Sykes Holiday Cottages, members of MWT Cymru, have shared their latest insights from their third installment of their annual Holiday Letting Outlook Report 2024.
They’ve explored the ins and outs of the UK's short-term accommodation market following an eventful year. Staycations have been on the rise for a decade, and now, the demand for UK holiday cottages is at an all-time high. By analysing their own booking and income stats, Sykes have explored how the market performed last year and what to look forward to in 2024 and beyond. Here’s a brief overview:
Sustainable Travel Sykes are committed to fostering sustainable growth in the holiday let sector by helping owners manage their properties responsibly and benefit local communities. This includes encouraging guests to support local businesses, recycle, and reduce energy use. They also recommend building partnerships with local businesses to provide guest discounts and opening their property to year-round bookings to keep properties from sitting empty. For more information, head over to their website for the full downloadable version of Sykes’ Holiday Letting Outlook Report 2024.
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A poster promoting the ‘Sport and Leisure in Newtown: 1875-1914’ exhibition at Newtown Textile Museum. A fascinating summer exhibition capturing ‘Sport and Leisure in Newtown: 1875-1914’ opens in the town next week. A new exhibition, which opens at Newtown Textile Museum on Tuesday, May 21 and runs until September 28, includes the annual Royal Welsh Warehouse Sports Day, Newtown Carnival, Newtown Football Club and the town’s football teams of yesteryear. “Newtown was one of the first towns in Wales to have a football club and a lot of teams were then formed, many of them linked to the Pryce Jones company and the Royal Welsh Warehouse,” explained Janet Lewis, Newtown Textile Museum chairman. “It seems that teams were encouraged by employers as football was a healthy activity and kept men out of the pubs! There were no clubs or sports for women at that time. “An annual Royal Welsh Warehouse Sports Day became a key event in the town. There are a lot of photos and newspaper cuttings in the exhibition, including of the huge crowds of people who attended the sports day, many of whom came by train. “The carnival is another form of leisure which is also shown and has been happening in the town for more than 130 years.” The museum, at 5-7 Commercial Street, is open from 12 noon to 4pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays until the end of September. For more information about the museum, visit www.newtowntextilemuseum.co.uk . In addition to the exhibition, visitors will be able to see all the usual permanent exhibits in the volunteer-run museum, which is housed in an original handloom weaving factory, built in the 1830s. The museum aims to bring to life Newtown’s industrial heritage, showing how people lived and worked in the building and the processes involved in turning fleece into flannel. In addition, industries linked to wool – tanning, clog making and drapers’ shops, including the Pryce Jones family who pioneered mail order – are also featured. Newtown was the centre for handloom weaving in the 1830s and the museum is the last of 82 such buildings remaining in anything like its original condition. The museum is a member of MWT Cymru, an independent organisation that represents around 600 tourism and hospitality businesses across Powys, Ceredigion and Southern Snowdonia. May sees the world-famous Powis Castle and Garden in Welshpool burst into bloom, from towering rhododendrons to tumbling wisteria. Head gardener, David Swanton, shares highlights for the month ahead in one of the finest gardens in Britain cared for by National Trust Cymru. With views across the Severn Valley, dramatic terraces, an Orangery, an Edwardian formal garden and a peaceful wooded landscape, there is so much to explore in the Grade I listed garden. Descend into the historic Edwardian Formal Garden this month and be greeted by the sweet-scented blossom on the 100-year-old apples trees which line the manicured lawn. From varieties such as Bismark to Ribston Pippin, these blossom trees were the vision of Lady Violet, Countess of Powis in the early 1900s in her mission to make Powis Castle ‘one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful in England and Wales’. Lady Violet’s influence can still be seen today, alongside the pristine croquet lawn lined with colourful borders and meticulously trimmed fruit trees. Spot bunches of bright blue Grape Hyacinths and Scillas swaying in the breeze underneath the apple blossom. For those who don’t want to walk too far, vistas of the expansive garden below can be enjoyed from the top of the Italianate terraces. Considered the finest surviving example of a 17th century terraced garden in Britain, purple Irises provide a splash of joyful colour, nestled between stone statues and bright boarders. “Spring is one of my favourite times of year,” said Mr Swanton. “As the garden wakes up for the warmer months, it's filled with colour and sweet scents once again. Keep an eye out for the sunny yellow Azaleas within the woodland garden - the scent from these is always incredible. “A seasonal highlight for me are the blossom trees within the Edwardian Formal Garden. Some have been flowering for more than 100 years, not only putting on a cheerful display for all visitors to enjoy, but also providing an important source of nectar for our local biodiversity including bees and butterflies. “If you visit around the middle of May, enjoy the two-metre-high purple wisteria which adorns the Aviary Terrace and is always popular with visitors – and butterflies too!. “If you want to walk a little further into the Wilderness, an informal woodland behind the formal garden, you’ll be greeted by bright displays of primulas alongside red and soft lilac rhododendrons. Keep a look out for a sea of bluebells too which have already started flowering under the canopy of rustling trees.” Powis Castle and Garden is open daily from 10am to 5pm, with last entry at 4.30pm to the garden and 3.30pm to the castle. To plan a visit please head to: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/powis-castle-and-garden In the Welsh Wind co-owner and director Ellen Wakelam (centre) with sponsor David Barwell, ASDA’s senior director retail operations (Wales) and awards host Sian Lloyd. Glasses were raised to toast the success of a Ceredigion distillery at the coveted Wales Food and Drink Awards. In the Welsh Wind, based just outside Cardigan on the Mid Wales coast, was crowned Drinks Producer of the Year 2024 at awards ceremony held at Swansea’s Brangwyn Hall. The only distillery shortlisted in the prestigious category, In the Welsh Wind beat four other established businesses including Brecon Carreg and Ty Nant. The distillery was also highly commended in Upskilling Award category and congratulated for its commitment to the training and development of staff. “We’re absolutely thrilled to have been recognised as Drinks Producer of the Year 2024,” said co-owner and director Ellen Wakelam. “It’s a testament to the hard work of all the team, across the board, that we’ve achieved so much in the last couple of years. “The Food and Drink Wales Awards are a real celebration of the fantastic food and drink industry here in Wales and to be recognised in this way is incredible amongst such a distinguished cohort of businesses.” A celebration of the Welsh food and drink industry, the awards recognise businesses and individuals in a wide range of categories. . Since Ellen founded In the Welsh Wind with her partner Alex Jungmayr in 2018, the business has grown and has just sold out of its first release of limited edition whisky. The annual Smallholding and Countryside Festival, a family favourite, is being held at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells on May 18 and 19.
A celebration of rural life and country living with smallholding pursuits at its heart, weekend event showcases the diversity of the Welsh countryside. Together with an array of display ring attractions, livestock and equine competitions, children's activities, shopping trade stands, live music and delicious food and drink, the festival is a great day out for all. The festival is an excellent way to get started in the livestock and equine showing world, with a variety of competitions, including many rare and native breeds. The Smallholders Centre will continue to be the main port of call for those wanting to learn more about the smallholder’s way of life. It’s an ideal place to stock up on the essentials from the agricultural and smallholding themed trade stands. A variety of activities will be held in the Country Life Area, including the Premier Open Dog Show (Crufts 2025 Qualifier), The Woodville Medieval Re-enactment Camp, BASC gundogs demonstrations, British Army Health and Fitness, forestry competitions, sporting and countryside activities. Families can get involved in Builth Bulls biking activities and obstacle course. While children can give cycling a go with helmets and bikes provided. Panic Family Circus returns to entertain with circus skills, workshops and traditional puppet shows. For animal interactions, Will’s Petting Farm has a variety of small farm animals including ponies, goats, rabbits, guinea pigs and alpacas. This year’s festival is packed with things to do and see, including a busy line up in the display ring featuring Dangerous Steve's motorbike stunt show, Paws for Thought dog display team, the Hackney Horse & Pony display, Scurry Driving and Meirion Owen and his sheepdogs. Show jumping competitions begin after 4pm and will run late into Saturday evening. For the dog lovers, The Welsh Premier Open Dog Show is held all weekend with hundreds of dogs competing for a chance to qualify for Crufts 2025. With visitors able to take their own dogs to the festival, RWAS Feature County of Ceredigion will be hosting a novelty Fun Dog Show in the Country Life Area. Farming Connect Horticulture will take over the Members Centre for a Growers Market. Experienced growers representing a cross-section of the horticulture industry will share their knowledge and expertise and showcase their products. The versatility of wool and the creations that can be made from it will be promoted. Meirionnydd Shearing Centre will showcase our wool handling and blade shearing competitions for both novice and intermediate classes, along with a vintage shearing display. Next door in the Craft, Art & Education Hall, visitors can enjoy demonstrations from the Gwent Guild of Spinners and Weavers and many wool related trade stands. Delicious goods will be on offer in the Food Hall and there will be live music and seating in the Welsh Food Village, Gwledd | Feast. Free car parking is located at the bottom end of the showground, only a short walk to the event's main entrance, with a forward parking area available for visitors displaying a blue badge. People planning to attend the festival can skip the queues by buying their tickets online at the RWAS website - https://rwas.ticketsrv.co.uk/tickets/954 .Earlybird online tickets are £18 for adults, £5 for children or family tickets cost £40. FfWHR general manager Paul Lewin with project manager Edwina Bell, project management trainee James Kindred and staff from main contractor OBR Construction. Image: Chris Parry. Twenty contractors and sub-contractors from across Gwynedd and North Wales have received more than £3 million in project funding awarded to a Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways (FfWHR). Then money was given to the railways’ Interpretation and Boston Lodge Project by the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF), Ffestiniog Railway Society and Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway Trust. During the last 18 months, the railway has used the skills and craftsmanship of local businesses. “It has been really important to reinvest this money back into the community here as we restored old buildings and built new ones, transforming the site to make it fit for the future and enable us to offer guided tours to showcase the heritage skills that keep the railway running,” said Dr Edwina Bell, FfWHR heritage project manager. “We have a wealth of construction skills locally and I was determined to use them.” OBR of Llangefni is the main contractor leading on 12 of the buildings and G. H. James Cyf Groundworks of Trawsfynydd was brought in to work on the small loco shed, along with J, Lloyd Steelwork of Corwen. OBR has used a wide range of local subcontractors including Snowdonia Lime of Glan Conwy, JRS Mechanical and Electrical Service from Abergele, Lance Williams Roofing of Porthaethwy, North Wales Liquid Screed of Caernarfon, Colin Jones Rock Engineering of Porthmadog and R. G. Jones of Pwllheli. Paul Lewin, FfWHR general manager, said: “The Interpretation and Boston Lodge Project is all about working in partnership with the local community. “I am immensely proud of the work that has taken place with the help of the NLHF and match funding by the Ffestiniog Railway Society and the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways Trust. “They have helped to make our busy Boston Lodge works a place where the community and visitors can step into a real working site, understand the area’s pioneering spirit and give locals with a railway family history an opportunity to see where their ancestors worked. “We now have a state of the art classroom and facilities to enable us to do that. When you visit, you will see the project has allowed us to rescue historic buildings at Boston Lodge, bringing them back into use, as well as creating some new buildings, thanks to the skills and endeavour of our contractors. “I can’t wait to invite the community onto the site this year.” In addition to the building works, the project includes a wide range of work experience and skills development activities and new interpretation across the railway. Young people particularly can learn practical skills that are focused on the needs of the railway, including infrastructure, works, marketing, interpretation and administration. Dr Bell added: “It has been an absolute pleasure to see young faces light up during a work experience week. We get them working on real projects and you can see the pride spread across their faces as they realise they have learned a new skill and constructed a small piece of Boston Lodge.” Boston Lodge is due to open for tours later this year.
The Queen was patron of the RWAS for 70 years and showed great support. Her support reflected her long-lasting interest in Welsh agriculture, horticulture and rural affairs. The Queen’s first official role with the RWAS was as Princess Elizabeth in 1947, when she was honorary president. She undertook a triumphant tour of the showground during a visit to the Royal Welsh Show, held in Carmarthen. The late Queen had followed her late father, George VI, and her grandfather, George V in accepting the patronage. King George V first became patron as Prince of Wales in 1907 and formally as King in 1911. His Silver Challenge Cup for the best Welsh Cob then became known as the George Prince of Wales Challenge Cup, one of the most famous cups presented at the Royal Welsh Show annually. Cambrian Railway Partnership Region The Cambrian Community Rail Partnership (CCRP) is seeking a new organisation to manage a hosting agreement with Transport for Wales and Avanti West Coast. Interested organisations have until May 14 to submit an expressions of interest to CCRP chair Neil Scott at hello@thecambrianline.co.uk . Visit https://www.thecambrianline.co.uk/ for further information. Ceredigion County Council is the current host and financial management authority for the partnership which is funded by Transport for Wales, Avanti West Coast and Shropshire County Council. The council has hosted the partnership officer since 2014 and hosted all arrangements for the partnership since 2019. Now more than 20 years old, the CCRP covers a wide area, spanning 120 miles and 34 stations from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth and up the Wales coast to Pwllheli. The CCRP is looking to work with an organisation that excels in good governance, sustainable funding and a successful track record in bidding, securing and managing external funding from a variety of sources. developing resilience in voluntary sector organisations, managing finances and community engagement and influencing. The partnerships says it will particularly welcome applications from third sector organisations with interests in place-based community led projects, community development and engagement with a good knowledge of the area it covers. CCRP is an accredited community rail partnership, awarded by the Community Rail Network, Department for Transport and Welsh Government. The Cambrian Railway spans 120 miles of unspoilt natural beauty and is one of the most scenic routes in Britain. From Shrewsbury, the Cambrian Main Line takes passengers across the border into Wales, through rugged mountain terrain, quaint market towns, World Heritage sites and castles, cross country towards the picturesque west coast of Wales. At Machynlleth, the line merges into the Cambrian Coast Line offering spectacular views, coastal walks and places to visit along the Wales Coast Path. CCRP members include Transport for Wales, Avanti West Coast, Network Rail, British Transport Police, Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway, Talyllyn Railway, Snowdonia National Park, Ceredigion County Council, Gwynedd Council, station adoption representatives, tourism representatives and third sector partners. CCRP’s business activity plan aims to provide a voice for the community, promote sustainable, healthy and accessible travel, bring communities together and support diversity and inclusion and support social and economic development. Neil Scott, Cambrian Community Railway Partnership chair.
Caneletto’s ‘The Stonemason’s Yard’ can be seen in Aberystwyth from May 10. Canaletto’s masterpiece, ‘The Stonemason’s Yard’, is returning to Wales as part of the National Gallery's anniversary celebrations. National Treasures: Canaletto in Aberystwyth will star in the Idyll and Industry exhibition which opens in the Gregynog Gallery at the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth on Friday, May 10. The exhibition tells the incredible story of this painting and how it came to Wales as a ‘refugee’ from bombing during the Second World War to be safely protected in the cavernous Manod slate mines. ‘The Stonemason’s Yard’ and the wider Idyll and Industry exhibition coincides with the National Gallery’s 200th anniversary. The National Treasures project celebrates this special occasion by placing 12 masterpieces from the National Gallery’s collection in museums and art galleries across Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The National Library of Wales exhibition will be the only opportunity to view one of these masterpieces in Wales. The exhibition will also display Welsh landscapes from the National Art Collection and will explore the artistic and thematic links between ‘The Stonemason’s Yard’ and the scenery of Wales. A rich tapestry of the idyllic and the industrial, Wales’ vistas have been a source of inspiration for many artists. The exhibition will include works by classical artists such as Richard Wilson, J. M. W. Turner and Penry Williams alongside more modern works by artists like Graham Sutherland, Mary Lloyd Jones and Ernest Zobole. In a first for the library, the exhibition will include an audio described tour for a selection of items on display. Following successful trials with local visitors who are blind or have visual impairments, this is further development towards making the library’s collections more accessible and the exhibitions more inclusive. Rhodri Llwyd Morgan, the library’s chief executive, said: "This promises to be a very special exhibition and we are extremely grateful to be working in partnership with the National Gallery. “It is an honour to have one of Canaletto's masterpieces here. Displaying the work alongside some of the highlights of the National Art Collection in the library creates a great opportunity to appreciate the richness and diversity of the Welsh experience and the responses to that in art." Mari Elin Jones, the library’s interpretation officer, said: "Working with the National Gallery on this exhibition to mark their 200th anniversary has been an incredible privilege. “Being able to welcome Canaletto’s masterpiece back to Wales, after having taken refuge here 80 years ago, is tremendously exciting and we cannot wait to share with the public this fascinating story. “This exhibition has also been a fantastic impetus to delve deeper into our own national collection of Welsh landscape art and we’re thrilled to be showcasing nearly 100 works spanning over 250 years in the majestic Gregynog Gallery." The exhibition will be on display at library from May 10 until September 7 and a programme of associated events will be shared on the Library’s website in the coming weeks. The route has been revealed for the opening stage of the 2024 Tour of Britain Women in Mid Wales, ahead of the Grand Départ in Welshpool on June 6. The opening stage will see the world’s top riders tackle some of Wales’ most iconic roads and climbs, with thousands expected to line the streets to welcome the race. The stage starts in Welshpool’s Broad Street at 11.15am, with riders expected to reach the finish in Llandudno at around 3.10pm. The riders will face a formidably challenging opening stage, with 2,276m of climbing and 142.5kms to endure. The stage will also feature one sprint and two Queen of the Mountains segments. Heading out through Berriew, the peloton will take in Castle Caereinion, Llanfair Caereinon, Dolanog, Llanfyllin, Penybontfawr and the challenging Llangynog climb at the 65km mark, known locally as the Berwyn Pass, which is 6km long with an average gradient of 5.4%. The route then heads to Bala, touching the shores of the expansive Llyn Tegid, before passing through the picturesque village of Cerrigydrudion. A series of punchy climbs with 10km to go are likely to whittle down the bunch as it enters Llandudno, passing Conwy Castle before a spectacular finish on the promenade. Swansea-born Eluned King, who rides for Lifeplus Wahoo, said: “I am so excited to be lining up for my first Tour of Britain Women and racing at home is always special. I’m particularly excited for the two Welsh stages where, hopefully, all my years of riding grippy Welsh roads will pay off. “The roads and terrain in Mid and North Wales will provide some really entertaining racing and opportunities as well as having some of the best roadside support! Gwelai chi yn fuan! (See you soon!)" Councillor David Selby, Powys County Council’s cabinet member for a More Prosperous Powys, said: “It’s exciting that Powys has been chosen to host the Grand Départ from Welshpool for this year’s Tour of Britain Women. “It will provide a great opportunity for both residents and visitors to watch some of the world’s top cyclists in action as they race through the north of the county and for us to showcase the beauty of our natural surroundings to a national and international audience.” Tour of Britain race director, Rod Ellingworth, said: “Working with our partners, we’ve been able to plot out two really challenging and entertaining stages in Wales to open the race, with some iconic climbs and opportunities for the sprinters too. “We wanted the Tour of Britain Women to show off the very best of Britain’s roads and scenery and, having spent a lot of time out driving the routes, I’m absolutely certain that we’ve delivered. “Finalising the routes in such a short timeframe has been a huge challenge, and only made possible thanks to the support of colleagues in Welsh Government, Conwy County Borough Council, Powys County Council and Wrexham County Borough Council, who deserve enormous credit for the commitment to the race and women’s cycling more broadly.” |
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