The annual Smallholding and Countryside Festival, a family favourite, is being held at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells on May 18 and 19.
A celebration of rural life and country living with smallholding pursuits at its heart, weekend event showcases the diversity of the Welsh countryside. Together with an array of display ring attractions, livestock and equine competitions, children's activities, shopping trade stands, live music and delicious food and drink, the festival is a great day out for all. The festival is an excellent way to get started in the livestock and equine showing world, with a variety of competitions, including many rare and native breeds. The Smallholders Centre will continue to be the main port of call for those wanting to learn more about the smallholder’s way of life. It’s an ideal place to stock up on the essentials from the agricultural and smallholding themed trade stands. A variety of activities will be held in the Country Life Area, including the Premier Open Dog Show (Crufts 2025 Qualifier), The Woodville Medieval Re-enactment Camp, BASC gundogs demonstrations, British Army Health and Fitness, forestry competitions, sporting and countryside activities. Families can get involved in Builth Bulls biking activities and obstacle course. While children can give cycling a go with helmets and bikes provided. Panic Family Circus returns to entertain with circus skills, workshops and traditional puppet shows. For animal interactions, Will’s Petting Farm has a variety of small farm animals including ponies, goats, rabbits, guinea pigs and alpacas. This year’s festival is packed with things to do and see, including a busy line up in the display ring featuring Dangerous Steve's motorbike stunt show, Paws for Thought dog display team, the Hackney Horse & Pony display, Scurry Driving and Meirion Owen and his sheepdogs. Show jumping competitions begin after 4pm and will run late into Saturday evening. For the dog lovers, The Welsh Premier Open Dog Show is held all weekend with hundreds of dogs competing for a chance to qualify for Crufts 2025. With visitors able to take their own dogs to the festival, RWAS Feature County of Ceredigion will be hosting a novelty Fun Dog Show in the Country Life Area. Farming Connect Horticulture will take over the Members Centre for a Growers Market. Experienced growers representing a cross-section of the horticulture industry will share their knowledge and expertise and showcase their products. The versatility of wool and the creations that can be made from it will be promoted. Meirionnydd Shearing Centre will showcase our wool handling and blade shearing competitions for both novice and intermediate classes, along with a vintage shearing display. Next door in the Craft, Art & Education Hall, visitors can enjoy demonstrations from the Gwent Guild of Spinners and Weavers and many wool related trade stands. Delicious goods will be on offer in the Food Hall and there will be live music and seating in the Welsh Food Village, Gwledd | Feast. Free car parking is located at the bottom end of the showground, only a short walk to the event's main entrance, with a forward parking area available for visitors displaying a blue badge. People planning to attend the festival can skip the queues by buying their tickets online at the RWAS website - https://rwas.ticketsrv.co.uk/tickets/954 .Earlybird online tickets are £18 for adults, £5 for children or family tickets cost £40.
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FfWHR general manager Paul Lewin with project manager Edwina Bell, project management trainee James Kindred and staff from main contractor OBR Construction. Image: Chris Parry. Twenty contractors and sub-contractors from across Gwynedd and North Wales have received more than £3 million in project funding awarded to a Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways (FfWHR). Then money was given to the railways’ Interpretation and Boston Lodge Project by the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF), Ffestiniog Railway Society and Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway Trust. During the last 18 months, the railway has used the skills and craftsmanship of local businesses. “It has been really important to reinvest this money back into the community here as we restored old buildings and built new ones, transforming the site to make it fit for the future and enable us to offer guided tours to showcase the heritage skills that keep the railway running,” said Dr Edwina Bell, FfWHR heritage project manager. “We have a wealth of construction skills locally and I was determined to use them.” OBR of Llangefni is the main contractor leading on 12 of the buildings and G. H. James Cyf Groundworks of Trawsfynydd was brought in to work on the small loco shed, along with J, Lloyd Steelwork of Corwen. OBR has used a wide range of local subcontractors including Snowdonia Lime of Glan Conwy, JRS Mechanical and Electrical Service from Abergele, Lance Williams Roofing of Porthaethwy, North Wales Liquid Screed of Caernarfon, Colin Jones Rock Engineering of Porthmadog and R. G. Jones of Pwllheli. Paul Lewin, FfWHR general manager, said: “The Interpretation and Boston Lodge Project is all about working in partnership with the local community. “I am immensely proud of the work that has taken place with the help of the NLHF and match funding by the Ffestiniog Railway Society and the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways Trust. “They have helped to make our busy Boston Lodge works a place where the community and visitors can step into a real working site, understand the area’s pioneering spirit and give locals with a railway family history an opportunity to see where their ancestors worked. “We now have a state of the art classroom and facilities to enable us to do that. When you visit, you will see the project has allowed us to rescue historic buildings at Boston Lodge, bringing them back into use, as well as creating some new buildings, thanks to the skills and endeavour of our contractors. “I can’t wait to invite the community onto the site this year.” In addition to the building works, the project includes a wide range of work experience and skills development activities and new interpretation across the railway. Young people particularly can learn practical skills that are focused on the needs of the railway, including infrastructure, works, marketing, interpretation and administration. Dr Bell added: “It has been an absolute pleasure to see young faces light up during a work experience week. We get them working on real projects and you can see the pride spread across their faces as they realise they have learned a new skill and constructed a small piece of Boston Lodge.” Boston Lodge is due to open for tours later this year.
The Queen was patron of the RWAS for 70 years and showed great support. Her support reflected her long-lasting interest in Welsh agriculture, horticulture and rural affairs. The Queen’s first official role with the RWAS was as Princess Elizabeth in 1947, when she was honorary president. She undertook a triumphant tour of the showground during a visit to the Royal Welsh Show, held in Carmarthen. The late Queen had followed her late father, George VI, and her grandfather, George V in accepting the patronage. King George V first became patron as Prince of Wales in 1907 and formally as King in 1911. His Silver Challenge Cup for the best Welsh Cob then became known as the George Prince of Wales Challenge Cup, one of the most famous cups presented at the Royal Welsh Show annually. Cambrian Railway Partnership Region The Cambrian Community Rail Partnership (CCRP) is seeking a new organisation to manage a hosting agreement with Transport for Wales and Avanti West Coast. Interested organisations have until May 14 to submit an expressions of interest to CCRP chair Neil Scott at hello@thecambrianline.co.uk . Visit https://www.thecambrianline.co.uk/ for further information. Ceredigion County Council is the current host and financial management authority for the partnership which is funded by Transport for Wales, Avanti West Coast and Shropshire County Council. The council has hosted the partnership officer since 2014 and hosted all arrangements for the partnership since 2019. Now more than 20 years old, the CCRP covers a wide area, spanning 120 miles and 34 stations from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth and up the Wales coast to Pwllheli. The CCRP is looking to work with an organisation that excels in good governance, sustainable funding and a successful track record in bidding, securing and managing external funding from a variety of sources. developing resilience in voluntary sector organisations, managing finances and community engagement and influencing. The partnerships says it will particularly welcome applications from third sector organisations with interests in place-based community led projects, community development and engagement with a good knowledge of the area it covers. CCRP is an accredited community rail partnership, awarded by the Community Rail Network, Department for Transport and Welsh Government. The Cambrian Railway spans 120 miles of unspoilt natural beauty and is one of the most scenic routes in Britain. From Shrewsbury, the Cambrian Main Line takes passengers across the border into Wales, through rugged mountain terrain, quaint market towns, World Heritage sites and castles, cross country towards the picturesque west coast of Wales. At Machynlleth, the line merges into the Cambrian Coast Line offering spectacular views, coastal walks and places to visit along the Wales Coast Path. CCRP members include Transport for Wales, Avanti West Coast, Network Rail, British Transport Police, Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway, Talyllyn Railway, Snowdonia National Park, Ceredigion County Council, Gwynedd Council, station adoption representatives, tourism representatives and third sector partners. CCRP’s business activity plan aims to provide a voice for the community, promote sustainable, healthy and accessible travel, bring communities together and support diversity and inclusion and support social and economic development. Neil Scott, Cambrian Community Railway Partnership chair.
Caneletto’s ‘The Stonemason’s Yard’ can be seen in Aberystwyth from May 10. Canaletto’s masterpiece, ‘The Stonemason’s Yard’, is returning to Wales as part of the National Gallery's anniversary celebrations. National Treasures: Canaletto in Aberystwyth will star in the Idyll and Industry exhibition which opens in the Gregynog Gallery at the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth on Friday, May 10. The exhibition tells the incredible story of this painting and how it came to Wales as a ‘refugee’ from bombing during the Second World War to be safely protected in the cavernous Manod slate mines. ‘The Stonemason’s Yard’ and the wider Idyll and Industry exhibition coincides with the National Gallery’s 200th anniversary. The National Treasures project celebrates this special occasion by placing 12 masterpieces from the National Gallery’s collection in museums and art galleries across Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The National Library of Wales exhibition will be the only opportunity to view one of these masterpieces in Wales. The exhibition will also display Welsh landscapes from the National Art Collection and will explore the artistic and thematic links between ‘The Stonemason’s Yard’ and the scenery of Wales. A rich tapestry of the idyllic and the industrial, Wales’ vistas have been a source of inspiration for many artists. The exhibition will include works by classical artists such as Richard Wilson, J. M. W. Turner and Penry Williams alongside more modern works by artists like Graham Sutherland, Mary Lloyd Jones and Ernest Zobole. In a first for the library, the exhibition will include an audio described tour for a selection of items on display. Following successful trials with local visitors who are blind or have visual impairments, this is further development towards making the library’s collections more accessible and the exhibitions more inclusive. Rhodri Llwyd Morgan, the library’s chief executive, said: "This promises to be a very special exhibition and we are extremely grateful to be working in partnership with the National Gallery. “It is an honour to have one of Canaletto's masterpieces here. Displaying the work alongside some of the highlights of the National Art Collection in the library creates a great opportunity to appreciate the richness and diversity of the Welsh experience and the responses to that in art." Mari Elin Jones, the library’s interpretation officer, said: "Working with the National Gallery on this exhibition to mark their 200th anniversary has been an incredible privilege. “Being able to welcome Canaletto’s masterpiece back to Wales, after having taken refuge here 80 years ago, is tremendously exciting and we cannot wait to share with the public this fascinating story. “This exhibition has also been a fantastic impetus to delve deeper into our own national collection of Welsh landscape art and we’re thrilled to be showcasing nearly 100 works spanning over 250 years in the majestic Gregynog Gallery." The exhibition will be on display at library from May 10 until September 7 and a programme of associated events will be shared on the Library’s website in the coming weeks. The route has been revealed for the opening stage of the 2024 Tour of Britain Women in Mid Wales, ahead of the Grand Départ in Welshpool on June 6. The opening stage will see the world’s top riders tackle some of Wales’ most iconic roads and climbs, with thousands expected to line the streets to welcome the race. The stage starts in Welshpool’s Broad Street at 11.15am, with riders expected to reach the finish in Llandudno at around 3.10pm. The riders will face a formidably challenging opening stage, with 2,276m of climbing and 142.5kms to endure. The stage will also feature one sprint and two Queen of the Mountains segments. Heading out through Berriew, the peloton will take in Castle Caereinion, Llanfair Caereinon, Dolanog, Llanfyllin, Penybontfawr and the challenging Llangynog climb at the 65km mark, known locally as the Berwyn Pass, which is 6km long with an average gradient of 5.4%. The route then heads to Bala, touching the shores of the expansive Llyn Tegid, before passing through the picturesque village of Cerrigydrudion. A series of punchy climbs with 10km to go are likely to whittle down the bunch as it enters Llandudno, passing Conwy Castle before a spectacular finish on the promenade. Swansea-born Eluned King, who rides for Lifeplus Wahoo, said: “I am so excited to be lining up for my first Tour of Britain Women and racing at home is always special. I’m particularly excited for the two Welsh stages where, hopefully, all my years of riding grippy Welsh roads will pay off. “The roads and terrain in Mid and North Wales will provide some really entertaining racing and opportunities as well as having some of the best roadside support! Gwelai chi yn fuan! (See you soon!)" Councillor David Selby, Powys County Council’s cabinet member for a More Prosperous Powys, said: “It’s exciting that Powys has been chosen to host the Grand Départ from Welshpool for this year’s Tour of Britain Women. “It will provide a great opportunity for both residents and visitors to watch some of the world’s top cyclists in action as they race through the north of the county and for us to showcase the beauty of our natural surroundings to a national and international audience.” Tour of Britain race director, Rod Ellingworth, said: “Working with our partners, we’ve been able to plot out two really challenging and entertaining stages in Wales to open the race, with some iconic climbs and opportunities for the sprinters too. “We wanted the Tour of Britain Women to show off the very best of Britain’s roads and scenery and, having spent a lot of time out driving the routes, I’m absolutely certain that we’ve delivered. “Finalising the routes in such a short timeframe has been a huge challenge, and only made possible thanks to the support of colleagues in Welsh Government, Conwy County Borough Council, Powys County Council and Wrexham County Borough Council, who deserve enormous credit for the commitment to the race and women’s cycling more broadly.” Exhibitors and visitors were united in describing the weekend’s successful Wonderwool Wales 2024 as one of the best ever shows. The award-winning two-day event, which celebrates all that’s great about Welsh wool and natural fibres, attracted around 6,000 visitors, with the bulk attending on a bumper Saturday Held at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells, the show exceeded 4,000 advance online ticket sales and there were a lot of tickets sold at the gate over the weekend. Overseas visitors travelled from as far away to Australia, America and Canada, including a party of 18 booked with Rowan Tree Travel. “We probably had our best ever single day attendance on Saturday and everyone, exhibitors and visitors alike, loved the show,” said Chrissie Menzies, Wonderwool Wales director. “The feedback was very positive. “There were some really interesting new stands, selling lovely things and exhibitors had made a big effort. The show ran very smoothly thanks to the 30 plus stewards who worked so well together over the weekend. We really appreciate their efforts.” Wonderwool Wales had around 220 exhibitors, including 40 newcomers, and costs around £120,000 to stage. New exhibitors are Gary Jones Ceramics from Leintwardine, Phoenix Pottery from Conwy, the Museum of Welsh Textiles, Knighton and the Indian Block Print Company from Bicester. Another newcomer was Glamorgan Smallholders’ Great Glamorgan Sock Project, which involves members making a pair of socks from each sheep breed in the county. It was ceramic sculptor Garry Jones’ first Wonderwool Wales and he pledged to return after receiving so much positive feedback from visitors. “I don’t think I have been to a show where I have received so many compliments,” he said on Monday. “I came away from the show so happy. “I have more than covered my costs and the telephone has been ringing and emails pinging this morning. Around 95 per cent of the people I spoke to were creatives who appreciated the time and skill that goes in to my work. The show had a wonderful feeling about it.” Many of the American visitors made a beeline for regular exhibitor Erica Downs from Debonnaire Yarns in Rutland, who is originally a New Yorker. “I love Wonderwool Wales because the energy here is always really good,” she said. “The show attracts people from all around the world and I have been exhibiting here for so long that I have people coming back to see me every year. It’s an incredibly well organised event.” Siobhan Beaudin, owner of Siobhans Crafts, Warrington, was another happy exhibitor. "It was a great show, the atmosphere was amazing and the customers were all so friendly and chatty. It’s such a well organised show and we loved our time vending there." One of the most popular exhibitors this year was ‘Flock2Flight’, an engaging display of felted birds created by fibre artist Janna Turner and two friends, Alex Johnstone and Deborah Taylor Dyer. Both Shepton Mallet based Janna, who runs Flocks2Felts, and Alex were no strangers to Wonderwool Wales. Janna was project lead and felting advisor and Alex contributed to an eye-catching Alice in Wonderwool exhibition in 2022. This year’s display featured colourful birds which included mechanics to make them fly. There were a small flock of swallows flew in circles, a zipwire peregrine falcon, a mechanical pelican, a flying flamingo and phoenix, owls, bird marionettes and hand puppets. Money donated at the display and around the overall show will be donated to the Wales Air Ambulance and Ukrainian charity NGO Molotok, Wonderwool Wales’ adopted charities. “We had a lot of positive feedback to the display,” said Janna. “We were very busy on Saturday and it was lovely to see people walking past and then stop in their tracks when they saw the birds. The fact that we allowed people to interact with the display was a key point.” This year’s event saw nine Woolschool afternoon workshops each day, giving visitors the chance to learn or perfect their skills with help from an expert. Another popular feature, the Sheep Walk fashion show, kept the audience entertained on both days. Visitors were encouraged to knit, crochet or make and wear their own beanie or hat to add colour to the event, with one of the Wonderwool stewards awarding vouchers to the best hats on both days. Wonderwool Wales 2023 Bursary winners Jade Carey Holt, from Aberystwyth and Kay-lee Davies, from Capel Dewi, near Llandysul, exhibited their work and were delighted to return to the show, which originally inspired them. Wonderwool Wales was first held in 2006 to promote the market for Welsh wool and to add value to products made by small wool and fibre producers in Wales. The show celebrates the green credentials of Welsh wool and its versatility as a material for creative crafts, designer clothes, home furnishings and more. Wonderwool Wales covers everything from the start to the end of the creative process. Exhibits of sheep, raw and hand dyed fibres, yarn for knitting and crochet, embellishments, equipment, dyes and books can be found alongside superb examples of finished textile art, craft, clothing and home furnishings. Janna Turner (centre) with Alex Johnstone (left) and Deborah Taylor Dyer with the Flock2Flight display. Wonderwool Wales, the award-winning show that celebrates all that’s great about Welsh wool and natural fibres, is on target go achieve 6,000 visitors this coming weekend. The event, which is being held at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells on Saturday and Sunday, April 27 and 28, exceeded 4,000 online ticket sales at https://wonderwoolwales.ticketsrv.co.uk last week and the organisers expect more to be sold in the coming days, as well as at the gate. Overseas visitors will be travelling from as far away to Australia, America and Canada, including a party of 18 booked with Rowan Tree Travel. Tickets cost £12 per day or £22 for the weekend and young people aged under 16 years get in free. “Online ticket sales are ahead of where they normally are and we could well have 6,000 visitors this year, “ said Wonderwool Wales director Chrissie Menzies. “We are delighted that the event is becoming ever more popular because it costs around £120,000 to stage and any surplus is reinvested.” The show will have around 220 exhibitors, including around 40 newcomers this year. Some of the new exhibitors are Gary Jones Ceramics from Leintwardine, Phoenix Pottery from Conwy, the Museum of Welsh Textiles, Knighton and the Indian Block Print Company from Bicester. Another newcomer is Glamorgan Smallholders’ Great Glamorgan Sock Project, which involves members making a pair of socks from each sheep breed in the county. Certain to attract a lot of interest will be ‘Flock2Flight’, an engaging display of felted birds which measures 10 metres by three metres. It’s the creation of fibre artist Janna Turner and two friends, Alex Johnstone and Deborah Taylor Dyer. Both Shepton Mallet based Janna, who runs Flocks2Felts, and Alex are no strangers to Wonderwool Wales. Janna was project lead and felting advisor to a special, eight-metre long exhibition entitled Alice in Wonderwool in 2022. This year, Janna is featuring colourful birds in the display, some of which include wooden mechanics to make them fly. For example, there’s a small flock of swallows that fly in circles, a zipwire bird, a diving kingfisher, bird marionettes and hand puppets. “When we did the Alice in Wonderwool display in 2022, people were not allowed to touch the exhibits,” said Janna. “This time, I will be encouraging people to engage with the birds and have a play as they walk around. I just love seeing their reactions. There are also hand puppets for people to take selfies with.” Money raised by the display will be donated to the Wales Air Ambulance and Ukrainian charity NGO Molotok, Wonderwool Wales’ adopted charities. This year’s event will see nine Woolschool afternoon workshops each day, with only a limited number of spaces left. The Woolschools, which give visitors the chance to learn or perfect their skills with help from an expert, can be booked online at the Wonderwool Wales website. Another popular feature, the Sheep Walk fashion show, will keep the audience entertained on both days. This year, all visitors are being encouraged to knit, crochet or make and wear their own beanie or hat to add colour to the event. Stewards will be awarding vouchers to the best hats on both days. Wonderwool Wales 2023 Bursary winners Jade Carey Holt, from Aberystwyth and Kay-lee Davies, from Capel Dewi, near Llandysul, will be exhibiting their work on stand C1. To tantalise the tastebuds, new street food caterers join the popular regulars to provide a wider menu for show visitors. Wonderwool Wales was first held in 2006 to promote the market for Welsh wool and to add value to products made by small wool and fibre producers in Wales. The show celebrates the green credentials of Welsh wool and its versatility as a material for creative crafts, designer clothes, home furnishings and more. Wonderwool Wales covers everything from the start to the end of the creative process. Exhibits of sheep, raw and hand dyed fibres, yarn for knitting and crochet, embellishments, equipment, dyes and books can be found alongside superb examples of finished textile art, craft, clothing and home furnishings. Find out more about the 2024 show at www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk , like Wonderwool Wales Ltd on Facebook or follow on Twitter @wonderwoolwales The Sheep Walk fashion show at last year’s Wonderwool Wales.
The Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways mobile phone app. Visitors to the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways (FfWHR) are now able to take their very own bilingual mobile phone app guide on their train journey. The FfWHR Explore App has been created as part of the Railway’s Interpretation and Boston Lodge Project, thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, National Lottery players, the Ffestiniog Railway Society and the FfWHR Trust. The app has been designed with everyone’s enjoyment in mind, providing descriptive and historic information about stops and points of interest along the line, marking the passenger’s route as they go with a locomotive icon on the map. Each railway also has three ’Out the Window’ games, where the whole family can spot things seen along the route. Watch out for a tank of rubber ducks as travelling through the forest between Penrhyn and Tan-y-Bwlch stations, Wagyu Cows, a herd of black cattle between Dinas and Waunfawr, trees and landmarks. There are also things to spot about the railway and the people who work on it. FfWHR visitor experience manager, Stephen Greig said: “We want our visitors to enjoy a chat and the wonderful scenery. The app has been designed by our NLHF Project team to enhance the journey and to be a conversation starter. “Our on-train staff and volunteers are always more than happy to tell passengers about our wonderful locations and railway, and may even help them spot that family of rubber ducks and the toy alligator who joined them last season!” The app can be downloaded easily when visitors arrive for their journey, as every railway station along our lines has free Wi-Fi access. QR codes are available at check-in to take people straight to the download site. The free ‘FfWHR Explore’ bilingual Welsh and English app is now available to download from either the Apple Store or Google Play Store. The FfWHR Interpretation and Boston Lodge Project is due to open for tours this summer. The challenging Devil’s Staircase awaits runners on October 5. A busy year of wacky and wonderful outdoor activities in Llanwrtyd Wells, reputedly the smallest town in Britain, continues with the Welsh Open Stone Skimming Competition on Sunday, May 26. The Mid Wales town has developed a reputation for organising a series of off the wall outdoor activities since 1980 under the leadership of Green Events. Welsh Open Stone Skimming Competition starts at around 10.30am at the Manor Adventure Centre, with online entries at the Green Events website - https://www.green-events.co.uk - or on the day. Entrants must be eight years and above. Next event on the Llanwrtyd Wells calendar is the famous Whole Earth Man v Horse Race on June 8, which has a full entry list already. The event will be supported by refreshments, a bar and music. Drovers’ Walks will be held on June 22 when walkers will follow in the footsteps of the drovers of old who used to drive their sheep, cattle, pigs and geese across the mountains to the market towns of England. There is a choice of a 12 or 20 mile walk through the beautiful summer countryside around Llanwrtyd Wells. One of the checkpoints will be sited at the location of an old drovers' inn, which is re-opened for the day, serving locally brewed traditional ale and other refreshments. August 10 is the date of the Cider Cycle, a sociable, non-competitive mountain bike ride over a marked course with the opportunity of sampling cider – and other drinks - along the route. This route is suitable for all standards of mountain bike riders with challenges for the more experienced. August Bank Holiday weekend, August 24 and 25, see two major events, beginning with the Chapel Bogathlon, a mud run crossed with a triathlon, which this year includes a 60 yard swim first, followed by a two mile mountain bike and a one mile run. All three disciplines are off road and involve mud and water. Next day, Sunday, the Chapel World Bogsnorkelling Championships will be held, a mix of madness and effort. Competitors either compete to be the fastest snorkeller over 120 yards, with no arm strokes permitted, or to win the best costume category. The current fastest time record is one minute 12.34 seconds, which was set in 2023. There are trophies in various categories and the event has refreshments, a bar and live music. The Mid Wales Four Day Walking Festival will be held from September 18 to 21. Running since 1980, this festival attracts walkers from around the world with way-marked routes of 12 or 20 miles. Later in the year, the Trailhead Get Jerky Devils Staircase ultra trail run will be held on October 5, covering around 30 miles over a very tough course. This endurance race has a total ascent and descent of about 4,700ft, starting and finishing at the Neuadd Arms in the centre of Llanwrtyd Wells. The race route combines a mixture of tarmacadam road, forest tracks, bogland, farmland and river crossings. The Ron Skilton Memorial Half Marathon, which is held to raise both awareness and funding for MNDA, will be held on October 20 over a tough and quite hilly course. November 16 sees the Real Ale Wobble, a sociable, non-competitive mountain bike ride which involves the chance of sampling real ale en route. This event is suitable for all standard of riders with special sections for the more experienced. The Real Ale Ramble, on November 23 and 24, is held annually in conjunction with the 10-day Mid Wales Beer Festival. The ramble begins from the Town Square and follows either of two waymarked routes of 12 or 20 miles and two guided routes of five and eight miles with free real ales available at checkpoints. For full details of these and other events, visit www.green-events.co.uk , email bob.g@green-events.co.uk or call 01591 610666 or 07856 357754. Green Events is a member of MWT Cymru, an independent organisation representing around 600 tourism and hospitality business across Powys, Ceredigion and Southern Snowdonia. |
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