THE latest community news from Aberystwyth

Choral Society

CHORISTERS of the Aberystwyth Choral Society have been enjoying their well-earned summer break after the very successful performance of Haydn’s Oratorio, The Creation, at the Society’s Spring Concert.

With the nights drawing in, preparations are well in hand for the coming 2019/20 season with rehearsals restarting on Tuesday evenings at 7.30pm in mid-September in the Old Hall, Old College for the Christmas Concert.

This will be in the Great Hall of the Arts Centre on Saturday, 14 December, when the main work being performed will be Faure’s sublime and unforgettable Requiem.

New choristers in all voices will be most welcome to join the choir and anyone interested should come to the Tuesday evening practices, where they can be assured of a warm welcome.

The choir has a no-auditions policy. Further information on the society and the concert is available from the chairman, June Wilson on 07852 188184.

Rotary club

DR John Valentine, a native of Ynysybwl and scientist at the Welsh Plant Breeding Station for 37 years from 1975, gave the club a captivating summary of the station’s development and achievements over the 100 years from its establishment until its integration with the university.

The station began in the former foundry building in Alexandra Road.

A pioneer figure in its early development was Sir Bryner Jones, Prof of Agriculture at Aberystwyth, who saw the need for specialised research to deal with the poor quality of grasslands in Britain.

His work was taken forward by his successor, the visionary Sir George Stapledon. In 1937 the station was relocated to the present Penglais campus, and in 1955 moved to Plas Gogerddan, bought from the Pryse family estate with university funds, where its work continues to this day.

The station’s early remit was to improve livestock agriculture through the breeding of better varieties of grasses, and it was able to record a number of landmark achievements.

Among those who had led breeding and research into grasses in the post-war period were the geneticist Dr Les Breese, Watkin Williams and Ellis Davies.

During this period, under the directorship of Prof P T Thomas, substantial government funding had been received for agricultural research.

In 1976 the station – then headed by Prof John Cooper – was awarded the Queen’s Award for Technological Achievement.

This later period also saw the expansion of arable crop breeding under Dr D J Griffiths and later Dr J D Hayes, and in 1985 the title of ‘best new malting barley’ was awarded to a strain bred at Aberystwyth by Rodney Habgood.

The metamorphosis of the station into an Institute of Grassland and Animal Production, and then Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research (IGER), around 1990 was an acknowledgement that the remit of a modern research institute had to be wider than plant breeding alone.

Then, in 2008, IGER merged with the university’s Biological and Agricultural Institutes to form the ‘Institute of Biological Environmental and Rural Sciences’ (IBERS) with former Aber student Professor Wayne Powell as its first director.

In thanking Dr Valentine for his talk, Rotary club president David McParlin referred to the contribution of Honorary Member Lord Elystan Morgan – as president of Aberystwyth University at the time – in the integration of the Plant Breeding Station into the university.

Holy Trinity Church

SEPTEMBER is Creation Time at Holy Trinity Church.

Beginning on 1 September, they will be holding a series of Sunday services, at 11am, with special readings and themes allied to creation.

They will also be welcoming different speakers, who will consider each week’s topic.

The series will end with the Harvest Festival on Sunday, 29 September, when they will welcome the Venerable Eileen Davies, Archdeacon of Cardigan, as speaker.

Rev Elizabeth Rees and Rev Ceirion Rees (pictured) have been appointed as joint Priests in Charge in Aberystwyth Local Ministry Area.

Their licensing service, led by the Right Reverend Joanna Penberthy, Bishop of St Davids, and Archdeacon Eileen, will be held on Monday, 23 September, at 7pm, at St Anne’s Church, Penparcau.

All are welcome at all these services.

Ramblers

ON Saturday, 17 August, 10 walkers from the Aberystwyth Ramblers Group set off from the Snowdonia National Park Authority car park in Arthog, Gwynedd on an eight-mile walk between the Mawddach Estuary and the Cadair Idris range.

This moderate grade walk started on the side road before turning left to follow the flood embankment beside the River Arthog, and onto the A493.

Care was required to cross this busy road before turning right through an entrance opposite St Catherine’s Church, where a waymarked path climbs above a river gorge under trees.

The river was quite high after recent rainfall and the waterfalls were in their element, a scene worth loitering over and taking photos.

They crossed the stone clapper bridge over the river and took a short tea break.

Just upstream is the site of Llys Bradwen, the reputed court of a legendary medieval chieftain.

While admiring panoramic views over the estuary to Barmouth they followed a path through fields past a ruin until it joined a road turning right uphill, and then turned left onto a track to Cregennan Lakes.

Following a stony track above the largest of the Cregennan Lakes and under the rock of Pared y Cefn Hir (which has a resemblance to the Sphinx monument in Egypt) they came to a wide upper valley that leads in turn to a wooded river valley.

Lunch was enjoyed in the neat cemetery of a ruined chapel called Rehoboth.

At a junction by Kings Youth Hostel they turned to join the wooded Gwynant River Valley.

They followed the river, crossed the A493, went down Abergwynant Farm’s driveway, passed T? Gwyn and the bridge to reach a gate by Coed Abergwynant.

From there the track led to the popular recreational Mawddach trail which they followed for 4.5km back to the start.

On Saturday, 31 August, Sue H will lead a six-mile, moderate, C+ circular walk from Penbryn.

The walk follows the coast path to Llangranog with good coastal views.

The route then sweeps inland along the lovely wooded Hoffnant valley and lanes to return to Penbryn for refreshments at the cafe if required.

Meet at the leisure centre at 9.30am for car share or at Penbryn Cafe Car park at 10.30am (SN 295521). There is a £4 charge for using this car park.

No dogs please.

Walk the wild country north of Rhobell Fawr on Sunday, 1 September.

The terrain immediately to the north of Rhobell Fawr is rough, tussocky grassland, with few discernible paths.

This gives way to the secluded green valley of Cwm yr Allt-lwyd through which flows the infant Afon Mawddach.

The route crosses the rough moorland to visit the rocky outcrops of Rhobell Ganol and Foel Gron before descending to Dôl-cyn-afon.

They then cross the Mawddach and follow paths and tracks via Cwm Hasgen and Brynllinfawr back to the start.

Meet at 10.15am at Abergeirw Community centre (grid ref SH766283) or at 8.30am at Plascrug Leisure Centre.

Leaders Glynne and Jacky can be contacted on 01970 625244 or 01654 761561.

No dogs please as they may encounter farm animals.

Gwerin Aber Folk

AROUND 35 people gathered and were entertained by a large variety of music from some 10 performers at Gwerin Aber Folk at Ceredigion Museum in Aberystwyth.

The distance travelled by a visitor from Ffostrasol was somewhat eclipsed by distance travelled by the visitor from Melbourne, Australia, who originally hailed from Wrexham.

The evening started with three songs from Cathy and Tim including Barmouth and a song called Still sleeping town inspired by the Laugharne poetry festival/Dylan Thomas.

Ben Maxted followed with three songs, starting with a song he dedicated to a close friend, a war veteran, who had recently died. Daniel Laws (guitar) accompanied Ben on his final song.

Colin Edwards, from Wrexham via Victoria Australia, followed with a mixture of songs accompanied by an electronic keyboard. One song focussed on the extremes of Australian weather and included words about pink parrots. He finished with an Aussie variant of the well-known Max Boyce song, Hymns and Arias, which saw an enthusiastic audience joining in on the choruses.

Local concertina player, Jon Bell, followed with two sea inspired songs, Don’t forget your old seamate and a sad song about an old shanty man who died for lack of brandy while rounding Cape Horn followed by a couple of Irish tunes.

Daniel Laws then performed three songs, all his own compositions. He started with a song we all love about the life of the last Fenland fisherman and ended with a song about overcoming one’s fears. That final song being inspired by a personal experience when he and his brother had climbed to the top of Snowdon on a very misty day.

Keith playing melodica, accompanied by Ben and Daniel then performed three songs including Red River Valley and Tom Hark.

John Alderslade showed more of his musical abilities, performing three songs. Two songs accompanied by Appalachian dulcimer and one by banjo. John’s early enthusiasm for Appalachian dulcimer had come many years ago from listening and talking to Tim Hart and Maddy Prior of Steeleye Span and one of John’s songs tonight came from them.

Another Keith (this one from Ffostrasol) introduced the group to yet another instrument, this being an autoharp. One of Keith’s songs was the second of the evening to feature Cape Horn and another featured the Shawnee river.

Gavin finished the first half with three of his own songs accompanied by guitar. He dedicated one of his songs to an unwell friend.

After a very short break, Colin performed a song about sailing from Liverpool to Baltimore, Keith (Ffostrasol) sung about Ravens and Gavin did a bit of Boogie Woogie.

The really excellent evening of music and song was drawn to a close by the ‘Museum Band’ playing for a good audience sing song of What shall we do with the drunken sailor?.

Heather as MC had conducted a really good evening and one that featured an unusually large range of instruments and performance styles.

Do you enjoy most styles of folk and roots music? If so, why not join our next night on Wednesday, 4 September, Ceredigion Coliseum Museum starting at 7.30pm - entrance free (doors open 7pm).

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