THE latest community news from Blaenau Ffestiniog

Tractors Bro Stiniog

AR 22 Hydref 2017 fe wnaeth criw Tractors Bro Stiniog gynnal eu taith tractors cyntaf, drwy gychwyn a gorffen ym Mlaenau Ffestiniog.

Cynhaliwyd y daith er cof am John (Bont) Roberts, gyda’r elw’n mynd at Ymchwil Canser Cymru.

Cafodd ‘brochure’ ei greu gydag enwau busnesau lleol, diwydiannau cludo ag ati.

Yn ogystal cafodd ocsiwn ei chynnal gyda rhoddion gan nifer o fusnesau ac unigolion lleol.

Hefyd rhoddwyd cyfraniadau gan lawer un arall oedd eisiau cyfrannu i’r achos.

Yn ogystal, codwyd arian ar y diwrnod wrth i rai dalu mynediad i’r daith ei hun.

Y swm a godwyd oedd £3,830.

Cyflwynwyd y siec i Lee Campell o Ymchwil Canser Cymru (dde).

Fel criw, ddiolchwn i bawb a gyfrannodd mewn gwahanol ffyrdd ac a roddodd eu hamser yn paratoi’r daith.

Diolch am yr holl gefnogaeth ar y diwrnod, i bawb gymerodd ran ac i’r rhai oedd wedi ein cefnogi.

Diolch yn fawr iawn i deulu John am eu cymorth a’u caredigrwydd i wneud y diwrnod yn bosib ac yn llwyddiant.

Services

BETHEL, Ffestiniog - Rev Anita Ephraim.

Bowydd - Rev Dewi Morris.

Bethesda - Rev Robert W Griffith.

Carmel - Service taken by members.

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

St David’s - Morning service at 11am.

St Michael’s - Morning service at 9.30am.

St Magdalene - Mass at 11am with Fr Shaji Punnati.

Holy Cross - Mass at 6pm on Saturday with Fr Shaji Punnati.

Buses

THERE is great concern in the area regarding the new bus times and also fewer services and the council amenities committee are due to debate the matter.

Advice

A REPRESENTATIVE of the Citizens Advice Bureau will be at the library between 10 and 1pm on Mondays ready to give relevant advice where needed and no appointments are needed to attend.

Land

THE town council having discussed an application or them to take ownership of a piece of land at Tan y Manod from Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd, have resolved not to take it over.

Planning

THE town council has no objection to the following planning applications: 1. Erection of extension to create a new self contained holiday unit, together with the conversion of the existing buildings at 2-3 Market Square into 3 self contained holiday units; 2. Proposed replacement of plant with new external refrigeration plant to rear of the Co-op as well as painting the building; 3. Construction of a new two storey dwelling for a local need on an exception site at Gwaith Setts, Manod (amended application to a previously refused application); 4. Provision of eight wooden cabins and provision of “boardwalk” and packing treatment plant and associated tree planting on land at Cwmbowydd but on this application, though no objection was given, councillors said that the application is contrary to Planning Policy Wales which says Paragraph 5.2.9 “Ancient and semi woodlands are irreplaceable habitats of high biodiversity value which should be protected from development that would result in significant damage”; 5. Demolition of former Gwynedd Council Depot at Ffestiniog and the erection of three 2/3 storey affordable local occupancy dwellings; 6. Extensions and alterations at Graig Wen, Ffestiniog.

Baltic

THE Friends of Cae Baltic will not be attempting to develop the field and following a caravan site being allowed on nearby land the town council has to erect a security fence around the field to ensure the safety of children when playing there.

Friends of Baltic have collected money to develop the field which they have offered to the council towards installing the fence who in turn look forward to receiving an official letter from the Friends offering the money towards the costs.

Blaenau in Bloom

THIS will be the 14th year of the annual Blaenau in Bloom competition which will have the five classes of house gardens in Small, Large, Containers, Vegetable and Wildlife and the organisers are hoping for more entries in the Commercial category and they plan to introduce a Schools section.

As is normal, the entry forms will be available at Hen Bost from 4 June with a closing date of 30 June with judging on 4 July and the Awards Day will be on 22 July.

Cyngerdd Gwyl Ddewi

MAE Ysgol y Moelwyn yn cynnal cyngerdd Gwyl Ddewi ar nos Fercher, 28 Chwefror yn Neuadd Ysgol y Moelwyn.

Bydd adloniant gan ddoniau ac artistiaid lleol, a llawer mwy, gyda lluniaeth ar gael hefyd.

Bydd bwyd yn cael ei weini am 6.30yh a’r perfformiadau yn cychwyn am 7.15yh.

Bydd elw o’r noson yn mynd tuag at gronfa Gwyl Gerdd Dant Blaenau Ffestiniog a’r Fro 2018.

Antur Stiniog

TWO weeks ago, this column incorrectly stated that Antur Stiniog had purchased the Ffestiniog Town Council building 12 years ago, and were now attempting to sell the building to the town council for a sum “in excess of £200,000”; an amount that was deemed to be a “prize” for Antur Stiniog, the local focused “not-for-profit” organisation.

Antur Stiniog together with the town council would like to state, unequivocally, for the record that whilst there have been some informal discussions between both parties regarding the availability of the building, no purchase price has been agreed, indeed, the parties are yet to meet to discuss the matter formally.

Both parties are keen to see the potential of this majestic building be realised in a way that will benefit the town and its people; in a way that would bring new life and opportunities into the heart of the town centre; that is the true “prize”.

Bro Ffestiniog Archaeology Society

THE first talk on the Society’s 2018 calendar was by Dr Marian Gwyn on Sugar, Slavery and the Penrhyn Estate.

Many readers will be at least a little familiar with the Penrhyn estate through Penrhyn Quarry in Bethesda but not so many perhaps will know their connection with slavery.

The first Pennant in Jamaica was Gifford (d. 1676-7), grandson of Abbot Thomas.

Jamaica had been taken from the Spanish by Oliver Cromwell’s forces in 1655. Gifford, a captain of a company of horse, was garrisoned on the island from around 1656-8.

The Pennants owned sugar plantations in Jamaica for nearly 300 years, from the late 1650s up until 1940.

This corresponds very closely with British colonisation of the island, which lasted from 1655 to Jamaican independence in 1962.

They bought and sold land as opportunity arose but at their height, the family owned six sugar plantations and three pens (for rearing livestock).

In fact the slave workers were treated as property quite akin to cattle as far as their status was concerned.

The Pennants used enslaved workers on their estates from the beginning.

They continued to do so until the abolition of slavery in British colonies in 1833.

Having put agents in charge of their plantations they were not concerned with conditions, only output and as the number of slaves increased so did the brutality of the owner’s agents.

Slaves were encouraged to have children as it increased the slave population.

However, harsh punishments, rape by agents, and death meant that the Pennants continued to ship in more African slaves using the “Triangular Trade”.

This meant shipping slaves and goods from West Africa to the Caribbean and American Colonies, shipping sugar back to the UK, and then the ships would take material and goods to West Africa to trade for more slaves.

Under the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, the government offered owners compensation for the loss of their chattels.

Dr Marian Gwyn confirmed that the Pennants received £14,683 17s 2d (around £1.5m today) for the freeing of 764 people!

The next talk on the society’s 2018 programme will be on Thursday the 15 February at 7pm for 7.30pm at the Day Centre, Y Ganolfan.

The guest speaker is Rhys Mwyn who will speak on Cloddio safle Rhufeinig yn Nhaernarfon – Excavating a Roman site in Caernarfon. The talk will be bilingual.

Tea and coffee at 7pm for a 7.30pm start.

For more information contact press officer Mel Thomas via e-mail: [email protected]

Y Gorlan

CYNHALIWYD cyfarfod o’r Gorlan yng Nghapel Bethesda, nos Lun, 5 Chwefror.

Llywydd y noson oedd Ceinwen Humphreys a chyflwynodd ein siaradwr gwadd Gwilym Price i ni.

Cyflwynodd amrywiaeth o englynion, y dwys a’r digri, gan ddibynnu bron yn gyfangwbl ar ei gof.

Dilynodd hyn drwy gyflwyno rhai o’i gerddi ei hun yn cofnodi digwyddidau llon a lleddf.

I derfynnu, rhoddodd brawf ar gof ei gynullidfa gan roi ambell gerydd pan nad oedd ein cof gystal â’i gof yntau!

Diolchwyd i Gwilym am noson ddifyr a hwyliog gan y llywydd a gan Gareth Williams. Cwblhawyd y noson gyda phaned a chacen a sgwrs.

Cynhelir y cyfarfod nesaf ar 5 Mawrth, yng Ngharmel Tanygrisiau am 7yh pan geir Cwis yng ngofal Meinir Humphreys.

Sylwer hefyd bydd y Cyfarfod Blynyddol am 6.30yh yr un noson.

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