Arches are lowered into place at Schoolhouse Bridge. Image: Beaver Bridges Ltd. Schoolhouse Bridge, the last highway blockage on the Shropshire section of the Montgomery Canal, is taking shape after more than six years of planning and fundraising. Contractors Beaver Bridges from Shrewsbury have craned the bridge sections into place to reinstate Bridge 86 over the canal. It’s believed that, in the 1950s or ‘60s, the highway authority demolished the old bridge and replaced it with an embankment of earth and stone. As canal restoration progressed towards Shropshire’s border with Powys, volunteers of the three local waterway charities got together to promote the Restore the Montgomery Canal! Appeal - https://localgiving.org/appeal/MontgomeryCanal . A retired Inland Waterways Association engineer designed a bridge, most of which could be built by volunteers. However, due to delays caused by Covid and other difficulties, contractors were brought in for the main project work and have made rapid progress. “This has been a most exciting day,” said Michael Limbrey, Montgomery Waterway Restoration Trust chairman. “It’s six years since we resolved to reconstruct Schoolhouse Bridge, a significant contribution to opening up the canal to the Welsh border at Llanymynech.” Richard Hinckley, Beaver Bridges’ sales director, said: “We are extremely proud to be engaged with the design and installation of the new bridge, as part of a larger plan to revive the Montgomery Canal. “We are playing our part in rebuilding history and leaving a legacy on the canal for future generations to enjoy. I very much look forward to seeing the first narrow boat go under the bridge.” Mr Limbrey explained that the project is part of a larger plan to revive the canal, described by its owners, the Canal & River Trust, as “high-quality, natural and built heritage, a gem of our waterway network”. This means safeguarding the valued plants and wildlife and the canal-age locks, bridges and other structures, so they do not become overgrown, decay and lose all value. “The restored canal can bring so many economic, social and environmental benefits which other restored waterways have already achieved,” added Mr Limbrey. “It is that boost to the area that brought the UK Government funding for work in Powys. “In Shropshire, there are now just a couple of miles of dry canal to be restored. Our experienced volunteers are at work to rewater the next section and we have launched a new Restore the Montgomery Canal! appeal to raise funds to provide them with equipment and materials. “Supporters, both local and further afield, have generously donated for the bridge and are now supporting this next phase of the restoration. We are always pleased to receive donations.”
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A Corris Railway locomotive in steam at Maespoeth. On August 20, 1948 a short freight train made its way up the Dulas Valley on the narrow gauge line between Machynlleth and Aberllefenni unaware that it would be its final journey. The route was once Corris Railway but it was by then a small branch line operated three days a week by British Railways. River Dyfi bank erosion encroaching the lineside at Machynlleth culminated in the railway closing. Happily, the railway’s two steam engines found a new home at Talyllyn Railway where they have worked for seven decades along with the brake van from that last train. Over the following months, the tracks were lifted and it looked as though Corris Railway was lost for ever. However, thanks to the patient work of volunteers and many years of fundraising, trains will be running again between Corris Station and Maespoeth Junction on August 20 this year. Passenger trains, headed by steam locomotive number 7, a descendent of the 1921-built number 4 now at Talyllyn, will leave Corris Station at 11am, 12 noon, 1.30pm, 2.30pm and 3.30pm. A week later - on August 26 and 27 - Corris Railway Society’s annual Model Railway Exhibition will be held at Y Plas, Machynlleth. This year’s event will feature a large number of narrow gauge layouts in various scales but there will also be a range of exhibits in other scales. For those in a nostalgic mood, one layout will feature Hornby Dublo, still going strong six decades after the famous marque was discontinued and another will see Tri-ang Big-Big trains running on their plastic track. In addition to the layouts, there will be a variety of sales stands and refreshments on sale. Car parking is available nearby. Trains will be running from Corris Station on both days whilst the exhibition is on. More information can be seen at www.corris.co.uk . The Portalis visitor experience at Ceredigion Museum. A new cross-border visitor experience exploring the life of the earliest settlers in Ceredigion has opened at a museum in Aberystwyth. The free and accessible resource at Ceredigion Museum explores evidence of life dating back to the Mesolithic period. Researchers from the Portalis transdisciplinary pilot project, working with six coastal communities, have been exploring the earliest connections between Ireland and Wales dating back to 10,000 years ago. Launched by the Portalis project team in partnership with Ceredigion Museum, the permanent visitor experience features a display of Mesolithic and Neolithic artefacts from Ceredigion and unique storyboards that explore the earliest connections between Ireland and Wales. Carrie Canham, Ceredigion Museum curator, said: “I’m delighted that the legacy of the popular Portalis temporary exhibition is now available in our Archaeology Gallery. In addition to the permanent display, we have new educational resources for schools that includes VR headsets for pupils to explore a recreation of a Mesolithic settlement.” Ceredigion County Councillor Catrin M. S. Davies added: “The sea is a hugely important element for the people of Ceredigion and has been throughout the centuries. To have an exhibition that celebrates the connection the sea has given us with Ireland is a wonderful thing.” The senior responsible officer for the Portalis project is Joy Rooney, design lead, lecturer and researcher in design at South East Technological University (SETU) in Ireland. “This permanent new resource for our six coastal communities and their visitors helps tell the story of our uniquely significant new data and will help raise awareness of and interest in protecting our coastal cultural and natural heritage in the challenging times ahead,” she said. “ SETU are developing further funding pathways to help ensure pilot project outputs are sustainable and underpinned by further research.” Entry to the Portalis permanent visitor experience at Ceredigion Museum is free, with no prior booking required. The €1.95m Portalis project is supported with €1.5m funding from the European Regional Development Fund through the Ireland Wales Co-operation Programme: www.irelandwales.eu. The project is led by SETU and supported by the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Ceredigion County Council and Waterford Chamber of Commerce. A three-day festival that celebrates the longstanding cultural and musical ties between Wales and Ireland is returning to the Mid Wales seaside town of Cardigan in October. Other Voices Cardigan has revealed the first wave of impressive live acts for the festival’s stages from October 26 -28. Italian alt-pop act Sans Soucis, Irish singer-songwriter Susan O’Neill, acclaimed Welsh rockers Adwaith and Machynlleth-born triple harpist Cerys Hafana have all been announced as the first of this year’s headliners. They will all perform intimate live sets in St Mary’s Church in Cardigan, with more headline artists to be announced in the coming weeks. Presented by Welsh broadcaster Huw Stephens, Other Voices Cardigan will collapse global distance, bringing all of the headline performances live to the world for free via YouTube and streaming live to a cinema screen in Mwldan, an independent arts centre and cinema based in Cardigan. Exclusive content from the weekend will be captured for later broadcast on S4C and RTÉ. Beyond the church performances, the picturesque town of Cardigan will play host to a Music Trail in 11 venues over the festival’s three days, showcasing the very best handpicked established and emerging musical talent from Ireland and Wales. In an eclectic and diverse mix of more than 35 artists, festival goers can enjoy a journey of musical discovery that celebrates hip-hop, folk, rock, electronica, RnB, punk, electronica, grime, soul and everything in between, reflecting the exciting vibrancy of the two nations’ musical output. With more artists still to be announced, the Music Trail will feature amy michelle, Angharad, Climbing Trees, Chalk, Dead Method, Fia Moon, Gwilym Bowen Rhys, HMS Morris, Joshua Burnside, Lemoncello, Les SalAmandas, Mace The Great, Mali Hâf, MELLT, Minas, Mount Palomar, Samana, Scustin, Seba Safe, Tara Bandito and Uly. In addition to the live music programme, an Other Voices festival wristband includes unlimited access to Clebran –Flowing Tides, Llanw a Thrai and Sruth. Some of Wales and Ireland’s most compelling voices will come together for a series of intimate and invigorating discussions and stories, as well as some very special performances. This insightful and fascinating group of thinkers, writers, historians, musicians, linguists, advocates and policymakers will discuss culture, power, representation, the future and much more, all the while capturing our imaginations. This year’s Clebran features a collection of incredible speakers; Author and broadcaster Jon Gower, harpist Cerys Hafana, Associate Professor of Early Modern History John Gallagher; writer, composer and performer Daf James; writer-director Tracy Spottiswoode; writer, podcaster and journalist Damian Kerlin; journalist and author Richard Fisher, senior lecturer in applied psychology Dr Sharon Lambert and historian, writer and reviewer Christopher Kissane. More speakers will be announced in the coming weeks. Clebran will take place at Mwldan in the afternoons and evenings of Thursday, Friday and Saturday across the three-day festival. Early bird wristbands are on sale priced at £25, rising to £35 on October 1. Wristbands will give unlimited access to all Music Trail events and Clebran sessions across the three days and inclusion into a prize draw to win much sought-after admission wristbands to the live performances at St Mary's Church. Tickets for the exclusive church performances will not be for sale and only be available through prize draws and competitions. Follow @othervoiceslive and @theatrmwldan on socials for chances to win tickets. Full details on festival wristbands and streaming are available at othervoices.ie Phillip King, founder of Other Voices, said: “We are delighted to be bringing Other Voices back to our home away from home in beautiful Aberteifi this October. “Other Voices Cardigan and Clebran is the culmination of the collaboration and partnership with our nearest neighbours. It’s a relationship and creative engagement that continues to deepen and strengthen. “Under the auspices of the Joint Shared Statement by the Irish and Welsh Governments, we continue with the building of a cultural bridge between our two remarkable and unique countries. “This relationship, as First Minister Mark Drakeford remarked in Cardigan last year, ‘has culture at its soul’. Join us in Cardigan at the end of October, when the music will be wonderful and the conversation provocative and passionate.” Dilwyn Davies, chief executive of Mwldan, said: “We’re delighted that Other Voices will be returning to Cardigan in 2023, and also in 2024 and 2025, thanks to the generous support of the Welsh and Irish Governments. “As we celebrate the close ties between Wales and Ireland, and more specifically Cardigan and Dingle, the original home of Other Voices in Ireland, it's incredibly exciting to be sharing with audiences a vibrant and diverse line-up of amazing musical talent from both countries across a wide spectrum of genres. “We also celebrate Cardigan's importance as a place where art, culture, language, creativity, ideas, environment and action combine to make our community a precious asset for us all." Other Voices Cardigan is staged with the support and investment of Welsh Government and The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. The event is produced by South Wind Blows in partnership with Mwldan and Triongl. The event will be filmed by Triongl for later broadcast on S4C and RTÉ. Delighted organisers have reported increased entries across most sections and a record number of trade stands for the popular Llanfyllin Show on Saturday, August 12. Show secretary Sian Lewis said it was pleasing to report a large number of new entries this year, particularly in the horses and sheep section. To encourage more entries in the horses section this year, the show committee streamlined the classes and halved the advance entry fee to £4 or £8 on show day. The working hunter class will also be judged in the main ring. “We are delighted with the number of pre-show entries we have received this year and there seems to be a lot of new names across the sections, which is great to see,” said Sian. “The horses, sheep, cookery, horticultural and floral art sections have all reported increased entries and we have a record number of trade stands, so it’s looking good for Saturday.” Gates open at 9am and headlining the show entertainment is the Atkinson Action Horses stunt team which made a spectacular debut last summer. The team of highly skilled horses and riders, led by Ben Atkinson, thrills audiences with high energy, breath-taking stunt shows. The popular annual event, held at Bodfach Park, celebrates all that’s great about the countryside and the community, providing an opportunity to meet, compete and have a fun family day out. Main sponsor for the second time is Ridgway Rentals, a leading plant hire company based at St Martins, near Oswestry. The show is held on land owned by Christopher and Laura Acton, owners of Bodfach Hall and Janet Jones, Parc, who was president for the 150th event in 2019. This year’s president is Pryce Roberts and chairman is Dyfrig Jones. Music will be provided by Porthywaen Silver Band and there will be a parade by South Shropshire Horse and Hounds. Other attractions include the traditional Village Green, children’s activities, Punch and Judy, a fun fair, a vintage machinery display, a dog show, children’s sports and a wide selection of trade stands. The sheep shearing competition is always a show highlight, attracting some of the best sheep shearers from across Wales. Montgomery YFC evening speed shearing competition, held for the first time last year, is set to return with up to 60 young farmers competing. The Atkinson Action Horses stunt team will be headlining the entertainment at Llanfyllin Show on Saturday.
Members, partners and supporters gathered at the Royal Welsh Show to hear RWAS plans for a new horticultural village at the 2024 event. The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society has unveiled its plans to launch a new-look horticulture section at the Royal Welsh Show in 2024. The promotion of horticulture is one of the RWAS’s key charitable objectives and plans are underway to establish a new horticultural village at next year’s show. The village will celebrate all aspects of horticulture in Wales – from community to commercial growing, competitive showing and displays, alongside promoting the health and social benefits of gardening, education and building a resilient supply chain of sustainable Welsh produce. The ethos of the new horticultural village is to ‘inspire, educate and collaborate’ - a space to inspire by showcasing excellence with competitive exhibits and displays, a place for education and learning by working in partnership with schools and colleges and an opportunity to collaborate through inclusive social spaces, meeting areas and demonstration stages. RWAS chair of board, Professor Wynne Jones highlighted the importance of horticulture in Wales and how the society’s role as a charity can help in providing a platform to promote the industry at the Royal Welsh Show, and potentially at our other events. RWAS honorary show director, Richard Price thanked those who took part in the strategic planning workshop held at Aberglasney Gardens earlier this year. Key stakeholders with an interest in horticulture came together with the RWAS Horticulture Committee and staff to discuss the horticultural village plans. RWAS chief executive, Aled Rhys Jones outlined the new vision for the horticultural village and shared potential design ideas of how it may look, based on key ideas around inclusivity and biodiversity, with a stage area for talks, seminars and interactive displays and stall spaces for exhibitors. Central to the village will be areas for competitive showing, particularly the floral art and vegetable produce, for which the Royal Welsh Show is renowned. The wider benefits that horticulture, gardening, and the outdoors have for our mental health and wellbeing are now acknowledged widely. The RWAS is keen to implement areas in the village that reinforce this message, such as communal seating and a sensory garden for visitors to enjoy a quiet moment away from the hustle and bustle of the show. “We are very excited about these plans and want the space to be inclusive and appeal to all, from families to commercial growers.” said Aled Rhys Jones. “We are still in the early stages of developing this concept and we see this as a collaborative project where different delivery partners, sponsors and stakeholders can help us deliver on this ambitious vision. “We want this new horticultural village to be one of the biggest talking points of the 2024 Royal Welsh Show.” Minister for Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths said: “A vibrant horticulture sector is high on the Welsh Government's agenda for developing a sustainable agricultural industry as it delivers a range of environmental, social and economic benefits. “The Royal Welsh Show is crucial in promoting Welsh agriculture and horticulture to the world, boosting trade opportunities and allowing new methods and technologies to be shared. “It is important our horticulturalists are an integral part of this, which is why I am very pleased to hear the outline plans for the new horticultural village at next year's Show.” The RWAS is inviting stakeholders, partners and supporters to get involved and share ideas and feedback in the coming months. Last year's Rali Ceredigion winners Hayden Paddon (left) and Jared Hudson (right) receiving their trophies from chairman of the Rally Ceredigion organising team Phil Pugh (centre). The UK could soon host a round of the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) for the first time since 2019 as organisers of Rali Ceredigion bid to secure a slot on the calendar. Organisers have been working closely with the event’s regional stakeholders and commercial partners to secure the resources and infrastructure necessary to make this significant step forward for the rally, in a move that will increase its status and profile. Representatives from the Rali Ceredigion organising team attended the recent Royal Rally of Scandinavia in Sweden, where they met with the ERC promoter and discussed detailed operating requirements with event organisers. Phil Pugh, chairman of the Rali Ceredigion organising team, said: “Every year we strive to innovate and drive our event forward and fulfilling our ambition to become a round of the ERC is the next step in that progression. “Losing Wales Rally GB has been a significant set-back for rallying in the UK and it’s important that we, as event organisers and enthusiasts, do whatever we can to try and restore our place on an international championship. In doing so, it would give UK competitors in supporting domestic championships a chance to pit themselves against a top-class ERC field. “For decades, gravel stages in Wales were at the heart of UK WRC rounds. However, we can also offer a network of high-quality Tarmac roads that provide a very different and unique, world-class challenge. Indeed, it’s not unthinkable that Welsh public roads could see the return of WRC stars sometime in the future. “But for now, our target is to be an ERC round – sooner rather than later – and we’re working diligently with key stakeholders, such as Ceredigion County Council, to secure a slot at the earliest opportunity. Our visit to the Royal Rally resulted in some very useful discussions with the promoter and allowed to us see exactly what is required to deliver our strategy and make that happen. “I’m proud to say that Rali Ceredigion is already operating to high standards. It is the only rally in the UK which runs to the FIA’s Environmental Accreditation, we offset the emissions of all competing vehicles and deliver live action and presenter-led broadcasts from every stage. We are therefore in a great position to step up to become a round of an international championship.” Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team driver and FIA World Rally Championship front-runner Elfyn Evans is a key supporter of Rali Ceredigion, his local event: “The UK desperately needs to get a rally reinstated back on an FIA calendar and Rali Ceredigion now looks like our best opportunity to achieve that. The organisers comprise an experienced team of international competitors with great ambitions to take it forward. “The stages are world-class, fast and technical with high levels of grip, making them challenging but very rewarding from a competitor’s perspective.” Iain Campbell, FIA European Rally Championship manager, said: “The WRC promoter is regularly in conversations with interested parties to be part of the FIA European Rally Championship and it is of no secret that one of those interested is Rali Ceredigion. We will continue to hold an open dialogue to have a round of the ERC in the UK.” Entries for this year’s Rali Ceredigion, to be held on September 2 and 3, opened on July 28. More information at www.raliceredigion.co.uk . Shaken Not Purred!, the new escape room game launched by Beyond Breakout. Mid Wales escape rooms attraction Beyond Breakout has launched a new game that promises to have visitors ‘Shaken Not Purred’ this summer! Business partners Lorna Morris and Jo Woodall say the new game at the popular Newtown-based visitor attraction is the “cat’s whiskers” and will leave players “feline” great! “Attention all thrill-seekers and cat aficionados!” they say. “Get ready to embark on a purrfect escape room experience that's whisker-licking good. ‘Shaken Not Purred’ is a claw-some, cat-themed escapade that will leave you feline fantastic! “Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to step into the paws of Agent Bing in this thrilling escape room and stop the villainous mouse Monty from escaping his AlCatRaz prison cell… “In a submarine adventure, as you explore, decode and scratch your head over puzzles, you'll chase Monty's tail through the high seas.” Beyond Breakout promises 60 minutes of “furmidable challenges”. With the clock ticking, visitors need sharp minds to stop Monty's “meowster plan”. “Whether you're a fur-midable escape room pro or a first timer, ‘Shaken Not Purred’ offers the purrfect bonding experience for families, friends and corporate teams,” adds Lorna. Beyond Breakout is based in the iconic Pryce Jones Building in Newtown and offers three indoor and two outdoor escape games, with tailor-made team building sessions that have fun at their core. Full game details and booking is available at www.beyondbreakout.co.uk Beyond Breakout is a member of MWT Cymru a membership organisation that represents more than 600 tourism and hospitality businesses across Powys, Ceredigion and Southern Snowdonia. Tourism projects in Wales win share of £5 million to help get the basics right for visitors3/8/2023 Tourism projects across Wales have won a share of the Welsh Government’s £5 million Brilliant Basics Fund to help deliver a first-class holiday experience, Deputy Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism Dawn Bowden has confirmed today (3 August).
29 tourism infrastructure projects in north, mid and south west and south east Wales have received investment from the fund, which helps deliver small-scale tourism infrastructure improvements. The fund, which is open to local authorities and national park authorities, also supports projects that improve accessibility and those that make their destinations more environmentally sustainable. 2023 is Wales’ Year of Trails which presents the tourism sector with an opportunity to showcase attractions, landscapes and coastline through routes and trails. The approved projects show how local authorities and national parks have considered the entire visitor experience and the essential infrastructure that makes a trail experience complete, from pathways, to parking to making facilities accessible for all. Deputy Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Dawn Bowden said: “I’m delighted we have been able to invest £5 million in a range of new projects that will help deliver a first-class holiday experience for people across Wales. “The projects supported through the Welsh Government’s Brilliant Basics fund make a real difference. Local tourism amenities have a big part to play in making a trip a memorable one. These facilities often go unnoticed, but they are an important part of a visitor’s experience and also benefit those who live in the area.” The Brilliant Basics fund for 2023 to 2025 was launched in February 2023, and 29 projects across Wales have been approved for funding. You can read the full press release at: Tourism projects in Wales win share of £5 million to help get the basics right for visitors | GOV.WALES The written statement, including a list of the successful projects, can be found at: Written Statement: Brilliant Basics Capital Fund 2023-25 (3 August 2023) | GOV.WALES The National Library of Wales The National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth will be at the centre of the National Eisteddfod from August 5-12, offering a warm welcome to everyone to the stand at the Boduan site. A special exhibition will look at the history of the Welsh Women’s Peace Petition and the work of local photographer Guy Hughes, exploring the links between the two collections. Hughes' amazing collection of photographs includes the faces of some of those local women who signed the petition in 1923, bringing this amazing story to life. For those looking for somewhere to have a break and entertain the children, there will be an opportunity on the stand to dress up, make badges or colour in their own masterpiece. Visitors can also reminisce about Llŷn and Eifionydd in the comfortable viewing area of the Wales Broadcast Archive, where a selection of clips from the collection will be shown during the week. The Library Shop will also be on the stand, with specially commissioned items for the 2023 Eisteddfod on sale alongside the usual stylish goods. Inspired by the women of the Peace Petition, there will be an opportunity to buy t-shirts, posters, bags, tea towels and badges with an original design by the artist Efa Lois. A reproduction of an original copy of the song ‘Yma o Hyd’ will be available to buy, with a special opportunity on Wednesday, August 9 at 11am to meet and chat with Dafydd Iwan himself, who will be there to sign copies. The library's presence will extend throughout the Maes, with entertaining and varied presentations in Societies 2, Tŷ Gwerin, Maes D, the Science and Technology Village, the Senedd Pavillion and Sinemaes. |
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