PORTHCAWL

Send your news to: The Cottage, 34 Esplanade Avenue, Porthcawl CF36 3YU 01656 783068 davidn-w@homecall.co.uk

Porthcawl Saint Sebastian Town Twinning Association PTSSTA: If you are interested in joining then contact them on the twinning website: porthcawl-towntwinning.com.

Cancer Research UK: Forthcoming events are organised as follows:

On Saturday, December 3, a great Evening of Musical Entertainment will be held in All Saints Church Hall with the Old Newtonians Bell Ringing Group.

Tickets at the door, or by contacting Diane Jones on 01656 784763, cost £6 and that includes a glass of wine and a mince pie.

On Sunday, December 4, there is the annual Candlelight Service at All Saints from 4pm with music from Mynnydd Cynffig Junior Choir and Sounds Familiar.

Go along and light a candle for Love, Hope and Peace and dedicate it to loved ones.

Broadway Bounces Back: There are still some tickets left for Porthcawl Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society’s winter production of Broadway Bounces Back which celebrates all that’s best in musicals and popular song.

They will be supported by The Tredagar Town Band, the well-loved Broadway Chorus as well as the Sarah Burnell School of Dance.

The show is on Saturday, November 26 at 7.30pm.

Tickets cost £12 (under 16s £9) from the PAODS Hotline on 01656 788148 or the Pavilion box office on 01656 815885.

2016 Advent Party: This year’s party is in the hall of Our Lady Star of the Sea, New Road, on Thursday, November 24, at 7.30pm.

Entertainment will be led by Dawnswyr Gwerin Penyfai.

Entry is free but by ticket only from your church representative.

Porthcawl Lions: On Saturday, November 26, Father Christmas arrives in his Grotto at the Museum on John Street.

He will be there from 10am-4pm each Saturday from November 26 until December 17.

Boxing Day Fun Run: This year’s fun run starts at the Hi-Tide, Mackworth Road at 11am on December 26. There will be prizes for category winners, and for the best fancy dress.

A registration form can be downloaded from the Porthcawl Lions Club website at http:// porthcawllions.org.uk/ Funrun.html

RNLI Porthcawl: Don’t forget the RNLI Christmas Lunch which is being held in the Hi-Tide on Sunday, November 27, at 12.30pm.

Tickets cost £8.50 from RNLI Committee members or by contacting John Abraham on 01656 784407.

Town Council Christmas Event: Christmas is set to sparkle again in Porthcawl this year.

Father and Mother Christmas will be arriving at approximately 2pm – we can’t be too precise as he has a long way to travel.

They will parade round the town in their sleigh before arriving in the John Street carpark.

There will be activities and stalls throughout the day from 10am6pm and there will be other attractions for the children and adults to enjoy.

There will also be a synthetic ice rink, children’s rides and more.

Admission is free but there will be charges on some of the attractions.

The 12 Days Of Christmas: Carols in the Pavilion will be held on Monday, November 28 at the Grand Pavilion Porthcawl starting at 7pm.

Music will be provided by Nottage Primary Junior School Choir, Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Llangynwyd, the Wind Quartet from Porthcawl Comprehensive School, The Urdd Porthcawl Choir and soloists.

They will all join with Porthcawl’s Sounds Familiar and yourselves singing community carols and of course the inevitable and always enjoyable rendition of The Twelve Days of Christmas, all under the leadership of Mike Boyles. and Barry Wilson.

There will also be a Bucket Collection in aid of the Mayor’s Charity Fund. Tickets cost £5 from the box office.

Lions Club Christmas Bazaar: The Porthcawl Lions Club hold its annual Christmas Fayre in Trinity Church Hall in John Street, Porthcawl on Friday, December 9, from 10am-2pm.

There will be stalls with all kinds of Christmas delights, Christmas music and even a visit by Santa.

Refreshments will also be available and you can pay at the door.

Adults £1.50, children go free.

All Saints Pre-Christmas Fayre: This is being held on Saturday, November 26 starting at 11.20am and there will be stalls and a raffle and lunches will be served from 12noon.

Still in the parish – there will be an Advent Coffee Morning and Extravaganza at St John’s Schoolroom in Newton on Friday, December 2, from at 11am with coffee, cakes, stalls and a raffle.

RNLI Garage Sale: There will be a Garage Sale at 25 West Park Drive in Nottage on Saturday, November 26 from 10.30am-12.30pm, with monies raised going to Prthcawl RNLI.

Town Mayor’s Charity Dinner: This was a very enjoyable event held at the Atlantic Hotel here in Porthcawl last Friday.

The dinner was held to raise money for the Mayor’s Charity Fund and after a delightful meal we were entertained by a Swansea actress and storyteller, Debra John, who regaled us with a piece called a Christmas Tale, which not only told the story of how our modern Christmas developed from Victorian times, but also introduced her audience to the history of the festival itself and all this intertwined into a story of a Victorian Christmas in her own family.

Storytelling and oral narrative seems to be a dying art and what a great shame in that we all have tales to tell.

Townswomen’s Guild: Winter is almost here, but there are still plenty of Guild activities to enjoy and warm the cockles of member’s hearts.

The Cardiff Federation decided to hold their annual luncheon at the Atlantic Hotel Porthcawl this year, and very good it was too.

It so happens that it was a lovely day so members from Cardiff were able to enjoy a walk on the front afterwards.

The Porthcawl Guild monthly lunch was at Beales’ Fish Restaurant which is always a popular venue with members.

This month’s Guild meeting took the form of a demonstration of Ideas for Christmas given by Judy Harvey assisted by Jean Schofield.

Judy had a host of humerous stories of her life in the florist’s trade which kept the members well amused: not to mention the beautiful floral arrangements that Judy and Jean created. These were raffled off later – another bonus.

An Autumn Fayre in aid of Ty Hafan was very successful and attended by an ambassador for Ty Hafan, Lynda Francis, and the Mayor and Mayoress of Porthcawl, Councillor and Mrs Rob Lee.

The December meeting will be held on December 14, at 2pm, in All Saints Church Hall when the Guild will hold their Christmas Party with entertainment from Mike Boyle.

Armistice Day and Service: This year November 11 fell on the Friday and a goodly crowd gathered at the Bandstand in John Street to mark the event.

Poems were read including My Boy Jack, written by Rudyard Kipling at the time of his son’s untimely death in the battle of the Somme, but really it was about the heroism of Jack Travers Cornwall VC who enlisted at the age of 16 and was part of the crew of HMS Chester during the Battle of Jutland in 1916.

The Exhortation was given by Alan Thomas, the chairman of the Porthcawl Branch of the British Legion and the Kohima Epitaph – ‘When you get home, tell them of us and say, For our tomorrow, we gave our today’, was given by Col Steve Rock, the Branch President.

There was a two-minute silence and then Reveille was sounded – a moving experience.

Then on Armistice Sunday, one of the best crowds I can remember went to All Saints Church for the official Armistice Service and laying of the wreaths at the War Memorial.

Again there was a good crowd on parade and this too was a most moving service when the people of Porthcawl came together to remember those that gave their lives so that we can enjoy peace and wellbeing.

Green Room Returns: Charity, Sustainable Wales welcomes all local writers to it’s GreenRoom at 5, James Street, Porthcawl CF36 3BG on Friday November 25, at 8pm for a celebration of new writing.

Entirely devoted to the open mic, the event will feature Robert Minhinnick, Gerald Webber and a variety of other prose and poetry writers.

Entrance £4. More information is available by emailing Robert Minhinnick at@ robert.minhinnick@ sustainablewales.org.uk or call Sustainable Wales on 01656 773627. memorial in Wick (in front of the Village Hall) followed by a Service in Wick Chapel.

Increased Congestion: There has been a marked increase in traffic flow disruption now that the school bus once again drops off/picks up children at the original site on Ewenny Road as vehicles travel along the B4265.

Gateway Welcome Feature: Work has begin on installing one of the four roadside sculptures created by Howard Bowcott which is to be sited at Bull Hill in St Brides Major to mark a Gateway to the Heritage Coast.

More information at www.creative rural communities.co.uk.

Christmas Fayre: At St Bridget’s Church Hall, from 10am in the Church Hall on Saturday.

Tea & Chat: There will not beameeting on December 3 as members will be having a Christmas lunch in the Fox & Hounds, St Brides Major.

Dates For The Diary: Forthcoming events as follows:

Carols and Readings at 4pm on December 18 in Ewenny Priory Church.

Carol singing around St Brides Major followed by curry in the Fox & Hounds on December 19.

Carol singing around Southerndown on December 21 followed by chips in the Three Golden Cups.

Operation Christmas Child: If you missed the local collection for donating a shoe box of items to help families in need, visit www. samaritans-purse.org. uk to find shops where you can still take your contribution.

St Bridget’s Church News: The charity for October and November is Cerebra which helps children with neurological problems.

The Christmas Fayre is in the Church Hall on Saturday, November 26.

Canon Edward Evans will be taking Sunday Services until further notice.

Mothers’ Union: The November coffee morning was very well attended.

You can join in at 10.30am in All Saints, Southerndown, on December 6.

The Deanery Advent Service is in Llanharan Church on Monday, November 28, at 2.30pm.

Christmas lunch will be held on Tuesday, December 13.

Ewenny Arts Festival: There is a Christmas Concert by Candlelight by the Vale of Glamorgan Ensemble on December 22 in Ewenny Priory Church.

Tickets cost £13.