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Lampeter's events, news and views monthly digwyddiadau, newyddion a barn Llambed bob mis
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G R A P E V I N E
cysylltwch â ni / contact us: [email protected] Mai / May 2013
digwyddiadau, newyddion a barn Llambed bob mis/ Lampeter’s events, news and views
In this issue...
listings
events
reviews
papur bro CLONC
kids in action
seasonal snippets
cookie’s corner
creative ideas
poetry corner
people’s market people
also this month:
cycling
welcome to the woods
benefits of exercise on
the mind
come outside - look at
the sky
shale away
FREE
AM DDIM
STOP PRESS: Kids’ Competition
Win this
fantastic
book
See page 16
2
G R A P E V I N E no. 9, May 2013
Post: c/o Victoria Hall, Bryn Road, Lampeter, Ceredigion SA48 7EE Email: [email protected]
Published by: Transition Llambed Development Trust, Victoria Hall, Bryn Road, Lampeter, SA48 7EE
Printed by: TSD Reprographics, Lampeter, on paper from sustainable resources
To list your event, submit an article, ad or letter or to make an enquiry, email: [email protected] or post to address above
Please include the reason you are contacting us in the subject box of your email (Ad, Listing, Article, Letter, Enquiry)
Full guidelines for advertisers & contributors: see grapevine page on www.transitionllambed.co.uk
Listings (events & courses) FREE
Display advertising rates: ¼ column £10; ¼ page £25; ½ page £40; full page £70 (back page £80) Discount on ads for public events held in Victoria Hall: £25 off ad Classified ads: £2 / 20 wds (min. £2) Therapists' section (max 35 wds): £10 for 6 editions in advance
Copy date for June issue: Fri 10 May. Theme: ‘Festival Fever’
Circulation: 1,500 copies distributed free in the Lampeter area
We reserve the right to edit all contributions for reasons of space & clarity. The views expressed in letters and articles are not necessarily those of Transition Llambed Development Trust or the newsletter group.
Other contact details:
Transition Llambed: www.transitionllambed.co.uk email: [email protected]
Victoria Hall: www.vichall.org.uk To make bookings for Victoria Hall contact: [email protected] or phone/text 07891 632614
People's Market: To book a stall contact: [email protected] or ring 01570 471432
Darllen hapus / Happy reading
Angie Martin
Croeso / Welcome … to this issue of the Grapevine
where we invite you to ‘Come Outside’.
As spring finally reveals its true colours do you, like me, crave
spending more time outdoors? The change in season has been
slow to emerge and it feels as if we hare been teased for far
too long, with occasional sunny days, blue skies and hints of
warmth, only to be disappointed as the cool temperatures
return. I’m sure though, that when we do finally venture out
properly, there will be a real sense of relief and contentment
that will make the wait worthwhile.
It is time to revitalise our senses, energise our bodies, take full
advantage of our beautiful surroundings and take pleasure in
the simple things: the sweet smell of clean clothes straight off
the washing line, the calming sounds of birdsong or just being
able to kick off shoes and feel the grass under your feet. This is
an exciting time of year when everything is new and fresh, so
go on, get out there and enjoy it.
If you are eager to get outdoors, then why not check out what
is going on up in Coedwig Gymunedol Long Wood Community
Woodland on page 5: there’s sure to be plenty to get involved
with. It could be a family excursion, in which case, look at
page 8 for ideas of how to make a Journey Stick. Perhaps you
could include a trip to Denmark Farm Conservation Centre to
try spotting some wildlife from Ian’s Tweet on page 9. The
little ones might also enjoy the competition on page 16 with a
prize that is sure to inspire further adventures. If you prefer
something to take you further afield then get some good
cycling advice on page 7, but if you need more convincing,
perhaps you could start in the garden with Seasonal Snippets,
page 9 or try reading the benefits of exercise on the mind,
page 19. You can also get the brain cells working and link to
the environment with articles on pages 10 & 18, issues which
will hopefully generate a little debate. Don’t forget to try out
the local recipe in Cookie’s Corner on page 17 or come and
enjoy some Café Delights at the People’s Market, pages 4 &
15. What will you choose? Why not write & tell us.
3
4
The People's Market was set up to help encourage
and promote small local producers and to give the
people of our area an opportunity to support these
valuable enterprises. It is an indoor market, with a
café run by the excellent COASTAL project, and
occasionally has other attractions such as a Seed or
Plant Swap. The Market aims to help create local
wealth and keep that prosperity circulating within our
vibrant but economically frail community. In
increasingly uncertain times what we have available
on our doorsteps is, and will become, increasingly
valued. A growing number would go as far as to say
it is essential for our long-term sustainability.
A small band of regulars recognise how important it
is to support the market. We don’t do so as a means
of charitable support for the stallholders or the
market; we are choosing to buy produce of good
quality, reasonably priced, and from a farm or village
near Lampeter.
No, the market cannot compete with a supermarket
for their range of goods, but what the Market does
have is of equal or superior quality. So why not look
at your shopping list, get what you can from the
Market or local produce from other markets, local
shops and businesses, and only then go to the
supermarket. The money spent in a supermarket
does very little for the collective wealth of Lampeter.
Purchasing what you can from local producers and
shops helps enrich us all.
Chicken and Egg
The People's Market is caught in a chicken-and-egg
situation at the moment. It needs more people to use
the market and thereby encourage other stallholders
to come. At the same time it needs more stallholders
to attract people to shop there regularly. The ‘People’
referred to in the name of the market are both
producers and shoppers. The market is ‘ours’, the
people of Lampeter.
More than a Market
Lampeter is on the verge of having something really
special here. The Market has already become a
great meeting place. The atmosphere is friendly and
welcoming and the organisers try to bring something
new and interesting to each market. The Market has
already hosted plant swaps, electric bike
demonstrations and recycle sales. These are in
addition to the regular fruit and veg, cakes,
savouries, meat, cheese, mushrooms, bread and
some wonderful local crafts. Why not make it part of
your shopping routine and see what is available. In
addition, you may have something you produce
locally and would like to try to sell, and never had the
opportunity. (Public Liability Insurance is required by
law from traders, but we can help you through the
administration associated with this).
With your help we can make the Market grow,
broaden the range of what is available close at hand
and, in so doing, inspire people to shop in Lampeter.
It may even lead to some of the empty shops in
Lampeter being used by traders that we collectively
encourage and develop. It can become something
we can all be proud of.
The People's Market is held twice a month on the
second and fourth Saturdays, from 10am to
1pm in Victoria Hall, Bryn Road, Lampeter. It
has been running for just over a year, and
was set up by Transition Llambed Development
Trust (TLDT), who manage the Hall. TLDT are
part of the Transition Llambed initiative. It is a
‘Not for Profit’ organisation run by a team of
volunteers.
Gary Thorogood on behalf of TLDT
The People’s Market: What is it all about then?
Cacennau cartref,
cyffaith a bwydydd sawrus
Ffrwythau, llysiau a
phlanhigion tymhorol, cartref
Cig a gynhyrchir yn lleol
a dewis o waith llaw crefft
Te a choffi
Homemade cakes,
preserves and savouries
Homegrown seasonal fruit,
vegetables and plants
Locally-produced meat and
a selection of handmade craft
Tea and coffee
5
A Warm Welcome to the Woods On behalf of the Long Wood team, welcome to our new page in the Grapevine. The
aim here is to be able to give local people a regular update of all that’s happening in
the woods and let you know how you can get involved and have your say.
My name is James Kendall and I am the newly appointed Project Manager for Long Wood. I
moved to Lampeter from the dizzy heights of Wrexham and have previously worked for
several environmental organisations on projects involving practical volunteering, habitat
management and improving access for visitors. My first love though is woodlands, so having
the chance to put this all into practice at Long Wood is an exciting opportunity. I’m looking
forward to meeting everyone who has a keen interest in the woodland whilst also working
toward creating new events and activities for the community to get involved with. These are
very exciting times for the site and I’m sure you’ll see a lot of changes over the coming year.
I’d also like to mention our Administration Assistant, Andrew Gajlikowski, a long term resident of the area, but
also new to the Long Wood project. Andrew will help with all the work connected to our Big Lottery and
Ceredigion County Council funded projects.
Join our mailing list or find us on Facebook. Contact: 07557 386755 or [email protected]
What’s On in the Woods As the weather (finally) warms up I’m sure a lot of
you will be thinking of spending more time in the
great outdoors. For anyone looking to try
something new… why not join in the following:
Woodland Wednesdays:
What: Woodland management tasks, from brash
clearance to greenwood craft projects and
creating new footpaths. Every session
supervised by our Wardens, Ben and
Jamie, who will make you feel welcome.
Need: No experience required, just a willingness
to learn and get stuck in.
Long Wood will provide tools, training and
a hot drink for everyone.
If we get enough interest, via feedback, we could
extend this opportunity to include a volunteer
session on a regular weekend day.
Walking Group:
Our volunteer walk leaders are trained to lead
guided walks along the trails of Long Wood and we
hope that each event will have
a different theme including:
Identifying bird song
Know your trees
Fungus foray
Following on from a successful trial run this April,
we also plan to offer regular Health Walks, aimed
at individuals with a range of health conditions or
who have limited mobility.
These shorter half hour events are an introduction
to gentle exercise and a friendly first step towards a
good social for those who want to enjoy their local
wood.
Hope to see you there.
Long Wood Update There have been a host of changes at Long Wood
recently, some more visible than others.
The extended cold snap has enabled some final
felling for the season. This timber will be used in our
building project, beginning this summer. The unique
structure, constructed using traditional roundwood
timber framing techniques with straw bale walls, will
serve as a visitor centre, office and hub for volunteers
& visitors. The majority of timber will be sourced from
within Long Wood itself, making it a low-impact build.
The visitor centre will be totally off-grid, powered by a
solar PV array that will give clean, green energy.
The process of gathering building tenders is now well
underway and once a contractor is finally appointed,
work will begin in the main car park.
In the meantime, those of you who have visited the
car park in the last few weeks will have spotted a big,
blue container. This is what I’m affectionately calling
The Tardis and it’s serving as our temporary base of
operations until the build is completed.
Also, in the car park throughout May you’ll be able to
see the progress made on our new compost toilet
building with oak shingle roof, built by local craftsman
Jamie Miller.
As well as working with local volunteers and groups of
students from Coleg Ceredigion, our Warden team
are gearing up toward Long Wood’s goal of selling its
own firewood products. We hope to be able to offer
both hard & softwood logs and kindling to local
customers later this year. Linking into the
development of our Social Enterprise arm will be our
two newest staff members who will be undertaking
timber extraction and processing both for firewood
products and also milled timber. Watch this space!
COEDWIG GYMUNEDOL LONG WOOD COMMUNITY WOODLAND
6
Kaffe Fassett Comes to Wales
9 March - 2 November The Welsh Quilt Centre,
Old Town Hall, Lampeter.
Opening hours: 11am–4.30pm Tues-Sat Kaffe Fassett's bold patchworks will hang
alongside beautifully stitched antique Welsh quilts from the Jen Jones collection.
Contact: 01570 480610, [email protected], www.welshquilts.com
Dear Editor & co,
We have just picked up the April Edition of the
"Grapevine" and searched all the way through
for Annie May's "From the Bottom", but to no
avail. We have been picking up the Grapevine
since its first issue in July 2012 and
immediately search for Annie May's article
which we both enjoy reading, and have been
passing on a copy which others enjoy too, so we
are all very disappointed that we could not find
it in this issue.
Will it be returning in the next issue ?
We hope so, and look forward to continuing to
read it.
Best Wishes,
Charles & Debbie Burton
Dear Charles & Debbie,
I’m sorry you have been so disappointed. Annie
has decided not to continue with her
serialisation for the time being, finding it
difficult to find the time needed to edit her
writings down to a size we could accommodate
easily, whilst still trying to manage the farm
over the winter.
We will all just have to wait until Annie releases
her book to the publishers!
I hope you will find other articles within the
Grapevine interesting to read instead.
Perhaps you could submit an article yourselves?
Kind Regards,
The Editor
LETTERS
grapevine, victoria hall, bryn road, lampeter SA48 7EE
email: [email protected]
Do you have burning issues, ideas or comments
about local events, services or activities?
Please tell us what matters to you.
Remember this is your newsletter - so please send
in your contributions
Diolch / Thanks
The Newsletter Team
7
With the weather warming up, the cycling season is
upon us. Those of you who know it all - read no
further!
Why cycle? Well, cycling is good exercise for those
who can't get to the gym or don't want to go there. It's
also a way of getting to work and back or doing the
shopping, saving on fuel. It's also an excellent way of
enjoying some leisure time with family or friends.
For those of you who are getting back into cycling or
not sure whether it's for you, think about buying a
cheap second-hand bike. These can be had from
places like the second-hand shop on the Tregaron
Road junction in Lampeter (opposite the Shell petrol
station). Millypeds have a few (see ad below) and
Cyclemart in Cilcennin have some. For my bit for
sustainability, I use old rebuilt bicycles.
What type of cycling are you going to be doing? For
road use, a hybrid on 700c rims is a good choice with
plenty of gears for off-road cycling. A mountain bike
with road tyres can be a good compromise for bumpy
roads but the gearing won't be as fast as a hybrid. If
you have balance problems, consider a tricycle.
There are derailleur gears and hub gears. If you
haven't used derailleur gears before, consider trying
them first. They are not hard to use but need practice
changing up and down. This must be done on the
move, or you could end up not being able to pull away
from a junction quickly enough or break your chain,
and yourself! Also, do you need loads of gears when
on average only seven or eight are used? Hub gears
are great as they are protected from the elements and
you can pull up at a junction in any gear and just twist
it to first gear to pull away. Also, there are now
automatic gears, as fitted to some electric bikes.
A few cycling tips:
Always look over your right shoulder to see if
anything is coming before pulling away or changing
direction.
Don't cycle in the gutter or you will pick up
punctures, hit the hedgerow and skid on the mud.
Try and keep about 60 cm from the edge of the
road (two ruler-lengths).
Be part of the traffic flow - when you hold your road
position other vehicles tend not to try and squeeze
past you to overtake, giving you more room.
On single-track narrow roads pull in when you can.
I always give a wave to say 'thank you'; it helps to
be polite to other road users who have been
patient.
Always carry a spare tube or puncture outfit kit
and pump with you.
Also consider taking a National Standards cycling
course to update your skills or learn from scratch
(contact 07583 248387 for advice).
Always ask experienced people for advice. You would
not order clothes many sizes too big for you and then
think, "it's OK, I will grow into them." So don't do it
with a bike - ask the experts.
Don't buy bikes from department stores and expect a
good useable bike. If you buy a bike on the internet
and cannot build your bike remember bike shops
charge up to £50 to assemble. Buying locally helps
keep the shops in business. So when you need a
tube on a Monday morning, they will have one - you
won't have to wait for it to arrive in the post.
Electric bikes can be a good thing as they are not the
monsters of old and nowadays can be pedalled when
the battery is flat. The range on them is approximately
25-35 miles. Good ones can be had for as little as
£675 upwards. Any cheaper and they are likely to be
the old style heavyweight ones, or not so robust.
For the less fit, electric bikes mean you can keep up
with the others on a ride and they help tremendously
on the hills.
Contact: [email protected] / 07583 248387
G Marsh
Cycling
8
Kids in ActionKids in Action
For more ideas like this visit
In many countries people have developed the idea of creating a Journey stick
to help tell the story of a journey to others.
It involves tying different objects to a stick to represent
the different feelings or experiences you have along the way.
They should remind you of what you see, hear, touch, smell & taste.
The items you use may be different colours, might make different sounds,
could have different textures, aromas, or flavours.
It’s up to you - be imaginative
and keep a look out for interesting things
You will need:
A good stick!
(This could be one that you can also use as a walking stick or
a small stick that’s easy to carry, or perhaps just an interesting shape)
Pieces of string or different-coloured wool to tie things to your stick
Somewhere good to go on your journey -
(Why not persuade your family to take a trip through Long Wood - it’s fantastic and close by!)
Look around as you walk - you’ll be amazed at the variety of things you find -
feathers, leaves, seeds, petals, sticks, stones, mud …
smooth, prickly, gooey, bendy, delicate, light, transparent … the list is endless!
Enjoy your journey … Enjoy making your journey stick … but even more,
enjoy telling the story to someone else when you get back home!
Perhaps you can tell the Grapevine about it too?
May the fourth
be with you!
9
Mara’s potty bit! It’s been a shocking spring so far, but things can
only get better. My not-so-green fingers are well and
truly crossed for a blooming good May. In fact May
(whatever the weather) is really the very best month
to get out in the garden. Because the soil has been
so cold, I have not sowed anything direct or planted
much into the soil yet. I’m still nurturing seedlings in
pots on windowsills and in the polytunnel. To help
warm the soil up a bit before planting, it is helpful to
cover it with cloches or plastic for a few weeks first.
My potatoes (all ‘Sarpo’ blight-resistant varieties)
are being planted into tyre towers this year. I’ve tried
this for several years and like the way you can get
such a high yield in very little space. May is the
month to keep on top of the weeds, but the best way
is to keep the soil covered with lots of plants or
some form of mulch. I now have a good seedbank
of self-seeding annuals in the soil, which I either
harvest or clear whenever I need space. This month
I will be sowing a huge variety of crops (day job
permitting!) - carrots, beets, spinach, courgettes,
pumpkins, beans and peas and heaps of salads.
This is usually the point that I turn my mind to
flowers. Although I couldn’t live without them, they
are a bit of a luxury – and they must be multi-
functional to earn a place. Edible, wildlife-friendly
and attractive blooms only are sown, and are even
better if they sow themselves from year to year.
Enjoy your garden this month.
Ian’s Tweet The Pied Flycatcher is a classic bird of upland
woodlands and is often associated with Wales in the
same way that Red Kites are. It is a summer migrant
that overwinters in the tropical forests of West
Africa. Once seen, the bold black-and-white
plumage of the males and their engaging behaviour
makes them very distinctive. Their distribution
locally is rather patchy however, and their song,
though sweet, is not loud, so they can be difficult to
locate. They particularly like breeding in nest boxes.
These are provided in abundance at Denmark Farm
Conservation Centre, near Betws Bledrws. Up to 20
pairs can be present. A visit in May should enable
you to become familiar with them as they flit in and
out of the boxes or forage in the treetops and sunny
glades.
Seasonal snippets - more garden & wildlife goodies
by Mara, Ian and Tomos Morris who live in Llangybi
may
Pied Flycatcher by Tomos (now aged 7 11/12!)
Saturday April 27
Fest Noz - Gweithdy dawns, bwyd a Cyngerdd!
Breton Dance Workshop, food and Concert
Neuadd Fictoria/Victoria Hall, Heol y Bryn/Bryn Road,
Llanbedr Pont Steffan/Lampeter
A rare chance to listen to two fine exponents of the Breton tradition:
Yann-Fañch Perroches played melodeon with the band Skolvan.
Brigitte Kloareg is a great multi-lingual singer.
Breton Dance Workshop 5-6pm (£3), Concert 8pm (£5)
Bwyd bydd ar werth rhwng 7-8yn, dewch a'ch potel!/ food on sale 7-8pm, bring your own bottle!
10
As a teenager in North
West England I used to
sunbathe in the back
garden and look up at
the deep blue sky and
fluffy white clouds. Occasionally a distant jet would
leave a short condensation trail (contrail) which
disappeared within seconds, making no impression
on the blue background. The sun was bright, and
clear visibility stretched way into the distance.
Over the last few years in West Wales I have again
looked up into the sky expecting to see a similar
picture. Instead I have been confronted by long,
thick, white aircraft trails which often criss-cross,
persist, spread out, coalesce and eventually produce
a thin layer of cloud and a bluish mist which hangs
around all day and obscures the distant hills. The
sun becomes dimmed and the temperature drops.
Sunsets at the coast are often blurred and contain
unnatural-looking streaks of coral pink.
Puzzled by these phenomena, I researched the
findings on the internet, in books, videos and
newspapers, since much of the mainstream media
were silent on the topic. Many sources agree that
these aircraft trails (often referred to as chemtrails or
aerosols) are not pure water vapour, which would
dissipate as in the past, but, in fact, contain minute
particles which act as a focus, or nucleus, for water
molecules to gather around, much as when natural
clouds form. Pure water vapour will not form a cloud
on its own.
The nature of the particulates is a matter for debate,
but investigators variously detail aluminium and other
metallic salts, possibly from jet fuel additives.
Cloud-seeding for weather modification is
well-established, and firms in the USA advertise their
rain-making services. China openly published its
success at creating artificial snow in Beijing. Military
uses may include creating a charged atmosphere
(plasma of metallic ions) to facilitate communication
and other activities. International treaties prohibit the
use of weather modification as a weapon, but
experts have stated that it goes on anyway (e.g.
‘Operation Popeye’ in the Vietnam War), and Geo-
engineering, as it is called, may well have damaged
the ozone layer. ‘Global warming’ may indeed be
man-made, but more related to meddling with the
atmosphere through risky scientific experiment than
via CO2 emissions. ‘Global dimming’ of sunshine by
20% is acknowledged, with resulting reductions in
the nutritional levels of crops, including grass, and
vitamin D deficiency in
humans.
What is disturbing is the
silence in the mainstream
media about the issue,
and the concomitant effects on the environment and
human health. Particulates in the air contribute to
asthma, and aluminium may contribute to diseases
such as Alzheimer’s. Soils are damaged by heavy
metal contamination and altered pH (acidity) levels.
The public has been sprayed before without its
consent, as a model for germ warfare, as detailed in
the Guardian newspaper. We now have a duty to
educate ourselves as best we can, to protect our
planet and future generations.
Further details can be found on the
www.facebook.com page: ‘West Wales Artificial
Cloud Awareness Network’. All comments welcome.
The attached photographs were taken outside my
house in Ceredigion.
Dr Janet Menage
West Wales Artificial Cloud Awareness Network,
Editors' Note: Thanks for a thought-provoking article. We hope that it stimulates a lively debate! There is an implied difference between chemical-trails and condensation-trails. ‘Chemtrails’ are used specifically to attempt to modify the weather, whereas ‘contrails’ are the inevitable result of the combustion of aviation fuel - carbon dioxide, water vapour and exhaust particles. Although persistent spreading contrails are thought to have a significant effect on global climate, it is not intentional!
Is it simply the huge increase in numbers of airline passengers that have caused the loss of our clear blue skies? There were 4.3 million UK passengers in 1996, 236 million currently and the forecast is for 436 million by 2030. (By comparison, there were 777 million airline passengers between 2009 and 2010 in the European Union.) Or are there really experiments going on to manipulate the weather over Ceredigion?
Here are a few links if you want to start exploring the issues:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrail
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20304-contrails-
warm-the-world-more-than-aviation-emissions.html
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20667-second-
world-war-bombers-changed-the-weather.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/chemtrail_conspiracy_theory
Come outside – look at the sky
11
Victoria Hall: regular activities and classes
Bryn Road, Lampeter SA48 7EE
To book the Victoria Hall phone: 07891 632614 Email: [email protected] www.vichall.org.uk
Day
Weekly (W) Fortnightly (F)
Monthly (M) Time Activity / Class
Contact
Name Number
Tuesday W 7.30-
8.30pm
Zumba
keep fit session Julie Lancaster 01570 470542
Wednesday
F
1 & Fri 31
1.30-4.30pm
Young at Heart Tea, sandwiches & social for the wiser folk
of Lampeter
W 7-8pm Zumba
keep fit session Louise Evans 07584 199372
Thursday W 1-3pm Welsh classes Meryl Evans 01545 572715
M 3rd Thur each
month 7-9pm
Transition Llambed
‘Big Gathering’
A chance for all those interested in/involved with Transition Llambed to plan and
co-ordinate activities Everyone welcome!
Friday W 4.30-
6.30pm
LYTSS: Lampeter Youth Theatre &
Stage School Annie May 01570 423080
Saturday
2nd & 4th Sat each month
10am-1pm
People’s Market Local food, produce and crafts. Plus café, occasional live music and other attractions
M
11 May 2-4pm
Sing Out, Harmony Song Workshop
Clara Clay 07929 018928
Sunday W 10am-7pm
Lampeter Evangelical
Church
Gareth Jones at the Mustard Seed café
01570 423344
W 7-9pm Brazilian Jujitsu Mike A. Banica 07783 582081
courses_______________ Denmark Farm Conservation Centre, Betws Bledrws Sat 27 April, Sat 4 & Sun 12 May: Nat-ural Gardening Sat 4 May: Homegrown Lotions & Creams Sat 11-Sun 12 May: Wool Dyeing with Natural Dyes Sat 18-Mon 20 May: Wildlife Digital Photography Sat 25-Mon 27 May: Diversity of Inver-tebrates Sun 9 June: Bumblebees
Sun 16 June: Denmark Farm Annual Open Day Further details: 01570 493358, www.denmarkfarm.org.uk
creative_______________
Cellan Hall Creative Café. £5 per year will entitle you to attend weekly craft sessions on Wednesdays, 12noon-4pm. Free use of sewing ma-chines, free insurance for selling hand-made items, a variety of creative work-shops and good company. Contact Ceredwin, 01570 421476
kids __________________
Ray Ceredigion offers free, open-access outdoor play sessions. Start-ing at Maes Y Felin play area, Lam-peter, every Mon (term time), 4-6pm. Also at Rhydlanfair play area, Llangybi, Mon, 3.30-5.30pm. Contact: Helen Lewis, 01545 570686
theatre_______________
Lampeter Youth Theatre and Stage School (LYTss) Every Fri, 4.30-6.30pm, Victoria Hall. Contact: Annie May, 01570 423080, [email protected]
12
what’s going on listings are free. send details of your event to [email protected]
events ________________ Open Garden & Plant Fair at Cae Hir Gardens, Cribyn. Mon 6 May 10am-4pm. Free entry to annual Plant Fair with Ceredigion Growers Association. Explore the gardens, talk to the experts - Ceredigion's best nurseries all under one 'roof'! Stalls, homemade cakes. Parking £2 in Cribyn School opposite. www.caehirgardens.com
‘Woodland Wednesdays’ - Coedwig Gymunedol Long Wood Community Woodland’s regular volunteering sessions. Why not join in, develop your skills and feel the benefit of working in a beautiful environment. No experience required: training given, tasks supervised by our Woodland Wardens. Contact: 07557 386755, [email protected]
The Welsh Quilt Centre's 2013 exhibition, Kaffe Fassett Comes to Wales. The exhibition is open from March 9 to November 2 at the Welsh Quilt Centre, Lampeter. Admission: £5, £4 concs, £2.50 students.
Hanes Llambed / Lampeter History Society Regular talks at the Old Hall, University of Wales Trinity St David. All welcome. For details contact: Penny David, 01570 422041
Lampeter Permaculture Group. Following the Seed Swap in February there will be a Plant Swap at the People's Market on Sat 11 May, 10am-1pm at Victoria Hall. Bring your excess vegetable seedlings and plants to exchange, or make a small donation and take some away. Let's share what we have! More info: www.lampeterpermaculture.org
health & well-being
courses & classes______
The Alister Hardy Society for the Study of Spiritual Experience (West Wales Group) presents a Study Day on Subtle Energy, Healers, and Healing on Sat 4 May (10am-5pm) in the Founder's Library, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Lampeter. Three expert speakers. £25 at door; concession and/or discount if you book by email. Students free. [email protected].
Herbal First Aid Weekend. Sat 11-Sun 12 May, 10am-4pm with Medical Herbalists Annwen Jones and Becs
Griffiths, MNIMH. Learn how to use herbs in common first aid and acute illnesses. Explore what makes a herbal first aid kit, and prepare some herbal medicines, to start your own kit. Includes short walk to harvest herbs. Waunifor, Maesycrugiau, nr Pencader SA39 9LX. £85/£75 concession plus £20 for materials. Book a place: 07412 399154, m a i l @ r h i z o m e c l i n i c . o r g . u k , www.rhizomeclinic.org.uk
Gentle Yoga classes suitable for all: Tues 10-11.30am Cellan Hall Weds 5.30-7pm Tregaron Chapel Vestry Thur 10-11.30am Pontrhydfendigaid Vestry Contact: Cathy Crick Stanton, 01570 421144 / 07748 031614, [email protected]
Meditation, Qi Gong and Breathing exercises class to deal with stress of modern living. Self-help practices for health, awareness and insight. Thurs 7-8.30pm (except 3rd Thurs of month), Argoed Hall, Tregaron. £5. Before attending please contact: Iain Cameron Watson, 07852 626001, [email protected]
move your body________ Coedwig Gymunedol Long Wood Community Woodland. Do you need to get out more? Join our FREE 1/2 hour Health Walks, last Sun of each month, from 2pm. Especially for people who find walking difficult. Start from Penlan Goetre, SA48 8NE. Wear strong shoes. Contact: Andrew, 07557 386755 Mountain bikers! Sarn Helen is holding a free club ride on Sun 12 May in and around Long Wood, Lampeter (starting from Rookery car park at 10.30). All welcome. To take part, contact 01570 434751, [email protected]
Belly Dance & Belly Fit classes Belly Dance: Mon. 1.30-2.45pm (all ages). Belly Fit: 3-4.00pm (over 50s) Shiloh Church Hall, Lampeter (next to the police station on the High Street). All fitness levels welcome. Contact: Rose Barter, 01239 851737 [email protected]
Belly Dance & Yoga classes. Belly Dance: Tues 7.30-8.30pm. £3.00. Beginner Yoga: Thur 7-8.30pm, £5.00. Crugybar Village Hall. Contact: 01558 685321, [email protected]
Talsarn Folk Dances Now held on the 1st Saturday of each month. No partner needed, just come & join in. 8pm start, refreshments provided. Admission £2.50 Contact: 01974 272098
Cerddwyr Ramblers, Lampeter, organise a variety of weekly walks throughout the year. Anyone interested in walking with the group is warmly welcomed to join. A walking programme is available from the Town Library or James, 01570 480743.
Flamenco Dance classes weekly in Lampeter and Aberystwyth with Dixey Ruscelli. Tues 6-7.15pm, Sally Saunders Dance Studio, Lampeter Industrial Estate, Tregaron Rd, Lampeter (next to Organic Fresh Food Co) Wed 6-7.30pm, Aberystwyth Arts Centre, with live flamenco guitarist. Men and women welcome. Please bring strong chunky-heeled shoes. Contact: 01570 493138, [email protected]
Tribal Dance with Lyza. Alternate Wednesdays 6.30-8pm, Shiloh Church Hall, High Street, Lampeter. Contact: [email protected]
markets______________ People’s Market, Victoria Hall, Lampeter, 10am-1pm Sat 11 May - featuring a Plant Swap & Sat 25 - a Special table-top sale of clothes and goods (not electrical). Sell your unwanted clothes and household items. To book a table in advance ring Ceredwin, 01570 421476, or take your chance of a space on the day.
Lampeter Farmers' Market Market Street, Lampeter, 9am-2pm alternate Fridays Next market: Friday 3 May
Ffarmers Market Neuadd Bro Fana/Village Hall, Ffarmers, 10am-12.30pm 1st Sat in the month Next market: Saturday 4 May
Llansawel Market Llansawel Village Hall, 10am-12.30pm 3rd Sat of the month Next market: Saturday 18 May
Lunar Market. Saturday 4 May, Llanfair Clydogau Village Hall, 10am-3pm. Local produce and crafts and refreshments. Contact: 07920 063773.
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music_________________
A Night of Breton Music. Fri 26 April at Y Talardd/Talardd Arms, Llanllwni. Brigitte Kloareg and Yann-Fañch Perroches. Admission free but a hat will be passed round. Noson o gerddoriaeth Llydewig yn nhafarn Y Talardd, Llanllwni. Mynediad am ddim ond bydd het ar diwedd y noswaith.
Castanet Club: Sat 27 April at Victoria Hall: Breton Dance Workshop 5-6pm (£3), food on sale 7-8pm, bring your own bottle, and Concert 8pm (£5). (see ad on page 9)
Cwmann and District Male Choir in Concert. Llanfair Clydogau looks forward to the visit of the Cwmann and District Male Choir to St Mary's church on Sun 19 May at 6.30pm. Tickets £5 (£1 for children) available from Llanfair shop or from Lesley Stevens, 01570 493288. Following the concert, in the village hall, light refreshments with a chance to socialise. A warm welcome to all. Cyngerdd Cor Cwmann a'r Cylch Mae pentref Llanfair Clydogau yn edrych ymlaen yn arw at ymweliad Cor Cwmann a'r Cylch i Eglwys Santes Fair ar nos Sul, Mai 19 eg am 6.30yh. Bydd y cor yn cyflawni nifer o ganeuon pob log a id d ac am be l l em yn traddodiadol. Yn cefnogi y cor ar y noson fydd yr artistiaid Kess Huysmans ac eraill. Os hoffech docynnau maent ar werth am £5 (£1 i blant) o'r siop yn Llanfair, neu oddi wrth Lesley Stevens ar 01570 493288. Ar ol y cyngerdd fe fydd lluniaeth ysgafn yn y neuadd a chyfle i gymdeithasu. Croeso cynnes i bawb.
photography ___________
Wildlife Digital Photography 3-day Course at Denmark Farm - part of Aberystwyth University's SELL Ecology programme. Sat 18, Sun 19 & Mon 20 May 2013, 10am-5pm. £90 /£80 concessions. For a range of photographic courses & private tuition contact: Simon Tune, 01570 481466, [email protected]
Lampeter Photography meet on 1st & 3rd Friday of every month, 7.30pm at the Kings Head, Lampeter. Monthly competitions, exhibitions & workshops. All welcome. FREE. Contact: Stef, 07958 772035, [email protected]
religious services &
groups ________________
Lampeter Parish St Peter’s Church, Lampeter. Main Sun Service: 11am (bilingual), Other services: 8am Holy Communion
(English), 9.30am Cymun Bendigaid (trydydd Sul yn y mis yn unig, Cymraeg). Church Hall available for hire, £8.50 per hour. Kitchen facilities. Enquiries/bookings contact: Beryl, 01570 422324, www.lampeterparish.org
St Cybi’s Church, Llangybi. Main Sun Service: 9am (bilingual).
St Bledrws’ Church, Betws Bledrws. Main Sun Service: 10.45am (English or bilingual).
St Sulien’s Church, Silian. Main Sun Service: 2pm (bilingual /Cymraeg).
St Mary’s Church, Maestir. Main Sun Service: 2.30pm (2nd Sun in month only, English).
Times apply to the first four Sundays in each month. For the few fifth Sundays there will be a single United Parish Service at 10am: location will be published in the local newspapers.
Seventh Day Adventists meet fortnightly on Sat at Cellan Millennium Hall, 10.15am-3.15pm. For more details: www.cellanmillenniumhall.co.uk
Lampeter Evangelical Church meets every Sunday at Victoria Hall, 10am– 7pm. Contact: Gareth Jones at The Mustard Seed café, 01570 423344
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church, Lampeter Sunday Mass is 10am. For other services see church notice board.
Lampeter Quakers. Every Sunday at Canolfan Steffan, Peterwell Terrace at 10.45am. All welcome. www.quakersinwales.org.uk (English) Crynwyr Llambed. Cwrdd bob ddydd Sul, Canolfan Steffan, Rhodfa Peterwell, 10.45 yb. Croeso i bawb. www.crynwyrcymru.org.uk (Cymraeg) Contact / Cysylltwch: Deborah Rowlands, 01570 480083, [email protected]
St Thomas' Methodist Church Sun service 10.30am, creche & youth activity. Tuesday Coffee morning 9.30-12noon. All welcome. See chapel notice board.
Interested in Buddhism? A Study Group for Women. Exploring the underlying principle of Buddhist Practice and how we can apply this in our daily lives. Meets one day a month near Aberystwyth. Meditation, shared lunch. Contact: Lesley 01970 617129 or Noel 07988 745364
storytelling & books_____
Storytelling Group/Noson Storiau Croeso i bawb, Cymry, Saeson a Thylwyth Teg, dynion a merched, oedolion a phlant.
Everyone welcome from complete beginners to talented bards. Come to listen, come to tell. Friendly, informal group 7-9pm every 3rd Monday in the month, Denmark Farm, Betws Bledrws. Next meeting Mon 20 May. Please bring a small donation to cover room hire and refreshments. Contact/cysyllt â: Rachel 01570 493222, [email protected]
Llangeitho Book Group meets every 2nd Weds of the month, 2pm in Llangeitho Village Café. We choose a book to read and chat over a paned/cuppa. Contact: 01974 821213 (or just turn up!) [email protected], register your interest. If you know of anyone who would like to join the club please let us know.
social ________________ CYD Llambed. Ymarfer eich Cym-raeg/Practise your Welsh. Dydd Mawrth 11 yb-12yh/Tuesdays 11am-12 noon, Gwesty y Llew Du, Llanbedr P.S./Black Lion Hotel, Lampeter. Croeso i bawb/All welcome. Croeso i unrhyw Cymro/Cymraes sy'n fodlon i ymuno â ni. Cysyllt â/Contact: Mary Neal, 01570 470092
Golden Broth Lunch Club: a new free lunch and social club for the senior citizens of Cellan and Llanfair Clydogau, offering a FREE light lunch of soup, roll and cake, plus tea/coffee. Gather for a social and play cards or dominoes, or just relax and natter to friends. All ideas are welcome. Come along and join in the fun. Fortnightly on alternate weeks at Cellan Millennium Hall and Llanfair Hall on Mondays, 11.30am-2pm. Starts Mon 6 May at Cellan and Mon 20 May at Llanfair. Ring Amanda (Cellan) 01570 421338, or Linda (Llanfair) 01570 493706, to ??
Lampeter Friends is a new Self-Advocacy group for people with learning disabilities, set up by Eich Dewis Chi (soon to become Ceredi-gion Advocacy). Every Wed, 2-4pm, CAMFA building, Lampeter. A welcoming and supportive space for people with learning disabilities to meet and talk about issues important to them. Free, all welcome. Meet new friends, find support, take part in activities, build confidence, learn new skills & hobbies & have fun! Contact: Rebecca, 07976 023486
Whist Drives, Weds 8 and Weds 22 May. At Hafan Deg, Lampeter, every fortnight. All welcome. All Funds to Hafan Deg League of Friends. Contact: Gwen Davies, 01570 481152.
14
May 3 “The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey” (12)
May 10 “Life of Pi” (PG)
Thurs May 30 “Quartet” (12) Maggie Smith
14 June “Les Miserables” (12) Russell Crowe
28 June “Lincoln” (12A) Daniel Day-Lewis
12 July “Hitchcock” (12) Anthony Hopkins, Helen
Mirren
26 July “ Zero Dark Thirty” (15) Chris Pratt
9 Aug “Song for Marion” (PG) Vanessa Redgrave,
Terence Stamp
DOORS OPEN 7.15pm PROGRAMME BEGINS 7.45pm
Admission by Donation £2.00
BIG SCREEN & DIGITAL THEATRE SOUND
WWW.CELLANMILLENNIUMHALL.CO.UK
CELLAN MILLENNIUM HALL
CLASSES AND GROUPS
Classes subject to change:
please check www.cellanmillenniumhall.co.uk
for updates & contact details.
See our website film page for movies &
What’s On page for one-off events
MONDAY
Line Dancing 7-10pm
6 May - Lunch Club 11.30-2pm
TUESDAY
Healing Yoga 10-11.30am
Lampeter Home Education Group 12-5pm
Qi Gong 6-7pm
Tai Chi 7-8pm
Beekeepers 2nd Tues of month, 8pm
WEDNESDAY
Table Tennis 10-11.30am
Quilting Club & Creative Café 12 noon-4pm
Yoga 5.30-7pm
THURSDAY
Five Rhythms Dance 1st Thurs of month 7pm
Village Improvement Society Cttee1st Thurs of
month 7pm
W.I. 2nd Thurs of month 7.30pm
FRIDAY
Art Group 10am–1pm
Film Night fortnightly 7.15pm (see ad below)
SATURDAY
13 April - Seventh Day Adventists,
fortnightly 10.15am-3.15pm
women’s workshop_____
Wed 10.30am-3pm, St James’ Hall, Cwmann. 11am Qi Gong-gentle exercise. 12noon lunch. 1pm workshop. Disabled access & toilet. Free car park. £2.50 a session (includes vegetarian lunch and all activities). Pay on the day, no member-ship or advance fee - drop in when you please. New members always welcome. 1 May - Painting 8 May - Macramé 15 May - Creative Writing 22 May - Creative Crafts 28 May - Half Term - no meeting Contact: 01570 423167/01545 590391
writing ________________
Teifi Writers. Creative writing workshop with Damian Walford Davies. Sat 13 April, 2-4pm, Tysul Hall, Llandysul. Contact: Kelly, 01267 235336.
Developing a Voice in Writing at Waunifor, Maesycrugiau, with Annette Ecuyere. Tuesdays 10am–12.30pm (8 sessions, started 23 April). A journey of exploration: discover ways of using your senses and emotions to develop your writ-ing voice. For all skill/experience levels. Contact: Annette 01559 370969, [email protected], www.wordzworkwales.biz
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Café Delights The café at the People's Market held in Victoria Hall
on the second and fourth Saturday of the month is
now run by the Ceredigion COASTAL Project, in
conjunction with Cwmni Llond Bol who are based at
Canolfan Steffan in Lampeter.
Cwmni Llond Bol is a project set up to provide
catering skills to people with learning disabilities,
based at Bronaeron Social Activity Centre in
Felinfach run by Social Services. The service moved
and relocated to Lampeter in 2007 to Canolfan
Steffan. They have been in operation for a number of
years and have always sought opportunities to grow
and develop. As Cwmni Llond Bol is part of the
Ceredigion COASTAL Project, it now has the scope
to work with individuals who have different needs
and, to a certain extent, involve people with a higher
skill base. The COASTAL Project would be in a
position to oversee the work of Cwmni Llond Bol and
assist in its growth and development.
The COASTAL Project is a joint project involving six
local authorities: the City and County of Swansea,
Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire,
Bridgend and Ceredigion. It is jointly funded by the
European Social Fund (ESF) and the local
authorities. The project is aimed at the promotion of
vocational guidance, employment, skills training and
lifelong learning opportunities for individuals who are
currently economically inactive as a result of illness,
disability, substance misuse problems and/or the
serious social disadvantage associated with the
transition from long-term care into adulthood. The
Project will provide access to:
* Appropriate education/skills training
* Supported employment or work experience
* Support with job applications, CV writing, interview
skills etc
The project has found employment for its participants
in care work, cleaning, catering and office work
based in the Welsh Government Offices in
Aberystwyth. We have also found a number of
voluntary placements for our participants throughout
Ceredigion. In addition to this, we have over fifty of
our participants who have gained an accredited
qualification in subjects as varied as basic food
hygiene, health and safety, dry stone walling, various
computer courses, hedge laying and tree planting.
As with all European-funded projects, the money will
come to an end, and we are working on ensuring a
legacy of sustainable supported employment
opportunities from the project. That is why we are
very excited about our involvement with Transition
Llambed Development Trust (TLDT) at Victoria Hall.
In agreement with the Trust, we will be developing
the café and kitchen into a training kitchen for our
participants, whilst meeting the catering needs of
Victoria Hall through its hiring out of the venue. The
aim of the project is to develop the kitchen, in
partnership with TLDT and Ceredigion Care Society,
into a Catering Training Facility. It will provide
training and learning and potentially employment
opportunities for disabled and disadvantaged people
and deliver a high-quality catering service to its
customer base. The aim is to create a self-sustaining
facility to deliver catering training and work-related
experience that will empower adults with a range of
disabilities/needs to reach their full potential, thus
improving their quality of life.
The cafe has proved to be a
very successful and popular
feature of market day. We
are selling various home-
made cakes, sandwiches
and toasties, plus tea, coffee
and soft drinks. We continue
to develop the menu and we
have made cawl on a couple
of occasions.
We look forward to each
market day when we can
offer this experience to our
participants. We are commit-
ted to the procurement policy of Victoria Hall, which
means we will source all our ingredients as locally as
we can.
Darren Phillips
Rheolwr Llwybrau Cyflogaeth/Employment Pathway
Manager,
Swyddfa Ceredigion COAST Office,
Min y Mor, Gerddi Wellington Gardens,
Aberaeron SA46 0BQ
01545 574237, 07968 399513,
people’s market people
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………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Send your answers by 6pm on Fri 10 May to: Grapevine May Competition c/o Victoria Hall, Bryn Road, Lampeter. SA48 7EE or
[email protected] please put ‘May Competition’ into the subject box when entering by email
Presentation will take place at the People’s Market on Sat 11 May
Identify where these photos are in Lampeter … for your chance to win a copy of this fantastic book …
“50 Things to do before you’re 11 3/4 ”
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Cookie’s Corner
This month's theme is ‘Coming Out’. Well, I
suppose it had to happen, I have tried to keep it low
-profile, I knew people would notice eventually so I
had better get it over with… “I am a vegetarian” –
there, I have said it - I’ve ‘Come Out’.
I am not pale or wasting away (far from it!) I am not
anti-meat nor am I against anyone else eating meat
– I just happen to have made a decision 20-odd
years ago and never seen a reason to go back on it.
So, to ensure culinary balance and to stem the flood
of letters to the editor complaining about the lack of
meat recipes, I have invited an excellent local cook
to offer a recipe using locally-available ingredients
and seasonal Welsh lamb. We not only get a lovely
recipe, but Lynn Humphreys has debunked the
urban myth that supermarkets are cheaper than lo-
cal shops. Over to you Lynn:
Here is a quick, tasty, one-pot, weekday meal using
delicious Welsh lamb. A lightly spiced dish that is also
healthy: for those, like myself, who are watching the
calories now that the worst of the cold weather is
behind us and looking forward to summer with hopes
of fitting into that favourite summer dress/shorts!
LAMB
WITH MEDITERRANEAN VEGETABLES
Approx. 195 calories per portion served on its own.
Although lemon couscous, warmed flat breads or pitta
are a great accompaniment, with a fresh green salad
and a large dollop of Harissa sauce!
All the main ingredients for this dish were bought in
Lampeter from local shops (with a couple from my
garden).
Price of bought ingredients (lamb, courgettes, peppers,
tomatoes, shallots): £6.07
Comparison price of ingredients, ASDA online: £7.01
(Prices checked 17 April - no direct equivalent for lamb
fillet available, so substituted diced lamb)
Ingredients (for 4 portions) 1 tablespoon olive oil (cupboard staple, originally
purchased at Organic Fresh Foods)
250g lean lamb fillet, trimmed of fat and thinly sliced
(T. Jones Butchers)
140g shallots, halved (Organic Fresh Foods)
2 large courgettes, cut into chunks (Teifi Fruit & Veg)
1 teaspoon each of ground cumin, paprika and ground
coriander (Mulberry Bush). Use more if a stronger
flavour preferred.
1 red, 1 orange and 1 green pepper, cut into chunks
(Teifi Fruit & Veg)
1 garlic clove, sliced (from our garden)
150ml vegetable stock (Mulberry Bush)
250g cherry tomatoes (Teifi Fruit & Veg)
A handful coriander leaves, roughly chopped
1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan.
Cook the lamb and shallots over a high heat for 2-3
minutes until golden. Add the courgettes and stir-fry
for 3-4 minutes until they begin to soften.
2. Add the spices and toss well, then add the peppers
and garlic. Reduce heat and cook over a medium heat
for 4-5 minutes until they start to soften.
3. Pour in the stock and stir to coat. Add the toma-
toes, season and then cover and simmer for 15
minutes, stirring occasionally until the veg are ten-
der. Stir through the coriander to serve.
I conducted a focus group amongst Lynn's recipe
testers and got the following informed response:
“More please”. Enough said.
Lynn’s research made me think – especially her
comment about it being a quick meal. TV cookery
programmes can be great fun, but I worry they are
all about fancy stuff that most of us would never eat,
let alone cook. Cooking should be fun but it should
also be do-able. These programmes make cookery
appear something that others do, not something we
can all do – no wonder people turn to 'ready meals'.
Lynn has produced a meal for £1.50 per serving,
made up of locally-sourced ingredients, is healthy
and is within the cooking ability of anyone with a
saucepan.
In contrast, the Asda Spicy Lamb Kofta 'ready meal"
is £2 for one portion, you need a degree in chemical
engineering to understand the cooking instructions,
and it takes 40 minutes in the oven. On the upside
however, it is packed with 'authentic flavour' - not
surprising as it contains no less than 70 ingredients!
However, seeing as it consists of only 12% meat it’s
almost suitable for me.
Tim Martin with Lynn Humphreys
Next month I will be ranting on the subject of
‘Festival Food’.
18
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So, now the fossil fuel hunters are finding ways to get
gas gold out of the near surface layer of our planet
home – the shale layer. They tell us it is good for the
economy and virtually green because of how natural it
is. Putting aside any naturalist questions about what
function this substance may be performing in the
ground, what are the consequences of getting shale
gas out of the ground and into our petrol pumps, via
the process known as ‘fracking’?
For me, the main problem is not the technique of
penetrating the shale layer with vast quantities of
microbe-killing chemicals, nor that this is done under
such pressure that it fractures (‘fracks’) the ground
into holes into which the gas can move. Nor is it the
poisoned water (displaced by the gas), which is
supposedly assiduously collected and ‘disposed of’
before it gets into the water table. Nor even the
weasel words "the environmental impacts of shale
development are challenging but manageable."1
Meaning that any earthquakes are merely as innocent
and friendly as a bus going past our house, and any
gassy water catching fire as it pours from household
taps is the result merely of unscrupulous contractors
and can be rectified by legislation.
My problem is not either that natural gas is largely
composed of methane, which is a greenhouse gas
with 25 times the global warming potential of carbon
dioxide. Nor that a significant amount of methane
escapes into the atmosphere during the fracking
process, and also later, due to leaks from pipelines
and from storage facilities. The journal Nature2
reported in January that studies in Colorado and
Utah3 found methane leakage rates of up to 9% – far
more than the current US Environment Protection
Agency estimate of 2.3%.
Worrying as these factors obviously are, my problem
with this panning for tiny deposits of fossil fuel
(however cheap it makes petrol in the short term and
whether or not it saves us the embarrassment of
murdering more people in the proximity of any proper
oil wells) is the effect it has on the alternative energy
economy – in other words, of stopping it in its tracks.
No need for anyone to invest in renewables now that
consuming sebaceous fluid from the ground is back
on the menu, so that by the time we get back to
sustainability we will find it too late to turn this
mothership around.
maj ikle
Notes:
(1) MIT Energy Initiative (Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, 2011) The Future of Natural Gas: An Inter-
disciplinary MIT Study
(2)www.nature.com/news/methane-leaks-erode-green-
credentials-of-natural-gas
(3) Studies conducted by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), jointly with the
University of Colorado at Boulder.
For more information about fracking and about proposed
unconventional gas developments in Wales, see:
www.guardian.co.uk/environment/shale-gas
and http://frackfreewales.wordpress.com
Shale away…
Stuck for what to do to get out & about this month?
Need an excuse to go for a walk?
Have you ever tried Geocaching?
Geocaching is a free real-world outdoor treasure hunt. Players try to locate hidden
containers, called geocaches.
Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS co-ordinates and then attempt to find
the geocache (hidden container) at that location.
You might find some goodies in the container too … You never know what may have
been left for you to discover … if you take an item you must leave something of
equal value behind, so the contents are constantly changing.
You write about your find in the cache log book, hide the container again as it was
found and continue your journey.
Experiences can later be logged & shared with the geocaching community online
www.geocaching.com
This is fast becoming a world-wide phenomenon but did you know
there are geocaches not far away?
(There’s one at Long Wood for a start - if you know where to look!)
Geocaching can add a sense of purpose & fun to a long family stroll .
19
The Benefits of Exercise on the Mind
Please note - Copy deadline
is Fri 10 May
Miss it - you risk not
being included in the June issue!
Why do we exercise? Is it to get fitter or to lose
weight? But did you know research has shown that
it can have some surprising effects on our minds.
Maybe you exercise to tone your thighs, build your
biceps, flatten your tummy or to improve your general
health. But what can it do for your mind? "Exercise is the
single best thing you can do for your brain in terms of
mood, memory, and learning," says Harvard Medical
School psychiatrist John Ratey, author of the book,
Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and
the Brain. "Even 10 minutes of activity changes your
brain."
Exercise can reverse the detrimental effects of
stress.
Fairly vigorous exercise for at least 30 minutes can
decrease tension by increasing levels of "soothing" brain
chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.
What's fascinating, though, is that exercise may actually
work on a cellular level to reverse stress's toll on our
aging process, according to a 2010 study from the
University of California San Francisco. The researchers
found that stressed-out women who exercised
vigorously for an average of 45 minutes over a three-day
period had cells that showed fewer signs of aging
compared to women who were stressed and inactive.
Working out also helps keep us from ruminating "by
altering blood flow to those areas in the brain involved in
triggering us to relive these stressful thoughts again and
again," says study co-author Elissa Epel, an associate
professor of psychiatry at UCSF.
Exercise can reduce symptoms of depression.
Research suggests that burning off 350 calories three
times a week through sustained, sweat-inducing activity
can reduce symptoms of depression about as effectively
as anti-depressants. That may be because exercise
appears to stimulate the growth of neurons in certain
brain regions damaged by depression. What's more,
animal studies have found that getting active boosts the
production of brain molecules that improve connections
between nerve cells, thereby acting as a natural
anti-depressant.
It can improve learning. Exercise increases the level of
brain chemicals called growth factors, which help make
new brain cells and establish new connections between
brain cells to help us learn. Interestingly, complicated
activities, like playing tennis or taking a dance class,
provide the biggest brain boost. "You're challenging your
brain even more when you have to think about
co-ordination," explains Ratey. "Like muscles, you have
to stress your brain cells to get them to grow."
Complicated activities also improve our capacity to learn
by enhancing our attention and concentration skills,
according to German researchers who found that
secondary school children scored better on
high-attention tasks after doing 10 minutes of a
complicated fitness routine compared to 10 minutes of
regular activity. (Those who hadn't exercised at all
scored the worst.)
It keeps the brain fit.
Even mild activity like a leisurely walk can help keep
your brain fit and active, possibly preventing memory
loss and keeping skills like vocabulary retrieval strong.
In a 2011 study published in the Archives of Internal
Medicine, Canadian researchers analysed the energy
expenditure and cognitive functioning of elderly adults
over the course of two to five years. Most of the
participants did not work out; their activities revolved
around short walks, cooking, gardening, and cleaning.
Still, compared with their sedentary peers, the most
active participants scored significantly better on tests of
cognitive function, and they showed the least amount of
cognitive decline. By the study's end, roughly 90 per
cent of them could think and remember just as well as
they could when the study began.
Exercise may prevent Alzheimer's.
The Alzheimer's Research Centre claims that exercise is
one of the best weapons against the disease. Exercise
appears to protect the hippocampus, which governs
memory and spatial navigation, and is one of the first
brain regions to succumb to Alzheimer's-related
damage. A recent study published in the Archives of
Neurology suggests that a daily walk or jog could lower
the risk of Alzheimer's - or blunt its impact once it has
begun. In 2000, Dutch researchers found that inactive
men who were genetically prone to Alzheimer's were
four times more likely to develop the disease than those
who carried the trait but worked out regularly.
So the message is, if you want to keep your mind as
well as your body in shape, remember to exercise.
There are lots of different ways you can do it, so
whether it’s running, walking, cycling, swimming,
gardening, sport or whatever you enjoy, get out there
and exercise.
Shirley & Gerard Fordham
Info taken by Shirley & Gerard Fordham from
"7 Mind-Blowing Benefits of Exercise" by Deborah Kotz &
Angela Haupt,
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/diet-fitness/
slideshows/7-mind-blowing-benefits-of-exercise/3
20
RRRecent ecent ecent RRReviews eviews eviews
Selling organics: Event for retailers
Weds 8 May 9.30am-2pm
at Victoria Hall, Lampeter.
Times are hard for retailers of organic food, so Organic Centre Wales (OCW) is hosting a training event to bring retailers together to exchange ideas and
experiences. We'll cover:
* Creating and maintaining sales * How to get more from your business
* New POS materials to help communicate organic messages in-store.
Speakers Adam York (Glebelands) and Lucy Watson (Organic Fresh Food Company) have a
wealth of experience in both retail and organics. Delicious locally-produced organic lunch.
Info: Tony Little, 01970 621632, [email protected], www.organiccentrewales.org.uk
THE LAMPETER FESTIVAL OF WORLD SACRED MUSIC
The brand-new Lampeter Festival of World Sacred Music (22-24 March) proved to be a weekend of enjoyment, stimulation, tranquillity and harmony - musical and spiritual.
For the curtain-raising event at Victoria Hall, Côr
Cwmann and Corisma gave us superb choral singing.
Bryan Smudger Smith and Rajesh David performed
music from the Eastern tradition, and local poets
spoke of harmony of the soul.
The festival was the brainchild of Eva Skalla who had
experienced similar festivals abroad. She gave the
first of the lecture/workshops - Natural Harmonics and
Eastern Music - and her enthusiasm made the subject
come alive. Rajesh David encouraged us to sing
simple scales relating to the seven chakras (energy
centres of the body) and explored Nada – the
essence of vibration of music.
The second lecture session focussed on the Welsh
tradition of bible-chanting called ‘Pwnc’ given by Rev
Eirian Wynn Lewis and the congregation of the 250-
year-old Rhydwilym Baptist Chapel near Narberth.
But the highlight of the Festival was The Armed Man
– A Mass for Peace, conducted by its composer, Karl
Jenkins, the world's most-performed living composer.
It is based on the Catholic Mass, and was performed
by a 100-strong choir, combining Côr Godre’r Garth
from Pontypridd, Côr Ger y Lli from the Aberystwyth
area and the University Choir; the British Sinfonietta
and soloist Marlena Devoe. Tickets were in great
demand and the concert was completely sold out.
The Festival had also organised a competition for
Secondary Schools to produce a new piece of sacred
music. Karl Jenkins presented the first prize to
Melerie Davies, Ysgol Bro Pedr, for Libera Me, which
will feature in next year’s Festival and be recorded by
Hywel Wigley at his Acapela Studio in Cardiff.
The Palm Sunday procession and Eucharist in the
College Chapel was followed by a delicious sacred
meal hosted by Canon Brendan O’Malley and cooked
by local restaurants. After the meal Seveone Ye
played Chinese harp music.
Evening Vespers in St Peter’s Church, with Gregorian
chanting, seemed a fitting and harmonious end to the
Festival.
Plans are already underway for the 2014 Festival.
If you'd like to get involved, please contact us at 2
Bridge St, Lampeter, SA48 7HG,
www.worldsacredmusic.com Josie Smith
Melerie Davies of Ysgol Bro Pedr, presented with first prize by Karl Jenkins,
for her composition Libera Me.
Ianto Jones, Ysgol Bro Pedr, Presented with third prize by Karl Jenkins,
for his composition Kyrie
21
Poetry Corner Come Outside
‘Come outside’, the papers said, so I did
but I couldn’t see why.
What is this cold, freezing grey sky
and what is up with the weather?
I shivered in my winter coat
trying to feel like spring
when slowly a tiny bud appeared
at the tip of a tree branch spear.
A glance of yellow on a primrose
shy beneath crinkled leaf fans,
revealed the colourful changes to come
and the promise of hot summer lands.
maj ikle
Carole Powell, a member of Lampeter Writers’
Workshop, has won this year’s prestigious Wilfred
Owen Association Bursary.
Carole, from Narberth, said: "I'm thrilled to have won
this year's Bursary, especially as Wilfred Owen's
poems made an impression on me at an early age;
the award will allow me time to concentrate on my
work. I've been a member of the group since 2000 -
lots of miles literally and metaphorically! - and I'd like
to thank everyone there who has supported me
along the way."
The Lampeter Writers’ Workshop was founded in
1984 by Gillian Clarke, now National Poet of Wales.
The group and its individual members have
published widely and won major competitions like
the Cardiff International Poetry Prize.
The group's third anthology, A Star Fell From Orion,
was launched in 2011 in Lampeter. From this the
performance group Red Heron has emerged, giving
readings throughout the area.
Lampeter Writers’ Workshop meets at 7pm on
Tuesdays in the Wolfson Room, University of Wales
Trinity Saint David (term-time only), and welcomes
new members. Contact: Kathy Miles,
Poetry Success
at a glance
1 Calan Mai (1st day of summer)
The Tree Council’s ‘Walk in the Woods’ month
2
3 to 6 - Bro Tregaron walking weekend
to 5 - Machynlleth Comedy Festival
4
International Star Wars Day “May the fourth be with
you!”
Ramblers’ Get Walking Week
5
International Dawn Chorus Day
Hedgehog Awareness Week
(www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk)
6 May Day
7
8
9
10
11 World Migratory Bird Day
12 Race For Life, Aberystwyth
13
14
15 International Day of Families
16
17 Food Revolution Day
World Telecommunication and Information Society Day
18 Welsh 3 Peaks Challenge
19 Welsh 3 Peaks Challenge
Smallholder & Garden festival, Builth Wells
20 Smallholder & Garden festival, Builth Wells
21 World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and
Development
22 International Day for Biological Diversity
(Water & Biodiversity)
23
to 2 June - Hay Festival of Literature & the Arts
and HowTheLightGetsIn, Hay-on-Wye
Wales Farming Conference 2013, Builth Wells
24 to 27 Welsh Cider & Perry Festival - Caldicot Castle
25 Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-Self-
governing Territories
26
27
28
29 International Day of UN Peacekeepers
30
31 to 2 June - Woodfest Wales, Kinmel Estate, North Wales
22
Final Copy Deadlines
June issue: Fri 10 May Theme: ‘Festival Fever’ - x -
July/Aug issue: Fri 7 June Theme: ‘Keep it Local’ - x -
Sept issue: Fri 9 Aug Theme: ‘Past, Present, Future’
Send your listings to
for full guidelines & more
information for advertisers
& contributors:
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www.transitionllambed.co.uk
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23
This space is for You!
Do you have things to sell?
Can you offer a service?
Need something?
Why not advertise it
HERE?
Looking ahead:
Don’t forget to send us your
Top Festival Tips.
Do you have a favourite local festival?
We would really like to hear from you.
The Newsletter Team
small ads & classified
Charlotte Allen RSHom Homeopath 14 years' clinical experience. Homeopathy is a safe, holistic method of treating both emotional and physical conditions. Llanfair Clinic, 41 Bridge Street, Lampeter, SA48 8EG. 01570 493746
Transformational Bodywork. Iain Cameron Watson , 20 years' experience. Trauma Release, Alexander Technique. Relief from stress/anxiety, PMT, insomnia, neck, back, shoulder, period pain, head-aches. By donation. 07852 626001, cameronbodywork@gmai l .com, http://transformationalbodywork.co.uk
Joanne Camlin BSc WSHom. Homoeopathy is a system of medi-cine that treats mental, emotional and physical illness, and can be used by everyone, including babies and children. Lampeter. 01570 421480 (mornings)
Bowen Technique, about an hour’s treatment, works by gently stimulating the body’s own sympathetic nervous system, allowing it to find balance and release from tension and pain. Contact: Ceredwin, 01570 421476
The Light of Love ten-minute (off-the-body) treatment harnesses the power of the universal life force: relaxing, healing, promoting well-being. Offered FREE at People’s Market (no booking required) or at other t imes by appointment. Ceredwin: 01570 421476
Cathy Crick Stanton. Yoga teacher / therapist (Iyengar trained) and Barbara Brennan Healer. For class details, or to book 1-2-1 yoga or therapy/healing sessions: 01570 421144 / 07748 031614, [email protected]
The Art of Well-Being: Reflexology and Indian Head Massage. Glennis Gratwick, MAR, FFHT, fully qualified, insured, 10 years' experience. Stall at Lunar Market (see listings) selling aromatherapy products. Contact: 01570 493288
Gina Heathersprite. Physical and Emotional Therapy. Massage, re-flexology, hypno-psychotherapy, counselling. Llanfair Clinic, 41 Bridge Street, Lampeter. 01570 493526, [email protected]
Pearl Jebb. Reflexology, Bowen/Neural Technique, helps with back, sciatica, shoulder pain, stress relief and much more. Qualified & regis-tered practitioner. Contact: 01974 299224 / 07967 647920
Alison Kaye MBAcC. Traditional Chi-nese Acupuncture. Llanfair Clinic, 41 Bridge Street, Lampeter, SA48 8EG. 07779 256388
Susan McAllister (Bsc Hons). Transformational Teacher, Thera-pist & Consultant. Over 20 years of teaching, complementary therapy & healing experience. Available now for Crystal Healing Workshops & Angelic Tarot Readings. To book, contact: 01570 493006 / 07572 672986, [email protected]
Louise Nadim BSc Hons, Ph.D. Fully qualified, insured Brennan Healer. Working in the Human Energy Field - assessing, balancing and healing, to restore physical, emotional and spir-itual health. Contact: 01570 4 2 1 1 4 4 / 0 7 9 2 0 1 1 2 2 2 8 , [email protected]
Dr Colette Power. Mindfulness-based Stress Management, MB Pain & Illness Management; Introduction
to Mindfulness Courses; 1-2-1 coach-ing. For future courses, or to discuss ways of working with mindfulness for you/your group, Contact: 07890 835873, co le t te@mindfu lnesscourse .co .uk www.mindfulnesscourse.co.uk
Eva Ryan MTI. Wholistic massage to help rebalance and heal body, mind and emotions. Treatment tai-lored to your unique needs. Registered, insured practitioner. At Taliaris, or arrange home visits. Con-tact: 01558 822390 / 07792 748191
Christine Stephenson BSc MNIMH. Medical Herbalist at Llanfair Clinic, 41 Bridge Street, Lampeter. Contact: 01239 858946
Ashley Ward MAR GJC (Dip Reflex). Dancing Tree Reflexology. Reflex-ology in the comfort of your own home, within 15-mile radius of Lam-peter. Fully-insured member of Asso-ciation of Reflexologists. Contact: 01570 422985 / 07811 767563, www.dancingtree.co.uk
Reflexology. Annie Zakiewicz MAR is a fully-insured member of the As-sociation of Reflexologists and prac-tises from Cellan. Contact: 01570 493295 / 07790 107521, www.reflexologywithannie.co.uk
complementary & alternative therapists
24
small ads & classified
Computer services and repairs in the Lampeter area: hardware upgrades, virus and spyware removal, health
checks, backup advice.
Fast, friendly service.
Contact: Ben, 01570 493706
Very able self-employed woman
looking for extra work.
Wide range of job skills and lots of common sense.
Most things considered. Contact: Trish La, 07967 591672
Don’t Lose Out - Copy deadline
is Fri 10 May
Miss it & you risk not
being included in the June issue!
lam
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terg
rap
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ail.
co
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Solid fuel Esse stove,
1930s original, no back boiler,
needs restoration.
Offers: Lynne 01570 480818
Could you
advertise here?
Contact: the
newsletter team
Wanted
by independent artist/writer -
site for 14ft caravan.
Rural retreat for occasional use.
Please contact: John, 07809 612367
Can't knit? No time?
You provide the pattern and wool, I will handknit it for you.
Price list available.
01570 218045, [email protected]
Cacennau cartref,
cyffaith a bwydydd sawrus
Ffrwythau, llysiau a
phlanhigion tymhorol, cartref
Cig a gynhyrchir yn lleol
a dewis o waith llaw crefft
Te a choffi
Homemade cakes,
preserves and savouries
Homegrown seasonal fruit,
vegetables and plants
Locally-produced meat and
a selection of handmade craft
Tea and coffee
