Just a quick heads up for anyone that didn’t know that the Tafwyl Fair is in Cardiff Castle tomorrow from 11am until 9pm-ish. They’ve got loads going on throughout the day, so it’s really worth a visit if you can make it. I’m particularly looking forward to a Q&A with some of the cast of Pobol y Cwm at 12.30.
You can find out what’s going on in the various tents throughout the day in the Tafwyl Booklet 2014 (timetable at the back).
Hopefully I’ll see you there! 
There’s also an app available for Android and iOS. I’ll be there from about 3pm!
The app is slow but brill for lining up what you want to see because there’s TONS! I’ll be there from midday.
Ah, I should have checked here before going 
I was there around 13:00-14:30
Ah well, last year I had to leave too early. this year I got there too late. Next year’s going to be brilliant! That is - so long as the organisers check with the sporting calendar first - we didn’t enjoy the battle to reach the castle through the speedway crowds.
Did anyone else find it too noisy? The blast from the main stage meant that even with the amplification inside the tents, especially the pabell ddysgwyr, the presenters were having to shout. I didn’t hang around for Al Lewis as I didn’t think the sound quality in the acoustic tent would be worth the wait with all the competition.
Sian Cothi was having to shout on her stand, but I don’t suppose Tommo had any difficulty being heard earlier! Really sorry I missed him.
The best thing was seeing so many children there with their parents. Loads of activities for them - they loved the gruesome scar face painting! Tafwyl seems to go from strength to strength and this year it didn’t rain until nearly 5pm.
Lots of fun but yes, the learners tent is definitely not best placed midway between the main and acoustic stages! I really felt for the Spanish Guitar player who didn’t stand a canary’s chance against Yr Eira…
Particularly enjoyed Mynediad Am Ddim - a favourite since I starting learning because they’re so singable.
Would have stayed for Steve Eaves if the sun had stayed out but the huddle from the rain in the tent wasn’t tempting and I didn’t want to hit the Speedway kicking out time as I was going back by train and they were doing the matchday queuing thing at the station.
Lovely to spend the day in an atmosphere where the first language was naturally Cymraeg though. Food was good too!
Bought some cheese and some fruity spirit thing after tasting both and being immediately sold!
Had a taste of how small y byd Cymraeg is when, while perusing the Cymdeithdas stand, I was hailed with ( Yn Gymraeg) “Hiya, you go to at Hacio’r Iaith don’t you?”
Well, it was more crowded than I’ve ever seen it, and if some of those people were speedway fans from the European mainland or England or wherever, and they went away realising that Welsh isn’t something done only by farmers and old folks, then I consider that to be a good thing.
Moving the main stage was a mistake. Previously it has directed all the loudness away from the rest of the ‘maes’, and this worked well, though maybe the organisers thought that it provided too much of a focus too close to the entrance. And the queue for the bar partially obstructing access to the remainder of the site has been a problem in the past.
For the record though, if you’re watching a Spanish guitarist rather than the poptastic Eira, then you’re doing Ffair Tafwyl all wrong. 
For the record though, if you’re watching a Spanish guitarist rather than the poptastic Eira, then you’re doing Ffair Tafwyl all wrong.
I could probably have managed them had I bought some of the eardefenders the Speedway hawkers were selling as I walked up from the railway station! Waaaayyyy too many decibels for me…