Podcasts about cymru

Every week on this show you think that the last vestige of John's weird past is revealed. You think there cannot be any more layers peeled back. And then bam(!), another one, as yet another aspect of intense Robins c.1994-2004 hits you smack in the face. This is one such episode.But don't worry it's not all too harrowing, for there's a huge and extremely handsome surprise for Producer Dave, and a couple of absolutely top tier Mad Dads. Plus, Elis just simply needs to connect, as the words ‘Derby' and ‘County' are floated regarding his Cymru form. Got anything silly / irreverent / engaging to send to the presenters of the most popular On Demand radio show on BBC Sounds amongst the under-35s? Well elisandjohn@bbc.co.uk and 07974 293 022 on WhatsApp are the respective destinations.

Support us: buymeacoffee.com/colemansdream Dai and Ruth interview the Cymru manager Rhian Wilkinson. Rhian talks about her life growing up in Canada and how she chose football as well as her connection to Wales and her time spent in Cymru as a youngster. She talked openly about her coaching journey, what she wants for Welsh football and where we can improve. She discussed the Euros with us, the upcoming Nations League games and her tactical approach. I don't think we have ever interviewed anyone quite like her. An incredibly impressive individual. Huge thanks to Rhian for her time, as well as Owain and Rhianna from the FAW for helping set this all up. Diolch. Photo Credit - FAW/John Smith

This week the gang discuss the latest Wrexham and Cymru news, have a chat with Ex-Wrexham player, manager and now co-comms ANDY MORRELL and we give out prizes to worthy winners in the 3rd Annual Golden Potato Awards.

Gwyl Crime Cymru Festival - Episode 3 recorded at the Ceredigion Museum and Aberystwyth Library featuring interviews with authors and excerpts of live panels. Featuring: Interviews - Sarah Bax Horton, Mari Hannah & Sarah Todd Taylor and a brief panel excerpt featruing Jacky Collins with Mari Hannah & Clare Mackintosh. Interview Mari Hannah Gwyl Crime Cymru Festival Wales' only international crime writing festival, Aberystwyth 25th-27th April, 2025. Guests include Mark Billingham, Elly Griffiths, Mari Hannah, Chris Lloyd, Clare Mackintosh, Zoe Sharp, Graham Bartlett, Vaseem Khan, Abir Mukherjee, Alis Hawkins, Nicola Williams, Louise Mumford, Phil Rowlands. Ayo Onatade, Dr. Noir, Matt Johnson, Gwen Parrott and many more.Gwyl Crime Cymru Festival Sponsors: Arts Council of Wales, Ceridigeon Museum, Love Ceridigeon, Aberystwyth govt., Literature Wales, Waterstones, Welsh Govt., Lottery, Hugh James and National Library of Wales.Paul Burke writes for Monocle Magazine, Crime Time, Crime Fiction Lover and the European Literature Network, Punk Noir Magazine (fiction contribution). He is also a CWA Historical Dagger Judge 2024. His first book An Encyclopedia of  Spy Fiction will be out in late 2025.Produced by Junkyard DogCrime TimeCrime Time FM is the official podcast ofGwyl Crime Cymru Festival 2023 & 2025CrimeFest 2023CWA Daggers 2023 & 2024 & National Crime Reading Month& Newcastle Noir 2023 and 20242024 Slaughterfest,

The gang look back at the last game of the season away at Lincoln City, discuss some Wrexham and Cymru news, look back at 2025 as a season ender for Wrexham and Cymru football and we find out who's won the chip shop league for 2024/25

What kind of spectral creature leaps onto a corpse, rides in the hearse, and disappears into the mourners at the graveside? In this folkloric lucky dip of ghostly odds and ends, Mark Rees unearths the eerie tales too strange, too short, or too scattered to fit anywhere else… until now. Why did a grand Welsh mansion blaze with phantom lights long after its owner had died? Who — or what — tormented a hardworking farmer until he uncovered a buried secret? And did a goblin really make a house vanish from sight, or were two young women led astray by something darker? From ghost dogs and death omens to haunted bridges, mischievous poltergeists, and vanishing homes, this episode weaves together a chilling patchwork of Wales' most unsettling folklore. Are these forgotten legends mere superstition — or do they hint at a deeper truth buried beneath the soil of haunted Wales? Explore the lore... if you dare!   ORDER PARANORMAL SWANSEA AND GOWER BY MARK REES: Get Mark's latest "Ghosts of Wales" book "Paranormal Swansea and Gower" now! You can order it online here.   BUY MARK REES A COFFEE: If you'd like to support the GHOSTS AND FOLKLORE OF WALES podcast you can treat Mark to a coffee here: Mark Rees on Ko-Fi - thank you/ diolch!  https://ko-fi.com/markrees    WHAT IS THE GHOSTS AND FOLKLORE OF WALES PODCAST WITH MARK REES? The Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast explores the eerie world of Welsh ghosts, ghost stories, lore, myths, and legends. Launched by author and journalist Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales, Paranormal Wales) in early 2020, this weird and wonderful podcast delves into the country's countless curious subjects, blending decades of research from books and articles with long-lost tales from dusty old tomes. From "real-life" encounters with the uncanny to fantastical adventures from the Mabinogion, new episodes are uploaded monthly and feature everything from pesky poltergeists to fire-breathing dragons, with the odd wicked — and not-so-wicked — witch along the way. Alongside the regular stories, you can expect the occasional special guest, live ghost hunts, and all sorts of quirky surprises from a Welsh storyteller with original ideas. Seasonal specials include dark folklore and Gothic Halloween (Nos Calan Gaeaf) traditions, plus everyone's favourite skull-headed Christmas visitor, the Mari Lwyd. Dare you explore haunted Wales? From the sublime mountains and cascading waterfalls to bustling cities and remote farms, journey through the paranormal and unexplained in all corners of Cymru. Think of it as unlocking the Welsh X-Files with some tenuous Ghostbusters references and terrible sound effects along the way!  Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a spooky episode. For more details and to get in touch with Mark Rees, please visit https://markreesonline.com/: Mark Rees homepage Mark Rees on social media Books by Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales, Paranormal Wales etc.) Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast Until next time, nos da!

Skip the Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. Your host is Paul Marden.If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, and all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue or visit our website SkiptheQueue.fm.If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review, it really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on Twitter  or Bluesky for your chance to win the books that have been mentioned in this podcast.Competition ends on 21st May 2025. The winner will be contacted via Bluesky. Show references: Museum Wales website: https://museum.wales/Big Pit National Coal Museum: https://museum.wales/bigpit/Catherine Pinkerton LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-pinkerton-b1905a110/Catherine Pinkerton is the Group Retail Manager at Amgueddfa Cymru - Museum Wales.Having worked in senior management positions for some of the high street's most recognisable brands such as Harrods, Selfridges, Dior and Guerlain to name but a few, Catherine spent 20+ years in London building her management career. Catherine is now the Group Retail Manager for Amgueddfa Cymru (Museum Wales). She is responsible for the management of all aspects of retail operations and development, across the national museums of Wales. Catherine is currently leading on a transformation project to create immersive retail experiences in each of the museum shops, reflecting the visitor experience and collections of each of the varied museums.Guests Also Featured in This Episode:Anya Kirkby, Freelancer - Anya Kirkby Ltd – Product Development and Graphic Design anyakirkby@gmail.comArantxa Garcia, Freelancer - Exibeo VM Creative Studio – Shop Design and Visual Merchandising Arantxa@exhibeovm.co.ukNia Elias, Director Relationships and Funding, Amgueddfa Cymru nia.elias@museumwales.ac.ukGuy Veale, Freelancer – Freelancer - Sound artist/designer - gbveale@gmail.comAmy Samways, Shop Supervisor, Amgueddfa Cymru - amy.samways@museumwales.ac.ukKate Eden, Chair, Amgueddfa Cymru - Members of Board | Museum Wales Transcriptions: Paul Marden: Welcome to Skip the Queue. I'm your host, Paul Marden. So today you join me on the top of a mountain in Blaenavon in Wales at Big Pit, the National Mining Museum. I'm here today for a really special event. I've been invited to the opening of Big Pit's new Museum Retail experience, which is a programme of work that's being done by the Museums Wales Group to improve the sense of place and the sense of feeling for what could be a blueprint for the rest of the group. We're going to be joined by a number of different people that have taken part in the project and without further ado, let's get started on our tour of Big Pit. Catherine Pinkerton: Morning, everybody. Hello, welcome. It is my absolute pleasure to welcome you all today and I know there's been a lot of you'd have travelled far and wide, so thank you so much for your time. I really appreciate you coming to see the amazing store that we've created and I hope you love it. We're just going to cut the river now. Paul Marden: First up I've got Catherine Pinkerton, Group Head of Retail at Museum Wales. Catherine, welcome to Skip the Queue. Catherine Pinkerton: Thank you very much. Thank you so much for having me. Paul Marden: Absolute pleasure. And this is a corker of an episode. I think everybody is going to be really interested in finding out about the retail, the gift shop experience that you guys have introduced at Big Pit and then you're going to go wider into. Into Museums Wales. This is a really weird episode because you and I are recording the morning after the day before. So yesterday was the big launch event and I was with you at Big Pit and I've met lots and lots of people and we're going to cut to them throughout the episode and hear from those people that were taking part in the project. But you and I have got the benefit of having enjoyed yester today's event and we can look back on what that experience was like and talk a little bit about the project. Paul Marden: Before we do that, I think it would be really lovely for you to introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about Museums Wales and Big Pit specifically. Catherine Pinkerton: Absolutely. Okay. So I'm Catherine Pinkerton. So I head up all of the retail stores within Amgueddfa Cymru, which is National Museums of Wales. I've been with the museum just under three years and I'm good that Cymru hosts seven sites. It's an incredible establishment to be part of and I think, you know, coming from a very commercial background, this is very different for me, but I think it's given me lots of insights into bringing kind of. Lots of. Kind of different skill sets, I guess, to this cultural sector. I think when I first initially joined Amgueddfa Cymru, there were lots of challenges. And that's not to say that we still have those challenges as they are in many of our museums. And I think coming from a retail background, it's. It's looking at something that's not. That's commercial, Paul.Catherine Pinkerton: That's key. But actually, how can we make it very collection and story based on our amazing assets that we hold within our museums? And I think that I felt was probably the biggest thing that was missing because I thought we've got these amazing exhibitions, these amazing collections, amazing, you know, opportunities, and how are we putting that into the retail structure and how do we offer that to us, you know, to our visitors? And I think. I think sometimes it may be. Have forgotten that you go around these amazing spaces and it's very based on that visitor focus and how can we make that visitor feel very happy and engaged. But actually the end part of that process is nearly always coming through, exiting through the retail space. Right. Catherine Pinkerton: And if they've had this amazing opportunity to go and, you know, a lot of investment in these amazing spaces, and then they come through that retail space which has some elements, but not all of what our collections hold, there's a confusion there. You know, that end piece. And for me, customer service and visitor experience is absolutely key to how they. How they finish and how they end their day. And if they're ending their day with something, oh, okay, I'll just have a magnet then. Because there's nothing really else here. Yeah, that pains me. That really hurts me. I think, come on, guys, we can do better than this. We are in an element of. We have our own assets, our own elements to be able to kind of display that. Catherine Pinkerton:  And I think very much it would be very easy and to take the kind of easy road of having, you know, let's. Let's pop a dragon on a mug and yeah, we're a Welsh museum. No, we're not. We have assets here. We have beautiful exhibitions, we have beautiful spaces. And actually looking from further afield into. In terms of an emotional connection. And I think, you know, for me, from all of my past kind of previous work, I'm working with Amgueddfa Cymru. It's probably been the most challenging to get perhaps senior management to understand a crazy way of Catherine Pinkerton working into a. What's emotional retail? What does emotive selling mean? This lady is crazy. What's she talking about? But actually, it's really basic, isn't it? Catherine Pinkerton: Because for me, if I take my daughter or my husband to any kind of day trip, I want to take something emotional that I've connected with home with me, and that's so simple. But actually, sometimes it's not thought about in that way. And, you know, for me, I'm all about the emotional connection. And I think we put so much investment in curatorial teams to kind of give that to our visitors. We need to end that. That end part is so important for them to finish, you know, that journey with that emotional connection that they can take home as a souvenir. So, yeah, I've probably said more than I needed to there, Paul, but.Paul Marden: Absolutely. So I think you're capturing the need to curate the. The ending experience because, you know, the nature of. The nature of people's memory is they remember the beginning and they remember the end and the bit that is in the middle is hugely important to the storytelling experience they have whilst they're at the attraction. But if you don't end on a high, then their emotional connection to you and the space and the stories they've heard is not going to be as impactful for them. Catherine Pinkerton:  Absolutely, totally agree. I think it's really key, and not just in the kind of, you know, the cultural sector, but in any sector, really. I think it's really important that connection is instant, really, because that is what you need to. That's the hook, isn't it, of getting that person, you know, and. And actually understanding what the visitor needs. I mean, it's very easy for me to say on a personal level, I'd love to have this collection of products within the shop, but actually, that's not what data tells us. That's not what our demographic tells know, you know. And they are the ones that are important. Our local communities, our demographic is key for us to be successful. Paul Marden: You know, so one of the things that I took from yesterday was the importance that you were moving away from being just any other generic Welsh gift shop to being a gift shop associated with the place. Yeah, that. That's the. That was the nub of I think, what you were trying to get to how do you go about doing that? How did you make it feel so much like a gift shop? About Big Pit? Catherine Pinkerton: It's taken a process of really pulling everything back and getting under the skin, what is the detail and the personality of the site. But actually it's talking to people and being humour. And Paul, you know, I think, very much, as I say, it'd be very ignorant for me to say this is what I think will work. And that's absolutely not what we want. What we want is for the visitors to say, I really. I mean, what was really interesting, actually, is that we did quite a lot of data analysis in terms of the demographics of customers that come through our sites. But also what was really key is areas of the sites that were really kind of, you know, three key areas that they really enjoyed or they really loved. Catherine Pinkerton:  And actually, one of the top ones was the pit ponies that they all love the pit ponies, they love talking about it, they love the stories that the mining team would talk about. It was a really inspiring, you know, inspirational moment for them to think, oh, my gosh, the pit ponies lived underground. This is really so, you know, I think in some respects that was probably missed in terms of our retail offer, because what we did after that is that we had a workshop with all our retail team and we almost did a little bit like a Dragon's Den effect. We said, right, these are the products that we have, right? Can you pick up out of these products, which products represent the pit ponies? Which products represent the shower rooms? Catherine Pinkerton: And actually, when you're talking to the teams in kind of a literal sense, there wasn't a lot within our retail offer that we already had. And I think it was a bit of a light bulb moment, really, for the retail team and said, “Oh, Kath. Right, I see, Yeah, I understand what you mean.” That's not represented in our retail offer. So what's represented currently was wonderful things and lots of Welsh kind of products. But actually, what. What makes that relatable to our site? And so I think what I wanted to do originally is just go on a journey and to kind of really, from a very basic stage, is understand what the site's POS was and actually understand what their personality was and what the curatorial team were trying to push forward as being their identity. Catherine Pinkerton:  And I think once we got the identity, we then broke that down into themes in terms of there's pit ponies. That's a huge part of the, you know, the exhibition. The other huge part of the exhibition were the canaries. So, you know, that was something that was talked about. There's a huge story around that. And then, you know, the kind of mining history and the community was massive. And actually that element was so important to me and the retail team to make sure that we got right. Because this is history, right? And this is. I come from both my grandparents were miners. So for me it was very much a, you know, a very emotional time for me to make sure that we got it right and that it was respectfully done. Catherine Pinkerton:  So that was really key in terms of how do we deliver this. That's really. That we are not stepping on people's toes. We're not profiting from something that was, you know, the strike range is very significant within what we've offered, but we really wanted to make sure that was respectful and that it was done in a tasteful way that people felt they could take a souvenir away, but know that was actually part of the exhibition. So it was those kind of areas that we really wanted to work. So once we have those themes in place in terms of what those looked like, it was then developing that and how do we develop that into an actual concept? Paul Marden: Yeah, and you've drawn in lots of people. You've already mentioned the kind of wide team that you brought in from Big Pit itself, but from the wider team in the group. Talk a little bit about what that experience has been like as a team. Who have you brought into this? Catherine Pinkerton:  So originally, when we wrote the retail concept and the retail strategy, you obviously have to kind of involve quite a lot of internal candidates to be able to allow them to believe that this journey and vision is a good one. And I'm super thankful. I've got the most amazing manager, Marc Simcox. He's the head of enterprises and he is incredible. He's very commercial, but very trusting in terms of understanding what the business should look like and actually giving that freedom to say, yeah, I think this can work. Kath. So you, you go ahead and that. That's huge. Right. We're not talking about a small project here. So that firstly was great for me. And then I think having the, you know, the opportunity to be able to get some key people. Catherine Pinkerton: And Matthew Henderson we've worked with previously and we've, you know, I knew straight away, for me, Matthew Henderson has gotten. Got a very unique way of working and we work very well together. We've got quite similar kind of ways of working, but I think that development and concept phase is really key and I think it really got to the point where we just sat in a room and kind of really understood what are we trying to achieve here, how can we achieve that? And really just making it very basic in terms of the key themes. And then in terms of product development, we brought on Anya Kirkby. So she is an illustrator and a very clever lady indeed. And we have worked with lots of illustrators and lots of suppliers over the years. Catherine Pinkerton: But what we wanted something for Big Pit was to be quite different in terms of the illustration and the product development. Because what we wanted to deliver with Big Pit was something that had been my vision since the very beginning when I started with Amgueddfa Cymru. And that is, you know, going into the shop and having those guidelines, you know, pricing guidelines, information guidelines, those small details which would probably mean nothing to the average person walking through, but actually a price ticket on something that's been illustrated pains me to see, because the work that's gone on behind that is so key. Catherine Pinkerton: And, you know, for most people not understanding that a price ticket on that is so I think those details are really key, Paul, and I think she really worked stringently with me to make sure that was, was, that was kind of a massive aspect of that role. And then Arantxa Garcia, who is just the most incredible designer. She's, she's a genius in what she does. She's incredibly creative and sometimes you have to kind of pull her back and say, okay, you want this? Okay, can you deliver this rancher? Paul Marden: Yeah. Catherine Pinkerton: And what was really interesting with a rancher is that, you know, she's got a huge, amazing CV of working with lots of people within the cultural sector and designing amazing, incredible pieces. But I think were very nervous because the, the original kind of renders that she sent through to us were quite amazing and impressive. And I said, arantha, are you able to deliver this under the kind of, you know, the budget? We've got a tight budget here. Paul Marden: That's the challenge, isn't it? Catherine Pinkerton: I mean, isn't it? Paul Marden: You do not want to be paying, you don't want to be offered the picture of a Maserati when you have got a Ford Fiesta budget, do you need to know that you can afford it. Catherine Pinkerton: Absolutely. And I think with Aranta, she was very, again, super creative lady. And I think I, as soon as I saw that image, I did say to her, right, you need to deliver this now. You've, you've committed to it, Arantia, so this needs to happen. And then finally, Richard Evans, who has, is hugely respected in the cultural sector and he really supported in terms of project management and the, you know, I hate to say this, and you won't mind me saying this, but the kind of boring kind of financial Gantt charts and keeping me in line actually. Right, Cath, we haven't got a budget for that. You can't spend that. Come on, Richard, make it work. Move some things around, you know. Catherine Pinkerton: So I think that was kind of the main area and then internally, Tracy Lucas, who was kind of my right hand woman, is our operations manager within Amgueddfa Cymru and she really supported me along with Amy, the shop manager, shop supervisor to really look at the product development. So I think, you know, and I think it was really nice actually to have them on board because I think it gave an opportunity for them to see what could be. And I think, you know, definitely in terms of retail, it's been an opportunity for us to be able to say, look, this, the impossible can be possible. Catherine Pinkerton: Actually this is an amazing project and I think what was really incredible is that when we decided to work on Big Pit, the Big Pit team and all of the mining team actually just came on board, Paul, they took it on board and I think the reason why they did that is that one of the mining teams said to me, he said, kath, you know, we never get any funding here. It's always in this big cities, you know, we, the Cardiff and it's never here, you know, we're just in the middle of nowhere. And I was like, absolutely not. That is not what this is about. It's about, you know, making sure that the community in that area is solid. Catherine Pinkerton: And I think the mining industry and they're very proud of that in terms of who works there, they're incredibly proud of what they do. And so because we chose that as our first project, they were so helpful in terms of, yeah, we're going to make this work, let's make it a success. Cath, how can we do that? What do you need from me? I mean at one point we had two of the mining staff pulling one of the drums which we upcycled out of it was like a lake or, yeah, I suppose a lake with a tractor. And I was like, this is crazy. This is crazy but just amazing that these team members are willing to do above and beyond to kind of go and help and support.Catherine Pinkerton: Dwayne Smith, finally I have to mention him because he went above and beyond. He, he's an electrical engineer for Amgueddfa Cymru and no feat was kind of Too hard for him. He helped us massively. He's got a huge team of people and anything that we needed done, I'm not, you know, I'm not a trades person, so anything Trady. I was like, Dwayne, yeah, I'm on it, Kath, I'll do it. Which is great because I was like, okay, yes, that was massively helpful, but huge learning curve, Paul. I feel I've never been so excited about drums in my entire working career as I am now. Paul Marden: And I never heard of one until yesterday. But what I found interesting was you see them all the way through the underground experience. I went down in the. The cage to the bottom of the pit head, did the whole tour. You talk about these drams and the importance of them and the transportation of the coal from throughout the mine back up to the top. And then you walk into the shop and it's subtle. The way that you've blended the museum into the shop is a subtle experience. It doesn't feel, it doesn't feel crude. But you've got a dram in the middle of the workshop. Now, I know it's a real one because we talked about it yesterday and I know the pains that you went through, but it's very subtle placed in there so that it doesn't feel crude. Paul Marden: It doesn't feel like you're trying to overwork the metaphor of the mine in the shop. It's very cleverly done. Catherine Pinkerton:  Oh, that's great, great, great to hear. Because that's absolutely what we did not want. And I think in terms of visual merchandising, actually, and picking up on your point there, is that it's very easy for us and this is something that we're doing in a different shop. It's very easy for us to look at some of our assets and pop them on a tote bag and say, there you go, that's done, we'll sell that. But actually, no, what can we do that's different? That's more kind of innovative? That's more creative. That is a hint or perhaps an opportunity for us to show and display something that is. Is then part of the visitors question. So when they're coming into store and they're speaking to our retail teams, they're questioning, is this a real drum? Catherine Pinkerton:  You know, and that is a conversation opener, isn't it? You know, and I think Kerry Thompson, who is the curator for Big Pit, he's a really inspiring man. I could listen to him all day. And he told me lots about kind of the drums and the history of Big Pit and the strikes. He's such an interesting man, but I think having the inspiration from him allowed us to make sure that we did it not in a crude way, actually, Paul, but that it was representative of the site, but not in a way that's, I guess, too obvious, you know. Paul Marden: Look, Kath, we could carry on talking for ages, but let's cut at this point to hear about some of the voices from the team that you worked with, your internal team, some of the partners that you worked with, about the experiences that they've had on the project. Paul Marden: So let's hear from some of the internal team members involved in the project. Firstly, we have Amy Samways, the retail supervisor at Big Pit, followed by Kate Eden, the chair of Museum Wales. And lastly, Nia Elias, the Director of Relationships and Funding at the Museum of Wales. Hey, Amy, how you doing? Lovely to meet you. What's your role at the museum, Amy? Amy Samways: I'm the shop supervisor for Big Pit. Paul Marden: What have you been doing in this whole project? I guess you've been integral to the whole kind of making it all about the place. Amy Samways: Yeah, so I've worked with Anya, who did all the products for the new shop. So we walked around all the exhibitions. We did a lot of underground visits and a lot of museum visits and just put things together. I've done a lot of work before this project for the last two years to try and get things more relevant to us and not just a Welsh souvenir shop. So a lot of those products stayed and then we just expanded them then. Paul Marden: So how do you go about looking for those products that make it local to here? Amy Samways: Well, we've got a fantastic exhibition at the top of the hill. We've got obviously our ex miners and we also have a lot of events through the times as well. So this year was a lot about the strike because obviously it's the 40th anniversary and we've got a massive exhibition down in Cardiff and also there's a smaller one up year as well. So we just walked through the museum and obviously, you know that disasters are obviously a big issue. We didn't want to make a big issue about those, but obviously they need. They're part of history, aren't they? So more books. We made sure we had books around that. And as you walk through, there's a lot of signs that the staff liked as well, because a lot of our guys have been done about the new projects with those as well on. Paul Marden: So do you then go looking for local suppliers to help you with that? And where do you find those? Amy Samways: Etsy, Facebook. Paul Marden: Oh, really? Amy Samways: Yeah, a lot of them. And also online. And then we've also. Because we work with a lot of suppliers as well, I'll say we need this and then they'll say, oh, you should ask so and so, and then we'll go and ask both. Paul Marden: Brilliant. So one of the things that's really interested me this year is talking to people that are running museum retail and that kind of process that goes from you as a buyer, having an idea, what do you want? How do you stock the shop? I think is really interesting process to go through, but flip it on the other side, as a local creator, you've got your thing and you want it in the shop. How do you get it found? Well, yeah, sticking it on Etsy is something that they're going to do, but then that might help them get into the museum. Amy Samways: Even if there is something that we want. Like at the minute, we're looking for NCB soap. Paul Marden: For what? Amy Samways: NCB soap. Paul Marden: What's that? Amy Samways: It's either bright green or bright pink and they used to buy it in the canteen shop and it's just imprinted with NCB. The guides have been asking and asking for it, but we have actually found a supplier now who's going to be working on it. So that should be coming this summer. Paul Marden: Wowzers. Amy Samways: Yeah. That's really exciting for you. Paul Marden:  What was the highlight? What's the one thing about this space, about the whole experience of the project. Amy Samways: That jumps out for me is seeing all the stock we've worked on and somebody actually buying it. Paul Marden:  And what is it that people are picking up? What are they walking in and gravitating to? Amy Samways: Anything Big pet, really. The little enamel little mugs have gone really well. I think the wording on those are great because it says they must not be removed from the premises. So our guides are loving those. And also our retro sign, which we had for our 40th anniversary and three years ago, but we kept it because it's such a brilliant design. It was the original from 1983 and it was on the original road sign as you drove in. So we've had that recreated and that sells really well. Paul Marden:  That's really interesting. So my wife with the family about 25, 30 years ago, came on a family holiday and they had the original guidebook that they picked up when they were here with the kind of the retro. Retro signage on there. Amy Samways: Yeah, we're back selling it again. Kate Eden: Yes, So my name's Kate Eden. I'm chair of the board of Amgueddfa Cymru. Paul Marden:  Tell me a little bit about your involvement in this project. Kate Eden:  As the board, we've been tracking the development of commercial and enterprises over the past year. Really. And really thrown our way, weight and support behind what the team has been trying to do here as a kind of flagship, really, for what we would all like the new benchmark to be across all of the seven sites of anger for Cymru. So seeing it all come together this morning has just been such a special experience. It's absolutely fantastic. I'm going to bring the rest of the board here as soon as I can so the trustees can see this and see the reaction of staff and of visitors as well, because it's a fabulous achievement and it shows us what we can do now as a national museum. Paul Marden: How well does it tie back into the original pitch at trustees? So I'm a trustee of a charity as well. The pressures that we're all under in terms of reducing funding and having to generate our own funding is so hugely important. This must be integral to the conversations that you were having as trustees. Did you have this in mind when you were signing off the agreement to spend the money? Kate Eden: Yeah. So I don't think anybody realised just how successful this could be. We'd had some mock ups and we'd had a presentation, so there was a lot of excitement and there was sort of the fledgling idea years. So we've got a sense of what it could be. But I think importantly for us, it's about that marriage of financial sustainability because it's got to wash its face, it's got to provide a working profit that can go back into the running of Big Pit here.Kate Eden: But it's got to be authentic to this place. It can't be the add on the visitor should shop that you walk through at the end. And it's a bit of a tedious thing to get back to the car park. It's got to be an integral part of the whole visitor experience in this place. And I think that's what they've achieved. Paul Marden: It's so impressive. So impressive. You know, just the structure that they've built to give you the impression of the mine in a really subtle way. The product that they've chosen, the way that they've laid out that, the shop is amazing. I think they've done an amazing job. Kate Eden: That's it. I mean, this is my local site. Paul Marden: Okay. Kate Eden: I live about three miles over the mountain there. So I bring my friends and family here. This is our go to place when I've got visitors. And I think just the way they've opened up the room, they've removed the barriers, which is really important. It's a small thing, but really important so that people feel welcome. They can walk in or they can walk ground. Paul Marden: Yep. Kate Eden: And it's. And it just feels a little bit more inclusive. It feels a bit more kind of, you know, we're here, it's easy to come and see us, you know, and spend time and then spend a little. Paul Marden: A little bit of money. Yeah. So where do we go from here as trustees? Are you fully behind rolling this out now? Kate Eden: Yeah, I mean, I think now that we've seen what we can do and the type of data that's coming through from sales, this is now the new. This is the bar. Paul Marden: Oh. So it has made a discernible difference to say. Kate Eden: So early data from Easter is really promising. Yeah. So this is the benchmark now from all of the other sites. Nia Elias: Hi, Paul. Hi, I'm Nia. Paul Marden: Lovely to meet you. Tell me about your role at the museum. Nia Elias: I am Director of Relationships and Funding. It basically means I get to work with all of the teams across the museum that work on the reputation, the reach, but also the revenue of this wonderful charity and national museum that we are. Because as well as getting funding from Welsh government, we raise our own income so it can be invested.Paul Marden: What sort of split? Nia Elias: What sort of split? So the majority of the money that comes to us does come from Welsh government because we're a public service, we're here free of charge for the people of Wales and we look after the national collection, which is over 5 million items across seven museums and a collection centre. Nia Elias: But there's a proportion then of money that we raise ourselves about sort of 30%, which is from our cafes and our car parks and the experiences that people have, and most importantly, our shops. Paul Marden:  So what was the inspiration for this project? Why kick off a strategy project around the whole retail experience? Nia Elias:  Well, this whole project, in essence started three and a half years ago when the museum decided that it would bring a strategy together for all of its self generated income. So that means our philanthropic income generation and through our enterprise, including our retail. And from a retail perspective, we knew that what we wanted to achieve with all of the money that we raise ourselves is that it's really rooted in the collection, because we have an amazing collection. It tells the story of Wales and it's owned by the people of Wales. Paul Marden: Right. Nia Elias: And from a retail perspective, we knew if people could engage with that and could take away something from the wonderful experience that they've had on site, that it would be something that they would want and it would make it unique that it's only possible to have here. Developing a project like this is quite challenging. You need the time, you need the teams and expertise, some of which are on your permanent team, some of which are naturally not. And also you need investment. And so by starting the thinking and the route of where we wanted to get to three and a half years ago, it meant when we had the funding and the opportunity to do so here at Big Pit, we knew exactly what to do. Paul Marden: Okay, so you. You put all of those pieces together and then came here and did the first cookie cutter stamp. But what's interesting is it's not a cookie cutter stamp, is it? This totally feels like the gift shop for this museum, doesn't it?. Nia Elias:  Yeah. So we feel really strongly that we wanted the balance of knowing that you're at a National Museum Wales site, knowing that you're somewhere unique, but equally that it has a sense of a place. Because all of our seven museums together tell the holistic story of Wales, but you really get a sense of personality on all of those sites, not just from the collection and the buildings and the items, but also from the colleagues that work here as well. Paul Marden: Right. Nia Elias: They're very much a part of that in terms of the stories that they tell, their lived experiences, and we had a sense of responsibility and fun to bring that through in the shop. Not just the ambiance, but also the products themselves, so much of them, the majority of them actually, are grounded in being inspired by the collection in some way, and also has a really strong Welsh and local profit as well. What we think that will come through to our customers and visitors and guests is that because we've worked across all of the teams in the museum, so curators and people who care for the collection, our colleagues here at Big Pit, many of whom are former miners, and our colleagues front of house, it means that everybody will be able to speak about the product. Nia Elias: So as you're walking around picking things up, imagining them in your home or as gifts, our colleagues can talk about what they mean to the place. And that brings something additional that you can't really buy. Paul Marden: Yeah. There's a story to it. There's a background to it that roots it. Yeah. Lovely. For you, what's the standout experience from the whole project? What have you enjoyed the most? Nia Elias: Two things I think in terms of the way that it's been done, the fact that so many teams have worked together behind the scenes to make it happen. That means that as we want to change things or tweak things or improve things, we'll have all of the knowledge and expertise already baked in, especially learning from other suppliers who've come along and helped us. So we've got that baked in now, which is really exciting. And the second thing is that I can stand here knowing that this is the standard of a national museum that our guests and visitors expect and want to see. Paul Marden: And now let's hear from a few of the external partners that Kath brought into the project. Arantxa Garcia was the shop designer and visual merchandiser. Anya Kirkby was responsible for product development. And Guy Veal was responsible for sound design. Tell me about your involvement in the project. Arantxa Garcia: Sure. So I'm the shop designer and visual merchandiser. It's a freelance role, so. So I worked with the team, Matthew, Richard, Anne and Guy. Paul Marden: Excellent. Arantxa Garcia: So we kind of all came as part of a team and each one of us looked after different areas of the project. And my involvement was to kind of reinvent and reimagine what was already here. And the idea was to create a space that was connected to the experience and to the site itself. So we've basically ripped the space apart. We've kind of kept the structure, obviously, but we've opened up the space as well. Before the shop, it would be very separate. You'd have admissions and then you have the shop area, which meant that you were only really accessing the shop if you came to visit the site. But as a local, you wouldn't be able to come, for example. Or you could, but maybe not in such an open way. Paul Marden: Yeah, you wouldn't feel welcome. Arantxa Garcia: Exactly, exactly. You may not want to just because you didn't know, whereas now you can just come in and basically hang around and also browse the shop. Exactly. We took inspiration from life underground, from the mine itself. So before the building was white, the units were white, so it could be a shop anywhere. You know, it didn't really have a DNA, so to speak, or an identity that related it directly to the site. So when visiting down to the underground and King Call as well, the exhibition that we've got just up the hill, we took inspiration from basically sort of like the. The cladding that you've got on the walls. Cladding is not the right word. So if one of the miners hears me saying that, they'll be. Arantxa Garcia: That's not the word that we told you, but the idea is that all the materiality that we're using, it's really evocative of. Of the site and it's the materials that have been used underground. So even, like the safety lamps, they'll set authentic safety lamps. And the team on site, Dwayne Smith, has electrified them. So it means that now they work, obviously, as a normal light, but it's a safety. Paul Marden: But they are the original safety. Arantxa Garcia: They are the original safety. Paul Marden: Wowsers. And what about these styles? Arantxa Garcia: So, yes, I always like going for a hunt on the side. So basically the team took me to different rooms and we just found stuff, if you like. So they're like the pressure gauges, you know, we're gonna use them just to add, again, like, references to the site and the authenticity, of course. So you also find loads of tools that would have been used underground as well. Paul Marden: I would imagine that this has been a really enjoyable project for you. I can see it on your face, how much you've enjoyed it. Arantxa Garcia: It has. And I think for designers, sometimes there's projects that take a bit longer to emerge and you keep changing things because you just don't feel probably quite right. There's something. But with this one, it kind of. After the site visit, it was just. Paul Marden: I clicked immediately.Arantxa Garcia: It just clicked immediately. So we darkened the wall. So we've kind of given that sort of grey background just to kind of creating more of like a cosy and shrinking the space. Paul Marden: But you. It pops the orange. Arantxa Garcia: Exactly. And the orange is everywhere. So, like, we've also changed the lighting, so it's a lot warmer. So again, that hint of orange. Yeah, orange on the back, orange on the miners on here. And then it comes also from the products. So the identity is there, but without going fully corporate, if that makes sense. That's the colour that you remember, isn't it? You've just been on the ground. All our guides and miners wear the orange overalls and the sort of, like the blue jackets over it, whether it's a donkey jacket in the winter or then they wear the soft shells as well. So, yeah, it's all those details, like those hints to the experience that kind of are embedded in the design. And these are regional as well. The drums are regional, all the flatbeds. Arantxa Garcia:  So the team here took the metal sides off and then sort of like left the skeleton of the drum, varnished it. And then our shop fitters aren't here. They did all the sort of the cladding using reclaimed scaffolding boards. But the original Drums would have been made out of wood. Paul Marden: Beautiful. It's so tactile, isn't it? Arantxa Garcia:  It's tactile. Again, we're looking at the DNA all the time. And shops can be more than just shops. Shops can tell stories. You just connect with it in a very different way. And just having the time the team on site involved has been absolutely incredible. Like the sense of pride and belonging and provenance that this kind of has awakened, it's been great. It's your job done really as a designer. When you just feel like everyone owns it, that's your job, that's when you can walk away. Paul Marden: What an amazing testimonial for you and the work that everyone feels like that. Anya, lovely to meet you. Tell me, what was your involvement in the project? Anya Kirkby: So I mainly focused on product development. So we looked at where we could get inspiration from the site and how we could translate that really from the site experience into the shop experience as well. Paul Marden: Okay, so you're coming, you're experiencing what's going on and then looking to the outside world as to how you can source your products. Where do you go for the inspiration for the products? Anya Kirkby: Working with the team a lot. So Amy was a huge help on guiding us on what things would be very useful for visitors, what they really enjoyed when they were on site, what were their key take home messages that they experienced. And then working with Amy and Tracey as well to look at what products people like when they're in the shop anyway and how we can kind of marry those two up. Paul Marden: So what is it that people like when they come to Big Pit? Anya Kirkby: Well, unsurprisingly, the mine, they enjoy the mines, the mining experience. So that was just something that we already had in the shop. So we just expanded on that more if possible. But then we've also taken inspiration from signage. So they already had the original Big Pit signage and we looked at that and kind of again expanded on it. So then we've kind of expanded that to signage that you find in some of the other exhibits. So up in the showers, for example, in the canteen, signage, some of the original pieces from collections. We then translated that into products. So you'll see we've got the designs across mugs, original little metal signs, moved that across to prints, notebooks, postcards. Paul Marden: You've been developing a lot of the products yourself, so bringing that kind of the unifying feel to everything. Anya Kirkby: Yeah. So along with product development and making all the kind of the new things that we can have it's just bringing across the branding through the AC brand really strongly across everything. It's got such a strong message that we may as well have that on as many products as we possibly can do. Paul Marden: And how much of the stuff is actually locally sourced? Anya Kirkby: Oh, it's huge amounts. And the exciting thing is after speaking to Amy, the things that she needs to reorder are the local suppliers, which is so nice. So a lot of the confectionery that's locally sourced candles, soap, the coal figures, the wooden spoons, chocolate boxes, the biscuit boxes. So as much as possible. And then we've worked with local suppliers as well to do photography, to do some of the signage, to do the original signwriting in the shop as well. So beyond products, we've looked at the POS points like elements of the shop as well. So thankfully we've used as many local spires as we possibly can. Paul Marden: You've enjoyed this project, haven't you? Anya Kirkby: I absolutely loved it, yeah. It's fantastic to see it's absolutely amazing. Paul Marden: Yeah. Anya Kirkby: So yeah, it's really special. Paul Marden: And then from here you springboard on to the other seven sites. How do you, how do you come up with the ideas then? Anya Kirkby: Exactly the same process. So working with the teams to find out what it is that visitors absolutely love about their sites and bringing that into the shop experience. So again I get very lucky. I get to go around a lot museums and experience it. Paul Marden: It's a tough job, isn't it?Anya Kirkby: It's tricky. But basically finding out what they love and bringing that through the really things that visitors take home with them anyway and just making it into a product that they can actually physically take a piece of the museum home with them as well. Paul Marden: It's great because there are some pocket money items here because I take kids on school visits and it's a very expensive experience. You know, if they catch take a fiver with them, often they can't get anything with a fiver but they can walk in and they've got pencils, they've got rubbers and they'll walk out happy with those little bits. But at the same time you've got some beautiful stuff that the grown ups can come and pick up and really enjoy. Anya Kirkby: It's the same as any museum visitor. You kind of have to look at who's going to be visiting. It's all types of people that come and just gauging it from that as well. So having an offer for everyone that they can enjoy. Someone said to me once that children for the first time. It's often their first time having a transaction monetary wise. Is that a museum on a school trip? So it's just lovely to kind of have something for them to experience that as well. Paul Marden: Never thought of it like that. They're out on their own. They're not with mum and dad. So they've got the money themselves and they've got to make the decision. So we are at. I took some kids to the science museum last year. Anya Kirkby: Oh. Paul Marden: And the amount of time we took in the shop because of the indecision that they had. Anya Kirkby: It's the indecision decision and then the queue of all them having a five pound note and having all the change come back or not having quite enough. But I think it's such an important. If you can't do that in a museum, where can you do it? Paul Marden: Guy. Hi. Guy Veale: Hi. Paul Marden: I just wanted to talk to you a little bit about what was your part of the project? Guy Veale: I was sound designer for the soundscape which we can't hear when everyone's chatting. Paul Marden: I can hear some birds in the background. Is that. Guy Veale: Is that canaries? Living canaries. Not dead gas. Paul Marden:  Coal mine canary. Guy Veale: So I did a little bit of research sort of towards the end of the project after lots of stuff had been built in, when they decided that some low level sound would be a good part of the experience. And looking at the brief and the shape of the room, the acoustics, a lot of this new ducting that's gone in that was not then easy to put cables into. We had to go for a wireless solution. Paul Marden:  Okay. Guy Veale: As part of that I found a Swedish company that had a system that creates its own network which is like a weird dream because normally you've got to go the IT guys and then something goes wrong and there's some sort of address problems or. Bluetooth is not always reliable. This has been a revolution just in terms of. Guy Veale: Don't if you can see them. There's little. They look like light fixtures that are centrally over these panels. Paul Marden: Oh right. Guy Veale: And they're quite. Paul Marden: Oh. And so they're speaking speakers pointing down onto the panel to separate it. So what. What. The other kind of sound pictures that you're painting. We've got the canary. What else have you got? Guy Veale: So the whole idea is that you're trying to represent the industrial heritage of the site and have as many authentic sounds from the site as possible. Paul Marden: Right. Guy Veale: So we've reused some of the really high quality recordings that also feature at different parts of the site already. Paul Marden: Yep. Guy Veale: But then, also sourced about another 70 or 80 sound from the BBC archive. Paul Marden: Oh, wow. Guy Veale: Paid for. And so. But if you think about those sounds, they're quite punctuated and aggressive. You think of any industrial sound and like chipping away or different tipples working. You know, the idea is that you don't want to surprise someone that while they're shopping and leaning over next to a speaker and hearing. So it needed to be softened in some way. And you know, traditionally the way I've done work is music and sound design is using different textures and tonal design and like a drone, I suppose, is this as a sort of basis that can be moving and organic, not totally static? Paul Marden: Yeah. Guy Veale:  And the idea was to sort of try and include fragments of relevant songs using the male voice choir.Paul Marden:  Really.Guy Veale: And we tried several things and I looked at it and I realised that you might catch someone coming in for five minutes here and they catch a snippet and it's all well and good for them, but the staff and you've got to hear this eight hours a day, every day, you know, four weeks, a month, so forth. So even just one little identifiable recurring melody starts to get too much, even on quite a long five. Paul Marden: Oh, really? Guy Veale: And I found that it wasn't sustainable. So I, in the end, I ended up using the. Almost like the vocal warm ups and breaths of the choir artificially extended out so they're not breathing, just this constant low level, breathy sort of expulsion. I mean, if went quiet now, we'd hear it as the. As a backdrop and it's embedded with a few other little musical elements that just sort of try and soften and support. I think of it like the vowels of the track and then the consonants. Paul Marden: Or the industrial chipping noises and the harsher noises. Guy Veale: So they're harsher but they're there and they're a bit removed and reverberate and in the background. Paul Marden: But it's really interesting how you describe it in that kind of. Using the metaphor of the letters. Guy Veale: Yeah, that's what it felt like. Just trying to find something that was like a vocabulary of work that has to tick so many different boxes, including like a therapeutic retail experience. People leaving the site with a sense of well being. Also like summarising what they've been through, not sort of projecting them out the door with, you know, a completely new thing or somewhere that they haven't been through yet. So, you know, fair few things to try and fit in there and, you know, hopefully it works and we'll see how things are in a year's time. Paul Marden: Yeah. Cath, the last point I wanted touch on before we finish today is oh my God, how happy everybody was at that event yesterday. How positive the experience was for all of the team members. What was for you the big standout moment for the entire project? Catherine Pinkerton: I mean, there's so many, Paul. But I think for me it's an opportunity to see what can be achieved when people collaborate. And I think, you know, joining the museum three years ago is really collaborating with lots of different departments to achieve something as a team.Catherine Pinkerton: Teamwork is absolutely the key to kind of success and I think you can only achieve that by having that really product professional kind of embodiment with all of the collaborative teams to work together for the same goal. And I, I was really proud yesterday that it took a lot of work, but actually without a team of 40 people as well as the wider organisation, it would not have been, it was no mean feat, but it was certainly wasn't just down to one person saying this is my project because it was a team effort. Catherine Pinkerton: And I was so proud of everybody that was there to kind of thank them along the way to say, this is, we've done this and now onwards and upwards. Paul Marden: Yeah, absolutely. You should be so proud. It really was. Catherine Pinkerton: Thank you. Paul Marden:  It's a demonstration of what a museum gift shop experience can really be like when you work together like that, when you collaborate. So well done to all of you. It was such a lovely experience yesterday. Thank you for inviting me. Catherine Pinkerton: Thank you so much for coming, Paul. I appreciate it. Paul Marden: Before we go though, I always ask for a book recommendation from our guests. Now it would have bankrupted me to have asked everybody yesterday for book recommendations. So you have to take the responsibility of a recommendation on behalf of everybody. What have you got for me? Catherine Pinkerton: The secret for me is, you know, that that book seems to be. I always go back to that book very often and I think it's a key one for lots of areas. So that's definitely a takeaway for me. But the other one I'm reading at the moment called A Monk's Guide to Happiness. I'm not sure if you've had enough to read it. Yeah, it's a 21st century take on A Monk's Guide. It's written by Gelong Thubten and he had a very high powered job and he had a burnout and interestingly he changed his whole mindset in terms of what makes him happy and really making it quite basic. Right. Catherine Pinkerton: So it's a, it's a real eye opener in terms of just pulling things back sometimes, you know, at the end of the day, come on, let's just live life and be happy but, you know, not stress out about things. I'm quite easy to do that. So this is very much a. Just breathe, Kath, get through it. But it's a good one. If you want to just strip it back and just kind of understanding the basics of being happy, then, yeah, he's great. Paul Marden: Oh, Cath, that's a great recommendation. If you go over to Bluesky and repost the show message that Wenalyn put out and say, I want Kath's book, then the first person that does that will get a copy of the book sent to them. Kath, it was absolutely delightful. I enjoyed my day wandering around Big Pit yesterday no end. Given that half my family is from the valleys and most of them were miners, I feel like I should have done this a very long time ago. But it was lovely. And to enjoy the experience of the celebration that you had yesterday, it was a real privilege. So thank you. Catherine Pinkerton: Oh, huge privilege to have you there. Paul. Thank you so much. I'm really appreciative. Did you purchase? Paul Marden: I did purchase on my way out. Catherine Pinkerton: Yay. Great, great, great.Paul Marden: Deal. Catherine Pinkerton: Deal. Thank you so much. Paul Marden: So after my trip 90 metres down to the bottom of the mine shaft, where I of course couldn't take microphones, I'm now back up on the surface, microphones back in hand and enjoying myself, wandering around currently in the winding house, which is where all the machinery is for lifting the cages that 90 metres down to the bottom of the pit head. I've had an amazing day here at Big Pit. It's been so interesting to see this museum and to talk to many of the amazing staff that have taken part in this big project to redesign their gift shops. Highly recommend a day trip to Big Pit. Really has been very enjoyable, if for no other reason, to see that amazing new gift shop experience. Paul Marden: Now, as always, if you'd like a copy of Catherine's book, head over to Blue sky and repost the show notice that Wenalyn will post out and say, I want a copy of Catherine's book and the first person to do that will get that copy sent over to them. So all that remains for me to say is thank you to Catherine for inviting me here to Big Pit today. And I'll see you again soon. Take care. Bye Bye. Paul Marden: Thanks for listening to Skip the Queue. If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review. It really helps others to find us. Skip The Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them to increase their visitor numbers. You can find show notes and transcripts from this episode and more over on our website, skipthequeue fm.  The 2024 Visitor Attraction Website Survey is now LIVE! Dive into groundbreaking benchmarks for the industryGain a better understanding of how to achieve the highest conversion ratesExplore the "why" behind visitor attraction site performanceLearn the impact of website optimisation and visitor engagement on conversion ratesUncover key steps to enhance user experience for greater conversionsDownload the 2024 Rubber Cheese Visitor Attraction Website Survey Report

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Gwyl Crime Cymru Festival Special Episode 2 recorded at the Ceredigion Museum and Aberystwyth Library featuring interviews with authors and excerpts of live panels. Featuring: LJ Shepherd, Jacqueline Harrett, Diamond Crime panel, Heidi Amsinck, Foreign Fields panel, Gwenllian Williams, Vaseem Khan (sneak appearance by Abir Mukherjee), Arresting Fun panel, Philip Gwynne Jones.Gwyl Crime Cymru Festival Wales' only international crime writing festival, Aberystwyth 25th-27th April, 2025. Guests include Mark Billingham, Elly Griffiths, Mari Hannah, Chris Lloyd, Clare Mackintosh, Zoe Sharp, Graham Bartlett, Vaseem Khan, Abir Mukherjee, Alis Hawkins, Nicola Williams, Louise Mumford, Phil Rowlands. Ayo Onatade, Dr. Noir, Matt Johnson, Gwen Parrott and many more.Gwyl Crime Cymru Festival Sponsors: Arts Council of Wales, Ceridigeon Museum, Love Ceridigeon, Aberystwyth govt., Literature Wales, Waterstones, Welsh Govt., Lottery, Hugh James and National Library of Wales.Paul Burke writes for Monocle Magazine, Crime Time, Crime Fiction Lover and the European Literature Network, Punk Noir Magazine (fiction contribution). He is also a CWA Historical Dagger Judge 2024. His first book An Encyclopedia of  Spy Fiction will be out in late 2025.Produced by Junkyard DogCrime TimeCrime Time FM is the official podcast ofGwyl Crime Cymru Festival 2023 & 2025CrimeFest 2023CWA Daggers 2023 & 2024 & National Crime Reading Month& Newcastle Noir 2023 and 20242024 Slaughterfest,

Andrew, Nick a Carwyn sy'n edrych yn ôl ar benwythnos arbennig i rhanbarthau Cymru. Yw hi'n bosib y welwn ni mwy nag un yn yr wyth ucha. #Rygbicymru #S4C #RygbiPawb #Welshrugby Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's a mixed bag of a podcast as a dejected Ryan is joined by a jubilant Tomi Caws and an above average Rhodri to discuss Wrexham's third consecutive promotion and Cardiff's relegation to League One. We also talk the Cymru Premier play-offs and the Welsh Cup final, play a line up game and answer your question.The best way to support the podcast is to purchase a copy of the latest edition of our magazine from alternativewales.com/shop. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wales is home to many a mythological creature but in this throwback clip we discuss the rarest of them all. The notorious Pig-Heart-Boy. If you want to hear more about the crazy creatures of Cymru, look no further than the full eppy, my friends.

Croeso i bennod mis Ebrill o bodlediad Clera. Y mis hwn rydyn ni'n trafod yr hyn sydd ar dân ar wefusau pawb ledled Cymru....teitlau cerddi! Yn ogystal â hynny, cawn Orffwysgerdd hyfryd gan Haf Llewelyn, cerdd o'r flodeugerdd newydd, 'O ffrwyth y Gangen Hon'.. Hefyd rydyn ni'n ddiolchgar iawn am y fraint o gael cynnwys nid dim ond un Ebenezer, ond dau! Diolch i Dylan Ebz am fynd â holi ei dad, Lyn, ynglŷn a'i gyfrol fendigedig newydd, Cerddi'r Ystrad. Ar ben hyn oll, cawn sgwrsa gyda'r cyn-Fardd Cenedlaethol, Ifor ap Glyn, a hefyd y delicyssi gan Dylan, Tudur Dylan, neb llai. Ac ar ddiwedd y bennod, syrpreis bach ar eich cyfer. mwynhewch!

Croeso i Haclediad mis Ebrill! Mae Bryn, Sions a Iestyn nôl efo mwy o farn heb ymchwil na gwybodaeth

Will the peace talks lead to lasting peace in Ukraine? Journalist Irina Matviyishyn will give us the latest from Ukraine. Jose Peralta from Hybu Cig Cymru is with us to defend HCCs posts about agricultural emissions and Rory Francis from the Snowdonia Society explains why it's important to be scientific about climate change. After an unannounced inspection of Parc Prison found that drugs are widely available there, Vanessa Frake-Harris tells us how she cut down on drug use at Wormwood Scrubs during her time there as governor. And following the Pope's funeral, Papal knight Lord Don Touhig and practising Roman Catholic Delyth Jewell MS mourn his passing.Jess Blair from the Electoral Reform Society and Plaid Cymru group leader on Vale of Glamorgan council review the papers.

Nick a Carwyn sy'n edrych yn ôl ar dydd y farn ac wythnos brysur iawn gyda chwaraewyr yn ymuno, ail arwyddo, gadael ac ymddeol. #Cymraeg #URC #Welshrugby #RygbiCymru #S4C Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Megan Williams sy'n clywed am yr ysgoloriaeth eleni gan John Richards o Hybu Cig Cymru.

Hold on to your butts boios because the top dog we're discussing today is one of the all time, pound for pound champs of the fair nation that is Cymru. Give that little play button a tickle and listen to us tell a tale of battle, diplomacy and leadership that (FOR THE MILLIONTH TIME) deserves a Braveheart style movie adaptation.Llywelyn Fawr had his head screwed on and we're pretty sure he'd be dressed in the finest Tales for Wales merch if he were about today. He'd at very least be gobbling up our extra content so do right by the boy and do the same.

The muppets look back at Wigan v Wrexham and TNS Women v Wrexham Women. Cover the latest Wrexham and Cymru news and look forward to Two massive Wrexham Easter games, at home to Bristol Rovers and away to Blackpool.

Rhodri Davies sy'n sgwrsio am dyfiant glaswellt gyda Gwenan Evans o Gyswllt Ffermio.

Megan Williams sy'n sgwrsio â Haf Wyn Hughes, Arweinydd Clwstwr Mêl Bwyd a Diod Cymru.

We take a deep dive into the Cymru Leagues to discuss all the ups, downs and inbetweens of another dramatic season. Ryan is joined by Tomi Caws and former Newtown manager, Chris Hughes.AW17 is available now from alternativewales.com/shop. Buying a magazine or anything else from our store is the best way to support the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the Three old women look back at the Two Cymru Women's games vs Denmark and Sweden, Wrexham's game vs Burton Albion and Wrexham Women vs Cardiff City Women, cover news from Cymru and Wrecsam football and look forward to Wigan Athletic v Wrexham and TNS Women v Wrexham Women.

Who knocks at midnight—and what do they want? Are these visitors of the night bringing gifts or a curse? When a knock came at midnight, the family inside had no idea the supernatural visitors weren't just visiting—they were hunting.  A seemingly generous call from the Tylwyth Teg—the fairy folk of Welsh folklore—soon unravels into one of the darkest changeling tales ever recorded in Wales. Why did the visitors bring gifts of gold? What happened to the baby in the cradle? And what terrible fate awaited those left behind? Delve into a true 19th-century account of eerie music, fairy rituals, and an exchange that shattered a family—and maybe changed the future of a Welsh farm forever. Mark Rees uncovers this eerie legend in all its tragic, titivating detail, blending dark fairy tale with haunted history and the strange logic of folklore. Explore the lore... if you dare!   ORDER PARANORMAL SWANSEA AND GOWER BY MARK REES: Get Mark's latest "Ghosts of Wales" book "Paranormal Swansea and Gower" now! You can order it online here.   BUY MARK REES A COFFEE: If you'd like to support the GHOSTS AND FOLKLORE OF WALES podcast you can treat Mark to a coffee here: Mark Rees on Ko-Fi - thank you/ diolch!  https://ko-fi.com/markrees    WHAT IS THE GHOSTS AND FOLKLORE OF WALES PODCAST WITH MARK REES? The Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast explores the eerie world of Welsh ghosts, ghost stories, lore, myths, and legends. Launched by author and journalist Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales, Paranormal Wales) in early 2020, this weird and wonderful podcast delves into the country's countless curious subjects, blending decades of research from books and articles with long-lost tales from dusty old tomes. From "real-life" encounters with the uncanny to fantastical adventures from the Mabinogion, new episodes are uploaded monthly and feature everything from pesky poltergeists to fire-breathing dragons, with the odd wicked — and not-so-wicked — witch along the way. Alongside the regular stories, you can expect the occasional special guest, live ghost hunts, and all sorts of quirky surprises from a Welsh storyteller with original ideas. Seasonal specials include dark folklore and Gothic Halloween (Nos Calan Gaeaf) traditions, plus everyone's favourite skull-headed Christmas visitor, the Mari Lwyd. Dare you explore haunted Wales? From the sublime mountains and cascading waterfalls to bustling cities and remote farms, journey through the paranormal and unexplained in all corners of Cymru. Think of it as unlocking the Welsh X-Files with some tenuous Ghostbusters references and terrible sound effects along the way!  Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a spooky episode. For more details and to get in touch with Mark Rees, please visit https://markreesonline.com/: Mark Rees homepage Mark Rees on social media Books by Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales, Paranormal Wales etc.) Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast Until next time, nos da!

Dylan Griffiths, Owain Tudur Jones a Malcolm Allen sy'n dathlu perfformiadau a chanlyniadau merched Cymru yng Nghynghrair y Cenhedloedd a'r cynnydd o dan y rheolwr Rhian Wilkinson.Er gwaethaf dwy gêm gyfartal oddi cartref, mae Caerdydd yn parhau yn y safleoedd disgyn yn y Bencampwriaeth. Ydi'r cefnogwyr wedi colli gobaith yn barod?Mae'r momentwm tuag at ddyrchafiad yn parhau yn Wrecsam - mae eu dynged yn eu dwylo eu hun ar ôl i Wycombe ollwng rhag o bwyntiau.Ac am y tro cyntaf erioed yn hanes y podlediad, mae ffocws Mal yn cael ei chwalu wrth weld ci yn neud ei fusnes yn ei ardd ffrynt.

This week the gang look back at the Two Wrexham men's games vs Exeter City and Cambridge United, plus the Wrexham Women v Briton Ferry Llansawell Women, talk about the latest Wrexham and Cymru football news and look forward to Cymru Women v Denmark Women, Wrexham v Burton Albion, Wrexham Women v Cardiff City Women and Sweden Women v Cymru women.

Mwyaf sydyn, mae'r tymor wedi cyrraedd y pedwar wythnos olaf. Ac mi fydd hi'n ddiweddglo llawn tensiwn i Gaerdydd a Wrecsam, wrth iddyn nhw frwydro am bwyntiau gwerthfawr ar resymau gwahanol iawn.Mae Wrecsam yn parhau tri phwynt yn glir o Wycombe yn y ras am yr ail safle yn Adran Un, ond wedi chwarae un gêm yn fwy. Be sydd orau adeg yma o'r tymor felly? Pwyntiau ar y bwrdd ta tynged yn nwylo eich hun? Wrth reswm, mae yna wahaniaeth barn rhwng Ows a Mal.Mae'r ddau hefyd wedi anghytuno ers tro am dynged Caerdydd tymor yma. Ond ar hyn o bryd, does 'na fawr o dystiolaeth i awgrymu mai llwyddo i aros yn y Bencampwriaeth fydd yr Adar Gleision.Ac ydi Rhian Wilkinson yn iawn i ofyn am fwy o gefnogaeth i ferched Cymru yng ngemau Cynghrair y Cenhedloedd?

Rhodri Davies sy'n clywed mwy am y wobr gan Aled Rhys Jones, Prif Weithredwr y Sioe.

Megan Williams sy'n trafod gyda Gareth Ioan, Is-Lywydd Cymdeithas Gwartheg Hynafol Cymru.

Beti George sydd yn sgwrsio gyda Rhian Bowen-Davies, Comisiynydd Pobl Hŷn Cymru. Yn wreiddiol o Aberpennar ger Aberdâr, dechreuodd Rhian ei gyrfa fel swyddog heddlu, bu gyda nhw am 7 mlynedd ond y 3 mlynedd ola yn gweithio gyda aml asiantaeth efo trais yn y cartref. Penodwyd hi'n Gynghorydd Cenedlaethol cyntaf Cymru ar gyfer mynd i'r afael â Thrais yn erbyn Menywod, Cam-drin Domestig a Thrais Rhywiol yn 2015. Cyn iddi ymgymryd â'i swydd fel Comisiynydd, cafodd Rhian ei chydnabod fel Cadeirydd Arbenigol yr Adolygiadau Dynladdiadau Domestig sy'n ymwneud â phobl hŷn.

This weeks very special 100th episode sees the boys discuss their favourite moment from the 100 episodes, look back at Wrexham v Stockport County, Cymru v Kazakhstan, Briton Ferry Llansawell Women v Wrexham Women and North Macedonia v Cymru. We gather together fan bases from the USA, Canada and Australia to chat about their Wrexham experience and look forward to Exeter City v Wrexham, Wrexham Women v Kazakhstan and Cambridge United v Wrexham……Phew, there's a lot packed into it!

Wel am ddiweddglo yn Skopje! Camgymeriad hollol anarferol Joe Allen yn rhoi gôl ar blât i Ogledd Macedonia, cyn i David Brooks fanteisio ar ddau gamsyniad amddiffynnol gan y tîm cartref i achub gêm gyfartal oedd perfformiad Cymru yn ei haeddu. Hyn i gyd wedi'r cloc basio 90 munud!Felly, mae record ddiguro Craig Bellamy fel rheolwr yn parhau, a Chymru yn gyfartal ar frig y grŵp gyda Gogledd Macedonia wedi dwy gêm. Digon i'r 'ogia drafod, ac yn rhoi amser i Owain "ro'n i'n barod i gwffio" Tudur Jones setlo lawr.

Gwyl Crime Cymru Festival Wales' only international crime writing festival returns to Aberystwyth 25th-27th April, 2025. Guests include Mark Billingham, Elly Griffiths, Mari Hannah, Chris Lloyd, Clare Mackintosh, Zoe Sharp, Graham Bartlett, Vaseem Khan, Abir Mukherjee, Alis Hawkins, Nicola Williams, Louise Mumford, Phil Rowlands. Ayo Onatade, Dr. Noir, Matt Johnson, Gwen Parrott and many more.Paul Burke chats to festival organiser Gail Williams, treasurer Sarah Ward and chair Philip Gwynne Jones about the event. Aberystwyth - lovely seaside location, friendly local reception, beautiful venues, and nearby tourist/countryside attractions.Tickets hereGwyl Crime Cymru Festival Sponsors: Arts Council of Wales, Ceridigeon Museum, Love Ceridigeon, Aberystwyth govt., Literature Wales, Waterstones, Welsh Govt., Lottery, Hugh James and National Library of Wales.Paul Burke writes for Monocle Magazine, Crime Time, Crime Fiction Lover and the European Literature Network, Punk Noir Magazine (fiction contribution). He is also a CWA Historical Dagger Judge 2024. His first book An Encyclopedia of  Spy Fiction will be out in late 2025.Produced by Junkyard DogCrime TimeCrime Time FM is the official podcast ofGwyl Crime Cymru Festival 2023 & 2025CrimeFest 2023CWA Daggers 2023 & 2024 & National Crime Reading Month& Newcastle Noir 2023 and 20242024 Slaughterfest,

Dylan Griffiths, Owain Tudur Jones a Malcolm Allen sy'n 'dathlu' buddugoliaeth Newcastle United yn erbyn Lerpwl yng Nghwpan y Gynghrair ac yn ysu i weld Cymru yn cychwyn eu hymgyrch yng ngemau rhagbrofol Cwpan y Byd 2026.

What lurks in the shadows of one of Wales' most striking castles? What happens when a medieval battlefield becomes a haunted ruin? And can a headless ghost really ask for help? In this spine-chilling episode, we uncover the eerie legends of Kidwelly Castle - an ancient fortress steeped in bloodshed, rebellion and restless spirits. From the tragic tale of Gwenllian, Wales' first warrior princess, who was brutally executed and now wanders the grounds searching for her missing head, to the mysterious shadow figure caught on camera in 2016, the castle's ghostly history refuses to be forgotten. Who was the old Carmarthenshire man who dared to speak with the headless spectre? What sinister presence lingers in the former prison cells? And why is a certain bridge nearby known ominously as “The Ghost Bridge”? Prepare to step into the past, where the echoes of battle still haunt the night. Explore the lore... if you dare!   ORDER PARANORMAL SWANSEA AND GOWER BY MARK REES: Get Mark's latest "Ghosts of Wales" book "Paranormal Swansea and Gower" now! You can order it online here.   BUY MARK REES A COFFEE: If you'd like to support the GHOSTS AND FOLKLORE OF WALES podcast you can treat Mark to a coffee here: Mark Rees on Ko-Fi - thank you/ diolch!  https://ko-fi.com/markrees    WHAT IS THE GHOSTS AND FOLKLORE OF WALES PODCAST WITH MARK REES? The Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast explores the eerie world of Welsh ghosts, ghost stories, lore, myths, and legends. Launched by author and journalist Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales, Paranormal Wales) in early 2020, this weird and wonderful podcast delves into the country's countless curious subjects, blending decades of research from books and articles with long-lost tales from dusty old tomes. From "real-life" encounters with the uncanny to fantastical adventures from the Mabinogion, new episodes are uploaded monthly and feature everything from pesky poltergeists to fire-breathing dragons, with the odd wicked — and not-so-wicked — witch along the way. Alongside the regular stories, you can expect the occasional special guest, live ghost hunts, and all sorts of quirky surprises from a Welsh storyteller with original ideas. Seasonal specials include dark folklore and Gothic Halloween (Nos Calan Gaeaf) traditions, plus everyone's favourite skull-headed Christmas visitor, the Mari Lwyd. Dare you explore haunted Wales? From the sublime mountains and cascading waterfalls to bustling cities and remote farms, journey through the paranormal and unexplained in all corners of Cymru. Think of it as unlocking the Welsh X-Files with some tenuous Ghostbusters references and terrible sound effects along the way!  Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a spooky episode. For more details and to get in touch with Mark Rees, please visit https://markreesonline.com/: Mark Rees homepage Mark Rees on social media Books by Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales, Paranormal Wales etc.) Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast Until next time, nos da!

This week, the Three Degrees discuss Wrexham's possible need for promotion, look back at the men's games vs Rotherham and Reading and the Wrexham Women beating Cardiff City Women, discuss the Cymru men's squad announcement and look forward to Wycombe Wanderers vs Wrexham and Wrexham Women vs Pontypridd United Women in the cup.

" Mae bywyd yn rhy fyr" meddai Teleri Wyn Davies mewn cyfweliad arbennig gyda Beti George. " Mae beth sydd wedi digwydd i Dad wedi siapio fi, ac wedi neud i fi edrych ar fywyd mewn ffordd wahanol".Mae Teleri yn un o gyn-chwaraewyr tîm rygbi Cymru, ac wedi derbyn gwahoddiad i gael chwarae a hyfforddi'r gamp yn Tsieina. Mae hi'n byw yn ninas Shenzen sydd wedi ei lleoli yn ne-ddwyrain Tsieina, dinas gyda phoblogaeth o 17.5 miliwn sy'n cysylltu Hong Kong â'r tir mawr.Mae hi hefyd yn credu y byddai ei phenderfyniad wedi cael sêl bendith ei thad, Brian 'Yogi' Davies, a fu farw yn 56 oed - chwe blynedd ar ôl cael ei barlysu wrth chwarae ei gêm olaf i Glwb Rygbi'r Bala. Naw oed oedd Teleri ar y pryd, ac mae hi'n cofio'r diwrnod yn glir, ac yn trafod dylanwad ei thad a'i mam.Mae hi'n trafod rygbi merched ac yn rhannu straeon ei bywyd yn ogystal â dewis caneuon sydd wedi dylanwadu arni, gan gynnwys cân Mynediad am Ddim - Cofio dy Wyneb. Hon oedd y gân ar gyfer angladd Dad. "Mae jyst yn gân mor neis a mor agos i nghalon i. " Mi ddaru'r hogiau rygbi ddod at ei gilydd a chanu hon.

The gang of 3 discuss last weeks games: Wrexham v Bolton Wanderers, Wrexham Women v TNS Women and Huddersfield Town v Wrexham, look at the latest Wrexham and Cymru news and look forward to Wrexham v Rotherham Town, Cardiff City Women v Wrexham Women and Reading v Wrexham.

The Gang discuss City being unable to follow up a great result against a side fighting for promotion by losing poorly to a relegation rival. And 'twas ever thusFind our socials here: https://linktr.ee/HullandBackWe are also now on Bluesky! Tell Elon to fuck off and come find us at https://bsky.app/profile/hull-and-back.bsky.socialThis Podcast has been created and uploaded by the To Hull and Back Podcast. The views in this Podcast are not necessarily the views of talkSPORT. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dyl, Ows a Malcs sy'n trafod canlyniad gwych Cymru ac adfywiad Caerdydd ac Abertawe.

Mae Abertawe yn chwilio am eu 10fed rheolwr mewn naw mlynedd ôl diswyddo Luke Williams.. Ac mae Ows yn poeni fod y clwb yn syrthio mewn i "drwmgwsg" tuag at Adran Un. Pwy fydd y nesa' i gymryd yr awenau? Fydd y clwb yn barod i'w gefnogi drwy arwyddo mwy o chwaraewyr?Tydi sefyllfa Caerdydd heb wella chwaith yn dilyn canlyniadau siomedig, ac mae Wrecsam wedi colli bach o dir yn y ras am ddyrchafiad awtomatig wrth golli eto ar y Cae Ras. Ond mae hi'n gyfnod cyffrous i dîm merched Cymru wrth iddyn nhw gychwyn eu hymgyrch yn Adran A Cynghrair y Cenhedloedd yn erbyn Yr Eidal a Sweden.

The day of Wales' patron saint is fast approaching and being as those Anglo-fascists next door won't let the good people of Cymru have a day off for it to get merry we thought the least we could do is have another go at educating the masses on the day's namesake. Hit play and revel in the miracles of the good Dewi Sant. Yes, one of them is another bastard healing spring. What's more saintly than buying merch, following us on socials or joining our insta?

Daz is away having minor spinal surgery which means he'll be scoring 30 goals by next week!! Welshtechie and Jamie discuss the Vertu Trophy win vs Bolton Wanderers, discuss the latest Wrexham and Cymru football news and look forward to Northampton Town v Wrexham, Wrexham Women v Swansea City Women in the cup and the midweek game, Wrexham v Leyton Orient.

When it comes to casting your vote, are you confident that you're voting in private and for the party you intend? Hywel Davies has been hearing about new trials of accessible voting devices taking place in Wales.

What would you do if you came face to face with a ghostly hound? Would you reach out to pet it, or run the other way? And what if that spectral dog wasn't just a harmless apparition, but a chilling omen of death? In this episode, we explore two terrifying real-life encounters with ghost dogs in Wales - one a faithful spirit bound by loyalty, the other a sinister harbinger of doom. What happened when a man walking home through a mysterious valley discovered his own dog frozen in fear at the sight of a spectral collie? And why did a woman's innocent stroll past a quarry end with an eerie premonition that proved horrifyingly true? These aren't just mythological creatures like the legendary Cŵn Annwn of Welsh folklore - these are ghostly animals reported in the 20th century, with unnerving consequences for those who saw them. Are these phantom hounds restless spirits of departed pets, or something far more sinister? Join Mark as we uncover the eerie truth behind these spectral canines - and decide for yourself if you'd dare cross paths with a ghost dog. Explore the lore... if you dare!   ORDER PARANORMAL SWANSEA AND GOWER BY MARK REES: Get Mark's latest "Ghosts of Wales" book "Paranormal Swansea and Gower" now! You can order it online here.   BUY MARK REES A COFFEE: If you'd like to support the GHOSTS AND FOLKLORE OF WALES podcast you can treat Mark to a coffee here: Mark Rees on Ko-Fi - thank you/ diolch!  https://ko-fi.com/markrees    WHAT IS THE GHOSTS AND FOLKLORE OF WALES PODCAST WITH MARK REES? The Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast explores the eerie world of Welsh ghosts, ghost stories, lore, myths, and legends. Launched by author and journalist Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales, Paranormal Wales) in early 2020, this weird and wonderful podcast delves into the country's countless curious subjects, blending decades of research from books and articles with long-lost tales from dusty old tomes. From "real-life" encounters with the uncanny to fantastical adventures from the Mabinogion, new episodes are uploaded monthly and feature everything from pesky poltergeists to fire-breathing dragons, with the odd wicked — and not-so-wicked — witch along the way. Alongside the regular stories, you can expect the occasional special guest, live ghost hunts, and all sorts of quirky surprises from a Welsh storyteller with original ideas. Seasonal specials include dark folklore and Gothic Halloween (Nos Calan Gaeaf) traditions, plus everyone's favourite skull-headed Christmas visitor, the Mari Lwyd. Dare you explore haunted Wales? From the sublime mountains and cascading waterfalls to bustling cities and remote farms, journey through the paranormal and unexplained in all corners of Cymru. Think of it as unlocking the Welsh X-Files with some tenuous Ghostbusters references and terrible sound effects along the way!  Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a spooky episode. For more details and to get in touch with Mark Rees, please visit https://markreesonline.com/: Mark Rees homepage Mark Rees on social media Books by Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales, Paranormal Wales etc.) Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast Until next time, nos da!

Ydi byw yng Nghymru am bum mlynedd yn ddigon i fod yn gymwys i ennill cap cenedlaethol? Dyna'r brif drafodaeth ymysg Dyl, Ows a Mal yn dilyn ymgais Cymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru i newid y rheolau presennol er mwyn gallu cynnwys Matt Grimes yn y garfan.Mae'r tri hefyd yn trafod y cyhoeddiad ynglŷn â pha glybiau fydd yn ymuno gyda'r Cymru Premier pan fydd y gynghrair genedlaethol yn ehangu i gynnwys 16 tîm yn nhymor 2026-27. Ac mae Dyl yn esbonio pam oedd o wedi gwylltio'n gacwn ddydd Sadwrn.

What would you do if you stumbled upon a stash of gold in the forest, knowing it might vanish with just one word? Could it be the legendary fairy gold of folklore, a treasure bound by secrecy and mischief? In this episode, we dive into enchanting tales of the mysterious wealth bestowed by the fairy folk—fortunes that could disappear in a puff of smoke if their origin is revealed. What makes fairy gold so coveted yet so dangerous? From Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale to the chilling accounts of Welsh folklore, we uncover stories where magical riches come with strings attached—where silence is golden, but one slip could turn a treasure trove into worthless paper. Why did a farmer's son vanish for two years, only to return with fairy-made clothes that crumbled to nothing? And what dark fate awaited those who dared to reveal their fairy gifts? Explore the eerie connections between secrecy, luck, and loss in these spellbinding tales of fairy generosity—and betrayal. Could the fairy folk's rules still hold sway today? Listen in to uncover the strange and mischievous truth about the price of magical riches. Will you be tempted to break their cardinal rule? Explore the lore... if you dare!   ORDER PARANORMAL SWANSEA AND GOWER BY MARK REES: Get Mark's latest "Ghosts of Wales" book "Paranormal Swansea and Gower" now! You can order it online here.   BUY MARK REES A COFFEE: If you'd like to support the GHOSTS AND FOLKLORE OF WALES podcast you can treat Mark to a coffee here: Mark Rees on Ko-Fi - thank you/ diolch!  https://ko-fi.com/markrees    WHAT IS THE GHOSTS AND FOLKLORE OF WALES PODCAST WITH MARK REES? The Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast explores the eerie world of Welsh ghosts, ghost stories, lore, myths, and legends. Launched by author and journalist Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales, Paranormal Wales) in early 2020, this weird and wonderful podcast delves into the country's countless curious subjects, blending decades of research from books and articles with long-lost tales from dusty old tomes. From "real-life" encounters with the uncanny to fantastical adventures from the Mabinogion, new episodes are uploaded monthly and feature everything from pesky poltergeists to fire-breathing dragons, with the odd wicked — and not-so-wicked — witch along the way. Alongside the regular stories, you can expect the occasional special guest, live ghost hunts, and all sorts of quirky surprises from a Welsh storyteller with original ideas. Seasonal specials include dark folklore and Gothic Halloween (Nos Calan Gaeaf) traditions, plus everyone's favourite skull-headed Christmas visitor, the Mari Lwyd. Dare you explore haunted Wales? From the sublime mountains and cascading waterfalls to bustling cities and remote farms, journey through the paranormal and unexplained in all corners of Cymru. Think of it as unlocking the Welsh X-Files with some tenuous Ghostbusters references and terrible sound effects along the way!  Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a spooky episode. For more details and to get in touch with Mark Rees, please visit https://markreesonline.com/: Mark Rees homepage Mark Rees on social media Books by Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales, Paranormal Wales etc.) Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast Until next time, nos da!

The Ghosts and Folklore Podcast is celebrating a monumental milestone – Episode 150 – with a festive, eerie twist. For this special Christmas edition, host Mark Rees blends the magic of the holiday season with haunting tales and mysterious folklore. Get ready for a journey into the strange and supernatural, featuring festive ghosts, ancient traditions, and a mystery that will (OK, might!) keep you on edge. So grab your favourite drink, cosy up by the fire, and let's dive into a world where the spirits of Christmas past are very much alive! Christmas Ghosts: A Welsh Pub and the Tolaeth Mark kicks off this festive celebration by taking us to a Welsh pub during Christmas in the late Victorian era. American folklorist Wirt Sikes recounts a memorable visit to a Carmarthenshire inn, where the locals enjoyed good food, drink, music, and ghostly tales. But the pub wasn't just a place for celebration – it was also a hotspot for strange happenings. In this episode, Mark explores a mysterious death omen from Welsh folklore – the Tolaeth. This eerie phenomenon, thought to be linked to the tolling of church bells, is a haunting reminder that not all is merry and bright during the holidays. But what exactly is the Tolaeth, and how does it relate to death and Christmas traditions? Could the clanging of church bells really be a warning of impending doom? Listen to the episode to uncover this chilling mystery! Festive Folklore: The Ghostly Tolling of the Bells Unlike the loud, screeching death omens like the cyhyraeth, the Tolaeth manifests as soft knocks, footsteps, or even the sound of a carriage – sometimes heard just before someone's passing. One especially eerie story told in this episode revolves around a farmer who hears strange knockings at his door on Christmas Eve. These supernatural knocks were a sign of impending death, a harbinger of loss, yet a part of the Christmas folklore that has been passed down through generations. But how does the Tolaeth connect to the church bells that toll mysteriously at midnight? And could these sounds be warning of death within the family? Tune in to uncover the eerie details and chilling implications of this folklore. The Eerie Legend of the Blaenporth Church Bell A captivating tale featured in this episode is that of the Blaenporth Church Bell. This legend tells of a tolling bell that foretold death in certain families. But here's the twist – the bell would toll unrung by human hands, and the sound could be heard at midnight, signalling an impending death. In the story, a farmer helps a spirit return a stolen silver communion cup to the church, earning the promise of being warned of his family's death through the mysterious tolling of the bell. As Mark recounts, this death omen came with a unique twist: a forewarning that allowed the family to prepare for their loss. But could it also be a metaphor for the way we process death during the holiday season? Listen in to hear the full legend and decide for yourself. A Festive Death Omen or Santa's Visit? Mark wraps up this episode on a lighter note, inviting listeners to consider the whimsical side of the Tolaeth. What if the strange knocks on Christmas Eve aren't a forewarning of death, but a surprise visit from Santa Claus? Picture this: You're lying in bed, the sounds of footsteps echoing through the house. Is it Santa delivering gifts, or is it the Tolaeth preparing you for a deathly encounter? Maybe, just maybe, it's a little bit of both. The 150th Episode: A Journey Through Time and Tales Mark's passion for folklore and ghostly tales shines through as he celebrates reaching the 150th episode of the Ghosts and Folklore Podcast. Reflecting on the journey so far, which started in early 2020 during the first Covid lockdown, we look forward to more eerie stories, chilling legends, and fascinating folk traditions. Join the Celebration If you love a good ghost story and want to learn more about Welsh folklore, haunted legends, and eerie traditions, this special Christmas 150th episode of the Ghosts and Folklore Podcast is a must-listen. The festive season is the perfect time to dive into these spine-tingling tales of the supernatural. From festive food and drink to holiday ghosts and mysterious omens, this episode has it all! What will you uncover? What is the Tolaeth, and how does it relate to death omens? Can the tolling of church bells really predict death in Welsh folklore? What strange sounds are heard before a death in Wales? Could the Tolaeth be the same sound that signals Santa's arrival?   ORDER PARANORMAL SWANSEA AND GOWER BY MARK REES: Mark's latest "Ghosts of Wales" book "Paranormal Cardiff". You can order it online here.   BUY MARK REES A COFFEE: If you'd like to support the GHOSTS AND FOLKLORE OF WALES podcast you can treat Mark to a coffee here: Mark Rees on Ko-Fi - thank you/ diolch!  https://ko-fi.com/markrees    WHAT IS THE GHOSTS AND FOLKLORE OF WALES PODCAST WITH MARK REES? The Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast explores the eerie world of Welsh ghosts, ghost stories, lore, myths, and legends. Launched by author and journalist Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales, Paranormal Wales) in early 2020, this weird and wonderful podcast delves into the country's countless curious subjects, blending decades of research from books and articles with long-lost tales from dusty old tomes. From "real-life" encounters with the uncanny to fantastical adventures from the Mabinogion, new episodes are uploaded monthly and feature everything from pesky poltergeists to fire-breathing dragons, with the odd wicked — and not-so-wicked — witch along the way. Alongside the regular stories, you can expect the occasional special guest, live ghost hunts, and all sorts of quirky surprises from a Welsh storyteller with original ideas. Seasonal specials include dark folklore and Gothic Halloween (Nos Calan Gaeaf) traditions, plus everyone's favourite skull-headed Christmas visitor, the Mari Lwyd. Dare you explore haunted Wales? From the sublime mountains and cascading waterfalls to bustling cities and remote farms, journey through the paranormal and unexplained in all corners of Cymru. Think of it as unlocking the Welsh X-Files with some tenuous Ghostbusters references and terrible sound effects along the way!  Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a spooky episode. For more details and to get in touch with Mark Rees, please visit https://markreesonline.com/: Mark Rees homepage Mark Rees on social media Books by Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales, Paranormal Wales etc.) Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast Until next time, nos da!

At the northern edge of the Brecon Beacons in Cymru, in the shadow of the Pen y Fan peak, sits a large stone house. Named Heol Fanog, or Road to the Peaks, for one couple who moved there in 1989 the house was everything they had ever dreamed of. Little did they know that, in truth, it would soon become the place of their worst nightmares. Find us at youtube.com/@unexplainedpod, tiktok.com/@unexplainedpodcast, on Bluesky @unexplained.bsky.social, on X at @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.