We were up at dawn. I was so excited I was nearly sick, but I still managed to eat a bowl of porridge. This was our Christmas trip we were embarking on … to have Christmas with my grandparents and my uncle and aunt in Cardiff.
‘Come on, Glynis,’ my mother shouted. ‘What on earth are you doing?’
I came downstairs wearing my pink fairy dress which I insisted was the proper outfit for Christmas.
My dad was so proud of his new Ford Prefect. He drove onto the main road stopping at ‘Williams the garage,’ who filled the car with petrol. At last we were off!
The A470 weaves its way through the heart of Wales from Llandudno to Cardiff. Each mile passes through the most wonderful landscape. From the lakes and crags of N Wales, through to the rolling velvety hills of mid Wales.
Wet slates shone as they lay scattered on the ground, quarries looming out of a typical North Wales mist.
Across from Ffestiniog, the newly-built nuclear power station squatted next to a cooling lake.
Up on the hills after Dolgellau, there was a pass where we looked for the ‘Gwylliaid Cochion…’. the wild red ones. My mother wound me up by encouraging me to look out for these brigands: ‘Look Glynis! Look, look!’ And I was certain I saw one peeping from behind a rock.
We had our first coffee from a flask, in a lay-by on the other side of the pass. Dad said, ‘It’s good to stretch your legs y’know. Come on Gwyn,’ but my mother was dozing.
In Builth Wells, farmers were buying and selling cattle, leaning against cold iron gates, looking in detail at the animals and signalling to the auctioneer.
The River Wye out-ran us as we drove on, parallel to the swift bubbling water, on our way to Brecon.
Near Merthyr, the valleys ran dark and cold. People had lined faces The Wind in the valleys was really cruel
As we drew nearer to Cardiff, in the dark, I was star-struck by the brightly lit hoardings advertising anything from vacuum cleaners to Gone with the Wind …
We were nearly there, the anticipation almost too much to bear.
At last, the car stopped and we all jumped out to be greeted by my grandparents, aunt and uncle – my grandmother, planting lipstick kisses on our cheeks.
Opposite the house, Heath Park was laced with fairy lights. Christmas trees glowing in the windows of the surrounding houses. The air was icy against my face and my fairy dress gave me no protection. Then, we went into the house, where there was the smell of polish, sausages cooking and port and lemons. Christmas had started.
