Leighton Andrews

"Made in the Valleys" Craft Exhibition 28/29th September 2013

The "Made in the Valleys" Autumn craft exhibition will be held on the 28th - 29th September at the Rhondda Heritage Park, Treforest. Be inspired and entertained by South Wales' creative talent. Bring the family to experience the work of artists, designers and makers for the home, garden or gifts. Learn about the work from the creators and enjoy 'have a go' sessions.

11:00 - 16:00 daily.

For additional information, please telephone 01443 682036 or visit www.rhonddaheritagepark.com

 

 Details of exhibitors are listed below:

 CONFERENCE ROOM

 Mel De Castro Pugh - "Spiny Sharkly Things" -
Artisan Jewellery collective

Gaynor Lewis - "Fashionned in Glass" - Handmade
Glass Jewellery & beadwork

"Cornelia Weinmann Design" - Printmaking: lino
prints, etchings (demonstrating/tasters)

Megan Phillips - Animal sculptures

VILLAGE STREET

 John Binet-Fauvel - Sculpture: knitted recycled wire, mainly
creatures (demonstrating )

Melissa Warren - Knitted Textiles: accessories, garments,
textile jewellery

"Lemon Blues" - A selection of hand made local
Welsh craft

Julie Croad - Books and individual poems by Julie Croad,
local writer.Laugh out loud poems concerning everyday events.

 THE FANHOUSE

Julie Taylor - "Taylored Craft" - Crotcheted and
stitched accessories and homewares ( demonstrating )

Christine Clare - "Artfully" - Art: Acrylic on
canvas

Michelle Lewis - "Woolly Wumpkins"- Dyed wool
yarns, crotchet, patterns, kits

Helen Silvers - "Silver Stitches"- Hand made dolls
& machine embroidered accessories

WORKSHOPS

FANHOUSE

Sat 11.00-2.00 or 2.30-4.30"Make a Street"
suitable for all ages, £3.50 or £5 for two people with Gayle Rogers and Chris
Williams

Sun 1.00-4.00 "Make a Pinboard" with Gayle Rogers
& Chris Williams £29 Pre Booking essential to Chris [email protected] 07981859075/01443441182

Sat and Sun Creative Art workshops for children, making
masks, sticky faces etc using mainly recycled materials £1

Michelle Lewis - Circular hand knitting workshop, kits available,
£1 to participate.

Helen Silvers - Dressing and decorating your own Spirit
doll, made by Helen £5, just turn up any time!

 VILLAGE STREET

 Sat 2pm & Sun 2pm"Is there a book in you?"
FREE Workshop with Julie Croad

Sat and Sun drop in between 11.00 and 3.30 Any age, £2 Make
a Lavender Bag with Melissa Warren

 

Bangor's Danny Boyle

I haven’t seen Danny Boyle since 1978, though I’ve obviously followed his career from afar with great interest. His take on Britishness in the Olympic opening ceremony was extraordinary and magical - a people's history laid out with passion, drama, honesty and self-deprecating humour. Danny's introduction to the event is well worth reading, and I like what Anthony Painter says about it here.

Danny was a contemporary of mine at Bangor. I studied English and History, and he was studying English and Drama along with well-known actress Fran Barber, then known as Frances Brookes, and we would see each other regularly in lectures and so on. The drama crowd were a special group, quite close knit, obviously working together intensely in workshops and on productions. That meant we didn’t see a lot of them in student union activities, though I think Danny probably attended one or two of the large mass meetings held in the run-up to the November 1976 events I described here and Andy Chandler gives more detail on here. I remember seeing Danny in the performance of Edward Bond’s play Saved referred to here by Prof Tony Brown and I seem to remember also a production of Wedekind’s Spring Awakening. I also remember towards the end of our first year a student studying English with me calling Danny ‘the bloke who looks like a rockstar’. Well, he did then look one of the coolest guys in the college and after Friday, rock-star seems to fit! 

Remembering the Burberry Workers

The Burberry factory in the Rhondda closed five years ago today, the 31st March 2007, despite a fantastic campaign led by the GMB.

Here is the footage of the workers leaving the factory behind the GMB banner:

The workers' proud final march was applauded through the streets of Treorchy: We didn't win the campaign to keep the factory open, but a mass campaign supported by celebrities like Ioan Gruffydd, Rhys Ifans, Bryn Terfel, Max Boyce, Boyd Clack, Tom Jones, Sir Alex Ferguson, The Automatic, The Alarm, Gruff Rhys, Michael Sheen, Charlotte Church, Rachel Tresize, Steve Jones, Ben Elton, Emma Thompson, Irvine Welsh, the late Stuart Cable, and many others won an extension of the factory for a few months, additional redundancy pay and a trust fund for the Rhondda. Shop Stewards from the factory like Joan Young
and Gaynor Richards have been trustees.
Both individuals and local organisations have benefitted.

Thinking Allowed on Radio 4 has Jean Jenkins of Cardiff Business School talking about the consequences of the closure of the Burberry factory in next week's edition (April 4 at 4pm). Today the BBC has this.

St David's Day and other things

The Presiding Officer held a reception to celebrate Welsh food at the Senedd. Meanwhile we launched the Welsh language strategy at the WRU Centre of Excellence with Rhys Priestland, Robin McBryde and pupils from Ysgol Melin Griffith.

Filmclub/Triple Crown

I attended a Filmclub event at the Millennium Stadium this morning. On the way in, I was presented with the Triple Crown won by Wales on Saturday! The Sports Minister is envious.

 

We formally launched Filmclub in Wales last May, following a pilot which had involved a number of schools including Treorchy Comprehensive.

I was delighted that writer Owen Sheers (Resistance), and film director Marc Evans (whose film Hunky Dory opens on Friday) have agreed to become Filmclub champions in Wales.

                            Owen Sheers

            Marc Evans

In the pictures you can see Michael Sheen as Brian Clough apparently admonishing Owen and Marc. Michael's promotion film for Filmclub Cymru is here. 

Ystradyfodwg Art Society in the Pierhead

I was pleased to welcome the Ystradyfodwg Art Society to the Assembly's Pierhead Building where they are holding an exhibition of their very diverse and interesting work over the next four weeks in the Upper Gallery. If you are visiting the Assembly, do pop along and see it!

Rhondda Labour Centenary

100 years ago tomorrow the Rhondda Labour Party was accepted into membership of the British Labour Party. We held a celebration event with Llafur, the Society for the Study of Welsh Labour History, on Saturday.

Here you can see displayed some of the banners we have had made which will be on display in our Tonypandy office.

National Eisteddfod - Cymdeithas Cledwyn speech

 
A few weeks ago I posted a short blog about my visit to the Eisteddfod, referring specifically to my speech at the Cymdeithas Cledwyn fringe meeting. During this speech I set out the steps we are taking in Government to develop the language, building on the work started by the One Wales Government and Labour’s manifesto. I also discussed the approach I feel Welsh Labour should take towards Welsh language issues.

The text is now online and can be viewed in Welsh or in English.

 

National Eisteddfod 2011

 
I enjoyed my visit to the Eisteddfod, where I spoke at the Cymdeithas Cledwyn fringe meeting, outlining the steps we have taken as a Government to swiftly implement the Welsh Language measure and advertise the post of Welsh Language Commissioner. I also articulated the need to maintain a consensus on the language and set out Labour's agenda for this issue. The meeting was chaired by Eleri Edwards, a long-time Labour campaigner for devolution and the language, who is pictured with me in the photo above.

I also spoke at the Trade and Industry reception, re-launched Sgiliaith for Coleg Llandrillo, and celebrated further steps that have been taken by the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol. It was good to see some of my fellow ‘Yes for Wales’ campaigners like Gwenllian Lansdown, whom I hadn't seen since the referendum victory. Congratulations also to Susan Elan Jones MP, who launched a new campaign about online banking in Welsh.

 

Media coverage:

Strategy to boost use of welsh in everyday life

Angen cadw’r consensws, meddai’r Gweinidog Iaith

National Eisteddfod: Future events must prove their worth to get funding, says minister

Eisteddfod must show positive results to get more Government cash Minister says

 

Show your support for local artists and designers

Yesterday I was contacted by textile artist Melissa Warren who informed me about an upcoming contemporary craft fair at the Rhondda Heritage Park. It will feature talented artists, designers and makers from across the Rhondda and will take place on Sunday 7th August from 10:30am until 3pm.

As the facebook page states:

“The aim of this event is to showcase Rhondda makers and more. Talent abounds!
Entry is free, the show will be in the marquee, several makers will be demonstrating as well as selling and all will be willing to discuss their work.”

 

More information about the featured artists / designers and their work can also be found on the event’s facebook page.

This is another great example of how the Rhondda Heritage Park can be used by local people to show off the talent that we have in the Rhondda, and I hope that lots of you find time to go and take a look!