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Community news
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Cadw Open Doors at Capel Celyn Memorial Chapel
Welsh Water is once again taking part in Cadw’s Open Doors event on September 15th welcoming visitors to Capel Celyn Memorial Chapel. The chapel was built to commemorate the flooding of Capel Celyn village to
construct a reservoir to provide a water supply for the Wirral and the city of Liverpool in 1965. The memorial, designed by RL Gapper, was built from many of the stones from the original chapel. It now stands on the banks of Llyn Celyn overlooking where the old chapel stood. Welsh Water has recently invested in extensive conservation work on the Grade II* listed building working closely with heritage specialists Phillips and Curry Ltd. The original designer’s family have also been involved in the project along with heritage consultant Peter Napier to make sure the addition of new windows and a door and waterproofing, were in keeping with the building. Entry
on the day is free with no prebooking required. Covid measures will be in place and we would kindly ask any visitors to bear with us if there is a short wait to take a look inside the building. The chapel is situated just off the A4212 trunk road from Bala. It is on the left-hand side when driving from Bala towards Trawsfynnydd, approximately 1.5 miles past the National White Water Centre.
cadw.gov.wales/open-doors-capel-celyn
Penderyn offers tours of refurbished distillery
Penderyn opened the doors of its second distillery, in Llandudno, in May. It is situated in the former Old Board School in Lloyd St. The Grade II listed building has been restored, and elements from the old school, the tiling, the parquet floors and the metal school staircase have been
refurbished. Since then, visitors have poured in, and the tours and masterclasses have had 5-star reviews all the way. What’s very satisfying is that former pupils of the school have come in and made themselves known to the staff. The tours start in the wonderful exhibition area (pictured), before moving to the large distilling hall, where Penderyn have a unique Faraday Still, which they also use at their headquarters in the Brecon Beacons. This still produces an alcohol at 92% abv, compared to the industry average of around 70%. This means their whiskies are light, fruity and flavoursome. The tours end
in the tasting bar where a couple of tasters are offered, with miniatures for those driving. Tours are available seven days a week. The masterclass is a real in-depth look at Penderyn and whisky in general, and takes around two and a half hours and runs at weekends.
www.penderyn.wales
Lanyon Bowdler launches The Legal Lounge podcast
A law firm in North Wales is finding a new way of connecting with people by launching its own podcast series. Lawyers
from Lanyon Bowdler, which has offices in Conwy, will be using the podcasts to discuss a variety of topics, ranging
from family law issues to what people can do if they have faced a delay in diagnosis for serious health conditions. The podcast is called The Legal Lounge, and the first episode airs this month. “We thought a podcast would be a great way
for our lawyers to share their passion and knowledge with a wider audience,” said marketing director, Amanda Jones. “The firm covers all areas of law so we will be delving into a wide range of topics, with some of the first episodes
covering things like how to avoid taking family matters to court by using alternative dispute resolution techniques. We are also looking at the worrying rise in diagnosis delays leading to serious medical problems and clinical negligence claims, as well as talking to one of our lawyers who is an assistant coroner – he certainly has some interesting stories to tell! I am looking forward to hearing them and we hope people will tune in for some interesting and useful information.”
www.lblaw.co.uk
Wrexham AFC inspires new book
WREXHAM AFC supporters have been living in a dreamworld since the non-league club was taken over by two Hollywood superstars. For lifelong fan Andrew Foley Jones, the reality is still hard to believe and inspired him to write a novel encapsulating the implausible and astonishing acquisition of the beleaguered fifth-tier outfit by actors Ryan
Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. It’s Almost Always Never Sunny This Side of Wrexham is the tale of a fanatical follower who wakes from a ten-year coma in 2030 to find his
beloved Red Dragons have two handsome A-listers at the helm. Featuring anecdotes and characters from Wrexham AFC’s rich history, the novel is sure to be a hit with non-football fans and supporters of all ages, including the global legions who have joined their ranks since the high-profile buyout last autumn. Anglesey-based dad-of-two Andrew, a solicitor,
columnist and author of several critically-acclaimed stories hopes the book will capture the spirit and excitement which has reached fever pitch over the past few months.
www.andrewfoleyjones.co.uk
New band comes to Rhyl
A magnificent and modern country-pop duo will
bring their intimate acoustic tour to Rhyl Pavilion on 24th November. Ward Thomas, made up of twin sisters Catherine and Lizzy Ward Thomas, will perform an acoustic take on their fourth album Invitation, with songs such as ‘Don’t Be a Stranger’, ‘Open Your Mind’ and ‘Dear Me’. The performance could also feature hits from the band’s second album Cartwheels, which became the first by a
country act in the UK to reach top spot on the UK Albums Chart and later went silver in the UK. The British band has been dubbed ‘Britain’s first
country stars’ as they meld the American sound with the lives of two young English women.
www.rhylpavilion.co.uk
Artists visit Afonwen
Afonwen Craft and Antique Centre is once again welcoming a host of visiting artists this month. On 2nd and 3rd September Holistic Gifts by Angel Wings will be in residence offering lovely gifts as well as providing advice on the healing properties of Lisa’s large collection of crystals. On the 4th and 5th local artist Gill Benjamin will be adding to her wonderful paintings, of flowers, land and seascapes and
places of interest. Then on the 8th and 9th Elaine at Cherry Bea and Liz will be at the centre. Elaine makes jewellery and knits cute outfits for teddy bears, while Liz makes
bags, aprons, peg bags and other lovely stitchwork items. September 10th sees Memory Bears by Margaret Sutherland – Margaret makes Mohair bears and dresses them in lovely outfits, which she can also make with your own material
from babies/children’s or loved ones clothes. The 11th and 12th sees Jackie at Jewels on site, while on the 16th and 17th Sandra Roberts will be making unique pieces of jewellery with reclaimed silver (pictured). On the 18th and 19th artist Thelma Evans will be at the centre, while Marie at Earth Deva will be visiting on the 25th and 26th.
afonwen.co.uk
New exhibition at Mostyn
The Mobile Feminist Library: In Words, In Action, In Connection is on display until 19th September at MOSTYN in Llandudno. This fascinating display of publications and printed materials explores historical and contemporary intersectional feminist activism in Wales. Brought together by artists Minna Haukka and Kristin Luke, whose collaborative practice stems from their ongoing project, this display takes the form of an experimental reading room. Haukka and Luke have collaborated with artists, activists, collectives and publishers to develop a collection which is relevant to Wales and contains both historical and contemporary publications and printed materials sourced from Walesbased archives as well as the London-based Feminist Library.
www.mostyn.org
North Wales organisations unite to make great strides for mental health awareness
Leading North Wales organisations made great strides in supporting people experiencing mental health issues or isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic. Led by Conwy Mind and funded by Conwy Valley and North West Wales Coast Community Rail Partnership and Carneddau Landscape Partnership Scheme, more than 80 people took part in the Walking for Wellbeing programme throughout July. All routes began at a bus stop or train station and included socially distanced leader-led hikes of varying difficulties and lengths around Conwy, Llanrwst and Abergwyngregyn. “Many people have been impacted by
the pandemic, whether that be financially, during lockdowns and self-isolation or because they were unable to see
family and friends,” commented Karen Williams, community rail officer at Conwy Valley and North West Wales Coast
Community Rail Partnership. “We were pleased to be able to give our support to Conwy Mind in organising the walks and encouraging people to get outside, enjoy the fresh air and breathtaking scenery of the Carneddau region, and to meet new people. These events have been a huge success and we must also give thanks to Cartrefi Conwy, whose
community wellbeing team were on hand to assist less-mobile walkers along the way.”
