Welsh Dragons

The Welsh flag is known around the World for having a great big red dragon on it yet the last dragon in Wales was so long ago that nobody knows when it was. Some think that having a National Red Dragon seems a bit Chinese but I'm sure Dragons were once widespread (myths?) and most cultures have some stories they can share on the subject of these creatures.

When I first visited Mid. Wales I thought I would find a Sheep Museum but instead, at Llandrindod Wells, I discovered a Dragon Museum tucked away on the left just before getting into the town centre. I had assumed that it would grow to be the biggest Dragon Museum in the World – internationaly famous and a big tourist draw for the whole region but on the occasion of my last visit to this Town, there was no sign of it.

I feel that the loss of this potential gem is serious because it was obviously started by an enthusiast living in exactly the right country. If you know the curator of this Dragon Museum, or any other Dragon Museum, I'd love to know about them and eventually see a Welsh Dragon Museum on the tourist map. There are many that share my enthusiasm for such great giants of myth, magic and might.

It is also logical to have a big 'Sheep Museum and exhibition area' in Wales and I have no idea why the Welsh Tourist Board have not floated the idea and promoted it into reality. In November 2002, Locum Destination Consulting was appointed by the Mid Wales Partnership and the Tourism Partnership – Mid Wales – Partneriaeth Twristiaeth Canolbarth Cymru – to undertake a review of the Regional Tourism Strategy but it highlighted the potential of walking and cycling as usual.

Some believe that a tourism strategy of promoting walking and cycling in Mid. Wales is the solution. But for those who see that the future must include other alternative enterprises for farmers, they should look through a copy of 'Broadsheep', our local 'what's on' magazine, to get a glimpse of all the skills presently in this area. If you can't get hold of a copy of Broadsheep, you might be interested in the following list, posted online on Wednesday 04 June, 2003 by johanneke s :

It is a list of alternative enterprises on farms which he has been compiling over the last few years. He published it because he hopes it may provide some ideas for people:

Farming Information for Rural Ministry
by Johanneke s

"Plenty of opportunities! 350 farm-based alternative enterprises"

Adopt-a-tree, Advertising, Aggregates, Afternoon teas, After school clubs, Agricultural Chaplain, Alpaca, Alternative medicine, Amenity management, American-style mailboxes, Angora rabbits, Animal rehabilitation, Animal Associated Therapy, Arboretum, Aromatherapy products, Arts classes, Archery, Assertiveness training.

Overnight babysitting, Bacon, Badger watching, Bagpipe making, Balloon service, Barn Conversion, Barn Dancing, Ballooning, Basket making, Bay tree production, Beautician, Bed and Breakfast, Beef packs, Bees, Bee-keeping workshops, Bellringing weekends, Bereavement support, Biofuels, Birds of prey centre, Birdseed, Bird watching, Birthday cards, Bloodhound pack (DIY), Book binding, Bottled water, Brassieres, Bread-making, Brewery, Burial-human, Burial-pets, Buffalo, Business Units.

Cake decoration, Calligraphy, Camping, Canoeing, Caravans, Caravan storage, Car boot sales, Carving wood/ stone, Car service and repair, Car valeting, Cashmere Goats, Catering, Cattery, Chalets, Charcoal making, Chauffeured vintage cars, Cheese, Child minding, Children's B&B, Children's farm, Children's parties, Children's play equipment, Christmas trees, Cider making, Clay Pigeon shooting, Clock-making, Clog-making, Selling clothes, Composting, Concerts, Conference and Training Centre, Computer help, Conference venue, Contracting, Co-ordinating of sixth sense, Coppice, Corporate hospitality, Correspondence courses, Cottage Lets, Counselling, Crafts, Craft directory, Crayfish Farming, Crematorium, Cricket (indoor), Croquet, Cross Country Course (Horses), Curtain making, Cyber pub, Cyclo-cross, (Cycles touring), Dairy goats.

Dairy sheep, Dating Agency, Deer, Dentist, Desk-top publishing, Disco venue, Dog & Cat minding, Dog breeding, Dog grooming, Dog's Hotel, Dog-sledding, Dog training, Dog walking, Domestic agency, Dried flower production, Ducks.

Ecoflow magnets, Egg round, Elderberry wine, (elderberries grown on contract), Equestrian Centre, Essential oils, Etiquette courses, Evening out and tour arranging.

Family history investigation, Farm business consultancy, Farmers markets, Farm shop, Farm security, Farm trails, Feed manufacture, Fancy fish breeding, Fine art adviser, Fish farming, Fishing lakes, Fish smokery, Florist, Flower arranging courses, Flowers for drying, Making flyscreens, Football, Footwear for farmers, Forestry, Form filling service, Four wheel drive, Free range eggs, Frozen food distribution, Fudge making, Furniture restoration.

Game shooting, Garden Centre, Garden design, Gardening, Geese, Gift wrapping services, Gilding, Gliding, Goats, Golf course, Golf range, Go-carting, Golf Course, Golf driving range, Golf management, Grain drying, Granny fostering, Granny activity holidays, Granny-sitting, Grass boarding, Grass mowing, Grass track racing (motor cycles), Grave digging, Guanacos, Guinea Fowl.

Hairdressing, Hang-gliding, Hanging basket maintenance, Hat-selling and hire, Haulage, Health Products, Health farm, Helpgroups directory, Herbs, Historic trails, Hockey, Holiday chalets, Holidays for diabetics, Home entertainer, Horse B&B, Horse Drawn Carriages for weddings, Horse hospital, Horse jumps, House sitting, House exchange agency, Humanist funerals, Hurdle making.

Ice cream, Import/export, Industrial Unit, Interior design consultancy, Ironing, IT training.

Jet-skiing, Jewellery design, Junk shop.

Kennels, Kid pick up service, Lambing-time visits, Landscape Gardening, Lavender farm, Leaves to curds (tofu) and milks, Lecturing, Life swap for a week, Line dancing classes, Lingerie, Listening devices, Livery, Llamas, Llama trekking, Locations for film and TV.

Magazine production, Maggot and termite farm, Magpie traps, Mail order, Management games, Manicuring, Marriage guidance, Massage, Maternity wear hire, Meat, Meat boxes by post, Mechanics workshop, Mediaeval Banquets, Meditation weekends, Mentoring, Milk by post, Milk round, Millinery, Mobile cyber-cafe, Mobile phone aerials, Mobile second hand books, Mobile post office/bank, Model Aircraft, Moonlight walks, Mountain biking, Museum, Mushrooms, Mushroom picking, Music weekends, Mystic weekends.

Newspaper delivery, Nursery School,

Off-roading, Organic farming, Fresh organic baby food, Opera house, Orienteering, Ostriches,

Paintballing, Painting Holidays, Paper storage, Parachuting, Para-gliding, Parrot breeding, Pet B&B, Pet Cemetry, Pet headstones, Pet sculptures, Pharmaceutical crops, Pheasant rearing, Photographic Agency, Piano lessons, Pick-your-own, Picnic sites, Pirate Videos, Plant Hire, Polo, Polo pony wintering, Pony Trekking, Pop-concerts, Posh frock hire, Pottery, Proof reading, Property, Public relations, Pudding service.

Quad biking, Quail, Quarrying.

Rabbits, Rabbit extermination, Racehorse training, Ready meals for supermarkets, Recruitment agency, Red kite feeding centre, Refrigerated van, Respite care home, Restaurant, Retreats, Riding School, Riding Stables, Radio Station, Road haulage, Rock concerts, Rowing, Rug making.

Salmon farming, Sandwich van, Saunas, Second hand clothes, Self catering accommodation, Secretarial services, Sheep dairying, Shellfish, Shooting Range, Shooting (game), Sign manufacturing, Singles parties, Skate-boarding, Smokery, Snail Farming, Soap making, Soft furnishings, Specialist plants on the internet, Stag and hen weekends, Stained glass, Stand-up comedy,

Table trout production, Tandem racing, Tapestry kits, Taxidermy, Tea-shop, Teenage activity holidays, Telephone answering service, Ten-pin bowling, Terracotta pots, Terry nappies, Touring caravans, Toys, Toy library, Tractor manufacture and rebuilding, Translation, Treasure hunting (metal detectors), Tree nursery, Turf.

Video conferencing, Voluntary work,

Walking tours, Walling, Rural waste advisory service, Water bottling, Water-skiing, Water Buffalo, Weaving, Web-site design, Wedding service, Wedding venue, Growing weed seeds, Wholesale flower market, Wild boar, Wild flower seeds, Willow growing, Wind farm, Wine, Woodland and Hedgerow Products, Worm farming, Writing courses,

Xmas trees,

Yoghourt

……………

Thank you for your work Johanneke s. I am sure it will promote many farmers to think about their future and the whole picture of Rural Growth Wales

Waves ~~~~~~~~~ <+))))))))>< ~~~ Grant

Posted by : Grant
Filed in : Projects and Ideas

Posted by grant at May 11, 2010 12:09 AM