Community

Illuminated tractor run a glowing success

Published

4 years ago

January 10, 2022

AN illuminated tractor run was a glowing success and has raised over £4,000 for two important charities.

Pontfaen Young Farmers Club held the event following the disappointed of their previous tractor run being forced to be cancelled due to covid-19.

Hundreds of people turned out to see the procession at various places along the route.

Santa and his elves brought a welcome smile to the children and handed out gifts to those gathered at Morrisons Car Park.

Pontfaen Young Farmers Club would like to thank Morgans Family Butchers and Youngs of Brecon for donating money to purchase chocolates for the children and thanks also goes to NFU Cymru for the loan of the model cow attached to Santa’s sleigh!

Club Secretary Sian Healey said: “Thanks to McCartneys LLP for permitting us to start the event at Brecon Market. Judging was adeptly conducted by Mr Gethin Havard, Brecknock YFC County President with the Best Dressed Tractor going to Mr Jamie Bufton of Battle Fawr. We extend our thanks to Gethin for his help and to Wynnstay for donating the prizes.”

The club would also like to offer its sincere thanks to Jo Evans, Grant Community Champion from Morrisons, for accommodating all the tractors in car park, donating food for the drivers, and giving out mince pies and sweets at the end.

The £4,200 that was raised during the event will be split between the Wales Air Ambulance and Macmillan Cancer Support.

Cllr Iain Mcintosh stated “The Pontfaen YFC President’s Illuminated Charity Tractor Run was a fantastic event and hopefully, the first of many to come! Many residents gathered outside their homes and in villages to see around fifty vehicles, with festive lights and decorations, make their way from Brecon Livestock Market, around the route, to finish at Morrisons car park in Brecon.

“I would like to thank Sian Healey, Raiff Devlin, Jan Healey, Gaynor and Alun Morgan, and everyone else from Pontfaen YFC who helped organise the event to raise thousands of pounds for both the Wales Air Ambulance and Macmillan Cancer Support charities. I’d also like to thank Morrisons in Brecon for allowing the event to finish at their car park, where people gathered to view all the decorated tractors, and share a mince pie or two!”

Sian added: “The evening concluded with the raffle, thanks to all members who donated prizes including The Metropole Hotel, The Strand Café, Builth Wells, Fountain Inn, Builth Wells, thanks also to The Greyhound Hotel for selling tickets on the club’s behalf.”

Club Chaiman, Raiff Devlin, proposed a vote of thanks in gratitude to everyone who had helped in any way to make the event such a success.

Helen Pruett, Wales Air Ambulance community fundraiser, said: “A huge thank you to Pontfaen YFC who raised an incredible £4,200 for charity. The illuminated charity tractor run was a huge success, and everyone involved in the event should be immensely proud of themselves. The tractors looked fantastic! This donation will help our medics to be there for the people of Wales when they need us the most – 24/7. Thank you so much everyone.”

The Club would like to thank the following sponsors for their generous support of our event; A D G Morgan Agri Contracting, Alpaca My Boots, Agri Torque Ltd, Bbi Group, Beacons Group, Brecon & Radnor Express, Caleb Roberts Insurance Services, Caroline’s Real Bread, CBS Ltd, C & J Davies Cwmachau Cabins, Clee Tompkinson & Francis, Cradoc Golf Club, D T Holloway, Epynt Holidays Ltd, Farmers’ Welsh Lavender Ltd, Hills, Ivor Duggan & Sons, J & C Griffiths, JHS Training, Llandovery Tyres, Lyndon R Jones Heating Services Ltd, Morgan’s Family Butchers, Parry & Pugh Funeral Directors, Phil Davies Haulage Ltd, Pixelhaze, Spa Motors, Sunderlands, T Alun Jones, Ted Hopkins, The Strand Café, Wigwam Brecon, Williams Coaches, WW Bowen, Wynnstay, Youngs of Brecon.

There are several ways that the public can continue to support the Wales Air Ambulance Charity. These include online donations, signing up to the Charity’s Lifesaving Lottery or by coming up with innovative ways to fundraise. Further information can be found via www.walesairambulance.com.

Alternatively, a £5 text-message donation can be made by texting the word HELI to 70711.

Community

Bongo Clive brings rhythm and smiles to VC Gallery celebration

Published

7 hours ago

June 20, 2026

Tom Sinclair

LEARNING DISABILITY WEEK MARKED WITH MUSIC, LAUGHTER AND INCLUSION IN PEMBROKE DOCK

THE VC GALLERY in Pembroke Dock was filled with music, laughter and energy as visitors came together to celebrate Learning Disability Week.

The event saw popular entertainer Bongo Clive lead a lively session of singing, drumming and participation, with those attending joining in throughout the day.

The gallery said the session had created a joyful atmosphere, with music helping to bring people together and celebrate inclusion, creativity and wellbeing.

A spokesperson for The VC Gallery said: “The smiles said it all. A huge thank you to Bongo Clive for bringing your incredible energy, enthusiasm and positivity to The VC today. You certainly had everyone moving to the beat.”

Learning Disability Week celebrates inclusion and the abilities, creativity and individuality of people with learning disabilities.

The Pembroke Dock event highlighted the role of community spaces such as The VC Gallery in supporting wellbeing, friendship and confidence through shared creative activities.

Community

Sir Karl Jenkins named Eisteddfod President for 2026

Published

8 hours ago

June 20, 2026

Tom Sinclair

SIR KARL JENKINS has been named President of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod for 2026.

The internationally acclaimed Welsh composer, one of the world’s most performed living composers, will take on the role as the festival prepares to welcome performers, competitors and visitors from across the globe.

Sir Karl is best known for works including The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace, Adiemus and Requiem.

His appointment comes in a landmark year after The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace was voted the most popular work in the Classic FM Hall of Fame 2026.

Opening night return

Sir Karl’s presidential year will begin with the opening night concert, Uniting Nations: One World, on Tuesday, July 7.

The concert had been due to take place in 2025 but was postponed, causing disappointment for volunteers, performers and audience members who had travelled from across the UK and overseas.

The Eisteddfod has now brought the event back with support from the Arts Council of Wales.

Sir Karl said: “I’m delighted to be returning to the Llangollen Festival this year and especially honoured to do so in the role of President.

“Llangollen is always a very special place to be, with its unique sense of community and international spirit.

“I’m greatly looking forward to conducting my most recent choral work, One World, particularly following the postponement of last year’s performance.

“It’s a piece that I feel reflects the very essence of the festival, bringing together outstanding musicians from across the globe to form one powerful collective voice.”

Global chorus

The evening will feature a full performance of One World, conducted by Sir Karl and performed by an international massed chorus made up of WorldChoir and NEW Voices, accompanied by the Llangollen International Orchestra.

The work blends Jenkins’ distinctive musical style with themes of humanity, compassion and environmental stewardship.

The concert will also include a complete staging of Peace Child: The Musical, which places young people at the heart of its message of peace and global citizenship.

Opening the evening will be the world premiere of Greeting the Dawn, a newly commissioned bilingual work by emerging Welsh composer Sam Buttler.

The piece was written for the 2026 Eisteddfod through the Harmony Without Borders initiative, continuing Llangollen’s tradition of supporting new talent and giving Welsh composers an international platform.

‘Great cultural ambassador’

John Gambles, Chair of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Sir Karl Jenkins has agreed to serve as President of the Eisteddfod for 2026.

“Few musicians have done more to promote the values of peace, friendship and international understanding that lie at the heart of our festival.

“Sir Karl is one of Wales’s greatest cultural ambassadors and his music has inspired audiences across every continent.

“The fact that The Armed Man has just been voted the nation’s favourite classical work is a testament not only to his extraordinary talent, but also to the universal appeal of the messages of peace, hope and humanity that run through so much of his music.”

Mr Gambles added: “The postponement of One World last year was heartbreaking for everyone involved.

“We knew how much the concert meant to audiences, performers and volunteers alike, and we were determined to find a way to bring it back.

“Thanks to the support of the Arts Council of Wales, we can now finally give this extraordinary concert the audience it deserves.

“With Sir Karl as our President, the return of One World, the world premiere of a major new Welsh composition and the powerful message of Peace Child, this promises to be one of the most memorable and significant opening nights in the Eisteddfod’s history.”

Festival programme

The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod returns for its 79th year on Tuesday, July 7.

This year’s programme includes performances from Michael Ball, Emeli Sandé with the Absolute Orchestra, Uniting Nations: One World featuring Sir Karl Jenkins, and the Choir of the World competition.

Thousands of competitors from around the world will also take part in the daytime programme, with the Parade of Nations returning on Friday, July 10.

Tickets are on sale now, with prices starting from £33.

Further information is available at llangollen.net.

Community

Lord Rhys emerges from the mist in St Davids

Published

11 hours ago

June 20, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Giant puppet begins historic journey marking 850 years since the first Eisteddfod

MIST swirled around St Davids Cathedral on Friday evening as a giant Lord Rhys puppet emerged from the fog to begin a journey celebrating 850 years since the first recorded Eisteddfod.

Accompanied by traditional musicians and followed by crowds of spectators, the towering figure cut an imposing sight against the backdrop of the ancient cathedral.

The procession marked the start of Taith yr Arglwydd Rhys (The Journey of Lord Rhys), a cultural pilgrimage retracing the legacy of the Welsh prince whose gathering of poets and musicians at Cardigan Castle in 1176 is widely regarded as the first recorded Eisteddfod.

As fog drifted across the city and church towers faded into the background, the scene felt more like a chapter from Welsh folklore than a modern-day celebration.

The giant puppet, accompanied by fellow performers and musicians, travelled from St Davids Cathedral to Oriel y Parc before beginning a wider journey through west Wales.

The travelling celebration will visit communities across Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion before culminating in Cardigan, where Lord Rhys originally staged his famous cultural gathering eight and a half centuries ago.

Video and photographs shared by DrifterStDavids captured the remarkable atmosphere, with many describing the spectacle as one of the most memorable cultural events seen in St Davids for years.

Photo caption: Lord Rhys emerges from the mist outside St Davids Cathedral as celebrations begin to mark the 850th anniversary of the first recorded Eisteddfod

(Pic: SmallWorld – Video: Drifter St Davids)