Many years ago, when games took 15 minutes to load, there was a magazine called Zzap!64, it was based in Ludlow, and the team there seemed to have a really good time, playing games and probably boozing – I loved that magazine and the reviewers and the excitement that was computers at the time. It shut down after some time, but I always remembered that little town, and one day I would visit it.
So we did. Nearly 30 years later.
Set off on the Thursday, as it was half term, and it poured down. Its been pretty nice through Feb, but the one day I can take a day off it rained, alot. We zoomed north passed Monmouth, and Hereford and Leominster, and a hour and a half later we arrived at our home for the night, the Cliffe Hotel, and couldn’t check in. So we drove up the narrow hill into Ludlow and parked up, outside it poured.
First stop was to have a wander around the castle – this was great, if a little wet. Mostly outside, but a lot still standing, and you could go up to the top of the tower – which made me scared. Spent about an hour here, and it was great. After the castle we had a little stroll around the town, trying to get some bearings, and popped into the Marches, which we expected to be a pub, but wasn’t for a really nice Tuna Panini and a San Miguel. Read half the paper, then it was time to check in.
We had the “cottage”, at the hotel, which was okay, two bedrooms and a kitchen and a hospital bathroom/wetroom, but we had no time to lose, so we brought the things in and walked along the river to a pub my the river.. Once we arrived, the best table in the house was taken by some folk drinking coffee, but we eyed them up, and after a short while, we were in the window seat, with a great view of the river. A couple of pints and a read of the paper later, we moved on and up to the Wheatsheaf Inn, it was still raining.
Been to a few Wheatsheafs, around the country, and this was nothing special and I had to have a 1664, which reminded me just how much taste it has – tried to do the crossword, and find the WiFi password, but then it was time to get into the town proper, in the dark and the rain. It was “proper wet” by now. I directed everyone over to a pub, but it was shut, so we finally spilled into the Rose and Crown looking a little bedraggled. I was so wet, that I thought the Grolsh tap was a Hieniken one, so we played some cards, and braved the outside loo.
Just by here was King Street, and No. 1 and 2 where Zzap 64 offices were many moons ago, no plaque, no mention (unsurprisingly) so I took a photo, as you do, and that was it.
After this we headed over to an old building, that looked less old inside, they had a fire and San Miguel, so we sat and dried off. It was slightly odd here, as one side was brand new and kitted out in a very modern way, the other side was a little more traditional – in that it was older. But a good seat and a decent place.. Next stop was the Crown, where they had lots of beers, but not many lagers – I had a Dortmund, which was quite nice – it was pretty full here, and we didn’t know where to go for food, so we went back to the old pub – the feathers to sort out where next.
After the second visit to the feathers, we went to get some water, then decided on a curry. It was pretty busy, but we found a table and the menu was fancy curry, so I just asked for a simple Vindaloo, and fair play – they were happy to provide. Then it all went a little odd.
I spend the next 20 minutes talking to someone sat next to me, whilst I ate my curry – slightly odd for me, what was odder was that there wasn’t actually anyone sat next to me – I must have been hallucinating – must have been the Dortmund? Anyway – it was quite tasty, and I didn’t fall over, I dont think.
Nice walk downhill to the hotel, and I fell straight asleep with my clothes on, wasted with no serious intent.
Next morning we had a great breakfast, although Sian’s poached egg wasn’t poached enough, then back into Ludlow to have a final look around. We went into the church there, and paid a little extra to go up the bell tower and to the top. This was frightening. Tight spiral staircases make me scared, and half way up I had to take my jumper off because I was sweating buckets. When I finally emerged from a little doorway off the spiral staircase, by feet were aching from trying to grip the stairs so much. It was quite high, but inside, was just a narrow staircase I have no idea why it worries me quite so much..
Getting back through the little doorway and on to the stairs was an embarrassment, it is just so irrational, now that I am sitting here typing I just cannot see why I was so scared of it – stupid stupid stupid.
So after a little walk around we got in the car and came home.
Quite like Ludlow.