/>BODORGAN COMMUNITY CENTRE
SUPPORT GROUP NEWSLETTER September 30th 2020
Here we are at the end of September and the road to normality still stretches into the distance. Reopening the schools has been a major milestone, and has come as a relief to pupils and parents alike. The conditional reopening of pubs and restaurants has also been a step in the right direction, although their new operating procedures are a bit strange to us. We continue to see areas in Wales and England put into lockdown on an individual basis, but this is an obvious improvement on national lockdown – remember supermarket shelves being emptied of anything from toilet paper to self raising flour? The only real solution is obviously a vaccine, and that still seems a way off, but at least we are still making progress, albeit two steps forward them one step back..
YMCC UPDATE from Cllr. BRYAN OWEN
There are three children from different schools that have tested positive for Covid - 19.There is also an increase in the number of people that has tested positive, the authority are very concerned about further increase of people testing positive, therefore it is really important that we all stick to the government guidelines. The authority have also decided that they will not be allowing any meetings or events held in council owned properties for the foreseeable future.
150 CLUB
The subscribers’ list is now closed, with 76 participants,. Well down on last year’s total, due mainly to the lack of opportunities to recruit subscribers during lockdown. The total raised is £760, half of which will be distributed in prize money in four monthly draws, starting this week. The other half was earmarked for the annual pensioners’ Christmas lunch, but the Community Centre Trustees have made it clear that they will not be opening the Centre “ in the foreseeable future”. In any case the reduced income from the 150 Club would need to be topped up from Malltraeth Ymlaen funds, which of course have been removed from the bank and transferred elsewhere. So the £380 proceeds will be held back until we can organise an alternative to the Christmas Lunch. We still don’t have access to the Bingo machine, so the draw is based on random numbers generated by the spreadsheet on which the members’ details are held. September’s winners are:- Endaf Parry(£25), Erica Smith(£20), Ray Robertshaw(£20), Emmett Jenner(£15) and Glenys Jones(£15) Winnings will be delivered on Friday.
MALLTRAETH YMLAEN
Last month, Dafydd Jones and nine other directors applied for the second time to Companies House to have Malltraeth Ymlaen closed down. Since this was against the wishes of all of the residents who voted to keep MY going, the other two directors applied to Companies House to have the application rejected, and that is what happened.
Unfortunately the 10 directors who want MY closed down are still not prepared to resign and stand for re-election, so we are still in a situation where residents have no voice in local affairs. In particular, this prevents any discussion or input on the proposed demolition of the school building. Is it possible that this is the motive behind the attempts to close Malltraeth Ymlaen down?
If you haven’t registered for membership of Malltraeth Ymlaen, why not do it now here: Become a member of Malltraeth Ymlaen!.
And if you haven’t completed the survey to find out what sort of building you’d like for the centre, you can do that here: Community Centre Survey!
OUT AND ABOUT – from PHILIP SNOW
September is a time of change in the natural world, so we have lost some visitors, gained others. I will really miss Dinas ap Dyfi, the only Osprey to ever spend all summer with us, as he has probably already left for Sene-Gambia, like many Welsh Ospreys. Fortunately, I saw him catch what could have been his last Malltraeth fish this year - a large Plaice, at about 6pm on the 6th September by Bodorgan Bay before being harried by the ever-present Ravens. Here he is posing for my trailcam - Brysiwch yn ôl!
Red Squirrels too are causing a little heartache, abandoning at least one Malltraeth garden at present. But that is probably only because autumn is such a time of plenty, with so many fruits to add to the nuts and fungi they eat, as well as conifer cones. One of the Drive ones has a very dark tail, like this one I sketched in the forest, but they can naturally vary from very dark to pale, sometimes even with a cream tail.
Winter, or more correctly, non-breeding birds, start to reappear here from June, like the Lapwing, then Curlew, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Redshank and other waders. The first wildfowl to return are Teal, but our main winter wildfowl don't usually arrive until early September, and still in dull 'eclipse' plumage whilst they finish replacing many feathers. The first Pintail & Wigeon arrived last week, to join what looks like the only Shelduckling to actually fledge here this year. As there was at least one family of 12 ducklings out on the estuary to begin with, I think a Red Fox has had them, as their prints, like Stoat's, are very common out on the salt-marsh edge.
“My Lockdown” by Maxine Aust
So on Tuesday 17th March, I had a strange kind of stirring … “set up your computer for this home working thing, ‘cos that’s the way things are veering”. I set to work on a VPN, Fasthosts and Microsoft Office. Then on Monday 23rd March, on the TV an announcement by Boris!
“Stay at home, don’t go out!” as Lockdown is here
Panic buying, empty shelves, people filled with fear!
Toilet rolls, hand soaps, pasta and flour, all were in short supply
The shops with queues right down the road, as people were desperate to buy!
The schools all closed, kids had to work from home …
Parents became Teachers, that was met with a groan!
No exams, no meetings, no appointments at all,
‘SOCIALLY DISTANCING’ became like an 8ft wall.
As the weeks moved on, it became the norm,
The world was in lockdown and “We’ll weather this storm!”.
The death toll ... it rose, bearing the cost
To all of the families with loved ones they’ve lost.
Isolation to some was the best thing on earth,
Whilst to others, it felt like a hairy black curse!
FaceTime & Skype, Houseparty and Zoom …
Were how you viewed loved ones, on screens in your room!
Then there was frontline, in the thick of it all,
High Risk from this “Cofid “--- they could take a fall !!
Shop workers & teachers, and the great NHS
Drivers and workers all giving their best.
As we exit week 12 of this really strange time,
I feel permanent change coming on in my mind!
Never again will I take life for granted,
I’ll cherish each day, where once I just ranted!
As I look back on lockdown, in spite of it all,
I know it’s not over, but I have to call …
That this time for me’s made me appreciate
Those things in life I just used to hate..
…. The school runs, the traffic, the shopping and queues,
Work interaction are all changing views.
These things will no longer burden my life
But be part of me; daughter, sis, mum and wife!
Though my garden looks amazing, as hubby is furloughed,
And things are all tidy in my sparkling abode,
I really can’t wait for this lockdown to end,
Because life isn’t life without family and friends!
So reflecting back, when this lockdown is done,
I’ll try to keep focused on the goodness to come!
I’ll keep my heart happy and remember this time,
When I wasn’t so busy and wrote this out this rhyme!
PARISH NEWS from REV. ELIZABETH ROBERTS
Some good news is that Llangadwaladr church was open for a service on Sunday (27th September) All went well, we had a congregation of 19. We wouldn't have been able to accommodate any more.
It was a very different experience - no singing, no shaking hands, and everyone having to wear a mask, and having to maintain social distancing throughout. Nevertheless, people said at the end of the service, that they were glad to be back, and that was good to know. I'm sure it'll get easier the more we get used to it. The next service in Llangadwaladr will be on the 11th of October at 11.15 a.m., and every fortnight thereafter. Please see below the link and password for the Zoom services.
4pm Welsh Eucharist 5:15pm English Eucharist. This is the link and password you need: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88590307644?pwd=c21DSEVYbDdOZzVqa1VzellKaWxUZz09 Meeting ID: 885 9030 7644 Password: Seiriol
BODORGAN WI NEWS from MARY BULMER
Our group of ladies meet, in “normal” times at Crist y Brenin chapel in Malltraeth, on the first Tuesday evening in the month. But these are NOT “normal” times so we have been keeping in touch with our ladies, via monthly emails, with bits of news and the occasional new recipe to try. One or two of us have had walks in the surrounding countryside and a good “natter”. Does us the world of good – it’s what we do best !!. (apart from baking and eating cakes).
A few of us have done our bit for the Pandemic by sewing scrubs for Ysbyty Gwynedd, Stanley Hospital and local Care Homes. As well as making headbands, laundry bags and knitting or crocheting bands to be used with facemasks. Really worthwhile job and the task provided a well needed sense of routine at a time when lives seemed cut adrift. One or two of our ladies responded for a request to record their feelings/thoughts about the pandemic and how it had affected them and their family. One submission was an excellent poem (see below).
We’re looking at the possibility of arranging a clean up in Malltraeth as part of the Keep Britain Tidy campaign – which was postponed from April. (Watch this space -plenty of hoops to jump through before it can be achieved). Last Tuesday about a dozen of our ladies met up in the garden of one of our members, for a really lovely afternoon Bring and Share Tea. The weather was glorious and we so enjoyed being together and sharing our news. Although unable to meet in Crist y Brenin at present we are planning on get-togethers for those who feel happy about it, at various homes for activities we can share at a “safe distance”. A quiz, a felting workshop, Xmas crafts and Xmas wreath making are some of the ideas we’re thinking about. We have, in the past, enjoyed organising the monthly Coffee Mornings in Bodorgan Community Centre, and are sad these are not able to go ahead at present. We had a loyal group of attendees and the numbers were slowly creeping up. We have lost our “Star Baker” Diane, who has moved to pastures new, but there are still plenty of ladies who would love to get back to hosting these events in the future. The profit raised over last year amounted to approx. £1000 which has been earmarked for purchasing something useful for the benefit of the community, to be used at the hall.
AND FINALLY...”SPONSORED WALK IN AID OF CYBI WARD” – JUDE WILLIAMS
After the success of last years Alfest in aid of ITU Ysbyty Gwynedd the plan was to hold another Alfest this year and all was going to plan. But unfortunately, due to Covid -19 I have had to cancel this year’s event . But I felt I had to come up with a way to raise money to help these amazing doctors and nurses on ITU, especially after the last few months. So on October 3rd I will be attempting to walk up Snowdon accompanied by friends and family – but NOT in my flip flops! All money raised will be donated to Alfest/ ITU Ysbyty Gwynedd in memory of Ali.
If anyone would like to donate to this good cause you can contact me or I have a “just giving page” HERE!, search for 'Alfest' and that should take you to The AfestSnowdon page
Hopefully, if all is well, next year’s Alfest will take place on September 18th.
