‘Welcome home’ for Cory as champions back in Ton Pentre
THE Ton Pentre community are delighted to ‘Welcome Home’ the highly rated Cory Band as they return to Ton Pentre.
Years ago a serious fire forced the band to vacate their their long-term headquarters at the top of Pentre hill.
For many years they were based at the old Ton Pentre post office before moving to the upper Rhondda.
Their new bandroom will be in the old Hebron Welsh Baptist Chapel in Church Street.
A decline in worshippers led to the closure of the chapel.
It’s good that the building is being put to good use.
The Blue Plaque is in place near the entrance to the former chapel.
A Blue Plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the UK to commemorate a link between a famous person or event or in this case the Cory Band.
The renowned London Blue Plaque scheme began more than 150 years ago and is the oldest scheme of its kind in the world. Blue Plaques have played an important role in the history of the conservation movement and predates the foundation of both the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings and the National Trust. English Heritage took over the scheme in 1986 and there is a Blue Plaques Panel of experts which meets three times a year to decide a short list from the propals being received. Receiving a Blue Plaque on your building for being associated with real fame is a huge honour and many congratulations to the Cory Band. The inside of the chapel is looking really splendid as one looking at the Archive Room photo can plainly see. Percussionist Steve spends a lot of time looking after and keeping the archives up to date.
ALICE Williams, the daughter of Ceri Rosser Williams of Parc & Dare Band, played in Brecon Cathedral recently at the first concert since March 2020 by the Choristers.
Alice played with piano accompaniment, Londonderry Air, If I was a Rich Man and Prelude from Te Deum.
Due to a mix-up, neither grandad Hugh nor father Ceri recorded her playing, but hiding his disappointment grandad Hugh, who is a fine brass player himself, said: “I thought she played those top Bs so easily and spot on in tune”.