Rownd a Rownd

Welsh General / Questions
#1

I spent a long weekend in North Wales, and should probably be drummed out of SSiW for not taking full advantage in speaking Welsh (not all the circumstances were under my control, is my excuse).

But one bit of excitement, thanks to the co-operation of my lovely lady wife, was a quick visit to the on-street set of Rownd a Rownd, in Menai Bridge.

It was late-ish evening, but fortunately still light, and after a few goes “Rownd a Rownd” the town centre, we found it, looking remarkably like its TV self, except that the forecourt seemed a bit too narrow for some of the scenes we see there (trick of the camera, I think).

As mentioned on the programmes website, there is a sign there advising passers by that this is a TV set and that the shops aren’t real. There is only a low chain discouraging access, which I might have climbed over, had not the lights inside the paper shop suddenly come on and the cleaners(!) started work, so I remained outside the wire. Everything looked like it does on screen, including the new bar “Copa”, except that the cafe seemed strangely anonymous, and the surface of the forecourt seemed to have been newly tarmacced.

Some K-Kabs vehicles were parked there.

I felt suitably stage-struck. However, at that time of evening, the streets were rather deserted, so I had no chance to find out whether everyone in Menai Bridge really does speak Welsh all the time …

…and we then went to eat in the (very good) “Taste of India”, and didn’t think it worthwhile trying Welsh in there. I did look around to see if Alwyn and Iris were there on a crafty date, but no such luck.

If you want to have a look on streetview, the best way seems to be to start at the Bulkeley Arms, Menai Bridge, then turn around 180 degrees, and “go down” the street facing you, and it’s on the right.

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#2

I remember stumbling upon the set about 94/95 and believing it was real shops. Amazed to think it’s been around for so long…

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#3

The inside set is also tiny - so much so that often the cameras and the actors will not fit into the same space, so there are hidden hatches that can be opened to allow the camera to get the right shots.

Stu

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#4

I thought the face on the web page for this Radio Cymru programme looked familiar:

…and checking the RaR credits, it is indeed, the lovely Alwena (brought to life by Ffion Dafis ). who clearly can do more than sell newspapers and take temperatures (not that these are not also important functions).

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#5

In last night’s episode, Alwyn received a parcel via Arthur (who had damaged it out of spite). I stopped the Clic player to have a look at the postcode.

I thought it said LL57 5AL, but checking on google maps, that is not on Anglesey.
I wondered if it had actually been or meant to be LL59.5AL

If I feed that into RM postcode-finder or google maps, I get “Tan y Coed”, which seems to be the street including the set of RaR. :slight_smile:

Ah well, not that I’m a RaR anorak or anything…

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#6

Checked again, and it did actually say LL57, so maybe they are making it a deliberately fictitious / misleading postcode.

Was cheering Hari on in last night’s episode (14 Awst) when she took on the permanently at-war Sophie at about 9 minutes in:

“Dw i ddim yn dallt pam basai o eisiau dod yn agos i chdi o gwbl”.

You tell her girl!

(Must admit to having checked that with the subtitles. :smile: )

#7

Surprised to see, the actor Dewi Rhys who plays Wyn Humphries working behind the counter in Caernarfons Tourist information Office on Saturday…

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#8

This is just great, this. spinning into some kind of virtual reality world. I, too, have seen the filming set in the real street and almost came a cropper cycling past it in disbelief. There is a slight continuity boo-boo as the newspaper shop advertises the South Walian ‘Western Mail’ but with cast members working in tourist offices and one of the regular 'extras in Pobol y Cwm serving pints in the ‘Kilkenny Cat’ (Llanelli) who cares?

#9

“…spinning into some kind of virtual reality world”

It is: Kelvin Walsh played by, Kelvin Williams, was pottering around behind the counter in the Halfway Tal-y-Sarn - looking for cue chalk - Friday night…Lowri wasn’t with him, though he does wear the same cap in real life.

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#10

Oh dear, maybe she was seeing Vince again …

#11

Seein’ as how they are currently filming a big-screen version of Dad’s Army in and around Keighley - features Catherine Zeta Jones would you believe - why doesn’t the Welsh Assembly do something useful and fund the same for either Pobol or Rwnd? An unusual way of promoting the country fair enough but who knows what it might bring in.

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#12

Yes, perhaps the people of Cwmderi could go on a charabanc tour to Cilbedlam.

#13

There was a completely idiotic programme on BBCWales last night. This woman who claimed to be high up in the Welsh Assembly stood there and pretended to justify spending ONE BILLION POUNDS on a motorway to by-pass Newport.!! I have never heard such nonsense in all my almost pensionable age life. If they want the lorries and vans to have a clear run to Cardiff why don’t they just dedicate a lane of the existing M4? Or is that too simple. One Billion Pounds!! Just think what one-tenth of that could do to dynamically promote our language and culture…which brings us back to Rownd a Rownd, anymore sightings of off-set cast members?

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#14

Or improve the rail infrastructure? More environmentally friendly, I would have thought / hoped.

One Billion eh? As the old saying goes … a billion here, a billion there…and pretty soon you’re talking about real money …

[Funny too how some people are really generous with other people’s money]

No sightings here I’m afraid, although I don’t suppose they get down to Oxfordshire very often. (Barry might be an exception … what exactly are all his buying and selling deals all about, I wonder? Not quite legal, but nothing they can prove, I shouldn’t wonder).

#15

Looking back to July, I see that I referred to the new tarmac in my post about visiting the set. I see this began to appear in the more recent episodes (can’t remember how far back - wonder how long the lead-time is?). And was also explicitly referred to by Kelvin, who said it had been done by a bunch of “cowbois” :slight_smile: (Wyn organising it on the cheap, I shouldn’t wonder).

[It could of course also have been an on-set insider joke :slight_smile: ].

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#16

That proves the point (above) about wasting all that money on the M4…Rownd a Rownd is a much worthier cause

#17

One of the most fantastic things about travelling around Wales is the superb state of repair of most of the roads! The rash of potholes that plague roads around where I live appear to be entirely absent, or at least diligently repaired before they get large enough to swallow an articulated lorry without trace :smile:

stu

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#18

Mini Spoiler for 27 Tachwedd 2014

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It’s always fun when fiction intersects with real life, and this happened (sort of) in the most recent edition of RaR.

Iolo (Llio’s favourite Action Man ) has applied for a job on the other side of the world. At one point we see his job application on his tablet including his full address. Of course the village name is fictious, and so is the street name (or rather, it’s a name that could be anywhere), but the post code was a real one: LL59 5AL. If you feed that into google streetview, you get a great view of the set, and the shops, including Parry’s, K-Kabs and Copa are in clear view. Actually from the map pointer, that postode appears to be on the opposite side of the street, which is a feasible notional location for their flat - since it’s owned by Philip, it’s quite likely to be near the shop.

Moving back into soapland, given the last scene, I think it’s fair to say that you are now officially In Trouble Iolo boi! :slight_smile:

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#19

Any sign of Xmas lights on the set? I am wondering who will receive them if we all send cards to the Postcode address? Will they be featured in the action?..In Caerdydd, dydd Iau diwetha I pitched up at the Senydd in the hope of collaring somebody regarding the £1Billion spend on the ‘Relief’ road…Hw! Dim gobeith caneri.

#20

Yes, in the last (or one of the later) scene(s) in the most recent episode! :slight_smile:

Depends who you address them to I suppose, but I’m sure Vince will deliver them! :slight_smile: