THE latest community news from Blaenau Ffestiniog

Services

BETHESDA: Thanksgiving service 10am.

Bowydd: Rev Pryderi L Jones.

Carmel: Rev G P Owen.

Manod Orthodox: Third and Sixth Canonical Hours 10am followed by Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom.

St David’s: Morning service at 11am.

St Michael’s: Morning service at 9.30am.

St Mary Magdalene: Mass at 11am.

Holy Cross: Mass at 6pm on Saturday.

Bethel, Ffestiniog: Sisterhood service.

Golden

CELEBRATING their golden wedding anniversary last week were Gareth and Hefina Jones, of Manod Road.

Events

THE latest on the monthly events held at the library is Support for the Deaf between 2pm and 4.30pm on Monday followed a day later from 3.45pm till 4.45pm by a Fun Book Club meeting with only 12 spaces available and those who want to attend must register beforehand.

Sports

BLAENAU Amateurs FC had no match on Saturday and this week they are away at Bodedern in a Take Stock Van Hire Cup 1st round.

Bro Ffestiniog XV after their 30-17 defeat at Colwyn Bay will take on the WRU Division North leaders Pwllheli at Dolawel on Saturday.

Duo

TONIGHT (Thursday) at 7pm, John Morgans and Peter Noble will be presenting Our Holy Ground, the Welsh Christian Experience at the Manod Orthodox Church.

Choir

THE Moelwyn Male Voice Choir, conducted by Sylvia Ann Jones and accompanist Wenna Francis Jones, were in concert at Betws y Coed on Friday evening with young soloists Awel Jones and Tomos Heddwyn Griffiths and the compere was Gareth Griffiths.

Parking

THE Gwynedd Council is willing to consider swapping the two local car parks so that the Diffwys car park is short stay if an official request by the Town Council to do this is received.

Gallery

THE Maenofferen Gallery hosts a craft exhibition of the those who attend the Stephen Owen classes and admission is free during the library’s opening hours.

Health

IT is reported that Gwynedd Council’s Care Scrutiny Committee want to look into the needs for beds.

X Ray and Minor Injuries Unit in the new health building which is on the site of the former Ffestiniog Memorial Hospital and also look at the bus times between here and Ysbyty Alltwen in Tremadog.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board are to look again at the effect the closure of the Memorial Hospital has had on this area.

Planning

THE following planning applications had no objection from the Town Council including: 1, Change the use of the closed HSBC Bank and offices to restaurant and 7 bedroom residential dwelling together with the provision of dormer windows and alterations to existing opening; 2, First floor extension at 91, Manod Road; 3, To demolish existing office building at Old Station Yard, Llwynygell and erect a new office/workshop building; 4, Creation of 2 new parking spaces at the Ambulance Station; 5, Demolish rear extension and erection of a new extension at 1, New Bryn Ffynnon, Manod Road.

Camera

‘MY PHOTOGRAPHY’ was the title of much traveled photographer Tom Dodd’s latest presentation to the Camera Club.

In the first members evening Ian O’Neill demonstrated some of the Photoshop and Lightroom techniques that he uses on his pictures.

Juliet Dover was the judge for the club’s competition the subject being experimental photography where members were asked to take images with a technique or style they would not normally employ.

Ian O’Neill and Dewi Williams were placed joint winners with Allanah Fenwick 2nd and Dewi Williams also 3rd.

Clwb Merched

TECWYN Williams, Frondirion oedd gwr gwadd cyfarfod Clwb Merched nos Fawrth a aeth i sôn trwy sleidiau a sgwrs am fyd ‘Y Lorïau’.

Cafwyd hanes y teulu ‘Foden’ a dilyniant datblygiadau mewn trafnidiaeth trwy’r oesoedd.

Croesawyd aelod newydd Glenys Jones a gwesteion y te oedd Mair, Mary a Christine a Bet enillodd y raffl, rhoddedig gan Margaret.

Cynhelir y cyfarfod nesaf ar 24 Hydref.

Bro Ffestiniog Archaeology Society

RECENTLY Dr Ian Brooks of Environmental Assessment Services (EAS) gave a fascinating talk on Aerial Survey Techniques in Archaeology.

Dr Brooks began with the earliest use of aerial viewing, going back to the 1700s when drawings were made from balloons mostly for the military and landowners.

By the mid-1800s man-bearing kites were also in use but proved very risky!

During The Great War both sides used aircraft to photograph enemy lines, artillery positions etc.

In WW2, both sides used aerial photography to locate enemy positions in what was a fast moving war compared to WW1.

In archaeology photos have become essential in finding new sites and exposing extensions of older ones.

The advantages of aerial photographs to archaeologists are manifold.

Large sites could for the first time be viewed accurately, in their entirety and within their landscape.

This aided the production of drawn plans and also inspired archaeologists to look beyond the discrete monument and to appreciate a site’s role within its setting.

LIDAR, standing for “Light Detection and Ranging”, uses a near infra-red laser to image the ground form. The signal can be processed to remove trees and deep vegetation to reveal topographic features not obviously visible in the data.

Lidar still cannot be carried out by drone, the equipment is too heavy, but by using the photogrammetry techniques a ground model can be created from digital photographs drones can be used.

Lidar has many applications in the field of archaeology including aiding in the planning of field campaigns, mapping features beneath forest canopy, and providing an overview of broad, continuous features that may be indistinguishable on the ground.

Lidar can also provide archaeologists with the ability to create high-resolution digital elevation models of archaeological sites that can reveal micro-topography that are otherwise hidden by vegetation.

Drones are becoming popular to provide local archaeologists with a quick assessment via photography.

However, the use of drones is now becoming highly regulated.

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