Well the tents are up....

On Tuesday night (wearing both my shopkeeper and my Conwy Feast hat), I attended a Conwy Chamber or Trade meeting, there was a real excitement about the weekend ahead, from all of the businesses there, all good to hear and very positive.

We reflected, later on, over supper at the Castle Hotel, how we couldn’t have imagined four years ago, that the Feast would ever have grown into the event it is today and how much its success seems to have inspired us all.

Logistically speaking it’s a headache, so many different sites over such an area, road notices, safety assessments, security, car park closure and so it goes on, moving to outside of the walls would make life so much easier and less stressful. It sort of misses the point though, that we are doing this for the town and community that we all love, we want to channel people through the streets, we want showcase the town, its castle, its individuality and its quirky independent shops, we want people and businesses to benefit, feel the great atmosphere and be a part of the party, and the great thing is, is that we do.

Roll on the weekend, the forecast is looking promising!.

Music & Entertainment @ the Feast

As well as a host of acts performing at the feast over the weekend, we are opening on the Friday evening with 'Bands on the Quay'. This is also the chance to sample the Locally Brewed Real Ales ahead of the weekend crowds with live music from : 'Courteous Thief', 'Cyra Elia', & introducing 'Rob Dodd' (acoustic). In the Real Ale tent (next to the Liverpool Arms) from 8 - 11pm.

Don't forget there is also the Friday night Cabaret Launch Party, with special guest & weather presenter 'Sian Lloyd'; live Gypsy Jazz from our House Band 'Trez Fez'; Dj's Hippy Ad & Senor Tim; and Tribal Belly Dancer 'Alys Hughes'. Tickets are £10 on the door or £8 in advance.
(in the Conwy Civic Hall from 8pm)

other acts performing over the weekend include:
on The Quay Stage : BATALA, Tacsi, Wee Bag Band, Coastal Voices, Rubaiyats, Latin Groove Collective, Yasus Afari, Back Scratch Blues Band, Incendiary Jazz Ensemble, Coastal Blue Grass, & Sensegur.
on the Acoustic Stage : Krempog, Balafon, The Feast Poets, Hero & Harp, 9 - 5 Brass, Danny TT's, John Steele, Hunter, Fiona Collins, Conwy Folk Club, Catherine Crossley, Ali Roberts, & Wil Williams.
& in the Champagne & Oyster Bar : the Menai String Quartet, Ensemble Cymru, & Chris Knowles.

there will be more acts & performances in the castle, on the eco-stage, & around the town. programmes will be available at the event, or you can check the website www.conwyfeast.co.uk or facebook page for more programme information.

Many thanks, cheers roger.

Hi I'm Anna and this year I have taken on the task of Stewarding for the Feast,which requires recruiting over 60 local people from all ages to work all weekend selling tickets, checking armbands and numerous other very essential roles. I am happy to report that we now have our full quota of stewards and I am looking forward to working with them at the Feast.

Some of our stewards include sixth form pupils from Ysgol Aberconwy, who were put through an interview process as part of their education program. Congratulations to all those who were involved.

This year, as there is a medieval theme to the event, we are dressing some of the stewards in brightly coloured tabbards and hoods - so they will be noticed in a crowd!

Just a reminder to all stewards - please remember to turn up on Thursday 21st October at the Civic Hall at 6pm so that we can run through all the essential information you will need. There will be a few nibbles and even a quiz to test your knowledge! See you all then

We have been gathering bits and pieces for our Backyard Gardening stall in the Trees and Bees Tent, including packets of seeds at reduced prices for people to have a go at something easy, and some potted up young strawberry plants, and useful information and telephone numbers for advice and support.

The other stalls in the Trees and Bees Tent are also getting busy with their preparations. They include the local Orchard Group, Pensychnant Nature Reserve, the Countryside Service of Conwy Borough Council, information on foraging for wild food, Friends of the Earth Cymru, and of course the all important Bees - lots of information and advice from local Bee Keepers about the threats to bees and the need to do all we can to save them.

Ian Sturrock, our local very knowledgable apple tree expert, will also have a marquee in Lancaster Square. He can identify your unknown apples, and also diagnose any problems you may have with advice as to how to deal with them, so bring along any samples of your problems. It is easier to identify varieties of apple and to identify diseases, etc. if you bring samples of the apple and twigs and leaves where possible.

Hello everyone, I am Celia and I’m here to tell you about the Garden Share Scheme that will be launched at the Food Feast. It will be the 1^st of its kind in North Wales and for those of you that don’t know, Garden Share Scheme's are about bringing together the community through growing food produce.

There are many people in Conwy who have underused gardens or gardens that go unmanaged due to a lack of time, interest, or physical mobility. By the same token there are people who have no access to a garden, and who would love the chance to grow their own vegetables.

So the scheme is set up to help people who want to grow their own food but have no where to do it and linking them to people who have garden space that is underused. The benefits for the garden owner include having a share of fresh vegetable or fruit produce, they get to see their garden flourish and develop again and they have a greater sense of community.

I will have a stall set up on the Quay at the Feast, so please come and see me to find out more about the scheme.

Just added a last minute item to the programme - taste testing. So far we will have the opportunity to taste 2 new products in their embryonic stage - posh pastes and sea buckthorn drink. Things like this are what the Feast is all about. I just wish I had the time to check all these great things out at the event.....

Saturday Night Fever

Saturday night (devoted team that we are) saw a group of us get together to have our long awaited "Bunting Party" intent on untangling, repairing and adding to, the wonderful bunting that adorns the town at Feast time. Sara Allardice, Bunting Queen of Conwy, originally spent months slaving away at her sewing machine to create dozens of metres of glorious colourful bunting.
A good night was had by all (great curry Louise!) we did go to bed seeing spots and stripes and the stitching may have gotten a little wobbly after 11pm, but the bunting lives to face another day.......

BACKYARD GARDENING

This year the Conwy Feast is promoting the principle of growing some of your own vegetables and fruit at home – whether you have a big garden or just a window box there will be something you can grow.

In the Trees, Birds and Bees Tent in Lancaster Square we will have a stall with information and advice on how to get started growing a few easy vegetables and fruit in among the flowers in your garden – it isn't necessary to have your back garden looking like an allotment – edible plants will grow very happily among the decorative ones. Herbs will grow in window boxes or pots just handily placed outside your back door.

Come and see us in the Trees, Birds and Bees Tent if you think growing edible stuff is too difficult and we will show you just how easy it can be to get started.

Countdown to Gwledd Conwy Feast 2010

We are now on the brink of our 7th Feast and the event has grown from a couple of marquees and a community hall to fill the whole quayside and town.

The programme is printed, the stalls are all full and you'll be lucky to get a bed in town for the Feast weekend.

We're just hoping for the sunshine.......