Broad Sheep Online Issue April 2021 by Broadsheep

BROAD sheep

april 2021

A SPECIAL ONLINE EDITION

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CHAIR REPAIRS: seats rushed & recaned. Paul Richards, 01544 209140. Email - paulrichardsft@gmail.com PRESTEIGNE POP CHOIR Every Thursday. Contact John Hymas for details: 07969 440183, john@johnhymas.com GARDEN MAINTENANCE JOBS Including Small Tree removal, Hedge Cutting, Lawn Mowing, Weeding, Fence Painting, Shed Felting and Basic Garden Repairs. Call Brian on 07722 233417. RETIRED PROFESSIONAL PAINTER AVAILABLE for local work. References available. £75.00 per day. Try me. Roy 01547 520164. WYNNES OF DINMORE COUNTRYSTORE Tea room, Poultry, Pygmy Goats, Supplies & Housing. Tuesday Saturday 9am-4.30pm. Wynnes.co.uk 01568 797314. BEEKEEPING COURSES FOR BEGINNERS Interested in keeping bees in 2020? Our weekend ‘Bee Ready’ course will prepare you with essential information and allow you to develop confidence before you get your own hive of bees. 2020 dates - May 2nd/3rd and June 6th/7th - now open for bookings. For further details phone 01886 884752/07813 276308 or email woodruffbank@btinternet.com. PIANO TUNER AND TECHNICIAN Based in Llanidloes, serving Mid-Wales. Contact Matt 01686 412753 or 07843 440789 or email vicky@mousematt.net BLACKSMITHING EVENING CLASSES MORNING CLASSES AND SHORT COURSES at Bluefoot Forge. For details, phone 01544 267810. info@wherethelightgetsin.co.uk or visit www.wherethelightgetsin.co.uk

WANTED URGENTLY VINTAGE CLOTHING for male/ female, plus accessories including jewellery, shoes, etc. Also wanted: quality curtains, lace and textiles, even damaged. Plus designer clothing including male/female... tweeds, evening dresses etc. Also unusual items including fans etc. Please telephone: Annie 07798 632247. Teagowns and Textiles. annies.30@hotmail.com VIOLIN/VIOLA LESSONS All styles, all ages, beginners to advanced. Help with composition, theory, aural training. Accompaniment also offered. Ring Tony on 01544 321925 or visit his website: http://camelmusic.co.uk for a CV and more information. ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS FROM ONLY 50P PER WEEK 1000 direct unique hits per month, top of the page on Google when you type in Presteigne, all administrative work done by volunteers, project is not for profit. SUPPORT YOUR TOWN WEBSITE. Very cheap rates: 50p per week, or full page £1 per week. For more information go to www.presteigne.org.uk, email jtennanteyles@gmail.com or telephone James Tennant-Eyles on 01544 267363. VIOLIN & VIOLA LESSONS given by experienced professional in Presteigne. All abilities and styles taught. John Hymas 07969 440183. A STITCH IN TIME Careful repairs & creative alterations to well-loved clothes. Vintage a speciality. Anne 01544 267997. HAYSTACKS MUSIC, Backfold, Hay-on-Wye, HR3 5EQ. Tel: 07527 298199. Hay’s Headline Making Independent Music Shop - only a one minute walk from the main car park. Hay’s destination shop packed with pre-loved machine cleaned and new vinyl records, CDs, Books and more.

VIOLIN/VIOLA AND HARP LESSONS Beginner to advanced. All ages taught by a Royal Academy of Music graduate. Email nickyviola24@gmail.com

HANCOCK & MONKS MUSIC, 6 Broad Street, Hay-on-Wye. Tel: 01591 610555. Specialists in recorded and printed Classical Music for over 40 years. Huge stock of secondhand CDs, sheet music, scores and books on music. Open daily 10.30am - 4.30pm. Online catalogue at www.hancockandmonksmusic.co.uk FRUIT TREE PRUNING From one branch to an entire orchard. Tel: 01544 260656. CATERING CROCKERY, CUTLERY AND GLASSWARE FOR HIRE. Up to 100 settings. Contact Ruth on 01544 350559 or 07870 752325. P/T OR OCCASIONAL WORK WANTED Cheerful, fit, educated, mature woman seeks employment. Clean driving licence, DBS checked. Anything considered from office/business support to house sitting including driving, gardening and dog walking. Phone Katy 01547 520328.

JAZZ PIANO TUITION A specially created course for beginners through to intermediate level students. Also coaching for Associated Board jazz exams. Presteigne/Knighton, but happy to travel. Simon Deeley, 07890 303681. simon.deeley@aol.com

YOGA IN PRESTEIGNE Group classes and individual tuition in Stapleton Moving consciously with the breath

Marie Hudson 01544 260352 www.theyogapractice.org.uk

town planning

New Town Blues I

N the original 2003 edition of Sam Jordison and Dan Kieran’s best-selling Crap Towns, no New Towns were featured – although the expanded Essex village of South Woodham Ferrers (“utterly, utterly soulless”) managed to squeeze into 33rd position in this national poll of indolent readers of The Idler. ‘Boring’ and ‘ soulless’ were popular epithets in the survey. Despite the paradigms of garden city pioneers Ebenezer Howard and Frederick Osborn, no 20th century British architect-planners – invariably shackled by committees of know-nothing politicians and local councillors – have ever produced anything as inspiring Welwyn Garden City. New Lanark and Saltaire – both built by Victorian philanthropists and now UNESCO World Heritage sites – rank as outstanding examples of model industrial communities. Up to and including Prince Charles’ beloved Poundbury (memorably described by the architectural critic Jonathan Meades as “like a Thomas Hardy theme park for slow learners”) the English new town tally currently runs to 21. The boom years were the 1950s and 60s, though it is the little Monmouthshire town of Cwmbran which can claim the UK’s first-ever new town designation in 1949. From Milton Keynes, best known for its 130 roundabouts to Sir Frederick Gibberd’s Harlow, where existing residents swiftly distanced themselves from this Modernist enclave by insisting that they lived in Old Harlow, to Jaywick Sands, now one of the most deprived communities in Britain, there is precious little to celebrate. The streetscape of the former East Midlands steel town of Corby is now disfigured by the large number of mens’ social clubs (there are 15) where the principal activity is watching repeats of Scottish League Division games on TV. Many of the new town’s steel workers originally hailed from north of the border, but the Stewarts & Lloyds plant was closed by Ted Heath in the 70s. The town centre’s only architectural landmark is the monolithic Cube: plush council offices, a large public library, two theatres - and an eye-watering £12-million building overspend. Every one of them were experiments in social engineering which failed to deliver what was promised on the tin. Many now have above-average social problems – from alcoholism and car crime to child poverty and adult social care.

Will a 20th century English new town ever be designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site? Somehow, I doubt it. Has the EU’s cultural heritage wing Europa Nostra, in its 47 years of existence, ever given a European new town an award? Err, no. Bauhaus pioneer Berthold Lubetkin became so frustrated by the bureaucracy during his three-year stint as Peterlee’s

Poundbury’s fire station, disguised as a Palladian villa

Chief Planner that he quit architecture to become a Sussex pig farmer! The scurrilous website Live Here saves its most savage criticism of post-war new towns for the mid-60s Cambridgeshire overspill township of Bar Hill. Most of its observations are unrepeatable in a family-oriented publication like Broad Sheep, though the site’s scouts noted that beneath one of the town’s entrance road signs ‘Royston Vasey’ has been added in graffiti. Which says it all. And if you’re considering visiting any of these curiosities, give Jaywick Sands, north of Southendon-Sea, a wide berth, as its detritus-strewn streets (originally named after classic motor cars: Buick Drive, Daimler Avenue) are regularly patrolled by drug dealers with fearsome Alsatians and Rottweilers.

Although there will be no printed editions of Broad Sheep at present, the Broad Sheep office is always open and hope to be up and running again soon.

Can you, in fact, plan a new town from scratch, on a greenfield site? A vibrant, sustainable community which will flourish and grow organically? The Duchy of Cornwall’s official mission statement for Poundbury, built on 400 acres west of Dorchester, believes so. It cites the importance of mixed use, the integration of affordable housing, large recreational spaces and pedestrian-traffic segregation. This 30-year Royal vanity project is due for completion in four years, when its population will peak at just under 6,000. But fear not. Help is at hand. Luxemburg architect Léon Krier (Poundbury’s master planner) has let it be known that the next major development he intends to tackle with Quinlan Terry and Chazza is to be a modernist new town! I think the good folk of Ross-on-Wye should start praying that it’s not going to be sited on the Duchy Estate at Harewood End.

Clare Edwards, Broad Sheep The Lodge Westhide Hereford HR1 3RQ 01432 850444 info@broadsheep.com www.broadsheep.com

Nick Jones Definitive New Towns list (21): Bar Hill, Basildon, Bracknell, Corby, Crawley, Dawley, Harlow, Hemel Hempstead, Jaywick Sands, Milton Keynes, Newton Aycliffe, Peterborough, Poundbury, Redditch, Runcorn, Skelmersdale, Stevenage, Peterlee, Telford, Warrington, Washington.

Broad Sheep

Langstaffe Violins John Langstaffe

Maker & Restorer of Violins, Violas & Cellos

Repairs, Fitting Up, Tonal Adjustments Bow Repairs etc

PEMBRIDGE M: 07901 064875

www.langstaffe-violins.co.uk

Stuart Morris HND Garden Maintenance Services Over 20 years experience, Covid safe, providing all equipment

♠ All aspects of garden maintenance

♠ Hedge and shrub cutting ♠ Tree surgery ♠ Full public liability

♠ Mowing ♠ Borders ♠ Turfing Mobile: 07828 995237

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ACE

OF SPADES

Email: smorrisaos@gmail.com

GEORGINA FRANKLIN Jewellery Individual Contemporary Design Commissions undertaken

Please see website for studio opening times.

www.georginafranklin.co.uk

The Forum, 18 Market Square, Tenbury Wells, Worcs. WR15 8EA

Phone 01584 810085

AARDVARK BOOKS & CAFE Website: www.aardvark-books.com

50,000+ titles; North Herefordshire’s largest indie bookseller; We buy books Specialist in art, design, photography, history, gardening

Also open our CAFÉ - TAKEAWAY!

The Bookery, Manor Farm, Brampton Bryan, Bucknell, SY7 0DH Off A4113 Knighton Road. Tel: 01547 530744 aardvaark@btconnect.com www.aardvark-books.com Bookshop open to visitors Tues-Sun, 10am-4pm

HURRAH!!!! We are re-opening from the 12th of April and can’t wait to serve you again in the bookshop and cafe (takeaway outside only initially until regulations allow). It has been a long year and thank you so much for your orders and messages of support.

art

Gallery Reopening T

HE Artists’ Gallery is one of the independent businesses at the Ludlow Farmshop site at Bromfield, just off the A49.

It is located next to the Plant Centre and is a wonderful bright space that is home to the work of the eight artists that run it as a cooperative venture. It opened in October 2019, originally as a 3-month pop up, but it’s popularity and success has meant that it is still going strong and set to remain for the foreseeable future. The resident artists are a diverse group of talent. Shelly Perkins, the founder of the gallery, is a wildlife artist; Priscilla Hann is a bronze sculptor; Danielle Flowers has combined her love of wood with making contemporary jewellery and Kim Davis is a traditional wood turner. Then there is Megan Evans who makes collagraph prints from rubbish; Jan Jay is a textile designer and screen printer; Pip Jones is a watercolourist and finally, Sarah Billingham who is a potter. Adjoining the main gallery is a professional exhibition space which is used to host shows for visiting local artists. An extended exhibition is planned for August in which the eight co-op members will invite a wide range of selected local artists and The Artists’ Gallery

craftspeople to showcase their work. Throughout the year the gallery also plans to host at least one visiting artist in the main gallery space a month. Championing other local creatives has always been an important part of this gallery’s ethos. Despite the lockdowns, the gallery members have kept in touch and have been able to support each other through what has been a difficult year for everyone. As artists working from home, they are grateful to have been able to continue creating and are all very excited to be able to reopen again on April 12th. Do pay the gallery a visit next time you are in the area, it is open daily from 10am - 5pm (4pm Sundays) the site has free parking and an excellent cafe. The Artists’ Gallery, Ludlow Farm Shop, Bromfield, Ludlow, SY8 2JR agalleryrunbyartists@gmail.com www.theartistsgalleryludlow.co.uk facebook - @theartistsgalleryludlow instagram - @agalleryrunbyartists

Mid Wales Art Centre Please email: office@midwalesarts.org.uk to book your place. Numbers will be limited to ensure Covid safety. Please bring your mask.

We are very happy to announce that we are preparing the Children’s Spiral Trail to open on Easter Friday 2nd April. Placing newly fired ceramic sculpture made in Children’s holiday clubs in 2020 including several cats of all shapes and sizes with some old favourites. This is an outdoor event but there will be plenty of chocolate Easter Eggs to search for. One family at a time will be allowed into the trail to ensure covid security, so we advise booking a slot for Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Re-Opening of Clubs and Workshops We hope to restart regular weekly clubs on: Wednesday14th April 1-3pm Home Education Group 7-9pm Pottery and Ceramic Sculpture club. Thursday 15th April 2-4pm Adult Pottery and Ceramic Sculpture Group 5-6.30pm Children’s After School Club Saturday 17th April 2-4pm Family workshop

We are planning to open on April 15th with this very important exhibition on Climate Change. Originally planned for 2020 we have had an extra year to work on this project, our most ambitious yet. Over 40 artists from all over Wales the UK and Europe, united by their strong feelings and desire for change have used their artistic skills and imagination to create works intended to increase awareness, provoke thought and conversation and promote change. This is a very diverse exhibition with something for all ages and includes installations, film, sculpture, photography, printmaking and painting much of which can be appreciated safely outdoors, covid security will be in place. Mid Wales Arts Maesmawr Caersws Powys SY17 5SB 01686 688369

Specialising in the conservationrestoration of works of art on paper and oil paintings. Unit 9, Lower Buckton Barns, between Leintwardine and Brampton Bryan, SY7 0JU.

Please call or email Louise Vaile for appointments and further information.

T: 07780 616067 E: info@ogilvievaile.com W: ogilvievaile.com

THE STONE

WORKSHOP

The Stone Workshop is an artisan studio specialising in traditional stone carving techniques and hand carved lettering.

We Offer: * A personal and professional memorial service. * Architectural, conservation and restoration carving. * Bespoke sculptural design and carving. We are a client led studio and every part of a commission is approached with this in mind. Designs are hand drawn many times before chisel touches stone, ensuring that every detail perfectly reflects our client’s vision. Visits to the studio to discuss ideas, view progress and be a part of the process are welcomed and encouraged. All stone is souced from the United Kingdom as this allows us to use only the finest quality, most durable natural materials, while supporting British businesses. All work is completed in house.

Mobile: 07850 063 312 Email: info@thestoneworkshop.co.uk Website: www.thestoneworkshop.co.uk Opening hours: Weekdays: 8:00am - 6:00pm by appointment Weekends: by appointment

Office Address: The Stone Workshop Whitehill Business Park Weobley, Herefordshire, HR4 8QE

film

AMMONITE

Stuart Bentley’s pacy camerawork and Tujiko Norito’s engagingly scratchy soundtrack. Until cinemas finally, well hopefully re-open in May, we’re obliged to stream most new releases and here are two of the best.

Borderlands and Beyond I

N 2020BC – that’s ‘Before Covid’ – the long– established Borderlines Film festival managed to squeeze in a few public screenings prior to the first nationwide lockdown but this year as we’re still more or less in the middle of our third universal quarantine, the entire enterprise has had to move online. There are those, and I’m afraid I’m one, who do not relish watching films on our laptops that were made for the big screen with big screen sound even if we can connect them to our television screens, but if you can manage to navigate their website it would be churlish to dismiss much of the fare on offer between now and April 11th via https://www.borderlinesfilmfestival.co.uk, – personal highlights of which include…

Chung regular Will Patton who plays a well-meaning but hopeless Jesus freak neighbour. THE FATHER The Father

Ammonite

A strong female cast headed by Kate Winslet as pioneer palaeontologist Mary Anning whose affair with Charlotte (Saoirse Ronan) the geologist wife of an imperious fellow scientist (James McArdle) unfolds in this riveting romantic drama. Initially a depressed and superficially sullen incomer, Charlotte arrives at Mary’s modest Lyme Regis home where Mary has become obliged to sell curios to tourist to help her finance her fossil gathering and evolutionary research. Mary slowly chips away at Charlotte’s emotional carapace and as the two women fall in love her own life opens up in ways she’d never imagined. Yet this is no prurient insight into forbidden love in the mid-19th century and their Sapphic affair is indeed not Mary’s first for we are also introduced to Fiona Shaw as Mary’s previous, if quietly regretful ‘special friend’ and overall actor-turned writer/director Francis Lee’s second big screen feature after GOD’S OWN COUNTRY is immensely watchable if only for the central performances.

MINARI Minari

SURGE

Although allegedly fictionalised, this is a pretty much autobiographical account of writer/director Lee Isaac Chung’s life with his Korean immigrant family in rural Arkansas – they never made it as far as California – during the 1980s. Chung (LUCKY LIFE, ABIGAIL HARM) is represented as 7 year-old David whose parents initially have the thankless task of sexing baby chicks in a factory barn, applies gentle humour to, and makes acute if not cute observations about the issues facing foreigners who find themselves far removed from their origins. He’s aided in this by excellent performances, not least from Yuh-Jun Youn’s foul-mouthed grandma and

STILL ALICE and AWAY FROM HER confirmed that dementia isn’t perhaps the easiest subject for a film-maker although it’s one that Covid’s impact on care homes has brought into stark relief, and director Florian Zeller has made a moving and indeed entertaining fist of it with only his second feature, based on his 2014 stage-play. The titular patriarch here is played by Anthony Hopkins whose daughter Anne (Olivia Colman) has returned to look after him following the departure of his erstwhile carer who’d had enough of his antagonistic unpredictability. Without quite having the gumption to say so, Anne would really prefer to consign dad to a nursing home but he’s having none of it and their constant, if often hilarious bickering interspersed with scenes that may or may not be his hallucinations effectively puts us within the mind of someone slowly losing his marbles whilst clearly trying not to. Mark Gatiss, Imogen Poots and Rufus Sewell all offer strong support to Colman and Hopkins’ towering performances.

Surge

My final Borderlines’ pick is from another firsttime feature- but seasoned T.V. – director, Aneil Karia who hired the always compelling Ben Wishaw to play Joseph, a twitchy, slightly unhinged airport security guard whose rage against his disapproving, unloving parents (Ellie Haddington, Ian Gelder) prompts him to go on what initially looks like a frantic voyage of emotional release through London but turns into something entirely different. It involves an opportunist bank robbery, a brief sexual encounter with a co-worker (Jasmine Jobson) and much of the almost balletic physicality Wishaw displayed in Karia’s earlier short, BEAT, the whole mesmerising romp considerably abetted by

MANK is the fact-based tale of alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz’s involvement in the making of Orson Welles masterpiece, CITIZEN KANE, although as helmed by the great David Fincher (GONE GIRL, FIGHT CLUB), it’s much more than that. A bulked up Gary Oldman does an Oscar-worthy turn as the eponymous, cruelly sarcastic and physically ailing anti-hero holed-up in the Mojave Desert has endless run-ins with MGM boss Louis B. Mayer (Arliss Howard), the young tearaway Welles (Tom Burke, best known as BBCtv’s Cormoran Strike) and almost everyone else who he comes across except Marion Davies (a scintillating Amanda Seyfried) the mistress of Randolph Hearst (an equally terrific Charles Dance), and his long suffering stenographer, played by another Brit, Lily Collins (LOVE, ROSIE). The script by Jack Fincher (no relation) is very wordy but none the worse for that and as well as the dramatic to-ing and fro-ing that propels the story along, MANK is Fincher’s paean to Hollywood’s first golden era, and in particular, thanks to Erik Messerschmidt’s brilliant monochrome camerawork, a tribute to Greg Toland, the legendary cinematographer who made KANE so visually arresting. (Available on Netflix) FINDING THE WAY BACK features another career-best performance (after ARGO, or perhaps THE TOWN), as another flawed, drink-sodden central character this time from Ben Affleck. As former basketball star, unhappily divorced from Angela (Janina Gavankar) and living a life of regret following a terrible accident, his Jack Cunningham just about copes living through a fug of booze but redemption beckons when a local priest and ex-college mate John Always persuades him, with some difficulty, to come and coach the school’s ailing basketball team. It’s by no means a unique tale, but director Gavin O’Connor has form with his previous, Oscar nominated boxing-drama, WARRIOR, and knows how to tug heart-strings as well as extract stirring, believable performances from all concerned. (Available on Amazon Prime and NOWtv). Mark Williams Find The Way Back

Borderlines Listings Black Milk

BORDERLINES 2021 LISTINGS All screenings online at https://watch.eventive.org/borderlinesfilmfestival Thursday 01 April 06:00 THE SHEPHERDESS AND THE SEVEN SONGS + Q&A 08:30 MY LITTLE SISTER Friday 02 April 06:00 JUMBO 08:30 ZANA Saturday 03 April 06:00 CHARLATAN 08:30 HERSELF + Q&A Sunday 04 April 03:00 Open Screen 1 & 2 + Q&As 06:00 BLACK MILK 08:30 THE METAMORPHOSIS OF BIRDS

www.TheMarketTheatre.com Visit Ledbury’s purpose built, intimate theatre with comfortable seats, bar and a warm welcome, for a great programme of original drama, music, cinema and live screenings - see listings for what’s on

Monday 05 April 06:00 SERVANTS 08:30 MARTIN EDEN Tuesday 6 April 06:00 THIS IS MY DESIRE 08:30 THE FILMMAKERS HOUSE + Q&A Wednesday 07 April 04:30 RURAL MEDIA: FUTURE FILMMAKERS 06:00 HOW TO BE A GOOD WIFE 08:30 THE REASON I JUMP + Q&A Thursday 08 April 06:00 LIMBO 08:30 THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF EURIDÍCE GUSMÃO Friday 09 April 06:00 THE AUDITION 08:30 FIRST COW Saturday 10 April 06:00 THE SALT IN OUR WATERS 08:30 SURGE

Sunday 11 April 03:00 Open Screen 3 & 4 + Q&As 06:00 GUNDA 08:30 MOVING ON

The Salt in our Waters

Fooled You!

AM indebted to the online Museum of Hoaxes for these four reminders of classic April Fools spoofs – two of them created by British pranksters.

The US broadcaster National Public Radio got many people hot under the collar back in 1992 when it announced that Richard Nixon was coming out of his self-imposed retirement to stand again for President, reporting that his chosen campaign slogan would be: “I didn’t do anything wrong and I won’t do it again.” Almost as hilarious an undertaking as Boris’s recent assurance that a 40% hike in our stockpile of Trident warheads will provide us with enhanced security.

First Scents of Spring on a Western Wind...

The other American stunt I liked a lot - and you have to admire the perpetrator’s ingenuity – was the odd ball with the unlikely name of Porky Bikar, who air-dropped several hundred used car tyres into the top of the dormant volcano of Mount Edgecombe, Alaska. Then set fire to them, producing such a convincing simulation of an eruption that townspeople fled.

First Scents of Spring on a Western Wind...

Not my personal favourite, but often cited as the yardstick by which all great broadcast hoaxes should be measured, was BBC TV Panorama’s 1957 report that Swiss spaghetti farmers were predicting a bumper crop due to a mild winter. I seem to recall that the voice-over was by Richard Dimbleby, which obviously added the necessary credence.

www.55millstreet.com

Much funnier was The Guardian’s special April 1st supplement devoted to the idyllic holiday destination of Sans Serriffe, in the Indian Ocean. A map showed two conjoined islands (looking remarkably like a semi-colon): Upper Caise and Lower Caise. The best tourist beach was Gill Sands and the seat of government, ruled over by a General Pica, was Bodoni. Only Guardian subs could have come up with such a creation! Nick Jones

Stuart Morris HND Garden Maintenance Services

Over 20 years experience, Covid safe, providing all equipment

♠ All aspects of garden maintenance ♠ Hedge and shrub cutting ♠ Tree surgery ♠ Full public liability

♠ Mowing ♠ Borders ♠ Turfing

Mobile: 07828 995237

Email: smorrisaos@gmail.com

BLAST FROM THE PAST Possibly the Best Shop in Town!

Rock, Jazz & Blues records bought and sold for cash. Antiques & Collectables. Gents & Ladies country clothing. Books & Pictures. Transport, nostalgia and rural subjects.

♠

ACE

OF SPADES

A warm and friendly service. “A shop like shops used to be...” All items under £50 - the best prices in town! Blast from the Past, 3 Black Swan Walk, Leominster, Herefordshire HR6 8HU Email: mrdeanmorris60@gmail.com - Facebook: Blast from the Past Leominster Telephone: 07534 020843

food page Ludlow Food Festival Returns in 2021: 10th, 11th & 12 September Credit: Danny Griffiths

OLLOWING the Government’s ‘roadmap out of lockdown’ announcement, Ludlow Food Festival is pleased to confirm that the Magnalonga Food Walk in August and Ludlow Food Festival in September WILL be going ahead. Hannah James, Events Manager for the Festival said: “We are excited to get going with our plans, which have been on hold since March 2020, and look forward to welcoming visitors back to Ludlow for a wonderful celebration of the food and drink producers of the Marches region.” With no events held in 2020, it has been an extremely difficult time for the Festival which is a not-for-profit organisation. However, with support from the Friends of Ludlow Food Festival, fund raising activities, the Festival’s office landlords Lanyon Bowdler Solicitors, the furlough scheme, and now a brighter future on the horizon, things are certainly looking up. The Festival confirms however, given the Government’s schedule of timings out of lockdown, it means they are unable to hold Ludlow Spring Festival in May this year (due to take place on 8/9 May) and therefore it is cancelled. They hope to include some of the Spring Festival elements in the main Food Festival and will be sharing plans just as soon as they can. On a positive note, Hannah says: “We are hopeful and optimistic that we may be able to hold other events later in the year and will be announcing news once we have more detailed plans. In the meantime, on behalf of the Ludlow Food Festival’s Volunteer Directors, I would like to say a huge thank you to all our supporters for their help through 2020 and these early months of 2021 – we are very much looking forward to welcoming everyone back to Ludlow Food Festival – we’ll see you there!”

Ludlow Food Festival is one of the town’s biggest events of the year, regularly attracting around 16,000 people to the grounds of Ludlow Castle across three days. The UK’s first food festival, Ludlow Food Festival was established back in 1995 and continues to push the agenda on food issues, attract the top names from the culinary world and celebrate high quality local food and drink producers from the Marches area.

While the event’s organisers work in the background at the moment, they inform us there will as always be free demonstrations over the weekend across the main stages, interactive talks and tastings with different chefs and producers on each day, so as ever there will be plenty happening all weekend both in the Castle and around Ludlow itself. A huge range of produce will be available to sample and buy throughout the weekend too, everything from fresh vegetables to chocolate, from locally produced meats and cheese to unusual wines and beers, honeys and herbs and much more. The Festival actively recruits volunteers from the local area for the many roles needed to keep the event running smoothly; if readers are interested in volunteering for the event, they should email hannah@foodfestival.co.uk for a Volunteer Form. In the meantime, Ludlow is very much open for business – the town’s regular open-air market and Farmer’s Market have proved popular with locals, with covid-safe shopping in operation throughout lockdown. Many of the town’s independent food shops have kept going during the last year, indeed with many coming together to help their customers by offering joint deliveries. Ludlow’s wide range of independent businesses are gearing up to welcoming their regular customers back as well as those from further afield when it’s possible to do so. Hannah says: “as a local it’s been great to see our independent food shops be so well supported all through lockdown. Our many shops (from butchers, bakers, and greengrocers, to cheesemongers and delicatessens) as well as cafes and restaurants offering takeaway services have all worked tirelessly to support their customers – as a town, the businesses who were able to operate have come together to offer essential services to those unable to leave their houses. It has been wonderful to see but we are really looking forward to seeing our energetic town back up and running fully soon.” Ludlow Food Festival will take place 10th 11th and 12th September this year; tickets for the Food Festival will go on sale in April, and tickets for the Magnalonga will go on sale in late June. Sign up to the Festival’s newsletter and follow their social media for the announcements. www.foodfestival.co.uk Credit: Shropshire & Beyond

EVENTS Every Saturday LUDLOW COUNTRY MARKET 9am-12pm at The Womens Centre, Ludlow. Local produce, handicrafts, plants & veg, cut flowers, cards. First Saturday of every month (except August) FARMER’S MARKET Produce, craft, gifts, kitchen cafe open. Eaton Bishop Village Hall, 10am-12pm. First Saturday of every month PRESTEIGNE LOCAL FOOD MARKET Memorial Hall Presteigne, 9am-1pm. The best collection of artisan food producers in the area. 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month KNIGHTON COMMUNITY MARKET Knighton Community Centre, 9.30am-12.30pm, 07751 221487. Third Saturday of every month PRODUCE MARKET Hightown Community Rooms, Vicarage Rd. Clun, 10.00am - 12.00pm. 01588 641180. Third Saturday of every month FARMER’S MARKET Bishop’s Castle Town Hall, 9am-1pm, 01588 630023. First Thursday EVENING FARMER’S MARKET The Barn, Ledbury, HR8 1EA, 6-8pm. www.ledburyfoodgroup.org Every Thursday MONTGOMERY TOWN MARKET Regular stalls on the lower floor. First Thurs of the month, using both floors with community cafe. Open 9am-3pm, www.montgomery-wales.co.uk/market 07790 100462. Every Thursday HAY MARKET DAY Local produce, meat and fish, hot food, artisan bread, cakes, crafts, vintage, plants. Memorial Square and Clock Tower, Hay-on-Wye, 9am-2.30pm, www.haymarkets.co.uk Every 2nd & 4th Thursday LUDLOW LOCAL PRODUCE MARKET Castle Square, 9am-2pm, 01584 872043. Every Friday KINGTON PRODUCE/CRAFTS MARKET Market Hall, Kington, 9am-1pm, 07867 483135.

BROAD sheep

Why not advertise your eating establishment?

IT’S ONLY £40 FOR THE WHOLE YEAR Just post the wording you require (around 40 words) together with a cheque payable to ‘Broad Sheep’ and post to: Broad Sheep, The Lodge Westhide, Hereford HR1 3RQ Further enquries, call 01432 850444

AARDVARK BOOKS LTD, THE BOOKERY, MANOR FARM, BRAMPTON BRYAN, BUCKNELL 01547 530888 Cafe serving refreshments, cakes etc. Open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 10am-5pm. BLEDDFA CENTRE READING ROOM CAFE 01547 550377 11am – 5pm every Saturday and Sunday (as well as Friday and Mondays on Bank Holiday). Teas, coffees, cake and soup. www.bleddfacentre.org 01547 550377 hello@bleddfacentre.org THE GREEN BEAN CAFE, WEOBLEY 01544 318865 Good, locally sourced, homemade food. Soups, all day light lunches, cakes and scones. Set in the heart of Weobley. Free wifi. Tues-Fri 9.30am-4.30pm, Sat 9.30am-4pm. With The Green Bean Shop/Deli under the same roof. THE HEREFORDSHIRE GOLF CLUB, WORMSLEY, HR4 8LY Open daily for food and beverage also a Sunday Carvery 12.30pm-3pm every week, one course £10.95 two courses, £14.95. We can also cater for your private event, price includes free room hire. Call our Catering Team on 01432 830219, option 3. THE ORGASMIC CIDER COMPANY, GREAT PARTON, EARDISLEY, HEREFORDSHIRE, HR3 6NX 01544 327244 or 07773 037448 Craft cider and perry off licence and gift shop with local products. Open Friday and Saturday 12 to 5pm. Group tours available. THE WORKHOUSE CAFE, INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, PRESTEIGNE 01544 267864 Cafe, gallery, light lunches, good coffee, homemade cakes. Mon - Sat 10am - 4pm. RHOS MARKET GARDEN, KNIGHTON 01547 528315 Growers & providers of organic veg, fruit & flowers. Eco cleaning products & refills. Large range of groceries & whole foods. The Old Garage Shop, Knighton. Tues-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 9am-3pm. Free parking, opposite Old Library. Friday Morning Market stall in Presteigne. Local deliveries of veg. boxes. info@rhosorganic.co.uk www.rhosorganic.co.uk RUTH WATSON RESTAURANTEUR AND PRIVATE COOK. Bespoke Food for all Occasions. Parties, special occasions, holiday home catering, pop-up food. Friendly personal service. Ring or email: 01544 350559/ 07870 752325. ruthwatsonfood@gmail.com

Trevor Davies Music

For all your musical needs 87 Etnam Street, Leominster, Herefordshire, HR6 8AE tel: 01568 613611

We stock Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, ESP, Fernandez, Epiphone, Indie, Aria, Ovation, Adamas, Martin, Taylor, Yamaha, Crafter, Burns, Washburn, Jackson, AER, Marshall, Hartke, Carlsbro, Laney, Zoom, Digitech, Tama, Casio. Plus many other brands. Approximately 500 guitars in stock and Brass, Woodwind, Drums, Keyboards, accessories and thousands of music books and sheet music.

‘The Long Acre’ is set on a hill farm. It’s a contemporary love story, complicated and torn apart by the age-old battle for land.

Details: www.long-acre-rfrancis.com https://rachelzzzyx.wixsite.com/website or email rachelzzzyx@gmail.com

music

Folk at the Falcon Tickets Released for zooms the John Ward Live Music Events Trio this Summer John Ward Trio

Brecon Jazz O

OMING up - another sparkling Zoom concert for Bromyard and the world on Friday 9th April at 7.30pm (Zoom link live from 7pm). Suggested donation: £8 or what you can manage!

N Saturday, 10th April sees our third ‘Jazz Club Cymru’ livestreaming event supported by the Welsh Government & Brecon Town Council. It comes direct from the Muse in Brecon and features OCASO, a quartet performing Cuban and Latin jazz, fronted by Portuguese vocalist Inês Castillo. We are looking forward to you joining us online at 7 p.m on 10th April for this 60-minute show. Tickets from £7 can include a supporting donation: available now, with more band info on our website [click the Ocaso photo]: https://breconjazz.org OCASO comprise Inês Castillo, vocals & percussion, Pedro Asencio on piano, Matheus Prado on double bass and Mark O’Connor on drums. They are delighted to be performing again in Brecon and ready to bring a real sparkle to your evening! A live chat box will be available throughout the performance for you to interact with, so please join in and let us know that you are out there! Please note that while Covid restrictions for Kim Cypher

Tickets and Zoom link from Roger Pugh pugh@live.co.uk / 01885 483425 / 07779 694615 CUT-OFF TO ASK FOR LINKS: 5pm on April 9th.

Ocaso

live music continue, this performance will be available to view for an online audience only. However, tickets for the recorded concert will be accessible to ticket-holders for the whole of April. Our thanks to the Welsh Cultural Recovery Fund & Brecon Town Council for their support, and to partners Ratio Studios, Vialma and the Muse in Brecon. Meanwhile, some music to enjoy from our neighbours at Black Mountain Jazz: from the Festival 2020 featuring UK saxophonist and band leader, Kim Cypher, and linked to a tribute to women in jazz. Also, the sounds of the 2021 Argentinian ‘Festival de Jazz en la Playa’ which the Club has been showcasing. As they say, jazz to lift the spirits: https://vimeo.com/518727552 http://blackmountainjazz.co.uk/festival-de-jazz-enla-playa/ Hope you are all getting ‘jabbed, keeping well, and our thanks for keeping Jazz alive and musicians playing... Brecon Jazz Team Contact: info@breconjazzclub.org

John Ward’s songwriting is born from his life in a tough and gritty East Anglian fishing port that has seen more than its fair share of social change and decline. In 2014, Les Woodley (double bass and mandolin) and Lynne Ward (accordion and whistles) joined forces with John to bring a fuller sound to his moving and thought-provoking songs, which often capture the spirit of the times we live in. With powerful three-part harmonies, John’s show-stopping bodhran playing and accomplished guitar work, the trio’s performances are authentic and from the heart, delighting audiences across the UK. www.folkatthefalcon.com www.facebook.com/folkatthefalcon

Trevor Davies Music

OCAL DJ act, The 90’s Revival, have released tickets for two big live music events this summer. After entertaining thousands of viewers worldwide through a year of lockdowns, the DJ duo are looking forward to the ‘Mahoosive Nights Out’ live events at Greenhous West Mid Showground on August 6 and 7, 2021. Friday’s family friendly show will feature seven local bands - The Vertigo Band, The Ronaldos, Longden Calling, Five o’clock Hero, Krack on Daft, Jordan Brown and Robbie Jones. Saturday’s show will be ‘The 90’s Revival’ with DJs Dave and Benno hosting. They will be joined by special guests Bradley from S-Club and Kelly Llorenna, whose hits include ’Set You Free’ and ’Tell It to My Heart’. Dave Prince, one half of The 90’s Revival hosting the event is looking forward to getting back in front of a live audience. He said, “We have been entertaining people all over the world from our remote studio for over a year now. We want nothing more than to be back on a stage in front of a live crowd again! We are absolutely brimming with excitement to release tickets for these events. “The Friday event is all about supporting local bands that have been hit hard by the pandemic. With all live gigs off the table for so long this has been a really tough time for performers. Help us to support them by coming along to see them play at long last. “After all these months of lockdown we deserve a ‘Mahoosive’ night out, so make sure you don’t miss out on the hottest tickets in town!” The DJ duo have raised over £7,000 for charity since they relaunched their lockdown live sets in January, which they live stream over Facebook and YouTube. To purchase tickets for the ‘Mahoosive Nights Out’ head to the90srevival.co.uk

For all your musical needs 87 Etnam Street, Leominster, Herefordshire, HR6 8AE tel: 01568 613611

90’s Revival

band directory ADD A BAND - Real instrument backing to your own music. Perfect for singer songwriters etc. Studio near Newtown. www.addaband.co.uk, 07515 401635. ANIMAL Solo entertainer, piano/vocals, harmonica, mixed music. Also session player on drums. Experienced TV, theatre, cruises, holiday parks, radio, concerts, Britain’s Got Talent 2012. Backed Stella Parton, Tommy Cash, Screaming Lord Sutch, Dr Feelgood, Wishbone Ash, Ruby Murry. To book please phone Paul 0751 484 7966. APPLEBY STONE Live acoustic duo/trio, guitar, flute, saxophones, voices, double bass, jazz, folk, R&B, pop, many originals, perfect for private and public events. applebystone.com 07979 542 449. BANDAMANIA Community band playing wild and wonderful traditional music. Perfect for ceilidhs, parties and all sorts of local events. Sue Harris 01547 550158 sumarieharris@btinternet.com BEST FOOT CEILIDH BAND The hottest dance band on the borders + caller. Available for weddings, barn dances and parties. Contact: 07969 440183 or john@johnhymas. com BIG MAGIC DANCE BAND 10-piece jive/R & R group. ‘Does what it says on the tin!’ Parties/festivals/happenings/weddings etc. Call Eddy on 01691 648729 or 07796 148448. Web: eddygartry.com Email: w.gartry@hotmail. com Management also for The Werewolves of Powys and Blues State UK

sheep

BROAD

Band Directory ONLY £40 FOR THE WHOLE YEAR Just post the details of your band (around 40 words) with a cheque for £40 payable to Broad Sheep and post to: The Lodge, Westhide, Hereford, HR1 3RQ

Just call Clare on 01432 850444 or email: info@broadsheep.com DON’T FORGET... if you have any gigs in the area, email/phone by the 15th of the preceding month for FREE LISTINGS.

THE CHICAGO SWING KATZ - New Orleans Blues to Chicago Swing. 6/7 Piece band playing foot-tapping, fun music that will make you feel happy. Weddings, Birthdays, Corporate events, Festivals, even funerals - but book well in advance for those! Traditional Jazz Trios, Quartets also available. Come and hear the band every 2nd Sunday of the Month at the Wild Pig, Meole Brace, Shrewsbury, SY3 9JT. Email: chicagoswingkatz@aol.com, www.thechicagoswingkatz.com Jeff: 07831 - 383636 CHRISIE J LOCAL VOCALIST! I sing Jazz. Soul, Musical Theatre, Pop and Rock. For more information or to make a booking email chrisiej20@gmail.com or phone 07968 893719. Have a look at my social media for performance videos and more information. Also looking for a band so get in touch if interested. THE DRAGON BIG BAND - 14 musicians playing Basie, Ellington, and exclusive arrangements. Jazz to Swing to Latin. Trumpets, trombones, saxes, bass, guitar, keyboard, drums. Come and listen every Wednesday, 8.00 - 10.30, The Horse & Jockey, Churchstoke, Powys, SY15 6AE, 01588 - 620060. Comfortable venue, bar, food (book), large car park, fun and with free admission. Band Enquiries: Mike 01686 – 668675 KERI HOFFMAN Keri Hoffman is an energetic yet classy performer. Keri is a well-known name and firm favourite within the industry. Dynamic and versatile her extensive repertoire means she is perfect for any occasion, from small laid back intimate settings, to those high octane concerts of festival proportions. Follow Keri on facebook - @vocalsbykeri. Contact via www.kerihoffmanvocalist.co.uk Keri.hoffman@hotmail.com HOT CLIMATE Ultimate party band, best 6-piece line up ever. For top musical entertainment at your party/ wedding/festival or corporate function. Book now! New footage on www.hotclimate.co.uk. Contact Charlie 01568 613895 or mobile 07702 528088 anytime! LITTLE RUMBA This is a band that will entertain and delight any audience that has its wits about it and has an ear for beautiful melodies infectious beats and songs that tell stories. From Winchcombe Live “Absolutely fantastic evening from you guys tonight. We had so many positive comments from the audience; very gratifying! Great musical talent, great humour, variety, and warmth of performance.” Contact Jacqui Savage 07966 943314 Email – jaxbass.xs@btinternet.com http://www.littlerumba.com THE LUDLOW JAZZ COLLECTIVE Local Quartet/Quintet with singer if required, playing smooth sounds of well-known standards, Latin and blues. Available for all types of events and celebrations. Contact Paul Brooks 07980 822014. pppbrooks@gmail. com MAMMAFUNK are a 6-piece funk and soul band available for parties, weddings, corporate and charity events. Covering classic and modern hits we are also available to offer a bespoke set list for any specific song requests you may have. www.mammafunk.com Call 078144 86028 / 079693 27030.

MELOMANICS A wacky, Shropshire-based Duo with an amazingly dynamic sound, playing their eclectic and cosmopolitan repertoire with engaging humour and infectious energy (sustainable). Far more than just great music. And stilts if appropriate. Find out how much fun a ceilidh can be with Tim calling and playing. Ideal for parties, weddings, fund-raising events, festivals, shows, pubs, restaurants, etc. Scottish, Irish and French-themed specialities (Timoléon pour vos soirées francaises). For more info call Tim on 01743 719438, or Rich on 01743 718612. Email: tim@melomanics.co.uk Website: www.melomanics.co.uk

other bands, but which everyone will know. Of course, we do some of the more usual songs as well! www.singledoutband.com email: info@singledoutband. com Phone 07518 291 676.

THE RAGTIME JUG ORCHESTRA A roots string-band (duo) recreating the sounds of the early 20th century America, playing a good-time mix of blues, skiffle and Americana music. We like to get audiences involved! Available for festival, events, parties, folk clubs, pubs and bars; performance presentations and workshops for all occasions too. Web: www.ragtimejug.co.uk Contact: John; 01594 861151. Email: info@ragtimejug.co.uk Facebook.com: ragtime jug orchestra.

SLIPPERY SLOPE Silly, melancholy and beautiful music played on accordion, fiddle, guitar and steel pan. From ska to klezmer via a Parisian cafe and a Russian vodka bar. For more info please call Jo or Ben on 01981 510136 see www.slipperyslope.org.uk or email slipperyslope@hotmail.com

REVEREND FERRIDAY Upbeat One Man Blues Band. Playing driving slide guitar with rockabilly flair, seasoned with a touch of Americana, a mix of stomping originals and traditional classics. Available for all occasions, large or small. Contact the Reverend: 01584 711700 - 07766 185451 - revferriday@gmail.com - www.revferriday.com RHYTHM THIEVES Funky, folky and fun. Firm favourites at festivals, pubs, parties and events around the Midlands and beyond, Rhythm Thieves are a lively must-see band who deliver an unforgettable and highly entertaining night out. “Full of fire and enthusiasm” Mike Harding, BBC Radio 2 “Great, super, lovely - our resident band” Genevieve Tudor. BBC Radio Midlands Folk Show. “If they don’t make you smile, you’re probably dead.” Wheaton Aston Folk Festival Tel: 01568 770 134, e-mail rhythmthieves@hotmail.com THE ROTUNDAS are a pair of jolly chaps who sing and play contemporary versions of industrial and social folk songs from Birmingham and the Black Country. Listen on Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/therotundas and contact us at our Facebook page @TheRotundas or email therotundasband@gmail.com SHRED BELLY Ludlow/Shropshire based acoustic duo, playing covers of popular ‘Dad’s Rock’ songs from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and more. Full band can also be available. All bookings and enquiries please contact: Kevin on 07873 426205 or Paul on 07957 247851. SILVER BRANCH (Ceilidh and Concert Band). CEILIDH BAND with caller. Available for weddings/ birthday parties/fund raisers, etc. For photos/videos please see our Facebook page. For further enquiries, ring David on 01981 540832 or Anna on 07980 961187. SILVER BRANCH (UN-CALLED FOR) - Five piece cutting edge instrumental Folk Band. Concerts/gigs. SIMON THE PIPER Highland Piper with 20 years experience. Available for all occasions - weddings, funerals, Burn’s Night, Hogmanay, festivals, processions etc. Based in Hereford. Call 07791 045831 or facebook. com/simonthepiper Email simonthepiper@hotmail.com SINGLED OUT Experienced, 3-piece band covering the best pop and rock music from the 50’s to the current era. We focus on great tunes that don’t usually get played by

SIR DANCELOT 4/5 piece ceilidh/twmpath band. Far and away the best exponents of traditional dance music of the British Isles and beyond for miles around and leagues beneath. Concertina, mandolin, fiddles, whistles, cittern, jews harp... Available for weddings, parties and public events. For information and bookings, contact: Cornelius 01686 411147 corns@mousemusic. co.uk or Peter 07561 820509. www.sirdancelot.co.uk

STONED CHERRIES Are: Dave Evans, guitar, mandolin, vocals; Roger Pugh, guitar, mandola, vocals; Aly May, whistles, vocals and Matt Donaldson, bass, percussion and vocals. A dynamic folk / rock fusion of original, traditional and modern songs and tunes. Roger 01885 483425 / 07779 694615 / pugh@live.co.uk or Dave 01886 822132 / 07817 220016 / dgand2@btinternet.com www.dgand2.wix.com/ thestonedcherries THE SULTANA BROTHERS Fine R&B from one of the best bands around! The ultimate hip swingin’, foot tappin’ party band - guaranteed to help you dance the night away. For bookings/enquiries contact Phil 07791 129391 or Adam 07855 037092. Website www.thesultanabrothers.vpweb.co.uk or find us on Facebook.com/thesultanabros THE VILLAGE QUIRE spine-tingling harmonies sung with all the emotional clout, subtlety of expression and love of life that you get when voices are raised together in song. Sensational vocals mingled with enthralling stories. Various shows to book, including ‘Songs for Silas’ melting harmonies and tall tales inspired by H. E. Bates’ evergreen My Uncle Silas. “... Absolutely delighted that you have chosen to weave your magical sound around that old rogue, Silas.” Victoria Wicks (Skins, Shadowlands and H. E. Bates’ grand-daughter). For bookings / further info ring 01497 847676 www.villagequire.org.uk / www.songsforsilas.org.uk VINTAGE JAZZ REVIVAL Ludlow-based, 6-piece, New Orleans/Trad band. Comprising trumpet, sax, trombone, banjo, tuba and drums, playing and singing popular foot-tapping songs mostly from the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s. Available for all functions. See us every Tuesday at the Rose and Crown in Ludlow. Tel: Rob 01584 318088, email: vintagejazzrevival@gmail. com website: www.vintagejazzrevival.co.uk WHISKEY RIVER is a 5/6 piece electric Americana band that play swamp blues, Cajun, Zydeco and good country music to set the dance floor rocking. To suit smaller venues and smaller budgets, pruned down acoustic versions of the band are available as “The Whiskey River Quartet”, “The Whiskey River Trio” or as a Duo [“The Whiskey River Boys”]. Laissez les bon temps rouler!! Contact Martin, phone: 07846 669890, 01432 342018. Email: martin@whiskeyriver.co.uk. Website: www.whiskeyriver.co.uk

theatre Inclusive online workshops at The Courtyard this Easter: Monday 12 - Friday 16 April T

HE Courtyard is delighted to be hosting a range of Inclusive workshops via Zoom for young people this Easter. Having previously delivered a range of successful, Inclusive workshops in person, The Courtyard’s Education team have worked alongside a variety of accessible arts practitioners to create a series of digital alternatives. The workshops are suitable for young people aged 10-15 with or without additional learning needs or disabilities. “Since our Inclusive project launched, we have run several creative workshops for young people with additional needs and disabilities.” Says Courtyard Community Education Officer Rebecca Cook, “These workshops include different art forms such as drama, music and dance. But most of all, they are a wonderful opportunity to make new friends and have fun! Despite working online, we hope these new workshops continue to encourage young people, develop their skills and provide an opportunity to work with industry professionals.” Launching the series of workshops on Monday 12 April at 10am is a session with accessible theatre company Open Theatre. Movement, Music and Fun will introduce participants to nonverbal physical theatre practice and give them the opportunity to explore different senses, use their imaginations and connect with other participants and an experienced facilitator via a digital platform.

On Wednesday 14 April at 10am, DanceFest’s Michele Holder will be leading a Dance Workshop for disabled and non-disabled young people. The session will include a warm up and participants will have the opportunity to learn a short routine as well as make up their own dances.

Finally, participants can create their own journeys and adventures through movement and sound in a fun filled Sensory Storytelling Workshop with Catherine Rachel on Friday 16 April at 10am.

All of the Inclusive Workshops will take place via Zoom, links and room codes will be sent via a booking confirmation email. For more information about The Courtyard’s Inclusive Easter Workshops visit courtyard. org.uk. Please note that phone lines are currently not in operation at the moment, please email boxoffice@courtyard.org.uk for any queries. The Courtyard’s Inclusive Easter Workshops are kindly supported by Herefordshire’s a Great Place and the Elmley Foundation through the My Place scheme.

sam’s page The Study of Angels G

OOD morning, or evening as the case may be, depending on when you are reading this, obviously, or perhaps it is lunchtime, in which case bon appetit. Today is our duty and pleasure here at the Institute for Irrelevant Studies to bring you an up-to-date analysis of the possible answers to one of the great questions of Medieval theology and hence Scholastic philosophy, viz. how many angels can stand on the point of a pin, and once there can they dance? Things have of course changed since the thirteenth century; so the following list represents a long-needed update of the conditions under which this important question can be studied. 1. Health and Safety. Nobody should be encouraged to stand on the point of a pin, as points are often sharp, and may cause puncture injuries, which will waste the time of the National Health Service as well as precipitating the disagreeable personal sensations scientists call ‘pain’. It will be pointed out, however, that ‘nobody’ is not a term that can properly be applied to angels, as angels are sometimes considered not to have bodies. The Health and Safety Executive, asked for guidance, replied that it is always best to be on the safe side, and did we lick the envelope before we sent the letter, as paper cuts can cause ‘pain’ (see above), and in any case it is obligatory to fill out a Risk Assessment when you are in the same room as a pin, let alone trying to persuade beings no matter how insubstantial to dance on one, and what was the question again? 2. Equal opportunities. This is a hard one to police but it will not stop the serious campaigner, and there is no other kind. The debate as to whether angels are male, female, transgendered, multigendered, spontaneously engendered from dewdrops or none of the above is as old as the pin question itself. There is no precise answer to it, but the legal position is clear. The angels’ line manager, who in this case will be the Archangel Gabriel, should be sent the relevant forms either via prayer and fasting or preferably email. As for ethnicity, few have met angels face to face, and they seem to come in all skin colours, including ‘shining’. It should however be remembered that in the Welsh Marches prayers, emails and dance instructions must subject to the severest penalties be issued in Welsh as well as English. 3. Licensing. It is debatable whether the point of a pin can be regarded as a public place within the meaning of the Act. Again, the precautionary principle applies.

Better safe than sorry, so applications should be sent to your local council, the magistrates and of course the police. Ask yourself: will the Music of the Spheres disturb the neighbours? 4. Social distancing. It is not known whether there is vaccination in Heaven, so ideally a six-foot distance should be maintained between dancing angels. Nor is it known whether angels are the size of solar systems or a lot smaller than microbes. In either case, however, no self-respecting pinhead is more than a few microns across, so social distancing of the kind stipulated by the authorities will be entirely impossible. Some will argue that if angels are tiny, as seems likely, the distance between them will be six angel feet, which will be infinitely smaller than six human feet, and if they are gigantic not even one will be able to stand on a pinpoint, let alone dance there. Conclusion. As you can see, straightforward answers to the ‘How many Angels?’ question are as hard to come by now as they were in the thirteenth century, though the position vis-a-vis the law has become clearer, or not. I hope, however, that this brief checklist will have outlined some of the pitfalls in what is a legal minefield full of poison pills. Remember, though: it is a free country. As long as you are discreet, nobody will object if you get a pin, a magnifying glass and some angels, and try it for yourself. Samsonionius Fulminans

YOGA IN PRESTEIGNE Group classes and individual tuition in Stapleton Moving consciously with the breath

Marie Hudson 01544 260352 www.theyogapractice.org.uk

grass roots Branching out with ‘9Trees’

Toxic shock, as bees face new wave of destruction

A subscription that cuts climate change and grows your own woodland

TREES has started an ambitious task to plant nine trees for every UK person each year. Planting 9 trees each year will balance the average UK carbon consumption. This progressive approach is not going to be easy. Without support to plant ‘Nine Trees Each Year’, our mutual journey to carbon neutrality by 2050 will be arduous. Springing into action, 9Trees has created a pioneering subscription service allowing people to grow their own forest. As a result, three thousand broadleaf trees on the border of England and Wales are currently being planted on two hectares of land (two rugby pitches) in Radnorshire (Powys), Wales. Eight species of broadleaf tree will reforest the land. With eight more sites confirmed, 10,000 trees will be planted by December 2021.

HE agriculture minister, George Eustice, has seemed during last year or so to be trying to cultivate the image of being a safe pair of hands. Indeed, he has at times been let off the leash by Number Ten to push policies or comment on events beyond his departmental turf of farming and the environment. However, after making a shocking policy U-turn on pesticides in January, he is now at risk of being remembered in years to come for all the wrong reasons. In the minds of wildlife groups, his name will be linked in future to a troubling group of pesticides called neonicotinoids, or neonics. These chemicals were first released into fields in the 1990s. But during the last ten years and more, there has been a steady build-up of evidence over damage to bees and other pollinators linked to neonics, even at low exposure levels. Scientific studies have revealed that the chemicals harm the bees’ ability to fly, to forage, and to learn and remember navigation routes to and from food sources. In the end, it seems, many of the bees just die of starvation. After an upsurge of evidence on the harm caused by neonics, they were finally made the subject of a ban across the European Union three years ago. At that stage Britain was prominent in cracking down on these troubling chemicals. In November 2018, the then Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, announced a raft of new restrictions on neonics. His statement was not slipped out by DEFRA in the dead of night. It was a declaration festooned with high-minded quotes from Mr Gove. “I’ve always been clear I will be led by the science… The weight of evidence now shows the risks neonicotinoids pose to our environment, particularly to the bees and other pollinators which play such a key part in our £100 billion food industry, is greater than previously understood.” Mr Gove’s department spoke of the need to make farms, towns, cities, and the countryside “better places for our bees and pollinators.” And it said the government would continue to work with partners such as Friends of the Earth and the British Beekeepers’ Association. Mr Gove vowed that “…unless the scientific evidence changes, the government will maintain these increased restrictions postBrexit.” However, in January this year, the government showed not the slightest qualm in abandoning its earlier pledges on neonics. There was no attempt to claim that the science on these pesticides had changed. Indeed, it was made clear that it was the issue of profits in just one sector of English agriculture – the sugar beet farms of East Anglia – that had prompted this abrupt U-turn on the controversial toxin.

This was blamed on a pest, virus yellows, that was said to threaten crop yields. Sugar beet farmers were being granted an “emergency derogation” from the ban on

neonics so that they could sow seeds pre-treated with one called thiamethoxam. The National Farmers’ Union sprang to the support of the beet farmers, arguing that they would face big losses without neonics. An NFU statement said, “Virus yellows disease is having an unprecedented harmful impact on Britain’s sugar beet crop this year, with some growers experiencing yield losses of up to 80%....and there are serious concerns about the future viability of home-grown sugar as a result.” The government claims the risk to bees from crops grown from these treated seeds is “acceptable”. But, farmers are being told that herbicides must also be used to kill flowering weeds around the beet crop itself to prevent pollinators being affected in the field margins. The biggest irony of this move is that our bee populations are being put at severe risk to ensure the viability of a crop that is widely judged to be bad for our health. In a seminar held by The Wildlife Trusts just after the government’s U-turn, a noted expert on bees expressed his frustration. Dave Goulson, professor of biology at the University of Sussex, said, “…our government has decided to allow use of a chemical which we know is bad for the environment, so that we can maintain production of a crop which we know is really bad for us!” Prof Goulson also said that while the value of the sugar beet crop is just £208 million per year, the cost of obesity is £27 billion annually. He argued that a better solution would be to grow less sugar beet and grow healthy fruits and vegetables instead. He is also scathing about official advice to use further weedkiller in the field margins. Professor Goulson says, “This is the sort of scorched earth approach to sugar beet production. You have to kill every other plant anywhere near - to prevent bees being poisoned with a neuro-toxin.” Julian O’Halloran

Although planting trees is no substitute for burning fossil fuels, it can help mitigate against climate change. Climate change is one of the biggest threats to our ecosystems. Planting 9 Trees per person per year, will suck the carbon from the air and provide much-needed habitat for our local wildlife. The Climate Change Committee (CCC) suggests that around 30,000 hectares of broadleaf and conifer woodland need to be planted each year for 30 years to hit net zero emissions. Michael Cunningham, 9Trees Co-Founder and Director explains, “The trees we plant now will be your legacy for the future. In 25 Years, they will be sequestering roughly 40lbs of carbon per annum. In 50 - 100 years time, each tree should have captured One Tonne of carbon. To reduce our carbon footprint, we need to draw down the carbon that we continue to create through our daily lives.” 9Trees are pushing the boundaries of common tree planting at Powys with these three processes. The woodland is grown from annual subscriptions. A process 9Trees hopes will spark a national ‘Nine Trees Each Year’ promise. Michael Cunningham, 9Trees Founder & Director

Tawny Wood, Mid Wales

Each tree is geolocated so that subscribers can take a mindful walk in their very own woodlands throughout the UK. The Woodland will be as natural as possible. No chemicals will be used in the making of this woodland. To protect the trees during early growth chestnut fencing has been erected, eco matting has been handmade and cardboard collected from local businesses will act as a grass suppressant. The trees at Powys will grow into a network of habitats and over the next 50 years will be inhabited by a wild assortment of creatures living, nesting, and resting amongst native trees. One species of bird that 9Trees hope will set up residence is the Treecreeper, a curved bill bird that dances around trees in search of insects. Each tree has been specifically chosen for the location, putting the right tree in the right place. The three thousand broadleaf native trees will encourage biodiversity. The species include Oak, Silver Birch, Hawthorn, Rowan, Downy Birch, Elder, Blackthorn. Ash Kent, 9Trees Co-Founder and Director, explains, “It’s not just about planting trees to sequester carbon; we need to be creating woodlands that support the local wildlife and connect up existing habitats without destroying valuable species-rich grasslands or peat bogs.” 9Trees hopes that their efforts will encourage our nation to make a promise and plant Nine Trees Per person per Year. A national movement will be a big step towards carbon neutrality and create woodlands for creatures and folk to enjoy for generations to come. 9Trees CIC www.9trees.org

complementary therapies Disclaimer. We would like to emphasise that these listings relate to COMPLEMENTARY medicine practitioners. Broad Sheep does not endorse any of the practitioners or healing methods listed. We provide no recommendation and take no responsibility for their content.

A is for ACUPUNCTURE & HOLISTIC THERAPIES Joanna Bruce RGN, B.Ac, MBAcC - clinics in Leominster and Kingsland. Treating pain and long term health conditions effectively since 1983. Tel: 01568 709142 or text 07984 460969. Free initial phone consultation jo.bruce@talk21.com ACUPUNCTURE. Sandy Sandaver Lic Ac MBAcC. I practice an integrated style of acupuncture using 5 element and TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and am a member of the British Acupuncture Council. I also carry out home visits. Hay Acupuncture Clinic, Rose Cottage, Cusop Dingle, Hay-On-Wye 01497 821625/07980 596218 sandysandaver@onetel.com or www.hayacupunctureclinic.co.uk ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, TRAUMA, LOW SELF WORTH and emotional difficulties - our innovative approach is being used with private and NHS clients with great success. Clients attend an average of 4 sessions to achieve a substantial, some say transformative, effect on their well being. You can check out the testimonials and book a one to one session on our website www. peaceofmindnow.co.uk or get in touch for more information Mike Buckley 07931 986168 mcmbuckley@gmail.com AROMATHERAPY massage and facials - Bach Remedies - Herbalism - Reiki. For comprehensive, holistic treatment: Roz Myers Brown, Dip. Ar. IPTI, MIPTI. Kington clinic. 07967 137208, roz.brown@btinternet.com

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BROAD

Complementary Therapies ONLY £40 FOR THE WHOLE YEAR Just post the details of your therapy (around 40 words) with a cheque for £40 payable to Broad Sheep and post to: The Lodge, Westhide, Hereford, HR1 3RQ

You can amend the wording anytime during the year, just call Clare on 01432 850444 or email: info@broadsheep.com

BOWEN TECHNIQUE Bowen is a holistic, non invasive therapy consisting of gentle moves over soft tissue and muscles, interspersed with periods of rest. Suitable for adults and children. Working from clinics in Bishop’s Castle and Church Stretton. Home visits available. Contact ROB ROWE MBTPA tel: 01588 630648, email rob@robrowe.co.uk or learn more at www.bowentherapy. org.uk BESPOKE MASSAGE THERAPY BY CHERYL LILWALL MTI. Sensitive communication through the medium of touch. For physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. Clinic held at the Integrative Health Clinic, Holland House, 70 Belmont Road, Hereford. Tel: 07487 738089. www.herefordbespokemassagetherapy.co.uk CHARTERED CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST & PSYCHODYNAMIC PSYCHOTHERAPIST with over 25 years professional NHS experience, providing psychological help to adults. Please see website for details: www.drmatthewfaull.co.uk. I am highly trained and experienced in using evidence–based psychotherapies to relieve distress and help you achieve your life goals, and offer sessions in Ludlow and Leintwardine. I also offer supervision to mental health professionals. Please contact me by email: mfaull@btinternet.com, to arrange a free initial phone conversation to consider your needs. Registered with British Psychological Society, British Psychoanalytic Council, Health Professions Council. CLAIRE KERBY COUNSELLING (Post grad dip Counselling, MBACP). Having someone to talk to outside your normal circle of friends / family can really help to gain a new clarity and sense of perspective. I would love it if you would call me, in confidence, with no judgement on 07971 816541, or email me at Claire.kerby@btinternet. com. COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY (CBT), COUNSELLING AND COUPLE COUNSELLING Hello! CBT can work well for depression, anxiety, panic, OCD, anger, phobias, self-harm, eating disorders, low selfesteem and more. I also offer counselling for most issues, including sexuality, bereavement and past sexual abuse. Couple counselling is available and counselling for those who have problems concerning self-esteem, relationships or lack of them. Contact Gail Venables MBACP (Accred) on 07484 766371 or www.cbtgail.co.uk for sessions in Leominster and New Radnor COUNSELLING, HEALING, MEDIUMSHIP. Spiritual Medium & Author Jenny Martin, offers one to one tuition or personal counselling/healing in Mid Wales. Over 20 years experience. Jenny’s spiritual development manual and her biography are both available via www.jennymartinmedium.com or contact jenny@ jennymartinmedium.com for more information. CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY with Jess Pailthorpe RCST. Safe, effective, light-touch treatments to help you heal & repair. Muscle/joint problems, stress, anxiety, fatigue, trauma….Clinics in Leominster Osteopaths and Kingsland. Phone for info: 07981 866 667 / www.touchtreetherapy.co.uk

DEEPLY RELAXING Craniosacral Therapy can increase your well-being by releasing emotional and physical tensions. Given a safe space and correct focus, your body knows the way. I am an accredited practitioner, qualified since 2004, based in Shrewsbury, Crickhowell and Mid Wales. Email: cheryljonestherapy@gmail.com Mobile: 07476 012299. EMOTIONAL THERAPY: Anne Cummings FETC (Adv Dip), MNCS (Accred) offers this safe, effective therapy to help adults and children heal their emotional and spiritual wounds and fulfil their personal potential. If you have difficulty relating to others, or have troublesome emotions call Anne on 01547 530977. Specialist knowledge and experience of working with panic attacks, anger, stress, bullying, low self-esteem, bereavement/loss, anxiety and depression. Centres in Powys/south Shropshire. Ffi including workshops and talks. www.thewritetofeel.com. EQUINE FACILITATED LEARNING. Personal growth for individuals and groups through powerful yet gentle interactions with horses, with seasoned Eponaquest facilitator Angela Dunning. EFL sessions involve spending time outdoors with these beautiful sentient beings, where you will be guided to deepen your connection to yourself and your body; build true confidence; reconnect to your Soul’s purpose and bring greater authenticity to your life. No horse experienced required. Shropshire/Herefordshire/ Borders. Contact me on: 01588 630061/07583 726207; angela@equinereflections.co.uk; or visit www.thehorsestruth.co.uk

LEOMINSTER NATURAL HEALTH CENTRE Chiropractic, Herbal Medicine, Kinesiology, Cranial Sacral Therapy, Hypnotherapy, Reiki, Reflexology, Emmet technique. Remedial and Holistic Massage. Counselling inc: Couples and Family, Cognitive Behaviour and NLP Stress Management, Child Birth Issues, Psychotherapy. Telephone 01568 616411 email infoleominstercommunitycentre@gmail.com Or visit Leominster Community Centre, School Road HR6 8NJ (behind Bridge Street car park). MASSAGE THERAPY WITH MARIAN HARDIMAN (MTI, CNHC, MLDUK). Remedial, Sports, Holistic, Indian Head Massage. Organic Facial and Manual Lymph Drainage. Clinic in Presteigne (The Retreat), Presteigne, LD8 2UF. Contact: marian@silvanmassage.com, www. silvanmassage.com, 07816 981454. NO HANDS® MASSAGE works on every level: physical, energetic, emotional, mental and spiritual. It’s deep, transforming touch with no pain. Come and train with Wendy Mills, Master Therapist and Instructor. Clinic and Courses held in Sutton St Nicholas, Hereford. 07858137889; millsw1@tiscali.co.uk; www.wendymills.co.uk MINDFULNESS Alithea Waterfield MBCT teacher offering Mindful Walks in Nature, 8-week Mindfulness courses and Mindfulness Guided Meditations. Committed to helping you reconnect with a more authentic and compassionate self and develop skills to manage life’s challenges resourcefully, skillfully and creatively. 07899 361316 alitheawaterfield@gmail.com

HEALINGS, INSIGHT READINGS, PERSONAL GROWTH COACHING, ANIMAL COMMUNICATION Healings, insights into life path and situations, space and guidance to explore and help re-align with our inner truth. Also offer help understanding our animals’ behaviour and needs. Enquiries: Kohra 01544 262 110, kohra@gmx.co.uk

OSTEOPATH. Mr R A Hughes D.O. Registered Osteopath and Sports Therapist. Fully qualified and registered since 1995. Established in Presteigne for over 20 years. Sciatica, Arthritis, Trapped Nerves, Back, Neck and Shoulder Pain. Headaches, Sports Injuries. 07961 352056, rahughesosteo@gmail.com The Retreat, Presteigne – free car parking.

HEREFORD HOMEOPATH Juliet Ablett RHom, MARH, MNCHM. Experienced practitioner works with you as an individual, listening without judgement; working with whatever symptoms or issues you have. Natural, effective treatment suitable for all ages. I am very happy to chat with you on the phone about what treatment you are looking for before you commit to an appointment. Weekly clinics in Kentchurch, Hereford and Monmouth. Juliet Ablett www.julietablett.co.uk julietablett@rocketmail. com 01981 241456

PHYSIOTHERAPY, CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY, REFLEXOLOGY & YOGA with Hermione Evans, Chartered Physiotherapist at Radnor Physiotherapy. For all back and neck pain, headaches, sports injuries, RSI, stress related illness and more. To discuss your needs or to make an appointment, please phone 01544 350691 or email contact@radnorphysiotherapy.co.uk or view www.radnorphysiotherapy.co.uk

HOLISTIC MASSAGE THERAPY: Meg Lawrence MTI. A listening and sensitive therapy, treating the whole person. For relief from aches and pains, easing of occupational and postural tensions, providing relaxation and calm in peaceful surroundings, 20 minutes from Presteigne, Hayon-Wye and Kington. Email meg@radnorshire.com; phone or text 07910892172 HOMOEOPATHY Sandy Underhill RSHom. I have worked for 20 years treating individuals for many complaints, whether psychological, mental, emotional or physical. Homoeopathy is about bringing wellness to ones being by triggering the bodies natural system of healing. It is suitable for all ages. Clinics are held at Rock Park Complimentary Health Centre, Llandrindod Wells, Powys and Kington, Herefordshire. 01597 851021. MASSAGE, COACHING, YOGA, DECLUTTERING with Wellbeing Therapist Sophie Atkinson, Orleton SY8 Individual powerful sessions to help you create the space you need for the life you want. Web: www.sophieatkinson. co.uk 07930 353 118 Email: sophie@healing-energy.net

SOUND HEALING TRAINING AND WORKSHOP RETREATS We run the 5 part Sound Therapy training programme for the College of Sound Healing as weekend retreats in the beautiful setting of Primrose Haven with lovely gardens and sacred spaces. Also Seasonal Sounds Days and weekend retreats: Sound Healing and Nature; Magical Resonance of Celtic Sounds and Sound and gardening for the soul. Retreat stays in our cosy Shepherd Huts. Occasional evening sound and Gong meditations. Please contact Paul Benham, paul@primrosehavenretreats.co.uk and www.primrosehavenretreats.co.uk. 01497 847299. SPIRITUAL HEALER Naturally gifted in releasing emotional grief in present and past lives. 29 years professional experience with physical and mental health. Private healing sessions and talks given. Gillian Williamson, MNFSH. Field House, Kinnerton. 01547 560874.