1. UK 1995 Diary
Angel
June 30, a Friday, we left Oxford at 8:30, arriving at Llanbadarn
Fawr in Aberystwyth at 1pm, at its hottest time of the year (it
was
summer
solstice)
and the
hottest
day in
60
years,
Thomas Parry
Library
according to Ben Davies. We visited the library and the
Dept of Information and Library Services (DILS), and
Aberystwy
listened to an orientation on the library OPAC, LISA,
th
libertas, their housekeeping system, and got our library card
and email account. Dinner was getting better, but my bedroom, which faced the library building and social hall, was
a disappointment. Saturday was a free day, so Masuda, Amara (from Sri Lanka), and I went to the main campus
downhill (Rosser Hall), and strolled around the
castle ruins, watching the seagulls hover over the
ruins, then to the Old College by the beach, the
Cathedral, and antique shops in narrow streets. I bought
two porcelain dolls on the way, and for the first time,
boarded the bus back to the Llanbadarn Campus.

2. Aberystwyth is a small university town situated in the west coast of Wales, with a resident population of 12,000,
mostly students and senior citizens. The Llanbadarn Campus sits on a hill
overlooking the town of Aber, the Rheidol Valley, and Cardigan
Bay. Sunday morning, we went on a sight-seeing trip to the Devil’s
Bridge at Dyfed (about 12
miles from Aber), where
the lowest and oldest of
the three bridges (built
one on top of the other)
spanning the ravines of
the river Mynach, is 12th
century old (before 1188
reputedly built by the
Knight Templars). The
story is that it was built by the
Devil for an old lady who
outwitted him. The falls below
are about 653 ft. below sea level.
We took the steam railway,
which survived 2 world wars and
became the last railway owned
by the British Rail. The line was
opened in 1902 to serve the lead
mines and timber traffic of the
Rheidol Valley; the
line had many sharp
curves and steep
gradients. To get to
the Mynach Falls, we
descended 94 steps,
Jacob’s Ladder, before
a marker that warned
us that the path was
steep and slippery,
“not suitable for the aged and the infirm,“ then crossed the
bridge, and went back the same way, to climb Jacob’s Ladder.
We had lunch near the waterfalls, and shopped at a small
souvenir store at the entrance of the site. There I bought Cybele’s Indian canoe slippers for 12 pounds, and a red
sheepskin bag.
July 3, Monday, was the start of our Aber training program. After a group photo session, we had a good lunch. The
pm practical session was spent navigating the web and sending emails. At the dinner reception, I met Joyce’s
husband Paul (a GOOD-looking Scot). The next day,
I took a taxi with Chuli, Tina and Dorothy to the
Reception
Hugh Owen Library in the main campus, to check the dinner
dormitory where I would stay after the Aber training
program, and also found in the Internet a single room
Black Lions
Pub
at Middlesex, London,
for only 9.50 pounds per
night. I took the bus back
with Chuli after picking
up the photos and
shopping for toiletries. Wednesday night was chilly. Dinner was super –
Salisbury steak with baked potatoes, peas and carrots, cake and fresh fruits.
Thursday dinner was another plus – minced beef, fish chips, salad, hard-boiled
eggs, boiled cauliflower, and green watermelons. After dinner, we went down the
corner to Black Lions Pub to listen to 3 locals playing strange Welsh instruments.
Coke was expensive at 2 pounds and a pack of Benson & Hedges was 2 pound
fifty. But Masuda paid for both.
Typical Aber
house

3. Friday afternoon was spent on a stroll to the town by
myself along Llanbadarn Rd., passing by some pretty
houses along the way, buying needles for Cres and doilies
(doyles) for myself. Got to the bus in the nick of time,
and in time for dinner too. Planned a trip to Harlech with
Ida and son Anthony, Yati, Terry and Joan.
July 8, we started on our train trip to Harlech with a short
stop-over at a small
village town called Machynlleth, the
ancient capital of Wales, where the
Old Parliament building was built by
Owain Glyndwr, a Welsh Prince, in
1404. I bought a skirt for 13 pounds,
3 thimbles for 10 pounds, horse-shoe-
shaped doorbell, and a tiny bell in a
quaint souvenir shop. Market day here was Wednesday. Then we changed
trains and traveled along the Cambrian Coast thru the Dovey valley, passing by
some spectacular sceneries, mountains, meadows, seascapes. We crossed the
marshlands thru Barmouth bridge, and passed some castles and village towns.
Machynlleth
clock
Harlech Castle is one of the most
magnificently sited of Welsh
Castles. A world heritage site, it
has a commanding view of
Cardigan Bay, the Lleyn Peninsula,
and inland, the mountains of
Snowdonia. Harlech, together with
Caernarfon and Conwy castles, was
built by Edward I (1283) to form an
iron ring of majestic fortresses,
believed to be impregnable, until it
was captured in 1404 by Owain
Glyndwr, who established his court
here until his family was taken
prisoners four years later. We had
lunch at a restaurant near the
souvenir shop.
Clarach
The next day was spent at Clarach market
Sunday market (about 1.5 miles
from Aber) from 10am to 2:30pm
and bought some pasalubongs. I slept until 6:30 and some young men at
the Social Hall gave us dinner. Monday pm was spent at the National
Library of Wales (another copyright library), and for the first time since
we came to Aber, it rained cats and dogs. Chuli and I took a taxi home,
in time for dinner of trout, roast beef, baked potatoes, green peas, custard
pie and fruits. A misty evening, wet but not so cold. July 11, a Tuesday,
was foggy but not cold. The sun
came out at 1pm. I went to town after the practical sessions, and bought
shoes for Carlos and Rio at Clark’s for 25 pounds each (they were on big
sale). Baby shoes cost too much.
Wednesday and
Thursday afternoons were spent shopping downtown at
Peacock’s, where I got an all-weather jacket for Carlos. I also
bought my bus ticket to London for July 20. Ate ice cream by
the promenade and fed the pigeons. We had cocktail dinner at
Lucy’s home and passed by Joyce’s. On the way to Llanbadarn,
we passed by the pub again and stayed there until 1:30 am.
Friday was graduation day, and Masuda and I went to town to
shop for his mother. Graduation dinner was superb; Chuli cried
Graduation
banquet

4. all night. After tearful farewells, we bade goodbye to Lucy, Joyce, their husbands, Pat Ward, and Alan Clark of
DILS Library.
July 15, Saturday, my classmates boarded a Roberts Coach for London. Masuda, Yati,
Terry, and Amara cried as they bade me farewell. I took Carolyn to the Social Hall for
breakfast with Ida and Tony, who left after breakfast for Manchester. Then Raphael (a
librarian from Papua New Guinea who was doing his thesis at Aber) came to pick me
up and helped with my luggage to transfer to Rosser Hall at the main campus, where I
paid 60 pounds for 5 days’ stay. Walking back to Llanbadarn, we passed by the
Llanbadarn Church, the oldest bishopric in Wales,
the old town cemetery, and the beautiful house for
the mentally retarded. There was a wedding party
Lutheran
church
at the campus when we House for mentally
arrived to bid goodbye to retarded
Carolyn Davis.
Sunday, Raphael didn’t come, so I walked alone to St.
Michael’s Church (beside the University College) for
service at 11am. I also visited other churches nearby: Our Lady of the Angels along Queen’s Road, and St.
Winefride, with its beautiful Presbitery. I also paused for a
St. Michael’s photo of a Lutheran Church along the road. After lunch, I took a
Church stroll along the promenade toward the Aber castle ruins. The
castle was built by Edward I
in 1277, and captured by
Owain in 1404, partially
destroyed by Henry V in his
attempt to retake it in 1408,
then finally destroyed in
1649 by Cromwell’s forces.
Back to Penglais Road, I
stopped by at Spar to get
some groceries for dinners
and breakfasts, and got back to Rosser Hall before it became real cold.
Promen
ade National
Library

5. I spent Monday to
Wednesday at the University
Library (Hugh Owen) for a
3-day library attachment
training program. The first
day, I visited the University
College by the sea, and the
Ceredigion Museum, which
is housed in a restored
Edwardian music hall. I had
dinner at Joyce’s home
Monday evening (No. 10
Ceredigion
Museum
Trinity Road) and took
pictures of their house,
living room and toilet, then outside the house onto the street, and nearby, the Trinity
Church. In the afternoon of Tuesday, Raphael came at 6pm to pick me up for a stroll
downtown (he got sick for 2 days). We had merienda and planned a
fine dinner on my last day in Aber.
Raphael came at 6pm for a stroll downtown and dinner at an Italian
restaurant. But when we got there, it was still closed, so we decided
to buy take-out food from a Chinese restaurant,
walked along the promenade towards the castle
ruins, and the War memorial. This beautiful
monument was unveiled by the Duke of Windsor in
1923. Underneath the castle grounds is a shelter
where people come to sing hymns on Sunday
evenings. In one of these shelters, Raphael and I
had our last meal together in Aber. After eating, we
walked back to the end of the promenade, threw a
coin down the well, after making a wish, and
walked back to Rosser Hall, arriving at 9:30pm, still
light.
I decided to pack up early for my long trip back to
London the following day. Raphael gave me his
email address and Papua New Guinea address just
in case we would continue to communicate after
his thesis was completed. He had hoped to return
home before winter. He described winter in Aber,
the biting cold winds, and thick snow. He said, he
wouldn’t last another winter here. Anyway, I was
glad I was leaving Aber and moving on to London.
I couldn’t stand the cold nights.
University
College