THE latest community news from Aberystwyth

Côr Meibion

The choir started their series of Christmas performances with a session of carol singing in the foyer area of Tesco and M&S, over the lunch period on Friday, 7 December, and was led by choir accompanist Elenid Thomas and chairman Gethin Roberts.

The choir was supporting the annual Rotary collection which this year was raising money for four local charities.

This was the first of five choir engagement to be carried in the period leading up to Christmas.

The second will at the annual Fire Authority service at Llanrhystud Church on Wednesday, 12 December and then a return to Tesco/M+S on Sunday morning for a further carol singing session in aid of the charity Dash.

Finally on Thursday, 20 December the choir will be visiting two local retirement homes, Tregerddan in the afternoon and Hafod y Waun in the evening.

After a short break the choir will return to regular practices in Aberystwyth Rugby Club on 3 January at 7pm.

Cymdeithas yr Aelwyd

Daeth hanner cyntaf tymor yr Aelwyd i ben nos Wener, 7 Rhagfyr, yng nghwmni Siôn Meredith.

Y mae Siôn yn un o ymddiriedolwyr Aberaid sy’n gweithio’n ddiflino i gefnogi ffoaduriaid, ac atgoffodd Siôn ni fod Mair a Joseff a’r baban Iesu hefyd wedi bod yn ffoaduriaid pan fu’n rhaid iddynt ffoi i’r Aifft.

Dwy fil o flynyddoedd yn ddiweddarach does dim wedi newid yn y Dwyrain Canol wrth i 12 miliwn o bobl adael eu cartrefi yn Syria yn unig.

Erbyn hyn mae oddeutu 30 o bobl o Syria wedi ymgartrefu yn Aberystwyth a disgwylir teulu arall yn y flwyddyn newydd wrth i Gymru ddangos i’r byd pam ein bod yn ail i Ganada am godi arian yn lleol i groesawu mudwyr.

Cyflwynwyd darlleniad a gweddi, a chanwyd carolau i gyfeiliant Delyth Evans.

I gloi’r cyfarfod gwnaed casgliad o £104 tuag at Uned Cemotherapi Bronglais ac yna cafodd pawb gyfle i fwynhau paned a mins peis.

Antimatter lecture

Experimental physicist, Professor Niels Madsen from Swansea University, will deliver this year’s Bill Williams Memorial Lecture, aimed at young people aged 16-18.

The lecture, entitled ‘Antimatter has gone missing!?’, will take place at 1.15pm on Wednesday, 12 December in the Physics Main lecture theatre on Penglais Campus.

Choral Society

Very dramatic posters and flyers have been put up throughout the area, the programmes have been printed, and the results of the weekly Tuesday rehearsals for the society’s Christmas concert which started back in September, will be heard this coming Saturday evening, in the Great Hall at 8pm.

Before then choristers have a demanding schedule of rehearsals which started with Tuesday’s evening rehearsal in the St Paul’s Methodist Centre and an additional practice in the Old College on Wednesday evening.

On Friday evening the action moves to the Great Hall for staging to be sorted out before another practice.

Saturday sees the dress rehearsal in the Great Hall at 2pm when the choir will be joined by the soloist, Rebecca Afonwy-Jones and the Sinfonia Cambrensis.

The performance itself is at 8pm that evening with John Rutter’s Magnificat being the principal work being performed; along with two pieces by Faure, his Cantique de Jean Racine, and the very popular Pavane for orchestra and mixed chorus. The conductor will be David Russell Hulme.

CANTM

The Ceredigion Association of National Trust members held their last event for 2018 at Llanerchaeron on 4 December being themed in the house and based on a traditional story of Cinderella.

The programme for 2019 starts on Monday, 21 January at 10.30am in the Waunfawr Community Hall with a Michael Freeman talk on T? Bachs.

On 26 February the Winter Warmer will be held at 10.30am at the Dandelion Restaurant, Aberystwyth Golf Club and the speaker will be Hannah Englecamp who will be talking about her travels through Wales with her donkey.

Wildlife Trust

The third of the North Ceredigion Section of the Wildlife Trust South and West Wales’ monthly evening meetings was held on 3 December in room C22 in the Huw Owen Building on the Penglais Campus.

Chairman Fiona Corke was delighted to warmly welcome some 70 people to the meeting which, with Christmas approaching, saw a good selection of Wildlife Trust merchandise on sale, including the 2017 Ceredigion Bird Report.

After the usual business had been dealt with, the meeting had an illustrated update from Emily Foot, the Trust’s Ceredigion wildlife officer, on the seasonal management work she has been leading with her team of volunteers, in the Trust’s Ceredigion nature reserves.

Members also reported on unusual wildlife sightings in the county which they had noted recently, with all present particularly pleased to learn of the recent arrival of Whooper Swans back on the upland lakes on the Pendam road from Penrhyncoch.

Fiona then went on to introduce the evening’s speaker, Becky Hulme, WTSWW’s red squirrel officer, who brought the meeting up to date on the progress of the Mid Wales Red Squirrel Project.

This has been a project to which the section had contributed financially through a legacy, and all present were particularly pleased to learn at the onset that the Trust had secured funding for it for a further two years.

The small mid Wales population of red squirrels is concentrated in two focus areas between Tregaron and Llanwrtyd Wells.

These areas contain large areas of woodland, both deciduous and coniferous, and Becky showed a number of ‘trail cam’ videos of squirrels taken in the focus area.

She explained that the project works with the multiple landowners in the area, to plan tree felling to try and maintain habitat corridors.

Small seeded conifers such as Sitka spruce appear to be a useful food source for the red squirrels but less so for the greys which spread disease to the reds in addition to competing for food.

There is no January meeting of the section and the next meeting will be on Monday, 4 February, and will be a talk in C22 on ‘Living Seas Wales’.

Headway Ceredigion

This month’s local Headway meeting was held on Monday, 3 December in Tesco’s community room.

Julie Price, from the Stroke Association, dropped in for a chat and mince pie. She was able to provide some really useful advice for members.

Lynda reported that she recently attended a Universal Credits training day.

Headway Ceredigion had a table at the recent Carers Rights Day. The talks and other information were interesting and will lead to additional support to for anyone who asks for help.

The Christmas Lunch for members, held at Medina, was greatly enjoyed by all.

Lynda now has a date for the free Headway Ceredigion’s Tai Chi and Boccia sessions.

Free for those with an acquired brain injury, their partners and/or carers. This will be on a Tuesday, starting in February.

Go to the February drop-in or contact the group on Facebook to find out more.

Next year the Disability Rights Service will be at the February drop-in. Go and have a go at Boccia, indoor bowls from a chair. Team members are needed.

Headway Ceredigion offers support for people who have experienced brain injuries, through stroke, accident, or illness and can signpost people to medical and legal professionals and a library of Headway Literature.

Drop-ins/ peer support meetings are held in the community room at Aberystwyth Tesco, Park Avenue.

On the first Monday of the month from 2pm to 4pm. Free refreshments. No meeting in January.

White Ribbon Day

People from Aberystwyth, Borth and Machynlleth came together to take action in a novel way to mark White Ribbon Day.

The United Nations General Assembly designated 25 November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

White Ribbon Day in the UK calls on all men to take a stand against sexism and gender-based violence in all of its forms.

Starting in Aberystwyth, local activist choir Côr Gobaith sang to people aboard the 10am train on the Sunday morning.

Handing our information on the campaign to anyone who wanted it, choir members then boarded the train and travelled to Borth where they were joined by small contingent from the town.

In Machynlleth, Côr Gobaith and friends sang people off the train and then gave an impromptu concert in the station’s nice warm waiting room.

As noon approached the choir and concert goers adjourned to the front of the station to sing Machynlleth’s White Ribbon Day bike ride on its way. Côr Gobaith dedicated a song to former Machynlleth resident Rebecca Sullivan whose tragic death has devastated her many friends in the area.

Kitty O’Blitherin then delivered a thought-provoking performance poem ‘Safe’. It highlighted how attitudes may have, for the most part, changed for the better in western society over recent years, but that much remains to be done.

A participant then read the White Ribbon pledge: “I swear never to commit, excuse or remain silent about male violence against women.”

Plascrug Bridge Club

HERE are the recent results: 27 November: 1. Margaret James and Pamela Woodhouse; 2. Betty Brookes and Mike Jones; 3. Doreen Anthony and Dylan Raw Rees.

4 December: 1. Pamela Woodhouse and Margaret James; 2. Sue Sherman and Linda Crawford; 3. Alan Stein and John Holmes.

Aberystwyth Bridge Club

HERE are the recent results:

Friday, 16 November: 1. Mike Jones and Keith Bellamy; 2. John Holmes and Alan Stein; 3. Jean Harrison and Mair Jenkins

Sunday, 18 November: 1. Margaret James and Pat Roe; 2. Robert Griffiths and Ian Finlay; 3. Elenid Thomas and Pamela Woodhouse.

 Friday, 23 November: 1. Keith Bellamy and Dai Hayes; 2. Sue Sherman and Pam Woodhouse; 3. Jean Harrison and Mair Jenkins

 Sunday, 25 November: 1. Mike Jones and Alan Stein; 2. Elenid Thomas and Pamela Woodhouse; 3. Andrew Loat and Jeff Thomas

Friday, 30 November: 1. Mike Tedd and Yuan Shen; 2. John Holmes and Alan Stein; 3. Keith Bellamy and Dai Hayes

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