Wales S ome of the best on offer in Wales

Wales : the Land of the Little Dragons

Cardiff and Swansea , and Wrexham and L landudno Snowdon mountains and the Brecon Beacons e Prisoner at Portmerion and e Doctor in Tig er Bay. Books at Hay and racing at Chepstow Tom Jones, Shirle y Basse y and male voice choirs. e Stereophonics gravelly tones, the Manic Street Preachers designed for life, and firstg eneration rockers will never forg et the 68- Guns of e Alarm. We almost asked Mike Peters to do a foreword, just to prove that, if think you don’t know Wales, think ag ain. Croesò i Cymru.

Your group mig ht not be a multi-platinum album rock group, but Wales can still swing to your tune Anyway, the most common pyrotechnics are not from the stag e at Steelhouse Rock Festival in Ebbw Vale. e y ’ re from the drag ons Yes, it’s Wales : Here really do be drag ons.

You’ll see this fearsome creature on road signs, railway signs, in newspapers, on buses, in shops, on clothing , and on the flag of Wales - a bold red drag on prancing on the green fields with the white sky above. Spot it behind the DJ in the famous video : “Utah Saints - Something Good ’08”

Eig ht million views is not to be sniffed at Some peopleusually other British people, not blessed with Welsh birthrig ht - say the sky in the flag is white because it’s raining It’s actually bleached white because the sunshine is so brig ht.

Drag ons are not the only fire breathing creatures in the mountains of Wales. ere are others Hot with red fire ; hissing with noise ; with steam and smoke from their breath. You can see them and hear them coming from far, far away. eir roar echoes around the valle ys and the hillsides … and children love them! ese are the famous Great L ittle Trains of Walesthe only drag ons with a collective website ( greatlittletrainsof wales.co.uk)

Fier y little steam eng ines that puff up and down the Welsh hills, pulling romantic little trains, from lovely little towns and villag es, deep into the countr yside, and hig h up into the mountains

ese little railways were all built to help extract minerals from the mountains in the north Iron, stone, and slate were all found in great abundance, but the y were oen hig h up in the hills, or far away from the coast or a main railway. To g et to market, the miners built railways to transport their raw materials We could mention coal, but that’s a whole different level of massive firebreathing massiveness Get your minors along to see the miners at e Big Pit National Coal Musuem at Blaenafon, for a fabulous insig ht into the fuel that fired Wales (museum wales/big pit) It’s free, by the way

Big trains for the big pits, but small ones for those slate quarries and ever ything else. ose little trains have worked for nearly two hundred years, and are still working hard today. No long er hauling heavy mineral loads, the y all carr y passeng ers for pleasure. Your group can ride too Most journe ys are one or two hours, and visit lovely little villag es and romantic countr yside Your whole journe y completed with a little Welsh drag on pulling the train and breathing fire all day If you ’ re convinced to g ot to Wales, start practicing your Running Man rig ht now Your freshest moves, ever ; floating on air, see ose eig ht million viewers can ’ t be wrong

Carmarthenshire

D ylan omas, a national botanic g arden and miles of beautiful coastline are just some of the reasons why Carmarthenshire makes a great and accessible destination

is beautiful part of the principalit y – two hours from the Severn Bridg e – also boasts its fair share of castles and historic houses as well as being rich in archaeolog ical remains such as forts, earthworks and standing stones

Down on the Taf estuar y is the D ylan omas Boathouse, where the poet lived for four years and wrote much of his work – including some of Under Milk Wood Groups are welcome at the tea room To the west lies the count y town, Carmarthen, and aside from being the reputed birthplace of Merlin, it offers a slew of historic building s including a statue of L ieutenant General Sir omas Picton – once revered, yet, now in the sig hts of the ‘cancel culture’ movement

ose who are slig htly more energ etic will have many opportunities to g o on walks of all shapes and sizes as well as combining wildlife appreciation. Your groups mig ht like Pembre y Countr y Park, Carmel National Nature Reser ve or the Wetlands Centre in L lanelli Please visit their respective websites for detailed information

e ‘petrolheads’ of all ag es will, doubtless, know of Pendine Sands, a seven mile beach where Malcolm Campbell set a world land speed record with Blue Bird in 1924 the y film parts of Top Gear there, too e local council says construction is ong oing for a new modern state-of-the art Museum which will replace the Pendine Sands Museum of Speed (closed in 2018)

e green-fing ered brig ade in your part y will love the National Botanic Garden of

Wales with its 400 acres to enjoy and explore. ere’s also a café, g aller y and shop If your coach group is looking for a base to tour the area .

The Diplomat Hotel in L lanelli will ensure the y have a wonderful stay from which to do so. With parking for five coaches, a personal greeting from a hotel manag er or super visor, groups will find a warm welcome at this iconic L lanelli landmark e 50 en-suite bedrooms in this countr y st yle mansion have a unique character with period features and idiosyncratic st yle. Groups not resident at hotel are welcome for lunch or aernoon tea but please make a reser vation as the hotel is popular for such events

Call 01554 756156 or visit

e Diplomat Hotel Restaurant & Spa, Carmarthenshire, Llanelli - great for groups

e Diplomat is a family run hotel,operated with charm, warmth and generous hospitality, ensuring that any visiting group receives a warm welcome and wonderful stay.

is iconic Llanelli hotel was built in 1810, and today its bedrooms feature stylish décor, with TV, hairdryer, tea/co ee facilities and private bathroom.

e Diplomat Hotel also boasts a modern health club with full service spa and indoor heated swimming pool. Guests can relax in the luxurious New Eden Spa, with facilities including a sauna, steam room, hot tub, gym and indoor pool. A range of health and beauty treatments are also available.

Trubshaws Restaurant o ers a modern menu for Lunch and Dinner. Traditional Welsh and lighter continental breakfasts are served each morning. e Diplomat hotel is in the perfect location to explore Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, the Gower Peninsula and all of south Wales.

For details of group rates call 01554 756156 or visit www.diplomat-hotel-wales.com diplomat-hotel-wales.com

For more details on Carmar thenshire; www. discovercarmar thenshire.com