Festival of the Senses helps Llandeilo go hi-tech

The annual Festival of the Senses is helping Llandeilo go all hi-tech.

The festival organisers have helped establish a town centre wi-fi service.

And they are getting ready to launch a special App for the Festival of the Senses, which runs from November 16-18

“We want Llandeilo to be in the vanguard of the technological revolution,’ said organising committee member Christoph Fischer.

“Gone are the days when people might think of Llandeilo as being a sleepy rural backwater with no access to the worldwide web.

“We are striving to make sure we have up-to-date 21^st century facilities in a beautiful Georgian and Victorian landscape.”

The wi-fi service is already up and running, with booster boxes having been fitted to many town centre shop-fronts.

You can access it at Llandeilo WiFi on your mobile phone, tablet and laptop.

The wi-fi has been set up by Newcastle Emlyn-based Telemat IT.

Up to 80 per cent of the costs are covered by the Government and Carmarthenshire Council.

Up to 20 per cent of the costs are put up by the Festival of the Senses.

Mr Fischer said: “The festival has made a profit over the years and we have been able to invest in valuable infrastructure. We think this is a great boost for Llandeilo and helps make it an even more attractive place to visit. At the end of a two-year period, we are hoping that Llandeilo Town Council and local businesses band together to keep it running.”

Meanwhile, the festival organisers have been working with Cardiff-based App Monkeys to develop an App for the event in November.

Mr Fischer added: “It is still in development, but it will be ready in time for the festival. It will be menu driven and will provide festival updates and information on events and ‘stop press’ details, such as the latest situation with park and ride services.

“Businesses featured on the app will have a ‘click to call or locate’ service.

“Our hope is that it develops further from an App for the festival to one which provides information for the whole town, throughout the year.”When it is up and running it should also be featured on the Llandeilo website – http://www.visitllandeilo.co.uk

The three-day Festival of the Senses is a weekend of food, fun, entertainment and shopping opportunities – an event which signals the start of the build-up to Christmas in West Wales.

The festival has been running since 2008 and picked up a Carmarthenshire Tourism Association award in 2017.

The festival is the largest event of its kind in Carmarthenshire.

Last year, thousands of visitors and locals flocked to Llandeilo to enjoy the gastronomic delicacies of local and far-away produce.

Visitors danced to the music performed on the stage, gazed in awe at the colourful firework display and were delighted to see Santa and start their Christmas shopping experience.

This year will see a Farmer’s Market in the town centre, behind the Surgery, White Horse pub and NFU offices. There will be fresh and local produce from the Llandeilo Country Market, Black Mountain Food Hub and others.

The Festival of the Senses is a big draw for the way it fits snugly inside Llandeilo town centre.

The festival encompasses the town’s shops, pubs, cafes and restaurants, as well as offering craft and fashion stalls, food stalls, buskers, entertainment and much more.

Festival opening times are:

16th – 11am – 9.30pm

17th – 10am – 6pm

18th – 10am – 4pm

Links –

You can keep in touch with the Festival of the Senses via the social media Hashtag #FoS2018

Twitter –

@LlandeiloFoS

Facebook –

https://www.facebook.com/LlandeiloFestivalOfSenses/

and the Facebook event page –

https://www.facebook.com/events/298921917565370/