X44 Bus Route Changes

 I needed to go into Hereford on Thursday, and decided to catch the 13.35 bus and spend the afternoon there - something I haven't done for a long time, after a bad experience with Stagecoach involving a broken down bus and a last bus that didn't run (that cost me £50 in taxi fare, and Stagecoach swore blind that they'd run the bus, so wouldn't give me any compensation).

Sergeants seem to be doing well in running the buses when they say they will, even if some of them are at odd intervals through the day.  However, the routes have changed, because of major roadworks at Peterchurch, which blocks the entire Golden Valley.

So when the bus came, it turned round at the top of the carpark and stopped at the Brecon bus stop.  We all went over, including the chap who had been busking in the morning, with his guitar and all his gear on a little trolley, were assured that the bus was going to Hereford, and went across the bridge and along the road on the other side of the river.

On the way back, at 17.22, I expected the same thing, but the bus went on the usual Golden Valley route until the edge of Peterchurch.  Then it turned up the side lane to Fairfield School, and along the lane parallel to the main road.  It was so narrow that the hedge was scraping the sides of the bus from both sides.  It rejoined the main road at the Nag's Head, and went on normally from there. 

Questionnaire on the Future of Hay

 There was a stall on the market yesterday where they were handing out QR codes for a questionnaire about the facilities in Hay, and what local people want to see in the future.  I don't do QR codes, so fortunately they also had paper copies to fill in.  It's being done by the Town Council, so they can update the Town Plan.

The questions are wide-ranging, and they invite people to add pages if they have additional comments.

They ask how people find out about local news and events, how to improve the town centre, what to do about tourists, affordable housing for local people, traffic, public transport, environmental concerns including the health of the river, historic buildings, plans for a new community centre, the public toilets, provision of facilities and groups for young people and older people, and employment opportunities locally.

The forms are anonymous, but if you do give your name, it will be entered in a prize draw for a £20 voucher to be spent with a Hay business.

The paper forms can be given in at the Council office at the Pavilion on Brecon Road - or one of the Zero Waste ladies at the stall said she could take them, so I'm going up to hand mine in shortly.  The survey will be running until 30th September, so I'm assuming that they will be on the Thursday market again until then. 

Swan Well

 

Someone has been decorating Swan Well with flowers!

The Fabulous Thirties

 Vintage by the Wye are having a concert on Thursday 30th July, at 7pm at St Mary's Church.

The title is the Fabulous Thirties, the performers are Janice Day and Martin Litton, and they are always good fun.  Songs will include 42nd Street, Mad about the Boy, Night and Day, and more.

Tickets are £20, but only £17 for early birds, from vintagebythewye.com 

Community Campus

 The Summer Fair seems to have been a success, and HADSCAL were there with their plans for the Community Campus.

Some parts of the plan have already been put into operation - they were also giving away produce from the community garden there.  They now have money from Powys County Council (from the Brecknockshire reserve), the backing of Hay Town Council, and a team of local architects and planning consultants hard at work.

What they want for the site is a Community building, with room for the Youth Club and Dial-a-Ride offices, and rooms for meetings, performances and local events.

They also (being a sports organisation) want a swimming pool, gym, indoor multi-use area, outdoor equipment and an all weather pitch for field sports.

And they want ten business units - the rent from these would fund the rest of the campus.

All the buildings would be eco-friendly. 

They're looking for feedback from the local community, and can be reached at www.hadscal.org 

Afternoon Concert

 On Saturday morning I went into Hay via the footpath past the Swan Well, and then down to the riverside path, which meant that I passed the gateway to St Mary's church just as a chap was sorting out posters there.  He reminded me of the concert that afternoon, which I had completely forgotten about.

So at 3pm I turned up for a wonderful concert given by the Hay Madrigal singers, in aid of The Lucy and Charlie Charity in Uganda.  They support 43 orphans and a small community in Western Uganda, and the charity started with a donation from two Hay residents to a young man in Uganda, so it has strong local connections.  They are trying to start their own school for the orphans, so they don't have to walk miles to the nearest school.  If anyone is interested in donating, the link is:

http://gogetfunding.com/lucy-and-charlie-charity-center-uganda/

Entrance to the concert was £10, and the church had halved it's usual rate for hiring the space.

We started with Felix Mendelssohn, and moved on to his sister Fanny, whose work was mostly not performed or published in her lifetime, but is now being discovered and performed.  One of the pieces was all about how everything in Creation was singing, so how could she be silent?

The tenor sang Death and the Maiden, in German, and there was a duet from Yeomen of the Guard by Gilbert and Sullivan.  I didn't get one of the flyers, so I don't remember all the pieces, but it was all very good indeed.  Other songs were Yum Yum from the Mikado singing "The sun whose rays are all ablaze"; Rosemary the pianist played a Song Without Words, and there was some Handel.

And also very good cake (though almost all of it had almonds in it!)

There are some other concerts coming up from the same group of singers.

On Saturday 8th August, at 3pm, Lucy Green and Rosemary Firman will be performing songs and piano music by a variety of composers, under the heading Songs of Love and Longing from Paris, Vienna, Milan and Leipzig.  Entry is free, with a retiring collection in aid of church funds.

And on Saturday 22nd August, from 3.30pm, there's Soirees musicales - the story of Robert and Clara Schumann in their own words and music, narrated by Birgitta Claus and Steve Goodridge (the tenor), with Rosemary Firman on the piano.  This concert is also free, with a retiring collection in aid of church funds, and both concerts will have cake and drinks.

We're really very lucky in Hay to have so many talented people who are willing and able to perform for us! 

Summer Show

 Hay Summer Show happens tomorrow, on Hay Playing Fields from 10am.

Lots to see and do, of course.

Lucky Seven brewery are running the bar, and Origin Pizza and Hungry Farmer are providing food.

There will be stalls from local makers and sellers, games, a dog show, bouncy castle and face painting, as well as traditional craft and produce competitions.

There's live music from 3.30pm, and shows by Ferret World, Paws for Thought Dog Agility and Steve Kaos.

Also, HADSCAL will be at their growing space, giving away free produce from their gardens.  They'll also have information about the latest plans for community developments.

It sounds like a brilliant day out - and I'll miss it, because I'm at work!