MANY HARPY RETURNS, DAD
A loving daughter plucked at the heart strings by learning the harp just so she could play Happy Birthday to her father as he celebrated his 100th birthday.
Retired lecturer Marianne Jones, 72, from Menai Bridge, spent months learning the basics of the instrument in time for the big day.
She was taught by Nia Davies Williams, the musician in residence at Caernarfon’s Bryn Seiont Newydd, where her father, Charles Jones, is a resident.
Marianne took on the challenge after hearing Nia playing the harp for residents.
She said: “I’d come along to Bryn Seiont to see my father and really enjoyed watching Nia playing beautiful music on the harp for everyone.
“I was so moved by it I wanted to learn too and my goal was to be good enough to play Happy Birthday for my father when he turned 100.
“I arranged to take a lesson each time I came to see him and week by week I grew in confidence until I was up to performing the tune at his birthday party.
“I think people appreciated it and I got a round of applause at the end.”
Marianne added: “All my life I’ve loved learning and I spent my entire career in education, so learning the harp was quite a pleasure although at times it was a little difficult.
“I enjoy playing so much I intend to go on learning.
“I’d like to thank Nia for all the help, advice and encouragement she gave me.”
Nia, herself an accomplished harpist who also teaches the piano, said Marianne had proved to be a very good pupil and had shown plenty of application during what had been a pretty steep learning curve.”
Marianne’s father Charles was born and raised in Llangefni and started work in local government before the Second World War.
During the war he served with the Royal Army Medical Corps and was in action on D-Day, through the battles for France.
Back home in Llangefni Charles worked for the former Manweb electricity company.
He and his wife Patricia, who were married for 69 years until her death in 2012, had three daughters.
There are also six grandchildren plus six great-grandchildrens. Many of them were at Bryn Seiont Newydd to help Charles celebrate his century.
They cheered as he opened his celebratory messages from the Queen and Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones.