Don your daffodil as St David’s Week returns to Swansea!  

Posted on February 22, 2012 by annie

Popular tenor Wynne Evans comes to Brangwyn Hall with Morriston Orpheus Choir on Saturday 25 February, plus there’ll be many more events including: 　 25 Feb – Get Welsh Food Festival, Castle Square　 25 Feb, 28 Feb & 1 March – free children’s photos in Swansea Market 26 February -St Davids Big Band Ballroom Dance 29 February –Saint,Songs and Celebrations, Brangwyn Hall 1 March -　St Davids Day Celebration at Swansea Grand Theatre 2 March – atraditional family twmpath, Brangwyn Hall　 3 March – Taste of Wales in Swansea Tourist Information Centre 　 For all the Saint David’s Week activities and many more events this spring, visit www.swanseabayfestival.co.uk

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Tall tales in the Garden this weekend 25th 26th Feb 2012

Posted on February 22, 2012 by annie

　
A weekend of wonderful and warming tales is on the agenda for the Storytelling Weekend at the National Botanic Garden of Wales.
　
The event takes place in various venues around the Garden on Saturday and Sunday February 25-26 and features a number of silver-tongued story-tellers, including　 Jeff Rees, Anne Lister, Suzanne Hughes Owen, Grethe Gillman, Sam Collins, Lloyd Roberts, Helen Davies,　 Sophie McKeand, Bob Edwards, Teena Gould and Fiona Winter.
　
Creative director Cheryl Beer, who will also be telling tales accompanied by musician Heather Summers (funded by Community Music Wales), has been running a series of workshops with local schoolchildren who will be designing the official fliers and posters for the event. She said: “This event is a bit of a departure for the Garden; it’s the first story-telling event they’ve had but there are so many fabulous stories to be told and the Garden is the most inspirational setting,　 so it seems the perfect venue for us.
　
“We’re hoping that lots of people – young and old – will come along and get involved.
　
The idea, says Cheryl, is that the stories will be themed through the day but visitors will also be able to dip in and out of the various events: “We have musical story tellers, graffiti storytelling, and one of our story-tellers tells her tales through the medium of collage. We have Tai Chi & story and will be joined by Crymych Youth Dance via Arts Care Gofal Celf.　 For the more traditional story lovers, we also have Jackanory Twist with Magic Carpets in the Theatr Botanica, it’s all about taking part, getting involved – and having fun.”
　
The Storytelling Weekend takes place from 11.30am-4pm on both days and normal Gate Entry rates apply.
　
Full event details available from cherylbeermusic@gmail.com
For full details regarding The National Botanic Garden of Wales please visit www.gardenofwales.org.uk

The National Botanic Garden Wales, Llanarthne, Carmarthenshire

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Fish Cookery Evenings Stackpole Inn Pembrokeshire

Posted on February 21, 2012 by annie
 
 During the next couple of months The Stackpole Inn, south Pembrokeshire will be arranging a series of fish cookery evenings. These evenings will be designed for you to get involved and get your hands dirty with everything from fish buying advice, filleting, various methods of cooking and some simple sauces. All finished off with a bottle of wine and sitting down to enjoy your evenings endeavours! If you have any interest in attending one of our evenings then please get in touch for further information.
Phone 01646 672 324
 
Posted in Events, Food & Drink, South Wales | 2 Comments

If Llandudno is one of the UK’s happiest places to live, it must be a good place to holiday.

Posted on February 15, 2012 by annie

Welsh seaside town of Llandudno in North Wales has been named one of the UK’s “happiest” places to live.

A survey conducted by Cardiff and Co, Cardiff city’s tourism and marketing department was organised for a bit of fun playing towns and cities off against each other.

Llandudno was ranked sixth in the top 10 places, judged on factors such as neighbourliness, recreation and value.

Llandudno’s mayor Greg Robbins said the town – known as the Queen of Welsh resorts – has few equals when it comes to safety and the beauty of its environment.

“We have wonderful scenery not only within the town, but also within striking distance. We also have a very good mixture of shopping facilities, including some very unique shops, which are not just nationally branded and we have a superb culture of community in the town. It makes it a friendly place to live and our Victorian architecture and heritage makes it quite unique.”

Cable car up to the Great Orme
Family fun

　

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CORRIS NO.3 TO RETURN TO OLD HAUNTS IN 2012

Posted on February 14, 2012 by annie

 

http://www.midwalestourism.co.uk/CORRIS_NO.3_TO_RETURN_TO_OLD_HAUNTS_IN_2012.html

 

One of the Corris Railway’s original locomotives is set to visit the revived section of the line for which it was built.

 

This is No.3, the sole survivor of the three 0-4-2STs built at the Falcon Works, Loughborough by Hughes’s Locomotive & Tramway Engine Works Ltd. in 1878. The locomotive last visited its old home in 2003, the year after the line officially reopened to passengers.

 

The locomotive survived the closure of the original Corris line in 1948 and was purchased by the newly preserved Talyllyn Railway in 1951. The railways are near neighbours and both operate on the rare 2’-3” gauge. The locomotive has operated on the Talyllyn for most of the time since, carrying the name “Sir Haydn”.

 

Loco No.3, pictured double-heading a Talyllyn train with Corris No.7 during the latter’s visit to the Talyllyn in 2011, will arrive at Corris soon after Easter and will be in service until the May 17, when its boiler ticket will expire.

 

For the rest of the summer it will remain on display at Maespoeth, North Wales as a static exhibit, raising interest for the railway’s new Falcon steam loco, No.10, for which funds are currently being raised.

 

No.3 will star at the Corris Steam Gala over the May Day Bank Holiday weekend (May 5 to 7), when, along with the railway’s new-build “Tattoo” class locomotive No.7, it is planned to operate two-train running as well as double-headers and demonstration works trains. This is, possibly, the first time this has been done with two steam locomotives on the Corris since the early 20th century.

 

It will be the first opportunity since 1948 to see the two classes of steam locomotive used on the Corris Railway together at the railway’s 134-year old slate-built engine shed at Maespoeth.

 

Subject to availability, No.3 will also be in steam at Corris on May 12 and 13.

 

More details can be found on the railway’s website at www.corris.co.uk.

 

Photograph accredited to Sara Eade.

 

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Tour Of Pembrokeshire Tops 200 Entries

Posted on February 13, 2012 by annie

http://www.tourofpembrokeshire.co.uk/index.php/archives/251

 

If any proof was ever needed that cyclists are a hardy bunch we can confirm that fact as the Tour of Pembrokeshire 2012 entry list tops 200 at the begining of February. All of the cyclists currently signed up have taken advantage of early signup discounts, which are still in place, so if you’re considering the Tour of Pembrokeshire this year, now would be the perfect time to signup.

Such an early burst of signup activity bodes well for a large field when everyone lines up in May for the brand new routes.

If  you need accommodation for you and your fellow cyclists or family check out www.qualitycottages.co.uk

 

 

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Jupiter rising

Posted on February 10, 2012 by annie

 

Star-gazers have their fingers crossed for a good view of some heavenly bodies at the National Botanic Garden on Friday February 17.

Organisers from Swansea Astronomical Society are praying for clear skies because, as this is a moonless night, it is the ideal opportunity to see Jupiter and its moons.

They are also going to have their telescopes trained on lovely Venus, dashing red Mars, the Orion Nebula and a host of other deep-sky objects.

SAS member Colin Miles said: “If you have been inspired by Brian Cox and the BBC TV programme Stargazing Live – maybe you’ve even bought a telescope or are thinking of buying one – come along, bring your telescope, if you are having problems, and talk to the experts.”

In addition to the telescope clinics, SAS member Brian Spinks will give a talk entitled ‘Sunspots and the Weather’ (at 7.15pm) and Brian Stokes’ talk is at 8.15pm and called ‘The Wonders of the World and Universe – Part Two’.

There will be cawl and coffee (and more!) on sale in our licensed restaurant to keep out the chill. The Star Party is on from 6.30pm-9.30pm and entrance is £3 per person with under-16s are free.

For more info, call 01558 667149 or email info@gardenofwales.org.uk For details of this and other Garden events, visit www.gardenofwales.org.uk

National Botanic Garden of Wales, Llanarthne, Carmarthenshire

 

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Do you know your birds?

Posted on February 10, 2012 by annie

 

The National Botanic Garden of Wales is focusing on bird-watching on the weekend of February 18-19 with the help of experts from RSPB  Cymru.

 

Staff and volunteers from RSPB Cymru will lead two guided walks per day on the Saturday (18th) and Sunday (19th)  around the Garden and the Waun Las National Nature Reserve.

 

The Garden’s Estate manager Tim Bevan says there is every likelihood visiting bird-lovers could be in line to see snipe, linnet, dippers and more: “We have a number of different habitats so bird-watchers could be in for a treat. We have dabchicks – little grebes – on the lakes; dippers on the streams in Pont Felin Gat; and linnet, stonechat and woodpeckers in the woodland.

 

“We also get visited by winter migrants such as fieldfare and redstart. The hawks, harriers and red kites are a fairly common sight here, too, and I’m sure there will be special brownie points for anyone spotting our resident barn owl.”

 

There will be two walks per day, at 12noon and at 2pm. Please wear stout footwear and dress appropriately for an hour’s walk in February weather. RSPB Cymru will also be offering help and advice in attracting birds to your garden and what best to feed them at different times of the year.

 

Admission to the Garden is £8.50 (concessions £7) for adults and £4.50 for children. For more information about this or other events, call 01558 667149, email info@gardenofwales.org.uk  or go to www.gardenofwales.org.uk

 

 National Botanic Garden of Wales, Llanarthne, Carmarthenshire

 

 

 

 

 

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Just like the daffodils in Pembrokeshire Folly Farm’s baby lambs have arrived early.

Posted on February 9, 2012 by annie

The Jolly Barn and Farm team have yet again pulled out all the stops to deliver (literally!) some baby lambs in time for February half term!  

Lucy and Larry (I know!) arrived last week and you can see them in action here http://www.youtube.com/user/FollyFarmWales

Better still visit Folly Farm, Begelly, Kilgetty, Pembrokeshire and see Lucy and Larry for your selves.

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No hard hats needed on this destruction site!

Posted on February 9, 2012 by annie

Folly Farm has opened its new Destruction Site just in time for half term. A host of construction-themed play equipment set amongst 350 tonnes of…sand!  Dylan the Digger, Dilys the Dumper, Elin the Excavator and Llewellyn the Loader, who were named by our very own Facebook fans, aren’t your average construction vehicles…oh no…these ones come fitted with tubes and slides as standard! Oh my the kids are going to love causing total destruction in this new playground!

Folly Farm Begelly, Kilgetty, Pembrokeshire SA68 0XA

01834 812 731

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