Friendly haven

While awaiting information relative to a traveling companion who had been taken to the Wrexham hospital on May 23, ’05, my wife, Evie, and I spent several hours in the lobby of The Hand Hotel in Chirk (Church St., Chirk, Wrexham, LL14 5EY, Wales, U.K.; phone +44 1691 773472, fax 772479 or visit www.handhotelchirk.com).

We received assistance in calling the hospital, and everyone we spoke to during our brief stay in the Hand Hotel was extremely cooperative, friendly and polite. We were quite impressed.

We also had an excellent, reasonably priced lunch in the restaurant of this establishment. The 3-course meal started off with a good soup and included chicken and potatoes, a significant excess of vegetables, good rolls and a very satisfactory pudding for dessert. The senior citizens’ price was about $7.

The hotel seemed to be a very well-maintained, delightful old place. It is even alleged to have its own resident ghost.

It is about a 5- to 10-minute walk from a well-maintained, unmanned rail station handling a number of trains per day going to and coming from Chester. (My advice — because of the high cost of rail travel in the U.K., anyone going to Chirk should consider driving.) The area is delightful for restful walking and effectively doing nothing.

We did write a letter of thanks and appreciation to the management of the Hand Hotel.

ED O’BRIAN
Portland, OR