"Right, me and Liam are off to Llandudno for a day out" shouted Marianne mid-morning on Saturday 29th March 2014. "Can I come?" I replied. I fancied a day at the seaside myself. Llandudno is a place that seems to have retained its Victorian charm and character, and not been rebuilt, redeveloped or just spoiled by short-termist commercial pressures like many other seaside resorts. I like the place.

       

I popped my rucksack into the boot of Marianne's car "just in case", and off we set down the M56 and A55. First port of call was the OK Diner at Northop on the A55, for the American breakfast experience. I went for the bacon steaks and eggs, with griddled mushrooms and hash browns. All washed down with a peanut butter milkshake of course.  One hour later, we couldn't find anywhere to park in Llandudno, so Marianne drove to the top of the Great Orme and parked there. But activating was for later, if at all, not now, and the three of us set off to walk along the green tracks and down through Happy Valley to the seafront.

       

After a couple of arcades and a pint, Marianne wanted to go looking around the shops. Finally I was given permission to go and do a SOTA activation, so back up Great Orme GW/NW-070 I walked, and got my rucksack and coat out of Marianne's car. I had walked down to Llandudno and back up again in shirt sleeves in lovely weather, but it was turning cold and windy, so the fleece and jacket were required.

       

I set up the 12m GP around the back of the cable car station, just below the trig point. First in the log on CW was Rich N4EX, and he was followed by a S2S with Jean-Francois on Mont Foster VE2/ES-016. After this, things were not too busy, and I managed only 16 QSOs for the activation, 6 on SSB and 10 on CW. Included was an eleven minute ragchew in SSB with expat John EA7/G1WUU, and then a four minute natter in CW with Ken WA8REI in Michigan.  When Marianne and Liam reappeared on the summit, I had been calling CQ for ten minutes without a response, so I got straight to packing away. A very pleasant day out at the seaside.