THE latest community news from Criccieth

Criccieth Festival

This year’s festival takes place between Saturday, 16 June and Sunday, 24 June and there is something for everyone in a programme which is full of interesting and exciting events.

The festival opens with a concert in the Memorial Hall on Saturday, 16 June when the students of Canolfan Gerdd William Mathias and their tutors Elinor Bennett (harp), Mary Lloyd Davies (soprano), Nicki Perace (cello) and Ann Peters Jones (piano) present a Feast of Music.

At the Memorial Hall the following day there will be a rare opportunity to experience an audience with Andrew Logan, one of Britain’s principal sculptural artists who has worked across the fields of sculpture, stage design, drama, opera, parades, festivals and interior design and become an influential artist of international stature, with exhibitions as far afield as Los Angeles, Monterrey, St Petersburg and Mumbai.

The Festival Dinner will be at the Bron Eifion Hotel on Tuesday, 19 June when the guest speaker will be the actress, singer and cabaret artiste Lowri Ann Richards.

The David Lloyd George Memorial Lecture will be delivered by the National Poet of Wales, the television presenter, director and producer Ifor ap Glyn. The lecture will take place at Capel Moreia, Llanystumdwy on Thursday, 21 June and is sponsored by Mrs M George and by the chairman of Gwynedd Council.

On Friday, 22 June Stifyn Parri, the larger than life TV and showbiz personality who has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, performs Shut Your Mouth, a cheeky and charming eclectic mix of comic and poignant anecdotes of showbiz life, backstage drama and celebrity gossip at the Memorial Hall.

The festival closes on Sunday, 24 June with a concert at the Memorial Hall by the pianist Tristian Evans performing music by Erik Satie, Maurice Ravel and Graham Fitkin to a backdrop of evocative visual footages and photographs, compiled especially for the performance, offering novel interactions between music and the moving image.

Other events range from concerts with the Baroque quartet Concertante! to Regional Voice Theatre’s The Life and Times of the Tat Man transporting the audience by means of tales and song to the terrifying landscape of the First World War; a Welsh tea featuring an Elvis Presley tribute to Jazz Nights; an art exhibition and craft workshops to a flower festival; The Moveable Feast, a day of exciting and delicious street-food, wines and beers plus live music, arts and crafts on Saturday, 23 June and the festival service.

Stone of Strength

STRONG men and women congregated in Criccieth last weekend for the eighth annual stone of strength competition.

People of all age groups enjoyed both watching, and taking part in a traditional sporting event outside the town’s memorial hall.

The main event of lifting the Feat Stone, was followed by events from David Horne’s world of grip. Master of ceremonies, Les Wiltshire, gave great commentary.

Welsh strong man Mark Jeanes, who currently holds the world record for lifting the heaviest atlas stone, managed not one but two successful level three lifts (to the shoulder) of the Feat Stone.

This was the fourth year running he has managed a level three lift, and is the only known recorded man to do so.

The stone weighs in at 177.5kg! It’s irregular shape, along with the fact that the competitors are not allowed to use tacky makes lifting the stone all the more difficult.

Several other competitors managed successful level one lifts (this involves breaking ground), with some close to a level two lift (to the waist ). Level one lifts were completed by Mark Jeanes, Dafydd Jones, Tomos Jones, Reuben Hughes, Llyr Hughes and Dafydd Dudley.

Following the stone lifting event, men, woman and children competed in several gripping events with some gaining world records!

Local children, inspired by the adult athletes, pushed their boundaries and wowed the crowd. The positive atmosphere and encouragement from the spectators was surely a contributor to their success.

Eight-year-old Robart Williams of Ystymcegid, Criccieth, beat the world record for junior male 10 and under in the stub hold 4kg, only to be defeated by nine-year-old Blaize Sandercombe Burr of Ty Cerbyd Ymwlch, Criccieth, who managed an impressive 60-second hold. Blaize also achieved world record in the moontop hold in his category – 3 kg for 22 seconds. Blaize went on to win the junior overall events.

Gwyn Owen, 11, of Ymwlch Lodge, Criccieth, came second. Gwyn also achieved world record in 4kg stub hold, category 11-13 years, with a 52-second hold.

Guto Williams, also of Criccieth, came in third overall. He also broke a world record in the moontop hold, 11 to 13 years – 3kg for 19 seconds.

The female events were won by the three times gold medal jujitsu champion Lucy Horne.

Lucy, from England, aged 11, achieved two world records, one in the stub hold junior female 11 to 13 years – 7 kg for 17 seconds and the moontop hold – 7 kg, for 8 seconds.

Alwen Hughes, of Morfa Nefyn, came second overall and Sally Horne, from England, came third.

Huw Williams of Penrhyndeudraeth, junior 16 to 17 years also achieved a world record in the moontop hold – 11 kg for 7 seconds.

Patricia Coward from Essex, category 60+ and 50 + broke a world record in the stub hold – 10kg for 11 seconds.

The last of the strength events was a strength and endurance event new to Criccieth Stone of strength.

Three men took part in bending steel 10mm thick, in an attempt to snap the steel within 20 minutes.

Reuben Hughes of Morfa Nefyn, currently the British champion, came first in this event followed by Mark Jeanes and Tony Coward coming in third.

Over the three gripping events the results were: Tony Coward, first; Mark Jeanes, second; Reuben Hughes third.

Criccieth Stone Of strength, was organized, once again, by local man Stephen Sandercombe Burr. All proceeds are to be donated to the Memorial Hall where 50 per cent of those proceeds will be going towards a permanent memorial for Anna Wyn Williams and Mili Wyn Williams, who died in a car crash near Gellilydan earlier this year.

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