Services

HOLY Cross: Mass at 6pm on Saturday with Bishop Edwin.St Mary Magdalene: Mass at 11am with Bishop Edwin.St Michael’s and St David’s: United service at 11am at the Gellilydan Village Hall to be followed by a bring and share lunch.Manod Orthodox: Third and Sixth Canoncal Hours at 10am followed by Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom at 10.30am.Calfaria: United chapels service with Rev Tecwyn Ifan, 10am.

Advice

IT HAS been announced that due to different circumstances, the Mac-millan Support co-ordinator who is usually present at the library on Friday afternoons, will not be there for the time being.However, if anyone needs any further information on the matter, they can call in at the library or phone them on 01766 830415.The Citizens Advice Bureau rep-resentative will continue to make visits to the library. They will be there as normal on Mondays between 10am and 1pm.

Sports

BLAENAU Amateurs FC were beaten 4-2 at home by Gaerwen in a Mawddach Cup first round tie.David Copsey scored both goals for Blaenau.The first team has no fixture this Saturday.Having had a Saturday off, the reserves entertain Glan Conwy Reserves.Bro Ffestiniog XV were 45-17 winners at Machynlleth and are due to play Llanidloes at Dolawel on Saturday. Local darts player Heber Thomas reached the semi final stage of the Gwynedd Cup event played at Llangefni at the weekend where some 300 players took part.He ultimately lost 4-3 to the eventual winner, who came from the Midlands.

Poetry and creative writing

THE FEBRUARY meeting of the local poetry and creative writing group will be held next Tuesday at the Bridge Café between 10.30am and noon.For more information, call 01766 830403.Cymdeithas y GorlanNOS LUN nesaf am 7yh yng Nghapel Bowydd cynhelir cyfarfod mis Chwefror y gymdeithas.Yr gwr gwadd fydd y Parch Carwyn Siddall yn rhoi sgwrs ar Ynys Llanddwyn.

Clwb Cerdded Stiniog

TAITH nesaf aelodau’r clwb fydd dydd Sul yma o Betws y Coed, Llyn Parc, i Llanrwst.Gofynnir i’r aelodau fod ger Ty Gorsaf am 9yb.Mae dillad addas, esgidiau cryf a phecyn o fwyd yn hanfodol.

Maenofferen Gallery

THE EXHIBITION of a small selection of paintings by Peter McNally is on display at the gallery until 26 February. Peter, who now lives in London, is a native of Pengelli Terrace, Blaenau Ffestiniog, and before then at the local Kings Head.

Ffestiniog Memorial Hospital Defence Committee

THE COMMITTEE met with Claire Davies of the Mid Wales Healthcare Collaborative Board at Bryn Llewelyn on Thursday where she was welcomed by the defence committee’s Geraint Vaughan Jones. Claire went on to explain the reason for her visit was to inform the committee of the collaborative’s plans to stage two sessions at the Blaenau Ffestiniog WI Hall on 9 February; one from 2pm to 4 pm and the other from 6pm to 8pm. At these sessions will be the chairs of the different innovation groups of the board.This will give an opportunity to those who have suffered any unwanted medical issues to pass them on to them.They will also be willing to receive letters from those who cannot attend the sessions. Also at the February meeting will be a representative of the community health council. During last week’s meeting it was stated that Ffestiniog and Dolwyddelen councils and the defence committee had jointly invited Betsi Cadwaladr representatives to a meeting at Blaenau since last October, but they have still not confirmed a date for the meeting.

St David’s Church

THERE is no service at St David’s on 31 January.Instead, there will be a combined service at Gellilydan Hall at 11am followed by a bring and share lunch.

Cymdeithas Hanes

WRTH groesawu yr aelodau i gyfarfod cyntaf o dymor newydd y cymdeithas dywedodd y llywydd, Robin Davies, mor falch yr oedd i weld cyn gymaint o wynebau newydd. Diolchodd i Gareth Jones, ein ysgrifennydd, am baratoi raglen mor ddifyr am 2016.Gwr gwadd y noson oedd yr hen ffefryn Steffan ab Owain a’i destun, ‘Chwarel y Moelwyn’. Roedd y chwarel gyntaf ar lethrau y Moelwyn Bach ar dir y goron er fod Parc Llanfrothen a Stâd Ormsby-Gore Oakley â thir yn ymylu ar y lle. O 1805 ymlaen bu nifer o gwmniau yn cael eu ffurfio i gloddio am lechfaen ar y sefyllfa. Un person adnabyddus a fentrodd ffurfio cwmni i weithio y chwarel oedd Rothschild gyda’i Royal Cambrian Company o 1825 i 1827, ond fel pawb arall ni chafwyd fawr o lwyddiant. Clywsom gan Steffan am y llwybr oedd yn rhedeg o’r chwarel i lawr i Groesor ac a adnabyddwyd fel Ffordd yr Iddew Mawr.Ymhlith y gwahanol gwmnïau a ffurfiwyd oedd y Great Moelwyn Slate Company Ltd yn 1860, yr Union Slate Company Ltd yn 1873 a Moelwyn Slate Company yn ddiweddarach. Yr oedd pobl lleol hefyd yn ceisio rhedeg y chwarel fel Cadwaladr Roberts, Buarth Melyn a gollodd ei dad tra yn gweithio yn y chwarel. Adeiladwyd chwe inclên o’r chwarel i ymuno neu gysylltu â’r Lein Fach o Blaenau i Borthmadog, ond mae ehangu Llyn Stwlan a’r gwaith trydan yn Nhanygrisiau wedi chwalu rhannau ohonynt.Cawsom nifer o sylwadau ar y diwedd efo pawb yn amlwg wedi mwynhau y ddarlith ac wedi synnu am y gwaith ymchwil gan Steffan. John Hughes a dalodd y diolchiadau ffurfiol gan ofidio fod o a rhywun fel Vivian wedi colli y cyfle tra yr oeddynt yn gweithio ym Mhwerdy Tanygrisiau i grwydro o gwmpas tir y chwarel.Cynhelir y cyfarfod nesaf ar 17 Chwefror pryd y disgwylir un arall o hoelion wyth y gymdeithas, Vivian Parry Williams, i sôn am ‘Y Cynllun Mawreddog i Ddraenio Chwareli ‘Stiniog yn 1903’.

Charity evening

THE RWF Club hosted a char-ity evening last Friday with guest artistes Bobby Gold supported by The Ricky Black Sound.The evening was held in order to raise money for two charities, including one local fund which has been set up so that a Blaenau young woman, Francesca Chart- Davies, can have medical treatment in London.