Achieving the impossible

from Shire Magazine March-April 2023 Cheshire & Wirral

Motoring Audi RS 3 Sportback Quattro

high-altitude adventure to cinematically beautiful stories. 7.30pm. Tickets from £8.50.

James Ketchell – It’s All Mental, 20th April Adventurer James shares the mindset needed to achieve seemingly unattainable goals. 7.30pm. Tickets from £13. www.galericaernarfon.com

The Scummy Mummies – Greatest Hits, 8th March The Mummies perform their best-loved songs and sketches. You’ll leave reassured about your parenting skills! 7.30pm. Tickets £21.

Kendal Mountain Tour 2023, 9th March Award-winning films showcasing wilderness and adventure travel from across the globe, from

•8th April, Battle of the Bay Wrestling, Eirias Centre, Colwyn Bay A fantastic night of professional wrestling with wrestlers from all over the country here to entertain your family. 7pm. From £8.50.

•13th April, ELO Again, Venue Cymru, Llandudno

Experience the live spectacle of ELO’s famous orchestrations, soaring strings and vocals. 7.30pm. £30.50.

Walking for Hope

•14th April, Ancient Woodland Flora and Fauna, Erlas Black Wood, Wrexham Discover a myriad of rare species with North Wales Wildlife Trust in this 400-year-old wood. 10am-noon. Booking essential.

Support Hope House and Ty Gobaith Children’s Hospices on their Llangollen Canal Walk on 12th March. The 10-mile circular route starts at Pontcysyllte Aqueduct at 10am, taking in stunning scenery. Bring along friends, family, colleagues and those four-legged friends and embrace the great outdoors whilst raising money for children with life-threatening conditions. Register for £10 (child £5) via www.eventbrite.co.uk

Unleash your inner artist

Pick up new techniques at Bodnant Art this spring. Learn to linocut with Ann Lewis on 4th March, paint Abersoch Harbour with Andrew Jenkin on 11th & 12th March, or try pastels with Paul Pigram on 18th March. Bill Gribble demonstrates water-based oils on 31st March & 1st April, and on 15th April new tutor Elysia Gilman works impressionist figures in oils. bodnantart.com

Choirs at the coast

North Wales Choir Festival returns to Llandudo on 4th-5th March, a jam-packed weekend no choral lover will want to miss. Saturday kick-starts the weekend with competitions, and in the evening there’s the Festival Celebration Concert offering a wonderful variety of groups plus special guests. On Sunday it’s the turn of the Young Voices and Open Category choirs to raise the roof. Full programme at www.venuecymru.co.uk

Your Wildlife Trust

Hidden Anglesey: Wildlife and History, 24th March Starting at Lligwy Beach, discover hidden pockets of wildlife including the amazing Boston sulphur well, and enjoy panoramic views from Bodafon mountain. 10.30am-3.30pm. Tickets £3.

Coastal Seabird and Wildflower Walk, 1st April

A circular from Cemlyn Bay to spot terns arriving from Africa and maybe seals. 11am-2pm. £2.

Easter Pond-Dipping & Bug-Hunting, 7th April

Miners to Mozart

DID YOU KNOW?

NWWT is running over 140 events in North Wales this year at its 35 reserves

A family day at Big Pool Wood, Prestatyn. 10.30am-3pm. Free, please book.

Bluebell Walk, 27th April Join the warden for a stunning walk through the ancient woodlands of Coed y Felin, Mold. 10am-1pm. Free, booking essential. www.northwaleswildlifetrust.org.uk

Heavenly harps

WHAT’S ON IN BRIEF

18TH-28TH APRIL

•18th April, Solicitor Open Day, Aberduna Nature Reserve, Mold Speak with a local solicitor about your will and explore what legacies mean to North Wales Wildlife Trust – plus a tour around the Reserve! 10am-4pm. Booking essential.

•22nd April, The Real Thing, Rhyl Pavilion They topped the charts in the ’70s and ’80s – and original vocalists Chris Amoo and Dave Smith are still the real deal! 7.30pm. £32.50.

Welsh National Opera presents two stunning productions at Venue Cymru, Llandudno. The Magic Flute on 29th-31st March at 7.15pm takes this enchanting fairy-tale and gives it a modern twist with vibrant sets and costumes. Blaze of Glory! on 1st April at 7.30pm celebrates a group of miners who embark on a musical escapade following a pit disaster. Traditional Welsh harmonies blend with sounds of the ’50s, operetta, gospel and big band as they lindy hop their way to glory. Tickets from £22. www.wno.org.uk

Special events at Bala Lake Railway

Easter Egg Hunt, 7th-10th

April Can you find all the eggs boats race the train the length of the lake – over four miles. hidden along the line and at the station? You might even meet the White Rabbit!

Race the Train, 22nd April

Stand-up paddle-boarders and

Welcome Back, Alice and Holy War! 29th & 30th April Both engines have been out of service for boiler repairs. Celebrate their return! bala-lake-railway.co.uk

Highlights of the Wales International Harp Festival on 5th-11th April include the premiere of Llechi (‘Slates’) and concerts by jazz harpist Deborah Henson-Conant; Edmar Castaneda and Catrin Finch; and Sona Jobarteh and Pedair. There’ll be workshops too, all at Galeri Caernarfon. www.walesharpfestival.co.uk

From Greeks to Jeeps

•22nd April, Snowdonia

– Landscapes and Mountain Flowers, Moel Siabod Café, Capel Curig Join Andy Teasdale and Jim Langley for a fascinating evening. 7pm. £10 (donated to NWWT). Booking essential, 01690 720429.

Experience the No Man’s Land living history weekend at Bodrhyddan Hall, Rhyl on 8th & 9th April. Over 600 re-enactors in period costume, with original weaponry, share the military secrets of the ancient Greeks, the power of Roman artillery, the clash of Viking swords, right up to modern warfare – with firing displays. 10am-4pm. Tickets from £8 via Facebook.

•22nd April, Pickles & Preserves Workshop, Dylan’s, Llangefni Learn the basics from the chefs who make Dylan’s award-winning range of pickles and preserves. You’ll be involved in cooking, preparing and tasting, and will take home a recipe book. 9am-noon. £35 via EventBrite.

•28th April, A Country Night in Nashville, Theatr Clywd, Mold Enjoy a journey through the history of country music, featuring hits from Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson and more – starring Dominic Halpin and the Hurricanes. 7.30pm. Tickets from £20.

Beach life

the local council in the 1920s. Home to a substantial boating lake it has always been a popular spot through the decades, and today is home to the town’s leisure centre, a conference centre and extensive sports facilities – most famously the Eirias Stadium.

diverse programme of theatre and cinema throughout the year and some top-notch productions for families.

More active visitors should check out Porth Eirias on the promenade, where water skiing, sailing and paddle boarding are on offer, with lessons and taster sessions for beginners and the more experienced.

As seaside resorts go, it’s hard to beat Colwyn Bay. Midway along the North Wales coast, the pretty town has an expanse of sandy beach and a promenade to saunter, as well as a commercial centre to fulfil the needs of locals and visitors alike.

Its shore is a natural draw, even though the Victorian pier was demolished in 2018 when it became unsafe and too costly to restore. Despite controversy at the time, it has made the sands more accessible. Well loved by its resident community of around 39,000, the town is a regular Britain in Bloom winner and has several attractive parks.

Drawing the crowds

The best known of these is the stunning 50-acre Eirias Park, which was created by

This incredible venue is the focus of premier division and local rugby action and was transformed with a £6.5 million redevelopment in 2011, opening it up to large-scale sporting and televised events, as well as concerts and festivals. For the past 10 years it has hosted the Access All Eirias music festival that has seen crowds of 15,000 pack the stadium to enjoy performances from stars such as Little Mix, Tom Jones, Elton John and Rhydian Roberts.

Fabulous beasts

Another hit with visitors to Colwyn Bay is the Welsh Mountain Zoo, situated on the hillsides overlooking the town. The 37-acre site was opened in 1963 and is home to an impressive collection of creatures great and small. With everything from meerkats and penguins to tigers and rare snow leopards, the zoo makes up in quality what it lacks in size – you can pack in many of the animal highlights without the footwork so often necessary in other zoos.

Culture in the town is boosted by the Theatr Colwyn venue, which offers a

Those looking simply to relax in tranquil surroundings will appreciate a day out at the world-famous Bodnant Garden, a grade 1 National Trust site filled with stunning displays of snowdrops and crocusus in spring. It’s advisable to book tickets in advance during holiday periods.

Eirias Park

Abergele Road, Colwyn Bay LL29 7SP

Welsh Mountain Zoo Colwyn Bay LL28 5UY www.welshmountainzoo.org

Porth Eirias

Promenade, Colwyn Bay LL29 8HH morwatersports.com

Bodnant Garden

Tal-y-Cafn, Colwyn Bay LL28 5RE www.nationaltrust.org.uk/bodnant-garden

Abbeyfield Colwyn Bay Society offers supported living for the elderly in well maintained houses and gardens.

All household bills are included, inc. gas, electricity and tv licence.

We provide Home Cooked Lunch and High Tea daily. Community Alarm Service.

Weekly Room Clean and all your washing and ironing.

MID WALES MINI BREAKS FROM JUST £170

To Monday

Escape to the countryside between Welshpool and Newtown.

Some of the fantastic places of interest within 35 mile radius: Lake Vrynwy RSPB, Coed y Dinas, Powis Castle, Hafren Forest, Ynyshir RSPB, Devils Bridge, Elan Valley, Abbey Cwm Hir, Whittington Castle, Stiperstones, Long Mynd, Llandrindod cycle museum, Clun Castle.

ABERMULE, MONTGOMERY, POWYS, SY15 6NW Tel: 01686 670 408 Email: park2006@btinternet.com www.goetreretreatcaravan park .co.uk