Living

Aberdovey, like most places that depend on tourism, cycles between a winter and a summer personality.  The full-time residents, a medley of different accents and backgrounds, are here come rain or shine, braving it through the quiet winter months when the beach is empty and the shops and restaurants thin on bodies.  The transformation in the summer months is staggering, when tourists overflow from hotels, b&bs and hired houses and swarm onto the beach and into the water, filling the sea front shops, and creating a happily dynamic and chaotic tornado of sound and motion.  There are lots of events in the summer, aimed at tourists but benefiting local people too.

The character of the place is determined not just by the mad summer months but by the infrastructure of people, jobs and activities that make up the community on a year-round basis.  Although many facilities close in the winter, many stay open, and it is a great place to come and mellow whatever time of year you happen to be here.

The whole experience of living in Aberdovey is of course a tale of two villages, because living on local resources is only feasible if you include Tywyn in the mix.  This applies to shopping, trades and services and local events.  It has also been surprising to me how far people will come.  When I needed roof work done, it was a company in Newtown that did the work (thanks to Yellow Pages, because I struggled to find anything on the Internet).  But when I needed to source an electrician (John Starbuck), a joiner (Paul Tacey) and a decorator (Paul Edwards) I was lucky enough to find super people based in Aberdovey, all of whom were involved in many other aspects of village life.

In the blog I talk about everyday aspects of living in Aberdovey, special events, and some of the places I have visited whilst living here.  Some of the posts on my blog in this category are as follows.

Events

Walks and Drives

Day Trips

My garden

Other