“Families and couples are always looking for something to do during Bank Holiday weekends and school half term holidays, especially when it’s raining, which seems likely this Easter,” said Lorna Morris who established the attraction with business partner Jo Woodall four years ago.
 
“As an Easter treat, we have decided to give customers a 20% discount for Good Friday and Saturday, so that they can enjoy the immersive, fun experience indoors here at Beyond Breakout.
 
“‘Shaken Not Purred’ stands as a testament to our commitment to innovation and delivering unforgettable adventures for players of all ages. We look forward to welcoming both new and returning players."
 
Lorna and Jo have worked hard to establish the business within the interactive entertainment industry.
 
Next week, the attraction will be open as usual from Tuesday to Sunday. For more information about Beyond Breakout Ltd and its escape room games or to book online, visit www.beyondbreakout.co.uk .

An award-winning Mid Wales pilgrimage centre reopens on Saturday, March 23 with a new name and a day of activities to celebrate its 10th anniversary year.
 
Mary Jones Pilgrim Centre, the new name for Mary Jones World at Llanycil, Bala, tells the story of a local Welsh girl who inspired a global movement that changed the lives of millions.
 
The centre shares the inspirational story of Mary Jones, whose epic 26–mile barefoot journey to buy a Welsh Bible led to the foundation of Bible Society, a global movement which is now active in over 240 countries and territories across the world.
 
To celebrate the opening of the new season with a new name, there will be a presentation by Elin Owen, from the Diocese of Bangor’s Pererin Project at 10.30am, a short drama of the Mary Jones story at 1pm and a presentation at 3pm by Mary Thomas, author of ‘The Mary Jones Walk’.
 
Also available throughout the day will be creative prayer stations with Coleg y Bala and children’s crafts. Pilgrim Café will be serving light lunches, homemade cakes and drinks.
 
The visitor experience, set on the edge of the breathtaking Llyn Tegid, allows visitors to follow in the footsteps of Mary Jones with displays and interactive content in a Grade 2 listed building.
 
Complete with a picnic area, café and children’s playground, the Mary Jones Pilgrim Centre offers a great time out for children and adults alike.
 
Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed into the centre or the graveyard. However, well-behaved dogs are welcome in the Pilgrim Café and other areas of the site.
 
The café offers a selection of hot drinks, tasty homemade cakes and light lunches from local suppliers. Group bookings are available on request.
 
Visitors from around the world have been welcomed over the past decade and the centre, which opened in October 2014, has listened to feedback that the name Mary Jones World doesn’t accurately represent the experience.
 
“We are incredibly grateful for the support we have received so far and hope the public will join us in this new, exciting chapter for the centre,” said a spokesperson.
 
The centre is open Wednesday to Sunday from March 23 to September 29 from 10am to 4pm in addition to Bank Holiday Mondays.
 
For more information including enquiries and bookings contact Tel: 0808 1784 909 / 01678521877 or visit www.maryjones.org.uk .

Growing Mid Wales, in partnership with Powys and Ceredigion County Councils, hosted a decarbonisation event on Monday 11 March at Bargoed Farm, bringing together industry leaders, experts, and businesses committed to exploring ways to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and energy costs.
 
The event Sustainable business solutions in Mid Wales: Minimising emissions and costs featured insightful panel discussions, interactive workshops, and presentations from Business Wales, the Regional Skills Partnership and the energy networks. Attendees had the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and practical strategies to decarbonise their operations and contribute to a more sustainable future.
 
Jointly, Ceredigion County Councillor Keith Henson, Cabinet Member for Highways and Environmental Services and Carbon Management and Powys County Councillor Jackie Charlton, Cabinet Member for a Greener Powys said: “We are thrilled to see the widespread commitment from businesses across sectors to embrace decarbonisation as a fundamental aspect of their operations.
 
“This event served as a platform to share knowledge, showcase innovations, and forge collaborations that will collectively drive the transition to a low-carbon economy.
 
“It was great to see Mid Wales businesses also benefit from the wide and varied support available to understand how decarbonising their business can help promote Mid Wales as a place to do green business with."
 
The event aligns with Growing Mid Wales’ and the two local authorities’ ongoing mission to empower businesses to adopt sustainable practices and reduce their carbon footprint. By fostering dialogue, collaboration, and innovation, Growing Mid Wales aims to be a catalyst for positive change in the region.
 
Bargoed Farm is committed to becoming a carbon neutral business. During the event Geraint Thomas, Bargoed Farm owner, provided a tour, showing the sustainability practices they currently follow. He said: “The decarbonisation event was a great opportunity for us to share current practices, our knowledge and ways we’ve addressed challenges so that we could help to show other businesses how to start or ramp up their sustainability journey. Let's carry forward this momentum, I hope that this is the first of many opportunities that will bring green business in Mid Wales to the forefront of conversation.”
 
Thank you to National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED), National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET), Scottish Power Energy Network (SPEN) and Wales and West Utilities (WWU) who kindly sponsored the event.
 
For more information on Growing Mid Wales and future sustainability events, visit www.growingmid.wales/Energy+NetZero or sign up to receive a monthly newsletter featuring the latest news on Growing Mid Wales developments by emailing [email protected].

​Many locals may have fond memories of the Ffestiniog Railway’s famous beer trains which, until 1996, were the only place to get a drink when Dwyfor’s pubs were still closed on a Sunday.
 
Others will have treasured family memories of visiting the newly revived railway during summer holidays. People in Blaenau Ffestiniog might have witnessed the first train arriving back in 1982.....
 
All of these stories are invaluable pieces of the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways’ past. As part of the National Lottery Heritage Fund Interpretation & Boston Lodge Project, there is a fantastic opportunity for people to tell their stories.
 
This ongoing £5.2 million project is an ambitious endeavour to tell the story of the railway and it’s 200-year history to thousands of visitors. The project will involve more people in the railway and help them to develop skills.
 
Historic buildings will be rescued and new buildings created. Boston Lodge Works is the oldest continuously operating engineering works in the world.
 
Through this ambitious and exciting project, the story of the railway will be told to help thousands of visitors understand the area’s pioneering spirit and global impact and explain how the industry has shaped the landscape and community over 200 years.
 
General manager, Paul Lewin, said: “We can feel our history slipping through our fingers – we must act now to save that history.”
 
He is encouraging members of the public to have their stories recorded now before they’re lost forever.
 
Upcoming tours of Boston Lodge Works, the railway’s engineering works, provide a chance to weave people’s stories with the well-established history of the railway to bring the past to life for visitors and the local community.
 
The collection of these stories forms just a small part of the project, which focuses on improving how the history of the railway is told, as well as building works at Boston Lodge.
 
Anybody interested in telling their story is asked to contact the interpretation team at [email protected]. Interviews can be conducted in-person or remotely. These will then be kept in the company archives, one of the world’s oldest railway archives.
 
There are also always opportunities for those who wish to get involved with the project more broadly. Opportunities include attending workshops, behind the scenes tours, or even volunteering! More details can be found on the project website: https://nlhfproject.festrail.co.uk.

This year’s Montgomery Canal Forum, to be be held at the Royal Oak Hotel, Welshpool on Monday, April 22 at 2.30pm, will cover developments on the canal in Powys and Shropshire and plans for its future.
 
Presentations will include the new Schoolhouse Bridge, the last highway blockage in Shropshire, rebuilt by contractors in a volunteer-led project entirely funded by donations from supporters, private companies and charitable trusts.
 
Volunteers are restoring the canal channel in Shropshire supported by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and other grants, while a Restore the Montgomery Canal! appeal is supporting future restoration.
 
Presentations will also cover multi-million pound Levelling-Up projects in Powys, nurturing nature and embracing ecological stewardship in the canal restoration and Heulwen Trust, possibly the world’s first boat trip for vulnerable and less abled adults and children.
 
The forum is open to anyone interested in the restoration and development of the Montgomery Canal with its social, economic and environmental benefits for present and future generations.
 
There will be an opportunity to discuss any issue concerning the future of the Montgomery Canal and its contribution to the area.
 
Montgomery Waterway Restoration Trust chairman Michael Limbrey said, "Major works are under way to extend the isolated section of canal in Powys and at the same time volunteers are hard at work to restore the canal to the Shropshire border at Llanymynech.
 
“Restoration ensures a safe and accessible towpath, protects the canal’s valuable ecology and its historic canal-age structures and ensures an amenity for water sports as well as boating visitors: all topics that will be covered at the forum.
 
“The Montgomery Canal is part of a network of waterways which extends from Newtown to London’s Docklands and deep into Yorkshire. Many miles of once neglected canal have been reopened to become attractive features enjoyed by visitors and residents in towns like Llangollen, Brecon, Stratford-on-Avon and Droitwich.
“We believe that the restored Montgomery Canal will be valuable in making the borderlands of Shropshire and Powys a great place for visitors and for residents to live, work and enjoy.”​

An appeal will be launched on Friday to support an exciting £4 million project to redevelop Talyllyn Railway, the world’s first preserved railway, at Tywyn in Mid Wales.
 
The ‘Preserving our Past, Building Our Future’ project, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, proposes major redevelopment of facilities at Tywyn Pendre and Wharf stations to carry the railway into the future.
 
Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society (TRPS) is keen to educate visitors about the railway’s heritage and the story of slate in the region whilst also updating and increasing accommodation for volunteers.
 
New engineering facilities are also planned to train the next generation of engineers in heritage skills.
 
The proposals include:

• a new engineering facility on the site of the north carriage shed
• a new carriage shed on a new site
• new carriage maintenance facilities and paint shop
• additional volunteer accommodation
• remodelling Wharf Station to make it more accessible with an enlarged café and shop
• an all-weather heritage facility to tell the Talyllyn story.

 
Initial funding has already been secured from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to develop a full application for a grant exceeding £1m. Further grant funding from other sources is being sought.
 
On Friday, the railway will be officially launching The 75 Appeal with the target of raising at least £500,000 towards the £4m project over the next five to six years.
 
All money raised will go towards providing the railway with facilities needed for future decades. In addition, local links will be strengthened through  community engagement programme.
 
Every year, the fundraising appeal will focus on a particular aspect of the redevelopment. Initially, ‘Trefri’, a recently acquired property next door to Wharf Station, will be converted to volunteer accommodation and more carriage storage space will be provided at Pendre, the railway’s main working yards.
 
The whole development project is expected to take around five years to complete
 
Formed nearly 75 years ago to save the seven-mile narrow gauge railway, TRPS has  established a major tourist attraction which carries 50,000 passengers and generates around £4m for the local economy annually.
 
The railway is said to have inspired author and volunteer guard, the Rev W. V. Awdry, to create the series of Thomas the Tank Engine books.
 
The Talyllyn still retains much of its character and heritage, including regularly operating all of its Victorian locomotives and passenger stock. Three years ago, the railway became the southern hub of The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales UNESCO World Heritage Site..
 
Local politicians, grant awarding bodies, business people and members of the local community have been invited to attend the 75 Appeal Launch Day which will include a trip on the railway.
 
The railway is a member of MWT Cymru, which represents around 600 tourism and hospitality businesses and organisations across Powys, Ceredigion and Southern Snowdonia.

​Matthew Hirst and Declan Dear stormed to a fourth consecutive Get Jerky Rally North Wales win on Saturday with a breathtaking performance that saw them win each one of the event’s eight stages.
 
The 27-year-old driver was untouchable in the world-famous forests of Dyfnant, Dyfi and Gartheiniog, taking his Ford Fiesta R5 to a sensational win and his fourth in a row at the Welshpool-based event.
 
Blasting through the tricky conditions, which were made even more treacherous by persistent rain during the day, Hirst returned a faultless drive to win the Interclub section of the event by a staggering three minutes, getting his Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship title defence underway in fine style.
 
“When you look back at the history of this event, there are some top drivers that have won it. I’m really proud to have added my name to that list four times in a row,” said an elated Hirst.
 
“It’s a challenging event but one that I look forward to every year. There were some really difficult conditions out there today, especially this afternoon. It was bouncing it down and rivers were running across the stages.
 
“To be fair, we had a big moment on the last stage where it aquaplaned but we scooped it up. It may have looked easy [the winning margin] but it was anything but easy.”
 
The nearest challenge came from Irishman Dan O`Brien who made the trip over in his Ford Fiesta WRC with Mark Glennerster on the notes.
 
O’Brien found himself down in fifth overall after the opening Gartheiniog test but soon found the pace required to work his way up the leaderboard, eventually scooping second overall on a rare gravel outing.
Rounding out the podium were Mitsubishi EvoIX driver James Giddings and co-driver Aled Davies. Initially, the crew managed to haul their older specification Mitsubishi up to second behind Hirst but lost a chunk of time in the Big Ray stage and had to settle for third.
 
The race for the National section top spot was an altogether different affair as contenders in the Fuchs Lubricants British Historic Rally Championship battled it out throughout the day in a close-run affair.
 
George Lepley’s Mitsubishi Galant VR4 took the early advantage before being sidelined, which sparked a fascinating battle for victory.
 
In the end, it was Nick Elliot and Dave Price who finally stood on the top step of the podium taking their FIAT 131 Abarth to a long-awaited victory, their first since 2021.
 
“That's the first one in the Fiat and the first one in a couple of years, so yeah I’m really pleased with that,” said Elliott. “I said from the start the car was that much better from the word go, it was actually making me sweat on most stages.
 
“As ever, the pace at the front has been ferocious, with five or six drivers, all with great talent and pace, but we had just a little bit extra today and nicked it. But that’s not bad for an old Fiat and not bad for an old boy like me!”
 
The second spot went to Yorkshireman Daniel Mennell in his Ford Escort MKII. He and co-driver Richard Wise only entered the series at the start of the season and, on only Mennell’s second event in the BHRC, took an impressive runner-up spot against stiff competition.
 
Rounding out the Historic podium was Seb Perez and Gary McElhinney in their Porsche 911. The young Derbyshire driver returned a giant-killing performance to seal third, fresh from winning a rally in Mallorca the previous weekend.
 
The popularity of the rally was recognised on Saturday when the spectator car park in the Dyfnant stage reached capacity as motorsport fans flocked to the region to witness the impressive drivers in each category blast through the forests.
 
The lure of rally legend and local hero Gwyndaf Evans was apparent and the onlookers were not disappointed. The Dolgellau driver hurled his Ford Escort MKII through the trees in fine style during the day.
 
Making his first appearance in the event since 2010 and first gravel rally since 2014, Evans rapidly bedded back into the driver’s seat and despite feeling like he “needed some WD40”, took fourth in the Historics with Dale Furness alongside.
 
Running alongside the event, the Mini Rally Challenge tackled just four of the stages, offering a cost-effective platform for the 14 BMW Minis which enjoyed their own battles during the morning. Jacob Neal and Russell Thompson were the eventual victors.
 
Organised by Wolverhampton and South Staffordshire Car Club, the event was once again sponsored by the Welshpool-based Get Jerky brand of beef jerky snacks and attracted an impressive entry of more 100 cars which tackled the rally.
 
Images credit: Russ Otway / 90Right

​The clergy’s love of trains and railways is covered in a new book to be launched by Archbishop of Wales, Most Rev Andy John, at Tywyn on Saturday, March 23.
 
‘Reverend Enthusiasts’ is the third book from Nigel Adams in the series of ‘Talyllyn Railway Recollections’ from specialist publisher Mortons Books. This book has been written jointly with fellow Talyllyn Railway. volunteer Bob Cambridge.
 
Nigel will also be launching a second book, entitled ‘The Fairbourne Railway Recollections’, on the same day. A retired Anglican Priest, who served in Coventry, he now lives in Tywyn and has been volunteering on Talyllyn Railway for more 40 years.
 
Both books will be officially launched in the Narrow-Gauge Railway Museum at Tywyn Wharf station at 1.30pm by the Archbishop of Wales, a long-time supporter and honorary member of Talyllyn Railway.
 
The Archbishop joins a long line of clerics who have loved and continue to love trains and railways. One of the most famous was author the Rev W. V. Awdry, creator of Thomas the Tank Engine and a volunteer guard on Talyllyn Railway.
 
He was probably the first of a number of enthusiastic clerics to become members of Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society, joining in 1952, the second year of its foundation.

A new funding opportunity has been launched to support Ceredigion County Council’s commitment to attract more international or national events to Ceredigion.

In a press release issued by the Council:

"The UKSPF Cynnal y Cardi Events Programme Fund for Ceredigion is part of a wider suite of programmes being delivered in Ceredigion, funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). Tourism is an economic sector of vital importance to Ceredigion, representing the third largest employer in the County and we are keen to build on this sector and attract new visitors to the area.

The UKSPF 2022-2025 is a central pillar of the UK government’s ambitious Levelling Up agenda and a significant component of its support for places across the UK. It provides three years funding for local investment.
The focus of Cynnal y Cardi’s Events Programme Fund will be on:

• Attracting visitors to the County. Applications must demonstrate how the event will have a County-wide benefit, as well as possible wider regional and national benefits.
• Support the growth of linked businesses (indirect business benefits) and development of higher-value job creation.
• Development and promotion of local year-round events and experiences which encourage people to visit and explore the local area. Applications must demonstrate how the event will make a difference to individuals, communities and the local economy.
• Support for local arts, cultural heritage and creative activities.
• Events must support ambitions around climate change or the transition to a green economy through sustainability and waste reduction
  
  

Councillor Clive Davies, Ceredigion Cabinet member responsible for Economy and Regeneration said: “This funding is an opportunity to build upon the events that have already taken place in the County such as Other Voices Cardigan 2023 and events that continue to return to the County such as Rali Ceredigion. Businesses, volunteers and organisations in Ceredigion should take the opportunity and consider how they could grow and develop an ambitious, relevant and appropriate event to be held within the County in the coming years.”
​
The minimum grant available is £30,000 with the maximum grant available being £100,000. Each grant award will be subject to meeting grant criteria.

As to ensure project eligibility, interested applicants must read the guidance notes carefully and send a short brief, outlining their idea (bullet point format) and a breakdown of expenditure to [email protected] before starting on the application form."

More information on how you can submit an application can be found here: Cynnal y Cardi UK Shared - Ceredigion County Council