The owner of Faenol Estate hopes to rearrange a Stereophonics concert that was due to be staged in Bangor two years ago.

 

 

Staging the Welsh Game Fair in September marks the return of large-scale events to the Faenol Estate, which famously hosted Radio 1’s Big Weekend in 2010, attracting 40,000 music fans. Over the years the 500-acre estate has also hosted the National Eisteddfod along with pop acts such as Girls Aloud, Westlife and Boyzone.

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Pictured: Keith Jones
Lovers of the countryside met at The Vaynol Estate in North Wales today to mark the official launch of GWCT Welsh Game Fair, taking place from 9-11 September.
Contact: Gemma Payne gemma.payne@thegamefair.org
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Faenol Estate owners Keith Jones and his father Myfyr planned the Stereophonics gig in July 2020, but the Covid pandemic brought the curtain down on live concerts and put paid to plans for the big Bangor event.

Keith, who has a passion for country sports has spoken of his excitement as he prepares to welcome the first Welsh Game Fair later this year and hopes to bring other big events to Bangor in the future.

Dating from the Tudor period, the Faenol Estate once owned huge tracts of Gwynedd, including Caernarfon town walls and the north face of Snowdon. As owners of the Dinorwic Quarry, it profited from slate quarrying and in the 19th century the estate even had its own private zoo.

Frequent visitors include the Royals, Prime Ministers and society guests. In recent years its gates have been thrown open to the public and the Welsh Game Fair, on September 9-11, is expected to attract up to 20,000 visitors.

“It’s fantastic news because we have trying to get the game fair here for a long time,” said Keith. “It just so happened that James had already been talking about holding a Welsh Game Fair when we met with him.

“The Vaynol Estate is made for the game fair and we need an event like this in North Wales. I’m very passionate about shooting, fishing and the countryside.”

Keith has also recently opened a new gunroom at Vaynol Hall, which has a much improved offering than a smaller previous venture in Caernarfon.

“There has been an organised shoot at Vaynol since at least the 1850s and the estate is a perfect setting,” added Keith.

Leading Welsh celebrity chef and author Bryn Williams will be leading the culinary charge at the GWCT Welsh Game Fair, creating a bespoke menu for guests in a VIP Enclosure Restaurant – aptly named The White Park Restaurant after the famous Vaynol Cattle – and taking part in live, open-air cooking demonstrations throughout the weekend. Clogau Gold is sponsoring the VIP Enclosure and White Park Restaurant.

A keen shooter and novice fly fisherman, Bryn who comes from a farming background and is now the chef patron of Odette’s in Primrose Hill and at Porth Eirias, a beach-front restaurant, café and bar at Colwyn Bay.

The GWCT Welsh Game Fair will raise money to support the GWCT’s charitable work and give a welcome boost to the region, with tourism and visitors contributing to the local economy.

Fishing, clay shooting, gundogs, game cookery, falconry, horses and hounds, as well as rural crafts, food and drink will feature at the event, which is expected to attract people passionate about the countryside, country pursuits and conservation.

Visitors can look forward to a wide range of attractions, displays, live debates, shopping at hundreds of trade stands and family entertainment, all with a countryside theme.

A Clay Shooting Line and Gunmakers’ Row, both extremely popular elements of the Scottish and National Game Fairs, will feature alongside a wealth of Welsh produce.

The event is set to be a fantastic shop window for the Welsh countryside and will promote the unique culture and heritage of Wales. It will also bring together representatives from a range of conservation, farming, field sports and fishing bodies for debates on Welsh rural issues.

Picture captions:

The Stereophonics in concert

Keith Jones in one of his gunrooms at Vaynol mansion.