Menai Bridge or Porth Aethwy?

by Menai Dillon

Annwyl Wil

In the days when my Mum was a young girl and working at Gadlys near Llansadwrn in service everyone looked forward to the Annual Fair at Menai Bridge which was known locally as 'Ffair Borth' in October.

It was apparently THE place to go when you were young in the 1920s and 30s. Of course, it would only be once a year and people would look forward to it for a long time.

One such year Mum only had a half day free and needed to get to Borth in a hurry. Along came an old chap with a horse and cart who offered Mum a lift.

Well, apparently the horse kept stopping and was really slow and it seemed to take forever to get there and when finally they did get there it was practically all over!

Poor Mum never forgot that one and we would laugh about it. Even when she was about 90 she still remembered.

This story emphasises the fact that Menai Bridge was not known as Menai Bridge but Borth. (Well I know you write it as Porth but pronounce as Borth).

Also, I couldn’t let you get away with writing about Menai Bridge and me not making any comments on it - obviously I absolutely love the Bridge and its location on the Straits.

My screensaver is even an old picture of the Bridge with sailing ships on the straits which I have added.

All the best, Wil

Menai Dillon

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Hi Menai

Did you know that the Menai Bridge Fair (Ffair Borth) used to be a horse fair.

I can actually remember a small group of horses in the square when I was a child.

I can also remember 'Rhona the Rat Woman'. A sad rather podgy lady in a white bikini in the middle of about forty pink-eyed, white mice. You pays your money (having seen the voluptuous picture outside the tent) and have your dreams shattered.

I'd have thought the horse would have wanted to get to the Menai Bridge Fair to see its mates.

Never mind.

Always nice to hear from you, Menai.

Hwyl

Wil