Oakham Treasures (Cymraeg)

Mwynhaodd grŵp o un ar ddeg aelod drip i weld y casgliad yn Oakham Treasures, ger Bryste. Darparwyd cludiant gan V.E.S.T. Dyma'r tro cyntaf i ni eu llogi ar gyfer cludiant ac roedd pawb yn cytuno bod y minibws yn gyfforddus.

Mae'r casgliad yn cynnwys ystod eang o bethau cofiadwy: offer fferm, cludiant, eitemau bob dydd, siocled a bwydydd eraill, dillad, offer, a phob math o eitemau eraill. Mae'r cyfan dan do, a oedd yn ffodus gan ei fod yn ddiwrnod glawog iawn, mewn un adeilad enfawr gyda phob adran yn hygyrch gan rampiau. Mae pob wal wedi'i haddurno â phosteri a phlaciau hysbysebu metel.

Roedd yr arddangosfeydd wedi'u trefnu'n artistig. Cyflwynwyd y casgliadau offer yn arbennig mewn ffurfiannau patrwm diddorol. Sylwodd sawl person pa mor dda oedd y cyfan wedi'i gadw. Nid oedd yn llwchlyd ac roedd yn edrych fel pe bai wedi'i arddangos gyda balchder a phleser.

Y bar coffi / bwyty hollbwysig. Cafodd y rhan fwyaf o bobl ginio wedi'i goginio. Roedd dewis da a dywedodd pawb fod y bwyd yn dda ac am bris rhesymol. Trip llwyddiannus iawn a fwynhaodd pawb.

 

A walk around Forest Farm – Taith gerdded o amgylch Fferm y Goedwig

 

Four WI members enjoyed a guided tour of Forest Farm, led by committee member Sheila Austin. The weather was kind and everyone enjoyed a beautiful and informative walk.

Thank you to Glenys Care for the photos.

Mwynhaodd pedwar aelod o’r WI daith dywys o amgylch Fferm y Goedwig, dan arweiniad aelod y pwyllgor Sheila Austin. Roedd y tywydd yn garedig a mwynhaodd pawb daith gerdded hyfryd ac addysgiadol.

Diolch i Glenys Care am y lluniau.

Newsletter – November 2025

November 13th meeting:

    Main Speaker: Rhodri Hughes – A Day in the Life of a Community Ranger

Outings and events:

    A questionnaire is being drafted to invite the membership to express their preferences with regard to WI outings. This is expected to be ready in time for the December meeting.

Information
    Link to the Glamorgan Newsletters.

    MyWI site (registration and log in required)

Groups:

    Book Group: Wednesday 12th November / 11.00 am / La Cucina da Mara

    Tangle Art Group: Wednesday 19th November / 2 pm / 5 Court Close, Whitchurch

    Family History: 1st December / 2.00 pm / 113 Pantbach Road

    Sunday Lunch Group: 30th November / 12:30 pm / Llanishen Golf Club

    

    Poetry and Prose Group: Monday 24th November / 10.45 am
    The Ark coffee bar, Ararat / Topic: places

    Craft Group: this will start again in January

 

Following meeting:

    Next meeting: 8th December in Ararat Church Hall, Whitchurch Common, 2 pm.

    Children from Glantaf School will perform Christmas songs. We will not be able to have our usual Christmas party with food to share because the hall is being refurbished and we will be in the chapel. Please do not bring food to share.

Newsletter – October 2025

Many apologies for the late posting of this month's newsletter.

 October 13th meeting:

    Main Speaker: Keith Jones – The Taff from Source to Sea

    Short presentation of the GWFI Annual Meeting in Barry by committee member Gay Thomas.

Outings and events:

    Oakham Treasures, Bristol; 29th October; cost £18 which include travel and entrance fee. 
    Meet outside Ararat at 9.30 am for the minibus transport.

Information
    Link to the Glamorgan Newsletters.

    MyWI site (registration and log in required)

Groups:

    Book Group: Wednesday 15th October / 11.00 am / La Cucina da Mara

    Tangle Art Group: cancelled for October because Nor'dzin is away.

    Family History: 3rd November / 2.00 pm / 113 Pantbach Road

    Sunday Lunch Group: 26th October / 1 pm / The Toby Carvery

    

    Poetry and Prose Group: Monday 27th October / 11.00 am
    The Ark coffee bar, Ararat / Topic: animals

 

Following meeting:

    Next meeting: 10th November in Ararat Church Hall, Whitchurch Common, 2 pm.

    Speaker: Rhodri Hughes – ‘A Day in the Life of a Community Ranger’

September 2025 meeting – Life in Pantomime

Ceri Stennett, son of Stan Stennett, illustrated his talk about his father's career in pantomime with slides of the pantos' advertising posters. Stan was a Cardiff lad. He was an orphan but had a happy childhood, raised by relatives. He was an extrovert and happy to be a show off. Stan had wanted to join the RAF during WWII but his eyesight wasn't good enough, being almost blind in one eye after a childhood mishap. So he joined the artillery. After the war, he entered talent contests and won one. The prize was theatre work for the BBC, and so his love of theatre work began.  

In the early years of his career, Stan worked as a lorry driver during the day and as an entertainer in the evening. He was spotted by the comedian Ossie Morris which led to more opportunities. He appeared in the radio show, Welsh Rarebit, and became the compere, along with Harry Secombe. Stan worked with many people who became famous, such as Morecombe and Wise. Stan and Eric Morecombe shared a sense of humour, and used to play pranks on the crew with whoopee cushions. Ceri told the story of a pumpkin, being used as a prop in a show, being insured for £1,000,000 by Stan. One of the conditions of the insurance was that the pumkin never be taken on a bus. Stan took the pumpkin on to the top deck of a double-decker bus and dropped it out of the window. It smashed to bits. The insurance payment was settled at £50 and donated to charity. It was a good publicity stunt.

As well as a long career in pantomime and entertainment both in the UK and abroad, Stan appeared in the TV show, The Black and White Minstrels, and in the soap opera, Crossroads. For pantos in South Wales he wrote scripts that would be particularly relevant and funny for the locals. Ceri explained that 1974 - 79 was the pinnacle of Stan's career with five years of topping the bill in the pantomimes at The New Theatre in Cardiff, and receiving an MBE for his contribution to entertainment. Stan helped raised 1000s of pounds for charity, opening fetes and such like. For a long time Stan had a stuffed dog called Bonzo as a part of his act. Unfortunately Bonzo disappeared one night, believed stolen, and had to be substituted with another dog.

Stan wanted to continue working even into his eighties, but sadly suffered a stroke during an operation to insert a heart stent. Ceri described how he sat by his father in hospital singing songs from the pantomimes. Although unable to speak, Stan moved his lips and clearly enjoyed joining in with the songs. Sadly, after three weeks in hospital, he died.

Ceri is himself something of a performer having appeared many times in pantomimes as a stand in. He also worked as a stage manager, and learned puppeteering while Sooty and Sweep were part of the cast of a pantomime. His professionalism was clear from the enjoyable, interesting and well-presented talk, which was enjoyed by all members.

Cyfarfod Medi 2025 – Bywyd mewn Pantomeim

Darluniodd Ceri Stennett, mab Stan Stennett, ei sgwrs am yrfa ei dad mewn pantomeim gyda sleidiau o bosteri hysbysebu’r pantos. Hogyn o Gaerdydd oedd Stan. Roedd yn amddifad ond cafodd blentyndod hapus, a fagwyd gan berthnasau. Roedd yn allblyg ac yn hapus i fod yn sioe off. Roedd Stan wedi bod eisiau ymuno â'r Awyrlu yn ystod yr Ail Ryfel Byd ond nid oedd ei olwg yn ddigon da, gan ei fod bron yn ddall mewn un llygad ar ôl damwain plentyndod. Felly ymunodd â'r magnelau. Ar ôl y rhyfel, aeth i mewn i gystadlaethau talent ac enillodd un. Gwaith theatr i’r BBC oedd y wobr, ac felly y dechreuodd ei gariad at waith theatr.   

Ym mlynyddoedd cynnar ei yrfa, bu Stan yn gweithio fel gyrrwr lori yn ystod y dydd ac fel diddanwr gyda'r nos. Cafodd ei weld gan y digrifwr Ossie Morris a arweiniodd at fwy o gyfleoedd. Ymddangosodd yn y rhaglen radio, Welsh Rarebit, a daeth yn arweinydd, ynghyd â Harry Secombe. Bu Stan yn gweithio gyda llawer o bobl a ddaeth yn enwog, fel Morecombe a Wise. Roedd Stan ac Eric Morecombe yn rhannu synnwyr digrifwch, ac yn arfer chwarae pranks ar y criw gyda chlustogau whoopee. Adroddodd Ceri hanes pwmpen, yn cael ei defnyddio fel prop mewn sioe, yn cael ei hyswirio am £1,000,000 gan Stan. Un o amodau'r yswiriant oedd na fyddai'r pwmpen byth yn cael ei gludo ar fws. Aeth Stan â'r bwmpen i ddec uchaf bws deulawr a'i ollwng allan o'r ffenest. Mae'n malu i ddarnau. Setlwyd y taliad yswiriant ar £50 a'i roi i elusen. Roedd yn stynt cyhoeddusrwydd da.

Yn ogystal â gyrfa hir mewn pantomeim ac adloniant yn y DU a thramor, ymddangosodd Stan yn y sioe deledu, The Black and White Minstrels, ac yn yr opera sebon, Crossroads. Ar gyfer pantos yn Ne Cymru ysgrifennodd sgriptiau a fyddai'n arbennig o berthnasol a doniol i'r bobl leol. Esboniodd Ceri mai 1974 - 79 oedd uchafbwynt gyrfa Stan gyda phum mlynedd o frig y rhaglen yn y pantomeimiau yn Y Theatr Newydd yng Nghaerdydd, a derbyn MBE am ei gyfraniad i adloniant. Helpodd Stan i godi 1000s o bunnoedd at elusen, gan agor ffeiriau ac ati. Am gyfnod hir roedd gan Stan gi wedi'i stwffio o'r enw Bonzo fel rhan o'i act. Yn anffodus, diflannodd Bonzo un noson, credir iddo gael ei ddwyn, a bu'n rhaid cael ci arall yn ei le.

Roedd Stan eisiau parhau i weithio hyd yn oed yn ei wythdegau, ond yn anffodus cafodd strôc yn ystod llawdriniaeth i osod stent calon. Disgrifiodd Ceri sut yr oedd yn eistedd wrth ei dad yn yr ysbyty yn canu caneuon o'r pantomeimiau. Er nad oedd yn gallu siarad, symudodd Stan ei wefusau ac yn amlwg wedi mwynhau ymuno â'r caneuon. Yn anffodus, ar ôl tair wythnos yn yr ysbyty, bu farw.

Mae Ceri ei hun yn dipyn o berfformiwr wedi ymddangos droeon mewn pantomeimiau fel stand mewn. Bu hefyd yn gweithio fel rheolwr llwyfan, a dysgodd bypedwr tra bod Sooty a Sweep yn rhan o gast pantomeim. Roedd ei broffesiynoldeb yn amlwg o'r sgwrs bleserus, ddiddorol ac wedi'i chyflwyno'n dda, a fwynhawyd gan yr holl aelodau.

Newsletter – September 2025

 September 8th meeting:

    Main Speaker: Ceri Stennett – Life in Pantomime, my father Stan Stennett

    Collection of Smartie tubes filled with cash as fundraising for our charity.

Outings and events:

    Llandaf Cathedral Guided Tour. Tuesday 16th September at 2pm. 

    If you want to travel together on the bus (No 24), meet on the Common at 1pm. 

    No charge, but a donation of £5 per head is requested.    

    Oakham Treasures, Bristol; 29th October; £9 entrance fee. 
    Meet outside Ararat at 9.30 am for minibus transport (£6). See notice board for more details.     Please note, the transport is a minibus – so limited numbers. Shared car transport could be

    available if more people wish to go.

Information
    Link to the Glamorgan Newsletters.

    MyWI site (registration and log in required)

Groups:

    Choir: the choir will not be meeting until further notice.

    Book Group: Wednesday 17th September / 11.00 am
    La Cucina da Mara, Whitchurch

    Craft Group: NB no meeting in September.

    Tangle Art Group: Wednesday 17th September / 2.00 pm

    5 Court Close, Whitchurch
    NB This group needs new members. Please ask Nor'dzin for more information. Relaxing, creative, no previous experience or artistic competency needed. A 'tangle' is a design created using patterns drawn in pen.

    Family History: 22nd September / 2.00 pm / 113 Pantbach Road

    Sunday Lunch Group: 21st September

    Ffynon Wen

 
    Poetry and Prose Group: Monday 22nd September / 11.00am
    The Ark coffee bar, Ararat / Topic: favourite poets

    

    St Mary's Gardens: Tuesday 9th September / 10–12

 

Following meeting:

    Next meeting: 13th October in Ararat Church Hall, Whitchurch Common, 2 pm.

    Speaker: Keith Jones – ‘The Taff from source to the sea’