Apart from a few hours there en route to and from Fishguard in May/June 2018, my main memories of the Ceredigion coastal resort of Aberystwyth hark back to family camping trips in the early 1990s. I'm in need of getting to know the town much more, and who better to guide me than university alumnus and Aber superfan Jane over the course of a Welsh weekend...
- Marine Terrace -
This Cambrian saga commences on Friday 18th July with the journey across from the West Midlands, 'Puppy' the Woolfcar being deployed to excellent effect coping with the twists and turns of the A458 between Shrewsbury and Welshpool. Our opening stop is at Machynlleth to meet Kate, James and Alison, allowing Jane to start several days of reminiscences as we make introductions and catch up over a bite to eat. We make sure to pop into the bookshop where Kate works (the Literary Cat, quite a treasure trove) and peruse family artworks on display at the town's museum, a lovely few hours indeed. It's then onwards to Aberystwyth where we check into our Premier Inn accommodation and get some initial seafront bearings courtesy of a sun-blessed stroll along Marine Terrace.
- Kicking the Bar -
Aberystwyth has a long and varied history having hosted Iron Age settlers and been protected by a Norman castle. Nowadays it attracts West Wales holidaymakers during summer months as well as being a noted seat of learning due to the presence of the local university, formerly a constituent college of the federated University of Wales. Most of our itinerary for the weekend involves reliving some of Jane's formative student experiences, and there's one tradition she insists on almost immediately. Apparently it is custom to 'Kick the Bar' - touching the far railing at either end of the promenade - in order to guarantee good luck on your course and ward off evil spirits from the town's ghostly gallows. A more personal Jane ritual is to go for a paddle in the sea, although in this case the waves bite back by drenching the Woolf derriere.
- The Ship & Castle -
An amble through the castle grounds gives time to dry off slightly before we launch into Aber's Friday evening nightlife. We're saving the full student-centric crawl for Saturday so our aim is to cover a more discerning selection of pubs and hostelries in the hope of finding quality beers and ciders. To that end, the Ship & Castle gets us off the mark in great style, yielding Salopian Living the Dream Pale Ale and Sussex Seacider. The gaffer here has recently celebrated 20 years at the helm and we like the varnished seafaring galleon mural in the far snug. Keeping to those lofty standards will be difficult - as a brief Carling in the Vale of Rheidol can testify - but we also strike gold in the Bottle & Barrel, a microbar on Cambrian Place. Here the locally brewed Two Rivers Aur is one of my standout pints of the weekend, while Miss Woolf is just as enamoured by the Gwynt y Ddraig Perry Vale perry. The place is absolutely rammed due to a works reservation, and gets even fuller when students in golfing visors descend for added fun.

- Yr Hen Lew Du -
The Bottle & Barrel wasn't around during Jane's degree years but - believe it or not - there are some longserving establishments that she never set foot in despite being resident in the town for the best part of five years. One notable gap in her repertoire had been Yr Hen Lew Du (the Old Black Lion) so we correct that with a sampling of Old Crow cider, powerful stuff at 7.4%. A trio of further relative newbies round off the evening in leisurely contentment, hence we chat to the on-site brewers at Mashed over an informative half of stout, then catch some of the Real John Lewis's rockabilly performance at the Bank Vault (he's quite a character mixing Eddie Cochran covers with his own compositions like the 'Botox Boogie'). Saving arguably Jane's favourite for last, we pitch into Ty Seidr where the range of ciders on show is truly impressive. What would you have out of Pheasant Plucker, Lilley's Tropical, Bee Sting or Gladiator?
- View from the Consti -
Friday had been a lot of fun and yet we still have the main event to come, so I warm up for Saturday's endeavours by climbing Constitution Hill at the northern tip of the promenade. My liking for quieter morning strolls means I'm too early to hitch a lift on the Cliff Railway (778 feet long and operational since 1896, it has carriages named Lord Geraint and Lord Marks). The views are spectacular even on a relatively grey day, and there's a Camera Obscura on the top for added novelty value. The coastal path to Clarach and Borth also ascends the hill in a very serpentine fashion for those feeling especially energetic. As much as I like the idea of doing the five miles to Borth, there's the small matter of a Full English breakfast to attend to.
- A Gorgeous Frog? -
Said breakfast is obtained at Jane's recommendation from the Home Cafe on Pier Street, one of the regular spots where the younger Woolf would meet her fellow would-be graduates. The combination of bacon, eggs, sausage, black pudding and pictures of paddling elephants is a definite winner, lining the stomach for the challenge ahead. Without delay, we duly make it to Yr Hen Orsaf Wetherspoons where the student crawl can begin in earnest over a solid Loddon Hullabaloo or a Black Dragon cider. So far so good but the next place fills me with trepidation; for weeks in advance I've been hearing about the Cambrian and their legendary cocktails, so lo and behold I find myself trying to fathom wall upon wall listing various concoctions in the form of rounded disc-like illustrations. The 'Squashed Frog' of the mid-2000s is alas no longer on the menu but a 'Gorgeous Frog' can achieve the same kind of result; it's drinkable enough with a highly dubious greeny-blue colour but we both live to tell the tale.

- Woolf on the Pier -
Neither the Mill nor Rummers are trading at the moment - the latter being a harbourside haunt that is attempting to recover from storm damage - so the Angel gets bumped up the listing for a heavy metal-tinged half sitting below a cricketing poster. We arrive at the Royal Pier perhaps a little earlier than we'd anticipated but it's all good; we can sit out on the boardwalk section trying not to get dive-bombed by ravenous seagulls, as well as checking out the contrasting bars upstairs and downstairs. The first floor version has 8 ball pool tables and murals of Welsh sporting legends from Ray Reardon to Gareth Bale; our turn on the beize ends in stalemate, one frame each after I accidentally potted the black too early. Down below, the Inn on the Pier has stained glass detailing and cinematic tip-up seats, plus artistic ceiling patterns which reference the starling murmurations of Aberystwyth sunsets.
- Coopers Arms Hotel -
One university activity we definitely won't be recreating is a visit to Pier Pressure, a nightclub facility which now plays host to a children's bouncy castle - I'm slightly relieved about that, and Jane gets nostalgic merely being in the room again. We take a break from the crawl to indulge in Pink Cow ice creams which we think are made in Aberdyfi; their flavours are very tempting from honeycomb to salted caramel to mint chocolate chip to rhubarb. After relaxing back at the hotel for a while, we're ready for a steady Saturday evening session ticking off more haunts. Cwps (or the Coopers Arms) makes an impression as a bit of a timewarp place closest to the Halls of Residence. Felinfoel's Double Dragon drinks very nicely here, sitting in the lower snug with Jane holding court from throne armchair corner. Much of the surrounding conversation is in Welsh so I might need to brush up on my understanding of the native language, which currently amounts to knowing that 'moron' = carrot!

- Aberystwyth Castle -
Saturday concludes at Ty Seidr again - so good we had to visit more than once - over a few games of Guess Who, my successes at deducing Jane's mystery characters making up for the earlier pool mishap which robbed me of a precious victory. Sunday morning then dawns bright and clear, just perfect for surveying the ruins of Aberystwyth Castle in more detail. Built during the reign of Edward I and having seen its fair share of Welsh uprisings, the concentric layout had towers, wards and a moat in an overall diamond-shaped plan. It's fun clambering over the rubble stones before heading down to the adjacent quayside, noting the Harbour Master's offices and eyeing up pictures of craft 'Look Lively' and 'Spoof II'.
- Machynlleth Station -
With Jane's day being dedicated to churchy stuff and meeting up with more old friends, I treat myself to a ride on the Cambrian Coast railway line, something I've always wanted to do. The 10:29 departure for Shrewsbury therefore click-clacks its way via Bow Street and Borth before flanking the southern reaches of the River Dyfi estuary, such beautiful scenery. By the time I arrive in Machynlleth the weather has clouded over somewhat, although I nevertheless enjoy getting more to grips with the Ancient Capital of Wales. This notable claim to fame stems from Owain Glyndwr having held his Welsh Parliament in the town back in 1404 but my focus is mostly on getting pictures of the railway station and clock tower (built via public subscription to celebrate the 21st birthday of Charles Stewart Vane-Tempest, the Viscount Castlereagh). My pub pick meanwhile is the Wynnstay Arms coaching inn for Grey Trees' Black Road Stout.
- Borth Seafront -
Passing through it in the morning, Borth was an itch I needed to scratch even if I only end up staying for a rain-affected hour. One long street hosts two pubs - the Victoria and the Railway - plus a bungalow post office and a sprinkling of guesthouses. At one point the properties back directly onto the pebble beach with little stile barriers before you can perambulate atop the glistening grey stones. Borth railway station faces out towards open fields and has a single platform so be mindful of the Direction of Travel sign; Wills Gold Flake advert enamels add a vintage feel alongside flowerbed running boards - there is also mention of a museum which preserves the station fabric but only opens a couple of afternoons each week.
- Seagull Spotting -
With Jane having returned from her Llanbadarn Fawr lunching, we reconvene in Aberystwyth at half past four and plot out our final hours in Wales. The Glengower (or Glen for short) is a must, being a place she occasionally frequented with colleagues from the English or Celtic Studies courses; in fact, we sit in the selfsame window she remembers from years hence, looking out across Cardigan Bay as dusk begins to fall. Monday morning heralds an Athro Lounge natter with Alison over coffee, pondering the eclectic ex-schoolhouse's approach to nick-nacks amidst a litany of tasselled lampshades. Having debated a wide range of topics from student life to artificial intelligence to the primacy of original printed sources, we bid the Welsh coast farewell with one very last Pink Cow dairy treat and pose beside cheeky artworks of seagulls sporting daffodil headgear and clutching rugby balls. The West Midlands beckons again but that Welsh weekend in Ceredigion has been brilliant. Cheers!