Last week we went to the Garth Pier at Bangor in search of the best scones in the world. Before I say any more, I should point out that the scone pictured at the top of this post is for representational purposes and not from Bangor pier.
I've never been to Bangor pier before, it's 1,550 feet (470 metres) long and nearly goes all the way to Anglesey. It is the second longest pier in Wales and also the ninth longest in the British Isles.
As we walked along it I remembered the joke:
Q: What's got a hundred legs, lives by the sea and goes "woof"?
A: Weston-super-mare Pier.
According to the National Piers Society, we've lost 36 piers in the UK, and some of the 55 surviving ones are in a bit of a state. Bangor Pier was built in the mid 1890s at a cost of £14,475. It was hit by a coaster, the 'SS Christiana' in 1914, and repaired in 1921. By 1971 the pier was closed for safety reasons, but it was bought by Bangor city council for one penny in 1975 and restored.
The bench pictured below had the inscription "In memory of Shirley 1959-2004. A very brave lady. Leapt off this pier in July 1997 in her wedding dress to raise money for charity."
I wondered who Shirley was and why she'd died, it's a moving tribute. Anyway, we got to the end of the pier to find the tea rooms which reputably have the best scones in the world (baked fresh each day and not baked in a factory and wrapped in sweaty plastic bags).
We finally got there and read this sign:
Have you had a scone from here? We'll be back....
We finally got there and read this sign:
Have you had a scone from here? We'll be back....
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http://i50.tinypic.com/35ji3hv.jpg
Please note that due to Victor (Vic) the baker of the scones sadly falling ill in December 2013 the world famous scones will be no more. The cafe will be opening in 2014 but under new management.