Gwillym’s curious tales are not only about Wales, but also of the forgotten stories of Bristol which he frequently visited during his travels. One story my father remembered is that the blanket was named after three brothers who ran a woollen mill in Bristol sometime during the 13th century. The story, surprisingly, is factual. The brothers were Edmund, Edward, and Thomas Blanket. Another comical tale told is that of the old Ducking Stool that once stood in Frome on the Weir. Another tale mentioned is that of the bride of a Welsh Prince being held captive in Bristol Castle by King Edward I. The ghost stories concerned haunted byways. The ghostly apparition of a young girl, attired in green, is seen walking across the meadows into Redland Road before disappearing, whilst another spectral lady plagued the inhabitants of Mardyke. This ghostly lady is seen driving a luminous carriage that vanishes into walls, frightening people.

The haunted inn is the Llandoger Trow. The pub is centuries old and Daniel Defoe, the author of “Robinson Crusoe”, drank and ate on the premises. He is supposed to have met Alexander Selkirk one evening in the pub. Defoe based the character of Robinson Crusoe on Alexander Selkirk.

Smugglers met here in secrecy and its tunnels are said to stretch for miles under the city roads. The ghosts witnessed are said to be murder victims of the smuggling gangs dating back over the centuries.