Category Archives: Jim and Elsie’s 1978 Tour

Jim and Elsie’s 1978 Tour – Day 93

Sunday, 2 July 1978

Fine, warm, cloudy

Car to hotel. Dropped bags. To Holland Park – nobody there 3.00. Wrote on the delivery slip and left through door.

Walked to Kensington Palace saw State apartments.

Back to hotel. Elsie did some letter writing. I checked accounts to come.

 

[END OF DIARY]

What an amazing adventure Jim and Elsie must have had – and it didn’t end here. After departing London they had 6 nights in Hong Kong on their way home.

 

 

Jim and Elsie’s 1978 Tour – Day 87

Monday, 26 June 1978

Cold, windy, some showers

Through Hay-on-Wye. Back road came to a toll bridge (7p) over a canal. The WHITNEY toll bridge.

To Hereford and Worcester through rich rolling country to Stratford. Place full of tourist buses to see Shakespeare’s cottage that has been set up as a tourist attraction. Town very busy.

Shakespeare’s birthplace

Down to Stow-on-the-Wold. Old buildings around a square. Meal at White Hart £8 [Ed. I had some great meals here when I visited in 2000]. Stayed with Mrs Heatt – very good H&C £3.50 ea.

Stocks in Square at Stow-on-the-Wold

Our B&B at Stow

In the village at Stow

Jim and Elsie’s 1978 Tour – Day 86

Sunday, 25 June 1978

Cold, cloudy, occasional showers

Breakfast 9.00. Drove to Llyswen and bought skirt and heavy jumper – to be sent to Australia.

 

Cattle moving through the main street of Llyswen Wells

Onto Brecon Beacons Mountain Centre. A special centre for the use of visitors – cafeteria, picnic facilities, showers, rest centre. Very well set up with a wonderful view of the Beacons in the distance. Beacons – an unusual outcrop of red sandstone pushed up many years ago.

 

To Merthyr and to Abergavenny where [we] tried to find Llangua where Marion’s cousin lived. Inquired at bus depot – talked with the mechanic. Place was 11 miles out on the Hereford border. Passed through the place and came back. Went up a road for miles – came back – the place Elsie asked at turned out to be where Paddy and Tony Wollan lived. (5.00pm).

Stayed for tea. Tony had had a throat operation and has his larynx removed (12 months ago).  His partner had had open heart surgery. Both families live in very large house (300 years old in parts) that used to be coach house. – 7 bedrooms upstairs. Dining and a couple of lounge rooms. Paddy showed us the large sideboard (£13) on a solid stone floor. The cellar and bar (of old inn) were below in another room down below they have a full size billiard table.

Back through Talgarth to Builth Wells.

Jim and Elsie’s 1978 Tour – Day 84

Friday, 23 June 1978

Wet (VERY)

Set off to Mt Snowden. Very heavy rain as we went through the Llanberis Pass. Very rugged cliffs but could not see much. Saw the rack and pinion steam engine that goes up the mountain but cloud was very low.

To Carnarvon Castle. The walls very impressive but much restoration work has been done. In one tower an exhibition of the development. Built in time of Edward I between 1280 and 1320s. The city wall completed in 4 years.

Inside Carnarvon Castle

The dias where Charles was installed as Prince of Wales

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another tower has the story of the crowning of Charles as Prince of Wales. Special chairs sold as souvenirs – slate dias, slate chairs for the crowning.

Very cold and windy in the passageways. Lunch on the quayside.

Saw the 3 bridges of Castle Conwy – rail, suspension bridge (1833) and new road bridge.

Pouring rain. Back up Conwy valley. Looked at shirts – bought little purses in Llanberis.