Services

HOLY Cross: Mass at 6pm on Saturday with Bishop Edwin.St Mary Magdalene: Mass at 11am with Bishop Edwin.St David’s: Crib service at 4pm on Christmas Eve; Christmas Family Communion at 11am on Christmas Day.St David’s and St Michael’s: United service at the Holy Trinity Church, Penrhyn at 11am on 27 December.Manod Orthodox, Third and Sixth Canonical Hours at 10am followed by Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom at 10.30am.Bethesda: End-of-year service at 10am.Bowydd: Christmas morning Communion service with Rhian Williams at 9am; Prayer meeting on the following Sunday at 10am.Bethel, Ffestiniog: Christmas morning service with Rev Anita Ephraim at 9am.Moreia, Trawsfynydd: Bydd Cymundeb bore Nadolig am 10yb.

Gallery

THE EXHIBITION by the contemporary photographer Jeremy Dean which has been on display at the Maenofferen Gallery will end on 9 January.The examples of the work by the potter Jane Williams will also end on this date.Clwb Cerdded StiniogTAITH gyntaf y flwyddyn newydd i aelodau Clwb Cerdded Stiniog fydd yn lleol ar 3 Ionawr.Mae esgidiau cryf, dillad addas a phecyn o fwyd yn hanfodol i’r daith; rhai sy’n mynd i fod wrth Ty Gorsaf am 9yb.

Soap actress

SOME people might remember and even have taken part in the filming of a Knights of God programme at the Moelwyn Choir’s Salem Centre in the early 1980s.It featured actor Don Henderson and his actress wife Shirley Stelfox, who later played Edna Birch in the ITV soap Emmerdale for the past 15 years and who passed away last week aged 74.Both had said they were impressed with the welcome they and their crew received in Blaenau.

Planning

THE TOWN council had no objection to the planning application to a rear extension at 2 Glandwr, Glanypwll, but the porch to the front of the property is not in keeping with the rest of the street. As for the application on the proposed engineering operations involving the removal of existing plant and erection of new plant and alterations to existing track at the water treatment works at Ffestiniog, the council needs further information as to whether this work will improve the quality of the water. The application to erect a two-storey extension to Glan Ddwyryd, Dolwen has been permitted.

Choirs

THE MOELWYN Choir’s last two engage-ments of the year took place a week or so before Christmas.On Tuesday evening, 15 December, they en-tertained residents and staff at the Bryn Blodau Residential Home at Ffestiniog and the fol-lowing Friday evening they gave a selection of carols at Betws y Coed.They were conducted by Sylvia Ann Jones and accompanist Wenna Francis Jones with soloists Lowri and Awel Jones while the compère was Gareth Griffiths. The choir will now have a few weeks off be-fore rehearsals begin in the new year for another year of concert engagements. Sylvia Ann Jones conducted and Awen Davey accompanied the Rhiannen y Moelwyn ladies choir as they took part in community carol singing at The Pengwern, Llan Ffestiniog on Thursday evening.They also visited the Bryn Blodau Home.

Sport

BLAENAU Amateurs FC were back in action on Saturday, 19 December, with a home match against Penmaenmawr, but only for 50 minutes as the match was abandoned with the scoreline at 1-1.Geraint Edwards was Blaenau’s scorer.Their next match will be at home to Mynydd Llandegai on 2 January. As for the reserve team, they were 6-3 winners at Porthmadog in a mid-week cup tie thanks to two goals from Tomos Williams and others from Huw Parry, Iolo Thomas, Rhodri Pugh and Ceri Roberts.However, their match at Denbigh Reserves on Saturday was postponed.On 2 January, they are away at Holyhead Hotspurs Reserves.

Park

THE PARK Partnership has requested that the town council provides outside lights in order to leave the park café at night and enable it to be open later this winter. Also, they are hoping to stage an exhibition showing the history of the park, including the 1898 Eisteddfod 1898, and whether it would be possible to get a photocopy of the original deeds for display and to borrow the Chair and Crown for the official opening of the exhibition. Responding, the town council stated that it is responsible for the electricity consumption at the park and that a photocopy of the original deeds was available, but due to the difficulty with insurance it was felt that it might be better to open the council chamber for a day to show the 1898 Blaenau Ffestiniog National Eisteddfod Chair and Crown.

Dancers

BLAENAU Morris Dancing Troupes have ended another successful season with all four of their troupes winning trophies from every competition. At the Carnival Guild of Wales End of Season Championship held at Pontins Southport, Lowri Cunnington won the Champion Baby Leader. The juniors became double champions by win-ning their section to add to their Start of Season Championship and Aimee Owen, who was already Start of Season Champion Leader, won the Champion Junior Leader and Champion Junior Leader Overall.Louise Davies was presented with one of the guild’s highest accolades, the Appreciation Cup, for her service to Morris Dancing and to the guild. To round the season off, the juniors won the fun dance competition at the guild’s Christmas party with Aimee Owen the Best Leader and Kira Williams the Best Mascot.