Day 4 Nantgarw and Caerphilly

Yummy icecream afterwards

 Nicholas has never been 10-pin bowling!

What a deprived childhood he has suffered!

What sort of father am I?!

I think today is the day to rectify this miscarriage of neglect.

Nantgarw’s Bowl-plex is the place for us. The 21 lane bowling complex is situated among the showcase movie multiplex, Freddie and Benny’s heart attack joint, and next to the ASDA ‘Walmart delight’.

Three games for $6.50 each, a real bargain. As we get ourselves ready a memory of mine flashes through my mind.

I must have been about 12 or 13. One weekend I spent with my and dad we decided to go bowling. Just the three of us. We had our games together, I don’t recall the score but I think it safe to say I’d lost. The punishment was being the one who had to get out of the car when we got the Chinese takeaway, dash across the car park, through the pouring rain and order.

So I’ve ordered sweet and sour chicken for my sister and me. My dad has his usual “Beef curry, fried rice and chicken and mushroom soup”.

I’m sitting in the waiting area. Its only supposed to be 10 minutes, but I swear it feels twice that and I’m starting to get bored. I look around, I see the other customers, I puff out my cheeks. I look at the ground, at my shoes. I look around again. Now back to my shoes… wait, they’re not my shoes, they’re my bowling shoes!

I’ve left my trainers at the bowling alley!

So I’ve shared this story with Nicholas and Nan. We laugh and play our games.

About an hour later; after we’ve each won a game. Left Driven to, parked at, then circumnavigated Caerphilly castle on foot. We’re finally taking a breather, sitting on the wall. I start to recount the story again, the bowling, the Chinese food and Nan looks at me  I’ve lost the plot. And Nicholas’ brain is screaming at him that he knows the story and bursting to tell us the punch line. So I say:

“So I look down, and what do I see on my feet?”

“BOWLING SHOES!” shouts Nicholas with great delight.

“That’s right,” I say and their eyes follow mine down to the ground, to Nan’s feet… to Nan’s bowling shoes.

Day 3 Cosmeston Lake

Climbing around at the lake

 I remember, as a high school student, going to Cosmeston Lake. We walked around the lake, we had lunch at the lakeside and we followed the nature trail. But there are no French exchange students to be seen. I don’t get to play on the adventure playground this time.

Instead I’m walking around the lake with my son, its 25 years later and we’re making a bivouac out of sticks in the woods.  

The lake opened in 1978 and has developed into one of the finest country parks in South Wales. Excavation of the park area all those years ago uncovered the remains of the community over 600 years old.

There now stands within the grounds of the park, Cosmeston Medieval Village which hopes to reconstruct what life would’ve been like all that time ago.

But for us, time is short, we need to head to the international pool in Cardiff for a quick swim before we meet up with friends….

Alas, the pool is a refit. The tiles on the base of the pool have risen up, the pool is leaking due to construction work just next door. Doh!

Fear not Barry pool is open, but not for much longer. “Let’s try Cogan, its closer, we’ll be able to have longer in the pool.” Says Nan.

Alas, there wasa fire at the pool and it’ll be closed for refurbishments. “You could come back in October” we’re told.  Double Doh!

I have come to the conclusion that I need to take a long look at the map. Where we are staying is nowhere near where I thought we were.  And for a geography major that can be a little embarrassing.

For those of you who are reading this online here is the link to the google map of the trip.

Vicki married Vianne a few years ago , they have a three year old son . Vicki is a local girl, and when I say local its all rather relative because Vianne is from Uganda.  He’s applied for citizenship and has to attend a special ceremony to receive his British passport. It’s all very exciting. No more applications for visas whenever they decide to go on holiday, visit family or he has to attend the occasional work conference.

But before all this can happen he has to sit “the test”. He studied the manual, learned the history, but it turns out most of the questions concerned everyday life stuff, like “What two types of card do British banks issue?” The test seems undifferentiated and clearly is designed with the recent migrant with minimal grasp of England, her language or culture rather than someone who studied for 3 years at Leister University and has been working he for the a further 6 years after that.

Day 2 – The Longest Day Pt2

Part 2: London to Llanbradoch

Ystrad Mynach park

This year, for the Evanses its not the 22^nd June that’s officially the longest day but rather today.

Nicholas and I have spent the past 12 hours on board CX243. We began the day, just after midnight, in Hong Kong its now a little after 5am local time and with the rest of the day ahead of us we make our bleary way through the labyrinth that is Heathrow Airport.

We’ve totaled up the travelling as there is little else to do while we wait for our luggage to appear.

Napier to Auckland	1 hour
Waiting	3 hours
Auckland to Hong Kong	11 hours
Waiting	4 hours
Hong Kong to London	12 hours
London to Llanbadoch	2.5 hours
Total	33.5 hours

Is it really any wonder Nicholas fell asleep in the car on the way to Wales?

We arrive at Mum’s, or Nan’s depending on who you’re speaking to. Nicholas is now bright as a button and ready for action. Simon, on the other hand is seriously flagging now.

But when sleep won’t come what’s the alternative? Fresh air and sunshine. And Ystrad Mynach park has it in spades.

Nicholas loved the park, the swings and the climbing frame particularly. Just what’s in order after 33 hours of confinement. That and a quality game of hide and seek with Nan.

The name Ystrad Mynach, in Welsh, refers to the wide, flat bottomed valley which would be subject to periodic flooding. The valley in this instance, was originally heavily farmed and very profitable for decades. But then came the industrial revelation and huge engineering works appeared, supporting the fledging coal mining of the valleys. It changed the nature of the community. Population increased, low cost terraced housing began to dominate the narrow roadsides and valley walls. Progress it would appear. So it remained for the much of the 20^th century until the coal industry in Wales began to dwindle, out priced by cheapening transportation bringing cheapening coal for far flung places. The town began to spiral downward. Off spring moving away, seeking education and opportunity, fewer and fewer returning to their roots. Until central government funding for conservation and preservation kicked in and community engagement programmes encouraged the regeneration of the area from the mid 90’s.

Here we are. Relaxing at Nan’s. If there’s one person who likes playing lego and crawling around on the floor as much as Nicholas, its Nan.