Town’s new wi-fi service could become permanent
LLANDEILO has a new town centre wi-fi service for the upcoming Festival of the Senses, but the technology could become a permanent fixture.
Festival organisers are getting ready to launch a special app for the festival which runs from November 16 to 18.
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.
“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 21st 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 of the town’s shop fronts.
So whether it is on a mobile phone, tablet or laptop, you can get online across the town.
The wi-fi has been set up by Newcastle Emlynbased Telemat IT.
Up to 80% of the costs are covered by the Government and Carmarthen- shire Council and the remaining 20% has been met by the festival organisers.
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 Cardiffbased 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 – www.visitllandeilo.co.uk
The festival is the largest event of its kind in Carmarthenshire.
Last year, thousands of visitors and locals flocked to the town to enjoy the gastronomic delicacies of local duce.
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 and far-away pro- inside Llandeilo town centre, encompassing the shops, pubs, cafes and restaurants, as well as offering craft and fashion stalls, food stalls, buskers, entertainment and much more.
The opening day on November 16 will run from 11am to 9.30pm. While on November 17 it will run between 10am and 6pm and on the final day from 10am to 4pm.