BBC Allotment Specialist announces live appearance at Feastival
Grow your own food, originally uploaded by net_efekt.
BBC allotment specialist Terry Walton will be appearing at Feastival in Bridgend town centre on 30th September and 1st October.
The much-loved allotmenteer made a name for himself on BBC radio 2 s Jeremy Vine Show with his down to earth wit and wisdom. He’ll be explaining form our own allotment why he feels growing your own food is so important – and why he loves allotmenteering.
Terry has had an allotment for over 50years on the same site. He is passionate about his hobby and he is always willing to pass on his gardening knowledge . The way to learn is to ask – All his knowledge has been passed down from experienced gardeners.
He grows organically and is self sufficient in vegetables for over ten months of the year. He likes to grow most standard varieties of vegetables but loves the challenge of experimenting with a few new crops every year.
“The important aspect of growing your own is to enjoy the experience and anyone who says it is hard work are not enjoying the whole growing culture”
Terry has kept an allotment in the Rhondda Valley in South Wales for over fifty years. He started when he was four, helping on his father’s plot on the side of the mountain, cutting bracken and collecting sheep manure to feed the vegetables. He was farming his own plot at eleven and he went on to build an allotment empire, selling his vegetables and flowers to local customers. The proceeds paid for his first car, a canary yellow Ford Popular, when he was just seventeen. Then, in 2006, after half a decade of happy gardening, Terry’s allotment was adopted by the Jeremy Vine Show and he became an unlikely media star. In his absorbing and entertaining memoir, Terry documents how the valley has changed over the years, his own conversion to organic gardening, and the colourful characters he meets; insterspersing his anecdotes with topical tips, family recipes and quirky line drawings.
Videos of Terry’s tips on growing seeds from BBC Radio 2s Jeremy Vine Show
Terry will be appearing at Feastival, the Wales Alternative Food Festival, in Bridgend Town Centre on 30th September and 1st October 2011.
Feastival Does The Business
IMG_1168, originally uploaded by The Alternative Food Festival.
Following last year’s success, Bridgend’s newest flagship event Feastival, Wales’ Alternative Food Festival, has started to attract substantial attention and interest from the Welsh media and business community. It attracted over 35,000 people to the town centre in 2010 in what was its first year of operation. This year, it takes place on 30th September and 1st October, and is promising to be even bigger and better.
The event has attracted 55 Welsh food & drink companies who will be exhibiting in the town centre and a further 10 quality craft and non-food related businesses who have been carefully selected to participate. Exhibitors will be showcasing the best that Welsh food and drink has to offer including meat, dairy, bakery products, preserves, eggs, fruit & vegetables plus a range of wines, beers, ciders and perrys.
“We’re delighted the way that Feastival is developing and the interest that we’ve received from the local business community” said Councillor David Sage, Deputy Leader of Bridgend County Borough Council “The event deliberately pitches itself as being different to any other food festival in Wales which is probably why it is becoming such a hit with residents, visitors and businesses”
Feastival has attracted support from a number of local businesses including Bridgend success story Just Perfect Catering, The Welsh Perry & Cider Society, Fiat, and Filco, who are launching a new town centre store in Bridgend early in 2012. The event is also hosting a Town Centre Regeneration Reception on Friday 30th September showcasing the town to a number of select and interested investors who will see at first hand that Bridgend is dynamic, forward thinking with a new interesting focus on events such as Feastival to draw people in to the town centre. The event’s Italian Quarter which is a new attraction this year, has also presented a great opportunity for local businesses to benefit. The town’s three quality Italian Restaurants, Zia Nina’s, Il Panino and La Strada are all using the opportunity to promote their businesses to anew audience.
Feastival’s main attraction this year is the Welsh food artist and Britain’s Got Talent star Nathan Wyburn, famed for his ,Marmite on Toast’ portraits. Alongside Nathan, the event this year will feature allotment expert Terry Walton from BBC Radio 2, and several unusual food related attractions such as the Egg Drop Championship, a ‘Leek Lobbing’ competition, Chefs on Stilts and all the other trimmings that you expect at a food festival.
For further details visit http://www.walesalternativefoodfestival.com
