"With the blessing of a free education and lots of encouragement from parents and relatives to go to university, I left when I was 18. I'm not sure what else I could have done at the time. Barmouth has a tourist-driven economy and limited opportunities, but there have been so many occasions when I have wished that I had stayed. I'm sure I could have found something to do.
Barmouth, Dolgellau, Harlech - all of Snowdonia left an indelible mark on me. I just love the place - the mountains, the sea, the lakes, the rivers, the people, the sheer beauty of it, wet or dry, hot or cold. When I was growing up I was fortunate enough to have grandparents, aunts, cousins - all living in Barmouth. I had lots of people I could visit and Christmas was always a treat. It seemed everyone in North Wales knew my grandfather Griffith Pugh (Crosville driver).
After a career in computing and telecommunications that took me to London, Canada (Toronto, Belleville, Ottawa), Long Island (New York), Raleigh (North Carolina) and Melbourne (Australia) and then back to Durham, North Carolina, my wife and I are reasonably settled here in Durham.
Our three children and our three grandchildren all live in North Carolina so this is where we want to be. I go to visit my daughter in Wilmington whenever I can. She lives in a coastal town where I can canoe or sail or simply enjoy the beach. It doesn't compare to the North West Wales coast though - nothing I have seen really does, not even the west coast north of San Francisco. The sirens still call to me from the rocks by Barmouth bridge and since dreaming is still free I dream of living in the Clock House right there next to the bridge or in Llanaber with a view of the ocean and a short walk down to the beach to gaze at the sunset with my feet in the sea. Maybe even sailing in the bay.
I visit whenever I can and maintain a website (see links right) just to stay connected and help the community in some small way. I publish the weekly news on the site as well as write about the area as information arrives. My parents now live in Deganwy so I still get the opportunity to visit. I think I'll ask my family to throw my ashes into the wind in Llanaber so that I can be a part of it, if only in spirit!"
your comments
Tony Kirk, Bournemouth
Can anyone tell me where Morfin Terrace and Glasfor Terrace are or where in Barmouth my great grandparents lived there in 1860+? They were fruiterers and I believe they still lived there till 1900s. I have looked on an old map but can't find these terraces. I want to visit this summer.
Mon Jan 12 12:31:45 2009
verna mcintyre nee griffiths queensland gold coast
I couldn't believe it when I saw a connection to my family at Barmouth. My father used to visit his father's relatives when he in the navy pre war. I have very interesting snaps of the family at Minfor where Dad stayed often. There is Mammy, Da Hugh, cousin Dick, Maidie, Dewi, Auntie, Tom; my father was Arthur. His father was Thomas Griffiths, his mother Martha Lloyd. The snaps have helped put a puzzle together for my family tree. We are visiting in July 2008.
Mon Jan 21 08:55:57 2008
John Pugh from Jersey Channel Islands
Hi John, Yes my name is John Pugh, John Richard Pugh. I was born in London and grew up in Australia, however my father was born and raised in Barmouth where my Nain ran a guest house Know as Minfor. My father's name was Thomas Griffith Pugh and had an older sister and brother, Madie and Arthur. My Grandfather ran a watchmaker shop on the high street in Barmouth but I've never been able to establish where. I loved reading your page and makes me long to get back there to visit my grandparents grave and place some flowers there.
Wed Dec 5 11:24:21 2007
David Roberts from Brentwood Essex
As a child, every summer holiday was spent in Fairbourne staying with my Nain until she died in 1967. We then used to stay in a B&B in Barmouth every year. Both of my parents were born and brought up on small farms in the area near Cregennan lakes way back in 1915 & 1917. I visit the area about 4 times a year now staying in Dolgellau. Whether or not it is something to do with these ancestoral ties which I have, I don't know - but the place draws me to it like a magnet; the beauty and magnificence of its coastline, the estury views from Barmouth Bridge, the lakes and a! bove all, the climb up Cadair Idris ( where upon my next visit to the summit I shall be scattering my fathers ashes) is all just fantastic. Aled Hughes from Florida (above) mentions Johnny Williams who died recently. He was Heavyweight Champion of Britain and the British Empire in the 1950's born in a small farm above Barmouth. He was my mothers cousin.
Tue Jul 10 09:27:11 2007
Deborah Banks, Sandbach
When I saw the pictures of this website I was staggered. I was looking for interesting places for my son and I next week. I certainly didn't expect to find the old clock tower on it. The clock tower was in our family up unitl the late 60s I think. The clock Tower once belonged to my grandfather Peter Lowe. We used to go there for our summer holidays.
There used to be a boat winch at the side of the house to hoist the boat up when the tide came in. Seeing the picture of the clock house and bought so many wonderful memories back. I have pictures on video of how it used look back in the sixties. It hasn't changed too much I'm glad to say. But it's wonderful to see it again. We're actually going to Barmouth for our half term next week. It's going to be like coming home.
Wed Oct 18 15:34:21 2006
John Pugh of North Carolina is still passionate about his birthplace, Barmouth, and visits whenever he can.
