Trade-hit pubs in Wales offer shelter for stricken flood victims

Whilst some pubs acted as bases for stricken home-owners and holidaymakers, others were left ruing a drop in trade as roads into resorts such as Aberystwyth were left impassable.

The White Lion in Talybont, Ceredigion, had provided shelter, food and drink to residents of the town who were forced to evacuate their homes as the floods hit.

However, the bar became submerged under almost three feet of water, forcing Shaun Byrne, and his wife Nicky, who runs the pub, to evacuate with customers.

“I won’t see anything like that again in my lifetime,” said Byrne.

“It was 2.30 in the morning and the wife had just locked up an hour before. I heard a noise outside.

“I went downstairs and it was the fire brigade telling me they’d had to evacuate the top of the road.

“Within an hour-and-a- half, the water was coming in here and people had to flee to the community hall. The pub has been closed for business but it has been open as a base camp.”

Byrne is in the process of cleaning up and has put sandbags in place in case of more flooding. Asked about the potential cost of the damage to the pub, he said: “I haven’t thought about that.”

Meanwhile, Danny Whiteway, of the Rhyd-Y-Pennau Inn in Aberystwyth, which managed to escape the flooding, told the PMA that some stranded holidaymakers had taken refuge in the pub’s car park.

“We were lucky enough not to have any damage,” said Whiteway.

Other pubs in Aberystwyth explained how the flooding in rural towns had hit weekend trade in the seaside resort.

Tom Clarke, of Scholar’s, a pub in the centre of Aberystwyth, said: “Nobody could get into town because the roads into Aberystwyth were impassable. It was a low weekend trade.”

Margaret Phillips, of the Tynllidiart Arms, in Capel Bangor, just outside Aberystwyth, added: “The pub has not been flooded but we had some cancellations on Saturday and were very quiet on Sunday as people were staying away. A couple of cottages in the village were flooded.”