Powis celebrates the Great Welsh Walking festival

Powis Castle in Welshpool is celebrating the National Trust’s Great Welsh Walking Festival with a free behind the scenes tour of its world famous garden.

Tours are free for National Trust members and will take place every Wednesday throughout September and October, beginning at 10.30am. Visitors will be treated to an exclusive tour of the terraced garden led by knowledgeable gardeners and volunteers.

“The gardens are breath-taking at this time year, so it’s certainly worth joining us as we reveal some of the garden’s secrets and celebrate the Great British Walking Festival,” said David Swanton, the castle’s head gardener.

Visitors will see the rich colour of the Sedums, Asters and deep blue Aconites flowering against the vibrant gold and orange of the Acers and take in the scent of burnt sugar from the Cercidiphyllums.

A highlights of the tour will be a behind the scenes look at the energy neutral nursery where plants are propagated in their dozens for both the main garden and the plant shop.

The tours are free for National Trust members and the normal entrance prices apply to non-members, however booking is essential. To book visit the website www.nationaltrust.org.uk/powis-castle or call 0844 2491895.

Picture caption:

Powis Castle in its autumn splendour.

Powis Facts:

⦁ Powis Castle began life as the medieval fortress of the Welsh princes of Powys, who held onto their kingdom despite the threats of their more powerful neighbours in Gwynedd and England.
⦁ In 1587, Powis was sold to Sir Edward Herbert who created the romantic long gallery which is richly decorated with the coats of arms of his ancestors.
⦁ The first Marquess of Powis was forced into exile in 1668 due to his loyalty to the deposed King James II.
⦁ In 1784, the marriage of Lady Henrietta Herbert and Edward Clive, son of Robert Clive, the conqueror of India, combined the Powis and Clive estates.
⦁ In the early 20th Century, the 4th Earl of Powis and his wife, Lady Violet, redecorated much of the castle and brought the garden back to life, introducing new varieties from all over the world.

ENDS

For further information please contact Ruth Scutter on 01938 551929. Follow us on Facebook or Twitter @NTPowisCastle

Llangoed Hall celebrates place in UK’s Top 50 restaurants

“Brilliant news. I knew we could do it.” That was the reaction of delighted managing director Calum Milne after discovering that Llangoed Hall at Llyswen, near Brecon had been given a place in the Waitrose Good Food Guide’s top 50 UK restaurants for 2016.

Llangoed Hall is the only new entry from Wales and at 36 in the guide is rated ahead of some established Michelin star restaurants. The other Welsh entries are Restaurant James Sommerin, Glamorgan at 24 and Ynyshir Hall, near Machynlleth at 34.

The guide was first published in 1951 to list "600 places throughout Britain where you can rely on a good meal at a reasonable price". It still relies on reader feedback of eateries up and down the country together with anonymous inspections by a team of experts.

Mr Milne praised the work of head chef Nick Brodie and his brigade of talented, young chefs for putting Llangoed Hall’s restaurant on the map by raising the standard of food served up at the five star Wye Valley country house hotel.

“When Nick was recruited we developed a five year plan for the restaurant and I am delighted to report that we are currently two years ahead of our projections,” he revealed.

“The original business plan has been replaced by a new five year plan, which will hopefully see Llangoed Hall achieve even more awards for culinary excellence.

“In the last year, we have installed a new £125,000 kitchen and recruited more staff from Michelin star establishments, which demonstrates that we have no desire to stand still. We aspire to be the very best we can be.”

Mr Brodie was ecstatic to wake up to the news. “I am proper chuffed and it’s a very happy occasion for the whole team at Llangoed Hall. It’s great that all our hard work is now being noticed and it drives us on to achieve our full potential and future goals.

“I really do think that it’s just the start because there is so much more we can achieve here due to the huge amount of effort that the kitchen brigade and restaurant staff put in. We work as a close team, which I think makes a difference.

“To get to this stage in just two and a half years is down to the amazing support that I have had from Calum, who has given me free rein. In a lot of restaurants it can be very restrictive in what you can achieve, but here it has been an open book.

"Llangoed Hall is by far the best place I have worked. It took me quite a while to find this position."
Last year, Llangoed Hall’s restaurant was upgraded to three rosettes at the AA Hospitality Awards in London, where the hotel gained recognition in the notable wine list of the year.

The hotel was also named The Sunday Times Country House of the Year 2014-’15 and achieved a double in The Good Hotel Guide 2015 for Great Britain and Ireland by being named in the guide’s top 10 Editor’s Choice country house and historic hotels.

These latest accolade is added to the coveted Condé Nast Johansens Best Restaurant accolade for Great Britain and Ireland, AA Hotel of the Year for Wales  and Inspectors Choice 4 Red Stars, the AA’s supreme accolade, all achieved in 2014.

The awards highlight a remarkable transformation of the historic property’s fortunes in the last three years. Mr Milne rescued Llangoed Hall from administration in July 2012 with the intention of guiding it back to the top of the UK’s hospitality industry.

A £3 million refurbishment has taken place, retaining the influence of the late Sir Bernard Ashley, co-founder of the Laura Ashley fashion brand, who restored Llangoed Hall from a parlous state in the 1980s.

Managing director Calum Milne and head chef 

Nick Brodie in the restaurant at Llangoed Hall.

Picture caption:

Top: Toasting Llangoed Hall’s latest success are managing director Calum Milne and head chef Nick Brodie.

Bala Lake Railway’s “Winifred” Steam Gala - August 28 to 31

Bala Lake Railway is holding its first steam gala in over 10 years over the Bank Holiday weekend from Friday to Monday, August 28-31 in honour of a little quarry engine named Winifred.

Winifred returned to steam earlier this year, 50 years after she last raised steam at the Penrhyn Quarry in Bethesda. Even more remarkable is that Winifred spent most of that time in exile in the USA.

Having been made redundant at Penrhyn Quarry, Winifred was one of six engines sold to an American in 1965 who shipped them off to the USA and quickly sold them on. Winifred was bought by Tony Hulman, the enterprising owner of the Indy 500 race track in Indianapolis. She was placed in a museum along with Mr Hulman’s car collection, but after this closed she spend the rest of the time in the back of a large climate controlled storage facility.

Several attempts were made over the years to purchase Winifred, but it wasn’t until 2012 that a supporter of the Bala Lake Railway succeeded and brought her back to Wales.

She was stripped down and overhauled in the railway’s workshops in Llanuwchllyn and launched back into service by Pete Waterman on her 130th birthday on April 13 this year. Because she was so well preserved it was decided at the time to keep her in her authentic original but slightly fading quarry coat of paint.

This weekend will be the last chance to ride behind her in this condition before she is given a fresh coat of paint this winter.

She will be joined by two of the railway’s other steam engines, Alice and Maid Marian and a late addition to the locomotive line-up Jack Lane courtesy of the Statfold Barn Railway who will be deputising for Holy War.

There will be a busy timetable of passenger and demonstration freight trains, with some engines double-heading on passenger trains and a chance to ride in the Dinorwic Quarry yellow carriage, once used by the royal family on a visit to the quarry.

The line’s various diesel engines get a look in too and the railway’s original diesel engine Meirionnydd has had a new coat of paint especially for the occasion.

At Llanuwchllyn, there are various exhibits including vintage tractors and stationary engines, vintage buses and a historic Bentley, plus model layouts and a chance to ride on the footplate and on a five inch gauge miniature railway.

A special evening train will run on Saturday evening, along with a hog roast and temporary bar serving local beers. There are special photo opportunities on both Sunday and Monday evenings featuring all the steam engines.

A free bus service will connect Bala Station with the council car parks in Bala, operated by a London Routemaster double decker and visitors will be encouraged to make use of this facility due to the limited parking availability at Bala and Llanuwchllyn over the weekend.

Further information and how to purchase advance tickets is available on the railway’s website: www.bala-lake-railway.co.uk

Jack Lane from the Statfold Barn Railway,

 the latest addition to the Winifred Steam Gala.

Picture caption:

Top: Winifred with a demonstration slate train passing a vintage tractor.

Ends

Further information available from David Jones, General Manager, on Tel: 01678 540666 balalake@btconnect.com

The Cob to Cardiff Challenge – 230 miles by rowing boat

Porthmadog's Madog MYC Rowing Club is getting set to embark on their marathon row to Cardiff. The oarsmen will be rowing for up to 30 miles each day in their Celtic longboat along the west coast of Wales, up the Severn estuary and timing their arrival in Cardiff to mark the 10th anniversary of the Millennium Centre.

They will be taking with them a slate plaque specially made by Llechwedd Slate Caverns, which will travel by air, land and sea. By air on Zip World Titan, Europe's longest zip wire, at Llechwedd before downhill mountain bike champion Adrian Bradley takes it on the world class Antur Stiniog course at Blaenau and on to the Ffestiniog Railway station.

A special steam hauled slate train will convey the plaque to Porthmadog, departing at 2.30pm and will be met at Porthmadog at 4.10pm by Meirionnydd Dwyfor MP Liz Saville Roberts. She will take the plaque to the Celtic longboat waiting in the harbour ready for the voyage to Cardiff Bay.

The journey, which takes place on September 1, the day before the Cob to Cardiff challenge sets off, follows that taken by the piece of slate that formed the foundation stone for the Wales Millennium Centre, put in place by local opera star Bryn Terfel.

Tuesday 1st September:
· 12:30 Llechwedd Slate Caverns, Blaenau Ffestiniog. Journey of the commemorative slate plaque starts on the Zip Wire Titan [Postcode: LL41 3NB, contact for site is James Cozens 01766 830396]
· 13:30 Llechwedd Slate Caverns, Antur Stiniog downhill mountain bike centre. Adrian Bradley carries the plaque on part of the course, and then on to the Ffestiniog Railway station in Blaenau Ffestiniog, eta 13:45
· 14:00 Ffestiniog Railway special steam hauled slate train arrives at Blaenau Ffestiniog station. Plaque is handed over. [Postcode: LL41 3ES, contact for railway is Andrew Thomas 01766 516072 / 07919 414871]
· 14:30 Ffestiniog Railway special steam hauled slate train departs from Blaenau Ffestiniog carrying the plaque to Porthmadog
· 16:10 Ffestiniog Railway special train arrives at Porthmadog Harbour Station to be met by Liz Saville Roberts MP [Postcode: LL49 9NF]
· 16:15 Slate plaque is conveyed from the station to the floating pontoon near Madog Yacht Club on the opposite side of the harbour [Postcode: LL49 9AT]

The Cob to Cardiff Challenge is being sponsored by Purple Moose Brewery, Aer Cymru Cyf of Penrhyndeudraeth, Walls and Ceilings International of Alcester and Plaster Plus of Manchester. The club is raising funds for the Wales Air Ambulance and Hospice at Home charities.

The challenge will set off mid-morning on Wednesday, September 2 and will head down the Glaslyn estuary and out to sea. Destination for the first day is Aberdyfi, then New Quay, Fishguard, Whitesands Bay, Dale, Tenby, Mumbles, Porthcawl and Barry, before arriving in Cardiff Bay in time for the final event in the Wales Millennium Centre’s 10 years celebration.

Along the way. the Porthmadog boat will be escorted by Celtic longboats from other clubs and others will travel overland to join them in Cardiff Bay. The Bws Awen will also find its way across Wales to be there at the same time.

The final event, entitled Ar Waith Ar Daith, is a spectacular outdoor performance in Cardiff featuring a display of dance, procession, projection and pyrotechnics. Hundreds of participants will represent Wales' rich cultural heritage and history through live music, dance, aerial performance, and storytelling.

The arrival of the Celtic longboats rowing from the barrage across Cardiff Bay will initiate this performance and see the culmination of the Cob to Cardiff Challenge when the slate plaque is presented to the Wales Millennium Centre.

Wednesday 2nd September:
· Mid-morning (09:00 – 10:30), exact time depends on tidal conditions and will be confirmed nearer the date, Cob to Cardiff challenge departs from Porthmadog harbour. One boat will be completing the whole challenge, up to three boats may be departing on the 2nd [Postcode: LL49 9AT]
· Late afternoon/early evening, time very dependent on sea and weather conditions, Cob to Cardiff Challenge arrives at Aberdyfi
Thursday 3rd September: Depart Aberdyfi; arrive New Quay
Friday 4th September: Depart New Quay; arrive Fishguard
Saturday 5th September: Depart Fishguard; arrive Whitesands bay
Sunday 6th September: Depart Whitesands Bay; arrive Dale (nr Milford Haven)
Monday 7th September: Depart Dale; arrive Tenby
Tuesday 8th September: Depart Tenby; arrive Mumbles
Wednesday 9th September: Depart Mumbles; arrive Porthcawl
Thursday 10th September: Depart Porthcawl; arrive Barry
Friday 11th September: Depart Barry; arrive Cardiff Bay
Saturday 12th September: Ar Waith ar Daith performance starts 19:30 in Cardiff Bay

The Cob to Cardiff Challenge will see teams of rowers in Celtic Longboats rowing for up to 30 miles each day in open seas. They will face the challenge of weather and tides and potentially rough seas.

A very stringent safety regime is in place with the rowing boats escorted by RIBs (rigid dinghies) and a yacht. Some legs of the row may need to take place in reverse due to prevailing currents and in the event of very extreme weather any leg may be shortened or cancelled on safety grounds. It is however hoped that the whole distance can be rowed.

A Celtic longboat is a fibreglass sea going rowing boat based on the design of an ancient Irish Curragh discovered in the 1970s on Ramsey Island. There are four fixed seats for rowers, who each use one oar, and each boat carries a cox who is responsible for instructing the crew, steering and overall safety.

ends

For more information please contact Andrew Thomas, media relations at Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways, on Phone: 01766 516072, Mobile: 07919 414871

The Talyllyn to steam through the night for

Over the August Bank Holiday Weekend (August 29-31), Talyllyn Railway will be steaming through the night as well as going back to the 1950s as part of Heart of Gold gala for the ongoing 150th anniversary celebrations.

This gala remembers the early years of the Preservation Society when Talyllyn became the world’s first preserved railway in 1951.

But first the railway looks forward when, on Saturday, August 29, it holds a Young Members’ Day, highlighting the work that they do. On the same day, the ever-popular Abergynolwyn Show is held and there will be an opportunity to take a trip on a London Routemaster bus from Abergynolwyn Station to Talyllyn Lake.

In addition, there will also be the opportunity to drive a steam locomotive for £10 at Tywyn Wharf Station.

That evening, instead of the train services ending in the late afternoon as they usually do, they are going to continue running right through Saturday night into Sunday. Trains will be departing from Tywyn Wharf at five minutes to the hour between 6.55 pm and 5.55 am in the morning.

During the evening and night trips some special surprises are planned, including passing through some fairy-lit woods and even some musical entertainment.

On the Sunday, the clocks turn back to the 1950s, with highlights including a re-enactment of the specially decorated Coronation train run by the railway in 1953.

There is also a series one Land Rover rally and the Routemaster bus will be connecting Tywyn to Fairbourne with a ride along the coast road. To add to the atmosphere anyone coming in 1950s costume will be allowed to travel free.

The ‘50s theme will continue on the Monday with further special trains which recall the days of the early preservation pioneers.

A railway spokesperson said: “Experiencing a ride behind a steam engine at night is something special and we love to run these night sessions during our celebration events. Usually we do this in June or July when the nights are shorter, so this time, when there will be more hours of darkness, it will be something different.

“We hope that this will encourage families to come and ride the trains with us during the evening, and experience some of the night-time magic for themselves. To give extra value for money, if you buy an all-day rover ticket for the Saturday, you can present it at the ticket office on the Sunday to receive a free day rover for that day as well.”

Picture caption:

Talyllyn Railway locomotive No.2 Dolgoch at Dolgoch station.
(Photo: D. Mitchell)

ends

Editor’s Notes 

Talyllyn Railway is a narrow gauge railway opened for goods traffic in 1865 and shortly after for passenger services. These have operated every year since between Tywyn, on the west coast of Wales, and Nant Gwernol just over seven miles inland. In 1951 the line was taken over by the Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society and became the world’s first preserved railway.

Operation of the line is primarily by volunteers from all walks of life, with a small paid staff. It is now a major tourist attraction in the mid-Wales area, contributing significantly to the area’s economy.

2015 marks the 150th Anniversary of the opening of the line to goods traffic, and to mark the occasion a series of special celebrations are being planned.

The two remaining celebrations will be on: August 29-31, The Heart of Gold Weekend; September 25-27, The Heritage Weekend.

One million passenger milestone for Vale of Rheidol Railway

Aberystwyth’s Vale of Rheidol Railway celebrated a milestone on July 29, welcoming its millionth passenger since the line gained its independence from British Rail in 1989.

Since passenger services started in 1902 it is estimated that approximately five million passengers have enjoyed the ride to Devil’s Bridge.  

Railway spokesman Will Smith said this milestone was another significant chapter in the railway’s rich history. It was credit to the hard work staff put in to keep the railway going. Over the last few years, there had been a total transformation with restored stations and a more intensive service.

The news comes in a year when the railway has achieved Awards for Excellence in Customer Service from Menter Aberystwyth and TripAdvisor. 

The millionth passengers were the Clark family from Cambridge, who were visiting the area for the first time. They caught the 12.15 train to Devil’s Bridge and were presented with complimentary first class travel tickets worth £75 together with a complimentary lunch supplied by the Two Hoots Café in Devil’s Bridge, courtesy of Alun and Shan Jenkins.

The railway operates passenger services on approximately 250 days a year. Over the last few years, visitor numbers have kept growing and it now welcomes more than 50,000 visitors a year.

As well as the regular excursion trips to Devil’s Bridge, the railway also operates Fish & Chip and Sunday Lunch specials, Halloween Ghost Trains and Santa Trains. 

Photo Caption:

The Clark family with engine driver Pete Smith. 

 NOTES: 

Opened in 1902, the Vale of Rheidol Railway has been operating a passenger service for tourists for more than 100 years. The line, which runs from Aberystwyth to Devil's Bridge is well known for its scenery, sharp curves and steep gradients and is a popular choice with holidaymakers in the region. 

The railway is a quality assured visitor attraction as designated by Visit Wales and attracts around 50,000 visitors annually from all over the world.

The estimated impact of Vale of Rheidol Railway visitors to the local economy in 2011 was just under £1.3 million. Since this assessment was carried out, visitor numbers have increased dramatically, increasing the estimated economic value to more than £2 million annually. 

For many years, the Vale of Rheidol Railway "Y Lein Fach" was part of the national rail network and rose to fame for being the only steam on British Rail before the line was sold in 1989, becoming the first part of BR to be privatised. 

For more information please contact Will Smith, Marketing Officer for the Vale of Rheidol Railway, on email: will@rheidolrailway.co.uk or Tel: 01970 625819 - Option 3.

Prince re-enacts historic preservation run

August 3 marked the 60th anniversary of the first steam hauled passenger service on the reopened Ffestiniog Railway in 1955. Then, Prince hauled carriage 23 and van 12 just a mile across the Cob embankment from Porthmadog Harbour Station.

This was the first stage of a rebuilding project that was finally completed in 1982 when trains ran back into Blaenau Ffestiniog. 2015 is also the 150th anniversary of the start of passenger services on the Ffestiniog, back in 1865.

Prince, the 152 year old loco, re-enacted its historic run, this time with the help of Single Fairlie Taliesin, with a 10 carriage train. The pair double headed the 10.10 and 13.35 services on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Picture caption:

Prince’s driver Roger van Praet and fireman Matthew Ellis await departure with the 1010 from Porthmadog 60 years to the day from when the loco headed the first steam hauled passenger train of the preservation era.
Pic: Andrew Thomas

Gundog training courses prepare for the shooting season

Now is the time to start giving your working gundog some training before the shooting season starts.
All those Spaniels, Retrievers and Labradors who have been lazing around during the summer need a bit of revision before the season begins.

Or maybe your young dog has learnt the basics but now needs to go to the next stage of his or her training. In either case you and your dog may benefit from an improvers gundog course in Mid Wales on September 12 and 13.

The training weekends are run by Margot Porter, who with her husband Anthony, farms at Ty Gwyn Farm, Llandrindod Wells. Now in their third year, the gundog courses have proved extremely popular with both inexperienced and experienced handlers and their dogs.

“We run two different types of courses – an improvers and a basic. The improvers is for people who want to work their dog in the shooting field or enter tests or trials,” said Margot. “For these courses, the dogs need to have the basics of sit, stay, recall and a reasonable stop whistle.

“We will work on unmarked and distance retrieves, directions, straight lining, improving hunting and the all important stop whistle. We have water, rough cover and woodland to work the dogs and we will use a running rabbit and cold game and pigeons to simulate shooting situations.

“Our basic weekends offer help to both the person who wants to work their dog and to the person who just wants a dog that is a pleasure to own. Sometimes those who have not thought about beating or picking up, having seen what a working dog is bred for, decide they would like to try.

“Our trainer, Margaret Ward, has a wealth of knowledge and experience with working dogs, as she beats with her Springer Spaniels in the winter and very successfully trials her pointers.

“She has just retired FTC Springfield Lace who she bred, trained and handled to become a double field trial champion on both partridge and grouse. Her training is sympathetic but down to earth and practical.”
Some might think basic training for a dog that is going to work is different to one who is not. However, Margot and Margaret both believe it is about working with dogs’ natural hunting and retrieving instincts and understanding how they tick and how they need to use their brains as well as have exercise to avoid boredom and trouble.

“Our weekends are first and foremost about training, but they are also social and fun,” explained Margot. “Many people bring not only their dog but their other half to make a weekend break. We eat well, laugh a lot and have an occasional glass at the end of the day!”

The basic courses run on September 26 and 27, which is now full but there are still some spaces on October 10 and 11 and October 24 and 25. The courses include bed and breakfast accommodation, if required, lunches and afternoon teas on both days.

For more information www.tygwynfarm.co.uk. 01597 829298/822665. margot@tygwynfarm.co.uk

Picture captions:

Gundogs being trained on a previous course at Ty Gwyn Farm.

Ends

Notes for Editors:
Ty Gwyn Farm is a 130 acre farm. Additional enterprises include a conventional self-catering cottage, The Straw Cottage, country courses and The Cruck Barn meeting room. Country courses include Walking through History with a landscape historian, dry stone walling and gundog weekends.

Explore Lake Vyrnwy on a summer break from £498 per couple

A special package at Lake Vyrnwy Hotel and Spa in Mid Wales includes good food, sightseeing and a country picnic during a three-night break between now and the end of September.

Called The Vyrnwy Explorer, the package includes: three nights’ accommodation, three fabulous Welsh breakfasts, two five-course dinners in the hotel’s award-winning Tower restaurant, a picnic lunch and an afternoon treat of strawberries and cream with a glass of Prosecco.

In addition, guests will be given entrance to one of the area’s premier tourist attractions, including Powis Castle and Gardens, Llechwedd Slate Caverns and the Centre for Alternative Technology.

The break costs £498 per couple sharing a garden view room, or £648 when sharing a room at the front of the hotel, waking up each morning to views over beautiful Lake Vyrnwy, where summer activities, including canoeing, sailing, fishing, bike hire and clay pigeon shooting, can be booked at extra cost.

There are bird hides and walking trails starting from the RSPB centre across the lake’s dam and the estate’s 24,000 acres are criss-crossed with footpaths.

One or two children aged 11 years and under, who are sharing their parents’ room, are free on a bed and breakfast basis, paying only for other meals as taken.

The Vyrnwy Explorer package is available Sundays to Thursdays inclusive until September 24. Call Tel: 01691 870692 or visit www.lakevyrnwy.com

—ENDS—

Editors Notes:

· Lake Vyrnwy is in Mid Wales, a stone’s throw from the Snowdonia National Park
· Scenic drive times: 45 minutes from Oswestry; 1 hour from Shrewsbury or Newtown; 90 minutes from Chester or Aberystwyth.
· The 4-star country house hotel dates to 1890 and has 52 rooms, most with a view of the lake.
· The Spa – which is an ESPA partner – is rated 4 Bubbles by the Good Spa Guide.
· Set within a 24,000 acre estate which offers 58 miles of footpaths and an RSPB reserve to enjoy.

Machynlleth Festival in focus in top photographer’s exhibition

An exhibition of photographs taken by professional photographer Sim Canetty-Clarke of Machynlleth Festival performers last year has opened at the Museum of Modern Art Wales in the ancient Welsh capital.

Running until September 3, the exhibition, themed ‘Sight Reading’, coincides with this year’s Machynlleth Festival, which runs from August 23-30 and brings international performers to Y Tabernacl in the town. Full festival details can be found on www.machynllethfestival.co.uk.

In his introduction to the exhibition, BBC broadcaster Christopher Cook says: "One of Sim Canetty-Clarke’s best-developed instincts as a photographer is to know where she needs to be: Bengt Forsberg crouched below the piano reading a score and James Turnbull framed within a frame, isolated as he plays that orchestral outsider, the oboe, for example.

"Two of the pictures of the Heath Quartet in this exhibition also remind us that this is a photographer who is a musician - a cellist and a singer.

“In her mind’s eye, with the possible exception of the piano, there is no clearly delineated frontier between performers and their instruments. So the leader of the Heath Quartet’s violin seems to belong to his body, like a branch on a tree, while even at rest in her lap the second violinist’s instrument and bow seem joined to her. "

After working as an assistant to photographers in portrait, fashion and still life, Canetty-Clarke, who has a BA in photography, film and TV, has been a professional photographer ever since, apart for a year’s stint as The Duchess of York’s PA.

Growing up in a musical family and playing the cello herself, she combines her love of music with her career in photography and spends her time working alongside many of today's leading musicians - conductors, soloists and orchestras - and opera houses.

Recent commissions include being an official photographer for the 2012 London Olympics and a tw-year project documenting baritone Gerald Finley in five different productions of Don Giovanni at some of the world’s greatest opera houses.

Her client list includes EMI, Hyperion and Chandos record labels as well BBC Proms and The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

Picture caption:

Bengt Forsberg reading a score, an image from the exhibition.

Machynlleth Festival in focus in top photographer’s exhibition

An exhibition of photographs taken by professional photographer Sim Canetty-Clarke of Machynlleth Festival performers last year has opened at the Museum of Modern Art Wales in the ancient Welsh capital.

Running until September 3, the exhibition, themed ‘Sight Reading’, coincides with this year’s Machynlleth Festival, which runs from August 23-30 and brings international performers to Y Tabernacl in the town. Full festival details can be found on www.machynllethfestival.co.uk.

In his introduction to the exhibition, BBC broadcaster Christopher Cook says: "One of Sim Canetty-Clarke’s best-developed instincts as a photographer is to know where she needs to be: Bengt Forsberg crouched below the piano reading a score and James Turnbull framed within a frame, isolated as he plays that orchestral outsider, the oboe, for example.

"Two of the pictures of the Heath Quartet in this exhibition also remind us that this is a photographer who is a musician - a cellist and a singer.

“In her mind’s eye, with the possible exception of the piano, there is no clearly delineated frontier between performers and their instruments. So the leader of the Heath Quartet’s violin seems to belong to his body, like a branch on a tree, while even at rest in her lap the second violinist’s instrument and bow seem joined to her. "

After working as an assistant to photographers in portrait, fashion and still life, Canetty-Clarke, who has a BA in photography, film and TV, has been a professional photographer ever since, apart for a year’s stint as The Duchess of York’s PA.

Growing up in a musical family and playing the cello herself, she combines her love of music with her career in photography and spends her time working alongside many of today's leading musicians - conductors, soloists and orchestras - and opera houses.

Recent commissions include being an official photographer for the 2012 London Olympics and a tw-year project documenting baritone Gerald Finley in five different productions of Don Giovanni at some of the world’s greatest opera houses.

Her client list includes EMI, Hyperion and Chandos record labels as well BBC Proms and The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

Picture caption:

Bengt Forsberg reading a score, an image from the exhibition.

ENDS

Notes for the Editor

The Machynlleth Festival, with artistic director Julius Drake, takes place in the auditorium of The Tabernacle in August every year. During the week, eminent performers take part in a wide range of events, from choral singing and jazz to chamber music and poetry readings. Special features are the Hallstatt Lecture on some aspect of Celtic culture and the Glyndŵr Award for an Outstanding Contribution to the Arts in Wales.

The Museum of Modern Art, Wales (MOMA, WALES) was established in 1991 alongside The Tabernacle in Machynlleth. It is owned and run by Machynlleth Tabernacle Trust, which is funded by grants and public donation

Throughout the year, the galleries show contemporary art, featuring leading artists from Wales, works from the growing Tabernacle Collection, and in August selected entries from the Tabernacle Art Competition. Many of the works of art are for sale.

In May this year, "The Tannery" was opened after many years of fundraising and restoration of this historic industrial building, which contains two galleries, connected to the main building by a bridge, one of which is specifically for sculpture. This brings the number of exhibition spaces up to seven.

For more information please contact Lucinda Middleton, Richard and Ann Mayou Fund curator, at lucinda@momawales.org.uk or Tel: 01654 703355

Discover the Welsh Marches during September Walking Weekend

A September Walking Weekend in the Welsh Marches is being organised in the border market town of Knighton, which located in the Heart of Offa's Dyke Country.

Knighton and District Tourism Group is organising busy programme for walkers on September 12 and 13 to put the town, situated on the Powys-Shropshire border, on the map.

The walks include Glyndwr’s Way Walk (1) from Llangunllo to Knighton starts with an amazing 15 minute train journey across the Heyope Valley on the famous 13 arch castellated viaduct at Knucklas.

This part of the Heart of Wales Railway climbs one of the steepest inclines on the national train network before entering a tunnel and emerging into the light just before Llangunllo where the walk begins. Walkers will pause later for refreshment at the Greyhound Pub and they must take £2.70 for their train ticket and a packed lunch.

Glyndwr’s Way Walk (2) from Knighton to Pilleth to Knighton is a circular walk to the battlefield site at Pilleth, one of the most savage and bloodiest battles of the Welsh War of Independence and Owain Glyndwr's finest hour.

Walkers will visit the ancient church and holy well of Pilleth where the battle strategy is still on display and where nature has reclaimed the peace and beauty of that bloody episode in Marches history. Both walks are in celebration of 600th anniversary of Glyndwr’s presumed death. Owen Glyndwr’s day is celebrated on September 16.

Nature's Wildlife Walk studies the wonders to be seen around the Knighton area. Local flora and fauna brought to life by the unfathomable understanding of Dr Joan Payne from the Radnorshire Wildlife Trust. As there is so much to see, this walk is not for the hard paced fast trekker.

Martin's Beer Walk: Every walker in the world looks for a 'watering hole' and local expert Martin Holberrow has been researching as many of them as still exist. This part history, part experiential walk will whet the whistle, exercise the leg muscles and relieve the dry throat even on the harshest, sun blistering day.

Alice's Family Walks are truly warming walks for a full family experience, so walkers are advised to take a tea party picnic, their stories and their imagination. “It's great to follow Alice and there's always the chance of seeing a busy (and late) rabbit, a caterpillar, a hare and a maybe dormouse,” said a spokesman for the organisers.

Sue Harris is leading the first ever Knighton Singing Walk. Sue, who shares her world songs throughout the border area year round, has designed a walk for those who love to burst into song at nearly every opportunity. Walkers are invited to “come and walk, sing, laugh and dance with us as we fill the countryside with music.”

History walking for history lovers: As Knighton is an ancient border town steeped in history and the only town situated right on Offa’s Dyke itself, a walk has been organised to capture local
history and architecture. Join John Davies on a walk peppered with moments to stop
and marvel at the unfolding stories of the area's built history.

Walker's Walk, which will be led by Kevin Jones from with East Radnorshire Ramblers, is for those who enjoy the terrain, love the views, warm to the fresh air and feel best when they are seriously crossing country. So don't expect too many breaks - just enjoy being there and knowing you have done it!