Our Second Trading Post is Open for Rocks!

We were excited to be given the opportunity of a trading post at a Cafe in Llandovery! It is a regular place to visit for the biker community, as well as non-bikers of course.

The bikers are more than happy to take our painted rocks traveling. In fact, so many have started their travels there, we have lost count.  So, when we were offered a space at the The Owl's Nest Tea Room Diner we jumped at the chance as we were looking for a second spot/post anyway.

This wonderful trading post started life as a humble, decades-old hand-made carpenter's toolbox. It had character, which we wanted to keep, but lacked the enthusiasm and zest needed for a trading post. 

It was deconstructed and prepared for its new 'life' and fit right into Taff Rocks' ethos of upcycling and recycling. 

Even though this box was about to start its life as a trading post, we wanted to keep some of its former-life features. Things like the keyhole decoration along with the locking mechanism, plus many of the 'hard knocks' it had received over the years.

Some, however, had to be filled.

Once ready and sanded, a backboard was added.  

These were repurposed short fence uprights. It was then given a rather un-snazzy undercoat.

The slats for the 'lawn' to lay on were cut and the whole box was painted in 'Evergreen.'

Once dried, it was time to decorate!

The outside:

The front painted with the 'Painted Rock Garden & Trading Post by Taff Rocks' text, a Welsh flag, some flowers and, of course, a bee!

The backboard, with the wonderful owl:

The sides:

The little extra detail of the inside 'signposts'

Inside:

The back:

There's a little something extra on the back, but you will need to visit to find out what it is.

There is a very warm welcome awaiting guests at The Owl's Nest Tea Room Diner in Llandovery.  You don't just have to take our word for it, this can be found by their recent award of The Welsh Cafe Awards 2019 Winner of the "Most Welcoming Cafe of the Year."

The completed trading post was installed, with permission, on the 25th July 2019. Click here for Google Maps and directions.

Here's how it works:

• You leave a rock for someone else to take traveling 
•  You trade a rock with one that's there and take the new one traveling 
• You take a rock, even if you don't have one to trade, and take traveling 
• You share a photo on our Facebook group of your rock and let us know it came from or was left at, the trading post. 

That's how simple it is! Why complicate things?

Take one for inspiration. 

Share on for motivation. 

Leave one to help our garden grow.

There are some amazing people that Taff Rocks would like to thank because, without them, this trading post would never have existed.

Special thanks go out to (in alphabetical order):

• Ian
• Martin 
• Nicola 
• Yvette 

Without their help with construction, painting, decorating and installing, we'd have no wonderful garden to share your rocks.