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Barmouth News - 13th June, 2010


Where future events and specific information are mentioned, these are highlighted for easy reference.

Hafod Mawddach

The Friends of Hafod Mawddach raised £240 at a Coffee Evening on 2nd June. It was a good Social Event and lovely to have so many of the Residents joining them. The “Friends” are grateful for the many people who are so willing to support the committee in their work. A very big thank you to you all. If you would like to help the group you can contact Carol Clay on 01341 281565.

Who cares?

Apparently no one when the question is asked in relation to the Barmouth Publicity Association. Not a single hotelier, guest house owner, holiday park owner or tourism business operator could be bothered to turn up for the Barmouth Publicity Associations annual meeting on Thursday last nor did they send apologies. Despite two notices in this column the meeting drew no interest. Had it not been for the members of the walking festival group whose meeting followed immediately after, the AGM would have had six attendees, three of those being the management committee. An optimist would conclude that business is so good in Barmouth, that there is no room for improvement and that confidence in the efforts of the committee is such that it is beyond criticism. The small committee would appreciate a show of support from those they are serving, a word of encouragement and some measure of input. The Managers report showed that the brochure remains popular; with self-catering property adverts increasing but a reduction in adverts from small retailers. Visits to the Associations web site rose from 35132 in 08-09 to 41345 in 09-10 a creditable 17.5% increase in traffic. The financial position of the Association remains strong with 12 months operating costs continuing to be held in reserve.

Barmouth Walking Festival

The growing popularity of the Festival was reported at the AGM of the Publicity Association and to members of the committee of the event. Last autumn 95 walkers took 310 guided walks in the 2009 Festival. It was noted that the walks in the A & B categories were the most popular. It was said that at present the Festival is not yet breaking even and a suggestion was made that seeking sponsorship could be the key to reaching that goal. A substantial number of local volunteers were present at the planning meeting for the coming festival, they give the time and efforts to make the event a progressively popular one. There is a website www.barmouthwalkingfestival.co.uk that will give full details of the programme, repeat bookings from previous years are already being received.

Rhys Meirion

You can save quite a lot of money and will not have to travel all the way to the Albert Hall in London in July to hear Rhys Meirion the international tenor singing if you wait until September 4th as he will be appearing on the opening night of Barmouth’s 36th annual Arts Festival along with instrumentalists Brian, Daniel and Miriam Hughes. Tickets will go fast for this single performance and whilst they are not on sale yet they will be just £10.00 each they can be reserved by telephoning 01341 280392.

What a fun day

The community Fun Day held in Llys Talbot and Talbot Square on Saturday was a great success for all the organisations that took part. It was a chance for them to tell the community about what they are doing, what they have achieved and what they plan to do next for example the Barmouth and Dyffryn football Club. Barmouth in Bloom showed their plans for Marine gardens and gathered signatures of support... This was supplemented by many support agencies such as Mawddach Rotary, Y Llechen Credit Union, Mantell Gwynedd, and Terrance Higgins Trust all of which had a steady stream of visitors during the day. Some groups such as the Whole Foods Cooperative were there to show what is available locally while others such as Barmouth Childcare Partnership were raising money to expand the services they help develop and to show what is available. The guided walks were a popular addition to the day. Petros arranged a superb showcase demonstration by his Karate students that drew a large and attentive audience. The eastern promise of the belly dancers along with the maidens offering Turkish delights ensured that they had a captivated audience. Dedicated, organised child’s play was coordinated by Kelly Bee and much enjoyed by those taking part. Twf were on hand to promote and encouraged parents and children to explore the Welsh language together. The organisers, Communities First, wish to show their appreciation for all the hard work put in by the groups that attended. The mix of groups meant that the event appealed to many different people ensuring good crowds for all the stalls. Barry Lim organised and produced the music on the square that drew the crowds and showed the musical talent of local people. Nothing beats live entertainment for getting people involved. There are too many participating groups to list here but all are equally valued for their various contributions.

Calling all actors/crew

Springfield Street Productions in association with Red Bullet films will be shooting a short film in the Dolgellau area in July/August 2010. The film will be submitted to Raindance TV / Britfilms TV/ and possibly to film festivals. Actors, male and female, are wanted in the 18 to 40 age range. No previous experience necessary but must be enthusiastic and committed. Also crewmembers will be needed to help with sound and lighting during filming. Auditions will be held in the Royal Ship Hotel, Dolgellau on Friday 9th July at 8pm.For more details please ring Ed on 01341421097 or e-mail edwardpenney@btinternet.com

Nordic Walking

Would you like to take part in the fastest growing outdoor activity in the world? Do you want to find out more about it? Sessions will be taking place in Barmouth this Summer. There will be a “ Taster “ session on July the 13th, 10-11a.m., with a 5 week course starting on the 27th onwards. To book yourself onto the course please contact Catrin E. Roberts : 07900615380 catrinelinroberts@gwynedd.gov.uk

Reward your own efforts

Visit Wales, in partnership with the Wales Tourism Alliance and in commercial partnership with corporate communications company Quadrant, is staging the National Tourism Awards to recognise the value of the tourism industry to Wales and to applaud the dedication and professionalism of those who, 12 months a year, offer a warm welcome to Wales. You still have time to nominate your business.Go on line to the site shown below, simply click on the Awards Entry button and you are just 15 minutes away from being considered for a National Tourism Award for Wales. There are 11 categories in this year’s award - some categories also have sub categories where appropriate, full details online. The closing date for all entries is 5pm on 25 June 2010. You can enter yourself or nominate somebody else for an award. (If you are nominating someone else, please ensure you let them know before submitting your entry). http://www.ntawales.com This year’s awards will be held at the Vale Hotel, Golf & Spa Resort near Cardiff on Thursday 21 October. Hosted by TV presenter Sarra Elgan, it promises to be a night to remember.

U3A June Meeting

Despite the glorious weather, a number of members as well as potential members attended the monthly gathering to hear Rob McBride’s presentation on the Woodland Trust’s Ancient Tree Project. It seems that Wales has one or two oaks up to four thousand old, and that the best way to judge whether a tree classifies as being ancient is to hug it, & to count the people needed to do just that. Once again, a very interesting presentation, of interest to people ranging from wood carvers to conservationists. The July Gathering will be on Wednesday 14th July, when the theme will be ‘Thanks for the Memory’, and members will be asked to bring a memento of the Fifties.

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