August 7, 1962
Bangor - Maeshafn
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After breakfast, I asked one of the Brylcream boys, what their chant was all about.
“Well ye knaw church bingo like, one of wor mates was tarkin while he was playin a game and his numbers come up and withoot thinkin' he just yelled oot, like.”
So, “Hoose, yer fucker.” in the church hall. I got it.
Today we were due a free lunch. In Llandudno. My alcoholic, possibly lesbian* schoolteacher aunt was on holiday there and had offered to treat us at her hotel. It was too good to refuse this, so we diverted slightly to the resort, accompanied by one of the boys from Northampton. His travelling companion was spending his day with a girl he'd met at the Bangor hostel. [more, more discreet sex] He was a tidy cyclist and wind-assisted, we reached Conwy, where we separated, in no time. This road, the A55 was rideable back then. Now there's a fast dual-carriageway, the North Wales Expressway, from which cyclists are barred.
We were very politely ushered into the hotel dining room. The staff and my aunt made quite a fuss of us. [come all that way on bikes, etc.]. I haven't been back to Llandudno, since, but as far as I can tell it still survives as a seaside resort, in spite of most British holidaymakers mow preferring the Mediterranean sun to rainy North Wales. In this respect my aunt, with her friend Dorrie had been a bit of a pioneer. She took an early package holiday in the 1950s to Majorca. I remember them both recollecting in disgust, that they had been served fish soup. There was none of that here in Llandudno, but as we ate, there was sunshine over the sea and for the rest of the day inland.
We were back on the main A55 road as far as St. Asaph, where we turned south-eastwards on quieter roads towards Maeshafn. Close to the village, I asked directions of a pink-cheeked farmer. “Mayshaffen”, we wanted to be. “Oh, Myzaven,” he said, and pointed the way. So that's how you say it. It was “Teach Youself Welsh,” from the library, for me when I got home.
Today's ride: 108 km (67 miles)
Total: 766 km (476 miles)
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