Vintage Morgan Cars

 

Not one, but two Morgan three wheelers, parked opposite the Cinema Bookshop during the Festival.

MUBI cinema

 I wasn't expecting the glowing headphones!

Everyone going in for the film was given a pair of headphones that were glowing red - I suppose it makes for a more immersive experience.  They were giving popcorn out, as well, and a free tote bag at the end.

I'd been meaning to watch Orlando for a long time, and thought I'd take the opportunity to see it on the big screen.  I knew Tilda Swinton was the star, but I wasn't expecting Quentin Crisp as Queen Elizabeth I (he was very good in the role) or Ned Sherrin as one of the 18thC literary gentlemen.

I enjoyed it very much. 

Remembering Palestine

 This was the best picture I could get of the Addyman Bookshop Palestine window, in between people passing by or sitting on the bench in front of it!

It shows the genocide in Gaza, with stories from people living in Gaza round the edges - one is just visible above the car at the back. 

Cider Festival

 On a day like this, I wish I liked the taste of cider better!

The square and the Buttermarket were full of stalls selling local cider from a range of small producers.

There was also live music in the Buttermarket.

Meanwhile, on Brecon Road, there are a few stalls this year.  My friend got a runner bean plant from one of them, and another had been set up by Herefordshire City of Sanctuary, a group set up to welcome refugees.  They run a drop in centre at the Friends Meeting House in Herefordshire every Friday from 10am to noon, and offer all sorts of support to the people who need it.  Their website is www.herefordshire.cityofsanctuary.org and they are part of a national organisation at www.cityofsanctuary.org  They have groups across the UK and in Ireland. 

Painscastle Local Interest Group Visits Cusop

 Yesterday evening was the usual date for the monthly meeting of the Painscastle Local Interest Group (mostly history, but anything else that takes their fancy, too), and they decided to use the meeting time to visit Cusop Castle and Church just before the Dig starts.

A gazebo had been set up on the Castle site for tea and biscuits, with a good view of where the archaeologists and volunteers are going to dig.  John Price was there to film, and I got a mic because I was going to say a few words about the Castle.  That was after an introduction by Sue, and a few words from Jane (who actually owns the Castle site).  We actually know very little about the castle itself, which is why the dig is so exciting - we should be able to find out a lot more about what went on there, and how old the site is.  What we do know is that it is not a typical Norman castle - there's no motte, just a ringwork and the possible remains of a stone building.

Then we moved into the church, where Celia, who is one of the churchwardens, gave a talk about the history of the church and what they are doing in the churchyard, which is very wildlife friendly.  They've had help from the kids who come up to stay in Trewern House from Dagenham and Essex, and from young people doing their Duke of Edinburgh awards.  Recently an oak tree fell down, and Danny Thomas the chainsaw sculptor is going to carve the fallen trunk into a variety of local animals and birds.

It was a lovely evening, and the people from Painscastle were interested and asked some good questions. 

Festival Crowds

 I'd started to think that I wasn't going to see anything quirky at the Festival this year - then I went into town and found a busker playing the Uilleann pipes next to Spar.

There don't seem to be quite so many people around as last year, though of course the mid week part of the Festival is always a bit quieter than the two weekends.

I also saw three red kites circling over the middle of town! 

Good News for the River Wye

 The River Wye has become the first river in Wales to receive a charter of rights to protect it.

There was a ceremony at the Warren and the charter has been endorsed by councils, campaigners and environmental groups along the length of the river.  Councillor Elissa Swinglehurst of Herefordshire Council helped to create the charter, and other signatories are the Forest of Dean Council, Bannau Brycheiniog National Park and the Wye Valley National Landscape.  Powys County Council and Monmouthshire Council were also represented at the ceremony.

The charter gives the river the following rights:

The right to flow and perform natural functions

The right to biodiversity

the right to be free from pollution

the right to be supported by a healthy catchment area

the right to regenerate

the right to representation

Ecologist Dr Louise Bodnor was appointed as the official Voice of the Wye in April 2025, and sits in meetings of Herefordshire County Council's Wye Catchment Nutrient Management Board, where she has the right to vote on behalf of the river.

The charter comes at a time when the river's health has been officially downgraded to "unfavourable - declining" by Natural England, and the court case brought by Leigh Day is in the High Court, seeking to hold Avara Foods and Welsh Water responsible for the increase in pollution in the river.