National Cycle Museum

Llandrindod Wells has the honour of playing host to the National Cycle Museum of Great Britain, located at the Automobile Palace on Temple Street. It was opened 21st March 1997 by Mr Tom Norton and the building was originally know as the "The Palace of Sport". 

The National Cycle Collection is a very rare museum showcasing the history of transport by bicycle over the last 200 years. This ranges from the famous Bone-shakers and Penny-Farthings right through to the potential bikes we could possibly see out on the roads, competing in races at the top level in the near future. Most Cycle Museums are usually part of a Transport Museum or are private and so not open to the public, therefore it is for this reason Llandrindod Wells is extremely lucky that it plays host to this special museum. It may only be sheer coincidence that it is here, but the town should embrace this fantastic tourist attraction as it helps bring many visitors in to visit our own very friendly Victorian Spa town. 

There are well over 200 cycles on display and as you take a stroll through the museum you move through time; allowing you to see with your own eyes and come to understand how and why cycling as a mode of transport has evolved through the years. Each cycle in the museum is labeled with a brief description of when the type of bike was first made and why it was created in such a way. This helps to create a real visitor friendly experience and you do not have to be a cyclist to become enthralled with all the history available at your hands. There are also very vivid and descriptive display boards all around the museum which only add to the experience.

On the whole the museum emphasises how the bike has changed through time and ultimately this is just a reflection of how society changed, as the bike changed to fit the times. The bike was originally a mode of transport more efficient and quicker than walking, and now the bike is constantly being engineered to be as light and as efficient as possible to provide professional cyclists the "edge" over their competitors in order to win major cycling events like the Tour De France.

One of the parts of the museum that really caught my eye was the Bicycle Shop Windows and the posters advertising all of the bikes that were on sale back in the day as this displays how bicycles were a huge part of fashion and a way to show other people and your peers your social class (a bit like owning a Lamborghini today!).

 
I remember when I first visited the museum when I was about eleven years old and I was amazed at the sheer number of bikes on display. Personally, I think it's possible to spend hours in the museum pouring over the history and when you leave you will feel as if you know all about the history of cycling and probably want to get out on your bike right that minute.

 

The National Cycle Museum is now a registered Independent Charitable Trust. Its objectives are to stimulate interest in the history of cycling and provide an educational service to young people. The museum is succeeding in these objectives as there are numerous groups and school visits to the museum throughout the year, allowing children and young people outside of the community of Llandrindod Wells to experience the history of cycling in a fun, exciting way. 

The museum is run by a team of volunteers and trustees and without these people it would not be possible for the National Cycle Collection to exist. Any member of the public can become a friend of The National Cycle Museum and the museum would gratefully appreciate any donations towards running costs of the building and the maintenance of the museum in order to allow it to continue to flourish. In the future the trustees of the museum would love to be able to employ full time staff in order to allow the museum to be open all of the time, but this is just not feesable at the moment. I for one would love to see this happen as I see the Museum as an excellent asset to the town and surrounding area.

You may have noticed when you are driving or walking by the Automobile Palace the highly decorative art on the fence panels. These are designed by Geraint Edwards from Celf o Gwmpas and I think they add a feeling of vibrancy to the outside of the museum and maybe even help to draw passers by into stopping to take a look around the enthralling collection. 

A number of bikes are transported around the UK from the National Cycle Museum each year. For example some of the bikes have been to Hampton Court Palace, appeared on The Cycle Show etc. When I visited the Cycle Museum recently, I was told Chris Boardman's bike usually resides at the museum but had recently been taken away to be shown at shows over the country.

Chris Boardman riding his famous bike at the 1992 Olympics

It costs £5 for adults, £4 for senior citizens and £2 for children to look around the museum and the opening days and times are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 10am until 4pm, November to March. After March check the National Cycle Museum website for detailed opening times. The museum is also dog friendly and there is also a children's quiz available. There are also a huge number of gifts you can purchase from the museum in order to help you remember a special day out exploring the history of the bike.

LOVE EVERYTHING DOD PRESENTS...

Recently, I interviewed Lisa Horne all about a new exciting charity event which will be happening here in Llandrindod Wells very soon.

Heidi Davies: What local committee are you a part of?
Lisa Horne: The committee is newly formed and is called L.E.D which stands for Love Everything Dod.
 

L.E.D's logo

Who is on the committee and what is the main aim/focus of this committee?  

L.E.D includes a handful of local volunteers with the passion to help improve Llandrindod life.  The main focus will always be creating a fantastic Christmas fayre.  To do this, throughout the year we will be organising community events with all proceeds going towards a magical fayre at the end of the year.  At these events we are hoping to help promote local businesses, provide wonderful community experiences and put Llandrindod Wells back on the map as the place to visit at Christmas time and all throughout the year.

How long has this committee been formed? 

L.E.D was formed off the back of last years Christmas Fayre that was held in the Metropole Hotel.  Amy and Hannah Bubear were the organisers of the fayre and seeing the success, encouraged them to make this an annual event.  As you can imagine a lot of time, effort and money went into that fayre and they realised they couldn't do it alone again this year so via Facebook asked if anyone was interested in joining them and towards the end of January L.E.D was formed.

What event are you organising?
Our very first event will be a Masquerade Ball held at the Commodore Hotel, Llandrindod Wells.

When is the event?
Saturday 30th April at 7.30pm which coincides with the May bank holiday.  What better way to spend your 3 day weekend than getting dolled up and joining us!?

Who can attend?
The event is 18+ but otherwise absolutely anyone can attend; we have tried to cater for everyone.  Maybe you want to treat your partner to a special night out? Perhaps the girls want a different girls night out? Maybe you're looking for an unusual works night out?  Or, if like me, you just want a reason to get glammed up and have a great night out in Llandrindod.

                                            
Is there a particular dress code?
Yes, the theme is Hollywood Glamour so we are thinking along the lines of red carpet Oscar event.  Did I mention we do actually have a red carpet?
Ladies, do you still have 'that' dress in the wardrobe that you absolutely love and thought you'd never have a reason to wear it again? Or maybe it's an excuse to go and do some fancy dress shopping. Men, dust off that suit/tux, treat yourself to a new dickie bow and get ready to make those heads turn.                                                                                                                                                          
No Masquerade Ball would be complete without a mask.  Whether you buy one or make one yourself we are so excited to see what everyone wears.
We have competitions for those best dressed so don't forgot to pull out all the stops.

Have you got any advice to give the community of Llandrindod Wells when they are preparing for this event?
Our aim is to put on a grand glamourous event but more importantly we want people to enjoy it and have fun.  We are encouraging people to dress up to the nines, don some amazing masks and bring a few extra £'s to enter our Chinese Auction to win some great prizes.  No other preparation is needed but if anyone has any questions please send us an e-mail (joneschristmasfayre@gmail.com) or a message via our Facebook page. 

What is the sell-out feature of your event? / Why will people want to attend?
Where do I start? Firstly you will have a grand entrance down a red carpet in the already fabulous Commodore Hotel where photographer Rebecca Smith will be getting some paparazzi style pics of your arrival.  Rebecca will be at the event all night snapping great memories of the event.  These pictures will then be available for purchase from L.E.D after the event. We will have live music, a buffet, DJ and to add that something a little different we have secured magician Rob Chapman. He blends magic, mind reading and hypnotism and rather than put on a stage show he will be mingling with the guests so you will get a 1 to 1 magic performance to remember. As well as all this entertainment we will have a Chinese Auction which will include a spa day, a lunch for 2, both at Lake Country House Hotel and Spa and a hamper full of goodies from local businesses with more prizes to come. As I mentioned we have competitions with the categories being 'Best Dressed', 'Best Couple' and 'Best Mask' and awards will go out to the winners during the evening.

How much does it cost to attend the event and what is the money raised going towards?
The tickets are £25 each or £42 a pair and you will be getting bag loads for your money!  All proceeds will be put back into L.E.D to help fund the next event and ultimately our end of year event – the Christmas fayre.

Where can people get their tickets?
Tickets are now available at G & A Jones Newsagent in Llandrindod Wells or online, please send an e-mail to joneschristmasfayre@gmail.com.

Where did the idea come from? Was it something you have always had in mind or a completely new idea?
Llandrindod was renowned for staging grand balls during the Victorian times and we wanted to try and bring that back but wanted to keep it modern and exciting.  While we had the framework of our first ball we knew we wanted to make it a stand out event and during a brainstorming session the idea of masquerade cropped up and, as they say, the rest is history. 

                                        
How do you think this event will benefit the community of Llandrindod Wells?
This event is about bringing the community together, a reason to get dressed up knowing you'll have a great time and you're helping to contribute to future events in Llandrindod.  For all our events we will be trying to promote local businesses where we can and help to grow the ever expanding community events.

Are the committee going to organise any future events?
Most definitely! This is just the start for us.  We have a whole list of ideas for future events, some of which Llandrindod may not have experienced before.  We are hoping to build on these each year and increase the number of events as we build up steam.  We are hoping our next event to be a medieval banquet which will take place later in the year.

Can you describe the event in three words?
Glamourous, Magical, Show-stopping 

So be sure to keep an eye on L.E.D's Facebook page as they will be posting lots of things about the event between now and the 30th April including useful links to help with planning and creating your outfits for the glamourous event. You can also follow the L.E.D committee on Twitter.

Why don't you get yourself down to G & A Jones Newsagent to purchase your tickets in order to enjoy a glittering night to celebrate all that is wonderful about life in the friendly community of Llandrindod Wells.

I wish the L.E.D committee every success with this event and ones to come in the future. They are a shining example of just one of the brilliant things happening in #llandrindodlife! 

"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." ~ Helen Keller

Junk n Disorderly

Set just off the main road that runs through the Victorian Spa town of Llandrindod Wells is one of the top ten voted vintage shops in Wales; Junk n Disorderly.

Junk n Disorderly

As the name suggests, Junk n Disorderly, located in Unit 1 of the Old Town Hall Workshops, is a shop with a vintage and retro vibe achieved by the many quirky, unique items up for sale. It is just one of a number of small independent shops that are available to the community of the central town of Powys. The shop is run by local man Patrick Sheehy and he will be celebrating its third birthday this month. The shop was recently voted one of the best in Wales by Wales Online which described the classic shop as "cute".

"Junk n Disorderly has up-cycled vintage furniture and simple retro pieces, you can kit your whole house out here."~Wales Online 

Junk n Disorderly evolves every week with different quirky, one off items up for sale each time you visit.

“Whether you are looking for that finishing touch to enhance a room or to completely furnish your home, you will find it all at Junk n Disorderly.”

Here is just a flavour of some of the really cool, retro items that have been sold in Junk n Disorderly recently.

A cool clock

The meaning behind palm lines

 

A clock made from a bike chain

LED lights

One of the items Patrick was keen to highlight when I met with him was Annie Sloan Chalk Paint™which he stocks and sells in his shop. It does not require any sanding prior to use and despite this, your painting will always be free from grease and dirt. Two coats should be sufficient to fully cover the item you are painting. A single colour creates a beautiful simple look but by adding a second colour and sanding it back, you can create a naturally unique distressed look. By mixing two colours of the Chalk Paint™ together, you can create your own custom colour. The Annie Sloan Clear Soft Wax also available in Junk n Disorderly will help to protect and give a rich velvety finish to your work, whilst the Dark Soft Wax helps to bring out the texture and detail of the item you have painted.

 

Junk n Disorderly is a Annie Sloan Chalk Paint™stockist

You can also use the Chalk Paint™to add a splash of colour to any walls or floors within the home. By using one of the stronger colours in the range such as Aubusson, Greek Blue, or Graphite you can paint blackboards. This will require three coats and you have to allow it to dry thoroughly. Afterwards you can write on the surface with a stick of chalk.

Patrick believes he is helping to put Llandrindod back on the map by selling this product as it has become a world wide phenomenon, recognised by lots of people due to its ease of use. Patrick is particularly happy to sell this brilliant paint as it is only supplied to a few outlets throughout the country and people from all over Powys visit Llandrindod just to buy it from Junk n Disorderly.
  

You can buy the famous Chalk paint™at Junk n Disorderly

Chalk paint™colour chart

Patrick uses the famous Chalk Paint™to hand-paint and "upcycle" furniture to then sell in the shop. No two pieces of furniture will be the same and this just adds to the magic. When you buy some furniture you can request a colour that you want it to be painted to make the piece of furniture unique to your needs.

A chest of drawers Patrick painted using the Chalk paint™: 
florence with gold highlights and a waxed top

Did you also know, Patrick runs Chalk Paint™workshop classes in order to help the community to get creative and understand how to upcycle using the Chalk Paint™? If you would like further information about this, get in contact with Patrick.

The upstairs of Junk n Disorderly has a large collection of vintage clothing for women and men. Here's a sneak peak at some of the clothes that have been for sale recently.

A vintage blue dress

Some lovely patterned material

Another vintage dress

 

Patrick used to work with and show horses but always enjoyed getting creative and buying lots of cool items at Hay on Wye Vintage Fayre; Hay Does Vintage.  When his job with horses came to an end, Patrick decided to make a go of opening up a vintage shop and selling and getting creative with admirable pieces of furniture and small retro items. This has obviously proved highly successful as the business is still going strong in this old spa town of Llandrindod Wells three years after opening.

Patrick demonstrated even more of his creativeness recently with his shop window display at Christmas which was voted the best in Llandrindod by the town council.

Christmas window display

 

Patrick enjoys living and working in Llandrindod and recognises there are a large range of diverse independent shops available to the community. He also appreciates the history of these businesses and he highlights the fact Llandrindod plays host to the first whole food independent shop along Middleton Street; Vans Good Food.  The community of Llandrindod Wells is very friendly so Patrick finds it quite funny when people from cities visit his shop and seem surprised when he talks to them as they're not used to shop owners passing the time of day with any of their costumers.

“Good things are happening here in Llandrindod Wells now. Just look at the Pavilion which has recently come back into the hands of the community and will reopen in March. Llandrindod needs those sorts of places to help bring the strong community together.”

Here is what some of the community of Llandrindod Wells have had to say about Junk n Disorderly on their Facebook page.

"Wow!!! Fantastic shop, a 'Real Hidden Gem'..
The owner Patrick is just amazing.. Full of great advice and so friendly.."~Sarah Duggan

"Fab shop!! Well worth a visit for retro and vintage treasure. Love it."~Jo Hodges

"A big thank you to Patrick for supplying Christmas garlands to a The Llanerch Inn, at a fantastic price."~Terri Jones

There are lots of quirky items for sale in Junk n Disorderly

You can follow Junk n Disorderly on Facebook, Instagram, on their website and now on Twitter. Patrick shares some really cool pictures on all of these outlets, helping people understand how the shop is evolving on a day to day basis. 

Junk:

1. Discarded material, such as glass, rags, paper, or metal, some of which may be reused in some form.

Disorderly:

1. Lacking regular or logical order or arrangement.

That's just an attempt at describing the vintage shop, Junk n Disorderly. If you want to discover for yourself what the shop is all about, go and check it out. I can assure you; you won't be disappointed! 

Happy Home Gift Company

Happy Home Gift Company is a family-run local business owned by John Knill and Gemma Staton. The business location at 5 Middleton Street has meaning to John as it used to be his grandfather's butchers shop before it was passed down to his father when John was growing up in the town. The shop was sold out of the family and John moved away.

Find happy gifts in Llandrindod

When John discovered that the shop was up for sale once again, he and Gemma decided to take the plunge at making a successful business within the old family location, with Gemma leaving her teaching job in Dorset. Happy Home Gift Company opened up their doors to the community of Llandrindod Wells on October 2nd 2015 and they haven't looked back since.

It is demonstrated on a sign outside the shop that Happy Home is a place of happiness away from the monotony of every day life. When you enter the shop, this is certainly clear and is one of the many things that draws shoppers in.

Every time I walk into the haven of Happy Home Gift Company, the wonderful aroma of unique candles always seems to hit me first and creates an eruption of scents in my nose. (Look out for the source of this later in the blog post.)

The next thing to strike me is the friendliness and the way in which Gemma and John seem to go out of their way to make everyone feel so welcome.

Find happiness at Happy Home

Strolling into the happy haven

Happy Home sell a wide range of gifts, such as scarves, jewellery, kitchen and bakeware, an enormous collection of cards to suit any occasion, teddies, mirrors, clocks and many many more items. 

A perfect gift for a loved one

Another cute wall hang

Happy Home has an extensive variety of happy gifts suiting everyones' needs. To highlight this, Gemma told me lots of people recently have asked for umbrellas to be sold as we have been experiencing very wet Welsh weather here in Llandrindod. So she spent some time searching around to find some that were a bit quirky, unique and different in order to suit the vibe of the shop.
 

There are lots of gifts available to buy at Happy Home

Little Hotties are the source of the lovely smell that hits you as soon as you walk off of the street and into Happy Home. These are a varied range of exclusive, unique candles that you can fill a box with to burn on your oil burner and tea light warmers at home. The boxes are £6.50 each and you can fill them with as many of the little Home Fragrance Melters/candles as you can. The selection of candles sold in the shop change throughout the year to fit the seasons and when they are mixed on the oil burner it creates an amazing intermingled scent that will never be the same twice. Fresh Fruit Salad, Rain Soaked Lawn, Cheery Bakewell and Fairy Dust are just some examples detailed within the little booklet of the smells that you can create by adding the Melters together. 

The source of the wonderful smell

Over the coming few weeks, Happy Home will become even happier (if that is even possible!) with about a thousand more gifts being added to the shop. This ranges from scarves, jewellery, baby clothing (which will be suitable from birth), foot and hand cream to a world exclusive of some superhero posters that are designed by Gemma's friend. The list is almost endless and there is so much to look forward to.

These unique pens are for sale in the shop and 
are made by Gemma's Dad...no two are the same

I LOVE my lunch box purchased from Happy Home

As well as selling these special gifts, Happy Home Gift Company also provides services to the community such as picture framing, key cutting, fine art and vehicle graphics. When the shop first opened these services were not advertised to the community but now lots of people are hearing about them and it is bringing many different people in that would not often visit a gift shop. Ladies are bringing their partners in to get their keys cut and the fact they can have a browse around the shop when John is carrying out the process is definitely benefiting the company and their sales, whilst also helping to spread the happiness vibe. 

There are lots of framed to choose from

Did you know, you can get your keys cut at Happy Home?

In the near future, Happy Home will be expanding with the development of a website from which they will be selling their gifts to the whole of mainland UK.  The shop is flourishing in the old spa town of Llandrindod Wells, being open 9am until 5pm, Monday to Saturday and I cannot wait to see the advancement of the website which will help to unfurl happiness out all over the country.

Here is what some of the community of Llandrindod Wells have had to say about the shop on their Facebook page. (You can also follow Happy Home Gift Company on Twitter.)

"Lovely shop, just what Llandod needed. Fantastic products and a very welcoming feel as soon as you walk through the door. Good luck to you both."~Donna Jones

"Fab cards, gifts and friendly service. Highly recommended!"~Sian Pugh

"Lovely atmosphere, friendly smiling staff, beautiful stock. Definitely worth taking a look. Wishing the Happy Home Gift Company every success."~Jan Bowen

 "Great shop with some lovely things at good prices too, I bought a lovely dog cushion and can't wait to buy another one too!"~Diane Jackson

"Great shop, gorgeous products and lovely friendly staff. A little gem in Llandod!"~Helen Baynham

A collection of teddies on sale

Just one of Gemma's favourite cards on sale

John and Gemma see Llandrindod as a supporting, independent town that is very family orientated with a real feel of community. John and Gemma love that everyone is so friendly and they can have a proper conversation and get to know other business owners in the town. They also value the abundance of places to walk in the local area and being able to get outside and see wildlife on the doorstep.

The shop's owners also believe some locals do not realise or appreciate how well the old spa town is doing in the 21st Century.

"When people come to the town from a city on holiday or are just passing through; they love it here."

This has been demonstrated recently by Andrea Cremer, New York Times and international bestselling author of the Nightshade series, who enjoyed a short visit to Llandrindod Wells. During her time here she found the town struck her as, "idyllic, beautiful and delightful".

I challenged John and Gemma to describe Llandrindod in one word. John felt when he was younger he would have described the town as "quiet" but in a negative way as there was little for him to do. Nevertheless, now having returned to the location of Mid Wales after living in cities, he would describe the town as "beautiful" and has learned to appreciate the local area.

Gemma describes the town as "quaint and quiet" but in a positive way, as like John, she has learned to appreciate living in the heart of Wales surrounded by wildlife and such a friendly community after living in cities for most of her life.  

I think it is only fair I challenge myself to describe Happy Home Gift Company in one word; except it is not really a challenge and relatively simple...

"blissful"

If you want a little dose of happiness in your life, get over to Happy Home where I am sure they will be able to fix you up. (The only problem is you probably will not want to leave!) 

John & Gemma outside Happy Home

Below is a slideshow telling the story of Happy Home Gift Company Ltd.

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