Friday 11 December: 2.00 pm Ysgol Pendalar "Prom"

It was Pendalar again this afternoon. One of the pupils had put forward the suggestion that the school should organise a "Prom". People of my age group have no idea of what a "Prom" is; I certainly didn't. It's an event that comes from the series of American school films, "High Street Musical". The pupils had been invited to dress up as if they were going to a ball; the boys in smart suits with bow ties and the girls in party dresses. The staff had organised a stretched limousine to take those taking part for a ride round the town and three groups had been taken round Caernarfon in this special car. They'd thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

My role was to judge the contestants and select a king and queen - an impossible task as they were all extremely good! After considerable deliberation, and consultation, I selected Ashley to be the "Queen" and John Daniel to be "King". Ashley had played the fairly godmother in the show and John Daniel had also taken a leading part in the show. The staff are to be congratulated for implementing the pupil's suggestion and for making a great effort to give them a very special experience. I came away again with admiration for the staff and with the firm impression that this is a happy school.

Friday 11 December: 4.00 pm Judging Shop Windows

We met the Lord Mayor of Chester, the Mayor of Bangor and the Deputy Mayor of Conwy and Consort in the Mayor's Parlour and Katherine briefed us on our task in judging shop windows. There were different categories of shops and a non-retail category. Fortunately for us judges, Marian and Michael Lambert Jones, had done the hard work of going round the whole town and selecting a short list in each category, otherwise we would have been out there all evening. One on the short list for the non-retail category was Oakmere Plumbing down on St. Helen's Road and we had to take cars to go there. Margaret and I went with the Lord Mayor of Chester in his car and the others went with Katherine and the sight when we got there was well worth the effort.

The outside windows of Oakmere Plumbing were magnificent and I would recommend that people should make the effort to go to see these windows next Christmas. They won the non-retail section easily and there are even decorations inside and the first photo shows us in front of the display inside with the owner, Chris Stufelder. We then went back in the cars and went round the town on foot. The second photo shows the judges in front of Jacmor on the Maes who were first in the retail section. We then went back to the Mayor's Parlour for tea and cake and agreed our selections so that Katherine could prepare the certificates in time for the later presentations. We enjoyed our tea and conversation and left in time to get to Stryd Llyn for the next part of the evening's activities.

Friday 11 December: 5.45 pm Procession, Nativity Play and Carols in the Market Hall

As we arrived outside Boots in Stryd Llyn, the Mayor and Mayoress of Beaumaris joined us and we saw Syrcas Syrcas getting ready to lead the parade. Children from Ysgol y Gelli were ready with their lanterns and another judging task for us! Syrcas Syrcas added colour with their kites and young people on stilts led the parade down Stryd Llyn down to the Maes. The mayors, councillor and the children followed.

On the Maes we witnessed the Nativity played out with the participation of live animals. The donkey arrived and then two sheep and there are many places where live animal take part in the Nativity. Côr Cofnod sang the carols and gave an excellent lead to the onlookers in the singing. The fourth photo shows Côr Cofnod with the kites of Syrcas Syrcas in the background and also some of the new lights.

We then made our way to the Market Hall and I must congratulate the owners on the excellent decoration and big Christmas Tree. The Llanrug Band were waiting for us and playing carols as we arrived. We had some community carols and children from Ysgol y Gelli sang their hearts out. (fifth photo) We then had the presentation of prizes to representatives of the businesses which had we had been judging. I've named the winners of the retail and the non-retail section and the other section was the Food Section which was won by Y Pantri Cymraeg. There were also prizes to the Best Decorated House and the Best decorated Bed and Breakfast establishment which had been judged by our judges which thankfully saved us an enormous amount of work.

We then made our way to Galeri where we had arranged a meal for our guests in the civic party. We had a good meal and it was good to have an opportunity to have a relaxing conversation with our guests. I believe that the guests went away with a good impression of the evening. We certainly enjoyed it.

I take this opportunity to thank everyone who played their part. Syrcas Syrcas added colour and excitement to the Lantern Parade; the Caernarfon Council of Churches put on a magnificent performance of the Nativity on the Maes; Côr Cofnod sang the Carols on the Maes; the Market Hall was really well decorated; the Llanrug Band provided the atmosphere and the Ysgol y Gelli choir gave an inspirational performance.

Thursday 10 December: 1.45 pm Father Christmas at Ysgol Pendalar

For the first time in my life I was invited to play Father Christmas at Ysgol Pendalar which is a special school for pupils with disabilities. Because of this, the Mayor each year takes small presents to the pupils and this year I was to give these out as Father Christmas. I got there in good time to get dressed but I had difficulty getting the beard to stay in place. All the pupils were assembled in the school hall and I got a great welcome on entering the hall, the bags of some 75 presents having already been taken onto the stage.

The pupils came up to the stage to receive their present and they looked pleased and some showing their gratitude very clearly. Some had to have the help of carers to come to the stage but they all made a determined effort. However, I did have problems with the beard slipping and if I'm ever asked to do this again I'll made sure that I've worked out how to fix it properly. It was a very rewarding experience which I thoroughly enjoyed and they way they showed their appreciation as I walked out down the hall will remain in my memory for a very long time. A few of the pupils were unable to be in the hall and I was taken to see them individually. I left the school with an enormous appreciation of the work of the teachers and the carers at this school.

Thursday 10 December: 3.15 pm Book Launch, Caernarfon Golf Club

It was nearly 3.00 pm when I left Pendalar so it was down the road and a quick dash into the house to change into a suit and the chain and I got to the Golf Club by about 3.15 pm. I arrived just in time for the launch of a book on the history of the Club from its formation in 1909 to the present day. I wrote briefly about the book in Blog No 39 on the Club's Centenary Dinner. The book has been written by Dr Eurwyn Lloyd Evans who spent about 5 year researching, finding photos and putting it all together. It's a very well produced bilingual book illustrated with excellent photos and easy to read.

It's an excellent contribution to the recording of the history of Caernarfon and I was delighted to receive a copy signed by the author. I was, of course, even more delighted that I'd been invited to write an introduction and very pleased with the photo of me that Eurwyn had selected to be included. This was one that had been taken at the Centenary Dinner rather than any of the ones that I'd sent him! The book is available from the Club Secretary and costs £10.

Thursday 10 December: 6.30 pm Ysgol Pendalar Christmas Show

By about 6.20 pm I was back in Ysgol Pendalar with Margaret to attend the Christmas Show performed by the pupils. We had been given the choice of Wednesday afternoon when the audience would be mainly guests or this evening when the audience would be mainly parents. We didn't have to make the choice as we were going to Chester on Wednesday and I think that it was nicer to be with the parents although it seemed a bit odd wearing the chain. This was a very entertaining show with a good storyline, good background music and very good performances from the pupils who really did put their hearts into it. We thoroughly enjoyed the evening and talking to parents. It made me appreciate the work of the teachers and the carers even more.

Wednesday 9 December: "At Home" with the Lord Mayor of Chester

We were invited to an "At Home" evening with the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of the City of Chester, Cllr John Ebo and Mrs Miriam Ebo, in the Guildhall, Chester. We were received as we entered the main hall by the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress, his Deputy and the Sheriff of Chester. Drinks were served in the main hall and we found ourselves in a different circle of people where the only person we knew was the Mayor of Conwy, who had come with his brother as the Mayoress was otherwise engaged.

We enjoyed mixing with various mayors from Cheshire for a change, some of whom are seen in the first photo. Next to me are a couple we bumped into in the streets outside as we were both trying to find our way to the Guildhall. The young lady to the right of the photo is the Mayor of Nantwich. After he'd finished his reception duties the Lord Mayor said a few words of welcome and gave a bit of the background of this splendid historic building. He then invited us to go through to another room to help ourselves to the buffet and return to the hall.

After helping ourselves to the buffet we got talking to Dr Colin McNae, husband of Her Worship the Sheriff of the City of Chester, Cllr Hilarie McNae. He explained that the Sheriff is an historic post and the holder is elected annually by the councillors in the same way as the Lord Mayor. Here we have the historic position of High Sheriff of Gwynedd which is an annually appointed position which rotates between Arfon, Dwyfor, Meirionnydd and Ynys Môn. Our current High Sheriff is Major Corbett from near Tywyn, Meirionnydd, and we've enjoyed meeting him and his wife on several occasions. Colin told us more about the history of the Guildhall and other aspects of the history of Chester and we had a most enjoyable time with him. In fact, we stayed talking to him in the buffet room and didn't return to the main hall until near the end of the evening. This also, of course, had the advantage that we stayed near the buffet tables! The second photo shows Colin and myself.

We returned to the main hall, spoke to a few people and then it was time to say our goodbyes and thanks to John and Miriam and we talk about our forthcoming event in Caernarfon on Friday evening. We then drove home after another enjoyable experience.

Wednesday 2 December: Switching on the new Christmas Lights

Tonight was the switching on the new Christmas Lights. The Christmas Lights in Caernarfon had been getting old and had deteriorated considerably over the last few years. Because of the continued work on the Maes we decided to do the absolute minimum last year and to carry over the under spend and add it to this year's budget so that we would have a decent sum to work with. This was considered to be a sensible approach and we now have new lights in the Maes, Stryd Llyn, Bridge Street, Bangor Street, High Street and Palace Street. The annual Christmas Tree was in the centre of the Maes as usual, but we had purchased new lights for the tree last year.

We wanted to make Caernarfon an exciting place for youngsters over the Christmas Season. We also wanted to show our support for local businesses by making Caernarfon an attractive place for people to come to do their Christmas shopping. The switching on ceremony was a simple event with myself saying a few words and followed by a count down. Then a signal to the contractors and we saw the new lights for the first time and they really did make a difference.

To coincide with the switching on of the lights the North Wales Fire Service had arranged to have a bus on the Maes to launch their Safe Christmas campaign. This contained the warnings such as not leaving the lights on the Christmas Tree on when the house was empty. To encourage children not to use candles they were giving out small battery powered candles. We visited the bus and then we went on a walk round the town to see the new lights.

They looked good and an enormous improvement on the previous lights. Palace Street, in particular, looked delightful. I look forward to getting feedback from the public when they see them properly over the Christmas/New Year period. The first photo shows Margaret with Cllrs Menna Thomas and Myfi Powell-Jones and Marian Lambert Jones setting off to see the lights. The second shows one of the lights in Stryd Llyn and the third shows Katherine, the town Clerk, and myself with the Fire Service staff in the Exhibition Bus.

Saturday 28 November: Beaumaris Victorian Evening

We had been invited to the Beaumaris Victorian Evening but unfortunately Margaret couldn't come as she wasn't feeling well and it was a very cold evening. Following light tea at 4.30 pm at the Bulkley Hotel we, the mayors of the walled towns and partners, joined the Mayor of Beaumaris to walk around the town to judge the shop windows. It was a very interesting walk looking at all the shop windows. The vast majority had made an effort to decorate their shops but some were particularly good and the task of judging wasn't at all easy. There were various categories and after some discussion we came to an agreement.

There were stalls in the High Street and there were also stalls in the Community Centre where we went after the judging. There were some food stalls in the Community Centre and I bought some pâté produced by a young lady, who I discovered lived a couple of streets away from me in Caernarfon, and her brother who had started their own business. When we started to use the pâté at home later it turned out to be good and I wish them success with their business venture.

We then went to the square to see the procession led by the Beaumaris Band arrive. We then judged the Victorian costumes and there were many good contestants. We then went back the Bulkley for a light meal and interesting conversation with all the guests. It was again an enjoyable evening in Beaumaris.

And so ended the official activities for November; a very full month.

Friday 27 November: 6.00 pm British Heart Foundation Christmas Fair

This evening was the Christmas Fair of the British Heart Foundation Arfon Branch held in the Peblig room in the Institute. I seemed to know most people when I entered the room and saw the volunteers and their stalls set out and a few customers already there. Most were the same people who had been organising the successful Coffee Morning in May and it was enjoyable talking to them. When the time came I spoke a few words of welcome but the main speaker was Gareth Roberts from Deiniolen who was given only six weeks to live after a quadruple heart by-pass six years ago following a massive heart attack at the age of 41. He spoke of his experience following his heart problems, the medical treatment and care that he'd received. He stressed the value of the work of the Foundation in undertaking research and helping to develop new techniques that had enabled people like him to survive. He also stressed how important it was to keep raising funds to enable the Foundation to continue to research and develop new techniques. It was a remarkable and memorable speech.

Gareth, a professional photographer, has been keeping fit since his treatment and has been raising funds himself. Last year he undertook a 75 mile walk from Caernarfon to Chester along the old Roman road route and has even greater plans for next year. A major work project he completed earlier this year was a detailed walking map of the parish of Llanddeiniolen. In addition to showing all 50 miles of footpaths it provides a detailed historical insight into the influences which helped shape Llanddeiniolen from the Ice Age, Iron Age and the Roman era to the slate quarries. This is a really remarkable and useful document and the Llanddeiniolen Community Council is to be congratulated for commissioning this work from Gareth. I look forward to seeing further work of this nature produced by Gareth in the future.

I later had a long conversation with Gareth and obtained more details of his work and also with Mabon ab Gwynfor, the Community Fundraiser and Volunteer Manager for The Foundation in north Wales. Mabon is a grandson of Gwynfor Evans and I was able to tell him some interesting stories about his grandfather which were new to him. It was a very enjoyable evening.

Wednesday 25 November: SPARC Show in Galeri

SPARC do a number of shows during the year, such as the one we saw in July (see Blog No 19) but this is the main show which takes the form of a musical with a story. The theme of this year's show, "Symud Nol i Symud 'Mlaen", was bullying and the issue was very cleverly portrayed whilst at the same time providing very enjoyable entertainment. These young people gave excellent performances which testify to the sound training that they must have received. One of the features of these shows is the large numbers of children and young people taking part and I must pay tribute to the producers for putting it all together. Rhian Cadwaldr, the Director of SPARC, is to be congratulated.

This was an excellent evening.

Friday 27 November: 9.30 am Filming Christmas Video

This morning there was a filming session in the Council Chamber for the Christmas video for the CaernarfonOnLine website. Gareth Edwards came and he wanted a shot of me sitting in the Mayor's chair giving a Christmas greeting and he would then swing across to Katherine, the Town Clerk, who would then give a New Year greeting. We did as requested and after a couple of takes on my part the filming was soon finished. The full video had a number of people participating and was shown on the website. It's good to see these initiatives to highlight the Christmas spirit in Caernarfon.

Friday 27 November: 10.30 am Official Opening of Occasion in High Street

I had been invited to the Official Opening of Occasions, cards, art and costume shop in the High Street by Hywel Williams, MP. With so many empty shops in town it's really encouraging to see a new shop opening. It was well stocked with good merchandise and it looked really cheerful. They've taken a brave step in moving from the Market Hall where they had a stall into a shop in the High Street and I wish them every success

Thursday 19 November: Official Opening of Tŷ'r Ysgol

The former Ysgol Penrallt has been used successfully as a Youth Club for many years but the Tŷ'r Ysgol (School House) where the caretaker used to live has been empty. In 2002 "Cwmni Ifanc Tŷ'r Ysgol" was formed by the young people in the Youth Club but with full support from the Leaders and Gwynedd Youth Service. They felt that there was a need for a place in Caernarfon where young people could go to discuss and obtain advice and support on any problems that they may face in an informal and confidential environment. They considered that the former caretaker's house would be ideal because of its convenient location. They then started to look for funding in order to purchase and renovate the house for this purpose. It was a long hard struggle but they succeeded and the work was finished and today was the day of the Official Opening by Alun Ffred Jones, our local AM, and I was delighted to be invited to attend the ceremony.

The Chairman of the company and senior Youth Officer responsible for the Youth Club, Elwyn Jones, welcomed everyone and then Amanda Jones, the Secretary, introduced the Directors and Board members which included young people from the Youth Club. Elwyn Jones then gave the background to the development of the venture and introduced Alun Ffred Jones who proceeded to unveil the commemorative plaque. He said that he'd opened numerous buildings and ventures during his time as AM and previously as Chairman of Gwynedd Council but this was the first time he's actually seen his name on one of these plaques! He paid tribute to the vision and initiative of the young people and the Youth Service in conceiving, planning and achieving their objective of establishing this centre. He foresaw that this centre would provide a very valuable service to young people.

Elwyn Jones then thanked everyone involved in achieving the opening of the centre including the architect, John Les Hughes of the Ap Thomas Partnership and Berwyn Wiliams of Claytons the building contractors responsible for the renovation work who were both present at the event. We then had light refreshments and an opportunity to look round the building and I was very impressed by the standard of the renovation work.

I felt very comfortable in a house called "Tŷ'r Ysgol" as I spent significant parts of my childhood in two such houses, first in Tŷ'r Ysgol, Llanfrothen and then Llan Ffestiniog. For the first few years in Llanfrothen there was no electricity and if there was a dry spell during the summer the water supply would dry up. We then had to fetch water in buckets from a nearby well which thankfully didn't seem to dry up. This Tŷ' Ysgol has been used as a community centre for many years and the one in Llan Ffestiniog has been for sale as a dwelling house for some time.

I also congratulate everyone involved in this venture and wish them every success in providing a valuable service to the youth of Caernarfon.

Monday 16 November: Filming for the Big Screen

For the past few years Cyffro Caernarfon Cyf, a not-for-profit company, have been preparing a Christmas video which is shown on a huge screen on the Maes and Turf Square during the pre Christmas period. The main features of this video to promote the "feel-good" factor are the groups of children from each of the Caernarfon primary schools singing a carol. The programme lasts for about an hour and is played on a loop about 8 times a day. The Mayor, amongst other people, is also invited to give a message.

The video is produced by Caernarfon based professional film company Cwmni Da and I went down to Oriel Dafydd Hardy this morning to film my contribution. I'd prepared a five sentence message to be delivered in both Welsh and English but saying these to camera wasn't easy. Provided I've prepared beforehand, I'm very comfortable delivering a speech or being interviewed for radio or TV when you don't necessarily know the exact questions that are going to be asked. This was different as it was more like an actor delivering lines that he had learnt to camera and it didn't seem natural for me. However, it seemed to go alright in the end after a couple of retakes!

I'd like to express my gratitude to Cyffro for their initiative in arranging the Big Screen which gives enjoyment to the children in preparing their contributions and to everyone who sees the video.

Wednesday 18 November: Ysgol Syr Hugh Owen School Council Meeting

All schools these days, including primary schools, have a School Council consisting of representatives of year groups across the age ranges. Ysgol Syr Hugh Owen had accepted our invitation to hold one of their Council Meeting in the Institute in our Council Chamber. I was delighted to welcome them and to say a few words about the historic documents, paintings and photographs that adorn the room.

The Town Clerk and I sat and listened to and observed the School Council and found it a most enjoyable experience. The meeting was well conducted with good chairmanship and intelligent debate. At various stages the pupils would break into discussion groups for about 5 minutes to discuss various issues and I was very impressed with the suggestions that came out of these discussions. Some ideas might have been more practical that others but all the suggestions were sensible. Nobody made stupid suggestions.

They conducted themselves really well in being polite to each other and waiting their turn to be called to speak. I was impressed by the fact that everyone participated and the youngest pupils participated as much as the oldest.

Things have changed enormously since my school days but I saw that they had one problem that existed in my day. They raised the issue that their level of homework was inconsistent in they had far too much at some times and much less at other times. It was exactly the same when I was in school over 50 years ago! But as someone who was once a school teacher, I know the problems of the teachers.

At the end I told them how impressed I was and took the opportunity to congratulate the school choir and musicians for their excellent performance in the castle during the Commonwealth Games Baton ceremonies the previous week and everyone who had participated in the ceremonies.

Wednesday 11 November: Armistice Service at the Cenotaph

Today was Armistice Day when peace was declared in November 1918 and we went to the Cenotaph to observe the two minute silence. A reasonable number of people turned up to pay their respects. Following the silence the words of remembrance were said by James Rowlands of the Comrades Association. This was the last of the four Services of Remembrance that have been held in Caernarfon since last Friday.

These services are not a glorification of war but acts of remembrances for those who have lost their lives in armed conflicts over the years. We also remember these who were injured and those who were taken prisoner and spent years in prison camps. The atrocious conditions experienced by some were brought home to me in talking to the Korean War Veterans who were in Caernarfon a few weeks ago. We also remember the deaths and suffering of civilians in every armed conflict. They must not be forgotten.

Thursday 12 November: Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum Trustees' Meeting

Today I went to Wrexham for the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum and in some way it was a continuation of the remembrance theme of the past week. This was my second meeting and following the welcome I'd received at my first meeting I felt quite at home in the company of the permanent trustees. It was a very interesting meeting during which I learnt of the developments envisaged. If these come to fruition then we can see further development of the museum in the castle.

We went to the Officers Mess at the nearby Hightown Barracks and enjoyed a welcome meal. One of the trustees, Colonel Henry Cadogan, had just published a book, "The Road to Armageddon", following the military career of his grandfather, also Henry Cadogan. The book is based on his grandfather's letters which fortunately had been kept. He was commissioned in 1888 and saw active service in the North West Frontier and dealing with the "Boxer Rising" in China. He rose to command the 1st Battalion RWF by the time they went into WW1 in 1914. It's a very interesting book.