retiredmartin

July 2024. Welshpool.

A Tuesday night in Powys; another chance to discover if I’ve underestimated Welshpool‘s charms.

Sadly, not. I guess my expectations of a town of 6,764 souls are always going to be too high, even though it does stand out on the Philip navigator as a major Welsh town.

Campervan settled down for a free overnighter in the town car park, I wondered how I could boost the local economy.

The Art Deco cinema is now a gym,

the Chinese takeaways have terrible reviews and Welsh chippies rarely deliver (no squid or dragon),

and the only sweets I eat these days are Turkish delight.

By coincidence, the Turkish were about to delight us with their performance against Austria that evening, but my GBG newbies the Old Bakehouse certainly wouldn’t be showing that later.

“There is a relaxed, chilled out environment where you can unwind and meet friends or just come and sit with a quiet drink and a good book” says What Pub, which is fine, but for 10 minutes no-one said a word.

And I just can’t get on with completely silent pubs, however good the beer (Tudor Sugarloaf NBSS 3+).

Decent bench seating, spotless toilets, and a possible can of Fierce Paradigm Shift in the fridge that almost persuaded me to stay. But it was too quiet.

Actually, it was only 6pm but I was feeling oddly exhausted, so gave the Ministry of Magic (NOT a craft bar) a swerve,

and popped in the packed Angel for a half of coke (£1.20). This sports bar was Welshpool’s previous GBG entry (it seems they’re only allowed one), one of the most unlikely Guide pubs.

I suspect Americans could find the high street “not without charm”,

but it all seemed a little rundown to me, and I’ve been to Bolsolver, so I did something I’ve been meaning to do on every Welshpool visit and walked the mile to Powis Castle to bother deer.

OK you can’t see inside but there’s no way I’m paying £15 to National Trust, not unless there’s a recreation of a Bass pub inside.

Which there isn’t.

I bought £2.02 of heavily discounted samosas, brie and sourdough from Morrisons (“they’re like vultures” said someone of the scrum for bargains) and had an early night. I had a long day ahead.