The Therapy Zone

Before There Was Portmeirion There Was Aber Ia

     For over two hundred years the peninsula upon which now sits the Italianate village of Portmeirion, was once called Aber Ia. From the Welsh this translates straightforwardly into the the somewhat cumbersome and unlikely name of "River mouth Ice." It can aslo be altered to read "Frozen Estuary" or "Frozen Mouth."

    Sir Clough Williams-Ellis who finally purchased the Peninsula upon which to build Portmeirion, did not think the name of the site Aber Ia - "Frozen Estuary" to be at all inviting, so he changed it to Portmeirion. Port placing it on the coast, and Meirion giving its county name, and so it has been for 86 years.

    The earliest reference which can be found to Aber Ia, is by Edward LIwyd in 1699, who published a book entitled Parochialia.

    Its is quite impossible to note all the history of this area in a small piece of blog. However I shall pick out some brief relative notations, such as the site has been a small fishing Hamlet, and a quayside was constructed by 1828 so that ships coming up the estuary could be loaded with slate, and for a few years there was a shipyard occupying the site. Building small ships of some 23 to 29 feet in length, 50 in number between 1761 and 1858 which were built and launched at the shipyard. But after 1824 the shipyard fell into decline, building only a handful of ships, this when Portmadog opened its doors and took over most of the ship building trade.

     During the 1800's Aber Ia had a tenant for a generation and more, of one Mrs. Adelaide Haigh. A reclusive woman who liked dogs and created the Dogs Cemetery for her dogs when they died, and which still exists today in the woods at Portmierion. Mrs. Haigh was an eccentric and a very formidable lady with such a passion for privacy which was possibly unequalled. She even denied entry to her nearest neighbours! So retiring was Mrs. Haigh that she conducted family and household prayers from behind a screen!

    Mrs. Haig died during the Great War and an Uncle of Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, one Sir Osmond Williams, who became the inheritor of Deudraeth Castle which also occupied the site.

    Sir Clough Willaims-Ellis eventually bought the site in the 1920's after searching the globe for the perfect site to build his village, and there it was, Aber Ia just a few miles from his family home of Plas Brondanw.

    This way Aber Ia gradually passed into history and Portmeirion took over and grew into the Italianate village we know today.

    Strange as it might read, but it took several years for Sir Clough Willimas-Ellis to get Portmeirion put on the map. Indeed, the first to place Portmeirion on their maps, were the Germans! This during WWII to give a reference point for their bombers to commence their runs to their given targets.

“You'd hardly know yourself would you No.12."

    Some people are lucky if they get one make-over in a life time. No.6 however, or is it No.12 I can never tell which, gets not just the one make-over, but two!

 First the hair is dyed, and both beard and moustache are shaved off. Then hair restyled and combed to look like the man in the photograph.

     And you wouldn't know yourself would you No.6, oh sorry - No.12. But then this make-over was only reversing the previous make-over which No.6 had been put through at an earlier date.

   First his beard and moustache are trimmed and cut. Then the beard shaved off, and both hair and moustache are dyed black.

   Then the final touches, and then you'd hardly know yourself again No.6., ooh sorry, No.12. And he thinks he's had it bad in the village. All this pampering, and by tow damned attractive girls at that, he should be so lucky!

Page Six

    Life in the village isn’t too bad, especially if you give them what they want before they take it! But at night it’s a different kettle of fish. That’s when they come for you, when you’re asleep.

  Well your guards down then isn’t it, and they know it. That’s why they come for you in the night, after you’ve had your night cap of drugged hot chocolate. And then to make matters worse, if your sleep isn’t deep enough, they use a pulsator in the light above your bed!

   You can always pour your night cap down the sink, and try to stay awake all night. But how long can you keep that up? How long can you remain awake, until you finally fall asleep, and they finally come and get you in the night when your guard’s down, and at your most venerable!

 There’s Not An Ounce Of Truth

    After your local electoral candidate had witnessed the dissolution of the out-going Town Council, he found himself in the Labour Exchange Managers office, and was put through the truth test. This to find the real reason why No.6 had decided to run for electoral office.

   Well this is not so much a "truth test," as they already knew exactly what No.6 will try, if he is successfully elected. And that is to organise a controlled break-out of the village. This was explained to No.6 by the Manager-No.20, who was advised that he must not damage the tissue by No.2, and who clearly confirmed "First stage only, clearly understood."

  So this was more than simply a "truth test," but more conditioning of No.6's mind. Because at one point No.6 collapses in the chair, and when he awakens he is clearly ready, and refreshed for the next part of the election..... "You'll be voting for me of course.... be seeing you" he salutes.

   No.2 was heard in the control room to comment "A very good technique." Which is confirmed to have been adapted from the Civil Service.

    And what about that electrified chair? Clearly they didn't want No.6 to get up out of that chair and storm out whilst undergoing the truth test/condition. No leather strapping, or any kind of restraints were required. No.6 was clearly held in his chair by a simple current of electricity.

 

Be seeing you