THE latest community news from Blaenau Ffestiniog

Services

HOLY Cross – Mass at 6pm on Saturday with Fr Shaji Punnanti;

St Mary Magdalene – Mass at 11am with Fr Shaji Punnati;

Manod Orthodox – Third and Sixth Canonical Hours at 10am followed by the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom;

St Michael’s – Morning service at 9.30am;

St David’s – Morning service at 11am;

Bowydd – Rev O G Williams;

Bethesda –Rev Eifion Wyn Williams, 10am;

Winner

IT IS 14 years since local chemist Steffan John has been a member of the mixed choir Côr CF1 and he was on stage with them recently when they won the mixed choirs competition at the National Eisteddfod in Llanrwst.

Bowls

THE bowling club were well beaten by 10-2 at Llanrwst in a North Wales League encounter on Saturday with Ken and Stephen Jones their winners.

They are home to Rhos Park A this Saturday.

On Sunday, Stephen and Mike Burgoyne won their games for the Môn and Menai side that took Ormskirk at Llanfairpwll.

On the previous Sunday, three Blaenau pairs took part in a doubles competition event at Llanfairfechan and the best were Adam Hyde and R Elwyn Jones who lost in the semi final.

Parking

GWYNEDD Council has announced that from 1 September, the southern side of the Wynne Road outside properties 1-6 will be a residents parking permit area as will be both sides of Newborough Street with a limited waiting time of 45 minutes and no return within an hour on both areas.

The present parking charge will be £50 for the first car for the first year and the council’s order on the matter together with relevant maps are available for inspection at either the local Post Office or library.

Buddugoliaeth

DAETH Dafydd Jones, Brynofferen (Hen Bost) i’r brig yn yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol yn Llanrwst gyda cherdd wedi’i llunio o chwe pennill telyn.

Testun y gerdd oedd Lleisiau.

Hospice

THE former Towyn Road Physiotherapy Clinic was discussed as a possible site for a hospice unit at a recent Ffestiniog Town Council meeting.

At present the site is up for sale by the Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board who have now agreed to extend the date of providing a business plan for the site until the end of September.

The council meeting, which was attended by members of various interest local committees, decided to invite representatives from 13 town and community councils as well as doctors and district nurses to a meeting which is to be held at the Blaenau Ffestiniog WI Hall at 7pm on 3 September.

The public will not be able to attend as a public meeting regarding the proposed hospice site is to be held at Ysgol y Moelwyn on 17 September and by then it is hoped a decision on the proposed site will be decided upon.

G?yl Car Gwyllt

THE committee of the annual G?yl Car Gwyllt music festival in Blaenau Ffestiniog have confirmed that this year’s event was the most successful yet, following on from last year’s successful re-appearance of the popular and unique community event.

This year the event had two days of music, with Bryn Fôn a’r Band headlining Friday night’s entertainment, with Gwibdaith Hen Frân and Geraint Lovgreen a’r Enw Da in support.

Also supporting were Gai Toms a’r Banditos – local lad Gai Toms’ latest project, taking their name from Gai’s new album themed on the late, great Welsh wrestler, El Bandito (Orig Williams) from Llansannan.

600 revellers enjoyed the night’s music, and the same number of music lovers enjoyed Saturday’s feast of music, with 14 bands playing during the day and night.

They ranged from local girl Mared Jeffery, who opened in the afternoon, to local heroes Anweledig, hip-hop rappers Pasta Hull and 3 H?r Doeth, the hugely popular Phil Gas a’r Band, local long-standing band Estella, the forever young Bob Delyn a’r Ebillion, and the excellent Mellt – a young guitar band from Aberystwyth area who have exploded onto the Welsh music scene in the last couple of years.

They were followed by headliners One Style MDV, a London-based reggae band who have deep ties with north Wales.

On behalf of the organisers, Dewi Prysor said: “We want to thank everyone who helped in making this year’s event so successful, especially those who attended and made it a weekend to remember. “We hope that the resurgent Car Gwyllt, held in the town since 1997, will carry on next year.”

History Society

THE History Society members visited the Maritime Museum in Porthmadog, to finish the spring lecture sessions.

Robert Cadwalader showed them films from the First World War, of u-boats sinking ships around the Welsh coast.

Finding that the submarines were so near came as a surprise to many people.

The Royal Commission has been locating the wrecks.

The group then looked round the museum, which has a wealth of information about local sailors and their ships.

After a very interesting visit, the group enjoyed a meal at Spooners, the restaurant at the Ffestiniog Railway station in Porthmadog.

Next Year, one of the lectures will be on the U-Boat Project.

The first meeting over the autumn will be on Thursday, 12 September, at the Ganolfan, Wynne Road, at 7.30pm.

Membership will be £9 for all the talks from September to April. The first lecture will be from Dr James January-McCann, on ‘Collecting Welsh Place Names’.

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