22/07/2026
"Stuck in West Brom!"
Our two night visit to the Black Country to collect stock and visit family has turned out to be quite an adventure!!
Our car failed the MOT was the first issue. So it was left at the garage and was going to be dropped off at my parents house when it had been done.
Then when we were on our way back to Dolgellau the van broke down on the M6. To prevent the motorway being shut down we limped along at 5mph to get to a recovery bay (Robins language was not good ) 🫣 Luckily we made it and the RAC rescued us and we were towed off and taken to the garage where our car was being fixed.
On the plus side we could use our car as we had 10 days to get the work done and went back to the Travelodge at West Bromwich to spend a third night.
During breakfast we were told we needed to get back to the garage as the welder had turned up to do the car.
We killed some time walking around Wednesbury reminiscing about my childhood spent there. Went for lunch at Wetherspoons . Sat in the garden because we had Honey our cocker Spaniel with us until we were told dogs weren't allowed. 😖
We went back to the garage. Upon arrival we found out the injectors on the van were completely stuck and it would be the next day before it could be fixed.Also the car wouldn't be ready until then as well.
So we booked a taxi, a black cab, where Honey couldn't see the driver because of her unsociable behaviour and went back to the Travelodge for another night.
So here we are spending our fourth night . We have now had three different rooms. We could write a blog on the room sizes, how comfy the beds are and what the room views were like. This is the best room so far as we have got 3 beds, one for each of us and a bath. In Robins words ' The view is considerably better because we can see trees and not the West Bromwich Building Society headquarters "😆
Hopefully, on Thursday we will be able to collect car and van and come back to Dol!
"Yn sownd yn West Brom!" Mae ein hymweliad dwy noson â'r Black Country i gasglu stoc ac ymweld â theulu wedi troi'n antur go iawn!! Y broblem gyntaf oedd bod ein car wedi methu'r prawf MOT. Felly, gadawyd ef yn y garej gyda'r bwriad iddo gael ei ddanfon i dŷ fy rhieni ar ôl i'r gwaith gael ei wneud. Yna, wrth i ni deithio'n ôl i Dolgellau, chwalodd y fan ar yr M6. Er mwyn osgoi cau'r draffordd, bu'n rhaid i ni deithio'n araf iawn – ar gyflymder o 5mya – i gyrraedd man diogel (doedd iaith Rob ddim yn dda iawn) 🫣. Yn ffodus, llwyddon ni i gyrraedd yno a daeth yr RAC i'n hachub; cawson ni ein tynnu i'r garej lle'r oedd ein car yn cael ei drwsio. Yr ochr dda oedd ein bod yn gallu defnyddio ein car – gan fod gennym ni 10 diwrnod i gael y gwaith wedi'i wneud – ac aethom yn ôl i'r Travelodge yn West Bromwich i dreulio trydedd noson. Tra roeddem yn cael brecwast, dywedwyd wrthym fod angen i ni fynd yn ôl i'r garej gan fod y weldiwr wedi cyrraedd i weithio ar y car. Treuliasom ychydig o amser yn cerdded o amgylch Wednesbury ac yn cofio am fy mhlentyndod yno. Aethom am ginio i Wetherspoons. Eisteddom yn yr ardd – gan fod Honey, ein ci Cocker Spaniel, gyda ni – nes i ni gael gwybod nad oedd cŵn yn cael dod i mewn. 😖 Aethom yn ôl i'r garej. Wrth gyrraedd, gwelsom fod chwistrellwyr tanwydd y fan wedi mynd yn sownd yn llwyr ac y byddai'n rhaid aros tan y diwrnod canlynol i'w trwsio. Hefyd, ni fyddai'r car yn barod tan hynny chwaith. Felly, archebom dacsi – tacsi du – lle na allai Honey weld y gyrrwr oherwydd ei hymddygiad anghymdeithasol, ac aethom yn ôl i'r Travelodge am noson arall. Ac felly, dyma ni'n treulio ein pedwerydd noson. Rydym wedi cael tair ystafell wahanol erbyn hyn. Gallem ysgrifennu blog am faint yr ystafelloedd, pa mor gyfforddus yw'r gwelyau a sut olwg oedd ar y golygfeydd o'r ystafelloedd. Hon yw'r ystafell orau hyd yn hyn, gan fod gennym dri gwely – un i bob un ohonom – a bath. Yn ôl geiriau Robin: "Mae'r olygfa'n llawer gwell gan ein bod ni'n gallu gweld coed yn hytrach na phencadlys West Bromwich Building Society" 😆 Gobeithio y byddwn ni'n gallu casglu'r car a'r fan ddydd Iau a dod yn ôl i Dol!
