THE latest community news from Aberystwyth

Celtic Challenge

MEMBERS and supporters of a rowing challenge team have raised over £300 for the Wales Air Ambulance after holding an event.

Members of the Student Rowing Club, including those who will be taking part in the Celtic Challenge, held the event at Harley’s as part of their fundraising efforts ahead of the Celtic Challenge in May, as well as an Easter bake sale at the students’ union.

Several members of the Student Rowing Club will be taking part in the Celtic Challenge, which will end in Aberystwyth.

Choral Society

THE Tuesday evening practices in the Old Hall, Old College of Haydn’s Oratorio, The Creation, for the spring concert have been on¬going every Tuesday evening since the middle of January, and have seen very consistent attendances over the winter, despite sometimes inclement weather.

A new face in the tenor section, Martin Ives, has been stepping in to take the practices on the odd occasion when conductor David Russell Hulme has been away in Ukraine, or preparing for the Choral Union and Philomusica concerts.

Martin only joined the society in January, within a few weeks of moving to west Wales, but his assistance has been much appreciated.

There are now only four Tuesday evening practices before the concert on Saturday, 27 April, in the Great Hall, and David will be using these to concentrate on a number of finer parts of the work which need attention, to ensure that a truly memorable performance of a very fine and popular choral work is given.

The cost of putting on such a concert with three professional soloists, professional orchestra and conductor, is very high and to help meet these, Gareth and Liz Kelly recently organised a successful coffee morning in the Waunfawr Community Hall, which raised well over £200.

Horticultural Society

THE March meeting of the Cardiganshire Horticultural Society took place in Waunfawr Community Hall on Tuesday, 12 March, and was the society’s AGM, which saw a good number of members attending.

Vice-chairman Kay Edwards was in the chair and quickly progressed through the usual business of an AGM. 2018 was the society’s 50th anniversary and good reports were read out on what had been a very successful year thanks to enjoyable evening lectures, an excellent programme of summer day outings to some fascinating gardens and a very enjoyable trip to Normandy.

John Corfield stepped down at the meeting from the position of president and was warmly thanked for the wonderful contribution that he had made to the society’s activities over a period of many years.

Kate Beech was appointed the new president. The usual election of officers saw several long-standing committee members stepping down and new replacements appointed.

The society is now entering its 51st year with another good programme of summer outings organised and an autumn tour to Hampshire and the Isle of Wight attracting a lot of interest.

The meeting concluded with a slide-show of the 2018 trip to Normandy and the summer outings, which was thoroughly enjoyed.

The next meeting of the society will be the annual plant sale in Llanfarian Village Hall on Saturday, 27 April, at 2pm.

Easter hymn CD launch

FOLLOWING their appearance in the mixed choir final of S4C’s Côr Cymru competition, broadcast on 17 March and available via catch-up services, Aberystwyth-based Côr ABC has launched a new CD of Welsh hymns for Easter.

Part of a landmark series of Welsh hymn compilations issued by Curiad Music, G?yl y Pasg was recorded at Capel y Morfa, Aber¬ystwyth, during the spring of 2018, under the direction of Gwennan Williams, with Meirion Wynn Jones at the organ.

Featuring 15 Easter hymns, including two Bach chorales, some of William Williams Pantycelyn’s best-known hymns, and a number of new descants and harmonisations, the recording is accompanied by a booklet containing the music and words of each hymn.

The CD was launched at an event held in Capel y Morfa on 5 April, where the choir sang some of the hymns featured on the CD alongside a selection of Lenten and Easter music.

Rotary Club

THE guest speaker at the lunchtime meeting was Ioan Rhys Lord, a student of Welsh history and archaeology at Bangor University.

His talk, on ‘the California of Wales’, took members on a historical journey to the heyday of silver, lead, and zinc mining in mid Wales.

While there is evidence of prospecting for mineral ores during the Roman occupation of Britain and as far back as the Bronze Age, the growth of the industry began in the 16th century with the opening of mines in the north of Ceredigion.

In 1642, the royal mint was based at Aberystwyth castle, using silver from mines around Talybont.

From the mid 18th century, mining methods were facilitated by the availability of gun¬powder, and many companies were set up to exploit the natural resources and the demand for minerals – and to attract foolhardy financial investors.

The mines had a significant impact on the landscape and provided employment for thousands. Deep shafts were opened to access the lodes of mineral ores – the deepest, at Cwmsymlog, reaching 1,050 feet – and water wheels were constructed, up to 63 feet in diameter.

As the Aberystwyth Observer reported in 1897, Talybont was “the centre of an extensive and lucrative industry”.

Although the last mine closed in 1939, evidence remains of their workings and equipment, such as the 16-foot underground water wheel at Ystrad Einon mine near Eglwysfach and the shaft cages at Bwlchglas, as shown in fascinating photographs by Ioan.

Some mines had been left exactly as they were when the last shift walked out; footprints of hob nail boots in the mud, “as clear as if they had been made only yesterday”.

Ioan, brought up in Cwm Rheidol, has recently written a book entitled Rich Mountains of Lead: the Metal and Mining Industry of Cwm Rheidol and Ystumtuen. He is currently preparing a book on the wider industrial society in mid Wales.

Holy Trinity Church

THE fourth Sunday in Lent, Mothering Sunday, traditionally sees children come to church with their mothers for the main service of the day, and receive some flowers to give to their mothers.

There were a good number of children along with parents and grandparents in the congregation for the 11am Mothering Sunday service, which everyone who was there will remember fondly for many years to come.

The service began with the vicar, Rev Mark Ansell, warmly welcoming everyone before prayers and the opening hymn.

The Old Testament reading for the day then followed, which told the story of the prophet Jonah and the whale.

Immediately afterwards, the 11 youngsters in the children’s choir, directed by David Cooper and accompanied by Baylee Schute on the piano, made their very memorable contribution to the service, giving a truly outstanding performance of Michael Hurd’s Jonah Man Jazz, a very enjoyable piece of music for children which recounts the Old Testament story of Jonah and the whale.

Two children and one of the leaders of the Holy Trinity Sunday Club undertook the necessary narration at the appropriate points.

As soon as the performance ended, sustained applause broke out with a good 20 people giving the children a standing ovation.

Carys Hamilton then gave an address in which she very skillfully focused on the children in the choir along with all the other children in the congregation.

The children’s choir also sang the hymns in the service, which concluded with the augmented Trinity Adult Choir and the children’s choir singing Rutter’s Gaelic Blessing (Deep Peace).

Children from the Sunday Club gave out daffodils to all the children present before Rev Ansell gave the final blessing and dismissal.

Ramblers

ON Sunday, 14 April, Glynne (01970 625244) will be leading a moderate grade nine-mile walk from the car park in Rhayader (Grid Ref SN 970682) at 10.15am.

On leaving the town centre, the group will head up towards Llawr Derw, leading to Cwmdeuddwr Common.

After a steady climb they will arrive at the Bronze Age standing stone of Maen Serth before they head down between the Moelfryn and Gamallt hills and across the river Wye at Pont Marteg.

The route then takes them up towards the Radnorshire Wildlife Centre at Gilfach Nature Reserve.

The return to Rhayader will be via part of the Wye Valley Way and quiet country lanes.

The alternative meeting place is at Plascrug Leisure Centre at 9am.

Denise (01970 828752) will lead an easy-to-moderate seven-mile walk on 16 April from Llanrhystud Village Hall at 10.10am along the Ceredigion Coast Path to Aberaeron.

The initial meeting place is at Aberystwyth bus station at 9.30am for the free T1 service departing at 9.40am. Return from Aberaeon is by free bus service, running every 30 minutes. No dogs are allowed.

North Ceredigion Forum for Elderly Care

THE March meeting was held on the 28th at the town council’s offices.

With Mark Williams chairing, the meeting was well attended and a wide range of health and social care-related topics concerning the north of the county were discussed.

The main topic of discussion was, after receiving an email from the leader of the county council in January stating that former residential home Bodlondeb has been sold ‘subject to contract’ why, to date, no further details have been forthcoming from the county council, with some councillors even stating that they were unaware of this development.

The meeting was joined briefly by Cabinet member for services to adults, Cllr Alun Williams, who sat in during the monthly report on progress on the proposed extra-care facility, Cylch Caron.

Cllr Williams excused himself following the report and did not contribute or take part in any way in the discussions.

The next meeting is scheduled for 25 April at 7pm at the town council offices once again, when it is hoped the group will receive a talk by Dr John Morgan on issues in mental health. The public are welcome to attend.

The May meeting will be a public meeting held at Neuadd Goffa, Penparcau, at 7pm on the 31st, where there will be chance for the public to put questions directly to three guest speakers: Peter Skitt, Ceredigion county director for Hywel Dda Health Board; Carys James, director of social services for Ceredigion County Council; and Cllr Alun Williams.

Ceredigion Art Society

THE March meeting was held in St Anne’s Hall, Penparcau, on 29 March, where the guest speaker was Simon Evans, curatorial assistant at the National Library of Wales.

Simon gave an interesting talk entitled Unravelling Miss Lobb.

Mary Lobb was the first women to sign up to the Women’s Land Army in 1917. She later became the companion of May Morris, the daughter of Williams Morris.

Simon was thanked by chairman Robert Hughes.

The next meeting will be on Friday, 26 April, when the speaker will be artist Muriel Delahaye.

Meetings are held at St Anne’s Hall at 7.30pm.

Cymdeithas Gwenynwyr Cymraeg Ceredigion

YDYCH chwi eisiau dysgu sut i gadw gwenyn?

Bwriedir cynnal gwers neu ddwy yn ardal Capel Seion ym mis Mai ar gyfer rhai sydd â diddordeb mewn dechrau gofalu am wenyn mêl.

Bydd croeso cynnes i bawb o bob oed i ddod yn rhad ac ddim!

Os oes gennych ddiddordeb, cysylltwch â Lewis Griffith (01970 624881) neu Wil Griffiths (01970 623334).

Parkinson’s UK

THE chairman welcomed everybody to the monthly meeting at the Waunfawr Community Hall. He extended sympathies to Iona Mason, who had lost her husband Byron a few weeks ago.

Arrangements were made for the collection which was held in Morrisons on Friday, 30 March. The list of stallholders for the coffee morning was also completed, and Aneurin Hughes of Y Gwyll will open the event. Goods were requested for the various stalls.

Travel arrangements were made for the boccia games at Bala, on Wednesday, 10 April, leaving Starling Cloud car park at 10.30am, where three teams will compete: Ystwyth, Rheidol and Aber Ramblers.

After our 20-minute warm-up exercises, the chairman introduced Marc Cole, the speaker. Marc was the youngest councillor for the Liberal Democrats in Aberystwyth when he was still at college and when he moved back to Cardigan, he was elected councillor for Rhydyfwch ward in 2004 and, when only 29 years old, he became the youngest chairman of Ceredigion County Council. When he was only 34, he retired from politics.

Clive Marshall thanked him for a marvelous talk.

Plascrug Bridge Club

RESULTS on 26 March: 1 Dylan Raw Rees and Mike Yeo, 2 Margaret Ellis and Sue Sherman, 3 Mary Jones and Agnes McKenzie.

On 2 April: 1 Margaret James and Pamela Woodhouse, 2 Mary Jones and Mike Yeo, 3 Ann Burroughs and Mary Evans.

Aberystwyth Bridge Club

RESULTS on Friday, 15 March: 1 Keith Bellamy and Mike Jones, 2 Robert Griffiths and Magda Corser, 3 John Holmes and Alan Stein.

On Sunday, 17 March: 1 Yuan Shen and Mike Tedd, joint 2 Elenid Thomas and Pamela Woodhouse/ Mike Jones and Jeff Thomas.

On Friday, 22 March: 1 Sue Sher¬man and Pam Woodhouse, 2 Mike Tedd and Yuan Shen, 3 Margaret Hathaway and Pat Roe.

On Sunday, 24 March: 1 Elenid Thomas and Pamela Woodhouse, 2 Andrew Loat and and Jeff Thomas, 3 Alan Stein and Mike Jones.

On Friday, 29 March: 1 Yuan Shen and Mike Tedd, 2 Robert Griffiths and Magda Corser, 3 Dai Hayes and Keith Bellamy.

And on Sunday, 31 March: 1 Elenid Thomas and Pamela Wood¬house, 2 Mair Jenkins and Jean Harrison, 3 Alan Stein and Mike Jones.

Choral Society

THE Tuesday evening practices in the Old Hall, Old College, of Haydn’s Oratorio, The Creation, for the society’s Spring Concert have been ongoing every Tuesday evening since the middle of January, and have seen very consistent attendances over the winter, despite sometimes inclement weather.

A new face in the tenor section, Martin Ives, has been stepping in to take the practices on the odd occasion when conductor, David Russell Hulme, has been away in the Ukraine, or preparing for the Choral Union and Philomusica concerts. Martin only joined the Choral Society in January within a few weeks of moving to west Wales, but his assistance has been much appreciated.

Now with relatively few practices before the concert on Saturday, 27 April, in the Great Hall, David is using these to concentrate on a number of the finer parts of the work which need attention, to ensure that a truly memorable performance of a very fine and popular choral work is given.

Soloists for the concert will be soprano Zita Syme, tenor Stephen Anthony Brown and baritone Michael Burk.

The orchestra will be the Sinfonia Cambrensis and choir, soloists and orchestra will be under the baton of David Russell Hulme.

The costs of putting on such a concert are very high and to help meet them Gareth and Liz Kelly recently organised a successful coffee morning in the Waunfawr Community Hall which raised well over £200.

Further information on the con¬cert is available from the chairman, June Wilson on 07852 188184.

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