DESTINATION TALGARTH

Meeting held on Monday 16th November 2009.

The group would like to thank Rita Rogers for hosting the meeting.

Present:  Carol Williams, Punch Maugham, Elaine Starling, Barbara Christopher, William Powell, Jan, Ben, Bob.

Apologies from T. Shaw, O. Sims, Clive Michaelwright, John Whitehead, Barbara and Tony....

1. Elaine Starling recapped her visit to Belgium to a Collabor8 meeting which all the partners attended.  (see report attached to minutes)

2. Recap of last meeting discussed

a) web4u

b) Walking Routes

c) Consultant to put together a 3 year action plan. That will take place in January 2010. Vision Statement needs to be agreed.

a) Walking Routes.  Walking Journalist Ted Hutton has walked the routes to make sure that they meet “legal” requirements re BBNPA.  He took photographs.

The walks need to be bi-lingual.

Discussion then ensued about the best format for the maps.  Agreed A5 concertina shape in a pack. Later could be sold individually.

Barbara Christopher stated that there were already many walking leaflets in the TIC based on local walks.  Mike Dray had produced walks in the past.

The reply was that Geoff had brought these walks to the group and they were being packaged and examined to meet legal requirements. The importance of the TIC was stressed in directing Tourists to the local facilities.  The package of walks will be completed by Easter 2010.  Historical content will be added.  The group scanned information of an historical nature supplied by Carol.  If there are any observations to be made, could they be returned by 30th November?   Bob was satisfied with the progress achieved so far.

The importance of having a Tourist book with walks was also discussed.   Jan talked about a book called the Captain’s Guide, which is about North Wales, which her father referred to every year when they holidayed in that area.   It was felt that this type of material would appeal to a stroller rather than a walker.

b) Action Plans.

The idea is that a Consultant would put together an action plan for Talgarth re tourism to be adapted and adopted over the next 2 to 3 years.   The Plan would consider the following:

1.     What is already here?

2.     What is easily accessible?

3.     What groups exist in the area of the Town?

4.     How can they contribute to the plan?

The Upper Swansea Valley has just had one produced.

It is important that the TIC is involved.  The TIC is now open 6 ½ days per week.  William Powell reported to the meeting that a group of people from Tourism Austria and Germany on a fact finding tour of Wales, headed straight to the Hay TIC which was unfortunately closed.  It made him realise how important TIC’s were in terms of Tourism.

The TIC representative was asked about :

A) Volunteer helpers.  They have sufficient to man the TIC for 6 ½ days but welcome others.

B.   Funding.    They have enough money till next April.  They are hoping to raise money from the Towns precept.

C.   The TIC Website.   Tony James and Barbara Christopher have been to Crickhowell to look at the web4u website with Punch Maugham.  The TIC has two options.  1.  To set up a new Town website with the Town’s domain identified or 2) to link with the web 4u website.

The TIC feels very strongly that Talgarth needs to keep its own domain.   Though it is acknowledged that the web site needs renewing, it has links to businesses and other events in the town.  Web4u offers a cheaper way to update the website but there appears to be a difficulty because Collabor8 money is for tourism.  It was pointed out that many people who use the TIC website are the tourist based industries.   The enquiries that come from that route are mainly tourist based.   Talgarth web site charges its customers £40.00 per annum.  The TIC website brings in funds which are needed to run the TIC.     It was reported to the meeting that once the computer facilities were sorted out, the intention was to involve the Youth Club.   Also there were plans for an Adult Learning Week.

If the web4u website was adopted, without Talgarth Domain, it would be a backward step for the Town.  Punch Maugham agreed to arrange a meeting with Barbara and Tony to try and tease out the problems and come up with a solution before the next meeting in January.  From the TIC point of view, the discussion was urgent.

AOB

1.       Village SOS.  William reported that the Mill Project had reached the final 4 in Wales.  One of these will be selected to move forward to the final which would include Teams from England, Scotland and Ireland.  There will only be one group selected from Wales.  (3 from England, 1 from Scotland and 2 from Ireland.)   Each group will have their own champion.  The 4 champions for the Welsh Sites will be visiting Talgarth in the near future.  28th November.   They will be representatives from the Community. A selection will take place.   To aid the next developmental stage, each of the 4 groups in Wales has been given a sum of £10.000.   The group will need a base and are prepared to pay the TIC for the use of their facilities.   The final project is to set up the Mill with an eco cafe etc.  If it wins, it will receive a prize of £400.000. The project has already received £25000 from Pavo to build bridges and pathways etc.  and £5000 for metal work gates

On the 28th November, there will be an open session so that all the neighbours can meet the Champion.  On that day, there will be a School Xmas Fayre and the lights will be on in Talgarth (the same day as the Brecon Fayre and the George Melly concert in the Cathedral.)

2.     Ben from the Tower is setting up a micro brewery.  He is starting small.  His capacity is open ended and in the beginning he will be producing 6 barrels per week.  It will the first time for 100years that beer has been brewed in Talgarth.  The group hoped that his enterprise will be successful.

Next Meeting, Tuesday 12 January 2010 at the Tower and 10.30 am.

It was agreed that leaflets etc. From the TIC will be looked at, at that meeting to view the availability.

See 1 above.

Collabor8

Visit to Belgium, October 2009.

This report will (i) describe the visit and (ii) make “objective” comments about what was learned.

Collabor8 consists of nine partners: 1) BBNPA, 2) Merthyr Tydfil, 3) Devon and Cornwall Angling Group, 4) South Downs, 5) Kerry, Southern Ireland, 6) Dutch Water Line Project, 7) Tillburg, 8) Meejesland and 9) Merode in Belgium.

The visit began with an informal reception on the Sunday evening.  All the visitors were warmly greeted and quickly engaged in conversation with other participants from the clusters.  The Hotel we stayed in was a converted hospital, formerly run by Nuns, which was deserted and abandoned and almost a ruin until permission was given to develop the building into a 1st Class Hotel.  

On the Monday, the group of 50 plus people were divided into 3 groups.  The Group I joined visited a Brewery, a mill project, a museum and then rejoined the other groups in a Halloween decorated cafe for tea. The group travelled by coach and a guide explained the landscape, industry and local attractions.

The Brewery visit was interesting on two counts.   A) I don’t drink beer and B) The owner was an excellent communicator on the worth of his product, almost convincing me to try a sample.   The visit also demonstrated what a relatively small scale brewery could achieve, given thought, an excellent plan, and a willingness to embrace new technology which did not destroy the quality of the product, and a comprehensive understanding of customer requirements and hence the successful marketing the product.

The second visit was to a “Mill Project”.   Two types of traditional mill had been utilised (1) to produce wheat flour for bread etc and (2), the other to grind corn. The windmill worked on traditional grounds.   There was no new technology here.  The mill worked using wind power (although I believe there is a small motor to get the giant sails turning).

The other Mill was “Horse Powered”.

These Mills produced fine quality flour but they were also used as part of an “Education Project” and to convey a sense of place and history to the native Flemish People.

Lunchtime was an opportunity for a local inn to demonstrate their cuisine.

After lunch, we were taken to a local museum which is quite difficult to describe.   The artefacts were numerous and comprised an eclectic mixture of artefacts demonstrating Belgium Life in the last 100 years.

At the end of the visit, the group were invited to play a typical Belgium children’s game.

The Halloween decorated cafe suffice to say made o number of the party feel uncomfortable, though the tart and coffee were good. Later the same evening, we visited another restaurant and later then a Night Club where the entertainment was provided by a live music group.

The following day was spent in conference rooms.  In the morning, we listened to presentations from each of the groups and in the afternoon, chose from 3 differing options.  I attended the option describing the development of cycle routes etc. in Belgium.

In the evening, we were transferred to the Merode Region and ended up in the evening in another restaurant.   Again, the opportunity was used to headline the local food and this time a folk group.

The hotel was is a different class from the first.  The accommodation was basic but in the town centre with access to local facilities.

The following day was spent discovering what Merode had to offer.  The day began in the Abbey which everyone visited.  Then we split into groups.  We cycled everywhere!  The “sit up and beg bikes” were quite a challenge.  The group that I was with visited an “Alternative Therapy Centre” followed by lunch in a restaurant located in the middle of a “protected forest area”.  We then visited an outside visitor area and a “wild life” museum, which they admitted needed upgrading.   On the return journey, we met an “organic Farmer” who had diversified with “Donkey Walk Holidays”, also a forest area which was being regenerated.

The final evening was spent at a “formal” dinner in a Chateau.  

What did I gain from the visit?

I met a group of people, from different countries, who found themselves  in similar economic circumstances and are endeavouring to make a difference by engaging in a different kind of partnership.   Many of the groups encountered were engaged in “niche” industries and they recognised that the only way to survive was to support one another rather than compete against one another.

It was interesting talking to people, often in-depth about issues and how they had tried to resolve their problems.

A “Sense of Place” was talked about a great deal.  I realized, very quickly that my idea of a “sense of place” about the Black Mountains in Wales, went far deeper than most of their ideas.

The members of the Dutch Water Line Project were unfazed by the different obstacle they had to overcome to establish this project as a reality”.  It was interesting that one of the ways they were “linking” the various areas, was by storytelling, employing professional storytellers to convey understanding of the forts and their history.

The people from Tillburg in their one “building” with a mix of entrepreneurs from the city had a different interpretation again of the project.  Some of their ideas could be explored further with other partners.  The Southern Irish “film” project I am sure could be adopted and have a resonance with the BBNP.

The most complete and easy to understand project was the “Angling Group from, Devon and Cornwall rivers.   Their purpose was to encourage fishermen to come and fish in their rivers.  Once in situ, to encourage visitors and their partners to participate in other activities within the local area.

An observation I would make, is that BBNP presentation was traditional in that it looked at the National Park as an ‘outdoor’ experience in the traditional mode.  I believe that if “Collabo8 is to bring something new and sustainable to the area, then it must look outside the hill walking etc.   Visitors to the Park who come for the scenery, the walking etc often don’t stay.  If we are going to encourage visitors, then we have to offer facilities over and above that which are obvious attractions and enhance an understanding of the area.   This project could do just that.

The Visitor must be made aware of the “heritage” and “Culture” found within the National Park, which will encourage them to stay longer than just a few hours.

Belgium was an interesting country to visit. I have been through it before and stayed in Brussels but I have never stopped and stared.   What I saw was a clean, tidy country, densely populated, working to preserve and intensely valuing their “remaining open Spaces”.

The people from Belgium we met were welcoming and very warm, as were the people from other countries.

What I got from this visit was a number of ideas which I may be able to implement with or without financial help.

I believe that the main benefits are intangible and difficult to quantify, but what I will take away with me was the friendliness, attitude, willingness to listen and to learn of all groups attending the conference.

Thank you again for giving me the opportunity to visit Belgium as part of the Collabor8 team from the Brecon Beacons National Park.