Visit Wales

Calling all Gavin and Stacey fans: everything’s occurring here at Barry…

Amy — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 08:31:43 +0000

Gavin, Stacey, Smithy and others on Barry Island beach

With news that Ruth Jones aka Nessa from Gavin and Stacey hopped on board a sightseeing tour bus visiting the famous locations in Barry Island this weekend, we thought we’d share with you journalist student Emma Weinbren’s thoughts of what’s occuring since Gavin and Stacey gave Barry Island a new lease of life.

Cast your mind back to a few years ago, and what came to mind when you thought of Barry Island? Golden sands? An action-packed pleasure park? Or an altogether less appealing image? To tell you the truth, Barry Island hasn’t always had a glowing reputation. And I’m not gonna lie to you – the seaside resort hasn’t always been part of Wales’ must-see tourist trail either. But it took just one Essex boy and one Barry Island girl to change all that.

Accompanied by a curry-loving builder and John Prescott’s favourite female trucker, the foursome made Barry Island a cult tourist destination. As Gavin and Stacey fever hit the UK, fans flocked to see Nessa and Stacey’s beloved stomping ground. Barry Island was given an instant image makeover. And with talk of a spin-off series with Rob Brydon, the mania for the British sitcom shows no sign of dying down. But what is it, exactly, that makes Barry so special?

Gavin and Stacey’s Barry

As any Gavin and Stacey fan will know, Stacey was reluctant to swap Barry for the delights of Gavin’s family home in Essex. Jobless and lonely, she yearned to return to Barry’s fair shores and waxed lyrical about its superior charms. But while we can’t back up all of Stacey’s claims – among other things, she insisted it never rained in Barry – we can vouch for the island’s appeal.

From the moment you set foot on Barry Island, it’s clear Gavin and Stacey has left its mark. Walking towards the beach, you soon pass the arcade where Nessa “took care of” local troublemakers. Just moments away lies Marco’s Café, where Stacey was successfully hired for her tea and coffee-making skills. And outside the town hall, viewers will recognise the spot Nessa elegantly posed as a living statue. Yes, Barry really does have it all.

Bringing back the British Seaside

But aside from sightseeing, there’s an even more important reason why fans come here. Thanks to Gavin and Stacey, the traditional British seaside has made a comeback. Who didn’t lovingly recall childhood holidays as Smithy took on the arcades? And who could help but reminisce as the dysfunctional gang sunbathed on the beach? It was enough to even make Bryn fondly remember the day his brother dangled him over the nearby cliffs. He broke both his arms, but it was all “good fun”, of course.

Yes, Barry brings back early memories of what holidays were like before we swapped our shores for Spain’s sun and sangria. And although we can now enjoy luxury holidays abroad, we will always have a soft spot for resorts like Barry. Here you can enjoy a healthy dose of sun, sea and golden sand, all capped off with salty fish and chips. And if you feel like indulging your inner child, the pleasure park and ice cream stalls are always close at hand. Cliff-dangling, we would like to add, is strictly optional.

So when the sun’s out, don a sundress – or in Nessa’s case, a sturdy pair of biker boots – and make your way down to Barry Island. There’s a lot more occurring here than you might think.

Around the World of Wales in Three Days. Part 3: The Yin and Yang of Machynlleth

Lauren — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:51:58 +0000

Colored lights over Aberaeron Harbor

It’s dusk in Aberaeron and the harbor sparkles with shimmering wine glasses and colored lights strung amidst the lamp posts. The boat docks overflow with revelers toasting a brisk late summer evening as the tide rolls into the doorstep of the Harbourmaster Hotel. To dine here is to experience a culinary tribute to some of the best local produce and meats in the country. We owe our good fortune to our FB friend Katy Clamp who recommended it. My dragon Red’s mouth is watering so much, he can’t breathe fire.

We’re joined for dinner by blue badge tour guide Bill O’Keefe, the architect of our trip and a living encyclopedia of everything Wales. He regales us with tales of the town’s grand shipping history when captains built painted Georgian houses arrayed like a jelly bean rainbow. If the indigo colored Harbormaster Hotel were a flavor, it would most certainly be candied grape, welcoming weary travelers to a sweet retreat. Its thirteen rooms and suites, dressed in lavender, aqua, berry and celadon green echo the colors of the verdant Welsh landscape.

Dinner is a succulent Welsh lamb with red wine jus, potatoes and sweet peas for Red and I. Our guide, Bill, can hardly contain his enthusiasm for the thick cuts of Welsh Black beef placed before him. This Welsh native thinks it just might be the best he’s ever had. We dine with abandon, savoring each juicy bite and finish the meal with a tray of Welsh cheeses. Red is eager to try the cheese that bears his name: “Red Dragon,” a cheddar made with brown ale and mustard seeds. Alas, it’s not on today’s menu so we choose Caerphilly instead.

Red enjoys the view at the Harbourmaster

Later, we sink into the warm sheep’s wool blanket on our bed and listen to the sound of friends outside enjoying a late night under the moon. Their muted chatter lulls us off to sleep. We awake to a view of cheerful boats bobbing in the Harbor, colored specs against a moody sky. The town is bustling with tourists and vacationers sampling clothing boutiques and gift shops. We wander for a while then make our way northeast into mid-Wales.

We’re on our way to Macyhnlleth, named the “ancient capital of Wales,” in honor of the first Welsh parliament, founded by Owain Glyndwr, a revolutionary historic figure who was dubbed the last native Prince of Wales. The parliament building still stands, and inside an interactive exhibit tells Glyndwr’s story. His flag, four lions in crimson and gold, flies throughout the town as a testament to the near mythical power of his memory in the hearts and minds of the Welsh people.

The Center for Alternative Technology's Quary Cafe

This is our first stop in mid-Wales and we’re impressed by the dramatic difference in scenery and atmosphere. Perhaps its association with Glyndŵr, who envisioned the first Welsh universities, explains why Machynlleth has the vibe of a true college town, although there’s no college in sight. These days it’s deeply influenced by a contemporary movement in Welsh consciousness, led by the eco-focused Center for Alternative Technology. Just outside the town, the center draws an eclectic group of hippie types whose presence can be felt in the vegetarian café and natural medicine shop that grace the town’s main strip.

We lunch on vegan sweet potato soup and green salad at the Center’s Quary Café, then Red is stopped in his dragon tracks by a very appealing display of the meats at the neighboring butchery. He thinks that this is where we should have eaten. A sign in the window confirms we have discovered the yin and yang of Machynlleth. In contrast to the vegan fare at the neighboring Quary Café, this sign asserts: “All the meat sold in this shop is vegetarian. They eat the green green grass. Humans eat them and just speed up the progress.” It seems the fine purveyors of fresh local meats at William Lloyd Williams and Son have their own vision of what it means to be green. In a country where there are nearly three and a half sheep for every person, these Dovey Valley butchers are part of a proud tradition. We love that there’s room for everyone’s views and taste buds in Machynlleth.

Though Red doesn’t get his meatetarian meal, he does get a good look at the butcher’s extensive selection. Then we hop back into the car en route to Harlech Castle. We pass through the little market town of Dolgellau where we notice a marked difference in the architecture from Aberaeron. The grey stone buildings remind us of Ivy League schools like Princeton and Yale back in the States. But here in Wales, these stone walls sometimes belie their serious facades. Nowhere is this more evident than in the seaside town of Barmouth where signs like “Chuck’s American Diner” and “Fudgeridoo” preside over what would be hallowed halls of the finest intellectual establishments at home. Far from an ivied town with a stiff upper lip, Barmouth is all seaside summer fun. Palm trees line the sandy beachfront dunes opposite the boardwalk pier and the mini-golf. We’d love to stay for a taste of fudge but Harlech Castle awaits us further up the road…

Around the World of Wales in 3 Days. Part 2: Seduced in Solva; Saved in St. David’s

Lauren — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 17:38:55 +0000

Red the Dragon Visits Tenby Museum & Art Gallery

My pet dragon Red and I are back on the road in Wales, making our way from Swansea toward the Pembrokeshire coast. We arrive just after the rain stops, perfect timing for an afternoon stroll down the narrow stone streets of Tenby. The town is full of excitement with children zipping through the candy stores and gift shops. Even on a cool day like this one, Tenby radiates the carefree appeal of a summer holiday.

We pass rows of pastel painted houses and admire the sailboats whizzing about the harbor. We climb the hill to the old castle walls where Red stops to admire a little canon. Being a fire breather himself, he’s fascinated with canons so he just has to have his photo taken here. That’s when I notice the Tenby Museum and Art Gallery. It’s the oldest independent museum in Wales tucked inside section of the original medieval castle. Admiring the artists’ interpretations of beautiful vistas, houses and historic sites allows us to see Tenby through an alternate lens.

Joe's Ice Cream in Solva

We could spend weeks in this lovely summer haven, but we’ve got more miles to cover so we head out again hugging the coast as we make our way toward St. David’s. Somewhere along the road, we realize that we never did find that Joe’s Ice cream stand we heard about from Victoria, Beverly and Tracey on Facebook. It sounded so scrumptious, that we actually think about going back. But just then, we pass a Joe’s sign in a little town called Solva. Red flies out of the car and heads straight for it, and I am so glad we stopped. Not only is Joe’s the most luscious ice cream I’ve ever tasted, Solva captures my imagination with its quaint main street full of art galleries and craft shops. Our Facebook friends John Burns and Sue Wilson were right to recommend it.

Raul Speek Gallery in Solva

We wander past an inviting wildflower garden bursting with color as it slopes up a hill and toward the old town chapel. Inside, we find the work of Cuban born artist and musician Raul Speek. Paintings full of passion merge tropical colors with local images. The marriage of a vibrant Cuban aesthetic with the mystical Welsh coast casts a seductive spell. Raul’s paintings echo the day-dreamy charm of Solva. Red has to summon all his dragon powers to avoid the fate of two cats lulled to sleep by Raul’s enchanting painted fish. The magic of this shop lingers over us as we make our way toward the town’s Quay.

We admire the tiny harbor dotted with sailboats and families on holiday. I am tempted to take a cruise around the little islands off Solva’s coast, but after all that ice cream, Red has a dragon sized craving for fish & chips. Even the chance to see a live lobster pot on a Solva Boat Trip can’t pull him away from lunch. So we stop at a cottage restaurant called ThirtyFIVE, where you can sit by the harbor and dine on crab and lobster caught on their fishing boat. The food is fresh, humble but delicious. Next time we come to Wales, we’ll stay above ThirtyFIVE in the Feliniog Bed and Breakfast. It promises some of the most magnificent views of Solva’s harbor. But for now, it’s onward down the road and into St. David’s to see the Cathedral.

St. David's Cathedral

It’s amazing how a few miles can yield a dramatic change in the weather. The patron saint of Wales shines over this day with glorious clear skies in St. David’s. The sun is out, the heat is on and what seems like a thousand flower garden cafes are brimming with hungry travelers. There are families picnicking, hikers, fishing enthusiasts, boaters, swimmers and of course, pilgrims. In fact, it was once said that two pilgrimages to St. Davids equaled one to Rome. One glimpse of the stunning cathedral and we understand why. Its ancient walls hold the spiritual heart of Wales, carved into the ornate oak ceiling, reflected in the jeweled glass windows, and renewed in the services held here each day.

Red’s sharp dragon eyes catch ghost-like figures cast across a few stone pillars in the cathedral. It turns out they’re not ghosts at all. Rather, he’s haunted by a pair of blurry painted images, once vibrant religious renderings designed to inspire worshippers. Their muted presence reminds us that across the centuries, the saints, clergymen and devotees who dedicated their lives to this cathedral still live on in its walls. Stepping out into the late afternoon sun, we’re awestruck by the silent majesty of St. David’s. It makes us long to experience one of nature’s cathedrals, and so the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park beckons. We head out to witness sunset atop its stony hills.

Dina's Head Trail

Dina’s head is an easy two-hour hike circling from the eastern edge of Fishguard Bay to Newport Bay and back. Ascending up hills of pink heather and onto soft green cliffs, we watch the mists roll up the rocks from the beaches below. Scenes of children playing in the sand give way to groves of lazy cattle and sheep grazing contently on sweet grasses. Red is in dragon-heaven and thinks he just might make this his new lair. But much as we want to camp here for the night, we’re due in Aberaeron for dinner and an overnight treat at one of the finest spots in town…

Fancy a dirty weekend this August bank holiday?

Amy — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 10:21:32 +0000

Get down and dirty in the bog!

If we listen to weather forecaster Derek Brockway, then Wales is set for a sunny August Bank Holiday weekend. Yes you read that correct sunny!

Where to go and what to see?

With the weather predicted to stay dry you could visit one of our lovely Blue Flag beaches for a BBQ or get active in one of our three National Parks but for something a little quirky go and watch the World Bog Snorkelling Championships 2010.

Wales is usually associated with great sporting events such as the RBS 6 Nations Rugby and more recently, International Test Cricket. But the August Bank Holiday is traditionally the time of year when hundreds of competitors from around the globe descend upon Llanwrtyd Wells for the wackiest sporting weekend in Britain – The World Bog Snorkelling Championships.

In full kit including part of the bog

Kitted up with the traditional mask, snorkel and flippers and the best fancy dress to be seen, the contenders must complete two consecutive lengths of the muddy bog using only their flippers!

The competition is open to anyone over the age of 14 and the fastest times are recorded in the Guiness Book of Records.

This year marks the 25th Anniversary of the splashtastic sport, so it promises to be more wacky than ever!

If this all sounds a bit extreme see our round up of summer bank holiday events.

Around the World of Wales in Three Days. Part 1: An American in Pontardawe

Lauren — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 09:41:25 +0000

Red found his twin at Cardiff Castle

I’m off on a whirlwind tour of Wales with my pet dragon Red driving from south to north and back again with only a few days to cover it all. Hopefully, this will be the first of many trips to the country, which of course could never be understood in such a short holiday. But having heard how much there is to see and do, we can’t stand the idea of missing anything. We’ve got a list of dozens of places recommended by all our fab friends on Facebook and we’re aiming to visit as many as possible while soaking in the heart of Wales. There ought to be many more like us, travelers who would come to dip their toes in the Pembrokeshire coast if they only new how close it was. We’re out to show them that it can be done and hook them on Welsh holidays for life.

Landing in Cardiff, I’m pleasantly surprised by how quick and convenient the train ride is from Heathrow airport, and even more pleased with the stark change in atmosphere just across the Welsh border. As we roll through Newport, I realize that it’s calmer here. The views begin to sweep across vast expanses of green. I’m breathing easier, and I’m already feeling a sense of ‘croeso,’ a word that appears everywhere in Wales. It means ‘welcome.’ Meanwhile, Red is fast asleep; the train ride is so quiet and comfortable, he can’t resist an old-fashioned dragon-nap. Seeing him resting peacefully after a long international flight, I realize that a trip to Wales is the best way to begin a holiday in the UK.

We love Cardiff, which could easily engage even a dragon’s appetite for restaurants, shopping, nightlife, art, culture and vibrant waterfront entertainment. But a first-time visit through Wales must begin with the story of coal mining, which shaped the modern country and touched the lives of most Welsh families. So I head to the road, dragon in tow, and make my way into the Rhondda Valley, once the most intensely mined place on earth. Remnants of the old mines still remain. Neat little rows of houses hug the hillsides and remind me of what life was like for the miners. Lured by the promise of steady work and a better life, they transformed valleys like the Rhondda into bustling centers that literally fueled the growth of industry across the globe. Mining families inspired the 1947 Hollywood movie, How Green Was My Valley. The strength of their communities is still evident in the charm of revived little villages tucked along valley roads throughout the region.

Folk Singer Ann Lister with Red at Pontadarwe

From there, it’s over the top of Rhigos mountain and into the Vale of Neath as we make our way to Swansea. We stop in Pontardawe to find our Facebook friend Ann who is performing at the annual music festival. The huge celebration of international music is over thirty years old and regularly attracts more than 20,000 visitors. This year’s show has drawn wind, rain and only the hardiest concert goers, but that makes for good fun tromping through the mud, watching kids and dogs slip-n-slide and finding there’s no line at the Tibetan food truck. Red gets a backstage interview with Ann, a modern bard whose songs tell of fairies, kings and conquests. She also works as a character-guide at Llancaiach Fawr, a historic Tudor house that presents life exactly as it was in 1645. We add that to our long list of places to see on our next trip to Wales and head back out onto the road.

Charlotte sells cockles and laverbread at Swansea Market

Playing in the mud has made Red quite hungry, and after sampling Tibetan dumplings at the festival, he’s determined dig his teeth into some authentic Welsh food. We find it in Swansea at the largest indoor market in Wales. A kind Welsh greeting awaits us from Charlotte at the Swansea Market Cockle Rotunda. She gives us some of the freshest cockles and Laverbread around, and Red thinks this just might be one of the best places to find them in South Wales. We’ve still got the Pembrokeshire coast ahead, so we’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, I’ve lost my shoes to the Pontardawe mud and happily find a pair of inexpensive Wellie’s at the market. These rubber boots are essential in the unpredictable weather. As I hop the puddles in downtown Swansea, Red flies off in search of that Joe’s Ice Cream he heard about from our Facebook friends. I race behind him to see where we’ll end up next…

Have a dairy to remember!

Amy — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 14:58:28 +0000

Cheese anyone?

Win a weekend at the Great British Cheese Festival

Here’s your chance to win a truly cheesy prize at The Great British Cheese Festival in Cardiff Castle, Sat 25 & Sun 26 September. Visit Wales and The Great British Cheese Festival have put together an array of foodie delights for you to enjoy at the festival. The prize will include:

Entry to the festival
A free masterclass or demo
A chance to join the judges at the Export Awards
A chance to meet Juliet Harbutt, world cheese expert, broadcaster, writer and founder of the
British Cheese Awards
A copy of Juliet Harbutt’s award winning The World Cheese Book
A hamper of cheeses

What’s on at the festival?

Britain’s Biggest Cheese Market

The cheese market is one of the best parts of the festival. You will get to taste an assortment of British and Irish cheeses many of which are rarely featured outside of the villages where they are produced. With an abundance of sheep, cow, goat and even buffalo cheese available you’re bound to find the perfect addition to your cheese board. Don’t forget to try some of our famous Welsh cheeses such as Caerphilly, Y Fenni, Black Bomber and Perl Las.

How to become a cheese expert

Before heading to the cheese market take a look in the Cheese Headquarters where 21 materclasses will be taking place. For wannabe cheese experts, apprentices, cheese lovers and families visit The House of Commons marquee or The House of Lords marquee will be holding in depth sessions for serious cheese fanatics.

An insider’s guide to wine

Discover more about wine at one of the festivals ‘grappling with the Grape’ wine workshops. Educate your palate as you learn the different grape varieties and basic tools to distinguish the many varieties of wine on offer. You may not believe this but wine is also produced in Wales! Here are 3 vineyards in Wales that offer Welsh wine tasting:

Watch a cheese-making demonstration

In the Dairy marquee watch award-winning cheese-maker Bob Kitching of Leagram Organic Dairy as he demonstrates the art of cheese-making.

Purchase tickets for the Great British Cheese Festival from Ticketline UK.

Search for accommodation in Cardiff.

Do you dare to ride the UK’s longest Super Tubing run?

Amy — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 13:01:14 +0000

Get ready go!

If you like adrenaline sports head over to Ebbw Vale where the UK’s longest super tubing run has just opened. The 120 metre long run is made from Snowflex, a synthetic astro-turf style substance which is meant to replicate the properties of actual snow.

Riders get to race down the humped run in an inflatable tube before sliding to a stop. It’s an exhilarating experience that the whole family will enjoy so if you’re stuck for something to do this holidays get yourself over to Festival Park in Ebbw Vale.

Childs Play

After the Super Tubing let the kids carry on playing at the newly built children’s adventure play castle. The Red Dragon’s Adventure Castle includes swings, zip slides, crawl tubes and ropes perfect for keeping the kids entertained as you bag yourself a bargain at the branded outlet shopping centre.

Super Tubing costs £5.00 for 5 runs.

Find out more about the Super Tubing at Festival Park and other things to do in the South Wales Valleys.

Fancy going to the Abergavenny Food Festival on us?

Amy — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 14:33:58 +0000

Visit the 'Glastonbury' of food festivals

Win a weekend at the Abergavenny Food Festival

Here’s your chance to win an amazing weekend for two, centred around one of the UK’s premiere food events. Visit Wales and Abergavenny Food Festival have put together a prize that will give you a unique taste of everything this festival has to offer. The markets, the masterclasses, tutored tastings, talks, a fabulous party, a vineyard visit and walks. There are also opportunities to dine out at great local establishments.

To be in with a chance of winning this fantastic foodie prize enter here.

What’s on at the festival ?

Foraging an Experts Guide

Discover that you don’t always need to buy your food from the supermarket, the Welsh countryside is full of wild food you can pick for free. Listen to Yun Hider as he talks about his life as a professional food forager supplying wild herbs, salads and vegetables to the likes of Gordon Ramsay and Richard Corrigan.

You can go food foraging at anytime of the year, if you’d like to give it a go in August you will find wild thyme, marjoram and strawberries along with marsh samphire and hazelnuts.

How to Cook and Eat Wild Food

Two other famous chefs that are self-confessed wild food lovers are Valentine Warner and Matt Tebbutt. Don’t miss their materclass on how to cook and eat the wild food you find. If you like the sound of foraging and cooking with wild food visit Matt’s restaurant The Foxhunter where he runs food foraging classes.

How to Prepare Wild Trout

Wales has some of the best game, sea and coarse fishing in the UK. Spend a morning with the Abergavenny Game Fishing Association and PAA coach Phil Stanmore as they go fishing for wild brown trout on the river Usk. Valentine Warner will also be there to show you how to smoke your catch on the side of the riverbank.

An Experts Guide to Enjoying Welsh Perry

One of Wales’ best kept secrets is perry and our famous cheeses. You can enjoy both these delicacies at a tutored tasting of Welsh perries with Dave Mathews, Chairman of the Welsh Cider and Perry Society, along with affineur Eric Charriaux who has a cheese that has been matured in perry for you to try.

Abergavenny Food Festival is spread over two days; 18th – 19th September 2010.

Search for accommodation in Abergavenny.

there’s a guy works down the chip shop swears he’s gandalf

Amy — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 14:31:05 +0000

Ceredigion or The Shire?

Find out if Tolkien really based his ideas on Middle Earth around Mid Wales at the Festival in the Shire. This weekend (13-15 August) Pontrhydfendigaid, near Tregaron, in Ceredigion will be welcoming leading academics and illustrators along with elves, hobbits, goblins and orcs to a celebration of all things Tolkien.

Discuss the life and work of Tolkein - Fans of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit, which is going to be turned into another blockbusting film by Peter Jackson in 2011 and 2012 can go along to a general festival and academic conference on Tolkien’s life and work.

Tolkiens’ welsh love affair

It turns out that J.R.R. Tolkien had a love for Wales, the Welsh language and our Celtic stories, which inspired the settings, languages and characters in his books.

We asked Lucy O’Donnell, Co Manger of the festival how it got started and what we can expect from this fantasy inspired gathering.

1. What is the history of the event and why you decided to create a Tolkien festival?

The Festival in the Shire is a celebration of the life and works of the author Prof J.R.R. Tolkien: creator of Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. The festival was conceived in response to the demand from the Tolkien community for an event that brings together everyone who shares an interest in Professor Tolkien’s work. The Festival comprises of three separate events. An academic conference, fan event expo of books, art and talks and general festival all celebrating themes inspired by Prof J.R.R. Tolkien and fantasy in general.

2. Who is involved with organising the event?

We are a small team of Tolkien enthusiasts from all background and all ages.

3. Why did you decide to hold the event in Wales?

Professor Tolkien is an author of world reputation, but not many people know of his love for the Welsh language and his debt to Celtic literature. Welsh fascinated J.R.R. Tolkien from childhood, when he first encountered Welsh names on coal-trucks arriving to the railway station at the back of his house in Birmingham. In his youth he started creating an invented language based on Welsh phonology and grammar, which was later to become Sindarin, the language of the Grey Elves of Middle-earth.

J.R.R. Tolkien was familiar with medieval Welsh texts such as the “Mabinogion” and was fascinated by the Arthurian legend and knew of its Welsh origins. He made a number of trips to Wales, developed friendships with Welsh academics, and published his long narrative poem “The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun” in the New Welsh Review. J.R.R. Tolkien’s shorter works like Farmer Giles of Ham and Roverandom also betray his knowledge of the topography and legends of Wales.

Perhaps the most important proof of the role of Welsh on J.R.R. Tolkien’s imaginative mythology and his linguistic sensibilities is his 1955 O’Donnell Lecture “English and Welsh”. In this lecture, which was delivered just a day after the publication of The Return of the King, the third part of his novel The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien commented on the Welsh flavour of many proper and place-names of Middle-earth, claiming that this linguistic style gave pleasure to his readers more than anything else.

4. What are you most looking forward to at the event?

We have so many wonderful speakers and performers on the line up its hard to pick! I would have to say the Interactive Tolkien inspired Live Action Role Play is very exciting. Its a unique interactive live theater experience that will allow festival attendees to get into the spirit of things by dressing up in costume and creating their own Middle Earth character. Attendees will then be invited to participate in thrilling (and safe) battle re-enactments, dancing and performances all in the style and fashion of Middle Earth.

5. Is anyone famous at the event?

We will have many famous artists speaking at the event including Rodney Mathews and many highly regarded Tolkien scholars including Tom Shippey, Alex Lewis, Colin Duriez and John Garth.

6. Do you know if there are famous fans of Tolkien attending the event?

You will have to come along to find out!

The festival takes place 13th – 15th August and ticket prices start at £15 for a day. Tickets can be purchased from Festival in the Shire.

Search for accommodation in Ceredigion.

In the Lake District it’s Ghyll scrambling. In the states it’s ‘Gullywhumping’ – in Wales?

Amy — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 08:45:19 +0000

Is that a look of fear?

Here it’s called Canyoning but I don’t care what it’s called its bloody good fun.

If I was pushed to give it my own name I think I’d go for Human Poo Sticks or Rubber Clad Lemmings or a more mature Inland Coasteering.

A family outing

It was my nephews 18th birthday and his dad (an even bigger kid) arranged for a bunch of his family and friends to go canyoning in an area know as Waterfall country in the Brecon Beacons.
Famous for its deep gorges and network of caves and underground caverns. It’s a mecca for cavers, walkers and canoeist.

The big kid in the pink tutu

On this sweltering day in late March we took it turns to wear the birthday boys pink tutu as we traversed rocky ledges, propelled down water shoots, launched off 20 foot cliffs and shimmied on our bellies over the shallow rocky river bed. You see contrary to popular misconception it doesn’t always rain in Wales and the river Mellte was in serious need of a down pouring to satisfy the steady stream of adrenaline chasers it attracts.

The insiders guide

Worth saying it’s essential you go with a qualified instructor. Andy Meek, manager of the local outdoor centre knew the river and steep wooded gorges like back of his hand, which added to everyone’s overall sense of ease, especially my ‘born to worry’ mum.

Andy’s local knowledge also brought the magical gorge to life for the kids who where wide eyed when he pointed out the remains of the gunpowder factory and the silica mines whose horses would wear leather shoes to protect their metal horse shoes from creating sparks and igniting an almighty explosion. All great stuff when you’re ten and seven years old.

Riverside Picnic

We wrapped up the afternoon picnicking by the river bank and taking short sharp dips in the cold mountain water. A brilliant day – Happy 18th Birthday Ross!

If you fancy giving canyoning a go try some of these local activity centres:

Storey Arms Outdoor Centre

Call of the Wild

Black Mountain Activity Centre

Wales Outdoors

For more general local information contact: The Tourist Information Centre on 01639 636674. Waterfalls Information Centre 01639 721795

For activity centres across Wales.

View more canyoning images at Wales1000things.