More low-key Carmarthenshire thrills for you, from the swathe of pleasantness between Guardian reader infested Brecon and Southworth-infested (in a nice way) Tenby.
Before this trip I’d only managed 39 ticks in West Wales, ever, which is probably less than I’ve done in Worthing in the last 5 years, but I do recall a night in the Wernolau Hotel in Ammanford that was so grotty Mrs RM made us move out to the nearest Holiday Inn. Which was in Bristol.
Ammanford is the big city round here, with those essential attractions that I would sadly miss. Just as you have now.
For our American readers, “Welsh Wrestling” involves those three fellas pictured taking on a real dragon bused in from Llanelli.
Five minutes up the line, Llandybie has much to commend to the GBG ticker (two pubs) and fans of ex-mining villages so quiet they make Clun seem like Cardiff on Friday night.
Brammallite (two “m”, two “l”) was discovered here. I scored badly in the Sciences so I can’t be sure but I guess it’s a key ingredient in Marmite.
Anyway, there’s a nice memorial to it.
The Red Lion is more impressive, and not just because it’s a pub.
Garlic mushrooms and home-made chicken korma (the Welsh national dish) to the right, lounge bar to the left.
I attract the curiosity of gentlefolk by taking photos of the stained glass; wouldn’t you ?
Lots of weird stuff in what was once the village hotel but now seems to be the lunchtime meeting point for 200 gentlefolk swaying gently to the Supremes’ “Baby Love”.
“Our real ales are from local breweries and have proved extremely popular with our customers” says the Red Lion website.
Indeed, I actually bought a half of one of them, a Gower Gold with a bit of bite (NBSS 3) that turned out to be pretty much the best of a long day.
One half of Gower Gold, five pints of Moretti; the normal ratio applies, even here.
‘BE MINDFUL’ on the coat of arms is good advice.
Weren’t you tempted by the Timothy Taylors Landlord, one of those beers we all know and love ?
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That surprised me too Paul. Perhaps my continual harassment has pushed him out of his bubble? I mean, why go to what is a wonderful and mainly unspoiled part of the world, with some beautiful, yet often relatively plain, pubs and drink TT? Presumably the image shows the only cask ales on offer, so a selection of two will have suited him as well. As usual the commentary is spot on – in normal everyday pubs most folk prefer a range of many different drinks over cask ale.
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And yes, a beautiful part of the world (but aren’t they all?).
And yes, again, commenting on the turnover of cask in a Welsh dining pub is akin to commenting on the quality of the chips in a Spoons.
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Wales, N. Yorks, N.Lancs, in fact any rural area of beauty?
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No. A slow moving TT is a bad thing indeed. And I should know.
The local beer was fine. I’ve no great desire to champion local and small, though a shorter journey from railway arch to bar must be good?
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So Mrs RM made you move hotel?
Mrs PBT’s would be well impressed as it’s something she’s threatened me with before!
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This was in the days before Internet booking and we were going to stay there but over the course of a beer decided not to!
Think of a scruffy Kent pub of your choice and imagine staying there.
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Martin,
You mention Kent and coincidently in Kent was the one time our accommodation was so grotty Mrs TSM “made us move out” but we soon found another pub and one with Harvey’s on so it’s right what they say about “every cloud ….”
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Is that Big Daddy in the middle of the wrestling flyer?
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“200 gentlefolk swaying gently to the Supremes’ Baby Love” –Some of these lines really do read like poetry to me.
(“Some of them?” I can almost hear you saying. “It’s all poetry, Mark. It’s all poetry.”) 😉
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“between Guardian reader infested Brecon and Southworth-infested (in a nice way) Tenby.”
I was going to comment on the map, but… it’s all Greek to me. 😉
“Replace bear baiting in 2007”
I read that as ‘beer baiting’. 🙂
“lounge bar to the left.”
I see from the poster in the photo below they’ve managed to go from Poulty Shows to Wrestling in under a century!
“Windows to drool over”
Or eve drool on.
“Probably priceless. Don’t break it, BRAPA”
The first use of Welsh camouflage?
“One half of Gower Gold, five pints of Moretti; the normal ratio applies, even here.”
Probably more taste in your half than in the other five pints combined.
Cheers
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