THE latest community news from Aberystwyth.

St Paul’s Methodist Centre

THIS year marks 25 years since St Paul’s Methodist Centre was built, and as part of their Silver Jubilee celebrations, they are hosting an international event in partnership with local international groups including the Town Twinning Associations and Korean group, on Saturday, 21 January, between 11am and 2.30pm.

It will be a chance to find out about the town twinning groups, and there will be music, a do-it-yourself quiz, food-tasting including gallettes and more.

There will also be a Messy Church Silver Jubilee celebration event on Saturday, 11 February, at 3pm, including craft activities, songs and stories for children and their families followed by light refreshments.

A Thanksgiving Service on 26 February at 10.30am will mark 25 years since the centre was opened.

Choral Society

ON the Thursday evening before Christmas, a party of around 20 choristers visited Morrisons to sing Christmas Carols. Their efforts, led by Gareth and Liz Kelly, saw just under £200 being collected for the society’s funds - thanks to all.

The Christmas break comes to an end next Tuesday evening, 17 January, when rehearsals get under way in the Old Hall, Old College at 7.30pm.

These will initially be concentrating on learning the final couple of difficult choruses in Sir Michael Tippets challenging A Child of Our Time that choristers still have to tackle, and generally polishing up the work for the spring concert in the Great Hall of the Arts Centre on Saturday, 22 April.

Marie Curie

THE cancer charity is looking for volunteers in Aberystwyth.

Marie Curie’s annual Great Daffodil Appeal will start on 8 February and runs until the end of March and the charity is looking for collectors to hand out daffodils in Aberystwyth in return for donations.

To get involved contact community fund-raiser, Chris Roberts, on 01554 759071 on sign up online; search ‘Marie Curie Collections’.

Probus Club

AT the last regular meeting of 2016, the club was entertained by two speakers. Doctors Jeffrey Davies and Toby Driver are joint directors of the Royal Commission’s Abermagwr project – the investigation of the first Roman villa to be found in Ceredigion.

The Romans were attracted to this area because of its mineral wealth and they established a fort at Trawsgoed in the first century AD. However, little was known of domestic life in Ceredigion in those early times.

Then, in the dry summer of 2006, aerial investigation of the normally lush lowland valley of the Ystwyth found parch marks near Abermagwr that suggested the presence of a stone dwelling inside a ditched enclosure.

In 2009, during the making of a BBC programme, a geophysical survey was made, which gave more detailed information about the building, but no idea of its dates. This required excavation of parts of the site between 2010 and 2015, with the support of the land owner.

The pottery and coins that were dug up showed that the building was first erected a century or more after the Trawsgoed fort had been abandoned and may well have reused stones and slates from that site. This villa was probably the estate centre of the local elite family, who aspired to a Roman lifestyle here in west Wales.

Although further work needs to be done, it is clear from the excavated artefacts such as the French pottery and the German cut glass goblet, that life in third and fourth century Ceredigion was more cosmopolitan than most of us might have imagined.

Shortly before Christmas, club members and friends enjoyed a convivial Christmas lunch at Plas Antaron. The Master of Ceremonies was Haydn Davies and the speaker was Dr Hywel Davies, secretary of Aberystwyth Rotary Club. The proceeds of the Christmas raffle will go to the president’s nominated charity, Dementia Research.

Members are now looking forward to the first meeting of 2017 on 25 January, when Dr John Gee will give a talk entitled ‘What are we doing to our rivers?’. Further details from club secretary John Andrews on 01970 358095.

MIND donation

Aberystwyth Masonic Lodge made a charitable donation of art supplies worth £350 to the Art Group at MIND Aberystwyth.

The money was donated by members who attended the Installation Banquet in December held in honour of their new Worshipful Master.

The Lodge bought the MIND Art Group a variety of acrylic, oil, watercolour and cartridge paper pads and blocks in different sizes, along with a small set of watercolour pencils, a wooden box set of 36 Sennelier soft pastels and a box set of 36 Sennelier Oil Pastels.

The weekly art group is held every Tuesday at MIND Aberystwyth; which is located on the corner of Mill Street adjacent to Bridge Street. The donation also included a gift card with a value of £140 for the group to obtain further supplies of their choice.

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