THE latest community news from Aberystwyth

Showtime Singers

DO you enjoy singing and want to try acting too?

Go along to Showtime Singers’ open rehearsals on Wednesday 9 and 16 October in the Music Studio in Old College at 7.30pm.

They are just starting rehearsals for their April 2020 Production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance, a witty and satirical tale poking fun at posturing pirates, tripping maidens and ponderous policemen with probably Gilbert’s most ingenious lyrics and Sullivan’s most operatic opera of the lot.

Interested? You are very welcome to go along on Wednesdays at 7.30pm to meet the members and enjoy a good sing.

Beekeepers Association

THE September meeting took place on Tuesday, 17 September, at 7pm in the Waunfawr Community Hall when association member Tracy Harper, gave a very well researched and detailed presentation on Varroa, the problems the mite causes hive bees and their solution, particularly focussing on how to keep it under control.

Some 25 members enjoyed a memorable evening.

The October meeting will be the association’s Annual Honey Show which will be held on Saturday, 19 October, at 2pm in the Waunfawr Community Hall.

There is the usual range of classes for a honey show and what makes the show really worthwhile and pleasurable, are cookery classes using honey, and photographic classes plus the honey tasting session where all members submit samples of their current years crop for evaluation by all present.

An Aberystwyth Beekeepers Association calendar for 2020, has been complied by Tracy Harper and will be on sale.

A warm welcome is extended to all beekeepers and in particular to potential beekeepers.

The latter will not only have been to what is always a very enjoyable event, but will go home having learnt something and having also enjoyed a cuppa and chat with a lot of very friendly people with a passion for beekeeping.

Further information on the association’s activities over the coming months is available from Ann Ovens, the secretary, on 01970 832359.

Postcard club

AT the first autumn meeting of the Aberystwyth Postcard Club on 1 October, the members were entertained with an illustrated talk by Alice Briggs, assistant curator of Ceredigion Museum entitled ‘Artists postcards - Postcards as Art’.

An emphasis was placed upon artwork from the 1960s to the present including examples from the vast collection donated to the British Museum by the art Historian Jeremy Cooper.

The speaker quoted from his book The world exists to be put on a postcard which depicts political, abstract and satirical themes from his collection.

The head of the British Museum in his foreword described artist’s postcards as representing a category of objects that is easily misunderstood and difficult to define.

The speaker explained how the illustrations define art today. The members had the opportunity to view examples of artwork from the collections of the late Douglas Hague and Mabel Packham Walsh from the Ceredigion museum.

The next meeting of the club will be on 5 November at 2pm at St David’s Church Hall, Bath Street when the chairperson of the postcard club, Susan Whitehouse of Tywyn, will give a talk on her recent postcard acquisitions.

Pictured: Alice Briggs, assistant curator of Ceredigion Museum gave a talk entitled ‘Artists postcards - Postcards as Art’ at Aberystwyth Postcard Club.

Friends of Jasper House Steering Group

THE Inaugural meeting of the Friends of Jasper House Steering Group was held at the Morlan Centre at 6pm on Sunday, 29 September.

Chaired by Dr Lucy Gough, those in attendance included Cllr Ben Davies, Cllr Sue Jones Davies and Lib-Dem Parliamentary Candidate and chair of the North Ceredigion Forum for Elderly Care, Mark Williams.

Speaking from the chair, Dr Gough brought those present up to date on the effort to prevent Jasper House from closing.

These include further discussions with Abbeyfield Wales Society, who are open to a transfer of ownership of Jasper House, subject to obtaining proper market value; and contact with the Co-operative Centre Wales who have agreed to speak with the Friends to offer advice and support with meeting the obligations necessary to run Jasper House independently.

The rest of the meeting was spent in productive discussion, identifying the steps necessary to take the Friends to the next level in their ambitions to preserve and develop Jasper House.

Speaking after the meeting, Dr Lucy Gough said: “We are doing everything we can to keep Jasper House open; it is a unique form of shared living in Aberystwyth and, by returning to the straightforward principles by which the house was originally run, we hope to provide a model which others may wish to follow,”

It was agreed that the Steering Group meet fortnightly, details of next meeting to be confirmed.

Gwerin Aber Folk

ON 2 October at Ceredigion Coliseum Museum, they welcomed new performers and audience members to the always inspiring location of Ceredigion Coliseum Museum. They were entertained by 10 performers.

Ben Maxted, the evening’s MC, started by introducing Mandy and Daniel, collectively known as Brenig. A song inspired by wine drinking was followed, Love in a laundrette, before they ended with a song about Cardiganshire’s own Robin Hood, Twm Sion Cati, which saw the audience join in enthusiastically in the choruses.

Mike McKever from Machynlleth followed starting with the traditional song Wild Mountain Thyme, again with audience participation, before ending with a song Careful what you wish for.

Long-distance visitors from Oldham, Chrissy and Pete Clarke, collectively known as Stringybark, were up next. Pete was playing a four-string acoustic bass guitar so a somewhat different instrument from the norm. Their three songs started with a song about the joys of living in a small town and ended with Poor Ned, the second song of the evening about highway men, this one about the Australian Ned Kelly.

A welcome return by Gavin saw him perform one of his own songs as a solo, before pairing with Mike McKever as a duo, their first time together in public. This was followed by an impromptu second duo when Ben Maxted (on blues harp) was invited to join Gavin and perform a blue number. This was a surprise to Ben and it really was hard for the audience to believe they had never played together before. This forming of duos forming is starting to become a pleasing feature of events.

Jon Bell, singing and playing concertina, finished the first half. The first song appeared to be a sort of hymn involving God and an aeroplane. The traditional Welsh song, Ar Lan y Môr, came next and Jon ended with one of his own songs about shipwrights in Grimsby. Regular performer John Alderslade performed three songs ending with one written (possibly by Peter Wright) for the author Terry Pratchett.

Andy Cairns performed next using a beautiful guitar that he had built himself. Three acoustic instrumental numbers, of different styles, were greatly appreciated by the audience.

Ben Maxted took to the stage as a performer next performing a song about someone being framed, Roll over Beethoven and the great depression song Buddy can you spare a dime. Daniel Laws accompanied two of them. The Oldham visitors, Stringybark, returned to perform Moonshine, T for trouble and Take the money and run.

The evening ended with Mandy and Daniel performing one of their own songs about a love spoon and a lost love who then returned.

On Wednesday, 16 October, they have another of their regular folk and roots evenings at the museum, starting at 7.30pm - entrance free (doors open 7pm).

Thursday, 17 October, sees the duo Wildwood Jack return to Aberystwyth. They performed to great acclaim last year. Tickets for their event, are available from the museum, £6.50 in advance or £7.50 on the door. The event will start at 7.30pm (doors open 7pm). Wildwood Jack will be supported by club members Job Bell and Richard Collyer.

More details can be found at https://www.facebook.com/groups/ GwerinAberFolk/

Pictured: Mike and Gavin at Gwerin Aber Folk; it was their first time to play in public as a duo

Plascrug Bridge Club results

3 September: 1, Mike Jones and Alan Stein; 2, Sue Sherman and Mike Yeo; 3, Mair Jenkins and Jacqui Roberts.

10 September: 1, Sue Sherman and Mike Yeo; 2, Mike Jones and Alan Stein; 3, Alison Edwards and Peter Thomas.

17 September: 1, Alan Stein and Mike Jones; 2, Gwynant Edwards and Jeff Thomas; 3, Doreen Anthony and Dylan Raw-Rees.

24 September: 1, Doreen Anthony and Dylan Raw-Rees; 2, Sue Sherman and Mike Yeo.

1 October: 1, Margaret James and Dylan Raw-Rees; 2, Sue Sherman and Mike Yeo; 3, Mair Jenkins and Jacqui Roberts.

St David’s Church, Bath Street

SUNDAY, 13 October: Rev Eifion Roberts (am); no evening service.

Rotary Club

GUEST speaker at last week’s meeting was John Phillips, former director education and chief executive of Dyfed. The subject of his talk was his reminiscences of Aberystwyth, firstly as a University College of Wales student, and later as director of Education for Cardiganshire.

The college in his day had consisted of some 1,000 students, centred almost entirely in the Old College building on the sea front where the academic work and student social activity took place. He recalled student debates in the ‘Exam Hall’ where the star performers were two ex-Ardwyn school students, John Morris (for the Liberals) and Elystan Morgan (for Plaid Cymru), both of whom later distinguished themselves as Ministers in the Labour Govenment and currently served in the House of Lords. Student President was Gwilym Prys Davies, a Welsh Republican in his college days, who later stood as Labour candidate in the 1966 election when Gwynfor Evans was elected Plaid’s first MP; a distinguished lawyer who later served in the House of Lords. The college rugby team was captained by Carwyn James. Prof E G Bowen had noted from his research that Aberystwyth was the university with the highest proportion of students going on to marry a fellow student, and it was here that John had met his wif Bethan. Contrary to the words of a song that was popular with students at the time, he said “that the time we spent at Aber was the happiest of our lives”.

After a period as a teacher in London, and an education administrator in Aberdare, John returned to Aberystwyth, firstly as deputy director of education and then as director upon the retirement of Dr J Henry Jones. A major issue in which he was involved was the reorganisation of secondary education in the area in the early 1970s, and the establishment of the two comprehensive schools – Penweddig and Penglais – which had been the subject of controversy at the time. Then, in 1974, with the reorganisation of local government, John and Bethan had to leave Aberystwyth when he became deputy director of education for the new County of Dyfed.

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