IT COULD not have been a better start on the first full day of the National Eisteddfod of Wales in the beautiful setting of Tredegar House and Park, Newport.

As the sun beat down, thousands of visitors and participants from near and far soaked up the sights and sounds around the field.

Newport International Folk Dancers and Jawahir Arabic Dancers, who are also based in the city, were among those who brought colour to the dance pavilion.

Visitors packed the Fair Trade fashion show where serious messages about sweat shops and child labour were delivered as ethically-made clothes were modelled and there were some well-known faces in the audience, such as Julian Lewis Jones, formerly of TV's Where the Heart Is and soon to be in Holby City.

Young performers from Newport Community Circus showed off their skills at the city council's stage while food from the traditional to the exotic could be found around the site.

There were stands from organisations, groups and charities of every hue.

Pudsey Bear was on hand as BBC Children in Need announced the latest distribution of grants to Welsh organisations helping disadvantaged children and young people.

Nearly £35,000 was given to schemes in Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen, Monmouthshire and Newport to enable additional support in pre-school playgroups for children with behavioural difficulties; more than £34,000 went to St Briavels Centre, Monmouth; £11,000 to ROCK after school club, Abertillery, to provide two playworkers.

Among the visitors enjoying the festival on Saturday was Sue Lee, who lives near Auckland, New Zealand, and is in Britain on holiday with her husband.

She had heard about the International Eisteddfod and, when they found out the National Eisteddfod would be in Newport while they were in Wales, knew they had to come.

"We thought it would be a good opportunity to see a bit of Welsh culture," said Mrs Lee, who said they both had ancestors from the area.