Sykes Holiday Cottages, members of MWT Cymru, have shared their latest insights from their third installment of their annual Holiday Letting Outlook Report 2024.
They’ve explored the ins and outs of the UK's short-term accommodation market following an eventful year. Staycations have been on the rise for a decade, and now, the demand for UK holiday cottages is at an all-time high. By analysing their own booking and income stats, Sykes have explored how the market performed last year and what to look forward to in 2024 and beyond. Here’s a brief overview:
Sustainable Travel Sykes are committed to fostering sustainable growth in the holiday let sector by helping owners manage their properties responsibly and benefit local communities. This includes encouraging guests to support local businesses, recycle, and reduce energy use. They also recommend building partnerships with local businesses to provide guest discounts and opening their property to year-round bookings to keep properties from sitting empty. For more information, head over to their website for the full downloadable version of Sykes’ Holiday Letting Outlook Report 2024.
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A poster promoting the ‘Sport and Leisure in Newtown: 1875-1914’ exhibition at Newtown Textile Museum. A fascinating summer exhibition capturing ‘Sport and Leisure in Newtown: 1875-1914’ opens in the town next week. A new exhibition, which opens at Newtown Textile Museum on Tuesday, May 21 and runs until September 28, includes the annual Royal Welsh Warehouse Sports Day, Newtown Carnival, Newtown Football Club and the town’s football teams of yesteryear. “Newtown was one of the first towns in Wales to have a football club and a lot of teams were then formed, many of them linked to the Pryce Jones company and the Royal Welsh Warehouse,” explained Janet Lewis, Newtown Textile Museum chairman. “It seems that teams were encouraged by employers as football was a healthy activity and kept men out of the pubs! There were no clubs or sports for women at that time. “An annual Royal Welsh Warehouse Sports Day became a key event in the town. There are a lot of photos and newspaper cuttings in the exhibition, including of the huge crowds of people who attended the sports day, many of whom came by train. “The carnival is another form of leisure which is also shown and has been happening in the town for more than 130 years.” The museum, at 5-7 Commercial Street, is open from 12 noon to 4pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays until the end of September. For more information about the museum, visit www.newtowntextilemuseum.co.uk . In addition to the exhibition, visitors will be able to see all the usual permanent exhibits in the volunteer-run museum, which is housed in an original handloom weaving factory, built in the 1830s. The museum aims to bring to life Newtown’s industrial heritage, showing how people lived and worked in the building and the processes involved in turning fleece into flannel. In addition, industries linked to wool – tanning, clog making and drapers’ shops, including the Pryce Jones family who pioneered mail order – are also featured. Newtown was the centre for handloom weaving in the 1830s and the museum is the last of 82 such buildings remaining in anything like its original condition. The museum is a member of MWT Cymru, an independent organisation that represents around 600 tourism and hospitality businesses across Powys, Ceredigion and Southern Snowdonia. May sees the world-famous Powis Castle and Garden in Welshpool burst into bloom, from towering rhododendrons to tumbling wisteria. Head gardener, David Swanton, shares highlights for the month ahead in one of the finest gardens in Britain cared for by National Trust Cymru. With views across the Severn Valley, dramatic terraces, an Orangery, an Edwardian formal garden and a peaceful wooded landscape, there is so much to explore in the Grade I listed garden. Descend into the historic Edwardian Formal Garden this month and be greeted by the sweet-scented blossom on the 100-year-old apples trees which line the manicured lawn. From varieties such as Bismark to Ribston Pippin, these blossom trees were the vision of Lady Violet, Countess of Powis in the early 1900s in her mission to make Powis Castle ‘one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful in England and Wales’. Lady Violet’s influence can still be seen today, alongside the pristine croquet lawn lined with colourful borders and meticulously trimmed fruit trees. Spot bunches of bright blue Grape Hyacinths and Scillas swaying in the breeze underneath the apple blossom. For those who don’t want to walk too far, vistas of the expansive garden below can be enjoyed from the top of the Italianate terraces. Considered the finest surviving example of a 17th century terraced garden in Britain, purple Irises provide a splash of joyful colour, nestled between stone statues and bright boarders. “Spring is one of my favourite times of year,” said Mr Swanton. “As the garden wakes up for the warmer months, it's filled with colour and sweet scents once again. Keep an eye out for the sunny yellow Azaleas within the woodland garden - the scent from these is always incredible. “A seasonal highlight for me are the blossom trees within the Edwardian Formal Garden. Some have been flowering for more than 100 years, not only putting on a cheerful display for all visitors to enjoy, but also providing an important source of nectar for our local biodiversity including bees and butterflies. “If you visit around the middle of May, enjoy the two-metre-high purple wisteria which adorns the Aviary Terrace and is always popular with visitors – and butterflies too!. “If you want to walk a little further into the Wilderness, an informal woodland behind the formal garden, you’ll be greeted by bright displays of primulas alongside red and soft lilac rhododendrons. Keep a look out for a sea of bluebells too which have already started flowering under the canopy of rustling trees.” Powis Castle and Garden is open daily from 10am to 5pm, with last entry at 4.30pm to the garden and 3.30pm to the castle. To plan a visit please head to: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/powis-castle-and-garden In the Welsh Wind co-owner and director Ellen Wakelam (centre) with sponsor David Barwell, ASDA’s senior director retail operations (Wales) and awards host Sian Lloyd. Glasses were raised to toast the success of a Ceredigion distillery at the coveted Wales Food and Drink Awards. In the Welsh Wind, based just outside Cardigan on the Mid Wales coast, was crowned Drinks Producer of the Year 2024 at awards ceremony held at Swansea’s Brangwyn Hall. The only distillery shortlisted in the prestigious category, In the Welsh Wind beat four other established businesses including Brecon Carreg and Ty Nant. The distillery was also highly commended in Upskilling Award category and congratulated for its commitment to the training and development of staff. “We’re absolutely thrilled to have been recognised as Drinks Producer of the Year 2024,” said co-owner and director Ellen Wakelam. “It’s a testament to the hard work of all the team, across the board, that we’ve achieved so much in the last couple of years. “The Food and Drink Wales Awards are a real celebration of the fantastic food and drink industry here in Wales and to be recognised in this way is incredible amongst such a distinguished cohort of businesses.” A celebration of the Welsh food and drink industry, the awards recognise businesses and individuals in a wide range of categories. . Since Ellen founded In the Welsh Wind with her partner Alex Jungmayr in 2018, the business has grown and has just sold out of its first release of limited edition whisky. 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. 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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