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Events held in 2024
keep an eye out for upcoming events.
Sunday 10th March – Mother’s Day!
Don’t forget to get your Mother’s Day afternoon tea booked in with us.
What better way to show the most important Woman in your life just how much you care, then with a lavish afternoon tea in our beautiful, restored train carriage overlooking the birds’ feeding station.
£17 per person and pre-booking essential! (Vegan and gluten free versions available.)
Sunday 31st March – Artist Jenni Hall – ‘Finding the image through scribbling with charcoal’.
Come and meet amateur artist Jenni Hall on easter Sunday 31st March at Erwood Station Gallery between 11am and 3pm. Find out something about using charcoal or even have a go yourself if you fancy playing with a piece of charcoal making marks on paper.
Jenni has always been creative, but her interest shifted to painting in watercolour and using charcoal after her retirement and move to the Hay on Wye area. Some of her art is currently on display in the gallery and she has agreed to be on the panel of judges for ‘The Amateur Portrait Artist of the Year 2024’ competition that Erwood are organising for the first time this year.
She believes everyone is creative but sadly we don’t always believe it of ourselves. So come along, see what might be achieved with a lump of charcoal, ask your questions, enjoy yourself, get enthused and sign up to take part. You do not have to be ‘Perfect’ at portraits just willing to have a go.
Saturday 6th April – Erwood Station’s ‘Amateur Portrait Artist of the Year 2024’ Competition – Heat 1
Join us at Erwood for the first heat of our exciting new art competition.
5 Amateur artists have 4 hrs to complete a portrait of a ‘guest sitter’. The winner from this heat goes through to the final in September!
Are you someone who loves to draw or paint but has never taken that next step into producing artwork for others to see or to even sell one day? Here at Erwood Station Craft Centre, we are looking for 25 amateur artists to take part in our very first Portrait Artist of the Year Competition.
We have taken inspiration from the much-loved TV show of the same name, to not only give artists a chance to put their skills to the test, but to give them the opportunity to learn much valued tips and advice from our panel of judges, and importantly to have fun!
For just £15, you can be one of 25 entries, and using any medium of your choosing, challenged to complete a portrait of a guest sitter at Erwood Station in the allotted time of 4 hours. The entry fee will get you a seat in the competition along with a light lunch and refreshments on your chosen heat day.
Heats will run from April to August, with the winner from each heat competing again in the final in September, where just one of you will be selected as the overall winner of Erwood Station’s Amateur Portrait Artist of the Year 2024.
The winner will win a prize fund of £250 and will even be given a spot at Erwood Station’s Gallery for the duration of 2025*, where they will have the unique opportunity to showcase their work to the public, giving them the chance to get their name out there, and maybe even make some sales!
All entries of the competition will be invited back to an open evening at the end of the competition to celebrate the winner and to see the entirety of the work from all of the heats displayed in an exclusive art exhibition. Everyone involved in the competition, along with friends and family will be able to come together and celebrate each other’s achievements.
We hope this competition will be the start of an annual tradition to help support up and coming artists of all ages to gain the confidence they need to get into the arts industry.
We aim to raise awareness of local campaigns and organisation close to people’s hearts, to encourage everyone to pick up a paintbrush or pencil and have a go. To learn how art can help everyone express themselves without judgement, only support and encouragement.
Members of the public will also be invited to come along to watch the competition every month to follow people’s journey, to pick up tips, or just to relax and enjoy the process.
If they want to bring their own sketchbook and tackle a portrait themselves, they’d be welcome. Who knows, the judges may even be casting an eye over people on the sidelines just in case they see something special!
Wildcards
Whilst we are looking for 5 contestants for each heat to apply for this competition, overall, we want this project to focus on encouraging EVERYONE to have a go at art.
So, for every heat of this competition we are also inviting people to come along and have a go for free. Bring your art things and a blanket or chair along with you on the day, sit yourself down in view of our guest sitter and have a little go.
Our panel of judges will be scanning the crowds each month to see what you’re creating and if there are any of you that are standing out amongst the rest, they have the power to send one member of the audience straight through to our final in September. How exciting it that?!
So, if you’re not feeling quite brave enough to sign up as a contestant, just rock up and have a little go anyway…..you never know. You might just be better than you think
Easter Monday – 1st April – Music from the Cardboard Box Thieves
Enjoy a lovely Easter Monday with us enjoying all Erwood Station has to offer with the added delight of live music from ‘The Cardboard Box Thieves’.
Tuesday 2nd & Wednesday 3rd April – Lewis Phillips with ‘Wings of Wales’
Lewis is a favourite at the Station. We look forward to him bringing his much-loved birds back to the station for a demonstration and an educational chat to the public.
He loves to talk and answer all your questions, so this is a lovely one to bring all of the family to. We ask that dogs be kept on leads and away from the birds at this event, but otherwise, everyone is more than welcome to this brilliant FREE event!
Sunday 7th April – Car Boot & Table Sale
The first car boot & table sale of the 2024. From now until September/October we’ll be holding this free event the 1st Sunday of every month. Free to the public and stallholders!
Businesses and general car boots welcome! Park at the end of the car park or on the picnic green where space is available and set up from 9.30am until roughly 4pm.
Sunday 19th May – Erwood Station’s ‘Amateur Portrait Artist of the Year 2024’ art competition – Heat 2
Friday 31st May – Wings of Wales
GUESS WHO’S BACK!!
We welcome back the much loved and highly anticipated Lewis Phillips with ‘Wings of Wales’.
Fun for all the family. Free for all. Educational, and a must see!
With the usual two demonstrations of his birds of prey at roughly 11am & 2pm, you will be able to see the birds up close, fly (weather permitting) and listen to Lewis as he gives you the low down on each one.
We have Lewis here often because he is always a favourite, so come join us for another fun filled day.
Sunday 2nd June – Car Boot & Table Sale
The first car boot & table sale of the 2024. From now until September/October we’ll be holding this free event the 1st Sunday of every month. Free to the public and stallholders!
Businesses and general car boots welcome! Park at the end of the car park or on the picnic green where space is available and set up from 9.30am until roughly 4pm.
Friday 7th June - David Bellamy’s Complete Guide to Landscapes
David Bellamy will be demonstrating painting and sketching with Daniel Smith Watercolour Sticks from 2 to 4pm om Friday 7th June, showing how versatile and effective this medium is for creating exciting artwork.
He will also be signing copies of his book David Bellamy’s Complete Guide to Landscapes published in May. He will have original paintings on display, and these will be at a special discount of 10% during the day.
Artists are encouraged to come along and join in the fun and ask any questions they wish on painting.
Sunday 9th June – Erwood Station’s ‘Amateur Portrait Artist of the Year 2024’ art competition – Heat 3
Join us for Heat 3 of our lovely art competition. If you like further information call us on 01982560555, or to sign up as a contestant click on the link below
Saturday 9th June – Erwood Station’s ‘Amateur Portrait Artist of the Year 2024’ art competition – Heat 3
Sunday 14th July – Erwood Station’s ‘Amateur Portrait Artist of the Year 2024’ art competition – Heat 4
Join us for Heat 4 of our lovely art competition. If you like further information call us on 01982560555, or to sign up as a contestant click on the link below
Sunday 11th August – Erwood Station’s ‘Amateur Portrait Artist of the Year 2024’ art competition – Heat 5
Join us for Heat 5 of our lovely art competition. If you like further information call us on 01982560555, or to sign up as a contestant click on the link below
Events held in 2023
With such an iconic venue here at Erwood Station we like to hold various events throughout the year. 2023 was the first year for us and we were so pleased to hold such a variety of events.
Table Sale & Car boot sales
The first Sunday of every month (Weather permitting – April to October) the Station holds a free for all table & car boot sale.
Businesses or members of the public are invited to park up on the large green and sell what they can. With the Station open as usual, there is plenty for all the family to enjoy on these Sundays.
Wings of Wales with Lewis James Phillips
We are lucky enough to know Lewis well, and as a result, we hold multiple Wings of Wales events at the Station. Lewis puts on quite a show with his various birds of prey.
People get to see the birds up close and in flight (depending on the weather) as well as really learning about each species. Lewis is also a conservationist and educates everyone with his fun and friendly manner.
He often ends up staying much longer than anticipated because he really loves what he does. Every one of these events has been a success for Lewis, and we look forward to holding more in the new year.
Bug Bonanza with the Radnorshire Wildlife Trust
In July we invited families to the Station to join the local Radnorshire Wildlife Trust in building a beautiful wildlife hotel.
It was a lovely afternoon where children (and grown-ups) learned how to identify different bugs, join in with painting slates and having lots of fun as they learned.
The bug hotel still stands outside the signal box today, so anyone is welcome to come and see the work they did and even have a little look at what bugs have decided to make it their home.
Bank Holiday fun
With every bank holiday, we try to pull out all the stops.
We heat up the in-house pizza oven for freshly made pizzas, apply for temporary alcohol licences so that we can supply customers with a variety of local brewers, cider makers, gins & whiskeys. We look for local bands to play and with the sun shining, the beer flowing, the pizzas cooking, the river flowing and the wildlife right there, our bank holiday events have been a blast for all!
David Bellamy Art Exhibition and Eco-awareness weekend in conjunction with World Rivers Day
In September we were lucky enough to hold our first ever art exhibition by local friend and artist David Bellamy. ‘The Sylvan Wye’ exhibition ran for 3 weeks and covered a variety of scenes of the Upper Wye. To coincide with the exhibition, we held an eco-awareness weekend where we were joined by the incredible ‘Goddess of the Wye’, ‘Save the Wye’, and ‘Conservation of the Rural Wales’.
We at the Station care so deeply about the plight of our rivers that we are always looking for ways to highlight the issues where we can. With music by the talented Cardboard Box Thieves, and the local ladies’ choir from Builth Wells, it was a magical weekend to say the least. One we were proud of.
Halloween
Our first Halloween, and it was beyond freaky fun! We started the day with a car scavenger hunt where each team had to follow a planned-out route and complete tasks and challenges along the way.
Upon their return, they took part in a quiz and the winner of the day won a cash prize and bronze, silver, and gold medals for each of the highest scoring teams. Alongside the hunt, we had live music from local acoustic duo Two Odd Wolves. Two lovely guys, who sang a selection of spooky songs for everyone to dance along to. Pumpkin carving, pizzas, licensed bar, pumpkin lattes and fully loaded hot chocolates were also on the menu for the day and it went so well, we’re already wondering how we can top it for next Halloween.
Christmas at the Station
Christmas at Erwood Station really was magical. Over the month of December, we had multiple events.
Our Christmas opening where we had live music, licensed bar, the reveal of our stunning Christmas collection of gifts and decorations, Christmas table sales, Santa came for a visit along with the local ladies’ choir and it really was a December to remember.