Owain Glyndwr Festival
2006 - Second Year's Success
 What
a fantastic festival and a big hand for the one who ordered
the weather! A little piece of summer was to be found at the
Ancient Briton in the Upper Swansea Valley on the 16th September
2006 as the second Owain Glyndwr Festival got into full swing.
Due to the success of the first Owain Glyndwr
Festival last year, The Sleeping Giant Foundation knew it
had its work cut out to bring a bigger event with more of
everything and I believe we did it. The day was packed with
a whole variety of things to do from shield and sword making
for the children, bodhran an accordion workshops to sampling
local crafts, food and real ale.
The
Sleeping Giant Foundation Festival PICTURE GALLERY click here>>
Tim
Russel PICTURE GALLERY click here>> Tim can be contacted
on 01639 845066 for professional quality prints.
With the addition of a dedicated music marquee,
there was music to be heard all day and well into the night.
Friday night started the festival with a session led by the
fantastic fiddle player Dan Morris. The music was started
on Saturday with three superb performances by local primary
schools from Abercraf, Caehopkin and Penrhos which packed
out the marquee. Wonderful storytelling in both English and
Welsh was done by Esyllt Harker and accompanied by Gillian
Stevens playing early Welsh instruments such as the crwth.
Owen Griffiths, our local community Police Officer changed
into period costume and told some very funny tales. There
followed performances by the Pontardawe Acoustic Music Club,
a very successful Open Mic session and the evening was rounded
off with stunning performances from Stonecraft and the ever
energetic Boys from the Hill.
Around the field were other entertainments
such as James Matthews from Juggling Roadshow who did wonderful
juggling, stilt walking and a circus skills workshop. Jason
Gardner from Dragon Forge was present again getting a lot
of interest in the work of a blacksmith.
We were graced with the presence of Prince Owain Glyndwr who
not only opened and closed the festival, but showed off mounted
combat skills to the delight of the audience. The Glamorgan
School of Arms added to this by demonstrating medieval hand
to hand combat skills. I think there maybe a few new knights
in the making.
'We're all exhausted, but really overjoyed
about the amazing positive feeling from this event,' said
Maureen Mountford The Sleeping Giant Foundation's Director
and Festival Organiser, 'we've had a huge turnout and massive
amounts of support from our local community.' 'It is events
like these that we need to attract people into the area,'
said Mr Christopher Gledhill, Chief Executive of the Brecon
Beacons National Park who spoke at the festival opening dressed
in a monk's outfit!
So now we are looking to next year and we
would love to make this into a proper two day event. This
will mean that we will need some more help on the festival
organising front, so if you want a chance to be a part of
this growing event and do something positive for the local
community, then get in touch with Eleanor on 01639 731062
- oh and there might be a few quid in it for you as well!
The third Owain Glyndwr Festival will take
place on the weekend of the 15th and 16th September 2007 -
put it in your diaries now. |
The
Sleeping Giant Foundation would like to say a huge THANK
YOU to all those who helped out, especially the stewards
who manned the entrances and car park, the local schools who
got their performances together at short notice, Martin Ellis
who provided advice and encouragement, Coelbren Miners' Welfare
Hall and Coelbren School for the loan of the tables and chairs,
Rhiannon Morley who did a sterling job on creating all those
foam swords, Abercrave Rugby Club for stewarding Saturday
night, Wynn Roberts at Ystradgynlais Welfare Hall who sponsored
the shield making workshop, Howard Marr and John Evans, Geraint
Roberts, Clive Osborne, Owen Griffiths, 1st Swansea Valley
Scouts for the main marquee, Tom Addey of Communities First
and John Williams from the Forestry Commission and of course
Gerald of the Ancient Briton who continues to support this
event and serves the best real ales in Wales....