Thousands of visitors to Wonderwool Wales next weekend, April 22-23 will have a chance to see a new, short documentary, which reveals the forgotten potential of wool in textiles and the industry’s urgent need for sustainable solutions. The work of four students from the University of West England in Bristol, Forgotten Fibre delves into the applications of wool in the textile industry and its sustainable uses, as an alternative to synthetics made from plastics. The students will be attending Wonderwool Wales, the award-winning show that celebrates all that’s great about Welsh wool and natural fibres, at Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells to promote their documentary, made as part of their course. “During the making of the documentary, we discovered that wool is a renewable and biodegradable material, composed of atmospheric carbon,” said Tristan Sherfield, who directed and produced the 10-minute film which he describes as traditionally British with a folk music soundtrack. “This unique property makes wool a valuable asset in combating the growing damage caused by the expanding clothing and textile industry. Despite its remarkable qualities, wool makes up a meagre one per cent of the global textile market. “We hope that our film raises awareness of the potential of wool as a sustainable alternative to other materials and the urgent need to prioritise eco-friendly solutions in the industry.” Tristan says he and fellow students Alex Stevenson, Robert Loud and Maurice Wren were keen to discover why wool has gone from being such a crucial part of our lives to something almost entirely forgotten. They filmed with Andy Wear and Jen Hunter, who focus on a holistic and regenerative way of farming at Fernhill Farm, Bristol, Marina Skua, a yarn dyer and hand-knit designer based in Wiltshire and David Wilkins at Rampishamhill Mill at Beaminster, Dorset. “In recent years, fast fashion has taken over our textiles and clothing industries, introducing a system more concerned with quantity over quality that pumps out cheaply made garments that are in ‘trend’ one month and out in the next,” added Tristan. “Despite being biodegradable, renewable and natural, wool has seen a huge decline whilst synthetics have taken over. But clothes made from synthetics are just clothes made from plastic and we’re just beginning to see the impact that they are having. “Plastic microfibres are being shed and sent straight down the drain every time we wash our clothes. “This combination of low-quality, low-cost garments and their quick production has led to a whole host of issues, including exploitation of both people and our planet. We have become less attached to the clothes we wear and how they are made. “So, was the answer right there in front of us all along, in the form of wool?” Jen Hunter believes so. In the documentary, she says: “Wool is right here under our noses and we are not using it.” Forgotten Fibre can be followed on Facebook, Instagram and Linktree at https://linktr.ee/forgottenfibredoc . The documentary is perfectly suited to Wonderwool Wales, the annual festival that brings together people and businesses with a passion for Welsh wool and its versatility as a material for creative crafts, designer clothes, home furnishings and more. The weekend event, which has more than 230 exhibitors this year, covers everything from the start to the end of the creative process. Exhibits of sheep, raw and hand dyed fibres, yarn for knitting and crochet, embellishments, equipment, dyes and books can be found alongside superb examples of finished textile art, craft, clothing and home furnishings. Wonderwool Wales tickets, costing £12 per day or £22 for the weekend, may be purchased online in advance at www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk or at the gate. For more information, visit www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk , like Wonderwool Wales Ltd on Facebook or follow on Twitter @wonderwoolwales .
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Horticulture section entries at a previous Royal Welsh Show. Royal Welsh Show organisers have shelved the loss making horticulture section at this year’s event to cut costs, but there are plans for a big relaunch in 2024. The section has been losing around £40,000 each year and the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society (RWAS), faced with extreme financial challenges following the pandemic, rising costs and inflation, has to cut costs. Last year, the RWAS experienced a significant operating loss, which is forecast to become a major budget deficit without spending cuts. Richard Price, honorary show director, said: “Whilst we fully recognise this will be disappointing news for many visitors, competitors and volunteers, the year’s break will be an opportunity to develop the horticulture section ahead of a big re-launch in 2024. “Having, in effect, a fallow year will give us more time to review how best we promote horticulture at the show going forward.” Aled Rhys Jones, RWAS chief executive, added: “This is an exciting opportunity to look at new ways to grow the section, working with other organisations, businesses and stakeholders to expand to areas such as winemaking, sensory gardens and junior competitions. “There is also an opportunity to support the Welsh Government’s ambition to grow more of the fruit and vegetables we eat here in Wales, alongside targets to grow the commercial sector for ornamental horticulture.” Visitors will still be able to enjoy the many horticulture and gardening themed trade stands at the show and the honey section will be relocated to the South Glamorgan Exhibition Hall for 2023. In addition, there will be a brand-new Welsh Food Village located at Entrance B, which will feature the very best of Welsh food and drink, along with a live music stage and seating to relax and soak up the atmosphere. Promotion of horticulture is one of the RWAS’ key charitable objectives and will continue to be important in all events, including the gardening stands at the Smallholding & Countryside Festival in May and the floral art and horticulture competitions at the Winter Fair in November. The RWAS thanked Dr Fred Slater, assistant honorary director for horticulture, for his dedication to the section. Dr Slater, who retires later this year, has been involved with the RWAS since 1976 and is a true stalwart and ambassador for horticulture. Sally Davies and Jonny King from Garthenor Organic, Cardigan. A trailblazing West Wales family business, which will be exhibiting at Wonderwool Wales on April 22-23, plans to create up to six jobs when its new woollen mill is in full production later this spring. Garthenor Organic moved to a 21,000 square feet unit at Mwldan Business Park in Cardigan last year and has been gradually moving in worsted spinning machinery to produce 100 per cent organic wool yarn. Mother and son partnership Sally Davies and Jonny King, who currently have two employees, hope to have the mill in full production by early May as they attempt to meet increasing worldwide demand for their organic yarn. The £500,000 investment is being backed by the Development Bank of Wales and the family hopes to attract grant support. Sally and Jonny will be taking a break from the business to exhibit at Wonderwool Wales, which celebrates all that’s great about Welsh wool and natural fibres. More than 230 exhibitors have booked their places at this year’s event at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells. “We love Wonderwool Wales,” said Jonny. “We have seen it grow over the years to provide a vital platform for small businesses in the Welsh wool industry to come together in one place. “The event also attracts people from across the world. We have a couple of tour groups from America and Sweden that are coming to visit us after attending Wonderwool Wales.” Sheep farmer Sally set up Garthenor Organic, which designs and manufactures ethical, certified organic yarns, from her home near Tregaron in 1999. Working with the Soil Association, she helped write the first ever organic standards for woollen yarns. In 2003, Garthenor Organic became the first company in the world to produce fully certified organic wool yarns. Since then, the company has been obsessed with traceable, ethical yarns. Everything it does is certified to Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS) and organic fleeces are sourced from across the UK and even the Falklands. Until last year, Garthenor Organic was sending organic fleeces to Yorkshire and Scotland to be spun. However, the Covid-19 pandemic persuaded the company to do the spinning itself. “Our mission is to run a mill at a scale that will make a big difference to the Welsh wool industry,” explained Jonny, who joined his mum in the business five years ago and is now co-owner and creative director. “Quality Welsh wool has huge potential because we have more variety in Wales than anywhere in the UK. If we can source special wool in Wales, we can ensure that farmers are paid a fair price and that products made from the yarn are exported around the world with a ‘Made in Wales’ label. “By paying a fair price for wool, it suddenly becomes worthwhile for farmers to breed sheep with their wool in mind. “Demand for our yarn is so high that we have hundreds of shops around the world on a waiting list. Hopefully, when the mill is in full production, we can go some way to meeting this demand. “Our mission is to produce totally organic, stunningly sustainable yarn. We aim to be the best in the industry and maintain an exceptional level of care for our animals and our planet. “We truly value the immortality of wool and want to raise awareness of this. It is so important to us that we are working with such a renewable, recyclable, reusable fibre.” Explaining why Welsh wool is attracting global interest, Jonny added: “Customers worldwide are captivated by the story of our little nation that grows great wool but doesn’t do much with it. “In its heyday, in the mid-19th century, Wales had hundreds of woollen mills but competition from England and the advent of cheaper synthetic textiles hammered the industry. “There is now a resurgence, with people looking for quality fabrics and textiles in clothing that is sustainable and has a good story. It’s an exciting time for the Welsh wool industry because there so many amazing companies in Wales that are doing great things.” Highlighting Garthenor Organic’s commitment to sustainability, the company is planting a tree for every single skein of yarn, bag or pair of socks it sells on https://garthenor.com/ . Partnering with Eden Reforestation, the company has so far planted more than 30,000 trees. Wonderwool Wales covers everything from the start to the end of the creative process. Exhibits of sheep, raw and hand dyed fibres, yarn for knitting and crochet, embellishments, equipment, dyes and books can be found alongside superb examples of finished textile art, craft, clothing and home furnishings. Tickets, costing £12 per day or £22 for the weekend, may be purchased online in advance at www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk or at the gate. . For more information, visit www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk , like Wonderwool Wales Ltd on Facebook or follow on Twitter @wonderwoolwales and Instagram @wonderwoolwales The canoeing section of the Montgomery Canal Triathlon. The April 20 deadline for Montgomery Canal Triathlon entries is fast approaching with people from across the UK having already booked their places for the 28.5-mile event. The popular triathlon, to be held on Saturday, May 20, is run by the Friends of the Montgomery Canal to support further restoration of the canal. Entries can be booked at https://themontgomerycanal.org.uk/events/book-online-for-the-2023-montgomery-canal-triathlon/. Entrants are challenged to cycle 12 miles along the canal towpath from Newtown to Belan, south of Welshpool before canoeing 5.5 miles through Welshpool to Pool Quay and then walking 11 miles from Pool Quay across the border to Morton, south of Oswestry. Entrants can join one, two or all three sections and there will be medallions printed in gold, silver and bronze dependent on how many sections are completed. Christine Palin, Friends of the Montgomery Canal chairman, said: “The Montgomery Canal Triathlon is one of the highlights of a year when so many exciting things are happening on the canal. “Once again, triathlon entries are coming from our local area and from further across Great Britain. Many are regulars who come each year, often bringing friends to join the event. We already have bookings from as far away as Scotland and the West Country. “The triathlon shows everything that the Montgomery Canal has to offer. As the biggest event on the canal, each year we call on many volunteers to support the entrants and make such a friendly event. We have a regular team who help with stewarding and transport, but we are always looking out for more. “Anyone who thinks that 28½ miles of cycling, paddling and walking or running is not for them will be very welcome to join our volunteer team.” Entrants will see lengths of canal which still have to be restored, the navigable section through Welshpool which opened 27 years ago and nature reserves specially created to safeguard special plants and wildlife – there will be more of these soon. They will also see bridges to be rebuilt in the next couple of years with UK Government Levelling-Up funding, Schoolhouse Bridge, where the towpath will be diverted, following the start of work to rebuild the canal’s last highway obstruction in Shropshire and the newly restored section to Crickheath Basin which will be formally opened soon after the triathlon. Volunteer restoration work on the canal is supported by the Restore the Montgomery Canal! Appeal, jointly promoted by the Friends of the Montgomery Canal with the other local canal charities, Shropshire Union Canal Society and the Shrewsbury District & North Wales branch of the Inland Waterways Association. With donations and proceeds of the triathlon, the Friends of the Montgomery Canal have given more than £30,000 to the appeal, with much more coming from individual members. Organisers stress that the triathlon is not a race and entrants will need to take care both on the towpath and when crossing roads where the canal is currently blocked. Matt Hirst will search for back-to-back Rallynuts Stages Rally wins. Image credit: Russ Otway / 90Right The Rallynuts Stages Rally makes a welcome return to the British motorsport calendar this weekend as the popular Builth Wells-based forest event gets underway on Saturday (April 15). Sponsored by established racewear and accessory firm Rallynuts Motorsport, the event takes place for the 49th time and Midland Manor Motor Club has attracted an impressive entry of more than 120 crews who will tackle seven world-class stages in Mid Wales during the day. The rally offers forest tests in Myherin, Sweet Lamb, Hafren and Sarnau which will challenge even the most experienced of competitor as organisers introduce a selection of new routes to ensure the event remains fresh and exciting for both competitors and fans. The entry has been bolstered by contenders from the MRF Tyres BTRDA Rally Series, Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship, West Wales Rally Spares HRCR Stage Masters and the IPS Rally Challenge. This year’s rally also welcomes the Bowler Defender Challenge, an exciting single-make formula for the all-new Land Rover Defender models. Last year’s winners Matthew Hirst and Declan Dear will undoubtedly be aiming for a back-to-back win on the Rallynuts and carry the coveted number one on the doors of their Ford Fiesta R5. Hot on his heels will be 2021 event winner Elliot Payne who is showing great pace in his brightly liveried Ford Fiesta Rally2. Contesting a dual BTRDA and British Rally Championship campaign, Payne and co-driver Tom Woodburn took the top spot at the opening BTRDA round of the season in Cumbria. Aaron Newby embarked on his first BTRDA title trail in 2023 and has the pace to trouble the leaders in his Skoda Fabia R5. With the experienced Jamie Edwards alongside, Newby took second place in the BTRDA in Cumbria. Ian Bainbridge and Will Atkins are settling into their new Ford Fiesta Rally2 this season and start as fourth seed whilst Russ Thompson and Stephen Link round out the top five in their Mitsubishi Evo IX. Four-wheel drive machinery dominates the top 14 places but leading the two-wheel-drive fraternity is three-time British Rally Champion Matt Edwards in a Ford Escort MKII. With fiancé Jess Hockley in the co-driver’s seat, Edwards will be using the event for seat time and will be trying to keep an impressive list of historic entries at bay behind him. They include Joe Price in a Ford Escort MKII, Nick Elliott in the stunning FIAT 131 Abarth and local hero Jason Pritchard whose family Toyota dealership sits a stone's throw away from the rally headquarters at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells. Fans will have plenty of opportunity to watch the action on the stages or get up close and personal with the cars and crews in Builth throughout the event. The showground will host the pre-event technical checks and documentation on Friday from around 1pm to 6pm and then Saturday’s start and finish ceremonies at 8am and 4.25pm respectively. Crews will also return there during the day for mid-event service from around 11.30am and entrance is free. Smaller-engine cars and the older historic category vehicles will lead the crews away from the showground from 8am on Saturday. Spectators are welcome at three viewing areas during the day, with cars passing each location twice. The opening stage, Myherin West, kicks off at 9am with the second pass scheduled for 2.05pm. Hafren Sweet Lamb offers the famous spectacular water splash viewing spot and will see the first car at 10.02am with the second stage at 2.50pm. The Cwmysgawen test offers the chance to see the cars at 10.53am and again at 3.41pm. Admission to all stage-side spectator locations is cash only and tickets are available at the gate. Tickets are not transferable between the three locations. For more information on ticket prices, entries, locations, and timings, please visit www.rallynutsrally.co.uk . Members of the Wales Women’s Peace Partnership and Welsh Government celebrate the arrival of the 1923 Peace Petition and chest at the National Library of Wales. A 100-year-old Peace Petition signed by almost 400,000 Welsh women had an emotional welcome back to Wales yesterday (Wednesday). The welcome home coincided with the announcement of an award of nearly £250,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) to bring the story to life. The Welsh Centre for International Affairs (WCIA) has been awarded £249,262 from the NLHF to support the Women’s Peace Petition Project, managed by Academi Heddwch Cymru and the WCIA on behalf of the Women’s Peace Petition Partnership. The NLHF funding will enable the partnership to actively engage with the people of Wales to share and celebrate the story as well as enabling them to play an active role in transcription efforts to support the work of the National Library of Wales, based in Aberystwyth. The chest and petition were welcomed at the national library by the people involved in the partnership who have worked over many years to bring them home. Over the next year, the petition will now be catalogued, digitised and opened to the public to crowdsource its transcription, along with several exhibitions at Amgueddfa Cymru - St Fagans, Wrexham Museum and the national library. In 1923, with the horrors of World War One having galvanised a whole generation against conflict, the women of Wales organised a campaign for world peace. At a Welsh League of Nations Union conference held at Aberystwyth University, a campaign launch was proposed to ensure that the women of the USA heard the voices of the women of Wales and that they worked together for a world without war. A total of 390,296 women signed a peace petition. Within seven months, Annie Hughes-Griffiths, Mary Ellis, Elined Prys and Gladys Thomas had reached the USA with an oak chest containing a petition that was said to be seven miles long. In New York, it was presented to the women of America by the peace delegation from Wales. Since then, the chest has been preserved and exhibited at the National Museum of American History, in Washington DC. The Women of Wales for a World without War Partnership began working in 2019 with the national library to borrow the chest and some of the petitions. The subsequent discussions with the National Museum of American History eventually resulted in this transfer to the national library in Aberystwyth. National library will now digitise its contents to enable the public to view the Peace Petition and participate in a national campaign to transcribe the names of petition signatories, creating a publicly available and searchable resource for the first time. Suzie Ventris-Field, WCIA chief executive, said: “WCIA is extremely honoured to be part of the Women’s Peace Petition Partnership and thankful to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for their award which will bring this incredible story to life. “Centenary celebrations and outreach funded by the NLHF will help the partnership start a conversation with communities about how Wales can develop as a nation of peace and inspire the next generation of peacemakers.” Mererid Hopwood, Women’s Peace Petition Partnership chair, said: “Against the backdrop of today’s troubled world, it’s an enormous privilege to remember how the women of Wales, a century ago, were bold enough to work for global peace. “It’s our hope that through the Peace Petition project this spirit of international co-operation, focussed on creating a fair and violence-free world, will find new voices.” Andrew White, The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Wales director, said: “Five years before they won the vote in 1928, 400,000 Welsh women reached out across the Atlantic in a historic show of solidarity to take a stand against the horrors of war by signing this petition. “It’s our incredible privilege to be awarding almost £250,000 to bring the petition and the chest, in which it travelled, back to Wales at a time when sadly the shadow of war looms over Europe and the need for peace and solidarity is as great as it has ever been.” Dawn Bowden, the Welsh Government’s Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, said: “I am delighted that the 1923 Peace Petition has returned to Wales 100 years after it was taken to the USA. “I would like to thank the Smithsonian Institution for the generosity of this gift to the National Library of Wales. The gathering of almost 400,000 signatures from women across Wales as a campaign for peace is inspiring. “I hope that the return of the petition to Wales will inspire and motivate a new generation of advocates for peace.”
Wonderwool Wales covers everything from the start to the end of the creative process. Exhibits of sheep, raw and hand dyed fibres, yarn for knitting and crochet, embellishments, equipment, dyes and books can be found alongside superb examples of finished textile art, craft, clothing and home furnishings.
Especially for Wonderwool Wales, Ewe & Ply will be launching its latest batch of Shropshire Ply yarn which is spun from a small, local flock of Shropshire Sheep. The fleeces, which are chosen after meeting the flock owners and checking the welfare of the sheep, come from within 20 miles of Oswestry. The wool is spun in New Lanark and is hand dyed by Ewe & Ply partners Becca Tansley and Teri Evans using both conventional and natural dyes. “A lot of love, care and dedication goes into producing Shropshire Ply,” explained Becca. “The welfare of the sheep and the people working with them are in our set of core values. Our customers need to have faith that we are providing them with high quality, ethically sourced goods.” Becca and Teri opened their first Ewe & Ply in Shrewsbury Market Hall in 2016, having “escaped” careers as a psychiatric nurse and medical herbalist respectively. The business now has shops in The Parade, Shrewsbury and 11, English Walls, Oswestry. Their range of products includes exclusive Shropshire Ply, a woollen yarn traditionally spun from the fleeces of small, local sheep flocks. The wool is then kettle-dyed by Teri and Becca in semi-solid colours. Ewe & Ply shops also stock a wide variety of needles, notions, buttons and books and run Knitting Schools, a Stitchin group and a Sweater Society. Both Becca and Teri are passionate about Welsh wool and the skills they learnt as children. Having survived the economic challenges of the pandemic, the business is thriving, thanks to the support of customers. “We realised from the start that the business belonged to Teri and me, but the shops belong to our customers,” explained Becca. “We are certainly a determined bunch, as the skills require patience, perseverance and, at times, bloody-mindedness.” Last year, a dozen customers answered an appeal for knitted plant creations on the theme ‘Wild’ to fill Ewe and Ply’s colourful shopwindow display which won the Oswestry in Bloom competition. Wonderwool Wales tickets - cost £12 per day or £22 for the weekend - may be purchased online in advance at www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk or at the gate. . For more information, visit www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk , like Wonderwool Wales Ltd on Facebook or follow on Twitter @wonderwoolwales and Instagram @wonderwoolwales Picture caption: Becca Tansley and Teri Evans of Ewe & Ply. We're flagging up two events from Visit Wales this month -
MeetInWales Business Events Industry Roadshow: 18-20 April 2023 Are you:
Attendance is free of charge and open to all businesses in Wales with an interest in business events. To register please click on your preferred location below:
Event Wales webinar - 19 April 2023 Visit Wales would also like to invite you to their online webinar at 11.00am - 12.00pm on Wednesday 19 April when they will provide an update on the work they have been doing, in partnership with the events industry, to implement the new National Events Strategy for Wales since it was launched by the Minister for Economy in July 2022. This will also be an opportunity to be among the first to hear exciting news about their new funding streams, the Sector Development Fund and the Sustainability Innovation Fund, launching in April 2023, to help address some of the key issues facing the sector. To register your interest to attend please email eventwales@gov.wales and they will then send you the Microsoft Teams link to join on the day. |
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