ALL the community news from in and around Machynlleth.
Victory
Victory in Europe and over Japan was celebrated at Machynlleth Cenotaph on Friday, 29 July, by members of the Royal Welch Fusiliers Comrades Association Machynlleth and Tywyn and Dolgellau/Machynlleth Royal British Legion.
Canon Kathleen Rogers officiated with Major Ifan Price-Edwards RWF reading The Adoration in English and Eirian Owen Jenkins RAF in Welsh.
Veteran Meirion Roberts RN, laid a wreath for The Burma Star Assoc, and William Simkiss RN and Bruce McKay RWF attended. Wreaths were also laid by Col Nick Beard TA DL RWF and Steve Doyle BW the acting chairman for the RBL. Cllr Tony Jones, the mayor, was also in attendance.
Standard bearers on parade were Fus Howard Wyn Davies, Capt Billy Simkiss and Cpl Gwyn Roberts. The parade marshall was CSM Ian Garbutt and music was played by Alan Murphy who also transported our vets.
The parade went up Maengwyn Street and to Cartref Dyfi to salute Jimmy Fleming SWB a vet from the Battle of Kohima, Burma.
Thence onto Y Clwb Bowlio Mach, for a knees-up where fabulous food was prepared by Cpl Mark Cartwright RWF, Shirley and Carly.
Fus Bruce McKay 7 Bn (Montgomeryshire) RWF aged 91 from Pennal was then presented with his hitherto unclaimed WWII medals by Col Nick who had travelled up from Cardiff especially, as a Tywyn man and serving soldier.
Maj Ifan presented CSM Ronnie Williams with a rare RWF Mason Plate for his contribution to having run The Army Cadet Force so successfully in Mach before he became to ill to continue.
Sixteen members of Cor Meibion Dyfi then performed and brought the roof down.
Sincere thanks to the presidents of Y Clwb Bowlio Machynlleth, Betty and Barry Fleming for our use of their facilities and bar managers Gareth and AJ.
The next engagement is a fun day at Capel Bangor Golf Course on Sunday, 21 August.
Festival
THE 30th Machynlleth Festival starts this weekend at the town’s Tabernacle.
The festival, which starts on 21 August and continues until 28 August features Welsh choral and instrumental music, world class jazz, superb classical music from international leaders in their fields, prize winning young artists making their Welsh debut, a free children’s concert, lectures, interviews and exhibitions.
The festival opens on Sunday, 21 August, with three concerts devoted to Welsh choral and instrumental music; Cymanfa Ganu (Congregational singing) in four-part harmony by the audience (at 7.30pm on Sunday, 21 August), Piantel and Trio combining harpist, pianist and trio (7.30pm Monday, 22 August), and Cantorion Gogledd Cymru, the 60 strong Welsh Male Voice Choir that has captivated audiences throughout the world with the soprano Gwawr Edwards (7.30pm Tuesday, 23 August).
Artistic director, Julius Drake, said: “I have particular pleasure in bringing the very best of classical music to the 30th Machynlleth Festival. I have been associated with the festival from very early on in my career and it is always a great joy for me to return.
"I know the musicians I invite are always struck by the friendly, attentive audience and how amazing the Tabernacle is as a performing space.
"Congratulations to the Lambert family for coming across this treasure and transforming it into an international concert platform.”
The programme can be viewed with photographs of the Tabernacle and the artists on www.machynllethfestival.co.uk.
El Sueño Existe
A weekend of film, music, dance, workshops and food have been organised under El Sueño Existe festival: ‘The Spanish Civil War and The Modern Refugee Crisis’.
The festival will take place at Y Plas, on Friday and Saturday, (19 and 20 August).
Chile is the heart of the festival as always, whilst this year’s special focus is on struggles nearer home with ‘The Modern Refugee Crisis’.
This year also marks the 80th anniversary of ‘The Spanish Civil War’ and the whole event links to the refugee crisis then and now. Friday evening kicks off the weekend with the Ken Loach film, Land and Freedom at 7.15pm, followed by a Qand A with La Columna, an energetic Spanish Civil War living history group.
Chilean guitarist and singer Ignacio Rivera Volosky completes the night with his acoustic sounds.
Saturday morning sees the launch of ‘We Touched the Sky’, a free WEA online learning package on studying Chile. In the afternoon, Pilar Lopez Martin will present a blend of storytelling and folksongs in ‘Libres’, a history of the Spanish Civil War as a landmark anti-fascist struggle in Europe, and a presentation of Spain’s more recent political responses to their own country and to the ‘Modern Refugee Crisis’.
There’s also a singing workshop with Elizabeth Carola or a salsa class with teacher Rod Lawson, fol-lowed by a ‘very-short’ story writing slot, led ‘flash-style’ by writer Consuelo Rivera-Fuentes who will share a few of her own poems.
Saturday night is for dancing and you can bop till you drop with Bolivian-inspired music from Rompiendo Fronteras (‘Breaking Boundaries’) and the festival headliner, Chilean folk band Los Copihues Rojos, playing their lively trademark mix of Latino revolutionary music on traditional instruments.
Tickets are available from Penrallt Gallery Bookshop or on the door.
Bowls
MACHYNLLETH is poised to re-capture the Montgomeryshire County League Division One championship.
Their reliable unbeaten home form, which brought them recent victories over Berriew and Carno, saw them close in on their first title-winning season since 2012.
They secured 12 of 14 points from the two games, taking them to within half a point of current leaders Welshpool with a home match with Llanidloes to end the league programme.
However, the league cup holders will not be contesting this season’s final following defeat in the semi-final at the hands of Welshpool.
Machynlleth won the home leg 89-79, but lost over the two legs by 165 shots to 150.
Maglona, with still two games to play, lost at second division top dogs Aberdyfi (seven points) on 11 August.
A very successful unbeaten campaign in the county mixed league has taken Machynlleth into top spot, four points ahead of second-placed Berriew with two games to play.
The Montgomeryshire CBA county finals were played on Llynlloedd green recently, resulting in success for a number of the town’s bowlers.
Former national singles finalist Barry Fleming lifted the singles trophy with a 21-16 victory over his son, Welsh international Andrew Fleming.
There was even more success as Nigel Fleming and Andrew Fleming won the pairs trophy thanks to a walkover victory over a Welshpool duo.
While, in the fours’ final, Mark Gaskell, Garry Price, Jonathan Taylor and Andrew Fleming came agonisingly close, losing by just one shot (18-17) to their Berriew counterparts.
It was back to winning ways in the seniors’ finals as David Rowlands and Barry Fleming gained a comfortable 21-10 score line over Newtown.
Extraordinary meeting
AN extraordinary meeting of Machynlleth Town Council will be held at Plas Machynlleth on Wednesday, 24 August, at 6pm.
Members of the public and press are welcome to attend.The sole item on the agenda is to discuss the recommendations of the report received from BDO Auditors for years ended 31 March 2010 through to 31 March 2015.
In accordance with the Public Audit (Wales) Act 2004 section 23, to discuss what actions to take in response to the recommendations to improve the financial matters of Machynlleth Town Council.
Golf
ON Thursday, the ladies played the Alwyn and Gaynor Williams trophy.
They got wet on the first nine, but dried off nicely on the second.
Sue Kelly came first, beating Helen Lewis on the back nine and Rhian Wynn was third. Last week’s GUW medal was won by Margaret Austin.
Tea Dance
STRICTLY Mach will be holding a tea dance (with fun lessons) at the Bowling Club on Sunday, 21 August, from 4pm to 6pm.
Latin, ballroom, sequence and line dancing will be led by Fran Jackson and Jane Hoy. All welcome, including beginners. Donations invited.
Afternoon tea
ON Wednesday, 24 August, an afternoon tea fundraiser in aid of St Peter’s Church will be held at the Trem-yr-Allt estate, starting at 2pm. Tickets cost £4, and all are most welcome to attend.