William and Catherine brave rain in Wales ahead of St David's Day

The Prince and Princess of Wales have visited Powys to celebrate community ahead of St David's Day on Sunday.

William and Catherine first travelled to The Hanging Gardens in Llanidloes, a community project which is focused on resilience and creativity, before going on to visit an art gallery in Newtown.

They arrived at the first venue to cheers from crowds who had gathered outside despite the wet weather, many waving Welsh flags and holding bunches of daffodils.

At the end of their visit they also stopped to spend 25 minutes in the heavy rain chatting to well-wishers, with Catherine giving high-fives and hugs and William posing for selfies.

The couple ordered hot drinks at the Llanidloes cafe before sitting down to chat with people making Welsh language festival signs.

The space provides a hub for sustainable living, artistic expression and shared experiences through its cafe, performing arts centre, indoor market, community garden, kitchens and workshops.

The prince and princess, both wearing daffodils on their lapels, then walked outside to the forge and met nursery children aged three and four waiting with signs they had drawn.

In the forge they greeted Ollie Jones, 21, and watched him make a hook for The Hanging Gardens before going to the centre's performing arts space to see schoolchildren perform Welsh songs.

The couple met producers in the adjoining market - with William sampling a glass of cider - before going into the kitchen where traditional cawl and Welsh cakes were being made ahead of St David's Day on Sunday.

This was due to be the end of their visit but after getting into their vehicle and being driven for a short period, William and Catherine stepped out to meet cheering crowds that had gathered, including children who handed them bunches of flowers and pictures they had drawn.

William was delighted to spot a group of children holding up a scarf for Aston Villa, the football club he has supported since his school days.

"That's a great way to get my attention," he told them.

Meanwhile the Princess of Wales spoke to members of the public outside about the performance by the children at Llanidloes school, saying: "It was so lovely to meet the children singing inside - they were incredible."

While in the market, William stopped at a stall selling Welsh Mountain Cider and said: "I will have to try some, what do you recommend?"

As his wife approached, he told her: "I was offered a glass of cider so I said yes."

While in the kitchen, Catherine spoke about the importance of The Hanging Gardens and described places like it as "a lifeline to so many people in the community".

Following the visit, they headed to Oriel Davies - a public contemporary art gallery based in Newtown - before attending a celebration of volunteer groups at Hafan yr Afon, a hub for culture, community and heritage in the town.

The couple visited Oriel Davies, a contemporary public art gallery in Newtown, to learn more about a community arts project supporting children and young people's wellbeing.

The initiative, funded by the Alexandra Reinhardt Memorial Award, has brought together local families, including those from Syrian and Afghan refugee backgrounds, for regular creative workshops led by artist Nicky Arscott.

Arscott said the couple would see work created by the year-long programme, including a collaborative tablecloth made from materials gathered over months of sessions.

"We just did regular art workshops, exploring different materials, and we ended up making a table cloth which gathered all the materials over the course of the months... which now forms part of the exhibition," she said.

The project, known as Hand in Hand, focuses on how art can support wellbeing, particularly for primary school-aged children.

Ahead of the visit, youngsters prepared handmade jewellery in the gallery's education room.

"We've been making jewellery in the education room to prepare for the visit. I think there have been four or five bracelets made for Kate, a couple of necklaces made out of beads and jewellery," Arscott added.