Lampeter Grapevine Issue 9 May 2013

cysylltwch â ni / contact us: lampetergrapevine@gmail.com

Mai / May 2013

GRAPEVINE digwyddiadau, newyddion a barn Llambed bob mis/ Lampeter’s events, news and views

STOP PRESS: Kids’ Competition Win this fantastic book See page 16

FREE IM D AM D

In this issue...  listings 

events



reviews



papur bro CLONC



kids in action



seasonal snippets



cookie’s corner



creative ideas



poetry corner



people’s market people

also this month: 

cycling



welcome to the woods

benefits of exercise on the mind  come outside - look at the sky 



shale away

GRAPEVINE no. 9, May 2013 Post: c/o Victoria Hall, Bryn Road, Lampeter, Ceredigion SA48 7EE Email: lampetergrapevine@gmail.com Published by: Transition Llambed Development Trust, Victoria Hall, Bryn Road, Lampeter, SA48 7EE Printed by: TSD Reprographics, Lampeter, on paper from sustainable resources To list your event, submit an article, ad or letter or to make an enquiry, email: lampetergrapevine@gmail.com or post to address above Please include the reason you are contacting us in the subject box of your email (Ad, Listing, Article, Letter, Enquiry) Full guidelines for advertisers & contributors: see grapevine page on www.transitionllambed.co.uk Listings (events & courses) FREE Display advertising rates: ¼ column £10; ¼ page £25; ½ page £40; full page £70 (back page £80) Discount on ads for public events held in Victoria Hall: £25 off ad Classified ads: £2 / 20 wds (min. £2) Therapists' section (max 35 wds): £10 for 6 editions in advance Copy date for June issue: Fri 10 May. Theme: ‘Festival Fever’ Circulation: 1,500 copies distributed free in the Lampeter area

Croeso / Welcome … to this issue of the Grapevine where we invite you to ‘Come Outside’.

As spring finally reveals its true colours do you, like me, crave spending more time outdoors? The change in season has been slow to emerge and it feels as if we hare been teased for far too long, with occasional sunny days, blue skies and hints of warmth, only to be disappointed as the cool temperatures return. I’m sure though, that when we do finally venture out properly, there will be a real sense of relief and contentment that will make the wait worthwhile.

It is time to revitalise our senses, energise our bodies, take full advantage of our beautiful surroundings and take pleasure in the simple things: the sweet smell of clean clothes straight off the washing line, the calming sounds of birdsong or just being able to kick off shoes and feel the grass under your feet. This is an exciting time of year when everything is new and fresh, so go on, get out there and enjoy it.

If you are eager to get outdoors, then why not check out what is going on up in Coedwig Gymunedol Long Wood Community Woodland on page 5: there’s sure to be plenty to get involved with. It could be a family excursion, in which case, look at page 8 for ideas of how to make a Journey Stick. Perhaps you could include a trip to Denmark Farm Conservation Centre to try spotting some wildlife from Ian’s Tweet on page 9. The little ones might also enjoy the competition on page 16 with a prize that is sure to inspire further adventures. If you prefer something to take you further afield then get some good cycling advice on page 7, but if you need more convincing, perhaps you could start in the garden with Seasonal Snippets, page 9 or try reading the benefits of exercise on the mind, page 19. You can also get the brain cells working and link to the environment with articles on pages 10 & 18, issues which will hopefully generate a little debate. Don’t forget to try out the local recipe in Cookie’s Corner on page 17 or come and enjoy some Café Delights at the People’s Market, pages 4 & 15. What will you choose? Why not write & tell us.

Darllen hapus / Happy reading Angie Martin

We reserve the right to edit all contributions for reasons of space & clarity.

The views expressed in letters and articles are not necessarily those of Transition Llambed Development Trust or the newsletter group.

Other contact details:  Transition Llambed: www.transitionllambed.co.uk email: transitionllambed@gmail.com  Victoria Hall: www.vichall.org.uk To make bookings for Victoria Hall contact: admin@vichall.org.uk or phone/text 07891 632614  People's Market: To book a stall contact: rhydygwinfarm@talktalk.net or ring 01570 471432 2

3

The People’s Market: What is it all about then?

The People's Market was set up to help encourage and promote small local producers and to give the people of our area an opportunity to support these valuable enterprises. It is an indoor market, with a café run by the excellent COASTAL project, and occasionally has other attractions such as a Seed or Plant Swap. The Market aims to help create local wealth and keep that prosperity circulating within our vibrant but economically frail community. In increasingly uncertain times what we have available on our doorsteps is, and will become, increasingly valued. A growing number would go as far as to say it is essential for our long-term sustainability.

addition, you may have something you produce locally and would like to try to sell, and never had the opportunity. (Public Liability Insurance is required by law from traders, but we can help you through the administration associated with this).

With your help we can make the Market grow, broaden the range of what is available close at hand and, in so doing, inspire people to shop in Lampeter.

It may even lead to some of the empty shops in Lampeter being used by traders that we collectively encourage and develop. It can become something we can all be proud of.

The People's Market is held twice a month on the second and fourth Saturdays, from 10am to 1pm in Victoria Hall, Bryn Road, Lampeter. It has been running for just over a year, and was set up by Transition Llambed Development Trust (TLDT), who manage the Hall. TLDT are part of the Transition Llambed initiative. It is a ‘Not for Profit’ organisation run by a team of volunteers.

A small band of regulars recognise how important it is to support the market. We don’t do so as a means of charitable support for the stallholders or the market; we are choosing to buy produce of good quality, reasonably priced, and from a farm or village near Lampeter.

No, the market cannot compete with a supermarket for their range of goods, but what the Market does have is of equal or superior quality. So why not look at your shopping list, get what you can from the Market or local produce from other markets, local shops and businesses, and only then go to the supermarket. The money spent in a supermarket does very little for the collective wealth of Lampeter.

Purchasing what you can from local producers and shops helps enrich us all.

Gary Thorogood on behalf of TLDT

Cacennau cartref, cyffaith a bwydydd sawrus Ffrwythau, llysiau a phlanhigion tymhorol, cartref Cig a gynhyrchir yn lleol a dewis o waith llaw crefft Te a choffi

Chicken and Egg The People's Market is caught in a chicken-and-egg situation at the moment. It needs more people to use the market and thereby encourage other stallholders to come. At the same time it needs more stallholders to attract people to shop there regularly. The ‘People’ referred to in the name of the market are both producers and shoppers. The market is ‘ours’, the people of Lampeter.

Homemade cakes, preserves and savouries Homegrown seasonal fruit, vegetables and plants Locally-produced meat and a selection of handmade craft Tea and coffee

More than a Market Lampeter is on the verge of having something really special here. The Market has already become a great meeting place. The atmosphere is friendly and welcoming and the organisers try to bring something new and interesting to each market. The Market has already hosted plant swaps, electric bike demonstrations and recycle sales. These are in addition to the regular fruit and veg, cakes, savouries, meat, cheese, mushrooms, bread and some wonderful local crafts. Why not make it part of your shopping routine and see what is available. In 4

COEDWIG GYMUNEDOL LONG WOOD COMMUNITY WOODLAND A Warm Welcome to the Woods On behalf of the Long Wood team, welcome to our new page in the Grapevine. The aim here is to be able to give local people a regular update of all that’s happening in the woods and let you know how you can get involved and have your say.

My name is James Kendall and I am the newly appointed Project Manager for Long Wood. I moved to Lampeter from the dizzy heights of Wrexham and have previously worked for several environmental organisations on projects involving practical volunteering, habitat management and improving access for visitors. My first love though is woodlands, so having the chance to put this all into practice at Long Wood is an exciting opportunity. I’m looking forward to meeting everyone who has a keen interest in the woodland whilst also working toward creating new events and activities for the community to get involved with. These are very exciting times for the site and I’m sure you’ll see a lot of changes over the coming year.

I’d also like to mention our Administration Assistant, Andrew Gajlikowski, a long term resident of the area, but also new to the Long Wood project. Andrew will help with all the work connected to our Big Lottery and Ceredigion County Council funded projects.

What’s On in the Woods

Long Wood Update There have been a host of changes at Long Wood recently, some more visible than others.

The extended cold snap has enabled some final felling for the season. This timber will be used in our building project, beginning this summer. The unique structure, constructed using traditional roundwood timber framing techniques with straw bale walls, will serve as a visitor centre, office and hub for volunteers & visitors. The majority of timber will be sourced from within Long Wood itself, making it a low-impact build.

The visitor centre will be totally off-grid, powered by a solar PV array that will give clean, green energy.

The process of gathering building tenders is now well underway and once a contractor is finally appointed, work will begin in the main car park.

In the meantime, those of you who have visited the car park in the last few weeks will have spotted a big, blue container. This is what I’m affectionately calling The Tardis and it’s serving as our temporary base of operations until the build is completed.

Also, in the car park throughout May you’ll be able to see the progress made on our new compost toilet building with oak shingle roof, built by local craftsman Jamie Miller.

As well as working with local volunteers and groups of students from Coleg Ceredigion, our Warden team are gearing up toward Long Wood’s goal of selling its own firewood products. We hope to be able to offer both hard & softwood logs and kindling to local customers later this year. Linking into the development of our Social Enterprise arm will be our two newest staff members who will be undertaking timber extraction and processing both for firewood products and also milled timber. Watch this space!

As the weather (finally) warms up I’m sure a lot of you will be thinking of spending more time in the great outdoors. For anyone looking to try something new… why not join in the following: Woodland Wednesdays: What: Woodland management tasks, from brash clearance to greenwood craft projects and creating new footpaths. Every session supervised by our Wardens, Ben and Jamie, who will make you feel welcome.

Need: No experience required, just a willingness to learn and get stuck in.

Long Wood will provide tools, training and a hot drink for everyone.

If we get enough interest, via feedback, we could extend this opportunity to include a volunteer session on a regular weekend day.

Walking Group: Our volunteer walk leaders are trained to lead guided walks along the trails of Long Wood and we hope that each event will have a different theme including:  Identifying bird song  Know your trees  Fungus foray Following on from a successful trial run this April, we also plan to offer regular Health Walks, aimed at individuals with a range of health conditions or who have limited mobility.

These shorter half hour events are an introduction to gentle exercise and a friendly first step towards a good social for those who want to enjoy their local wood.

Hope to see you there.

Join our mailing list or find us on Facebook. Contact: 07557 386755 or info@longwood-lampeter.org.uk 5

LETTERS

Kaffe Fassett Comes to Wales

grapevine, victoria hall, bryn road, lampeter SA48 7EE email: lampetergrapevine@gmail.com

Dear Editor & co, We have just picked up the April Edition of the "Grapevine" and searched all the way through for Annie May's "From the Bottom", but to no avail. We have been picking up the Grapevine since

its

first

issue

in

July

2012

and

immediately search for Annie May's article which we both enjoy reading, and have been passing on a copy which others enjoy too, so we

9 March - 2 November

are all very disappointed that we could not find

The Welsh Quilt Centre, Old Town Hall, Lampeter.

it in this issue.

Will it be returning in the next issue ?

Opening hours: 11am–4.30pm Tues-Sat Kaffe Fassett's bold patchworks will hang alongside beautifully stitched antique Welsh quilts from the Jen Jones collection.

We hope so, and look forward to continuing to read it.

Best Wishes,

Contact: 01570 480610, quilts@jen-jones.com, www.welshquilts.com

Charles & Debbie Burton Dear Charles & Debbie, I’m sorry you have been so disappointed. Annie has

decided

serialisation

not for

the

to

continue

time

being,

with

her

finding

it

difficult to find the time needed to edit her writings down to a size we could accommodate easily, whilst still trying to manage the farm over the winter.

We will all just have to wait until Annie releases her book to the publishers!

I hope you will find other articles within the Grapevine interesting to read instead.

Perhaps you could submit an article yourselves?

Kind Regards, The Editor

Do you have burning issues, ideas or comments about local events, services or activities?

Please tell us what matters to you.

Remember this is your newsletter - so please send in your contributions Diolch / Thanks The Newsletter Team 6

Cycling With the weather warming up, the cycling season is upon us. Those of you who know it all - read no further!

Why cycle? Well, cycling is good exercise for those who can't get to the gym or don't want to go there. It's also a way of getting to work and back or doing the shopping, saving on fuel. It's also an excellent way of enjoying some leisure time with family or friends.

For those of you who are getting back into cycling or not sure whether it's for you, think about buying a cheap second-hand bike. These can be had from places like the second-hand shop on the Tregaron Road junction in Lampeter (opposite the Shell petrol station). Millypeds have a few (see ad below) and Cyclemart in Cilcennin have some. For my bit for sustainability, I use old rebuilt bicycles.

What type of cycling are you going to be doing? For road use, a hybrid on 700c rims is a good choice with plenty of gears for off-road cycling. A mountain bike with road tyres can be a good compromise for bumpy roads but the gearing won't be as fast as a hybrid. If you have balance problems, consider a tricycle.

There are derailleur gears and hub gears. If you haven't used derailleur gears before, consider trying them first. They are not hard to use but need practice changing up and down. This must be done on the move, or you could end up not being able to pull away from a junction quickly enough or break your chain, and yourself! Also, do you need loads of gears when on average only seven or eight are used? Hub gears are great as they are protected from the elements and you can pull up at a junction in any gear and just twist it to first gear to pull away. Also, there are now automatic gears, as fitted to some electric bikes.

Also consider taking a National Standards cycling course to update your skills or learn from scratch (contact 07583 248387 for advice).

Always ask experienced people for advice. You would not order clothes many sizes too big for you and then think, "it's OK, I will grow into them." So don't do it with a bike - ask the experts.

Don't buy bikes from department stores and expect a good useable bike. If you buy a bike on the internet and cannot build your bike remember bike shops charge up to £50 to assemble. Buying locally helps keep the shops in business. So when you need a tube on a Monday morning, they will have one - you won't have to wait for it to arrive in the post.

Electric bikes can be a good thing as they are not the monsters of old and nowadays can be pedalled when the battery is flat. The range on them is approximately 25-35 miles. Good ones can be had for as little as £675 upwards. Any cheaper and they are likely to be the old style heavyweight ones, or not so robust.

For the less fit, electric bikes mean you can keep up with the others on a ride and they help tremendously on the hills.

Contact: millypeds@gmail.com / 07583 248387 G Marsh

A few cycling tips:  Always look over your right shoulder to see if anything is coming before pulling away or changing direction.  Don't cycle in the gutter or you will pick up punctures, hit the hedgerow and skid on the mud.

Try and keep about 60 cm from the edge of the road (two ruler-lengths).  Be part of the traffic flow - when you hold your road position other vehicles tend not to try and squeeze past you to overtake, giving you more room.

On single-track narrow roads pull in when you can.

I always give a wave to say 'thank you'; it helps to be polite to other road users who have been patient.  Always carry a spare tube or puncture outfit kit and pump with you.

7

n o i t c A n i s d Ki

May the fourth be with you!

In many countries people have developed the idea of creating a Journey stick to help tell the story of a journey to others.

It involves tying different objects to a stick to represent the different feelings or experiences you have along the way.

They should remind you of what you see, hear, touch, smell & taste.

The items you use may be different colours, might make different sounds, could have different textures, aromas, or flavours.

It’s up to you - be imaginative and keep a look out for interesting things You will need: 

A good stick!

(This could be one that you can also use as a walking stick or a small stick that’s easy to carry, or perhaps just an interesting shape) 

Pieces of string or different-coloured wool to tie things to your stick 

Somewhere good to go on your journey -

(Why not persuade your family to take a trip through Long Wood - it’s fantastic and close by!)

Look around as you walk - you’ll be amazed at the variety of things you find feathers, leaves, seeds, petals, sticks, stones, mud … smooth, prickly, gooey, bendy, delicate, light, transparent … the list is endless!

Enjoy your journey … Enjoy making your journey stick … but even more, enjoy telling the story to someone else when you get back home!

Perhaps you can tell the Grapevine about it too? lampetergrapevine@gmail.com For more ideas like this visit

8

Seasonal snippets - more garden & wildlife goodies

by Mara, Ian and Tomos Morris who live in Llangybi Ian’s Tweet

may

The Pied Flycatcher is a classic bird of upland woodlands and is often associated with Wales in the same way that Red Kites are. It is a summer migrant that overwinters in the tropical forests of West Africa. Once seen, the bold black-and-white plumage of the males and their engaging behaviour makes them very distinctive. Their distribution locally is rather patchy however, and their song, though sweet, is not loud, so they can be difficult to locate. They particularly like breeding in nest boxes.

These are provided in abundance at Denmark Farm Conservation Centre, near Betws Bledrws. Up to 20 pairs can be present. A visit in May should enable you to become familiar with them as they flit in and out of the boxes or forage in the treetops and sunny glades.

Mara’s potty bit!

It’s been a shocking spring so far, but things can only get better. My not-so-green fingers are well and truly crossed for a blooming good May. In fact May (whatever the weather) is really the very best month to get out in the garden. Because the soil has been so cold, I have not sowed anything direct or planted much into the soil yet. I’m still nurturing seedlings in pots on windowsills and in the polytunnel. To help warm the soil up a bit before planting, it is helpful to cover it with cloches or plastic for a few weeks first.

My potatoes (all ‘Sarpo’ blight-resistant varieties) are being planted into tyre towers this year. I’ve tried this for several years and like the way you can get such a high yield in very little space. May is the month to keep on top of the weeds, but the best way is to keep the soil covered with lots of plants or some form of mulch. I now have a good seedbank of self-seeding annuals in the soil, which I either harvest or clear whenever I need space. This month I will be sowing a huge variety of crops (day job permitting!) - carrots, beets, spinach, courgettes, pumpkins, beans and peas and heaps of salads.

This is usually the point that I turn my mind to flowers. Although I couldn’t live without them, they are a bit of a luxury – and they must be multifunctional to earn a place. Edible, wildlife-friendly and attractive blooms only are sown, and are even better if they sow themselves from year to year.

Enjoy your garden this month.

Pied Flycatcher by Tomos (now aged 7 11/12!)

Saturday April 27 Fest Noz - Gweithdy dawns, bwyd a Cyngerdd!

Breton Dance Workshop, food and Concert Neuadd Fictoria/Victoria Hall, Heol y Bryn/Bryn Road, Llanbedr Pont Steffan/Lampeter A rare chance to listen to two fine exponents of the Breton tradition: Yann-Fañch Perroches played melodeon with the band Skolvan.

Brigitte Kloareg is a great multi-lingual singer.

Breton Dance Workshop 5-6pm (£3), Concert 8pm (£5) Bwyd bydd ar werth rhwng 7-8yn, dewch a'ch potel!/ food on sale 7-8pm, bring your own bottle!

9

Come outside – look at the sky As a teenager in North West England I used to sunbathe in the back garden and look up at the deep blue sky and fluffy white clouds. Occasionally a distant jet would leave a short condensation trail (contrail) which disappeared within seconds, making no impression on the blue background. The sun was bright, and clear visibility stretched way into the distance.

Over the last few years in West Wales I have again looked up into the sky expecting to see a similar picture. Instead I have been confronted by long, thick, white aircraft trails which often criss-cross, persist, spread out, coalesce and eventually produce a thin layer of cloud and a bluish mist which hangs around all day and obscures the distant hills. The sun becomes dimmed and the temperature drops.

Sunsets at the coast are often blurred and contain unnatural-looking streaks of coral pink.

Puzzled by these phenomena, I researched the findings on the internet, in books, videos and newspapers, since much of the mainstream media were silent on the topic. Many sources agree that these aircraft trails (often referred to as chemtrails or aerosols) are not pure water vapour, which would dissipate as in the past, but, in fact, contain minute particles which act as a focus, or nucleus, for water molecules to gather around, much as when natural clouds form. Pure water vapour will not form a cloud on its own.

The nature of the particulates is a matter for debate, but investigators variously detail aluminium and other metallic salts, possibly from jet fuel additives.

Cloud-seeding for weather modification is well-established, and firms in the USA advertise their rain-making services. China openly published its success at creating artificial snow in Beijing. Military uses may include creating a charged atmosphere (plasma of metallic ions) to facilitate communication and other activities. International treaties prohibit the use of weather modification as a weapon, but experts have stated that it goes on anyway (e.g.

‘Operation Popeye’ in the Vietnam War), and Geoengineering, as it is called, may well have damaged the ozone layer. ‘Global warming’ may indeed be man-made, but more related to meddling with the atmosphere through risky scientific experiment than via CO2 emissions. ‘Global dimming’ of sunshine by 20% is acknowledged, with resulting reductions in the nutritional levels of crops, including grass, and

vitamin D deficiency in humans.

What is disturbing is the silence in the mainstream media about the issue, and the concomitant effects on the environment and human health. Particulates in the air contribute to asthma, and aluminium may contribute to diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Soils are damaged by heavy metal contamination and altered pH (acidity) levels.

The public has been sprayed before without its consent, as a model for germ warfare, as detailed in the Guardian newspaper. We now have a duty to educate ourselves as best we can, to protect our planet and future generations.

Further details can be found on the www.facebook.com page: ‘West Wales Artificial Cloud Awareness Network’. All comments welcome.

The attached photographs were taken outside my house in Ceredigion.

Dr Janet Menage West Wales Artificial Cloud Awareness Network, wwalescan@gmail.com Editors' Note: Thanks for a thought-provoking article. We hope that it stimulates a lively debate!

There is an implied difference between chemicaltrails and condensation-trails. ‘Chemtrails’ are used specifically to attempt to modify the weather, whereas ‘contrails’ are the inevitable result of the combustion of aviation fuel - carbon dioxide, water vapour and exhaust particles.

Although persistent spreading contrails are thought to have a significant effect on global climate, it is not intentional!

Is it simply the huge increase in numbers of airline passengers that have caused the loss of our clear blue skies? There were 4.3 million UK passengers in 1996, 236 million currently and the forecast is for 436 million by 2030. (By comparison, there were 777 million airline passengers between 2009 and 2010 in the European Union.) Or are there really experiments going on to manipulate the weather over Ceredigion?

Here are a few links if you want to start exploring the issues: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrail http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20304-contrailswarm-the-world-more-than-aviation-emissions.html http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20667-secondworld-war-bombers-changed-the-weather.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/chemtrail_conspiracy_theory

10

Victoria Hall: regular activities and classes Bryn Road, Lampeter SA48 7EE To book the Victoria Hall phone: 07891 632614 Email: admin@vichall.org.uk www.vichall.org.uk Contact

Day

Weekly (W) Fortnightly (F) Monthly (M)

Time

Activity / Class

Tuesday

W

7.308.30pm

Zumba keep fit session

Wednesday

F 1 & Fri 31

1.304.30pm

Young at Heart

W

7-8pm

Zumba keep fit session

Louise Evans

07584 199372

W

1-3pm

Welsh classes

Meryl Evans

01545 572715

M 3rd Thur each month

7-9pm

Transition Llambed ‘Big Gathering’

Friday

W

4.306.30pm

LYTSS: Lampeter Youth Theatre & Stage School

Saturday

2nd & 4th Sat each month

10am1pm

People’s Market

M 11 May

2-4pm

Sing Out, Harmony Song Workshop

Clara Clay

07929 018928

W

10am7pm

Lampeter Evangelical Church

Gareth Jones at the Mustard Seed café

01570 423344

W

7-9pm

Brazilian Jujitsu

Mike A. Banica

07783 582081

Thursday

Sunday

courses_______________ Denmark Farm Conservation Centre, Betws Bledrws Sat 27 April, Sat 4 & Sun 12 May: Natural Gardening Sat 4 May: Homegrown Lotions & Creams Sat 11-Sun 12 May: Wool Dyeing with Natural Dyes Sat 18-Mon 20 May: Wildlife Digital Photography Sat 25-Mon 27 May: Diversity of Invertebrates Sun 9 June: Bumblebees

Name

Number

Julie Lancaster

01570 470542

Tea, sandwiches & social for the wiser folk of Lampeter

A chance for all those interested in/involved with Transition Llambed to plan and co-ordinate activities Everyone welcome!

Annie May

01570 423080

Local food, produce and crafts. Plus café, occasional live music and other attractions

Sun 16 June: Denmark Farm Annual kids __________________ Open Day Further details: 01570 493358, Ray Ceredigion offers free, openaccess outdoor play sessions. Startwww.denmarkfarm.org.uk ing at Maes Y Felin play area, Lamcreative_______________ peter, every Mon (term time), 4-6pm.

Cellan Hall Creative Café. £5 per Also at Rhydlanfair play area, year will entitle you to attend weekly Llangybi, Mon, 3.30-5.30pm. Contact: craft sessions on Wednesdays, Helen Lewis, 01545 570686 12noon-4pm. Free use of sewing ma- theatre_______________ chines, free insurance for selling handmade items, a variety of creative work- Lampeter Youth Theatre and Stage shops and good company. Contact School (LYTss) Every Fri, 4.306.30pm, Victoria Hall.

Ceredwin, 01570 421476 Contact: Annie May, 01570 423080, annie@themay.co.uk 11

what’s going on listings are free. send details of your event to lampetergrapevine@gmail.com

events ________________ Open Garden & Plant Fair at Cae Hir Gardens, Cribyn. Mon 6 May 10am-4pm. Free entry to annual Plant Fair with Ceredigion Growers Association. Explore the gardens, talk to the experts - Ceredigion's best nurseries all under one 'roof'! Stalls, homemade cakes. Parking £2 in Cribyn School opposite. www.caehirgardens.com ‘Woodland Wednesdays’ Coedwig Gymunedol Long Wood Community Woodland’s regular volunteering sessions. Why not join in, develop your skills and feel the benefit of working in a beautiful environment. No experience required: training given, tasks supervised by our Woodland Wardens. Contact: 07557 386755, info@longwood-lampeter.org.uk The Welsh Quilt Centre's 2013 exhibition, Kaffe Fassett Comes to Wales. The exhibition is open from March 9 to November 2 at the Welsh Quilt Centre, Lampeter. Admission: £5, £4 concs, £2.50 students.

Hanes Llambed / Lampeter History Society Regular talks at the Old Hall, University of Wales Trinity St David.

All welcome. For details contact: Penny David, 01570 422041 Lampeter Permaculture Group.

Following the Seed Swap in February there will be a Plant Swap at the People's Market on Sat 11 May, 10am-1pm at Victoria Hall. Bring your excess vegetable seedlings and plants to exchange, or make a small donation and take some away. Let's share what we have! More info: www.lampeterpermaculture.org

health & well-being courses & classes______ The Alister Hardy Society for the Study of Spiritual Experience (West Wales Group) presents a Study Day on Subtle Energy, Healers, and Healing on Sat 4 May (10am-5pm) in the Founder's Library, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Lampeter.

Three expert speakers. £25 at door; concession and/or discount if you book by email. Students free. erf678@googlemail.com.

Herbal First Aid Weekend. Sat 11Sun 12 May, 10am-4pm with Medical Herbalists Annwen Jones and Becs

Griffiths, MNIMH. Learn how to use herbs in common first aid and acute illnesses. Explore what makes a herbal first aid kit, and prepare some herbal medicines, to start your own kit. Includes short walk to harvest herbs. Waunifor, Maesycrugiau, nr Pencader SA39 9LX. £85/£75 concession plus £20 for materials.

Book a place: 07412 399154, mail@rhizomeclinic.org.uk, www.rhizomeclinic.org.uk Gentle Yoga classes suitable for all: Tues 10-11.30am Cellan Hall Weds 5.30-7pm Tregaron Chapel Vestry Thur 10-11.30am Pontrhydfendigaid Vestry Contact: Cathy Crick Stanton, 01570 421144 / 07748 031614, cathycrick@hotmail.co.uk Meditation, Qi Gong and Breathing exercises class to deal with stress of modern living. Self-help practices for health, awareness and insight. Thurs 7-8.30pm (except 3rd Thurs of month), Argoed Hall, Tregaron. £5.

Before attending please contact: Iain Cameron Watson, 07852 626001, cameronbodywork@gmail.com

move your body________ Coedwig Gymunedol Long Wood Community Woodland. Do you need to get out more? Join our FREE 1/2 hour Health Walks, last Sun of each month, from 2pm. Especially for people who find walking difficult. Start from Penlan Goetre, SA48 8NE. Wear strong shoes. Contact: Andrew, 07557 386755 Mountain bikers! Sarn Helen is holding a free club ride on Sun 12 May in and around Long Wood, Lampeter (starting from Rookery car park at 10.30). All welcome. To take part, contact 01570 434751, sarnhelencycling@gmail.com Belly Dance & Belly Fit classes Belly Dance: Mon. 1.30-2.45pm (all ages). Belly Fit: 3-4.00pm (over 50s) Shiloh Church Hall, Lampeter (next to the police station on the High Street). All fitness levels welcome.

Contact: Rose Barter, 01239 851737 rosebarter@btinternet.com Belly Dance & Yoga classes. Belly Dance: Tues 7.30-8.30pm. £3.00.

Beginner Yoga: Thur 7-8.30pm, £5.00. Crugybar Village Hall.

Contact: 01558 685321, elenamgilliatt@hotmail.com 12

Talsarn Folk Dances Now held on the 1st Saturday of each month. No partner needed, just come & join in.

8pm start, refreshments provided.

Admission £2.50 Contact: 01974 272098 Cerddwyr Ramblers, Lampeter, organise a variety of weekly walks throughout the year. Anyone interested in walking with the group is warmly welcomed to join. A walking programme is available from the Town Library or James, 01570 480743.

Flamenco Dance classes weekly in Lampeter and Aberystwyth with Dixey Ruscelli.

Tues 6-7.15pm, Sally Saunders Dance Studio, Lampeter Industrial Estate, Tregaron Rd, Lampeter (next to Organic Fresh Food Co) Wed 6-7.30pm, Aberystwyth Arts Centre, with live flamenco guitarist.

Men and women welcome. Please bring strong chunky-heeled shoes.

Contact: 01570 493138, dixeyart@gmail.com Tribal Dance with Lyza. Alternate W ednesdays 6.30-8pm, Shiloh Church Hall, High Street, Lampeter.

Contact: lyza_darkestwish@live.com

markets______________ People’s Market, Victoria Hall, Lampeter, 10am-1pm Sat 11 May featuring a Plant Swap & Sat 25 - a Special table-top sale of clothes and goods (not electrical). Sell your unwanted clothes and household items. To book a table in advance ring Ceredwin, 01570 421476, or take your chance of a space on the day.

Lampeter Farmers' Market Market Street, Lampeter, 9am-2pm alternate Fridays Next market: Friday 3 May Ffarmers Market Neuadd Bro Fana/Village Hall, Ffarmers, 10am-12.30pm 1st Sat in the month Next market: Saturday 4 May Llansawel Market Llansawel Village Hall, 10am 12.30pm 3rd Sat of the month Next market: Saturday 18 May Lunar Market. Saturday 4 May, Llanfair Clydogau Village Hall, 10am-3pm. Local produce and crafts and refreshments. Contact: 07920 063773.

music_________________ A Night of Breton Music. Fri 26 April at Y Talardd/Talardd Arms, Llanllwni.

Brigitte Kloareg and Yann-Fañch Perroches. Admission free but a hat will be passed round. Noson o gerddoriaeth Llydewig yn nhafarn Y Talardd, Llanllwni. Mynediad am ddim ond bydd het ar diwedd y noswaith.

Castanet Club: Sat 27 April at Victoria Hall: Breton Dance Workshop 5-6pm (£3), food on sale 7-8pm, bring your own bottle, and Concert 8pm (£5). (see ad on page 9) Cwmann and District Male Choir in Concert. Llanfair Clydogau looks forward to the visit of the Cwmann and District Male Choir to St Mary's church on Sun 19 May at 6.30pm. Tickets £5 (£1 for children) available from Llanfair shop or from Lesley Stevens, 01570 493288.

Following the concert, in the village hall, light refreshments with a chance to socialise. A warm welcome to all.

Cyngerdd Cor Cwmann a'r Cylch Mae pentref Llanfair Clydogau yn edrych ymlaen yn arw at ymweliad Cor Cwmann a'r Cylch i Eglwys Santes Fair ar nos Sul, Mai 19 eg am 6.30yh.

Bydd y cor yn cyflawni nifer o ganeuon pob log aid d ac am bell em yn traddodiadol. Yn cefnogi y cor ar y noson f ydd yr artistiaid Kess Huysmans ac eraill. Os hoffech docynnau maent ar werth am £5 (£1 i blant) o'r siop yn Llanfair, neu oddi wrth Lesley Stevens ar 01570 493288.

Ar ol y cyngerdd fe fydd lluniaeth ysgafn yn y neuadd a chyfle i gymdeithasu. Croeso cynnes i bawb.

photography ___________ Wildlife Digital Photography 3-day Course at Denmark Farm - part of Aber ys twyth Univers ity's SELL Ecology programme. Sat 18, Sun 19 & Mon 20 May 2013, 10am-5pm. £90 / £80 concessions. For a range of photographic courses & private tuition contact: Simon Tune, 01570 481466, info@adarnatureoptics.com Lampeter Photography meet on 1st & 3rd Friday of every month, 7.30pm at the Kings Head, Lampeter. Monthly competitions, exhibitions & workshops.

All welcome. FREE. Contac t: Stef, 07958 772035, lampeterphotography@yahoo.co.uk

religious services & groups ________________ Lampeter Parish St Peter’s Church, Lampeter. Main Sun Service: 11am (bilingual), Other services: 8am Holy Communion

(English), 9.30am Cymun Bendigaid (trydydd Sul yn y mis yn unig, Cymraeg). Church Hall available for hire, £8.50 per hour. Kitchen facilities.

Enquiries/bookings contact: Beryl, 01570 422324, www.lampeterparish.org St Cybi’s Church, Llangybi. Main Sun Service: 9am (bilingual).

St Bledrws’ Church, Betws Bledrws.

Main Sun Service: 10.45am (English or bilingual).

St Sulien’s Church, Silian. Main Sun Service: 2pm (bilingual /Cymraeg).

St Mary’s Church, Maestir. Main Sun Service: 2.30pm (2nd Sun in month only, English).

Times apply to the first four Sundays in each month. For the few fifth Sundays there will be a single United Parish Service at 10am: location will be published in the local newspapers.

Seventh Day Adventists meet fortnightly on Sat at Cellan Millennium Hall, 10.15am-3.15pm.

For more details: www.cellanmillenniumhall.co.uk Lampeter Evangelical Church meets every Sunday at Victoria Hall, 10am– 7pm. Contact: Gareth Jones at The Mustard Seed café, 01570 423344 Our Lady of Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church, Lampeter Sunday Mass is 10am. For other services see church notice board.

Lampeter Quakers. Every Sunday at Canolfan Steffan, Peterwell Terrace at 10.45am. All welcome. www.quakersinwales.org.uk (English) Crynwyr Llambed. Cwrdd bob ddydd Sul, Canolfan Steffan, Rhodfa Peterwell, 10.45 yb. Croeso i bawb. www.crynwyrcymru.org.uk (Cymraeg) Contact / Cysylltwch: Deborah Rowlands, 01570 480083, deborahjrowlands@gmail.com St Thomas' Methodist Church Sun service 10.30am, creche & youth activity. Tuesday Coffee morning 9.3012noon. All welcome. See chapel notice board.

Interested in Buddhism?

A Study Group for Women. Exploring the underlying principle of Buddhist Practice and how we can apply this in our daily lives. Meets one day a month near Aberystwyth. Meditation, shared lunch. Contact: Lesley 01970 617129 or Noel 07988 745364

Everyone welcome from complete beginners to talented bards. Come to listen, come to tell. Friendly, informal group 7-9pm every 3rd Monday in the month, Denmark Farm, Betws Bledrws. Next meeting Mon 20 May. Please bring a small donation to cover room hire and refreshments. Contact/ cysyllt â: Rachel 01570 493222, rachauck@yahoo.co.uk Llangeitho Book Group meets every 2nd Weds of the month, 2pm in Llangeitho Village Café. We choose a book to read and chat over a paned/cuppa. Contact: 01974 821213 (or just turn up!) gillymail22-book@yahoo.co.uk, register your interest. If you know of anyone who would like to join the club please let us know.

social ________________

CYD Llambed. Ymarfer eich Cymraeg/Practise your Welsh. Dydd Mawrth 11 yb-12yh/Tuesdays 11am12 noon, Gwesty y Llew Du, Llanbedr P.S./Black Lion Hotel, Lampeter.

Croeso i bawb/All welcome. Croeso i unrhyw Cymro/Cymraes sy'n fodlon i ymuno â ni.

Cysyllt â/Contact: Mary Neal, 01570 470092 Golden Broth Lunch Club: a new free lunch and social club for the senior citizens of Cellan and Llanfair Clydogau, offering a FREE light lunch of soup, roll and cake, plus tea/coffee.

Gather for a social and play cards or dominoes, or just relax and natter to friends. All ideas are welcome. Come along and join in the fun.

Fortnightly on alternate weeks at Cellan Millennium Hall and Llanfair Hall on Mondays, 11.30am-2pm.

Starts Mon 6 May at Cellan and Mon 20 May at Llanfair.

Ring Amanda (Cellan) 01570 421338, or Linda (Llanfair) 01570 493706, to ??

Lampeter Friends is a new SelfAdvocacy group for people with learning disabilities, set up by Eich Dewis Chi (soon to become Ceredigion Advocacy). Every Wed, 2-4pm, CAMFA building, Lampeter. A welcoming and supportive space for people with learning disabilities to meet and talk about issues important to them. Free, all welcome. Meet new friends, find support, take part in activities, build confidence, learn new skills & hobbies & have fun! storytelling & books_____ Contact: Rebecca, 07976 023486 Whist Drives, Weds 8 and Weds 22 Storytelling Group/Noson Storiau Croeso i bawb, Cymry, Saeson a May. At Hafan Deg, Lampeter, every Thylwyth Teg, dynion a merched, fortnight. All welcome. All Funds to Hafan Deg League of Friends. oedolion a phlant.

Contact: Gwen Davies, 01570 481152.

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CELLAN MILLENNIUM HALL CLASSES AND GROUPS Classes subject to change: please check www.cellanmillenniumhall.co.uk for updates & contact details.

See our website film page for movies & What’s On page for one-off events MONDAY Line Dancing 7-10pm 6 May - Lunch Club 11.30-2pm TUESDAY Healing Yoga 10-11.30am Lampeter Home Education Group 12-5pm Qi Gong 6-7pm Tai Chi 7-8pm Beekeepers 2nd Tues of month, 8pm WEDNESDAY Table Tennis 10-11.30am Quilting Club & Creative Café 12 noon-4pm Yoga 5.30-7pm THURSDAY Five Rhythms Dance 1st Thurs of month 7pm Village Improvement Society Cttee1st Thurs of month 7pm W.I. 2nd Thurs of month 7.30pm FRIDAY Art Group 10am–1pm Film Night fortnightly 7.15pm (see ad below)

lampetergrapevine@gmail.com

SATURDAY 13 April - Seventh Day Adventists, fortnightly 10.15am-3.15pm

women’s workshop_____

Teifi Writers. Creative writing workshop with Damian Walford Davies. Sat 13 April, 2-4pm, Tysul Hall, Llandysul.

Contact: Kelly, 01267 235336.

Developing a Voice in Writing at Waunifor, Maesycrugiau, with Annette Ecuyere. Tuesdays 10am–12.30pm (8 sessions, started 23 April). A journey of exploration: discover ways of using your senses and emotions to develop your writing voice. For all skill/experience levels.

Contact: Annette 01559 370969, info@wordzworkwales.biz, www.wordzworkwales.biz

May 10 “Life of Pi” (PG)

lampetergrapevine@gmail.com

writing ________________

May 3 “The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey” (12)

Send your listings to

Wed 10.30am-3pm, St James’ Hall, Cwmann. 11am Qi Gong-gentle exercise.

12noon lunch. 1pm workshop. Disabled access & toilet. Free car park. £2.50 a session (includes vegetarian lunch and all activities). Pay on the day, no membership or advance fee - drop in when you please. New members always welcome.

1 May - Painting 8 May - Macramé 15 May - Creative Writing 22 May - Creative Crafts 28 May - Half Term - no meeting Contact: 01570 423167/01545 590391

Thurs May 30 “Quartet” (12) Maggie Smith 14 June “Les Miserables” (12) Russell Crowe 28 June “Lincoln” (12A) Daniel Day-Lewis 12 July “Hitchcock” (12) Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren 26 July “ Zero Dark Thirty” (15) Chris Pratt 9 Aug “Song for Marion” (PG) Vanessa Redgrave, Terence Stamp DOORS OPEN 7.15pm PROGRAMME BEGINS 7.45pm Admission by Donation £2.00 BIG SCREEN & DIGITAL THEATRE SOUND WWW.CELLANMILLENNIUMHALL.CO.UK

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people’s market people

computer courses, hedge laying and tree planting.

As with all European-funded projects, the money will come to an end, and we are working on ensuring a legacy of sustainable supported employment opportunities from the project. That is why we are very excited about our involvement with Transition Llambed Development Trust (TLDT) at Victoria Hall.

In agreement with the Trust, we will be developing the café and kitchen into a training kitchen for our participants, whilst meeting the catering needs of Victoria Hall through its hiring out of the venue. The aim of the project is to develop the kitchen, in partnership with TLDT and Ceredigion Care Society, into a Catering Training Facility. It will provide training and learning and potentially employment opportunities for disabled and disadvantaged people and deliver a high-quality catering service to its customer base. The aim is to create a self-sustaining facility to deliver catering training and work-related experience that will empower adults with a range of disabilities/needs to reach their full potential, thus improving their quality of life.

The cafe has proved to be a very successful and popular feature of market day. We are selling various homemade cakes, sandwiches and toasties, plus tea, coffee and soft drinks. We continue to develop the menu and we have made cawl on a couple of occasions.

We look forward to each market day when we can offer this experience to our participants. We are committed to the procurement policy of Victoria Hall, which means we will source all our ingredients as locally as we can.

Darren Phillips

Café Delights The café at the People's Market held in Victoria Hall on the second and fourth Saturday of the month is now run by the Ceredigion COASTAL Project, in conjunction with Cwmni Llond Bol who are based at Canolfan Steffan in Lampeter.

Cwmni Llond Bol is a project set up to provide catering skills to people with learning disabilities, based at Bronaeron Social Activity Centre in Felinfach run by Social Services. The service moved and relocated to Lampeter in 2007 to Canolfan Steffan. They have been in operation for a number of years and have always sought opportunities to grow and develop. As Cwmni Llond Bol is part of the Ceredigion COASTAL Project, it now has the scope to work with individuals who have different needs and, to a certain extent, involve people with a higher skill base. The COASTAL Project would be in a position to oversee the work of Cwmni Llond Bol and assist in its growth and development.

The COASTAL Project is a joint project involving six local authorities: the City and County of Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, Bridgend and Ceredigion. It is jointly funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the local authorities. The project is aimed at the promotion of vocational guidance, employment, skills training and lifelong learning opportunities for individuals who are currently economically inactive as a result of illness, disability, substance misuse problems and/or the serious social disadvantage associated with the transition from long-term care into adulthood. The Project will provide access to: * Appropriate education/skills training * Supported employment or work experience * Support with job applications, CV writing, interview skills etc The project has found employment for its participants in care work, cleaning, catering and office work based in the Welsh Government Offices in Aberystwyth. We have also found a number of voluntary placements for our participants throughout Ceredigion. In addition to this, we have over fifty of our participants who have gained an accredited qualification in subjects as varied as basic food hygiene, health and safety, dry stone walling, various

Rheolwr Llwybrau Cyflogaeth/Employment Manager, Swyddfa Ceredigion COAST Office, Min y Mor, Gerddi Wellington Gardens, Aberaeron SA46 0BQ 01545 574237, 07968 399513, Darren.Phillips@ceredigion.gov.uk 15

Pathway

Identify where these photos are in Lampeter … for your chance to win a copy of this fantastic book …

“50 Things to do before you’re 11 3/4 ”

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Send your answers by 6pm on Fri 10 May to: Grapevine May Competition c/o Victoria Hall, Bryn Road, Lampeter. SA48 7EE or lampetergrapevine@gmail.com please put ‘May Competition’ into the subject box when entering by email

Presentation will take place at the People’s Market on Sat 11 May

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Cookie’s Corner

This month's theme is ‘Coming Out’. Well, I suppose it had to happen, I have tried to keep it low -profile, I knew people would notice eventually so I had better get it over with… “I am a vegetarian” – there, I have said it - I’ve ‘Come Out’.

I am not pale or wasting away (far from it!) I am not anti-meat nor am I against anyone else eating meat – I just happen to have made a decision 20-odd years ago and never seen a reason to go back on it.

So, to ensure culinary balance and to stem the flood of letters to the editor complaining about the lack of meat recipes, I have invited an excellent local cook to offer a recipe using locally-available ingredients and seasonal Welsh lamb. We not only get a lovely recipe, but Lynn Humphreys has debunked the urban myth that supermarkets are cheaper than local shops. Over to you Lynn: Here is a quick, tasty, one-pot, weekday meal using delicious Welsh lamb. A lightly spiced dish that is also healthy: for those, like myself, who are watching the calories now that the worst of the cold weather is behind us and looking forward to summer with hopes of fitting into that favourite summer dress/shorts!

LAMB WITH MEDITERRANEAN VEGETABLES Approx. 195 calories per portion served on its own.

Although lemon couscous, warmed flat breads or pitta are a great accompaniment, with a fresh green salad and a large dollop of Harissa sauce!

All the main ingredients for this dish were bought in Lampeter from local shops (with a couple from my garden).

Price of bought ingredients (lamb, courgettes, peppers, tomatoes, shallots): £6.07 Comparison price of ingredients, ASDA online: £7.01 (Prices checked 17 April - no direct equivalent for lamb fillet available, so substituted diced lamb)

Ingredients (for 4 portions) 1 tablespoon olive oil (cupboard staple, originally purchased at Organic Fresh Foods) 250g lean lamb fillet, trimmed of fat and thinly sliced (T. Jones Butchers) 140g shallots, halved (Organic Fresh Foods)

2 large courgettes, cut into chunks (Teifi Fruit & Veg) 1 teaspoon each of ground cumin, paprika and ground coriander (Mulberry Bush). Use more if a stronger flavour preferred.

1 red, 1 orange and 1 green pepper, cut into chunks (Teifi Fruit & Veg) 1 garlic clove, sliced (from our garden) 150ml vegetable stock (Mulberry Bush) 250g cherry tomatoes (Teifi Fruit & Veg) A handful coriander leaves, roughly chopped 1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan.

Cook the lamb and shallots over a high heat for 2-3 minutes until golden. Add the courgettes and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes until they begin to soften.

2. Add the spices and toss well, then add the peppers and garlic. Reduce heat and cook over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes until they start to soften.

3. Pour in the stock and stir to coat. Add the tomatoes, season and then cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the veg are tender. Stir through the coriander to serve.

I conducted a focus group amongst Lynn's recipe testers and got the following informed response: “More please”. Enough said.

Lynn’s research made me think – especially her comment about it being a quick meal. TV cookery programmes can be great fun, but I worry they are all about fancy stuff that most of us would never eat, let alone cook. Cooking should be fun but it should also be do-able. These programmes make cookery appear something that others do, not something we can all do – no wonder people turn to 'ready meals'.

Lynn has produced a meal for £1.50 per serving, made up of locally-sourced ingredients, is healthy and is within the cooking ability of anyone with a saucepan.

In contrast, the Asda Spicy Lamb Kofta 'ready meal" is £2 for one portion, you need a degree in chemical engineering to understand the cooking instructions, and it takes 40 minutes in the oven. On the upside however, it is packed with 'authentic flavour' - not surprising as it contains no less than 70 ingredients!

However, seeing as it consists of only 12% meat it’s almost suitable for me.

Tim Martin with Lynn Humphreys Next month I will be ranting on the subject of ‘Festival Food’.

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Shale away…

So, now the fossil fuel hunters are finding ways to get gas gold out of the near surface layer of our planet home -– the shale layer. They tell us it is good for the economy and virtually green because of how natural it is. Putting aside any naturalist questions about what function this substance may be performing in the ground, what are the consequences of getting shale gas out of the ground and into our petrol pumps, via the process known as ‘fracking’?

For me, the main problem is not the technique of penetrating the shale layer with vast quantities of microbe-killing chemicals, nor that this is done under such pressure that it fractures (‘fracks’) the ground into holes into which the gas can move. Nor is it the poisoned water (displaced by the gas), which is supposedly assiduously collected and ‘disposed of’ before it gets into the water table. Nor even the weasel words "the environmental impacts of shale development are challenging but manageable."1 Meaning that any earthquakes are merely as innocent and friendly as a bus going past our house, and any gassy water catching fire as it pours from household taps is the result merely of unscrupulous contractors and can be rectified by legislation.

My problem is not either that natural gas is largely composed of methane, which is a greenhouse gas with 25 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide. Nor that a significant amount of methane escapes into the atmosphere during the fracking

process, and also later, due to leaks from pipelines and from storage facilities. The journal Nature2 reported in January that studies in Colorado and Utah3 found methane leakage rates of up to 9% – far more than the current US Environment Protection Agency estimate of 2.3%.

Worrying as these factors obviously are, my problem with this panning for tiny deposits of fossil fuel (however cheap it makes petrol in the short term and whether or not it saves us the embarrassment of murdering more people in the proximity of any proper oil wells) is the effect it has on the alternative energy economy – in other words, of stopping it in its tracks.

No need for anyone to invest in renewables now that consuming sebaceous fluid from the ground is back on the menu, so that by the time we get back to sustainability we will find it too late to turn this mothership around. maj ikle Notes: (1) MIT Energy Initiative (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2011) The Future of Natural Gas: An Interdisciplinary MIT Study (2)www.nature.com/news/methane-leaks-erode-greencredentials-of-natural-gas (3) Studies conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), jointly with the University of Colorado at Boulder.

For more information about fracking and about proposed unconventional gas developments in Wales, see: www.guardian.co.uk/environment/shale-gas and http://frackfreewales.wordpress.com

Have you ever tried Geocaching? being included in the June issue!

Please note - Copy deadline is Fri 10 May Miss it & you risk not

Stuck for what to do to get out & about this month?

Need an excuse to go for a walk?

Geocaching is a free real-world outdoor treasure hunt. Players try to locate hidden containers, called geocaches.

Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS co-ordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (hidden container) at that location.

You might find some goodies in the container too … You never know what may have been left for you to discover … if you take an item you must leave something of equal value behind, so the contents are constantly changing.

You write about your find in the cache log book, hide the container again as it was found and continue your journey.

Experiences can later be logged & shared with the geocaching community online www.geocaching.com This is fast becoming a world-wide phenomenon but did you know there are geocaches not far away?

(There’s one at Long Wood for a start - if you know where to look!)

Geocaching can add a sense of purpose & fun to a long family stroll .

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The Benefits of Exercise on the Mind Why do we exercise? Is it to get fitter or to lose weight? But did you know research has shown that it can have some surprising effects on our minds.

Maybe you exercise to tone your thighs, build your biceps, flatten your tummy or to improve your general health. But what can it do for your mind? "Exercise is the single best thing you can do for your brain in terms of mood, memory, and learning," says Harvard Medical School psychiatrist John Ratey, author of the book, Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. "Even 10 minutes of activity changes your brain."

Exercise can reverse the detrimental effects of stress.

Fairly vigorous exercise for at least 30 minutes can decrease tension by increasing levels of "soothing" brain chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.

What's fascinating, though, is that exercise may actually work on a cellular level to reverse stress's toll on our aging process, according to a 2010 study from the University of California San Francisco. The researchers found that stressed-out women who exercised vigorously for an average of 45 minutes over a three-day period had cells that showed fewer signs of aging compared to women who were stressed and inactive.

Working out also helps keep us from ruminating "by altering blood flow to those areas in the brain involved in triggering us to relive these stressful thoughts again and again," says study co-author Elissa Epel, an associate professor of psychiatry at UCSF. Exercise can reduce symptoms of depression.

Research suggests that burning off 350 calories three times a week through sustained, sweat-inducing activity can reduce symptoms of depression about as effectively as anti-depressants. That may be because exercise appears to stimulate the growth of neurons in certain brain regions damaged by depression. What's more, animal studies have found that getting active boosts the production of brain molecules that improve connections between nerve cells, thereby acting as a natural anti-depressant.

It can improve learning. Exercise increases the level of brain chemicals called growth factors, which help make new brain cells and establish new connections between brain cells to help us learn. Interestingly, complicated activities, like playing tennis or taking a dance class, provide the biggest brain boost. "You're challenging your brain even more when you have to think about co-ordination," explains Ratey. "Like muscles, you have to stress your brain cells to get them to grow."

Complicated activities also improve our capacity to learn by enhancing our attention and concentration skills, according to German researchers who found that secondary school children scored better on

high-attention tasks after doing 10 minutes of a complicated fitness routine compared to 10 minutes of regular activity. (Those who hadn't exercised at all scored the worst.)

It keeps the brain fit.

Even mild activity like a leisurely walk can help keep your brain fit and active, possibly preventing memory loss and keeping skills like vocabulary retrieval strong.

In a 2011 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, Canadian researchers analysed the energy expenditure and cognitive functioning of elderly adults over the course of two to five years. Most of the participants did not work out; their activities revolved around short walks, cooking, gardening, and cleaning.

Still, compared with their sedentary peers, the most active participants scored significantly better on tests of cognitive function, and they showed the least amount of cognitive decline. By the study's end, roughly 90 per cent of them could think and remember just as well as they could when the study began.

Exercise may prevent Alzheimer's.

The Alzheimer's Research Centre claims that exercise is one of the best weapons against the disease. Exercise appears to protect the hippocampus, which governs memory and spatial navigation, and is one of the first brain regions to succumb to Alzheimer's-related damage. A recent study published in the Archives of Neurology suggests that a daily walk or jog could lower the risk of Alzheimer's - or blunt its impact once it has begun. In 2000, Dutch researchers found that inactive men who were genetically prone to Alzheimer's were four times more likely to develop the disease than those who carried the trait but worked out regularly.

So the message is, if you want to keep your mind as well as your body in shape, remember to exercise.

There are lots of different ways you can do it, so whether it’s running, walking, cycling, swimming, gardening, sport or whatever you enjoy, get out there and exercise.

Shirley & Gerard Fordham Info taken by Shirley & Gerard Fordham from "7 Mind-Blowing Benefits of Exercise" by Deborah Kotz & Angela Haupt, http://health.usnews.com/health-news/diet-fitness/ slideshows/7-mind-blowing-benefits-of-exercise/3

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Please note - Copy deadline is Fri 10 May Miss it - you risk not being included in the June issue!

Recent Reviews THE LAMPETER FESTIVAL OF WORLD SACRED MUSIC The Palm Sunday procession and Eucharist in the College Chapel was followed by a delicious sacred meal hosted by Canon Brendan O’Malley and cooked by local restaurants. After the meal Seveone Ye played Chinese harp music.

Evening Vespers in St Peter’s Church, with Gregorian chanting, seemed a fitting and harmonious end to the Festival.

Plans are already underway for the 2014 Festival.

If you'd like to get involved, please contact us at 2 Bridge St, Lampeter, SA48 7HG, info@worldsacredmusic.com, www.worldsacredmusic.com

Melerie Davies of Ysgol Bro Pedr, presented with first prize by Karl Jenkins, for her composition Libera Me.

Josie Smith

The brand-new Lampeter Festival of World Sacred Music (22-24 March) proved to be a weekend of enjoyment, stimulation, tranquillity and harmony musical and spiritual.

For the curtain-raising event at Victoria Hall, Côr Cwmann and Corisma gave us superb choral singing.

Bryan Smudger Smith and Rajesh David performed music from the Eastern tradition, and local poets spoke of harmony of the soul.

The festival was the brainchild of Eva Skalla who had experienced similar festivals abroad. She gave the first of the lecture/workshops - Natural Harmonics and Eastern Music - and her enthusiasm made the subject come alive. Rajesh David encouraged us to sing simple scales relating to the seven chakras (energy centres of the body) and explored Nada – the essence of vibration of music.

The second lecture session focussed on the Welsh tradition of bible-chanting called ‘Pwnc’ given by Rev Eirian Wynn Lewis and the congregation of the 250year-old Rhydwilym Baptist Chapel near Narberth.

But the highlight of the Festival was The Armed Man – A Mass for Peace, conducted by its composer, Karl Jenkins, the world's most-performed living composer.

It is based on the Catholic Mass, and was performed by a 100-strong choir, combining Côr Godre’r Garth from Pontypridd, Côr Ger y Lli from the Aberystwyth area and the University Choir; the British Sinfonietta and soloist Marlena Devoe. Tickets were in great demand and the concert was completely sold out.

The Festival had also organised a competition for Secondary Schools to produce a new piece of sacred music. Karl Jenkins presented the first prize to Melerie Davies, Ysgol Bro Pedr, for Libera Me, which will feature in next year’s Festival and be recorded by Hywel Wigley at his Acapela Studio in Cardiff.

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Ianto Jones, Ysgol Bro Pedr, Presented with third prize by Karl Jenkins, for his composition Kyrie

Selling organics: Event for retailers Weds 8 May 9.30am-2pm at Victoria Hall, Lampeter.

Times are hard for retailers of organic food, so Organic Centre Wales (OCW) is hosting a training event to bring retailers together to exchange ideas and experiences.

We'll cover: * Creating and maintaining sales * How to get more from your business * New POS materials to help communicate organic messages in-store.

Speakers Adam York (Glebelands) and Lucy Watson (Organic Fresh Food Company) have a wealth of experience in both retail and organics.

Delicious locally-produced organic lunch.

Info: Tony Little, 01970 621632, jll@aber.ac.uk, www.organiccentrewales.org.uk

at a glance 1

Poetry Corn

Calan Mai (1st day of summer) The Tree Council’s ‘Walk in the Woods’ month

Come Outside

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5 6

er

‘Come outside’, the papers said, so I did

to 6 - Bro Tregaron walking weekend to 5 - Machynlleth Comedy Festival International Star Wars Day “May the fourth be with you!”

Ramblers’ Get Walking Week International Dawn Chorus Day Hedgehog Awareness Week (www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk)

but I couldn’t see why.

What is this cold, freezing grey sky and what is up with the weather?

I shivered in my winter coat

May Day

trying to feel like spring

7

when slowly a tiny bud appeared

8

at the tip of a tree branch spear.

9

A glance of yellow on a primrose

10 11

World Migratory Bird Day

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Race For Life, Aberystwyth

shy beneath crinkled leaf fans, revealed the colourful changes to come

13

and the promise of hot summer lands.

14

maj ikle

15

International Day of Families

Poetry Success

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Food Revolution Day World Telecommunication and Information Society Day

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Welsh 3 Peaks Challenge

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Welsh 3 Peaks Challenge Smallholder & Garden festival, Builth Wells

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Smallholder & Garden festival, Builth Wells

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World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development

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International Day for Biological Diversity (Water & Biodiversity)

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to 2 June - Hay Festival of Literature & the Arts and HowTheLightGetsIn, Hay-on-Wye Wales Farming Conference 2013, Builth Wells

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to 27 Welsh Cider & Perry Festival - Caldicot Castle

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Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-Selfgoverning Territories

Carole Powell, a member of Lampeter Writers’ Workshop, has won this year’s prestigious Wilfred Owen Association Bursary.

Carole, from Narberth, said: "I'm thrilled to have won this year's Bursary, especially as Wilfred Owen's poems made an impression on me at an early age; the award will allow me time to concentrate on my work. I've been a member of the group since 2000 lots of miles literally and metaphorically! - and I'd like to thank everyone there who has supported me along the way."

The Lampeter Writers’ Workshop was founded in 1984 by Gillian Clarke, now National Poet of Wales.

The group and its individual members have published widely and won major competitions like the Cardiff International Poetry Prize.

The group's third anthology, A Star Fell From Orion, was launched in 2011 in Lampeter. From this the performance group Red Heron has emerged, giving readings throughout the area.

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Lampeter Writers’ Workshop meets at 7pm on Tuesdays in the Wolfson Room, University of Wales Trinity Saint David (term-time only), and welcomes new members.

Contact: Kathy Miles, kathym27@hotmail.com

International Day of UN Peacekeepers

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to 2 June - Woodfest Wales, Kinmel Estate, North Wales

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small ads & classified complementary & alternative therapists Charlotte Allen RSHom Homeopath 14 years' clinical experience.

Homeopathy is a safe, holistic method of treating both emotional and physical conditions. Llanfair Clinic, 41 Bridge Street, Lampeter, SA48 8EG. 01570 493746

The Art of Well-Being: Reflexology and Indian Head Massage. Glennis Gratwick, MAR, FFHT, fully qualified, insured, 10 years' experience. Stall at Lunar Market (see listings) selling aromatherapy products.

Contact: 01570 493288

to Mindfulness Courses; 1-2-1 coaching. For future courses, or to discuss ways of working with mindfulness for you/your group, Contact: 07890 835873,

Transformational Bodywork. Iain Cameron Watson, 20 years' experience. Traum a Release, Alexander Technique. Relief from stress/anxiety, PMT, insomnia, neck, back, shoulder, period pain, headaches. By donation. 07852 626001, cameronbodywork@gmail.com, http://transformationalbodywork.co.uk

Gina Heathersprite. Physical and Emotional Therapy. Massage, reflexology, hypno-psychotherapy, counselling. Llanfair Clinic, 41 Bridge Street, Lampeter. 01570 493526, gina@courtofcircles.org.uk

Eva Ryan MTI. Wholistic massage to help rebalance and heal body, mind and emotions. Treatment tailored to your unique needs.

Registered, insured practitioner. At Taliaris, or arrange home visits. Contact: 01558 822390 / 07792 748191

Pearl Jebb. Reflexology, Bowen/ Neural Technique, helps with back, sciatica, shoulder pain, stress relief Joanne Camlin BSc WSHom. and much more. Qualified & regisHomoeopathy is a system of medi- tered practitioner. Contact: 01974 cine that treats mental, emotional and 299224 / 07967 647920 physical illness, and can be used by Alison Kaye MBAcC. Traditional Chieveryone, including babies and nese Acupuncture. Llanfair Clinic, children. Lampeter. 01570 421480 41 Bridge Street, Lampeter, SA48 (mornings) 8EG. 07779 256388 Bowen Technique, about an hour’s Susan McAllister (Bsc Hons). treatment, works by gently stimulating Transformational Teacher, Therathe body’s own sympathetic nervous pist & Consultant. Over 20 years of system, allowing it to find balance teaching, complementary therapy & and release from tension and pain. healing experience. Available now for Contact: Ceredwin, 01570 421476 Crystal Healing Workshops & Angelic The Light of Love ten-minute (off- Tarot Readings. To book, contact: the-body) treatment harnesses the 01570 493006 / 07572 672986, power of the universal life force: sue@tranquillight.vpweb.co.uk relaxing, healing, promoting wellLouise Nadim BSc Hons, Ph.D. Fully being. Offered FREE at People’s qualified, insured Brennan Healer.

Market (no booking required) or at Working in the Human Energy Field other tim es b y appointm ent. assessing, balancing and healing, to Ceredwin: 01570 421476 restore physical, emotional and spirCathy Crick Stanton. Yoga teacher / itual health. Contact: 01570 therapist (Iyengar trained) and 4 2 1 1 4 4 / 0 7 9 2 0 1 1 2 2 2 8 , Barbara Brennan Healer. For class louise_nadim@hotmail.com details, or to book 1-2-1 yoga or Dr Colette Power. Mindfulnesstherapy/healing sessions: 01570 based Stress Management, MB Pain 421144 / 07748 031614, & Illness Management; Introduction cathycrick@hotmail.co.uk

This space is for You! Do you have things to sell? Can you offer a service? Need something?

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Christine Stephenson BSc MNIMH. Medical Herbalist at Llanfair Clinic, 41 Bridge Street, Lampeter. Contact: 01239 858946 Ashley Ward MAR GJC (Dip Reflex).

Dancing Tree Reflexology. Reflexology in the comfort of your own home, within 15-mile radius of Lampeter. Fully-insured member of Association of Reflexologists. Contact: 01570 422985 / 07811 767563, www.dancingtree.co.uk Reflexology. Annie Zakiewicz MAR is a fully-insured member of the Association of Reflexologists and practises from Cellan. Contact: 01570 493295 / 07790 107521, www.reflexologywithannie.co.uk

Looking ahead: Don’t forget to send us your Top Festival Tips.

Do you have a favourite local festival?

We would really like to hear from you.

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lampetergrapevine@gmail.com 23

small ads & classified Wanted by independent artist/writer site for 14ft caravan.

Rural retreat for occasional use.

Please contact: John, 07809 612367

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Computer services and repairs in the Lampeter area: hardware upgrades, virus and spyware removal, health checks, backup advice.

Fast, friendly service.

Contact: Ben, 01570 493706

Very able self-employed woman looking for extra work.

Wide range of job skills and lots of common sense.

Most things considered.

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Could you advertise here?

Contact: the newsletter team

Solid fuel Esse stove, 1930s original, no back boiler, needs restoration.

Offers: Lynne 01570 480818

Cacennau cartref, cyffaith a bwydydd sawrus Ffrwythau, llysiau a phlanhigion tymhorol, cartref Cig a gynhyrchir yn lleol a dewis o waith llaw crefft Te a choffi

Can't knit?

No time?

You provide the pattern and wool, I will handknit it for you.

Price list available.

01570 218045, florriescrafts@gmail.com

Homemade cakes, preserves and savouries Homegrown seasonal fruit, vegetables and plants Locally-produced meat and a selection of handmade craft Tea and coffee

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Don’t Lose Out - Copy deadline is Fri 10 May Miss it & you risk not being included in the June issue!

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