Wednesday 27 March 2024

Booksellers' Leaflet

 The new booksellers' leaflet is out today.  Last year's is orange - this year it's purple.

There are a couple of new additions this year, too.

Coming in at number 9 is Gay-on-Wye, the new LGBTQ+ bookshops - they sell new books, as well as tote bags, mugs, badges and so on.

Clocktower Books and Green Ink Booksellers have changed places, at 12 and 13, to make the numbers on the map work more logically.

Then there's the Literature Laboratory at number 14, which describes itself as a child-centred bookshop.  As well as new books, they stock toys and games, and a range of adult books too.

At 15 is the new Red Cross Book Shop, opposite the original Red Cross Shop on the corner of the Pavement.

At 18, North Books can no longer call themselves Hay's newest bookshop, but they are a shop of new books only.

Only one bookbinders is listed this year - there is no listing for the Hay Binders on Lion Street (which was established in 1974) and the Black Mountains Bindery will be working from home, with customers welcome by appointment, as it looks as if the shop next to the launderette will have to close.

Out of town, there is a new bookshop in Westhope near Hereford called Arresting Titles, specialising in murder, mystery and detection.  This shop is only open by appointment, as they are quite remote and hard to find!

There is a dedication in the leaflet to Judith Gardner, of the Children's Bookshop, who died earlier this year.  The Children's Bookshop is still number 1 in the leaflet, and is being run by her son Colin.

Monday 25 March 2024

Henallt House

 Also known as the Cabinet of Curiosities.

Botany And Other Stories have already put on exhibitions at Henallt House, which is just a little way along Oxford Road from the main car park.  The theme is nature in relation to all the key sectors of our lives.  The front page of the latest Cabbage Leaf has the quotation from Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations as the main title: "Everything everywhere all at once"

This does not refer to the award winning film starring Michelle Yeoh, but to the idea that, in order to tackle climate change, the effort that is needed has to be everything, everywhere, all at once.  The odd green project here and there is not enough any more.  Conspicuous consumption, inequality, corruption, violence and environmental deterioration are everywhere globally, and all interrelated.  We need to see the bigger picture.

And that's what the Cabinet of Curiosities is designed to do - each room in Henallt House has a different theme related to the overall idea, using botanical illustration, books, gardening, art, butterflies and flowers, soil, water, perfumes, information about food, patchwork and fashion dolls, and much more.

They are hoping to make this a more permanent thing, though some work needs to be done on the building first.

Saturday 23 March 2024

Shân Egerton Exhibition at the Castle

 This is a retrospective exhibition, as the artist died last year.  It's a free exhibition, and it spills out of the exhibition room onto boards in the area outside.

Some of the works are for sale, and others come from private collections, and there's an immense variety.  

Shân Egerton used oils and pastels in her work, and she travelled all over the world.  There are pictures of scenes in India, and Ethiopia and Ladakh, as well as local landscapes.  There are also several photo albums it is possible to leaf through, with pictures from all over the world taken over many years.

I spent quite a long time in the gallery, and I enjoyed it very much.

Friday 22 March 2024

Water, Water Everywhere

 So, the scheduled water pipe replacement is inching its way along Broad Street at the bottom end of town - they're almost at the road to the bridge, which will cut off Hay from the rest of the world in that direction for a bit.  Traffic will have to come round via Glasbury to Hay, and one of the farmers on the other side of the bridge has offered their field as a car park so that people can park and walk across into town while the work is going on.

Meanwhile at the top of town, by the car park, there has been a burst pipe!  This has caused some disruption with the bus service, and at the moment the road is completly closed - the burst seems to have been fixed, but there's quite extensive resurfacing of the road going on.  They are hoping to have at least half the road open shortly. 

Wednesday 20 March 2024

Cute Cushion

 

I saw this cute seal cushion outside the shop in Backfold.  I once worked with a woman who was obsessed with seals, so I sent her the picture and she agreed that, yes, she would still love something like this in her house!

Tuesday 19 March 2024

Hay Writers' Circle Poetry Competition

 It's time for the Hay Writers' Circle Poetry Competition again.  It's open to all, and this year the poems should be on the theme of food.  

Poems should be original and unpublished, and a maximum of 40 lines.  Winning poems may be published on the Hay Writers' Circle website.  First prize is £100, with cash prizes for second and third place.

The judge this year is Susan Evans, an award winning artist and writer.  She writes poetry for stage and on the page, on themes including food and travel, and she can be found online at www.facebook.com/SusanEvansPoet

The closing date for the competition is 9th April, and full details of how to take part can be found at https://thehaywriters.wordpress.com

Sunday 17 March 2024

Concerts coming up

 Hay Music are going to be busy over the next couple of months.

The New London Chamber Ensemble will be playing in St Mary's Church on Friday 12th April at 7pm.  Tickets are £20, or £10 for under 25s.  There are also a few free tickets for under 25s on a first come, first served basis.

This is the first time the wind quintet has come to Hay, and they will be playing a mixture of Mozart, Beethoven, Ravel and Rachel Stott.

And on 10th May, the Tippett String Quartet will be playing.

Hay Music is also organising several concerts during Hay Festival.

On Saturday 25th May at 7.30pm at St Mary's Church, the Hay Chamber Choir will be performing The Dymock Poets Reimagined.  Tickets are £15 from the Festival ticket office.  

The concert features settings of works by the Dymock poets by seven contemporary composers.

On Sunday 26th May at 1pm, at St Mary's Church, Clare Hammond will be playing piano.  Tickets are £18 from the Festival ticket office.

The programme starts with Clara Schumann and Beethoven, followed by Samy Moussa, Mozart and Cecile Chaminade.

On Saturday 1st June, The Fidelio Trio will be performing in St Mary's Church at 1pm.  Tickets are £18 from the Festival ticket office.