PORTHCAWL
Send Your News To: David Newton-Williams 42 Suffolk Place, Porthcawl, CF36 3EB. 01656 451844 davidn-w@homecall.co.uk
Burns Night: The Porthcawl Lions are organising Burns’ Night celebrations on Friday, January 24 at the Hi Tide Inn in Mackworth Road when all proceeds of the raffle will go to the Porthcawl Museum.
You do not have to be a Scottish person to attend, it’s a fun event for all with a meal including haggis, Scottish piper and entertainment. The dress code is black tie or tartan. Tickets (£25 per person) are available from Lion members or Aileen on 01636 784489.
Porthcawl Befriending Group: We all know that there are lonely people over Christmas and the New Year and the Porthcawl Befriending Group provides free activities for lonely people and those who want to befriend them. Free tea/coffee while chatting around a table, free bingo and table games, beginners Health and Wellbeing Tai Chi. etc. Members can bring children but regrettably no pets are allowed.
Where is this you may ask?. Griffin Park Community Centre in New Road from 11am to 12noon every Wednesday. Membership is free but numbers are limited. Please contact Angie Reid for more information on 07591 217521
Porthcawl Weekly Table Top Sale: Griffin Park, New Road, Porthcawl, CF36 5DF - This is a weekly event held every Friday at Griffin Park Hall in
New Road with doors open between 8am and 12noon. There are always stalls with Books, Games, CD’s, DVD’s and much more. Re- freshments are available on the day and if you want a table to sell things yourself, then tables are available at £5 for the morning. For further information or to book a table contact Jean on 07778 599616.
Porthcawl Farmers Market: The next Farmers Market will be held in Griffin Park Hall New Road CF36 5DFon Saturday, December
22nd between 9.30am and 12.30pm. All the usual stalls will be there and refreshments will be available.
Porthcawl Veterans Hub: The Veteran’s Hub offers a NAAFI Break on Saturday mornings at 11am to all ex-servicemen: It is held in the Porthcawl Wellbeing Centre adjacent to the tennis courts and bowling club at Griffin Park and is a place where veterans can meet with other veterans, raise their problems and get advice in a pleasant and convivial atmosphere.
ITSOKTOTALK: I wonder how many of you have seen the van with the ANDYSMANCLUB logo on it and wondered what on earth it was all about? Andy’s Man Club is a Registered Charity which provides a peer to peer support group for men with the aim of cutting the tragic number of suicides of young men occurring in England and Wales. This is the biggest killer of men under 45 with 1 man every 2 hours being the figure quoted. A lot of these cases might be avoided if people only had an opportunity to talk to others who could understand what they were going through: Well the opportunity does exist here in Porthcawl with a group meeting in Porthcawl RFC off South Road (CF36 3DA) every Monday evening (Except Bank Holidays). Or check out their website or talk to them on #ITSOKTOTALK
A Problem Shared Is A Problem Halved: If any reader, family member or friend suffers from mental distress then there is someone out there to talk to. Just contact the C.A.L.L Helpline and there will be someone to talk to 24/7/52 Call 0800 132 737 or text HELP and your question to 81066.
Porthcawl Museum And Historical Society: The PM&HS will be starting their winter series of lectures on Tuesday, January 21 with a lecture on “The Albigensian Crusade” given by Dr Viv Thomas. The Albigensian Crusade or the Cathar Crusade (1209–1229) was a 20-year military campaign initiated by Pope Innocent III to eliminate Catharism in Languedoc, in southern France – and anyone who has visited Carcassone in southern France will have already felt that the history of that period is very much a thing of the present with the language of the time, Occitan being promoted in schools and colleges. It was also this Crusade which was instrumental in the formation of the Dominican Order and the Mediaeval Inquisition.
Then on Tuesday. February 18 there is a talk entitled “Pharaoh’s Workmen” by Prof. Mahmoud Ezzamel, who was educated at Southampton and Alexandria and is a Professor at Cardiff Business College and a professorial fellow at Cardiff University.
Following this, on Tuesday, March 17 there will be a talk on “Shipwrecks Off Our Coast” given by Ross Martin from Porthcawl RNLI.
Finally, on Tuesday, April 21 Mrs Ceri Joseph will be giving a talk on “The Civil War in Wales”. Anybody who heard the talk she gave on the Battle of Waterloo when she strode across the stage as Wellington and as an aside telling us that one of the reasons that he (Napoleon) lost at Waterloo was that he suffered from an unmentionable complaint! I’m sure that this is the way history should be taught and I can’t wait for her talk on the Civil War in Wales.
Porthcawl Stroke Club: The Porthcawl Stroke
Club meets every Wednesday afternoon between 2pm and 4pm at Albert Edward Prince of Wales residential Home in Pen y Lan Avenue Porthcawl CF36 3LY and their mantra is ‘All Friends Together.’
Christmas Morning Swim: The largest Christmas Swim in Wales and one of the biggest in the country! As the Mayor, Councillor Graham Walter says in the foreword to the 2019 programme “No Christmas in Porthcawl would be complete without taking part or helping out at the Christmas morning swim” even if “helping out” means just being there and cheering the hardy souls as they run down the beach into the cold winter briny and putting money in a bucket.
This is the 55th time this event has been held and last year the committee raised £15,760 for local charities and this year the headline charity is The Alzheimer’s Society Cymru who can be reached by phone on 0300 222 1122 Monday to Wednesday - 9am-8pm. Thursday to Friday - 9am5pm and Saturday and Sunday - 10am-4pm for people to ask questions, share experiences and get practical advice on living with dementia.
The Porthcawl Lions Boxing Day 7K Fun Run: This is a 7k run starting and finishing at the Hi-Tide in Mackworth Road in Porthcawl.
The starting pistol goes off at 11am and the route takes them along the promenade in front of Coney Beach, up the Eastern Prom and along the Esplanade and the Common and on to Rest Bay and back. Monies donated and made with entry fees go to Local
Charities- try and get down to the ‘Prom’ and cheer the runners on and of course dig into your pockets and help fill the collection boxes.
Col David Cox LVO MBE: It is with deep regret that I inform you of the passing of Col David Edward Cox LVO MBE, late of West Road, where he was a neighbour of mine for some 10 years.
Coincidentally and unknown to each other Col Cox and I enlisted in the army at roughly the same time.
He came out a full Colonel and I a Lance Corporal – there has to be a story there somewhere.
He moved to Porthcawl in the 70s while still in the Services and travelled widely in his career.
He served as military attaché in Belize and Sri Lanka and did at least two tours in Northern Ireland.
Others could tell you more about his military career but I would like to say a few words about the man.
He was ramrod straight in all senses of the words, handsome in his uniform and a gentleman in all respects.
He became involved in the community at large and became president of Porthcawl Civic Trust and sat on the National Committee.
He was also the president of the Porthcawl Branch of the British Legion.
He was the organising Secretary of the Prince of Wales Trust in Wales and ran the Prince of Wales Award Scheme for many years.
He was a man who would help anyone who asked and his advice was always to be listened to.
He was honoured to be appointed as High Sheriff of Mid Glamorgan in 1991.
He moved away to Canterbury some five years ago with Nancy his adoring wife, the epitome of the Colonel’s Lady who was not well at the time and they wanted to be nearer to his son and his young family.
Gaynor and I along with many, many friends will certainly miss this kind, lovely man and the country will be a sadder place for his loss.
Our loving condolences go out to Nancy and her family in their tragic loss.