THE latest community news from Aberystwyth

Parkinson UK

IN the March meeting of the Parkinson Group in Aberystwyth, Rachel Hedge of the National Trust spoke of an exhibition ‘Petticoats of Power’, which explained 100 years of women who had been influential in the National Trust Home in Llanerchaeron, Aberaeron, and the group decided to visit the exhibition for their half-day trip in August.

The guide Heddwen met the group off the coach.

After the visit, the group were unable to go round the garden due to heavy showers.

On the way home they stopped at the new restaurant, The Moody Cow for an evening meal.

On 12 September, the group will meet for coffee at the Starling Cloud, where the new organiser in place of Dawn McGuinness, Emily Owen, will meet them to introduce herself as she cannot make the meeting on Monday, 24 September, at Aberystwyth Football Club.

Bridge club

MARTIN Page and Magda Corser were the winners on 24 August, with Elenid Thomas and John Gould second and John Holmes and Alan Stein third.

Two pairs, neither of which figured in the first three places, bid and made the small major suit slam on Board 13.

The winners on 26 August were Mike Jones and Martin Page. Andrew Loat and Jeff Thomas were second and Margaret Ellis and Elenid Thomas third.

On Friday, 7 September, they play in the Welsh Bridge Union Simultaneous Competition and a week later, in the Mid-Wales Simultaneous Ladies’ and Men’s Pairs Competition.

The latter is something new that the club is trying in order that club members can participate in a Mid-Wales event without having to travel any distance to compete.

Aberystwyth Bridge Club normally plays twice a week in Waunfawr Community Hall, starting at 6.45pm with Friday being the main evening.

Côr Meibion Aberystwyth

THE choir has now returned to its regular Thursday evening practices following a short summer break.

During the break, the director of music, Alwyn Evans, has taken the opportunity to examine some new music for possible addition to the choir repertoire and also to re-examine some of the older items in the 250+ items in the choir library which have not been performed for some years.

The choir will spend the opening weeks of the new season learning these new and revived items and this will be an excellent opportunity for any interested to go to their practice and discover if you would enjoy singing with the choir.

The choir meets at 7pm on Thursday evenings in the Rugby Club, Plascrug.

Horticultural Society

THE final outing of the Cardiganshire Horticultural Society’s 50th anniversary year’s summer outings took place on Wednesday, 29 August, when a party of 35 enjoyed a really memorable visit to two contrasting gardens in the Snowdonia National Park.

The first visit was to Plas Tan y Bwlch in the lovely Vale of Maentwrog where after enjoying coffee in the tea room on arrival.

The party assembled on the terrace and were introduced to the well known garden writer/broadcaster/designer/restorer Tony Russell.

Tony is a very accomplished speaker and he gave an enthralling introduction to the garden before leading a tour round to show the party both the rare plants in the garden and the work he has been leading to restore the gardens after extensive storm damage some years ago.

After lunch, the party travelled to Dolgellau to visit Bryn Gwern, the delightful two-acre garden of Hillary Nurse, the recently-retired NGS organiser for South Gwynedd.

It is set in the hills overlooking Dolgellau, and originally wooded, has been redesigned to enhance the natural features with streams, ponds and imaginative plantings.

A very enjoyable visit came to an end with Hillary and her helpers serving tea and cakes in the garden.

September brings the start of the society’s monthly programme of Tuesday evening lectures in the Waunfawr Community Hall at 7pm, and the first of these is on 11 September when Kristian Hickson-Booth will be talking about The Welsh Wizard: Jimmy Hancock at Powis Castle.

In December, Tony Russell will be speaking on the Top 50 World Gardens.

Beekeepers Association

THE Aberystwyth Beekeepers Association continues to thrive, with membership this year standing at 65.

The very dry, sunny, warm weather this summer, has seen nectar positively flowing into beehives and very good crops of honey have now been taken from the hives, something which has not happened for a good few years.

Thus even members new to beekeeping are thrilled to have some of their own honey to take off and savour in their first year.

The society held two very successful meetings in August.

The first of these saw some 30 members—particularly the newcomers – coming together in the Waunfawr Community Hall for a refresher night on Varroa Control, which was led by Lynfa Davies.

A good number enjoyed the annual summer outing to Gregynog on 17 August.

The weather was fine and the Montgomeryshire association (who have set up a fine apiary in the grounds of the hall) gave them a warm welcome, and showed them their training apiary.

Most importantly, everyone talked beekeeping over coffee and lunch.

The afternoon was spent looking around the gardens and house.

The day proved very enjoyable, and it was good to hear how other associations operated.

The association took a stand at Talybont Show at the end of the month with members both selling honey and promoting beekeeping.

There was plenty of interest and honey sold.

The regular winter programme of Tuesday evening meetings get under way on Tuesday, 18 September, in the Waunfawr Community Hall at 7.30pm, and will include a talk on using polystyrene hives, looking at their advantages and disadvantages.

If you’re a member of a club, society or group, send your news to [email protected]