It would be fair to say that Fat Andy doesn’t think much of Nicktor’s post box obsession. This is the second time I’ve had the ‘pleasure’ of his company when visiting one of Nicktor’s favourite things, an Edward VII post box. From the time we arrived at Welshpool to the time we drove away, he didn’t stop moaning about it. I told him it was a chance for him to smoke and, given we’d be in the car for the next few hours, he should be pleased. He gruffled and kept walking, puffing away on his fag.
And so another away weekend slowly drifted away as we headed down a succession of motorways towards home. Of course, we had breakfast first. I feel it’s a treat I can’t avoid. Because it’s a treat I can’t avoid, I had pancakes with bacon, egg and maple syrup. Delicious!
Sadly, Nicktor and Andy weren’t as impressed with their full English breakfasts. To be fair, they complained about most food this weekend so I wasn’t that surprised.
And, naturally, because we were away, Nicktor had planned a couple of cultural excursions. First there was this big steel wheel which commemorates one of the worst mining disasters in the UK.
It was 22 September 1934 when the Gresford Colliery disaster occurred. 266 miners lost their lives when part of the mine exploded and a fire ripped through everything. It was just after 2 in the morning. The memorial was unveiled by the Prince of Wales in November 1982. I wonder why it took so long.
Anyway, on the side of the memorial is a list of all 266 men who died. A lot of them were called Jones. And Williams. I don’t think they were all related.
Actually, the reason why there are so many Welsh people called Jones is very interesting (more interesting than an Edward VII post box, anyway – sorry, Nicktor). I found a nice little piece that explains it easy and simply. It was by historian Prys Morgan and is here. Read the comments as well.
Another question that came up in the car was why are liquid tankers labelled either ‘food stuffs’ or ‘food products’? My guess is that food stuffs are largely unprocessed, while food products are highly processed. I’m happy to be corrected. Regardless of the contents, there was a rather long discussion on how long it would take to fill one by hand. This led to the inevitable question of how would one go about filling Seville Cathedral with liquid.
Of course, silly questions are all part of the fun run home and this trip was no different.
The weather was generally kind, though it did start raining just as Nicktor dropped me off.
Again, for the umpteenth time, an excellent weekend away, which I, at least, thoroughly enjoyed.
Oh, there was one downside to the trip home. I spotted a sign for the Heulwen Wharf and asked Nicktor to drive down a very narrow track to check it out. It was a great disappointment, given the gate was locked and we couldn’t walk over and have a look. Not that there was an awful lot there but, still, there was a stone with some sort of sign on it which may have proved interesting. Well, for me and Nicktor, maybe. I think Andy would have stayed in the car.
The wharf is run by the Heulwen Wharf Trust, an excellent charity that helps less able people enjoy the canal.
