YOUR COMMUNITY

LALESTON

Send Your News To: Carol Thomas carbrya@supanet.com

● Golden Wedding Anniversary: Belated Anniversary Greetings to friends Jan and Cilla Raz-Nick of Bedw Arian, Cefn Glas who were married in Llantrisant on July 25 50 years ago. Best Wishes from all friends and family during this lockdown. Cheers !

● New Grand-Daughters: Congratulations to Granny Cilla and Granpa Jan Raz-Nick on the birth of a new arrival to the family.

Little Maddie was born on July 31 at the Heath Hospital weighing 8 lb 2 oz and parents Darren and Nicola Raz-Nick are delighted with their ‘lockdown’ baby .

Congratulations also to Trevor and Lyn Prosser of Heol y Bardd on the birth of their second granddaughter Ava who was born on July 18 at Neville Hospital, Abergavenny weighing 7lb 9 ozs.

Parents Nicola and Gareth Prosser-Matthews are delighted with their ‘lockdown’ arrival as is Ava’s cousin Anais.

● Silent Cyclists: It is great to see so many cyclists enjoying the good weather and exercising around the vicinity but wouldn’t it be a good idea to use bells to let us know when they are coming behind us?

I am told that in the ‘olden days’ all bicycles had bells fitted for safety to pedestrians!

● Halo’s Return: An update herewith on Halo’s reopening at Bridgend Recreation Centre.

You will have heard on the news that the Welsh Government now feels it is safe and sensible for Leisure Centres to welcome back customers – we are delighted to be back in business soon with Phase 1 of our reopening in mid August.

Just now we are finalising our plans on what centres will open and what activities will be available.

We’ll let you know when all dates and details have been confirmed.

In the meantime there’s no need for you to contact us if you have a membership – we’ll be in touch with detailed information before we reopen.

I am sure many members are looking forward to returning after lockdown for the past four months and eating too much!

● Laleston Church Hall: Some months ago I reported that a Lottery grant had been awarded for Laleston church hall.

It is good news that builders were appointed last week and I have now been informed that work was due to commence on Monday, August 3.

● Dog fouling: Dog fouling persists in the vicinity with deposits and black/ blue bags straddling the footpaths being left by cute dogs and irresponsible owners. No social distancing there it seems!

OGMORE VALLEY Send Your News To: Owen Sendell 1 Cardiff Street, Ogmore Vale, Bridgend. CF32 7EW. 01656 840914 gazette@ogmore-vale.co.uk

● Funeral Information: Sendell’s Funeral Services remains committed and prepared to safely care for the families it serves during the coronavirus pandemic.

We will always continue to enable families to plan and prepare funerals.

We do recognise our responsibility to protect the health of those we are privileged to serve and we will continue to guide families as we always have, in ways they can meaningfully commemorate the life of their loved one, while adhering to the guidance issued by Saif, the government and our local authorities.

Here are some of the guidelines we have had from the crematorium.

While it is fully appreciated the loss of a loved one is very difficult and stressful the crematorium would request that Sendell’s Funeral Services remind bereaved families of the government advice and that of Public Health Wales, which strongly advises to significantly limit your face-to-face interaction with friends and family if possible, particularly if you:

■ are over 70;

■ have an underlying health condition; or

■ are pregnant.

With immediate effect it would be appreciated if Sendell’s Funeral Services could advise bereaved families of the government advice to limit the numbers attending social gatherings and that in order to achieve this we would advise that those attending a cremation is restricted to family members.

Additionally, that they space themselves around the chapel seating.

This will be subject to continual review, based upon government directives and localised risk and you will be updated accordingly.

Choirs will not be permitted to take part in a cremation service.

All service books will be removed from the chapel. (We are requested to provide service sheets for hymn words).

Attendance will be limited to 10 bereaved family members and if any additional mourners try to attend the service they will be politely requested to return to their cars.

Please advise your congregation to return to their cars straight after leaving the chapel without greeting or shaking hands on the flower court dispersal area.

The organist will play taped music for the exit of the congregation and will leave the chapel via the exit doors in advance of the congregation in order to reduce close contact.

Please remind your bereaved families that they currently have the option to webcast or record the funeral service.

It may also be reassuring to remind your bereaved families that they could consider holding a memorial service at a later date.

● Bridgend County

Borough Cemeteries: These are currently running as normal, with the possibility of intermittent limitations subject to staffing.

It may also be reassuring to remind your bereaved families that they could consider holding a memorial service at a later date.

Our staff remain vigilant about cleaning our facilities and ensuring we’re all following health recommendation.

Please stay safe throughout all this!

● The Inn Nantymoel: Closed until further notice.

● The Blaenogwr Nantymoel: Closed until further notice.

● Nantymoel Boys’ & Girls Club: Closed until further notice.

● Wyndham Boys & Girls Club: Closed until further notice.

● Coffee Morning:

Closed until further notice

PENYFAI

Send Your News To: Meryl Wilkins 1 Pen-yr-Heol, Penyfai CF31 4ND

01656 724794

● All Saints Church Penyfai: As everyone has been made aware that the Church in Wales has suspended all public services for health and safety reasons due to the very serious nature of the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Reverend Anthony Beer’s contact number is 01656 859 487.

● Smyrna Chapel Services: The Welsh Baptist Union has advised that their chapels including the Smyrna Baptist Chapel Penyfai should remain closed at the moment for health and safety reasons due to the very serious nature of the coronavirus pandemic affecting the Communities wellbeing, but the congregation of Smyrna Chapel are hoping to be open for worship in time for their Harvest Festival scheduled for the 18th and 19th October 2020.

● Reopening Penyfai Childrens Play Grounds:

The maintenance of the Children Playground on Penyfai Common is undertaken by the Bridgend County Borough Council.

By the recent announcement of the Welsh Government, all children playgrounds and play areas have reopened with new rules to keep everyone safe.

As a Newcastle Higher Community Councillor, I found Phil Thomas from the Bridgend County Borough Council, very helpful – he explained all the new rules to me that must be observed when children are in the playgrounds

I am very pleased to write that the children’s playground on Penyfai Common and the Park Cavendish Playground have reopened.

Please read the Covid-19 advice given by the Welsh Government on the new sign near to the playground gate.

For parents and grandparents of the children who want to play on the playground equipment, to help prevent the spread of Covid-19, on arrival if the playground does look a little crowded, social distancing is still in place and must be maintained.

Please be patient and come back later. It is essential that you bring along and use your own hand sanitizer, after the children from the family have finished and left the play equipment, please use a sanitizer to wipe all surfaces clean.

No food is to be eaten in the playground and all litter must be taken home.

After months of lock down, we can now hear the sound of children playing again, but we must stay vigilant as this horrible virus has not gone away.

Please stay safe.

● Community Council News: The Newcastle Higher community councillors for Penyfai, Court Colman, Aberkenfig and Tondu have received many reports from their clerk to the Community Council

John Richfield and the Chairman Cllr Malcom John, Cllr Alex Marshall who is part of The maintenance committee of the Newcastle Higher Community Council who look after The Community Woodland Aberkenfig.

Cllr Alex Marshall has reported that under a Three year programme of treatment in the woodland to remove the Japanese Knotweed and Himalayan Balsam this has been done and the root systems has been removed, some trees have also been removed because of Ash dieback.

There is now plenty of scope within the woodland for some new projects to take place, a wildlife garden has been suggested and could be created within the woodland, wild flower seeds could be planted to achieve a butterfly garden along the safe route to school called the Dragons Path.

The pathway was put there by the Newcastle Higher Community Council for the school children to avoid a narrow pathway and accesses safely into St Robert’s School.

Please stay safe

● Summer Visits : I have reported in the Glamorgan Gazette that my father did take me to meetings in Dunraven

Bay Southern Down.

Dunraven Castle was still to be seen on the headland and there was a deer herd.

I always remember the Stag standing on the cliff top looking so majestic.

One summer my father told me that a fawn had been born and he was pure white.

My father called the deer fawn the White Heart.

I wonder where the deer disappeared to in Dunraven Bay Southerndown – perhaps they did survive after all.

● Street Ambassadors: The message from the street ambassadors is we are all in this together and you are not alone.

Cards have been dropped in letterboxes in houses in Penyfai and Court Colman for residents who need help, the street ambassadors can help with medication collections and grocery deliveries from the much needed friendly local shop the Selection Box.

For further details please phone Sian Lewis on 07544 888 210.

● Penyfai Church in Wales School: The Education Minister Kirsty Williams has announced that full time education schooling will start on Tuesday September 1.

Advice was given to parents to keep in touch with their school and keep watching the media for further announcements.

September 1 will bring a new beginning and happy return to school for schoolchildren.

● Penyfai Guides and Scout Group: If parents need further information about the Penyfai Guide Group and Penyfai Scout Group, please call 01656 860 831.

● Play and Community: Please call 07813 392 464.

PORTHCAWL Send Your News To: David Newton-Williams 42 Suffolk Place, Porthcawl, CF36 3EB. 01656 451844 davidn-w@homecall.co.uk

● Coronavirus Strategy: The powers that be tell us that we should keep fit, wash our hands regularly and keep to social distancing.

In fairness most people in town seem to keep to most of these tenets; but on my way to visit a friend last Saturday I happened to drive down Glynstell Road in Nottage just after 11am, only to find myself in a street full of local residents exercising in a group on the pavements outside their houses – all moving to music playing in one of the houses.

I don’t know if it was only on a Saturday that it happens or whether it was a daily event, but in either case well done and perhaps we should all take note!

● Looking Back: What is the old expression ‘never judge a book by its cover’?

Looking through an old copy of a local newspaper the other day I found reference to the fact that Majestic Bingo were changing the name of their Bingo Hall in Tonypandy back to its original name of ‘The Judges Hall’.

The building, which opened as The Judges

Hall 107 years ago, is about to return to its bestknown name on Saturday, July 23.

The Hall was opened by Queen Victoria’s daughter Princess Louise and the Duke of Argyll under the original name of ‘The Judge Williams Memorial Hall’ – as a commemoration to the late Judge Gwilym Williams but it was known to all as ‘The Judges Hall’.

Over the years, the hall has held dances, concerts such as Black Sabbath, and hosted around 300 boxing events.

Among those, legendary Welsh fighter and Rhondda’s own Tommy Farr fought there for the Welsh

Light Heavyweight Title against Charlie Bundy on September 14th,

1934, with 2,000 people watching.

Why on earth am I telling you all this? Well, a fellow architect from Merthyr Tydfil as I recall, was doing some work for the Rhondda Communist Society who met at the time on a Sunday evening in the Judges Hall in Tonypandy.

The day of the meeting was good day for sailing and my friend who was a keen sailor, spent the day on his yacht in Mumbles.

Early evening came and he moored his boat: had a shower in the Mumbles Yacht Club – dressed in smart maritime style and drove up to Tonypandy where he was welcomed by the chairman.

He gave his report and was thanked for his diligence by the chairman who finished with the words ‘and could I see you outside for a minute’.

‘Certainly’ said my friend and went to wait on the landing. There he was joined by the chairman who said ‘When we employ an architect, we expect him to dress like an architect’. Which beggars the question

‘How should an architect dress?’

This came as rather a shock to my friend who