Border towns

I've just spent a pleasant afternoon in Chepstow, which is a few miles down the road from my home. Trips to Chepstow are quite frequent as it has a large Tesco store where we do our monthly 'big shop' and it's where I go for my laser treatment.  Today, though, I just wanted to explore the town and take a few photos.

That's the beautiful Old Wye Bridge in the background.  It's single track, controlled with traffic lights, and must have been a source of great frustration until the 'new' bridge on the A48 was constructed in 1988. The elegant lamps once graced a street in Sheffield, until they found their way here in 1969.  Thank you, Sheffield!

I parked Bluebell near the old bridge and walked up a steep hill into the town.  One street has been pedestrianised and, I think, looks rather nice. The bow-fronted building, half way along on the right, with the large '7' on the wall, is one that I know well as it's where I'll be going in a couple of weeks' time for my next session of laser treatment. 

Further up the hill, in Bank Square, I came across this immodest fellow (below).  If you look carefully you'll see that he is anatomically complete.  Believe it or not, he's supposed to be a fisherman, though no fisherman I know ever went to sea like this.  But then, I don't know any Welsh fishermen.  I invite you to click the photo to enlarge it, not just for a better view of the guy's big dong, but also so you can read the name of the shop in the background.  Rather appropriate, don't you think?

Chepstow frequently reminds me of Launceston, in my homeland of Cornwall. They are both towns close to the border with England - one Welsh, the other Cornish.  And yes, the Cornish, like the Welsh, do consider themselves a race apart from the English.  But, as the following photos show, the similarities don't end there.

Finally, both towns have alternative ways of saying their names.  To Welsh speakers, Chepstow is Cas-Gwent (= 'Gwent Castle').  As for Launceston, well the English generally pronounce it Lawn-ston (never Lawn-cess-ton... dear me, no!) but to the Cornish it's Lanson.  Which goes to show that the Cornish are every bit as adept as the Welsh at confusing folk with their town names.