North Wales is certainly an interesting place to live – but did you know these interesting fun facts?

1

The London dry gin Bombay Sapphire uses ten ingredients: almond, lemon peel, liquorice, juniper berries, orris root, angelica, coriander, cassia, cubeb and grains of paradise. But did you know that purified water from Lake Vyrnwy is used to bring the strength down to 40%?

2

The first ever meeting of the Women’s Institute in the UK was held in Llanfairpwll on Anglesey on 16th September 1915. Since then, the organisation has grown to become the largest women’s voluntary organisation in the UK with over 212,000 members in over 6,300 WIs

3

Llandudno was the home of Randolph Turpin, a former world middle-weight champion. Turpin was a resident of Llandudno from 1952 to 1966 and now, at the peak of the Orme, is a bar, a themed restaurant and a gift shop in memory of him

4

The yew tree in St Dygain’s Church in Llangernyw, Conwy, is believed to be either the second or third oldest living organism in the world. The churchyard gate holds a certificate from the Yew Tree Campaign in 2002, signed by David Bellamy, which states that “according to all the data we have to hand” the tree is dated to between 4,000 and 5,000 years old

5

Wrexham is home to the oldest international football stadium in the world. The Racecourse Ground has been used for various sports and activities including boxing and women’s wrestling, and in the late 1880s was even used for the National Eisteddfod. In 1877, the stadium saw the first international football game between Wales and Scotland. Sadly Wales lost 2-0

6

Bryn y Gwynt, a house on the racecourse in Pantasaph, has a great deal of history. The rear part of the house is said to have been the old betting office and a short walk across the fields brings you to the remains of the grandstand. Legend has it that a gentleman bet on a horse called Pickpocket and stated that if it won he would buy the building. It did, and so he did, and called it Pickpocket Hall. The original Pickpocket Hall is over 500 years old and the later extension dates back around 300 years

7

Despite the understanding that the Americans invented the radio, it was probably a local Welshman. David Edward Hughes, from Corwen, is recorded as being “the first person in the world to transmit and receive radio waves”. This was in 1879, before Heinrich Hertz became famous for doing so

8

Llandudno is home to the longest running show of Punch and Judy. For 150 years, and for over three generations, the seaside favourite has been run by the family of Jacqueline Millband-Codman after she inherited it from her great-grandfather who started the tradition in 1860. The current show on Llandudno Pier has a few contemporary twists and is half the duration, but roughly sticks to the traditional plot

9

Forget the discovery of America being down to Christopher Columbus, a Welsh prince called Madog ab Owain Gwynedd sailed from Wales in search of new land and reached America – at least, according to legend. This was in 1170, more than 300 years before Columbus’s voyage in 1492

10

Cardigan Bay is home to the UK’s largest dolphin pod. They can be seen making their way up and down the North Wales coast all year round, but in order improve your chances of getting a glimpse, pop down during the summer when you can expect to see ten to 12 at once

11

North Wales is home to Zip World Velocity – the fastest zip wire in the world. Located in Penrhyn Quarry, Bethesda, Zip World Velocity allows visitors to travel at speeds in excess of 100mph…

12

The longest place name in Europe belongs to a town in North Wales. Try spelling (or pronouncing!) Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrnd robwllllantysiliogogogoch. Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrnd robwllllantysiliogogogoch was also used as a secret password in the in the cult 1968 Jane Fonda movie Barbarella – characters say it each time they want to gain entry into a secret HQ

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