THE latest community news from Aberystwyth

Aberystwyth Bridge Club

In the Friday session of the WBU Simultaneous Pairs on 7 September, Jeff Thomas and Alan Stein were joint winners with Keith Bellamy and Mike Jones.

Mike Page and Magda Corser were third. In the overall ranking, Keith and Mike were sixth, Martin and Magda were 10th and Jeff and Alan were 12th.

Board 13 was a big hand for N-S. Two pairs in the club risked and made six no trumps making all 13 tricks to gain an extra 10 points compared to being in six hearts.

In the five clubs in Wales that took place in this event, three out of 26 N-S pairs called a Grand Slam.

On board 2, N-S, defending against a confidently bid three no trumps, nearly fell out when North did not lead partner’s suit! But it made no difference – three no trumps made with an overtrick.

The winners on Sunday, 9 September were Gabor Galleri and John Holmes, with Joyce Blair and Jacqui Roberts second and Martin Page and Mike Jones third.

The East hand on board 1 had an amazing nine spades headed by AKQJ10 with an outside ace, a void and a singleton.

After the Blackwood convention found West with two aces, East could count 12 tricks – nine spades and three further aces.

Having controls in all suits, six no trumps is actually a safer contract than six spades, in which there is a risk of N-S getting a ruff if North has a void.

A 13th trick is available on a heart finesse, but it would be unwise to bid a Grand Slam on a 50 per cent finesse.

This Friday, we play in the Mid-Wales Simultaneous Ladies’ and Men’s Pairs Competition.

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

Probus Club

The club’s first meeting of the new session will be at 11am on Wednesday, 26 September, in the Waunfawr Community Hall.

The speaker will be John Bradshaw, with a talk entitled ‘From NY to LA by motor bike’.

All are welcome to attend this meeting and further details can be obtained from the club’s secretary, John Andrews, on 01970 358095.

CANTM

The Ceredigion Association of National Trust Members enjoyed their last trip of 2018 with a visit to Erddig, near Wrexham.

Erddig is a treasure trove of fine furniture and textiles with an intriguing family history and a garden restored to 18th century glory.

On Thursday, 18 October at 10.30am it is once again time for the AGM at Llanerchaeron.

People are asked to attend and offer much needed help to the association by volunteering to be on the committee.

Wednesday, 14 November is the annual lunch at 12.30pm at TyGlyn, Ciliau Aeron, with a talk by Linda Tomas, chief librarian at The National Library.

Finally, a successful year is rounded off with the Christmas Celebrations at Llanerchaeron.

Wildlife Trust

Over the summer months, the North Ceredigion Section of the Wildlife Trust South and West Wales, has been holding a regular programme of field meetings often in association with the Aberystwyth Botanical Society.

These have been both enjoyable and successful.

October sees the start of the monthly evening meetings and the first of these will be on Monday evening, 3 October, at 7pm in room C22 in the Hugh Owen Building on the Penglais Campus.

The speaker will be Simon Ayres of the Wales Wild Land Foundation who will be talking about the Cambrian Wildwood Project.

All are welcome to the meeting which will also include reports of any unusual wildlife sightings in the county over the summer and a report from Emily Foot, the trust’s Ceredigion Wildlife Officer, on the work she has been leading with a dedicated team of volunteers, managing the trust’s Ceredigion nature reserves.

Lottery cash

TWO Aberystwyth projects have been handed a cash boost by the National Lottery’s Big Lottery Fund.

The pair of town centre projects will share a total of £11,160 from the £153,060 distributed to projects across Wales.

The Aberystwyth Polish Community Centre has been handed a grant of £7,300.

The centre will use the cash to hold a series of creative workshops to bring local children together to learn about Polish culture and heritage.

The money will cover staff costs, venue hire, insurance, resources, marketing and translation.

Aberystwyth 50+ Forum has been given £3,860 that will be used to provide a programme of activities for their members to address social isolation.

The cash will fund coach hire, admin and tuition, room hire, insurance, an annual meal, and office supplies.

Plascrug Bridge Club

RESULTS for 4 September: 1. Ian Finlay and Mike Jones; joint 2. Mair Jenkins and Jacqui Roberts / Gwynant Edwards and Jeff Thomas

11 September: 1. John Holmes and Alan Stein; 2. Doreen Anthony and Dylan Raw-Rees.

Cylch Cinio

AGORWYD pennod newydd yn hanes Cylch Cinio Aberystwyth nos Wener, 14 Medi, a hithau’n ddechrau blwyddyn newydd.

Croesawodd y cadeirydd newydd, Dr Richard Edwards, yr aelodau ynghyd i’n cyfarfod yng Ngwesty’r Richmond a chyhoeddodd y newyddion da bod Sion Griffiths, Trawsgoed wedi cytuno i dderbyn swydd yr is-gadeirydd.

Y siaradwr gwadd y mis hwn oedd Ben Lake, Aelod Seneddol Ceredigion sydd newydd gwpla ei flwyddyn gyntaf yn y swydd.

Cafwyd noson wych yn ei gwmni ac roedd yna deimlad o ffresni a balchder bod y Cardis wedi ethol person mor ifanc i swydd mor allweddol.

Cododd g?r y llen ar fywyd yn Senedd San Steffan gan sôn yn ddifyr iawn am ddefodau rhyfedd ac hynafodol y Sefydliad y mae disgwyl iddo cydymffurfio â nhw yn ei fywyd bob dydd yno.

Mae cyfran fawr o’r ASau eraill yn dod o draddodiad gwahanol iawn i Ben ac wedi eu mowldio yn yr arferion hyn mewn ysgolion bonedd a cholegau penodol yng Nghaergrawnt a Rhydychen.

Does dim dwywaith i’r cyfnod y treuliodd Ben yng Ngholeg y Drindod, Rhydychen, lle enillodd radd dosbarth cyntaf mewn Hanes a Gwleidyddiaeth, wedi hwyluso dipyn ar gyfer ei baratoi ar gyfer cynrychioli Ceredigion yn Llundain.

Roedd Jacob Rees Mog a Damian Hinds, yr ysgrifennydd addysg yn gyd-fyfyriwr ag e yn Rhydychen.

Soniodd bod ei ffocws yn benodol ar faterion gwledig a phenderfyniadau sy’n effeithio ar fywydau ei etholwyr yng Ngheredigion ac mae eisoes wedi codi ei lais yn gadarn ar amrywiol faterion sydd o bwys i ni yng nghanolbarth Cymru.

Yn lleol hefyd fe wyddom am ei weithgaredd diflino yn cyfarfod â chymdeithasau ac unigolion ar draws yr etholaeth.

Diolchwyd iddo gan Cynog Dafis, y cyn-Aelod Seneddol a soniodd am allu a brwdfrydedd Ben ac am yr argraff mae wedi ei greu ymhlith aelodau o bleidiau eraill yn y T? yn Llundain a hynny mewn cyfnod byr iawn.

Enillwyd y raffl gan Tudor Jones, Llanrhystud.

Cyfeiriwyd at farwolaeth un o’n haelodau, Emyr James a chydymdeimlwyd â Dulcie, ei briod, a Lowri a Gwion a’r teulu oll.

Cytunwyd y byddai’r Cylch Cinio yn cyfrannu tuag at y gronfa i goffau Emyr er mwyn cefnogi Uned Cemotherapi Ysbyty Bronglais.

Atgoffwyd yr aelodau i swyddfa’r Eisteddfod Genedlaethol dderbyn cynnig gan y Cylch Cinio nôl yn 2015 i gyflwyno’r gadair ar gyfer Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru Ceredigion Tregaron 2020.

Bydd swyddogion y Cylch nawr yn cysylltu gyda threfnwyr yr Eisteddfod i symud y trefniadau yn eu blaen.

Anogwyd yr aelodau i brynu ac i ddarllen nofel gyntaf Llinos Dafis, Llinynnau.

Eglurwyd bod yr elw o werthiant y llyfr yn cael ei gyfrannu at gynorthwyo ffoaduriaid.

A hithau’n ddechrau blwyddyn newydd roedd yn dda gallu croesawu tri aelod newydd i’r Cylch, Wynne Jones, Waunfawr, Richard Rowlands, Y Gors a Robert Pugh, Bow Street.

Croeso i aelodau newydd.

Bydd ein cyfarfod nesaf ar nos Wener, 12 Hydref, a’r g?r gwadd yw’r llawfeddyg John Edwards.

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