Accommodation and attraction providers and event organisers are being invited to an open day at Newtown escape rooms attraction Beyond Breakout next month to discover the potential for collaboration.
 
Beyond Breakout, based on the fourth floor of the Royal Welsh Building (post code SY16 1BJ) has been open for five years but will be converting to a mobile business from September 1.
 
Preparing for the launch of the mobile business, the company is organising an open day on July 17 at 11am, when accommodation and attraction providers and event organisers will have the opportunity to play an outdoor escape game free of charge.
 
The game takes around two hours and visitors will be treated to refreshments on their return when they will be able to discuss collaboration opportunities with Lorna Morris and Jo Woodall, Beyond Breakout partners.
 
Claire Owen, MWT Cymru’s membership and marketing manager, will also be there to discuss the benefits of becoming a member of the independent organisation which represents around 600 tourism and hospitality businesses across  Powys, Ceredigion and Southern Snowdonia.
 
“As we move forward and pivot our offering, we thought it would be the perfect timing to hold an open day to share what we have to offer,” explained Lorna. “Far from losing a popular local attraction, this is a chance for accommodation providers to bring an activity to their site, to entertain their guests.”
 
Lorna and Jo, who design all the escape room games themselves, offer outdoor games, events, educational packages for schools and tailored corporate team building activities across Wales.
 
The business organises pop up and outdoor games that are perfectly suited to tourism businesses looking to offer something different to engage and entertain their guests.
 
To book a place at the open day, accommodation providers are asked to email Beyond Breakout at [email protected] saying how many people will be attending.

Dwr Cymru’s Elan Valley Visitor Centre has recently donated several beech tree rounds to Crossgates Primary School for pupils to use as seats or tables as part of their outdoor learning.
 
“We came up with the idea of donating felled wood on an Outdoor Learning Practitioner training course, when a fellow course mate from Crossgates Primary School mentioned that their existing rounds were rotting and no longer usable,” said Dŵr Cymru Ranger Beth Rees.
 
“As we were felling beech trees the next day, we thought that while the brash could be left as habitat, we could donate some beech rounds for the children to enjoy.”
 
Crossgates learners have been enjoying the new space: “The log area is good for talking to friends and playing,” said pupil Mia, while schoolmate Honor added: “The log area is a lovely place to calm down and relax” and Lowri enjoys “walking round on and acting like their stepping stones.”
 
The large beech tree was felled alongside other beeches near Dol y Mynach Reservoir, as part of ongoing efforts to preserve the Celtic Rainforests in the Elan Valley. Beech trees, although native to the UK, are not native to Powys.
 
When they fall, beech leaves cover the ground in leaf litter and smother the mosses and lichens growing on the forest floor. Also, their dense canopy blocks sunlight to lower plants, and only a small number of species that can tolerate high levels of shade can survive.
 
Celtic Rainforest is a very rare habitat, which only exists in mild, damp conditions; often along the Western Seaboard of the UK. These woods thrive in places that receive more than 200 days of rain a year.
 
A mature Atlantic Sessile Oak, a key species in Celtic Rainforests, can support more than 400 species.
 
Aside from felling non-native trees, work to protect the Celtic Rainforests includes controlling invasive species, such as bracken and Rhododendron. Also, halo thinning, the practice of removing smaller saplings and trees beneath a mature tree to reduce competition and increase wildlife, such as wood warblers, pied flycatchers and redstart.

Exceptional customer service delivered by Shrewsbury-based caravan and motorhome dealership Salop Leisure has been recognised again – this time by business peers in the company’s home county.
 
Salop Leisure directors and staff are celebrating after winning the Outstanding Customer Service Award at the Shropshire Chamber Business Awards, held at Telford’s International Centre last Friday night.
 
The company is a past winner of the Shropshire Business of the Year.
 
“We are so proud to win this prestigious award which reflects our company’s core values - providing good, old fashioned customer service to the best of our ability every day,” said Salop Leisure associate director Ed Glover.
 
“We never rest on our laurels, as we constantly strive to provide an even better service to our customers. I would like to thank our whole workforce for the enormous contribution they make to the success of the company.
 
“It means a great deal to us to be recognised by business peers here in Shropshire, our home county.”
 
2024 is turning into another memorable year for Salop Leisure, which will be celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2026.
 
Already this year, the company has been named the UK’s top supplying dealer of both new and pre-owned touring caravans in The Owner Satisfaction Awards 2024 organised by Camping and Caravanning Club members and Practical Caravan magazine readers.
 
Salop Leisure was also named Swift Group’s Best Overall Dealership of the Year. The significance of all these awards is that they are decided by customer surveys, the acid test for any business.
 
Salop Leisure is a one-stop-shop for customers, who can buy, service, repair and store their touring caravans and motorhomes in Shrewsbury. The company was a caravan industry pioneer when opening its workshops for servicing and repairs seven days a week.
 
Selling caravan holiday homes, luxury lodges and glamping accommodation, the company works with caravan parks across the Heart of England and Mid Wales.
 
Salop Leisure’s headquarters has become a tourism destination, housing Love Coffee restaurant and Love Plants, a specialist plants centre. On site facilities include secure caravan and motorhome storage, winner of the CaSSOA (Caravan Storage Site Owners’ Association) platinum award.
 
Adjoining Salop Leisure’s headquarters is the company’s multi-award-winning Love2Stay glamping and touring caravan resort.

The two treasures went to the schools and pupils had the opportunity to take part in workshops by the library’s education service team.
 
Dr Rhodri Llwyd Morgan, library chief executive, said: “The education team does excellent work in providing experiences that meet the requirements of the curriculum by using the library's treasures.
 
“This is a project at the heart of our mission to inspire future generations to learn and to create by going out into those communities and sharing the wealth of our culture which has deep roots in their locality.”
 
Lois Jones, National Trust senior programming and partnership officer, said the trust is prioritising the inclusion of young people in its work at Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant - birthplace of William Morgan..
“By working with the library on this plan, we have been able to offer a package of experiences to the children which will strengthen the local community’s relationship with Tŷ Mawr and William Morgan’s story.”
 
Elliw Roberts, Ysgol Gynradd Penmachno headteacher, said: “It was a privilege and an unforgettable experience for the pupils, staff and governors of Ysgol Penmachno to welcome the 1588 Bible, together with a portrait of Bishop William Morgan, to the school for a day.
 
“It was an amazing occasion and certainly one that will be treasured here at Ysgol Penmachno for years to come.”
 
On Friday, July 12, both schools will visit the library to see where the two items are kept safe and to learn more about the national collections and how they are preserved for future generations.
 
As part of the project, the children will also visit the birthplace of William Morgan, Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant, which is in the care of the National Trust, to learn about how he lived when he was a young child, and what inspired him to learn.
 
In addition, the schools will hold a day of art workshops, during which the artist Eleri Jones will visit the schools to show the pupils how to paint portraits.
 
The library’s work to take masterpieces to schools is part of the strategy to reach out to communities across Wales and support participation in cultural, educational and artistic activities for children and young people.

The Welsh Blonde features In the Welsh Wind Signature Style gin, elderflower cordial, freshly squeezed red grapefruit juice, Lillet Blanc aperitif wine and two shakes of lemon juice.
 
“We’re thrilled to welcome Taylor Swift to Cardiff and wanted to honour her visit in a way that truly represents our local heritage,” said Ellen Wakelam, In the Welsh Wind Distillery co-founder.
 
“Personally, I’m a huge fan and can’t wait to see her show in Cardiff. Our Welsh Blonde cocktail is a celebration of the vibrant flavours of Wales, combined with the elegance of Taylor’s favourite drink. We hope it adds an extra sparkle to her stay and to all her fans enjoying the concert.”
 
Locally distilled In the Welsh Wind Signature Style gin adds a robust, aromatic base to the cocktail, embodying the spirit of Wales. The elderflower cordial brings a fragrant and floral sweetness, capturing the essence of the Welsh countryside in June.
 
Not typically Welsh, red grapefruit offers a zesty and refreshing citrus note, perfectly balancing the drink's sweetness. Staying true to the Welsh Blonde’s roots, French aperitif wine Lillet Blanc adds a touch of sophistication and depth and lemon juice enhances the vibrant flavours of the serve with a subtle tartness.
 
To prepare the Welsh Blonde, shake the ingredients until the cocktail shaker is almost too cold to touch - about 15 to 20 seconds. Double strain into a coupe glass or a short tumbler, then garnish with a grapefruit peel for a final touch of elegance.
 
To prepare your own Welsh Blonde:
Serves 1
50ml In the Welsh Wind Signature Style gin,
25ml Elderflower cordial
75ml freshly squeezed red grapefruit juice,
25ml Lillet Blanc
2 shakes of lemon juice

An award-winning Mid Wales escape rooms attraction has announced plans to hit the road with a mobile offering of outdoor games, events, educational packages for schools and corporate team building activities.
 
Beyond Breakout will be closing its indoor escape rooms on the fourth floor of the Pryce Jones Building in Newtown on September 1 to take the business in a new director.
 
Business partners Lorna Morris and Jo Woodall, who invested their redundancy money to launch Beyond Breakout in January 2020, opted to go mobile because the lease of the space for their indoor escape rooms ends later this year.
 
People who have Beyond Breakout vouchers are being urged to ensure that they used them before the end of August.
 
“Our fully mobile offering is our way of evolving and we are excited with the new direction for the business,” said Lorna. “We can now focus on the things that we both enjoy the most, which are education and team building.
 
“We already do a lot of work with schools and have designed educational packages to complement the new curriculum which can be delivered across Wales.
 
“We also run outdoor escape room games for four high schools across Powys to help the transition of children from feeder primary schools. The games are designed to get primary school and high school pupils working together on problem solving and fun activities to aid their transition prior to the new academic year starting in September.
 
“We have been working with Newtown High School for five years and have signed up two more high schools this year. The feedback we get from teachers is very positive. Having Jo’s experience as a former primary school teacher certainly helps when planning the educational packages.”
 
Lorna and Jo also, who design all the escape room games themselves, offer tailor-made team building packages for companies which focus on encouraging good communication, teamwork, problem solving and promoting positive mental health and wellbeing.
 
Beyond Breakout is available for events and organises pop up and outdoor games that are perfectly suited to tourism businesses looking to offer something different to engage and entertain their guests.
 
“We would never have evolved into outdoor escape games had it not been for Covid,” added Lorna. Just a couple of months after Beyond Breakout opened, the business was forced to close for 46 weeks during the pandemic.
 
Lorna and Jo previously worked together at Girlguiding Cymru headquarters at Broneirion, Llandinam until they were made redundant and decided to launch Beyond Breakout, the area’s first escape rooms attraction.
 
Beyond Breakout is a member of MWT Cymru, an independent organisation representing around 600 tourism and hospitality businesses across Powys, Ceredigion and Southern Snowdonia.

A new National Library of Wales exhibition titled ‘Tipyn o Sioe!’ (What a Show!) celebrates the 120th anniversary of the founding of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society (RWAS) and the Royal Welsh Show.
 
‘Sioe Fawr’, one of Europe's biggest agricultural shows, takes place in July each year and was originally held in Aberystwyth in 1904. It went to various locations until 1963, when it found a permanent home in Llanelwedd, Builth Wells.
 
Photographs in the exhibition reflect how the show and agriculture have evolved over the decades. The majority of them are the work of two documentary photographers, Geoff Charles and Arvid-Parry-Jones, who have diligently documented the show through engaging and revealing images.
 
Other photographers appearing are Haydn Denman who has documented his photographic journey along the A470 through Llanelwedd and Bruce Cardwell who has published a recent book containing contemporary images of the show.
 
Dr Rhodri Llwyd Morgan, library chief executive, said: “The Royal Welsh Show is one of Wales' most important events, giving our agricultural excellence an international platform.
 
“Thank you to the society for choosing to announce this year’s show with us and it is our pleasure to curate this exhibition of photographs from our collection which documents the event’s history over the years. We look forward to welcoming people from far and wide to see them.”
 
Aled Rhys Jones, RWAS chief executive, said: “We have built a very close relationship with the library over the past year and are very grateful to them for preparing this special exhibition which records the development of the show and its contribution to the Welsh countryside.
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“Also, having the opportunity to host the official launch of the 2024 show in the library was a historic event, celebrating the birthplace of the show in Aberystwyth back in 1904.”

The Royal Welsh Show is renowned for its livestock competitions, but there's a lot more to enjoy around the showground.

The pinnacle event in the British agricultural calendar, the Royal Welsh Show takes place at the showground in Llanelwedd, Builth Wells from July 22-25.

The show attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to the heart of Mid Wales to celebrate the very best of Welsh and British agriculture. The action-packed four-day event features exciting competitions, livestock, horticulture, forestry, crafts, countryside sports, shopping, food and drink, a 12-hour programme of non-stop entertainment, attractions, displays and much more.

Here are 11 fun things you can get up to at this year’s show:

1. Check out the brand new Horticulture Village, celebrating all aspects of horticulture in Wales, including talks and demonstrations, VIP guests, competitions, micro beds, a sensory garden, live music and food court.
2. Watch the opening ceremony on Monday morning. This year’s show will be officially opened by Charles Arch, a well-known voice who started commentating back in 1980.
3. Cool down with an ice cream – pop along to Minoli’s of Machen under the Grandstand who are celebrating 30 years of trading at the show!
4. Watch the Farmers Weekly Britain’s Fittest Farmer qualifying heats competition in the Sports Village on Thursday, where farmers face a series of tough physical challenges designed to test speed, strength and stamina.
5. Shop around the stalls – pick up all sorts of unique and interesting souvenirs and gifts from the hundreds of trade stands.
6. Enjoy a well-deserved rest and bite to eat in the Welsh Food Village, Gwledd | Feast.
7. Experience the buzz of the Meirionnydd Shearing Centre on Wednesday afternoon for the senior championships.
8. Watch the pole climbing competition - new poles have been sourced from the nearby Doldowlod Estate to re-introduce the much-loved pole climbing competition. Weighing five tons each and standing 90 feet long, the poles are made from trees planted more than 60 years ago.
9. Watch the Grand Parade – take in the atmosphere of the Main Ring as winning livestock and horses come together on Wednesday and Thursday afternoon.
10. Sample the delicious goods from around Wales in the renowned Food Hall – from savoury delights to sweet treats.
11. Catch the Main Ring entertainment from 8am-8pm everyday – including the JCB Dancing Diggers, a Heavy Horse musical display, the RAF Falcons, the Regimental Band of the Royal Welsh and Meirion Owen and his sheepdogs. To mark the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society’s 120th anniversary and celebrate the feature county of Ceredigion, a Celebration of Welsh Agriculture Display will include a larger than life-size puppet of a Ceredigion farmer with animals, performers and singers. A unique display, not to be missed.

Advance online tickets for the show are now available at www.rwas.wales / www.cafc.cymru .

The gallery also offers a wide range of inspirational nature books for all ages, which includes James’ book Two Lights (£16.99, September Publishing), recently longlisted for the Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje prize.
 
For people wanting to paint and write about nature, James will be running creative workshops throughout the year. These will take place both at the gallery and out in the local woodland and river setting. Anyone interested in joining a workshop is asked to email James at [email protected] .
 
An artist, writer and lover of wild things, James has been an editor, art director, designer, animator, dramatist and all-round creative. He is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts. 
 
His art has featured in galleries, on book and magazine covers and on stage sets. His writing has been published in many literary journals and magazines as well as publications like National Geographic and The Scotsman.
 
The bookshop stocks a small but comprehensive selection of new and second hand titles by well known writers, illustrators, photographers and artists.
 
River Wood is located at The Old Swan, West Street, Rhayader, LD6 5AB - the yellow building near the crossroads – and is open Thursdays to Saturdays, 11-4pm, and Sundays 11-3pm.
 
Private studio visits are available by appointment. For more information visit www.riverwood.studio .
 
River Wood is a member of MWT Cymru (Mid Wales Tourism), an independent organisation representing around 600 tourism and hospitality businesses across Powys, Ceredigion and Southern Meirionnydd.