Our latest jaunt was another train trip, this time to Aberystwyth in Wales, with our good friends K & T – we like trains can you tell?
K & TWe picked the train up at our local station at 7.45 a.m. on Saturday morning and the weather looked promising. We took a bag full of food with us for our lunch and tea on the train, consisting of chicken, ham, pasta salad, green salad, ciabatta and wine of course. We were in First Class carriages so were very comfortable and had a huge picture window which enabled us to take in the beautiful countryside and the ever improving weather on the journey. We didn’t stop talking all the way to Wales – about what we would do when we got there, what trips were coming up that we have booked and could book.
The trip was organised by the Class 40 Preservation Society, who preserve Diesel Engines, we prefer Steam Engines but beggars can’t be choosers and it was a nice red and yellow engine.
We arrived in Aberystwyth spot on time at 12.40 p.m.and were able to leave our packed tea on the train whilst we went walkabout. We headed out of the station straight down to the sea front. The weather was glorious, sunny and hot, and we really didn’t need the light jackets we’d taken with us.
The first thing we saw as the train pulled in to Aberystwyth Station was the Vale of Rheidol narrow guage railway. The Preservation Society were offering trips on it but we declined as we wouldn't have had time to go on that and walk down to the sea. We did get a photo of it though.
We really wanted to go for a paddle in the sea but the only things we hadn’t brought with us was a towel and the kitchen sink!
However, we did breathe in plenty of the wonderful sea air and took a long, leisurely walk along the prom past the university (or a small part of it).
Part of Aberystwyth University Isn’t it wonderful to have a university right on the sea front? K’s nephew is a student at the university and we were hoping to meet up with him but unfortunately he was a home in the town we’d just departed from and wasn’t due back in Aberystwyth until we were due to leave – sod’s law! Anyway we rounded the headland intending to walk to the harbour but it was a lot further that we had originally thought so we didn’t bother.
After a leisurely stroll through the town we stopped at a pub and went in for a drink and a rest – the early start and the sea air had practically knocked us out! The pub was empty, except for us, then suddenly it was invaded by a ‘hen’ party – all dressed in pink tutus and leg warmers!
After a leisurely stroll through the town we stopped at a pub and went in for a drink and a rest – the early start and the sea air had practically knocked us out! The pub was empty, except for us, then suddenly it was invaded by a ‘hen’ party – all dressed in pink tutus and leg warmers!
Things suddenly got very noisy and we were missing the sunshine so we decided to go to another pub across the way where we could sit outside, which we did, enjoying the beautiful weather until it was time to get back on the train. We were only actually in Aberystwyth three hours but we made the most of it and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Our journey back was very relaxed, we ate our packed tea and had some more wine etc and even managed a little snooze. The Preservation Society arranged a raffle on the journey home with 12 really good prizes but unfortunately we didn’t win any.
We arrived at our home station at 9.15 p.m. in plenty of time to walk to our local pub and finish the day off with a couple of drinks before we went home to a much needed bed. We were exhausted but we’d had a fantastic day and are now looking forward to our next train trip, which I think is in August but I’ll tell you more about that when we’ve been.
Us making our way to the pub from the station.
