Christmas Folk Down the Track

                                          Legendary Big Al from the Nelson Inn  

                                          at Rocks Green  playing on the train home!

There's another great night in store at Folk Down the Track on Thursday December 18th. Sue Harris and Bandamania will be playing plus a wide range of musicians who gather for the monthly folk club at the Castle Inn, Knucklas. Good food, real ale and plenty of other drinks available and served by a dedicated group of staff who make us welcome. Hat passed round at the end for musicians choice of charity.

Catch the 1800 train from Shrewsbury or stations to Knucklas. Back in Shrewsbury for 2200. Change at Craven Arms required for Ludlow, Leominster and Hereford. Folk Down the Track happens on the third thursday,.. bi-monthly. Here are some 2015 dates for your diary:

February 19th 2015...Out of the Blue playing in the back room
April 16th 2015...
June 18th 2015...
August 20th 2015...

Organised by Graham Lambert (Myriad Organics, Ludlow) and Les Lumsdon (Rail for Herefordshire) with Chris (Landlady) and Siggy (Coordinator of musicians). Look forward to seeing you on the train.

Hay Winter Festival 28-30th November 2014

Last Orders is a book laced with humour and humility and at this year's Hay Winter Festival you'll get an opportunity to listen to and ask questions of the Booker Prize winner, Graham Swift, who penned this very readable work and others such as Waterland. Eleanor Catton will be there too, another winner who is gaining reputation through her book The Luminaries and The Rehearsal.

There are more authors, celebrities and musicians lined up and workshops for the kids too. That is what makes Hay Festival events so appealing but there'll be plenty to do in town too-a food festival on the Saturday and Shops open all weekend. More details available at www.hayfestival.com.

For those who fancy a retro day then the Sunday outing to Hay Does Vintage is a must...plenty of outfits, a talk at the festival and stalls to browse at your leisure. The hassle free way to travel is on the Hay Ho! from Hereford which leaves from Stand 2, Hereford Railway Station at 1010,1310 and 1610. Return buses from Hay (Oxford Road...on the Hay castle side of the road) at 1150,1450 and 1720. Ideal timings for a Hay Day or a few hours come the afternoon.

Check out Hay Ho! on Facebook...www.facebook.com/pages/Hay-Ho-Bus.

Folk Down the Track Christmas Bash 2014!

Impromptu singing session on the train

Next bash is a pre-Christmas warm up at the Castle Inn, Knucklas. As well as the diverse gang of musicians who meet up at the Castle Folk Club, the superb Sue Harris and Bandamania will be playing at this event. Comments co-organiser Graham Lambert from Myriad Organics, Ludlow:

"Have dinner, just come along for a drink or two, listen to the music or join in...that is the beauty of Folk Down the Track. There's real choice on the evening; people can stay in the restaurant room if they're keen to chat or alternatively listen to the band in the function room. There's also several musicians and singers playing in the bar too. It's very special. Two hours of sheer entertainment and sometimes a chance to sing along on the way home as well as at the pub !"

Join us on Thursday 18th December, 2014 for a good night out. Catch the 1800 train from Shrewsbury and stations en route...Church Stretton, Craven Arms, Broome, Hopton Heath, Bucknell and Knighton...to Knucklas (book day return). Travellers from Hereford, Leominster and Ludlow change at Craven Arms.

Wear something Christmassy...tinsel,mistletoe or even a full Santa's outfit!

Hay Ho! Bus Launch

The wheels of the new Hay Ho! bus ran for the first time yesterday and several people who have given donations for the bus and organisations getting behind it were present to wave it off from Hay. These include the coordinating Hay Tourism Group, plus  representatives from the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, Clehonger Parish Council, Hay Chamber of Commerce, Herefordshire Ramblers, and Rail for Herefordshire,

The group then enjoyed a guided walking tour with Haytours...take a look at wwwhaytours.org for details, with some fascinating insights into Hay's past. Book a tour yourself to get the low down on Hay past and present.  A great day out and now there's a chance to become a supporter of this exciting venture...see Hay Ho! facebook page.

Folk Down the Track Extras

                                                  Border Reelers in full swing at FDTT


There's a Folk Down the Track event this coming Thursday, 21st August; that's 1800 train out of Shrewsbury picking up stations and request stops down the line to Knucklas. There'll be an eclectic mix of musicians at the Castle Inn and often there's singing on the train back! Hereford, Leominster and Ludlow people have to change at Craven Arms both ways (1831/2232). As always it is a great night at the Castle Inn, Knucklas where Chris and her team make people very welcome.

There are also two other superb events coming up this weekend which might be of interest. The first is an excellent event at the Greyhound Inn, Llangunllo, a true village pub in a remote part of Radnorshire which makes it all the more intriguing to get out there and enjoy the beers, cider and music. The festival commences at 1600 on Friday 22nd and every day from noon until close on Monday 25th. If you'd like more information about the festival phone 01547 550400. The village and pub is just over a mile from Llangunllo station (request stop) and so be ready to do some walking in superb scenery. Last train back north to Shrewsbury is just after 2100 so make sure you're on the platform to wave the driver to stop!

At the Sun Inn, Leintwardine, there's the annual Beer and Music Festival and Ludlow 21 will be running a Festival Bus from the Green Festival, Ludlow at 1230 and hourly until 1930 (except 1630)...leaves from the Assembly Rooms... returning at 1305 and hourly until 2005 (except 1705) from outside the Lion at Leintwardine. Return ticket on the bus is £5 with a £1  discount on entry (£5) at the festival if you show your bus ticket!

Hay Ho! Bus

There's good news on the horizon for slow travellers seeking to get to Hay-on-Wye for a weekend break this autumn. Whether you are up for the Walking Festival,  the Winter Hay Festival or simply to spend the weekend lazily browsing around bookshops, then it is easy enough to get to Hay on Sundays and Bank Holidays. Until last week, the news was that the Hereford to Brecon via Hay-on-Wye bus would be axed come the end of September; a rather gloomy scenario for us and for the residents of Hay. But all is not lost. The Hay Tourism Group, Hay Chamber of Commerce, Rail for Herefordshire, Herefordshire Ramblers and three generous individuals have stepped in  to finance a Sundays and Bank Holidays service between Hay and Hereford. That is how important a Sunday bus is to their community!

The bus, still numbered 39A, has a new name for fun loving types; it is called the Hay Ho! bus. There's a new timetable too; it is designed to fit with the arrival and departure of trains from London (and the North and Midlands). The stop for Hay is just across the road from Hereford railway station forecourt, beyond the mega roundabout on the right, Stand 2 to be precise but, in earnest, its not much of a stand. Hay Ho! will run three times each way: 1010, 1310 and 1610 from Hereford Railway Station and 1150,1450, and 1720 from Hay-on-Wye (Hay Castle side of Oxford Road). It will be operated by Yeomans Travel of Hereford and commences on October 5th, 2014. The full journey takes just over an hour.

What a breath of fresh air, a positive strand among threads of rural bus up and down the Marches. The Hay Tourist Group want to make the bus part of the overall tourist experience and what better way to do just that by riding through the Golden Valley on the Hay Ho! bus. The views across the foothills to the Black Mountains are exceptional...sit on the left hand side of the bus to enjoy the scenery.

Book Update...Hay-on-Wye

Hay, the Book Town, that's how most people see it. But there's more on offer now for those seeking to explore the exceptional countryside that lies just beyond this border outpost. Now there's the Bike Festival in Spring and Walking Festival come the Autumn. Much of this is down to a dedicated group of people who want to share their countryside with us. At the forefront is Drover Holidays-01497 821134-real people offering walking and cycling holidays plus bike hire for wheelers. Hay is a Walkers are Welcome town and the new book by Ledlie and Lumsdon (available at the Tourist Information Centre in Oxford Road or at Drover's base camp) is a good start for those who wish to explore on foot using Hay as a base.

In A Guide to Slow Travel in the Marches I mention several cafes and pubs but my favourites are still The Granary and Shepherds; they remain as good as ever. There's a new cafe at the Richard Booth Bookshop on Lion Street/ Brook Street; good food, a cinema, live events and of course, books. What more could the weary traveller want for after a mile or two marching into town? The Hay deli is also on Lion Street for those looking for a tasty bite to pack into the rucksack.

The Cheese Market has also been restored to good effect, and is surrounded by stalls on Market Day (Thursday) and at other events; there's always someone willing to busk nearby too which adds to the bohemian feel of a place. Hay is certainly now more focused on tourism as well as agriculture for its survival. The link between the two is retained by Gibbons the Butcher on Castle Street and Small Farms on Broad Street; the latter specialises in local organic produce which is spot on.

Finally, I must mention a lovely corner of Hay which has blossomed since I first penned the book. Take time to look at a group of shops clustered around the cobbles of Hay Castle. From the Brecon bus stop go over the road on the crossing and walk up a path towards the castle (by Back Fold); there should be sandwich boards outside heralding the likes of The Thoughtful Gardener and the Hay Loft. The one to look out for is Eighteen Rabbit as this is a fairtrade shop which offers a range of goods sourced from all over the world, but underpinned by ethical principles. Its a good and friendly retailer working towards a better way of shopping. Take a look at Eighteen Rabbit's website...www.eighteenrabbit.co.uk...if only to find out the derivation of the name.

Access is more or less the same except Beacons Bus (the sunday network managed by the Brecon Beacons National Park) has gone. That means the Offa's Dyke Flyer has capitulated too in a wave of senseless budgetary cuts. Come the autumn the Sunday/Bank Holidays bus 39A will be withdraw too BUT there's a move afoot to see if a service can be salvaged. That will be good. If not it means that Hay will become a weekday place for bus users, but its still worth that detour out of Hereford; the ride through the Golden Valley is rickety, the scenery superb.