​Participants will wrap coloured yarn vertically around a thin wooden board and then weave yarn horizontally through it with a tapestry needle to create simple weave structures. A frame will be available to purchase for the finished artwork.
 
All the workshops run from 10am to 4pm and cost £50 each, with all materials supplied. Refreshments are included but participants are asked to take a packed lunch with them.
 
To book a place on a workshop or for more information, visit the museum website at https://www.newtowntextilemuseum.co.uk/events.php
 
Aiming to bring to life the town’s industrial heritage, Newtown Textile Museum is housed in an original hand-loom weaving factory, built in the 1830s in Commercial Street, Newtown.
 
This volunteer-run museum shows how people lived and worked in the building, the industrial history of Newtown and the processes involved in turning fleece into flannel.
 
In addition, industries linked to wool – tanning, clog making and drapers’ shops, including the Pryce Jones family who pioneered mail order – are also featured.
 
The museum is a member of MWT Cymru, an independent organisation that represents around 600 tourism and hospitality businesses across Powys, Ceredigion and Southern Snowdonia.

An M-Sport Ford Puma Hybrid Rally1 car will perform demonstration runs through the Aberystwyth street stage of this year’s JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion’s on Saturday evening, September 2.
 
The state-of-the-art car will be on display at the Rali Show and ceremonial start on the town promenade from 6pm on Friday evening with M-Sport boss Malcolm Wilson, OBE, also attending the day’s promotional activities.
 
The Aberystwyth street stages, which are sponsored by Cambrian Training Company, Get Jerky and LAS Recycling, run from the end of the promenade, through the town and onto the seafront road.
 
Helping to highlight the event’s commitment to sustainable motorsport, the demonstration is set to mark the first time one of the current generation of hybrid WRC cars, which are powered by 100% fossil free race fuel, is seen in action on an asphalt rally stage in the UK.
 
Driven by former WRC driver Matthew Wilson, the demonstration runs will kick-start Saturday evening’s action ahead of the 112-strong field, with competing cars scheduled to tackle stages seven and eight from 5.30pm.
 
Entry into Friday evening’s Rali Show is free. Discounted online tickets for Saturday evening’s spectator Fan Zones in Aberystwyth are available up to 1pm on Friday, September 1.
 
While visitors are encouraged to purchase in advance, tickets are also available on the day subject to availability. A park-and-ride shuttle service is included in the price.

To purchase tickets and for further details, visit: www.raliceredigion.co.uk/spectators .
 
“I am very excited to be visiting Rali Ceredigion and to see our Puma Hybrid Rally1 take to the streets of Aberystwyth,” said Wilson, M-Sport managing director. “it should be an impressive sight.
 
“The feedback about Rali Ceredigion has been universally positive and it’s fantastic to see an event that is still in its infancy attracting great interest from fans, drivers, and partners.
 
“I’m keen to see first-hand how the event is organised and learn more as a sport as to why this rally is running so well.
 
“I make no secret that it really does frustrate me we don’t have a UK-based WRC event and our fans have had little chance to witness the incredible Hybrid Rally1 cars.
 
“The technology these cars possess and the things they are capable of can only be appreciated by seeing them running in anger, in person.
 
“I’ve always been able to pride M-Sport on supporting young and upcoming talent and while this event isn’t a driver, it’s something I want M-Sport to support early on. I think this event really has the potential be a major fixture on the international rallying calendar, whether that’s in ERC or WRC.
 
“If you’re a rally fan and have missed the sound, smell and magic of a world-class rally car on UK stages, then you cannot afford to miss this opportunity.”
 
Andy Gilmore, Rali Ceredigion clerk of the course, said: “It’s fantastic that M-Sport is supporting Rali Ceredigion and the Puma Rally1 will most certainly provide an exclusive spectacle for fans at the event.
 
“Sustainable motorsport solutions are vital as we move forward and the hybrid car will showcase how exciting these new generation machines really are.”

​MWT Cymru’s key role of representing tourism and hospitality businesses across Mid Wales was underlined on Monday when officials and members met with  Brecon and Radnor’s elected representatives in the Welsh and UK Parliaments.
 
The independent organisation, which has 600 members from the tourism and hospitality sectors across Powys, Ceredigion and Southern Snowdonia, briefed James Evans, MS and Fay Jones, MP, on the challenges facing its members, trading conditions and new developments.
 
Issues discussed included the potential impact on rural Wales of the Welsh Government’s taxation and licensing of self-catering accommodation and a proposed tourism levy, the cost of living crisis and the Mid Wales Growth Deal.
 
The meeting was hosted by Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water’s Elan Valley Visitor Centre, near Rhayader where MWT Cymru’s chief executive Val Hawkins, MBE, chairman Rowland Rees-Evans, Mid Wales Tourism Forum chairman Steve Hughson gave a overview of the tourism and hospitality sectors in Mid Wales.
 
Other speakers included MWT Cymru members Mike Booth, attractions manager at Elan Valley Visitor Centre, Greg Loweth, business development manager at the Metropole Hotel, Llandrindod Wells, Ryan Thomas, a director of Llangorse Multi Activity Centre, near Brecon, Helen Howarth, of Brecon Retreat, Sennybridge and Rhys Thomas, from Mid Wales Holiday Lets and Rhayader 2000.
 
Mr Booth said he was keen to hear how the proposed tourism taxes would fit into the Welsh Government’s vision for industry in 2030, as major expansion is planned in the Elan Valley, supported by the Mid Wales Growth Deal and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water.
 
Mr Rees-Evans, managing director of Penrhos Park, Llanrhystud, explained that MWT Cymru has organised a series of meetings with politicians across Mid Wales to brief the region’s members of the Welsh and UK Governments.
 
“What these meetings has highlighted is the important role MWT Cymru plays in representing the interests of tourism and hospitality businesses and bringing them together to brief and update politicians,” he said.
 
“Our members range from micro businesses to large hotels and attractions and it’s vital that their voices are heard because tourism and hospitality, together with agriculture, are the cornerstones of the Mid Wales economy.
 
“It’s essential that we meet our politicians regularly to update them, as there are major issues on the horizon that will impact our membership and Industry.”
 
Mr Hughson, who also chairs the Event Wales Industry Advisory Group, said: “The tourism sector is an important part of the rural economy of Wales. We very much look forward to working with the Welsh Government to ensure that their policy proposals have a positive impact on this sector and the wider rural economy.”
 
Both politicians welcomed the “useful” meeting and suggested regular future briefings from MWT Cymru.
 
“We have heard about the challenges facing the tourism and hospitality sectors here in Mid Wales,” said Mr Evans. “It’s very important that businesses come forward with plans to help these sectors to grow in Mid Wales.
 
“What would businesses like the Mid Wales tourism industry to look like in 2030? I believe that they, rather than governments, are best placed to shape the industry’s future.”
 
Ms Jones added: “It was a fantastic opportunity to have a discussion with tourism and hospitality businesses from Brecon and Radnor. I want to continue working with MWT Cymru to ensure that the powers that be in Westminster and Cardiff really understand and support these sectors which are absolutely critical to the rural economy.”

One of Wales’ premier country estates is preparing to welcome visitors to its first Forest Fairy Trail on August Bank Holiday Weekend.
 
Gregynog Hall’s 750 acres of grounds at Tregynon, near Newtown are filled with undiscovered treasures and the fairy trail is an ideal way to explore the woodland walks around the Grade 1 listed gardens and historic landscape.
 
The trail opens on Friday, August 25 and runs until Monday, August 28 from 10am to 4pm. Trail sheets cost £6 which includes a strawberry milkshake and a fairy cake in the Courtyard Café.
 
Lydia Bassett, Gregynog Hall’s head of business development, said: “We can’t wait to welcome all the fairy fans to our wonderful woods.
 
“The fairies’ front doors are being decorated with letters and numbers. Our visitors will need to collect all the numbers and letters and then unscramble them to find the magic words and claim their milkshake and fairy cake prize.
 
“Everyone is welcome to come along and join in. You will need solid shoes for wandering in the woods but dressing up is positively encouraged and some of our staff might well be dressing up as well.
 
“There’s no need to book, just come along and join in the fairy fun between 10am and 4pm over the Bank Holiday weekend.”
 
Gregynog Hall is now run by an independent charitable trust and the trail is part of its fundraising efforts to ensure the historic building and its grounds are preserved for future generations.
 
The grounds are a National Nature Reserve and there are miles of marked paths through the woods. The café is open daily from 10am to 4pm and the trail sheets will be available from the café in the Courtyard.
 
Described as “one of the Wales’ hidden treasures”, Gregynog Hall is the former home of art collectors and public benefactors Gwendoline and Margaret Davies.
 
The hall is a member of MWT Cymru (Mid Wales Tourism, an independent organisation representing 600 tourism and hospitality businesses across Powys, Ceredigion and Southern Snowdonia.

The first all-new and complete carriage built for Talyllyn Railway in 156 years has arrived in Tywyn, on the Mid Wales coast.
 
Carriage No.24 was built by the neighbouring Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway’s Boston Lodge works, funded by a grant from the Welsh Government’s Coastal Communities Fund and Talyllyn Railway’s legacy income.
 
Although similar to the railway’s existing bogie carriages, No.24 is a new configuration, with accommodation for first and third class passengers, including a wheelchair accessible compartment.
 
Carriage No.24 will undergo testing before entering service. Two more new carriages, now under construction at Boston Lodge, will follow in the coming months.
 
The new arrivals will enable the railway’s 155-year-old original carriages to be withdrawn from daily service. They will be used for more special premium services, such as ‘Slate Trail’ trains.
 
Railway board chairman, David Ventry, said: “These carriages will provide a welcome addition to our passenger fleet, offering a significant upgrade in our first class and accessible accommodation.
 
“The quality of the workmanship produced by the team at Boston Lodge is superb and we are grateful to them for their efforts. It is a fine example of inter-railway co-operation.
 
“We would also like to thank the Welsh Government for the substantial grant towards the cost of these carriages from their Coastal Communities Fund, as well as those supporters who have left us legacies over the years.”

​The National Cycle Museum will be open from 10am to 4pm from Monday to Saturday this week for Llandrindod Wells Victorian Festival, which runs from August 21 to 27.
 
The museum loans some Victorian era bicycles for a cycle parade and is inviting visitors to view a Bicycle Cavalcade on Friday, August 25 to see exhibits close up and hear about their history.
 
A new exhibition at the museum focuses on the Army Cycling Corps from the First World War. The corps played specific roles at the start of the war, authorised by Lord Kitchener in 1914 and initially comprising volunteers who were proficient in cycling.
 
“The volunteers were encouraged to join to play a specialised part in the war, carrying messages and patrolling areas which were in danger of attack, such as the coastline around Britain,” explained  Caroline Schofield, a museum volunteer.
 
“Using cycles was easier and more humane than riding on horseback but unfortunately, as the war progressed, these men were sent to the trenches. They were armed just like the infantry and, when manpower was running short, they became involved in trench warfare.
 
“A small number of units were used throughout the war, especially as the telephone system was in danger of being sabotaged by the Germans, but still many thousands of men lost their lives.
 
“The exhibition acts as a memorial and a tribute to the usefulness of the bicycle in bygone days.”
 
She added that Llandrindod Wells played an important role during the First World War, as The Commodore Hotel was turned into a military medics training hospital and other hotels in the town provided nursing and respite care for injured soldiers.

Freda Davies, museum curator, said the festival was traditionally the busiest week of the year for the museum and its trustees.
 
“The museum has been very busy with visitors in the last few weeks, especially if it rains, as visitors are then looking for indoor attractions where they can shelter from the weather,” she added.
 
Many amazing bicycles spanning 200 years of cycling and a wealth of cycling memorabilia are on display in the museum.
 
Located in the Automobile Palace, Temple Street, the museum is home to more than 250 cycles, representing the historical development of cycling from the early 1800s to the present day.
 
The first bicycle made by Johnson of London is displayed alongside an 1818 Hobby Horse, Victorian solid-tyred machines and the latest carbon fibre racing models.
 
It costs £20,000 a year to keep open the doors to the museum, which relies on the generosity of supporters and visitors to finance its work. For more information or to support the museum, visit http://www.cyclemuseum.org.uk .
 
The museum is a member of MWT Cymru, an independent organisation representing more than 600 tourism and hospitality businesses across Powys, Ceredigion and Southern Snowdonia.

Meirion Jones has followed in his artist father Aneurin’s footsteps and brushstrokes by creating a piece of art to mark Ceredigion being the feature county at the Royal Welsh Show next year.
 
Prints of Aneurin’s painting, which was created in 2010, the last time Ceredigion was the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society’s feature county, were sold to raise funds for the show and were deemed a huge success.
 
Now his son, Meirion, also a highly recognised artist, has created a painting for Sioe’r Cardis 2024, depicting a scene from the popular Barley Saturday Show and Parade. Much of Meirion’s work is inspired by Wales’ rural scenes and the beautiful West Wales coastline.
 
His original painting and prints will be sold to raise funds for Sioe’r Cardis 2024 and Wales Air Ambulance at a live auction at the Speed Shears Evening in Trefaes Fawr Farm, Beulah, Cardigan tomorrow (Friday), starting at 6pm.
 
This will be a fun-packed charity evening, attracting crowds form across Wales. The Speed Shears prizemoney is an impressive £1,500 with juniors, intermediate, senior, open, veteran, teams and even surprise celebrity heats.

Ceredigion County Council has welcomed the return of the international rally event, Rali Ceredigion, which start in Aberystwyth and runs over the weekend, September 2 and 3 .
 
The privately organised boosts the Ceredigion economy by attracting spectators and competitors from far and wide to enjoy and spend time in the county. The organisers ensure all carbon emissions associated with competing cars are responsibly offset in addition to pioneering a number of environmental initiatives.
 
The rally includes competitive stages in Borth, Cwmerfyn, Cwmystwyth, Llanafan, Clywedog, Nant y Moch and Aberystwyth areas.
 
Residents who live along the competitive routes have been informed by letter and have been part of an extensive consultation and engagement process outlining what to expect during the event.
 
A full list of which roads will be closed, including maps, can be seen at www.ceredigion.gov.uk/resident/travel-roads-parking/roadworks/road-closures/
 
In 2022, the hospitality sector reported significant occupancy rates over the event weekend and the social media highlighted Ceredigion’s wonderful natural resources, benefitting the tourism sector.
 
The organisers have also achieved FIA Environmental Accreditation and are keen to showcase new technologies in the sport. These are all priorities identified within the Ceredigion County Council’s corporate strategy.
 
Councillor Bryan Davies, council leader, said: “Ceredigion County Council welcomes both competitors and spectators to the Rali Ceredigion event again this year. The 2023 rally will build on the huge success of last year’s event, which attracted the best of British teams alongside international crews to our spectacular county.
 
“The event continues to deliver significant economic benefits to the local tourism and hospitality economies in Ceredigion, with many of the county’s businesses employing workers in this industry.
 
“The organisers are fully committed in introducing new measures to reduce environmental impacts of the event. As it stands, it’s the only rallying event in the UK which runs to the FIA’s Environmental Management accreditation.
 
“We hope everyone involved - competitors, marshals, officials and spectators - enjoy the rally in a safe and responsible way.”
 
For further information on the event, visit Rali Ceredigion’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RaliCeredigion 

​A luxury Welsh Marches retreat has launched a new ownership development of holiday lodges set within 15 acres of stunning parkland.
 
The lodges are open to prospective buyers and holidaymakers seeking a tranquil, five-star getaway at Bryn Tanat Hall, a family-run, five star self-catering destination at Llansantffraid near the Powys-Shropshire border.
 
Five lodges, which are available from £250,000, are included in the first phase, with another four to follow.
 
The new development builds upon Bryn Tanat Hall’s existing lodge offering, providing the ultimate peaceful retreat for those looking for a place of their own to escape, relax and unwind. The current workforce of 11 is expected to nearly double over the next three years.
 
Surrounded by acres of rolling countryside in the Mid Wales borderlands, the brand new lodge ownership development offers a new way to holiday.
 
The lodges are designed to provide an all-year-round, five-star experience and are completely customisable and tailored to each owner’s preferences. Working closely with Prestige Lodges, each luxury lodge features striking architecture, state-of-the-art amenities and a spacious outdoor terrace with uninterrupted views.
 
The new offering provides the perfect place to power down and recharge with the soothing sound of the River Tanat flowing in the background and breathtaking views of the natural landscape.
 
Susan Martin, of Bryn Tanat Hall, said: "We’re excited to expand our lodge offering at Bryn Tanat Hall and provide guests with the opportunity to own their own secluded bolthole, allowing them to escape daily life and fully switch off.
 
“We receive wonderful reviews about our picturesque location, so we’re sure that this new offering will be extremely popular with those who want to wake up to beautiful Mid Wales views all year round.
 
“Our vision as custodians of the Bryn Tanat Hall Estate is to ensure that the idyllic and arresting physical landscape, diverse wildlife habitats and ecosystem are protected. 
 
“To support this, we have planted thousands of trees, specimen now semi mature, woodland and hedging and created a wildlife pond with a second planned on the Lower Parkland Luxury Lodge park. 
 
“Standing for hundreds of years are spectacular mature trees, pines, beech, horse chestnut, acer, yew and oak.  We have also invested heavily in sustainable energy sources such as biomass, solar and ground source to heat and power the estate.”
 
“For prospective holiday home owners, the new development gives the opportunity to enjoy their own piece of paradise alongside the on-site facilities including the tennis court, fitness suite and the luxury, indulgent spa at Bryn Tanat Hall.”
 
The Bryn Tanat Estate already includes the popular parkland lodges and eco cabin, but the new development offers holidaymakers a more permanent solution to visit and explore Mid Wales time again.
 
For more information or to enquire about ownership of a new holiday lodge at Bryn Tanat Hall, visit https://bryntanat.co.uk/ or email [email protected] .
 
Bryn Tanat Hall is a member of MWT Cymru, an independent organisation that represents 600 tourism and hospitality businesses across Powys, Ceredigion and Southern Snowdonia.