“I bet you don’t get asked that every day ?” I said to the nice landlady. “No, apart from that rapper bloke“. “You mean BRAPA“, I corrected her. “Oh, with those red shoes I thought he was a rapper“. I might have imagined that conversation to be honest.
As Simon noted, the Wynnstay at Llansilin is both basic and colourful, though the colour comes largely from the sort of superhero collection I dreamt of at 11, when the Fantastic Four wallpaper adorned my walls. Flowers and friendly locals (them again) helped this add up to the sort of rural pub folk eulogise about, but rarely visit.
Toilets without any M/F signage at all added to the fun, which only ended when I took a sip of the York Guzzler.
I really should have had the Greene King being promoted in the lounge, but Simon’s warning about the Guzzler meant I had to try it. I don’t think the barrel had been changed since the Everitt family visited for lemonade testing a week ago. I tipped it into the nearest dog bowl.
Despite that, I recommend a visit. Pubs aren’t all about beer and this is a real pub.
I’d attracted attention already with an OS map sticking out my back pocket. Despite the glorious scenery it’s a place people get around on tractors, and there in the car park was a fine collection of them. During my school holidays I used to drive a potato planter for my Dad, occasionally in a straight line. It looked like the red one below.
Llansilin is a straggly little village on the route between Llansantffraid and Oswestry. Armies of the team formerly known as Total Network Solution make that journey to home games, probably on those tractors. TNS were the first competitive visitors to Manchester City’s new ground, of course, so I’d always wanted to visit the original TNS home ground.
You can only marvel that, like Caersws, this small village once staged European football. There’s a few attractive buildings, a few run-down ones, and a shop selling Welsh cakes. Don’t get it mixed up with Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, which is stunning.
That should be the last Welsh post till the new Beer Guide comes out. I love the place, but getting the spelling right is hard work.
retiredmartin 
Early model split-screen Morris Minor/1000.
Good to see that on the OS Landranger map, the B4580 west of Llandsilin on the way to Llanrhaeadr turns to dotted brown, i.e. single-track road.
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Lovely detail.
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Excellent. I always wondered where TNS were based and driving through Llansantffraid, I knew they had a team in the 90’s probably, but didn’t know they became TNS.
And a sign of a top experienced pubber is finding novel but practical ways to dispose of bad beer. Hope the dog enjoyed!
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I’m sure the dog enjoyed York’s finest; they’re like little humans aren’t they ? I knew TNS were from that village but I lost track of their sponsor/name changes and the merger with Oswestry Town.
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I name the car Beryl.
I am tempted to report you to the RSPCA for your treatment of the dogs.
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So do I . Beryl it is.
NB I poured the beer over the plants really, but I know how sensitive the Welsh are about their plants so fibbed. There wasn’t a dog anyway, it was a bowl for sheep I think, or perhaps was just an odd drinking vessel from Viking times.
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I bet a lot more people would be able to identify the Morris Minor than the modern car on the right.
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Agree. I used to have a Ford Ka, and that was the only car’s name I could actually remember.
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