3 days ago
I spent day in Llandudno and tried out things I've not done for years
Many of us have enjoyed the attractions of North Wales' premier seaside town - but often when we were much younger. With the summer holidays coming up, I revisited Llandudno - dubbed the Queen of Welsh Resorts - to see whether they still have the same allure, and was pleasantly surprised.
Llandudno has upwards of 2.8 million day visitors a year according to a Great British Tourism Survey from some time ago, giving the area a huge economic boost.
On Tuesday morning, I started out at the Great Orme and drove to the summit car park. I intended to take a cable car ride but popped into the shop first for a mooch.
It has the usual fridge magnets and knicknacks but I was interested to see they sell a children's Fossil Dig Kit for £6.99, (marine invertebrate and coral fossils have been found in the carboniferious limestone hereabouts), a Llandudno seagull cuddly toy (£7.50) and mini bingo (£1.99) for the trip home. The adjoining summit cafe, with its hot buffet, was very popular.
Then it was time to take a Great Orme cable car ride for the first time in years. You go around the back of the summit cafe and can buy a return ticket for £15 at a booth. Beware it's cash only though.
Naturally, safety is crucial and aswell as a somewhat ambiguous sign warning customers "Anyone standing up in the cable car may not return", there were sandbags to weigh it down during the journey.
With a gentle jolt, I was off, leaving behind the hubbub from the machinery. It's a nine-minute descent and I was impressed once again with the panoramic views of Llandudno Bay, Great Orme Country Park, disused quarries, St Tudno's Churchyard and Haulfre Gardens.
The peacefulness and serenity were striking (I didn't look directly down), punctuated by an occasional, cheery "Hello" from the occupants of a passing cable car.
I got off at the cable car station by Happy Valley (having to pay another 50p - not sure why) before walking around the building to get into another cable car for the returning ascent.
I learnt there had been customers from Canada and Malaysia that day and I heard American, Irish and Brummie accents too. Clearly, Llandudno's cable cars are enduringly popular.
On the way back to the summit car park I passed the Rocky Pines crazy golf course which I'd tried with the family years ago. It still looked fun and a woman was diligently hoovering the mini-fairways to keep them in tip-top condition.
Next, I drove into town for a walk along Llandudno Pier - another attraction which has its seaside charms. I headed into the amusement arcade where I spent £1 at a machine to charge up a credit card-sized fun card.
It paid for a chance to win a prize on a kind of mini-ferris wheel in a glass cabinet. There were Deadpool, Hello Kitty and Winnie the Pooh lamps but no joy, this time around.
Wandering along the pier I was pleased to see a resurgent vinyl record stall - (Elvis Presley and Willie Nelson were among the artists), CDs and further along a Stormtrooper and Darth Vader figures.
Of course, the squawking of seagulls is never far away in this town and at another kiosk fridge magnets proudly declared: "I lost my sausage roll/donut/dignity to a seagull in Llandudno".
I thought I'd finish off with a lesser known attraction: Llandudno Chocolate Experience. I'd been here a while back but there is always more to learn.
Customers get free chocolates of varying types - nutty, plain and milk etc - to be consumed at certain points on the trail to reflect how the taste of it developed.
Display boards tell the story - "Milk chocolate would not appear until after Henri Nestle invented powdered milk (in 1867) Daniel Peter worked out how to add it to chocolate."
And another board states: "Chocolate was first officially sent as a gift during the Second Boer War to celebrate the New Year of 1901. Queen Victoria asked Cadbury's to make a chocolate bar for her soldiers, however this caused a problem.
"Cadbury's was a Quaker company and, as a result the owners were all pacifists. In the end they only branded the bars the Queen saw and the rest were totally unbranded." The chocolate museum is open from 10am till 4pm Mondays to Fridays. (Admission up to £6.50).
There's a factory beside the Llandudno Chocolate Experience and Paul Williams and the other staff are happy to explain to you about how chocolate is produced.
It had been fun to revisit the attractions of yesteryear and to see they're still flourishing. The town holds happy memories for many and its enduring appeal is clearly attracting new generations of visitors too.
