After a lovely drive through North Wales, Dad and I arrived at Tin-y-cornel hotel on Monday evening, just in time for a G&T on the lakeside. Our family used to stop for coffee at this hotel well over 50 years ago when my grandparents were still around, so it holds many memories.
We’ve whiled away a few happy hours at the lakeside since we arrived, watching the minnows jump and the wild swimmers heave themselves out of the water onto the bank in their wetsuits. Richard and I used to catch the minnows in little fishing nets and buckets off the jetty here when we were kids.
When we arrived, Richard, Sally and Andrew were already in residence in a converted chapel in Llwyngwril, a few miles away.
Jennifer, Ross and Michael arrived later, followed by Leon, who I met at Machynlleth station.
Sally and Richard climbed Cader (or Caeder) Idris to do a recce on Monday and couldn’t find the original rock pool of Mum’s memory. Richard and I remember it as a very deep pool full of icy water that was long enough to swim a few strokes in each direction. Things have probably changed a lot over the years. We all agreed that a spot on the same stream would be fine.
The day dawned bright and sunny with Pop’s typical luck, as Mum would no doubt have said (we called her father and our grandfather Poppa or Pop). The climb up Cader Idris was very steep to start with, in a beautiful setting.
Eventually the path met the stream and temporarily levelled at a spot marked by a scenic slate bridge. That’s where we decided to scatter the ashes, each taking a turn.
Afterwards we had lunch back at the hotel. Jeni & Ross and Leon all said their goodbyes as they had to get back for work on Wednesday.
Dad wrote this poem for Mum back in July. It voices a lot of the regret and helplessness we felt at the time about her death in hospital. I hope he’ll eventually write another one that celebrates her long and mostly happy life.
Post script: Dad just asked me to post this new poem.
2022 and all that 