Recognition for Euphonium star
BESSON has added Tredegar Band Solo Euphonium player Yu-Han Yang to their stable of International Performance Artists.
It marks the latest high profile recognition for the Taiwanese performer who is also a Young Artist of the Musician’s Company and is undertaking Advanced Performance studies at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.
In 2020 he joined the Welsh champions playing an integral part in the successful defence of their title.
His latest success was in reaching the final of the high profile Jeju International Brass Competition Euphonium Division, the final of which will be in November where the three finalists will perfrom Philip Wilby’s Euphonium Concerto with the Jeju Symphony Orchestra. Speaking to 4BarsRest, Tu-Han said: “I’m delighted to be so warmly welcomed to Besson and to perform on the incredible Prestige Euphonium.
“Despite the coronavirus the past year has been very exciting with a number of opportunities that will hopefully take place.
“Being recognised by Besson in this way certainly adds to that.”
Ian Porthouse, Tredegar Town Band’s Musical Director, added his congratulations, and said: “Yu-Han is such a talented player who works incredibly hard, so his success and this latest recognition is so well deserved.”
( Thanks to 4BarsRest)
purpose is lost.
Surveys from mental health are finding that millions of people report feeling lonely on a daily basis.
A Winter Craft and Food fayre is planned for Saturday, November 28 at Maesteg Rugby Club – ideal opportunity to buy presents for Christmas and support local organisations.
For further information on these please contact Rob Doyle 07969 203 251.
The more school uniforms that are donated to us when they are no longer in use, the better.
If your child has outgrown any school items, and they are in reasonable condition, please donate it to us, hopefully in a clean and reasonable condition to be then made available to another family.
We will also accept games kit, bags, coats and jackets, shoes, togs etc, all associated with schoolbased needs.
Non-badged items will also be accepted in the school’s colours.
The swap shop will initially be open at Central Church Maesteg, on a Monday afternoon from 1pm-5pm and dependent on a needs-based system will increase its hours of opening accordingly.
For more information please call 07811 339 988.
Next season we are looking to restart our youth team when restrictions allow.
If you are currently in year 11, 12 or 13 in school and are looking to get into rugby or would like a fresh challenge then Maesteg Harlequins RFC is the place for you.
All our youth coaches are fully qualified, plus there will be a strong working relationship with our senior squad including joint sessions.
If you are interested then please contact us.
The choir have a busy year ahead of them and here are some dates for your diary, pending current restrictions being lifted:
(couple). On behalf of Noteworthy Mixed Choir may I take this opportunity to thank you for your continued and much appreciated support.
Maesteg Town Hall:
River Care: There are two groups, who sometimes work separately and sometimes together.
One group is responsible for the community garden in Garth, the other with Resources Wales, the three-year plan to get rid of Japanese knotweed.
Both work to clear the rubbish still being dumped along the banks of our River Llynfi and planting bulbs.
The Maesteg Community First Responder (CFR):
The team comprises volunteers who respond to high priority emergency 999 calls in our valley, on behalf of the Welsh Ambulance Service.
This can range from cardiac arrests, to strokes, choking infants or major bleeding, along with many other types of emergency situations.
Please check our website www.maestegcfr. com or find us on Facebook or Twitter @maestegcfr to follow our volunteer work, saving lives in your area!
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!
Nantymoel Boys’ & Girls’ Club:
Wyndham Boys & Girls Club:
Coffee Morning:
Services were suspended for the public for health and safety reasons due to the very serious nature of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Parochial Church Council (PCC) of All Saints Church is not reopening All Saints Church, Penyfai.
If information is needed the Reverend Anthony Beer’s contact number is 01656 859 487.
Peter David, the organist and Deacon of the Smyrna Baptist Chapel, Penyfai, has contacted me and a decision has been made, that the Harvest Festival that was hoped to take place on October 18 and 19 has been cancelled for this year.
The Smyrna Baptist Chapel, Penyfai, is to remain closed for health and safety reasons until after Christmas, when a decision to reopen for services will be looked at again.
The Annual General Meeting of the Newcastle Higher Community Council took place at St Theodore’s Church, High Street, Kenfig Hill, on Tuesday September 29 at 7pm.
Cllr Altaf Husain has been elected Chair to the Newcastle Higher Community Council for the forthcoming year.
Cllr Meryl Wilkins has been elected deputy chair for the Newcastle Higher Community Council.
The out going chair to the Newcastle
Higher Community Councillor, Cllr Malcom John, was thanked by the Newcastle Higher Community Councillors for his dedication and service throughout his chairmanship and for keeping everyone informed with up to date information on the coronavirus crisis we all find ourselves in today
Good News – John Richfield, the clerk to the Newcastle Higher Community Council, is still going to be with us for some months and will help the new clerk Adam Davies.
Complaints are still reaching the Newcastle Higher Community councillors about the long queues forming at the recycling centre in Brynmenyn.
Perhaps an appointment system would help residents
– the recycling system operated by the Vale of Glamorgan Council seems to be working well.
As all our fears have all been confirmed, the coronavirus has not gone away and we must stay vigilant and keep to the rules in our communities of Penyfai, Court
Colman, Aberkenfig and Tondu.
Please don’t forget to wear a mask while shopping and keep to the safe distance rules, sanitise your hands when entering and leaving a shop.
The Newcastle Higher Community Council is liaisoning with the Bridgend County Borough Council and the Welsh Government.
Keep watching for further announcements made in the media by the First Minister Mark Drakeford and Health Minister Vaughan Gething.
We are looking forward to November and this year’s services in Penyfai and Aberkenfig.
The Newcastle
Higher Community Council is seeking more information on holding out door services.
Christmas Card Competition: Every year the Newcastle Higher Community Council hold a Christmas Card Competition for the pupils in the schools in Penyfai, Aberkenfig and Tondu.
I am sorry to report that the Newcastle
Higher Community Council Christmas
Card Competition will not take place and has been cancelled for this Christmas.
Penyfai Playground:
Hand sanitisers are essential when entering the children’s playground and after the children have stopped playing.
Please wipe the play equipment down after use to try to stop the spread of the coronavirus – we want everyone to stay safe.
Welsh Blood Service:
Cllr Altaf Hussain has reported to the Community Councillors that the Welsh Blood Services need your help, as there are now lock downs in some community’s in Wales, and information could change.
Please phone the Welsh Blood service Donor Engagement Coordinator Paul Chiplin on 07795 831 889 or you can email him at: paul. chiplin@wales.nhs.uk.
Your help is much appreciated and can save lives.
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 friendly local shop the Selection Box.
For further details please phone Sian Lewis on 07544 888 210.
If parents need further information with the Penyfai Guide Group they can call Pippa O’Neill on 07480 825 532 or for the Penyfai Scout Group send an email to Zoe Plumley at: zoeplumley@outlook. com.
Play and Learn Community PlayGroup:
Providing pre-school education for two to fouryear olds.
For more information please phone 07813 392 464 or send an email to: info@playandlearnplaygroup.co.uk.
The virus has not gone away in fact, we as a town are in lockdown again.
I suppose it means we are a tad safer than we were – the car parks are certainly not as full as they were and that has to be a good thing.
Healthwise it is good but it doesn’t help our shops, pubs and restaurants. It has to be a very fine balance of safety and wellbeing.
The number of vulnerable people needing help may well be less as relatives and friends have taken over, but the Porthcawl Covid Strategy Group is still active and busy delivering prescriptions and food, etc.
There are still a large number of vulnerable people out there, albeit a reduced number and I can’t stress enough the fact that if you know anybody who needs any of the services that the group offers, then don’t forget to go onto the Covid-19 website or contact your local chemist to get a contact number relative to your particular Ward.
Rest assured that just as the virus is not going anywhere in the immediate future, the Porthcawl Covid Group are keeping themselves and the group ready to resume their good work should there be a fresh wave of the virus.
I am also aware that as people who volunteered have now gone back to work, the group is always looking for more volunteers to bring their numbers up to strength.
If you feel that you would like to volunteer as delivery drivers, than contact the group via their website.
I cannot stress the fact that there are a lot of charities and organisations in our community that are suffering because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Cancer Research, the RNLI, Sandville Self
Help and the Porthcawl Stroke Club and many others are all suffering financially.
Most of them are there to provide personal contact for people who otherwise would not have the ability to meet other people in the same situation.
There was no Carnival this year and who knows whether there will be a Christmas Morning Swim and both these events are major donors to the smaller local charities.
We all have our own favourite charities that we support.
I have said it many times before, but it is true to say that it is at times like this that Porthcawl people have been most generous.
So dare I ask that when all this is over you try and help out as much as you can.
Not only are our Charities suffering, the National Blood Donor Service is also suffering.
So all you regular donors keep in touch with the sevice on regular basis.
Another favourite is also back in business – actually I don’t think it went away.
As always it is held in Griffin Park Community Hall every Friday morning with stall holders there from 8am and the likes of you and I can go in and get a bargain from 8.30am until 12.30pm.
Farmer’s Market: The popular Porthcawl Farmers’ Market is also back in its home base at Griffin Park and the next chance you will have of purchasing any of the local produce on display is on the fourth Saturday of every month with the next one being on October 24, between 8.30am and 12.30pm.
They seem to be in the news these days and some of them are already in lockdown.
I remember reading somewhere years ago that “a university is a fountain of knowledge where people gather to drink!”
This time it may be their downfall.
There was an article in the Mail on Sunday about the amount of gloves and disposable masks being found on the beaches of the world with some of the individual pieces made up of materials taking 450 years to biodegrade.
The president of one organisation trying to keep the world’s beaches clean said that it won’t be long before there will be more PPE pieces in the ‘Med’ than there are jellyfish!
While hopefully that is an exaggeration it does give an indication of the size of the problem.
They are arriving in their hundreds and even thousands on the beaches of Cornwall and Devon, and for all I know, on the beaches here in Porthcawl.
There are certainly enough littering the streets and pavements in the town.
Can I suggest that if we see one and we can safely pick it up then we do so and dispose of it properly.