My First Eisteddfod: Meirion a'r Cyffiniau '09

I must say that I was reasonably impressed with my first Eisteddfod. I was volunteering at the Labour Party stall and was expecting some hostility after the last time Labour had a stall at the Eisteddfod in 2006 when the entire setup was trashed by Cymdeithas yr Iaith. However, those who came over to talk to us were either interested in what we represented or were up for a good debate, something that I always like.

But the Eisteddfod itself. The Maes was much larger than I was expecting which is a good thing. In complete contrast to Alun Ffred Jones, I believe the organisers should look towards expanding the festival further after the recession. I felt that there was too little going on and there should definitely be a greater variety of events.

The greatest disappointment for me was the amount of public money that was being pumped into the event. The Eisteddfod is clearly a very middle-class event and too many of the stalls were either public sector organisations or universities. I feel that the Government is much to soft in the face of criticism of the festival organisers. Beyond that, there is obviously some gross mismanagement going on. There are far too few opportunities for private business and this needs to be improved by developing the image and events at the Eisteddfod.

This is just an impression I made from one day at the 8-day long event. Feel free to put me straight.

Finally, and this is the reason I have never been before. Accessibility. Every time I visit a new place I always look out to see if the venue is accessible for those with disabilities. If it ain’t then I can’t visit again with my family. This year’s Eisteddfod seemed aright, although falling short of standards in many areas. Plus, if the weather was bad, conditions would be horrendous for those with physical disabilities, wheelchairs and parents with pushchairs.

My final point, and one I have made before. The Eisteddfod should find two permanent sites, one in the north and a second in the south which is not Cardiff. The event can then switch between the two venues every year. It would be cheaper, would allow for a future expansion of the festival and would of course better cater for those with young children, the elderly and the disabled.