More of the World War Two Weekend

This is just a quick round up of other things that happened over the weekend - like running into Rene from 'Allo, 'Allo in Backfold (not the actor - just someone dressed like him), and the French officer and French Resistance lady who were wandering around the field.

There was also a service on the Saturday at the Cemetery at the war graves, most of which are of German and Italian prisoners of war who never made it home.  The re-enactors portraying the Wehrmacht fired a volley over the graves.  There are good photos in the Hereford Times.

Wreaths were also laid at the grave of the Land Army girl who is buried there, and the Icarus statue (he was an RAF pilot - his mother was the sculptor and his stepfather was the author Rafael Sabatini).

My Young Man was impressed by all the motorbikes he saw around town, especially this one:

I rather liked this vintage car we found in the main car park, too:

Service of Commemoration

 On Sunday, the main event was the commemoration of 75 years since the end of the Second World War (actually 76, since this event was supposed to take place last year) and the 100th anniversary of the British Legion.

This was held in the Town Square, by the cenotaph, so it was fortunate that the weather was better than on Saturday morning.

The parade through town began with groups of bikers, some of them on gorgeous three-wheeled machines.  

They were followed by more vintage jeeps (and an armoured car) than I have ever seen in one place.  There were also some vintage cars.  Some of the dignitaries (including Winston Churchill and the lady who was with him) were delivered to the square in these vehicles.

After them came the pipe bands, the Swansea Pipe Band and the Shirley Pipe Band.  They led the British Legion standard bearers into town - there were a lot of them, and they'd come from all over the country.

Also in the parade was the regimental mascot of the Royal Welsh, and two wolfhounds (I couldn't get close enough to see the regimental badges on their coats):

Already set up in the square were the Surrey Police Band and the Talgarth Male Voice Choir, who were on the newly opened steps leading up to the Castle gates.  There was also a trumpeter and a bugler stationed near the Castle gate.

After the service, which involved wreath laying and the laying of red roses by relatives of the men commemorated on the Hay War Memorial, there was a reception for the dignitaries in the Buttermarket (I still have no idea who the gentleman in the blue velvet tailcoat carrying a sword was, but he was obviously important!).

Tea Dance at Kilverts

 Here we are in the garden at Kilverts, enjoying the Ashby Little Big Band sound.  There was also singing from Jayne Darling and a chap who crooned Don't Fence Me In in the style of Bing Crosby - and Winston Churchill made a speech during the intermission.

The WW2 Living History Field

 

I've always wanted to get this close to a Spitfire!

There was a great variety of groups on Cae Mawr over the weekend.  As well as the Spitfire, there was a rather wonderful traction engine:

The local fire brigade were there, and the Cadets, and there were some modern Army vehicles at the top of the field.  

ENSA were there - with a chap singing George Formby songs (the coffee van man said he'd memorised them all by the end of the weekend!)

There were American GIs and a group of Wehrmacht, and a tent demonstrating what the Observer Corps did.

There was a group of First World War soldiers there, and someone displaying his grandad's tools.

There was a big contingent of Land Army girls (some of them turned up for the concert on Friday afternoon).  I loved the local touch on their hay wain:

Everybody got drenched on Saturday morning, but the weather was better for the rest of the weekend.  There was even some sun by Sunday afternoon!

Concert at Cartref and the Change Step Charity

 One of the first events of the World War Two weekend was an afternoon concert at Cartref, by the Surrey Police Band on Friday.

The band set up on one side of the garden, with chairs set out for the audience on the other side.  There were also several residents in wheelchairs near the door to Cartref, and we were among the audience sitting along the garden wall.  There was a little flurry of excitement when the lady sitting in front of us realised that her foot was right next to the exit to an ant's nest, and the flying ants were coming out, but she managed to move a little way further on to avoid them.

There was a dual Welsh and Forties theme to the concert, ranging through a Welsh lullaby to Shirley Bassey and Tom Jones medleys, and from Cole Porter to the Dambusters, and Blue Birds over the White Cliffs of Dover.  The soloist was Lauren Williams, and there was a bugler playing Evening Prayer alongside the band.  

The concert finished with God Save the Queen and Land of My Fathers.

There was also a speaker from the charity Change Step - we saw him the following day at the Change Step stand on Cae Mawr, and he admitted that he hadn't been expecting to speak about the charity.  There were no microphones, either, so I didn't catch everything he said.  However, he was very helpful with leaflets on the Saturday.  

The charity was set up to provide support to military veterans in Wales, including help for those in crisis, older veterans (they work with trained dementia nurses) and people with mental health and substance misuse needs.  We didn't meet the Admiral Nurse who had come for the weekend, because she'd managed to slip and hurt her wrist the day before!  

They help soldiers who have just come out of the army to adapt to civilian life, and have started a drop in centre at the British Legion Club in Hay.  One of the leaflets they were giving out gives information on a variety of support groups that are available to help.  They also help with claiming benefits and debt advice.

They also have a booklet called Stories of Service: Human stories from military conflict, where people who have benefited from the help of Change Step tell their stories.

They have a website at www.changestepwales.co.uk

A Change of Bus Route

 I went into Hereford yesterday to pick up my Young Man from the station.

Instead of heading down the hill towards Cusop, the first thing the bus did was to turn round and head down the hill to Hay Bridge.  This was slightly alarming - I had no idea it was going to do this, but it turns out that there are roadworks at the Bage, which basically cuts off the bus route from Hay to Hereford.  So instead, we travelled along a road I haven't been along in years - going through Winforton and Letton and the Weir Garden to enter Hereford along King's Acre Road.  It was rather nice to see the view from the other side of the Wye for a change.

At the Monument roundabout we turned left to the race course, and from there headed into the city centre, past the football pitch, and rejoined the original T14 route at Debenhams.

This is only a temporary change - soon everything will be back to as normal as it ever gets, and the bus will be travelling along the Golden Valley again.

We had a very enjoyable buffet lunch at Planet, the Chinese place by the bus station before we came back to Hay.  We've done this so often now that we have a "usual table".

World War Two Weekend Coming Up

 

Getting quite excited now....

Madrigals and Other Music

 Hay Madrigal group will be holding a concert in St Mary's Church on Tuesday 17th August, at 3.30pm.

The music is free, and there will be tea and cakes afterwards.

Hay Music is organising more concerts too.  On 3rd September the Wisteria Saxophone Quartet will be performing at Holy Trinity Church in Hardwicke, and on 1st October, Maki Sekiya will be playing piano in St Mary's Church, Hay.  Full details are on the Hay Music website, along with ticket prices.

Hay Music are also looking for someone to run a Facebook page for them - J Neville is the person to contact, via the website.

Refills at the Chemist's

 I went into the chemist's for the first time for a while yesterday, to buy some toothpaste, and noticed a new addition.  On the same shelf as the toothpaste there is now a row of big containers for body wash, shampoo and I think conditioner from a company called Faith in Nature.

A lady was refilling a bottle from one of the containers, so they've obviously been there for a while, and we had a little chat about what a good idea it was.

So I have bought some of their Tea Tree shampoo.  It's vegan, made in the UK, and cruelty-free, and the water it is made with comes from the Lake District - and when I've finished using it, I will have the bottle to refill from the containers.

Mermaid on the Wye

 This afternoon, at 3pm, there will be a Mermaid under the bridge by the Bean Box, next to the River Wye.

Her name is Lyndsay Cole, and she is promoting her picture book for young children, The Mermaid and the Cow.  

When she was free-diving, she cut her hand on a piece of plastic, and this led to her raising awareness of the plastic problem in our rivers and seas by swimming the length of the River Thames - during which, she rescued a drowning cow!

Her visit to Hay is part of a tour she is doing up the River Wye.

Helping Nature Recover on the Warren

 The Community Woodland Group have some good news - the Warren is one of five sites that have been chosen by the Brecon Beacons National Park to take part in a Local Nature Recovery Project.

The plan covers the Warren, Bailey Walk, the Old Railway Footpath, the Login Brook and the Castle Mound.

Capital works have to be completed by March 2022, and after that there is a detailed plan to enhance and improve biodiversity throughout the area.

Fairtrade Summer Fair

 I've always supported Fairtrade Hay - I was one of the founding committee members, and I still occasionally update the Fairtrade Hay blog.  So when the local Stitch and Bitch group were asked if they would like to take part in the Summer Fair on Saturday, I volunteered to go along.

In the end, I was the only representative, and I was a bit worried that I wouldn't be able to fill a stall on my own.  However, the box of embroideries and paper art I took along was just about right for the space!

It was cold and wet for much of the day, but there were plenty of people coming through, so it was a pretty good day for the stall holders and the Fairtrade group.

Botany and Other Stories has a New Shop Window

 

Botany and Other Stories now has some office space, and a big window for displays, just up from Bartrums.  They will be changing the display regularly with information about the state of the world at the moment and why we need to protect the beauty of nature.  Somewhere in the window now is a bottle with water from the River Wye.

They are also getting a new edition of the Cabbage Leaf together, which should be available soon.

Recently, they were at Brecon High School, where they saw the local Gurkhas building a Good Health Garden for the school - they were there to offer a greenhouse to the science department.

Fairtrade Summer Fair

 Fairtrade Hay are holding a Summer Fair tomorrow in the Buttermarket from 10am to 4pm - lots of Fairtrade items, and local crafts.

Meanwhile, Hay School are holding a car boot sale on the same morning.

Poorly Laptop

 My laptop has been showing signs of age, so today I took it along to Tim Pugh on the Pavement.

He's had it all day, and it has come back to me much rejuvenated!  (and also cleaner).

So today I have been doing all those little jobs round the house that have been mounting up, rather than playing on Facebook and Twitter!

Music and Theatre in Hay and Moccas

 Moccas Church are having a free event on Friday 13th August at 7.15pm.  They are showing the famous silent film Metropolis, with live organ music by Father Richard Williams.  Father Richard has accompanied silent films on the organ before, in St Mary's Church in Hay - I've seen wonderful performances of Nosferatu and A Cottage on Dartmoor, so that should be great fun.

Meanwhile in Hay, Hay Music are having their Mini Festival this coming weekend, from 6 - 8th August.  

They start with a children's percussion session on Friday afternoon at 3.30pm at the Globe (£5 per child), with the Oriole Quartet performing at St Mary's Church later that evening, at 7pm, tickets £15 each, students £7.50.

On Saturday the Flora Brass Quintet are performing at 3pm at St Mary's Church, tickets £10, students £5, followed by the Bloody Brothers at 8.30pm at the Globe, also £10 and £5.

On Sunday the Odora Piano Trio are at St Mary's Church at 3pm, tickets £12.50 and £6.25.

It's nice to see live music returning to Hay - and such good quality, too.

And at Cusop Church, there will be a performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream, following the action around the churchyard (the audience is asked to bring their own seats).  That's at 7.30pm on Friday 13th, 2.30pm and 7.30pm Saturday 14th and 2.30pm Sunday 15th August (with a possibility of a 7.30pm performance if rain stops play earlier).  Tickets are £10 and £8, with under 16 year olds free.