New Exhibition at the Table

 The Table is being shared by two artists at the moment, and they've both got very good work on display.

Gavin Roweth is a sculptor, making pieces for the home or garden.  There's a lovely bowl carved with five hares around the rim in the window, and I liked the giant Polo mint, too.

He can be contacted at www.wingartgallery.com, and he has an Instagram account at @gavroweth

Jane Ford, who was there when I went in today, paints in oils.  I really liked her pictures of the moon with added insects.  She said that she had coloured the moon based on the pictures that came back from the Artemis space mission, and some of the pictures have Star Trek inspired titles like "To Boldly Go" or "To Seek Out New Life".  There's also a rather good picture of a hare leaping through a hoop, and a squirrel and two mice balancing on spinning tops.

She has a website at www.janefordart.com 

Back to School

 

The latest topical post box topper.

Back from Holidays

 I've been on a short mid-week break to Glastonbury, which is quite similar to Hay, but with witchy/pagan shops instead of bookshops.  There are also several good bookshops, but they tend to specialise in esoteric subjects.

The buses and trains connected smoothly - apart from one panicked five minutes at Newport on the way back where I just caught the Hereford train by the skin of my teeth!  And I was very pleased to find that the bus from Bristol to Glastonbury, a journey a bit longer than Hay to Hereford, only cost me £3!

At Hereford train station, the construction work on the new bus station means that the buses can't get close to the station to drop people off, so they have to carry on past the station and turn round further up the road - which was a bit disconcerting without any warning!  There's a temporary bus stop on the main road which is easy to find. 

I walked up the Tor, spent some peaceful time in the Chalice Well Gardens, walked round the Abbey (and said hello to the grave of King Arthur), and did a lot of shopping.  I also tried several of the pubs serving local real ale, and had a meal at the George and Pilgrim, which is the famous pub/hotel in the middle of town. 

Cusop Churchyard

 I've got a copy of the lidar results for Cusop Churchyard, from the survey that was done as part of the historical research into the history of the church, so I went up yesterday (in between the early shower and the later thunderstorm!) to see how it related to the present day churchyard.  

There's a clear, though partial, oval on the map, which must be the original boundary of the churchyard, with the church in the middle.  The modern churchyard has grown round the edges, and in the area to the west of the church, which is sometimes used for car parking, it disappears entirely.  The features on the lidar map are all underground, and thus invisible when you're walking round the churchyard, though I did like the way that one of the mown paths, between the church and the old school, more or less follows the line of the original boundary.  

That's the area of the churchyard where the fallen oak tree has been carved by Danny Thomas.  The parish council had a list of animals to suggest to him, and got a badger and an owl, but Danny thought that the third branch would be best as an otter, which wasn't on the list, but they're delighted with it.

 

I met one of the churchwardens, sweeping up the yew tree needles by the church door, and she told me all about it.  They're also quite excited, in the group of parishes that includes Cusop, about the licensing of their new vicar, Rev. Vicki Burrows - just as soon as all the paperwork can be sorted out!  She's already written the Thought for the Month in the Link magazine, and she will be living in the Rectory at Cusop with her husband Billy.

Cusop Church is also an Eco Church, and they've done a lot to encourage wildlife in the churchyard - and they report in the Link that an adder has been seen in Cusop Dingle!

The Friends of Cusop Church will be holding a Table Top Sale in Cusop Village Hall on Sunday 20th September from 10am to 12 noon.  If anyone wants to book a table, they are £5, and you contact Cherry on 01497 820 396. 

And on Tuesday 22nd September, John Price will be showing films of local interest at the monthly Tea and Chat meeting at Cusop Village Hall at 2pm.  Also with tea and a raffle.  

Hay Music Festival

 It's almost time for the Hay Music Festival.  It runs from 11th to 14th September this year, and there's lots of good stuff happening in several venues around Hay.  There's a theme running through the weekend of music and healing.

On Friday 11th, the Fitzwilliam String Quartet are giving a concert, with Simon Callaghan on the piano, called Bringing light into darkness.

On Saturday 12th there's the Sinfonia Cymru Wind Quintet with piano, doing two concerts (the second as an Octet/Nonet!), followed by Martin Litton and the Doctors of Jazz.

The three concerts are entitled: Music to lift your day, Music that brings joy and Music that lifts the soul.

On Sunday there's a discussion entitled Music as a Treatment, with composer Nigel Osborne and Michael Trimble, Professor of Neuroscience at Queen's Square and UCL.

There's also a film called Love and Mercy, about Brian Wilson, the founder of the Beach Boys, and his struggles with mental illness - and how music was central to his life and recovery.

The final concert will be the Fitzwilliam Quartet again, with Mozart, Beethoven and a world premiere by Osborne. 

There are also outreach workshops, which are by invitation only.

The first is with composer Robert Peate, cellist Roz Gladstone and violinist Selina Hamilton which is specially for children who are part of the Adoption Support Service, using music, writing, movement, crafting and so on, with trained therapists.

The Fitzwilliam Quartet will be doing outreach workshops with primary and secondary school pupils, and also an interactive performance at the HayDay Cafe for disabled adults, people with dementia and their carers. 

More information, and tickets, are on the Hay Music website. 

h.art week

 It's time for h.art week, beginning on Saturday 5th September, and as usual there are several exhibitions and open studios locally.

Hawthorn Gallery on Castle Street is showing landscapes by Barry Martin-Andrews, alongside their usual selection of pottery, glass, jewellery and woodturning.

John Clare has his paintings in the room at the back of Tinto House.

Menna Angharad and Jeremy Stiff have their studio up in the hills beyond Tregoyd.  He makes wood and steel sculptures and she paints in oils.  Some of Jeremy Stiff's work can be seen in the garden of Hay Cinema Bookshop, and for a while hcb also had some of Menna Angharad's paintings on display inside the shop.  There was a big picture of golden eggs hanging in the Travel department that I liked very much, so I was quite disappointed when the exhibition came down.

Up in Michaelchurch Escley there Crispin Thornton Jones has his studio.  He paints detailed landscapes, which are well worth a close look.

And Dore Abbey is hosting thirteen local artists, with ceramics, felting, glass works, painting, printmaking, textiles, willow work and woodcraft. 

Meal with an Author at North Books

 North Books are having a special event on Thursday3rd September at 6pm - an entire three course Italian meal, with a glass of Etna wine, to celebrate the book The Fire in the Mountain.  It's a book about wine growing in Sicily, by local author Helena Attlee, who lives in Presteigne.

It's essential to book, because the tickets are £50 each, and space is limited. 

Community Campus

 There was a presentation in the back room of the Swan today of the plans for the Community Campus.  This is the sports centre/community space/offices for local bodies like Dial-a-Ride/youth club which has been proposed by HADSCAL for the site next to the doctors' surgery on Forest Road.  They also want a cafe and a hall that would seat 150 people, with a stage.

I was reminded that it was happening by seeing a post on Facebook from Gareth Ratcliffe, who went to the VIP presentation last night.  Today was for any member of the community to come and make their views known, and it looked as if a good number of people had come through.  They had various places around the room where people could write their ideas or what they thought about the project, and there were plenty of answers on display.

The next stage for the organisers is to get planning permission from the National Parks - they've been thinking carefully about green roofs, and solar panels over the parking places, and keeping the light pollution as low as possible because of the National Parks Dark Skies area.  Only after that can they start applying for funding to build.

It's been designed in modules, so it can be built in several stages as the funding becomes available.  One aspect of the plan that I really liked was the idea of a swimming pool that is part covered and part open air (and I don't even swim!).  

Part of the plan is for 10 business units, and the rent from those would be used to fund the campus, as well as rent from the offices inside the main buildings.  The design also includes allotment plots, some of which are already there at the edge of the playing fields. 

A lot of hard work has been done to get the plans to this stage, and I hope that they succeed in getting the campus built. 

Wildfire near Builth Wells

 We saw a fire engine from the Hay fire station heading off with sirens blaring yesterday lunch time.  It seems they were answering a call out to a wildfire near Builth Wells.  Five fire engines were on the scene, from all over the area.

There have been more wildfires this year than I ever remember in Wales before.

Which is worrying.

(Yes, climate change is real, and the fossil fuel companies should be shut down before they make the situation any worse.) 

Schumann Concert

 Before I start, I'd like to say that the cake making ladies are awesome!  I had a delicious blackberry sponge cake before the concert started.

I went into this knowing nothing about Clara and Robert Schumann, and it was such a sad story, beautifully illustrated with piano pieces played by Rosemary Firmin.  At one point, she also played the part of Maria, Clara and Robert's oldest daughter, playing for her father.  

When Clara's father finally allowed them to marry (they had to bring a law suit to force him!) they had eight children together and seemed to be very happy.  He was composing and running a music magazine, and she was a concert pianist who also composed.

Then he became ill, and ended up in an insane asylum, and Clara was left to provide for all the children and pay his medical bills.  Sadly, he never recovered, and died, and Clara spent the rest of her life touring, becoming the foremost concert pianist of her age.

The performance was made up of letters and diary entries, as well as linking passages explaining what was happening in their lives, and it was brilliantly well done.

I'm sorry to say that I no longer have the flyer for the performance, so I can't remember the names of the performers, but they were really very good. 

Secret Wine Bar and Japanese Lunch

 

This is the view from the garden of Belmont House, which was open for the Secret Wine Bar and Japanese food.  I had a glass of pink fizz called Running at Rabbits from the Black Mountain Winery, which was very nice, and for lunch I had the marinaded vegetables and pork meat balls, which were delicious.

No Bus, No Picnic

 

Here's the big screen set up for the cycle race at the bottom of the car park.

I hadn't seen any information about the buses, so I assumed that they would be running, though with diversions because the Brecon Road is closed for the cycle race.

However, when we checked the bus tracker map, we could see that the bus crossed the river at Glasbury, and just kept going without coming into Hay at all.

It wasn't that important for me - it would have been nice to go to the picnic and meet the Hereford Pagans, but it wasn't essential - but the lady I was waiting with needed to catch a train, and has lost the money for the ticket.

So instead I intend to visit the Secret Wine Bar and go to the Clara Schumann concert at 3.30pm. 

 

Secret Wine Bar

 

One of the many things that will be happening on Saturday (and Sunday, in this case).

There's also a concert at St Mary's Church in the afternoon, about the life of Clara Schumann.  It starts at 3.30pm, and is free, with a retiring collection in aid of church funds.

The car park will be full of the sports village, and a big screen to watch the cycle race.

And I think I'll be off to Hereford for the Pagan Picnic at Castle Green.  Usually the local pagan events are in the evenings, so there are no buses back to Hay, but this one runs from 11am to 2pm, so I can actually get there and back.   

A Shop Called Alice

 

Hay's newest bookshop is now open for business - specialising in Alice in Wonderland books.

Parking during the Cycle Race

 Some good news from Gareth Ratcliffe's Facebook page - extra parking has been arranged for the Saturday of the Cycle Race at Brecon Road and the Football Club on Forest Road.  Proceeds from the parking charges will go to charity, specifically the switching lights project (Christmas lights???).  There will also be extra parking at the end of Brecon Road near the Festival site, and possibly something across the river at Clyro.

The finishing line of the cycle race will be on Brecon Road, which will be closed so they can put up all the usual barriers and bollards and so on around the finishing line.

The main car park will be used as a sports village during the day.  People will be able to see the cyclists after the race and there will be a big screen showing the race as they come down from Llanidloes, with commentary.  The race organisers are expecting around 4,000 people to turn up, on top of the usual holiday crowds that come to Hay.

The race will be coming through Clyro, down to Glasbury and over the river at Glasbury bridge to end up in Hay, and the roads will only be closed when the race is moving through that stretch. 

Launching Our Lady of the Wye

 

Here's the boat about to set off down the River Wye, with the statue of the Virgin Mary firmly attached.  

The morning started with a short Mass (no hymns) at St Mary's, followed by a procession through Hay and down to the canoe landing stage.  On the way, I chatted to a lady from Presteigne.  She had come down because she knew Father Richard, who now lives there, and seems to have settled in well after his time in Hay.  Another lady had come from Abergavenny to take part.  

Also this year a couple of ladies from the Friends of the River Wye had brought collection tins to rattle as we walked through the town.  They were also handing out copies of the Riverside Code.  It's a little booklet with a hand-drawn map of the river catchment area in the middle, with lots of useful information about the river, the situation with pollution, and what people can do to help, either through their own actions or by joining a variety of local groups.

The statue went down to Whitney on Wye, stopping at The Boat for evensong at Ss Peter and Paul on Saturday afternoon.

Today there was the Patronal Mass at St. Mary's Hay in the morning, and Vespers at St Thomas and St Bede Catholic Church in Weobley. 

Tomorrow they're going down the river from Whitney to Bredwardine Bridge, and evensong is at S Michael and All Angels, Moccas, with monks from Belmont Abbey doing Gregorian chant (and also wine and canapes). 

On Tuesday they go from Bredwardine Bridge to Hereford Cathedral for evensong, followed by a party in the Old Chapel.

On Wednesday, they're going from Hereford Cathedral to Hoarwithy, for the final evensong at St Catherine's, Hoarwithy with Ross Parish Church Choir.

The river is very low indeed, and a lady in a bikini actually waded out into the channel to make sure that it was deep enough to launch the boat.

 

National Fire Alert

 We've been three months without rain (apart from one evening of drizzle that didn't do much to help the parched plants) and last night I heard a strange electronic beeping.  It didn't sound like any of the electronic devices I own, so it was a puzzle.  Then it went again, and I thought to check my phone - to find a National Alert from the government about the dangers of wildfires.

Nice to know the system works, but it wasn't exactly news - we've been smelling smoke from wildfires in the area for days in Hay, and seeing the haze in the air.

As a result of the warning, though, the barbecue at Cusop Village Hall has been called off - it was going to be held on Sunday, but they've decided not to risk setting the grass alight. 

Cycle Race

 Yellow signs have been going up around town to close roads - and the car park - for a big cycle race on Saturday (where tourists are meant to park while the car park is closed is another matter!).

I checked the one on the road to the church, and it won't affect the procession in the morning carrying the statue of the Virgin Mary down to the river to be launched on this year's pilgrimage.  That road closes at 1.30pm.

The race itself is pretty prestigious.  It's the Tour of Britain Women race, attracting top cyclists from around the world.  They start at Cockermouth in Cumbria, with a stage that goes through the Lake District.  Then it's Clitheroe to Blackpool in Lancashire, finishing along Blackpool Promenade.

Stage 3 moves down to North Wales, from Mold to the Great Orme.

We're involved in Stage 4, Llanidloes to Hay - which explains why they need the car park, for the finish.

The final stage moves to the Midlands, doing a circle around Leamington Spa.

So watch out for cyclists on Saturday - they'll probably be going very fast! 

[Updated to add:  the cycle race is on 22nd August, and the Virgin Mary sets off down the Wye on the 15th, so the procession wouldn't be affected anyway!] 

Afternoon Concert

 There was a time when I would deliberately avoid concerts with a classically trained singer with piano accompaniment - but I really enjoyed this one, possibly because I know the singer and the pianist.

Lucy Green and Rosemary Firmin gave a wonderful concert at St. Mary's, which was free, with a retiring collection in aid of church funds.  Lucy sang in French, German and Italian, from a wide variety of composers, and Rosemary also played a couple of pieces for piano, one of which was by Clara Schumann.  There was also an excellent choice of cakes and drinks at the back (they really do work hard to make the concerts a success).  I enjoyed the lemon drizzle cake.

There will be another concert on Saturday 22nd August which tells the story of Robert and Clara Schumann.  Rosemary will be on the piano again, and she will be joined by Birgitta Claus, narrating, and Steve Goodridge, narrating and singing tenor.

The tag line on the poster is "Passion, determination, tragedy and beautiful music!"  It sounds fascinating!

The concert will start at 3.30pm. 

Medieval Festival

 I went into Hereford today, and there were flags all over the city centre for the Medieval Festival.

The Festival itself is next weekend, the 15th and 16th August, and they seem to be throwing themselves into the spirit of the thing. 

They're starting with a medieval feast in the Cathedral on the Friday evening. 

Most of the activity seems to be taking place around the Cathedral, with archery, the Museum on the Move, hog roast, all sorts of stalls, a blacksmith display, re-enactor's village and arenas for combat demonstrations.

Then in High Town there's story telling, stocks and trying on armour.  Members of the public can try out weapons training, archery, and medieval dancing, and the re-enactment group involved seems to be the Shrewsbury Levy. 

Around town there will also be guided history walks, ghost walks, and children's horrid history walks. 

It all sounds like brilliant fun, and now I'm torn, because Saturday 15th August is also the day of the beginning of the River Pilgrimage, taking the statue of the Virgin Mary down the Wye from St Mary's Church.  I hope there'll be enough water in the river for them to launch the boat! 

Photoshoot

 At the beginning of the year, I was contacted by a lady who was putting together an exhibition of photos of women involved in pagan practices around the country.  I have been known to do the occasional ritual, and I did go to the Pagan Picnic in Hereford the other year, so I just about qualify!

So last week, she contacted me again, and said that she now had funding for the project, so yesterday she came round to take some photos.  I took her to Swan Well, which is extremely photogenic, especially now that people have started leaving flowers there.  Then I took her down to the Warren and talked about the Friends of the River Wye and how all the pagan activities I've done seem to involve water in some way.  This includes himalayan balsam bashing!  Some pagan activities can be very practical - it's the intention that counts.  I've also successfully dowsed for water - which is a useful talent at the moment!

Then I took her home and showed her my collection of Tarot card decks.

It was all great fun, and I'm looking forward to seeing copies of the photos she's taken.

Her exhibition will be on at the Portico Library in Manchester later this year. 

Trip to Brecon

 I needed to look at an article in Brycheiniog journal, and for that I needed to go to the library in Brecon.

When the library was in the older building at the top of Ship Street, I used to use the local history reference section a lot.  Back then it was in a corner of the main library.  

Now it's in a little room upstairs, and half of the cabinets are locked because they've had some problems with theft.  The staff are all very helpful, though, and I was soon sitting down with the relevant volume and taking notes.

Before I left, I made sure that my library card was re-activated, because I haven't used it for a while, because I'm sure I'll be going back to look at other things in the collection.

There's also a Meg Stevens exhibition on, which I didn't have time to see.  I love her paintings of wild flowers and landscapes. 

Having done my research, I just had time to have a quick look round the town centre, dodging the roadworks - they're pedestrianising the centre of town, apart from one narrow lane for traffic - and I ended up in the Brecon Tap with a half of Good Old Boys, which was very pleasant.  I didn't see what brewery it came from, as the price label obscured the pump.  They were pretty busy, and I was pleased to see that they are still doing pies and pints.

I had a brief moment of anxiety at the bus station.  The bus to Hay used to go from the first stand, which is marked T4.  The bus came in at about the time I was expecting - but it was the Brecon to Merthyr Tydfil T4.  The X44 now goes from the second stand - and it came in about five minutes later. 

Fabulous Thirties

 What a fun concert last night!

Martin Litton played some dazzling piano pieces by people like Fats Waller, and Janice Day sang some of the popular songs of the era - Night and Day, Mad about the Boy, songs from Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies, and more.

In the first half, she also invited members of the audience to volunteer to come up and sing with her - I suspect they had rehearsed this, as the Wicked Squire didn't seem to need to look at his script very much.  It was a love triangle between Janice, the Fair Maiden, the Wicked Squire and the Honest Blacksmith (who eventually won her hand).

In the second half, we got Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters!  I didn't catch his name, but the chap was a Bing Crosby impersonator, and he's now ninety two years old!  He's also got a fine voice, doing Don't Fence Me In with the "Andrews Sisters" as backing group.  He also helped to lead the singalong of You're My Everything, I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter, Underneath the Arches and You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby.

In September they are doing a concert as part of Hay Music's weekend entitled The Healing Power of Music, with Martin playing music from some of the Doctors of Jazz.

And next Saturday, from 3pm, there will be a concert by Lucy Green and Rosemary Firman (on piano) called Songs of Love and Longing from Paris, Vienna, Milan and Leipzig.  This will be a much more classical affair than the Fabulous Thirties, and it will be free, with a retiring collection in aid of church funds.  There will also be drinks and cakes! 

White Rabbit

 

The Alice in Wonderland themed decoration is coming along at the new bookshop where Bullring Antiques used to be.

Marble Run at the Castle

 A friend told me there was a new exhibit at the Castle, so I went up to see.  

It's a large model of the Castle on the outside, and when you go round to the other side there are three separate marble runs inside, made with wooden and wire runs, going round big wheels and up steps - it's fascinating to watch!

Meanwhile in the entrance hall, the quilters are still meeting - every Saturday morning through August, they told me.  They said they normally have three or four small quilts on the go at a time.

And on Thursday 30th July, at 7pm, Barbara Erskine will be talking about her new novel The Valley of Ravens in the Great Hall, to Professor Anne Rowe.  Tickets are £16, and are available from www.haycastletrust.org.

It's another time slip novel - in the present Eve is restoring an abandoned cottage, and in 1260 Alys is tending to the wounds of Prince Llewelyn.... 

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! 

 

Steinway Piano

 Sadly, I missed the concerts at St Mary's at the weekend, but I did happen to pop in for a Way-on-High magazine while one of the pianists was practicing on the magnificent Steinway Grand Piano that they had brought with them.

Which made me even more sorry that I missed the actual concerts. 

Tapas at Tomatitos

 My neighbour took me out to dinner to thank me for watering her plants while she was away (none of them died!).  She hasn't eaten out much in Hay before, so I gave her a list of options, and she chose Tomatitos so that we could order a variety of dishes and nibble - it being too hot for a big, heavy meal.

This was also a good choice because of the garden area at the back, which she had been unaware of.  It was a bit too hot and stuffy inside, even after 7pm.  

We had patatas bravas (because I love Brave Potatoes), a cauliflower dish and something with blue cheese and little bits of beetroot, along with a glass of Pinot Grigot - not too much to eat, and a very pleasant evening chatting. 

Beer on the Wye

 I went into Hereford yesterday afternoon with a friend and her two adult children for the nineteenth Beer on the Wye.  It's also running today and tomorrow, at the Rowing Club in Hereford.

 

Because of works that the Rowing Club were doing on the field, the beer festival wasn't held last year.  This year, because of the improvements to the site, the marquee has been erected at 90 degrees to it's position in all the previous festivals - which was a bit disorienting.  Inside, it looks exactly the same, but when you look outside, suddenly you have no idea where the river is!

We got used to it over the afternoon, and even sat at a table by the river (under an umbrella) with a lovely couple from Cardiff who were doing a crossword puzzle.  My friend is a crossword fanatic - she'd even brought some crosswords to do at the festival herself - so we had a lot of fun helping them to solve it and chatting.

Usually at a beer festival I like to try as many different beer styles as possible (subject to my cut off point of a maximum of three pints - any more than that and I feel awful the next day).  So this means six halves, or nine thirds.  However, this time there were two breweries there with beers I wanted to taste, and they were both Gold beers (somewhere around the bitter/IPA area, but now a distinct style of its own).  Uley's Hog's Wallop and Woodfordes Bure Gold were both delicious, but the Uley packed a slightly harder punch at 5.2%.  Then my friend wanted to try the Solstice from Three Tuns brewery at Bishops Castle - we'd both visited the pub at different times some years ago, so it was a bit of a trip down memory lane.  Solstice is a bitter, and very pleasant on a hot day.

I wanted to try a mild, so I went for Old Magic from Magic Dragon in Wrexham - again for nostalgic reasons, because I used to live near Wrexham.  I hadn't come across the brewery before, but it was a very good mild.

I finished off with the Jaipur Union IPA from Thornbridge.  I first tasted Jaipur at a Beer on the Wye (I think it might have won supreme champion of the festival that year) and since then they have installed a traditional Burton Union fermentation system in the brewery (which is something that beer nerds get quite excited about).  It was delicious, and a good beer to round off the session before we went for the last bus home. 

The champion beers of the festival (and also ciders and perries) were announced while we were there, but I didn't write them down.  I think Makerfield from Weird Dad brewery in Newport was the supreme champion this year - it's a pale ale, and Jarl, a blond ale from Fyne Ales in Argyll, all the way from Scotland, was also mentioned, as well as Titan from Left Handed Giant brewery in Bristol, a pale ale. 

And there was a treat when we got back to Hay - a traction engine came down the road just as we got off the bus!

 

Lily Forwood Exhibition

 A friend said I should go to see the exhibition at The Table by Lily Forwood.

She makes big pictures in mixed media, many of them of railway stations, and my friend pointed out that the orange lines on some of them are made from old train tickets.  

She also does local landscapes like the Cat's Back and the Twmpa, and there was one small and very pretty one of the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris.

Two of the pictures have already sold. 

Fir Restaurant

 

The new restaurant has opened at St John's, and a friend stopped me in Spar to rave about how good it was!  As it's a tasting menu, the portions are small - but the flavour, he assured me, is intense and amazing.

I hope the chef does well. 

Beer on the Wye

 This weekend, in Hereford at the Rowing Club, is the nineteenth Beer on the Wye.

They had a year off last year, while the Rowing Club did work on the festival field, which will mean that the marquee is at 90 degrees to the previous position parallel to the river.

Inside the marquee there will be over 300 beers, ciders and perries, food trucks, and nine different live bands in the evenings.  I've already had a look at the beer list, and they've got a couple of my favourites on it - two from Uley brewery in Gloucestershire, and one from Woodeforde's in Norfolk - so I'm looking forward to it.

Book Fair and Sundial

 The PBFA Book Fair was in the Castle yesterday - a lovely collection of old and rare books from dealers who had come from all over the country to take part.  

I was almost afraid to touch one exhibit - I have no idea what the dealer was asking for it, but it was a handwritten notebook with a map, and I think it was notes for one of Wainwright's walking books (the word Troutbeck was there on the page).

Meanwhile on the Castle lawn, there was a giant sundial!  

This is the Golden Valley Sundial, and it's just visiting Hay Castle for a few days.

It's also a ball game, and several children (and adults) were going round the circle throwing balls through the holes in the sculptures. 

 

Megalith Hunting and the New Strand, Eardisley

 A friend told me about some huge stones he had seen while he was out walking, and he thought they might be prehistoric standing stones.  He sent me some photos he'd taken.  It sounded interesting, so yesterday I went out with another friend who has a car, and we went to investigate.

The stones were supposed to be close to a farm, which is close to Hay, but so remote that it doesn't even have a road passing the farmhouse - you have to go up a narrow farm track.  We parked at the edge of the farmyard, and knocked at the house.  The lady there was friendly, but at first she couldn't think of any old stones on the property.  Then she had a bright idea, and led us across the garden, through a gate - and there they were.  

Except they weren't old stones at all.  There's a fairly modern barn at the top of the farmyard, and she told us that they needed to level the ground to get it in, so they also cut into the side of the hill - and that's where they dug out the big stones.  They just put them by the side of the track, where they'd be out of the way.  So sadly, there's nothing to report to the Megalithic Portal website after all.

All that hadn't taken long at all, so we went on to the New Strand at Eardisley for coffee and cake - and very nice cake it was, too.  I had the jam sponge, and my friend had carrot cake, and we spread our maps out over the table to compare notes on our local history research.

While we were there a group of older ladies came in, who were obviously regulars, to have lunch - the chips smelled delicious! 

Post Box Topper

 

This time the post box topper is celebrating Hay Market and the traders.

And when I was walking through town, I found a young man busking at the top of the Pavement, who was playing a hurdy-gurdy!  I don't think I've ever seen anyone  busking with a hurdy-gurdy before!

New Bench

 

There's a new bench in the Honesty Gardens, and the plaque says that it is in memory of Dr Derek Wilson, who was a local GP for 35, and also played the organ.  He died in 2024, aged 91.

The plaque also remembers Dr Wilson's son Nick, who died in 2019, aged 52.

It was donated by the Keith Leighton Neurology Fund, which is a local charity. 

Repairing a Table

 Last year, when I first moved in, a friend gave me a small table to use in the garden.

Sadly, it's an indoor table, so a year outside has taken its toll, resulting in one third of the top falling off (it's made with three pieces of wood held together with glue and battens underneath).

My mum had a clever idea - when she needed a small outdoor table, her partner had got a large decorative tile to use as the top.

So I went down to Huws Grey.  A very helpful young man showed me what they had - mostly patio paving slabs, but with a few nice pieces of slate that were a bit too big for my purposes.  I told him about my mum's idea, and added that decorative tilework is more of a thing in Cyprus.  "We're a bit more boring here," he agreed.

The equally helpful young man in the bathroom and kitchen building showed me some pictures of tiles which might have been suitable, but he would have to send off for them and I only wanted one, so it didn't seem worth going to all that trouble.

I popped into Hay & Brecon Farmers, since I was passing, and had an "Aha!" moment.  They were selling toughened glass kitchen counter protectors/cutting boards, which were about the right size - but I didn't really want an amusing cartoon involving farm animals on my table top.

As it's Saturday, the craft fair is in the Buttermarket, and I had another "Aha!" moment.  One of the regular stalls sells glass cutting boards, decorated with artwork from the local area.  I chose a seascape painted at Ogmore, which goes very well with my grey garden furniture.

It didn't take long to prise the remaining side piece of wood from the top of the table, leaving the middle one in place as a base for my new top.  I already had suitable glue.

And, voila!

 

Keeping Cool in Historic Heatwave

 There are many advantages to living in a 200 year old listed building - this is just one of them.  

Looking online for ways to cool buildings (in the absence of air con or fans), it occurred to me that the almshouses come equipped with fully functional shutters at the windows.

So this morning I closed the shutters, brushed all the accumulated dead leaves and spiders webs off the back of them (sorry, evicted spider!) and voila!  It really helps!

 

Talgarth Mill

 I was going to go out with a friend to visit some local ancient sites, but we decided it was much too hot.

So we thought we might go to the Honey Cafe at Bronllys instead.

The Honey Cafe was closed (they obviously thought it was too hot, too) so we thought we'd try the Mill at Talgarth.

They were open, but the bakery part was closed because of the heat.

We had intended to only have coffee, or maybe a cake, but I happened to notice the breakfast menu, and Eggs in Purgatory!  I'd heard of devilled eggs before, but not purgatorial ones.  So I decided to be extravagant, and it was so worth it!  The eggs came smothered in a sauce of dhal and some sort of green leaf (spinach?) and yoghurt, and it was absolutely delicious!

We sat out in the courtyard in the shade, with just a light breeze to make it pleasant. 

The cafe is run by Triggs at the Mill. 

Curtains

 When I moved into the almshouse, the previous lady had left behind some good quality curtains - but a bit too floral for my tastes.  A year has passed, and I started thinking about changing the curtains round, so I went into Hereford this morning to look for some new ones.  I thought that it would be easy....

There used to be a shop that did made to measure curtains and blinds - but it's gone now.  So I went round all the big stores - no curtains.  And I went round the charity shops - some curtains, but not the sizes I needed.  Finally I tried fabric shops - I can always have a go at making my own.  The fabric shop behind the Green Dragon has gone - there's an interesting looking burger bar and bookshop there now.  And there used to be a good shop for patchwork in Capuchin Yard, but that seems to be selling general homeware now.

In the other fabric shop near Maylord Orchards, the lady was actually adjusting some curtains for a customer, and she told me the only place that sold ready made curtains was Dunelms - which is out of town, of course.  I have walked out there, when I wanted to go to the Hobbycraft shop that's in the same group of big shops, but getting a taxi from the railway station is easier.  Of course, I'd run out of time for today, if I wanted to catch the bus home, so that will have to be a project for another trip.

PBFA Book Fair

 I won't be going  to the Talgarth Big Eats, because the PBFA Book Fair will be on the same day, Saturday 4th July.

I think this is the third (or possibly fourth?) time the Book Fair has been held in Hay Castle, and it's been very successful.  Entry is free, and the exhibitors are all specialists in rare and vintage books. 

Talgarth Big Eats

 This is, obviously, in Talgarth, but the Hay Community Resilience Initiative is involved.

Talgarth Big Eats host meals where the community comes together to prepare, cook, and eat nutritious local food, to help participants learn how to cook healthy food, meet their neighbours and community members, and spend meaningful time together sharing good food. This is the first of hopefully many Big Eats, which will take place in Hay, Talgarth and Brecon in the future. 

They're hoping to have other meals in Hay and Brecon in the future, and so the Hay group is getting involved, and putting a call out for volunteers to help on the day.

The event runs from 10am to 2pm on Saturday July 4th, and they need early volunteers from 8.30am, the rest of the volunteers from 9.30am, and a few people to help clear up after 2pm.  If anyone is interested but could only make part of the time, they would be welcome too.

Mainly it involves supervising participants as they prepare food for cooking (sharp knives and so forth), some washing up, and help with kids' activities.

The person to contact, for anyone interested, is Forrest the Volunteer co-ordinator, on  07763 757179 or email at forresterfolks@proton.me  There will be a briefing before the event, and plenty of snacks.

And anyone who can't volunteer but would still like to come along will be very welcome.  It's free, you get to meet local people, support the local community, and enjoy a healthy free meal!

This is based on Hereford Big Eats, and the purpose behind it is to encourage nutritional justice - the idea that access to healthy, nutritional food shouldn't be limited by affordability or perceived entitlement, while at the same time strengthening the local community and creating opportunities for food sharing and celebration. 

Mouse Castle

 I had a very enjoyable trip out to Mouse Castle with a friend yesterday.  We were going to have a look at the earthworks around the motte to see if they might possibly look Iron Age rather than Norman.  

It's a nice theory, but I think I agree with Tim Hoverd, the County Archaeologist, who has done a survey of the site and comes down firmly on the side of Norman.  

By the entrance to the wood, there's a strange earthwork in the field which also may be part of the castle defences, but we didn't want to trespass in the field, and it was difficult to get close enough from inside the wood because of all the undergrowth (the perils of archaeological surveying!).  There were also a lot of brambles around the motte, which have regrown since they were cleared a few years ago.

Very little is documented about Mouse Castle - I did a bit of preliminary research online, and one website suggests the castle was never finished, while another thinks it might have been built by Roger de Lacy - the de Lacys were an important medieval family in the area.

Kilvert has a charming diary entry about visiting the site.  Back then the top of the hill was clear of trees, apart from the top of the motte itself.  Kilvert met "a wild group.  A stout elderly man in a velveteen jacket with a walking stick sat or lay upon the dry turf.  Beside him sat one or two young girls, while two or three more girls and boys climbed up and down an accessible point in the rampart like young wild goats, swarmed up into the hazel trees on the top of the rock and sat in the forks and swung.  I could not make the party out at all.  They were not poor and they certainly were not rich.  They did not look like farmers, cottagers or artizans.  They were perfectly nondescript, seemed to have come from nowhere and to be going nowhere, but just to have fallen from the sky upon Mouse Castle, and to be just amusing themselves."

Trip to Hereford

 At the beginning of May, I dropped my shoes off for the cobbler who picks work up from Country Supplies.  They warned me that he hasn't been well, so a few days ago I asked if they'd been heeled, and he hadn't even managed to get over to pick them up.  I hope he recovers, but the ladies in the Post Office looked a bit doubtful.

So the first job of the day in Hereford was to go to Cobblers and Keys to drop the shoes off - and an hour later, they were ready.

I also had some financial business to do.  I opened a new savings account with the Monmouthshire Building Society, so I can close my account at the Yorkshire Building Society.  At least I can get into Hereford to visit the branch in person - which I will not be able to do when the YBS closes their office in Hay at the beginning of August, unless I want a whole day out to visit Abergavenny.

I also visited the EE shop to update my mobile phone contract, which was pleasantly easy.

There was plenty of time before the bus home to visit the Library (still in the Town Hall) to do a bit of local history research, and go down to the Barrels for a half of Wholesome Stout.  On the way back to the middle of town, I noticed that the Town Hall was flyng the Pride flag:

 

Meal at the Blue Boar

 The staff of the HCB had a celebratory meal at the Blue Boar last night.  

As ever, the food was very good, though a couple of items were not on the starter menu.  I had the pea and mint soup, which was lovely, and several people had the mackerel pate.  The bread that is served with the meals is crusty and delicious.

There were several orders of burgers for the main course, a couple of steaks, and I had the curry.

The chaps were trying to hurry, because they didn't want to miss the start of the World Cup match!

So a very pleasant evening - though I felt sorry for the waitress, who was rushed off her feet, and remained smiling throughout!  

Hay Community Campus

 It looks as if Hay is going to get a new community building on Forest Road - finally!  I remember plans for a community centre there being put forward for the millennium, so we've only been waiting for 25 years!

HADSCAL has put plans together for a new community building, sport and fitness facilities, a growing space and ten small business start-up units.  Last year Powys County Council made £200,000 available to fund the design, surveys and full planning application.  That money had previously been earmarked for a community centre for Hay that never came to fruition.  So far, they've done a tree survey and a wildlife survey and landscape assessment - all essential parts of the planning process.  

They now have a website at www.hadscal.org, and are planning community events over the summer.  

Closure of Parish Hall

 There are several posts on Facebook pages related to Hay about the sudden closure of the Parish Hall.  Apparently the groups that use the hall regularly were given three days notice, and the Black Mountains Ministry Area made the decision while Father David was on leave.  It's the sort of thing that you would think the local vicar would be involved in, but they seem to have just gone ahead without him.

It's serious enough that Gareth Ratcliffe has got involved as our local County Councillor.  He's sent an official letter to the Black Mountains Ministry group to find out why the Parish Hall was closed so suddenly - there seems to be some maintenance issue at the back of the building, but not affecting the main hall.

Jo Lord was running Spinning sessions there (with indoor bikes, nothing to do with weaving!) and Strength and Stretch sessions.  She had to move all her bikes out straight away.  Fortunately, she's managed to relocate the Strength and Stretch sessions to Clyro Village Hall, and now Drover Cycles has offered space for Jo to finish the term's classes for the Spinning.

So three cheers for Clyro Village Hall and Drover Cycles, and boos for the Black Mountains Ministry Area, who could surely have arranged things better. 

Christmas Lights in June

 The Buttermarket is being dressed with Christmas lights today, in preparation for filming of a Christmas romance film!  Some of the shops around the Buttermarket are putting Christmas displays in their windows, too.  Roads in the middle of town will be closed for a few days while filming goes on.

How Queer Bookshops Changed the World

 I suspect I'll be far too tired to hobble up to North Books on Saturday evening after my last afternoon at the Cusop Dig, which is a pity, because the talk they're having there at 6.30pm sounds really good.

AJ West will be in conversation with Dale Headington about his new book How Queer Bookshops Changed the World.  It's the story of how queer bookshops like Gays the Word in London, or Shakespeare and Company in Paris or the Oscar Wilde bookshop in New York became the focus for communities of like minded people.

There will be drinks and nibbles! 

Just the thing for Pride Month! 

Hay Music Sacconi String Quartet

 Hay Music was busy over the Festival, but they aren't slowing down now.  On Friday 12th June, at 7pm, the Sacconi String Quartet will be playing at St Mary's Church.  Doors open at 6.30pm, and there will be a bar.  Tickets are £20, or £10 for under 25s, with a few free tickets for under 25s on a first come, first served basis.

They'll be playing Mozart's quartet no. 19, which was called Dissonance when it was first performed (but only by the standards of the time - Mozart was just being a bit experimental), Smetana's "From my life" and Freya Waley-Cohen's Dances, Hymns and Songs for Friendship.

And in July there will be a series of piano concerts.  All details on the Hay Music website. 

More Archaeology

 My mind is full of archaeology at the moment - I'm having such fun on the Cusop Castle Dig.

There will be an open session on site on Wednesday 10th June, from 4.15pm to 5pm, where anyone can turn up to find out what the progress is so far from Tim Hoverd, who is in charge of the dig.  There is parking at the church (which would appreciate a small donation), and no dogs are allowed on site.

And for those who have caught the digging bug, there will be another local dig in August.

Dorstone has been the scene of quite amazing archaeology around Arthur's Stone for years now, but the digging has been done by professionals and students.  This year, from 1st to 9th August, to discover more about the medieval origins of Dorstone, in various sites around the village.  Like Cusop, this will be a community dig, with all welcome - youngest participants must be 12+ and accompanied by an adult.  Tickets for the sessions (free) can be booked through Eventbrite - you can't just turn up - under dorstone-dig-a-medieval-mystery.  There will be a pre-dig talk in Dorstone Village Hall on Wednesday 17th June at 6pm. 

Cusop Pride

Seen on my walk up the Dingle today.

 

First Day of Cusop Dig

 

I am having so much fun, and we're only just starting this trench by taking the turf off!  The sharp eyed young girl who was in the same trench found some pottery, an iron nail - and some shiny stones!  Two other trenches have been opened so far, elsewhere on the site, and they're a bit further advanced than this one.  Next step is trowelling back to clean the surface and get down to the layer beneath the topsoil.

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.  

Old Castleton and Clock Mills

 I got out of the Festival crowds the other day when a friend took me out to see a local castle I'd never visited before.

Old Castleton is perched on a promontory overlooking the water meadows of the River Wye, which meanders like mad across the valley there, and it's got three baileys!   I had great fun scrambling up and down the banks and the motte.  We also had to climb a couple of gates that had been put across the lane, possibly to stop sheep from the field just above from getting into the farmyard.

 Here's the motte, which is actually lower than the banks surrounding it, because of the lay of the land.

While looking at the map, I realised that we were also very close to Clock Mills.  This is a private house, and it was once owned by Rafael Sabatini, the author of swashbuckling adventures early in the last century.  Some of them were made into films starring Errol Flynn, and Sabatini invited Errol Flynn to stay at the house for a few weeks in the 1930s, for a bit of peace and quiet.  So we did a little detour so I could see the house, just from the gateway. 

Festival Around Town

 I've been bimbling around town today, pretending to be a tourist.

Fair in the Square is on, with the usual vintage stalls, food stalls and live music.  I treated myself to a falafel, which was very good, though the estimated wait time of ten minutes might have been a little optimistic!

In the Buttermarket and Cheesemarket there were more stalls, mostly of the crafty variety, and up at the Castle there was a craft fair on the lawn.  They had live music, too, from a girl with a harp accompanied by a singer, guitarist and violinist.

More food trucks were in the Honesty bookshop, and down on Belmont Road the Secret Wine Bar was open, selling local Black Mountain wines (and some from a friend's vineyard near Presteigne).

The garden was open at Tinto House, along with small art gallery on one side and vintage French linens on the other.  There's an art exhibition in the empty shop near Kilvert's, too.

And there are real owls at the Wobbly Owl shop this afternoon. 

Hiking Hedgehog

 

New post box topper for the Festival.

Heard at Hay Festival

 I'd booked a ticket to the very first event at Hay Festival - well, the very first for adults.  The lady introducing the event said that there had been eight thousand kids from schools who had been bussed in for the day, and there would be a similar number of older children on the Friday.

They were trying a new format for talks.  Normally, three guests would sit on stage, and be given prompting questions by the moderator, to get a discussion going.  This time, though, after an introduction by Simon Armitage (who also read one of his poems, about a late library book), each guest got up to give a mini lecture, after which there was time for a few questions.

Tony Robinson said that he had been expecting the first type of event, but he gave a very good talk anyway about what history is, and how all the writers of history have had an agenda that you need to know something about before you take their account at face value.

Katherine Rundell talked about the importance of encouraging critical thinking in young people in a time of AI that pretty much agreed with everything you said and gave inaccurate information.  She's done a lot of work in schools, so she's seen changes as pupils start to rely on ChatGPT and the like.

Dallas Campbell started by saying he'd been going to talk about one thing, but had been inspired by the previous speakers to talk about something completely different!  He's interested in space archaeology, and talked about moon regolith and how it can be used to make all sorts of useful things, from cinder blocks to build Moon habitats for astronauts, to silicon chips.  He had also brought along Neil Armstrong's space suit - well, not really Neil Armstrong's space suit ("that's behind bullet proof glass at the Smithsonian!") but the space suit that had been made for Ryan Gosling for a film where he played Neil Armstrong.  Which is nearly as good!

  After the talk, I went to the food tent for some delicious Tibetan curry.

This meant that I passed the BBC Marquee on my way home, just at the moment when several different breeds of sheep were lining up, with their handlers holding leashes, to process up the aisle to the stage!

And then they turned round and came out again!
 

Bizarrely, the music they walked in to was the House of the Rising Sun!

I have no idea which BBC programme this was for - it wasn't up on BBC Sounds when I went to look. 

Borderlands at the Castle

 Before I dived into the first day of Hay Festival, I went up to the Castle to see the new exhibition there.

 This isn't a brilliant picture, but the best I could get of the Antarctic flag now flying from the Castle tower.  It's made up of flags from all round the world.

The exhibition is called Borderlands: From the Welsh Borders to Antarctica, and the most spectacular exhibits are the Antarctic tents decorated with multicoloured gloves, flags and sleeves, representing many different cultures.

 Here's one of the flags, overprinted with words from the Declaration of Human Rights: "Everyone has the right to move freely and circulate beyond the state borders to a territory of their choice."  On some flags the wording was in French.

There was also a film in the entrance hall about beating the bounds, with a laid hedge, local maps on cloth hung over the balustrade, and there are pictures and sculptures scattered around the Castle.

Outside in the grounds, Sally Matthews had just installed one of her animal sculptures:

 This year it's a lynx, and Sally Matthews was still there when I passed, so I got to have a chat with her, and tell her how much I like her work.

Meanwhile in the Castle Yard, there's a small pop up art gallery - the exhibition there is called Fragile Wild, and the paintings are detailed panels of foliage and flowers. 

The Borderlands exhibition runs until the 31st August.