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.
Val’s annual coffee morning in aid of Save the Children was a great success this year.
The coffee morning event was held recently at St Fagan’s Church Hall, Trecynon, Aberdare.
There were delicious cakes sold, along with a bric-a-brac sale, raffle, and of course tea and coffee served all to raise money for Save the Children charity.
Congratulations to all those involved in organising this event.
Click on the thumbnail photographs to see larger versions.
In Aberdare Town recently we met the ONE TRUE KING.
Elvis Preseli.
We fought our way bravely past the security guards, the groupies, the photographers, the masseuse, the PAs, the personal chefs …
We overcome the vast entourage that filled up Market Street in Aberdare seeking the one true king.
Our audience with the King was brief.
He curled his lips.
And he wiggled his hips
And said :
Easter Sunday 8th April. Aberdare Con Club. Be there, bach.
It’s shwmae Elvis time again and the Porthcawl Elvis Festival is gearing up for the main event over the weekend of 27-30 September this year.There’s a host of top Elvis tribute artistes to entertain you, with one or two surprises too.
Tickets are just £6.00 each from the Hi Tide on 01656 782432.
To be kept informed of events leading up to the Elvis Festival, register on the website at www.elvies.co.uk
There are now over 30 breweries in Wales and most of these will be represented at the biggest real ale event in Wales. On the Friday afternoon at the festival, the Champion Beer of Wales competition will be judged by an expert panel.
According to James Daley, CAMRA Regional Director, “With over 30 real ale breweries in Wales, we now have more breweries than we have had in 70 years. Between them these breweries produce over 180 different beers throughout the year and we will be aiming to have as many of these as possible available at the beer festival.”
The Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival is the biggest beer festival in Wales and is the showcase event for Welsh real ale breweries. During the 3 days of the Festival 10 tons of beer will be tasted by over 4000 thirsty customers.
Local indie-rock band Souldriver are at Hirwaun Con Club on Saturday November 4th 2006. Start 7pm. For tracks, pics and other things zoom to their website at http://www.souldriver.co.uk/
Welly Week is organised by Garden Organic to raise funds to help educate and inspire people about organic gardening, farming and food for a sustainable future for ourselves, our children, our environment and our planet.
During Welly Week everyone is invited to host a welly walk or wear their wellies to work and celebrate all that’s good about organics!
Find out more about Welly Week events and how to get involved.
The new Welsh Assembly building in Cardiff Bay was built with £67 million pounds generously donated by the taxpayer.
Today the Assembly staged the ‘Opening Debate’ where the Assembly Members followed the familiar ritual of thrust and parry. The invited audience chuckled at the to and froing. It was friendly play acting between consenting performers.
Behold all the wood in this new theatre! There is so much of it. Many woods look their best after they have been oiled. The oil provides a protective and durable coating. This new theatre requires a suitable oiling before the ceremonial opening by HM Queen on March 1st 2006 St David’s Day.
So today saw the first coat of varnish laid on the new building of the Welsh Assembly. As this was the very first day, glib self-congratulation was the chosen finish. Assembly Members came forward with enthusiasm to give it all a fresh lick.
Many claimed personally to have had a hand in creating a bold new Welsh historic building. Tributes and praises were heaped upon corporations and their lackeys as if they were being beatified for later canonization.
Tickets for this theatre were in short supply, unlike the supply of crachach and media luvvies. They came to engage in the peculiar Welsh sport of intellectual frottage. Never in the field of Welsh journalism have so few critical questions been asked about such a grand folly.
Today in the opening debate the media pack outweighed the taxpaying public. A Grand Scrum of media players formed in the upper public gallery. If you looked closely you could see them salivate at the prospect of even more work on their doorstep in Cardiff. Although Cardiff didn’t vote for the Assembly, it prospers by it.
“Cardiff was built on the exploitation of the people and the environment of the South Wales Valleys. And so the exploitation continues today but instead of coal barons the new exploiters are global corporations. The Welsh Assembly facilitates this exploitation.”
“People in the Valleys quarrel for crumbs and handouts from Government, whilst an effete bourgeoisie in the new Welsh Assembly building today proclaimed their so-called sagacity in shipping slate all the way from North Wales to this new spectacular theatre in Cardiff Bay.”
None of these lines were a part of today’s script at the Welsh Assembly.
After an hour of play a voluble Cabinet Minister was joined in a cross-party chorus of self-praise. We were told that the new Assembly Building was an important part of our history, that the building was an icon and a symbol of a new way forward, and that it establishes the Welsh Assembly’s environmental credentials. It helps if you are able to ‘suspend belief’ in any theatre including this one.
The Assembly was ‘green’ said the granny on the pulpit. The project to plan and build the new home for the Welsh Assembly took seven whole years. If only granny had asked the architect to design a system to harness the hot air generated by this new theatre, they could heat most of the houses in Cardiff.
This was a very Welsh affair : Democracy as spectacular theatre and religious revival.
At a Religious Revival people would come to reaffirm their faith, to renew their belief and to sing praises. At the opening of the new Welsh Assembly Building, the politicians that represent us came to renew their belief in themselves and to reaffirm their right to rule us and spend our money.
The village of Hirwaun came to life around the ironworks which were established in Hirwaun 249 years ago. For every 1 year of the history of the Welsh Assembly, there is 35 years of Hirwaun history. In the Merthyr Rising of 1831 starving ironworkers captured a calf on Hirwaun Common, butchered it and it was from this that the first red flag was ever raised on British soil as a symbol of the solidarity of a working community.But this is a tale for another day.It will be told for the assembly of people in Hirwaun decided they shall tell you the story of their struggle.
The Rt. Hon. Carwyn Jones AM, Welsh Assembly Minister for the Environment, helped launch Rhondda Cynon Taff Council’s new Environment Improvement Strategy today.
The aim of the Environment Improvement Strategy is to provide a framework for improving the living space of Rhondda Cynon Taf from 2005 and up to 2015. The document also sets out priorities for environmental improvement and demonstrate how we can enhance the quality of our living space over the next ten years.
There were many range of delegates in attendance representing groups with a common interest in the environmental improvement agenda such as the Rambler’s Association, and also Too Good To Waste, the 10-year old furniture re-use Charity based in Aberdare and Ferndale.
Rhondda Cynon Taff’s Environmental Improvement Strategy was developed after wide-ranging consultation in partnership with many other local organisations.
Busy Bees is the PARENT & CHILD playgroup held in Aberdare Church Hall,
All money collected was donated to Ty Hafan Charity by Santa.
The TooGoodToWaste charity re-distributes donated furniture back into the community through showrooms based in Ferndale and Aberdare, and through regular roadshow events where the charity brings its furniture to various locations throughout Rhondda Cynon Taf, giving more people in the community an opportunity to access their quality affordable furniture.
The great thing about toogoodtowaste is that customers can purchase stylish recycled furniture at affordable prices and help the community and the environment whilst doing so.
Everyone is Welcome
For the first time, the roadshows can be accessed by all members of the public in Rhondda Cynon Taf, and not just those in receipt of a qualifying benefit. These include Capel Farm on December 15th. For any further enquiries please contact toogoodtowaste on 01443 733600.
Contact details
Capel Farm Resource Centre
Heol Ty Llwyd, Tonyrefail, Porth, CF398LW
NB. Parking for disabled, wheelchair access and accessible toilets
Telephone: 01443 671312
TooGoodToWaste
Unit 12, Highfield Industrial Estate, Ferndale (and Unit 3 Aberaman Industrial Park, Aberaman, Aberdare)
Telephone: 01443 733600 and 01685 886633
Help Finding Event Location
To help you find the above event location, we suggest you either
ring the organisers/venue for directions, or perhaps try one of
the ‘journey planner’ services at http://www.theaa.com/ or
http://www.rac.co.uk/
For street map information on the location, use http://www.multimap.com/
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
