Woolly says – The sun was desperately trying to get out as we headed off along the Welsh roads on the most important day of the year, my burpday. As the car flew through the wonderful scenery, I was looking forward to heading to one of my favourite places, Aberystwth on the West coast of Wales.

Aberystwyth is the university and seaside town that we once lived in and where Zoe had attended uni what seemed like decades ago now. Located in the historic county of Cardiganshire, Aberystwyth means “the mouth of the Ystwyth” lying along the banks of the River Ystwyth. Having wedged the car into a car parking space we wandered through the play area and into the castle.

Aberystwyth Castle is a Grade I listed Edwardian fortress built in response to the First Welsh War in the late 13th century, replacing an earlier fortress located a mile to the south. During a national uprising by Owain Glyndŵr, the Welsh captured the castle in 1404, but it was recaptured by the English four years later. In 1637 it became a Royal mint for Charles I and produced silver shillings. The castle was slighted by Oliver Cromwell in 1649 and remains a ruin to this day.

The view across the bay showed us much of the building work that is currently under way in the town as well as the waves that were pounding the promenade.

Alfie the Dog and I raced towards South beach and the foamy wash that kept attempting to wash our paws as we tried to avoid it.

With the tide being in there wasn’t a great a deal of sand for the pooch to investigate so we headed back onto the prom and stood watching the waves crash over the barriers for a while.

Heading back round the castle we stopped for Jo to get to get the picture of the 25m (82 ft) War memorial which had been unveiled on the 14th September 1923 by Lieutenant Colonel John Charles Rea. Given the amount of wind, rain and sea water it receives each year it was in incredible shape.

The shelter under the castle’s walls had changed the pictures and now had beautifully painted starlings on show as a nod to the swarms of starlings that circle the pier every day at sunset creating a wonderful sight, sadly not one that the human has ever managed to capture on film.

Following the prom round we came to the pier, the first pier to open in Wales in1865, after a series of heavy storms it is now a much shortened version of its originally constructed length of 242 metres (794 ft).

It is also a place that Jo knows well having worked there during our time of living in the town. Having noted the changes that had been made we headed into the town itself.

With students on every corner and families making the most of the bright day we wandered through the streets noting new shops and ones that were now closed. The mutt being the popular dog that he is got fuss at every stop which he enjoyed immensely.

We reached the top of the town and the clock tower. In 1858 a tower was erected by public subscription to replace the Guildhall in the square at the top of Great Darkgate Street. A clock was installed courtesy of the noble family of Pryse of Gogerddan. The highly unpopular decision to demolish the original clock tower in 1957 was necessary due to safety concerns with the upper masonry. The current tower which was erected to celebrate the millennium and bears no resemblance to the original design, which I always felt was a mistake.

With paws tiring and tummies rumbling we headed back to the front and the best fish and chip shop in the world, sitting on a bench with my late lunch watching the gulls and pigeons feast on any bits that they might find and watching the world go by just can’t be beaten, well until it started to rain, and we dashed towards the town’s main church.

St Michael’s Church is the fourth church to stand on the site. The first dated from the 15th century but was in ruins by the mid-18th century. Its replacement only stood for some forty years before itself being replaced between 1829 and 1833 with a church designed by Edward Haycock Sr. of Shrewsbury. Nothing of the two earlier buildings remains. The present church was built by Nicholson & Son of Hereford between 1886 and 1890.

Strangely we had never been inside as the doors always seemed to be shut, today however they were open and in we went. The huge space had a modern feel with all the traditional elements including wooden pews still in place. Wonderful stained glass windows lined each wall and the arched columns and wooden ceiling looked in remarkable repair.

With a short break in rain, we dashed from the church towards the car with the promise of burpday cake as soon as we got back, can’t ask for more than that now can you.