Cymru am byth - we love Wales!

[Cyril Haearn]

Wales and England did not only beat NZ at cricket, we 'officially' have the steepest street in the world, Ffordd penllech in Harlech!

[Cyril Haearn]

The Grauniad reports about the Eisteddfod Cenedlaethol, National Eisteddfod, or rather it publishes a letter bleating that the Eisteddfod is ignored by the metropolitan media
Apparently the Eisteddfod in Wales is much better than the Glastonbury Eisteddfod
Not arguing with that, although I have never been to either

Perhaps Cugel could be prevailed upon to craft a chair for the local Brechfashire Eisteddfod

[pwa]

The Grauniad reports about the Eisteddfod Cenedlaethol, National Eisteddfod, or rather it publishes a letter bleating that the Eisteddfod is ignored by the metropolitan media
Apparently the Eisteddfod in Wales is much better than the Glastonbury Eisteddfod
Not arguing with that, although I have never been to either

Perhaps Cugel could be prevailed upon to craft a chair for the local Brechfashire Eisteddfod

I'm afraid that the National Eisteddfod is widely seen as an anachronism, totally out of tune with young people. The activities lean heavily towards traditional and very conservative things such as choral singing, harp playing, poetry and prose writing, and frankly they need a kick up the backside to get some refocusing on art forms that young Welsh people find cool. If they want the Eisteddfod to thrive.

[Cyril Haearn]

A kick up the backside?
What do others think? Sounds rather suitable for Curmudgea like me

The Llangollen International Eisteddfod is perhaps a bit more popular and accessible

[Cyril Haearn]

Laura Ashley (London, Paris, New York, Caer Noddfa/Carno) is not making so much cash, reports the Grauniad
It has been trying new products including cycling shorts and scrunchies, whatever they are

[pwa]

RIP the great Richard Booth, King of Hay, who left this mortal existence earlier this week. He turned the tiny market town of Hay into a visitor magnet famed for its bookshops, thus ensuring other premises would be used as antique shops, art shops, cafes and so forth. It is a lovely place to visit for a few hours and I go there at least once a year. Thanks Richard for making our lives just a little bit richer.

[fausto copy]

I love Hay as well but feel it's a victim of it's own success.
It's getting far too commercialised, and I seriously hope it doesn't end up like the Lake District towns, for example.
Thankfully, there are still a few shops selling basic commodities (excellent butcher) but I noticed the local (green)grocer had closed the last time we visited.
Whether King Richard really had the vision you describe I'm not sure, but he certainly put the place on the map.

[pwa]

I love Hay as well but feel it's a victim of it's own success.
It's getting far too commercialised, and I seriously hope it doesn't end up like the Lake District towns, for example.
Thankfully, there are still a few shops selling basic commodities (excellent butcher) but I noticed the local (green)grocer had closed the last time we visited.
Whether King Richard really had the vision you describe I'm not sure, but he certainly put the place on the map.

Compare Hay with the other nearby towns of Builth, Brecon and Abergavenny, all of which are bigger but have less attraction for tourists / visitors. As a visitor I would by-pass those other towns in favour of Hay. Without Richard Booth the town of Hay would have dwindled to nothing by now.

[fausto copy]

I'm not disputing the fact at all; merely saying that it's not as pleasant to visit as it was maybe 5 to 10 years ago.

As an aside, I find Abergavenny quite interesting; the market there is simply outstanding, with a different type on each day.
The castle is also pulling tourists, as does the riverside and canal.
And have you ever visited the hidden gem of Linda Vista Gardens?

And what a great job the people of Crickhowell have done.

Hopefully all of the great little towns of Wales will survive (even Haverfordwest )
fausto.

[Cugel]

I'm not disputing the fact at all; merely saying that it's not as pleasant to visit as it was maybe 5 to 10 years ago.

As an aside, I find Abergavenny quite interesting; the market there is simply outstanding, with a different type on each day.
The castle is also pulling tourists, as does the riverside and canal.
And have you ever visited the hidden gem of Linda Vista Gardens?

And what a great job the people of Crickhowell have done.

Hopefully all of the great little towns of Wales will survive (even Haverfordwest )
fausto.

In Hwlffordd they need to knock down some of the modernity. The council offices (ugliest building in the whole of Britain) in particular is a monstrous carbuncle, especially in amongst all that nice C18th and C19th stuff.

Cugel

[Cyril Haearn]

Llandrindod is the new Hay

Without King Richard, Hay should have been a lovely quit place like Presteigne or Clun or Bishops Castle, plusminus?

Used to visit Hay a lot, one hopes a street could be named after His Royal Highness
..
King Richard was imitated too, there are many other book towns
Bredevoort NL
Muehlbeck-Friedersdorf, Wuenstorf DE
Redu Belgium
Tvedestrand Norway
(visited all of those)
Not to mention Wigtown at the bottom of Scotland

Unfortunately Blaenavon did not catch on

[fausto copy]

I'm not disputing the fact at all; merely saying that it's not as pleasant to visit as it was maybe 5 to 10 years ago.

As an aside, I find Abergavenny quite interesting; the market there is simply outstanding, with a different type on each day.
The castle is also pulling tourists, as does the riverside and canal.
And have you ever visited the hidden gem of Linda Vista Gardens?

And what a great job the people of Crickhowell have done.

Hopefully all of the great little towns of Wales will survive (even Haverfordwest )
fausto.

In Hwlffordd they need to knock down some of the modernity. The council offices (ugliest building in the whole of Britain) in particular is a monstrous carbuncle, especially in amongst all that nice C18th and C19th stuff.

Cugel

I can't quite agree that it's the ugliest building in Britain, but it definitely should not have been built there.
Any decent town council would have made the most of the wonderful riverside location to bring tourists and residents in to enjoy the place.
Instead, it's blocked the whole area.
They are now opening a path on the eastern side of the river heading north out of town towards a new bridge that will enable you to do a circuit back into town. Thrilling.
The old Priory just south of the town is finally having some improved paths to make it accessible but oh how an opportunity was missed.

[Mike Sales]

My old Maths teacher was Taffy Carr from Pembroke.
When he wanted to explain the inelegance of a long winded method of solving a problem he called it, "Going round by Haverfordwest to get to Neyland." This is the long route round the Daugleddau, rather than taking the ferry.

[pwa]

Llandrindod is the new Hay

Without King Richard, Hay should have been a lovely quit place like Presteigne or Clun or Bishops Castle, plusminus?

Used to visit Hay a lot, one hopes a street could be named after His Royal Highness
..
King Richard was imitated too, there are many other book towns
Bredevoort NL
Muehlbeck-Friedersdorf, Wuenstorf DE
Redu Belgium
Tvedestrand Norway
(visited all of those)
Not to mention Wigtown at the bottom of Scotland

Unfortunately Blaenavon did not catch on

I believe Richard was the president of a body brought together all the "book towns", so his influence went way beyond Hay. Without his initiatives Hay would have dwindled and it would have lost its role completely. Small towns without a special attraction have been struggling. Llandrindod is a good example. Apart from the bike museum (never busy) it has next to nothing to detain people passing through. Abergavenny is okay as a place to buy a few groceries, but I ended up shopping in the new Morrisons last time I was there, having eaten in a not-very-good cafe. Brecon has the canal basin, a bit of a market and nothing else. Hay, without the book thing, would have died. It would have been a sleepy, little visited corner just like Bishop's Castle. Hardly any shops at all. Even the ones there before the book revolution would have gone, as they have elsewhere.

One of my favourite shops in Hay is a hardware shop. I always love a good hardware shop. I can go in and come out with something I had forgotten I wanted. There is another shop that sells camping knives, Opinel, etc. I have enough knives to last me a lifetime but I still feel drawn to that shop window. My Missus makes a bee line for a couple of shops selling upmarket women's shoes and clothes, though her sensible side usually takes over and she comes away with nothing. I stock up on books, of course. Last time I was there I picked up a couple of books with photos of Bury as it was decades ago. They were a present for my Mum, who was brought up in Bury. She spent ages looking at them and talking about the places and the memories.

[Cyril Haearn]

More good news, newyddion da, in the Grauniad

Welsh nationalist sentiment is surging, provoked by This Madness
..
New streets (heolau newydd) in Caerdydd are to have names in Welsh only, no English equivalent, that is the plan at least

Plus Two!