Rosie Swales - One Marathon down (a few to go!)

Well Tenby was bustling on Easter Monday as Rosie Swales and her Ice Bird kicked off her 26 Marathons in 26 Days on home ground starting at Tenby's Tudor Square for 8am.

Raising money for Ty Hafan, the testing Marathon yesterday was the first of Rosie's 26 Marathons with the rest being forecast at varying locations across the country accordingly. Today Rosie is heading to Cardiff to tackle number two.

Great local support was apparent everywhere around the Tenby and Lydstep areas as car horns were consistently beeping as they drove past Rosie, generously donating their loose change as they past all helping towards Rosie's target to raise £3000 for Ty Hafan.

To help Rosie along her way staff at Ty Hafan, friends, locals and members of our Activity Wales and Coastal Cottages of Pembrokeshire teams each jogged a mile alongside Rosie to keep the pace going and ensure Rosie was happy at all times.

I thoroughly enjoyed my stint with Rosie and I'd take my hat off (if I was wearing one) to Rosie for her obvious enthusiasm and determination to complete this magnificent challenge.

Rosie also broke more news yesterday in that she didn't really think that running 26 Marathons was going to be enough of a challenge, so she has decided to add in an extra one at the end that she will complete back on her home turf in Tenby!

Well done Rosie and keep going. What an inspiration!

Ty Hafan Visit

Ty Hafan pops in!!!!

Today Phil from Ty Hafan popped in the office to run through some of the final preparations before Rosie attempts her 26 Marathons in 26 Days for the Ty Hafan charity....

The office is buzzing

Easter Fun with Pembrokeshire Getaway!

Low and behold Easter is already upon us and I haven't had time to blink! If your family is destined for some raw Easter fun and frolics this year, then our fantastic holiday to Pembrokeshire maybe exactly what your looking for...

Easter Eggs and Pembrokeshire Fun

Enjoy seven nights self catering accommodation in Pembrokeshire with all the family and celebrate Easter in style!
Easter is a great time for all the family and this package in Pembrokeshire is perfect for all ages. Your self-catering property stands in a quiet position within the greatly popular Ivy Tower Village with on site leisure facilities of indoor heated pool, sauna, gym and tennis courts for all to enjoy. An Easter egg for each will be awaiting your arrival at your property as will an array of Pembrokeshire breakfast treats ready for you to cook a hearty dish the following morning. Embrace this opportunity to catch the surf at the beach and get into action on the waves, the first to stand wins! If the surf wasn't enough sea air for the family then go on to catch yourself a memory with Sea Fishing along the Pembrokeshire Coastline. A family feast of frolics.

The cost for seven nights self catering accommodation, Easter eggs, Surfing and Sea Fishing for all the family of four from only: £219 per person

Activity Wales would be delighted to arrange the package above for your family, or tailor make a package suited to your individual requirements, if you would prefer to celebrate Easter in your own personal way.

Feel free to contact a member of our Activity Wales team if you would like to arrange your Easter holiday, weekend or activity day out. Phone 01437 766 888 or e-mail info@activitywales.com.

Mumbles Triathlon

Activity Wales Events are itching to kick this years stream of events into action and where better to begin than the Mumbles Triathlon in June.

Run under the rules of the British Triathlon Association, Activity Wales Events are proud to add the Mumbles Triathlon to their series of events throughout the year. The Mumbles Tri will take place on Saturday 26th June promptly starting at 7am. A request for the sun to shine has been submitted!

To ensure that the Mumbles Tri Wales appeals to all competitors of all ranging abilities, the triathlon course will be split into two distances, leaving no excuse for any budding athlete to not take part.

All competitors will partake in the 750m open swim around the picturesque Mumbles Bay, then arises the choice between the long or short sprint. The long sprint will go on to complete the merciless 32k bike ride consisting of infamous challenges throughout and the short sprint will accomplish their 21k bike ride the great and celebrated Gower roads. Finally to execute your finish the long sprint will endure their 5k run with the short sprint tackling their 2.5k run along the fast and flat shoreline of Mumbles Bay.

The Mumbles Tri is a sporting event geared to suit every member of the family for an entertaining and enjoyable day out. With quality accommodation suiting every penny in the pocket combined with pre and post parties being well engineered, nobody is going to want to be left sitting at home.

Get the bags packed, children in the back (athlete in the boot!) and get the whole family down to our Mumbles Triathlon this coming June.

Register now from only £36 at http://www.mumblestriathlon.com/ or call a member of our Activity Wales Events team on 01437 766 888.

Happy training!

For more information in regards to other up and coming Activity Wales Events please take the time to visit http://www.activitywalesevents.com/.

Forest Experience 4 x 4 Experience Day

Forest Experience Rally School in Powys offer an invaluable half day 4 x 4 Off Road Experience, providing a great introduction for those keen to brush up on their off road driving skills.

I am delighted to announce that Time Out Magazine were so impressed with the 'Try Something New' element to the half day 4 x 4 Off Road adventure with Forest Experience Rally School and the way in which Activity Wales presented the product, that they chose to feature the roaring experience day in their April issue of Time Out Magazine.

The Half Day 4 x 4 Off Road Driving Experience is a raw event where keen drivers can encounter a whopping 900 acres of unspoilt welsh forestry, offering great fun and plenty of insane, yet controlled off road mania. A full driving licence must be held by all participating drivers.

For £99 per person your half day experience will be neatly structured as follows:

The 4x4 half day off road driving experience session will start with a short briefing on 4x4 operation. After which you will depart for the forest and begin familiarisation runs on forest tracks before moving onto the nursery sections driving alongside your instructor.

Once you have successfully mastered these off road driving sections you will move onto more difficult terrain, which will include ascending and descending plentiful slopes and banks. You will end your driving experience by driving the course again but this time in reverse!

At the end of your activity session you will receive a certificate of completion.

If you are rearing to jump behind the wheel in Wales with Forest Experience Rally School and wish to discuss further details and get the ball rolling to book in your experience day, then please contact a member of our Activity Wales team on 01437 766 888 or info@activitywales.com.

Don't forget to mention the blog!

St David's Day

Roll on St David's Day - the national day of celebration within Wales on March 1st.

I am hoping that our St David's Day this year will be a combined celebration when Wales beat France tomorrow night at the Millenium Stadium. If we do, I will still being singing Shaun Edwards' favourite 'Saturday Night at the Movies' on Monday morning!

I didn't realise that at one time (back in 2006), the Welsh campaigned for St David's Day to become a recognised bank holiday - but Tony Blair rejected the proposition. I guess it would have meant us having to sacrifice a different bank holiday instead.

Every year a variety of parades and festivities are held across Wales to celebrate our patron saint of Wales with this year being no exception.

St David's Day celebrations in Cardiff will include concerts, a parade and a food festival. The events will kick off tomorrow, 26th February with the third annual Really Welsh Food Festival in the city centre. Featuring all welsh produce the festival will continue over 27th and 28th February inclusive.

The changing of the guard will commence at Cardiff Castle's south gate on 27th and 28th February by the soldiers from the Royal Welsh Regiment.

Visitors to Cardiff Castle on March 1st will be given a FREE tube of daffodil bulbs to commemorate the day. I think that's a really sweet touch....

Although the parade in Cardiff is the largest staged, Colwyn Bay in North Wales create an annual parade through the centre of the town too.

For me, I have two poignant memories of traditions that I most associate with St David's Day...

Firstly, being in school and performing in the Eisteddfod singing and performing in Welsh wearing my little Welsh lady costume. Mum thought I looked adorable with my curly hair under the hat!!

Secondly for me was returning home for good old fashioned cawl - vegetables only for me mind.

It is amazing the recognition a bowl of cawl has throughout Wales during the winter months - you see it advertised in cafes everywhere. Mind you cawl goes down a storm as half time grub at the pubs when Wales are playing rugby!

Don't forget your daffodil and wherever you are in Wales enjoy your St David's celebrations.

Come on Wales!

Marvellous Mother's Day

Activity Wales are offering great Mother's Day treats for mums of all ages and individuality!

It is pretty cool that there is a day dedicated to all mums in the world, to spoil them and appreciate all that they do for us all year. Though a daughter's day may be something to think about for the future...!

I do think though that it shouldn't be just the one day that we show our mums we care, I mean I like to think that throughout the year I do have a few caring moments. It's all about the unexpected for me - the element of surprise. This is just me expressing a thought.

Anyhow, Mothering Sunday is to be celebrated this year on Sunday 14th March. I just don't know where the time goes. I'll be soon to be typing about Father's Day in June before I know it.

Are you struggling yet again this year for a few ideas? I say let our Activity Wales team do all the hard work for you. There is no need for this to be a tiresome task.

Our Activity Wales Experience Day Gift Ideas are the perfect treat this year.

The obvious choice would be the relaxing Spa Day, kicking back and enjoying the sights across the bay complete with massage and manicure. All that aroma doesn't just have to be for mum you know - and that's the best bit! Fancy keeping her company?

I would say something like Horse Riding would be a pretty hot choice too. Trekking across the superb Welsh countryside, trotting across the coast, galloping along the water's edge. Horse Riding is an activity that everyone should try at least once in their lifetime. There is something special about experiencing our Wales on horseback.

I do appreciate that bobbing along on a horse may not appeal to everyone out there. How about experiencing our terrific Pembrokeshire coastline up in the air? Embrace the grace of flying like a bird.

Our Activity Wales Pleasure Flights are perfect for a glorious Mothering Sunday morning or late afternoon, with the sea shining and blanket of clear blue sky all around.

If mum may feel a little too relaxed just sitting back and admiring Pembrokeshire, then opt for a Flying Lesson around the coastline instead. Yes, mum can have the opportunity to take the controls and learn to fly the aircraft all by herself! I suggest mum does this one alone...

The above activities are literally a few hand picked Experience Day's that I chose to give you an idea of what Activity Wales can offer your mum this Mother's Day.

For the whole selection visit http://www.activitywales.com/ and take part in our simple activity gift search.

If you think that your mum deserves a little extra this year, then there is always our Activity Wales finest selection of Mother's Day packages available to discover online too. A break away for a few nights maybe the clincher to earn a few extra brownie points this year!

If you need any help or advice along the way then please feel free to contact a member of our Activity Wales team on 01437 766 888 or e-mail info@activitywales.com.

Happy Mother's Day!