# The Valleys #1 Welsh attraction in Rough Guide!



## editor (Jun 24, 2006)

It sounds a bit surreal to me, but the south Wales Valleys has topped the list of places to see in the new edition of the Rough Guide to Wales!

Here's their top ten:

1. The Valleys
2. Pistyll Rhaeadr waterfall, Powys
3. Transporter Bridge, Newport
4. National Waterfront Museum, Swansea
5. Soar-y-Mynydd chapel, Powys
6. Portmeirion
7. Aberglasney, Tywi Valley
8. Castell Carreg Cennen, Carmarthenshire
9. Oak woods, sacred to Druids
10. Lava bread 

(Wot no Big Pit?)

The fifth edition of the Rough Guide to Wales also describes Newport as  "loud and lairy" (an understatement, ,ethinks), Jackland top be "breezy and resurgent" with the "crowning glory" of Snowdonia.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/5111766.stm


----------



## ddraig (Jun 24, 2006)

which valleys tho  west/east? and how will they give directions, strange. perhaps they mean the beacons 
not saying that some parts of the valleys aren't stunning mind, it was the only good thing about a delivery job i had up there for a month.


----------



## Dai Sheep (Jun 24, 2006)

Transporter Bridge? an ugly monstrosity, like the city it is located in.


----------



## trashpony (Jun 24, 2006)

The Valleys? 

Bit grim if you ask me


----------



## AnnO'Neemus (Jun 24, 2006)

Where's Brecon Beacons?  And Brecon Jazz Festival?


----------



## trashpony (Jun 24, 2006)

AnnO'Neemus said:
			
		

> Where's Brecon Beacons?  And Brecon Jazz Festival?



In Brecon 

The Beacons are the moutains around Brecon

Oh I just realised what you meant  

Oops!


----------



## Brockway (Jun 24, 2006)

Dai Sheep said:
			
		

> Transporter Bridge? an ugly monstrosity, like the city it is located in.



Bit harsh on punk HQ Newport. Transporter bridge is cool, I think.


----------



## ddraig (Jun 24, 2006)

trashpony said:
			
		

> The Valleys?
> 
> Bit grim if you ask me



that's 2 attacks on Wales today, when were you here?


----------



## Hollis (Jun 24, 2006)

Sounds like the bloke who wrote the book is desperatly cool.


----------



## ddraig (Jun 24, 2006)

Hollis said:
			
		

> Sounds like the bloke who wrote the book is desperatly cool.


come ON hollis, you're slipping


----------



## llantwit (Jun 24, 2006)

editor said:
			
		

> It sounds a bit surreal to me, but the south Wales Valleys has topped the list of places to see in the new edition of the Rough Guide to Wales!
> 
> Here's their top ten:
> 
> ...




More to the point - wot no Ponty? Wot no Aberdare? And how could they miss out Merthyr?


----------



## Karac (Jun 24, 2006)

Never heard of most of them 
Apart from lava bread-youve got to cook it in bacon fat and have it with a fry-up
Port Meirion-went there when i was a kid dont remember a thing
The Valleys-really?-been to Merthyr once -maybe its changed


----------



## ginger_syn (Jun 25, 2006)

no its still grim, just a bit cleaner


----------



## editor (Jun 25, 2006)

Hollis said:
			
		

> Sounds like the bloke who wrote the book is desperatly cool.


Clearly not as desperate as you are to (once again) try to stir it up in the Welsh forum.


----------



## tangerinedream (Jun 25, 2006)

Interestingly or not as the case may be, the valleys are one of those places i've never been to but always fancied going too.


----------



## ginger_syn (Jun 25, 2006)

its stunning in places, well worth a visit,


----------



## Hollis (Jun 25, 2006)

editor said:
			
		

> Clearly not as desperate as you are to (once again) try to stir it up in the Welsh forum.



There you go with your twatty interventions and hypocrisy. (as noted in the music forum).

You haven't got a clue how to "moderate" this forum have you. Never have had either.

Maybe you should fine someone else who's got a vague clue to do the job?


----------



## sojourner (Jun 25, 2006)

Hollis said:
			
		

> There you go with your twatty interventions and hypocrisy. (as noted in the music forum).
> 
> You haven't got a clue how to "moderate" this forum have you. Never have had either.
> 
> Maybe you should fine someone else who's got a vague clue to do the job?


oooOOOOOooooo


----------



## trashpony (Jun 25, 2006)

ddraig said:
			
		

> that's 2 attacks on Wales today, when were you here?



Oh sorry - should have explained. 

My mum's from the Valleys, my dad's from Cardiff and I went to university in Aberystwyth. 

I personally find the valleys depressing and grim - that could be because of what it means to my family. And I had a particularly vile time in Aberystwyth where my left wing views didn't go down at all well with the largely young conservative student population. 

There are a lot of places in Wales I love massively - just unfortunate the only two I'm not keen on came up on the same day


----------



## LilMissHissyFit (Jun 25, 2006)

I live in the vallyes and unfortunately the majority of it is dreadry, bleak and dismally backward

Theyve missed out some fantastic attractions, shows the 'rough' guide is just that- rough, not terribly well researched nor accurate


----------



## ddraig (Jun 25, 2006)

trashpony said:
			
		

> Oh sorry - should have explained.
> 
> My mum's from the Valleys, my dad's from Cardiff and I went to university in Aberystwyth.
> 
> ...


fair enuff!   my sis was at aber n all, and apart from meeting her husband i think she crap time there. and the state of some of the valleys shocked me when i saw them, even though i knew they were severly deprived. 
for some reason i though u might be australian


----------



## trashpony (Jun 25, 2006)

ddraig said:
			
		

> for some reason i though u might be australian



  

How weird! I've never even been to Australia


----------



## ddraig (Jun 25, 2006)

trashpony said:
			
		

> How weird! I've never even been to Australia


 again. were you at ashton court last year?


----------



## llantwit (Jun 25, 2006)

LilMissHissyFit said:
			
		

> I live in the vallyes and unfortunately the majority of it is dreadry, bleak and dismally backward
> 
> Theyve missed out some fantastic attractions, shows the 'rough' guide is just that- rough, not terribly well researched nor accurate


I've always found the Rough Guide to be exactly the opposite.
That list is just from the beginning of the book to give people a general taster or top 30 or so places to visit - there's always a much more detailed section later in the book.


----------



## Strumpet (Jun 25, 2006)

sojourner said:
			
		

> oooOOOOOooooo



Innit.


----------



## tangerinedream (Jun 25, 2006)

Further too my earlier point about wanting to see the valleys, I sort of imagine them to be a bit like East Lancashire, some lovely bits of scenary and some bits that are rough as toast. Kind of like Burnley, but with welsh accents.


----------



## trashpony (Jun 25, 2006)

ddraig said:
			
		

> again. were you at ashton court last year?



Nope 

I think you are confusing me with some other bird


----------



## ddraig (Jun 25, 2006)

trashpony said:
			
		

> Nope
> 
> I think you are confusing me with some other bird


ok sorry! at least that's sorted  
<nothing to see here>


----------



## Supine (Jun 25, 2006)

tangerinedream said:
			
		

> Further too my earlier point about wanting to see the valleys, I sort of imagine them to be a bit like East Lancashire, some lovely bits of scenary and some bits that are rough as toast. Kind of like Burnley, but with welsh accents.




Not a bad comparison.

I must say though, my top ten list of places in Wales would be very different to the list quoted.


----------



## editor (Jun 25, 2006)

Hollis said:
			
		

> You haven't got a clue how to "moderate" this forum have you. Never have had either.


Anyway,* back on topic,* (got that, Hollis?) I'd put Hay on Wye/Black Mountains in my top ten, deffo. There's some stunning countryside around there.

And how anyone can leave the Big Pit off the list is anyone's guess. 

It surely must be one of the best museums in the UK (it's already a World Heritage site too).

Although some parts of the valleys are nice, a great deal of then are still blighted by post-industrial eyesores and there's not a great deal to look at there.


----------



## RubberBuccaneer (Jun 25, 2006)

What a bizarre list - just shows they do bugger all research - an Oak wood /valleys, not really specific are they.

Carreg Cennen I'd agree with.

Transporter bridge coz it's one of only two remaining.

Gower ( yes all of it )

Pembroke Coastal Path

Preselli Mountains

Scwd yr Eira waterfalls.

This rough guide is really rough...they may have just said Wales


----------



## Gavin Bl (Jun 25, 2006)

llantwit said:
			
		

> More to the point - wot no Ponty? Wot no Aberdare? And how could they miss out Merthyr?



Clearly they have gathered all these mighty towns into 'The Valleys' to give Snowdonia and boring old places like that a look in. Otherwise the list would have been

1. Dowlais
2. Merthyr
3. Abertillery
4. Maerdy
5. Pontypridd
6. Ebbw Vale
7. Treharris
8. Hirwaun
9. Abercynon
10. Ystrad Mynach
11. Pembrokeshire Coast Path, etc...

in last place of course would be Aberdare...it might be the valleys, but snakes is snakes


----------



## ginger_syn (Jun 26, 2006)

people should only visit dowlais as a warning


----------



## LilMissHissyFit (Jun 26, 2006)

llantwit said:
			
		

> I've always found the Rough Guide to be exactly the opposite.
> That list is just from the beginning of the book to give people a general taster or top 30 or so places to visit - there's always a much more detailed section later in the book.


and given that theyve got the 'top 30 places' dismally wrong I think we can deduce that perhaps the person doing the 'guiding' hasnt spent very long here
Its just Lazy journalism


----------



## LilMissHissyFit (Jun 26, 2006)

tangerinedream said:
			
		

> Further too my earlier point about wanting to see the valleys, I sort of imagine them to be a bit like East Lancashire, some lovely bits of scenary and some bits that are rough as toast. Kind of like Burnley, but with welsh accents.



I think you might be right there


----------



## llantwit (Jun 26, 2006)

LilMissHissyFit said:
			
		

> Theyve missed out some fantastic attractions, shows the 'rough' guide is just that- rough, not terribly well researched nor accurate





> and given that theyve got the 'top 30 places' dismally wrong I think we can deduce that perhaps the person doing the 'guiding' hasnt spent very long here
> Its just Lazy journalism



I've got the last edition of the Rough Guide to Wales, and it's very good. 
Not at all badly researched, and pretty well written - it certainly isn'y lazily done or inaccurate.


----------



## Hollis (Jun 26, 2006)

It still seems abit weird.. say you're a Japanese tourist and you've got 5 days to spend in Wales - you're instructed to head to the valleys.


----------



## Belushi (Jun 26, 2006)

> in last place of course would be Aberdare...it might be the valleys, but snakes is snakes



Innit, we aint forgotten yet


----------



## Belushi (Jun 26, 2006)

The Rough Guide is whack, wheres Neath on that list to start with?


----------



## editor (Jun 26, 2006)

Hollis said:
			
		

> It still seems abit weird.. say you're a Japanese tourist and you've got 5 days to spend in Wales - you're instructed to head to the valleys.


The Valleys isn't without its charms, you know. 

There's some beautiful walks and the area is of interest because of its industrial heritage.


----------



## Hollis (Jun 26, 2006)

editor said:
			
		

> The Valleys isn't without its charms, you know.
> 
> There's some beautiful walks and the area is of interest because of its industrial heritage.



I've no doubt it isn't .. but its abit like the London equivalent of directing someone to say, the Lee Valley or Thames Estury.. interesting places, but not necessarily in the initial must see category.


----------



## editor (Jun 26, 2006)

Hollis said:
			
		

> I've no doubt it isn't .. but its abit like the London equivalent of directing someone to say, the Lee Valley or Thames Estury.. interesting places, but not necessarily in the initial must see category.


Not quite.

A huge chunk of Welsh history and modern culture comes from the Valleys and for anyone looking to dig a little deeper into the heart of a nation, a trip to the Valleys could be worthwhile.

They certainly played a far more significant part in the country's heritage than the Lee Valley's contribution to English history.

I'd definitely say that Blaenavon should be on every tourist's itinerary too, and not just for the superb Big Pit museum.


----------



## RubberBuccaneer (Jun 26, 2006)

I've got some distant American relatives who visited ' the land of their fathers ' a few years back, who cheerfully 'did' Wales in 2 days ! 

Seriously they tanked around it all . 

Maybe that what the guide is for - see it all..get into none


----------



## Hollis (Jun 26, 2006)

Yes - but that's not really what 95-99% of tourists are really into, rightly or wrongly, imho.. despite what the guidebooks write.. putting it as no.1 still seems somewhat bizarre.


----------



## ginger_syn (Jun 26, 2006)

there was a significant emmigration of skilled iron workers and their famillies from the s.w.valleys to america in the 19th C. which probably accounts for the high tourist intrest now,Land of my fathers and all that,plus a lot of the countryside around the valley's is stunning, including the old industrial workings that have gone wild,and which are well worth scrambling round for photo's. the valley villages,and towns on the other hand tend to be depressing but that is hardly surprising given the facts that most of that area was mined and poisoned, and then left to rot, I think the recovery of the land should be noted. well done the valley's


----------



## Belushi (Jun 26, 2006)

> the valley villages,and towns on the other hand tend to be depressing but that is hardly surprising given the facts that most of that area was mined and poisoned



Its quite astonishing how quickly nature can return though, my valley (Dulais) is much greener and more rural than I remember it as a kid, and even more so than when my Dad was a lad. This has been helped by the dramatic fall in the population thats occured in the pasdt quarter century.


----------



## Buds (Jun 26, 2006)

Gavin Bl said:
			
		

> Clearly they have gathered all these mighty towns into 'The Valleys' to give Snowdonia and boring old places like that a look in. Otherwise the list would have been
> 
> 1. Dowlais
> 2. Merthyr
> ...



Ebbw Vale in 6th???  Shurely you meant Tredegar, we've got a big clock and 2 parks and everything. All Ebbw has is a multistorey car park.

You're right about snake valley mind.


----------



## Gavin Bl (Jun 26, 2006)

Belushi said:
			
		

> Its quite astonishing how quickly nature can return though, my valley (Dulais) is much greener and more rural than I remember it as a kid, and even more so than when my Dad was a lad. This has been helped by the dramatic fall in the population thats occured in the pasdt quarter century.



Yes indded, there's been vast amounts of land regeneration in Merthyr too, the huge White Tip, the Red tip, and many of the others are long gone. The British tip much reduced for the 'new' council offices. The Guest Keen steelworks in Penywern, where my uncle worked, is now a housing estate. Loads of slum housing pulled down, etc.. The list goes on - hardly recognise the place sometimes


----------



## *Miss Daisy* (Jun 26, 2006)

What about Our Welsh Castles,,, we have some wicked castles, which have some good events/festival type things going on,,,

or Tintin abbey,, 

or mountains,,,


and ummm,,,I went to barry island the other week,, gosh, what a shithole it is,, only about 5 rides open in the fair 

Big Pit is great too,,


----------



## Belushi (Jun 26, 2006)

> What about Our Welsh Castles,,, we have some wicked castles, which have some good events/festival type things going on,,,



Innit, Wales has some of the most impressive Castles in Europe, masterpieces of their kind.


----------



## Brockway (Jun 26, 2006)

I'd put the coffee machine in Cardiff Central Library in my top 10 - it takes 1p and 2p pieces!  

Don't go putting a £1 coin in though, coz you gets 70p worth of shrapnel in change.  

Someone needs to build a humungus statue of Merlin in Wales - it's the biggest missed opportunity in tourism anywhere in Britain.


----------



## Belushi (Jun 26, 2006)

> Someone needs to build a humungus statue of Merlin in Wales - it's the biggest missed opportunity in tourism anywhere in Britain.



No way    I know it will bring in the Yanks but I hate all that airy-fairy faux Celtic stuff  

A giant statue of a striking miner or a Rebecca Rioter I'd go for


----------



## editor (Jun 26, 2006)

Belushi said:
			
		

> Innit, Wales has some of the most impressive Castles in Europe, masterpieces of their kind.


It's funny: if the massive Caerphilly Castle had been in America, there'd be a fucking huge great tourist industry surrounding it.

Instead, it feels like it's just stuck in the middle of the town like any other building.

Which I kinda like, to be honest....


----------



## Brockway (Jun 26, 2006)

Belushi said:
			
		

> No way    I know it will bring in the Yanks but I hate all that airy-fairy faux Celtic stuff
> 
> A giant statue of a striking miner or a Rebecca Rioter I'd go for



Well to be honest I hate all that elves and dragons stuff too but thousands and thousands of potential tourists don't. Without Merlin there's no Gandalf and no Harry Potter. Merlin is the most culturally influential Welsh person ever - bar none and what have we got in Wales to commemorate him? Feck all! There are caves and lakes which are historically/mythically associated with him but no cohesive "Merlin Trail" to connect them. What we need are some photo opps for tourists - so if it was down to me I'd erect some huge fecking statues all over Wales (and definitely one in Carmarthen).

Although I'm politically on the left I loathe social-realist art - it's soooo boring (just check out the statues of miners that have sprung up in Cardiff recently). Plus there's this notion amongst some Welsh people that the Valleys _is_ Wales. So no more heroic miner artworks purlease.


----------



## LilMissHissyFit (Jun 26, 2006)

editor said:
			
		

> It's funny: if the massive Caerphilly Castle had been in America, there'd be a fucking huge great tourist industry surrounding it.
> 
> Instead, it feels like it's just stuck in the middle of the town like any other building.
> 
> Which I kinda like, to be honest....


and we all ignore it  IT amuses people who come to stay with us no end. We've never taken a visitor in there either.


----------



## LilMissHissyFit (Jun 26, 2006)

editor said:
			
		

> The Valleys isn't without its charms, you know.
> 
> There's some beautiful walks and the area is of interest because of its industrial heritage.



Flutters eyelashes


----------



## RubberBuccaneer (Jun 26, 2006)

Buds said:
			
		

> Ebbw Vale in 6th???  Shurely you meant Tredegar, we've got a big clock and 2 parks and everything. All Ebbw has is a multistorey car park.
> 
> You're right about snake valley mind.



Ebbw Vale rocks !


----------



## *Miss Daisy* (Jun 26, 2006)

RubberBuccaneer said:
			
		

> Ebbw Vale rocks !


 its just a big hill innit???


----------



## RubberBuccaneer (Jun 26, 2006)

*Miss Daisy* said:
			
		

> its just a big hill innit???



It#s the bithplace of my beloved so take that back !


----------



## *Miss Daisy* (Jun 26, 2006)

RubberBuccaneer said:
			
		

> It#s the bithplace of my beloved so take that back !


 Ok,, ebbw vale is not a crappy concrete city built on a crusty baron hill,,
It is in fact a lovely place,, 
Tis the pride of welsh wales!!!! abit like the glorious Merthyr



sorry Mrs Rb,, i'm only joking!!


----------



## RubberBuccaneer (Jun 26, 2006)

And there's a memorial to Nye Bevan on the hill to Tredegar ( tho' I spect the Tred lot will claim it ).

Concrete city...as opposed to Cwmbran/ Pontypool or Pontnewynedd?


----------



## *Miss Daisy* (Jun 26, 2006)

RubberBuccaneer said:
			
		

> And there's a memorial to Nye Bevan on the hill to Tredegar ( tho' I spect the Tred lot will claim it ).
> 
> Concrete city...as opposed to Cwmbran/ Pontypool or Pontnewynedd?


 I'm only winding you up,, I've not been to Ebbw Vale since i was a kid,,,,

I was bought up in pontypool(the nice bit-Sebastopol) then had a house in Cwmbran for years,, now that is a shithole/concrete jungle,,,


----------



## RubberBuccaneer (Jun 26, 2006)

*Miss Daisy* said:
			
		

> I'm only winding you up,, I've not been to Ebbw Vale since i was a kid,,,,
> 
> I was bought up in pontypool(the nice bit-Sebastopol) then had a house in Cwmbran for years,, now that is a shithole/concrete jungle,,,



i used to work in the hospital there


----------



## *Miss Daisy* (Jun 26, 2006)

RubberBuccaneer said:
			
		

> i used to work in the hospital there


 I was in there about 5 yrs,,

 Panteg - talygarn i think,,


----------



## Gavin Bl (Jun 26, 2006)

Buds said:
			
		

> Ebbw Vale in 6th???  Shurely you meant Tredegar, we've got a big clock and 2 parks and everything. All Ebbw has is a multistorey car park.
> 
> You're right about snake valley mind.



Go on, I'll give you Tredegar - what about Rassau instead. Just of the Heads of Valleys - easy for the big Asda on Dowlais Top, or over to Abergavenny. 

Tidy!


----------



## Buds (Jun 26, 2006)

Gavin Bl said:
			
		

> Go on, I'll give you Tredegar - what about Rassau instead. Just of the Heads of Valleys - easy for the big Asda on Dowlais Top, or over to Abergavenny.
> 
> Tidy!



I worked very, very briefly up the Rassau industrial estate and my grandpa takes Fochriw jazz band up there to practise.

But I'll see your Rassau and raise you a Trefil, the most barren, desolate place in the valleys and Mecca to sci fi movie makers and technically its part of Tredegar.


----------



## Buds (Jun 26, 2006)

RubberBuccaneer said:
			
		

> And there's a memorial to Nye Bevan on the hill to Tredegar ( tho' I spect the Tred lot will claim it ).



Damn right its ours. Which reminds me we've also got Michael Foot's old house and the largest lump of coal in the world. I don't understand why there aren't hoardes of Americans wearing ill fitting shorts and bum bags flocking here. 

But the MSCP is the only thing in Ebbw.


----------



## ddraig (Jun 26, 2006)

Buds said:
			
		

> I worked very, very briefly up the Rassau industrial estate and my grandpa takes Fochriw jazz band up there to practise.
> 
> But I'll see your Rassau and raise you a Trefil, the most barren, desolate place in the valleys and Mecca to sci fi movie makers and technically its part of Tredegar.



yes but trefil has a special place in our hearts for other reasons


----------



## davesgcr (Jun 26, 2006)

Someone once said that Dowlais and Fochriw were the end of the world.

The valleys are absolutly unique - much , much greener now and have recovered form the century and a half of exploitation. Its a shame that the physical condition and legacy of the built environment doesnt often match the surroundings around.

Love my bit - around Ammanford to bits - but dont live there - but talk it up to anyone who listens.The people are incomparable in friendliness - albeit with a strong need to know your business ........


----------



## niclas (Jun 26, 2006)

LilMissHissyFit said:
			
		

> and given that theyve got the 'top 30 places' dismally wrong I think we can deduce that perhaps the person doing the 'guiding' hasnt spent very long here
> Its just Lazy journalism



To be fair, Mike Parker has lived near Aberystwyth for a long time and has learnt Welsh fluently. He has also written well on the attitude of his fellow incomers - i.e. their racism (and when they hear his Brummie accent they tend to be more revealing than if it was a "native")

Don't agree with all his list but who the hell would? We've all got our favourites and he obviously hasn't been up Cwm Bychan above Harlech, climbed up to Castell Dinas Bran (trans = Crow City Castle!) near Llangollen or spent an afternoon in the Black Boy in Caernarfon (mmm, there's a thought)


----------



## flangelina (Jun 26, 2006)

*ahem* I do think the North has been ignored, somewhat unfairly. What about the Snowdon Mountain Railway in Llanberis, and Swallow Falls? Actually Pete's Eats in Llanberis is a bit of a legend in itself with the climbing folk (I've heard it tell you can get a mug of coffee there that's FULL of coffee!!  ) Beddgelert is lovely, and of course there's the whole story of Gelert. The Great Orme in Llandudno is impressive. Conway for the smallest house in Wales (cue cries of "how quaint" from American tourists) as well as the walled town and the nearby harbour. And was there no mention of Anglesey whatsoever? Sure, there's not LOADS to see there, but Beaumaris castle is very pretty, and of course you've got the Menai Bridge. I'd agree with the inclusion of Portmeirion though.

Not much going on in Dolgellau but worth a mention for the annual Sesiwn Fawr and the George (?) pub on the Estuary that's beautiful in the summer. Wouldn't recommend the food personally, but the walk / cycle there is quite breathtaking.

I'd put Brecon and its lovely beacons in my list, also the Mumbles. And I know the locals don't really like this, but Tenby is a really popular destination with those wanting a different New Years Eve location.


----------



## ginger_syn (Jun 27, 2006)

ddraig said:
			
		

> yes but trefil has a special place in our hearts for other reasons


----------



## Ben Bore (Jun 27, 2006)

Even though I've lived in Wales all my life and like to think that I know most corners of my country, I bought either the last edition or the one before that
and find it handy.  I'm sure some of the things mentioned as overlooked in this thread appears in previous editions - do Rough Guides swap things over from edition to edition?




			
				flangelina said:
			
		

> Conway for the smallest house in Wales (cue cries of "how quaint" from American tourists) as well as the walled town and the nearby harbour.



A friend of mine used to work in Pringles (huge shop selling Pringle golf jumpers and overpriced touristy tat)  in Anglesey, and every sunday they'd close the store specially for coach loads os Americans on their way to the ferry.  At the till this guy say's to my mate 





> "We've just been to Conn-whey, lovely castle, *shame they built it so close to the railway line* though"


 


...and it's Conwy not Conway


----------



## bluestreak (Jun 27, 2006)

i had a fucking top curry in merthyr once though.

actually, to be honest, most of my time visiting wales has been spent in the valleys.  still got a soft spot for neath and all that post-industrial crumbling stuff.


----------



## Belushi (Jun 27, 2006)

> still got a soft spot for neath



Top Man!


----------



## Gavin Bl (Jun 27, 2006)

Buds said:
			
		

> But I'll see your Rassau and raise you a Trefil, the most barren, desolate place in the valleys and Mecca to sci fi movie makers and technically its part of Tredegar.



Nice walk off the beacons through the remains of the quarries though.

Still, I might be forced to go nuclear . . .  .The lost City. . . that's right, Bedlinog. 



> *ahem* I do think the North has been ignored, somewhat unfairly


Sorry, thats just crazy gog talk!


----------



## Belushi (Jun 27, 2006)

Gavin Bl said:
			
		

> Sorry, thats just crazy gog talk!









I'd be keeping quiet if i were a Gog at the moment


----------



## davesgcr (Jun 27, 2006)

Neath Market - do they still serve faggots and peas in earthernware bowls I wonder ...? 

Ought to be a heritage grub trail - laverbread / pasties / rissoles 99% spud with thyme /


----------



## Gavin Bl (Jun 27, 2006)

davesgcr said:
			
		

> Neath Market - do they still serve faggots and peas in earthernware bowls I wonder ...?
> 
> Ought to be a heritage grub trail - laverbread / pasties / rissoles 99% spud with thyme /



Heh heh - I was about 20 before I found out that most people think scallops are seafood and not slices of potato deep fried in batter....


----------



## ICB (Jun 30, 2006)

not in order and off top of my head:

St Fagan's
Beacons
Black Mountain
Eryri
Pembs Coast
Black Mountains
Fforest Fawr
Big Pit
Prescelly Hills
Portmeirion (agreed)
Harlech

I actually like Merthyr, not a tourist destination tho.


----------

