THE latest community news from Aberystwyth.

Stroke Club

THE annual Christmas lunch party was held at the Llanina Arms Hotel on 7 December when 52 members travelled by coach and car to find a beautifully decorated room and tables, ready for their meal.The chairman greeted everyone and then said grace in both Welsh and English and trusted that all would have a splendid dinner, which they did. The attentive staff looked after members very well and the food was delicious.Waiting for the desserts to settle, the two magnificent raffle draws took place with some spectacular prizes handed out. Coffee/tea followed along with mince pies and then all the goodies, cards and Christmas greeting given to friends, the coach arrived to take all home after a grand day out.The excellent social secretary, Audrey, who has arranged all the lunches, teas and both the holidays for the year, said that the first lunch meeting in 2017 will be at Poppies on 18 January.Christmas wishes to all.

Merched y Wawr

DATHLWYD y Nadolig eleni (a phenblwydd y mudiad yn 50 oed) yng Ngwesty’r Marine a chafwyd gwledd ardderchog a chwmni difyr dwy wraig wadd sef y trefnydd Cenedlaethol, Tegwen Morris, a‘n trefnydd Rhanbarth, Elizabeth Evans. Noson o atgofion ydoedd, y gwych a’r gwa-chul, a chawsom ein hatgoffa eto o’r casglu a’r cofnodi sydd o hanes y mudiad.Cyn gorffen, buwyd yn canu carolau i gyfeiliant Bethan Bryn.Diolchwyd i’r siaradwyr gan Megan Jones, a chyflwynodd ein llywydd, Delyth Evans, rodd a chardiau Nadolig arbennig wedi eu llunio gan un o’n haelodau, Sheilagh Jones, i Tegwen ac Elizabeth a bydd Sandra Morris Jones, y llywydd Cenedlaethol, yn derbyn hyn hefyd gyda cofion o’r gangen.

CANTM

THE Ceredigion Association of National Trust members held their last event in 2016 at Llan-fihangel Genau’r Glyn Church, Llandre on 11 December which was a Carol Service followed by mince pies and sherry.The 2017 programme starts on 23 January with a coffee morning in the Community Hall, Waunfawr and speaker Erwyd Howells on The Life of a Shepherd. They meet again on 21 February for the Winter Warmer at Brynamlwg Club on the University Campus where the speaker will be Canon Hywel Jones on the history of Llanbadarn and its church.Bookings are now being taken for the five-day trip to Buckinghamshire on 24 to 28 April. Please phone Gillian on 01970 627943 for full details.

Cylch Cinio

Y CYN-NEWYDDIADURWR teledu Tweli Griffiths, sydd bellach yn sylwebydd gwleidyddol, oedd gwestai y Cylch Cinio yn y Cinio Nadolig a gynhaliwyd yng ngwesty’r Richmond ar nos Wener, 9 Rhagfyr. Wedi clirio’r twrci, y danteithion melys a gweddillion y cracers, cawsom hanesion am rai o deithiau Tweli i rai o gorneli tywyll y byd pan oedd paratoi adroddiadau ar gyfer rhaglen y Byd ar Bedwar ar S4C. Ymhlith y storïau mwyaf trawiadol oedd ei gyfweliad hanesyddol gyda Muammar Gadaffi cyn-Brif Weinidog Lybia, cael ei dywys o gwmpas Ciwba gan frawd Fidel Castro a’r ymweliad a’i hoff wlad, Ethiopa, yng nghanol yr argyfwng newyn. Mae wedi croniclo llawer o’r hanesion yn ei gyfrol hunangofianol Yn Ei Chanol Hi. Newidiodd naws y noson yn llwyr pan ddangosodd i ni ei allu meistrolgar fel consuriwr gan ein twyllo’n llwyr gan y triciau mwyaf rhyfeddol. Diolchwyd iddo gan Cynog Dafis a gyfeiriodd at waith Tweli yn cyflwyno adroddiadau ar faterion cyfoes y byd trwy gyfrwng y Gym-raeg ar Y Byd ar Bedwar fel un o gyfraniadau mawr S4C dros y blynyddoedd. Enillydd raffl y mis oedd y Cyng Gareth Davies, Llanbadarn Fawr.Bydd y cyfarfod nesaf yn Brynamlwg ar yr ail nos Wener ym mis Ionawr a bydd y drws ar agor i aelodau newydd sydd am ymuno â un o gymdeithasau bywiocaf Aberystwyth.

Inner Wheel

AT the December meeting of The Inner Wheel Club, held on Monday, 12 December, at the Waun Fawr Hall, the speaker was member Celia Gardner whose talk on ‘Recollections of an Army wife’ was delivered with great humour and interesting detail.She began with some biographical details of her early life, leading to her marriage to Peter Gardner in 1960, when she began her ‘leap into the unknown’ when they were posted by the army to a new life in Singapore.Life as an army wife was like entering a huge bubble, cut off from the rest of society in a rigid hierarchy which Celia challenged often on their first posting. Her description of the flight to Singapore with a young baby reminded members how much air travel has improved.References to long delays at refuelling points, lack of air conditioning and lack of food, even baby food, were some of the privations mentioned.Celia had telling anecdotes about the search for married quarters on arrival and finally settling down complete with an amah for their children and eventually two servants for four people. However, it was difficult to break out of the ‘bubble’ and she felt very isolated initially, though army friends came to the rescue.Good times were then had swimming, choral singing and breaks from the heat and humidity at rest houses in the hills and on the coast. They became accustomed to the regular round of dinner parties, even spending an evening among strangers at the completely wrong house! Their hostess treated them with both courtesy and puzzlement!After their time in Singapore, Celia and her family adapted to the nomadic army life and became part of the great Army family.

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