Songs of the Valleys

Rhondda Cynon Taff Library Luvvies

Shhhh please… for the Library Luvvies!

Staff from Rhondda Cynon Taf Council Library service – aka ‘the Library Luvvies’ – perform the radio play The Minor Mysteries by Marie Arnold at Ton Pentre Library on November 11th 2009.

It was a fantastic night!

See the Full Set of Photos on Flickr here …

Cwm Music Festival 2009

Cwmaman Music Festival 2009 is on its way folks. Oh yes, the 2nd annual music shindig will be bigger and better even than last years amazing cultural weekend.

Cancel all plans for the last weekend in September 09 because there’s only one place you wanna be. Yep, once again Cwmaman will extend a welcome to music fans everywhere and showcase the excellent talent on offer around the valleys and beyond, following the success of last year we have a surprise headline act.

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Songs and Scones on the Menu

Country and bluegrass music will be served up at the next ‘Songs and Scones’ concert at the Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare. The shows are targeted at older people, who can enjoy a scone and cuppa while listening to performances from Welsh musicians. Bluegrass/Country duo Ginge and Cello Boi will entertain at the next concert on Wednesday, September 9, 2009 from 1pm.

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Merthyr a Piping Hot Spot

Menter Merthyr have received a grant of £2100 towards developing traditional Welsh music in Merthyr.

The money has come following a number of successful pipe workshops funded by Communities First Town and Parc.

The workshops will run over a 1 year period with arch-piper Geraint ‘Jacob’ Roberts giving people the chance to play the pibgorn, tin whistle, bohdran and Welsh pipes.

If you are interested in learning to play traditional Welsh music, complete beginers or experienced musicians, contact the Menter now on 01685 722176

Photo Credit : Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

Y Betti Galws, Cwmaman

Cheese Glorious Cheese… in Ponty

Event : Welsh Cheese and BBQ night

WHERE : ‘Bunch of Grapes’ – Ynysangharad Road – Pontypridd

Date / Time : Wednesday 24th June @ 18:30hrs

What’s On : Welsh Cheeses – BBQ – Beers on stillage, Homemade Sausages – Small tutored Wine Tasting – a GuitarIst will be playing throughout the evening.

Guest Appearance : from Dave ‘Seidr Dai’ Matthews with some of his greatest Ciders, plus various bottled Ciders from across Wales.

Real Ales : Those outside on the night – wrapped in cooler jackets & on Gravity Dispense : Batemans – ‘GHA’ … Thornbridge – ‘Jaipur’ … Dark Star – ‘HopHead’
More choices of course on Handpull at the Bar.

Make a Plucky Attempt to Leave Your House

Make a Plucky Attempt to Leave your House this week… for Gary Owen’s latest play Amgen : Broken at the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff until Saturday 9th May.

Review on Rob Brydon in Brecon

Photo of Rob Brydon (left) by Irregular Shed

If only Rob Brydon was prescribed on the NHS in Wales. We could get well sooner and save so much money by just learning to laugh at ourselves and avoiding all those happy pills.

Brydon rocked the house in Brecon last night. Theatr Brycheiniog is quite a small theatre at nearly five-hundred seats but it felt much more intimate than some of the larger venues on his tour. Sitting in seat AA1 might have helped me feel closer to the action too.

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Menter Caerffili Christmas 2008 Fair

Menter Caerffili is a charity whose main objective is to promote the Welsh Language in the Communitites of Caerphilly County Borough. Our Christmas Fair at Llancaiach Fawr Manor is an excellent day out for the whole family and entry is free! There’ll be free arts and crafts activities for children, performances by local schools, a chance by buy unique gifts and foods from over 30 local businesses, and a visit from Father Christmas in his sleigh!

Here are the details:

30th November 11am – 4pm

Llancaiach Fawr Manor

Parking at Llancaiach Fawr is limited, but we will run a free shuttle bus from Somerfield, Nelson.

Free Patrick Jones Poetry Gig in Cwmaman

Free Patrick Jones poetry event tonight in Cwmaman…

When ? Thursday evening November 13th 2008 at 7pm.

Where ? At The Cwmaman Institute Lounge

What ? Poetry and verse

Who ? with Patrick Jones Mark Williams Emma Williams & Cosmo

Why ? Because YOU are worth it.

Photo : Miner by Robert Thomas, Queen Street, Cardiff.

Top Entertainment at the Cardiff Arms Hirwaun

Don’t Miss the Mercurymen gig at Cardiff Arms pub in Hirwaun this Friday 26th September.

Recently signed to Sony BMG, Mercurymen Jinder, Gavin and Simon are on the road promoting their debut album Postcards from Valonia.

This promises to be a very special gig. Catch them at the Cardiff Arms Hirwaun on the only Welsh date of their UK tour.

The Cardiff Arms was taken over by Julian and Annie Barfield a year ago. After a massive investment and complete refurbishment, the pub is making a mark for quality food, drink, entertainment.

Click here to visit the official Cardiff Arms website.

Now On! The Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival

The Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival, organised by CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, will this year be held in June in the larger surroundings of Cardiff International Arena.

Open Friday 13th & Saturday 14th June 11-11
Admission £5 includes souvenir glass and programme

Over 250 real ales, ciders, parries and foreign beers will be available at the festival. The 2008 Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival will be the biggest event of its kind in Wales and one of the largest beer festivals in the UK. CAMRA will aim to have every Welsh real ale brewery represented supplemented with other breweries from across Britain.

Entertainment will also be available at the CIA this year… Friday night will see Sheelanigig who offer an eclectic blend of folk, jazz and world music as well as an outstanding 7-piece UK soul band called Soul miners. Saturday will see the Fore Shadows and later on in the early evening the Treorchy Male Voice Choir will be raising the rafters of the CIA with their renditions of old favourites.

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Welly Wanging and Wild Birds near Aberdare

Once again Groundwork Trust host another Green Dayz Weekend at the Fedw Hir Eco Centre near Llwydcoed. The event runs this weekend on Saturday 17th May and Sunday 18th May from 10am until 4pm.

The fun-filled ‘green weekend’ is all free with plenty of activities to entertain the whole family including hands-on pottery and ceramic session, handmade twig pencil-making, felt-making, face-painting, willow weaving, hurdle fencing and … welly wanging.

For Saturday only there was grand show of eagles and owls, including the world’s largest owl who was, thankfully, quite placid and friendly.

According to the Groundwork Trust, Welly Wanging is a sport that originated in Britain, most likely in Yorkshire. Competitors are required to hurl a Wellington boot as far as possible within boundary lines.

Don’t Panic… The Aliens Invading Aberdare Are Friendly

There is no need to panic, the green-haired ‘aliens’ currently walking from Hirwaun via Aberdare to Abercynon are friendly!

And they are raising lots of hard cash for Macmillan Cancer Care Support as part of the annual Macmillan Walk.

Please feel free to liberate all spare change in your pockets, purses, piggy banks… it’s all for a good cause.

• Photos of the Start of the Walk at Hirwaun in the Gallery.