A drone photo of the main Race the Train event by Luke Ryan. The popular Race the Train event, organised by Tywyn Rotary Club and hosted by Talyllyn Railway, returned after a two-year, pandemic-enforced absence, with nearly 1,000 runners taking part. In addition to the main race, the Rotary Challenge, which follows a 14-mile route alongside the railway up and down the valley, there were a further three shorter races for different age groups. A total of 940 runners took part, down substantially from the 1,780 before the pandemic. Further details about the event are available at https://www.racethetrain.com/ . Talyllyn Railway ran a special train for the event and also carried spectators and runners for all the races. More than 980 passengers travelled on the special trains and 437 runners completed the main event. Sullivan Smith from Cambridge & Coleridge Athletics Club was first home in 1 hour, 29 minutes and 27 seconds while Ellie Haf was first lady in 1 hour, 47 minutes and 10 seconds. The train crossed the line in 1 hour and 48 minutes, right on time. Next year’s 38th ‘Race the Train’ event takes place on Saturday, August 19 and the rotary club’s website is open for entries. Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society chairman Jonathan Mann said: “It was wonderful to see the race return to Tywyn after its enforced absence. It’s a great event for the area and brings in many people. “Whilst it is not surprising that numbers were down, it was nonetheless great fun for all and we look forward keenly to next year’s event, hopefully with a return to greater numbers as we all return to a more normal way of life.”
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Have your say on a visitor levy for WalesThe Welsh Government has launched a public consultation today on proposals to give local authorities the powers to introduce a visitor levy.
The levy would be a small charge paid by people staying overnight in accommodation in Wales. Each local authority in Wales will have the power to decide if they want to introduce a visitor levy, and the money raised will be re-invested in local areas to support local tourism. This could be investment in keeping the beaches and pavements clean, through to maintaining local parks, toilets and footpaths. More than 40 countries and holiday destinations around the world have introduced a form of visitor levy, including Greece, France, Amsterdam, Barcelona, and California. A discretionary visitor levy for local authorities in Wales would represent a very small proportion of a visitor’s overall spend. The extensive consultation seeks views on who should pay a levy, who would be charging and collecting the levy, how the levy could be best applied and how revenues from the tax could be allocated. The careful process of translating proposals for a visitor levy into legislation, and then into delivery and implementation will span a number of years and will be subject to approval by the Senedd. Rebecca Evans, Minister for Finance and Local Government, said: “These proposals are about preparing for the future. Our intention is to bring about a sense of shared responsibility between residents and visitors, to protect, and invest in, our local areas. By asking visitors – whether they have travelled from within Wales or from further afield – to make a small contribution towards maintaining and enhancing the place they are visiting, we will encourage a more sustainable approach for tourism.” Proposals for a visitor levy have been progressed through Welsh Government’s Co-operation agreement with Plaid Cymru. Plaid Cymru Designated Member Cefin Campbell said: “While Wales may be the first place in the UK to introduce such a levy, we do not believe it will be the last – as we have seen recently, a visitor levy may soon be introduced in Edinburgh so Wales is not alone. “We want to continue to see a thriving tourism industry in Wales. It is vital we have sustainable, responsible tourism that works both for visitors and for the communities they are visiting. Should local authorities decide to implement a visitor levy, it could make a real difference in communities across Wales to help develop and protect local services and infrastructure. We welcome all views in understanding what would work well for Wales and encourage everyone to contribute to the consultation.” Councillor Andrew Morgan (Rhondda Cynon Taf), WLGA Leader said: “Wales is known the world over as a top destination, but it’s important to ensure that tourism is sustainable and has the right investment so that it can be enjoyed in the future. Under these proposals, councils would have the discretion to raise the levy to ensure their communities and the tourism infrastructure is properly funded. “Levies are a common feature in tourist destinations internationally and the forthcoming consultation is an important opportunity for residents and businesses to have their say on the way forward.” Read the statement on Discretionary visitor levy for local authorities | GOV.WALES Machynlleth based art collective Stiwdio Dyfi CIC has secured funding from the UK Government Community Renewal Fund to create a number of community projects that will run during September and October.
The projects include establishing a community radio station, piloting a community cinema and running a series of workshops culminating in a sustainable fashion show. “What does a community broadcast station look like? Well in the Dyfi Biosphere it looks like dx3.cymru. Digidol Dyfi Digital, or DX3 for short, is an internet radio and TV station based in the Dyfi Biosphere,” said Will Tremlett from Stiwdio Dyfi, a community interest company run by local people for the benefit of local people. “It has grown out of the work of numerous individuals who have come together under the banner of DX3 to facilitate an audience facing outlet for audio visual artists in the Dyfi area. “To make the project accessible to all, DX3 is commencing a series of free digital skills workshops and has an arsenal of camera, audio and computing equipment power, that anyone can use, once inducted by experienced practitioners at our Digital Skills workshops.” Will found strong interest resulting in funding from The National Lottery Community Fund to equip DX3 as well as having camera equipment offered free of charge for the project by camera suppliers Visual Impact and Videndum. The home of DX3 will be a small building behind Y Plas, long disused and facing an uncertain future and now to be renovated by Stiwdio Dyfi thanks to the support of the Machynlleth Town Council. “Stay tuned for the DX3 label on Bandcamp launching this Calan Geaf,” says Will. Much of the free training going on at DX3 will result in high quality radio and video content for DX3’s online channels and also Sôs Coch Sinema, the new community cinema in Machynlleth, where local stories and advertisements can be played before a screening. Making its home at Y Tabernacl, Sôs Coch Sinema features screenings every Thursday and Saturday until the end of October. For this Will was also successful in securing delivery support from Cinema For All and the BFI Audience Fund. “The hope is to create enough interest in a community cinema in Machynlleth to be able to continue”, added Will. “Local cinema is all about community, a place to meet, watch a film together, stay out for a meal or be able to walk home.” The programme includes a weekly ‘Sports Action’ screening, a contemporary or 'world cinema' title, a horror night and a cinephile curation under 'Keith Turbo presents…' with variations of this as the season progresses. “Y Tabernacl has provided a great home for this pilot project and has made us very welcome. We are looking forward to the local community making Y Tabernacl a new kind of destination,” said Will. Stiwdio Dyfi has a final strand to the ‘Creative Spaces & Outlets’ project - sustainable fashion. Hwb Ffasiwn Da is a “sewing, fashion, up-cycling collective” about to begin a series of workshops, leading to a runway event called Sioe Calan Geaf this October. The Hub Ffasiwn Da is the brain child of Will’s brother, Jay Tremlett, who held his first sustainable Fashion Show before the Covid-19 pandemic. “The fast fashion industry is amongst the biggest manufacturing polluters in the world,” said Jay. “One cotton T-shirt requires 2,700 litres of water to be made and run off chemicals from factories have a devastating impact on human and non-human life. “What makes this worse is that it’s happening in some of the poorest parts of the world, with little or no support for those affected by the pollution. The issue is too big for any individual to fix alone, the only solution is a collective one.” This is the driving mentality behind Hwb Ffasiwn Da, a community-driven fashion project based in Machynlleth. The hwb is about developing a local textiles industry “where collective working is the game and collaborations are the style”. Calan Geaf is the hwb's first attempt at a runway show! “It’s humbling to experience the amount of support we have garnered for this fairly complex programme of activities” added Will, who has just steered a team of supporters to deliver 5,000 newspaper flyers - on 100% recycled newsprint - in Machynlleth and surrounding areas. “It demonstrates the sheer interest people have in seeing community projects like this come to fruition. It has taken a while to get to this, but this autumn is going to fly by with this much belief in us and if the interest already flowing in is anything to go by. “So many people have come forward to get involved, or sent messages of appreciation and support, so we want to keep delivering. We think these things are here to stay.” For updates or to get involved with Hwb Ffasiwn Da, DX3 and Sôs Coch Sinema, visit stiwdiodyfi.org . The project is funded by the UK government through the UK Community Renewal Fund, a UK Government programme for 2021/22. It aims to support people and communities most in need across the UK to pilot programmes and new approaches to prepare for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The programme invests in skills, community and place, local business, and supporting people into employment. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-community-renewal-fund-prospectus . Picture caption: DX3 community radio station. The Cambrian Line The Cambrian Railway Partnership has announced the opening of this year’s Community Support Fund for community projects that alleviate social isolation and improve health and wellbeing.
Grants of up to £1,500 are available from the fund which is being administered by Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations (PAVO) and is being delivered in partnership with Ceredigion Association of Voluntary Organisations (CAVO), Mantell Gwynedd, Community Resource Shropshire and PAVO. Stuart Williams, Cambrian Railway Partnership chair, said: “The Cambrian Railway Partnership is delighted to launch our Community Support Fund, which expands on the successful resilience fund we offered in 2021. “We hope to be able to support many organisations local to the Cambrian Line from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth, and Machynlleth to Pwllheli, to alleviate social isolation and generally improve people’s health and wellbeing.” The fund is open to constituted community groups, charities and CICs. Groups must be based within a six mile radius of the Cambrian Main Line or Cambrian Coast Line. The grant will fund new or existing activities that meet the objectives of the scheme. Deadline for applications is noon on Friday, October 14 2022. For more information and support, contact PAVO (Powys) 01597 822191 www.pavo.org.uk , CAVO (Ceredigion) 01570 423232 www.cavo.org.uk , Mantel Gwynedd (Gwynedd) 01286 672626 www.mantellgwynedd.com or Community Resource (Shropshire) 01743 3606410 www.community-resource.org.uk . For information about the fund, contact: Claire Williams, Cambrian Railway Partnership development officer – claire.williams@ceredigion.gov.uk . The National Library of Wales’ chief executive and librarian Pedr ap Llwyd and director of communications, engagement and partnerships Rhian Gibson with members of Aberystwyth Blood Bike Group. The National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth is working with the charity Blood Bikes Wales to provide storage for its motorcycles. Blood Bikes Wales is a 100% volunteer operated charity that provides a completely free, rapid response, courier service to the NHS. The library says its happy to the support this life-saving work by providing a secure and convenient storage facility. Pedr ap Llwyd, the library’s chief executive and librarian, said: “It’s an excellent opportunity to support the local community and offer a home to this important voluntary charity which provides a key service to Bronglais Hospital and the NHS in Wales. “We are facing challenging times with regard to funding services of all kinds and sharing resources in this way is more important than ever for maximising the benefit for the people of Mid Wales and the wider community.” Mathew Leeman, Blood Bikes Wales area representative, thanked the library for accommodating Aberystwyth Blood Bike Group’s two blood bikes and associated equipment. “I sincerely thank everyone involved in enabling this exciting partnership, and for their hard work to ensure the move to our new operating base was completed quickly and efficiently with absolutely no disruption to the daily service we provide to the NHS,” he said. Blood Bikes Wales’ Aberystwyth group currently comprises 20 riders, two controllers, and a dedicated support team of fundraisers and admin volunteers. It’s the smallest blood bike group in Wales despite covering the largest geographical area. This small team of volunteers is essential for the continued service provided by Blood Bike Wales to Bronglais Hospital, smaller hospitals in the area, minor injury units and integrated care centres in the region. Typically, the Aberystwyth volunteers respond to in excess of 600 calls a year, with the riders covering approximately 25,000 miles annually. For more information about Blood Bikes Wales visit https://www.bloodbikes.wales/ Picture caption: MWT Members' Meeting Sept 20227/9/2022 Great to see so many members at this morning's Zoom meeting.
For anyone who was unable to join us, a recording of the meeting has been posted in our MWT Cymru facebook group and you can view/download the presentation from our Chief Executive Val Hawkins. Val introduces our new Visit Mid Wales website, and talks through some of the projects we're currently working on, and more! Multiple New Zealand champion and WRC winner Hayden Paddon and co-driver Jared Hudson won this year’s Get Connected Rali Ceredigion. Recording his first ever all-asphalt victory, Haddon described the event as one of the best rallies of its kind in the world. After taking the lead on Saturday's fourth and final stage, driving a Hyundai i20 N R5, Paddon consolidated his advantage over Sunday’s eight stages to cross the line 38.7 seconds ahead of 2019 Rali Ceredigion winner Osian Pryce and co-driver on this occasion Noel O’Sullivan in a VW Polo GTi R5. Driving a new Hyundai i20 N Rally 2, James Williams and Dai Roberts finished third, a further 1 minute 25.3 seconds back, whilst fourth place went to Ruairi Bell and Max Freeman in a Skoda Fabia Rally 2, who had been locked in battle all day with Gary Pearson and Dale Furniss who finished fifth in their Ford Fiesta WRC. The first leg of the rally kicked off in Aberystwyth on Saturday evening with a brand-new street stage comprising two 0.56-mile runs through the town in front of thousands of spectators. Competitors then headed inland for two considerably longer tests in the Ceredigion countryside which, tackled in the dark, were to prove decisive to the outcome of the rally. Leaders after stage three, Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin, rolled their VW Polo GTi R5 not far from the start of SS4. With the stage blocked, Paddon and Williams were held up and consequently, accredited with times that placed them in first and second places respectively, separated by just two seconds. By virtue of running at car number one, Pryce was the only driver of the leading group to have made it through the stage unhindered. But with a turbo boost issue hampering his progress, the allocation of notional times to his two main rivals helped his cause and he ended the day 2.2 seconds behind Williams in third. Overnight rain and indifferent forecasts meant that talk in the service area on Sunday morning was focused on tyres. Paddon and Williams opted for wets, whilst Pryce took a braver approach and went out to start the first loop of four stages in the Cambrian Mountains on slicks. End-of-stage reports from the drivers made it clear that, in places, the surface was nothing short of treacherous - a fact confirmed by the number of incidents in the morning's stages, with recovery crews ensuring roads were cleared as quickly as possible. Notable retirements included 2019 third-place finisher Jason Pritchard on stage five this year in a VW Polo R5, fourth at the overnight halt Meirion Evans - also in a Polo R5 - and local hero Gwyndaf Evans, who rolled his Mk2 Escort at the end of stage seven. Thankfully, everyone emerged from their respective episodes unscathed. Quickly acclimatising to the conditions and with his turbo issues behind him, Pryce went two seconds quicker than anyone else through SS5, the 17-mile JDS Machinery Llanfihangel stage and in doing so, overhauled Williams to take second place. Although not comfortable with his tyre choice, Paddon steadily increased the gap between him and Pryce during the morning. After swapping his tyres for slicks at the lunchtime service halt, the New Zealander further extended his advantage over the afternoon’s second loop of four stages, going on to win by a margin of 38.7 seconds. With Paddon not registered for the British Rally Championship and his main rival for the title Cronin out of the running, Pryce took a relatively cautious approach in order to score maximum BRC points, rather than risk it all by fighting for his second Get Connected Rali Ceredigion victory. Elevated to international status this year, the event hosted rounds of five major championships: Motorsport UK British Rally Championship, Protyre Asphalt Rally Championship, TER (Tour European Rally) series, FIA Celtic Rally Trophy and FIA European Rally Trophy. Running further down the field and breaking new ground for British rallying was runner-up in this event in 2019, Tom Cave. Invited to compete in a Corsa-e prepared and managed by Myerscough College & University Centre as part of the rally’s sustainability initiative, Cave became the first driver to win a class for fully electric vehicles on a multi-venue stage rally in the UK. Sustainability has been a key theme and focus of this year’s event, with organisers introducing a range of ground-breaking initiatives to minimise the rally’s environmental impact. The rally is the first in the UK to more than offset the emissions associated with the entire competitive field in a move that will achieve a positive carbon outcome. In recognition of its work in this area, Get Connected Rali Ceredigion has become the first event of its kind in Britain to achieve FIA Environmental Accreditation. Paddon said: “I’ve really loved this event. I can honestly say that it’s one of the best rallies of its kind anywhere in the world. The stages are awesome and the atmosphere has been great, especially for the two runs through the town on Saturday night.” Chairman of the rally’s organising committee, Phil Pugh thanked everyone involved in the successful event. “It has been a fantastic effort from the whole organising team - and can you believe we’ve had over 600 marshals with us this weekend?” he said. “It’s a massive turnout and we’re so grateful for their support. I hope Ceredigion has enjoyed it and we now have to look at where we go from here.” Photos: Jakob Ebrey Photography Gorse-inspired Cardi Bay Vodka, which is distilled on the Mid Wales coast, has been awarded a Master Medal at the prestigious Global Vodka Masters 2022.
The medal, awarded in the flavoured/infused vodka category, follows on from the success Eccentric Spirit Co achieved earlier this summer at the Global Gin Masters. Eccentric Spirit Co’s newly released Cardi Bay Vodka is distilled at In The Welsh Wind, an award-winning distillery near Cardigan on the Ceredigion coast. The Global Vodka Masters panel of leading spirits specialists awarded the Master Medal to Cardi Bay Vodka due to its “delicate nose with notes of vanilla and coconut”. Bernadette Pamplin, panel chair, noted that the vodka is “an easy tipple for a bartender to make tasty drinks with”. Cardi Bay Vodka celebrates Cardigan Bay and is inspired by the yellow gorse which grows along the coastline and influences its vanilla and coconut aromas flavour profile. Ellen Wakelam, co-founder and director of In The Welsh Wind Distillery, which produces the entire Eccentric Spirits Co range, said: “Being awarded a prestigious Master Medal at the Global Vodka Masters means so much to us. “It's a testament to all the hard work we put in perfecting Cardi Bay Vodka’s flavour profile and it's really exciting that our first vodka has been highlighted as a Master award winner by leading spirits specialists. “Since launching Cardi Bay Vodka in July 2022 we have received endless positive feedback from customers, so we’re thrilled that it has been recognised on a global stage in this way.” The Global Vodka Masters 2022 is a prestigious competition hosted and chaired by The Spirits Business. Medals are awarded in each category based on assessments and judgements made during a blind tasting by a panel of leading spirits specialists. Cardi Bay Vodka can be purchased at Eccentric Spirits Co’s website - https://www.eccentricgin.co.uk – at In The Welsh Wind’s distillery at Tan-y-Groes and website - https://inthewelshwind.co.uk/ - and at Bar 45 in Cardigan. View of Powis Castle from the Wilderness. Visitors are being invited to discover an exclusive exhibition at a medieval 13th century castle in Welshpool. Two items from the world-class collection at Powis Castle and Garden feature in the National Trust’s newest publication ‘100 Curiosities and Inventions’. In celebration, a one-off exhibition showcasing the items will be installed in the castle from September to November. Michelle Lisa Gayle, property curator at Powis Castle and Garden, said: “It’s always an honour to feature in a National Trust publication, but to feature twice is quite something. “It felt only right to celebrate this occasion and, as it’s been a while since we’ve been able to deliver an exhibition in the castle, now is the perfect time. “The two items in the book will be on display, as well as a few more from the collection at Powis as voted for by staff and volunteers. All seem ordinary to the untrained eye, but they all have an amazing story which makes them quite extraordinary.” The Blue Drawing Room at Powis Castle. Powis Castle was passed down through the Herbert family from the late 1500s. Each generation enlisted artists and architects to elaborately decorate and furnish the castle into a comfortable family home. Today, visitors are wowed by extraordinary paintings, sculptures and tapestries, all beautifully displayed in the castle’s State Rooms. ‘100 Curiosities and Inventions’ brings together a selection of little-known but remarkable objects from the National Trust’s collection that puzzle, intrigue and enchant. These objects help members and visitors to understand the rich histories of the places in the trust’s care and the lives and interests not just of those who owned them, but of all those who lived and worked there. Gravestone table which features in the exhibition. Katie Knowles, the National Trust’s assistant national curator and author of the upcoming publication, said: “The National Trust looks after one of the largest and most significant holdings of fine-art and heritage objects in the world. Many have amazing or unexpected uses and stories, and this book binds all that joy together. “It’s fantastic to see the team at Powis bringing the book to life in exhibition form. I will definitely be visiting and encourage our loyal members and supporters to take a look for themselves.” The exhibition at Powis Castle and Garden will be running until November 27, 12pm to 4pm daily and on weekends in November. The book is available to purchase via nationaltrust.org.uk/shop, National Trust shops and other online and high street retailers. For more information about the exhibition, visit: nationaltrust.org.uk/powis-castle Images credit: National Trust Images. |
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