Retreat

On Tuesday CJ, Jo and I went to Wales; to a place that has been special to me since my childhood; to a place that I used to go in my late teens to escape from the world. 

I first went to the Glyn Valley as a toddler. I remember two holidays in Glyn Ceiriog when I was very young - one in a house we rented and one in my Uncle's caravan - and my brother recalls one. As his memory of these things is invariably more accurate than mine it seems that the caravan holiday was when I was older because my brother recalls that holiday. Nevertheless as I only have one picture of me and my Uncle's caravan that's the one you're getting! Where it was actually taken is anyone's guess. My mother's brother is on the left and my Dad is holding me.

About then and on many visits to the valley after that I became acquainted with the small village of Llanarmon Dyffryn-Ceiriog with its two hotels The Hand and The West Arms. 

I'm not sure whether I've ever been into The Hand. I first recall staying at The West Arms when I was about 17. I rode out there on The Hippogryph. 

The Hippogryph was my steed for several years: we went all over The Lake District (where the above photo was taken), Wales and I popped up and down to London after work on a Friday (which astonishes me looking back). 

The West Arms was a wonderful retreat from the 'real world' for me.

On Tuesday we went for lunch and it was like going into a time warp. I walked into a place that has hardly altered (in my memory at least) in over half a century. 

Perhaps one difference was the food. I don't recall the food from the early sixties but I do recall the lunch we had on Tuesday.  I had whole prawn scampi with home made tartare sauce and perfect crisp on the outside and fluffy inside chips. This was not pub grub. 

I hope that one day I will make the journey from the Outer Hebrides to Llanarmon once again and spend some time at The West Arms in the Land of My Fathers.

TW3

That Was The Week That Was. Remember that programme from half a century ago? Of course you don't. Well not if you're younger than I am. I wrote that start to this post this morning whilst it was fresh in my mind knowing that I had a day when I wouldn't be able to finish it until this evening. Coincidentally it's been in the news today.

Those of you who followed my A Hebridean in New Zealand blog will know that Pauline and I went on safari in New Zealand's Northland each year. Well last week Pauline visited Scotland and we went on a Highlands and Islands safari.

There will be more detailed posts on both our blogs (bearing in mind that Pauline's away for ages yet) but just to prove that Pauline woz 'ere here are a few photos.  

The most amazing thing, though, was that it didn't rain on us during the day all week. Pauline has a reputation for bringing good weather and she certainly came up trumps last week.

Day 1: Straight off the plane from Dublin and a visit to Fort George near Inverness

Day 1: The Ledgowan Arms in Achasheen for the first night

Day 2: The road to Applecross on the West Coast

Day 2: Pauline and the Nighthawk on the way over the 'top' to Applecross

Day 2: On 'the top' looking over to the Cuillins on the Isle of Skye.

Day 3: The Broch at Dun Carloway, Isle of Lewis

Day 3: The Standing Stones at Callanish, Isle of Lewis

Day 3: St Moluag's Church, Ness, Isle of Lewis

Day 4:  St Clement's Church, Rodel, Isle of Harris

Day 5: Uig, Isle of Lewis

Day 5: Uig Sands, Isle of Lewis. As good as New Zealand (but slightly colder!). 

Day 6: The ferry, a journey through the Highlands and a night in a superb hotel.

Day 7: Surveying the scene at Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness

Well that was the week, that was. And a most enjoyable safari it was too. Enjoy the rest of your holiday Pauline.

Market Forces

Friday night we stayed in the four star guest house Lakes Lodge in Ambleside. The service was very friendly and helpful. The room was superb with very high quality bedding and towels (and loo paper!). The self-service breakfast was as good as I’ve been presented with in a hotel (and I’ve stayed in hundreds). The wi-fi was free and quite fast. The ice machine supplied CJ with constant and copious quantities.  The decor in the reception and breakfasting area was rather garish for my taste and out of keeping with the rest of the hotel but if you get there don’t let that put you off. In Ambleside there is so much accommodation the problem is choosing, although at the weekend in the height of the season I should imagine much of it is pretty full.

And an opportunity to mention Marmite cannot be missed.  It was available at breakfast in little heart-shaped containers along with the excellent selection of preserves.

Saturday we arrived in Cluanie. Cluanie has an Inn.  It's called, rather predictably, Cluanie Inn.  There is no other building for about 12 miles Westwards - perhaps more in the other direction. After having driven about 415 miles in indifferent and sometimes poor conditions food and a bed were very welcome.

I last stayed there about 25 years ago. They had at least two single rooms (unusual these days in many UK hotels in my experience) and a family room available.

The dinner was perfectly acceptable but not as good as the food we had in a restaurant in Ambleside for less money (and wine was 50% more expensive than a comparable glass of wine in Ambleside).  The service was good: a Czech waitress was particularly pleasant and someone doing maintenance in the morning insisted in carrying all the cases out to the car because I was struggling to get past his ladder. Breakfast lacked attention to detail and the bacon was covered in the unappetising stuff cheap bacon is covered in and neither CJ nor I ate it.  Much to my surprise there is wifi but because of the remote location it's satellite and not free (and nor would I expect it to have been) but the effort has been made and it is available in the public areas (but not the bedrooms).

The Cluanie Inn was 22% more expensive than the Lake Lodge.

Which probably goes to show you that if you are the only building with food and a bed for perhaps 25 miles (probably more) then market forces allow you to charge accordingly.