Llangadog, Capel Gwynfe and Bethlehem Community website

MIDWINTER TEA
Cymdeithas y Dalar, Dinefwr Green Group, Llandeilo Fawr Community Association and Transition Town Llandeilo are joining forces to invite everybody to A Midwinter Tea in the Civic hall Llandeilo on Sunday 12th December from 4pm to 9.30pm . In the afternoon there will be music, a children’s corner, gardening quiz and workshops on making Christmas decorations from natural and recycled materials. In the evening there will be storyteller, more music and a raffle. Light refreshments throughout. Please come and participate.

Transition Town Llandeilo are providing food and drink for the evening. Cawl has already been organised. Please bring at least one of the following: Bread and/or A bottle of something to drink and/or A savoury dish to share also feel free to bring musical instruments to join in with the music-making.

Provisional programme:
4pm-5pm Workshops
5pm-5.30pm Esyllt Harker:storyteller
6pm Gardening quiz
7pm Cawl
8pm-9pm Band & raffle

Saturday, 4th December 2010 - Only Two Can Play (1962; Cert PG; 106 mins)
Directed by Sidney Gilliat; Writer Kingsley Amis; Cast includes PeterSellers and Mae Zetterling.
This year’s classic for Christmas. John Lewis is bored by his librarian’s job and is henpecked at home. Then Liz, wife of a local councillor, sets her sights on him. But this is risky stuff in a Welsh valleys town - if he and Liz ever manage to consummate their affair. A classic film for December and with a Welsh connection.

The Film night is in Llangadog Community Centre and the doors will open at 7pm but as always if you can come along early to help layout the tables etc that would be great (6.30ish). Please book and pay for your tickets in advance (if possible) and by Wednesday 1st December at the latest. You can make your booking by e-mail to cadogfilmclub@aol.com , ring me (01550-777657) or write, sending or dropping off your cheque, made payable to Cadog Film Club to Irene Hayes at Bryngwyn House, Llangadog SA19 9EF. Tickets cost £5 for a member and £6 for a guest.

As usual, Bring a Dish. In case you need some help as to what to bring, puddings are always welcome as are quiches, tomatoes, salads, sausage rolls, pates, cheeses, nibbles etc. You don’t need to make anything; we’re quite happy if you buy something to bring along. Please mark anything that’s vegetarian accordingly.

Film Buffs’ Night
Wednesday, 15th December 2010 - Jean de Florette (1986; Cert PG; 120 min)
Directed by Claude Berri; Writer Marcel Pagnol; Cast includes Yves Montand and Gerard Depardieu).
A greedy landowner and his backward nephew conspire to block the only water source for an adjoining property in order to bankrupt the owner and force him to sell. Classic French film with sub-titles.

Film Buffs' night will be in Llangadog YM hall. The film will start at 7pm so please arrive about 6.45pm. Quite a few of us go on to a local hostelry
after the film for a chat, a drink and even a cheap and simple supper. For Buffs Night, just turn up and pay on the night. Tickets cost £5 for a member and £6 for a guest.

Llanddeusant Christmas Fair
Sunday 12th December 2010 (10am to 4pm) at Llanddeusant Village Hall, near Llangadog, Carmarthenshire
Christmas and Seasonal Gift Stalls ; Arts, Crafts and Handmade Items by local artisans ; Local Christmas Trees For Sale ; Food Drink and Mulled Wine Available ; Carols, Music and Entertainment ; Grand Raffle with Fabulous Prizes donated by local individuals and businesses.
Contact details: Bethan: 01550-740250; Catrin: 07815-289410

Bethlehem Christmas Fair
Saturday 4th December 2010 (10am to 4pm) at The Old School Hall, Bethlehem.
This season why not follow the star to Bethlehem - Bethlehem, South Wales that is!! Here you will find a wonderful selection of stalls selling Christmas gifts, crafts and local produce to cater for all your festive needs. Bring your post to be stamped with the famous Bethlehem post mark and do your Christmas shopping at the same time. There will also be refreshments, mulled wine, music, childrens crafts and Father Christmas. A wonderful way to get in the Christmas mood.

Midwinter Party
A solstice / Christmas celebration will take place at the Civic Hall, Llandeilo on Sunday 12th December from 4pm to 10pm. This is a joint event for Cymadeithas y Dalar (the allotments group), Transition Town Llandeilo, and Dinefwr Green Group. There will be live music, food and drink, raffle and quiz.

Christmas Concert at St Cadog's
Cantorion Tywi and Symphonica Tywi will be holding their Annual Christmas Concert at 7.30pm on Saturday, 18th December in St Cadog's Church, Llangadog.

Tickets are £10 (concessions £8), children under 14 free. For tickets call 01558-668637 or email to tickets@cantoriontywi.org.uk . Tickets are also available from Morgan's Papershop, Llangadog; Nice Price News, Llandeilo; the Heritage Centre and Black Lion Gift Shop, Llandovery and Llanwrda Post Office.

Christmas Flower Arrangements will be demonstrated by Ann Williams at Llangadog Gardening Club's monthly meeting to be held on Wednesday 24th November in the YMCA Hall, Llangadog at 7.30pm followed by raffle of arrangements and refreshments. Everyone welcome/croeso i bawb. For further info please contact Gwen Evans on 01550-777813.

The Last Gallery, Weekends 12th November – 18th December , 10am - 5pm. Entry free.

Corrugated Landscapes is a series of semi abstract paintings by Julie Ann Sheridan focusing on corrugated structures within the Welsh landscape.
Visually, corrugated iron is a material with its own inherent light and shade. The ridges give texture and their uniformity is deceptive; wrapped around buildings the lines are never quite straight. It is a low status material used for inexpensive barns and sheds. It has an uncared-for feeling, often neglected. Julie is drawn to the shabby nature of the material and the way in which, unlike most other construction materials it is rarely maintained, and how its deterioration gives it an organic form.

The paintings are of commonplace structures sited near roads, usually sitting in open fields or in clutches on farm settlements. They are unassuming, functional and undecorated and their simplicity forms an important part of the Welsh landscape. While working on these paintings Julie became absorbed by the possibilities of building more varied forms in their place. Her imagined constructions are fantasy barns; Heath Robinson constructions in tin cladding; landscape white elephants.

An exhibition to celebrate and build upon the achievements of the Llandovery and Llangadog Townscape Heritage Initiative, 3pm – 8pm, Wednesday, 24th November 2010 at Llangadog Community Centre.

Official opening by Mr Dan Clayton Jones (Deputy Chairman of NHMF and HLF and Chairman of the HLF Committee for Wales)
Contact Mr Roger Morgan – THI Officer, Llangadog Community Centre, Llangado. Tel 01550-779040; Email: RBMorgan@carmarthenshire.gov.uk

The event has been organised as part of National Maintenance Week (22nd–26th November) and is hosted by the Townscape Heritage Initiative Committee. Participants and exhibitors will include

• Carmarthenshire County Council (CCC)
• Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF)
• Cadw
• Department of Enterprise & Transport (DE&T)
• Tywi Afon yr Oesoedd (TAYO)
• Coleg Sir Gar
• Calch Ty Mawr Lime
• The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB)
• Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
• Keim Paints
Who will be able to advise on a range of matters from planning and conservation, property maintenance and generally keeping your house in good order.

The Post Office will be open this year to frank letters (1st class only) with the Bethlehem postmark from 6th December 2010 at the following times :

Julie Brenan, the internationally renowned dog artist and former official portrait painter for Crufts, is having an exhibition of her works at the Goose and Cuckoo in Llangadog from 23rd November 2010 onwards. Julie who lives in Bethlehem is delighted to be showing her paintings locally. For more information, see Julie's website at www.juliebrenan.co.uk

Llangadog Gardening Club November Meeting
Llangadog Gardening Club are looking forward to a demonstration of Christmas Flower Arrangements by Ann Williams on Wednesday 24th November in the YMCA Hall at 7.30pm, followed by a raffle and refreshments. Please come and join us or phone Gwen Evans on 01550-777813 for more info.

Snooker
Snooker can be played at Llangadog Sports Club throughout October and November - Juniors on Wednesdays from 7pm to 8.30pm, and Seniors at any other time (contact Mike for the key). For details ring 01550-777768

Llangadog Duck Race
This year's Duck Race took place on Friday, 24th September. There was a pretty good turn out and a few spills as dozens of little yellow ducks were released and later retrieved from the river. The photos really tell the story.....! The plucky winning duck was number 80.

Flu Jabs
Llanfair Surgery's winter flu jabs will be available from 9.30am to 12.30pm and from 2pm to 5pm at Rhys Pritchard Memorial Hall, Llandovery on Tuesday, 5th October or Thursday, 28th October. They will also be available at Llangadog Surgery on Wednesday, 13th October from 9.30am to 12.30pm

Jacobs’s second show at The Last Gallery documents his interested in the beauty of rural landscape and natural history. His work is a response to observations and feelings about particular places and moments in time and the memories of those experiences.

This focus extends beyond the location or object depicted. Places and objects are transformed by weather and season, day and night, and can momentarily appeal to personal sensibilities. The pristine silence of a winter landscape, the nostalgia of a summer evening, or the drama and force of a secluded waterfall can carry the weight of a picture and symbolise something universal - about life.

For this group of paintings he has used his own photography as a reference point, from time spent in Wales and recent trips to Yorkshire and Finland. They are made up of hand-painted squares as a system of producing each piece. This allows a way of balancing the point at which a deconstructed image, to do with tone and colour, becomes a recognisable motif.

Originally from Shropshire, Jacob moved to Wales in 2006, having studied illustration at Carmarthenshire College of Technology and Art, and the Royal College of Art in London.

On show 10am-6pm weekends only from 9th – 31st October
The Last Gallery, Dyrfal Road, Llangadog. www.thelast.org.uk 01550 777933

Llangadog Gardening Club's October Meeting
Llangadog Gardening Club's monthly meeting on Wednesday 27th October will be viewing "Garden Images" - photographic illustrations by Ian Ledgard, on the new screen in the YMCA Hall in Llangadog Community Centre at 7.30pm, followed by raffle and refreshments. Everyone welcome/croeso i bawb. Please come along or contact Gwen Evans on 01550-777813 for further details.

Des Oldfield successfully completed his Bolly Run for Our Injured Soldiers from Bethlehem, via Cwm Sawdde, to Llangadog Post Office just after 11.30am on Sunday 22nd August, in a time of 33 minutes 17.39 seconds.
The closest to predicting this time was Angela Keegan from Gwynfe (33 m 23.02 s.), who wins the champagne and strawberries (date of presentation to be announced). Runner up was Shirley Peters from Bethlehem (33 m.10.0 s.), who wins a bottle of whisky. Well done to them - and to Des of course!
Many thanks for everyone's support – £342 was raised, and a cheque for this amount has been sent to the Royal Welsh.

New Food Forum
The first meeting of the “Food Forum” will be held at the Old School in Bethlehem on Monday 30th August at 7.30 p.m. This is for those who appreciate good food and want to know more!
If you have a novel/unusual food ingredient, please bring it along.

Llanwrda Cricket Club
I am delighted to be able to report that Llanwrda Cricket Club have again won the Chem Dry Village Cricket League, and can confirm that this year's Finals Day will be on Sunday 19th September. Carmarthen Wanderers have agreed to hire us their field for this occasion, which is on the Trinity Fields, Llansteffan Road, Carmarthen. The bar, changing and shower facilities will be available for the duration of both finals. Snacks will be available at the bar for sustenance throughout the afternoon.

The planned format will be:
10:30am Assemble on the Trinity Fields
11am Start the Cup Final between Llanwrda & Penygroes (20 overs per side)
2pm Start the Plate Final between Five Roads & Johnstown (20 overs per side)
6pm Retire to the Poplars, Johnstown for a buffet/meal and the presentation of trophies

The club's annual BBQ will be held on Saturday 28th August. This time, in and around the Llanwrda village hall from about 6.30pm. Everyone is welcome to come and join us. Admission is free but you will have to pay for any of the available refreshments.

Llangadog Gardening Club Outing
Llangadog Gardening Club are organising an outing to Picton Castle Gardens and Gallery, near Haverfordwest on Wednesday 29th September with a meal on the way home at The Roadhouse, Whitland. We will double-up in cars and leave Llangadog Community Centre car park at one o'clock. Everyone welcome. To book please phone Gwen on 01550-777813.

Bethlehem Twmpth
A night of music and dancing at the Bethlehem Twmpth will take place on Saturday 11th September from 7pm till late. The evening will include Music from Libarhundix and a BBQ. Please bring your own alchohol . Entry £5 per adult , children £2

Liz’s third installation at The Last Gallery documents interventions with two derelict houses. Casts of objects associated with domesticity have been introduced to selected features, responding to the disorderly aesthetics of the ruin implying a restoration of function.

“The space of the abandoned house can lure us into its cavities of mystery and intrigue. It presents us with a violation of order, dismissal of function and exaggerated stimulation of our senses. Objects within can provide us with both connections and disconnections serving as testimonies to past events but also as ‘real’, ‘touchable’ products of time.”

In opposition to this, altered items of furniture have been denied their original function. They have become hybrid objects echoing the collapse of order and restrictive access to the derelict houses. This dichotomy between removal and restoration of function aims to create a tension reflective of both the unease and beauty witnessed within dereliction.

17th September - Keith Lascelles varied twmpath /folk dancing
Rhys Prichard Hall, Brecon Road, Llandovery SA20 0DD
7.30pm-10-30pm £4 Refreshments included.

17 Medi - Keith Lascelles,varied dawnsio gwerin
Neuadd Rhys Prichard, Llanymddyfri SA20 0DD
7.30yh -10.30yh £4 Lluniaeth yn gynwysedig

15th October - Peter Brock, Playford Dancing
Rhys Prichard Hall, Brecon Road, Llandovery SA20 0DD
£ 4 7.30pm – 10.30pm Refreshments included.

15fed Hydref - Peter Brock, Dawnsio Playford
Neuadd Rhys Prichard,
Llanymddyfri SA20 0DD
£ 4 7.30yh-10.30yh Lluniaeth yn gynwysedig

7th October
AGM

19th November - TWMPATH with ‘Y Ddafad Gorniog’ and Garym Roberts calling. Folk dance displays.
Llanwrda Hall, Carmarthenshire SA19 8HD
£6 / £4, 7.30pm
Soft/hot drinks included.
Please bring a plate of food to share

19eg Tachwedd - TWMPATH ‘Y Ddafad Gorniog’, a Garym Roberts
Folk dance displays
Neuadd Llanwrda, Sir Gar, SA19 8HD
£6 / £4, 7.30yh
Diodydd ysgafn / poeth yn gynwysedig
Dewch a phlatiad o fwyd i’w rannu

17th December - ‘From the Floor’
Varied Folk Dancing, offers to call a dance to John fromthefloor@wales123.plus.com
Rhys Prichard Hall, Brecon Road, Llandovery,
SA20 0DD 7.30pm-10.30pm £4
Refreshments included

17eg Rhagfyr - ‘O’r – Llawr’,
Varied folk dancing
Cynigion i alw am ddawns at John,
fromthefloor@wales123.plus.com
Neuadd Rhys Prichard, Llanymddyfri
SA20 0DD 7.30yh-10.30yh £4
Lluniaeth yn gynwysedig

IN AID OF INJURED SOLDIERS OF OUR LOCAL REGIMENT, THE ROYAL WELSH and THEIR FAMILIES

FIRST PRIZE
A bottle of chilled Bollinger champagne + five portions of local strawberries and cream, served on Llangadog square, complete with musical accompaniment by
Cor Meibion Dinefwr

THE COMPETITION
Guess how long it will take me to run from Bethlehem, through Cwm Sawdde, to Llangadog Post Office on 22nd August arriving around 11.30 a.m.
Estimated time to the nearest tenth of a second. (In the event of more than one correct answer, the winner will be decided by the toss of a coin)

THE CHARITABLE CAUSE
Unfortunately while we hear of the deaths in Afghanistan in the news headlines, we may not appreciate both the number and severity of injuries incurred by Welsh soldiers in the line of duty. The welfare fund set aside to assist them is coming under severe strain, hence the need to support them.

Raising money for the Royal Welsh: (029) 20726103 Contact Des Oldfield (01550 779255)
If you wish to donate money privately please contact the number above. for more details

It is hoped that there will be a table at the Llangadog Show on Saturday 7th August at the entrance to the marquee where we will take entries.
In addition there will be entry forms at Llangadog Post Office as well as various pubs & shops in the village.

Keith and Moira were very grateful that the weather was really good this year for their Open Day, as this brought in more visitors than ever who were able to wander round their beautiful garden which is packed with every colour of the rainbow.

There were refreshments provided skilfully by the local WI and plenty of chairs to relax on in all corners of the garden, as well as plenty of plants on sale too.

We all wish them good luck in the Daily Mail competition (see below) and will put the results on this website, but first we must congratulate them both on the hard work which has gone into producing another magnificent garden full of interest. It is worth mentioning that if anyone missed the Open Day, Keith and Moira are quite happy for visitors to see the garden at other times, but do ring first – 01550 777452 to make sure it is convenient.

NEWS FLASH!
Friday, 23rd July 2010
At the beginning of July we entered Cilgwyn Lodge Gardens in the Daily Mail National Garden Competition 2010. We heard last week that out of the 2,000 gardens that were entered we had been selected as one of the final 14 gardens under consideration. Judging of the final gardens took place this week and we were delighted to be informed yesterday that we had been selected as one of the 6 finalists. This morning Keith did a telephone interview with Constance Craig Smith the garden columnist with the Daily Mail, and this evening we had a photoshoot at the gardens by a top London photographer. We are still in a whirl especially with our Open Day on Sunday.
There will be a feature of all 6 finalists in the Weekend Magazine of the Daily Mail on either 7th or 14th August. Final judging takes place in the week commencing 16th August and the winner will be announced in September. It has been more fun than we could have ever imagined and whatever the outcome it will be great publicity for the Gardens and a thrill to share them with millions of Daily Mail readers. We are also proud that a Welsh garden has reached the final and hope that it will encourage more people to visit gardens in Wales and raise the profile of the NGS. We will keep you informed of further developments.
Keith & Moira

At Garn Goch hillfort, overlooking the Tywi Valley, visitors will be invited to walk back in time as part of the national festival of British Archaeology. On the weekend of 31st July and 1st August Dyfed Archaeological Trust and Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, with the support of Garn Goch graziers and the community of Bethlehem, will be laying on a host of archaeological and historically themed activities at the largest hillfort in Wales.
Starting at Bethlehem Village Hall visitors will be guided along a time trail up and around the hillfort learning about the landscape and hearing tales of the past along the way. Within the stone ramparts of Garn Goch, people will be demonstrating crafts through time. Children and adults can investigate the site for themselves through a history hunt.

For further information about the festival or if you would like to hear more about Exploration Tywi! contact Alice Pyper at the Dyfed Archaeological Trust 01558-823131 or log on to www.dyfedarchaeology.org.uk

Tywi Afon yr Oesoedd is a £2.4 million Landscape Partnership Scheme led by Carmarthenshire County Council. It is aimed at conserving the area’s landscape, biodiversity and history, as well as creating a legacy for future generations. The project has received £1.5 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund, and £557,378 through the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007-2013 which is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. It has also received funding from the Countryside Council for Wales, and support from the National Trust and Menter Bro Dinefwr. The project team is based at the Tywi Centre at Dinefwr Farm, Llandeilo. For further information email post@tywiafonyroesoedd.org.uk or call 01558-824271. Visit the project web pages via www.carmarthenshire.gov.uk

Llangadog Gardening Club's Annual Sale - Friday 27th August
Llangadog Gardening Club's Annual Sale of Fresh Produce, Cakes, Plants and Bric-a-Brac and bumper Raffle will be held in Llangadog Community Centre at 7pm, refreshments included in entry fee. Come and bag a bargain! For further info contact Gwen Evans on 01550-777813.

LLANGADOG CARNIVAL
In an otherwise very dry summer, sadly Llangadog Carnival took place on one of the very few wet days in many weeks. Nevertheless there was a good turnout and the photographs show just a few of the many imaginative and colourful floats and others who took part in this year's procession from the Common to the Recreation Ground - from horses, carriages and riders...

But perhaps the most prophetic was the float (!) commemorating Glastonbury 40...

BY RAIL TO THE ROYAL WELSH SHOW
Arriva Trains will again be running an additional service in each direction between Cardiff and Builth Road during the week of the Royal Welsh Show (other timetabled services will operate as normal). The organisers of the Royal Welsh Show are offering a discounted admission rate for those people travelling by rail to attend the show: Adults £18; Children 5-15yrs £4; Children under 5yrs free (plus the relevant rail fare depending on which station the journey commences from). A free shuttle bus service will provide a link between the rail station and the showground.
There are a couple of ways of buying tickets: Tickets for the train journey and show entry can be bought from any staffed railway station or station agent. Tickets for the train journey only can be bought over the phone on 08457-000125.
Arriva Trains Wales will be running a special train from Cardiff Central, Bridgend, and Port Talbot via the Heart of Wales Line to Builth Road rail station.

Departure times to the Show :		Departure times from the Show :
7.30am	Cardiff Central	Builth Road*	6.45pm
8.41am	Pontardulais	Llanwrtyd	7.12pm
8.54am	Ammanford	Cynghordy	7.28pm
9.00am	Llandybie	Llandovery	7.43pm
9.09am	Ffairfach	Llanwrda	7.50pm
9.14am	Llandeilo	*Llangadog*	*7.55pm*
*9.25am*	*Llangadog*	Llandeilo	8.06pm
9.30pm	Llanwrda	Ffairfach	8.10pm
9.39am	Llandovery	Llandybie	8.18pm
9.49am	Cynghordy	Ammanford	8.24pm
10.07am	Llanwrtyd	Pontardulais	8.35pm
10.34am	arr. Builth Road	arr. Cardiff Central	9.42pm

Claire Spencer – Contemporary Papercuts
Weekends throughout July (Sat 3rd July – Sunday 1st August), 10am – 6pm, at The Last Gallery, Llangadog.

Claire uses a scalpel to cut intricate designs into layers of paper, often in radiating circles of decorative pattern and motifs inspired by natural forms.
The simplicity and purity of paper as a medium, the portrayal of nature, and the formal qualities of the work serve to highlight themes of beauty and elegance.
Originally from Devon, Claire studied at Loughborough University. Following her BA she completed a Masters Degree at the Royal College of Art in London. She moved to Wales in 2006 and lives and works in Llanddeusant.

LLANGADOG CARNIVAL 2010
Fairy Queen : Miss Tilly Edwards; Attendants : Elinor Williams, Amy Kimber, Ffion-Mai Jones, Ellie Davies
Prince Charming : Osian Richards
Rose Queen : Caitlyn Davies; Attendants : Lucy Edwards, Non Morgan
Prince Charming : Callum Kimber
Carnival Queen : Ffion Parker; Attendant : Bridie Knight
Prince Charming : Dylan Evans

STEAM IN LLANGADOG
No. 45407 led a double-headed steam train southwards on an excursion through Llangadog station on Saturday, 3rd July. A sight enjoyed by a modest crowd of spectators. If you missed it, don't fret, it'll be back again, travelling northwards this time, on Saturday, 10th July.

Llangadog YFC - AGM
The Llangadog YFC AGM will be held at Llangadog rugby club on Wednesday 14th July at 7:30pm. A warm welcome is extended to members, leaders and friends of the club to join in the discussions.

Llangadog Gardening Club
The Plant and Cut Flower Stall organised by Llangadog Gardening Club is to be held on the Recreation Ground Llangadog on Carnival Day, 10th July from 2pm. All proceeds go to the Llangadog Community Centre. All contributions gratefully received from members and non-members from 12 noon.
Llangadog Gardening Club's monthly meeting on 28th July will finalise arrangements for next month's Sale, followed by an inspiring video of the beautiful garden at The Garden House, Buckland Monachorum, Devon. Raffle and refreshments will be available. Everyone welcome/croeso i bawb.
For further details contact Gwen Evans on 01550 777813.

This Years Winners with their prizes, a digital photo frame, a monopod and a minipod.
Idwal Bowen (left), Julie Ann Sheridan (tutor), Alison Rowland, Win Morgan and Claire Macintyre

Llangadog Post Office, held its second Digital Photography Challenge, in May, as part of Adult Learners Week. It was a huge success with over 25 participants. This year’s challenge was completed on foot. There were 3 walks, circumnavigating Llangadog, on which the budding new photographers solved clues to find particularly interesting photographic locations. The results were exhibited in the post office for 2 weeks and the general public voted for their favourites. Idwal Bowen’s image of the river Bran was first, second was Alison Rowland’s image of a nail and third was Claire Macintyre’s image of Llangadog Common. The final images are still on display in Llangadog Post Office.

All participants took part in a ½ hr lesson with tutor Julie Ann Sheridan in the Post Office, to learn image manipulation. The project was funded through the ESF Convergence Fund, the Welsh Assembly Government, NIACE Dysgu Cymru and Kite.

Steam Comes Back to the Towy Valley
For a couple of days in July the sound of steam trains will return to the Towy Valley. Two Stanier Black Fives will be heading trains passing through Llangadog on the Heart of Wales line on 3rd and 10th July. Also on the 10th, Britain's newest steam engine, "Tornado" will be visiting Carmarthen on an excursion from Birmingham. See WHAT'S ON for more details and an estimate of the times they should be here.

Martyn Cross - Weekends at The Last Gallery, Llangadog - Saturday, 29th May to Sunday, 27th June, 10am - 6pm

In Pride & Perseverance, artist Martyn Cross offers up a new collection of work for this, his first major solo exhibition. The Last Gallery acts as curiosity shop for the artist’s vandalised knitting patterns and also some unusual objects created especially for the show.

The world created by Cross is at first glance strangely familiar as characters indulge in private, primitive passions in a seeming attempt to escape the mindless drudgery of their lives. Yet further scrutiny reveals a murderous undercurrent in the provincial lives depicted; the extraordinary in the mundane.

Acting as seer in the creation of these beings, Cross methodically alters and adapts knitting patterns acquired from second-hand sources. Like a disillusioned teenager defacing a celebrity magazine, there is an attempt to leave behind the limitations of suburbia and succumb to another, altogether more mythical lifestyle.

Crafted objects have been made in a deliberate move to imagine the type of stuff these characters might have in their possession, or may have decided to make in their spare time - voodoo offerings for an unknown god; gentle cross-stitch allegiance to a cultish sect; hobbyist activities of the damned.

The artist’s birth town of Yate acts as some kind of odd talisman for the work, providing a symbolic gateway through which to explore this alternate universe (the word Yate is derived from the Saxon Giete meaning gate). A significant influence remains the highly individual people found in such places, to which Cross regularly returns.

Martyn Cross lives and works in Bristol. Recent exhibitions include ‘Exeter Contemporary Open 2009’, Exeter Phoenix; ‘Jerwood Drawing Prize 2009’, touring show; ‘Drawing With Dolphin’, Crimes Town, London (2009); ‘Future 50’, PSL, Leeds (2008); ‘These Living Walls of Jet’, Ceri Hand Gallery, Liverpool (2008).

Horse Racing at Llangadog
A plaque has been erected on Llangadog Village Green to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the first horse racing held in Llangadog, traditionally on each Easter Monday, since 1184.
Thanks to Chris for the photos.

WRVS Volunteer Vacancies : Volunteer Drivers Needed*
Do you have a couple of hours to spare on Monday, Thursday and Friday every nine weeks to help your local community in and around Llangadog?
If the answer is "yes" and you would like to help us to improve the life of elderly people within your are by doing Meals on Wheels, please contact your local organiser Pat Terry (tel. 01550-777596).
* 40p a mile petrol money paid.

Cilgwyn Manor
Cilgwyn Manor is going through a refurbishment programme with the view to reopening as a care home with a provisional opening date of end of August / beginning of September.
There will be vacancies for full time Manager, Deputy Manager, RGN's and Carers, plus Chef and Laundry Person. If you have the right qualifications and have a passion to rebuild Cilgwyn Manor, and are looking for a challenging but rewarding career in the care sector, with good salary/bonus/accommodation package, then in the first instance please send your CV to address or email below :
Personnel Manager - Sailesh Morjaria, 16 Yorktown Road, Sandhurst, Berks GU47 9DT (email sailesh@fsmail.net ; tel. 07956-126063)

‘Cadi Ha’ are an exciting three piece band are playing for Llandovery Folk Dancing on 18th June. They combine the experience and charm of bi-lingual caller Huw John with the musicianship of duo 'Fiddlebox'. Whether you are an old hand at twmpath dancing or a complete beginner, Huw's humorous and clear approach to calling will have you joining in, in no time.

The music of Fiddlebox (George Whitfield and Helen Adam) will have you on your feet, in any case, as they play an infectious mix of Welsh, Celtic, Klesmer, American and original tunes on fiddle and accordion. An evening with Cadi Ha will have you dancing traditional Welsh dances, both fast and slow, all complemented by beautiful Welsh traditional music. An evening of hwyl is guaranteed!

This all happens in Llanwrda Hall, Llandovery (see website below for directions). It costs a mere £5 / £3.50 for concessions, 7.30pm till late. Soft or hot drinks are included in the price but it would be appreciated if you could please bring a plate of food to share. For further information see www.llandoveryfolkdancing.co.uk or phone 01550-720483 / 750232

The two photos show Carregsawdde Commoners after their litter picking session on the Common at Llangadog in May. There was a Court Leet meeting on 20th May, held in the Green room of the Community Hall, at which one of the commoners suggested we pick up litter off the common – we get so many people walking their dogs, enjoying the river, riding the bridlepaths etc. and not everyone is careful to take their litter home.
We collected eleven bags of litter during the couple of hours we were there. Carmarthenshire County Council (Tidy Towns) loaned us litter pickers, gloves and bags which made the job much easier.
June Stait

Open Day at Cilgwyn Lodge
Sunday, 25th July is the Open Day for Cilgwyn Lodge - if you are interested in gardening and gardens. Open from 1pm to 5pm that day, they will be selling plants, serving teas, and you can wander round their gorgeous garden viewing the beautiful flowers - and lots of veg too! Further information on their website : www.cilgwynlodge.co.uk
Libby Oldfield

Llangadog Show Schedule 2010
We are pleased to include on this website most of the schedule for this year's show. This will enable visitors to our site to start preparing their entries in good time. Printed copies containing full rules, conditions and other details will also be available locally.

St Cadog's Church Supper and Auction
St Cadog's Church Supper and Auction was held on the 24th April and was a great success. The fund-raising committee would like to thank Ellis Davies the auctioneer who did a wonderful job on the night. He was in great form and had everyone laughing as well as spending money. Thanks also to everyone who provided food for the supper - it was as always delicious. We are also grateful to Des and Libby Oldfield for organising the drinks - this probably contributed to the competitive bidding during the auction! A very special thanks to everyone who generously donated items for the auction and for the raffle. So many people helped in many different ways - thank you very much. The local businesses again gave very generously and this event would not be such a success without these donations. We thank you for your continued support. Raffle prize winners were Jeff Bryer, Pam Jennings, Glenville, Mick Evans, Penny Smith, David Williams, Ydwenna Davies, Gwenda Cleaver, Mrs Watts, June Stait, Irene Hayes, John Lilley, Margo Bailey, Andy Bird.

Digital Photography Challenge 2010
Yes it’s that time of the year again. Llangadog will be holding its second Digital Photography Challenge as part of Adult Learners Week. Following the huge success of last year’s challenge, participants are invited to attend this year’s challenge.

You can collect a leaflet from Llangadog Post Office from Saturday, 8th May. This year’s challenge can be completed on foot. There are 3 walks, circumnavigating Llangadog, on which the challengers will be set clues to find particularly interesting photographic locations. Then it is down to the photographers to be creative. The challenge has to be completed by Sunday, 16th May.

All participants will be offered a half lesson with Julie Ann Sheridan in the Post Office on either 17th or 21st May to learn image manipulation. Images chosen for judging will be displayed in the Post Office window from Saturday, 22nd May. The public will vote for their favourite and there will be prizes awarded at the end of the month.

Don’t forget to collect your leaflet from Llangadog Post Office. For further info contact Win at Llangadog Post Office on 01550-777697 or Julie Ann Sheridan at The Last Gallery (tel. 01550-777933) for further details.

This project has been funded through the ESF Convergence Fund, the Welsh Assembly Government, NIACE Dysgu Cymru and Kite.

Indoor Bowling Club
This new club started up at Gwynfe Community Hall on Thursday, 15th April (2pm to 4pm). For further details call Wendy on 01550-740686.

Setting the Minutes
A new collection of photographs by Eva Bartussek that explore documentary portraiture

Eva Bartussek is a German photographer, based in Swansea, who seeks to expand notions of documentary portraiture through her work.
‘Setting the Minutes’ is the documentation of extraordinary situations. Her recent exhibition ‘Horse House’ at Glyn Vivian in Swansea captured one of these extraordinary situations. By photographing these 'worlds' extensively, Bartussek seeks to capture the quiet beauty of these unusual happenings.

Eva’s photographs are on show at The Last Gallery in Llangadog, from Saturday 1st May, each weekend, until 23rd May. Open 10am-6pm.
Further information ring 01550-777933 or see www.evabartussek.co.uk or www.thelast.org.uk
(Note. The artists opening and first weekend was cancelled due to her not being able to get back from Germany because of the volcanic ash cloud)

On the 24th April 2010 St Cadog’s Church will hold its Annual Supper and Auction. We held our first one in 2000 and thought it would be a one-off but here we are 10 years on and hoping for the most successful evening yet.

The Supper and Auction have become quite an occasion in Llangadog’s calendar of events and we are very grateful to everyone who has supported us in the past and hope that they will join us again for another very special evening. It is always a very happy time as the supper is excellent and provided by members of the congregation. We also have a wine and soft drinks bar to jolly the evening on. The highlight of course is the Auction itself and we are very grateful to many local businesses for supporting us with donations. We also appreciate the offer of quality items from anyone who has something they no longer want, which they feel is too good to throw away.

The success of the evening is due in a big way to Mr Ellis Davies. This will be the 10th time Ellis has agreed to be our auctioneer and we are very grateful to him. He has us all laughing as well as encouraging us to buy. Not only does he entertain us but he runs a very efficient auction and makes spending money (in a good cause) less painful!

For those of you who have never visited Llangadog Church it is well worth a visit. Much refurbishment has taken place over the past few years but more projects are planned. Concerts and musical evenings regularly take place in the Church but we would like to improve the facilities to make the Church a more comfortable venue and meeting place for both worship and other events.

The Supper and Auction is held in Llangadog Community Centre and the doors are open for viewing at 7pm. Tickets for the evening are £8 and can be booked by calling 01550-777657. If you have any good quality items which you wish to donate for the auction please call 01550-777334.

From the 12th April – 3red May, Exploration Tywi! will be excavating at “Wernfawr,” a deserted farmstead near Llandeilo that burnt to the ground in 1911. With help from the Dyfed Archaeological Trust’s archaeologists, participants will investigate this deserted settlement and learn many archaeological excavation and recording skills. The purpose of the dig is to look for clues for the origin and history of the site – what was life like on a farm and how has it changed over time?

For more details or to book a place, contact Alice Pyper or Hazel Williams on 01558-823121 or email a.pyper@dyfedarchaeology.org.uk

Exploration Tywi, or Chwilota’r Tywi, is one of the four themes within Tywi Afon yr Oesoedd project and is run by The Dyfed Archaeological Trust.
The project aims to provide an opportunity to take participants of all ages on an exploration of the Tywi Valley’s past through the excitement of geological, archaeological and historical discovery.

Tywi Afon Yr Oesoedd (Tywi a River Through Time) is a £2.4million project, led by Carmarthenshire County Council, which is aimed at conserving the area’s landscape, biodiversity and history; and creating a legacy for future generations. The project received £1.5 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund, £557,378 from the Rural Development Plan, and support from the Countryside Council for Wales, Menter Bro Dinefwr and National Trust.

Dances of Universal Peace with Sandra Sunfire
7.30pm to 10.30pm on 16th April 2010 at Dolau Bran Hall, Brecon Road, Llandovery. Tickets £3 which includes soft or hot drinks and homemade cake.
Dances of Universal Peace are part of a timeless tradition of sacred dance. A sense of peace and unity is created through moving, chanting and singing together – a joyful oneness. Everyone is very welcome to come and celebrate the diversity of the earth's spiritual traditions in harmony together, as we explore and experience a compassionate connection to others and to nature. No previous experience is necessary. Details from http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/dupderwenlas

The next Llandovery Folk Dancing Event is: Chris Yemm with Circle Dancing on May 21st and in the bigger Rhys Prichard Hall in Llandovery. For details and rest of Summer programme 2010 see www.llandoveryfolkdancing.co.uk or ring 01550-750232 / 720483

Also, another ‘happening’ in the area, this month:
On 23rd April 2010 Fest-Noz / Bal / French Folk Dancing at Llanwrda Hall, 6.30pm to 8pm with French dance practice. The Bourree and Scottish dances will be taught for the beginner with Dai Jarman and is free. After this at 8.15pm - 11pm the Fest Noz / Bal will follow, there will also be some Breton dances. These dances may not be ‘called’. Live music during the evening from Haute Cuisine and Stray Away. Tickets £5.
Please feel welcome on your own or with friends. It would be appreciated if you could bring your own drinks and a plate of food to share. Drinking water available. For more details ring01558-668545 or email sunnyjig@hotmail.com

General Election Hustings
Turn up the heat on the candidates! Your chance to ask the parties about their plans for a sustainable, low-carbon future for Llandeilo and east Carmarthenshire. With John Atkinson (UKIP), Jonathan Edwards (Plaid Cymru), Christine Gwyther (Labour), Andrew Morgan (Conservative), William Powell (Liberal Democrat)
Llandeilo Rugby Club, Thursday April 22nd, 7.30 pm. All are welcome. Bar, tea and coffee from 7 pm.
Each candidate will have up to four minutes to address the floor at the start of the evening. They have been given this theme: 'Creating a sustainable, resilient and low-carbon future for Llandeilo and east Carmarthenshire'. This will be followed by a chaired session of questions and answers from the floor.
Please send questions in advance to info@transitiontownllandeilo.org.uk . This will allow the steering group to ensure that there is a good range of questions on the night.

The Club's Annual General Meeting will be held on Saturday 1st May 2010 at 7pm in the Llangadog Community centre.
We will have food as usual after the meeting so please bring a dish to share as usual. There will be time for a short discussion after the AGM and then the film "An Education" will be shown (see below*). There is no charge for the night but bookings are still required and should be made by 28th April by ringing 01550-777657 or e-mailing cadogfilmclub@aol.com. This is a members’ only evening.

The Agenda for the AGM is:
1. Apologies
2. Minutes of previous meeting 2nd May 2009
3. Chairman’s Report
4. Treasurer’s Report
5. Election of Officers

There are currently 6 members on the committee and the club constitution requires one third of the committee members to resign by rotation. Ian Hurst and Joanne Jessop will resign from the committee but both are willing to stand for re-election. Please send nominations for the committee to the secretary, in writing, 7 clear days before the AGM (by 24th April).

If you haven’t renewed your membership yet, it is now overdue as our membership year ended on 31st March 2010. If you wish to continue with your membership and getting the flyers, please renew your membership as soon as possible.

* "An Education" (2009. Cert 12A - 96 min). Directed by Lone Scherfig with a cast including Peter Sarsgaard, Carey Mulligan, Alfred Molina, Rosamund Pike, Dominic Cooper, Emma Thompson, Olivia Williams, Sally Hawkins London, 1961 - suburban London teen finds her traditional education replaced by something slightly more sinister when an older, more worldly suitor sweeps her off of her feet while placing her future in jeopardy. Based on the memoirs of the journalist Lynn Barber.

Llandovery Folk Dancing Events Summer 2010
May 21st : Circle Dancing (with Chris Yemm) at Rhys Prichard Hall, Brecon Road, Llandovery. 7.30pm-10.30pm. Entry £3 (refreshments included).
June 18th : Ceilidh Cadi Ha at Llanwrda Hall. 7.30pm. Entry £5 / £3.50 (soft/hot drinks included). Please bring a plate of food to share, midway.
July 16th : Cornish Dancing (Jemima Mitchell) at Rhys Prichard Hall, Brecon Road, Llandovery, 7.30pm-10.30pm. Entry £3 (refreshments included).
For further details see www.llandoveryfolkdancing.co.uk or tel. 01550-720483 / 750232

Llangadog Gardening Club Outing
Llangadog Gardening Club are organising an outing to Aberglasney Gardens on Wednesday, 28th April to see the Spring display, leaving Llangadog Community Centre car park at l.l5pm. We will double-up in cars so please let us know if you would like to join us by contacting Gwen Evans on 01550-777813.

"Julia and Julie" (Cert 12A, 123 min) will be shown on 10th April. The Writer-Director is Nora Ephron and the cast includes Stanley Tucci, Amy Adams, Linda Edmond, Meryl Streep and Chris Messina. The story of two real-life people, both newly wed and restless with ill-defined ambitions, and how they discover their true selves in gourmet cooking. - the late cookbook author and TV personality Julia Child, and an otherwise unknown 30-year-old wife in Queens, N.Y., Julie Powell, who blogged about her attempt to cook all 524 recipes in Child’s legendary “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” in a single year.

Please note the changed date for this film night. Venue as usual is Llangadog Community Centre, doors will open at 7pm but if you can come along to help set up we’d be pleased to see you there about 6.30pm. Please book and pay for your tickets in advance (if possible) by Wednesday 7th April. You can make your booking by e-mail to cadogfilmclub@aol.com , ring Irene Hayes (01550-777657) or write, sending or dropping off your cheque, made payable to Cadog Film Club, Bryngwyn House, Llangadog SA19 9EF. Another ‘BAD’ (= Bring A Dish of food) night so tickets cost £5 for a member and £6 for a guest.

The next Film Buffs’ Night will be on Tuesday 13th April 2010 when we will be showing "Moon" (Cert 15, 93 min). Directed by Duncan Jones, with a cast incling Matt Berry, Sam Rockwell, Malcolm Stewart, Dominique McElligott, Benedict Wong and Kaya Scodelario. This is a thought-provoking science fiction film. After spending three years on the moon as a solitary miner, Sam Bell is almost ready to return home to his wife and daughter. But as his homecoming approaches, he begins to experience strange things that can’t be explained.

Just turn up and pay on the night. Tickets cost £5 for a member and £6 for a guest. It will be in the YMCA hall in Llangadog Community Centre and the film starts at 7pm and doors open from 6.30pm. Again some of us will probably go on for a drink and supper to a local hostelry.

OAP Lunches at Red Lion
These take place at the Red Lion in Llangadog on the first Tuesday of each month at 12.30pm and cost £4 (£5 with coffee). Planned menus for the next few months are...

6th April Welsh Beef, Yorkshire, Roast Parsnips, Roast Potato & 2 x Veg
4th May Grilled Haddock with Parsley Sauce, Boiled Potatoes & 2 x Veg
1st June Roast Leg of Pork, Stuffing, Roast Potatoes & 2 x Veg
6th July Roast Turkey & Stuffing, Roast Potatoes & 2 x Veg
3rd August Welsh Beef, Yorkshire, Roast Parsnips, Roast Potato & 2 x Veg
7th September Home cooked Ham with Parsley Sauce, Mashed Potato & 2 x Veg

Free Travel on the Heart of Wales Line
Sadly the scheme for free rail travel between Swansea and Shrewsbury for holders of local bus passes comes to an end on 26th March. Hopefully it will restart in the autumn. Watch this space!

Concert – Melodica
St. Cadog’s Church in Llangadog is renowned for its concerts, thanks to the very musical vicar Rev. Mike Cottam. The next fundraising concert will take place on Saturday March 27th at 7.30pm. There will be a very varied programme which should appeal to all music lovers. We are very lucky to have so many talented people locally, who are willing to give of their time to entertain us.
This is a chance to hear a digital organ – the latest technology, which sounds very impressive and just like a normal Church pipe organ but perhaps even better. We are very fortunate to have two organists who will play for us on the night. Tom Cannock is the organist at St Cadog’s Church and also Dominic O’Connor Robinson, who was an organ scholar at Robinson’s College Cambridge and also conducted the Deo Gracias student choir. Dominic is the accompanist to Cantorion Tywi and is studying Forestry Management.
Also taking part are Dorothy Singh, a well known violin teacher and accompanist, whose three children have gone on to be violinists of a very high standard. One of Dorothy’s pupils, violinist Cathryn Rees, will also take part in the concert. She is a student at Bro Myrddin and a member of Symphonica Tywi. Cathryn was a soloist with Symphonica Tywi last year.
The programme will also include offerings from Chris Potter and Viv Widlake, two of the principal members of the French Horn section of Symphonica Tywi. Not all of the concert is instrumental though as we have the soprano Gwenann Jones who will sing for us. Gwennan is from Cardiganshire ,although she has worked in London as a soprano. She is currently building up her repertoire to help her pathway to operatic singing. Bronwen Jones will also sing for us. Bronwen is a member of Cantorion Tywi and has sung solos with the orchestra. She particularly enjoys Cole Porter and George Gershwin. Dr Jane Hanley who is a lecturer in Swansea University will also sing. She has previously also sung solos in concerts with the choir and orchestra.
Last but not least we have the singing group Frenzaloud which was formed comparatively recently. They are, as the name indicates, friends who gather regularly to sing for the sheer pleasure of it.
Hopefully this has whetted your appetite to join us for this very exciting programme of music. Tickets cost £5 and can be bought at the door or booked in advance by phoning 01550-776604 or 01550-777657. Refreshments will also be available in the interval.

Llangadog YFC
A warm congratulations to members of Llangadog YFC who came third on the All Wales level in the organisation’s drama competition. As a result, the YFC will be holding an evening of three dramas on Saturday 17th April in the Llangadog Community Centre to commence at 7.30pm. Two other clubs will be performing their dramas. A message in advance, as Llangadog YFC will be stewarding the Carmarthenshire Rally this year which will be held on 8th May 2010, any help would be appreciated. If you are interested in helping, please contact the club’s secretary, Angharad Rees on 07795-164139

Saturday, 20th March 20 to Sunday 4th April at The Last Gallery, Llangadog SA19 9BR (open at weekends only)
“Men are probably nearer the central truth in their superstitions than in their science.” - Henry David Thoreau
Belief in the paranormal can be controversial; but there is a strong human desire to find pattern and meaning in the unexplained.

This multimedia exhibition uses video and sound experiments, textiles and technical objects to evoke the world of ‘ghost hunting’. The project visits the territory between belief and parody to explore the technological, psychological and aesthetically self-referent influence of TV and films on the phenomenon.
The Last Gallery is a contemporary art space showing work by artists from across the UK. Housed in a former Victorian cobblers shop in the village of Llangadog in west Wales, the building retains its original features. The gallery is un-manned, so visitors can experience the artworks completely alone...

Twmpath
The Twmpath held in the old School in Bethlehem at the end of February was very successful comprising of entertaining traditional Welsh dancing, yummy cawl and folk dancing and singing led by the talented Julie Murphy, Martin Leamon and Jason Lawday.
The folk singing group are performing again (with others) on 27th March at another Twmpath in Llanwrda Village Hall from 7pm to 11pm, so if you would like a really good evening out, then make a note of this on your calendar. Tickets are £5 on the door.

Cadog Film Club
Following the postponement and rescheduling of the two film shows during the "big freeze" in January we have no fewer than four films coming up over the next month.

On Saturday 20th February we are showing "Dean Spanley", a delightful comedy starring Jeremy Northam, Sam Neill and Peter O'Toole, described by one review as an "offbeat, whimsical, period-set shaggy dog story". Another added "do check this one out. Funny, warm and sensitive, its got gem written all over it."

Two weeks later, on Saturday 6th March, we're showing "Is Anybody There?". This is a bitter-sweet comedy starring Michael Caine and Bill Milner (plus many other well-known faces). 14 year old Edward lives in the retirement home where his parents work, and his interests have unsurprisingly moved toward death, ghosts, and the afterlife. He can’t stand living there, but his mood changes when Clarence (Michael Caine) appears. Clarence spent his life performing magic and causing trouble, and he may just be the friend that Edward has been waiting for.
We also have two Buffs night films coming up. On Tuesday, 9th March there's "Fish Tank", directed by Andrea Arnold. Having been expelled from school, Mia spends her time hanging out in a derelict flat near to her family’s council estate home and drinking whatever alcohol she can lay her hands on. Her young life, already spiralling out of control, is complicated further when her mother Joanne brings home her new boyfriend Connor.

The second Buffs night film of the month is "State of Play" on Tuesday, 23rd March, with a cast that includes Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck and Helen Mirren. This is a thriller that feels all too real at times. A team of investigative reporters work alongside a police detective to try to solve the murder of a congressman’s mistress.

As always admission to our film shows is open to members and guests. Members pay £5 and guests £6. Saturday evening shows are in the Llangadog Community Centre and start at 7.30pm with a buffet*, bar and raffle. Buffs night are in the YMCA on Tuesdays and begin at 7pm. We do not offer a bar or buffet on Buffs nights, but some members opt to gather afterwards at a local hostelry for suitable refreshment!

* We are currently having "BAD" nights at our Saturday shows - this means we ask everyone to Bring A Dish of food to share at the buffet. Don't worry if you can't or don't want to cook, you can always bring something you have bought (eg pate, cheese, pies, flans, cakes etc).

For further suggestions, information, and to book your tickets in advance, please ring Irene Hayes on 01550-777657 or email cadogfilmclub@aol.com

An Introduction to Permaculture
Llangadog Gardening Club are organising 'An Introduction to Permaculture' (an ecologically sound way of living in co-operation with Nature) by way of DVD, questions and answers at their monthly meeting in the YMCA Hall, Llangadog at 7.30pm. Everybody welcome/croeso i bawb. For further details contact Gwen Evans on 01550-777813.

Rug making Workshop with Recycled Fabrics with Annie Allen
This has been organised by Transition Town Llandeilo for Saturday 20th February, 1.30 to 4.30 pm, at Sue’s barn : Llwynbwch, Llansadwrn SA19 8LP (call Sue for directions - 01550-777402)
Annie says: "The workshop will cover 2 ways to make rugs with strips of material sewn together - either with large crochet hooks or pegloom weaving. I will show you basic techniques, crochet stitches if you don’t know how to crochet & how to get started on a pegloom. If you have materials you wish to use, bring them along (it will save a lot of time if you have already torn them into narrow strips - about 3/4 inch wide - and sewn them together to make your balls of fabric to work with.) I will also provide some fabrics, extra large crochet hooks and a few peglooms - and hooks & looms will be available for sale."
Cost: £10. For further information call Annie on 01269-853902

A chance to explore local heritage and contribute your own stories and knowledge

On Saturday February 27th there will be an exciting opportunity to explore the history and heritage of the landscape around Llandovery, all in the comfort of the Castle Hotel, Llandovery. The Fforest Fawr Geopark is hosting the community day, at which local people are invited to enjoy a heritage exhibition and discuss their own stories and memories, which help to trace the threads of history.

Llandovery is a meeting point for ancient routes that mark out themes in its history. From Iron Age people, to Roman invaders and medieval Lords and Princes, right up to the history of farming, droving and markets, and the Heart of Wales railway.

The event is part of a plan to celebrate the history of communities around Llandovery. The project aims to increase the value of heritage for local communities and the tourism sector. Creu-ad Heritage Interpretation and Trysor are arranging the day on behalf of Fforest Fawr Geopark. Before the event, they will be contacting local individuals and groups to get them involved.

People will be encouraged to talk about their stories linked to the landscape and to swap reminiscences. There will be a lively atmosphere as storyteller, Esyllt Harker will help to bring these stories to life and artist Lynne Denman, will be working with local people to create a map made from words, images and photographs. Alongside the chance to put your favourite places on the map, there will also be experts on hand; historic and digital maps of the Llandovery district and archaeological records of the area for you to consult.

Footsteps Through Time invites you to bring along something that reminds you of the local landscape and its past or present. It might be a piece of stone that gets attention from the geologists present or a photograph of a favourite local landscape that might suggest a story to the expert archaeologists. Experts will be on hand to discuss all sorts of objects and chat about their history. You just don’t know what will turn up.

The day starts at 10 am with coffee and a chance to hear more about the project. In the afternoon there will be short talks, including an opportunity to hear from Alan Bowring, Fforest Fawr Geopark Officer. Alan says, “ Geology has affected almost every aspect of our history and we can be proud that this area has been given special recognition as a European and Global Geopark. But, a Geopark is about more than rocks; it’s about the people who have lived and worked in the landscape over thousands of years. Their story is important to us too”.

Don’t miss out; come along even if you can only get the flavour of the day by having a quick look around the displays put on by local groups. Look out for posters and fliers that will give you details of the day.

For more information about ‘Llandovery: Footsteps Through Time’ contact Alan Bowring, Fforest Fawr Geopark Development Officer on 01874-620415

Snow Scenes
Did you take any pictures of of our village or the surrounding area during the recent big freeze? If so, and you'd like to share them, please send us copies, and we'd be very happy to consider including them on our web site.

Photos can either be emailed at any time as attachments to message@llangadog.com (preferably as .jpeg files) or dropped into Llangadog Post Office, if possible, on Tuesday mornings (either as .jpeg files on a disc or a memory stick, or as a printout). Any discs, memory sticks or printouts can be collected from me the following week. The pictures below were taken by June Stait.
Peter Berry

Llangadog Angling
The Club's Annual General Meeting will be held on Friday 29th January 2010 at 7.00pm in the Community Centre. This will be followed by a buffet and prize giving at the Goose and Cuckoo. If you wish to attend please phone the Secretary on 01550-777296 by Friday 24th January.

This delightful calendar, entitle "Images of Llangadog" is available from Llangadog Post Office (tel. 01550-777697), price £7. All the photographs were taken locally by participants in the KITE photography courses.
KITE (Kadog IT Enterprise) was formed in 2006, and is a group of local people whose main objective is to encourage the use of computers in the community by offering one-to-one basic computer and digital photography lessons in the local post office using the internet cafe equipment provided by Richard and Win Morgan. KITE has also been instrumental in setting up and running this website, which receives around 3000 visits each month with some 6000 pages being viewed each month.
Proceeds from the sale of the Llangadog Calendar 2010 will go towards meeting the costs of these valuable local facilities.

Llangadog Gardening Club
Llangadog Gardening Club 's Annual General Meeting and Social Evening will be held in the YMCA Hall at Llangadog Community Centre on Wednesday 27th January, followed by buffet and quiz. Please note early start at 7pm.

Transition Town Llandeilo AGM
About 45 people gathered at The Angel on November 30th for our AGM. It was good to see old friends and several new faces. In a group exercise we discussed the kinds of projects we could be involved in in the fields of Energy, Transport, and Food and Farming, and this discussion gave rise to the nucleus of new or reborn groups around these critical themes. Early in the New Year the groups will be having their first meetings. Meanwhile, for more information please contact the convenors of the groups:
Energy: Tim Pullen, email timr.pullen@btinternet.com
Transport: John Cox, email john.cox3@virgin.net or tel. 01558 -822938
Food and Farming: Ellie Birchell Hughes, tel.01558-824781

Willow weaving workshops in Llansawel and Bethlehem
Peggy, who was demonstrating her basket-weaving skills at the Transition Town Llandeilo's skills-sharing afternoon in November, will be running half-day workshops in Llansawel Community Hall on 30th January and 11th February, a full-day workshop in Bethlehem Community Hall on 27th February and a half-day workshop again in Bethlehem on 3rd March. The cost includes materials and refreshments, and is £15 for the Llansawel workshops, £35 for the full day and £20 for the half day in Bethlehem.
Contact Peggy, by email on peggyclaudia@yahoo.com for more details.

Cadog Film Club Programme
Forthcoming films planned for the New Year are :
9th January 2010 : Dean Spanley (2008 - Cert U - 100 min). Director Toa Fraser. Cast incl. Jeremy Northam, Sam Neil, Bryan Brown, Peter O'Toole. A film to warm even the coldest of hearts.
12th January 2010 (Buffs Night*) - State of Play (2009 - Cert 12A - 127 mins). Director Kevin Macdonald. Cast incl. Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Helen Mirren, Rachel McAdams. Find the trusth - a team of investigative reporters work alongside detectives to try to solve the murder of a congressman's mistress.

6th February 2010 : Appaloosa (2008 - Cat 15 - 115 min). Director: Ed Harris. Cast incl. Lance Henriksen, Viggo Mortensen, Ed Harris, Renée Zellweger. A square-jawed, old-fashioned western.

9th Feruary 2010 (Buffs Night*) : Private Fears in Public Places (2007 - Cat 12A - 120 min). French film with sub-titles. Director: Alain Resnais. Based on the play by Alan Ayckbourn. Cast incl. Sabine Azema, Lambert Wilson, Andre Dussollier, Pierre Arditi, Laura Morante, Isabelle Carre, Claude Rich. An intelligent, adult look at loneliness in the twenty-first century.

6th March 2010 : Is Anybody There? (2008 - Cat 12A - 91 min). Director: John Crowley. Cast incl. Michael Caine, Sylvia Sims, David Morrissey, Leslie Phillips, Anne-Marie Duff, Bill Milner, Elizabeth Spriggs. Michael Caine pairs up with young British actor Bill Milner in this touching British drama.

9th March 2010 (Buffs Night*) : Fish Tank (2009 - Cat 15 - 119 min. Director: Andrea Arnold. Cast incl. Katie Jarvis, Rebecca Griffiths, Michael Fassbender, Kierston Wareing, Sydney Mary Nash, Harry Treadaway. A compelling drama centring on a 15 year-old girl.

3rd April 2010 : Julia and Julie (2009 - Cat 12A - 123 min). Writer-Director: Nora Ephron . Cast incl. Stanley Tucci, Amy Adams, Linda Edmond, Meryl Streep, Chris Messina. Tells of two real-life people, newly wed and restless with ill-defined ambitions, and how they discover their true selves in gourmet cooking.

13th April 2010 (Buffs Night*) : Moon (2009 - Cat 15 - 93 min). Director: Duncan Jones. Cast incl. Matt Berry, Sam Rockwell, Malcolm Stewart, Dominique McElligott, Benedict Wong, Kaya Scodelario. A thought-provoking science fiction film.

1st May 2010 : AGM followed by Sleeping Furiously. (2007 - Cert U - 94 mins). Director: Gideon Koppel. A documentary love-letter to Trefeurig, the Welsh farming community in Ceredigion.

11th May 2010 (Buffs Night*) : An Education (2009 - Cat 12A - 96 min). Director: Lone Scherfig Cast incl. Peter Sarsgaard, Carey Mulligan, Alfred Molina, Rosamund Pike, Dominic Cooper, Emma Thompson, Olivia Williams, Sally Hawkins. A suburban London teen finds her traditional education replaced by something slightly more sinister.

Film nights are usually on the first Saturday of the month, starting at 7.30pm in the Llangadog Community Hall. Admission by Ticket only (please book in advance). Buffet and bar.

* Buffs film nights are on the second Tuesday of each month, starting at 7pm in the YMCA Hall, Llangadog. Admission by Ticket only.

For bookings and details ring Irene Hayes on 01550-777657 or email cadogfilmclub@aol.com

Free Rail Travel is Back!
Free travel on the Heart of Wales line between Swansea and Shrewsbury for local bus pass holder restarted on 4th October 2009 and will continue until 26th March 2010. For timetable information please contact National Rail Enquires on 08457-484950 (24 hours daily), or visit www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk

Yr Hen Ysgol Bethlehem
The Old School in Bethehem is now open again as a community hall and still has its Post Office. Regular activities planned are:
• Mondays (term times), 4pm to 4.45pm and 5pm to 5,.45pm - Drama Club
• Monday evenings - 1st and 3rd of month, Quiz Night
• Monday evenings - 5th of month, Talk

The Post Office is open on Tuesdays (2pm to 4pm), and will be open daily during December (10am to 4pm) until Christmas (for "Bethlehem" postmarks).

The hall, meeting room, kitchen and toilets are also available for hire at very reasonable rates (tel. 07812-506562). See also www.bethlehemvillage.co.uk

Thought for Food
Many thanks to Paul and Luke and their staff at The Goose and Cuckoo for the excellent Suppers on the Square that they have provided each month for the last couple of years. Thanks too to Kevin and Cindy and their staff at The Red Lion for their more recently introduced OAP lunches. These meals and get-togethers have been very much appreciated by all those who have attended.
Further details of both these regular events are given elsewhere on the Supper on the Square News Page and in What's On.

Pensioners' Lunch
The Red Lion, Llangadog offers a £4 lunch to pensioners on the first Tuesday of each month. Please give names to Win Morgan at Llangadog PO (tel. 01550-777697) in advance.

Christmas Rubbish Collections
Please note that collections in Llangadog that would normally be on Friday, 25th December (ie Christmas Day) and Friday, 1st January (ie New Years Day) will be made on Sunday, 27th December and Sunday, 3rd January respectively instead. Household waste centres will be open as usual, except for Christmas Day and New Years Day.

Llangadog YFC
A huge congratulations to all the members who competed in the All Wales Eisteddfod in Llandudno held on Saturday, 21st November - Mared Dafydd – recitation under 16 years old – 2nd vocal ensemble – 1st; pop song – 3rd and the choir – 3rd. An excellent concert was held on Friday, 27th of November where numerous members showed their talents to the community. The President for the evening was Mr Gareth Jones, Olchfa who gave a very interesting speech about the history of the club at Llangadog. A cheque was presented to Air Ambulance Wales and bouquets of flowers were also presented to Mrs Nia Clwyd and Mrs Gillian Thomas for all their hard work in training the members for The Carmarthenshire Eisteddfod and the All Wales Eisteddfod.

Members of the club will be supporting their fellow members who are participating in the Les Miserables school production at Ysgol Tre-Gib on Friday, 11th of December. To book a place through the club, contact Angharad Rees on 07795164139. A forewarning, the YFC’s Christmas whist drive will be held at Llangadog Hall on Monday 21/12/09.

Bethlehem Post Office
Bethlehem Post Office and coffee shop will be open every weekday, from 1st to 19th December (10am to 4pm), and Saturdays (10am to 12noon). Get your Christmas post stamped with the famous Bethlehem hand stamp and relax with a cup of coffee and a mince pie.

Llangadog YFC
October was a very busy month for the YFC members since the annual Eisteddfod was held for three nights this year. All members who competed are to be congratulated for their enthusiasm and high quality both on the stage and in the literature competitions.

The members then held their Annual Harvest Thanksgiving in Bethlehem Chapel on Friday, 23rd October and the Rev Guto Prys ap Gwynfor contributed to the evening.

The members are continuously active and good luck must be granted to the members competing in the English Public Speaking competition which will be held in Nantgaredig Primary school on Saturday, 14th November.

It is also good luck that must be given to the members who will be competing in the All Wales Eisteddfod which will be held at the Venue Cymru, Llandudno on Saturday, 21st Novemeber. Llangadog YFC must be congratulated in having four competitions representing the county at the All-Wales level – reciting under 16 yrs old, vocal ensemble. pop group and the choir - well done to all!

Llangadog YFC will be holding its YFC concert on Friday 27th November at the Hall in Llangadog. The evening will commence at 7:30pm and admission is £5 adults and £3 children. A warm welcome is extended to everyone.

On Saturday, 28th November, the club have organised a bus to go for a day to Cardiff. If you would like a day in Cardiff, please forward your names to Angharad Rees, club secretarty (0779-5164139), at your earliest convenience.

Patagonian Girls
Shirley Edwards, one of two young Welsh Patagonians refused entry to Britain earlier this year, has arrived in Wales after a long campaign to be granted a visa from the UK Border Agency. She aims to travel the country and improve her Welsh language skills during her visit. Rhobert ap Steffan of Llangadog, a member of the Patagonia Support Group, has received Welsh/Spanish textbooks and dictionaries, donated by the Centre for Educational Studies at Aberystwyth University, to help her in this task.

Professor Hywel Teifi Edwards presented the books at the head office of Cambria magazine, which has been leading the campaign to allow the girls in and raise funds on their behalf. Evelyn Calcabrini the other Argentine girl refused entry, has to prepare a fresh legal appeal to obtain a visa and, if successful, will study in Wales from May to October 2010.

Rhobert ap Steffan, Patagonia Support Group, Moel Siabod, Llangadog SA19 9AF. Tel. 01550-777816. Email rhobert@uwclub.net

Lights, camera, action! Win VIP Tickets to the Seren Bethlehem Show
Seren Bethlehem is running a competition to win 2 pairs of VIP tickets for the live show on 15th December in Llangadog. We want your photographs to feature in the beautiful high quality Souvenir Magazine for the Show. Have you got an eye for a good picture? Use your mobile or camera and start snapping now!

How to enter? Simply email pictures of your favourite views, people and places around the Towy Valley to the website at message@llangadog.com or to the Facebook group Seren Bethlehem with a title including the location and your name (under 18s please add date of birth). 2 lucky winners will be decided by a panel of judges. Some of the best photographs will be featured in the Souvenir Magazine and also posted on Facebook. Go to Facebook and see the entries and add your comments!
Spread the word….

In her third show at The Last Gallery Julie moves away from direct abstraction to semi-abstracted views of her local area, the main focus being on shape and colour. In addition to well-known views, Julie captures aspects of less frequented areas of Llangadog.

Miniatures were originally used as gifts. A businessman might send a courier with a miniature to potential client; soldiers and sailors might carry miniatures of their home while traveling, or a wife might keep a portrait of her husband while he was away. Here Julie creates a series of miniatures in response to the current economic climate and a demand for more usable art. This is a deliberate move away from previously large work.

The lack of weather effects in the landscapes is influenced by L.S Lowry, whose work was characterized as naïve (The characteristics of naïve art are an awkward relationship to the formal qualities of painting. Difficulties with drawing and perspective that result in a charmingly awkward and often refreshing vision, strong use of pattern, unrefined colour, and simplicity rather than subtlety are all supposed markers of naïve art). Julie’s paintings consequently contain a strange sense of character and atmosphere reminiscent of painting and design styles from the early 1900’s.

14th-15th, 21st-22nd, 28th–29th November, 5th-6th, 12th–13th December, 10am-dusk

Cadog Film Club Film Night
Th Cadg Film Club will be showing Revolutionary Road (dir. Sam Mendes, 2008 - Cert 15, 119 mins on Saturday 7th November 2009. The cast includes Leonardo di Caprio and Kate Winslet as a young couple living in a Connecticut suburb during the mid-1950s, struggle to come to terms with their personal problems while trying to raise their two children. Based on a novel by Richard Yates.
Film night is in Llangadog Community Centre and the doors will open at 7.00pm but if you can come along early to help lay out the tables etc that would be great (6.30ish)
Please book and pay for your tickets in advance (if possible) and by Wednesday 4th November at the latest. You can make your booking by e-mail to cadogfilmclub@aol.com , ring me (01550-777657) or write, sending or dropping off your cheque, made payable to "Cadog Film Club" to Irene Hayes at Bryngwyn House, Llangadog SA19 9EF.
The Bring a Dish ("BAD") Night in October was a great success (so I am reliably told) and so it has been decided to do it again in November. In case you need some help as to what to bring, puddings are always welcome as are quiches, tomatoes, salads, sausage rolls, pates, cheeses, nibbles etc. You don’t need to make anything; we’re quite happy if you buy something to bring along. Please mark anything that’s vegetarian accordingly and keep in mind that there aren’t satisfactory facilities to heat things up.
Because it’s a "BAD" night tickets cost £5.00 for a member and £6.00 for a guest.

Film Buffs’ Night
The November Film Buffs' Night will be on Tuesday 10th November 2009 when the Film Club will be showing The Reader (dir. Stephen Daldry, 2008 - Cert. 15, 124 mins.) The cast includes Ralph Fiennes and Kate Winslet. In post-WWII Germany, nearly a decade after his affair with an older woman came to a mysterious end, law student Michael Berg re-encounters his former lover as she defends herself in a war-crime trial.
Film Buffs' night is now on the second Tuesday of the month and will be in Llangadog YMCA hall. The film will start at 7.00pm so please arrive about 6.45pm. Quite a few of us go on to a local hostelry after the film for a chat, a drink and a cheap and simple supper. For Buffs night, just turn up and pay on the night. Tickets cost £5.00 for a member and £6.00 for a guest.

Seren Bethlehem .... Watch this Space!
“Seren Bethlehem is an exciting TV programme which follows a group of people from small communities around the Towy Valley as they race against time to write, produce, stage, direct and promote a Christmas theatre show based around the tiny village of Bethlehem ... in Carmarthenshire. Follow them every week as things go right and wrong...”

Hot Air Balloon over Llangadog Common
The lovely weather we have had since the end of "summer" has been very welcome and, on 13th October bought out this hot air balloon over Llangadog Common.

Control of Dogs on Llangadog Village Green
Des Oldfield has drawn our attention to Carmarthenshire County Council's intention of introducing a Dog Banning Order for Llangadog Village Green (see Messageboard), and has suggested that a Dog Fouling Order would be more appropriate. In fact the County Council's intentions are broader than this as can be appreciated from the following extract from a document recently circulated ....

Surely most people will support reasonable measures to prevent dog fouling anywhere and to control dogs on public roads and where there are sheep, but is a draconian blanket ban such as this really needed for our village green?

Winter 'Flu Jabs
'Flu vaccinations for patients aged 65 and over, and those under 65 whose state of health or occupation makes them susceptible to 'flu, will be available at special clinics being arranged by Llanfair Surgery. No appointments are necessary on :

Local Biodiesel Supplies
Sundance Renewables are a workers co-op and have been manufacturing biodiesel from used cooking oils for the past 5 years. They are based near Ammanford and have recently expanded production. They now need to expand sales to match and can supply diesel at 94.5p per litre. You can fill up at their pump, or, by arrangement, they can deliver it to you - in 25 litre containers which you purchase for a small extra charge.
Using biodiesel made from locally recycled vegetable oil means that you can have a practically carbon neutral car.
Please contact Jan Cliff 01269-842401; mobile 07931 617948; Email jan@sundancerenewables.org.uk or see www.sundancerenewables.org.uk

Clod Collages at The Last Gallery by J. Hackson
Weekends from 3rd October to 1st November, 10am-6pm

An exhibition of fifty works in colour and composition, constructed from discarded paper detritus, (fragments have come from streets and pavements all over Europe).
The glamour of the locations of the found bits and pieces, is in contrast to the waste that the collages are made from. When people think of Paris or Vienna, they don’t think of a lost cigarette paper or discarded bus ticket in the dirt. The show-boating of art doesn’t seem to be operating in this series of collages.
The frames were deliberately picked up secondhand, and as cheaply as possible to stress the unsung value of such damaged and rubbished materials.
The collages first appeared in Clod Magazine No.19 and appear here for the first time in their original state. Clod Magazine has a history of being on the margins of style, popularity, taste and humour and these collages could be said to continue that trend.
The Last Gallery, Dyrfal Road, Llangadog, SA19 9BR
Tel. 01550-777933 or see www.myspace.com/clodmagazine or www.thelast.org.uk

Seion Baptist Church
Seion celebrated its 200th Anniversary (100th on its present site in Walters Road) in September 2009. The photos show the Deacons and Parchedig Mary Davies.

Llangadog Film Club
The evenings are drawing in which is a sure sign it’s time for Cadog Film Club to start showing films again. The Club is now in its fifth year and the 2009/10 season will start in October. Living in a rural community means it isn’t always easy for people to get to a cinema. We are based in Llangadog but many of our members come from the surrounding villages and towns. Our aim is to provide our members with the opportunity to see a variety of films on a big screen, in a sociable atmosphere and without travelling too far.

From October to May we show two films a month. On the first Saturday of the month we have a simple supper, glass or two of wine or a soft drink before showing the film. Many of the members help setting up the equipment, setting up the tables for food, laying out the food, running the bar, washing up etc. This makes the evening a very convivial occasion and gives us a chance to get to know each other better. At the Saturday Film Nights we try to show films which will appeal to most of the membership. Some of the films from last Season were Mamma Mia, The Duchess, The Kite Runner, Brideshead Revisited and The Edge of Love.

Last year we introduced a second monthly film night. We call this Film Buffs’ Night and it proved very successful. We show less well known films on these evenings which probably weren’t shown in local cinemas and of course if you miss them first time round you often don’t get another chance to see them except on the television. This year we will hold Buffs’ night on the second Tuesday of the month. There is usually a smaller audience for these evenings so we meet in a smaller hall, but still with a big screen. We don’t provide food or drink that night but being a sociable lot, many of us have taken to going to a local hostelry afterwards to discuss the film and of course have a drink and perhaps a bite of supper.

On these evenings last season, we showed the highly acclaimed The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Persepolis, The Counterfeiters and Tell No-one.

Some of the films we will be showing up to Christmas are The Young Victoria, Revolutionary Road, The Reader, High Society and State of Play.

Membership for the year is only £5 but you do have to pay when you attend and for the Saturday film nights, members need to book in advance because of the catering. If you enjoy films and meeting people you’d probably enjoy being a member of this club. If you are interested in joining or would like more information, please ring the secretary on 01550-777657 or email cadogfilmclub@aol.com

Llangadog Gardening Club Outing
Llangadog Gardening Club are organising a visit to "Tradewinds", Penybont, near Meidrim - a garden with all-year-round interest and afternoon teas availble on site. Seat avilable in cars leavbing Llangadog Community Centre car park at 1pm. Everyone welcome/croeso i bawb. Please ring Gwen on 01550-777813 if you would like to join us.

Transition Town Llandeilo
‘Carbon Conversations’ was recently featured in the Guardian as one of the 20 best climate change solutions (as a part of the Manchester report). Over 300 people in Cambridge have already taken part – now it is being made available here, for the first time in Wales.
One participant in Cambridge reported: “This course is brilliant: it helps us understand the bigger issues surrounding the choices we make - the importance of travel to our identity, the complex relationship we have with food, the range of reasons why we buy stuff - and this gives the insight to address the underlying causes of our behaviour. It lifted that cloud of anxiety and guilt and made me realise I could do stuff that would make a difference.”
There will be lots of reliable information - creativity and games - space for feelings - no guilt trips! These stimulating conversations are aimed at encouraging mutual support and taking practical steps at a pace each person decides for themselves.
In Llandeilo the course will run on Wednesday evenings from 23rd September, 7 – 9 pm, for 10 weeks. The full cost is £42, with concessions available, plus £10 for a personal copy of the course workbook.
If you would prefer to enrol by post, fill in the form at the back of the Learning Carmarthenshire course guide or contact Sian Merlys – smerlys@sirgar.gov.uk or 01558-822729. For more information, contact Sue Weaver at llwynbwch@freeola.com or 01550-740655.

Seren Bethlehem
You are invited to the launch of Boomerang's exciting new project based on the local community. The launch night will be held at Llangadog Community Hall on Thursday, 24th September, and will be followed by the first meeting at the Old School , Bethlehem on Tuesday, 29th September. For further information please contact Caryl Sian James - email caryl@boomerang.co.uk ; tel. 02920-550550; fax 02920-550551; mobile 07816-786710

Symphonica Tywi Strings in Concert
What a treat we had on Saturday, 22nd August - the concert at Llangadog church was absolutely stunning and we are again extremely grateful to Mike Cottam for arranging for the group of brilliant musicians to get together and entertain us.

Rhys Watkins returned to the Towy valley again to lead the orchestra and brought his girlfriend, the gifted cellist Rowena Calvert who played the haunting Concerto for Two Celllos in D minor by Vivaldi together with Lydia Shelley, another extremely talented cellist. In addition it was welcome back to Rakhi Singh whose first public concerto performance was with Symphonica Tywi 15 years ago which Mike remembers well – both Rhys and Rakhi were founder members of the orchestra and have since gone on to glittering musical careers.

We also were enchanted by Catrin Price who is only 15 years old but plays the flute like someone twice her age with great maturity. She obviously enjoyed playing the tricky “Suite Antique” by Rutter. However she wasn’t the youngest performer as we later enjoyed a fantastic performance on the violin by Cathryn Rees who is only 13 years old and lives locally in Llandovery – she played Meditation from Thais by Massenet. We are so very lucky to have such talent on our doorstep.

Finally we were amazed by Micahel Gurevich, the well known Dutch violinist, who played Czardas by Monti, an extremely fast and challenging piece of music, brilliantly accompanied by the rest of the Symphonica Tywi. It was breathtaking.

There was even a glass of Pimms in the interval – what better way to spend a Saturday evening!

Please make a note for your diaries for the next concert – it’s on 12th September when you can hear Beethoven’s 5th Symphony together with Strauss’ Horn Concerto no. 2. Looking further ahead, again in Llangadog Church, you can enjoy a Night at the Opera on 17th October, while the 19th December is the date of the Annual Christmas Concert.

Llangadog Gardening Club Outing
The Llangadog Gardening Club Outing to "Tradewinds", Penybont, Carmarthen, a 3 acre plantsman's garden will be on Wednesday 30th September. Afternoon teas available. Leaving Llangadog Community Centre car park at 1pm, seats available in cars. Everyone welcome/croeso i bawb. Please contact Gwen on 01550-777813 if you would like to join us.

Llangadog Gardening Club
Llangadog Gardening Club's Annual Sale and Coffee Evening is on Friday 28th August in Llangadog Community Centre at 7pm, entry £1 including refreshments, children free. Fresh Produce and Preserves, Cakes, Plants and Flowers, Garden Bric-a-Brac and Grand Raffle. Come and bag a bargain! For more info contact Gwen on 01550-777813.

Badminton
Junior Badminton will recommence at Llangadog Community Hall on Wednesday, 16th September at 6pm-7pm for juniors up to the age of 13 and 7pm-8pm for 13-17. Everybody welcome to come and try a fast and energetic sport played in a fun and friendly atmosphere, "dont be shy come and try". Further information from Eifion Jones, tel. 01550-777296. Senior badminton will start on Wednesday, 9th September at 8pm all welcome. Further details from Anne Williams (tel. 01550-777699)

Llangadog Show 2009
Although the wet weather had meant the cancellation of all the outdoor animal activities at this year's show and a last minute change of venue, the somewhat reduced show attracted plenty of people and plenty of splendid exhibits. The following photos are just a tiny selection. You can see far more photos if you call into Llangadog PO and watch the display on the computer screens there.

The Glansevin Apple
Any information about local examples of this or other varieties of local apples would be most welcome. Please contact Paul Davies on 11558-668744

Sing and See!
Cantorian Tywi meet each Sunday in Llangadog Community Hall, from 7.45pm to 9.30pm, under the directorship of Mike Cottam and accompanist Dr Mark Boulter.
We are rehearsing "A Night at the Opera" for 17th October and are always pleased to welcome new members. You don't have to read music to sing and enjoy!
Symphonica Tywi is our sister organisation and invite you to a String Concert in Llangadog Church featuring past players who have made a career in music - Saturday, 22nd August at 7.30pm. Please put it in your diary. On Saturday, 12th September the orchestra performs Beethoven's 5th Symphony and Strauss' Horn Concerto - same place, same time. This is live music at its best. Hope to see you.
Our contact number for both Cantorian Tywi and Symphonic Tywi is 01558-668637.

Images of the Tywi Valley, 1985 – 1990
An exhibition of historical photographs by Nia Clement at The Last Gallery, Dyrfal Road, Llangdog. Every weekend throughout August from 10am to 6pm

Nia Clement lives and works in Llangadog. She moved to Llangadog from Cardiff in 1985 to try and find a new way to record contemporary Welsh life. “I discovered a warm, traditional community, full of life and spirit, which welcomed me and my rather strange notions of what made for interesting subject matter”.

Basing herself in Llangadog and Llandeilo, she came across a wealth of people and places around which to build up a body of work, from farmers and their families to social activities in the villages and towns.

This collection of photographs were all taken in the Tywi Valley in Carmarthenshire, an area known to generations of schoolchildren as the Milky Way. It's climate and lush pastures made it the most important dairying region in Wales. But while Nia embarked on documenting the economic and social life of this corner of rural Wales, things began to change rapidly, and today, some aspects are virtually unrecognisable. None of the farms documented in the work survives intact, they have either been split up into smaller holdings and sold, or have had to radically change their way of making a livelihood.

It seems an appropriate time, almost 25 years later, to look back on this rapidly disappearing way of life. The work was originally exhibited under the title Y Llwybr Llaethog - The Milky Way, in 1992. Several of the images were purchased by The University of Wales Collection, and by South Glamorgan County Council, as well as being included in the British Journal of Photography Annual, and in exhibitions at Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, and Ffotogallery, Cardiff."

Transition Town Llandeilo have arranged a further screening of "The Age of Stupid".

"We could have saved ourselves, but we didn’t. It’s amazing. What state of mind were we in, to face extinction and simply shrug it off?"

‘The Age Of Stupid’ is the new cinema documentary from the Director of ‘McLibel’ and the Producer of the Oscar-winning ‘One Day In September’. This enormously ambitious dramadocumentary-animation hybrid stars Oscar-nominated Pete Postlethwaite as an old man living in the devastated world of 2055, watching "archive" footage from 2008 and asking: why didn't we stop climate change while we had the chance?

Following a successful and packed screening, back in May in Gelli Aur, we’re showing this again in the larger venue of the Civic Hall in Llandeilo on Saturday, 12th September, 6.00pm

The film will be followed by a panel discussion at about 7.30pm and refreshments at 8.15pm. Entry £3, concessions £2, under 16s free.

On 11th July Tabby Wheeler and Bethan Matthews completed a monumental 135 miles sponsored ride from Worcestershire to Lluest Horse and Pony Trust to raise much needed funds for the Trust. As well as friends and family, Gareth David-Lloyd, star of the hit BBC series Torchwood and patron of Lluest was there to welcome them back. “We were delighted to welcome Gareth to the Trust for the day. Despite the constant drizzling rain, Gareth (who played Ianto in the series), toured the Farm, met the animals and got a ride on Brandy, a long standing resident. He enjoyed his visit and is a keen supporter of the Trust”.

On the ride Bethan rode Suzie, a horse she has on loan from Lluest and Tabby rode Pappie, kindly donated by the Matthews family. An eye was kept on their progress through the Traakit Device that was fitted to the horses; it gave a satellite location to ensure their safety on route. Lluest, Tabby and Bethan had been asked to use the ride as an opportunity to trial the Traakit device for all riders and horses' safety in the future. “TRAAKiT will provide the riders with security throughout their ride. They will be able to use their mobile phones to find out where they are at any time if they get lost and they will be able to set an Invisible Fence around them when they are camping. Anyone who they have given login details to can track them via the website and check on their progress and welfare,” says Tim Young from TRAAKiT. "

The girls and horses stayed free at various Bed and Breakfast locations along the way and were backed up by the Mathews family who supplied feed every evening for both horses and riders. They also generously donated beef to the B&Bs in return for their generosity in looking after the girls and their horses.

The final amount of sponsorship raised has not yet been confirmed although we know the girls have raised several hundred pounds for Lluest Horse and Pony Trust and raised awareness of the need to keep bridleways open and maintained for use for such events. You can visit www.lluesthorseandponytrust.co.uk for further details about the horses and riders journey and www.traakit.co.uk for further details about the safety device. For further details of the Bed and Breakfast locations you can visit the following websites: www.abercottages.com, www.heathhouseuk.com, www.dairyhousefarm.org, www.tregoydriding.co.uk, www.cantref.com

Gwynfe Show
This will take place on Saturday, 8th August 2009.
The Country Crafts sections will be : Best Walking Stick; Best Shepherds Crook from Horn; Best Thumbstick; Best Homemade Wooden Spade Handle; Most Interesting Old Crochan (Stew pot); Best Mailbox (any material); Most Interesting Wooden Bowl.
The Handicraft Sections will be Homemade Peg bag; Best Cross Stitch Birth Announcement; Best Wrapped Gift; Best Hand made Greeting Card; Best Hand written Welsh National Anthem; An Item of Jewellery, hand made.; Most Colourful Knitted Item; Prettiest Vase for Single Stem (any material); Best Homemade Belt (any material).

Llangadog Carnival 2009
The weather for this year's carnival on 4th July was not as hot and humid as the week before, but fortunately the heavy rain showers of the last few days held off for the afternoon. The photos show some of the floats as they passed through the village, and some of the prizewinners at the recreation ground afterwards.

Many thanks to Michelle Bailey for taking over the organising this year. We might well not have had a carnival otherwise.

Don’t forget Carmarthenshire CC’s new Recycling Scheme started on 29th June
In future use your
Green Bins for all cooked and uncooked kitchen waste - leave out on usual day each week
Blue Bags for all dry recyclables (paper, cardboard, cans, plastic but no glass) - leave out on alternate weeks
Black Bags for other waste that cannot be recycled or composted - leave out on alternate weeks

Summer Fete at the Vicarage – Saturday, 13th June
This year the Fete was held in glorious sunshine and attracted plenty of visitors who enjoyed the various events spread around the beautiful large garden.

There were many stalls selling books, cakes, bric-a-brac, etc and the refreshment tents were very busy where the scones filled with cream and strawberries were quite a treat, as were the pancakes and burgers so no-one left hungry.

There was music, maypole dancing (with a special thanks to Helen Adam for organising this), a raffle, bottle stall and various activities including a coconut shy, skittles, face painting, a bouncy castle, and for the less energetic you could explore the garden or just sit in one of the many seats and watch everyone enjoying themselves.

1. Mr Forester - holiday-maker from Stoke on Trent
2. June from Gwynfe
3. Heulwen Morris, Carreg Sawdde
4. Betty Davies, Gerllan, Llangadog
5. June Cook, Carreg Sawdde
6. Linda Owen, Ammanford
7. Jack Freemantle, Gwynfe
8. Jackie Dare, Cynull Farm, Llangadog

Mike (the vicar) spent quite a bit of time as the train driver, much to the delight of his passengers, as the train wound its way round the garden, underneath the arches skilfully avoiding the snails which were racing nearby!!

Thanks so much to the people from the three churches of Llangadog, Llanddeusant and Gwynfe who put in a huge amount of time and effort to stage the event, and of course to Mike and Caroline for opening up their gorgeous vicarage garden to everyone. Each and every visitor was made so welcome and obviously had a delightful afternoon in the sunshine.

Countryside Alliance Awards - the party continues in Wales!
(This is reproduced from the Countryside Alliance Awards web site - see www.countrysideallianceawards.co.uk)

Welcome to the website of the Countryside Alliance Awards. The Awards exist to champion the people, skills, produce, enterprise and heritage of our rural communities. The 2009 Awards will open to nominations on 3rd September 2009.

Morgans Newsagents and Post Office in Llangadog, Carmarthenshire, crowned their winning year by holding a party for the entire community in the shop on Friday 29th May 2009. The team celebrated winning the Alliance's Award for best Village Shop/ Post Office in Britain at a House of Lords reception in March, and have continued their winning streak with several awards since.

Countryside Alliance Chief Executive Simon Hart attended the party (pictured second from left with the Morgans team) along with Countryside Alliance Director for Wales, Rachel Evans, and Awards Director Jill Grieve. Simon told the assembled locals that Morgans was a worthy winner and a credit to rural Wales, and the party went on until the wee small hours.

Cilgwyn Lodge Gardens
What a gem, tucked away in the little valley between Myddfai and Llangadog you find Cilgwyn Lodge where Keith Brown and Moira Thomas have transformed their acre of land into what must be one of the most beautiful gardens in Wales.

Keith first moved into the house 33 years ago while he was working as a civil servant in Swansea, and gradually the garden has been transformed and, although he still insists it is work in progress, it is good enough to be featured in seven colourful pages of the July edition of the renowned gardening journal, “The English Garden”!

The planting is magical with colours blending wonderfully, one border full of bright vivid colour, while another with peaceful pastel shades particularly beside the large pond. There are some well-known plants like hardy geraniums, clematis, over 250 hostas, while others are more rare and unusual, and Keith is always keen to learn more and enjoys visiting the Malvern show every year as well as various Plant Fairs, particularly the local ones. He is also happy to impart his knowledge to others and gives talks on all aspects of gardening to several garden societies – we will have to ask him how to grow carrots successfully in Bethlehem!!

Cilgwyn Lodge attracts many visitors each year and is part of the National Garden Scheme where gardens are opened to the public for an Open Day, which this year is on Sunday 19th July. If you are interested to see the garden, make a note of the date – entry is £3 and the gardens will be open between 1.00 pm. and 5.00 pm. However if you are unable to make it that day visitors are also welcome by appointment but please ring first – 01550 777452. There is something to see there from the first spring flowering plants right through until the chrysanthemums in the autumn!

Keith developed his passion for gardening as a boy in Gloucestershire where he began to grow his own vegetables, and as he grew up he became more and more interested and successful in growing a variety of plants and vegetables. Keith makes a point of growing many varieties from seed every year, some very unusual ones, and has the knack of knowing what will blend in where, so the garden at Cilgwyn has evolved over the years. It is divided into two areas with the gorgeous planting area to the front and side while round the back you will find the greenhouses and vegetable garden. Keith says he retired from the civil service 3 years ago, but now he is busier than ever in the garden as he feels he must keep up standards!

Moira, originally from Llanelli, is a great help and support and has recently retired so is keen to spend more time helping Keith and between them they hope to make even more visitors welcome in the future. We should be extremely proud to have such a gem on our doorstep and anyone remotely interested in gardening, growing plants or vegetables, should definitely make a point of seeing this little bit of paradise so close by.

Winners of Kite’s Digital Photography Challenge
Kite’s Digital Photography Challenge on May 9th was attended by 35 adults from the Llangadog community, as well as budding photographers from as far away as Swansea. It was a fun day out following a series of clues to different venues in and around the Llangadog area where photographers recorded inspirational landscapes and found objects. The results can be seen here.

The best images were part of an exhibition in Llangadog Post Office were the general public and a judge voted for their favourite images. Here are the winners, at a special presentation in the post office, receiving their prizes of tripods. Winners from left to right:

Bunty Jones (Judge's Choice), Haydn Hatfield (People's Choice), Megan McCutcheon (People's Choice), Win Morgan and Richard Morgan (Owners of Llangadog Post Office), Julie Ann Sheridan (Tutor) and Jin-Sun Jung (Judge's Choice).

The Tutor for the project was Julie Ann Sheridan. The project was funded by Niace and was part of Adult Learners Week, supported by Kite.

The Heart of Our Community
At last, confirmation of what we already knew – that Llangadog Post Office is at the Heart of our Community, and as such has been voted the best Post Office not only in Wales, but also in the whole of Britain. Congratulations to Win, Richard, Alison, Denise, The KITE team, and all those who help to make the wheels go round so smoothly.

They recently made their way to the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden to pick up their award – a journey not without incident when Richard & Win missed their train!! The BBC film crew were to blame. However they made it to the award ceremony on time and received their prize from Kate Silverton after the champagne reception and gala lunch hosted by the Post Office. Many of us were able enjoy the TV news coverage throughout the day.

Richard and Win were so delighted with winning that they threw a party for all their customers on Friday the 29th May. It was a joy to be there and share their excitement, as well as sample the wine, food and company of course!! As Win emphasized, it wouldn’t be anything like as successful without their customers!!

Llangadog Sports Club
The season's sports activities in the Community Centre have now come to an end, but Short Mat Bowls, Badminton, Table Tennis and Whist Drives will recommence in September (see What's On for times and dates). Why not come along then and start to take part in one or more of these regular activities?

Snooker will also restart in September, but how long it will continue will depend on the support it receives. There are plenty of youngsters keen to show their prowess with the cue, but the club needs more mums, dads, grandmas and grandads to come along to support and help supervise them. All it costs is £1 for half an hour. For more information contact Mike on 01550-777768.

What are YOUR Interests?
The Llangadog area seems to cater for many interests. A quick glance at the Local Groups section of this website shows that there are groups in the area for angling , beekeeping, billiards, snooker, short mat bowls, films, archaeology, singing, badminton, rambling, family history, folk dancing, gardening, rugby, table tennis, quizzes, whist drives, not to mention such bodies as the University of the Third Age, the Women's Institute, the local church, St Cadog's, and YFC.

That's pretty impressive, but even so, you may still have an interest that isn't catered for. Recently, for example, local residents have mentioned to me that they would be interested in joining/taking part in/setting up groups for photography, local history and even amateur dramatics. If you are interested in any of these activities - or, indeed, have suggestions for any other possible local groups - please contact me on the messageboard (or ring 01550-777980) and we could call a local meeting of all those interested and see if we could get some or all of these going in the area. I look forward to hearing from you.
Peter Berry

Llangadog WI
Congratulations to our local branch of the WI. At a competition held in Carmarthen on Monday, 18th May the local team came first in the Rose Bowl Competition with their interpretation of the theme "Fire and Ice". The team was made up of Catherine Berry, Megan Bradfield, Gwen Davies and Marylyn Haines-Evans. They will go on to represent Carmarthenshire at the Royal Welsh Show in July.

On 18th March 2009 the national Countryside Alliance Awards were handed out at a Parliamentary reception in London. The Awards, nicknamed "The Rural Oscars", honour the countryside through the people who work so hard to preserve its communities, traditions and enterprise.

Countryside Alliance Board Member Baroness Golding and Chief Executive Simon Hart presided over the House of Lords reception which was attended by regional award winners and Parliamentarians. The Countryside Alliance Awards run over five categories and also presented on the day were the inaugural Countryside Alliance Political Awards, honouring rural-minded politicians.

Countryside Alliance Chief Executive Simon Hart, who chairs the national judging panel, introduced Morgan's Newsagents and Post Office, Llangadog as this year's winners of the Post Office/Village Shop Award :
"Win Morgan has been the Kate Winslet of this competition for several years now - many nominations and never quite the big win. Well here it is, and it couldn't be more deserved. As well as fighting for the survival of the Post Office and operating an outstanding village shop Win and husband Richard are the centre of this isolated community, drawing people of all ages together with their great warmth. This award is as much for the personalities behind the counter as for the vital services they provide, and I'm sure the party Llangadog is going to throw to celebrate this award bears testament to how highly the village regards the Morgans."

Dance Aerobics Class
Dance Aerobics classes are now held on every Tuesday 6pm to 7pm at Llangadog Community Centre. They cost £3.50. For further information please contact Sue White on 07813-659809

The observant amongst us will have noticed some new stars appearing in Llangadog Post Office recently, and these are the latest awards won by Richard and Win, as well as Alison – this time awarded by the Post Office.
The awards are for:
• The Best Community Post Office in Wales
• The Most Innovative Post Office in Wales
• The Heart of the Community Post Office in Wales.
To win one of these awards is excellent, but to win three is quite extraordinary and we as a community are very lucky to have such a proactive Post Office in our midst.
They have now reached the U.K. Finals of The People`s Post Office Awards which will be held in London on the 21st May, so potentially there could be more silverware/stars coming to LLangadog. Lorraine Kelly will be presenting the awards.
Richard and Win say:
“We would like to thank all our customers for supporting us and taking part, it is a tremendous achievement and we are all looking forward to going to London next week to a champagne reception and lunch at the Royal Opera house, Covent Garden followed by the National final awards.”
A Post Office film crew came to the village this week for some footage to be shown at the award ceremony and they promised to let us have a copy for our archives!
As a Thank You to everyone, there is to be a PARTY at the Post Office on Friday, 29th May from 1600 hours so that Win, Richard and Alison can “say thank you properly” to everyone for their support.

New Health and Well-being Group
'Promoting healthy bodies and a healthy planet - Hybu corffau iechyd a byd iechyd'
The group seeks to fulfil this mission through:
* Skill sharing.
* Gathering and offering clear information on remedies.
* Meeting and talking with local elders to learn the knowledge they still hold.
* Workshops which may include : herb sharing, hydro therapy, shiatsu.
* Cooking and eating well.

Their next meeting will be at Jessica Griffin's house on Wednesday 3rd June from 10am until 12.30. You can contact Jessica on 01269-826533. Lift sharing is also available from central Llandeilo at 9.30am, please contact Bethan on 07855717713 if you would like a lift.

"125 Years of Llangadog Races, 1884-2009" is the title of a fascinating history of Wales' oldest race meeting. This 58 page book, complete with colour and mono pictures, is available direct from its author, Maureen Lloyd, Lower Lundy, Painscastle, Builth Wells, Powys, LD2 3JJ, price £5 (plus £1 p&p) or from Burdens or the Mace shop.

Courses in Gwynfe
Yoga Practice started a new 10 week session in Gwynfe on Wednesday, 22nd April. 1½ hours of gentle exercise, followed by tea or coffee.
Computers for the Community - Thursdays at 2.30pm in Gwynfe. Tutor : Andrew Sharp.
For details or to join either of the above ring June on 01550-740602

Computers for the Community started a new session on 23rd March in Gwynfe. Tutor : Andrew Sharp.
For details ring June on 01550-740602

Llanddeusant News
The Cross Inn has reopened as the Red Pig. Opening times : 1pm to 4pm (Tuesdays to Sundays and Bank Holidays); 7pm to 10pm (Thursdays and Fridays); 7pm to 11pm (Saturdays and Bank Holidays)

Free Rail Travel on the Heart of Wales Line for Bus Pass Holders
The free travel pilot scheme for the Heart of Wales railway line ended on 2nd May 2009. Details of when the scheme will restart are awaited and will be announced here.
For timetable information please contact National Rail Enquires on 08457-484950 (24 hours daily), or visit www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk

Extreme Shepherding!
This amazing video currently on YouTube (and mentioned in both the local press national TV news) was made in the hills between Trap and Gwynfe (you can see part of Cerreg Cennen Castle). If you haven't already viewed it, now's your chance.

The Best Post Office in the UK!
You will all be excited to receive the news that Win and Richard Morgan have just won the title the best Post Office in the UK - just announced at a reception at the House of Lords on the 23rd March.

"The Countryside Alliance Awards have been handed out at a Parliamentary reception in London. The Awards, nicknamed “The Rural Oscars,” honour the countryside through the people who work so hard to preserve its communities, traditions and enterprise."

"Countryside Alliance Board Member Baroness Golding and Chief Executive Simon Hart presided over the fourth annual House of Lords reception which was attended by regional award winners and Parliamentarians keen to congratulate rural Britain’s best. The Countryside Alliance Awards run over five categories, and the national winners have been drawn from those who won their regional title."

1st Lady : Madge Halliday
2nd Lady : Vivian Jones
(Three ladies gained equal points so shared the three prizes)

Raffle Winners : Vivian Jones, Jean Davies, Emyr Williams, Trevor Thomas, Shirley James, Ffion Davies, Nesta Davies, Jackie Dare and Meinir Jones.

Defibrillator
Gwynfe Community Association has received a £1495 grant to buy and install a defibrillator in the village. The funding has been provided by the National Assembly through the Community Facilities and Activities Programme (CFAP).

All-Wales Title for Llangadog PO
Morgan`s Newsagent and Post Office, Llangadog are celebrating after being announced winners of the all-Wales title in the category Post Office/village shop in the Countryside Alliance Awards.
A reception was held at the Senedd in Cardiff on the 27th January 2009 and the awards were presented by Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones A.M.
They now go forward to compete for a National title against winners from England and Scotland at the Houses of Parliament in London on 18th March 2009.
Further information from www.countrysideallianceawards.co.uk

Valentine Concert at St. Cadog’s Church, Llangadog
Friday, 13th February 2009
The Valentine Concert held in the lovely old church in Llangadog on Friday, 13th February 2009 was very well attended. The two soloists, Lynne Bryer and Beshlie Thorp, sang some beautiful love songs in a variety of languages including Italian, Welsh and French while Cheryl Davies did a brilliant job accompanying them.
The pupils of Llangadog School showed how versatile they were firstly with some great trumpet music, followed by the choir and recorder group, and finally by an excellent violin solo. What talent for the future! In addition there were some very amusing musical contributions by the vicar, Mike Cottam.
A most enjoyable evening.

Wales Air Ambulance
£610 was raised for the Wales Air Ambulance by the Giant Cabbage Competition held recently at the Goose and Cuckoo in Llangadog.
Maintaining this service's three air bases, at Swansea, Caernarfon and Welshpool, costs over £4 million a year. For further information visit www.walesairambulance.com or ring 0844-8584999

2008 Countryside Alliance Awards
Win and Richard Morgan from Llangadog PO have been invited to the Countryside Alliance Awards where the winners for the award for Best Village Shop and/or Post Office will be announced. The reception will be at The Oriel at the Senedd, Cardiff Bay on 27th January 2009. The award is supported by the Countryside Alliance, Farmers Weekly and the Daily Telegraph.

Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI Partnership)
This is a partnership between Carmarthenshire County Council, Cadw, DE&T (formerly WDA) and the Heritage Lottery Fund and grants are given to owners in conservation areas to renovate and improve properties. These can include commercial, private, community centres and chapels.
Grants are available up to 75% for repairs and maintenance, up to 90% for reinstatement of architectural features, and up to 50% for vacant floor space to be reinstated.
For further information contact Heather J Tilley tel. 01267-224970, ext 4970 or email HJTilley@carmarthenshire.gov.uk
A web site is being prepared that will update owners in Llangadog of the achievement of renovation of properties that have been carried out in Phase I and II, including a map showing the THI area within the Conservation Area and Article 4 which informs owners of properties what can be done with/without Planning/Listed Building Consent.

Post Office Closures
Royal Mail are consulting the public on plans to close 40 post offices across south and west Wales and replace a further 19 with an "outreach service". According to information published on 3rd June there are no plans to close the Llangadog branch. However, this may be subject to a further review after a six-week local public consultation before a final decision is made, so it is important to keep making it clear just how vital our local post office is to our local community.
The 6-week consultation period for this area will end on 14th July 2008.
Other post offices in the area, including Rhandirmwyn, Llanrwda, Brechfa, Dryslwyn, Llanpumpsaint, Nantgaredig, Llansteffan, Carmel and Fairfach, are likely to affected by these plans.
For further information see www.postoffice.co.uk/networkchange or telephone the customer hotline on 0845-7223344 of email consultation@postoffice.co.uk

Courses at Gwynfe
Computers in the Community has started a new 5 week session, costing £10. Mondays, 2pm to 3pm.
Yoga Practice has started a new 10 week session, costing £15. Wednesdays, 2pm to 3.30pm.
For further details of either course ring the Hall Secretary, June, on 01550-740602.

Welsh Courses
(Entry & Foundation Level)
It's not too late to join one of the following classes in this area:

No lessons during school holidays.
Please call 01267-676689 or 01792-602070 for more information.

Car Boot Sale and Novelty Dog Show
A Novelty Dog Show was held in Llangadog on Saturday 20th September. The event, which was held in conjunction with a Car Boot Sale, was held in aid of the Llangadog Church Restoration Fund. See here for full results.

Video Oral History of Llangadog Project
With the support of Antur Teifi a small team has been assembled to compile a video oral history of Llangadog. The idea is to record local scenes and people's stories of the community within living memory. These will be combined with material already gathered and made available in the form of a full colour DVD, hopefully by the autumn of 2008.
Training of the members of the project has already started at Lampeter University, and you may well see us at work around the village and surrounding country over the summer months. If you would like to be involved, would like to contribute your own memories, or know of others who would be willing to be included, please contact Peter Berry on 01550-777980 or Wyn Jones on 01550-777254.
Copies of the DVD will be deposited at the National Library in Aberystwyth and also available for purchase (more details later).

Windy Day for the Wedding
Saturday, 24th May turned out to be a little windy for Richard and Win Morgan's daughter Angharad's wedding to Marcus at Seion Baptist Church, but the bride still managed to look perfectly lovely.

Valerie Wood-Gaiger of Myddfai at the Global Women Inventors and Innovators Network gala evening in Cardiff City Hall with her ‘Special Recognition Award’ for Innovation in Education.
Valerie is a Director of Grandma's Stories Ltd and co-founder of Learn with Grandma.
Contact Mrs Valerie Wood-Gaiger MBE (tel. 01550-720994 or email valwoodgaiger@aol.com)

Richard and Win Morgan were presented with the NFRN Independent Community Retailer of the Year, at the NEC in Birmingham on 20th October. See images.

This award, given annually by the National Federation of Retail Newsagents, is made for support and committed contribution to the local community over decades and the continuing development of new ways to operate a busines that is truly at the heart of its community.

More recently, on 12th December, Richard and Win were also presented with their award and plaque as the Wales Winner of the Best Rural Retailer - Best Village Shop/Post Office 2007. This award is made by the Countryside Alliance, together with Farmers Weekly and The Daily Telegraph. The splendid plaque will be mounted outside the Post Office in the near future.

New KITE Course
KITE's new Digital Photography courses began in November 2007 on Thursdays. Learn how to use a digital camera, how to download your photos to a computer, how to process and edit them. No previous experience necessary - and you don't even need to own a digital camera or a computer! For further information and to register please contact Win Morgan at Llangadog Post Office.

Do You Like to Knit?
Why not join our knitting network and be part of the Retired Senior Volunteer Programme. Make friends....Make knitted items for good causes....Knit at home or meet in small groups....
It won't cost you a penny! We can provide everything you need.
If you are interested in joining the Knitting Network or in helping to support it, please contact Lynda Hill (RSVP Project Co-Ordinator) on 01437-768195 or 07901-551407.

Local Neighbourhood Policing Team
Your Local Neighbourhood Policing Team holds a regular open Community Surgery at Llangadog Post Office on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month between 10am and midday. The surgery is to discuss any local issues or concerns that you may have. We look forward to seeing you and listening to your views about your community.

The village now has a posh new Noticeboard in the Square on the wall outside the Castle Hotel. Something for us all to keep an eye on! (The key is available behind the bar in the Castle).
Later note : Sadly this noticeboard is no longer looking so posh! Condensation inside the display panel now makes it virtually impossible to see anything beyond the glass and the notices themselves are running into oblivion. It really does need some urgent loving care and attention.

Archived News Items