A group of artists are beginning a 22-day pilgrimage-style walk across Wales as part of the Cultural Olympiad.
Crossing from Monmouthshire to Pembrokeshire, the group says it will take a snapshot of Wales in 2012.
The "pilgrims" will spend their journey collecting and telling stories, before the event culminates with a celebration at St Davids Cathedral.
The public is also being urged to take part, with walks organised by the Ramblers Wales.
“Start Quote
End Quote Clare Williams Cauldrons and FurnacesAll of these artworks, all these memories... will be collected together to record a snapshot of Wales in the summer of 2012”
"We wanted to have a celebration of what is great about Wales, but how we were going to get there was a bit of a conundrum," explained one of the organisers, Clare Williams.
"So about 30 artists gathered together two years ago and sat round the table and then this chap walked in - and initially I thought he was completely bonkers.
"He came in and said: 'Actually - I'd really like to walk across Wales, and tell stories on the way, and let's emulate the spirit of pilgrimage, collect artworks on the way'.
"It was a fabulous idea."
Walkers invitedOrganised under the banner of the Welsh government's Cauldrons and Furnaces programme, the walkers will link the historic Cadw sites of Blaenavon Ironworks, Caerphilly, Laugharne and Kidwelly castles and St Davids Bishop's Palace, arriving in St Davids on 7 July.
"Everywhere they go they are going to give something to the people that they meet, and take something from the people they meet, said Ms Williams.
"They might take a cup of tea or they might take an anecdote, or they might take a photograph.
"The idea then is that all of these artworks, all these memories, all these anecdotes will be collected together to record a snapshot of Wales in the summer of 2012."
Andrew Dugmore, who was the original inspiration behind the idea, will act as the guide for the entire event.
"We all come from different backgrounds. We'll start off at half-past eleven and walk for 22 days as a small group of pilgrims, and as we walk others will join us as we walk en route," he said.
"If anybody is out there that wants to taste and experience what it is like to walk amongst pilgrims, the Welsh Ramblers' Association are organising public day walks to coincide with part of our journey."
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Visit Kent chief defends its public funding for tourism promotion - thisiskent.co.uk
THANET has paid more to Visit Kent to promote the area's tourism than all the other districts in the county combined.
The figures were revealed through a Freedom Of Information Act request to each authority after Visit Kent refused to reveal how much public money it receives.
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PROFILE: Visit Kent used Turner Contemporary and Botany Bay as images in its advertising campaign. Chief executive Sandra Matthews-Marsh (left) insists Visit Kent is open about how much money it gets from the public purse, and Iris Johnston, right, said the council reviews payment to external organisations
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Sandra Matthews Marsh
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Thanet. Margate. Cabinate member for Tourism Iris Johnston infront of the tudor tea house which is set to re-open.
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Thanet. Margate. Turner Contemporary. National launch of Tracey Emins's new exhibition called "She Lay Down Deep Beneath The Sea". Evening showing. No celebs but snapped a few people as they went in including Clive Hart, Laura Sandys and Stuart Neame.
Since 2005 Visit Kent has received nearly £2.8 million in public money with more than £671,000 of that coming from Thanet.
The Thanet share is £2,000 more than that paid over the same period by all other Kent districts and Medway.
Over the same period Kent County Council has paid £1.3 million to Visit Kent.
Robert Oxley, campaign manager of The TaxPayers' Alliance said it was "appalling" that Visit Kent had resisted attempts to publish how much taxpayers' money it receives.
He said: "If Kent residents are unable to scrutinise how much of their cash is ending up in the company's coffers, then it makes it impossible to judge whether they are getting good value for money from the agency.
"Thanet residents in particular will be left wondering why on earth so much of their council tax has been handed over as they appear to disproportionately foot the bill for this opaque tourist agency."
Visit Kent chief executive Sandra Matthews-Marsh said she "resented" the implication that Visit Kent was anything other than transparent.
She added: "Visit Kent monitors all its activities to ensure good value for money, guaranteeing that for every £1 from local authorities it is match funded at least by £4.
"Tourism is worth £3.2 billion to the Kent economy and employs 63,000 people. Thanet makes up eight per cent of this.
"From 2006 until 2009 Thanet as well as Shepway saw the biggest increase in economic value of tourism growing by ten per cent.
She added that last year Botany Bay and Turner Contemporary had featured heavily in the Kent Contemporary London advertising campaign – something the district could not afford to do on its own.
She said: "Botany Bay was the image that most appealed to potential visitors with 43 per cent saying it made them want to come to Kent. Thanet is only one of six partners in this campaign."
In 2010/2011 financial year Thanet council saved £75,000 by closing its Visitor Information Centres in Ramsgate and Broadstairs. The following year it increased its budget for Visit Kent from £73,720 to £87,784.
Councillor Iris Johnston, cabinet member for tourism said the council's payments to Visit Kent had to be seen in context.
She said: "Much of the Thanet economy depends upon a healthy tourist trade, so it's not surprising that we would place more emphasis than, for example,
Sevenoaks."
Source: www.thisiskent.co.uk
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