Llanedi Community Council

Llanedi Community Council held its Annual AGM at Tycroes Hall, the ceremony is held to appoint the new chair of the council for the forthcoming year, and the new councillors were first called upon to sign the declaration and acceptance of their new office. Alun Wyn Richards then addressed the room and after 21years and a third term of office as the chair of Llanedi Community Council he asked the room for nominations for a new chair for the forthcoming year. Cllr Buddeg Thomas was nominated and voted in as chair of the council. The chair then signed a declaration accepting the office and then addressed the AGM. She then presented the retiring chair with his medallion, a token of recognition as past chair. There was a call for nominations for vice chair for the year and Councillor Lynne Griffiths of Tycroes was voted into office. The reverend W.G.M Roberts then gave a service delivering a blessing for the new council for the forthcoming year. The AGM was closed and adjourned until the following Wednesday  

Mining Monument

The coat of arms for the Lanedi Community Council shows the old church, a plough and a mining pulley, to represent its links with farming, mining and the church within the community. When Betws Colliery was closed a Dancing Genny was saved from the scrap yard and donated to the community council, this equipment was the wheel which kept the tension on the cables that worked the trams and lifts used in the mine, it was decided to restore this equipment and to use as a monument in the local park to help promote the community councils coat of arms. And the plough was donated by Alun Wyn Richards and his family, who had used this plough for more than forty years at Lletynewydd Farm Tycroes. This plough was a prize in a raffle, supplied to launch the new Ford Tractor in the Royal Welsh Show in the 1960’s which his grandfather had entered and won. The park in Tycroes comprising of just over 2 acres and was donated by the mining company in the 1920’s to the parish council for them to help build a mining welfare hall, sadly before this happened the two mines in the Tycroes area were closed and the hall was never built, in the late 1930’s there was talk and plans to building an open air lido on the site but with world war 2 breaking out this plan was also shelved and the field lay barren for many years, until the more recent times, when Llanedi Community Council were successful in obtaining funding to develop the park and to landscape it, after a local company  recently restored the Dancing Gemmy and the plough they were placed in the centre of the park along with benches and a path way, there is also one of the last Gas lanterns that was used in Tycroes before electric lights took over standing near the monuments and the park has also been supplied with two of the first rocks that were taken out of the local open cast site and set near the new monument. After the unveiling ceremony of the Dancing Genny, the community council and guests retired to the near by mountain gate for light refreshments where Vivian Preece the former clerk to the community council continued with the very informative history lesson from his twenty year service as clerk to the community council.     

Pontarddulais walking club

After their annual pilgrimage to the Snowdonia region of North Wales, club members of Pontarddulais Walking Club owe a big thanks again to club secretary Alan Richards for his loyal contribution for the organisation of this wonderful tour. Alan took the party of trekkers on the Saturday to visit the Arran mountain range which included the ascent of the majestic mountain of Arran Mawddwy. After a gruelling days trek to this very challenging mountain, the group were grateful for the refreshments that were available at the Eryr Arms at the picturesque hamlet of Llanuwchlyn at the conclusion of the trek. On the following Sunday the group visited the mountain range of the Arenigs. Whilst on this tour the group were blessed with some wonderful late spring sunshine that complemented this wonderful weekend of walking extravaganza. The club members will be issued shortly with a new programme for the forthcoming season.

Photograph competition

Invites are now being except for the annual photographic competition held by the local carnival committee, photos can be black and white or colour and must be un-mounted no larger than A4, digital enteries are accepted, the photo can be on any subject and it is a maximum of 3 photos per person, There are cash prizes to be won ranging from £20 for 1^st prize to £10 for 3^rd prize. Please send your enteries to Mrs E Evans, 18 Altiago Road Pontarddulais and please supply a SAE if you would like the photos returned. Closing date for the competition is June 14^th 2008

Learning new skills

The carnival committee recently won a lottery grant to help promote the 40^th year of the carnival, this funding has helped set up various workshops in the village for people to learn new skills, there will be African Drummers who will teach anyone that wants to learn how to play the African Drums, these drop in sessions are absolutely free and are held on Monday evenings in Hendy and Pontarddulais, Mon 19^th May in the Mechanics Institute Pontarddulais and then June 2^nd and 16^th they will be in Urdd Hall in Hendy and then finally in the Pontarddulais Rugby club Monday 23^rd June, The African Drummers will be performing live at the carnival field on the carnival field and anyone that has attended the classes will be invited if they wish to also show off their new skills. 

Costume Design

There will also be classes to help teach people how to make costumes, fancy entering the 40^th carnival this year then why not come along to the costume design classes and learn tips and skills to make a costume, Saturday 7^th June at the Urdd Hall Hendy or in the Pontarddulais Mechanics Institute on Saturday 14^th June from 1pm till 5pm again classes are free and open to all ages adults and youngsters from 8years and up children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult