From the London Welsh Trust and Association at Grays Inn Road www.cymryllundain.org.uk Tachwedd/November 2008 • Rhif/Issue 50-22 £2.00 And we welcome a new President too - see p5 TUD/PAGE 2 TACHWEDD/NOVEMBER 2008 O’R GANOLFAN/FROM THE CENTRE Diary Building on success – but events Saturday 8 November - Cwrs Undydd Cymraeg – intensive one day course for need organisers, and support! all levels. (See bottom of page for details) Saturday 8 November 2.30pm – Bar, It has been a busy few Big Screen Rugby Wales v South Africa, Friday 14 November 7.15pm – Bar, Big months at the Centre. We Screen Rugby Wales v Canada have now had our first two Friday 21 November 7.30pm – Bar, Comedy Club evenings, Clwb Comedi – Stand up comedy Saturday 22 November 5.15pm – Bar, which have been very big Screen Rugby Wales v New Zealand successful. I am also Saturday 29 November – Bar, big pleased to announce that Screen Rugby Wales v Australia continuity of the Forum has Monday 1 December 7pm – Forum, Ted Sellick and Friends meet with been assured. Jerome Kern (Showboat) Following Lodwick Sunday 14 December 6pm – Nine Davies stepping down as Lessons and Carols Saturday 24 January 7pm – Gwawr the person responsible after Owen and Côr Caerdydd – a concert of three successful years, it is mixed classical and popular music now being organised by a Monday 26 January 7pm – Forum, Alex Meredith – an illustrated talk on Tour de triumvirate (including Lod!) Kaz – cycling in Kazakhstan and the next two events 28 February – St David’s Day Concert have already been announced. Our Advertisers My thanks to the team Please mention this responsible for the London Barrie Lloyd with Andrew Craven of Tenovus charity at the recent concert (see page 3) magazine when contacting Welsh stand at the our advertisers.If you know of a potential advertiser Eisteddfod. After many years please contact Rita Clark: of organising this, they now feel it is someone Trio. Unfortunately, partly due to the inclement [email protected] else’s turn. I would be pleased to hear from weather and partly because we had a clash volunteers who would be prepared to take over with other events, the support for this event WEB INFORMATION; this role to ensure continuity of this very was disappointing and after deduction of costs Don’t forget to visit the London Welsh Centre’s bi-lingual web pages at important function. we were only slightly above break even. www.londonwelsh.org.uk for up to date A couple of weeks ago, I attended the If, therefore, anyone who was unable to information on all events at the Centre. Festival of Male Choirs at the Royal Albert attend the event would like to make a Also included is a special section for Wales in London events and links to Hall. As one would expect at such a feast of donation to this very worthwhile cause, this other in-house groups and other related choral music, it was a sell out and I’m sure can either be done directly (the website organisations. everyone else enjoyed it just as much as I did . address is on page 3) or we will pass on any See What’s on and Where page 4 As you will be aware, Lord Morris stepped donations sent to us. for London Welsh activities elsewhere down this year as our President and was My colleagues and I are currently involved Published by the London Welsh Association. succeeded by Huw Edwards. The formal in intense discussions about planning the way 157 Grays Inn Road, London WCIX 8UE Telephone: 020 7837 3722 handover took place during the Albert Hall forward for the Centre. We would like to hear www.cymryllundain.org.uk / concert and Huw used the occasion to make from you what you want from the Centre and, www.londonwelsh.org.uk EDITORIAL TEAM: Eirlys Bebb, Theo an impassioned plea for support for the importantly, what you would like to do for the Brueton, Rita Clark, David Daniel, Gordon Roberts, Bob Trevor and Gethin Williams. London Welsh Centre (obviously omitting to Centre. DESIGN SUPPORT: Taliesin Communications mention that it is just down the road from We want to build on the successes of ADVERTISING: Rita Clark PRINTED BY: Y Lolfa ITN!) recent events, because only by doing so can Editorial contributions may be sent to the we ensure our financial viability and address above or, preferably, emailed to Another new event in our calendar for the [email protected] first time this year was the Chairman’s Charity continuity. Success does not come cheaply Advertisers may also contact Rita Clark Views expressed in this publication must not Concert. The chosen charity was the Welsh and requires a considerable load to be shared be taken as necessarily representing those of cancer charity Tenovus. amongst many people. the London Welsh Association. The London Welsh Trust is a Registered We were entertained by an excellent Barrie Lloyd Charity. This statement is given to support any advertisement which appears in the performance of chamber music by the Galliard columns of London Welsh Magazine from time to time in the name of the Trust and deemed, in terms of the Act, to be Copy from contributors and advertisers needed by 10 January 2009 for inclusion in next issue. fundraising. Front Cover Picture: Lord Morris of Aberavon and Huw Edwards. See pages 2 and 9 for details. Photograph by John Downing O’R GANOLFAN/FROM THE CENTRE TUD/PAGE 3 TACHWEDD/NOVEMBER 2008 Congratulations There’s lovely see – Welsh To Mrs Elisabeth Dilys Davenport who celebrates her 90th birthday stand-up is alive at London Welsh in November. To David Sweet (Gwalia) on the birth of his son Sion Owen. CLWB COMEDI the other four acts on the night. To Elinor and Michael Delaney on So, apart from a free drink, what else do the birth of a grandchild – Cerys Anne daughter to William and Stand up comedy is alive and kicking at the you get for your ticket money? Well for a start Leonie Edwards. London Welsh Centre. Clwb Comedi, with its you have a good laugh. Those who have come To Leis and Tom Lloyd Williams familiar catch-phrase ‘There’s Lovely See’ has to the first two gigs have been treated to who celebrated their Golden now been going for two months. For the price moments of pure comic genius. There have Wedding anniversary in October. To Euron Walters (Castle Street) of a £10 ticket (£8 for London Welsh been a few near misses where the gags haven’t on his success at the national members) that includes a free drink at the bar, worked quite as well the comedian might have Eisteddfod. He was awarded First you can enjoy some seriously funny comedians hoped, but that’s life. And when they have Prize for a tune to accompany a hymn which had won first prize in ply their trade. To make the appeal as broad worked, the vast majority of the time, it’s been a previous eisteddfod. Euron and as possible the comics speak in English but very good indeed. The array of comedians who the writer were presented to the the Welsh connection is alive and well as a fair have graced Clwb Comedi so far have earned audience at the Gymanfa Ganu before hearing a quartet sing his proportion of the comics are from Wales, their experience working in the clubs and pubs, tune “Gelliwastad” on the stage. especially in the large frame of compère Sion many of them have performed at the Euron ’s tune will be heard again James. Edinburgh and other big Festivals, and some at the Gymanfa Ganu at Castle The October gig was a delight with the have been on national TV. You would pay a lot Street on 9 November. He also won First prize for a variety and quality of the comedy. Welsh more to see them at other London venues and march for the organ, arranging a comedians Steve Parry and Paul Harry Allen you wouldn’t necessarily have the relaxed psalm for a choir, and setting a were joined by magician-comic Ali Cook from atmosphere of the Centre bar to enjoy them in. piece of contemporary poetry to music using a poem by Emyr Liverpool and James Dowdeswell whose West And don’t forget that all the proceeds from Lewis. Llongyfarchiadau Euron. County burr disguised the fact that his mother tickets go to the London Welsh Centre. Oh, To Brian and Rowena Lewis on is from Merthyr and he went to University in and you can buy a rather fetching T-shirt with the birth of a daughter – Catrin Soraya to son Kevin and his wife Swansea. The November gig was headlined by a Welsh red dragon and a ‘There’s Lovely See’ Karen. Patrick Monahan, the renowned half-Irish, half- slogan on it. Come on down and have a laugh . To Arthur Leaves (Harrow) who Iranian funny man from Middlesbrough. Henry celebrated his 100th birthday Paker and Paul Harry Allen were the pick of earlier in the year. Members who remember Eisteddfod y Cymdeithasau in London will remember Arthur competing in the Recitation section as a learner. To Graham ‘Newport’ (LWMVC) Tenovus? Galliard three’s and Azy Roberts on celebrating their silver wedding anniversary; To Edward Tudor (LWMVC), charity fund-raiser whose historical novel ‘A Message Delayed’ is being considered for the Welsh Book of the year Torrential rain did not deter some of our most Andrew Craven from Tenovus spoke awards.