Eisteddfod founder's son is guest of honour at Llan 2016

* Peter Tudor at home in Staffordshire.

 

The son of the man who founded the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod is to be a guest of honour at the 70^th festival next July.

 

Peter Tudor, now 84, remembers how his father, visionary Welsh journalist Harold Tudor, came up with the idea of a grand cultural gathering to help heal the scars left by World War Two.

 

Peter vividly recalls the excitement generated as competitors from across Europe began to gather for the first festival in the small Denbighshire town in the summer of 1947.

 

Oxford graduate Peter, now living near Stone in Staffordshire, even played a part by volunteering as a messenger boy and later returned to sing in one of the famous choral competitions.

* Harold and Marjorie Tudor. 

He said: “My father was originally from Tanyfron, near Coedpoeth, and after attending Grove Park School in Wrexham started work as a sub-editor on the Post and Echo newspapers in Liverpool.

 

“During the Second World War he also became a member of the British Council, an organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities.

 

“That meant him doing quite a lot of public relations work with representatives of foreign governments in Britain, including people such as the Czech foreign minister Jan Masaryk and the King of Norway, to mention just a couple.

 

“At the end of the war he thought to himself what a terrible business it had been and was looking at things people could do to prevent it ever happening again.

 

“He came up with the idea of an international gathering of singers and dancers and suggested the idea to the board of the National Eisteddfod who I don’t think were too keen on it.

 

“He then approached W S Gwynn Williams, a leading figure in Welsh music who lived in Llangollen, and he gave his support.

 

“My father was obviously very persuasive and worked very hard to get the idea accepted, which it eventually was and Llangollen was chosen as the ideal location with my father being appointed honorary director of publicity.”

* Pages from the 1947 programme. 

Peter, who won a scholarship to Oxford University and went on to work in a series of university libraries including the Bodleian in Oxford, Glasgow, Manchester and Keele before his retirement, added: “For the very first Llangollen International Eisteddfod myself and some of my school friends from Grove Park acted as messenger boys.

 

“We were wearing Press badges and it was our job to run from one part of the field to another delivering messages to various people. It was great fun.

 

“It was just marvellous to see people coming to Llangollen from all parts of Europe and to be able to meet and talk to them.

 

“While the competitions in the Eisteddfod were pretty quiet affairs with everyone silently paying attention, once they were outside on the field it was a completely different matter and everyone mixed together to chat and laugh.

 

“You also had one or two of the choirs joining forces to sing the same piece.

 

“The following year I was back at Llangollen as a member of the Coedpoeth Youth Choir. We sang on the stage and came second in our competition.

 

“That same year my father arranged for the Rhos Male Voice Choir to take part in a concert in Spain and he and my late mother, Marjorie, went with them.

 

“As a result of that visit the Spanish decided to have their own version of the Eisteddfod and in 1949 I took part in the event, held in Madrid, with the Coedpoeth Youth Choir.

 

“I kept on going back to Llangollen for a few years until I was called up for my National Service with the army.

 

“My father also became much less involved with the Eisteddfod after he took a job as a sub-editor with the Post and Mail in Birmingham.

 

“The family moved to live in Northfield in Birmingham and my father died at the age of 79 in 1986.

“The part he played in founding the International Eisteddfod wasn’t always too well remembered but has been better acknowledged more recently. I am certainly very proud of what he did.”

 

Peter, who was married to his wife Eirwen for 51 years and has been a widower since 2008, has two daughters – the eldest of whom, Gillian, followed in her grandfather’s footsteps by becoming a Reuters foreign journalist – and five grandchildren.

 

In 2003 his close family connection with the founder of the Eisteddfod was celebrated when he was invited to meet the Prince of Wales when he paid an official visit to the festival and four years later he was asked back to Llangollen to give a speech about his father from the pavilion stage.

 

* Cuttings from a newspaper covering the
first Eisteddfod in 1947.

“Being able to meet the Prince of Wales was a memorable experience and after sitting next to him for one of the performances I got to speak briefly to him over refreshments,” said Peter.

 

“Apart from those two occasions I haven’t been back to Llangollen but I’m going to do my best to be there for the 70^th Eisteddfod next year as the festival is something which has always meant a great deal to my family and myself. I also send my very best wishes to everyone involved in the 2016 Eisteddfod which should be a very special occasion.”

 

Eisteddfod Chairman Rhys Davies said: “We’ll be delighted to welcome Peter here again as his father was the man who really began this great festival.

 

“Harold Tudor was a man of great vision and the Eisteddfod and people not just in Llangollen but all over the world have a great deal to thank him for.”

 

The Llangollen International Music Eisteddfod has been held every summer since 1947 and is recognised as one of the world’s most inspirational music festivals.

 

Next year’s event, the 70^th to be held, will feature star names Bryn Terfel, Katherine Jenkins and Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra who will bring the curtain down on the festival on Sunday, July 10.

 

This year’s Eisteddfod begins on Tuesday, July 5, when superstar Katherine Jenkins gets things off to a sensational start as she sings Bizet’s Carmen while Wednesday will be International Children’s Day and will include choral and dance competitions and also a new Under 16s solo competition.

 

Thursday will be Voices of the World and the crowning of the Children’s Choir of the World while Friday will celebrate Rhythms of the World and will be dedicated mainly to the dance groups with the Dance Champions of the World competition climax in the evening.

 

In a change of the scheduling Friday will also see the Parade of Nations, led by Eisteddfod President Terry Waite switched from its usual Tuesday in anticipation of bigger crowds and more competitors being present.

 

Saturday is dedicated to the Choirs of the World and concludes with the Choir of the World competition for the Pavarotti Trophy while Sunday sees the Eisteddfod let its hair down for Llanfest before the climactic final concert.

 

The incredible Llangollen welcome and atmosphere won’t change though and throughout the week the field will be the scene for impromptu outbreaks of music and dance while the outdoor stages will host a variety of concerts and performances.

 

Food, drink and craft stalls also surround the field and visitors can dine on a difference cuisine every day of the event and enjoy the colour and excitement of what is a true carnival of nations.

 

* For more information on Llangollen 2016 go to the website at www.international-eisteddfod.co.uk or onto Facebook at www.facebook.com/llangollen

Methodist Church stages Christmas Tree Festival

* Some of the colourful exhibits in the Christmas Tree Festival.

Llangollen Methodist Church has again branched out into the community with its annual Christmas Tree Festival.

A wide assortment of trees lovingly prepared by schools, clubs and businesses will be on show at the church in Princess Street until judging takes place just before Christmas.

Amongst the most novel offerings are a tree made from vacuum cleaner parts built by the Tidy Town Team, one fashioned in the shape of a traditional Welsh lady and named Myfanwy from Llangollen Museum and another from the New Dot community cinema hung with pictures of film stars.

Other contributions are a tree made from the pages of old books from the Hope House charity book shop and learning tree made by the children of Ysgol Dinas Bran.  

The festival is open to the public this Saturday from 10am-3pm and Sunday from 12.30-3.30pm.

Next weekend, trees can be viewed between 10am and 3pm on Saturday and from 12.30-3.30pm on Sunday.

* Above and below: More trees on display at the side of the church.

Councillor calls for speeding clamp-down

* Motorists are speeding past the new health centre, says Cllr Davies.

Llangollen county councillor Stuart Davies has asked for a clamp-down on motorists speeding past the town’s new health centre.

He said: “Concerns have been raised with me that drivers leaving Llangollen heading towards Wrexham, past the health centre in Mill Street, are exceeding the new 30mph speed limit there.

“I have passed on these concerns to the relevant authorities and asked for enforcement activities to be put in place.”

He added: “By breaking the speed limit you are not only putting lives at risk, you are risking your driving licence as well.”

Museum's festive event at Valle Crucis Abbey

Llangollen Museum is hosting a special Christmas celebration at Valle Crucis Abbey tomorrow (Friday) evening. 

Tickets are available from the museum or at the abbey on the night.

 

 

Santa sleighs 'em for Rotary causes

 

* Santa out on his Rotary rounds.

 

Last weekend The Llangollen Dee Valley Rotary Club were out and about helping Santa around Garth, Trevor, Llangollen, Fron, Pentre and Cefn Mawr.

 

They also called in to see the Llangollen Brownie group to deliver some early presents.

 

The club says it would like to thank all the children and adults who braved the weather to say hello to Santa on his sleigh.

 

In spite of the wind, rain and cold over £600 was raised for local charities.

 

 

* ... and checking if he has the correct presents for everyone. 

Vandals make three attacks on railway line

Vandals have made three separate attacks on the railway line between Corwen and Llangollen during the past week.

In a message to its members in the area, the local Neighbourhood Watch team says the first incident happened between last Friday and Saturday when objects were thrown through the windows of a signalbox at the Glyndyfrdwy level crossing.

Then, sometime between Sunday and Monday, the vandals returned to smash another window in the box by throwing an object through it.

Third incident was at the same location when a railway wagon was broken into with windows being smashed and graffiti daubed on to the walls. 

* If you noticed anything suspicious, or have any information relating to this incident please contact North Wales Police by dialling 101.

Alternatively, you can provide information anonymously by calling Crimestoppers Wales on 0800 555 111. North Wales Police would like to urge residents to always report suspicious activity to them at the earliest opportunity.

Operatic gets audience swinging into Christmas

* The Operatic's Christmas show was a feast of festive fun.

Llangollen Operatic Society infused a packed audience with a massive dose of Christmas spirit during their glittering seasonal show at the Town Hall last night.

Swing Along A Christmas was a real cracker of a production featuring a host of songs and sketches from a range of talented performers.  

Perfect choice for host was Louise Cielecki, a graduate of the society’s own Young ‘Uns junior section who is now studying drama.

Her bubbly character got the whole thing off to fizzing start as she split the audience into two halves and encouraged them to compete in roaring out the loudest `merry Christmas’.

A large contingent from the Operatic hit the stage with stylish number from the musical Polar Express before around half a dozen members of the Young ‘Uns appeared to sing snatches from their forthcoming production of Honk! which hits the stage early next year.    

Multi-talented is the right term for Michael Jenkins who was next in the evening’s line-up.

Taking time off from directing the panto Aladdin at the Stiwt in Rhos, he found time to conduct the Operatic’s choral contributions in this show, do a couple of solo numbers himself and also take part in comedy duet.

His solos - including the Bing Crosby evergreen White Christmas set to a swinging rhythm – helped underline the seasonal tone and later he joined Louisa Jones in the old Dean Martin winter warmer, Baby It’s Cold Outside.

Host Louise hung up her mic for a while to join fellow Young ‘Uns alumni Nathan Lloyd in a neat comedy sketch which ended in a song before the Operatic choristers were back to keep up the pace with a number of their own.

Philip Main stepped out from the chorus to give an astonishing countertenor – or perhaps falsetto – rendition of Panis Angelicus.     

Another admirable voice, that of Lizzie Richards, then brought us the stunning Let it Go from the musical Frozen, a real showstopper to end the first half.

Ross Wilson led the charge into the second part of the show with two genuine Rat Pack-style swingers, Dean Martin’s Ain’t That a Kick in the Head and Michael Buble’s Feeling Good.

A neat atmospheric touch came when Ross took his performance out into the heart of the audience.

Louise and Nathan returned for a second two-handed comedy routine and song, followed by the Operatic singers with Winter Wonderland.

A new Operatic star appeared in the east when Dan May strode on stage to present a soulful interpretation of When a Child is Born in his debut performance before an audience.    

Alison Ravenscroft came out next with a cheekily neat Baby It’s Cold Outside – perhaps, as host Louise joked, a little unexpected from a lady who played the Mother Superior in the Operatic’s recent smash-hit production of Sister Act.     

Lizzie Richards and Ross Wilson joined vocal forces for Let it Snow, leaving the entire Operatic team to round off with Jingle Bell Rock.

The audience then got their chance to join in the fun by singing along with Twelve Days of Christmas and We Wish You a Merry Christmas, sending us out into the night with all those fantastic tunes still ringing in our heads.

A pity the Operatic had just one night for their festive entertainment feast as this show could have run and run.