Cast Of Characters

Trelawnyd Characters circa 1957

Last night there came a tap-tap-tapping on the cottage window.
Out of the darkness, we could just make out the familiar fluorescent yellow of a workman's jacket
It was village elder Islwyn waving a small packet of cough sweets.
Over the years if Chris and I come down with a cold, Islwyn has always taken it upon himself to drop off much needed cough sweets.
It's a little kindness that has become a kind of tradition.
Today, I thought I'd bring together some of the cast of Trelawyd characters that get mentioned in passing during an average week here on Going Gently 
The village has no more odd characters than anywhere else.....it's just that I probably look a little closer than most in order to find them

MRS TRELLIS (of North Wales)
A  diminutive but vital little widow who can be seen most days being dragged around the village like a minnow in a kingfisher's beak by her psycho sheepdog Satan.
She can be often seen practicing the piano in her living room window

GAY GORDON
( who is not gay but just incredibly upbeat all of the time/-hence the nickname) can be seen hurtling around Trelawnyd in his suped up invalid trolley. Incredibly loud he is well known for adding the " "FLOWER!"  when addressing anyone and everyone and is an exuberant baker responsibe for the " monster fruit cake" sold as refreshments at last year's flower show

PAT ( The Animal helper)
If you want anything done in Trelawnyd you ask Pat to be a part of it.
A villager from birth Pat is school governer, active member of the Women's Institute, Flower Show Committee member ( and winner of the craft and domestic cups on more than one occassion), conservation group member, and all around good egg.
In a crisis, she is the woman that would turn up, sleeves rolled up, to help.

AFFABLE DESPOT JASON
Is responsible for injecting humour into most  village based activities. Only yesterday he stopped his car in order to cheerfully berate the pea green colour of my very trendy trousers when I was out with
the dogs. Usually seen with his two daughters in tow ( who always remind me of the Mendoza sisters from Banana splits.) he is the village hall caretaker and is an avid fan, strangely enough, of Jack the
ripper!
Jason's daughters

VILLAGE ELDER ISLWYN
If there is a project in the village that needs sorting, Islwyn is the person that can be relied upon to sort it. Famous for eating a bacon sandwich in his own family grave ( he was extending it himself btw) he has single handedly extended and re landscaped the village graveyard.
Known as " Steve" by some of the non Welsh speaking villagers.

AUNTIE GLAD
Yes, rapidly approaching her century, she is still baking, still taking the bus down to Rhyl to do her shopping and still walking the length of London Road to be first at the Church door for Sunday
services. A legend in her own lifetime.

Dr  CHRIS
A somewhat shadowy character, who spends most of his time harrumphing at the state of the cottage kitchen after he arrives from a 14 hour day at the university only to find me cutting the shitty clingons from a dog's arse on the draining board.
As I type this, he is presently eating a bowl of porridge watching Thoroughly Modern Millie

Supporting Characters 

THE VICAR
Always cuts an impressive figure when he sweeps into church with his black " Dracula" Cape on.
He is a rector with rather a rakish sense of humour who  is usually accompanied by Gaynor -the - organist , a lady with twinkling eyes and a repartee of Joan River-esque one liners.

CHRISTINE
Another village elder who is responsible for one of my most genuine and affections memories of present day  Trelawnyd? On Christmas Eve , during the church service, the Vicar will complete the nativity scene at the front of the Church by grandly calling for the baby Jesus to be brought forward
" Mrs Davis..Bring on the Baby Jesus!" He calls , and Christine will walk down the aisle with Jesus in her hand.
It's a lovely moment and my very favourite one in the service.

SON OF THE RFWF
Long term readers of Going Gently will recall hopefully with some affection, the exploits of the RFWF ( Red Faced Welsh Farmer)  A larger than life farmer who sounded for when of a better word,
just like Robert Newton from Treasure Island as he sped past in his battered and old tweed hat and equally battered and old red landrover.
After his death a year or so ago, it is nice to see that his son Ed has taken over his father's role on the community council and in village initiatives. As it turns out, his landrover is blue!

And there are others too numerous to mention......Irene the flower show matriarch, Ralph the gentleman farmer.........Pippa with her bad tempered hound Meg........Hubert the old baker, Stan and Kit ( she makes our bespoke hand knitted slippers)
 ....Cameron the teenage boffin ......I could go on......and on.......and on........



71 comments:

  1. I could be a smart ass and wonder where Miss Marple lives.... well, maybe I will be a smart ass.

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    1. Chris is the reincarnation of Miss Marple..... Believe me

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  2. "... is an avid fan, strangely enough, of Jack the Ripper"

    I will tell my daughter, the Princess QuiScottie, to avoid this village

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    1. I am not a fan of JTR himself ....more the mystery itself. ( plus the Victorian East end history ....I find it a fascinating place )

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    2. All the same Jason... clicking on your profile reveals that haircut and those eyes are somewhat wild... although I'm sure you're a nice chap... (probably...).

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    3. You would find me interesting ....it's the greatest trait anyone could ask for in a world full of shiteness

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    4. Well I did try to explore just how interesting you may be, but I found that your "blog" has zero posts, so further research will have to wait until my visit to the village (which may happen, since my son has moved to work not too far away, although in English-Land. I will not be in a kilt (never hav been) but I may be in a dark cloak and black balaclava.

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    5. I'm not a bloggers viewer nor a bloggers viewers son , I'm only viewing bloggers till the stupid bloggers done

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  3. Sounds like the cast of characters from Llareggub.

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  4. I am also a bit of a general knowledge whizz and the sisters were the ' Dilly Sisters ' .....just thought I would clear that up !

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    1. Are you sure?
      I will need to research this!

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    2. As sure as eggs are eggs

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    3. Omg you are right ( see video in text!)

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    4. You doubted me ? ....how absurd

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    5. I should have known better

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  5. Sounds like the cast of characters in the Agatha Raisin mystery series. And, somewhere dear John, you appear near the top of someone else's list of village characters. Trust me.... ;-D

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    1. Chris loves that series.....
      I haven't read them although I loved the Penelope Keith radio series

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  6. I shall pin it to my wall for reference purposes when reading your blog John.

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    1. I have left out the more unsavoury characters, the one that can't abide me and some of the trailer trash characters.....
      I prefer my chocolate box view of the world x

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    2. I am glad there are some of those too. I was beginning to feel a bit sicky.

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    3. Don't worry doll, we all leave out the trailer trash ;-)

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    4. It makes things so much easier not to mention the trash

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  7. I agree with Rachel.... it's like the contents of a well thumbed book... your villager menu!!

    Jo in Auckland, NZ

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  8. Oh there should be a radio or tv show based on Trelawnyd! xx

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  9. I adored the Banana Splits show.

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  10. I think we have some a like persons in our small vllage here. I wish I had the way of looking at life like you.

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  11. Anonymous11:32 am

    I read the comments which do somewhat dampen the spirit. But as a gay couple in a Welsh village, you are quite well accepted. You being such a slob helps a lot I think. A cast list is always good for newer readers.

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  12. such wonderful people in your village; bless them all for making life a little sweeter. may have to make an exception for grumpy dr. chris though (wink wink).

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  13. What a wonderful picture you paint of your village John. But surely you have missed out one of the 'characters' - the gay chap in the pea green trousers, with a string of dogs and therefore a handful of poo bags, who walks round the village two or three times a day cleaning up after them. (at least when he is not getting stuck in windows with his rather fat a*** or staggering home from the shop with a bag full of Scotch eggs.

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    1. Did you half say arse pat?

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    2. Only a quarter, I think you'll find. These things matter.

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  14. Sounds like an advert for the tv series....yet to come. I know this comedy/drama would have fans all over the world! Just as you do!

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  15. Anonymous2:21 pm

    Hmmm. I wonder what odd characters I could find in this town. I might try. Or maybe not.

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    1. Go on susie..find a few to post about

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  16. And this is why I love reading here.

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  17. We all need to come for a visit.

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  18. Just the other day while I was wracking my brain for the name of an acquaintance, "Pat the Animal Helper" popped into my head. Your entire village has invaded my mind, Gentle John. Now you have to start a series of novels incorporating them all, or I shall be terribly disappointed in you.

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  19. Saw Miss Marple twice last night in and about. This was a true delight - wonderful! Thank you for the treat. I only ask that you expand upon those in the last paragraph tomorrow. Please. And thank you sir.

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  20. Best description of neighbors done with love.

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  21. I absolutely loved reading about the village characters. It reminds me of when my father (of Scottish / English heritage) would tell stories of his youth in a little Ontario village and the characters who lived there. I think I would like to aspire to be a "Pat" in my retirement.

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    1. These characters are everywhere
      And like I said before...I have omitted a few out of choice
      Having said this, I could write a couple of chapters about one r two of the ( shall we say) less desiravnble ones!

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  22. You make me want to pack up and move to Trelawnyd!

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  23. Anonymous3:49 pm

    You've got the full cast for a novel.

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  24. Hang on you missed out another key character...

    EARL GRAY An affable member of the nursing profession who now sees himself as a Welsh version of Gerald Durrell. He has a distinctive style of dress - as The Kinks might have sung, he is a "dedicated follower of fashion" and a leading shareholder in the region's thriving scotch egg industry. He successfully represented Nortn Wales in the national flatulence championships held earlier this year in Ramsbottom, Lancashire.

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  25. You are fortunate to have such interesting neighbors.

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  26. Your superpower is your gift of descriptive prose, John! Very nice to have the rundown on your lovely neighbours.

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  27. This is wonderful. Although I believe you left out the local curmudgeon and comedy relief... also responsible for the state of the cottage kitchen.

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    1. I am perhaps the scuffles the and most bad tempered of them all!

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  28. A wonderful, colorful cast of characters. A great town you live in, John.

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  29. As an introvert who is alone a lot, I love reading about your little place in the world. I used to love watching Vicar of Dibley and its cast of characters. Your village reminds me of that, at least, I wish it to be.

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    1. I am alone a lot too Donna.....perhaps that's why I write about them all!

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  30. I love these descriptions. No Islwyn will bring cough drops to me when I have a cold. No Auntie Glad to bake scones.

    Love,
    Janie

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  31. Klingons on the draining board? I thought it was the starboard bow!

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  32. I think I watch a series with characters very similar to this...Doc Martin, I believe.

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  33. Thank you, John. I enjoyed this post very much.

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  34. Any real estate available there? Though I live in a small town, your village characters are far more interesting than mine.

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  35. Excuse my ignorance but how do you pronounce Islwyn's name. It's surely not Izzlewin?

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  36. I would have opted for Isle win!

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  37. Sounds like all of the family members at my Thanksgiving table.

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  38. Just write the damn book. Your publisher awaits!

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  39. How nice to meet the rest of the cast when we know the leading man so well!!

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  40. ….oh yes John, please go on and on, this is so fabulous, so giggle- enhancing that I'm off to change my knickers!!!

    Yes I agree, the book PLEASE!

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