Caught up in the inevitable chaos and delay following snow last week, it took me 3 days to get from Birmingham Airport to Aberaeron! Along with thousands of other stranded travelers with no rail service to speak of, I was lucky to find a hotel in Birmingham for the night and in Shrewsbury for the second night.
So, I discovered the Prince Rupert Hotel in the centre of Shrewsbury, a beautiful old building down a cobbled side-street just off the main shopping area. A 4* hotel so very good facilities and accommodation, a big lounge and reception area with a cosy couple of seats next to the fire, and meals available in the bare area or the traditional, panelled Royalist Restaurant.
Floors in the corridor are a bit creaky, as it is an old building, and apparently there can be some noise from a nearby club at weekend although my room was on the same side and I wasn’t disturbed by noise.
Excellent fish and chips in the Royalist Restaurant for £14.00. It was served on a plate with a “newspaper” under the food so that you could gradually reveal the history of the noble chip. Some useful quiz answers here – the first chip was fried in Oldham in 1860, the first in Scotland in 1870s sold by a Belgian immigrant. Staff were friendly and helpful, particularly for guests who were unsure every morning whether they would finally be able to complete their journey or stay another night. We will certainly stay here another time when the weather is a bit better.
