PORTHCAWL

the area will be pleased to hear that the club is planning its annual Plant Sale for Saturday, May 4 in the grounds of Cliff Cottage.

This will be our seventh annual plant sale and involves a great deal of planning and hard work by all involved to prepare the thousands of plants required.

The club was saddened to hear of the sudden death of Bronwen Davies in December. Bron was a popular member of the club and in the past had served on the committee and was chair of the club’s ladies section.

A large number of members had shown their respects to Bron by attending her funeral on January 4, when Coychurch Crematorium was filled to capacity.

For room hire details please see our web site.

www. lalestongardenclub.co.uk

www.facebook.com/ groups/178856609114771 Borough Council is still on the agenda, and to look again as to how the toilet block can reopen in Aberkenfig for everyone to use.

Toilets: I am very pleased to read in the Glamorgan Gazette that the Historical Toilet block in John Street Porthcawl is to reopen.

I expect people like myself who visit Porthcawl and many disabled shoppers will welcome this, and to see the John Street toilet block back in operation again, as Porthcawl i s one of Wales’ main tourist destinations and Easter isn’t too far away.

Planning Application 2018/01408/Ful: This is to confirm to the residents of Cowbridge who asked me to sign their petition to stop the Historic Old Sixth Form school building Aberthin Road Cowbridge being demolished.

I did send my own objections to the planning department of the Vale of Glamorgan Council Holton Road Barry and I don’t agree with demolishing the Listed Historic Sixth Form School Building Aberthin Road Cowbridge and cutting down a Listed Yew Tree.

Penyfai Guide Group: Scout and Guide Hall, Court Coleman Road, Penyfai (except summer) as follows:

Rainbows (ages 5 to 7) meet Wednesdays from 5.30pm-6.45pm.

Brownies (age 7 to 10) meet Mondays from 5.30pm-7pm.

Call Pippa O’Neill on 07480 825 532 for more information.

1st Penyfai Scout Group: Scout and Guide Hall, Court Coleman Road, Penyfai (except summer):

Beavers (ages 6 to 8), meet Thursdays from 5pm-6.15pm.

Cubs (ages 8 to 10) meet Thursdays from 6.30pm-8pm.

Scouts (ages 10 to 14) meet Thursdays, 6.30pm-8pm.

Call Christine Jordan on 01656 860 831.

Play and Community Playgroup: For families of newcomers to the village of Penyfai with children from two years to four years looking to join a play group, there is the Play and Community play group held in the Scout hall on Court Coleman Road, Penyfai.

The play group is open 9.15am-3pm Monday to Friday during term time.

Call 07813 392 464 for more information. Send Your News To: 42 Suffolk Place, Porthcawl, CF36 3EB. 01656 451844 davidn-w@homecall.co.uk

Porthcawl Town Council Mayor’s Ball: This year the Mayor’s Ball is to be held in the Grand Pavilion Porthcawl, on Saturday, April 13 starting at 6.30pm for 7pm.

This is a black tie event and tickets to include a three course meal and entertainment are priced at £29.50 per person, £59 a pair or £285 for table of 10.

Anyone wishing to book tickets please contact Norah Clarke on 01656 786018 or 07776437565 or Tracy Hill on 07791525838.

Move: Please note that the Town Council Offices will be moving from Victoria Avenue in early February and moving into their new offices in Norman Harris’s Building in John Street.

Toilets: Please Note that temporary toilets including disabled facilities have been erected at the rear of John Street Carpark and will now be available until the re-opening of the main John Street toilets on Monday, February 18.

These temporary Toilets have been made available by the generosity of Harris Printers, A1 Loo Hire, Credu Charity Ltd and in conjunction with Porthcawl Town Council.

Race: I am also informed that the Town Council have arranged to stage the first Porthcawl 10k Road Race on Sunday, July 7.

The event is already proving extremely popular with over 1,600 entries to date. More about that in the next few months.

Farmers Market: The next Farmers Market will be held in Griffin Park Hall on Saturday, February 23 between 9.30am and 12.30pm.

All the usual stalls will be there and refreshments will be available.

Weekly Table Top Sale: This is a weekly event and is held every Friday at Griffin Park Hall with doors open between 8.30am and 12.30pm. If you want a table to sell things yourself, then tables are available at £5 per event.

Befriending Group: A new not-for-profit weekly Porthcawl Befriending Group on Sundays between 2.30pm to 3.30pm at the Griffin Park Community Centre, New Road, Porthcawl.

The Group is mainly for people who live alone so that they have a chance to meet with similar people for a chat over a cup of tea or coffee. Your first visit is free then £2 per visit to cover hall rental and cost of milk and tea bags etc. but then attendees can help themselves to as many free cups as they want!

Perhaps because of the weather over the last few weeks only a few people took advantage of the opportunity and so the organizers have decided to stop for the next month and until the weather improves and I will obviously keep you informed as to when they restart.

Nottage Unitarian Chapel: The Unitarian Chapel in Ty Canol Nottage which reputably is the oldest non-conformist cause in the area and dates back to a time before 1789, holds a Friday Club which starts off with a period of meditation between 10.30am and 11am every Friday and then this is followed by coffee and a chat which finishes around 12noon.

Boxing Club: The Porthcawl and Pyle Boxing Club, who do such good work with the youth of the town, are holding a fundraising showcase evening on Friday, February 8 in the Brentwood Hotel, Mary Street, Porthcawl. Music will be provided by Ricky Gee and there will be karaoke and a raffle as well as a buffet. Tickets are £9 with all the ticket sales going to the Boxing Club. It starts at 8pm and it will go on “till late”. Tickets are available at the Brentwood and at Harris Printers in Mary Street or contact Peter Williams direct.

Porthcawl Music And Flower Show Committee: The Porthcawl Music and Flower Show Committee is hosting a Gala Concert in the ballroom of the Albert Edward, Prince of Wales Court in Pen y Lan Avenue on Friday, February 22 starting at 6.30pm.

The concert will be performed by Maesteg Male Voice Choir and local choir Col Canto, and all proceeds will help fund the 2019 Flower Festival which is to be held at All Saints Church Porthcawl on Saturday, June 8.

Tickets for the concert on Friday, February 22 are priced at £10 and can be obtained by contacting Jill Sweet on 07927 619752 or Alison Jones on 07581 048448.

All profits from the Flower Festival itself, will be shared between the Porthcawl Museum and the Sandville Self Help Group.

This concert has become a regular feature over the last few years and is always well worth the effort.

Porthcawl Comprehensive School Production Of Oliver: The show which must be everybody’s favourite musical and this production was certainly a great success. The cast were magnificent and the show stopping songs almost did just that.

I saw the two previous productions in 1979 and 1995 and certainly for the first production the cast relied heavily on staff members for the lead parts with Les Edwards the English Master as Fagin and Ted Clarke as Mr Bumble – but for this production the cast were all pupils and didn’t they do well! Reading the cast list of the first production on the programme which had been reproduced in miniature on the back cover, I could see a number of names I still recognize and who are all now in their mid50s; but there was one name which struck a poignant note in what was a delightful trip down memory lane: in amongst the names of the “workhouse boys” was one Peter Stradling who tragically lost his life in a car crash on Wednesday, January 23 which coincidentally was the first night of the show in the Grand Pavilion and I am sure that you would join with Gaynor and I in wishing his family our sympathy and condolences in their terrible loss.