THE latest community news from Aberystwyth

Aberystwyth and District Floral Society

A WARM welcome was given by Pat Jones, chairman, to the October meeting where they had Elizabeth Gordon, from Swansea as their demonstrator.

Congratulations to Beti Wyn who gained a third prize and a Highly Commended in the NAFAS photography competition.

A minute silence was held for Meryl Griffiths, one of the current members in her 60s who sadly passed away and also a founder member Enid Bloom, who was well into her 90s who also passed away.

Unfortunately Keith Smithies, who was due to be with them for their open evening, has sadly had to cancel on doctors orders.

They are very lucky that their president, Donald Morgan, who is also a NAFAS demonstrator, is available and has promised a cracking demonstration on 17 November.

This is still to be held at Llanfarian Hall with a time of 6.45pm to start at 7.30pm.

Tickets are available before hand for £8 from committee members or £10 on the door.

Pat then introduced Elizabeth to demonstrate under the title of “Any Old Pot will do”.

Elizabeth congratulated all that endeavoured to compete in the members competition and urged more to have a go during the year.

Her first arrangement was in a home made pot, with folded eleagnus leaves encompassing a block of oasis.

She then arranged two placements simultaneously using coloured bamboo for height to create two vertical minimalistic arrangements with fantastic Yellow/ burgundy orchids and manipulated aspidistra leaves and green eleagnus.

A fantastic arrangement to start off the evening.

The second design echoed Halloween with orange and black gravilia, dark purple Amaranthus, orange roses and spray chrysanths intertwined with a black web to create an all round design.

To this she added and identical premade arrangement.

Again a simple idea.

Her third design was a large galvanised pot with a large posy pad in which she created a garden border in a round.

Through all her designs she talked them through the mechanics behind the arrangement and into this one she included a vast array of foliage and flowers, Eleagnus, Pittosporum, Blue Delphiniums, Dark Purple Alliums, Pink Liist, Green Prada Carnations, Ornamental cabbage, dahlias, sticks were also used to enhance the height of this visual delight.

A natural arrangement arranged in a very controlled way with every flower, foliage put in exactly the correct place.

The fourth came in a little pot, well actually a very large Terracotta pot.

This magnificent pot was enhanced by Lilies which had been dyed Orange, Yellow roses on the diagonal and grafilia.

A magnificent and stunningly simple design.

The fifth was clever using two hanging baskets tied together to create an orb on which she arranged large seed pods, gladioli, manipulated leaves again, cheese plant leaves, hangin amaranthus, brown orchids, antheriums, cream tinted beige roses, pale peach carnations.

These were arranged in blocks of colour/ texture forming a round.

Beautiful leaf manipulation and matching one pre-prepared.

All in all, a fantastic demonstration by a very capable demonstrator who along with her many tips and easygoing way of arranging gave us one of the best demonstrations at the club for a while.

Everyone agreed and vote of thanks was given by Sylvia Morgan.

Plascrug Bridge Club

RESULTS from 24 October: 1, Ian Finlay and Mike Yeo; 2, Mary Jones and Agnes McKenzie; 3, Elenid Thomas and Dylan Raw-Rees; 4, Sue Sherman and Anne Edwards.

31 October: 1, Jacqui Roberts and Mair Jenkins; 2, John Holmes and Alan Stein; 3, Joyce Blair and Jean Harrison.

Aberystwyth/Esquel Peoples in Partnership Association

THE next event organised by AEPPA will take place on Thursday, 16 November, at 7.30pm in the Drwm, National Library of Wales.

Under the general title of Y Wladfa Gymreig: history, legacy and culture of the Welsh in Patagonia, the evening will look at Welsh culture in Patagonia over the last 50 years and will include film material from the National Library archives.

There will be refreshments and Argentinian wine during the interval. Admission is free but the association will welcome donations towards the work of Ysgol Cymraeg yr Andes.

Wildlife Trust

THE North Ceredigion Section of the Wildlife Trust South and West Wales’ programme of monthly evening meetings continued last Monday, 6 November, when chairman Fiona Corke welcomed a particularly large audience, including many students, to the meeting.

After the usual section business, she warmly introduced Organisation Cetacea volunteer Elfyn Pugh to speak on the ‘Trail of the Whale’.

Elfyn, a former policeman, started his talk by paying tribute to one of the former wardens of RSPB Ynyshir, Bill Condry, for getting him interested in nature conservation many years ago.

Since then his interest expanded and he is now passionate about whales and dolphins. This has led him to travel to many far off and remote places around the globe and observe animals in many different habitats.

His superbly illustrated talk was somewhat on the long side, leaving no time for discussion, but this was compensated by the wonderful pictures shown and his immense knowledge and enthusiasm for his subject.

The speaker for the meeting on Monday, 4 December, Lizzie Wilberforce is very well known to many members of the section.

Lizzie was very active with the section in her student days in Aberystwyth and served as chairman for several years.

After gaining a Phd, she became the Wildlife Trust South and West Wales’s conservation officer for Ceredigion, and is now the trust’s conservation manager and one of the senior members of the management team.

She will be addressing the section on the trust’s species conservation.

All are welcome to attend the meeting at 7pm in Aberystwyth University’s C22 Lecture Theatre in the Hugh Owen building on Penglais Campus.

More information is available from the secretary, David Purdon, on 01970 871012.

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