THE latest community news from Machynlleth

Hear to Help

THE Hear to Help drop-in clinic takes place this Friday, 4 October, from 10am to midday in Y Plas.

NHS hearing-aid wearers can visit this Action on Hearing Loss Cymru service for friendly help with cleaning their aids, new tubes and free batteries.

The drop-in is run by trained volunteers on the first Friday of every month.

Poetry day

THERE will be a National Poetry Day poetry workshop with Lindy Newns on Thursday, 3 October, from 1.30pm to 3.30pm.

Details and booking on the website: penralltgallerybookshop.co.uk

Lindy Newns is back in town by popular demand following her 2018 National Poetry Day workshop.

For the session this year, she has chosen the theme of ‘Love - sexual, platonic, of country, of nature’.

Lindy is an award-winning dramatist and a published poet.

Annual lecture

THE Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) will be hosting the annual William Condry Memorial Lecture at the Tabernacle Machynlleth on Saturday, 5 October, at 7.30pm (doors open at 7pm).

This year’s lecture ‘Red squirrels, grey squirrels, pine martins: why ‘nothing’ matters will be given’ by Dr Craig Shuttleworth.

Admission: £5 on the door.

Refreshments included.

Coffee morning

MACHYNLLETH and District Committee of North West Cancer Research is to hold its annual coffee morning at the rugby club on Saturday, 5 October, from 10am until noon.

The event will include various stalls, raffle and refreshments. Admission: £2.

Cook Well to Eat Well

THE first session of Mach Maethlon’s three-part ‘Foundation Kitchen Skills’ took place at Ysgol Bro Hyddgen Secondary Campus on 25 September and will continue on Wednesday, 9 and 23 October, from 5.30pm to 7pm.

Children in Year 6 or above were welcome to come with an adult.

Attendees will learn to cook several nutritious, healthy and filling dishes on a budget, and then eat the meal they created at the end of each session.

The sessions are free thanks to funding by Powys Teaching Health Board.

Edible Mach’s gardening sessions continue with volunteers keeping the group’s sites around the town looking fantastic and full of lovely vegetables, herbs and fruit.

New exhibitions

IN the presence of an appreciative audience, chair Alun Jones welcomed guests to the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) for the official opening of six new exhibitions on Saturday, 21 September.

Following Alun’s warm welcome, guests were invited to view exhibitions by Roger Cecil (1942 – 2015), Antonia Spowers (Paper Unbound), Ruth Koffer and Anne Ferris (Searching for the Light), Borth Arts (Light), Ben Jones (Slate Landscapes) and, by curtesy of the John Davies bequest, the Tabernacle Collection.

The MOMA galleries are open Monday to Saturday between 10am and 4pm.

Admission is free. Donations welcome.

Please phone 01654 703355 for further information.

Civic society>

CHAIRMAN Jim Goodband welcomed members of the Machynlleth and District Civic Society’s executive committee to the Tabernacle on Thursday, 19 September, for a bi-monthly meeting.

The secretary/treasurer, Rab Jones, detailed the society’s sound financial position and went on to report that no firm start dates were available for important project works, namely, new Dyfi Bridge and associated works, Machynlleth Community Hospital/Medical Centre and new building for Ysgol Bro Hyddgen.

He provided an update on the relocation of the memorial plaques from the former chapels in Melinbyrhedyn and Forge to the Aberhosan Village Hall. Also, it had been confirmed that work to refurbish the Machynlleth War Memorial was due to start shortly.

Michael Williams advised that the county council garages’ demolition work had been completed, but no date had been set for refurbishment of the remaining stock.

He further reported that a planning decision was still awaited as regards permission sought for an ATM machine in the frontage of Mr News.

The chairman said that arrangements continue to be made at Canolfan Owain Glynd?r in preparation for the Owain Glynd?r Festival.

David Holt referred to the recent announcement from Transport for Wales that, as part of its £194m investment in train stations across Wales, work is due to start at Machynlleth station in 2021.

Michael Williams added that, thanks to Welsh Government funding, county council officers were drawing up detailed plans, which would be presented to stakeholders for consideration, for the proposed bus/train transport hub in the town.

It was agreed that the next meeting would be held at 7pm in the Tabernacle on Thursday, 21 November.

Writing Support

THREE-MONTHLY writing support sessions with Helen Pendry start on Wednesday, 2 October, from 6pm to 8pm.

Details and booking on the website: penralltgallerybookshop.co.uk

Writing sessions exploring the craft and techniques of fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction.

If you’re already working on a project and want some support and inspiration to keep you going, or if you need a push to start, join in for some lively discussion, and quiet writing exercises.

Into the Blackness

INTO The Blackness and Beyond, hosted by Silence In Sound on Wednesday, 23 October at 6.30pm at St Peters Church.

Featuring the deep and mysterious sounds of gongs, singing bowls and many other interesting instruments, you should expect the unexpected; this journey aims to stretch your imagination.

Prize dominoes

THE Foresters Inn, Heol y Doll, will be hosting the popular prize dominoes round robin with teams of four, three games each table, on Tuesday, 8 October, starting at 7.30pm.

Competition fee: £3 per player. Raffle in aid of the Wales Air Ambulance.

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