IN OUR final roundup of 2015, we look at what September onwards brought to Ceredigion and Powys - from refugees to hospitals and soaring temperatures.

September

KIND-HEARTED residents in Ceredigion rallied round to help people caught up in a migrant and refugee crisis engulfing Europe.

A Machynlleth professional downhill mountain biker claimed her third senior world championship title in Andorra. Rachel Atherton recaptured her World Championship title in Vallnord on Sunday, 6 September.

To celebrate the centennial of the WI, the Marmaladies WI of St Dogmaels brought out a calendar with a difference. The calendar featured photos of their “supportive partners” – husbands and boyfriends – in a variety of saucy poses. A donation from each of the calendars went towards Cardigan Cancer Care.

October

AN Aberaeron wine-growing family won two prestigious Welsh Vineyard Asso­ciation awards. The Evans family – who only established Llaethliw Vineyard in 2009 – learnt their popular rosé wine had been awarded the silver medal while their white received the bronze. The awards followed a pair of bronze medals in the UK Vineyard Association awards.

Aberystwyth woman, Jackie Sayce, who suffers chronic knee problems told how she was forced to have her left knee treated in Cardiff and her right knee seen to 54 miles away in Llanelli.

Pupils at Tregaron’s Ysgol Henry Richard celebrated the centenary of the birth of T Llew Jones. Pupils at both primary campuses came to school in fancy dress reflecting stories written by T Llew Jones and both campuses were also visited by Twm Sion Cati during the day, who read to the pupils and held workshops.

November

PEOPLE in and around Aber­ystwyth made the most of record-breaking temperatures in ­November. Students Chris Kennedy, Rhodri Davies, Scott Upward, Adam Roberts, James Doddrell and Ryan Reid were pictured taking a dip in the sea as the official weather station at Trawsgoed registered the UK’s highest-ever temperature for November with a balmy 22.4°C on 1 November, breaking a record that had stood for 69 years.

It was the end of an era in Cardigan as popular couple, Alvin and Annie Biddyr, called last orders for the final time after 20 years behind the bar. Former milkman Alvin and his wife Annie ran the Black Lion for 10 years before moving to The Grosvenor for the past decade.

Aberystwyth’s first joint red and white poppy ceremony was hailed a success after the chairman of the town’s Royal British Legion praised the number of people who paid their respects at the event.

It is believed to be the first such joint ceremony in the UK.

Residents of Aberarth finally got the chance to honour their eight ‘lost’ war heroes when the hamlet’s war memorial was unveiled on Remembrance Sunday. Up until November, the village had never had a memorial to those from the village who lost their lives in both world wars.

December

A Cardigan woman who wished to remain anonymous, celebrated a life-changing jackpot win from William Hill after placing a bet of just £10.57 to win almost £40,000. She placed the bet while in a hospital bed on her 60th birthday.

Picton Jones MBE, of Lampeter, received an honorary life membership of the Poultry Club of Great Britain. Mr Jones received a framed certificate at the National Poultry Show at Telford in appreciation and recognition of his lifetime service and dedication to the poultry world.

The Aberystwyth Lions donated a brand new £9,000 motorbike, a Triumph 1200 Trophy, to the Aberystwyth section of the Blood Bike Wales. Pictured are (from left): David Ebenezer, fund-raising chairman, Aberystwyth Lions; Christmas lunch guest speaker Phil Bennett OBE, former Welsh and British Lions International; Mark Weller, Kurt Fernandez, Glyn Griffiths, Medwyn Parry and Ian Brandreth from the Blood Bikes; and Ben Manluctao, Aberystwyth Lions president.