03-04.07 - Days 170-171 - Mynytho to Buckingham
Tuesday 3rd July - Mynytho to Buckingham (Day 170)
It’s a warm Welsh day (Day 170) and whilst the kids are happy playing tennis in the garden (Seb) or looking at boats through the binoculars (Sienna) we encourage everyone out to walk Buddy and Ollie at Crugan Beach.
This almost deserted beach has one hardy or foolish swimmer as Seb and Sienna inspect and throw various pebble types. Walking along with my parents behind the levee at the back of the beach we come across a lady living in a solitary house who offers to let Sienna and Seb help feed her two horses which the kids jump at the opportunity. Mabel and Pearl guzzle their food while a family of swallows nervously approach the stable to bring back food for the two chicks perched in their nests inside.
After my parents head back to Buckingham we pop down to Abersoch, the kids (and adults) happily crafting castles connected by moats, each soon knocked down by the quickly incoming tide. Iolo, the local mechanic confirms the rattle in the car needs rectifying so we agree to head back to Buckingham two days early.
Thursday morning (Day 171) I take an early walk up the opportunistically named Mynytho Mountain, the hardy gorse swaying in the wind with views over both the north and south side of the peninsula. Walking back, the village hall is getting ready for voting day as today is the General Election.
After completing school work we walk up to the Post Office which is also the local, and only store in the village for some sweet treats. I wonder if these local Post Offices are experiencing more business / support after the Post Office Horizon debacle brought to life earlier in the year by the TV show Alan Bates vs Post Office (now Sir Alan Bates).
After lunch we drove to Pwllheli to visit the Amusements Arcade, a throwback to when Corinne and I came here as kids. No signs of inflation here with a room filled with 2p sliding ledges which still entertains the kids.
The playground back in Mynytho is also not brand new, but it, and the football goal are still appealing - right up until it starts to drizzle, which sends us scuttling home.
We tackle the 4.5 hr drive at the kids bedtime to encourage them to sleep along the windy roads, whilst listening to Radio 5 Live to follow Andy Murray’s match at Wimbledon (which turned out to be his last Wimbledon match and Sue Barker came out of retirement to give a teary farewell on Centre Court) - arriving back to Buckingham as the Exit Polls indicate a landslide Labour win to oust 14 years of the Conservatives.