YOUR LOCAL CROWD
LOCAL CROWD OCTOBER 2017
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DIGITAL MAGAZINE
TAKING THE PLUNGE an interview with three generations of the same family
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Guide Book
TOURISM GUIDE BOOK COPIES NOW AVAILABLE TO ORDER... New for 2017... ...Following the success of our magazine, Your Local Crowd has launched a new Tourism Guide Book for 2017. The book includes a variety of local articles discussing where to go, what to see and where to stay locally across Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire & Carmarthenshire. It also holds several guides, showcasing the various festivals, museums, gardens, walks, beautiful beaches, galleries, craft centres and activities that West Wales has to offer. The handy pocket sized book is available from Tourist Information & Visitors Centres throughout Wales. It is also available to hotels, holiday cottage providers, and cafes and can be purchased directly from Your Local Crowd for just ÂŁ2 a copy plus post and packaging. Contact our team on 01239 460210 or email your enquiry to sales@yourlocalcrowd.co.uk We are now taking bookings for our next book Your Local Restaurant Guide, if you would like to feature within the book, please get in touch. A full page advertorial costs just ÂŁ200
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COMPETITION In association with Eco PC’s
WIN A LAPTOP Win a very popular factory reconditioned Blue Acer 11.6” Cloudbook Windows 10 Creator Intel Celeron Dual Core CPU 2GB RAM, 32GB SSD HDD To enter simply... 1. Go to our Facebook competition page and recommend one local business in Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire or Pembrokeshire, stating your reasons why. 2. Follow the instructions & fill in your details to be entered into the draw. Its that simple! The winner will be announced on December 1, 2017 T & C’s apply
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• You must live in Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire or Carmarthenshire to enter • Entrants must be aged 18 or over • Only one entry per household • By taking part in this promotion all entrants will be deemed to have accepted and be bound by these terms and conditions • The winner will be notified at the email address stated in their entry • Entries must be submitted via the contact form found on the website • Your entry must be submitted before midnight on November 24, 2017 • Entries will not be accepted after this date • Your Local Crowd reserves the right to change the rules of this competition without notice • The winner of the competition will be announced on Facebook on the December 1 2017. • We may, from time to time, inform you of Your Local Crowd updates • The promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook • Reasonable efforts will be made to contact the winner. If the winner cannot be contacted, or is unable to comply with the terms and conditions, Your Local Crowd reserves the right to offer the prize to the next eligible entrant • The winner will need to collect the computer from Eco PC’s in Cardigan at a mutually agreeable time • The winner will have his/her photograph published.
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Interview dives for all abilities, I’ve found the club to be inclusive of both men and women all ages and all abilities. The training is thorough and at times challenging, with the safety of it’s members always at the forefront. Pool sessions are weekly and open to all with a core group of divers within the club who are keen to share their knowledge and passion of scuba diving. There is also an active training program to help you achieve your desired level of diving. A quick drink in the pub usually follows the pool session or a dive where stories are swapped, and future dives ideas discussed. Terry: I’m not actually a member but am thinking of joining to do a few dives but at 72 years of age don’t plan on anything too strenuous! What training have you received? Jack: I’m currently a qualified BSAC Sports Diver, and although the training, at times has been hard, understanding dive tables etc. and exams to sit, it has been thorough and I’ve had the support needed. I didn’t really enjoy the theory
Chepstow Dive Centre often visited by CSAC for training Image © Jack Jones
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Jack and his trademark underwater selfie and with his mum Sam on a recent diving trip in the mediterranean Image © Jack Jones lessons, where I had to sit in a classroom for an hour after doing a full day at school but it’s been worth it as I’m now qualified and can dive anywhere in the world. The practical sessions were always with the instructors with a mixture of sea dives, pool sessions and a few trips to Chepstow Dive Centre. Now I’ve completed my GCSE’s, I’d like to continue to the next level of Dive Leader and then perhaps instructor when I’m a little older. Sam: I’ve successfully managed to complete my BSAC Ocean Divers qualification and I’m currently training as a Sports Diver. Whilst still being relatively new to diving, I’ve learned very quickly what I do and don’t like and never feel pressured into diving beyond my comfort zone. The dive manager on the day, always takes into account the individuals skills, qualifications and in my case anxieties before pairing buddies for open water dives and I’ve found the instructors to be extremely patient with me. Terry: When I joined Neath SubAqua Club, I got to Second Class Diver and was involved in the cave dive group. What’s been the best/most exciting/memorable dive you’ve had? Jack: It’s got to be HMS Scylla in Plymouth. The sea was really rough and we had to ride out over very large waves for about 20 minutes. Three ribs went out and one
returned without diving as they were all seasick, but we managed to get kitted up and into the water and had a great dive. I loved being able to explore both inside and outside the wreck of a real navy ship. Sam: I’ve had quite a few, being buddied with Jack and feeling remarkably relaxed with just the two of us exploring the seabed off Mwnt was one to remember. Not something many mothers can say they do with their sons, I’m very proud of Jack and what he has achieved. But more recently, a dive off Cardigan Island, diving the wreck of the Hereford where we discovered 4 massive boilers. One of which you could actually swim through. It was amazing shining the torch into these huge boilers and seeing all the sea life hiding within it. Terry: It’s got to be the first breakthrough dive into the cave Ogof Ff ynon
Guide
CARDIGAN SUB AQUA CLUB
Vivean Quarry Dive Centre in North Wales, often visited by CSAC as a club trip, a great place to train and explore. Image © Jack Jones
Join the members of the Cardigan Sub Aqua Club and swim with fish and explore coastal shipwrecks in Cardigan Bay and around the Pembrokeshire coast. THERE are hundreds of shipwrecks along the coast of Wales, many of them just offshore. The wrecks include cargo ships and naval vessels, some with the cargo and guns still clearly visible on board. Sea life abounds in coastal waters. Club members experience close up encounters with lobsters, crabs, sea anemones, fan coral and a range of fish. The club organises trips further afield to Anglesey, Plymouth and even to the Red Sea. Open to members from 12 years old, with a Parent/Guardian membership, with no upper age limit, SCUBA diving in a club setting is a unique and sociable way to enjoy our coastal waters. Families take part through numerous club sponsored camping weekends and barbeques. Club diving offers a convenient way to get started exploring the undersea world. The club has all the equipment and qualified staff needed for beginners to start their training. Training starts in the pool, and continues in nearby waters. Once qualified as a diver, there are many new skills to acquire, such as underwater photography and boat handling. Cardigan Sub Aqua Club offer a taste of what it’s all about with Try Dives. They meet every Tuesday evening at the Newcastle Emlyn swimming pool. Chat with members about their underwater adventures, then put on diving equipment and enter the pool in the safe company of a qualified SCUBA diving instructor. Experience the sensation of breathing underwater and the relaxation of weightlessness, or if you’ve dived before and are looking for a social club to join contact Cardigan Sub Aqua Club.
Image © Colin Williams, CSAC
Read more at www. yourlocalcrowd.co.uk/articles
Ddu (the cave of the black well) and running up miles and miles of underground river passage. Another memorable, whilst diving off Malta, in fairly shallow water swimming over a cliff and going down to 80/90ft and seeing a white apparition in front of me, stood upright on the seabed. It gave me quite a fright until I realised it was a full size life like statue that had been put there. To this day, it remains a mystery as to why it was there! Do you see a future career in diving? Jack: I’m not sure? I enjoy it as a hobby but not sure I’d like to do it every day. Ask me again in a year! Sam: No, absolutely not! It’s just for pleasure. Terry: No, are you joking? Have you dived abroad? Jack: Yes, I dived with my mum last year off the coast of Mallorca and again this year off Kefelonia, but I’d love to dive the Red Sea. Sam: Yes in the Mediterranean, it was very dull by comparison to what we see on our own coastline. I would love to dive the Red Sea on an organized diving holiday. I just need to win the lottery first! Terry: Yes, Malta, Dalmation Coast, Greece and a few other places, but in my opinion the best diving is still around Pembrokeshire coast.
If you fancy joining the club, or would like to sign up for a Try Dive, call or text Alan Thomas for more information on 07970 462 332
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THE PRINCESS BY THE TEIFI NO-ONE is entirely sure whether Cilgerran Castle castle and but few men with him, about fourteen, was the site of a castle reported as having been built unknown to the keepers of the castle. And then at “Cenarth Bychan” by Gerald de Windsor, the he came to the chamber in which Gerald and Nest Constable of Pembroke, in 1108. Although the site were sleeping. And they raised a shout around and is still disputed, it seems likely that the Norman about the chamber in which Gerald was, and acquisition of Cemaes and Cilgerran at about that kindled tapers and set fire to the buildings to burn time would have made it logical for the new frontier them. And when he heard the shout, Gerald awoke, between Norman and Welsh territory to have been not knowing what to do. And then Nest said to him, re-established at the Teifi estuary. “Go not out to the door, for thine enemies await In 1107 Gerald de Windsor had accompanied his wife thee, but follow me”. And that he did. And she led to a feast held by a kinsman of hers. His wife was him to the privy which adjoined the chamber. And Nest – a famous beauty and a Welsh princess. She there, as is said, he escaped by way of the privy is believed to have been a woman of great intellect hole. And when Nest knew that he had escaped, and often used her beauty in order to ensure that she cried out from within and said to the men who she achieved her objectives. Nest were outside, “Why do you cry was the daughter of Rhys ap Tewdwr, out in vain? He whom you seek is Prince of Deheubarth, and had been not here. He has escaped”. And taken as a hostage to the English when they did not find them, they court in her youth, and was raised seized Nest and her two sons and there. Her beauty attracted the ather daughter and another son tention of Prince Henry and the pair of his by a concubine, and they became lovers. She bore him an sacked and plundered the castle...’ illegitimate son – Henry fitz Henry. Poor old Gerald – as a respected Before Henry became King, Nest officer of the Crown, the idea had already been quietly married off of his making a malodorous and to a loyal supporter of the Crown uncomfortabe exit from his own – Gerald de Windsor the Constable castle via the shaft of the toilets of Pembroke Castle. The feast they while his wife was being abducted Nest – a famous beauty and a can’t have done much for his attended in 1107 was hosted by a Welsh princess cousin of Nest – Cadwgan ap Bleddyn reputation or his self-esteem! – the ruler of Ceredigion. At this feast the lovely Nest When King Henry heard of this embarrassment of caught the attention of his loyal officer, and the abduction of his former Cadwgan’s son, Owain, who was instantly smitten. Al- lover, he was furious. He granted Cadwgan’s lands though he bided his time before acting on his lustful to Gilbert fitz Richard de Clare, the Lord of Tonimpulses, the knowledge that Nest would be residing bridge in Kent, providing he captured them. This led just across the Teifi must have inspired him to take to the establishment of Cardigan in 1110. Nest was action. In 1109 Owain ap Cadwgan abducted Nest returned to her husband. from the castle of Cenarth Bychan. He climbed over In an interesting twist of history, after Gerald de the castle wall with a company of about fourteen Windsor died in about 1116, the widowed Nest marmen and set fire to the wooden buildings. The ‘Brut y ried Stephen de Mareis – the Constable of Cardigan Tywysogion’ has the following account: Castle. As a result she lived out her last twenty “...When Owain heard that Nest was in the castle, he years at the castle that was built in revenge for her went with but a few men in his company to visit her as abduction from Cenarth Bychan. a kinswoman. And after that he came of a night to the © Glen K Johnson 2015
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Guide
CURIOUS CREATURES OF WEST WALES FOLKLORE
Wales is a country steeped in myth and legend. Ancient tales passed down through generations tell of strange creatures that once roamed the hills and valleys, lurked in the watery depths of rivers and lakes or inhabited the wild rocky shores. Here we share the story of The Mernaid of St Dogmaels @ylcrowd
TALL tales of water nymphs and mermaids abound along the rugged Welsh coast. In the picturesque village of St Dogmaels the lone sculpture of a watchful mermaid stands alongside the moorings where local fishermen anchor their boats. Legend has it that one day, whilst fishing for herring out at sea, a man called Peregrine saw a beautiful mermaid sitting on the rocks of Caemaes Head. Unable to resist her flaxen-haired beauty Peregrine caught the mermaid in his net and turned back towards land with his prize. On the journey home, the mermaid pleaded with Peregrine to let her go but he refused. However, by the time the time he’d reached a sand bar in the middle of the estuary, the mermaid’s plaintive cries persuaded him to release her. In gratitude for her freedom, she promised that she would warn Peregrine of approaching storms by calling to him three times. The story goes that on 1st October 1789, Peregrine and the other local fisherman set off from the moorings but when they reached the sand bar the mermaid appeared, warning Peregrine that a terrible storm was coming. Peregrine turned back and tried to persuade the others to follow him but they all laughed and sailed on out to sea. Shortly afterwards a huge storm engulfed the estuary, killing all but Peregrine. St Dogmaels church records from that day document the death of 27 local fisherman in a sudden storm, the tragic event now marked by the statue of a solitary mermaid watching over the sea. Although the St Dogmaels tale is probably the most well-known, similar stories are linked to other villages along the coast such as Aberporth and New Quay.
More Legends at www.yourlocalcrowd.co.uk/articles
Sally Sellwood
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TASTY TOMATOES SO – it’s one of crazy brilliant times of year if you are growing in the garden – but also a fabulous time to frequent your local farmers markets and roadside stalls for lots of cheap, yummy, seasonal fruit and vegetables to enjoy now and preserve for later. Tomato sauce This is a brilliant thing to have in the freezer for a quick healthy supper for the kids or to add to many other sauces like bolognaise/curry/ratatouille/or to top pizza. Heat oven to 200 degrees 1 kilo tomatoes, any variety or size, cut in half chopped more if large, put on an oiled baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper and more olive oil and some balsamic
vinegar Roast for half and hour to 45 minutes until starting to go brown Allow to cool Whizz up in a blender Add basil if you wish Eat with pasta and a fresh green salad or pop in a bag in the freezer for a burst of colour in those cold winter months. Slow roast tomatoes Lovely to eat as anti pasti, stirred through pasta with parsley and garlic and parmesan, in sandwiches, stored in olive oil in the fridge. Heat oven to 130 degrees 1 kilo of small tomatoes, cut in half and put on an oiled baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper, thyme, olive oil and balsamic vinegar Roast for 3 hours, or until shrunk and chewy and each one, when
Y D N A M
X O C L I W li
of D e t s gh i l e D
Ever wanted to experience the joy of making your own chocolates or baking your own wonderful patisserie? From June 2017 Mandy Wilcox is offering a new range of residential & daily workshops & master-classes in her new kitchen workshop in Aberporth teaching you how to create tasty sweet & savoury delights. Fun for all ages & abilities.
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eaten, is a burst of flavor in your mouth. Roast tomatoes We often eat these with fish or roast chicken. Heat oven to 180 degrees 500 grams small tomatoes on an oiled baking tray, sprinkled with salt and pepper and thyme. Roast for 40 minutes until slightly browning and splitting – eat hot and mop up all the lovely juices with crusty bread or rice. Any questions about growing your own or recipes please feel free to follow me on twitter @gossifer and ask away! Catering enquiries to gossifer@hotmail.com
FOODIE EXPERIENCES COMING SOON!
S e e w e b s it e fo r m o r e d e t ai l s . .
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contact Mandy Wilcox on
01239 810928 or via Facebook or Twitter @DeliDelights1
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….with Jennifer Goss, owner of Our Two Acres
Image courtesy of Supertrooper at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Recipe
Gardening
PREPARE FOR AUTUMN...
... AND ENJOY A FEW LATE SEASON TREATS Whether we enjoy another beautiful Indian Summer or not, there are plenty of jobs to be getting on with in the garden as Autumn heads in to Winter
TOP TIPS 1. Plant crops for Winter veg, and for early Spring cropping 2. Remove shade paint, clean and disinfect your greenhouse 3. Rake thatch and moss out of your lawn and apply feed (or re-turf) where necessary 4. Net ponds to stop problems from leaf fall 5. Create storage for fallen leaves, and collect them up to create leaf mould 6. Plant evergreens 7. Lift tender species and store the tubers 8. Service your lawnmower 9. Clear out your compost 10. Divide perennials and move plants that need relocating. frosts threaten. Once you have brushed off the soil, the tubers can be stored in dry compost or sand in a cool, frost free place ready for replanting in Spring. In some areas, simply applying a thick mulch will avoid the need for lifting – but only for those in milder climates. Divide and conquer Spend some time moving plants around, dividing perennials and generally clearing out your borders. You can cut
back perennials to 5cm above ground level, leaving any attractive seed-heads for structure and interest. Dig up and compost annuals, then apply a mulch to the borders. Love your lawn Rake out any thatch and moss from your lawn, and improve drainage and aeration to worn areas using a garden fork to make holes every 10 cm or so. It’s a good time to feed your lawn or to lay new turf in areas that really need it. Keep on top of the leaves Collect fallen leaves in a cage of wire mesh (or use bin liners with holes punched into the sides) and allow them to rot down into leaf mould. Net your pond before the leaves start to fall in causing problems. Be evergreen Autumn is a good time to plant evergreens to fill gaps in your borders and add year round interest and structure to your beds. Lock up your lawnmower You may be relieved to see the back of the mowing for another year, but before you store your lawnmower, think about having it serviced (or service it yourself) to avoid it seizing up over the Winter.
For a list of local Garden centres visitwww.yourlocalcrowd.co.uk/guides
AS the seasons change and summer moves seamlessly into Autumn (hopefully with a final flurry of sunshine to sustain us through the winter), there are lots of jobs in the garden that demand your attention, whatever the weather. Here, we’ve brought together your Autumn gardening ‘to do’ list. Autumn planting Plant Autumn onion sets, garlic, and perpetual spinach. Get broad beans and peas in for earlier cropping in the Spring. Get busy in the greenhouse Clean off shade paint and clear leaves from the guttering and repair any broken panes before the winter. Tidying up and cleaning out will reduce the risk of overwintering pests and disease. Compost bins Clear out last year’s compost and dig it in around the garden to make way for all the green material that clearing up your borders and veg garden will generate. If your compost isn’t quite ready then turn it to improve decomposition, and create a new heap - you can never have too much compost! Love me tender Cut back stems of tender species – Cannas, Dahlias, Begonias, and lift the tubers before the first
@ylcrowd
Image courtesy of Keattikorn at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
sam@yourlocalcrowd.co.uk
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Guide
The word “witch” comes from the Old English wicce, meaning “wise woman.” Wiccan were highly respected people at one time. According to popular belief, witches held one of their two main meetings, or sabbats, on Halloween night The very first Jack-o-lanterns were in fact made from turnips The largest pumpkin ever measured was grown by Norm Craven, who broke the world record in 1993 with a 836 lb. pumpkin The tradition of dressing up in costumes on Halloween dates back to the ancient Celtics. They believed that by dressing up as spirits and demons they would blend in with the real spirits and demons roaming the streets and would be safe. The Christian roots of trick-or-treating are different than the Celtic roots. They called it ‘souling’ which was a medieval Christian ritual of going door to door, exchanging prayers for the dead for soul cakes. The fear of Halloween is called “Samhainophobia” Commercially, Halloween is second only to Christmas in the amount of money spent. Black and orange are typically the colours associated with Halloween. Orange is a symbol of strength and endurance and, along with brown and gold, stands for the harvest and autumn. Black is typically a symbol of death and darkness and acts as a reminder that Halloween once was a festival that marked the boundaries between life and death. Ireland is typically believed to be the birthplace of Halloween.
12 | www.yourlocalcrowd.co.uk
DID YOU
Here’s an odd one. Scottish girls believed they could see images of their future husband if they hung wet sheets in front of the fire on Halloween. Other girls believed they would see their boyfriend’s faces if they looked into mirrors while walking downstairs at midnight on Halloween. According to tradition, if a person wears his or her clothes inside out and then walks backwards on Halloween, he or she will see a witch at midnight. Halloween is thought to have originated around 4000 B.C., which means Halloween has been around for over 6,000 years Owls were once believed to be witches. An owl’s call was thought to mean someone was going to die. This was a popular belief in Medieval Europe. Harry Houdini, possibly the most famous magician in history, died on Halloween night in 1926. His death was the result of three stomach punches that brought on appendicitis. The majority of children, 50%, prefer to get chocolate in their trick-or-treat bags on Halloween. In the Village in New York City they have an annual Halloween parade which brings over 2 million spectators. It has more than 50,000 participants in the parade. Anoka, Minnesota and Salem, Massachusetts have called themselves the Halloween capital of the world.
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Guide Check out Your Local Crowd’s Pinterest Board at www.pinterest.co.uk/yourlocalcrowd/halloween-party-recipes/
CREEPY ideas
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Guide
YOUR LOCAL PRODUCERS MARCEREDIGION
New Quay, SA45 9QQ
ABERAERON FARMERS MARKET Wednesdays 9am – 2pm, Alban Square, SA46 0AQ. ABERAERON COUNTRY MARKET Tuesdays 8.45am– 12.30pm, Peniel Chapel, SA46 0DG ABERPORTH COUNTRY MARKET Tuesday 8.45am– 12pm, Village Hall, Aberporth SA43 2EL
PEMBROKESHIRE
ST DOGMAELS LOCAL PRODUCERS’ MARKET Tuesdays 9am– 1pm. St Dogmaels Abbey Visitor Centre SA43 3DX FISHGUARD COUNTRY MARKET Saturdays 8am– 1pm. Fishguard Market Hall, Fishguard HAVERFORDWEST FARMERS MARKET Fridays 8.30am–2pm Riverside Quay, Haverford West SA61 2LJ
LAMPETER FARMERS MARKET Fridays 9am– 2pm, Market Street, Lampeter SA48 7DR
MANORBIER COUNTRY MARKET Wednesdays 10am– 12pm (1st Wednesday of the month only October-April) Jameston Community Hall, Jameston SA70 8QG
LAMPETER PEOPLE’S MARKET 2nd & 4th Saturday of the month, Victoria Hall, Lampeter SA48 0BU
NEWPORT MARKET Mondays 9am– 1pm March – December Market Street, Newport SA42 0PH
LLANDYSUL COUNTRY MARKET Fridays 9.30am– 12.30pm, Sacred Hands Spiritual Centre, Llandysul SA44 4BS
PEMBROKE COUNTRY MARKET Thursdays 9.30 am -1pm. The Town Hall, Main Street, Pembroke SA71 4JS
LLANGRANNOG LOCAL PRODUCERS’ MARKET Wednesdays, end of May to October Ship Inn Car Park, Llangrannog, SA44 6SL
TENBY COUNTRY MARKET Fridays 9am– 12pm. St John’s Church Hall, Warren Street, Tenby SA70 7LB
NEW QUAY COUNTRY MARKET Fridays 11am-12.30pm. Memorial Hall,
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CARMARTHEN FARMERS MARKET Fridays 9am– 4.30pm. Red Street, Carmarthen CARMARTHEN PROVISION MARKET Wednesdays 8am– 2pm; Saturdays 8am– 1pm. Market Way, Carmarthen SA31 1QY LLANDEILO COUNTRY MARKET Fridays 8am–12pm. Civic Hall, Crescent Road, Llandeilo SA19 6HY; Last Saturday of month 9am to 4pm Top Car Park, Llandeilo, March to December.
*Not all markets run throughout the year, some are seasonal
ABERYSTWYTH COUNTRY MARKET Thursdays 9.30am – 12.30pm, Market Hall, Aberystwyth
TREGARON COUNTRY MARKET Alternate Tuesdays 9am-1pm. Memorial Hall, Tregaron, SA25 6JL
Read more at www. yourlocalcrowd.co.uk/articles
ABERYSTWYTH FARMERS MARKET 1st and 3rd Sat of each month, 10am– 2pm North Parade, Aberystwyth 01559 571730
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