It is with great sadness that we report the death of our local MP and honorary CDWS member Dame Cheryl Gillan on 4th April 2021, after a long battle with cancer.
Cheryl was born in Llandaff, Cardiff in 1952 and brought up in South Wales. Her family still farms near Usk and she was incredibly proud of her Welsh roots.
Her early career was as marketing executive and she chaired the Bow Group from 1987 to 1988. She was elected MP for Chesham and Amersham in 1992 and served as junior minister for Education and Employment from 1995 to 1997 before being appointed as Conservative whip and spokesperson for Trade and Industry, Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs.
In December 2005 Cheryl was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Wales and showing quite some enterprise, Ann Lawrence offered her honorary CDWS membership the same month, which Cheryl accepted.
The Society kept in touch by sending her copies of the Newsletter and our Programme of Events and eventually this paid off when Cheryl facilitated a tour of the House of Parliament in June 2011 and joined us for dinner in one of the private dining rooms.
Dame Cheryl was fiercely opposed to HS2 and never passed up an opportunity to speak against the proposed high-speed rail link, HS2.
She was awarded a damehood in the 2018 New Year Honours list.
Fifty of us mingled in the garden before being asked to collect our food provided by To Dine For Catering company. A number of very helpful young assistants served the food – a selection of salads, new potatoes, cold beef and salmon en croute with various relishes, and bread and butter. We had brought our own wine and glasses but water was provided on each table and refreshed several times because of the high temperatures. Desserts were equally delicious with a choice of pear meringue and fruit tarts. Later, coffee, tea and chocolates were served at the table.
Someone wanted to know where to put up the Welsh bunting, whereas of course bunting was an English Royal Naval term and therefore an antithesis when used with Welsh.
Conversation flowed as we caught up with hwn ar llall. Each table developed its own personality: Margaret and John Edwards’ table was consumed in lively, humorous and energetic conversation with science and technology as a probable theme. Our table talked holidays, golf, theatre and opera and, the upcoming Brecon trip in September.
Jonathan Pegler welcomed everyone to the meeting, including 10 new members. The Press coverage has been excellent this year, and the society is thriving with healthy finances. Jonathan continued and reviewed the various events throughout the year.
Kay Day welcomed everyone in both English and Welsh and proposed Jonathan Pegler as vice Chairman.
Chicken Curry & Rice or Beef Stew, followed by a wide choice of desserts including profiteroles, rhubarb fool, raspberry brule, ginger meringue, white chocolate cake and cheese and biscuits.
The Coach arrived on time at the picking-up points and then this joyous crowd of Welsh Supporters, seeking fun and knowledge, enjoyed a trip down the M4 in magnificent sunshine, over the Bridge, paid the entrance fee (no reduction for indigenous natives) and arrived at Porthcawl, much tortured earlier in the year by gigantic waves breaking over the sea wall. There, close to the front, near Rest Bay for the agile, was the Pegler Mansions! How envy poured out from everyone!!
Having received sufficient sustenance, the M4 was re-joined and shortly we arrived at the well-appointed Premier Inn on the Water-front where we met our charismatic and vocally gifted Guide, Annie From Wales.com Haden who introduced herself so well, that we were sure there might be an embarrassing family connection somewhere!!
operated in the 18th Century (1700+!!) and now picturesquely showing its Norwegian Church, an Ice House with landmark Chimney and a rather large Shed! As we cantered along the waterfront to the National Waterfront Museum we passed the Dylan Thomas Museum which was closed!! Undaunted because we knew that Dylan appeared elsewhere on our programme, we lunched in the Waterfront Museum, enjoy-ed its very local exhibits of 
Welsh Life, and then off to Brangwyn Hall, part of the Guild Hall to be greeted by The Rt Worshipful Lord Mayor of Swansea, Alderman Ceirwen Thomas. As she accompanied us around the building she explained how in the WW2 extensive bombing of the City, Hitler ordered the Luftwaffe to 
leave the Guild Hall and its tall tower 
unscathed as he proposed to locate his Welsh head-quarters there!! (Hitler was already taking Welsh lessons in anticipation!). The Mayor showed enormous warmth and charisma towards us and we were treated to a sumptuous tea when all was done.
savoured the place where he met up with his friends. Here he spent 23 years of his short life writing 2/3rds of his works: the house had been beautifully restored by volunteers that included Annie and her ex-husband.
Views from the train as we journeyed along the Towy estuary in such beautiful weather were accompanied by Annie’s witty remarks, her commentary and anecdotes.
The rest went on to the National Botanic garden at Llanarthne to view the excellent plant culture, magic Botanic Dome (largest single span glass Conservatory in the World!), the Tropical House, and a 
plethora of interesting Buildings
(even a lovely “cwtch” for us to cuddle together!!).
Surmounting all was Middleton Hall with magnificent scenery and the ubiquitous Folly (Paxton’s Tower – referring to Lord Nelson and his flirtings – such days of yore!!) built in the distant hills as a constant phallic insult to an annoying neighbour.
Next stop: Laugharne with Dylan’s and Caitlin’s Boat House overlooking the sea and the Towy estuary with the famous Pendine Sands in the distance and a pair of welsh wool long-johns drying on a tree!!.
sat, coat 
on his chair, with his thoughts of the World whilst watching the waves in the distance. For some of us, there was time for a drink sitting in Dylan’s favourite window seat in Brown’s Inn, and a visit to the Castle.
copper smelting but now overgrown with beautiful greenery. As we ate and drank on board the boat munching an excellent buffet organised by our very own ladies, it was intriguing to see in the middle of the river a cascade of bubbles coming from mermaids long lost below us (!!).
taken over picturesque moors and hills to Rhosili on the Gower: a bay now ranked best in the UK, in the top 3 in Europe and in the top 10 in the World! My, what breath-taking views! Those who ventured so far as the Coast Guard Station overlooking Worms Head saw a Grand Piano being tuned in the open in preparation for an open-
air Concert!!!
Having savoured the splendours of the scenery, the bay and the cliff top, we sojourned to The King Arthur Hotel at Reynoldston where we were well received and ate with the evening sun pouring down outside: a fitting end to another magnificent day but not before Annie was thanked 
profusely for her excellent guiding, extensive local knowledge and banter punctuated on occasions by a few “bloody boyos” and other Welsh unmentionables!
Next day, home! Calling at Neath Abbey and the magnificently restored Cistercian Abbey at Margam, surrounded by a picturesque Country Park surmounted by the 19th century Margam Castle with its spectacular Stone Staircases, reminiscent of Hogwarts. The Castle was built by the Talbot family using fortunes gained from the production of steel at the still profitable Port Talbot works in the Bay. Gone were the skeletons of trees seen 40 years’ ago (the trees poisoned by acid rain) and in their place a magnificent forest of colour.
provided an enthusiastic talk on the area, an account of the devastation produced by a Welsh Tsunami, the discovery of a propeller from a long-ago stranded ship, the pub’s local judicial history and sentencing of felons to be hung close by!!
This, accompanied by a super buffet and general Welsh camaraderie engaging all of us, was a more than fitting end to yet another fantastic trip with thanks to Jonathan for its organisation and to Lyndon for his safe driving!! And so to our next visit to the Fatherland to satisfy another feast of Welsh hiraeth!
This year’s St David’s Day dinner was the best attended yet, and what an enjoyable evening!
The meal included a really delicious Welsh lamb steak, preceded by a prawn tart and finished off with a good old fashioned sponge pudding with custard.
A wonderful operatic soprano, Rhiannon will this year be the guest soloist for the London Welsh Festival of Male Choirs at the Royal Albert Hall. She gave a charming and captivating performance covering a varied programme, ranging from Puccini’s La Boheme to Gershwin’s Summertime. I think that most of the men in the audience liked the pieces where she played the ‘vamp’ and teased various gentlemen in the room singing amorously at them (soprano/lap dancer she says in a recent tweet).
Jonathan Pegler thanked the pair, Rhiannon was presented with a bouquet of flowers, and Peter with a bottle of wine.
