Wrexham County Borough 30 - Old , Old it was like an earworm going round and round /what is the connection between Wrexham and the U.S.A /money laundering

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It's April and I find myself looking back at last years blogs . I was asking myself then if Covid would be around for two years. I was describing Wingerworth to you. I was exploring its nooks and crannies and I should have been heading for Scandanavia . What has a year brought me to ? I woke up with the word old running round and round my head. Like an earworm it seemed to pop up everytime I opened my mouth . I was reading old blogs comparing last years weather with what we were experiencing now. We should have been heading down to Canterbury for an overnight stop before heading to France for a well deserved holiday . Somehow this April seemed exactly the same as last April . The only difference this was 2021 and not 2020. The weather was the same . The lack of a holiday the same . I was working from home .

I had pencilled in a trip to Wrexham today . I needed to go to the bank and wanted to visit before non essential shops opened . I drove past the first old hotel of the day . The Cross Lanes Hotel . I remembered going there for meals in the 70's and 80's. It had closed some while ago and was now an adventure centre . I thought you cannot get a meal at an adventure centre . Pubs are shutting fast either because the big chains bully them out of the way or Covid has killed their trade. Cross Lanes was originally built as a private house during the reign of Queen Victoria and was converted to a hotel in 1959. I remember the Victorian features and homely feeling that had been carefully preserved with oak panelling in the front hall which had been rescued from Emral Hall. The Emral Hall where our Girl Gabby lives. The second big old house I passed along the way was Bryn y Grog Hall . Built in the 18th century and purchased by Philip Yorke it fell into disrepair . I remember its windows being glassless . Now it has been turned into an antiques emporium seen on TV on an antiques show.

I arrived at my favourite car park Llwyn Isaf and parked Ziggy up. I was awoken from my thoughts by a lady passing by who told me parking was free. I explained it was free but not until after 11 to deter the workers from parking up all day for nothing . I put my £1 in the machine and headed off across the park into town . Originally there was a house on this site known as Ysbyty Ucha (Upper Hospital) - a name hinting at perhaps a past connected to friars or monks. In the 19th Century the house was called Llwyn Isaf and became home to the vicars of Wrexham. I never remember it as it had been knocked down and was replaced by the town council office The Guildhall. The 1912 National Eisteddfod was proclaimed here and David Lloyd George got a rough reception from the Suffragettes. They were angry at the then Liberal Government's opposition to votes for women.

From here I walked up to King Street . The old (again that word crept in ) bus station had been demolished and replaced by a new building . The old stands numbers 1 to 12 used to be open to the elements . We waited at stand 9 for our bus home from school . There was a cafe , a canteen for the bus drivers, a jewellers and the toilets . Now the bus station was inside and the home of rough sleepers and drug addicts. Life had changed very much for the old and new bus stations. Across the road a row of 1960's shops that replaced the old row of middle class housing . Fayreways - a cafe where the Rockers and the local motorbikers met up. Wedding receptions had been held there . Further up the street a TV shop where in the days before the big companies overran the market sold TV's, radios and all manner of electrical goods . The Coffee Bar up a dark alley . The Mods met there . They left their Lambretta scooters outside lined up along the pavement .

My task for the day was to call in the bank . I stood outside with my mask ready. I was let in . The lady on the counter took my money but refused to take cash I wanted to deposit in the drivers account . Money laundering she said . My look must have been capable of sinking a ship . £21 I said - hardly money laundering . Same account as mine , Same address , I left pretty annoyed and continued my walk.

So what is the connection between Wrexham and the U.S. A. The Parish church is approached through a set of amazing gates . The tower of the St Giles can be seen all over the town . Nothing was supposed to be built higher than the church tower. Described in the 19th Century as one of the Seven Wonders of Wales. I love the church and have been inside many times . There was a church here in the 13th century . Income for the church came from the Bishop of St Asaph and Madog ap Gruffudd Prince of Powys . In 1330 the tower of St Giles collapsed and tradition has it that the locals feared that God had punished them for having Sunday as their market day. The market was moved to a Thursday just in case. Despite the precautions in 1463 fire struck and much of the old church was destroyed. The church was rebuilt between the years of 1463 and 1520 by Lady Margaret Beaufort the mother of Henry Tudor . She was benefactor to many of the churches in the area not just Wrexham. The style of the church is both medieval Gothic and Catholic. Looking up I could see rows and rows of statues looking down on me . Oliver Cromwell used the church as stabling for his army's horses. Both William Morris and Sir Giles Gilbert Scott stepped into the fray to save the church from the plans of well-intentioned clergymen in the 19th Century who wanted to modernise it to suit Victorian tastes .

I chose not to go inside today despite it being open . I knew about the beautifully carved ceiling and the story of the angels carved into the roof . So what of the American connection .? There are two - inside is an American flag . I believe that there now is a new flag flying . We Brits revere the old and once had an old battered US flag. It was been battered and battle scarred during the 2nd world war . Presented to the town it was hung with pride until a few years ago when a delegation from the states asked for the flag to be returned for ceremonial burial . A new one would replace the old one . The flag was given back but somehow the new one means nothing . All the history has been returned to the states and buried with honours . Funny how we have different ideas about battle flags .

The second link with the states was in the churchyard . I walked past a sundial and an old grave dated from the 1600's. At the west end of the church was the grave of Elihu Yale, ]. A local man and benefactor of Yale University in the USA. A tower was built in the grounds of Yale University based on the design of St Giles tower. I left by the main gates into Church Street . It had been an interesting wonder round the old parts of the town . The word old just kept coming back to me . Old holidays - a reminder a sign on a wall for a tapas bar - Lisbon the name of the bar . Lisbon seemed a long way away .

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Comments

[jackie]

Holidays
We are on holiday!!! Llandudno!! We have never been here before so its a nice surprise!! Have now booked Portmerion, Bodnant Gardens, Conwy Castle and Abergele. The sun is shining and we are off exploring the Great Orme! (i think the train and cable car is off!!) Not quite the same as Spain but a holiday none the less!!

[JenGog]

Llandudno
Stop it you are making me jealous . I used to work in Llandudno and walk up the Orme or on the pier in my lunchtimes . I like Llandudno and Conwy . Portmeirion is lovely and you cannot fault Bodnant and Conwy castle . We have just been down to Calverhill the other side of Whitchurch to my daughters . That was lovely and our first trip out since release from lockdown . It was lovely walking with her and catching up on gossip . Looks like we might have cancel our Tunnel on the 9th June . I doubt we will be let into France . We are looking to move it again for the fourth time or is it the fifth . September this time fingers crossed . Enjoy the break