THE latest community news from Aberystwyth

Cylch Cinio

YM Mhlas Antaron ar nos Wener, 15 Ebrill, cynhaliwyd cyfarfod mis Ebrill y Cylch Cinio.

Diolch yn fawr i Gloria a’r tîm am y croeso a’r pryd blasus.

Trist iawn oedd clywed am farwolaeth sydyn Gareth Jones, Cefn Llwyd, cyn aelod o’r Cylch. Estynodd y cadeirydd gydymdeimlad yr aelodau i gyd at y teulu.

Cydymdeimlwyd hefyd â Wynne Melville Jones sydd wedi colli chwaer yn ddiweddar. Roedd yn braf croesawu Dicky Wyn, y trysorydd, yn ôl yn dilyn llawdriniaeth a da deall bod Wynne Mel erbyn hyn adre’ ac yn gwella a’r ôl cyfnod yn yr ysbyty.

Braf oedd croesawi Rhys ap Tegwyn, cynaelod, yn ôl atom.

Y g?r gwadd ar y noson oedd Dafydd Rhys, cyfarwyddwr Canolfan y Celfyddydau yn Aberystwyth sydd yn enedigol o Ddyffryn Aman. Mae Dafydd wedi bod yn gweithio yn y byd creadigol ers yr 80au. Cafwyd sgwrs hynod o ddiddorol am ei fywyd a’i yrfa. Tybed faint oedd yn gwybod bod Dafydd wedi bod yn aelod o’r gr?p pync Llygad Ffyrnig!

Bu yn un o gyfarwyddwyr cwmni cynhyrchu teledu annibynnol Criw Byw ac yn cynhyrchu rhaglenni ieuenctid a rhaglenni dogfen gelfyddydol. Mae Dafydd wedi gweithio dros dau gyfnod i S4C. Rhwng 1991 a 1998 yn gyntaf ac yna rhwng 2012 a 2018 fel cyfarwyddwr cynnwys. Yn ystod y cyfnod hwn roedd yn gyfrifol am amrhyw o rhaglenni yn cynnwys Y Gwyll a gafodd ei ffilmio yng Ngheredigion. Cafodd ei benodi fel cyfarwyddwr Canolfan y Celfyddydau yn mis Chwefror 2018. Mae’r ganolfan wedi bod yn rhan allweddol o’r brifysgol a’r gymuned leol ers y 70au ac yn bwysig iawn i’r ardal.

Da clywed yn ddiweddar fod buddsoddiad sylweddol wedi cymryd lle wrth i Theatr y Werin gael ei adnewyddu. Ers i’r theatr ailagor, braf gweld fod Meic Stevens, Geraint Jarman, Y Theatr Genedlaethol, Theatr Bara Caws ac eraill wedi perfformio yno gan ddefnyddio technoleg mwyaf diweddar.

Yn amlwg bod y Gymraeg yn bwysig i Dafydd ac yn cael lle blaenllaw yn y ganolfan.

Braf oedd clywed bod staff y dderbynfa yn medru cynnig gwasanaeth yn y Gymraeg. Fel ardal rydym yn ffodus iawn i gael cyflesterau fel hyn ar ein stepen drws.

Yn ddiweddar darlledwyd cystadleuaeth Cân i Gymru oddi yno ac ym mis Mehefin bydd Seremoni Gwobrwyo Llyfr y Flwyddyn yn cymryd lle.

Talwyd y diolchiadau gan Hywel Wyn Jones a oedd digwydd bod yn bresennol ar achlysur agoriad Theatr y Werin.

Enillydd lwcus y raffl oedd y cadeirydd, Dr Richard Edwards.

Mae’r Cylch yn llongyfarch un o’r aelodau, sef John Davies, a ennillodd wobr gan y brifysgol am hyrwyddo, dathlu ac ysbrydoli myfyrwyr i ddefnyddio’r Gymraeg yn 2019. Mis nesaf byddwn yn cwrdd yng Ngwesty’r Richmond ac edrychwn ymlaen at noson ddifyr arall yng nghwmni Eurig Salisbury. Croeso i aelodau hen a newydd ymuno â ni.

Merched y Wawr

AR nos Lun, 15 Ebrill, aethom allan o’n man cyfarfod rheolaidd, sef Festri Capel y Morfa, i Amgueddfa Ceredigion.

Croesawyd yr aelodau gan Eluned Richards, y llywydd, gan gynnwys llawer o ddysgwyr oedd wedi ymuno â ni.

Ar ddechrau’r cyfarfod dymunwyd gwellhad buan i Dilys Mildon cafodd ddamwain yn ddiweddar. Diolchwyd i’r aelodau aeth i gystadlu yn chwaraeon y Rhanbarth yn Felinfach.

Ar ôl trafod ychydig o fusnes y gangen croesawyd pawb i’r amgueddfa gan Carrie Canhem, y curadur. Dysgwraig yw Carrie, treuliodd amser yn Harlech, Manceinion a Brighton. Cawsom gyflwyniad manwl am y Colesium ganddi yn yr iaith Gymraeg. Soniodd am y dramau a’r operau ac eisteddfod G?yl Sant Steffan a gynhaliwyd yma pob blwyddyn, bod Emmeline Pankhurst a Lloyd George wedi areithio yma. Defnyddiwyd y lle i gynnal arholiadau a seremon?au graddio’r Brifysgol. Yn ogystal dyma lle cynhaliwyd Cyfarfodydd Gwleidyddol. Fe’n synnwyd bod 60,000 o arteffactau yn yr Amgueddfa.

Teitl y noson oedd ‘Camu nôl yn y Coliseum’. Cyn gweld y ffilmiau cawsom wybodaeth manwl amdanynt gan Audrey. Gwelsom llawer o ddigwyddiadau lleol, dadorchuddio cofeb i gofio’r rhyfel byd cyntaf, casglu arian gan myfyrwyr adeg y rag, storm waethaf a welodd Aberystwyth erioed yn 1938, Eisteddfod Genedlaethol 1952, 1950 trwy lygaid teulu Eddie Savage a Tollborth Southgate. Daeth a llawer o atgofion i rhai ohonom gan synnu faint o newidiadau sydd wedi cymryd lle yn ystod y blynyddoedd.

Diolchodd Eluned i Carrie Canhem a’i chynorthwywraig Sarah Morton am fod mor gefnogol i’n trefniadau ac i Audrey am ein harwain mor ddeheuig. Cafwyd amser i sgwrsio gyda’r dysgwyr dros baned a pice bach a drefnwyd gan y swyddogion.

Bydd ein cyfarfod blynyddol ar 20 Mai yn ogystal â sgwrs gan Dr Elin Jones am Elusen Ward Eleri. Bydd casgliad ar y noson i’r elusen.

Stroke club

FOR the April outing, 42 members of the club, travelled south to Ffostrasol on a lovely sunny day. A mini coach for wheelchair members came with the regular one to get everone all together.

The chairlady greeted all and introduced two new members to the club. Judith and Jean did the rounds with the raffle tickets and then it was time for the staff to serve the food. Whilst tea and coffee were being handed round, the last draw of the 2018-19 session of the 750 club took place, with lots of cheques being handed out in the room.

Audrey, social secretary, reminded all about the annual holiday in July and also, the AGM on 22 May at the town’s football club, asking anyone if they would like to join the committee?

All too soon it was time to board the coaches and cars and return home after a very good days outing.

Aberystwyth and District Floral Society

GLENYS welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced Susan Bradley, the demonstrator for the evening with arrangements on a theme of ‘Geometry and Gerberas’.

Susan’s first arrangement began with a tall metal stand and a small square tray of oasis at the top. She created a triangular outline by using prunus lusitanica and then added pale pink lisianthus, jupe lilies and two varieties of gerbera, whisper and kimzey varieties in shocking and pale pink colours. To complete the design, she placed a similar arrangement at the base of the stand.

Her second arrangement was a spring design and began with a rectangular shape on a short metal stand. She placed two rectangular trays of oasis along the bottom of the frame. She used a variety of greenery including corylus contorta purpurea, arum italicum, common box, emerald green euonimous and aucuba leaves. She began by adding purple irises to emphasize the parallel lines, purple lisianthus, purple and pink tulips and stems of pussy willow to complete the design.

Her third design began with a hexagon shaped metal stand. She used a rectangular shaped tray with oasis and placed yew out to the sides. She added laurus nobilis (sweet bay), a bright green griselinia with buds and a few pieces of scimmia. She added short small yellow rosebuds, a few button yellow crysanthemum and finished by adding blue eryngiums to complete the design. She produced two more replica designs and placed them on three tiers within the hexagon.

Her fourth design began with a very large round bamboo plate. She started with an oasis paddle and used home oak leaf holly and quercus ilex to cover the oasis and then placed prunus lusitanica (portugese laurel) out to two opposite sides of the paddle. She placed Espania roses in a red/orange colour following the line and keeping the arrangement low. She added bright orange bison gerberas to complete the design. She produced a replica design and these were placed in an upright position on very tall stands using clever mechanics to hold them in place.

Her fifth design began with a pot of dry sand filled to about three quarters full and this was decorated on the outside with a circle of bamboo. She added large red carnations and hypericum in a free design. She had a tall large six-foot cylinder of bamboo with a square tray of oasis secured to the pole, three quarters of the way up. She added sallly pholicious cotoneaster, up towards the top of the bamboo and flowing down towards the bottom. To this she added symphoricarpos hancock in a lime green colour and portugese laurel. She added bright red carnations, red berried hypericum and tropical anthurium to complete the arrangement. The bamboo covered pot was placed at the base of the bamboo cylinder.

Her last arrangement began with a wire stand and a large sphere-shaped cane lampshade with a square tray of oasis at the top. She placed large fatsia japonica leaves, rubus leaves and a midnight sky variety of hebe to create a lovely outline of various foliage. She placed a golden bronze coloured orchid and added cafe coloured gerbers and little African red roses to complete the arrangement. At the base of the arrangement she placed another similar arrangement using the same flowers.

The next meeting is a workshop by Jane Solomon which will be held on 22 May. For further information, contact Donald Morgan, president, at Blodau’r Bedol on 01974 202233 or [email protected]

Big Breastfeeding Café

THIS Wednesday, 1 May, thousands of mums will take part in The Big Breastfeeding Café and Coffee#1 Aberystwyth and Cardigan, will be joining the fun.

Now in its fourth year, the nationwide initiative led by breastfeeding brand Medela, will connect thousands of Mums via a network of mini events taking place on the same day across the UK.

Over 200 mini events will take place on the day, from the peaceful Shetland Islands to the busy London boroughs, across to Wales and down to Cornwall.

Sioned Hilton, Medela UK’s education manager, said: “We are finding time and time again that, personal advice from mums who have breastfed themselves is invaluable. We know that breastfeeding can be challenging, but we also know that a problem shared, is often a problem halved. Ensuring that all breastfeeding mums have a reassuring and supportive network is vital.”

Plascrug Bridge Club

26 MARCH: 1, Dylan Raw-Rees and Mike Yeo; 2, Margaret Ellis and Sue Sherman; 3, Agnes McKenzie and Mary Jones.

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

9 April: 1, Betty Brookes and Mike Jones; 2, Doreen Anthony and Dylan Raw-Rees. 16 April: 1, Mair Jenkins and Alan Stein; 2, Margaret Ellis and Vicky Edwards; 3, Betty Brookes and Sue Sherman.

Beekeepers’ Association

THE monthly meetings of the association are on the third Tuesday evening of the month in the Waunfawr community Hall.

Some 27 members attended the April meeting and heard an interesting talk on wasps, another social insect. This was given by Rob Davies who posed the question, ‘Are they Friend or Foe?’ Rob’s talk was informative, and was followed by a good discussion which concluded that they should be left alone over the spring and summer, but controlled in early autumn when they start robbing the hives. Many members are reporting that their stocks have come through the winter superbly well and by the middle on the month supers were being put on the hives.

With the interest in the craft of beekeeping continuing, the association’s beginners taster weekend is fully booked.

The next meeting of the association is on Sunday, 19 May, at Ann Ovens’s apiary at Tan-y-Cae, Talybont at 2pm, and will be a social gathering to inspect Anne’s new polystyrene hives.

Further information is available from Ann Ovens, the secretary, on 01970 832359.

St Padarn’s bell ringers

RINGING has continued throughout the winter months and turnouts at the Wednesday evening practice nights, have been very encouraging.

There were a number of officer changes following the March tower AGM; Bob McIntyre standing down from the position of tower captain and Fran Didsbury taking on the role with Victoria Evans becoming the deputy tower captain and secretary.

There was a sadness about the service ringing on Palm Sunday morning which concluded with Vic Evans tolling the Rudhall tenor for five minutes before the service, to honour the memory of Paul James, county councillor for the ward of Llanbadarn Fawr, who had been killed in a road accident on the A487 near Comins Coch on the previous Friday evening.

At one time Paul started to learn to ring the Llanbadarn Bells and subsequently Bryony, his daughter, became a ringer until she went away to university.

Part of her motivation for learning was to follow his attempts to learn change ringing. The ringers warmly welcome visitors to the tower and practice nights are Wednesdays from 7.30pm until 9pm and Sunday service ringing is from 9.15am until 10am.

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