The rain started as we entered Wales and so the scenery slowly disappeared the further up the valleys you went. However the rain stopped when reaching the check-in hotel part way down the long drive to the Village. Here the staff had “follow me” vans to find the accommodation that was spread about in the Village. Dinner that evening was at the main Village hotel overlooking the estuary. As usual this was a late night trying some of the local ales and the surprise bottles of Purple Moose Brewery beers, Elderflower Ale, a light summer ale, and Chocolate Moose, a very tasty almost dessert ale, that were in the welcome packs along with driving notes for the following days. Saturday saw us off to Lunch at the Bodnant Welsh Food Centre where the sun shone, having had a stop at Caernarfon for a treasure hunt/quiz and onward via Beaumaris and Betws y Coed.
Returning to the Village we passed some “llif” (flood) signs en-route and had some time to look around Portmeirion Village that had a number of day visitors from many parts of the world when listening to their conversations. Dinner in the hotel again, but an earlier night for some.
Sunday saw us off to the final lunch near Shrewsbury, the informal Concours (the Hoteliers choice of his most coveted car) and prizegiving.
Overall winners were Jerry and Clare Hutton with the “broken con-rod” Indy Trophy, having scored well in the quiz coming 1st. Pete Stewart won the Corley Motors Trophy (the Hoteliers choice) with the red Merak. Quiz prizes were awarded to David and Glenys Timmons who tied with the McMorrough family of April-Rose, Lilli and Nigel for 3rd place and Alex and Bill Jackson taking second prize. April-Rose also had an additional prize as a budding quiz contender. Finally the hotly contested Limerick prize (There is a walled town by the sea…..) where Dick and Mary Pole were just beaten by Alex and Bill Jackson.
Many thanks go to Autoshield Maserati and Pirelli for starting off each evening with pre-dinner drinks. Thanks also to Simon and Caroline, Jonny and Lauren for making the this a very good event.
Well done the Edwards!