Welsh National Eisteddfod Ceredigion/Tregaron 1st - 8th August 2020 *POSTPONED TILL 2021*

Feels a bit pretentious to start a topic of such importance so looking forward to it being subsumed into something else by someone else or taking over by someone else. However, advice on booking accommodation for the Eisteddfod next year is needed as Tregaron doesn’t have a lot on offer (let alone on the week of the eisteddfod).

There appears to be a lot of places to stay around Tregaron from Lampeter in the south to Aberystwyth to the west which makes for a large geographical area. So, does anyone know a little more about where the Maes might be?

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Tregaron is 19 miles south-east of Aberystwyth and 11 miles north-east of Lampeter/Llanbedr PS.

Early announcements put the Maes North of the village towards Aber. Since it will be just 6/7 miles from me ( :smile: ), my plans will not be thwarted by the weather next year.

It may already be too late to book hotels, but I’d recommend the Talbot Hotel in Tregaron (good beer - excellent restaurant) ($) and The Black Lion and Red Lion in Ystrad Meurig. Aberystwyth has plenty and will be served by a good bus service.
($) The Talbot has been graced by two famous Americans - President Jimmy Carter and @tahl :smile:

The language spoken in Tregaron is similar to Welsh :laughing: but much faster.

PS There are lots of camping/caravan sites in the vicinity but they will also book up soon, I guess. Here’s a starting point

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Our early research suggests that the nearest place you’ll be able to book accommodation by now is Helsinki.

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Great advice, eyes now looking to the Finnish member of SSiW… Diolch!

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Since Helsinki is still in the European Union, you may be well advised to travel that little bit further and check out St Petersburg. :laughing:

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Which is a lovely city, though sadly lacking, in my limited experience, Welsh speakers

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Although you can get Stotty Breads in Helsinki :grinning:. I love Tregaron. There is really interesting period shop/art gallery right next to the hotel. I stopped there on the way back from the Caernarfon Parti, and people were chatting in the street in a sort of English/Welsh mix which alternated every two words :grinning:

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We’re booking our bwthyn today, We’ll be closer to Llambed. So we’re planning to go for the whole week but again with some family visits in it. Plus we’ll see how much baby Cusack lets us do too.

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shop/art gallery

This is Rhiannon’s, a noted jeweller which has Welsh Gold amongst other “preciouses”. There is also a nice cafe attached to it.

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Have already looked at all possible accommodation in and around Tregarron, all booked everywhere. As we dont have a caravan will mean travelling daily. Could look to stay at Lampeter or Aber. but again difficulties finding anywhere.
So travelling every day seems only option unless, of course, someone knows of anywhere !!!

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Aberafan Hotel? :rofl:

around Tregarron, all booked everywhere.

As I feared and suggested. :slightly_frowning_face:

I think there is a case for using multi-booking sites in these circumstances such as booking.com, trivago, expedia and many more. I’ve just checked availability in Aberystwyth between 1-8/8/2020 on the site I use regularly and there is quite a range of accommodation left. The prices do reflect demand though. :frowning: One advantage of such sites which I used this year is the ability to cancel a booking quite late and without penalty if necessary.
Good luck.

With the caveats that a) I don’t know if this will be the case and b) would still mean a fair amount of travelling -

Sometimes universities rent out some of their student accomodation during holidays. With unis in both Aberystwyth and Lampeter, it might be worth enquiring?

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Excellent idea - I’ll see what I can find out about Aber.

Update: I’ve just phoned Aber’s conference centre and - yes, they will be renting out accommodation. The person I spoke to suggested that you e-mail your enquiry to conferences[at]aber.ac.uk.

I’m just about to check with UWTSD Lampeter and will update here when I get a reply

Update 1 week later: I’m surprised and disappointed that I have had neither acknowledgement nor reply from UWTSD Lampeter.

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I’ve spent days searching… haven’t eaten or slept… become a whimpering wreck… there’s nothing, absolutely nothing.

I usually book as soon as the previous year’s Eisteddfod has come to an end and I’m usually lucky. But I’ve exhausted all resources and failed miserably.

I’ve received some wonderful advice, kind offers and leads which I need to find the time to respond to soon. But juggling two kids, logistics/travelling time, a husband worth a slipped disk and chronic pain and a a possibly busy Eisteddfod schedule is tricky.

I’ve been told by people in the know that the BBC usually book up a whole chunk of accommodation really early on, then send up cancelling a lot of them last minute. But we can’t leave it till last minute!

Good luck to everyone searching. X

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How far are you willing to travel? Air BnB had quite a few in Llambed and the surrounds, as well as Aberystwyth. So frustrating though isn’t it?

Check your PMs :slight_smile:

Diolch Huw, But having looked around have decided only possible way is to travel every day, as the mileage from here to either Aberystwyth or Lampeter each day is hardly worth the while. Also I will mean a lot of driving , whereas if we travel from here its only there and back.
As you stated where there is the odd room available the cost is prohibitive .

I sympathise and have resigned myself from now on to attending only those Eisteddfodau which are local or near family.
I do hope you manage to enjoy at least some of the week’s events.
The good news is that it never rains in Tregaron. :sunglasses:

Coming back to you soon Huw. X

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