Gareth Lewis: Choppy general election waters across north Wales

This is a town used to the media spotlight because of the International Musical Eisteddfod, but what’s taking political centre stage?

You get a good mix here of locals and tourists: the fight for a car parking space is almost as fierce as the political one.

Enjoying the sun and the view at the Riverbanc cafe with her sons Michael and Stanley, Nicola Gaskell, from Acrefair, is not impressed by the election campaign.

“It is like that man said on the TV debate on Wednesday night,” she said.

“Is this the best the country has got – Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer? As far as I am concerned they are both a waste of time.”

A carer, she says she’d like to be treated with some respect.

Hoping to escape the election just outside the cafe is Mark Bates, on holiday from Wiltshire with his wife and two dogs.

He has already voted by post. The message is similar: “They just argue with each other most of the time,” he says.

“Disillusioned?” I ask. “Yep,” he laughs.

Round the corner Vicki Vernon is working flat out, having opened The Florist in February to pursue her “dream”.

Are any of the parties making it easier to realise that dream?

“As far as I’m concerned they haven’t got a clue what goes on in real life. They are out of touch,” she says.

“It is ridiculous. This is not a third world country but it is starting to feel like one,” she adds.

“If the car breaks down you’ve got to think if you can incur that cost to fix it.”

One voter is at least delighted to talk election.