THE latest community news from Machynlleth

Friends

THE Friends of the Tabernacle exists to support the Machynlleth Tabernacle Trust which runs MOMA Machynlleth, the Tabernacle and all its events.

The role of the Friends is to raise funds and help in practical ways. All the work of the Friends is voluntary.

By joining The Friends you can contribute to maintaining the Tabernacle as an outstanding centre of the arts, whether you are local or a visitor. Friends receive regular newsletters on forthcoming exhibitions, talks and concerts. Friends of all categories have a reduction on festival season tickets, and invitations to social gatherings.

Tuesday Club

GUEST speaker at Pennal’s Tuesday Club on 9 July was Hugh Ramsbotham whose subject was John Randal Bradburne, a name that didn’t ring too many bells within the group. By the end of Hugh’s talk, most in attendance were wondering why they had not heard more of this man. Baptised into the Church of England in 1921, he seems to have covered more ground in his 58 years than any three of us mere mortals.

Assigned to the 9th Gurkha Rifles, after the fall of Singapore Bradburne spent a month in the jungle ‘on the run’, before being rescued by a Royal Navy destroyer. For his escape, he was recommended for the Military Cross, although this was never awarded. He then saw active service with Brigadier Orde Wingate’s Chindits in Burma. After the war he felt the urge to travel and for the next sixteen years, Bradburne wandered through England, France, Italy, Greece and the Middle East with only a Gladstone bag as his companion.

After years of adventures, too numerous to be mentioned here, he accepted an invitation to go to Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and be a missionary helper. Bradburne told a Franciscan priest that he had three wishes: to help the victims of leprosy, to die a martyr, and to be buried in the Franciscan habit. A few years later, the Jesuit missionaries introduced him to the Mutemwa Leprosy Settlement northwest of Salisbury (now Harare). He arrived in 1969, went on to become its warden, and remained so until his death.

By July 1979, the Rhodesian Bush War, then in its 15th and last year, was coming nearer and Bradburne was urged by his friends to leave, but he insisted that he should stay with the lepers. On Sunday, 2 September 1979, the guerrillas came for him. Accusing him of being an informer, they kidnapped him and then shot him. He died instantly, on 5 September at the age of 58. He was buried in a Franciscan habit, according to his wishes, at the Chishawasha Mission Cemetery, about 11 miles northeast of Salisbury (now Harare).

The story of a fascinating life told by an enthusiast in Hugh Rambotham, who actually met the man many years ago.

Council meeting

MACHYNLLETH Town Council will be holding its next ordinary monthly meeting at Plas Machynlleth on Monday, 29 July, starting at 6.30pm.

Formal notice of the meeting, including agenda, will be affixed to the council’s notice boards in front of the town library and the Plas foyer. Members of the public and press are welcome to attend.

Garden trip

MACHYNLLETH and District Garden Club has organised a trip to Hergest Croft Gardens near Knighton, Powys, for Tuesday, 23 July. Nonmembers £20, members £18. All very welcome.

For further details contact Elise Payne on 01654 702853.

Piano pupils’ concert

A LUNCHTIME concert is to be held at the Tabernacle on Wednesday, 24 July, featuring Chris Dendy’s pupils with Cerys Hafana – piano and harp, Begw ap Dafydd – piano and Max Andrews – piano.

The concert starts at noon and is free to all. A collection will be made in aid of the Education Foundation.

To the Moon and Back

MOMA Machynlleth is proud to present an exclusive and free screening of a new BBC/PBS Open University documentary made to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the first humans to land on the moon.

On July 16, 1969, Apollo 11 blasted off from Cape Kennedy in Florida, carrying three men on their quarter of a million-mile journey to the moon.

‘8 Days’ tells the incredible story of that journey and the three astronauts – Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins – from blast off to splash down. Combining archive footage with brand new reconstructions, 8 Days takes you inside the Apollo 11 story like never before, putting you in the capsule with the astronauts as they do the impossible and put a man on the moon.

The writer of the documentary, Philip Ralph, will introduce the film and will offer a Q & A session after the screening.

This free screening is on Saturday, 20 July, at 7pm. Donations to support the work of MOMA will be gratefully received.

Fashion show

LAN Llofft Boutique presents a fashion show and pop-up shop at Canolfan Pennal at 7.30pm on 6 September. £7, including light refreshments.

Tickets from canolfanpennal12012@hotmail. co.uk or 01654 791308.

HRH visits Edible Mach

ON his recent visit to the town, HRH Prince Charles took a few minutes to be shown around Edible Mach’s Show Allotment and expressed his enthusiasm for public veg-growing in municipal spaces.

He said he had visited Todmorden, the first Incredible Edible town which was the inspiration for Edible Mach. He took one of the Edible Town trail leaflets showing all the other edible sites around the town though his schedule unfortunately didn’t allow time to follow it round this time.

Edible Mach met at the White Lion Hotel last Monday and, together with members of the public, discussed how everyone could get involved with the group and its veg-beds around the town, or to just have a chat about what they would like to see growing there.

Bowls

MACHYNLLETH, in search of their first away win of this season’s campaign, gained a 38-shot success at Llanidloes on 4 July. They gained five league points to Llanidloes’ two, boosting their chances in the Montgomeryshire County Men’s League Division One.

Maglona, meantime, lost at home to Carno by 34 shots in Division Two, collecting 1.5 points to the visitors’ 5.5 points.

The clash of the day in the Montgomeryshire County Ladies’ League resulted in a fine 21-shot win for current champions Berriew ladies over visitors Machynlleth ladies. The home team secured seven of the nine league points on offer.

The ladies’ county mid-week league team, following a 19-11 win against Berriew and a 20-13 defeat by Welshpool, lie mid-table of 13 teams with two wins and a draw from five games played.

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