Local Talent and Favourite Places

Wye Local always do an in-depth interview with a local person for each issue, and the latest one has Sarah Putt, who had her portraits and other art work on show at Booths' Cafe over the Festival. She also does the amazing window displays. She's another fan of Sally Matthews, and she has a website at www.sarahputt.org
Meanwhile, in Wales View, the magazine guide to Proper Holidays in Wales, I found another local person's words. Anna Heywood of Drover Holidays was one of the people asked to describe their favourite place in Wales:
"If you go by bike, you can smell the gorse as you twist and turn past Llyn Clywedog. A star-topped bronze monument marks the high point of the Lon Las Cymru long-distance cycle route and then, finally, you top out and begin the swoop down to Machynlleth. It's a blast."
I came across the magazine at the Welsh stand at Hay Festival, together with some stuff about the amazing food that Wales produces (with recipes in Welsh and English).
And my favourite place in Wales? (apart from Hay, that is). It would have to be Caergwrle Castle in North Wales, which I helped to excavate when I was an archaeologist. It was the place where Prince Dafydd, younger brother of Llewellyn the Last, launched his attack on Hawarden Castle on Easter Eve, and started the rebellion against Edward I that led to the downfall of the Princes of Gwynedd and the end of Wales as an independent country. It's also an interesting mix of Welsh and English castle-building styles, and where I met members of the re-enactment group Regia Anglorum for the first time.