That may be a slight misnomer but we were certainly blessed with some fine weather for the Register’s National Weekend in mid-September 2021.
It was only a year late in arriving having been postponed from 2020 as the rise in Covid cases was increasing towards record heights over Christmas. However, all the details remained the same and the club is indebted to Simon & Julie Davies who provided the routes over the days, and to Ian & Angie Wright who diligently put the whole thing together…and then waited patiently for a year to make it happen!
The Chain Bridge Hotel just outside of Llangollen was a superb location for a great weekend. It stands at the bottom of a gorge right on the banks of the River Dee and squeezed between that and the start of the Llangollen canal. The rushing waters were a magnet for rafters and canoeists and even some balancing in the middle of rubber rings! We could watch them hurtle downstream bouncing between the rocks from the comfort of our balcony rooms some 20 feet above the waves. Look up to the other bank and Brwyn railway station perched opposite, with steam pulled trains all weekend. The Chain Bridge itself linked the hotel to the station and many took advantage of its proximity for a gentle steam ride into Llangollen over the weekend.
Three nights at the hotel meant three three-course dinners expertly provided in our own dining room by the hotel followed by drinks in the bar – all part of a good social weekend.
Saturday was the run into Snowdonia. Beginning in gentle hills the route soon became narrower and steeper as the cars ascended the mountainside. That also meant clouds which unhelpfully made us all damp and obscured the view of Snowdon itself.
We had seen the scenes of cars parked alongside these narrow roads as staycationers trekked into the mountains and now we saw the evidence for ourselves – every lay by and (in)convenient spot was filled with parked cars. There was no stopping until we reached the town car parks of Llanberis just below the low cloudline. It probably didn’t help that a huge articulated low-loader was trying to drive up the mountain as well, it must have been pretty difficult even with the rear-wheel steering and a man with a radio at the back plus a line of MGFs behind him!
The route then continued to loop around Conwy and some took the full tour to admire the rugged coastline and the castle. At 160 miles that was too much for some but luckily there was a shortcut back from Llanberis along the A5 to the Chain Bridge Hotel which several cars took, owners relaxing with a cool beer back at the hotel in time for dinner.
Sunday was a shorter suggested route out to World’s End and the Horsehoe Pass and back via the famous viaduct. The routes were not obligatory and several members made Sunday a more relaxing day with a steam train ride to Llangollen and walk past the hotel to the Horseshoe Falls catching up with the Pass on the Monday as they began the journey home.
It was a great weekend with no pressure and no convoy drives plus a gathering every evening to find out what everyone had been up to during the day. A different type of club driving event and a very welcome one.
