Tag Archives: Chiltern

Summer Lunch – 14th July 2013

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(Also news of future Chiltern Welsh and London Glamorgan Society events below)

 

A Welsh Summer Lunch

Cymru ar Wasgar yn y Chilterns 2013

What a scorcher! The weatherman said 30C, whilst one person leaving the lunch said her car recorded 33C. It was probably the hottest day we’d ever had for our annual summer lunch. And weren’t we all grateful for it. I’m sure that the committee had planned the marquees in case it rained, but weren’t we grateful for their protection from the sun? Not that we complained – it made us all feel very good.

And as people arrived we saw a large array of hats on display, topping lovely summer outfits. Had we had a best hat parade I would have given my gents vote to Bob Ford’s – what style! The ladies too had brought hats but most carried them in so I didn’t see too many being worn, but Pam Britton wore hers with grace. We mingled over drinks to catch up on gossip, using “ein hiaith” where we could, whilst Jean Owen and Muriel Knight distributed small posies of flowers which they’d brought along to brighten up the tables. Janet John had brought along a bubble making machine which created a party spirit as the bubbles danced their way through the tents until their all too brief existence came to an end as they drifted into more solid things. Irene Powell said one can get square bubbles these days! What good are the corners?

The day had started at 9:45 when a team arrived to erect the marquees, set up the tables etc. What team work! Thanks go to Colin Thomas, Alan Longshaw, Peter Johnson, David Powell, Maldwyn Pugh, Gwyndaf John, Jonathan Pegler and Bill Jones. Di Thomas too was busy making sure everything was as she wanted it (including laying down some more grit!).

Let’s go further back…..the committee must have been preparing this day for many months. Di and Colin had kindly volunteered their lovely house – The New House – back in the Summer of 2012 so that the program could be printed. Maldwyn Pugh had secured the loan of the marquees from Little Chalfont Parish Council, whist Gwyndaf John and David Powell had collected them a couple of days before. The ladies in Ann Evans’s Welsh class had prepared the posies of flowers for the tables.

Colin also had his Moore and Moore pedal-powered harmonium carried out to help with the singing later on if required. It’s not far from a hundred years old (since M&M finished trading in 1921) and of course being pipe-based can’t go out of tune! Memories of the chapel flooded back.
Anyone passing The New House would have wondered why Welsh Flags were so prominent on the hedges on Windsor Road, but for us they were welcoming homing beacons! And so at 12:30 we came from far and wide to our annual summer lunch. Jonathan Pegler (our chairman) welcomed us and gave us the order of the day and thanked the caterer, Jill Mayo, and her team. She had also arranged the supply of tables and chairs. He then passed over to Gwyndaf to introduce the dreaded quiz. Don’t quizzes make you realize how little you know?

It was a quiz about the Lions – given his birthplace, height and weight, identify the Welsh member of the squad. If you got them right you got points and if you needed clues you lost points. As Gwyndaf explained how the cunning points system worked, over on my right Jonathan Pegler was gaily sauntering through the list and filling in the names all by himself, such that by the time Gwyndaf returned to the table, Jonathan had done all of it by himself! Most of the other tables were too proud to sacrifice points for clues – with dire consequences. When it came to marking, Jonathan had got them all correct whilst the next nearest score was around 60%. So the Quizmaster, exercising the great powers vested upon him, disqualified Jonathan’s table for spurious reasons, and declared the other table winners.

As for me I’d declare the whole thing void since one of the correct answers was Sam Warburton whereas Sam Warburton is in fact Sam Kennedy-Warburton and it’s on such things that reputations are made and lost. Despite rugby fan Margaret Payne’s sterling efforts at her table, there was a heartfelt plea from some of the ladies to have a quiz more suited to their gender. Maybe a lady will set a quiz the next time?
The lunch itself was a selection of quiche and cold meat, salad and delicious summer desserts – ideal for the weather. Colin’s collection of Welsh CD’s played at low volume provided suitably “hiraethog” background music.

After the meal Jonathan expressed our gratitude to Di and Colin for graciously hosting us and presented them with flowers and a bottle of good wine. Gwyn & Jean Owen can hardly wait until it’s their turn next year!

Gwyndaf also had a cricket game lined up in the further part of the Garden but we never got to try that since it was far too hot for such activity and everyone was so engrossed in their conversations, although some had been practising in the morning – did they have an inside edge?
This “wilder” part of the garden had interesting features such as the mirror on the wall as a “through the looking glass”, a ladder up the tree and, an old arch over which draped lovely roses. Colin explained to me that this latter arch (and it was old!) was one of 3 original ones from the Manor House on whose grounds The New House was built.

And as we were winding down, Barrie Reece – with his wife Ann, new members attending their first Society event – decided to have a go on Colin’s organ. And good he is too! Watch out John Breese and Jonathan Pegler, there’s competition about. So we had a few songs to finish with. Colin led the singing with laser-like precision on the top notes, whilst Jonathan – recently returned from an operatic course in Italy – provided the harmony.

Then those staying behind helped with dismantling the marquees and tables, packing everything and leaving it as we found it, so that Di and Colin could get back to normality quickly. Liz Seely showed us how to fold the cloths and tents to perfection.

Thank you Di and Colin for hosting us and thanks to all who made the many hands make light work. Diolch o galon i bawb a ddoth i wneud diwrnod atgofiadwy i’r gymdeithas.

Maldwyn gave me a lift back in his gleaming new car, telling me that he’s planning a over 200 mile walk from Swansea to Aberaeron. Maybe that’s what growing up in Soho does for you! A lovely end to a lovely day.

Bill Jones

 


Next Events
The Society’s Annual Golf Day – Friday 30th August
at Oaklands Park Golf Club

Trip to Cardiff 9th to 12th September

Trip to see the Magic Circle in London
Evening of November 5th – sure to go with a bang!
Booking details and costs to follow

2013 Christmas Drinks – 8th December 2013

 

Visit to Highgrove 12th June 2013

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On a somewhat overcast day 26 of us visited the Prince of Wales’ Highgrove Estate (15 acres of garden tended by 12 gardeners as well as the HRH when he has time). In a short video made by Prince Charles, he explained the garden’s development and his organic principles. He incorporates lots of the gifts he receives into the various estate gardens. Camilla must be relieved that the urns etc. do not end up in the house!

Reclaimed ecclesiastical stone is used in landscaping the gardens. Perhaps HRH gets this as the next prospective head of the Church of England? The gardens also show that bind weed and ground elder are no respecters of princes and can only be got rid of organically by constant digging and weeding.

There is a large walled garden which incorporates a semi circle of apple trees pruned into the shape of coronets with the yellow crab apples in season to provide the golden balls.
The Arboretum includes the National Collection of 70 different specimens of Birch. Behind is the Sanctuary where HRH often goes to contemplate (it is his shed at the bottom of the garden but not a pigeon in sight!).

In the next garden are 3 beautiful large olive oil jars sculpted out of Welsh slate chippings.

The famous Wildflower Meadow Garden started with a seed mix nicknamed the ‘Gloucestershire Farmers’ Nightmare’.

 

The tree house built for young Princes William and Harry has Welsh slate stairs and is on 4 Welsh slate pillars.

The Prince’s Thyme Walk has 20 varieties of Thyme and shrubs clipped in to all sorts of geometric shapes .This is HRH’s pun that visitors walk through time along it!

The Prince has a statue of a child donated by Latch (a children’s’ cancer charity in Carmarthen who are invited to visit Highgrove every year).

Finally we entered the Turkish Carpet Garden designed by HRH and others and which won silvergilt at the 2001 Chelsea Flower show. The garden and central mosaic water feature were based on a Turkish carpet in Highgrove.
Many thanks to Anne Thomas who arranged a wonderful day out with impeccable timing, organisation and weather.

Peter & Eirwen Sykes

Summer Lunch 14th July

Hosted by Diane & Colin Thomas, 52 Windsor Road, Gerrards Cross, SL9 7NF

Cost £20 each
Map 
Note that parking may be difficult – there is limited parking in Wayside Gardens, Camp Road, Meadway Park and the Hedgerley Lane spur (right at the lights and right again).

 

January Update

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The first event in the Society’s 2013 Calendar will be the Quiz Evening with Fish & Chip Supper at Coleshill Village Hall on Friday the 25th January at 7 for 7.30pm.

Post Code: HP7 0LN
Map

The cost will be £12 each (including the Fish’n’Chips). Please bring your own drinks, glasses and cutlery.

The quiz on this occasion will be ‘home grown’ – I hope it won’t be not too difficult!

Please let Maldwyn know if you wish to attend (01494 763461).

We are finalising the rest of the 2013 programme and the programme cards will be distributed shortly, but the next event will be :

St David’s Day Dinner at Gerrards Cross Golf Club on 1st March 2013 with Harpist Claire Jones – 7 for 7:30pm.

 

 

Additionally:
The London Glamorgan Society are having an event on Tuesday 29th January.
Chris Bryant MP will be talking about his personal experiences surrounding the News of the World phone hacking scandal. The scandal led to the establishment of the Leveson Inquiry.
Venue- Medical Society of London, 11 Chandos Street, Cavendish Sq, W1G 9EB
Drinks and light refreshments at 6.30pm and the main event of the evening will commence at 7.15pm. The cost of the evening will be £27 (if you’d like to go email  Geoffwalters52@googlemail.com).

Chairman’s Report – July 2012

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Chairman’s Report
Once again it is my great pleasure to report that the Society has had an enjoyable period of very well attended events. And of course the sun shone – even on our Summer Lunch in the midst of the wettest summer on record.

At the AGM the entire committee was happy to stay in office – which goes to show that it is a pleasure rather than a chore! We were joined by Jonathan Pegler as our new Vice
Chairman. He will take the chair in May 2013.

A highlight of our programme was the presence of Roy Noble as our guest speaker
at the St David’s Day dinner. An exceptional entertainer and a lovely man too. Not only did he entertain us so well that evening after driving all the way up from the BBC studios in Cardiff, he even wrote and thanked us afterwards. Special thanks go to Hugh
Griffith for his dogged determination to get us such a special guest speaker.

The cold wet weather stopped for just a few days while a party of 23 members went to
Snowdonia in May. The glorious scenery was seen at its best in lovely sunshine and the
train journeys were a highlight. The group descending Snowdon’s PYG track managed
to keep up with Mike Stythe without mishap, whilst Margaret Broomby and Chris Thomas in the group descending the supposedly easier Llanberis trail managed to get in some acrobatics practice en-route (but survived to tell the tale). Many thanks go to Mike for the idea of the trip and for his experienced advice, and excellent choice of hotel.

In June Bob Ford organised a superb trip to the International Eisteddfod at Llangollen (see below).
Looking forward the 2012 schedule includes the Golf Day – in glorious weather again?
There are two exceptional trips in September to Buckingham Palace and to Oxford,
followed in October by the biennial Festival of Male Voice choirs at the Royal Albert Hall.
Finally, Ann Tennant has been our regular caterer at events and her meals and service
much appreciated. I am pleased to report that she received an MBE in the recent honours
list. Our congratulations go to Ann.
Gwyndaf John

Visit to Snowdonia 20th-23rd April.
“The day we went up Snowdon & returned by the Llanberis path”
Another sunny & hot morning in north Wales, & the intrepid walkers all wait in anticipation at Llanberis Station. None of the glitz of St. Pancreas or Waterloo, but quaintness personified. With justifiable Welsh pride we all await the pre-journey video – “good to get out of the sun”! What an engineering feat to think that all of this was put in place over 100 years ago – 1896 to be exact – the grand opening.

With all tickets duly dispensed we are allowed onto the platform – where a small engine & carriage glides slowly backwards to squeeze us in. The weather just perfect – we could see for ever! The engine climbed the 3,650 feet to the summit whilst we were entertained by brilliant commentary from the driver. A journey to be long remembered. A photo opportunity around every bend.

Fifty minutes & we are at the summit.

Here the party divided into 3 groups; some waited for the return trip by train; another party prepared for the Pen Y Gwryd (PYG) track – 11 kilometres with descent of 2,370
feet; whilst a 3rd group departed on the Llanberis path – 14.5 kilometres with descent
of 3,200 feet.
Despite a few mishaps (3), the Llanberis path/walk was brilliant. The silence
in the mountains “had to be heard to be believed”!!- all this, occasionally interrupted
by the screams from a fallen climber or walker. Everyone arrived back with a real
sense of pride & achievement. Even for the seasoned walkers – the Llanberis path was
’tough’ but rewarding, especially as we had views of the trains creeping cunningly along
carefully & classhcally constructed cog cortege – ah!, the alliteration – one gets
carried away !

A day to catalogue. Well done to our organisers.
Gwyn Owen

Summer Lunch 10th June
About 50 of us were exceptionally lucky with the weather. It had been raining all week, but
the rain held off for our annual garden party, held this year courtesy of Tony & Irene Glyn-Jones in their beautiful garden.

While we were tucking in to a delicious meal prepared and served by Ann Tennant, Mr
Jonathan Pegler had devised a teasingly difficult cryptic quiz – Gwyndaf’s team won (again).
John and Thelma Lusher organised an enjoyable ‘heads or tails’ auction for a bottle
of Penderyn Welsh whisky, raising £100 for the Tenovus Cancer charity.

The fine weather lasted until about 4 o’clock, by which time a fine team of volunteers had
packed everything away before the rain started.

Llangollen International Eisteddfod
We arrived in good time at the Bryn Howel hotel with luggage and much needed macs, umbrellas hats etc.

Later, on site and after seeing usual numerous stalls and stages, we took our seats for the evening performance of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee concert. Top artists: Alison Balsom (solo trumpeter) was fantastic, Nicola Benedetti (violinist) magnificent and Lesley Garrett excellent with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, all first class. About 9.30pm the heavens opened, heavy storms in competition with the music!
Flood and mud were everywhere, but thankfully we returned to the hotel safely.

On Thursday 5th July we toured the shops, then back on site in the Royal Pavilion we
saw fantastic dancers in beautiful costumes from different countries. At one o’clock
everyone held hands for a minute’s silence, the Llangollen message of peace, a new idea
and most moving. Solo artists and choirs followed, two outstanding ones were from
Singapore and South Africa. Weatherwise the sun shone, and it was too hot to sit in! That
evening seventeen members from the Chiltern Welsh Society assembled in the
marquee for Alfie Boe to a packed, enthusiastic audience house.

On Friday, some of us visited Plas Newydd House. It rained again but it was a delight to
see the home of the Ladies of Llangollen. All the rooms were beautifully oak panelled and it
had wonderful, manicured gardens.
That evening, we all met up in the hotel for a truly, lovely meal, good in both quality and
quantity. Thank you, Bob, for a good choice of hotel.

With purchases of a 2013 Snowdonia National Park calendar, Welsh honey and
Penderyn whisky we set off for home with lots of memories. I’m looking forward to the next
time.
Eilwen Turner.

 

Forthcoming events
Golf day at Oakland Park Golf Club, Three Households, Chalfont St.
Giles – 31st August
The annual follow up to the Open! Nonplayers are welcome at the after-golf lunch.

 

Visit to the State rooms and Gardens at Buckingham Palace on the 4th September.
A tour of the State Rooms will start at 12.45pm, last approximately two and a half hours. The Garden Tour will follow at 3.15pm and the visit should finish at 4pm.

March Update

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St. David’s Day Annual Dinner 2012
Our annual dinner was held on March 2 at Harewood Downs Golf Club. As always the evening began with a ‘Welcome‘ drink and time to chat and meet new members. Our chairman Gwyndaf John then led us into the dining room which had been beautifully and appropriately decorated with daffodils. After taking our seats the majority of us commiserated with unfortunate minority who had been supporting England on the previous Saturday. Then Ann Evans our President led us in the Grace before we all settled down to enjoy a delicious dinner. There was a happy buzz in the room as everyone was having a good time.

Coffee was served and then Gwyndaf introduced our guest speaker—Mr. Roy Noble. Roy is a well known personality being a very popular and award winning Radio and Television presenter for BBC Wales. The reason for his popularity soon became obvious. The humour poured seamlessly from a most relaxed and charismatic story teller. We were challenged to consider who we are. Do we have a direct lineage to the Mabinogion of old or are we a patchwork quilt from chance encounters? I must admit that I’ve always believed mine to be pure North Pembrokeshire Welsh – but who knows? Roy opened up all sorts of possibilities! His colourful journey through life encompassing so many experiences and told in such an easy humorous style made for a fantastic and long to be remembered after-dinner speech. Laughter rang around the room and will keep us laughing for quite a while I suspect.
The evening ended with our beloved National Anthem and our equally beloved informal sing song thanks to Jonathan Pegler at the keyboard.

We owe a huge debt of gratitude to our wonderful committee (or sub-committee!) for making such an evening possible and thereby ensuring that we celebrate our Patron Saint in style. Diolch yn fawr i bob un ohonoch.

Heulwen Longhurst.

 

London Glamorgan Society

Anwen Rees has extended an invitation to all members of the Chiltern District Welsh Society to the next meeting of the London Glamorgan Society on Wednesday April 25 at the Medical Society of London, 11 Chandos Street, London.
William Roddick CB QC will address the Society on “Reshaping Britain”. He was the first Counsel General to the National Assembly of Wales and was awarded The Order of the Bath in recognition of ‘conspicuous services to the Crown’.
(6:30 for 7:15, cost £27 per person, contact Anwen on anwenrees@gmail.com).

 

St David’s Day Dinner 2012

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Our St David’s Day Dinner this year will be held on Friday 2nd March at Harewood Downs Golf Club.

We have been extremely fortunate that Roy Noble will join us as our guest speaker this year. He is very much in demand as an ‘After Dinner Speaker’ with an inimitable way of story-telling.

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After a distinguished career in education this former Head-teacher is now one of Wales’ best known broadcasters presenting his own daily show on Radio Wales. He has also presented many TV programmes and written a number of books.

He was awarded an OBE for his charity work and is involved in very many charities. He is a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF,  a special envoy for the Welsh Tourist Board, and is the current Ambassador for the United Nations International Youth Movement.

A native of Brynaman, Roy now lives in Aberdare.

For the meal there will be a choice of starters, main course and desserts, with coffee & mints to finish.

Wine with the meal is not included in the ticket price but can be ordered on the night from an excellent selection offered by the Club Steward.

Those booking to attend will be provided with details of the course options from which to make your choice, and also the range of wines available.

Tickets are £40 per person, which includes the welcome drinks on arrival served from 7.40pm. The meal will follow from 8.20pm.

A keyboard and songsheets will be ready for our usual rousing finale, so all we need is for plenty of members and guests to turn up!

 

Quiz Night
Our Quiz night on 27th January was very popular with 38 people braving the weather and competing to answer questions with a Welsh theme.

Modesty forbids me from mentioning which team won.

Gwyndaf