A GRAND firework display and torchlight procession, fancy dress ball, Charles Dickens’ great-great grandson and Llandrindog Show are highlights of the Victorian Festival, which begins in Llandrindod Wells next week.
The 41st annual Llandrindod Wells Victorian Festival takes place from Monday to Sunday, August 21-27.
The inaugural event was held in 1981. It has traditionally been one of the biggest events in the town’s calendar and organisers have put together a jam-packed schedule for visitors this year.
Highlights include the opening day Victorian Fancy Dress Ball at the Hotel Metropole from 7.30pm. Princess Flavia of Ruritania invites you to join her and her entourage at a ball to celebrate their royal visit to Llandrindod. This an opportunity to don a fancy dress outfit suited to Victorian times. A party from the fictional kingdom of Ruritania will be in attendance. Costume optional.
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On Tuesday at the Albert Hall, Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol will be performed at the Albert Hall by Gerald Dickens. The author’s great-great grandson returns to give another fabulous one-man performance to celebrate his 30th anniversary tour of this iconic work.
A Victorian Christmas in August takes place on Wednesday, and will include Santa’s grotto with gifts for children, carols on the bandstand and other festive activities.
The Friends Of The Festival’s annual Champagne and Strawberry Reception also takes place from 3pm.
The Albert Hall hosts An Unusual Twist: A Murder Mystery Evening too. Question the suspects, identify the clues and deduce the culprit.
On Thursday the Metropole hosts the Powys Radnor Federation of WI’s Centenary Exhibition. The federation celebrates 100 years since its formation on February 23, 1923. You are invited to join them for a look back over the years and a glimpse into the future. There will be craft demonstrations as well as gifts, books and craft materials for you to purchase.
Temple Gardens hosts the first of three days of entertainment and events from Friday. Each day find the programme on the blackboards on the side of the bandstand and Facebook.
The official opening ceremony takes place on Saturday. During the afternoon there will be the Mr and Mrs Llandrindod fancy dress competition, best hat and parasol and children’s ‘in the garden’ fancy dress competitions.
Queen Victoria then invites you to a traditional Victorian Ball from 7.30pm at The Pavilion, so don your finest costumes and come and join the splendour of this event. Victorian style ball costumes are essential at this event.
On Sunday, the Llandrindog Show takes place on Temple Gardens Registration from 11am. Bath your four-legged friends and bring them along. Classes to include: best dog, best female, best pup, best veteran, best junior handler and more.
The torchlight procession and grand firework display is a traditional end to the festival with a welcome return of torches to the procession. Gather at the bandstand ready to depart at 8.30pm with the display to commence at approximately 9pm.
Buy fire torches from the entrance to Temple Gardens and Lakeside Boathouse.
“As chairman of the festival I would like to thank Llandrindod Town Council, Addoldai Cymru, the Albert Hall, Royal British Legion, the Conservative Club, David Hawes, Lakeside Boathouse, Llandrindod Community Events, Llandrindod Silver Band, the Hotel Metropole, the National Cycle Museum, The Pavilion, the Rock Park Spa, our entertainers and stall holders for their support of the 2023 festival,” said this year’s chair, Anne Smith.
“Many thanks to the Friends of the Festival and, most importantly, I thank Marina, Ben, Tony, Nigel, Jan, John and Lee for their hard work and commitment throughout the year.”
The festival marked its 40th anniversary last year and celebrates everything Victorian – the era spanned the 63-year reign of Queen Victoria, from 1837-1901.
It pays homage to the ‘Wells’ in the town’s name, which derives from its huge popularity from the mid-18th century to the mid-19th century, when it became a spa town.
Llandrindod had actually used ‘Wells’ in its name as early as 1696. The saline and sulphur springs were rediscovered in 1732 and the fame of their healing properties rapidly spread.
The first section of the Heart of Wales railway line was opened in 1865, which led to the development of Llandrindod as a spa town as people poured in due to the rapid progress of transportation and travel routes.
In 1872/3 marshy land near the present County Hall was drained to form an ornamental lake—now a jewel in Llandrindod’s crown.
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