Wales Figaro Rally & Club’s 10th Birthday Party 2019

The Metropole 4 Star Hotel and Spa
The Metropole, in the Victorian Spa town of Llandrindod Wells has been fortunate to host many motor vehicle rallies during its long history, from competitive international events to vintage and classic sports car rallies.

Still privately owned by Justin Baird-Murray, great great grandson of the founder, The Metropole Hotel and Spa, remains the highest AA rated hotel and spa in mid Wales. Accommodation includes access to spa facilities and wireless internet.

The hotel is perfectly located, and with reserved car parking for our Figs it will be a fantastic venue.

3 Course Evening Dinner Included
Included is a 3 course evening dinner with 5 choices per course. The Head Chef is dedicated to using the finest local ingredients and has been awarded an AA rosette for the modern British cuisine. The meal will be served in the elegant surroundings of the hotels Restaurant and Conservatory . You can check out a typical menu Read more

Typical Accommodation Rates (2 Sharing)
£79.00 Bed & Breakfast & Evening Dinner – Per Person Per Night (Thursday/Friday/Saturday)
£69.00 Bed & breakfast & Evening Dinner – Per Person Per Night (reduced Sunday rate 4 night package)

THURSDAY 6TH JUNE
Arrival & Welcome Dinner
You can check-in anytime from mid-day, so why not enjoy a swim in the hotel’s Spa before joining us for some welcome drinks and 4 course dinner where you can relax with friends, old and new, before our Welsh debut adventure begins!

FRIDAY 7TH JUNE
Wildlife, Nature, Spectacular Dams, Waterfalls & Drive along the Seaside – Approx 93 Miles
After enjoying a full ‘Welsh’ breakfast you will receive your Rally Pack (includes flag, rally plate, window sticker & comprehensive rally book with the routes and details). We then start our journey in convoy to the stunning Elan Valley, where we have reserved parking at our first stop. After coffee we make our way in convoy of up to 100 cars’ on quiet roads around the spectacular dams. This will be an awesome sight and a truly one-off experience! We plan to park and explore one of the dams close up. No diving! The natural habitat of the valley is a haven for wildlife, so keep your eyes peeled as you take in the incredible views.

Avoiding the roaming sheep, we then follow the Pen y Garreg lake and make our way across the valley to Devil’s Bridge where we have reserved parking and a Buffet Lunch at The Hafod waiting.

Following lunch you have free time to explore the Punchbowl, the Three Bridges or the spectacular waterfalls. Depending on the time available we plan to drive the pretty 30 minute drive down to the historic seaside town of Aberystwyth and park along the front.

Welsh Choir
After returning to the hotel and your 3 course evening meal we have a local treat for you, with singing from a local Welsh Choir.

SATURDAY 8TH JUNE
Free to roam & Club’s 10th Birthday Party
Enjoy a day on your own or hook up with friends in your Figaros. The hotel is located in a centre of Wales so is a perfect base for exploring the scenic countryside.

If you didn’t join us to Aberystwyth yesterday and fancy visiting the seaside, it’s only just over an hour’s drive in your Figaro.

Other attractions include the National Trust Medieval Powis Castle & Gardens, which houses the fascinating treasures brought home by Robert Clive and his son, Edward Clive from India. Maybe take a short drive and discover the Gothic Victorian spender of the Hall at Abbey-Cwm-Hir, where the owners have restored 12 acres of Victorian gardens in a beautiful setting above the ruins of the 12th C ‘Abbey of the Long Valley’.

If Caving is your bag then why not visit the National Showcaves Centre at Dan-yr-Ogof and enjoy the amazing Cathedral Cave.

Maybe you are into Steam Trains in which case Brecon Mountain Railway takes you back in time to journey from Pant to Torpantau (takes 1 hour 30 minutes including a 25 minutes stop at Pontsticill).

Lastly, If wildlife is your passion then why not drive to the Bwlch Nant yr Arian Visitor Centre which lies at the head of the majestic valley with a commanding vista of Cardigan Bay and Snowdonia. The visitor centre of this wood is the typical starting point for a wide range of marked out trails for walkers, mountain bikers, runners, and horse riders alike. The range of trails includes three waymarked trails of different lengths which all offer great and different views. Or more local is the Red Kite feeding at the centre in Rhayaderwhich is highly recommended. Or if you feel like restful day without driving, just chill-out and stay local, exploring the town or enjoying a swim in the pool.

Free 40 Point Figaro Health Check*
Offered by event sponsors The Figaro Shop during the whole day*, this comprehensive 40 point ‘health check’ could be an ideal opportunity to get your Figaro looked at whilst you enjoy the rally.

Club’s 10th Birthday Party
With a ‘VINTAGE THEME’ to celebrate our Birthday get ready to party in style! (see more below).

*Subject to availability and confirmation

SUNDAY 9TH JUNE
Narrow Bridges, Market Towns, Mountains & Quiz/Awards – Approx 110 Miles

Our final day packs a punch with a mix of country and mountain routes and a few interesting surprises on the way!

First stop is the pretty little village of Hay-on-Wye where we park up to enjoy a coffee and some novel shopping in one of the many bookshops.

We then make our way towards the black mountain range of the Brecon Beacons National Park via the famous Storey Arms Pass on the A470. Our convoy will snake its way around the amazing roads, ending up at the The Manor Hotel for a group BBQ.

In the afternoon we make our way back to the hotel taking the mountain road B4520 over the Army ranges (keep your heads down) and back into Garth.

Rally Quiz & Awards
In the evening, after dinner we gather for an evening of fun, frivolity and farewells including our now legendary ‘Rally Quiz’ and a light-hearted ‘Awards Ceremony’.

MONDAY 10TH JUNE
Farewells and Journey Home
After maybe some local last minute shopping, we say our farewells and set off for home. You may wish to extend your stay or relocate to north Wales to explore some historic castles and the mountains of Snowdonia.

On Saturday night we will be celebrating the club’s 10th Birthday with a fabulous four course meal and vintage themed party. We can’t wait to share this very special time with all our members who have helped make the club the success it is today.

The dress code is ‘Vintage’, so dress to impress! We will have a live band to keep us dancing until early hours.

The party & meal is included within hotel rate. If you live locally and wish to attend the party only, the cost will be £29 per person.

With so many cars to park and to ensure those who wish to can stay together, we will be pre-booking a venue for lunch on Friday & Sunday.

Friday sees us parking at Devil’s Bridge and enjoying a Buffet Lunch at the Hafod. Cost £17.00 pp.

Sunday we visit The Manor in the spectacular countryside of the Brecon Beacons, surrounded by mountains with vistas along the Usk Valley, and enjoy a BBQ! Hopefully if the weather is good we will enjoy this in their gardens. Cost £20.00 pp

Covers labour & direct costs of all the elements such as;

• Administration (160 hours)
• Birthday Party & Welsh Choir (£1,500)
• Quiz Evening, Certificates & Awards (£100)
• Design of Comprehensive Rally Book featuring detailed Maps & Instructions (80 Hours)
• Rally Book, Bag, Car Flag, Sticker & Plate (£16)
• Wales Figaro Rally Video (Drone Hire Cost TBA)

If you have experienced a ‘Figgy convoy’ you will know how great it feels! On our rallies we try to arrange lots of convoy opportunities and as all our cars are the same shape but lots of different colours they look simply amazing and always attract lots of attention from waving and smiling passers by.

The routes on the rally will take us on some very quiet roads, one part at the Elan Valley which (fingers crossed) we hope to achieve an unbroken line of figs. Also a real treat is parking all our Figs in a picturesque neat line when we reach the stopping points.

NOTE: If we have a large number of cars, to ease congestion our plan is to split them into groups. This will allow us to set different ‘departure times’ for each group and hopefully allow the groups to leave and enter reserved parking areas quicker and queue for food/coffee more efficiently.

See for yourself! Watch some awesome ‘convoy driving’ from last year’s Jersey Rally…

[youtube]https://youtu.be/qTaV_XQJivk[/youtube]