Services

HOLY Cross: Mass at 6pm on Saturday with Bishop Edwin.St Mary Magdalene: Mass at 11am with Bishop Edwin.Manod Orthodox Church: Third and Sixth Canonical Hours at 10am followed by Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom at 10.30am.Calfaria: Edmund Owen, Porthmadog, morning.Bowydd and Bethesda: United chapels service with Rev Anita Ephraim at 10am.Bethel, Ffestiniog: Rev Tecwyn Ifan.

Camera Club

SEVENTY prints were entered for the camera club’s open print competition. Frank Barber from Beaumaris was the adjudicator who placed Steve Jones as the winner, Rory Trappe second and Nathan O’Neill third. In their annual interclub com-petition held at Llandudno, the Blaenau Club won both the print and projected images sections with an overall winning score of 540 to 524.The adjudicator was Tom Dodd.

Maenofferen Gallery

THE MAENOFFEREN gallery hosts an exhibition by contemporary photographer Jeremy Dean and in the gallery’s glass case are examples of the work by the potter Jane Williams. The Machynlleth-based gallery hosts an art exhibition by Blaenau’s own Peter McNally, who now lives in London. The official opening of his work takes place on Saturday. AdviceON MONDAYS between 10am and 1pm, a Citizens Advice Bureau representative will be at the library.On Friday afternoons between 2 and 4pm, a MacMillan support co-ordinator will be present both ready to give any relevant advice where needed.

Sports

BLAENAU Amateurs FC home game against Meliden was postponed and this Saturday they are home to Llannerchymedd in a Take Stock Van Hire Cup first round tie with the winner away to Llanllyfni or Mochdre Sports.The Reserves’ midweek match at Holyhead Hotspurs was also postponed. Bro Ffestiniog XV were impres-sive in their 42-3 win at home to Wrexham. This Saturday, they are away at Machynlleth.Moelwyn ChoirTHE MOELWYN Choir, con-ducted by Sylvia Ann Jones and accompanist Wenna Francis Jones, were in concert at Betws y Coed on Friday evening with soloist young Awel Jones and compere Gareth Griffiths. They have one more engagement there on 18 December — a carol-singing evening.Before then, their members will join others in the community sing-ing on the night of the switching-on of the town’s Christmas lights on Thursday, 3 December. The choir will also make their annual pre-Christmas visit the Bryn Blodau Home at Ffestiniog during next month to entertain the residents and staff with a selection of carols.

Weather

THE AREA saw their first real taste of winter last weekend, when wintry conditions made it tricky for motorists using the Crimea and the Migneint roads on Friday evening.Both roads were kept open by the council’s gritters and there were no reports of any serious hold-ups on either routes.

Oakeley Silver Band

ON SATURDAY, the Oakeley Band, conducted by John Glyn Jones, took part in the North Wales Brass Band Rally competition at Ruthin.They were placed third behind Holywell and Menai Bridge with Nantlle Vale band was fourth. Alan Jones, the band’s principal cornet player, was voted best solo-ist in the section. The band’s next engagement will be playing at the Portmeirion Food Festival on 4 and 5 December and on the Sunday evening, they will travel from Portmeirion to Ruthin to give a concert.Bendigedig groupTHE hard-working Blaenau Bend-igedig group have announced that, despite the unfavourable weather on Bonfire Night, they made a healthy profit of just over £1,000.Thanks were given to all who at-tended and contributed. The event was also shown live on S4C’s Heno and the group are now working towards their next event, which will be the switching-on of the town’s Christmas lights which will take place on Thursday, 3 December.

Bridge Café Poets

THE local poetry and creative writing group’s monthly meeting will be held at the Bridge Café next Tuesday, 1st of December between 10.30am and noon. For more information, call 01766 830403.BusesTHOSE wishing to get to the Llandudno area by bus on a Sunday can now use a new service provided by the Llew Jones bus company of Llanrwst.Three buses now leave Blaenau at noon, 2.40 and 5.30pm and are routed past the Llandudno Hospital which is convenient for people who want to visit relatives or friends.

Cymdeithas Hanes

GERAINT Lloyd Jones o Benrhyndeudraeth oeddd y gwr gwadd yn y cyfarfod diwethaf o Gymdeithas Hanes a gynhaliwyd ar 18 Tachwedd. Testun Geraint oedd John El-lis Williams, yr athro, awdur a dramodydd ac yr oedd nifer o’r gynulleidfa yn ei gofio fel athro a phrifathro yn y Blaenau.Ganwyd ym Mhenmachno yn 1901 a chafodd ei addysg gynnar yno cyn ennill ysgoloriaeth i Ysgol Sir, Llanrwst. Mynychodd y Coleg Normal, Bangor, cyn dod yn athro yn Llan-frothen a’r Blaenau. Ei gamp fawr fel athro ac fel prifathro yng Nglanypwll oedd cael y plant i fynegu eu hunan drwy ddefnyddio eu dychymyg.Ei uchelgais oedd bod yn ddyn papur newydd neu fargyfreithiwr. Bu’n golofnydd yn yr Herald Gymraeg, y Daily Post, y Mail a’r Express a hefyd yn olygydd y Rh-edegydd. Mynnodd mae crefftwr yn trin geiriau yr oedd ac yn y cyswllt hyn rhaid astudio gwaith y meistri a bod yn hunan feirniadol cyn cyr-raedd y nôd.Ysgrifennodd nifer o lyfrau plant fel Haf a’i Ffrindiau, Y Wningen Fach a Stori Mops a chyhoeddodd ei hunan gofiant Inc yn fy Ngwaed yn 1963. Ymhlith y niferoedd o lyfrau ditectif a ysgrifennodd mae Y Gwe-nith Gwyn a’r Trydydd Tro un yn y gyfres Ditectif Inspector Hopkyn a’r llall yng nghyfres Parry.Ond mwyaf thebyg mae fel dramodydd neu ysgrifennydd dramau a wnaeth ei enw achos ysgrifennodd nifer fawr ohonynt a throsi nifer arall o’r Saesneg.Ffurfiodd gwmni drama yn y Blaenau ac un o’r dramau a berfformiwyd yn 1934 oedd Taith y Pererin. Drama arall boblogaidd ganddo oedd Y Pwyllgorddyn. Bu hefyd yn ysgrifennu dramau ar gyfer darllediadau radio ac wrth gwrs fo a ysgrifennodd a chyfarwyddodd Y Chwarelwr yn 1935, y ffilm lafar gyntaf yn y Gymraeg.Yr oedd llawer o sylwadau ar y diwedd am ddarlith mor ddiddorol gyda fel enghraifft Ellen Evans yn egluro ei fod yn athro penigamp pan yr oedd hi yn ddisgybl yng Nglanypwll. Talwyd y diolchiadau ffurfiol gan Pegi Lloyd Williams gan ddweud ei bod hi’n cofio’r teulu yn dda.Mae Rhamant Bro 2015 ar werth ac i’w gael yn y siopau lleol. Fel arfer mae yn llawn o erthyglau difyr fel Stiniog a’r Wladfa, Ar droed hefo Iscoed yng Nghwm Islyn a Hanner canmlwyddiant Brewer-Spinks.Cynhelir y cyfarfod nesaf ar 20 Ionawr, 2016, pryd y disgwyliwn Steffan ab Owain i sôn am Chwarel y Moelwyn.