...or rather, the lack of it. All of Hay - and some said Clyro, too - has been cut off this afternoon.
There was a lorry in the main car park handing out bottled water - they arranged that very quickly - and now the water is back on again.
Plenty of water coming from the sky this afternoon.....
Thursday, 16 July 2009
Wednesday, 15 July 2009
Hay Film Festival
The Film Society have been busy! They've got a great lineup of films for September, and Francine Stock is coming down as a speaker, along with a couple of the directors! The website is here - www.filmfestivalhay.co.uk
Tuesday, 14 July 2009
Public Information Announcement
Could the owner of the green VW parked down by the river please move it, as the chap from Chantic wants to do some work there.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Monday, 13 July 2009
Grant Applications
A reply has been recieved from the Brecon Beacons National Park to the letter asking for money to build a scaffold for King Richard. They seem to be taking the application seriously, as they apologise for not having the funding themselves for such an event, but have given the contact details of several other bodies the Council of State of the Commonwealth might like to try!
Sunday, 12 July 2009
"There's always something going on....
...in Hay."
I was talking to a lady whose just moved into Hay - she used to live in Llanigon. We were standing on the edge of the car park under the Castle, with a small crowd of people who had gathered to watch several Morris sides perform. Lots of hanky waving ensued, despite the drizzle that was just starting.
And in the morning, a procession of about half a dozen vintage cars pulled into the big car park. I don't know if they had anything to do with the event that was on in the centre of Hereford, but the big square there was full of vintage cars, and volunteers for the Acorn Trust with buckets for donations.
I was talking to a lady whose just moved into Hay - she used to live in Llanigon. We were standing on the edge of the car park under the Castle, with a small crowd of people who had gathered to watch several Morris sides perform. Lots of hanky waving ensued, despite the drizzle that was just starting.
And in the morning, a procession of about half a dozen vintage cars pulled into the big car park. I don't know if they had anything to do with the event that was on in the centre of Hereford, but the big square there was full of vintage cars, and volunteers for the Acorn Trust with buckets for donations.
Saturday, 11 July 2009
Building a Scaffold
The date of King Richard's execution has been set for 12th September, and the Commonwealth of Hay are starting to get organised. One of the first things the Lord Protector has done is to write to the Brecon Beacons National Park with a grant application - to build a scaffold on which to execute our deposed monarch.
His reasons are very logical - the execution will contribute to the body of myth that already surrounds Hay as an independant Kingdom, and will therefore be good for the sort of tourism we want to encourage. There's no point in doing the same things as other little towns - Hay has always been a bit different, and that's part of the charm, and it would be disastrous to try to move away from our core activity, which is selling second hand books, to promote other areas of tourist interest.
Paul puts it this way:
"Therefore we seek reassurances from the BBNPA that the constitutional and commercial history of our town is more important than any other single tourism 'driver' that other local or wider bodies might imagine, and perhaps an agreement from the BBNPA that to depart from our traditional profile towards a more momentary kind of 'fame', with an attendant drift towards the 'sameness' of general lifestyle tourism, cannot ultimately be beneficial.
Following his trial, the King of Hay - slightly overtaken by events - has argued personally with us that his appearance at his trial was made only following a promise that we give him further international recognition. Although such an undertaking was never made by us, we wouldn't wish the passing of an era to go completely unrecognised during these inevitable institutional changes in Hay, nor can we ignore entirely the responsibilities of the new order. Fortunately, the wishes of the King and the needs of the Commonwealth appear to coincide quite happily on this occasion. The Commonwealth thinks it is in the interests of Hay that the BBNPA associates itself with the most important ideas of our past, while helping to ensure the continuity of our history remains unbroken, before, during and after it is made....
...We are confident you will appreciate that to allow a gradual demise of royalty in Hay is not concomitant with a prosperous future for the new Citizens of Hay, and that we cannot allow the outside world's understanding of our 'sense of place' to be impeded at any cost."
We haven't had an answer yet....
His reasons are very logical - the execution will contribute to the body of myth that already surrounds Hay as an independant Kingdom, and will therefore be good for the sort of tourism we want to encourage. There's no point in doing the same things as other little towns - Hay has always been a bit different, and that's part of the charm, and it would be disastrous to try to move away from our core activity, which is selling second hand books, to promote other areas of tourist interest.
Paul puts it this way:
"Therefore we seek reassurances from the BBNPA that the constitutional and commercial history of our town is more important than any other single tourism 'driver' that other local or wider bodies might imagine, and perhaps an agreement from the BBNPA that to depart from our traditional profile towards a more momentary kind of 'fame', with an attendant drift towards the 'sameness' of general lifestyle tourism, cannot ultimately be beneficial.
Following his trial, the King of Hay - slightly overtaken by events - has argued personally with us that his appearance at his trial was made only following a promise that we give him further international recognition. Although such an undertaking was never made by us, we wouldn't wish the passing of an era to go completely unrecognised during these inevitable institutional changes in Hay, nor can we ignore entirely the responsibilities of the new order. Fortunately, the wishes of the King and the needs of the Commonwealth appear to coincide quite happily on this occasion. The Commonwealth thinks it is in the interests of Hay that the BBNPA associates itself with the most important ideas of our past, while helping to ensure the continuity of our history remains unbroken, before, during and after it is made....
...We are confident you will appreciate that to allow a gradual demise of royalty in Hay is not concomitant with a prosperous future for the new Citizens of Hay, and that we cannot allow the outside world's understanding of our 'sense of place' to be impeded at any cost."
We haven't had an answer yet....
Friday, 10 July 2009
Job Vacancy
Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!
Let it be known that the Town Council of Hay-on-Wye are looking for a new Town Crier.
Ken Smith, who has fulfilled this role for many years, is now retiring, and we need someone to keep up the tradition. As well as crying the news of the day around the town, he also leads walking tours of Hay, and knows a lot about local history.
The person to contact is Lesley Moore, the Town Clerk.
And May God Save The Queen!
Let it be known that the Town Council of Hay-on-Wye are looking for a new Town Crier.
Ken Smith, who has fulfilled this role for many years, is now retiring, and we need someone to keep up the tradition. As well as crying the news of the day around the town, he also leads walking tours of Hay, and knows a lot about local history.
The person to contact is Lesley Moore, the Town Clerk.
And May God Save The Queen!
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