Buy tickets here for events being held in Hay Castle.
Come and find out more about the fascinating life of the Peregrine Falcon - a bird which breeds on nearly every continent of the globe.
In the second half of the last century the need to increase food production led to the widescale application of chemicals on farmland. But the chemicals had a disastrous effect on Peregrine Falcons, causing both the breaking of eggshells and the killing of adult birds. Everywhere the chemicals were used the Peregrine population fell sharply. Alerted by both amateur and professional ornithologists to an impending catastrophe, governments banned the chemicals. Slowly the Peregrine population began to rise, in part prompted by the bird’s remarkable ability to adapt. In parts of its range the falcon realised that buildings could be utilised as make-shift cliffs for breeding. And where humans congregated, pigeons flourished.
Steve Watson is co-author of an impressive new book which investigates all aspects of peregrine life. He is a retired Chartered Accountant who has always had a passion for raptors but Peregrine Falcons in particular. He is a Trustee of Gloucestershire Raptor Monitoring Group CIO (GRMG) and Raptor Aid CIO and also a committee member of South West Peregrines. He has conducted a 40-year study of the Symonds Yat, Gloucestershire, England Peregrines, whilst also presenting lectures throughout UK. He has read widely on the subject, being motivated by an insatiable desire to attain a full understanding of all aspects of this most charismatic of birds.
Steve will be signing books after the talk
The talk will begin at 7pm - please come up to the main entrance on the lawns and up the drive form Oxford Road. The Honesty Bookshop door on Castle Street will be closed.
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Special one day workshop as part of our Hay Festival activities - Places are limited so book now!
Learn how to make a work of art from the pages of recycled books, with celebrated paper artist Kate Kato, who uses discarded and recyled papers, wire and found objects to create sculptures inspired by the natural world. The theme of this workshop is fungi and mushrooms.
Visit Kate's website
All materials provided
There will be the opportunity to make tea or coffee or you can purchase drinks downstairs in our café. There will be a break for lunch - please bring a packed lunch or you can eat in our café or elsewhere in Hay.
In this workshop you can make a mushroom as seen in the images - we also have a flower workshop on June 2nd
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Join us for this special Hay Festival event led by the Brecon Beacons-based artist, designer and knitter Dee Hardwicke. Dee will be accompanied by Jonna Hietala, the Creative Director of Laine Publishing, whose publications include Dee's latest book, The Knitted Fabric: Colourwork Projects for You and Your Home and the internationally acclaimed knitting and lifestyle magazine, Laine.
Arriving at this spectacular venue at the heart of historic Hay, you will find beautifully dressed tables laid out with still lifes of seasonal spring flowers and foliage. Taking inspiration from the gorgeous table-top displays – as Dee explains, 'nature puts colours together so well and in such perfect proportions' – and sharing some of the techniques she teaches in her fine art drawing classes, Dee will spend the morning showing you how to combine colours, shapes and motifs to create your own botanical artworks in pastels. Dee will then guide you through the process of translating your artwork into a beautiful chart ready to knit your swatch.
In the afternoon, after you have knitted your swatch, Jonna will lead you through the techniques involved in adding your specially created botanical motif to a stylish sweater. The sweater pattern will be supplied digitally ahead of the workshop (please see below for details) so that you can select a palette of yarns for this very special project, and Dee will work with you to ensure that your motif complements your choice of sweater yarn. You're bound to come away from this Botanical Art Class for Knitters brimming with ideas for your own botanical knits and, once completed, your sweater will become a wonderful keepsake of a really creative and inspiring day.
Pieces from The Knitted Fabric will also be on display in the Castle mezzanine throughout the weekend and Dee will be on hand on Friday 26th and Sunday 28th to chat about her designs and inspirations
Skill Level
For intermediate knitters / no art skills required. This is a workshop for 16 participants.
Materials
Art materials including pencils, pastels, paper etc for the morning session will be provided. As a gift from Laine Publishing you will also receive a signed copy of The Knitted Fabric as a special memento of the day
The sweater pattern for the afternoon session will be supplied a few weeks ahead of the workshop to give you time to buy or choose the DK yarn from your stash to knit in. The pattern and yarn for the sweater should be brought along on the day, with a selection of 8-10 coloured yarns for knitting your design swatch, and yarn-appropriate needles. The coloured yarns should complement your choice of sweater yarn (full details will be provided when the sweater pattern is distributed)
Dee Hardwicke (www.deehardwicke.co.uk / @deehardwicke) lives and works in the Brecon Beacons. An artist, designer and knitter with a rich and diverse design portfolio encompassing everything from exclusive collections for the National Trust and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, to knitting books and collaborations with leading lifestyle brands, Dee is inspired by Britain's ever-changing landscapes and the artisan traditions of the Arts & Crafts movement. Dee trained in fine arts before undertaking an apprenticeship with Quaker potters in the Welsh Marches. She teaches fine art drawing classes and has become renowned for her knitting design and colour workshops. These have been held in prestigious venues worldwide including Kew and Liberty, London. Dee is passionate about creating designs that add joy to everyday life, and she loves the way that knitting combines art, craft and practicality so seamlessly. In addition to The Knitted Fabric, Dee's books include A Story in Yarn: How to Design and Knit an Intarsia Heirloom Quilt.
Jonna Hietala (www.lainepublishing.com / @jonnahoo) is the CEO and Creative Director of Laine Publishing. Laine has grown from a small publisher passionate about redefining the knitting scene and celebrating the beauty of the everyday, into an internationally renowned knitting, craft and lifestyle publisher. Based in Finland, and spending tranquil weekends with her family in a remote cabin surrounded by pine trees and lakes, Jonna has worked in publishing for 25 years and has knitted since she was four. She loves the feel of yarn running through needles and the scent of a freshly printed book. Jonna's second knitting and crafting book – following her debut book, Kerällä – will be published this year, and she is also currently busy working on her first novel.
The course
In this one-day interactive course Sarah Burton and Jem Poster will address, in a practical way, key topics from their acclaimed handbook for fiction-writers, The Book You Need to Read to Write the Book You Want to Write (Cambridge University Press). Through discussion of relevant passages from the work of other writers, as well as through guided writing exercises, you will be encouraged to develop your understanding of dialogue and narrative voice; detail and description; researching your fiction; and the importance of discovering your own individual voice. Whether you’re a beginner or a more advanced writer looking for new ideas and inspiration, this course will help you on your way.
This course can either be taken on its own or in conjunction with the related course on Sunday 5 March, which will cover a different set of topics.
The tutors
Jem Poster is Emeritus Professor of Creative Writing, Aberystwyth University; he is author of a collection of poetry, Brought to Light (Bloodaxe, 2001) and two novels, Courting Shadows and Rifling Paradise (Sceptre, 2002 and 2006).
Sarah Burton, founder and former Director of Cambridge University’s MSt in Creative Writing, is the author of Impostors (Penguin, 2000), A Double Life: A Biography of Charles and Mary Lamb (Penguin, 2003) and The Strange Adventures of H (Legend, 2020).
Jem and Sarah’s co-authored handbook for fiction writers, The Book You Need to Read to Write the Book You Want to Write was published in 2022.
Please book tickets for Course 2 below:
Special one day workshop as part of our Hay Festival activities - Places are limited so book now!
Learn how to make a work of art from the pages of recycled books, with celebrated paper artist Kate Kato, who uses discarded and recyled papers, wire and found objects to create sculptures inspired by the natural world. The theme of this workshop is flowers.
Visit Kate's website
All materials provided
There will be the opportunity to make tea or coffee or you can purchase drinks downstairs in our café. There will be a break for lunch - please bring a packed lunch or you can eat in our café or elsewhere in Hay.
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The Comedy Club | Comedians | Karen Bayley
The Comedy Club | Comedians | Noel James
The Comedy Club | Comedians | Justin Panks
Please use Oxford Road entrance.
Please note there is no parking at the venue – please use the car park directly opposite Hay Castle on Oxford Road.
Food available alongside the Comedy Club night
Herefordshire beef burger, brioche bun, slaw, red onion marmalade, BBQ seasoned fries @ £14.50
Vegan option @ £14.50
Gluten free option @ £14.50
Open 10am to 5pm,
seven days a week.
Hay Castle
Oxford Road
Hay-on-Wye
HR3 5DG
01497 820079
info@haycastletrust.org