LALESTON & BROADLANDS

Send Your News To: Carol Thomas carbrya1@gmail.com 01656 657846

Fencing Alongside Footpath: The fencing alongside the footpath leading from Heol y Bardd to Broadlands has recently been replaced and thanks are sent to the excellent contractors who worked diligently on the replacement in the pouring rain until it was completed.

Meet a Copper at Costa: If there are any issues in the area that you would like to raise you are welcome to pop into the Costa Cafe at the Princess of Wales Hospital, where local police officers will be in Attendance every Tuesday from 10am-11am.

They look forward to listening to your problems and offering good crime prevention advice where necessary.

Bereavement Friendship Group:

The Bereavement Friendship Group will be meeting at Bridgend Carers Centre, Park Street, Bridgend on the 1st Tuesday of the month comencing May 3. Contact 01656 658 479, from 5pm-6pm.

Bridgend Lions Charity Book Sale: The Annual Charity Book Sale at Westward Community Centre will take place on Friday, April 7 and Saturday, April 8.

Books in good condition will be gratefully received and may be taken to the centre on Sunday mornings between 10.30 and 11.30am.

Laleston Gardening Club:

The signs are that 2023 will be a very good year for Laleston Gardening Club. Some activities have already taken place and many more are in the pipeline.

The Chinese Evening on January 28 was a spectacular success and reflects great credit on the three ladies who did the catering (Linda, Sian & Sue). There was much favourable feedback with one Facebook contributor writing it was the best Chinese they had ever tasted.

Places on events such as this and the St David’s Day supper on March 3, are filled within days and Chairman Sue explained that the committee compiles a booking system that is based on the principle of a first come first served which is the most equitable way to satisfy the needs of the

Club’s 260 plus members. No-one has preferential treatment and everyone has an equal opportunity to book, early booking is always recommended.

Attendance at Club lectures and Ladies Meetings have been excellent and new members have been very supportive and enthusiastic. One of the Ladies Meetings featured the Community Pantry and the ladies very generously donated four large boxes of food to this very worthwhile cause.

The Ladies were very saddened to hear of the death of Mrs Sandra Scott a long standing and popular member of the Ladies Section. A condolence card was made by Sian and sent to the family on behalf of the Ladies Section.

There was a change of speaker at the horticultural lecture on February 13 when Terry Walton was booked to give a lecture on Allotment Gardening.

Unfortunately Terry was awaiting a hospital procedure and was unable to attend. At short notice Joseph Atkins, who was booked to give a talk on March 13, agreed to move his lecture to February 13 and gave a talk titled Plant Hunting Abroad, which was well received by a full house at Cliff Cottage. Joseph was formerly Head Gardener at Aberglasney, but now runs a pub/ restaurant near Carmarthen.

The lecture scheduled for March 13 will now be delivered by Ivor Mace who will give a talk on Roses.

It has already been reported that the Plant Sale in May will be held on the 13th to avoid the Coronation of King Charles III on the weekend on the 6th. There will be no separate perennial sale this year and the number of annual bedding plants will be reduced owing to the unsustainable workload experienced last year.

Given the fact that the 51st

Annual Horticultural Show and

BBQ is taking place much earlier this year on August 12 and not as usual the first Saturday in September, Show Secretary Pauline Sloan has felt it important to get the Show Schedules out early.

She has been greatly assisted this year by Lucy Bloomfield who has been recruited as Assistant Show Secretary. Pauline and Lucy have put together the schedule which has been ratified by the Committee and will be available quite soon.

February has been a very busy month for Chairman Sue with lots going on and lots to do. She takes all the bookings from those wishing to hire the Club’s facilities as well as bookings from those wishing to attend Club events.

Sue received an email from the Office Manager for Senedd Member, Sarah Murphy. S M Murphy wishes to visit “organisations that do great things” and consequently wishes to visit Laleston Gardening Club. Sue has agreed to meet Sarah on Friday, March 13 at Cliff Cottage to show her what the Club is all about.

Further grants are being made available from Suncredit Solar

Farm Organisation and Sue has taken the initiative and prepared an application on behalf of the Club. If successful the grant would enable the Club to finance a further three sash windows, two in the upstairs room used by the Model Railway Club and one in the old shop.

So the message is the same for all Club activities – Be aware and book early!