Author Archives: David

St David’s Day Dinner Notice 2014

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Our St David’s Day Dinner on Saturday 1st March will be held at Gerrards Cross Golf Club.

The entertainment will be provided by Rhiannon Llewellyn, a prize-winning young Soprano with local connections.84201_orig
Though born in Swansea, she was brought up and went to school in Chalfont St Peter, where members of her family still live. After obtaining a degree at The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama and an MA at the Royal Academy of Music, she is currently on the Opera Course at the Royal Academy. She will be guest soloist at the London Welsh Festival of Male Voice Choirs in October. A Welcome drink will be served from 18.30pm with Dinner from 19.15pm.

As for last year tickets are £40 per person. A three course meal will be served, with tea/coffee & mints to finish. Wine with the meal is not included in the ticket price but can be purchased on the night from an excellent selection available.

Song-sheets and a piano will be ready for our usual rousing finale, so all we need is for plenty of members and guests to turn up in good voice!
Cheques should be made out to the Chiltern District Welsh Society, and sent to: Mr Graham Beavan, The Wicket, Keepers Lane, Hyde Heath, AMERSHAM HP6 5RJ.

To book or for any queries call Gwyndaf on 01753 884490.

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

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Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!

Xmas Drinks Party 2013

A warm Welsh welcome was provided by Bill and Sue Jones for the Christmas Drinks Party which they hosted at their wonderful home in Camp Rd, Gerrards Cross on Sunday 8th December.IMG_4320

The wine and beer flowed and an excellent turnout of over 50 people enjoyed a fine and plentiful selection of canapés from a new caterer, while they mixed with old friends, met new members and discussed their plans for Xmas and the New Year.

Xmas at the Jones's

Xmas at the Jones’s

After an hour or so, when the canapés were eventually all consumed and the sound of chatter had begun to subside, it was time for the ever popular carol singing.

Bill Jones warmed up his electric organ with a solo virtuoso performance but it was John Pegler once again who was called on to provide the accompaniment for the carols.

IMG_4319Despite the fact that by then some members had already departed, the thirty or so remaining members joined in the singing of a traditional selection of carols in wonderful Welsh harmony before finishing the proceedings with a gusto performance of Maen hen wlad fy nhadau.

A fitting end to another successful year of events for CDWS.

Colin Thomas

 

 

Magic Circle 5th November 2013

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Circle Stairs1This can’t be the place!

Many of us thought that we were lost when the coach dropped us off in North Gower Street and we made our way down Stephenson Way. We walked down a dark quiet cobbled street with no sign of a theatre, just offices and goods entrances. Then, near the end of the street, there was a small entrance with people going in – we’d found it.

We signed in and climbed a steep spiral staircase to a large room with many displays of props and accessories of famous magicians – David Nixon, Tommy Cooper, Paul Daniels, Houdin and Houdini were all represented.

Chairs were set out in groups of 20 around small tables, and our party was split into 2 with 20 in one group and 6 in another.

Soon the first magicians arrived – one to each table – only a foot or two from the audience. We had a series of 4 magicians demonstrating their close-up magic skills, and each selected at least one member of the audience to assist!

Patricia Payne was persuaded to demonstrate a finger guillotine and was very brave as the blade descended without any ill effect.

Irene Powell does a magic trick!

Gwen Finnerty and Irene Powell proved to be able assistants – Irene demonstrating a levitating card. Rob Brett and Liz Seely showed that they could not keep hold of cards in their hands as they mysteriously moved from one person’s closed hand to another.
Rob Brett and Liz Seely
We then had a talk on the history of magic from Egyptian times to the present day, including the formation of the Magic Circle in 1905.

A light meal was provided and we all looked for somewhere to sit and were joined by some of the magicians who continued to amaze us with tricks which seemed to be just impossible.

We then went back to the theatre where we watched acts by 4 different magicians, a couple of whom were familiar from the Penn & Teller television programme.

The show went on until almost 11:00, but our coach driver didn’t seem to mind that we were late and we got back home before 12:00.

The universal feeling was that the whole experience was simply Magic!

Golf Day – 30th August

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Golf Day

See below for details of our next trip to The Magic Circle and also details of the London Welsh Male Voice Choir, which is singing at Eton School Hall on Saturday, 16 November

Another lovely day for our golfing visit to Oaklands Park, Chalfont St Giles.  I cannot remember poor weather for this event which has been running for a number of years, firstly at Harewood Downs and latterly at Oaklands Park.The course has been especially good this year and  did us proud again.IMG_4288

We were fewer in number this year, 21 as against 30 last year, and as usual a couple of guests came in at the last moment to make up the numbers. Eight non-playing members joined us for an excellent lunch after which our President,Ann Evans presented the prizes.

Jane Morris, Alan Longshaw and Ralph Broomby won the Team Prize. Ann Lawrence, with an amazing 41 points, won the individual Stableford Prize.IMG_4289

The nearest the pin prizes went to Margaret Broomby and Ralph Broomby, and the longest drive prizes to Brenda Adams and Colin Thomas.

Note the frequency of one family in the results; rumours that a new trophy cabinet has been ordered by Ralph have not been substantiated.

Chris Thomas

Trip to Cardiff 9th – 12th September

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Cardiff Trip

As we left on the M4, the heavens opened and rain washed the coach, but when we approached the majestic Severn Bridge, the heavens cleared, the sun shone and we were in God’s country, Cymru, once again!

First stop Dewstow Gardens, Caerwent. We were not disappointed. Fortified by soup and/or other foods we explored the Edwardian gardens, complete with remarkable grottos and waterworks put there by Henry Oakley in the early 20th Century, but covered up with soil ca 1940 until rediscovered by the Harris family in 2000; a truly great experience of magnificent trees, lawns, flowers, water features and plants in an undulating landscape and in excellent sunshine under a blue sky!

Then, back on the coach, we turned in the direction of Cardiff for a visit to the Senedd scheduled to start at 3:00 pm.

At the Senedd, we were met by Gareth Coombes, a young enthusiastic Welsh Guide who enthralled us with the efficiency of the 61 seats of the Assembly, the marvelous architecture of the Chamber, debate in the Welsh language, educational policy for teaching Welsh, accompanied by a knowledge and wit which successfully parried the diverse questions about the Assembly and its business we fired at him. Our first day finished in central Cardiff at a modern Premier Inn; well chosen, comfortable, excellent breakfasts and totally co-operative staff.

The next day saw a martial start for a visit to Caerphilly Castle built by Gilbert de Clare over just 3 years in 1260/70 at a then cost of £19,000. Jonathan provided an excellent running commentary on everything we saw from the coach and what we were about to see with considerable historic detail (at all times we were travelling in the coach!). The Castle did not disappoint with its ramparts, towers, 500 year old gates, green lawns, fantastic views of the surrounding hillsides, the massive moats, and visions of a green lady ghost!!.

We were conducted around the Castle by a lovely Scottish Lady who pointed out architectural detail, an open Guard robe complete with seated man and sound effects (!!), and the significance of the Castle to protect the South from an advancing army of Llywelyn ap Grufydd, which threat was removed in 1282 when he was killed. Not even with the assistance of men in the party could the massive leaning tower be pushed back into a vertical position!!

Next, we set off to Penderyn Whisky Distillery with a stop for light lunch at the charming Country Hotel “Ty Newydd” near Hirwaun. Here Ken the coach driver showed his experience by safely negotiating the narrow gate and road up to the Hotel, a skill he repeated magnificently at the Glyndwr Vineyard and Castell Coch!

At the family-run rapidly expanding Distillery we were treated to an excellent account of the process by the daughter of the owner, followed by a delightful tasting of the different products convincing us all of the merits of the Whisky, and purchases of this liquid Welsh gold!

Next stop was the Brecon Mountain Railway: carriages drawn by a 4-6-2, 47 ton American Narrow Gauge steam locomotive “No 2” (2 foot gauge, made by the Baldwin Company of Philadelphia in 1930) complete with bell and two-tone whistle steaming through part of the Brecon Beacons National Park alongside the large Taf Fechon reservoir. This experience was topped with a cornet of Sidoli’s Ice Cream on the return journey!

We ascended the coach once again and arrived at the Fig Tree restaurant on the sea front at Penarth with a view of the Severn, the Holmes and the Pier, for an excellent meal and further camaraderie before returning to our Hotel in Cardiff.

A relaxing start to the next day at 9:30 am saw us in the Market Town of Y Bont-faen (Cowbridge), again in great weather, to enjoy the picturesque buildings, the fine Physic Garden with its herbs and medicinal plants, and antique memorabilia.

Soon we were on our way to the family run Glyndwr Vineyard for a fascinating talk on grape culture and husbandry, an explanation of how semi-dry champagne is labelled “brut(e)”, a walk in the vineyards, pest control for the grapes, and a sample of some of the wines that are produced there topped with a quality buffet lunch. More bottles were added to our collections for consumption in safer surroundings!

In the afternoon we went to Dyffryn House and its splendid Gardens and Glasshouses to appreciate this property of John Cory; its willful dilapidations but colossal potential now being dealt with by the National Trust. The evening was free: some went to distant eating places in the City, some to the Theatre and the weather held up!

Early morning start on the last day saw us up and about, and with the coach fully loaded, a drive up the valley to Castell Coch, created by the 3rd Marquis of Bute at the end of the 19th century. Decorated somewhat similarly to Cardiff castle with painted walls and gilded ceilings, it was a truly fairy tale chateau nestling in the woods with great views.

Then back towards home, but firstly a stop at Chepstow, and in sunshine and under a blue sky we visited the Castle, had tea, coffee and lunch in the delightful array of shops, and bought strawberries from a barrow on the concourse whose sellers were ably assisted by the vocal powers of Eilwen!!

A delightful, educative and enjoyable tour well organised and led by Jonathan, with a camaraderie between members of the group that formed a firm base for success!! Diolch!

Barrie Reece 13/09/2013

Next Event: The Magic Circle on November 5th
The Magic Circle runs a regular evening of mystery and laughter provided by some of the club’s top magicians for members of the public.  “Meet The Magic Circle” lasts for about 3 hours.

If you have never experienced this attraction before it is a wonderful evening’s entertainment. And also one that is worth repeating as the performers and their magic constantly changes.
The coach will pick up from Amersham Community Centre at 5:30pm, then the Wildwood at Gerrards Cross, and the Denham bus stop (if needed). The doors open at 7 for a 7:30 start and it will finish at 10:30pm. A meal at the venue is included.
We have booked 20 tickets, so please respond as soon as possible to secure a place.  Cost will be £34 for the ticket plus £13 for the coach.
In the first instance please email or phone Gwyndaf John (Tel: 01753 884490) to confirm that you want to go on this excursion. You will be asked to pay for the event after you have been advised that a place is available for you.

London Welsh Male Voice Choir at Eton College on 16th November 7pm

See attachment below:

Concert Flyer v7 (1)

Summer Lunch – 14th July 2013

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(Also news of future Chiltern Welsh and London Glamorgan Society events below)

 

A Welsh Summer Lunch

Cymru ar Wasgar yn y Chilterns 2013

What a scorcher! The weatherman said 30C, whilst one person leaving the lunch said her car recorded 33C. It was probably the hottest day we’d ever had for our annual summer lunch. And weren’t we all grateful for it. I’m sure that the committee had planned the marquees in case it rained, but weren’t we grateful for their protection from the sun? Not that we complained – it made us all feel very good.

And as people arrived we saw a large array of hats on display, topping lovely summer outfits. Had we had a best hat parade I would have given my gents vote to Bob Ford’s – what style! The ladies too had brought hats but most carried them in so I didn’t see too many being worn, but Pam Britton wore hers with grace. We mingled over drinks to catch up on gossip, using “ein hiaith” where we could, whilst Jean Owen and Muriel Knight distributed small posies of flowers which they’d brought along to brighten up the tables. Janet John had brought along a bubble making machine which created a party spirit as the bubbles danced their way through the tents until their all too brief existence came to an end as they drifted into more solid things. Irene Powell said one can get square bubbles these days! What good are the corners?

The day had started at 9:45 when a team arrived to erect the marquees, set up the tables etc. What team work! Thanks go to Colin Thomas, Alan Longshaw, Peter Johnson, David Powell, Maldwyn Pugh, Gwyndaf John, Jonathan Pegler and Bill Jones. Di Thomas too was busy making sure everything was as she wanted it (including laying down some more grit!).

Let’s go further back…..the committee must have been preparing this day for many months. Di and Colin had kindly volunteered their lovely house – The New House – back in the Summer of 2012 so that the program could be printed. Maldwyn Pugh had secured the loan of the marquees from Little Chalfont Parish Council, whist Gwyndaf John and David Powell had collected them a couple of days before. The ladies in Ann Evans’s Welsh class had prepared the posies of flowers for the tables.

Colin also had his Moore and Moore pedal-powered harmonium carried out to help with the singing later on if required. It’s not far from a hundred years old (since M&M finished trading in 1921) and of course being pipe-based can’t go out of tune! Memories of the chapel flooded back.
Anyone passing The New House would have wondered why Welsh Flags were so prominent on the hedges on Windsor Road, but for us they were welcoming homing beacons! And so at 12:30 we came from far and wide to our annual summer lunch. Jonathan Pegler (our chairman) welcomed us and gave us the order of the day and thanked the caterer, Jill Mayo, and her team. She had also arranged the supply of tables and chairs. He then passed over to Gwyndaf to introduce the dreaded quiz. Don’t quizzes make you realize how little you know?

It was a quiz about the Lions – given his birthplace, height and weight, identify the Welsh member of the squad. If you got them right you got points and if you needed clues you lost points. As Gwyndaf explained how the cunning points system worked, over on my right Jonathan Pegler was gaily sauntering through the list and filling in the names all by himself, such that by the time Gwyndaf returned to the table, Jonathan had done all of it by himself! Most of the other tables were too proud to sacrifice points for clues – with dire consequences. When it came to marking, Jonathan had got them all correct whilst the next nearest score was around 60%. So the Quizmaster, exercising the great powers vested upon him, disqualified Jonathan’s table for spurious reasons, and declared the other table winners.

As for me I’d declare the whole thing void since one of the correct answers was Sam Warburton whereas Sam Warburton is in fact Sam Kennedy-Warburton and it’s on such things that reputations are made and lost. Despite rugby fan Margaret Payne’s sterling efforts at her table, there was a heartfelt plea from some of the ladies to have a quiz more suited to their gender. Maybe a lady will set a quiz the next time?
The lunch itself was a selection of quiche and cold meat, salad and delicious summer desserts – ideal for the weather. Colin’s collection of Welsh CD’s played at low volume provided suitably “hiraethog” background music.

After the meal Jonathan expressed our gratitude to Di and Colin for graciously hosting us and presented them with flowers and a bottle of good wine. Gwyn & Jean Owen can hardly wait until it’s their turn next year!

Gwyndaf also had a cricket game lined up in the further part of the Garden but we never got to try that since it was far too hot for such activity and everyone was so engrossed in their conversations, although some had been practising in the morning – did they have an inside edge?
This “wilder” part of the garden had interesting features such as the mirror on the wall as a “through the looking glass”, a ladder up the tree and, an old arch over which draped lovely roses. Colin explained to me that this latter arch (and it was old!) was one of 3 original ones from the Manor House on whose grounds The New House was built.

And as we were winding down, Barrie Reece – with his wife Ann, new members attending their first Society event – decided to have a go on Colin’s organ. And good he is too! Watch out John Breese and Jonathan Pegler, there’s competition about. So we had a few songs to finish with. Colin led the singing with laser-like precision on the top notes, whilst Jonathan – recently returned from an operatic course in Italy – provided the harmony.

Then those staying behind helped with dismantling the marquees and tables, packing everything and leaving it as we found it, so that Di and Colin could get back to normality quickly. Liz Seely showed us how to fold the cloths and tents to perfection.

Thank you Di and Colin for hosting us and thanks to all who made the many hands make light work. Diolch o galon i bawb a ddoth i wneud diwrnod atgofiadwy i’r gymdeithas.

Maldwyn gave me a lift back in his gleaming new car, telling me that he’s planning a over 200 mile walk from Swansea to Aberaeron. Maybe that’s what growing up in Soho does for you! A lovely end to a lovely day.

Bill Jones

 


Next Events
The Society’s Annual Golf Day – Friday 30th August
at Oaklands Park Golf Club

Trip to Cardiff 9th to 12th September

Trip to see the Magic Circle in London
Evening of November 5th – sure to go with a bang!
Booking details and costs to follow

2013 Christmas Drinks – 8th December 2013

 

Visit to Highgrove 12th June 2013

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On a somewhat overcast day 26 of us visited the Prince of Wales’ Highgrove Estate (15 acres of garden tended by 12 gardeners as well as the HRH when he has time). In a short video made by Prince Charles, he explained the garden’s development and his organic principles. He incorporates lots of the gifts he receives into the various estate gardens. Camilla must be relieved that the urns etc. do not end up in the house!

Reclaimed ecclesiastical stone is used in landscaping the gardens. Perhaps HRH gets this as the next prospective head of the Church of England? The gardens also show that bind weed and ground elder are no respecters of princes and can only be got rid of organically by constant digging and weeding.

There is a large walled garden which incorporates a semi circle of apple trees pruned into the shape of coronets with the yellow crab apples in season to provide the golden balls.
The Arboretum includes the National Collection of 70 different specimens of Birch. Behind is the Sanctuary where HRH often goes to contemplate (it is his shed at the bottom of the garden but not a pigeon in sight!).

In the next garden are 3 beautiful large olive oil jars sculpted out of Welsh slate chippings.

The famous Wildflower Meadow Garden started with a seed mix nicknamed the ‘Gloucestershire Farmers’ Nightmare’.

 

The tree house built for young Princes William and Harry has Welsh slate stairs and is on 4 Welsh slate pillars.

The Prince’s Thyme Walk has 20 varieties of Thyme and shrubs clipped in to all sorts of geometric shapes .This is HRH’s pun that visitors walk through time along it!

The Prince has a statue of a child donated by Latch (a children’s’ cancer charity in Carmarthen who are invited to visit Highgrove every year).

Finally we entered the Turkish Carpet Garden designed by HRH and others and which won silvergilt at the 2001 Chelsea Flower show. The garden and central mosaic water feature were based on a Turkish carpet in Highgrove.
Many thanks to Anne Thomas who arranged a wonderful day out with impeccable timing, organisation and weather.

Peter & Eirwen Sykes

Summer Lunch 14th July

Hosted by Diane & Colin Thomas, 52 Windsor Road, Gerrards Cross, SL9 7NF

Cost £20 each
Map 
Note that parking may be difficult – there is limited parking in Wayside Gardens, Camp Road, Meadway Park and the Hedgerley Lane spur (right at the lights and right again).

 

2013 AGM – Friday 17th May

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We had a tremendous turnout for the 2013 AGM, over 60 people travelled to the Coleshill Village Hall.

As Chairman, Gwyndaf John welcomed everyone and remembered all the events that had been organised over the past year. Membership at the yearend was 109 paid-up members (plus a few honouree ones).

Our Treasurer, Graham Beavan, went through the accounts which showed that we actually made a slight profit for the year; the books are looking quite healthy.

Jonathan Pegler then took us through the proposed amendments to our Constitution. Jonathan explained that the original Constitution was drawn up over 10 years ago when the Society was first proposed and the actual running of the group has deviated from that over the course of the years. The revisions refer to small things like the approval of the accounts, membership of and elections to the committee.

What may have been a dry subject was brightened up by some lively questioning from the floor, but with a couple of very minor revisions, the new Constitution was unanimously approved.

Gwyn, then turned to elections to the committee. This year, four members of the committee are standing down, after many years of really fantastic service, these are: Bob Ford, Eileen Mitchell, Hugh Griffiths and Maldwyn Pugh. Bob and Hugh are past chairmen, Eileen was our Treasurer for many years, and Maldwyn was secretary and did most of the administration behind the scenes for many a year.

Gwyn congratulated them all, and presented them with small tokens of the Society’s appreciation. At this point, Gwyn announced that he was standing down as Chairman, and would be succeeded by Jonathan Pegler.

Jean Owen is a welcome new addition to the committee. The remaining officials were re-elected for the following year. So the new committee is:
Life President……………..Ann Evans
Chairman…………………Jonathan Pegler
Vice Chairman……………to be appointed
Minutes Secretary………..Kay Day
Treasurer…………………Graham Beavan
Membership Secretary….Ann Lawrence
Other Members…………..Anne Thomas, Jean Owen, David Powell, Gwyndaf John

Jonathan and Gwyn gave fair warning that other members could be co-opted onto the committee – and therefore no-one should feel safely out of the running.

Ann Tennant’s team then provided an excellent hot meal with choice of puds and coffee.

The entertainment for evening was provided by Maldwyn Pugh , who gave an interesting and amusing talk about his childhood growing up in a welsh dairy business in Soho. Maldwyn described his family memories and those of wartime.

As his talk progressed he started to reveal stories of some of the characters he got to know as a child and teen. Maldwyn then started talking about some of the street trade that he was able to observe from his vantage point living above the Soho streets. He also offered to reveal even more if approached discreetly after the talk.

We finished about 10pm and there were willing hands to help clear the hall before we left.