Santa's quiz back at the Ponsonby

Alex Reid leads knockout cast in Stiwt panto

* The cast of Aladdin at The Stiwt.

Judging by their reaction as the final curtain fell, what quite a few ladies who watched the panto at the Stiwt in Rhos yesterday (Sunday) afternoon want for Christmas this year is … Alex Reid.

The cage fighter and former husband of Katy Price is starring in Aladdin at the famous old theatre just up the road and delivering the knockout punch to many female members of the audience in his role as the Genie of the Lamp.

As far as Alex is concerned it’s six-pack appeal all the way.

But aside from the obvious abs the lad can actually act and sing a bit too.

Backing him up every step of the way through Old Peking is a highly talented cast which also includes Sean Smith in the title role whose main claim to fame is that he finished third in the fourth series of The X Factor a few years back.

That means he has a powerful singing voice which helps provide loads of the musical momentum to the production.

He’s also no slouch when it comes to the honed torso himself, which was of significance to the ladies if not the hordes of kids who formed the main body of the highly appreciative packed house.

Carol Mourant, also something of a panto veteran, plays Princess Jasmin with suitable finesse and a sweet singing voice.

A little lady with a particularly big voice is Lucy Edge who was the perfect Slave of the Ring and Tom Morgan completely won over the kids with his neat blend of comedy and pathos as Wishee Washee, Aladdin’s less smart brother.

No panto line-up would be complete with a nasty villain, and this one was lucky enough to have the sneering services of Cooper Randle as Abanazer at its disposal.

The show is fast-paced and colourful and, most importantly, is a barrel of laughs from start to finish.

The whole delicious pre-Christmas treat is put together with real style by Michael Jenkins, who apart from directing the show also dons the dreadful frocks and bad wigs of Aladdin’s mum, Widow Twankey, and drives things forward from the front.

And as if all that isn’t enough he’s back on stage with Wishee Washee just before the end with two cute kids to lead a bit of community singing.

What more could you want from a panto?

* Aladdin runs at The Stiwt until December 30. For details see, www.stiwt.com. Box office: 01978 841300.         

Chirk Hospital holds Tree of Life ceremony

Chirk Hospital held its Tree of Light ceremony in which the names were read out of many people who have now passed away but are fondly remembered by their family and friends.

 

It was organised by the Friends of Chirk Hospital and was very well attended.

 

It is the fifth such annual Christmas ceremony and the names were read out by Julie Fawcett, the Secretary of the Friends.

 

* Simon Baynes by the Tree of Light
 at Chirk Hospital.
 

The Vicar of St Mary’s Church in Chirk, the Rev. Matt Wilkinson, also contributed to the ceremony and the Chair of the Friends, Sybil Jones, thanked everyone for attending and supporting the hospital.  

Simon Baynes, the Prospective Welsh Conservative Assembly Member for Clwyd South, attended the ceremony and said: “The Tree of Light ceremony at Chirk Hospital was very moving and provided a moment of quiet in which to remember those who have passed away but are still present in our hearts.

 

"It means a great deal to the community in Chirk as was evident from the large number of people who attended and then stayed for a cup of tea afterwards.

"The Friends of Chirk Hospital, led tirelessly by Sybil Jones and Julie Fawcett, started this ceremony five years ago and it complements the work that they do throughout the year to raise money for improvements to the hospital. Their most recent project is the new car park without which many of us who attended the ceremony would not have been able to park near the hospital.

 

"Sybil Jones also pointed out that it was exactly 25 years ago that the rebuilt Chirk Hospital was opened by the Secretary of State for Wales which made the Tree of Light ceremony all the more special.”

Chirk turns back clock to medieval Christmas

CROWDS braved today's wind and rain to visit the latest of Chirk Castle's medieval weekends.

The castle courtyard took on a Middle Ages look as re-enactors in period costume, presided over by the colourfully dressed Lord of Misrule, strolled around stalls displaying armour or selling hot pottage, and warmed themselves beside roaring braziers.

Inside the chapel members of the re-enactment team told visitors about how Christmas was celebrated centuries ago and also performed a short medieval-style panto.

Youngsters had the chance to visit Santa Claus in his grotto, located next to the elves' workshop in the castle tower.

Inside the castle, the staterooms were wonderfully decked out in the style of Christmases past.

* The Lord of Misrule presides over the medieval scene.

* The castle courtyard takes on a medieval look.  

* Inside the chapel mummers present a medieval-style panto.  

* The nativity scene in the chapel.

* A dining room inside the castle decked out for the season.

* A cosy bedroom complete with glittering fireplace.

Carols at the Abbey warm a cold night

* Young members of Llangollen Silver Band play a carol inside the Abbey.

PEOPLE braved the chill night air to attend a pre-Christmas event arranged by Llangollen Museum at Valle Crucis Abbey yesterday (Friday) evening.

Carols at the Abbey, held under the floodlights of the ancient site, saw a programme of music provided by Llangollen Silver Band and Cor Meibion Bro Glyndwr.

To help keep out the cold there was a serving of mulled wine and mince pies.

Favourite carols including O Little Town of Bethlehem, Hark the Herald Angels and O Come All Ye Faithful were interspersed with seasonal readings such as Three Drovers, A Child's Christmas in Wales and Two Letters to Santa.

Prayers were led by the Rev Andrew Sully, vicar of St Collen's Church, Llangollen.

At the end of the evening there was a bucket collection in aid of St John's and the Silver Band.

* Members of Llangollen Silver Band provide musical accompaniment.

* Choristers from Cor Meibion Bro Glyndwr on song.  

* Llangollen Deputy Mayor, Cllr Melville Mile, gives the reading Three Drovers.

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.