PORTHCAWL

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

Newton Pop and Beer Festival 2017: I understand that the organisers of the festival are sending out a gentle reminder to stallholders to pay the agreed charge as soon as possible. They can do this by PayPal or by calling into the Ancient Britain.

They should also remember to make sure that their Public Liability Insurance is up to date and if relevant any necessary Food Hygiene Certificates as both will be required on August 26, thank you.

Porthcawl Farmers’ Market: The market has relocated to Griffin Park Community Hall in New Road, Porthcawl, and they will be there on the last Saturday of the month from 9.30am12.30pm. For more information on stalls, etc, please call Mike Pett on 01656 658 963.

Lions Car Boot Sale: At Porthcawl Rugby Football Club grounds, off South Road every Sunday until further notice, with an 8am start.

Call Martin on 01656 786 745.

Jack Bridge RIP: Sad news indeed; After a long illness bravely borne Jack passed away last weekend at the age of 88. He was a true citizen of his adopted town having been a staunch member of Porthcawl Rotary for many years, and he was the longest-serving member of Porthcawl Chamber of Trade.

He was a keen sportsman and was one of the founders of the Christmas Morning Swim. He and Barbara served generation after generation of children visiting Porthcawl with buckets and spades in his shop in John Street as well as sports gear and toys and I don’t think there are many houses in Porthcawl without a silver cup or a brass presentation plaque which had not been engraved in Jack’s fair hand.

Perhaps it is time that we as a town thought about presenting him with a cup engraved to “Jack Bridge for being a first class citizen who made his mark in our town and who was a man of whom it could truly be said ‘it was an honour to have known him’.”

Dunkirk: The publicity regarding the anniversary of the evacuation of British troops in May/ June 1940 and more recently the release of the latest blockbuster Dunkirk has made me think of a friend of mine Bryn James who has now passed away but in his day was very much a part of Porthcawl.

Bryn was ram-rod straight even in his late eighties and nineties, lived in Esplanade House and strode along the front every morning to get his paper.

He joined the Welsh Guards just after his eighteenth birthday, did his basic training in Purbright and Catterick and immediately after his training was finished and before he could get home on ‘end of training’ leave he was sent over to the Netherlands as part of a detachment of Guards tasked with bringing Queen Wilhelmina and the Dutch gold back to this country.

This mission completed and once again, before he could get home for his ‘end of training’ leave he was sent as part of a detachment to fight the rearguard action in Dunkirk.

Once there they had to resist the blitzkreig at all costs and do everything they could to slow the German advance. The reality for these men was that there were only two options... death or capture.

Some did manage to get to the Dunkirk beaches and got taken home on the last few boats, but for every seven men taken home from Dunkirk, one would be taken prisoner of war. Tens of thousands of troops including Bryn were marched east to Stalag camps on the Russian Polish border where they spent five long years working as slave labour down mines and in fields and factories, all ending in a terrible march of hundreds of miles in freezing winter in late 1944 as the Allies began to advance and the Russians who were by then our allies started to drive the Germans back.

This final tribulation would be a test too far and many died of sheer exhaustion and malnutrition, collapsing in the snow. They were made to march westward across Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Germany in extreme winter conditions, over about four months between January and April 1945.

This series of events has been called various names: “The Great March West”, “The Long March”, “The Long Walk”, “The Long Trek”, “The Black March”, “The Bread March”, and “Death March Across Germany”, Bryn along with many others did this march and when it was over and it was then and only then that Ben managed to get his ‘end of training’ leave.

On a cold frosty morning in Porthcawl I often used to say to him when I saw him on the front, ‘Cold one today Bryn!’‘Not as cold as it was out there!’ would be the usual reply and most people hearing this, wouldn’t know what on earth he was talking about.

Bavo needs help: The Waiting list of people needing help is getting bigger. Do you have an hour to spare? Bridgend Association of Voluntary Organisations’ (BavO’s) Big Lottery Funded Community Companions over-50s befriending scheme, is looking to recruit more volunteer befrienders.

Imagine going days or weeks without seeing somebody or not being able to get out of the house. An hour of your time to visit someone in their home to help them get out and about can make a huge difference. “Community Companions is of tremendous importance to me. It is lovely to have company at home and to share my feelings and worries with my befriender.”

By becoming a volunteer befriender you can help older people meet others, improve their access to local services and improve their overall health and wellbeing. “Volunteering for Community Companions, I completed many courses. I am so thrilled it has helped greatly to get me where I am today. I have voluntary skills behind me that no one can take away from me.”

Out of pocket travel expenses are covered and full training given.

For further details call Tracy at Bavo on 01656 810400

Tai chi at the wilderness: There are a series of tai chi movement sessions being organized in the Porthcawl Wilderness, every Monday at 10am for four weeks starting on 24 July 2017. There is no charge and it is suitable for all ages regardless of their experience so why not go along and enjoy the session in this beautiful setting.

Ty Elis family day and teddy bears’ picnic: Ty Elis has asked me to invite you to a Family Day and Teddy Bear’s Picnic at the Porthcawl Athletic Club Ground at Lock’s Lane on Sunday, August 6th starting at 1pm. It is all in aid of Ty Elis, Porthcawl’s Counselling Service: so go along, take your teddy bear, your picnic and something to sit on and have a great time. Entry is free and there will be a barbecue and drinks available to purchase.

Revitalise and wellness day: The annual Wellness Day is being held in Griffin Park Hall on Sunday, July 30 from 10am until 4pm. There will be card readers and therapy sessions as well as stalls and workshops. Go along and feel better!

Porthcawl museum and historical society: Good News. The Museum Society recently received confirmation that they are been awarded full accreditation by the National Association of Museums and Galleries.

The award, which is reviewed every four years, recognises that Porthcawl Museum has once again attained the national standard in museum management, collection care and public service. Ceri and Paul and indeed the whole committee must feel proud to have achieved this again and I don’t suppose any of us can hope to imagine the work involved in the process.

Well done all of you!