Around 3,000 people enjoyed the winter parade in Mountain Ash on Tuesday (December 2, 2008).
People of all ages flocked to the town centre on a bitterly cold night to see the town’s Christmas lights switched on, after Santa arrived on a sleigh pulled by six reindeer.
Children enjoyed visiting Santa’s grotto and funfair rides, and festive character Jack Frost entertained the crowds.
The event was organised by Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and assisted by Darran Las Communities First. Local ward member and Chairman of the Communities First Partnership, Cllr Andrew Morgan, said: “This annual event in Mountain Ash continues to draw thousands of spectators to see Santa with his reindeer.
Eisiau diwrnod allan i’r holl deulu’n rhad ac am ddim?
Dewch i Ffair Nadolig Menter Caerffili ym Maenordy Llancaiach Fawr ar y 30ain Tachwedd 2008.
Bydd yna gweithgareddau celf a chrefft i blant, dros 30 o stondinau gan fusnesau lleol, perfformiadau gan ysgolion lleol ac ymweliad gan Sion Corn!
Dyma’r manylion:
30ain Tachwedd 2008,
11yb-4yh Maenordy Llancaiach Fawr, Nelson
Mynediad am ddim
Nid oes llawer o lefydd i barcio yn Llancaiach Fawr, felly bydd Bws Wennol am ddim yn rhedeg o Somerfield, Nelson, i’r Ffair.
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.
Aberdare Police show their Community Spirit and help make the Santa Parade events in Aberdare run smoothly this week.
Police Officers and Police Community Support Officers from Aberdare and surrounding villages were at the event to help ensure everything ran smoothly.
Although it was cold, it wasn’t wet and many, many people came to line the route, see the procession with reindeers and the Town Christmas Lights being switched on by Rhondda Cynon Taf Council Mayor Jane Ward.
There was an old-fashioned Town Cryer with bells and a horn, and Scooby Doo too!
In the photograph : Aberaman South PCSO Samantha Llewellyn Jones joins in the fun
Click here for more photos from the Santa Parade 2007 here in Aberdare
Remember to wear your Sunglasses in Aberdare this week for the Christmas Sales. There are bright red ’sale’ signs everywhere.
The garish signs enticing people to spend even more money adorn nearly every shop window in our humble little town in the Welsh Valleys.
The fifty per cent Boxing Day Sales started on Christmas Eve in Aberdare.
Aberdare is an eccentric town and so it’s no surprise to see that the Pound Shop in Canon Street are having a sale making many items… fifty pence. If they go any lower, they’ll be paying people to buy from them.
Let’s enjoy One last Christmas Carol for the year, to the tune of Jingle All The Way :
Chorus
Profits here, profits there, profits everywhere
Christmas time is funny we smell money in the air
Advertise, glamorize, fool you with a flair.
Let’s make sure that Christmas is a businesslike affair.
You’re eating up our lies and dashing to the stores
Then all our prices rise and how the money pours
If we don’t keep you drugged and watching your TV
You might see the hypocrisy then where would business be?
Chorus
We’ll tell you how to think and tell you what to try
What to eat and drink and how to live and die
And if our plan succeeds, when Christmas-time is nigh
Instead of seeking love and peace you’ll hunt for gifts to buy
Chorus
Many more Carols and ideas about Christmas at Buy Nothing Christmas
It has been a quiet, muted, almost sombre Christmas in Aberdare this year.
Local independent shops are feeling the pinch as there is less money to spend in the Aberdare economy.
One of the biggest employers in the Valley, Ferrari’s Bakery of Hirwaun, went into administration a few days before Christmas. They employ several hundred people in South Wales, many of them from the northernmost villages of the Cynon Valley.
But in Aberdare Town this week, there is still some Christmas Hwyl. In the photograph, Victor Hipkiss of John Street, Abercwmboi, has been raising money in Aberdare Town through the last few days of bitter cold. Victor was a loyal Aberdare Santa last year, and has been raising money for charity as santa for nine years. Today on Christmas Eve, and a Sunday, he was accompanied in Aberdare by Byron Jenkins of Tynte dressed as a Welsh Dragon. Both are raising money for the Ty Hafan Children’s Hospice in Wales.At Christmas 2006, we should remember there are many less fortunate than ourselves whether they be workers that face an uncertain future, or the children who face serious illness and require hospice care with Charities like Ty Hafan.
Nadolig Llawen, Merry Christmas.
Hard to say who was the more frightening in town … Shrek or Judith Toms
One came in green and the other glowered in incandescent purple.
In the big rainpour around 4 o’clock in the afternoon a mass of parents and kids huddled together in the entrance and foyer of Aberdare Library.
And then the comic green monster with the stub nose and Scottish brogue appeared. Eyes suddenly lit up and little faces smiled in anticipation.
Like a rainbow forming on a dreary day, a touch of magic came to town.
BUSY BEES sang CAROLS with SANTA outside Aberdare Woolworths today.
Busy Bees is the PARENT & CHILD playgroup held in Aberdare Church Hall,
All money collected was donated to Ty Hafan Charity by Santa.
Aberdare Blog’s photographer spotted a group of Santa’s helpers huddled around a pot of tea in Les’s Golden Kitchen cafe in the middle of Aberdare today. Do you know the names of Santa’s Helpers ?
We thought sure we had caught the genuine Santa Claus outside the
‘Pound Shop’ in Canon Street, Aberdare, however this was a friendly Santa-lookalike.
Only joking … it’s just a game. Requires
Macromedia’s Flash Player.
See if you can beat 323 metres….
Click here for Throw Santa Game
Give a child a pot of paint and let them express their ideas of Christmas …
Click on the photos below for a larger photo. In the photo below there is a “Sion Corn” (Father Christmas), a “coeden nadolig” (Christmas tree), and a “baban Iesu” (Baby Jesus).
Hello, hello, hello, what have we here then ?
Aberdare Blog meets PC Andrew and Ryan in Market Street, Aberdare.
These two wonderful PCs from Merthyr are on the beat in Aberdare during the Christmas period.
For an informal ‘review’ we have to give them full marks for presentation and professionalism.
Menter Iaith Sir Caerffili’s Christmas Fair
Saturday 26th Nov 2005
10.00am – 4.00pm Free parking and entry to Christmas Fair
Llancaiach Fawr near Caerphilly
This year for the first time, Menter Iaith Sir Caerffili are holding a
Christmas Fair at the beautiful location of Llancaiach Fawr manor.
You’ll have an opportunity to purchase Welsh gifts and produce in a wonderful location without the hustle and bustle of the high street. The fair will be opened by Roy Noble radio presenter.
There will be a wide range of activities to keep the children busy and for good children a chance to personally hand deliver their letter to Santa.
Visitors are invited to browse around the stalls while listening to performances by local pupils and Carwyn Fowler the folk harpist. A chance to enter a free prize draw for a christmas tree.
Come along to see what delights are on offer!
Organised by Menter Iaith Sir Caerffili
Contact Telephone for Menter Iaith Caerffilli [01443] 820913
