Message-ID: <569@topaz.ARPA>
Date: Sat, 9-Feb-85 15:25:43 EST
Article-I.D.: topaz.569
Posted: Sat Feb  9 15:25:43 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 10-Feb-85 06:18:54 EST
Sender: daemon@topaz.ARPA
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
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From: Andrew Malis 

The Prisoner's village is actually a resort in Wales.  It is the
Hotel Portmeirion, in Penrhyndeudraeth, Wales.  It is credited at
the end of (at least) the final show, and it was included in an
article about Wales several years ago in Travel & Leisure (I
think I have it saved somewhere, but it would take me a while to
dig it out).  If you want to find it on a map, it is on Tremadoc
Bay, and is close to Portmadoc.

I've always wanted to visit there ever since I saw the original
broadcasts of the show, but have never made it, even though I
have been to Wales (so close, and yet so far).  Unfortunately, I
heard that they had a major fire several years ago, but I think
they rebuilt and restored the place.

I would be interested in hearing from anyone reading this that
has actually be there.

Andy

Message-ID: <1753@sdcrdcf.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 10-Feb-85 16:40:39 EST
Article-I.D.: sdcrdcf.1753
Posted: Sun Feb 10 16:40:39 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 12-Feb-85 14:24:41 EST
References: <569@topaz.ARPA>
Reply-To: barryg@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Lee Gold)
Organization: System Development Corp. R+D, Santa Monica
Lines: 30
Keywords: Portmeirion
Summary: 

Barry and I stayed at Portmeirion for two nights back in 1971.  This thing
started as one man's private project for old buildings he considered too
beautiful to be torn down.  He purchased them and had them moved to some land
he owned in Wales.  Later on he opened it to day-trippers, while allowing
friends to stay over.  Still later on it became a hotel.

When we were there, you had to stay at least three nights to qualify for a
cottage (the sort of place #6, etc.) were in.  Others stayed in the hotel
which had 18 rooms (numbered 1,2,3A,4,5,3,7...18).  (No, I don't know whether
there was originally a room #6.)

It was a VERY posh place.  The towels were hung on a heated rack.  There was
one room with a roaring fire and bound volumes of punch from the turn of the
century.  Each guestroom had a table assigned to it in the dining room, and
you could order your meal ahead of time and specify the hour you'd be down
--to find the first course there a few seconds after you sat down.

One thing that amazed us was how much the cinematographers had rearranged
the place's geogaphy.  For instance, the stone boat only has sand around it
when the tide is out on the estuary.  The green dome is only a few yards in
diameter.  It's not on the ocean but on a tidal estuary of a river.  Stuff
like that.

We found the establishment VERY cooperative.  When we left they booked us a
taxi ride to the train station, then suggeted a nice restaurant we could
have dinner at that night in London -- and phoned in a reservation for us.
And then explained this was normal hotel courtesy and there would be no charge
for the calls.

--Lee Gold

Message-ID: <177@spock.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 19-Feb-85 08:13:20 EST
Article-I.D.: spock.177
Posted: Tue Feb 19 08:13:20 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 22-Feb-85 08:47:38 EST
References: <569@topaz.ARPA>
Organization: Choate Rosemary Hall, Wallingford, CT.
Lines: 4

The Village, as it was called, is indeed PortMeiron.  A long and very pictorial
essay on this village was included in a previous issue of the American journal
"Fantasy Empire."   This village was also used for the filming of the
Dr. Who classic, "Masque of Mandragora."