Swansea 50 - Swansea Arts Society

The 29th in our series of events for local community groups and society to join us in celebrating Swansea's 50th anniversary as a city saw the Swansea Arts Society come to the Mansion House for afternoon tea.

Swansea Arts Society was founded in 1886 and have been meeting continuously for 133 years. They are the oldest arts society in Europe and in the past have had such distinguished members as Alfred Janes amongst their ranks.

Most of the members are artists themselves and are always interested in venues where they can exhibit their work. Naturally, they were particularly interested in the paintings on display in the Mansion House.

Lord Mayor's Column - 30 October 2019

Swansea is very proud to support the annual poppy appeal, and I was honoured to attend the launch of the West Glamorgan Poppy Appeal in the Civic Centre and the market earlier this month.

The Deputy Lord Mayor attended a similar event at Swansea’s Quadrant Centre on Monday. The Royal British Legion with their volunteers, raise substantial sums of money during this annual appeal to support the work of veterans and serving armed forces personnel.

Swansea’s 50th anniversary celebrations continue right up until December 10th, and this week I will be welcoming Brynmelyn Community Centre, Swansea Eastside Historical Society, Swansea Arts Society and Penllergaer over-60 groups to the Mansion House.

The Mayor’s residence becomes a haunted house on Thursday evening, when it hosts a Halloween fundraiser for the Air Training Corps cadets of Welsh Wing No 3. The cadets do a fantastic job in decorating the building and dressing up while raising funds for their cause.

On Friday, along with council colleagues I will be attending the funeral service of one of our Honorary Aldermen, Alan Lloyd. Alan was unique in holding the position of Mayor of Swansea in 1980, and Lord Mayor of the City and County of Swansea in 2009.

He was a stalwart of local politics, elected first to Swansea City Council in 1967 and serving right through to 2012. I may have crossed swords with him when I was first elected in the 1980s, but I held him in the highest regard as a councillor and as a servant of the City.

The week ends on a note of entertainment with a concert on Friday to support the Mayor of Neath Port Talbot’s Armed Forces Covenant, and on Saturday I will have the pleasure of attending St John’s Church Musical Players concert, ‘A Night at the Shows’.

Swansea 50 - Swansea Eastside Historical Society

The 28th in our series of events for local community groups to come and celebrate Swansea's 50th birthday as a City with us, involved the Eastside Historical Society.

Just over thirty members joined us for a late breakfast/brunch where we chatted about the history of the Mansion House and the chain.

I was pleased too, that amongst their number was the son of a former Lord Mayor, Walter Dyer, who was revisiting old haunts, so to speak. It was a very enjoyable morning.

Swansea 50 - Brynmelyn Community Centre

The 27th event in our series to celebrate Swansea's 50th birthday as a City saw members of Brynmelyn Community Centre in Waun Wen come to the Mansion House for afternoon tea.

Once more I was able to thank these volunteers for the work they do in their own community. This centre is one of many in the City which provides activities and companionship for a whole cross-section of society. 

The centres are important focal points and a lifeline for many. It is good that we can thank the members for their work.

Civic Engagements Week Ending 3 November 2019

Swansea 50 - Llwchwr Lifeboat Volunteers

The 26th event in our series celebrating Swansea's 50th anniversary of being a City involved another group who are also marking a significant birthday.

Llwchwr lifeboat is also 50 this year, which is one of the reasons I attended a service blessing the vessel at the end of last month. Tonight we welcomed the volunteers who take the boat out in all weathers up to the Mansion House. They were joined by one of the local councillors, Christine Richards.

Recognising the work of volunteers in local communities is one of the motivations behind these events, but very few regularly put their life on the line to save others, in the same way as this group do. It was an honour to share our hospitality with them.

Swansea Bay Young Achievers Awards

Another inspirational event this evening when I attended the Swansea Bay Young Achiever Awards 2019 at the Towers Hotel, Jersey Marine, sponsored by Swansea Bay Radio.

It was hosted by DJs Lee Jukes and Angela Jay and featured a lot of inspirational youngsters from Swansea and Neath Port Talbot being recognised for their achievements. Awards were given out for Sports Star of the Year, Young Apprentice of the Year, Commitment to the Environment, Performing Arts, Young Fundraiser of the Year, Young Volunteer of the Year, Outstanding Courage, Young Community Group, Young Entrepreneur, Achievement in Education, and Young Carer of the Year.

I was asked to stand in for one of the sponsors and hand over the young community award group to a three year nines from Bishopston Comprehensive School who have led a campaign to get a skate board ramp in their community.

We were entertained by Rhondda-born singer, Shellyann Evans, who is a past winner of the talent show, 'All Together Now'.

Swansea 50 - Penllergaer Crafters Afternoon Tea

Our 25th event in the Swansea 50 series of events to celebrate our anniversary as a City, involved a visit to the Mansion House from the Penllergaer Crafters.

This is one of many groups in the village of Penllergaer which, in their case meet every Wednesday. They stage craft classes and ice cakes.

Groups like this act as a focal point in every community in Swansea and it is a pleasure to be able to thank them for the work they do at these events.

Lord Mayor's Column 23 October 2019

The 24th event in our celebration of Swansea's 50th anniversary of becoming a City, featured another birthday. This year is the 60th since the formation of the 1st Cwmbwrla Brownies. To commemorate this occasion, we invited all of the brownies, together with the younger rainbows and their adult leaders, up to the Mansion House on Monday.

On Tuesday I welcomed the Swansea Over 60s Carers Club to the Mansion House for a fundraising afternoon, while today the Penllergaer Crafters are joining me there as part of the Swansea 50 celebrations.

The Swansea Bay Young Achievers Awards recognise and reward special young people in our community that have truly made a difference in the fields of business and entrepreneurship, training and education, the arts, sport, volunteering and much more. It is one of those events that really make you proud and I look forward to attending at the Towers Hotel this evening.

As well as the city’s 50th anniversary, it is also Loughor Lifeboat’s golden anniversary. They are one of roughly 63 independent Lifeboats set up around the country, who are not part of the RNLI and receive no funding from them, although they work together on exercises and call-outs.

The service started in 1969 with a small, second hand 12 foot flat bottomed inflatable boat, and a second hand outboard motor, given to them by the Ferryside Inshore Rescue Service, another St. John Ambulance Unit, 25 miles further along the coast.

Today’s Inshore Lifeboat is a modern Ribcraft class B boat. It carries the latest in communication and satellite navigation equipment, together with all the other lifesaving equipment you would expect to find on an inshore lifeboat.

I will be inviting the volunteers of this essential service to the Mansion House on Friday to celebrate our joint 50th anniversaries.

Swansea Carer's Centre Afternoon Tea

The Mansion House is a major asset to the City, though it can do with some investment, so it is a privilege to be able to welcome various charities and their clients there to use it to raise money for their cause or just to promote their work.

This afternoon the over-60s Carers Club was there, not to raise money, but to offer some hospitality to the carers they support.

The over-60s Carers Club is based at the Swansea Carers Centre, and supports unpaid family carers over 60 years old. They are currently running six weeks of activities including a group walk and pub lunch, mocktails and poems and, afternoon tea at the Mansion House.

They provided food from an outside caterer and the fabulous Mansion House staff facilitated the event. As usual I just fronted it up.

Swansea 50 - Manselton Brownies and Rainbows

The 24th event in our celebration of Swansea's 50th anniversary of becoming a City, featured another birthday. This year is the 60th year since the formation of the 1st Cwmbwrla Brownies.

To commemorate this occasion we invited all of the brownies, together with the younger rainbows and their adult leaders up to the Mansion House.

The kids enjoyed chocolate cake, quavers, crisps, mini-pizzas, sausage rolls and as much squash as they could drink, before heading back home.

Civic Engagements Week Ending 27 October 2019

Morriston RFC Male Choir 40th Anniversary Concert

Another anniversary today as we attended the Great Hall on Swansea University's Bay Campus for the Morriston RFC Male Choir 40th Anniversary Concert. Compered by TV presenter, Sian Lloyd it was an outstanding evening of high quality singing.

We were joined by the First Minister of Wales, the Assembly Member for Swansea East, the Lord Lieutenant and the High Sheriff.

Supporting the choir were Blake, who specialise in cross-over music and who apparently have sold over a million albums.

Penclawdd Brass Band 46th Annual Concert

Another day, another anniversary, this time the 50th year since Penclawdd Brass Band was formed. Tonight's concert featuring the band together with Pontarddulais Male Choir was outstanding and a fitting tribute to that half century of work.

Penclawdd Brass Band was formed in the local youth club in 1969 and has always emphasised the investment in young people. We heard the junior band as well today, fresh from their trip to a gala dinner in York earlier this month when they earned a cash reward of £5,000 from Persimmon Homes West Wales.

Despite the appalling weather, St Catherine's Church in Gorseinon was packed with a very appreciative audience. Unfortunately, the band's President, Sir Karl Jenkins was unable to attend but his absence did not detract from the performance.

Friends of De La Beche Park - Annual Memorial Service

In between the two poppy events. I shot up to the pavilion in De La Beche Park in Sketty for their annual memorial service.

The plan has been to hold this in the park itself, adjacent to the war memorial there, but the weather defeated us and so we all crowded into the pavilion instead. The park itself was created as a war memorial after World War One, but the stone is relatively new.

We had a short service, distinguished by the outstanding contribution from Bishop Gore School Singing Club, after which myself, the Lord Lieutenant and local councillors all laid a wreath.

West Glamorgan Poppy Appeal Opening Ceremony

It really starts to get busy from now on in, with a whole host of remembrance services, followed closely by Christmas and all the carol services and church services associated with that.

This morning I was in the Civic Centre first thing for the launch of the West Glamorgan Poppy Appeal. This appeal raised £134,000 in Swansea last year, a new record. They are hoping to top that amount this year.

At 12 noon we reconvened in Swansea Market to launch the memorial garden that the council facilitates at the Oxford Street entrance. After a brief religious service we each planted crosses of remembrance in the soil.

Afterwards I chatted to some of the veterans and cadets who staff the poppy stall here and in the streets. 

Gowerton Arts and Crafts Exhibition

This afternoon saw me at Temple URC chapel in Gowerton, where the community council were staging their annual arts and crafts exhibition.

Exhibitors included Gowerton Cricket Club, a number of local organisations and the church itself. The quality of the exhibits were exceptional including some outstanding paintings by local artists.

Throughout the opening we were entertained by two harpists from Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr. I made a short speech to formally open the exhibition and then chatted with some of the residents and exhibitors.

One of the couples who were present turned out to be Leigh Halfpenny's grandparents who are celebrating their sixtieth wedding anniversary today. The current Welsh squad have at least three players associated with the Gowerton area.

Swansea 50 - Hendrefoilan Primary School

The 23rd event in our series to celebrate 50 years of Swansea being a City was rather different. Instead of a group coming to the Mansion House, I went to Hendrefoilan School, where the local councillors had funded a buffet for the children, grandparents and the Killay Forget Me Not Club.

We were entertained by the pupils, who sang for us, played their musical instruments and recited poetry. It was an unforgettable afternoon, with the school showcasing their many talented children.

And to top it all there was a cake, which I had the pleasure to cut alongside the local councillors and the head boy and girls. I am told that this cake is to be given to the staff.

Lord Mayor's Column - 16th October 2019

It was an honour once again to be part of the monthly citizenship ceremony at the Civic Centre on Tuesday. This is the final stage in welcoming people from all over the world as citizens of the UK and of Swansea, and underlines the historical diversity of our City.

Today I will be at Hendrefoilan Primary School’s afternoon assembly in a special ‘young meets old’ celebration of the city’s 50th anniversary. Joined by grandparents of the children as well as representatives from the ‘Forget me not’ dementia group, I’ll talk about the history of the Lord Mayor in Swansea, the city’s anniversary and the importance of volunteers in the community.

On Thursday I will travel to the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama’s Dora Stoutzker Hall in the Castle Grounds of Cathays Park in Cardiff for the Swiss Ambassador’s Award Concert. The annual showcase of talented musicians with a classical and contemporary repertoire this year features French saxophonist Valentine Michaud and Lithuanian pianist Akvilé Sileikaité.

Friday see’s the opening ceremony of the West Glamorgan Poppy Appeal at a ceremony in the Civic Centre followed by a memorial Service at De-la-Beche Park in Sketty. This is the start of remembrance activities in 2019, and this year The Royal British Legion is asking communities across Britain to come together, join together and remember together the service and sacrifice, friendship and collaboration of the men and women of Britain, the Commonwealth and Allied nations who fought together 75 years ago.

Later on Friday I will be at St. Catherine’s Church in Gorseinon for Penclawdd Brass Band 46th Annual Concert. It will be conducted by Penclawdd-born, world-renowned composer, Sir Karl Jenkins who is also president of the band. The Swansea icon received freedom of the city of Swansea only last year marking his 75th birthday.

Citizenship Ceremony

Down to the civic centre this afternoon to join the High Sheriff and the Deputy Lieutenant for another citizenship ceremony.

Today there were 12 people being sworn in as British citizens, including three from the EU - Greece, Bulgaria and France. It is a sign of the uncertain times we live in that EU citizens feel, for whatever reason, that they need to secure their right to stay in the UK by acquiring British citizenship.

As usual the three representatives of the Queen, the City and the Judiciary all spoke and there were lots of photographs. It is always a lovely service and a pleasure to participate in it.

Neath Port Talbot Civic Service

Up to St. John the Baptist Church in Glyncorrwg this afternoon for the Mayor of Neath Port Talbot's civic service. As usual we were joined by other members of the chain gang, the Leader of the Council and the Vice Lord Lieutenant.

For once the sun came out to enhance the beautiful countryside in the Afan Valley.

Music was provided by the Port Talbot Cymric Choir who sang Sanctus, The Rose and Cwm Rhondda. Afterwards we went to the Croeserw Social Club for afternoon tea.

Civic Engagements Week Ending 20 October 2019

Swansea 50 - St. John's Ambulance Volunteers

The 22nd Swansea 50 event, celebrating our anniversary as a City, saw us being joined in the Mansion House by volunteers from St John's Ambulance along with the vice-Lord Lieutenant. The party included a number of Badgers, the junior section of St. John's Ambulance.

These volunteers provide first aid in their communities, keeping people safe at events, from major sporting fixtures and music festivals to public gatherings, and work alongside the NHS in response to 999 calls. They also campaign to raise awareness of first aid and directly educate the public.

It was a pleasure to host so many of this group who perform such a valuable service across the City.

Rotary Southern Wales Annual Conference

This evening I was in the Marriott Hotel to open the Rotary Southern Wales Annual Conference. The council has had a long association with Swansea Rotary, who are celebrating their 100th anniversary this year. They are the third oldest club in Wales. It was a pleasure therefore to be able to give them a civic welcome.

The evening was enlivened by performances from the Hywel Girls Choir, Angelicus Celtis and a cabaret group called All that Malarkey along with two solo artists who have been supported by the Rotary.

This was my speech to open the conference:

Ladies and Gentlemen, on behalf of the Swansea Council can I welcome you to our great City.

I understand that this is the first time for many years that your conference has come to Swansea, so for those who are not regular visitors I hope that you will see how much has changed and is changing since you were last here.

Swansea remains of course a great place to live. As a City it has everything you would want if you live here, work here or want to set up a business here: friendly, welcoming people; deep-rooted communities; good sporting and cultural links, fantastic scenery; and a strong sense of identity.

Our bay, our beaches, our countryside, the Gower area of outstanding natural beauty remain second to none, whilst our two universities continue to grow from strength to strength, as evidenced by the student accommodation that is popping up all over the city.

But we have not sat back on our laurels. The council is taking advantage of the City Deal to embark on a major redevelopment that will firmly establish Swansea as a 21st Century City, with a modern shopping centre, good transport and telecommunication links, a digital arena that will be able to host conferences, concerts and other events, and a digital village on Kingsway, featuring incubation spaces and co-working areas for start-up and small businesses working in the ICT, tech and creative industry sectors.

This year is also our 50th anniversary as a City, and as Lord Mayor I have been helping to spearhead events to commemorate that birthday: inviting community groups up to the Mansion House to celebrate with us; a spectacular air show; awarding freedom of the City to Alun Wyn Jones, Catherine Zeta Jones and the 157 (Welsh) Regiment of the Royal Logistic Corps; a royal visit; and a free firework show planned for Swansea Bay on 5th November, amongst many others.

These birthday celebrations have been a reaffirmation of our pride in Swansea and its people, and everything that offers to those of us who call it home.

It is fitting therefore that as you join us, we are also celebrating a hundred years of Swansea Rotary Club, the third oldest in Wales.

It is fitting too that I pay tribute to the tremendous work you do, both in Swansea and across the Southern Wales Council area, in raising money for charity through your race nights, fashion shows, curry evenings, musical and of course Swansea’s two big Boules tournaments.

And of course, our Council has a long association with Swansea Rotary, for example through the High Fives awards, which I attended this year as Lord Mayor, and which rewards the many inspirational young people in all our local communities.

Rotary Clubs are one of those organisations, which if they did not exist, we would have to invent them.

But they are nothing without the hard-working and dedicated individuals who offer many hours of their time, freely and without hesitation, to keep them running - tirelessly raising money for good causes, quietly offering support and encouragement to the many talented individuals in all our communities who have so much to offer, and carrying out all the organising work behind the scenes that make events like this possible.

I offer my thanks to each and every one of you for all that you do as part of this amazing organisation and I am pleased and proud to be continuing the association between Swansea Council and Rotary by opening your conference this evening.

Can I wish you an enjoyable and successful event and hope that you have a fruitful time in our lovely City?

Parlour visit - Spanish Students from Vigo

Every now and again we welcome visitors to our city to the Lord Mayor's Parlour where I am able to  give them a tour of the Guildhall and have them sign the visitors book.

Today we welcomed a group of students from Vigo in Spain, who have spent the last three weeks working with Pentrehafod School, of which coincidentally I am also a governor.

Vigo is a city on Spain’s northwest coast. The mouth of the nearby Vigo Estuary is sheltered by the Cíes Islands, which form part of the Atlantic Islands National Park. The Cíes are known for their rich birdlife and crescent-shaped Rodas Beach. The city’s old quarter is home to the neoclassical Church of Santa María. The Castro de Vigo archaeological site has reconstructed ancient dwellings.

The students English was far better than my Spanish, so we managed to communicate and afterwards they went to Joe's Ice Cream Parlour before starting the long journey home via Gatwick airport.

International Student Welcome Dinner

There are 4,000 overseas students at Swansea University so it was a pleasure to be invited to the welcome dinner they stage for that group of people.

The hundreds of students who joined us enjoyed a lovely curry dinner with cheesecake for dessert. We also judged a competition for best national costume, which was won by a student by a lady from Uzbekistan.

The evening was then rounded off by a Twmpath, at which the group Calennig taught the assembled students how to perform Welsh folk dancing.

Crisis Coffee Morning

Today is World Homeless Day so it was a pleasure to welcome Crisis Cymru to the Mansion House to mark that occasion with a coffee morning for their partners and volunteers.

The concept of 'World Homeless Day' emerged from online discussions between people working to respond to homelessness from various parts of the world. It was inaugurated on the 10th of October 2010. Since its founding, World Homeless Day has been observed on every continent except Antarctica, in several dozen countries.

The purpose of World Homeless Day is to draw attention to homeless people’s needs locally and provide opportunities for the community to get involved in responding to homelessness, while taking advantage of the stage an ‘international day’ provides.

Crisis is one of my Lord Mayor's charities so I am hoping that by the end of the year we will be able to pass on a substantial sum of money to them to assist in their work in supporting homeless people through their Skylight project.

Swansea 50 - Village Voices

The 21st Swansea 50 event, celebrating our anniversary as a city, involved inviting a community choir to the Mansion House for supper, representing three separate communities.

The Village Voices group that came this evening were a compilation of three choirs from Craigcefnparc, Gendros and Townhill. There were over thirty voices in all, who sat down with us for a hot meal before entertaining myself, the Lady Mayoress and the Councillor for Mawr ward with an impromptu concert.

It was a lovely evening enjoyed by all and certainly a unique take on our usual Swansea 50 event.

Swansea Libraries Summer Reading Challenge Presentation

Every year, Swansea Libraries hold a summer reading challenge to encourage young people to read.  This is the 20th such challenge and it was a privilege to be invited to the National Waterfront Museum to present certificates to the children and volunteers nominated by each library as having completed and/or assisted in the challenge.

This year's summer reading challenge is Space Chase, an out-of-this-world adventure inspired by the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing. Children taking part are invited to help out the super space family by tracking down books nabbed by mischievous aliens.

As children read library books they collect special stickers for their colourful collector's folder, as well as celebrating adventure, exploration, reading and fun along the way. On reaching the final stage they receive a medal and certificate.

The challenge started on 13 July and finished on 21 September, so it gave children plenty of time to visit their library at least three times during the summer holiday as well as reading six books. Space Chase took place in all Swansea Libraries throughout the summer holidays for the 5-11 year olds, with a teenage challenge for the 11-14 year olds, and for the toddlers and pre-schoolers (under-5s) a mini version of the challenge.

Each library drew out the names of two children who completed the 5-11 challenge, and all the names of the teenage challengers, and the under-5s were put into an overall prize draw. These were the children I presented with certificates and a goody bag this evening.

There are also volunteers who assist with this challenge, who will be aged 15 to 24 and who I also awarded certificates to. It was a lovely evening with lots of photographs.

Lord Mayor's Column - 9th October 2019

The Summer Reading Challenge takes place every year during the summer holidays. It encourages children and young people to visit one of Swansea’s public libraries on at least three occasions and read a prescribed number of books suitable to their age range.

As 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the moon landings, it is apt that there was a space theme to the challenge this year. I will be awarding certificates to the young people who successfully completed the challenge at a special ceremony at the National Waterfront Museum on Wednesday.

I will then be hosting the Village Voices choir at the Mansion House as part of the Swansea 50 celebrations.

On Thursday I will be hosting a fundraising coffee morning at the Mansion House for CRISIS – one of my Lord Mayors charities this year. Based at the YMCA in Swansea, CRISIS do excellent work helping people directly out of homelessness.

Later that day, I will be in Swansea University for their International Welcome Dinner. The evening aims to provide a warm Welsh welcome to students from around the world who have chosen to study here and includes a traditional Welsh Twmpath.

The Rotary always contribute generously to the Lord Mayors charity and it is an honour to be asked to formally open their Southern Wales District conference at the Marriott Hotel on Friday.

The city’s 50th anniversary celebrations continue with a reception for St. John’s Ambulance Volunteers at the Mansion House on Saturday.

Finally, on Sunday I will be joining the Mayor of Neath Port Talbot, Councillor Scott Jones at his civic service and reception at St. John’s Church in Glyncorrwg and Croeserw Social Club.

The civic heads in South West Wales often support each other at important ceremonies, including investitures, and at each other’s civic services.

MOSCA Young Welsh Singer of the Year 2019

It was back to the Great Hall on Swansea University's Bay Campus this afternoon for the Morriston |Orpheus Choir Young Welsh Singer of the Year competition. I attended this last year as Deputy Lord Mayor and the standard was as high today as it was then, and as high as when Bryn Terfel won it in 1988 and Rebecca Evans in 1989.

The three finalists this year were Osian Wyn Bowen, A 22 year old Tenor from Burry Port, currently studying at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Jessica Cale, A 27 year old Soprano from Milford Haven, currently studying at the Royal College of Music and Ffion Edwards, A 23 year old Soprano from Caldicot, currently studying at the Royal College of Music.

In between their contributions we were treated to music from the choir itself. It was an uplifting two hours of entertainment, at the end of which Osian Wyn Bowen was awarded the trophy and the £2,000 first prize.

Civic Engagements Week Ending 13 October 2019

Calon Lȧn Society Concert

The Calon Lȧn Society is dedicated to commemorating the 2020 centenary of the death of local poet, Daniel James (Gwyrosydd) who, of course, wrote the famous words of Calon Lȧn.

Tonight's concert was held in Caersalem Chapel, Treboeth which is also the burial place of John Hughes, who wrote the music for  Calon Lȧn. It featured Swansea Male Choir and the Swansea Bay Singleton Singers, as well Clase Primary School Singing and Signing Choirs and pupils from Ysgol Gyfun Bryntawe.

It was an excellent concert and a fitting prelude to the centenary celebrations planned for next year. 

The society is raising funds to pay for eight free-standing stained glass windows featuring Daniel James and events from his life, to be donated to each of the three Comprehensive Schools and four Primary Schools in the area. The eighth window will be given to the Kings Head pub, which was Daniel James favourite watering hole.

There are plans to take some schools to the Principality Stadium near the anniversary of Daniel James death in March on an international day to sing Calon Lȧn and also outside the Senedd.

Glamorgan NFU/YFC Harvest Festival

I attended this service last year as Deputy Lord Mayor, so it was a pleasure to return once more to the magnificent Margam Abbey to celebrate the harvest with the National Farmers Union Glamorgan branch and the Glamorgan Young Farmers Clubs.

I wrote about Margam Abbey in more detail here, so I don't propose to repeat myself. Needless to say the format of the service was similar to last year, with an offering of fresh produce which will be donated to a nearby hospice, followed by an enjoyable buffet in the Abbots Kitchen.

Swansea 50 - Gowerton Local History Group

It was a pleasure to welcome Gowerton Local History Group to the Mansion House this afternoon for the 20th in our series of Swansea 50 events to celebrate the our anniversary of being granted city status.

They are a group of local residents with a keen interest in recording, collating and preserving the local history of Gowerton and surrounding areas, from the earliest recording to the present day. They meet on the second Monday of the month at 10.30am in Gowerton Library. Each meeting usually lasts two hours and is lively and informative. They maintain a local history website here.

As you would expect the group were very interested in the history of the Mansion House and of the Mayoralty, and of course the chain itself, which is always the centre of attention wherever I go.

We were joined by their local councillor, Sue Jones and enjoyed a lively chat over afternoon tea.

Lord Mayor's Column - 2nd October 2019

The Loughor Lifeboat has been patrolling the dangerous Loughor estuary and rescuing people from that body of water for fifty years now. It was a pleasure therefore to join them on Sunday to celebrate that occasion in a church service and a blessing of the boat.

Yesterday, I joined Ospreys and Welsh Rugby International James King, along with Siany from Mumbles Pier and The Wave radio station at the Liberty Stadium for the annual High 5 Awards.

The awards recognise inspirational stories of young people in Swansea who have picked up the challenges life has thrown at them and gone on to make the most of their skills and talents.

The celebrations for Swansea’s 50th anniversary as a city continue this afternoon with a reception at the Mansion House for Gowerton Local History Group. This is the 20th community celebration held so far. We’re aiming for 50 before the year is out.

Calon Lân is often referred to as Wales’ second national anthem. The hymn has made its way into popular culture, sung by crowds at sporting events and even more recently by politicians at the Houses of Parliament.

On Friday I will be at Caersalem Chapel in Treboeth, the burial place of John Hughes, who composed the music for Calon Lân, attending a concert by Swansea Male Voice Choir and the Singleton Singers organised by the Calon Lân Society. Next year marks the centenary of the death of Daniel James Gwyrosydd, who wrote the words for Calon Lân.

The MOCSA Young Welsh Singer of the Year competition has been ongoing since 1977, with previous winners including a youthful Sir Bryn Terfel in 1988. I’m pleased therefore to have been invited to the Great Hall on Swansea University’s Bay Campus on Sunday to find out who will be the next rising star.