The Publishing Committee of the Glyn News at their monthly meeting came to the following decision:
'The Committee has after much deliberation decided that as from May 08, no further loose-leaf flyers will be accepted for insertion in the Glyn News. Instead they will offer to publish the flyer as a full page advert in the Glyn Newsletter at a price of £40'.
The Committee came to this decision following an unprecedented request for the insertion of five flyers in the May edition of the Glyn News.

continued from May edition
(the Hamlit on the hill)
Some four hundred years ago the Garth, like all the Ceiriog Valley , was Chirk Castle land, and the name Adwyr'r Garth (popularly known as 'Redway', meaning the gap or entrance) was in existence long before the house that bore that name. But before that, the padded footsteps of Cistercian Monks had passed that way from Valle Crucis to Strata Marcella and Abbey Cwmhir in Powis—hence the name Allt yr Abad (not Baddy!), Abbots Hill near Llangollen.
The monks of Valle Crucis were probably the first to traverse the rough track over from Llangollen, which eventually became the present road. Some four centuries later, the Ladies of Llangollen walked that way, and in 1854 George Borrow came in search of 'Wild Wales'. The only noises to mar their journey were the long drawn-out note of curlews and the plaintive cry of plovers, the squealing sound of a plough on the hills, or an un-oiled farm cart.
Early in the 1920's the peace and tranquility of Church Hill was broken by an invasion of Man's 'Infernal Machines', for motorcycles had become very popular and clubs had been formed throughout the country. There was a motorcycle club in the Glyn, consisting mainly of slate quarrymen, who indulged in such dangerous activities as hill climbs (Pant Hill was one) and paper chases. The Glyn Club chairman was Capt. T. A. Crossland (of Nant Lafar), a director of the Cambrian Slate Quarry. Some of the Merseyside clubs organized what were known as 'Reliability Trials', and Church Hill and its opposite number on the Llangollen side (Allt-yr-Abad) were popular venues for such trials.
Of course, Church Hill was vastly different to what it is to-day, being narrower in parts and having a loose gravel surface, with deep water gullies. There used to be a triangular sign opposite No 1 Gwalia Terrace. It was a yellow and black sign (AA), and on it the words 'Impracticable for Motors'. Then, following heavy rain the surface would be heavily rutted, and it was a rare feat in those days for anyone to make a clean climb.
These trials provided good entertainment for the young (and not so young) who would congregate at the best vantage points on the hill. A popular spot was near Ty Pobty, which is the small building on the left below Pistyll, where the people of Box Cottage used to bake bread, and after taking the bread out, they would put in a large dish of rice pudding, and at Christmas time 'a multitude of the Heavenly Host' would descend on Ty Popty, when some local youths would be rehearsing their carols there.
One of the competitors in these trials was a young lady called Marjorie Cottle, and when she did appear there would a great cheer as she flew up with a big smile on her face. There was a young man living at Pistyll in the mid–1920's, who owned a powerful American machine (Indian) and sometimes he would go up with a ½ cwt of coal on the tank.
To be continued

Good news is hard to come by these days, television and newspapers portray a dismal world indeed, and its bad news that seems to predominate—natural disasters, war, famine, drought, and even in this country fewer and fewer people are not affected in some way by crime and family breakdown, or know someone in that position.
As an antidote to all this why not visit the Good News Library which comes to the Glyn Ceiriog Christian Centre on the third Thursday of each month from 2 pm–3.30 pm?
There you will find a wide range of books (some in Welsh), CD's and videos to suit a variety of tastes, from lighter stories to more serious reading. But what they have in common is that directly or indirectly all of them contain some aspect of the Christian Gospel—the only infallible source of good news in a modern world which seems to have lost its way.
So do come and see what's on offer.
The library is non-denominational, makes no charges and the staff are friendly and ready to help you find the sort of book you're looking for, or ready just to chat…!
For further details ring Brian Catton on (01691) 654781.

Coffee Morning and Bring & Buy Sale held on April 17, 2008
Thank you so much to all those who came on the day, and who send donations, all so very generously for the Street Pastors.
The total came to £333.30. A wonderful result, and I am told, will be more than enough for the twelve training sessions of one new volunteer to do this courageous work on the streets of Wrexham.
Street Pastors, who patrol the pavements at night, do not approach anyone. Drawn from all churches, colours, young and old, they let people come up to them, and they do not preach.
They just draw alongside and listen, and answer questions and help in any practical way they can; such as providing flip flops for the shoe-less, or getting taxis for those unlikely to make it home. They build up trust and relationships, and advise, only if asked, on the awareness of drugs and alcohol, safety, and local initiatives and agencies.
Thank you again.
Joyce Chalmers

On May 3rd, 2008 my youngest daughter Sarah, will fly out to Nepal as a medical doctor for a group who are going to the Everest Base Camp, She was the one who always complained when we as a family walked the hills of Snowdonia, Does'nt God work in mysterious ways.
In May 2006 David Sharp set off from base camp to make his third attempt on Mount Everest . He actually reached the summit, but on his way down he ran out of oxygen. As he lay on the side of the mountain dying, forty climbers passed him by.
Some say that at such oxygen-deprived altitudes, rescues are too perilous. But others say that climbers are too eager to reach the top and too selfish to help those in trouble.
I wonder what would have happened if someone who passed that stricken climber had said, 'I will treat him the way I want to be treated'.
In Mathew 7:12, the golden rule , Jesus gave His disciples, 'Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets,' in other words, love others and live for their benefit. He said this in the larger context of all the radical principles that He taught in his sermon on the beatitudes.
As difficult as it is to live for the benefit of others, Jesus knew His followers could consistently live out this ethic as they drew strength from a righteousness that went beyond duty and outward conformity to rules. It is a righteousness that can come only from God Himself, that is to make us right with God.
If we are Jesus' followers, let's walk in His steps, loving others and living for their benefit. With the acronym for JOY, the fruit of the Holy Spirit, becoming true in our lives. Jesus first, Others second and Yourself last.
Let us remember Love is the debt we owe one other.
Love is an attitude, love is a prayer,
For someone in sorrow, a heart in despair;
Love is good will for the gain of another,
Love suffers long with the fault of a brother.—Anon
Be blessed, and do unto others. Yours in Christ, Glyn
Rev R Glyn Jones, Bryn Glas, Glyn Ceiriog, Llangollen , LL20 7EU . Tel 01691 718086; m. 07760 328752

'Now is the month of Maying when merry painters painting' mostly in every communal room in the place so if it rains on Saturday the 10th for Leonard Cheshire's 60 years I don't know where we are going to put everyone.
As you have gathered we are having a makeover that would bring to shame any tv programme, all designed by our very own interior designer Avril (Llewellyn Bowen) Langford which consists of hair and beauty salon, lounge, computer and reading room and sun-lounge, so we have been busy planning and buying stuff.
We did get the chance to take out for the day, Yukari's Mum and Dad, on a visit from Japan and took them to see Lake Vernwy and Bala. They really enjoyed themselves and it was a delight to meet them (Yukari is head chef on Friday teatime).
We are being entertained by Llangollen Operatic Society with songs from the shows, so we are looking forward to some light entertainment to break into the merry whistling of the, 'Men at work'.
regards Di.

At the recent election the Llangadwaldr ward was uncontested, therefore returning Councillors Keith Benning, Michael Crawshaw, Glyn Jones and Eryl Morris. The Llanarmon ward was contested and Councillors Wynne Thomas, Robin Edwards, Ifor Richards and Freja Swogger were elected.

Aneuryn Davies, Cae'r Ysgol, Glyn Ceiriog would like to thank his family for the surprise party, also friends and neighbours for all the cards, gifts and best wishes received on the occasion of his 80 th birthday. Thank you all very much.

Lesley Bowdler and her family would like to thank everyone who sent cards and messages of sympathy following their sudden and unexpected sad loss. Diolch yn fawr pawb.

Members of Ysgol Cynddelw PTA wish to thank Scottish Power for Match Funding the PTA the sum of £199.50, this equalled the sum raised by the PTA Bingo Evening. Thanks also to Debbie Glen of 'Stagecoach Performing Arts' for the donation of £50 towards the school mini-bus.

This is the team name for a few people from the Valley who will be taking part in a White Water Raft Race at Bala on June 8 th with the aim of raising funds for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. People living inland also require the service of the RNLI, as was demonstrated by the Midland floods last year.
Lifeboat personal are all volunteers and never know when they will be called out or what conditions they may have to face. The RNLI is independent of Government and continues to rely on voluntary contributions and legacies for its income.
Any offers of sponsorship for this very worthwhile cause will be welcome, as each members has to raise at least £125. Any further details from Joan Blakeman on 01691 718173.

A bingo session was held at the Glyn Valley Hotel on Friday 11 April, the caller was Jeff Davies and the proceeds were for the Carnival to be held on 12 June

Last week Teg and I were walking the canal footpath at Chirk Bank when we saw a disturbing sight on the opposite bank. A mink was trotting towards us and after drawing level it slipped into the water and swam away upstream. The problem that mink pose is that our native wildlife is not adapted to this predators semi-aquatic life style. They are superb swimmers and catch frogs and fish, unfortunately water voles are sitting targets as are ducklings and moor-hen chicks. They are just at home on land living off voles, mice and rabbits.
The latest research indicates that their spread has been made much worse due to the lack of native predators. Otters and polecats will not tolerate mink in their territory and in traditional weasel fashion use extreme physical violence to make sure they go else where! Of course game keeping has just about eradicated these species giving the mink a clear field to expand. Eventually things will come into balance but I fear it will be a very long time.
On a more pleasant note the season has started well for the nesting birds, our resident blackbird couple have strong chicks as, I suspect, have the blue tits in the box on the beech tree. The earlier frosts should not prove a problem if the weather holds for some weeks.
The wild flowers are an absolute delight, the hedgerows are marvellous. This is such an enchanting valley, doesn’t it make you feel sorry for those poor people, (even if they have loads of money), who spend their lives in cities. They don’t know what they are missing!
Tom Baker, Hyfrydle, Hen Ffordd, Dolywern Tel. 712835

A concert given by the George Formby Society was held at the Ceiriog Memorial Institute n Thursday, 24 April. This was not well attended, which was a pity, as all those present thoroughly enjoyed listening to the old George Formby songs, accompanied by the ukulele. Proceeds were for the Institute

A recent Cake Stall held in front of the Glyn valley Hotel and organized by the local branch, raised over £220 for the NSPCC

Actors from Clwyd Theatre Cymru for Young People presented, 'Tales from Small Nations' at the Canolfan Ceiriog Centre on Saturday, 26 April. This excellent production was supported by the Arts Council of Wales in partnership with WCBC. The next performance at the Centre will be the 'Family Theatre Fun' entitled, 'Keep on Moving'—suitable for all members of the family. This will take place on Tuesday evening, 10 th June.

Mrs Mary Evans welcomed the group to her home for their Annual Meeting on 1 st May.
Tributes were paid to the late Mrs Marian Roberts who had been a member of the group since it was formed in 1979, and its first chairman. Apologies were received from several members.
After reading the 2007 minutes and the correspondence recently received, it was noted that the new Area Manager is Michelle Limb, who will cover South Cheshire , Shropshire and North Wales .
The treasurer, Mrs Gaynor Jones gave the financial report for the year ending 31 st January 2008 , showing that £937.57 had been sent to the headquarters at Newport . This included coffee morning receipts, donations and money collected from goblets placed in business premises in the Valley. Thanks were expressed to everyone for their support.
All the officers agreed to continue and invitation is extended for anyone interested to joint the group.
Arrangements were made for the forthcoming Coffee Morning and Sale to be held at the Ceiriog Memorial Institute on Saturday, 19 July at 10.30 am when there will be a variety of stalls, a big raffle and refreshments as usual.
Members were asked to think of a special way to celebrate next year, after thirty years of contributing to Cancer Research in the Ceiriog valley.

A meeting of the management committee took place in the Islwyn Ffowc Elis room, on 6 th May and was presided over by the chairman. New members, Clwyd Davies and Dafydd Morris were warmly welcomed.
The estimate for cleaning the Saint David painting, a copy of the one in the Central Lobby of the Houses of Parliament was accepted and it is hoped that the work will soon be completed. Tenders will be invited for some outdoor work which needs to be completed.
Members will meet at the beginning of June, to place the books in their places.
Final arrangements were made for the fund raising stall to be held at the Carnival on 7 th June.

The Partnership was formed over ten years ago to promote the interests of the community and sustainable tourism projects, and ensure that the valley retains its outstanding landscape and character. Current members represent hoteliers, tourism operators, farmers and small businesses, Chirk Town Council and local Community Councils, and the Partnership itself is supported by Wrexham County Borough Council.
One of the first projects of the Partnership was to produce the Walks leaflets covering the Valley, which you will no doubt be familiar with. Other successful projects include the creation of the Ceiriog, Cycle Route and Ceiriog Valley Way , and a number of local information leaflets. From the on-going sale of these leaflets a number of local initiatives have been helped financially. These included grants towards the installation of the CCTV camera on Chirk Station; water-collection system at the Garth Organic Community Garden ; support towards both the Berwyn Festival and Glyn Valley Tramway initiatives, and a familiarisation visit of the Wales Tour Guides Association.
Non-financial collaboration has helped to ensure the continued opening of the public toilets in Llanarmon DC, the provision of the telephone box by Chirk Station, bus stop signs and 'white on brown' tourisms signs to guide people into the Valley.
Membership of the Partnership is open to anyone interested, individuals or businesses, and is currently only £10 per year per household or per business and meetings are presently held on a three-monthly basis at various locations throughout the Valley. The next meeting will be on Tuesday, 17 June, at 10.45 am at The Hand Hotel, Chirk.
If you would like to become a member of the Partnership or would like any further information please contact Pam Hughes, treasurer on 01691 718398 or the Secretary, Mrs Francis Harrison, 01691 778170.

I would like to take a few minutes to thank Mr and Mrs Connor for all their enduring support that they give to our school, Ysgol Pontfadog.
Since they arrived at the Post Office, Phil and Mandy have taken it upon themselves to run a summer holiday art competition for the children each year, with lovely prizes and a certificate for the first, second and third prize winners. The children love the competition and can't wait to see their works of art displayed prominently in the Post Office window!
The Post Office window is also regularly used by the school to promote school events, and as a display for ongoing school projects to help us raise local awareness.
As you know, fund raising raffles are a regular feature of the school, and Phil and Mandy have sold literally hundreds of pounds worth of tickets to their loyal customers at the shop on behalf of the school—we would never have managed to reach such a vast number of people to sell our tickets to without this support.
Mandy is currently helping us with our Centenary Celebrations by having a themed window display for the school at the Post Office, this is all done with real positive spirit, and we thank you Phil and Mandy!
Catrin Jones
on behalf of Ysgol Pontfadog PTA

At last the warmer weather has arrived and the sweet coconut scent of gorse is wafting around The Garth Hillside Organic garden. The salvaged glass windows and fleece that have been warming the vegetable beds and protecting them from frost can at last be removed. This is the busiest time of year, beds are prepared covering them with site made compost, young tender plants carefully nurtured, and many more seeds need to be sown.
Not that the cooler months left volunteers with little to do. Shorter days, longer tea breaks, huddling in the shed during showers yes, but still much was achieved: fruit trees were planted, more raised beds created, steps and a dry stone wall built and a colourful dogwood fence woven by children. A rainwater harvesting system was built using a slopping roof and containers capable of storing 10,000 litres of water, an essential resource for thirsty plants and dirty volunteers!
Refuge from snow and hail was taken in project co-ordinator Judith's house where ideas were exchanged, plans hatched and a constitution written up.
Tom Adams, local countryside craftsman, gave volunteers a valuable lesson in grafting apple trees using varieties suitable to the local climate. As a result the garden has a small collection of saplings waiting to be planted out.
Wrexham Council's Biodiversity Officer Emma Broad visited to give advice. She commented that the garden was 'excellent' with its coppicing, log piles, compost heaps and wild flowers and had already enhanced the biodiversity of the hillside.
The first anniversary of the project was celebrated in March with a weekend gathering of volunteers at the garden. This was a time for taking stock of how much had been achieved in just one year, how the effects of all the volunteers and supporters had realized this beautiful, productive garden. Apart from money raised by a sponsored walk for tools and a welcome grant from The Chirk and Ceiriog Valley Partnership towards the water harvester, the garden has been created from volunteer labour and mostly reclaimed materials. It's difficult to refuse the unwanted sheds, greenhouses, oak beams and picnic tables that give a ramshackle appearance to the lower part of the garden where they wait to be used. They are part of the vision however and the time will come when they are given their place.
In return for their labour volunteers take home produce, in early Spring this was leeks, lettuce, rocket, cabbage, spinach and an abundance of purple sprouting broccoli. Summer crops to look forward to include numerous salad ingredients, onions, courgettes, beans, potatoes and carrots.
Vegetables are not the only harvest though, fresh air, wonderful views, an opportunity to share existing and learn new skills, with a welcoming friendly atmosphere combine to make the experience an uplifting one.
Some of you might have seen us with stall at the Berwyn Festival, we will also be at the One Planet event, Wrexham, on 15 th June and the Llangollen Fringe Festival Environmental day, 26 th July.
If you are interested in visiting or becoming a volunteer all abilities and ages are welcome/Croeso i bawb. Contact Judith on 01691 718127.
Lisa Ridley, volunteer

27 June
25 July
22 August
26 September
24 October
28 November