Community Picnic

The weather in July was awful, and the ground was far too wet for a picnic, so we decided to postpone the event until September. The new date is Sunday, 9th September, from 12 noon to 4.30pm, at the Hayfield Community Garden just up the hill from Hay bridge. We invite everyone to bring a picnic and a blanket, and there will be all sorts of free activities going on during the afternoon. Paul Hartley will be there doing his co-operative games, and there will be live music, face painting, basket making, crafts and nature art. There will also be guided walks around the Community Gardens, and a raffle! There are composting toilets on site, and there is wheelchair access. Here's hoping the weather improves!

Summer Fair

Hay Festival is coming up soon, and there's going to be a lot happening around Hay. There's also the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, of course, and it is on that day that the Buttermarket in the middle of Hay has been booked for a Fairtrade Fair. (It'll make a nice change to have a fair at a warm time of year!). On Tuesday 5th June, some of our regular stall holders will be coming along - like LoveZimbabwe, Bagage and Tools for Self Reliance, as well as a few new faces. Out in the square, there will be children's activities for the Jubilee, a parade of school children, and a picnic. Across the square, there will be food stalls in the Castle Gardens from the Abergavenny Food Fair. On the other side of the Castle there will be a sound stage for Hay Festival, and the shuttle buses will be bringing people to and from the Festival site on the edge of town. Meanwhile, on Sunday 3rd June, the African Fair will be happening in the Parish Hall again, and there will be a Fairtrade information table there, too. And some time in July (trying to avoid clashing with the school fete) there will be another Community Picnic at the Hayfield Gardens, hopefully in conjunction with other groups in town. It's going to be a busy summer!

Planning a Picnic

It's always fun to plan a party - and in view of the weather this year, we're planning for every eventuality! We're borrowing a geodome and various tents just in case it rains. The Community Picnic is a joint effort with Transition Towns Hay, and will be held in the Hayfield Community Gardens, just on the edge of town, with amazing views of the river and castle. The date is Sunday 3rd July, from 12 noon to around 4.30pm. The important thing to remember is to bring a picnic, and there will be free activities on site including Paul Hartley's community games, Art with Nature with Christina Wright, five-stick weaving with Lesley Arrowsmith (or Matilda de Breos, as she's been persuaded to dress up in medieval costume - they didn't have to persuade very hard!). There will also be live music and Fairtrade teas, coffees and squash - and biscuits. And face painting, too.
During Hay Festival Tim Smit, from the Eden Project, visited the gardens, and formally opened their geodesic polydome.

The planning meeting was also looking back at our recent achievements. Julia ran a stall at the Africa Market in the Parish Hall during Hay Festival, with lots of Fairtrade stalls around her, and said it was good to have the presence there.
Those who went to the Smallholders Show at the Royal Welsh showground also said it was well worth while.
Barbara manned the tea tent at the community gardens for some of the time they were open during the Festival. She said it was quiet, but people did make their way up there, and there was a big meal one evening with veggies from the garden cooked in a giant cauldron.
Jo gave out Fairtrade directories before the talk at the Globe with Harriet Lamb - and Harriet Lamb also went to visit the Africa Market, and the This Is Rubbish meal up at the community gardens.
So, all in all, we've been quite a busy group recently!