Visit Southern Wales Blog

Event - Bridgend Mash UP 2012
Location - Bridgend Town Centre
Date - 19 May 2012
Further Details - www.thebridgendmash.com

The Mash Up essentially mixes (or "mashes") traditional athletics in the streets with contemporary urban street culture.  There are some things that you would expect in a town centre (such as skateboarding, parkour, street dance and even BMX) and there are other things that you would not - pole vaulting, high jump competitions, street sprinting. 'The Mash' is a collision between the contemporary and the traditional, between watching and doing. It's urban, it's sporty and different.

This year's Mash Up is going to be bigger and better couldn't be more relevant with many of the sporting activities taking place featuring in London 2012. As Olympic fever starts to grip the country, the Mash Up is placed to give South Wales their own mini sporting spectacle with a twist!

Taking place on the 19th May and with the Olympic torch running through the town centre the following weekend (Saturday 26th May at approx 14.45pm), the Mash Up offers excellent promotional and marketing opportunities for all those involved.

This year's programme includes
- Pole Vault
- High Jump
- 5 event athletics challenge (Penthalon)
- Skateboarding & Scooters
- BMX
- Live music
- Tarp surfing
- Circus skills - including slacklining - balancing on a tightrope and doing acrobatic moves with Organised Kaos
- 50 metre Torch Run
- Street running

URBAN SPORTS
STREET RUNNING - Caroline Street
Trick Unique - is a free running team based in the Bridgend area. Established in 2011, the group has been actively coaching at various locations in the borough and promoting the club through a number of local events and functions ranging from youth competitions to healthy living exhibitions. Come along and see them perform various acrobatic tricks in Caroline Street

TARP SURFING - Wyndham Street
Tarp Surfers will descend on Bridgend Town Centre to carve up the waves in Wyndham Street, this is not a joke…it's real! Well, the wave is made from a tarpaulin and the boards are long skateboards, but other than that it's real.  Cressy's Surf Academy are the sponsors of this quirky alternative surf competition hosted by Youth Works as they celebrate 10 years of activity in the borough. We encourage all entrants from the public to bring their own long skateboards (or Longboards as they are known), pads and helmets and register on the day from 11am in front of Bridgend Library.

STREET DANCE - Caroline Street
Various street dance acts will be competing on Caroline Street throughout the day. Dance workshops to take place from 11:30am - 12:30 and 1pm - 2pm by Urban Circle

GRAFFITI ART - Dunraven Place & Wyndham Street
Graffiti artists will be competing against each other on the day, and you will have the chance to have ago yourself. Sponsored by Youthworks.

SKATEBOARDING
From 11am at the mini ramp in Market Street Bad Habits will be hosting some Skateboarding and BMX demos from the experts. We're proud that local professional Dylan Hughes will be showing us how its done and also some semi pros in Jess Young and Taylor Oakly will be entertaining you. Caradog Emmanuel or Pancho will be your MC for the day and there will be a skateboard / scooter competitions where entrants can compete for prizes, donated by Bad Habits.

BMX - 11.00am
Bad Bikes will be bringing a portable pump track to the Mash Up. See them in Market Street, the pump track includes, 2 -180 degree berms with a series of rollers to generate the momentum. Suitable for all ability riders with low rolling resistance the track will teach the rider balance and control on a bike as well as having fun

NORTH SHORE - 11.00am
Andy from BAD Bikes will be bringing it down to the Mash up for anyone who fancies learning how to ride these things safely. This is all about developing safe riding techniques and helmets will be provided with full instruction as you will be negotiating a series of 'log rolls', 'church pews' and 'cheese wedges' but only if you want to! You can go as far as you want and with Andy around to instruct, you'll be in great hands and sure to build confidence. Oh yes, as well as the helmets, the bikes will be supplied too (DMR Drones!)

ROLLER SKATING
Bridgend Rink Ratz Recreational Skating is a roller skating group that has grown through a passion for having fun and doing crazy things on four wheels. Various activities include Basketball, frisbee, dodgeball, hockey on their club nights. Come and see the group taking part (on our skates of course) on the streets of Bridgend town centre.

CIRCUS SKILLS - Caroline Street
General Circus workshops include a general 'have a go' circus workshop, which enables young people/adults to try out a variety of different skills. These are ground based circus activities including slack lining, juggling, poi, stilts, hula hoops, plate spinning, small scale manipulation activities, Contact staff, Contact Balls and Walking globes.

FALCONRY - Caroline Street
See birds of prey perform on the streets of Bridgend.

SPOTS and STRIPES - Wyndham Street
Try your hand at a sporting challenge to win a prize

ACTIVE FAMILY ZONE - Queens Street
- Fun actives for children and families
- Assault Course - for all ages outside 14 - 18 Queens Street
- Wheelchair Basketball - demonstration and workshops 10 wheelchairs
- Table Tennis - demonstration and work shop with Neil Robinson MBE, Paralympian

TRADITIONAL ATHLETICS
POLE VAULT - Dunraven Place
9.30am Pole Vault Warm Up
11.00am Competition Starts

HIGH JUMP 11.00am - Queen Street / Caroline Street
Come and Try the High Jump Challenge

PENTATHLON - 11.00am -Adare Street
5 event Challenge
Speed Bounce
Standing Long Jump
Shot
Hi Stepper Shuffle
20metre Sprint

50 METRE TORCH RUN - Wyndham Street
This is your chance to try running with an historic Olympic torch, get your friends and family to take a picture of you after your run on the winners podium.

LIVE MUSIC - The Search Stage: Market Street
Acts to take part in the Search finals in the following categories

Dance - Adrenalin, Callum Osborne, Holly Broster, Interlock, Phelpz, Premo UK, Soul Fusion
Singer Songwriters - I'm Sion, Luke Serle, Matthew Wilson, Tobias Robertson
Bands - Calling All Heroes, Moral Compass, Station 13, The Broadcast
Urban - Ayishia Jasmine, Chronicle and Karftee, DSL, GMR, Mizzy

Vote for the peoples choice online at www.thebridgendmash.com come along and see all the acts perform on the Search Stage in market street.

Showcase acts on the main Search Stage 17.10 - 20.00

Flow Dem - A very talented group of young artists that have recently found national fame as Semi-Finalists on Sky 1′s Must Be The Music. Flow Dem are a 5-piece urban group with ages ranging from 16 to 18 years old. Hailing from Cardiff, Newport and Bristol these four rappers and vocalist bring a fresh energy and vitality back into the music scene whilst positively representing young people all over the UK.

Stars & Flights - are a 3 piece progressive alternative rock band from Neath, South Wales. The band started in early 2010 and began their trek performing in numerous live music venues across the Southern UK. Many events from playing these towns and cities led to providing the basis for some of the lyrics on the forthcoming debut album 'Dropping Anchors'. The album was recorded at Longwave Studios in Cardiff, Wales and produced by the legendary Producer - Romesh Dodangoda (Kids In Glass Houses, Funeral For A Friend, The Blackout, Twin Atlantic and many more great bands!).

Mike Simmonds (Colours of One)
Falling with Style
Falling With Style are an explosive 5 piece rock band from Pontypridd, South Wales.  Falling with Style's sound is a combination of brutal breakdowns and technical instrumental sections with insanely catchy chorus' and sheer fun.

King and Country
Hard working ethics, a Welsh town upbringing and most importantly a passion for what they do has led a four piece band titled 'King & Country' thriving to get on the South Wales musical map. Ready to get out on to the road, they have just recorded an E.P that will be entitled 'Mountains' (recorded with producer Romesh Dodangoda, whose credits include The Blackout, Kids In Glass Houses, Funeral For a Friend, and many more) being released shortly. You can expect a highly energetic live performance with scorching passion and intensity, a brutal truth brought forth with their finely honed sound of incendiary hooks and lyrics sung with nothing but honest hearts and open palms over powerful tracks composed of pure good-time-pop- rock-mayhem. No tricks and no shortcuts.

Event - Grand Medieval Melee
Location - Cardiff Castle, Cardiff
Date - 18 - 19 August 2012
Further Details - www.cardiffcastle.com

In the very heart of the city, Cardiff Castle has stood for over 2000 years.  Once occupied by Romans and Normans, it was transformed into a lavish home for the 3^rd Marquess of Bute in the 19^th century.

Celebrating this fascinating past the castle holds a number of spectacular events throughout the year and this August sees the return of the Grand Medieval Melee.

Be transported back 700 years to experience the sights sounds and smells of Cardiff Castle.

Taking over the Castle Green is a medieval encampment - a mass of colourful tents where characters go about their daily chores; cooking, weaving and preparing for battle.  To survive, you had to know how to win in battle. See the drama of the fight unfold in some breathtaking combat displays as the knights in armour clash and the sound of crossed swords echoes through the site. With an amazing falconry display, sword fighting school, Have- A- Go archery, armour to try on and juggling classes there are a host of activities to keep everyone in a medieval mood.

Event - Legally Blonde
Location - Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay
Date - 14 - 25 August 2012
Further Details - www.wmc.org.uk

Visitors to Cardiff Bay can not fail to notice the huge Wales Millennium Centre sitting on the waterfront.  It has been the country's premier performing arts centre since it opened in 2004 attracting world class opera, ballet, comedians and of course huge West End musicals.

Having hosted hit shows such as Les Miserables and The Sound of Music in recent years, the latest musical to grace the massive stage is Legally Blonde:

Elle Woods can handle anything. So when her boyfriend, Warner, dumps her she decides to follow him to Harvard Law School and win him back. With some help from new-found friends Paulette, Emmett, her Chihuahua Bruiser (and a Greek chorus!), she learns that it's so much better to be smart.

Winner of Best New Musical 2011 (Olivier Awards) this all singing, all dancing romantic comedy is about knowing who you are and showing what you've got.

Directed by Tony and Olivier Award winning Jerry Mitchell (Hairspray), Legally Blonde The Musical is the funniest and most fabulous musical around, case closed.

Event - King's Day
Location - Llancaiach Fawr, Nelson, Caerphilly
Date - Sunday 1 August 2012

Celebrate with the residents and servants of Llancaiach Fawr Manor as His Majesty King Charles I comes to visit.  Hoping to persuade Lord of the Manor, Edward Pritchard to remain loyal to him during the on-going Civil War, the King will preside over a day of activities and re-enactments taking place around the manor and it's grounds.

Llancaiach Fawr is a Grade One listed Manor House that has been restored and furnished according to its appearance during 1645. Visitors will now encounter live role-playing interpreters portraying the household staff during the time of the Civil War.

For more information please visit the Llancaiach Fawr website

Well, after much build up and anticipation, Wales last week became the first country in the world to have a walking route going right around the coast.

The path runs for 870 from the outskirts of Chester in the North, through the Snowdonia National Park, down the West coast, around the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path and through South Wales taking in the cities of Swansea and Cardiff before finally ending in the border town of Chepstow.

Well I say ending, but if you haven't had enough you can take the Offa's Dyke Trail North from here along the Wales/England border for another 160 miles back to your starting point.

There's been lots of coverage of the path in the press with the Guardian saying "Wales has surely set a standard in coastal path designation" and Lonely Planet said that Coastal Wales was the best place in the world to visit in 2012.

Leave a comment to tell us what you think of the path and which section is your favourite and don't forget to share the beauty of the coast with us by adding an image to our flickr group.

Wales makes no secret of the fact that it is a country full of history and heritage.  And where better to find out all about it than at the superb National History Museum.

Situated just 4 miles from the centre of Cardiff, in the pretty grounds of St Fagans Castle, a 16^th century manor house, the museum's collections comprise over 40 historic buildings from every corner of Wales.  Moved from their original location, they were then transported to the site before being re-built brick by brick by skilled craftsmen.

Buildings on site include farm buildings, a school, a workingman's institute and a row of 5 Ironworkers' cottages originally from Merthyr Tydfil where each cottage is decorated in a style from different eras, from 1805 to 1985.

Undoubtedly, the most impressive building on the site is the 12^th century St Teilo's Church.  Originally standing on the banks of the Lougher estuary near Swansea, the church was carefully dismantled before being transported to St Fagans where it was restored both inside and out in a 16^th century style.  The whole relocation project took an incredible 20 years to complete before the church was opened to the public in 2007.

As well as the buildings, visitors to the museum can see skilled craftsmen and women at work in their various workshops.  A blacksmith, Welsh clog maker, potter, saddler, miller and backer can all be seen making their wares using traditional techniques.

Entry is free.  For more information visit their website

There's now less than 3 months to go until the 2012 Olympics gets underway in Cardiff (yes, that's right. The very first event of the games is being staged in the Millennium Stadium).

And of course, before any Olympic games you need an Olympic flame procession and on the 25 and 26 May that's exactly what we get.  The flame will spend two days in South East Wales with the route taking it from Monmouth across to Abergavenny and then Blaenavon, Pontypool and Newport before heading to Cardiff for a big concert to mark its first day in Wales.

The following day sees the flame take in towns such as Caerphilly, Merthyr Tydfil and Bridgend before heading to Swansea.

For full details of the route visit the website

Now, if there's two things that Caerphilly is famous for, it's cheese and the castle. Not surprising then that these two icons of this valleys town combine for the annual Big Cheese Festival.  Held in and around the mighty fort, the festival is an extravaganza of family entertainment and is one of Wales' must see attractions which attracts up to 80,000 people from all over the country.

The weekend's festivities start with the Great Cheese Race with teams racing around a course and over the castle's drawbridge all the while carrying a great big lump of cheese.

The festival then continues throughout the weekend with a packed entertainment programme including musical entertainment, food hall, craft stalls, activity marquee, a traditional funfair plus some superb re-enactment displays each day.

And don't forget the best bit - it's free

The Big Cheese takes place from 27 - 29 July 2012.  For more information visit the Big Cheese website

It's back for a third year running, Newport's Big Splash.  A fantastic weekend of family events and entertainment on the banks of the city's River Usk.

Events this year include urban activities such as BMX riding and street dancing, musical entertainment, funfair rides as well as free theatrical and circus performances in the Riverfront Theatre.

The weekend's festivities will conclude with the Ultimate Usk Sunset Spectacular with a fantastic light show illuminating the riverbank.

Follow @newportfestival on Twitter and on Facebook www.facebook.com/bigsplash for the latest updates.

The Big Splash takes place from 13 - 15 July 2012

What do you get if you take 100s of keen, amateur photographers 12 hours to take 12 pictures on 12 different topics? The answer - Cardiff's 8^th Phtomarathon.

Photomarathons are popular throughout Europe (and now Cardiff) and from 10:00am on Saturday 16th June, 400 people will gather at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay for this photography competition with a twist. 

They will be given the topics on which to base their photographs and they must only shoot one image per topic in the exact order in which the topics are listed.  The entrants will then head off all over Cardiff in search of the perfect picture to fit each category.  Improvisation, fun and creativity are all important in order to succeed in the Photomarathon.

Judges will decide the winner and all 4800 images taken on the day will feature in a special exhibition in the summer.

Take a look at the website for more information and to see some of the entries from previous years