THE latest community news from Aberystwyth

Aberystwyth and District

Floral Society

THE chair, Glenys, welcomed everyone to the evening. She began by congratulating Beti Wyn Davies on winning two classes in the recent NAFAS Photographic Competition 2018.

She represented the Mercia and North Wales area and was successful in the ‘Reflections’ and ‘Good enough to eat’ categories. These were chosen from 325 entries. She was presented with her certificates by society president, Donald.

Beti Wyn’s interest in photography began a year ago. She showed members a large range of excellent photographs taken using her Sony camera at the Harrogate Spring Show 2018. The gardens are rated the best in the UK, with 100,000 annual visitors. They all had the opportunity to see an excellent variety of arrangements depicting a wide range of themes ranging from Artistic License (incorporating an easel), Quintessentially British, with arrangements using lots of leaf manipulation to create Hats, Anyone for tennis, Henley Regatta to name only a few with War of the Roses winning the category. Members had the opportunity to discuss the comments made by the Judges as all the comment cards were part of the picture show.

They saw pictures of the Scottish Flower Association Display, a Modern design by Mercia and North Wales area, a Classical Theme by the Northumberland and Durham Area and entries in Interception, Orient Express, Nooks and crannies, Magic and a Garden visitor on a bud category. Lots of the arrangements were very modern, incorporating lots of wool, driftwood and wire work.

We also saw some amazing photographs of flowers and birds at a recent visit to Costa Rica.

The next meeting will be an Open Evening, Festive Highlight. which will be held at Penweddig School Hall on 20 November, doors will open at 6.45pm to start promptly at 7.30pm.

The demonstration will be by the fabulous Delyth Price, National Winner, who has won numerous prizes, highest points and best arrangements at the Royal Welsh and Winter Fair Shows. Her arrangements are always a treat to see. Tickets are available beforehand for £8 or at the door on the evening for £10, including seasonal refreshments.

Legendary feminist

PROFESSOR Cynthia Enloe, who pioneered the study of gender in war, militarism, political economy, and international politics, will deliver a lecture entitled ‘Wounds: a Feminist Understanding of Intimacy and War’ at Aberystwyth University on Thursday, 15 November.

The lecture is the 2018 Kenneth N Waltz Annual Lecture, established to celebrate the work of one of the most influential theorists of international relations and a good friend of Aberystwyth. The lecture forms part of the International Politics Department’s Centenary Speakers Series.

Prof Enloe is a prolific writer. Her best-known book is what one student on campus calls the ‘much beloved’ Bananas, Beaches and Bases, which explains how power cannot be understood in diplomatic, military, economic and other systems in the absence of asking “where are the women?”

Her latest work is The Big Push: Exposing and Challenging the Persistence of Patriarchy – a topic of immense contemporary significance.

The lecture will take place in the Main Hall, International Politics Department, at 6pm. The event is free, and all are welcome.

Cymdeithas yr Aelwyd

NOS Wener, 2 Tachwedd, croesawyd Llinos Dafis gan y cadeirydd Delyth Fletcher.

Yn dilyn ei hymddeoliad aeth Llinos ati i ysgrifennu ei nofel gyntaf, Llinynnau, a gyhoeddwyd yn ddiweddar. Doedd Llinos ddim am ddilyn trywydd y nofelau a dramâu teledu noir bondigrybwyll lle mae pethau annymunol yn digwydd, ond roedd yn awyddus i fynd ar ôl themau fel cyfrinachau, perthynas mam a merch, torri’r gyfraith, a chaethiwed a rhyddid.

Mae’r elw o werthu’r nofel yn mynd i helpu ffoaduriaid rhyfel.

CANTM

AT THE AGM of the Ceredigion Association of National Trust Members held at Llanerchaeron on 18 October, the chairman welcomed the election of three new members to the committee, including the appointment of a chairman and secretary.

The association’s donation to Llanerchaeron for the current year is £1,500 which will be used either to purchase new display boards in the house or trees for planting on the estate.

The next event is the annual lunch at T? Glyn on 14 November at 12.30pm, while the Christmas Celebrations at Llanerchaeron is on 4 December.

Ramblers

THE ANNUAL weekend sway in October was as popular as ever this year with 55 members attending and six walks available over the three days from Friday to Sunday.

There were 43 members on the first walk along the Millennium Coast Path, led by Moira between Pwll and Bynea Gateway. As this was a linear walk, it took some time to arrange the car shuttle over the 6.5 miles, with walkers, cars, luggage and rucksacks converging on a public car park near Pwll.

The weekend was based at the Stradey Park Hotel, Llanelli and members descended there after the walk. After the evening meal, each walk leader gave a brief description of the next day’s walk, the choice being Pembrey Country Park with Roy, Worms Head and Rhosilli with John Morgan or Three Cliffs Bay with Sue West. There was something to appeal to everyone.

There was another fine meal at the hotel the following night and two walks to choose from for the next day. They were Dinefwr Park with Stephen Hughes or a Llansteffan circular walk with Dwynwen and Chris.

Rotary Club

SPEAKER at last week’s Rotary Club meeting was Barbara Salerno, who has recently joined the club following her move to Ceredigion.

Barbara’s background is in public relations and marketing, with experience in fundraising for a hospital project and for the Mental Health Charity MIND.

Barbara spoke about the work of Blesma, a limbless veterans charity for which she is an associate director for fundraising. Established in 1918 to support the thousands of veterans who had lost limbs during the First World War, it continued as a charity to support veterans who had lost limbs in the Second World War and subsequent conflicts including Afghanistan and Iraq. Amputees supported by the charity have competed in the Invictus Games.

During a century of service Blesma has assisted serving and ex-service men and women who have suffered a life-changing loss of limbs or eyesight.

Support to individuals and their families is for life, and includes practical help as well as advice and guidance.

The charity, which raises £4.5m each year, works with the NHS to ensure that advances in prosthetics are converted into practical solutions, and provides a programme of activities for amputees. Currently 3,000 individuals, including widows, are receiving support; the youngest is aged 19 and the oldest 104.

President Michael Deaville warmly thanked Barbara for a most interesting and informative talk.

Remembrance Sunday

DETAILS have been confirmed for Remembrance Sunday in Aberystwyth.

At 10.30am there will be a parade from Aberystwyth Library (Old Town Hall).

It will halt just short of the crazy golf on the promenade to pay tribute to Nigel Dyer, former RBL organiser, who passed away when carrying out this duty.

It will then continue up to the war memorial, to form up in protocol order (Gareth Pugh to organise). Last Post at 11am, followed by two minutes’ silence, then Reveille followed by wreath laying.

At approximately 11.30am there will be a church service to include the head girl and boy of Penglais and Penweddig schools reading out excerpts from First World War letters between ‘Billy and Dot’ which are very moving.

Ben Lake MP and Cllr Paul Hinge, Ceredigion’s Armed Forces Champion, will read the lessons.

Plascrug School choir will sing during the service.

Care forum

THE NORTH Ceredigion Forum for Elderly Care held its monthly meeting at the Aberystwyth Town Council offices on Thursday, 25 October.

Attendance was up following last month’s stormy weather, though some apologies were sent and the forum extended its wishes for a speedy recovery to researcher Pam Hughes.

An interesting presentation was made to the forum by Anne-Marie Butlin, of Age Cymru Aberystwyth, about the role of and the services provided by the charity and the increasing number of people being referred to them by Social Services following changes in the law.

The information was very helpful to many of the forum members and there followed a good-natured but robust discussion around the role of the ‘Third Sector’ in social care.

The main point under discussion on the order of business was the lengthy waiting lists experienced by patients of the eye clinic.

It was agreed that the response to emergencies at the clinic was excellent but a number of forum members put forward anecdotal evidence that ‘ordinary’ cases were not attended to in a timely fashion and often then had to be treated as emergencies.

It is planned that an invitation be sent to Mark Skitt, of Hywel Dda University Health Board, to address the forum at some point early in 2019.

The next public meeting is scheduled for 7pm on 29 November at the Aberystwyth Town Council offices. All welcome.

NHS Retirement Fellowship

CHARLIE Furzon gave a talk on his travels through Tajikistan, on 8 October.

Charlie works for himself and has been in different parts of the world trying to help people sort out how to look after protected areas.

This has involved the training of park rangers and encouraging communities to get involved with their areas.

He has worked in parts of Africa and central Asia.

Before settling in Aberystwyth, he was a teacher of environmental studies in London and Sheffield.

Charlie has memories of a very welcoming people.

It was a most extraordinary talk for which he was thanked by Helen Hughes.

On 27 September, members attended the Welsh National Conference at Llandrindod Wells where the keynote address was made by Vaughan Gething AM.

The next meeting is on 12 November at Waunfawr Community Hall when Beti Wyn Davies will talk on Kerela – land of spices, scenery and splendour.

Plascrug Bridge Club

RECENT results: 23 October: 1. Doreen Anthony and Dylan Raw-Rees; 2. Mike Jones and Alan Stein; 3. Jean Harrison and Jeff Thomas; 30 October: 1. Margaret James and Pamela Woodhouse; 2. John Holmes and Alan Stein.

Aberystwyth Bridge Club

FRIDAY, 19 October: 1. Roger Boyle and Jeff Thomas; 2. Margaret James and Pat Roe; 3=. Ian Finlay and Pamela Woodhouse/Betty Brookes and Andrew Loat.

Sunday, 21 October: 1. Jean Harrison and Mike Jones; 2. Gabor Gelleri and John Holmes; 3. Ian Finlay and Alan Stein.

Friday, 26 October: 1. Keith Bellamy and Dai Hayes; 2. Mike Tedd and Yuan Shen; 3. Gill Howells and Magda Corser.

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