Anglesey, Wales, 1993

Well, after last year's visit to the Isle of Wight and all the fine weather we had we couldn't expect this year's trip to Anglesey to top it. Considering the time of year we didn't do too bad at all really-it didn't rain anyway. Just a bit chilly at night.

We tried to save ourselves a bit of cash this year so we went into Stuart's company car. Chris also missed this year because of domestic dilemmas so we were down to four people.

We chose a rather pleasant campsite called Bodafon Park at a place called Benllech on the northeast side of the island. An itinerary was drawn up, and to say it was a small island we still found that their were plenty of places to visit. Over the next three days we covered most of the island, ending up at Snowdon with spectacular views overlooking the whole of Anglesey.

Date: April 1993 Members: 4- Mark, Nic, Stuart, Mike Transport: Vauxhall Cavalier

Accommodation: Tent Duration: 3 nights Cost: £100 Rating: Good

Up out of our tent bright and early, we descended on

the little village next to our campsite, namely Benllech. There is always a greasy spoon café to hand wherever you go in Britain, and this was up there with the best of them. After a good feed a trip to the most depressing place ever, next to Kirkudbright in Scotland, ensued.

Amlwch is not a place to go to if you like the word 'lively'. Dull it is. A chemical works and a harbour are it's best features. Swiftly moving on past the wind farm turbines we ascended the highest point on the island, Parys Mountain at a height of 147 metres. Not really a mountain and more of a hillock, it looked like a scene from Dr Who, with the landscape looking like the surface of the moon. Incredibly eerie and very strange.

On then to Holyhead, gateway to Ireland and luncheon. Nothing much to say about it, quaint in a sort of way. Of more interest was the lighthouse at South Stack with it's descent of 410 steps. And when we got there it was shut! Typical.

We returned to our tents for tea and thence to the local pub called The Glanferon Hotel where we need say no more…

After leaving the pub with our carry-outs we made our way back to the tent and so to kip...

Sunday morning and what better way after a breakfast of Bacon and Egg sandwiches than to visit a neolithic burial chamber?

Bryncelli Ddu mound was certainly impressive. A celtic ruin constructed some 3000 years ago it was guarded by some rather intimidating bulls. No worries. Upon entering the chamber Mike was particularly taken with the whole thing and found it all quite spiritual. We spent some time there and generally chilled out for most of the day, spending the evening playing the Terminator 2 pinball machine in the pub! With it's cries of 'Get Out!', 'Get that extra ball!' and 'Awesome!' they quickly became the standard quotes of the holiday.

Today was to be our busiest day! First stop on the Anglesey trail was the village with the longest name in Britain which is...Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogery chwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. Phew! There's nothing special about this place other than the name and railway station-with sign of course.

While at Llanfairpg thingy we spotted a tall column with a statue on the top called George's Monument. As we ascended the top and emerged onto the plinth our stomachs churned at the height. Don't look down was the watchword here. Great views though over to the Menai Bridge and Snowdon.

So on we moved to a nice country house entitled Pas Newydd. All rather pleasant, someone famous lived there for a bit. Duke of Wellington we think. Can't remember. We do remember Nic chasing the garden pheasants around though. Dunno why.

The country house was a bit boring after a while, aquatic thoughts started to enter our heads and so a visit to the Sealife centre fulfilled our strange yearning. Lovely. Lots of fish. Cod mainly. And some very ugly eels.

No time to rest, we've castles to visit! Beaumaris Castle in fact. It was castle shaped and had a nice moat around it. It also cost £3.50 to get in. How we hate paying to enter these things. A most desirable residence it was all jolly relaxing..

What a hectic day it had been. Time to get back to the campsite and unwind with a flagon of ale. And then another. And another...

The last day already! As usual it all goes by very fast indeed. The tent was packed away for another year and we waved goodbye to Anglesey and started the journey home.

No trip to north Wales would be complete however without a trip to Mount Snowdon. Now being 1085 metres high it would take a fair while to climb-unless you take the train of course. Which we did. Having paid our £9 fare we sat back and watched the scenery go rushing by, ending up a station short of the summit, Clogwyn. What splendid views. It was certainly a lot colder at the top than at the bottom-there was a bit of sleet in fact while we were there.

After about an hour or so we travelled back down and called in at the waterfalls at Betys-y-Coed. Not quite the Niagara but the Welsh equivalent. A neat end to the holiday and a quick visit to a Little Chef en-route back to Nottingham, it was all over.

So there it is. Yet another successful forage into unknown territory for the Arrow Group. Time to head south for the next trip in 1994, to erm…Hastings in Sussex looks good. Some battle took place there or something. What do you think?