I grew up in this town. If you wore school uniform you'd get free access to the castle/museum if you asked nicely. To my chagrin, this did not work at the Five All's pub for some reason ;). Some amazing shots you've captured! great video.
I love that you grew up here! Thanks so much for watching and taking the time to comment! How lovely that they let school children visit the castle for free! Too bad about the pub, LOL 😂
Croeso I Gymru Dara & Ian, Welcome to Wales. You certainly had good weather. In the 70’s my patch as an internal planner with British Telecom (BT) was the Newport, Chepstow, Brecon, Abergavenny Monmouth and Pontypool charge groups. Spent many a day in Tintern and Chepstow. When I was really young before the Motorways, when we used to visit my Mum’s sister in Hampshire, Chepstow was a real bottle-neck. All traffic had to pass through the traffic light controlled single lane way arch in the centre of town. Then over the bridge and up the hill to Tutshill and Gloucester. If we were going down to Bristol then a right turn into Tutshill would take us down to the ferry crossing the River Severn/Bristol Channel from Beachley to Aust. This sort of short cut saved us driving up to Gloucester then South. The M4 Motorway and 1st Severn Bridge stopped that and made it all easy. Now it is possible to commute to Bristol daily. Under the Severn is a 4 ½ mile long rail tunnel built by the Great Western Railway (GWR) in 1886.
Thank you for the welcome! We were blessed with splendid weather, and I did not take it for granted a bit! Without it Ian could not have gotten that lovely abbey drone footage. I think it was too windy to fly over the castle, which vexed Ian to no end. I'm so glad that you know the area and it brings back memories. Yes, we loved our visit. Ian had been there before, but it was all new and wonderful to me!!
I can't imagine how difficult travel must have been before the Severn Bridge. With the amount of traffic that crosses that bridge the idea of a ferry taking care of things seems almost preposterous, even when accounting for a smaller population. While there are definitely some downsides to the modern age, overall I'm grateful to have lived in a time when things are relatively convenient.
I'm now 60yrs old and living in Australia. I can remember playing 'cowboys and Indians' in Chepstow castle as a kid before it became touristy. Why on earth, we played 'cowboys and Indians' in a medieval castle, I just don't know! Lol. In my later years, my friends and I would cross over the Wye bridge you showed to get in an extra 30 minutes of pub time! Oh, the memories.
That is such a charming story! I guess you did that because that’s just what kids did back then! I’m 56 and my older brothers played cowboys & indians all the time! My husband grew up spending his summers in Wells and going to all the different castles. It is a wonderful childhood memory for him! I hope you subscribe and stick around for more of our British adventures. We are currently in Northumberland. ❤️🇬🇧
I'm in my 60s and grew up in a near by village, I. went to Monmouth school. My sister and I would walk to Tintern Abbey for a picnic on the green. I had arranged with a friend to get together after nearly 50yrs as I moved away up North. I booked this hotel and we had a fantastic stay. We visited Chepstow Castle(I went there as a kid), luckily you no longer have to book and can just walk in and pay also across the road is a museum xx
I hope to get back to Chepstow for a longer visit next time! Thanks for sharing your memories. How wonderful to get together with old friends in such a special place!💖
@MagentaOtterTravels It was surreal. I left when I was 16 so wanted to meet at the local pub. If you get a chance visit Monmouth. King Henry V was born there and Rolls Royce has a family home there. Castle and museum. If you go Fri or Sat there's a market xx
@@MagentaOtterTravels Ooh sorry, yes it was a typo! I'm sorry to disappoint you! It will probably be 4K before too long, and then my comment will not be inaccurate at all! Lol!
You are the credit card and travel perks queen, so I know you know! We have been SO blessed! Staying at Marriotts here in the US is nice, but I get treated like royalty when I'm in the UK! Seriously the nicest rooms and upgrades! And some of the hotels have been so cheap we didn't even use points to stay!
This video makes us want to visit Wales more than before, beautiful! I’ve taken note of that incredible Marriott too! When I saw the geese I thought OH NO will they fly towards Dara’s window? 🤣. Cannot wait to this years videos! ~Cara 😊
Dara, loved the video! My first area was Pontypool and Cwmbran in Gwent. My last area was Haverfordwest in Pembroke, and loved St Davids cathedral and Tenby beach where the gentleman would "fish" for these long mollusks in the sand and catch with salt.
Although not a main parish church, St Enodocs (12th Century), Trebetherick, Cornwall is also surrounded by a golf course. Enjoyable vlog and found it interesting what you had to say about the peanut butter.
@@simonrobbins8357 yes, I love the fact that big stately homes had their own churches! I really enjoyed visiting them! I guess there are probably a number of churches on golf courses. But it’s likely that most of them are not current parish churches?
My best friend in Wales used to live in Chepstow and I seem to remember him saying that they used to go out to some fancy hotel a little ways out of town, maybe it was this one, and sometimes, Princess Margaret would be there partying with her local boyfriend and other friends!
Most rivers in the UK are privately owned. The River Wye is a “public right of way” like many footpaths from Glasbury just west of Hay-On-Wye to the Bristol Channel. Ideal for canoeists but the banks are private! There are some public spots such as where road bridges cross. When I was younger we used to take Scouts canoeing from Ross-On-Wye to Monmouth on a weekend trip, of course via the rapids at Symonds Yat.
It sounds like you may have been a Scout Leader which is great to hear. I was a Boy Scout Leader for many years. Unfortunately the Boy Scouts of America is in huge disarray these days but I have many good memories from my years of being a Scout as a youngster and participating as a Scout Leader. On one of our trips we made a point of visiting Brownsea Island so my sons could see where Scouting started.
Hi Dara - stayed in Symmonds Yat right on the Riverside by the hand drawn ferry in the Wye Valley, 3 years ago. It's a real gem of England! If you're going into Wales, you have to travel to the area inland from Aberystwyth. It features in a BBC police drama series called Hinterland - and that's a perfect description for the area. There's a ridge there in the middle of a country park from where you can see Mount Snowden in North Wales, which is miles away!
Sounds amazing! Yes, we stopped at Symonds Yat as well. I never managed to make a video of that. I just film way too much content!! 🤣 I have heard of the TV show Hinterland, but haven’t watched it yet. Do you recommend it?
@@MagentaOtterTravels Do I recommend Hinterland? Is the Pope Catholic??? 🤣🤣🤣 it's a bit like a Welsh version of the Scandinavian police crime dramas that are required viewing this side of the pond. Give it a go if it's available on iplayer while you're here. BTW - another foodie comparison for you: Lamb. Welsh Lamb has a distinct buttery flavour and texture, unlike salt marsh Lamb from Romney Marsh and northern Lamb like Shannon and Karl rear up in Durhamshire 😊👍
@@shanewaterman4125 oh interesting! Ian loves lamb, and he grew up living in Wales in the summers. Hopefully he can try some other local lamb varieties this summer. You know we are going to the Beamish this year... can't wait to see "the farm"!
I've only been to North Wales, and that was as a child. I really need to return and explore more of this beautiful country. Are you visiting Wales again on your forthcoming trip?
I'll answer for Dara since she's busy recording. We're hoping to be able to go to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and visit a favourite of ours Tenby (and the abbey at Caldey Island) and Skomer (for the puffins) which we haven't seen before. I spent my summers in Wales between the ages of 7 and 13 because my mum lived there and am 1/4 Welsh so I definitely have an affinity for Wales.
Woke up, found this lovely surprise but thought I must have slept in by 9 hours as your videos normally show up in the late afternoon. Never heard self check out called Scots tills.😀
@@StephenandAndie the BEST thing is to get a Marriott Rewards credit card. Truly! I will have to do a video about this. Because we have stayed so many amazing places. Including a Harry Potter hotel!
Love this, when we visited Tintern we were blown away by its beauty. Also what’s wrong with Sunpat, made me laugh, what’s American peanut butter like?? Looking forward to Bath, my annual Mecca? 🥰
Yes, Tintern is so old and so majestic and so interesting! Sunpat just doesn’t taste as peanutty, as I recall. 🥜 Bath is a favourite place! That was last week’s video. So I hope you check it out and let me know your thoughts 😊
I have absolutely no idea what happened! I uploaded this video late Saturday night after a very stressful day, and I must not have paid attention to the time!
We had a similar very dischuffed experience in York...we booked this lovely gothic pile on the internet, I was really looking forward to it.. Got to reception....yes isn't this place lovely....then when we got our room key....the bedroom was outside across the yard and into a 1940s Jerry built overflow residence... I wish this was mentioned upon booking then I would have gladly forgotten all about the place..
I was fine with not staying in the castle. Being right there on the water with all of the 🦢 to watch was kind of fun! When I really cared about where I stayed in the hotel was when we were at the St Pancras Renaissance (A Marriott property) in London. It’s the big Harry Potter Hotel, and there’s a really cool old part and then a new addition which is kind of plain and boring. I really really wanted to stay in the fancy old part and we totally lucked out! It was our anniversary, so I think they were nice to us 💖
@@MagentaOtterTravels I've stayed in gorgeous sea front hotels in Dover and exemouth... The back of the hotel in Dover is a cacophony all night listening to pantechnicons accelerating away from the traffic lights...and in exemouth I was able to keep an eye on my car in the rear car park whenever I wanted to...the best rooms are the same price as the worst rooms..but they don't tell you what you've got until you get there...
@@MagentaOtterTravels I really want to stay in the new and boring part of the St Pancras renaissance hotel...im going to study the hotel page and see if I can specify new addition KOPAB...
An interesting and informative nibble at Wales! I hope you get more time to tour the prinicpality when you're next in the UK. Oh, and I wonder how the peanut butter like-hate percentages align with those of Marmite...? When it comes to peanut butter, I'd rather be force-fed scones and clotted cream! 😜
Ha ha, I think the love-hate percentages are different. In the US, there are very few peanut butter haters. I think there are definitely more marmite haters in the UK. However, I think very few Americans like marmite. I have probably met more British people who like peanut butter. But those are anecdotal statistics! And remember, 87% of all statistics are made up! LOL
@@ians3586 if you go to Bodnant...try to catch Abersoch....its full of WASPS....but it's gorgeous.. The view from the beach of Snowden is a memorable sight..in the heat haze...
I think this is the first time I'm watching one of Dara's videos with my morning cup of tea. Personally I dislike any peanut butter, even the smell of it makes me feel ill :-)
You sound very European, Mark (regarding the peanut butter) haha! As for the timing of this video, I have no clue what happened! It was a rough weekend and my brain was elsewhere when I scheduled the upload!
@@MagentaOtterTravels Peanut butter seems to me to be more of a North American thing (maybe I'm wrong). One of my friends occasionally goes to Seattle for business, and he liked the horrible stuff after trying it on one of his visits.
@@dragonmac1234 yes, that’s what I meant. Americans grow up loving it, Europeans grow up hating it. Of course there are exceptions to this rule, but it seems to be true more often than not 😉
@@dragonmac1234 I consider Brits Europeans as well. I always have, so I’m not getting caught up on Brexit or not. The first time I learned how much Europeans hated peanut butter was when I met a distant cousin from Germany. She thought it was the most vile substance she had ever seen! LOL
Yes, i'll say it, most will... wow, this is early! Now, get comfy, might be a long one this. Firstly, you should maybe do a vid on hotel reward/loyalty schemes. Super cheap, even free rooms, that's some scheme. I'm in a number or reward schemes, and i'm lucky if i get £10 to £20 off, never mind free rooms... I mentioned being inspired to finally get to Bath after your last vid. I priced where you stayed, and it was around £170 a night, or $235, and your room was free!, boy, as I say, some scheme. Now your vid :) That hotel looked amazing, it doesn't get much more beautiful than that. I've covered a lot of Wales, but that South East corner I haven't. Passed it a lot on my way to the South coast England, I'll have to drop in there in future. Chepstow, and the abbey both looked lovely. Chepstow looked like a quaint place, and with that imposing castle. I mean, who doesn't love a castle. And that interesting pub sign with the 5 characters, I wonder how old that was. Re the lawyer, I'd swear that's based on actor Leo Mckern in his role as Rumpole of the Bailey. A 70's, lighthearted courtroom tv drama. It's about a bluff old barrister who always wins while spouting lots of poetry. A great show. And kudos to Ian again for his excellent drone footage of the abbey, and surrounding area, always great. And finally, re the shopping. I've never heard the phrase/name, Scott's tills. We just call them self serve. Maybe it was the accent, or that's what they call them in Wales! Oh, and what's wrong with English peanut butter :) Now the jar you pictured was smooth, which is always horrible, like glue. But you'll have to let us know the difference between US & UK types. Not sure if I've had American. I had a different jar once, my brand was gone, but it was thick with oil and tasted very bitter. It may've been European though. If it was American then no wonder we make our own. You seem to know what you like though... that was a pretty strong denunciation of our PB right there, haha.
Hiya John! GOOD MORNING! Trust me, I was even more surprised than you when I woke up and turned on the TV for our morning workout... and there was my video! Oh well... I messed up the upload time, hee hee. The short answer is that we get Marriott credit cards. The rewards are GREAT. And they treat me like royalty when I come to Britain! It would be a good video idea... I should write that on the list! Good catch about Rumpole ... I think you are right! Actually a subscriber (one of the Davids) sent me a radio programme to listen to whilst we were in England of Rumpole. Good stuff! The till is apparently branded SCOT - thanks for Simon for that discovery! Sorry to be a peanut butter snob... I do love the stuff and I'm picky! Thanks for watching my surprisingly early video of a stunningly beautiful place!
@@MagentaOtterTravels Cheers for that, they were very beautiful places. And I've obviously the wrong credit cards... I think there are some full episodes of Rumpole on youtube, if you've an odd hour to kill. Worth a watch :)
I remember catching Rumpole years ago, and you're right the resemblance to Leo McKern (Australian if you can believe it) can't be a coincidence. Dara should do a vid on rewards cards. I'm not sure if it would translate in the UK though. I remember trying to find cards with decent rewards for my Mum and not finding ones that offered the bonuses we get here in the US. Those bonuses have made an awful lot of trips possible that wouldn't have otherwise happened.
They are so great! The vegetarian ones are my favourite! I've been eating the same ones for donkeys... and if they stop making them one year I am going to cry! That's funny that your beautiful little carnivore even chose it over fried chicken! Well done, Izzy!
The teenage Ian would have agreed with you. When my dad was young he would have as well. He used to tell me about how when he was teen he fancied Welsh girls.
It's the "bin" part that is confusing. If you just say "bin" an American who doesn't know Britain would NEVER think of a trash can. Bins around here are plastic totes that you store things in.
@@MagentaOtterTravels yes bin has two meanings here...we do the plastic totes storage bin too... Then there's the trash bin...which used to be top cat style galvanised fluted with a circular lid.. But now it's plastic with a flip lid as in america.. I knew of a bar that was named the "sin bin" I think it was because of the types of relationships that flourished there.. The word Dumpster is getting quite popular here too..firstly it's an alternative name for a skip...receptacle...for when you're having your home remodelled and you fill it with doors and plaster board brick and old windows and kitchen units.. Then it can be applied to a heartbreaker serial suitor.".the dumpster.."
We're having a campaign in Britain now....in all the media ..search "go left"...(.if you break down on the motorway go left...) but if it's a smart motorway ie four forward lanes..going left will still be a live lane with trucks and cars doing 55 or so..until the inefficient alert system kicks in you are vulnerable,and a sitting duck,...be careful on a smart motorway....some are still old style and therefore safer..people are dying with this system...stay safe..complain to your senator...put pressure on our government..Amen Corner.....🎵🎵🎵" if paradise is half as safe,as heaven that you take me to"🎵🎵🎵
@@MagentaOtterTravels smart motorways....you need to clue up on our protest forums....and realise that smart motorways are dangerous...get ready to pop on your fluorescent jerkin, and run behind the safety barrier, well away from your car ,in the position pre impact site..so shattering pieces of your car don't get into a trajectory to hit you..,then dial the emergency services from a safe position.
@@MagentaOtterTravels They are talking about changing the M25 into a safer system...im not sure which parts of the M1,the M6 ,the M5 the M4...are smart...but if you ask the "Automobile Association" or the " Royal Automobile Club" They will no doubt tell you where your concerns should be...these associations are lobbying for change So they should be really helpful to you..and not fob you off with a quick fudged reply..
@@MagentaOtterTravels The safety lane that you need is called the "hard shoulder"...which is not a running lane... If your motorway hasn't got a hard shoulder,it is a white knuckle ride... There are pull ins on smart motorways every couple of miles but if you can't make it to the pull in, An alternative to running behind the safety barrier,is to put your head between your legs and kiss your ass goodbye..yes with a 10 tonne lorry arriving at your rear bumper at 55mph will create a more serious situation than a claim on their insurance for whiplash.. The passenger will be able to get behind the barrier fastest and with the most safety...the driver will feel the breeze of the lorries as he makes a run for it..if Ian's driving he might want to practice a Starskey and Hutch dive over the gear stick and out of the passenger door ..rather than risk doing a car run around on a live motorway lane.choosing a car with dial up gears instead of a pudding spoon style gear change might make the problem go away..
I don't think Scots tills are a thing. Perhaps she was calling a member of staff to man the tills? Or maybe she was saying '(it)'s got tills'? r maybe someone called Scott was responsible for them? Therefore they were Scott's tills? I'm guessing. Ha ha ha!
A lovely subscriber named Simon looked it up on the M&S website... it is the brand name of those self checkout tills!!! So funny that she said it to ME, some daft American, and expected me to understand what she meant!!! haha 😂
That fat king was a brute! We watched an interesting documentary about him a few weeks back. It was fascinating to hear about how athletic he was when he was young! And then he had a terrible injury that made him relatively immobile so he sat around and gain power and weight...
There are two figures that I wish could have been eliminated from British history - Cromwell and Henry VIII. We're still living with the consequences of the damage these men did.
I grew up in this town. If you wore school uniform you'd get free access to the castle/museum if you asked nicely. To my chagrin, this did not work at the Five All's pub for some reason ;). Some amazing shots you've captured! great video.
I love that you grew up here! Thanks so much for watching and taking the time to comment! How lovely that they let school children visit the castle for free! Too bad about the pub, LOL 😂
@@MagentaOtterTravels i call marks and spencer, marks and expensive. lol
@@thedisabledwelshman9266 haha yes I can see why. But when I get my £2 salads for lunch it’s a bargain vs a restaurant 😉
Your voice makes your videos even more fun than they already are! I enjoy listening to you talk!!
That is SO SWEET of you to say! I grew up being self conscious about my voice and really hating it. You made my day! 💖
Ooh! I like the pub sign ‘The Five All’s’ how cool is that! And the meaning behind it too!
Makes you think! 🤔
A lovely hotel! Beautiful lake views. And you had wonderful weather, you can never take that for granted. ;)
I gave thanks EVERY.DAY. for that sunshine!!! ☀️
Croeso I Gymru Dara & Ian, Welcome to Wales. You certainly had good weather. In the 70’s my patch as an internal planner with British Telecom (BT) was the Newport, Chepstow, Brecon, Abergavenny Monmouth and Pontypool charge groups. Spent many a day in Tintern and Chepstow. When I was really young before the Motorways, when we used to visit my Mum’s sister in Hampshire, Chepstow was a real bottle-neck. All traffic had to pass through the traffic light controlled single lane way arch in the centre of town. Then over the bridge and up the hill to Tutshill and Gloucester. If we were going down to Bristol then a right turn into Tutshill would take us down to the ferry crossing the River Severn/Bristol Channel from Beachley to Aust. This sort of short cut saved us driving up to Gloucester then South. The M4 Motorway and 1st Severn Bridge stopped that and made it all easy. Now it is possible to commute to Bristol daily. Under the Severn is a 4 ½ mile long rail tunnel built by the Great Western Railway (GWR) in 1886.
Thank you for the welcome! We were blessed with splendid weather, and I did not take it for granted a bit! Without it Ian could not have gotten that lovely abbey drone footage. I think it was too windy to fly over the castle, which vexed Ian to no end.
I'm so glad that you know the area and it brings back memories. Yes, we loved our visit. Ian had been there before, but it was all new and wonderful to me!!
I can't imagine how difficult travel must have been before the Severn Bridge. With the amount of traffic that crosses that bridge the idea of a ferry taking care of things seems almost preposterous, even when accounting for a smaller population. While there are definitely some downsides to the modern age, overall I'm grateful to have lived in a time when things are relatively convenient.
I can remember dad racing to catch the Aust Ferry, before they built the bridge!
You always stay in the most beautiful places! How lucky! I would love to wake up and see the water outside my window!
Well, it isn’t Hawaii, but it was nice!
How beautiful! That hotel is amazing! I enjoyed the different pub names as well. The funniest I saw the The Snooty Fox in Tetbury, ❤️
I just watched a video about the Snooty Fox... I love that name! 🦊😂 Yes the hotel was a gem 💎
I'm now 60yrs old and living in Australia. I can remember playing 'cowboys and Indians' in Chepstow castle as a kid before it became touristy. Why on earth, we played 'cowboys and Indians' in a medieval castle, I just don't know! Lol. In my later years, my friends and I would cross over the Wye bridge you showed to get in an extra 30 minutes of pub time! Oh, the memories.
That is such a charming story! I guess you did that because that’s just what kids did back then! I’m 56 and my older brothers played cowboys & indians all the time!
My husband grew up spending his summers in Wells and going to all the different castles. It is a wonderful childhood memory for him!
I hope you subscribe and stick around for more of our British adventures. We are currently in Northumberland. ❤️🇬🇧
The cat and gum were cute. You do these so well. I enjoy the commentaries.
Thanks so much for saying that! I never know for sure if my stream of quirky thoughts is interesting to anyone! 😂
I'm in my 60s and grew up in a near by village, I. went to Monmouth school. My sister and I would walk to Tintern Abbey for a picnic on the green.
I had arranged with a friend to get together after nearly 50yrs as I moved away up North. I booked this hotel and we had a fantastic stay. We visited Chepstow Castle(I went there as a kid), luckily you no longer have to book and can just walk in and pay also across the road is a museum xx
I hope to get back to Chepstow for a longer visit next time! Thanks for sharing your memories. How wonderful to get together with old friends in such a special place!💖
@MagentaOtterTravels It was surreal. I left when I was 16 so wanted to meet at the local pub. If you get a chance visit Monmouth. King Henry V was born there and Rolls Royce has a family home there. Castle and museum. If you go Fri or Sat there's a market xx
@@shirlgirlc6734 thanks for the recommendation!
Hope you're feeling better, and looking forward to Friday 🇲🇽
Friday will be fun! A scone video in the morning, and delicious Mexican food in the evening! And CAKE! 🍰
OK, I’m glad I wasn’t the only one caught by surprise with this earlier-than-usual Tuesday video!! Loved every minute, though! :-)
I woke up to discover that my video had accidentally uploaded many hours before it was supposed to! I have no idea what happened
As always, I really enjoyed your commentary. Oh btw, congrats on 4K views for your Clotted Cream video! Fantastic!
Thank you so much! I think my clotted cream video is 2K views, your comment made me run and check my analytics really fast! Was that a typo?
@@MagentaOtterTravels Ooh sorry, yes it was a typo! I'm sorry to disappoint you! It will probably be 4K before too long, and then my comment will not be inaccurate at all! Lol!
@@The_Brit_Girls haha here’s hoping! 🤞
incredible very beautiful scenery👍👍
Thanks 😊
Wow wonderful place love the view
Thanks so much 👍
L39
The Scenery is so beautiful ♥️
Good like my friend 🇯🇵🌺🌈
Thanks!
I loved your accomodation, what a fabulous place to stay!
It was really special! A lovely surprise!
Yess to all of the point perks - you guys stay at some of the cutest places
You are the credit card and travel perks queen, so I know you know!
We have been SO blessed! Staying at Marriotts here in the US is nice, but I get treated like royalty when I'm in the UK! Seriously the nicest rooms and upgrades! And some of the hotels have been so cheap we didn't even use points to stay!
Great content to explore the beautiful place with wonderful architecture and spectacular views, amazing footage!👍👏💯🇺🇸💐🌺🎉
And don’t forget, also BIRDS! 🦢 Thanks for watching and commenting!
Beautiful video!
I´ve never been to Wales but would love to visit it one day!
I highly recommend! A beautiful, historic, and unique place!
@@MagentaOtterTravels Awesome. I'm super interested in history so definitely going on my bucket list ☺️
If you go to the right places ...it can be better than Cornwall....
@@SvenVee whereabouts in the world do you live?
This video makes us want to visit Wales more than before, beautiful! I’ve taken note of that incredible Marriott too! When I saw the geese I thought OH NO will they fly towards Dara’s window? 🤣. Cannot wait to this years videos! ~Cara 😊
If you like Marriott, definitely check out the Marriott Rewards credit card. It has been an AMAZING perk for us for years.
Dara, loved the video! My first area was Pontypool and Cwmbran in Gwent. My last area was Haverfordwest in Pembroke, and loved St Davids cathedral and Tenby beach where the gentleman would "fish" for these long mollusks in the sand and catch with salt.
Wow, I didn't realise that! How fun! I can't wait to go visit Tenby... Ian has been many times. We will hopefully make it there this summer!
@@MagentaOtterTravels The mollusks were Razor Clams. You can see videos of them burrowing in the sand and spewing water behind.
@@MrCordell1 oh cool!
Although not a main parish church, St Enodocs (12th Century), Trebetherick, Cornwall is also surrounded by a golf course. Enjoyable vlog and found it interesting what you had to say about the peanut butter.
Yes I think I have stirred up a peanut butter controversy!
Thanks for finding another golf course church🏌️ ⛪️
@@simonrobbins8357 yes, I love the fact that big stately homes had their own churches! I really enjoyed visiting them! I guess there are probably a number of churches on golf courses. But it’s likely that most of them are not current parish churches?
So funny watching this after visiting today!! Another fantastic video Dara and Ian, hope you get to see more of Wales on your next visit 💗🤩
Yes indeed! Hopefully we will go to Tenby, and Skomer and see puffins! 🐧
I can’t wait to see your REAL visit to Chepstow Castle!!!! 🏰
@@MagentaOtterTravels coming soon!
@@googlpanda 🙌🙌
I have never been to Wales, but this is really stunning. I will put Wales on my bucket list for sure. Thanks again for this amazing footage 🥰
Thanks for watching at my surprise upload time! haha
I love that hotel you stayed in that looks like a castle!!!
Thanks! I did too!
Yea, I don't see how a lobby entrance would get any better. Plus we laughed out loud the first time you said "bungalow" 🤣😂
My husband is informing me that I was using the term bungalow inaccurately. What do I know?! 🤷♀️
So excited to see how you react to my home turf! Our paths have crossed and I love that. :¬)
Yay! Now we just need travel to be safe so we can get together for tea one of these years...
My best friend in Wales used to live in Chepstow and I seem to remember him saying that they used to go out to some fancy hotel a little ways out of town, maybe it was this one, and sometimes, Princess Margaret would be there partying with her local boyfriend and other friends!
@@brentwoodbay oh wow! Fun times...
@@MagentaOtterTravels Yes she was a wild 'un! I was hoping that someone local could confirm or deny this !
Most rivers in the UK are privately owned. The River Wye is a “public right of way” like many footpaths from Glasbury just west of Hay-On-Wye to the Bristol Channel. Ideal for canoeists but the banks are private! There are some public spots such as where road bridges cross. When I was younger we used to take Scouts canoeing from Ross-On-Wye to Monmouth on a weekend trip, of course via the rapids at Symonds Yat.
Of course! We did visit Symonds Yat, but I haven't found a way to work it into any video yet...
It sounds like you may have been a Scout Leader which is great to hear. I was a Boy Scout Leader for many years. Unfortunately the Boy Scouts of America is in huge disarray these days but I have many good memories from my years of being a Scout as a youngster and participating as a Scout Leader. On one of our trips we made a point of visiting Brownsea Island so my sons could see where Scouting started.
Hi Dara - stayed in Symmonds Yat right on the Riverside by the hand drawn ferry in the Wye Valley, 3 years ago. It's a real gem of England! If you're going into Wales, you have to travel to the area inland from Aberystwyth. It features in a BBC police drama series called Hinterland - and that's a perfect description for the area. There's a ridge there in the middle of a country park from where you can see Mount Snowden in North Wales, which is miles away!
Sounds amazing!
Yes, we stopped at Symonds Yat as well. I never managed to make a video of that. I just film way too much content!! 🤣
I have heard of the TV show Hinterland, but haven’t watched it yet. Do you recommend it?
@@MagentaOtterTravels Do I recommend Hinterland? Is the Pope Catholic??? 🤣🤣🤣 it's a bit like a Welsh version of the Scandinavian police crime dramas that are required viewing this side of the pond. Give it a go if it's available on iplayer while you're here.
BTW - another foodie comparison for you: Lamb. Welsh Lamb has a distinct buttery flavour and texture, unlike salt marsh Lamb from Romney Marsh and northern Lamb like Shannon and Karl rear up in Durhamshire 😊👍
@@shanewaterman4125 oh interesting! Ian loves lamb, and he grew up living in Wales in the summers. Hopefully he can try some other local lamb varieties this summer. You know we are going to the Beamish this year... can't wait to see "the farm"!
@@MagentaOtterTravels hopefully we'll get up to Beamish this year too. Just waiting on my Mum's probate to be settled, then we're off on our travels!
I've only been to North Wales, and that was as a child. I really need to return and explore more of this beautiful country. Are you visiting Wales again on your forthcoming trip?
I'll answer for Dara since she's busy recording. We're hoping to be able to go to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and visit a favourite of ours Tenby (and the abbey at Caldey Island) and Skomer (for the puffins) which we haven't seen before. I spent my summers in Wales between the ages of 7 and 13 because my mum lived there and am 1/4 Welsh so I definitely have an affinity for Wales.
Yes, you definitely need to go! Ian gave a good answer to your question so I'll just agree with him ;-)
@@ians3586Pembs is one of the most beautiful places in Britain
Woke up, found this lovely surprise but thought I must have slept in by 9 hours as your videos normally show up in the late afternoon. Never heard self check out called Scots tills.😀
I am as surprised as you!!! No idea what I did 😳
Apparently SCOT is the brand name (thanks to Simon for the discovery) of those tills! Who knew 🤷♀️
@@MagentaOtterTravels Glad you solved the mystery.
@@gerrymccartney3561 me too! Before I publish the video I asked my Scottish lass friend Lorraine about it, and she thought I was crazy! LOL
Oh noooooo! So sorry you had to book in advance. Rgggh!
Don't pity me... I learnt this lesson like 5 times earlier in the trip... I should have known! NEXT TIME!!
I haven’t been to Wales yet. Or Ireland for that matter. I think Stephen and I need a British Isles tour ASAP!
all of these awesome places are Marriott??? signing up for their rewards program STAT!
“they’ve called in reinforcements” 🤣
how do they screw up peanut butter??? it’s just peanuts! (when done right)
@@StephenandAndie the BEST thing is to get a Marriott Rewards credit card. Truly! I will have to do a video about this. Because we have stayed so many amazing places. Including a Harry Potter hotel!
@@StephenandAndie geese reinforcements! 🦢
Wow, that's quit the hotel entrance!
Yes, that hotel DOES know how to make an entrance! I was impressed!
Love this, when we visited Tintern we were blown away by its beauty. Also what’s wrong with Sunpat, made me laugh, what’s American peanut butter like?? Looking forward to Bath, my annual Mecca? 🥰
Yes, Tintern is so old and so majestic and so interesting!
Sunpat just doesn’t taste as peanutty, as I recall. 🥜
Bath is a favourite place! That was last week’s video. So I hope you check it out and let me know your thoughts 😊
Yay, Chepstow! 🤩💗
I want to stay in a castle!! So cool!
I've never heard of Scott's tills think you may have misheard that one!
Mystery solved... SCOT = self check out till!
Good old M & S! Really wish they were over here in America! Just read one of your viewer's replies to the SCOT question. Interesting ...
M&S food is really so good!
Beautiful video 💯
Thanks!
Awesome video 👍
Really nicely edited.
New subscriber here 👋
Thanks Weston! My son Weston guest starred in some British chocolate tasting videos with me last December 💖
Wow this is early, just off to work
BTW First 😉👍
@@wencireone I was thinking the same, due to my injury I am at home and I just woke up to this video 😃. Have a great working day!
I have absolutely no idea what happened! I uploaded this video late Saturday night after a very stressful day, and I must not have paid attention to the time!
@@MadameMinima thanks, I made it back home so must have been a good day 👍
Hereford must be one of the prettiest places in the country. keep up the good work nostar ?
Hereford is amazing. Will have to do some videos there later this year!
Definitely need to visit Hampton Court Castle when in Herefordshire.
Wales is great and all, but can I just talk about how much I love M&S Foodhall?
Yes, yes you can! You are my people.
Yes, it's a favorite of ours too.
Awesome ❤❤❤love it.
We had a similar very dischuffed experience in York...we booked this lovely gothic pile on the internet,
I was really looking forward to it..
Got to reception....yes isn't this place lovely....then when we got our room key....the bedroom was outside across the yard and into a 1940s Jerry built overflow residence...
I wish this was mentioned upon booking then I would have gladly forgotten all about the place..
I was fine with not staying in the castle. Being right there on the water with all of the 🦢 to watch was kind of fun!
When I really cared about where I stayed in the hotel was when we were at the St Pancras Renaissance (A Marriott property) in London. It’s the big Harry Potter Hotel, and there’s a really cool old part and then a new addition which is kind of plain and boring. I really really wanted to stay in the fancy old part and we totally lucked out! It was our anniversary, so I think they were nice to us 💖
@@MagentaOtterTravels I've stayed in gorgeous sea front hotels in Dover and exemouth...
The back of the hotel in Dover is a cacophony all night listening to pantechnicons accelerating away from the traffic lights...and in exemouth I was able to keep an eye on my car in the rear car park whenever I wanted to...the best rooms are the same price as the worst rooms..but they don't tell you what you've got until you get there...
@@MagentaOtterTravels I really want to stay in the new and boring part of the St Pancras renaissance hotel...im going to study the hotel page and see if I can specify new addition KOPAB...
@@david-lt9wj What does that mean?
@@MagentaOtterTravels kind of plain and boring..."...kinda" is very American..
The annexe in York was very plain and very iffy....
An interesting and informative nibble at Wales! I hope you get more time to tour the prinicpality when you're next in the UK. Oh, and I wonder how the peanut butter like-hate percentages align with those of Marmite...? When it comes to peanut butter, I'd rather be force-fed scones and clotted cream! 😜
Ha ha, I think the love-hate percentages are different. In the US, there are very few peanut butter haters. I think there are definitely more marmite haters in the UK. However, I think very few Americans like marmite. I have probably met more British people who like peanut butter. But those are anecdotal statistics! And remember, 87% of all statistics are made up! LOL
@@MagentaOtterTravels 😄😄😄
6:47 "Nice town center..." and a nice handsome man sitting on the stairs 😉
Yes indeed 💖... resting his feet 🦶
@@MagentaOtterTravels I was thinking so...!!
Oh come on now. You're making me blush! It's amazing what a mask can do for a fella. Hides a lot of flaws.
I quite like caerleon the Roman amphitheatre....
And the national botanical gardens in Wales is hot....
So much loveliness to see!
One of my absolute favourite gardens, Bodnant, is in Wales. I'd really like to see the Laburnum Arch when it's in full bloom.
@@ians3586 I think they've got some lovely exotic plants on the front in Torquay.
Paignton is cute too.the railway station in town is nice...
@@ians3586 if you go to Bodnant...try to catch Abersoch....its full of WASPS....but it's gorgeous..
The view from the beach of Snowden is a memorable sight..in the heat haze...
William Marshall's castle.Most people say the greatest knight .Like Evor,my attempt at the west coast accent. 👌
Nice! Well done 👏
having fairly recently retired from ASDA all I know is that we had self scanning corrals
It’s the brand name (SCOT) apparently! Simon discovered that... I worked for Walmart many years. Interesting to know you worked for ASDA!
So this time you can watch wildlife from a secured position without fear of getting attacked 😂
Yes! I had a nice safe front row seat! 👍
I woulda-coulda tasted the Welsh stuff. It is DaKine .... 😂😎 My fav tho was the castle... 🌴🌴Aloha
That castle was amazing. Next time I need to visit INSIDE!!! haha
Thanks for watching!
I think this is the first time I'm watching one of Dara's videos with my morning cup of tea. Personally I dislike any peanut butter, even the smell of it makes me feel ill :-)
You sound very European, Mark (regarding the peanut butter) haha! As for the timing of this video, I have no clue what happened! It was a rough weekend and my brain was elsewhere when I scheduled the upload!
@@MagentaOtterTravels Peanut butter seems to me to be more of a North American thing (maybe I'm wrong). One of my friends occasionally goes to Seattle for business, and he liked the horrible stuff after trying it on one of his visits.
@@dragonmac1234 yes, that’s what I meant. Americans grow up loving it, Europeans grow up hating it. Of course there are exceptions to this rule, but it seems to be true more often than not 😉
@@MagentaOtterTravels Even though I hold a UK passport I still consider myself European (despite the Brexit stuff), maybe that's why I dislike it :P
@@dragonmac1234 I consider Brits Europeans as well. I always have, so I’m not getting caught up on Brexit or not. The first time I learned how much Europeans hated peanut butter was when I met a distant cousin from Germany. She thought it was the most vile substance she had ever seen! LOL
Yes, i'll say it, most will... wow, this is early! Now, get comfy, might be a long one this.
Firstly, you should maybe do a vid on hotel reward/loyalty schemes. Super cheap, even free rooms, that's some scheme. I'm in a number or reward schemes, and i'm lucky if i get £10 to £20 off, never mind free rooms... I mentioned being inspired to finally get to Bath after your last vid. I priced where you stayed, and it was around £170 a night, or $235, and your room was free!, boy, as I say, some scheme.
Now your vid :) That hotel looked amazing, it doesn't get much more beautiful than that. I've covered a lot of Wales, but that South East corner I haven't. Passed it a lot on my way to the South coast England, I'll have to drop in there in future. Chepstow, and the abbey both looked lovely. Chepstow looked like a quaint place, and with that imposing castle. I mean, who doesn't love a castle. And that interesting pub sign with the 5 characters, I wonder how old that was. Re the lawyer, I'd swear that's based on actor Leo Mckern in his role as Rumpole of the Bailey. A 70's, lighthearted courtroom tv drama. It's about a bluff old barrister who always wins while spouting lots of poetry. A great show. And kudos to Ian again for his excellent drone footage of the abbey, and surrounding area, always great.
And finally, re the shopping. I've never heard the phrase/name, Scott's tills. We just call them self serve. Maybe it was the accent, or that's what they call them in Wales! Oh, and what's wrong with English peanut butter :) Now the jar you pictured was smooth, which is always horrible, like glue. But you'll have to let us know the difference between US & UK types. Not sure if I've had American. I had a different jar once, my brand was gone, but it was thick with oil and tasted very bitter. It may've been European though. If it was American then no wonder we make our own. You seem to know what you like though... that was a pretty strong denunciation of our PB right there, haha.
Hiya John! GOOD MORNING! Trust me, I was even more surprised than you when I woke up and turned on the TV for our morning workout... and there was my video! Oh well... I messed up the upload time, hee hee.
The short answer is that we get Marriott credit cards. The rewards are GREAT. And they treat me like royalty when I come to Britain! It would be a good video idea... I should write that on the list!
Good catch about Rumpole ... I think you are right! Actually a subscriber (one of the Davids) sent me a radio programme to listen to whilst we were in England of Rumpole. Good stuff!
The till is apparently branded SCOT - thanks for Simon for that discovery!
Sorry to be a peanut butter snob... I do love the stuff and I'm picky!
Thanks for watching my surprisingly early video of a stunningly beautiful place!
@@MagentaOtterTravels Cheers for that, they were very beautiful places. And I've obviously the wrong credit cards... I think there are some full episodes of Rumpole on youtube, if you've an odd hour to kill. Worth a watch :)
I remember catching Rumpole years ago, and you're right the resemblance to Leo McKern (Australian if you can believe it) can't be a coincidence. Dara should do a vid on rewards cards. I'm not sure if it would translate in the UK though. I remember trying to find cards with decent rewards for my Mum and not finding ones that offered the bonuses we get here in the US. Those bonuses have made an awful lot of trips possible that wouldn't have otherwise happened.
@@ians3586 Yeah, It could be interesting vid even if we, over here, can't partake. On the face of it, it does seem a really generous scheme.
Think they might be saying Sparks till, M&S is also called Marks and Sparks 👍
I love MnS salads. Izzy chose one over KFC on Saturday!
They are so great! The vegetarian ones are my favourite! I've been eating the same ones for donkeys... and if they stop making them one year I am going to cry! That's funny that your beautiful little carnivore even chose it over fried chicken! Well done, Izzy!
Good choice! A way to increase life expectancy.
Love Marmite 💖 hate peanut butter! 😱
You are officially BRITISH! haha
You certainly got a lot out of your filming the chocolate taste test was uploaded 5 months ago
I have an INSANE amount of content! 😳
@@MagentaOtterTravels you'll soon have more 👍
@@wencireone yes indeed!
The Welsh birds are much more friendlier than the English birds, lol 😂
that's because the Welsh men are more interested in sheep lol
@@jeanlongsden1696 what can I say, a woolly jumper has its uses on those cold winter nights
@@jeanlongsden1696 someone is taking the mickey...
Your comment about the Welsh birds made me laugh.
The teenage Ian would have agreed with you. When my dad was young he would have as well. He used to tell me about how when he was teen he fancied Welsh girls.
What do you call gum?
It's the "bin" part that is confusing. If you just say "bin" an American who doesn't know Britain would NEVER think of a trash can. Bins around here are plastic totes that you store things in.
@@MagentaOtterTravels yes bin has two meanings here...we do the plastic totes storage bin too...
Then there's the trash bin...which used to be top cat style galvanised fluted with a circular lid..
But now it's plastic with a flip lid as in america..
I knew of a bar that was named the "sin bin" I think it was because of the types of relationships that flourished there..
The word Dumpster is getting quite popular here too..firstly it's an alternative name for a skip...receptacle...for when you're having your home remodelled and you fill it with doors and plaster board brick and old windows and kitchen units..
Then it can be applied to a heartbreaker serial suitor.".the dumpster.."
@@david-lt9wj Ha ha, I like the second meaning for dumpster! 😂
@@MagentaOtterTravels serial dumpster Romeo.....is that application used in America?
@@david-lt9wj nope, haven’t heard of it!
We're having a campaign in Britain now....in all the media ..search "go left"...(.if you break down on the motorway go left...) but if it's a smart motorway ie four forward lanes..going left will still be a live lane with trucks and cars doing 55 or so..until the inefficient alert system kicks in you are vulnerable,and a sitting duck,...be careful on a smart motorway....some are still old style and therefore safer..people are dying with this system...stay safe..complain to your senator...put pressure on our government..Amen Corner.....🎵🎵🎵" if paradise is half as safe,as heaven that you take me to"🎵🎵🎵
Quite the soapbox, David! I’ve never heard of a smart motorway...
@@MagentaOtterTravels smart motorways....you need to clue up on our protest forums....and realise that smart motorways are dangerous...get ready to pop on your fluorescent jerkin, and run behind the safety barrier, well away from your car ,in the position pre impact site..so shattering pieces of your car don't get into a trajectory to hit you..,then dial the emergency services from a safe position.
@@david-lt9wj oh my, that is an awful image! Now I need a cuppa...
@@MagentaOtterTravels
They are talking about changing the M25 into a safer system...im not sure which parts of the M1,the M6 ,the M5 the M4...are smart...but if you ask the "Automobile Association" or the " Royal Automobile Club"
They will no doubt tell you where your concerns should be...these associations are lobbying for change
So they should be really helpful to you..and not fob you off with a quick fudged reply..
@@MagentaOtterTravels
The safety lane that you need is called the "hard shoulder"...which is not a running lane...
If your motorway hasn't got a hard shoulder,it is a white knuckle ride...
There are pull ins on smart motorways every couple of miles but if you can't make it to the pull in,
An alternative to running behind the safety barrier,is to put your head between your legs and kiss your ass goodbye..yes with a 10 tonne lorry arriving at your rear bumper at 55mph will create a more serious situation than a claim on their insurance for whiplash..
The passenger will be able to get behind the barrier fastest and with the most safety...the driver will feel the breeze of the lorries as he makes a run for it..if Ian's driving he might want to practice a Starskey and Hutch dive over the gear stick and out of the passenger door ..rather than risk doing a car run around on a live motorway lane.choosing a car with dial up gears instead of a pudding spoon style gear change might make the problem go away..
I don't think Scots tills are a thing. Perhaps she was calling a member of staff to man the tills? Or maybe she was saying '(it)'s got tills'? r maybe someone called Scott was responsible for them? Therefore they were Scott's tills? I'm guessing. Ha ha ha!
A lovely subscriber named Simon looked it up on the M&S website... it is the brand name of those self checkout tills!!! So funny that she said it to ME, some daft American, and expected me to understand what she meant!!! haha 😂
My ancestor came over here with William the Conqueror, but thanks to a fat king all the records are destroyed 🤨👍
That fat king was a brute! We watched an interesting documentary about him a few weeks back. It was fascinating to hear about how athletic he was when he was young! And then he had a terrible injury that made him relatively immobile so he sat around and gain power and weight...
There are two figures that I wish could have been eliminated from British history - Cromwell and Henry VIII. We're still living with the consequences of the damage these men did.
SCOT tills = Self Check Out Till
You are SO CLEVER! 🧠
@@MagentaOtterTravels me and G 😉
@@MagentaOtterTravels Never heard of Scot tills!