was a crew with a snow plough clearing the road and one of the men dug out our wheels and he and Geoff pushed us through. That was really the worst but it was rather nerve wracking. I am not really dreaming of a white Christmas! It was certainly very lovely, all the trees and hedges were weighted down with white and there were pine trees in gardens with coloured lights covered with real snow! But it was also scary and slippery and I can do without it. There was snow all the way to Stourport, even on the roof of our caravan. Very interesting day, like the Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times".
Tuesday, 19th December 1989
Chester Eastgate
ince we had designated this day for washing, shopping and ringing ahead for bookings in Bath, Winchester and London and confirming our flight home, it naturally was a lovely morning, sunny, bright and mild. There is still a lot of snow around, though. We visited the Macs, did all our phoning and took the dog for a walk. After that, banking and post offices took the rest of the light. A bank draft, (necessary to confirm our hotel bookings) costs six pounds! That is a blatant ripoff! Three drafts cost us the equivalent of one night's accommodation. Ridiculous! However, we are confirmed, we have two nights in London booked, near Victoria, and a night each in Winchester and Bath, thanks to my trusty guide book. I hope it doesn't let me down. Philippine Airlines don't appear to be worried about our Manila connection. Hope it all goes well. While we were writing to hotels, Mac took the opportunity to write to the Royal National regarding Geoff's bracelet which dropped down a lift shaft. If they have found it there should be time for them to send it here.
Wednesday, 20th December, 1989
Brecon Beacons National Park (Postcard)
oday dawned wet again. So we decided to go out anyway. We headed for Wales and stopped first at Hay-on-Wye. This is a pretty if rather strange little town which is absolutely chockablock with bookshops. Heaven on earth. There were even shelves of second hand books out in the open (in the rain) Not so good for a town supposedly full of booklovers. I don't know whether it is a conscious gimmick (they call it the "town of books" on the signpost outside the town) or a sign of a very literate community.
e went on, (reluctantly) through lovely countryside to Brecon, centre of the Brecon Beacons National Park. It has a 13th century cathedral and it is very interesting. There is still snow on the tops of the mountains but the weather is still very mild. It was a pleasant day.
Thursday, 21st December, 1989
very wild night. The Severn is in flood everywhere. We slept in because of the rain and got up at 10.30. Leaving Geoff in his sloth Mac and I went to Malvern again, hoping that the mist which obscured the view last time would have gone. It turned out really lovely weather with the high winds chasing the squalls of rain. Malvern is a lovely little town built on all levels of the hills. Surrounding it are the Malvern Hills where there were British camps and beacons before even the Romans came. We walked up the Hereford Beacon, (well, Mac walked and pushed me three quarters of the way, then continued to the top himself). The view was spectacular, 360 degrees over reputedly five counties! Absolutely great! When we came down we had lunch in an old-fashioned teashop, explored the town and environs and came home. It was thoroughly enjoyable.
e walked down to the river this evening and saw how high it was (a riverside car park was under water) then on to the canal and lock which Mac discovered in the town. He wanted to look at it, canals fascinate him. Now he has. Actually it is a very extensive series of locks and anchorages between the canal and the river, much bigger than it looks from the road. It used to be a major waterway commercially but now is mostly used for recreational craft.
e go to the Mac's tonight, when Olwen and Lawrence will be there. Tomorrow we take Mr.& Mrs. Mac to visit a friend and finish the Christmas food shopping. After all, we do have to eat, so it might as well be festive.
