Gruntius: How many of the cards handed out end with someone paying a subscription?
We have no way of tracking directly, but taking our costs (not much change from £1000, even when we weren’t paying for a stall), and the fact that there is no noticeable change in subscription or even initial sign up rates in the period after an Eisteddfod, I would say that the return in terms of actual cash is probably in the region of £0 (or probably more like ££20 a month for a while, generously ascribing 5 members to the Eisteddfod activity!).
From the point of view of meeting our SSiWers, and seeing them genuinely taking part in the Welshest of Welsh festivals, chatting with people from all corners of the world, meeting people who’ve only ever heard us on mp3 before… The Eisteddfod is priceless.
While we almost definitely won’t have a stall this year, there will definitely be a lot of SSiWers there, so we need to be a bit more organised in letting you know when we are there, and you letting us know when you are there, so that we can have a whole load of SSiW meet-ups during the week anyway.
Actually, that’s an idea - how many of you would be willing to be “responsible” for a meet up on the Maes. "We will meet in Maes D at 11.00 on Tuesday morning, do the “Maes tour for learners”, then have lunch " kind of thing? Could be a real draw for everyone.
We stayed the whole week in the Maes Carafannau last year and it was great. Really great. The showers were good, and there were plenty of them, plenty of toilets too. There was a restaurant on site that looked reasonably priced, though we never ate there, and a camp shop which was well run and well stocked - if there was anything you needed that they didn’t have, it would go on a list, and they’d have it in the next day. Nothing can compare to the feeling of being surrounded by thousands of Welsh speakers - it was fantastic to feel part of such a temporary community.
If I had my way, we’d go every year, and stay on the maes, and go into the Eisteddfod every day, organising the SSiW meetups, whether we have a stand or not (I looked into it last year, by the way, and the smallest stand cost about £1200, without electric, and that was just bare wooden flooring). But there is no way I can camp any more, and even though the Eisteddfod is close to us this year, it’s just impossible at the moment for me to consider a day away from my bed. I’m currently banned from sitting up for more than 10 minutes at a time, for a total of 2 hours a day - not really conducive to 40 minutes in the car, then a day trekking around the maes! We have hopes that I’ll be well enough to make it the year after, so I still may get my way from next year onwards!
We do have several hundred badges that we could work out a way to sell - I think they’d be about £1.50 including UK postage. If there’s interest, I’ll get onto it and sort out how to package them up individually. Tresaith bootcampers get a badge as a congratulatory present once they’ve survived the week, so you could always come on a bootcamp to get one!!
“We stayed the whole week in the Maes Carafannau last year and it was great. Really great. The showers were good, and there were plenty of them, plenty of toilets too. There was a restaurant on site that looked reasonably priced, though we never ate there, and a camp shop which was well run and well stocked - if there was anything you needed that they didn’t have, it would go on a list, and they’d have it in the next day. Nothing can compare to the feeling of being surrounded by thousands of Welsh speakers - it was fantastic to feel part of such a temporary community.”
For families who have a caravan / family tent and would like to integrate in to the Welsh community albeit even for just a week, this is a great opportunity.
We used to go as a family when my brother and I were children and it was a fabulous holiday.
I now have friends who block book pitches with friends and family and go together for the whole week. They spend their days either on the Maes or exploring the area and their evenings together having communal barbecues outside their small caravan communities.
It’s an invaluable opportunity to speak Welsh with people from all parts of Wales, making new contacts and friends and as Cat says, the facilities are good they even have their own entertainment tent!
We’ve had casual conversations in the past about how great it would be to go en masse with caravans and tents and set up our own SSiW community for the week!
Catrin said:… We’ve had casual conversations in the past about how great it would be to go en masse with caravans and tents and set up our own SSiW community for the week!
That sounds incredible and an amazing alternative to bootcamp … Maybe.
There’s no need to go onto the maes everyday I guess, day trips would still be doable.
Is anyone going to be in Glasgow for the w/e of 2/3 Aug? The Commonweatlh Games are concluding with the cycling road races - Wales in with a very good chance in both - and I have this hare-brained idea to ride to the Eisteddfod from there, be nice to have a send-off. No chairty involved but I have an anniversary to celebrate…love the idea of a SSiW ‘caravanserai’ touring the country. Cefn Gwlad iawn!
There’s no need to go onto the maes everyday I guess, day trips would still be doable.
A big part of what I like about the 'steddfod has become the excuse to visit different parts of Wales. I go for the week and go on the Maes maybe 4 days or so and explore locally the rest of the time.
Probably not this year when it’s twenty mins down the road, mind you!
I’ve been so haphazard in my internet access lately I seem to have missed most of this discussion! The SSiW badges are really attractive. A lot of people comment on mine when I wear it, so they are worth having.
Maybe we need to set a Meeting Point somewhere and establish 2 or 3 times during the day where SSiWers can go to that place and wait say 15 minutes. Those who are there for the first time, or just feeling a little shy with their Welsh, could go along to that place and know that there could be other SSiWers there to take them round, explain how things work and just encourage them to use their
Welsh. Or it could just be a set place for meeting and going for a coffee, whatever, but just make it informal so no one feels they HAVE to be there. It’s fine for those of us that know each other, as we keep bumping into each other everywhere, but for new SSiWers or first time Eisteddfod goers, it would give them a chance to find others. To me that was one of the biggest contributions of the shared stand in previous years - a place for people to wander up and say “I’m learning with SSiW”.
Menter Caerdydd are running a daily bus service to the Eisteddfod from Cardiff. They will take you direct to the entrance, so no need for a shuttle bus at the other end, leaving from Sophia Gardens near the Mochyn Du.
Here’s the timetable:
Dydd Sul, Awst 3 - Gadael Caerdydd am 9.30am / Dychwelyd o’r Maes am 6.30pm
Dydd Llun, Awst 4 - Gadael Caerdydd am 9am / Dychwelyd o’r Maes am 6pm
Dydd Mawrth, Awst 5 - Gadael Caerdydd am 9am / Dychwelyd o’r Maes am 6pm
Dydd Mercher, Awst 6 - Gadael Caerdydd am 9am / Dychwelyd o’r Maes am 6pm
Dydd Iau, Awst 7 - Gadael Caerdydd am 9am / Dychwelyd o’r Maes am 6pm
Dydd Gwener, Awst 8 - Gadael Caerdydd am 11am / Dychwelyd o’r Maes am 10pm
Dydd Sadwrn, Awst 9 - Gadael Caerdydd am 11am / Dychwelyd o’r Maes am 10pm
Hope everyone has a wonderful Eisteddfod week! Like I’ve mentioned elsewhere, we’re not attending as a family this year, we’re having a year off, so looking forward to everyone’s updates.
I decided to go tomorrow (Saturday) to pick up my Canolradd certificate as it is in my home territory and it is something I will never do again! With a chance to see Meic Stevens in the Thomas Arms in Llanelli in the evening.
I have also arranged to go on Wednesday with the Welsh group, finishing off with a meal in Y Sospan in the evening. Dw I’m disgwyl ymlaen!
Oh that reminds me I should post that there is no meet up in the Bayview next week!
Is anyone else camping? All being well I should be setting up on Tuesday morning. A variety of flags including Jamaica and our Tour de France Geraint Thomas supporters Ddraig Coch - ‘Beicio Blaenau Gwent’ Pob lwc Geraint ac ‘Team Wales’ mercher a dynion, beicio ras y fford, Glasgow ddydd Sul
Hi I went to Eisteddfod today and parked in the Eisteddfod car park in Burry Port for convenience, so after coming back I could visit my mum and freshen myself up for the welsh gig in Llanelli in the evening. anybody going to the Eisteddfod by car I recommend that you go to the Burry Port eisteddfod car park as there will be buses every 15 mins.
On leaving the Eisteddfod today there was a massive queue for the Llanelli car parks, the Burry Port bus stop was empty, though the bus did fill up when it arrived. So unless you don’t mind queuing for ages, I suggest park at the Burry Port site. Well unless the organisers improve matters for the people using the Lanelli car parks soon!
