Four Art Exhibitions in a Day

 I had a choice on Saturday - I could either go to Wye Float in Hereford (with Viking re-enactors) or I could go to Brecon.

I chose Brecon because I wanted to support Les Coveney, who was singing and playing guitar in one of the art galleries in Brecon, and because someone else I know had his photographs in another art gallery.

Also, it was the weekend of Brecon Jazz.  I've never been into Brecon during the Jazz Festival before, because I'm not overly keen on jazz, but the atmosphere was great.  The whole middle of the town was cordoned off, with food stalls and face painting and cocktails on offer.  The Brecon Tap had their bar outside, and there was a big stage set up facing the statue on the Bulwark.  There were buskers at intervals around the town centre too, as well as the indoor venues.  The Market Tavern, near the bus station, had a stage set up in their beer garden, too.

So I started off at the Ardent Gallery, where Les was playing, and admired the (mostly) landscapes there.

Then I headed to the other end of the Bulwark for the Found Gallery.  (It used to be a Chinese restaurant).  Richard Greatrex has his photographs down in the basement, and I thought they were very interesting.  I was sort of expecting, well, photographs, but what he's done is to take several images and layer them into the same picture, and the results are gorgeous.  I noticed that the five musical pictures already had a red dot next to them.

The paintings upstairs are worth seeing, too, and later in the afternoon I saw a double bass getting into position by the window as they had musicians too.

Meanwhile outside, a band was playing on the stage, the rain was pouring down, and a large crowd was still watching, and dancing, as a juggler juggled with Indian clubs and a stilt walker waved a huge Welsh flag.  I got a deep-fried vegan lunch from one of the food stalls - mini spring rolls and pakora and a few other bite sized nibbles.

Then I headed for Y Gaer, and into the Museum part for their two exhibition.  One was the paintings and engravings of David Jones, who was one of the artists at Capel-y-ffin.  I thought his engravings were similar to the style of Eric Gill, who was the really famous artist who lived at Capel-y-ffin.  David Jones was engaged for a time to Eric Gill's daughter Petra, and one of the portraits is of her.

The other exhibition room at the Museum had pictures by a range of artists who visited the area - mostly, it seems, to paint or engrave pictures of Llantony Abbey.  One of the featured artists, Reg Gammon, also did the illustrations for the 'Romany' series of nature books that accompanied the radio programme on Children's Hour in the 1930s and 40s.

Both the exhibitions are free to enter.

Meanwhile in the Market Hall, the Farmer's Market was going on, though I only managed to make it down there when they were starting to pack up and call the raffle prizes.

Day Out in Brecon

 I had some stuff to take to a charity shop, and I was bored of going to Hereford, so I went to Brecon instead.  

The last time I went to Brecon was before the pandemic - I had planned to go to see the new library and museum when they opened, but never got round to it.  

The first change I noticed was all the new houses being built on the way into Brecon, above the hospital - and the new High School, which looks a bit grim with all the grey stone.

I was aiming for the Tenovus charity shop near the market hall, but they have moved to Bethel Square.  However, there was a Dial-a-Ride shop (chock full of stuff!) on the opposite corner, and they were very happy to take my donation.  

The cat welfare shop is still there, down the hill, and they had stuff spread all over the road on special offer.

And there was bric-a-brac in the market hall, along with stalls of knitted toys, knitting, sewing and art supplies, tools, and books.  

There have been some changes in the shops since I was last there - there seem to be more coffee shops now, and an art gallery filled with baskets where the Chinese restaurant used to be, opposite the museum.  I was pleased to see Brecon Tap was still there, and went in for a half (I forget the name of the beer, but it had 'Gold' in it and was light and refreshing).

By that time I only had about half an hour before the bus back to Hay, so I had a quick look in the new library and museum.  The little I saw was impressive, so I'll have to go back soon to see the rest!

I found the Boudicca statue, that used to be outside the old law court, round the back in the garden:

 

Volunteer Fair

 When I got to the Castle, I could hear voices in the background, but I couldn't see anybody, so I asked the people who were moving crates around - presumably the art exhibition going back to where it had come from.  They sent me upstairs to the Clore Learning Room, which was a bit small, really, for everything that was squeezed into it.

I think I got a leaflet from every stall, but I might have missed someone in the crush:

At one end was On the Verge, from Talgarth.  They are dedicated to "preserving and creating wildlife habitats through education and influence".  So they go into schools, and look after patches of countryside.  Sadly, I got the message that their website is dangerous when I tried to look, so I don't know any more than that.

At the other end of the room was Clan, Cultivating Learning and Nature CIC (there were several CICs present - it stands for Community Interest Companies, and is a good way of getting organised as a voluntary body.  The Cheesemarket is run by a CIC).  There was no-one there to chat to when I passed, but they seem quite similar to On the Verge, being concerned with "ecology, craft and horticultural activities to support wellbeing", and "being outdoors and using natural resources".  They're also involved in educational activities.  Their website is www.clan-cic.org, and they're based in Herefordshire. 

Also at that end of the room was the Brecon Repair Cafe information - Hay Repair Cafe had a much more active stall near the door.  The Brecon Repair Cafe meets every last Saturday of the month from 11am to 2pm except August and December, at the Market Vaults in Brecon.  They are also a collection point for Tools for Self Reliance.

The chaps from Men's Sheds Cymru were a cheerful bunch.  They've been making swift boxes and have other projects on the go.  This is a community space for men to connect, converse and create, and is also at Brecon Market Vaults.  They have two websites listed, neither of which works at the moment, but they can be contacted on vbxbrecon@gmail.com

The Black Mountain Lions were there - they get involved in a variety of local projects.  On display were pill containers to be kept in the fridge with emergency medication, so that paramedics can go straight to it if someone has a fall or other medical emergency at home.

Hay Football Club had a table, too.

Then there were several opportunities to work with animals.  

Bryngwyn Riding for the Disabled Association has been running for quite a while, taking children and adults riding.  You don't need any experience with horses to volunteer for this, and helping them can count towards the Duke of Edinburgh Award, Welsh Baccalaureate and Pony Club badges.  Their website is www.ridinginwales.com, and the umbrella organisation is www.rda.org.uk

Pentre Farm is a family run small holding at Old Radnor, and they have all sorts of animals - the picture on their flyer is of a donkey and some goats.  Lots of opportunities to help to look after the animals there.  They also run Forest School activities and take animals to care homes and schools.  Their website doesn't seem to be up and running yet, but they can be contacted at sam@pentrefarm.co.uk and via Facebook.

Another lady had her therapy dog with her (and what a sweetie!).  She runs The Animalwise Therapy Foundation, and is a qualified Play Therapist, Filial Therapist and Animal Assisted Play Therapist who has just started working for herself, though she still does work for the organisation she had been working for full time.  Her website is www.theanimalwisetherapyfoundation.org and she's based in one of the offices over the British Legion Club in Hay.

PAVO were there as well, of course, since they've been active in Powys for many years as a sort of umbrella body for volunteer organisations.

I had the longest conversation of the evening with the lady from the Bronllys Well Being Park, but I'll talk about that in my next post.

Coming in from the East

 It's a long time since I made it into Brecon, but there's a new exhibition coming up that looks very tempting.  The Found Gallery on the Bulwark are putting on the exhibition, called Coming in from the East, and one of the featured artists is Richard Greatrex, from Hay, with a collection of photographs he took in Japan, inspired by traditional Japanese art.  He also has a book of the photographs available, price £20.

There are also oil paintings by Sue Vaughan Williams, pottery from Pamela Thorby, wood carving by Chris Pye, textiles by Jennie Jackson, and geishas in mosaic by Maureen Richardson - another well-known local artist.  She no longer makes paper, which was her career for many years, as she is now in her nineties, so she has turned her creativity to making mosaic pictures instead.

There is also jewellery from Chrissie Nash and wooden Christmas ornaments by Faye Lavery Griffiths.

The exhibition opens on 18th October.

Art in Brecon for Refugees

 The Hay, Brecon and Talgarth Sanctuary for Refugees group are holding an art exhibition at the old Oxfam shop on Bethel Square in Brecon from now until the 14th February, from 11am to 3pm.

They were allowed to use the space by the Brecon Rotary Club - the President of the Club officially opened the exhibition on Friday.  

The art on display is by both professional and non-professional local artists.

Captain's Walk Plaque Finds a New Home

 Earlier this year, the Black Lives Matter protests threw an unexpected light on Brecon.  The plaque commemorating Captain Thomas Phillips, on Captain's Walk, was taken down by persons unknown because of Captain Phillips' connections to the slave trade.  As Captain of the Hannibal, he was responsible for a voyage during which 328 of the 700 Africans on board died, and 18 of the crew.  When he retired to Brecon, he wrote a book about it, A Journal of a Voyage Made in the Hannibal 1693 - 4 to Africa and Barbadoes.

Now a decision has been made about what to do with the plaque, which will not be returned to its original position.  Instead, it will be donated to Y Gaer museum by Brecon Town Council, where it will be part of a new exhibit giving more details about the voyage and the slave trade Captain Phillips was involved in.

Further discussions are taking place to decide whether a new plaque should be commissioned, focusing on the victims of the slave trade, or whether a suitable piece of art could be loaned to the Council.

Black Lives Matter in Hay, Hereford and Brecon

Peaceful protests against racism under the banner of Black Lives Matter have been taking place all over the world in the last couple of weeks. On Saturday 20th June, the first BLM peaceful protest will take place in Hay. The idea is for people to gather (appropriately socially distanced) at the Clock Tower in time for noon, when everyone will kneel for eight minutes and 46 seconds - the time it took for George Floyd to die when a police officer knelt on his neck, which was the incident that led to the world-wide protests.
The organisers are asking people to bring placards and banners, and to wear masks (because we are still in the middle of a pandemic).

There will be a similar protest meeting in Hereford at the same time.

Meanwhile in Brecon, a Black Lives Matter protest was disrupted by men who stood round the war memorial (did they think the protesters were going to pull it down?). Later that evening, some signs that the protesters had left on display in the middle of Brecon were pulled down, including a banner with a poem about slavery and racism by the black poet Marvin Thompson.
I hadn't heard of Marvin Thompson before, but it seems that he was born in London, has Jamaican ancestry, and now lives in South Wales. His poems have appeared in several literary journals, and he wrote this one specially for the people of Brecon.

There has also been a BLM demonstration in Knighton, as reported in the Brecon and Radnor Express, which was intended to celebrate difference and diversity in the local community, as well as opposing the government's "hostile environment" for refugees.

Captain's Walk, Brecon

The toppling of the statue of Edward Colston, the Bristolian who was a major figure in the slave trade, has been all over the news - but there's something similar right here in Brecon.
When Captain's Walk was renovated a plaque was put up to commemorate the person who first created the Walk - Captain Thomas Phillips of Havard House, Brecon (more recently the Ursuline Convent). The plaque said that Captain Phillips was the author of A Journal of a Voyage Made in the Hannibal 1693 -94 to Africa and Barbadoes.
What the plaque doesn't say is that the Hannibal was packed full of slaves, and the horrific treatment of those slaves was detailed in Captain Phillips' Journal.
The plaque has now gone missing, allegedly thrown into the river.

Captain Phillips worked for the Royal Africa Company, which had the monopoly on trade (mostly meaning slaves, but also ivory and gold) along the African coast. Edward Colston was the Deputy Governor of the company.
Seven hundred slaves could be packed into the hold of the Hannibal - on the voyage in the journal, 328 of them died, as well as 18 of the crew. Some died of dysentery, and some of smallpox. The only treatment given for smallpox was as much water as the sick person wanted to drink and palm oil to sooth the sores, but they were still kept packed in the holds in terrible conditions.
Twelve of the slaves deliberately jumped overboard and drowned. Others refused food and deliberately starved themselves to death. Captain Phillips records that the death of each slave lost the RAC £10, and the owners of the ship £10 and ten shillings - a loss totalling around £6500.
Captain Phillips was advised by others in the trade to "cut off the legs or arms of the most wilful, to terrify the rest" but he decided not to do that, recording that he believed they were God's creatures, despite their "want of Christianity and true religion". He was quite happy for them all (including the children) to be branded on the chest with the letter H for Hannibal before they were brought aboard, though.
Phillips was himself affected by the diseases that ravaged the ship on that voyage, and became permanently deaf. He retired to Brecon and never sailed again. He died in 1713, aged around 48.

The plaque to Captain Phillips was only put up in 2010, so it's not a historic monument. In the discussion on FYI Brecon's Facebook page one person said that bad things should not be airbrushed out of history (so the plaque should remain in situ) - but the plaque is itself an example of airbrushing bad things out of history, because it didn't have any mention of the purpose of the voyage or the great loss of life. The book exists, and is an important document in the study of the slave trade - removing the plaque has not changed that.
If the Council decides to replace the plaque, maybe they could have one with more honest wording next time. There is a petition asking that the old plaque not be reinstated, and an acknowledgement to the victims of slavery be placed there instead.

A peaceful protest is planned for 14th June in Brecon for Black Lives Matter, at 1pm. The organisers ask everyone attending to wear masks and maintain social distancing. They will not be gathering in a big group, but there will be designated areas around Brecon where protesters can leave signs, such as by the Cat Soup Kitchen, around the Wellington statue, at the library and so on. Brecon Tap has agreed to open their doors for the day so that their toilet facilities are available to the protesters.

The Wellington statue also has a mention of General Picton, a Welsh officer who died at Waterloo.
Before that he was Governor of Trinidad - he was put on trial for his illegal torture of a fourteen year old girl, and was convicted, though the conviction was later overturned, partly because the conviction depended on the differences between Spanish law (which covered Trinidad at the time) and English law.
The victim was a free mulatto girl (the term then for mixed-race) called Luisa Calderon, who was suspected of assisting in a burglary. She was suspended by one arm and lowered until her foot was resting on a spike set in the ground, which took her weight. She did not confess, and was imprisoned for a further eight months before she was released. She gave evidence at Picton's trial. Picton had also executed several people without due legal process, but was not brought to trial on those charges. He also made a lot of money personally from the slave trade while he was governor.

Real Ale Vouchers

My membership renewal for CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, came through the other day.
For the past few years, included in the package have been a number of vouchers that give a discount in Wetherspoons. I haven't been using them, because I refuse to set foot in Wetherspoons.
This year, though, the format has changed, and the vouchers can be used more widely.
I looked it up on the CAMRA website, and sadly, no pubs in Hay are included in the scheme - nor are they included in the discount scheme where you show your CAMRA membership card.
In Hereford, however, I can now use my vouchers at the Imperial in the middle of town. I sometimes go in there already for a swift half while I'm shopping, so I'll certainly be using my vouchers in there this year.
[Updated to add: I went into the Imperial with my beer vouchers the last time I was in Hereford, and none of the bar staff knew anything about the scheme - so I'll have to find somewhere else to use them]
On the edge of Hereford just outside the ring road the Beer in Hand is part of the membership card discount scheme, and I've occasionally been in there when I'm at that end of town.
If I ever go into Brecon, there are two pubs that take the vouchers. One is the George, sadly now a Wetherspoons, so I won't be going in there, and the other is the Wellington. However, a friend has suggested that the best pubs to try in Brecon are the Brecon Tap and the Sarah Siddons. I've been in the Brecon Tap before, and liked it, so I must try the Sarah Siddons on this recommendation next time I head for Brecon.

Photographic Exhibitions

A new exhibition opens at Thru the Lens with a private viewing at 6pm today.
Men Open Up is a collection of photos collected together by Billie Charity, on the theme of men's mental health. It's in support of a charity called CALM, Campaign Against Living Miserably. The men in the photos are local, and Billie has also made use of the notes of Hereford-based psychotherapist and photographer Clive Oxford, who supplied notes about some of his clients, carefully made anonymous.
Also in the exhibition are the photos of Abergavenny-based photographer Glenn Dene, which are self-portraits he took while recovering from a breakdown.
London-based photographer Darren Russell has also provided pictures from a touring exhibition called "My Mate", which was motivated by the story of Billie Charity's brother Stan. Sadly, Stan took his own life three years ago, after living with mental illness.
So the exhibition has been put together in the hope that it will encourage men to talk about their mental health and seek therapy if they need it.

Meanwhile in Brecon, Richard Greatrex is also putting on an exhibition. This one begins on 29th January with a private viewing from 6.30pm, at Found Gallery on the Bulwark. The title of the exhibition is Cuba Noticed, and it is a part of the gallery's main exhibition Vibrant Finds in Winter. Richard Greatrex was a cinematographer for many years, with an impressive CV, and he uses that experience in his photography now.

Artists Against Food Poverty

Brecon Food Bank, based at St John's Centre, is filling a very real need locally. They are part of the Trussell Trust charity, which runs foodbanks across the UK, and give out three days' worth of emergency supplies at a time to people who are in crisis.
Last year they fed nearly 400 adults and more than 150 children. They handled more than 6 metric tonnes of food, hygiene products and pet food.
Everything they give out is donated. They have collection points in shops, banks and cafes, and other donations come from churches and individuals. However they also need money for running costs, and they run other projects to help their clients.
So on Saturday 26th October they are holding a fund raising Art Auction at The Neuadd, Christ College, Brecon. Viewing is from 5.45pm, with the auction starting at 7pm. Admission is £5, including a drink, refreshments, and entry into the raffle. There will also be live music by Mike Chappell during the viewing period. They are selling tickets on the door and at Brecon Food Festival.
The works in the auction are by local artists, and include an original painting by Meg Stevens (who painted gorgeous wildflowers and local landscapes), others by Pip Woolf and a numbered print by Sir Kyffin Williams. Ardent Gallery and Sable and Hogg gallery in Brecon have also donated works.
They also have a website at www.brecon.foodbank.org.uk where there is a catalogue of the works in the auction, and it's even possible to place a bid online.

Brecon Museum Concerns

There was a meeting last week at the Castle Hotel in Brecon about the future of Brecon Museum. As well as members of the County Council, Kirsty Williams AM was there, and Jane Dodds the new MP, Roger Williams the previous Lib Dem MP, and others concerned about the way the project is going. The Museum was due to open earlier this year, but is not ready yet - and it seems that the County Council have been in secret negotiations with Neath Port Talbot Colleges Group for them to take over part of the running of the Y Gaer centre. Apparently they were already part of the project as they are going to run the café.
About 200 people managed to get into the meeting, and about 100 people were turned away because there was no room, though the patio doors were opened so some people could listen from outside.
Nina Davies, the head of housing and community development for Powys Council, said that the museum and library complex should be opening in November or December of this year, and that they needed a partnership with the College Group to secure the financial sustainability of Y Gaer. As well as running the café, the proposal is that the College would also have the use of the Sir John Lloyd Gallery. She also said that the Council were considering limiting the opening hours of all their libraries to 30 hours a week.
Various groups have given grants for the building of the new complex, and these grants come with conditions attached. If the conditions are not met, the donors can withdraw their funds, and the National Lottery and the Welsh Assembly have concerns. One of the donors is the Brecknock Society and Museum Friends, who opened the first museum 50 years ago. They are very concerned that the deal with the College Group will mean there isn't enough space to display the important art collection that the museum has built up.

Zulus in Brecon

Lots of excitement in Brecon next weekend, with events throughout the following week, as King Goodwill Zwelitheni is visiting. With him will be some of the descendants of men who fought at Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift.
The visit starts at Brecon Barracks, on Sunday 21st July at 5.30pm, with a pageant to welcome the King. Admission is free.
On Monday evening at 7.30pm there will be a concert at Brecon Cathedral featuring the Brecon Male Voice Choir and harpist Emily Harris. Admission is £15.
On Tuesday and Wednesday there will be performances of Cetshwayo The Musical at Theatr Brycheiniog. Cetshwayo was King of the Zulu Nation during the Anglo-Zulu wars of 1873 to 1879, and led the Zulus to victory against the British at the battle of Isandlwana. King Goodwill is a direct descendant of King Cetshwayo.

Christmas Experiences

There's apparently a growing trend to give "experiences" rather than "stuff" for Christmas, and there are various opportunities to do that locally.

Talgarth Mill is offering bread class vouchers - learn to bake Christmas breads on Sunday December 16th. The course is a full day for four people, and the cost for all four is £125, including lunch, tea and coffee and home made cake.

The Story of Books is offering a papermaking course on Saturday 22nd December, at £10 each. Maureen Richardson, who has been making paper locally for around forty years, will be teaching a Vegetable Papyrus Workshop, making paper from carrots, parsnips, beetroot and turnips. They also have an exhibition at the moment of Wordless Books.

A bit further afield there's the Brecon Mountain Railway Santa Special, on Saturday 15th, and a Mari Lwyd Winter Solstice Eve event in Brecon, hosted by the Brecon Mummers and Brecon Mari Lwyd, on Thursday 20th. The Mari Lwyd is a decorated horse skull on a pole - traditionally this was taken around the area, and at each house would stop to have a poetry "battle" with the householders. It also involves lots of singing and making music (and pubs!). They're meeting to start processing round the town at the Brecon Tap.

Just after Christmas, on 5th January, Westons Cider Mill are holding a Wassail. The Silurian Morris side will also be there. This is at Much Marcle in Herefordshire, and the proceeds from the evening will go to St Michael's Hospice locally.

Shopping in Brecon

My mum has come to visit, with a long list of things she wants to buy to take back to Cyprus with her. So this morning we set off to Brecon on the new T14 bus.
The 39 used to change drivers at Bishops Meadow, where Stagecoach have a little office, and today the driver changed there on both the outward and the return journey.
On the way back, the new timetable I'd printed out said that the T14 back to Hay would stop at Stand 2 at the Brecon Interchange. When a TrawsCymru bus stopped at Stand 1 at the right time, I went to ask, and that turned out to be the Hay bus, even though it had no number showing. The new timetable was also in Stand 1.

I hadn't realised how long it had been since I last went shopping in Brecon - I spent half the time wandering round saying "I don't remember a coffee shop there," or "Didn't there used to be a charity shop there?"
For instance, I thought I'd take mum to lunch at Giglio's, by Bethel Square - only to find it's now The Dutchess. I have no idea when it changed, but it's very elegant in shades of pink and grey, with bone china tea cups, and it was very busy.
I'd also remembered a garden shop by the church which had seeds in the corner room - which is now a solicitors' office.
Despite my confusion, mum did find quite a bit of what she wanted as we wandered round - it was a good job I'd taken a big bag!

Walking the Canal Path from Talybont to Brecon

I've been planning this walk for a while, and last week I got round to doing it. As it turned out, it was only just inside my comfort zone!

The first step was to get the bus to Brecon, and there I had about half an hour to wait for the bus (the 43) to Talybont. So that gave me plenty of time to double check the times of the buses back to Brecon along that stretch, just in case I'd bitten off more than I could chew.
I arrived at Talybont at about quarter past eleven - a bit early to have a drink at the Star, as I'd planned - but that didn't matter, because the Star wasn't open until 5pm anyway.
Luckily, the café across the road was open, and I had a very pleasant coffee and egg on toast there (local ingredients wherever possible). This is also the local shop and post office.

As I got up to the canal towpath, I was lucky enough to see one of the drawbridges in action:

It was a slightly grey, misty day, but pleasant for walking. I saw several grey squirrels, and occasionally herons flying between the trees.
And at one point, I met a couple who were searching along the hedge. They said they were geocachers, looking for a box that was supposed to be close by - which is one way to give a walk purpose. I was just enjoying the canal.

At Pencelli, I emerged from the towpath into the village, because I wanted to get a good look at the portion of the canal which was routed through the old castle moat. There's quite a distinct wiggle in the line of the canal.
Then I walked through the village to the Royal Oak, where I had a very fine half of Black Rock stout, a Champion Beer of Wales in 2016. The pub also has a rather lovely ginger cat.
Getting back onto the canal, I discovered that, if I'd just walked a bit farther, I could have got into the pub via the garden, which backs onto the canal path!
Pencelli seems to be quite a centre for canal boats, and I also saw private moorings at intervals along the side. Some of these had a little shed for storage, or a table and chairs set out, with the name of the boat displayed.
There were also canoeists out on the water, and cyclists on the towpath, as well as other walkers, but mostly it was pretty quiet, although it was half term.
By the time I got to Brynich, I was flagging a bit. Here renovation work is being done along the canal, so there's a diversion for walkers along the towpath - clearly signposted across a field, and then down across the road bridge to link up with the canal again on the other side of the River Usk. Here's the aqueduct in the distance:

Again, I was lucky enough to see the Lock in action:

There is actually a narrowboat at the bottom of the lock!

At this point, I could have waited for a bus, but I thought I was close enough to Brecon to keep walking. I think on another occasion I'll start walking from the canal basin at Theatr Brycheiniog, so I can appreciate the industrial archaeology along that stretch better - there was a big lime works at one point, and a tram way that ran beside the canal.
It was along here that I was passed by cyclists I'd met earlier in the day coming out from Brecon, with a little white scrap of a dog still racing along with them - it must have done well over ten miles by that point!
I did about seven miles, and by the time I got into Brecon, I was really glad to stagger into the Brecon Tap and have a pint!
I just had enough time to relax with the pint before getting the bus back to Hay.

Eating Out in Hereford, Hay and Brecon - and New Plans from the Brecon Tap

So, I saw the Young Man onto the train this morning, and now things are getting back to normal.
I don't eat out often, unless I have guests, so last week we indulged ourselves.
We started in Hereford, straight off the train. At the market in the square we saw the Falafel stall which comes to Hay on Thurdsdays, and treated ourselves to freshly prepared falafels - the Young Man reckons they're the best he's ever tasted.
And, having discovered how good the chilli and chips are from the chip shop on Broad Street, on a previous visit, that's what we got for our first evening meal in Hay.
We also sampled the pizzas at the Three Tuns - a large one to share between us - and they were delicious too. On the first visit we tried the vegetarian option with Perl Las cheese, and on the second we had the beef brisket option.
On Tuesday, we went to Brecon - a visit from the Young Man is not complete without a pie and a pint at the Brecon Tap. We thought it was going to be fine and sunny in the morning, so we could have a wander round Brecon and maybe go down to the Regimental Museum - but the weather was so foul in the afternoon we never left the pub! The Brecon Tap had several special pies on, as well as the usual menu, so I went for the Morroccan lamb, and he went for the coq au vin, which you get with two side dishes of your choice. The Young Man was most impressed with the coq au vin, and tasted my Morroccan lamb. He has a colleague from work who is Morroccan, who has occasionally brought food into work to share, and he reckoned the chef had got the taste just right!
We also took the beer carrier with us, so that the Young Man could choose some Gwynt y Ddraig cider to take to his friends in London who appreciate such things (the last time he took some back, one friend said that the contents of the bottle had not touched the sides on the way down his throat!)
While at the Brecon Tap, I noticed a leaflet about a proposed Hay Tap. They are crowd funding now to be able to move into Kilvert's bar with the same sort of range of beers - and the pies - as they are doing in Brecon. It sounds like an interesting project. For more information, call 01874 620800 or email duncan@breconinns.co.uk The website is at www.breconinns.co.uk, where they are talking about the ???? Tap - but on the leaflets, they are clear that they are talking about Hay and Kilverts.
Meanwhile, they have also been celebrating the first birthday of the Brecon Tap.

Bridges, Not Walls

The inauguration of President Trump seems like a long way from Hay, but protests about some of the things he's said have been held across the world, including in Brecon, where about 50 people gathered to hang banners from Llanfaes Bridge. The slogan Bridges, Not Walls (or Pontydd nid Waliau) relates to Trump's assertion that he wants to build a wall between the United States and Mexico.

One of the organisers, Grenville Ham of the Green Party, said:
"This demonstration is show that we are more interested in building bridges rather than walls. This is an opportunity for people of all persuasions to come together and show that they do not believe in intolerance, division and hatred. Bridges Not Walls is a chance to say what you want, in your own words, but as part of a bigger collective project."

Good Food and Good Company

I waved the Young Man off on the London train yesterday, after a most satisfactory week.
One of the nice things about having him to stay is that we go out to eat and have coffee a lot, which I don't normally do.
On the day that he arrived, for instance, we headed to the Lichfield Vaults for a Greek platter, which was just right to share as a snack lunch. I think they've tweaked the menu slightly, but all my Greek favourites are still there. And it's the only place I know in Hereford that serves Adnams Broadside beer, too.
Several people in Hay who know the Young Man invited us out over the week, so we enjoyed good conversation while sampling Shepherds' wonderful mocha coffee a couple of times.
We were also invited out for a meal at Yak-y-da - and the Nepalese Mountain Lamb Curry, and the Kathmandu curry, were just as good as we remembered them. Bottles of Gurkha beer were also enjoyed. (I was chatting about the Yak-y-da today to a regular customer - as a good Welshman, he winced when he saw the spelling of the name, until I explained the Gurkha connection!)
On another day, we went to Brecon on the bus - which conveniently dropped us off at lunch time, which we spent in the Brecon Tap, eating their wonderful pies and drinking very good beer. The barman even remembered us from the last time we were there! Discussing which beer to try at the bar, another customer offered to let me have a sip of his pint, so I could see what the Yakima IPA was like (from Great Heck Brewery). It was complex, richly flavoured, and 7.4% - and it ran out just as the barman was filling my glass! Fortunately other wonderful beers were available, and we filled our beer carrier from the bottled selection before we left. It was a slight disappointment to find that they had run out of Discworld beers (all named for characters in the Terry Pratchett fantasy series), and when we were eating out at the Yak-y-da, our friends confessed that they had bought the last bottles only two weeks before!
As ever, we ran out of time before we did all the things we wanted to - there are cafes in Hay that we haven't yet been to together, and we never managed to get up to Beer Revolution (but the Young Man will be back some time in the New Year).

Normal Service....

....is now being resumed!

This morning I caught the early bus into Hereford with my mum and left her at the train station, on the first leg of her journey back to Cyprus. This time she's got tickets to Birmingham International station, rather than getting off the train at Birmingham New Street and getting a taxi to the airport! This morning we were crossing our fingers that Monarch Airlines would have at least one more day's trading so they could get home!

Even though mum was here for two weeks, we didn't get to sample all the eateries in Hay, although she and Kevin went into Eve's so often they gave her a loyalty card! Kevin liked the espresso, and mum liked the blueberry muffins.

We treated ourselves to a meal in Red Indigo twice, though perhaps the first Saturday evening after they re-opened was not the best time to go! They were very busy indeed - the staff must have been exhausted by the end of the night - and they were doing take aways as well. Mum really wanted an onion bhaji - not easy to find in Cyprus - and she wasn't disappointed. The rogan josh was also very nice. Eklim, the manager, saw us as we went out, and said that he would be able to give the "lovely lady" his undivided attention next time we visited - and gave us each a miniature bottle of Prosecco because of the long wait we'd had. Neither of us minded - it was nice to see the support for Red Indigo after the unfortunate incident where their window was broken.
The following Friday was not so busy, and this time we had onion bhaji and chicken boona, also very tasty.

We ate in the Blue Boar twice, as well (lovely chili). Kevin had been waiting to taste English beer again, and he really liked the Timothy Taylor Landlord there. He complains that it's all fizzy lager in Cyprus.

We also went off to Hereford for a day, shopping for things that mum can't get in Cyprus (including a pressure cooker!), and spent another day in Brecon, where I treated them to lunch at the Brecon Tap (lovely steak pie, with black pudding mashed potatoes) and topped up my supply of bottled beers, including the Discworld range. This time, I took my own beer carrier.

On the last night, I took mum down to the Three Tuns, where we had enormous pizzas!

I have to give a huge thank you to Mrs Gwynne of Belmont House. She put mum and Kevin in the cottage to the side of the house, which was originally the stables, but has been converted into bedrooms with a kitchen and lounge downstairs, and a conservatory at the back overlooking the garden.
There weren't many other guests staying there, and the ones that did were only there for a night or two, so mum and Kevin had free use of the kitchen if they wanted to cook for themselves, and use of the dining table and lounge. Mrs Gwynne even lent them some pans to cook with, and it was much better for me to go up and sit with them in the lounge - my living room is a bit cramped!
There was a TV, too - I don't have a TV, so I discovered the delights of such daytime programmes as Tipping Point, Eggheads, Flog It and a really quite interesting programme about restaurant tricks of the trade (was your cocktail mixed in a factory and delivered in a carton, or was it made by a skilled bar person in front of you?).
Mrs Gwynne also lent them a CD player so Kevin could play the CDs he got from Haystacks in Backfold - lots of Sounds of the Sixties.
Belmont House is currently up for sale - Mrs Gwynne has been running the B&B for forty years (most of that with her husband who died not long ago) and she thinks she's done it long enough!