Where River Meets Sky in Vale of Neath
Picture from our RDN photographer Mike Davies
Young Swans in Neath today
Plus swan and duck seen on river
Pictures by Ruth Charles Davies
(Daughter of Mike Davies)
The Morning Light
Morning light over the Vale of Neath from Mike Davies (RDN photographer)
Chirpy the Robin Update
Mary and Idris Gittins gave us a lovely story about their visiting robin recently.
( SEE “The Gittins Family Meet Chirpy” )
Latest update: from Mary:
” We sit in the backyard sometimes, instead of the front patio where Chirpy first flew into our lives and our affection! He emerges from the hedge when Idris whistles.
FROM MARY AND IDRIS GITTINS
More from Mike
Our RDN photographer Mike Davies took these lovely images for us in Victoria Gardens on Sunday
PICTURES by MIKE DAVIES ( RDN PHOTOGRAPHER)
We Welcome Visitors to Our Busy Bowling Green
We have come to the end of a very successful 2022 outdoor bowling season during which Resolven Bowls Club celebrated its 90th Birthday. The bowling green has been as busy as ever with three sets of Club Tournaments as well as games of different Leagues – Neath & District League, Cwmtawe League, Port Talbot League and the West Glamorgan Ladies League.
Sunday 18 September is the last day of the 2022 Season and we extend a warm welcome to 8 visiting top Welsh Clubs competing in the SDFS Super 8 Series Quarter Finals at Resolven.
We wish them all an enjoyable and successful day’s bowling at Resolven
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A Family Affair on the Bowling Green
Mother and daughter, Carwen Thomas and Ceri Holmes, faced each other in both Resolven Ladies singles finals this year.
Pre-match family tension? Not according to Carwen who said, ” We are more relaxed and comfortable playing against each other and always feel we are going to have a close game.”
Prophetic words! Their first encounter, in the 2 wood singles, was nail-biting to watch
Carwen started slowly but later in the match, the scoreboard began to tell a different story as she began to catch up. ( Her score is in red on the scoreboard)
CARWEN IS TRAILING BY 3
They were TIED AT 17 ALL when the game’s 21 ends had been played.. What a match! They needed to play an extra end to find the winner.
What a terrific game! Both deserved to win ,but Carwen delivered the winning bowl and will be taking the trophy home.
But then there was more! The next day, Ceri and Carwen met again on the Green to play the Club Championship 4 Woods Final.
Again it was a very close game
On the last end, Ceri needed one shot to reach 21 and win the match. Carwen needed three..
Ceri’s won the title three times already, but Carwen needed those 3 shots to become Club Champion for the first time. She did it!
Daugher Ceri will still see the trophies on the sideboard at home, but this year with her mother’s ame on them.
Both players are to be congratulated, not just for the standard of play, but for the way in which the games were played- a credit to them and the Resolven Ladies Bowls Club.
,
Cam Gears Bowls Competition
A great time was had by all when the Cam Gears Mixed Triples Competition took place on Resolven Bowling Green after a gap of over 20 years. It was Gareth Evans, sec. of Cam Gears Bowls Club , who polished up the shield, rounded up the players and organised everything and had enough puff left to play as well!
In the true spirit of the game, the finalists stood together for a photograph–both teams under the spotlight from the floodlights –but the winners were:
Hugh Day, Hilary Fouracre and Carwen Thomas
RUNNERS-UP:
Hugh Thomas, Carole Jeffery and Christine Twaite
PHOTOS by JOE MOGFORD (junior reporter)
The Gittins Family Meet Chirpy
CHIRPY -OUR CHEEKY LITTLE FRIEND THE ROBIN REDBREAST
Idris and I like to have a quiet cup of tea on our Patio in the front of our Bungalow when the weather is nice, which has been often during this beautiful Summer but that all changed about 4 weeks ago when Chirpy, as we call him, decided to join us. As soon as we put the mugs on the table and the chairs in place it’s not very long before he joins us. The first time he came, he flew on to the wall by the side of us and sat there chirping away and looking straight at us and cocking his head to one side. That has now progressed to him eating meal worms out of Idris’s hand. It started with Idris putting meal worms on the wall besides us which is within touching distance from our chairs and then he encouraged him to eat meal worms off his hand. Soon when we opened our back door the bird was on the floor waiting in our back yard right outside the door or on a chair in our back yard.
Idris was up our back garden today and I was sitting on my chair when I could hear him chirping on the top of the back of my seat, he was sitting right by my ear, I had my camera and got up and took a photo of him and he didn’t move,I sat back down and went to reach for my mug of tea but the bird got there first and was sitting right next to my mug. We have a hedge on the front patio and as soon as we come out now and sit down, Idris whistles and he flies out of the hedge to join us, this is about 3 times a day, we call him Chirpy because when we talk to him,he stares at us and starts chirping, Robins do sing but we haven’t heard him sing. He never ceases to amaze us, Idris put a meal worm on his nose today and our little friend quickly swooped and took it, unfortunately,I missed that shot my i phone was indoors.
He was quite a scruffy, thin little Robin when he first came but now he’s quite rounded and looks healthy. He’s given us lots of pleasure this last month, I hope he’ll stay for the Winter
FROM Mary and Idris Gittins (and Chirpy)
Special Celebration ‘Birthday Bash’ and Thanks
Our RDN Editor, Anita Morgan was instrumental in beginning this village website.
She has played many parts in the past during her time at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, then on television, including a live broadcast of “How Green Was My Valley”, and many varied roles during her Grand Theatre Repertory Seasons in Swansea.
She was the first voice on the new B.B.C Radio Wales Station in 1978 presenting the early morning A.M. programme and in 1986 she was the first winner of a Sony Radio Gold Award for Radio Wales with “Goodbye Village School”
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Keeping up her record of being “in at the start”, she gathered together the first group of ladies to form Resolven Ladies Bowls Club in 1986. So when it was a very special birthday for her recently, the fact that she was determined to keep it as quiet as possible, did not deter friends and family from organising certain events. One such surprise party was organised by Natasha Williams and her Mum, Janine and was held at the highly decorated Community Hall/Bowls Pavilion.
Although not having played bowls for the Resolven Ladies this year, Anita could not resist the call of the bowling green, showing that bowls is a sport for any age. She had not lost any expert aspects of her delivery action.
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The Resolven Ladies Bowls Club had also organised a special celebration lunch, (Anita called it a “Birthday Bash”) at ‘The Drift’, The Welfare a couple of days later. The following photographs show the ladies who attended.
When asked Anita said
“I kept saying that I didn’t want to be 90 for months before the BIG DAY. But what a wonderful Birthday Bash all you friends and family have given me.
Thank you from the bottom of my 90 year old heart”
On behalf of all who know Anita, we send you our congratulations on becoming a nonagenarian.
Best Wishes from the Team
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Remembering Dr David John Davies
I’m sure there are not many who live in Resolven now who would remember my father, Dr David John Davies, but I’m sure there are some who do! He was the village doctor for many years in Resolven and district, taking over from his father ‘Old Dr Davies’ first at the Surgery on the Square and then at Resolven Health Centre on Ynysfach Avenue.
He was a doctor of the old school, each day he would be in the surgery seeing patients, on call over the weekend, many weekday evenings and visiting patients at home. I, as his daughter remember the phone going at all hours of the night. He knew and cared for generations of the same families in Resolven and surrounding area.
After retiring in 1993, my father moved from 14 Neath Road to Sidmouth, Devon with his wife Gwenda and two twin daughters, Frances and Philippa, where he enjoyed a happy and restful retirement. He died peacefully surrounded by his family on the 13th January 2022. He was 94.
If anyone has any memories or even photos, it would be wonderful if you could share.
With thanks
Philippa Davies
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Hands-on Work Experience-Join Now
Do you want to improve your confidence and wellbeing? Learn new skills? Or work in construction but don’t know where to start? Then this project could be the one for you. Join our FREE home regeneration programme today and get the chance to gain qualifications whilst getting hands-on work experience
| How does it work? Whether you’re working with job seekers or service users, or you know someone who wants to boost their confidence and learn skills in the construction trade, this could be the project for you. We support people ranging in age, gender, background and circumstance to make positive life changes, empowering them to take ownership of their journey. |
| What do you need to know? – We ask participants to do either one or two days a week (9.00am till 4.00pm) – Chance to gain the first aid qualification, health and safety and the CSCS card – PPE and safety boots are provided, and yours to keep – Bus tickets are reimbursed weekly – Learn renovation tasks such as plastering, tiling, bathroom fitting, painting etc – Progress and wellbeing reviews as needed |
| Who can refer? We are happy to take referrals from Parents/guardians, Local organisations/charities and self-referrals How do you refer? There are many ways to refer to our project, including: 1. Email: Email us at abi.lewis@the-cii.org to discuss your interest the project. 2. Phone: Call our Engagement and Wellbeing Officer, Abi on 07487 597609. 3. WhatsApp: If you don’t like chatting on the phone, feel free to message us at the above number. |