Welsh Figaro Drive Out Villages and Valleys – 28th September 2025

Words and Pictures by Helen Hunter

We were so lucky with the weather for this trip – we had beautiful, blue, sparkling skies as six lovely Figgies set off from Talbot Green with tops down to allow us to enjoy the fabulous scenery we would encounter on the drive.

In the old medieval, walled market town of Cowbridge, their annual Cars and Coffee event was being held. This is a fabulous event showcasing all kinds of cars, from vintage to new and quirky and is always very well attended every year. Today’s route was planned so we could, in some small way, also take part in the event by driving, extremely slowly, in convoy through this beautiful old town and showing off our fabulous Figgies to the crowds attending the event.

We certainly attracted quite a bit of attention despite all the fabulous cars that could be seen parked on both sides of the high street. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to stop to wander round all the amazing cars parked in each of the car parks as we had a deadline – lunch.

The route to our lunch venue took us via common land and through narrow villages. The Old House, 1147 in Llangynwyd – so called because it was built in that year – is apparently the second-oldest pub in Wales and is situated in a beautiful setting. The old stone building has a thatched roof and a modern extension with a large restaurant, and is popular as a wedding venue as it also provides accommodation. We received quite a bit of interest after parking, with the fabulous scenery serving as our backdrop. As one of our members, Kate, commented, “pretty maids all in a row”.

Following a very enjoyable lunch, the onward journey was over the Bwlch mountain with scenic views of dense forestry. From the highest point, we could see across the valleys towards Brecon Beacons in the north, Swansea in the west and down to the coast at Porthcawl, with a view of the sea in the far distance. We stopped for a brief time to take photos and noticed the permanently parked ice cream van where the local sheep wait eagerly for visitors to buy or share a cone with them.

Our journey had taken us through the villages of the Vale of Glamorgan, the Garw, Llynfi, Afan and Rhondda valleys, down into Pontypridd, where we said our goodbyes. It was good to hear that this journey was a first for the majority of our group, some of whom live fairly locally but weren’t aware of the stunning scenery not far from home.

It was lovely to meet up with some old Figaro friends and also to meet new ones. I’d like to thank my husband Ian for driving while I filmed and for doing his best not to lose the Figgies following us.

I’d also like to thank everyone who supported us today, familiar faces Kate, Catherine and her son Paddy, Jacky and Malcolm, newcomers Gina and Nick, Amelia and her Dad. I’d also like to thank Kate’s hubby, Pete and son Rory for joining us. It was really kind of them both to make the long journey to and from Llangynwyd after a tiring football match this morning.

Some members were unable to join us today due to illness and a car breakdown. We missed you all and hope to see you next time. Wishing you all a speedy recovery and a quick fix for your Figgy.

Many thanks to Jacky and Malcolm who sent in a wonderful video of the day!

Available on TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@nissanfigaroownersclub/video/7589318518064123158

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