Last time in Machynlleth (was it really 3 years ago), I raved about the Alternative Technology Centre and the chocolate ice cream.
Sadly, the ice cream has gone.
But it still feels like a town on its uppers, with lots of independent shops and a fair few day visitors from the Midlands.
And further afield. I eavesdropped on a trio of Americans, let’s call them Joan and Barb and Dick as those are sensible names, consulting a page of scribbled notes.
“Let’s do the White Horse, the real ale pub”
It was said the way you or I might say “Let’s do the Boar’s Head, the Mudgie pub“.
I thought for a second about recommending the Dyfi, but it’s best not to test friendships with the Yanks at the mo.
I took a nostalgic look, anyway.
Always something new to see in Mach, mostly odd. You’ll never get it confused with Hay-on-Wye.
I still beat the Americans into the White Lion, which looks almost rt 21st Century by Machynlleth standards with its Moretti signs and beer festival poster.
By a stroke of luck I arrived too early/late for their festival, possibly why it was packed on Monday. Not everyone was older than me.
Nice beer range. A local, a Cheshire and a Japanese beer.
The Stog Dark took some explaining to the barmaid. I pointed in the end.
A bit chilled, so I took my glass on a tour of old school photos. Mine from Cottenham ’81 looks exactly like this, except my hair was longer and there’s no hills in Fen Edge land.
A very nice drop of Stog (3+) was drinking well, the Windies were collapsing, “The Winner Takes It All” brought us back to 1980.
Which is all you can ask of Mach, to be honest.
retiredmartin 
Wonder if that CRT oscilloscope in that window actually works? Needs a damn good clean at least.
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No reflection of yourself in the window?
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Ooh spooky.
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I think the Condor scooter might be the nicest one I’ve seen. Wonder what the top speed is for it?
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Funnily enough there’s a bloke I know with a dodgy knee who is beginning to take more than a passing interest in moblity scooters.
That looks the Jensen Interceptor of scooters
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Given the age group mobility scooters are made for I would have thought that a commode would be more important than speed, but maybe speed is because there’s no commode.
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“but maybe speed is because thereās no commode.”
Depends. š
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82mph
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Standing in for Russ, “on its uppers” means the opposite to “on the up”, which I presume is what you meant.
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Yes, I wondered about that and also the missed opportunity to tell us if the Pride was drinking well.
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It’s on its downers š
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Darn I thought I’d invented a new word.
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I thought that was just some local British dialect. š
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Last month on your Llandeilo feature in response to a comment that āpub culture in Wales is definitely different from that in Englandā I suggested that āI think in part it is that they donāt change things unnecessarily ā such as that white on black Bass Charrington āWhite Horseā sign above the archway that would be a proper rarity in Englandā. And now youāve got two nearly as old āCarling Black Label Lagerā / āWorthington Best Bitterā signs at the Torrent Walk in Dolgellau yesterday and the Glyndwr Hotel in Machynlleth today.
Iām familiar with the Dyfi Forester having stayed there in July 1988 and the Glyndwr Hotel having stayed there in eleven months earlier.
I didnāt find Draught Bass when last in Machynlleth in October 2017. I had Wye Valley Butty Bach in the Dyfi Forester, a Big Bog beer in the White Lion and Banksās Bitter in the Red Lion.
Iāve not been to the Centre for Alternative Technology since 1977 which I think was not long after it opened.
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“Sadly, the ice cream has gone.”
I find ice cream has a short shelf life if not stored properly. š
“Might serve Bass”
Is the Carling sign a clue?
And is Dyfi short for Do it Yourself Fidelity?
(and no, I won’t suggest what that implies)
“Odd”
I’m conjuring up Hay-on-Wye (fi) Dy (fi).
“Nice beer range. A local, a Cheshire and a Japanese.”
About the same as the customer range. š
“and thereās no hills in Fen Edge land.”
Most of those for photos are fake backdrops anyway.
“the Windies were collapsing”
Yikes! Collapsing wind?
“Which is all you can ask of Mach, to be honest.”
Isn’t it those over 60 who reminisce about the good old days? š
Cheers
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If I ever need to buy a Riley rocker cover, I now know there’s a shop in Machynlleth that has one in stock.
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My work is done, Wes.
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Had a good chuckle at the “Adam Ant was Number 1 when this was taken” line. As luck has it I went to an Adam Ant concert in Detroit back when I was in high school. A fairly large venue actually; I think he was still coasting along on the Stateside success of ‘Goody Two Shoes’ at the time.
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I’m glad you’re back to appreciate my cultural references, Mark š
Easy to forget that Adam “broke” the States after he was on the slide over here (same with Culture Club, arguably).
By the time he stupidly sang his new single at Live Aid he was long forgotten.
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