THE latest community news from Aberystwyth

Rwfca of Royal Welsh

THE last meeting of 2019 took place on Wednesday, 27 November in the Royal Naval Association Club.

A good number of members were present and a full agenda was discussed.

Members heard that preparations for St David’s Day 2020 were well in advance and that it would take place on 29 February 2020 at the Marine Hotel; more details will be available at the next meeting.

Since the last meeting in September where the possibility of a trip to St Venant in France was first drawn to members attention, there has been significant progress in pulling the trip together, consequently the secretary has now been in contact with the membership who had shown an interest in going to let them know it was happening and we were going from 20 to 23 May 2020.

An apology for the shorter notice than in previous years, this was all due to some technical issues that needed dealing with first. A requirement for deposits ASAP to secure a place was strongly put to those showing an interest.

The meeting closed in good order and members retired to the bar for some light refreshment.

The next meeting, which will follow the AGM, is on Wednesday, 22 January 2020 at the RNA Club at 8pm.

All veterans or serving personnel from RWF, RRW, SWB, Welch Regt or Royal Welsh are most welcome to attend.

Ramblers

THE Llanilar circular walk takes place on Saturday, 14 December, which is moderate grade and seven miles.

Meet 10am at Plascrug Leisure Centre and then 10.30am at Llanilar Old Station Yard (grid reference SN 627755).

The route will be: Old station Yard Llanilar, east along the cycle track/ old railway line and then crossing the river Ystwyth on footbridge towards Glennydd then New Cross; proceed to Molecatchers Wood over to Banc T? Llwyd; descend to cycle track/old railway line and proceed east and return to Llanilar Old Station Yard.

Bibliographical group

THE speaker at the meeting on 19 November was Dr Mary-Ann Constantine, reader at the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies in Aberystwyth.

She spoke on ‘Turning Travel into Books: The Bibliographical Journeys of Thomas Pennant’.

Thomas Pennant (1726-1798) of Downing in Flintshire was a naturalist, antiquary and traveller, whose published works include Tours in Wales and British Zoology. The National Library holds extensive collections of Pennant’s works in both manuscript and print, including extra-illustrated copies of his books, which Dr Constantine has been working on as part of the project ‘Curious Travellers: Thomas Pennant and the Welsh and Scottish Tour 1760-1820’.

The lively and entertaining presentation was followed by a stimulating discussion. The chairman then showed the audience the developments in the group’s website, and the secretary announced the publication of a book about the Red Hen Press, whose owner had spoken to the group two years ago. Members then adjourned to Park Lodge Hotel for dinner.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday, 28 January at 6.30pm in the Four Seasons Hotel, when Jennie Hill will speak on ‘The Spirit of Joy: Advertising and Ephemera at the Curwen Press’.

Merched y Wawr

CROESAWYD yr aelodau ar nos Lun, 18 Tachwedd, i festri Capel y Morfa gan Dana Edwards.

Dymunodd wellhad buan i Jean Davies sydd wedi cael triniaeth yn yr ysbyty yn ddiweddar.

Ruth Jên, yr artist lleol, oedd y wraig wadd. Astudiodd yng ngholeg celf Caerfyrddin ac yng Nghaerdydd cyn cael gradd meistr yn y brifysgol yn Aberystwyth.

Treuliwyd orig brysur yn ei chwmni yn creu cardiau Nadolig gan ddefnyddio papur o hen gatalogau ac amlenni o bob math.

Bu pawb yn brysur yn torri a gludio i wneud eu cardiau amrywiol a chafwyd arddangosfa o’r gwaith gorffenedig.

Diolchodd Dana i Ruth Jên am noson ddiddorol gan rhoi cyfle i bawb ddangos eu sgiliau creadigol.

Cafwyd amser i sgwrsio dros baned.

Cynhelir Cinio Dathlu 50 y gangen ym Mhlas Nanteos ar 16 Rhagfyr yng nghwmni Ellen ap Gwynn.

Plascrug Bridge Club

RESULTS from 12 November: 1, Doreen Anthony and Dylan Raw-Rees; 2, Agnes McKenzie and Mary Jones; 3, Mike Jones and Alan Stein.

26 November: 1, Margaret James and Pamela Woodhouse; 2, Mary Evans and Ann Burroughs; 3, Doreen Anthony and Dylan Raw-Rees.

3 December: 1, Pamela Woodhouse and Margaret James; joint 2, Joyce Blair and Jean Harrison/Mary Evans and Ann Burroughs.

Gwerin Aber Folk

A GROUP had an excellent evening in the festively decorated Ceredigion Coliseum Museum on 4 December which saw seven people perform in multiple combinations.

Ben Maxted, as MC, introduced the evening and was then joined on stage by Daniel and Mandy who performed a trio of items. Mandy left the stage to leave Daniel and Ben to perform the well-known The wanderer, made famous by Dion and the Belmonts.

Mandy and Daniel performed one of their own songs, T? Unnos, which captures the Mynydd Bach tradition.

Another change of style saw Jon Bell take to the stage armed with concertina. He started with Time Ashore reflecting on the hazardous lives of Grimsby fishermen.

Keith was next on melodica accompanied by Daniel on guitar. Will the circle be unbroken? was followed by The whole world in his hands.

Heather Jones read some prose and poetry pieces.

The second half was started by Daniel and Ben who started with a rock and roll number before going back to their normal style of Blues. Not fade away was followed by Roll over Beethoven before they ended with Move it on over.

Dandy and Mandy took to the stage to perform a new song for them, High Germany. Mandy then continued with a solo performance of the canal song Alice White.

Jon Bell returned with Brandy is for heroes about a sailor who dies from hypothermia working aloft before performing an Irish folk dance tune.

Some final pieces by Keith were followed by an unrehearsed rendition of the Fairport Convention song, Sailor’s Alphabet by Dave Price.

Another reading followed by Heather Jones.

The final item of the evening was Daniel, Dave, Jon and Mandy performing Leave her, Johnny.

Wednesday, 18 December, is the final folk and roots evening of 2019 at the museum, starting at 7.30pm entrance free (doors open 7pm).

All are welcome whether as audience or as a performer. They particularly encourage performers to think of festive or mid-winter items for the evening.

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

Aberystwyth and District Floral Society

ON Tuesday, 19 November, club chairman Glenys Morgan welcomed everyone present at Ysgol Penweddig school and introduced Helen Raymond-Clarke, a qualified NAFAS demonstrator and florist from Albrighton as the invited open evening demonstrator.

She delighted the group with her first design, her interpretation of the carol Good King Wenceslas using classic foliage of spruce plus pine cones and white roses arranged in a spiral. A second smaller design was displayed alongside the larger one.

Five gold rings from The Twelve Days of Christmas was her inspiration for her next arrangement. Followed by a traditional design in a chimney pot using vibrant coloured flowers and sprayed foliage. ‘In The Bleak Mid-Winter’ was her fourth theme making use of tall cotton stems placed parallel to frosted sticks.

The penultimate asymmetric arrangement depicted Hark the Herald Angels Sing using a tall glass vase containing white lights. Blue star ferns, green goblin carnations and white gerberas were used to create wings to the two designs, the second revealed at the end.

Finally remembering her school days at Christmas her composition portrayed a boar’s head using a silver urn to show off red roses, red amaryllis and red anthuriums. Seasonal foliage of berried holly, cones and spruce with green tulips, apples and golden baubles finished the arrangement.

The vote of thanks was given by the club vice-president Christine Gilbert stating that there was something for everyone in all the festive designs.

200 Club Draw results for November were as follows: 1, Arwel Jones; 2, Efa Gardner; 3, Alex Hales.

The next meeting will be in the Llanfarian Village Hall on 17 December at 7.30pm when the club will hold its annual social evening with a festive workshop with club committee member Beti Wyn Davies as the tutor.

A list of requirements is available from any of the committee members.

There will also be a finger buffet and lucky number draw. New members and visitors welcome.

Printmakers

ROUNDING off this year’s series of lectures, Flora McLachlan was theguest speaker at The School of Art.

Coinciding with an exhibition of her work at the college, Flora gave an illustrated talk about her work and interest in landscape, literature and mythology and how this inspires her to make etchings and lithographs.

As a Fellow of The Royal Society of Painters and Printmakers in London (known as the RE), Flora is one of the most exciting printmakers emerging in this country, and currently, she is studying MA Fine Art at Aberystwyth University. Her prints are to be seen in galleries across Wales, England and London.

Many of her etchings and lithograph prints illustrate wild woods thick with brambles, pierced with bright shafts of sunlight.

She outlined her working method, telling us how she scratches, scuffs and scores the surface of her printing plates. She also uses various chemicals and implements to produce the effects she is searching for.

Also rounding off this year in seasonal festive spirit, Aberystwyth Printmakers had a celebration with a gathering of printmakers at its workshop in Old College in December. Judy Macklin, artist, sculptor and printmaker, organised a Christmas card printing session, instructing members in the use of iconic Adana Presses – once the ubiquitous printing presses of the masses, much used in the past by evangelical reverends, poets and self-publishing authors.

This was followed by a very early Christmas party, where members of the group gathered together to celebrate yet another year of printmaking and exhibiting.

If anyone is interested in joining the group contact Aberystwyth Printmakers through the website: www.aberystwythprintmakers.org.uk

Choral society THIS week sees the culmination of all the work that has been going on at the society’s rehearsals since the middle of September, for the Christmas concert in the Great Hall at the arts centre, this Saturday, 14 December at 8pm. Choristers face a very busy week ahead with two rehearsals, on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, in the Old Hall at 7.30pm, a staging and extra rehearsal in the Great Hall on Friday evening at 7pm and the final rehearsal at pm in the Great Hall on the Saturday afternoon when the choir will be joined by the two soloists, the Soprano, Jeni Bern and the Baritone, Wyn Pencarreg, and the orchestra. The conductor will be David Russell Hulme, and music lovers can look forward to a very special concert; the main item on the programme being the very moving Requiem by Faure. Aberystwyth and District Model Flying Club CLUB members met for their weekly winter indoor flying session between 5pm and 7pm at Borth Community Hall on 8 December. This regular weekly session is held on Sunday evenings from the end of October until the clocks go forward again in springtime. The indoor sessions see members flying a variety of models including featherweight aircraft, helicopters, quadcopters and, occasionally, hovercraft have appeared. These sessions provide a comfortable environment for members to meet and enjoy their hobby when outdoor weather conditions are not favourable. As the evening progressed, more members arrived as the club was holding its AGM. A productive meeting saw members review the finances and discuss the important new rules brought in by the Civil Aviation Authority to regulate model aircraft and drone flying in the UK. Further information can be found on the CAA website at: https://register-drones.caa. co.uk/ The club offers a warm welcome to anyone who has an interest in the hobby and would like to learn more. More details can be found at https://www.facebook.com/ groups/AberModelFlying Stroke club THE Christmas lunch party took place at the football club house on 4 December, with 57 members turning up for the last gathering of the year. Judith did the rounds with the tickets, assisted by Myfanwy, and later Audrey followed by the second round of raffle tickets. When they were all seated, they were joined by the president, Dr Phillip Jones, from Bronglais Hospital, the stroke specialist who gave a short talk. Then it was time for the carvery. While tea and coffee were served, the raffles got underway and soon the gifts were collected by the lucky winners. The chairperson then thanked the staff for the most enjoyable meal and service and to wish all present a very peaceful festive season. The next draw for the 750 club will take place at the January’s committee meeting on the 4th. Labels were handed out for the group going to Llandudno for their luggage on 13 December by social secretary, Audrey. Cymdeithas yr Aelwyd BRYNHAWN Gwener, 6 Rhagfyr, llwydaidd a glawog, braf oedd cael ein atgoffa o dywydd braf yr haf. Trwy gyfrwng ei lluniau aeth Menna Evans â ni i swydd Wexford, Iwerddon, lle bu’n aros mewn ffermdy ’moethus’ yng nghwmni dau oedolyn, pedwar o blant a dau gi (ai gwyliau oedd hyn?!) Cawsom gipolwg ar Abaty Tintern (oes, mae un arall i’w gael) sefydlwyd tua’r flwyddyn 1,200 gan William Marshall, Iarll Penfro, ac eglwysi hynafol. Ym mhentref pysgota Kilmore Quay cafodd y plant hwyl ar ddal crancod a gwylio’r morlo bach cyfeillgar. Hefyd yn yr ardal mae goleudy Hook Head, un o’r rhai cynharaf, ac erbyn hyn, dyma’r goleudy gweithredol hynaf yn y byd. Ac os ydych yn chwilio am draeth melyn yna’r un yn Baginbun yw’r un i chi. St David’s Church, Bath Street SUNDAY, 15 December: Major Ray Hobbins, 10.30am, family service with Christmas stall and tea/coffee. Evening service: Major Ray Hobbins at 6pm. If you’re a member of a club, society or group, send your news to [email protected]