What’s On

Grit and glamour at Venue Cymru

Ban Mountain Film Festival,

4th February Mind-blowing cinematography as explorers push themselves to the limit in the most remote corners of the globe. 7.30pm. Tickets £17.

Fascinating Aida, 9th February

e hilarious, always topical trio are back with old favourites, songs you haven’t heard before and some you wish you’d never heard! 7.30 pm. Tickets £28.

Burn the Floor, 15th February.

Strictly’s Kevin Clifton stars in this ery mix of live music and ground-breaking moves. 7.30pm. Tickets from £28.

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Tour,

16th February Llandudno, prepare yourselves! Join Tayce, Bimini Bon Boulash, Ellie Diamond and Laurence Chaney for an evening of eleganza! 8pm. From £38. venuecymru.co.uk

Mini literature fest

Pull up a chair and indulge in a day of stimulating and entertaining conversation at Hearth 2022 in Gladstone’s Library, Hawarden on 5th February. Improve your writing, discover how to publish your novel, get hints and tips and nd inspiration at this micro-fest.

Gladfest’s younger sibling aims to distil the best of festival life – book chat, comfy seating, tea and cake, and a good glass of wine – into a single day, with opportunities to talk and create with four authors. Sample what to expect by listening to recordings from past festivals via www.gladstoneslibrary.org

Winter at Galeri Caernarfon

Noson yng Nghwmni Gru ydd Wyn, 15th January

A bilingual musical evening showcasing Britain’s Got Talent star Wyn, a classical crossover artist from Amlwch. 7.30pm.Tickets £18. action in 1920s Europe. 5.55pm. Tickets from £12.

George Egg: Movable Feast,

11th February A comedyand-cooking show from the award-winning stand-up. 7.30pm.Tickets from £10.

Met Opera Live: Rigoletto,

29th January Enjoy this satellite screening, a bold new take on Verdi’s timeless tragedy that resets the opera’s

NT Live: e Book of Dust – La Belle Sauvage, 17th

February. Set 12 years before the His Dark Materials trilogy, this gripping adaptation revisits Philip Pullman’s fantastical world. Live from London’s Bridge eatre. 7pm. Tickets from £8.

www.galericaernarfon.com

SENSATIONAL SNOWDROPS

In February, Wrexham will have some stunning displays of snowdrops – a sure sign that spring is on the way! Enjoy them on a walk around Chirk Castle’s Pleasure Ground Wood, which will boast a carpet of delicate owers. And at Erddig, look out for the estate’s own special snowdrop, a double-headed variety and a rare and beautiful treat. Snowdrops will bloom on the elevated west front of the house, with sweeping views of the grounds as a backdrop. Details at www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Sew so good!

Try a new hobby or re-acquaint with an old one at Abakhan in Mostyn on 29th January. eir Introduction to the Sewing Machine workshop covers basics from how to thread the machine to stitching curved lines. Whether you’re new to sewing or coming back to it, it’ll boost your con dence and you’ll go home with a drawstring bag and examples. ere are also workshops for more advanced machinists, see www.abakhan.co.uk

Wildlife watcher

Enjoy An Evening with Iolo Williams at the Village Hotel, Ewloe on 17th February. Iolo is one of the UK’s best-loved nature and wildlife presenters, and has fronted countless TV shows including the BBC’s Watches. A committed conservationist and nature writer, he is also a very proud Welshman!

Find out more about the man and his passions at this event, which includes a charity auction for the North Wales Wildlife Trust. Tickets via

www.eventbrite.co.uk

THE MOUNTAINS IN WINTER

e team at Plas y Brenin, based in Capel Curig just live for Snowdonia in winter! roughout January and February they o er lots of courses from beginner level to hard-core hiking. Winter Skills (two days) covers equipment, basic navigation and mountain safety; Winter Mountaineering o ers ve days of practical learning to build con dence in walking and scrambling at this time of year, and Winter Scrambles is for those whose mountaineering skills are already pretty solid. eir Winter Welsh 15 Peaks Challenge is a true test of tness over ve days. See www.pyb.co.uk

DID YOU KNOW? The temperature fell to -22.7° in Corwen in 1981 –a record for North Wales

Racing into New Year

2022 will get o to a racing start at Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse with the New Year Meeting on 13th January, with some of Britain’s top jockeys in attendance. e Winter Meeting on 11th February o ers a thrilling afternoon at the only jump racecourse in North Wales. See

www.bangorondeeraces.co.uk

Hats o to Mold

Have a go at making your own fascinator for a special occasion on

28th January

at Cambria Costume House in Mold. Peaky Blinders more your style? Take along your own choice of fabric on 22nd January and fashion yourself an eight-panel cap or perhaps an ear-hugging trapper. See www.

cambriacostumehouse.co.uk

NEW BEGINNINGS IN ANGLESEY

Canolfan Ucheldre Centre in Holyhead has regular activities throughout winter. Why not try Adult Art Workshops on Monday mornings or Saturday Art Club for the kids? Gardening on ursdays welcomes beginners as well as seasoned growers. ere are voice workshops for all levels and opera, ballet and theatre screenings. See www.

ucheldre.org

Extreme gardening

e Hardy Plant Society Clwyd is presenting two talks at Stamford Gate Hotel in Holywell. On 18th January join Tim Lever for ‘In Sight of Snowdonia’: an adventurous trek through North Wales in search of native alpine ora, with photos of rare plants growing in their natural habitat. On 15th February in ‘What on Earth is at in My Garden?’, Richard Lewis takes a fresh look at the pests and diseases a ecting garden plants and debates methods of control. See www.hardy-plant.org.uk/clwyd

Running in Wrexham

Blow away those winter blues by running the Village Bakery Half-Marathon in Wrexham on 20th February, renowned as one of the friendliest, attest and fastest halfs in the region. It is a well-marshalled course with plenty of support and drink stations, and all nishers receive a bespoke medal as well as tasty baked treats courtesy of e Village Bakery! Entry costs from £23. For more information visit

runcheshire.niftyentries.com

WHAT’S ON IN BRIEF

8TH-21ST JANUARY

•8th January,

George Michael Tribute with Dinner & Disco, Beaufort Park

Hotel, Mold For those who couldn’t squeeze another party into December, why not meet up for this fantastic tribute? Enjoy a three-course meal, then bop till you drop! 7.30pm–midnight. Tickets £35.

www.beaufortparkhotel.co.uk

•8th & 15th January, Beach

Clean, Rhyl Promenade and Porth Trecastell, Anglesey

Kick-start your New Year by doing something positive for wildlife. Bring your own gloves and litter pickers. See www.

northwaleswildlifetrust.org.uk

•11th January, New Year ramble, Anglesey Meet at Bryn Aber car park to explore the coastal path towards Carmel Head. 11am–2pm. £2. Book via www.

northwaleswildlifetrust.org.uk

•14th January,

Broken Witt Rebels, Tivoli,

Buckley Modern Nashville meets cutting-edge pop. Playing tracks from their upcoming studio album, OK Hotel. 7pm. £12. tivolivenue.com

•20th January,

Kingfi shers – and much, much

more! An online talk introducing the wonders of Spinnies Aberogwen Nature Reserve. 7-8pm. Free. Book via www.

northwaleswildlifetrust.org.uk

•20th – 23rd January, Snow

White, Criccieth Memorial Hall.

All the song and dance, laughs and ‘behind yous!’ you could wish for! 2.30pm & 7.30pm. Adult £8, child £6, family £26 via www.ticketsource.co.uk

•20th-23rd

January, Bastion 2022 meet-up, YHA

Conwy Enjoy collectible card and role playing games, meet other gamers and make new friends. For details see

www.bastionwales.com

•21st January, RSPB

talk, St David’s Church Hall, Penrhyn

Bay The Wildlife of Trinidad & Tobago. 2pm. £2.50. ww2.

rspb.org.uk/groups/northwales

WHAT’S ON IN BRIEF

21ST JANUARY–3RD FEBRUARY

•21st January, Secrets of

Gwydyr Forest, North Wales

Wildlife Trust Online talk about the history of mining and forestry around Betws y Coed, highlighting the rare species that now grow on abandoned spoils. 7pm. £2. Book via www.

northwaleswildlifetrust.org.uk

Variety at Rhyl Pavilion

Madama Butter y, 30th

January Puccini’s opera tells the heart-rending story of a beautiful young Japanese girl who falls in love with an American lieutenant. 7.30pm.Tickets from £26.50.

Illusion: Impossible, 5th February Five incredible illusionists perform a non-stop show: appearing superbikes, impossible predictions, levitations and an explosive nale! 7.30pm. Tickets from £27.

Menopause e Musical 2,

18th February Hilarious, heartfelt sequel to hit show. 7.30pm. Tickets £34.50.

DID YOU KNOW? Top Gear declared Jimmy the worst driver ever to appear on the show!

•From 21st

January, Arts Together, St David’s Building, Mold

Creative, fun sessions in a safe environment for those living with dementia and early onset memory loss. Crafts, music, drama and singing. Fridays 10.45am-12.30pm. Free. www.theatrclwyd.com

•22nd

January, Mind, Body & Spirit Festival, the Wild Pheasant Hotel & Spa, Llangollen

Lose the postChristmas blues on a relaxing day enjoying retail therapy and free workshops. Why not book a treatment at the Spa? 10am-4.30pm. Free entry.

www.everbrightgrouphotels. com/wildpheasanthotel

ECOLOGY ON THE BEACH

Help to monitor local Marine Protected Areas via Shoresearch ‘have-a-go’ sessions on 17th-19th January. North Wales Wildlife Trust wants to train volunteers to survey species at Llandudno’s North Shore, Rhosneigr and Porth Meudwy. See www.northwaleswildlifetrust.org.uk

Jimmy Carr: Terribly Funny, 25th February

Jokes about all kinds of terrible things… 7pm & 9.30pm. Tickets £31.50. www.rhylpavilion.co.uk

Dreaming in Bethesda

Until 16th January,

experience the ‘Eye of the Moon’ art installation at Pontio in Bangor, featuring animated lms by Jo Lawrence and an original score by Tomasz Edwards. www.pontio.co.uk

•27th-30th

January, Breakthrough to Zen Retreat, Noddfa, Penmaen-

mawr Find your inner self on a three-day meditation retreat. This intensive format is suitable for those with no prior experience as well as those who have a developing practice. See zenways.org

•2nd February,

Friends – The Musical Parody, Venue Cymru, Llandudno

A goodhearted romp through favourite moments from the hit TV show. You’ll laugh! You’ll cry! You’ll Unagi! 7.30pm. Tickets £33. www.venuecymru.co.uk

•From 3rd February, online

course, Printmaking at Home, Wrexham Glyndwr University

Are you interested in trying a new craft? Explore your creativity designing and printing your own cards and fabric at home. Four hour-long sessions cover essential techniques. 5-6pm. Fee £50. glyndwr.ac.uk

MUSIC AT PONTIO BANGOR

Return to Vienna, 7th January WNO Orchestra presents a rousing programme of waltzes, polkas and maybe a few surprises! 7.30pm. From £7.50.

ROH Live: Tosca, 19th January Into the romantic 19th-century world of an idealistic painter and his sensuous lover Tosca comes the malevolent Baron Scarpia, with fatal results. 7.15pm. Tickets from £10.

Alaw, 3rd

February Welsh supergroup share their passion for the traditional music of Wales with a deftness and sensitivity that is enthralling. 8pm. Tickets from £11. www.pontio.co.uk

RUNNING TO REMEMBER

e Nick Beer 10k Memorial Race takes place on 13th February, commemorating the Llandudno athlete. e 30th anniversary event starts and nishes on Llandudno Promenade and snakes around the Great Orme. ere will be cash prizes in each category and for breaking course records. Book via nwrrc.co.uk

LEARN TO SPEAK CYMRAEG

Gwynedd and Anglesey residents can take advantage of discounted rates on Welsh courses at Nant Gwrtheyrn near Pwllheli. Sessions are online during January, and at their beautiful centre on the Llŷn Peninsula in February. Emphasis is placed on building con dence by speaking Welsh as much as possible during your stay! Beginners and improvers. nantgwrtheyrn.org

ESCAPES IN SNOWDONIA

Join Large Outdoors for a Yoga and Walking Weekend on 21st

January

or 18th February. Enjoy gentle guided walking in the foothills of Snowdonia and beginners’ yoga sessions. Or venture higher on Snowdon in Winter (18th-20th February). In the evenings get hygge in the cosy guesthouse. For full programme visit www.

largeoutdoors.com

2022 FIXTURES

13/01 NEW YEAR MEETING 11/02 THE WINTER MEETING 13/03 SUNDAY RACEDAY 09/04 GRAND NATIONAL CELEBRATION 14/05 FAMILY FUNDAY 24/05 THE SPRING MEETING 29/07 LADIES DAY 15/08 FAMILY FUN EVENING 23/08 THE SUMMER MEETING 28/09 THE CLYWD SPECIAL RIDING CENTRE CHARITY DAY 25/10 HALLOWEEN DAY 09/11 EARLY NOVEMBER MEETING 26/11 LATE NOVEMBER MEETING 09/12 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

TICKETS & HOSPITALITY NOW ON SALE AT BANGORONDEERACES.CO.UK

Winter blooms at Penrhyn Castle

While winter is a quiet time for the Castle’s garden and grounds, there are many seasonal gems to discover in the Walled Garden. Enjoy the viburnums and Japanese quinces with their ashes of orange and salmon. Savour the delicate scents of Jasminum o cinale and nd the Chinese witch hazel with its strongly fragrant golden-yellow owers and a stunning mass of snowdrops. Afterwards, warm up in the Stable Yard Co ee Shop or Castle Tea Room. See

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/penrhyn-castle

Quality quilting

Witness some of the nest stitching and most inventive quilt work in Wales at Quiltfest 2022 in Llangollen from 8th-18th February. e exhibition takes place across two venues – the Royal International Pavilion and the Museum & Art Gallery. See the collection of work by internationally renowned textile artist Irene MacWilliam, prize-winning quilts by the MeerKats and ‘Uncharted’ by the Contemporary Quilt Group. Discover the Quilters’ Guild challenge, ‘Towards the Light’, pieces inspired by di cult personal events which then provided a positive way forward. See www.quiltfest.org.uk

CLASSICS AT THE CLUB

Rhyl Music Club presents a series of classical concerts in the Town Hall, including a programme of Bloch, Debussy and Rachmaninov from Graham Walker (cello) and Ellis omas (piano) on 12th January. Enjoy jazz era piano from Jo Havlat on 26th January, while on 9th February Elizaveta Saul (violin) and Ana Manastireanu (piano) perform works by Schumann, Mendelssohn, Strauss and Piazzola. All 7.30pm. Tickets via www.rhylmusic.com

WHAT’S ON IN BRIEF

4TH-18TH FEBRUARY

•4th-5th

February, Welsh of the West End, Theatr Clywd, Mold

Ste an Hughes and his West End super-group perform musical theatre favourites from Les Mis, Rent and Phantom of the Opera. 7.30pm. Tickets from £16. www.theatrclwyd.com

•Until 6th February,

Exhibitions at Mostyn, Llandudno

The Ultimate Kiss by Jacqueline de Jong, and Anathemata: scripts, drawings and videos by four fellow avant-garde artists. Free. www.mostyn.org

•6th February,

Sinfonia Cymru: Lucienne Renaudin Vary, Theatre

Clywd, Mold French trumpet sensation. 7.30pm. Tickets from £10. www.

theatrclwyd.com

•6th February, Gourmet

break at The Mulberry Inn,

Llwynmawr Enjoy a two-night break in the beautiful Ceiriog Valley and savour a specially prepared menu celebrating the wines of Argentina. For details visit mulberryinn.co.uk

Hitting the high notes

Enjoy variety at the Stiwt near Wrexham this winter.

North Wales Opera Studio: A Night at the Opera, 9th January

Anne Williams-King (soprano) performs excerpts from e Magic Flute, West Side Story and more. 7pm. Tickets from £15.

Woman Like Me: e Little Mix Show, 11th

February A high-energy tribute show based on the hits of X-Factor winners Little Mix, as well as songs by Justin Bieber, Whitney Houston, Lady Gaga and more. Plus dance competitions and giveaways. 7pm. Tickets from £12. Book via www.stiwt.com

GO THE DISTANCE

Join the Mountain Coach on two exhilarating walking events. e Anglesey Coast Hiking Weekend on

5th & 6th February

takes in the majestic Southstack Lighthouse and Holyhead Mountain and then on to the amazing beaches, dunes and forests of Newborough and Llanddwyn Island. e Llandudno and Conwy Hiking Weekend on 19th & 20th February includes a ramble around the Little Orme and Angel Bay, then a longer trek up the Sychnant Pass and around the Conwy area. For details see www.themountaincoach.com

•9th February,

An Evening with Shane, Mike & Lee, Brymbo Sports Complex, Wrexham

Wales and Lions legends Shane Williams, Mike Phillips and Lee Byrne refl ect on their careers at the top of rugby. Enjoy a two-course meal and a chance to bid on some unique sporting memorabilia. 7pm. From £52.50 via www.seetickets.com

•18th February, RSPB talk,

St David’s Church Hall, Penrhyn

Bay Illustrated talk by Chris Tynan on ‘Trials and tribulations of a city-dwelling peregrine falcon’. Non-members welcome. 2pm. £2.50. ww2.rspb.org.

uk/groups/northwales

WHAT’S ON IN BRIEF

18TH-26TH FEBRUARY

•18th & 19th February, Aisha

and Abhaya (fi lm screening),

Venue Cymru, Llandudno An intoxicating theatrical rush as Ballet Rambert takes centre stage to a soundtrack of driving techno. 8pm. Tickets from £13 via www.venuecymru.co.uk

•19th February,

Let’s Run Rhyl 5 & 10 Mile

This fl at, fast course is sure to be a hit with runners chasing their personal best. Entry includes T-shirt and bespoke medal. 10am. Entry from £24. (Fun run 9.15am, entry £3.) www.runwales.com

•19th-21st

February, Engineous! Model Railway Exhibition, National Slate Museum, Llanberis

Adjacent to Llanberis Lake Railway’s Gilfach Ddu station. See the models then ride on the real thing! 11am-3pm. Free entry. www.lake-railway.co.uk

•20th February, Superstars

of Welsh Wrestling, The

Pavilion Rhyl Smack-down and enjoy this spectacle for all the family! 5pm. Tickets from £11. www.rhylpavilion.co.uk

•22nd-26th

February, Rock of Ages, Venue Cymru,

Llandudno An LA love story lavished with over 25 classic rock anthems - lose yourself in a city and a time where the dreams are as big as the hair! 7.30pm. Tickets from £23. www.venuecymru.co.uk

•23rd

February, Krysia Osostowicz, Clara Biss, Mary Ho man, Rhyl Music

Club Krysia has performed with groups such as Endymion; Clara with the Britten Sinfonia, whilst Mary is familiar from Beethoven in Wales .Unusually, each will take turns on violin and viola. 7:30pm. Tickets £15. www.rhylmusic.com

FORGE AHEAD…

DID YOU KNOW? Willow and Clash of the Titans were both fi lmed at Dinorwig

Try your hand at the ancient art of blacksmithing at the National Slate Museum in Llanberis on 6th February. e vintage forge of Gilfach Ddu will be rekindled, where generations of blacksmiths served the needs of Dinorwig Quarry.

Under the guidance of Liam Evans, you will be introduced to forging, forming and cutting techniques and use hot steel to create your own poker to take home. e less energetic can watch Liam create iron hearts and dragons, or see a slate-splitting demonstration showing o the skills of the quarrymen. See museum.wales/slate/

THE WELSH ITALIAN JOB

Wirral Minis’ annual run from Bromborough to Llandudno takes place on 16th January. From the coast, the route winds up the Great Orme for views across Snowdonia before parking on the Prom. Open to both classic and modern Minis, each car will display its own special plaque. Entry via www.eventbrite.ie

Music and laughter at eatr Clwyd

Crooners, 29th January is show wows audiences with its laugh-out-loud silliness and superb musical numbers, featuring e Mini Big Band. 7.30pm. Tickets from £23.

Mark Watson: is Can’t Be It, 30th January

At 41, Mark Watson is halfway through his days on earth, according to his life expectancy calculator app… 7.30pm.Tickets from £20.

Six, 22nd26th February

From Tudor Queens to Pop Princesses, the six wives of Henry VIII take to the mic to tell their tales. Various times. Tickets from £40. www.theatrclwyd.com

ART AT TŶ PAWB WREXHAM

Family play session,

6th January Drop into the Useful Art Space for den-building, wall-drawing and imaginative loose play! Ages 5-15. 4-6pm.Free.

Porridge Radio, 29th

January Emerging indie rockers, supported by Adwaith and Eitha Da. 7-11pm. Tickets £9 via

www.gigantic.com/ porridge-radio-tickets

Print International, until 26th February

Catch the ongoing biennial exhibition celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Regional Print Centre. Galleries open 10am-4pm, Wednesday-Saturday. Visit typawb.wales

GET YOUR GROOVE ON!

Raising the roof at Tivoli Venue Buckley:

Ferocious Dog, 21st January A full-on six-piece sound that encompasses folk, rock, reggae and Celtic vibrations. 7pm. Tickets £16.50.

Frank Turner & e Sleeping Souls, 2nd February

During the pandemic, Frank streamed live gigs and raised nearly £300,000 to support small music venues across the UK. He was awarded the Music Venue Trust’s award for Outstanding Achievement for Grassroots Music Venues. e band’s ‘Never Ending Tour of Everywhere’ combines punk and English folk. 7pm. Tickets £37.50.

tivolivenue.com