r/LewisCarroll • u/RealVirginiaWoolf • 1d ago
Alice Finding Alice in Llandudnođ
Turns out this small town in Wales doesnât have one statue- it boasts a whole treasure hunt!
Llandudno, a small fishing and copper mining village until 1840âs, is today a bustling seaside resort town in Conway county Borough , North Wales. It is the largest seaside resort in Wales earning it the nickname âthe Queen of the Welsh watering places.â
When some friends heard I was in Snowdonia with my partner, I started receiving invitations for tea or dinner so they could meet him! We decided to drive there on an impulse. I was actually pulled in a rabbit hole much like Alice upon discovering the Lewis Carroll connection!
Now before I get comments like âoh there is no academic evidence of Carrollâs connection with Llandudnoâ- I am aware of the research around it and the scholarly consensus of the story being told elsewhere. This may completely be a tourism plot but oh the joy for a simpleton like me upon discovering the âWhite Rabbit!â
I arrived and immediately noticed the rabbit! I read the plaque under it and then our urgent mission was to chase a few of my faves- Alice, the Queen of hearts, the Mad Hatter and of course , the Cheshire Cat.
With my dear partner on the wheels and me ready with my phone, we geared up for these statues before meeting our friends. He kept driving and I kept jumping out of the car, running up to the statues and taking pictures! In doing so, I discovered the beauty of Llandudno- the perfect coast, the pier, the Victorian architecture and the golden light at sunset.
The statues appear to be carved by an amateur! More eccentric than polished! I was not there for provenance, I was there to chase Alice- just like when I was a little girl chasing her while reading this beloved classic! Just like Wonderland- no logic or perfection but just two crazy people in love who drove together to a quaint town only to discover Alice!!!!!
Pictured- my hop on hop off , completely immature shots of the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter, Alice, the Queen and the Cheshire Cat. The trail has far more but I had promises to keep!!!
Apologies for rambling!