Schoolboy gets crucial role

A BLAENAU Ffestiniog schoolboy has been chosen to play a crucial role in a major new tourist attraction for North Wales.

Eleven-year-old Gwion Williams from Ysgol y Moelwyn will star in a brand new deep mine tour which opens at Llechwedd Slate Caverns in March. The new tour promises to be a completely unique experience, and a substantial departure from what Llechwedd has offered to its visitors in the past. It promises ‘extraordinary light projections, enhanced reality technology and explosive special effects to transport visitors to another time and place’.

Gwion will play the role of a 12-year-old Victorian miner called Meirion – he and his family form the heart of a new story which really brings the mine’s history to life. Over the coming weeks, he will make a number of audio recordings with other actors which will be edited together and used on the tour along with new video footage. Gwion’s voice will be heard by tens of thousands of visitors per year, in English and in Welsh. Eleri Moss, deputy head at Ysgol y Moelwyn said: “We are absolutely delighted to be involved in what is such an exciting project for North Wales and we’d like to thank Llechwedd for this wonderful opportunity.“Many of our students’ parents work or have worked at Llechwedd and in the local slate industry, and so it’s just great that we are able to have this tangible link with our community’s heritage and history.

“We’re all really excited about the launch of the new tour in March, and Gwion’s entire year group has been invited to go up to the caverns for a preview ahead of the grand opening. We’ll all be very eager to hear his contribution.”

Services

BETHESDA: Dennis Davies, 10am.Bowydd: Tudur Hughes, 10am.Manod Orthodox: Third and Sixth Canoni-cal Hours at 10am and Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom at 10.30 am.St David’s: morning service at 11am.St Michael’s: morning service at 9.30am.St Mary Magdalene: Mass at 11am with Bishop Edwin.Holy Cross: Mass at 6pm on Saturday with Bishop Edwin.

Sports

BLAENAU Amateurs first team are without a match until 13 February when they will host either Llanllyfni or Mochdre in Take Stock Van Hire League Cup tie.The Reserves’ home match against Glan Conwy was postponed due to a waterlogged Cae Clyd and their match will be at Llandyrnog on 13 February. Bro Ffestiniog XV’s run of wins has raised up to the second spot in the WRU Division 2 North table behind leaders Colwyn Bay and they had another fine 65-0 win on Saturday, beating Llanidloes at Dolawel before the break for the Six Nations event.Their next match will be at Fflint on 20 February.

Oakeley Band

THE OAKELEY Band held its AGM last Monday where it was announced that after serving 25 years as secretary, June Williams is retiring from the post, to be succeeded by Dafydd Lake. Robin Jones will keep the post as treasurer with Steffan John his assistant treasurer succeeding Jim Roberts. Other officials are chair, Catrin Williams and elected vice-chair was Lowri Thomas. The junior band, conducted by Dafydd Lake, said that the band has 25 members which are, after all, the future members of the Oakeley. The conductor said that 2015 had been a successful and busy year and the treasurer presented a healthy balance sheet. At present, the Oakeley are busy rehearsing for the Welsh Regional Finals which are to be held in Swansea on Sunday, 20 March.

Cymdeithas Bro Ffestiniog

THE FIRST Cymdeithas Bro Ffestiniog’s English section lecture of the year will take place at 7.30pm on Thursday evening, 11 February at the Ganolfan. The guest speaker will be Stephen ap Owain and his talk will be on the Blaenau Ffestiniog to Roman Bridge’s big railway tunnel and both old and new members are welcomed to attend.

Maenofferen Gallery

THE MAENOFFEREN Gallery hosts a small collection of paintings by London-based artist Peter McNally who is a native of Blaenau.The gallery will be held until 26 February and admission to the gallery is free during the library’s opening hours.

Health meeting

LOCAL residents who have any concerns about health and social care services in the area or wish to air their complaints about any medical issues they may have been exposed to can do so on Tuesday, 9 February, when members of the Mid Wales Healthcare Collaborative, the Community Health Council and others will be at the WI Hall for two sessions.The first will be held between 2 and 4pm and the evening one starts at 6pm.

Survey

THE CHAMBER of Commerce and Tourism, with the help of the Dref Werdd and Gwynedd Council, is to organise a short survey aimed to gather the views of the community about how they can market local goods, services, and products in the Ffestiniog area for its residents. This ranges from items in shops, cafes, res-taurants, and pubs, products which are pro-duced locally or services provided by locals.Under the heading of Buy Local Campaign, the hope is that it will help the Ffestiniog economy. The survey will be available from 1 to 12 February for people to fill in in Welsh or English and the chamber will then analyse the response.Charity eventAT A charity evening at the RWF Club which featured Bobby Gold and the Ricky Black Sound, a total of £570.50 was raised towards the costs of local Francesca Chart-Davies’s forthcoming lengthy treatment at a London medical centre.

Precept

THE TOWN council has agreed on setting a 2016-2017 precept of £140,000, an increase of 50p per week on Band D due to increases in its costs and responsibilities. The council has also been drawing heavily form its reserves over the last few years and they must ensure that they have reserves in case of an emergency.

Bus shelter

HAVING discussed a motion by Cllr Bedwyr Gwilym, the town council has agreed to ask the North and Mid Wales Trunk Road Agency if it is possible to locate a bus shelter at Bethania.The council agreed to accept responsibil-ity for cleaning and the maintenance of the shelter.RepresentativeCLLR Eurwyn Jones has been elected to represent the town council on the Ganolfan Gymdeithasol Management Committee.Clwb MerchedGARETH Tudor Jones o Pwllheli oedd gwr gwadd cyfarfod Clwb Merched Nos Fawrth ac arweiniodd yr aelodau trwy Lleisiau Ddoe yng nghwmni tapiau a sgyrsion a gafodd ei dad, y diweddar Ernest Jones, oedd o’r Blaenau, a rhai o hynafiaid y fro yn y pumde-gau, yn adrodd eu hatgofion o’r Eisteddfod yn Stiniog, Lladd Mary Burton, Olew Morris Evans, Tafarnau y Cyfnod a Cwmorthin, hanesion fuasai wedi eu colli onibai ei fod wedi eu rhoi ar gof a’u cadw. Gwesteion y te oedd Carys a Lena ac enill-wyd y raffl gan Lowri, rhoddedig gan Mary. Ras y MoelwynIT IS just a couple of months before the popular Ras y Moelwyn which, this time, starts and ends at Cae Pipes. In the meantime, the town council is to make an application to First Hydro of the Tanyg-risiau Power Station for the runners to cross over their Stwlan Dam during the race as has been the route since the race started until they were refused last year.

Schools

IN THE recently-published schools grading awards, both the Maenofferen and Manod Schools were among the green grades which means they are among the most highly effective schools. The other three schools — Tanygrisiau, Bro Cynfal and Edmund Prys at Gellilydan — were among the yellow-level grades which means they are effective schools.

Volunteer prizes

MANY local clubs, organisations, cultural and recreation activities depend entirely depend on volunteers to help keep them going. With this in mind, having discussed a motion by Cllr Bedwyr Gwilym, the town council is to establish a total of five prizes for the Volunteer of the Year and arrange a concert for a prizegiving at a date to be decided.

CCTV cameras

THE TOWN council, having discussed changes to the system where access to the CCTV cameras will be at the council office, have agreed to accept a quote of £1,152 for installing.They will arrange for the chair and a mem-ber of the police to visit each business where town council cameras have been installed to clarify that no one will be able to see any confidential data.This will also mean the town clerk can keep an eye that each camera is working properly and will also ensure that data protection forms are completed each time the cameras are accessed.