Cadeirydd Kevin Slattery

Nadolig 2022

Taflen Newyddion 29

Yn ystod y flwyddyn ddiwethaf, mae Grŵp Hanes Deganwy wedi paratoi rhaglen gynhwysfawr o sgyrsiau ac ymweliadau gyda dim ond un man ‘poendod’ a achoswyd gan y firws covid ofnadwy ar ddechrau’r flwyddyn. Mae llawer o ddiolch yn ddyledus i ymdrechion parhaus ein Hysgrifennydd, Vicky Macdonald, a’n dewin technolegol, Trefor Price. Diolchwn iddynt am alluogi’r sgyrsiau a’r ymweliadau i fynd ymlaen eleni.

Ym mis Ionawr, oherwydd achos covid ledled y wlad, cynhaliwyd ein cyfarfod cyntaf ar-lein, gan ddefnyddio technoleg Zoom, diolch i Trefor. Serch hynny, ymunodd llawer iawn yn y cyfarfod i gael hanes “Tai Bach Bonheddig” gan Dr Marian Gwyn. Ym mis Chwefror, roeddem wedi dychwelyd i’r Capel am sesiwn arall o “Snippets”. Cawsom sgyrsiau difyr gan Trefor – “Trywel William”, Nerys Owen – “Carreg fedd diddorol”, ac yn drydydd “Gyffin Diwydiannol” gan Dr Stephen Lockwood. Ym mis Mawrth daeth Peter Collins atom i siarad am Gadw ac Arddangos Dodrefn o Ogledd Cymru, a sgwrs Ebrill oedd gan Wil Aaron am “Martha Hughes Canon”. Ym mis Mai cafwyd sgwrs gan Mike Blackburn ar “Deuluoedd Diwydiannol Gogledd Cymru” ac ym mis Mehefin cafwyd y cyntaf o’n dwy sesiwn yn yr awyr agored – “Ymweliad ag Archif Conwy”, a drefnwyd gan Lucinda Smith sy’n aelod o’r pwyllgor ac a hwyluswyd gan Lucinda a staff Archifau Llyfrgell Conwy. Ym mis Gorffennaf, aethom i ymweld â Gerddi Bodnant, a drefnwyd gan Wendy Lonsdale sydd hefyd yn aelod o’r pwyllgor. Heb unrhyw ddigwyddiad ym mis Awst, ein cyfarfod nesaf oedd ym mis Medi gyda sgwrs ‘hwyliog’ gan Dafydd Williams dan y teitl “Arfordir Gogledd Ynys Môn: Llongddrylliadau, Dirgelion a Chyfrinachau”. Ym mis Hydref, rhoddodd Adrian Hughes, aelod arall o’r pwyllgor, un arall o’i sgyrsiau hynod addysgiadol a phleserus, y tro hwn am Hanes Milwrol Conwy. Cafwyd sgwrs olaf y flwyddyn gan Dr Stephen Lockwood, yn ymdrin â hanes Neuadd Benarth a’i deiliaid. Roedd presenoldeb da yn yr holl sgyrsiau hyn ac fe’u mwynhawyd gan bawb.

Mae’n rhaid i ni ddiolch unwaith eto i Vicky am ei gwaith o drefnu achlysur pleserus iawn arall, sef y Cinio Blynyddol ym mwyty “La Paysanne” ym mis Tachwedd pan gawsom sgwrs ddifyr a digri gan arweinydd band lleol Clive Wolfendale, am ei yrfa yn Heddluoedd Cymru a Lloegr a’i waith dilynol gyda grwpiau cymunedol ac elusennol.

Penderfynodd Mary Meldrum ein Trysorydd mai eleni fydd ei blwyddyn olaf yn y swydd. Mae’n rhaid i ni ddiolch i Mary am gadw’n harian yn iach dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf, o hyd mewn dull amyneddgar a thrylwyr, yn ogystal â’i phresenoldeb ym mhob cyfarfod wrth fynedfa ystafell y Capel, yn barod i groesawu aelodau ac ymwelwyr fel ei gilydd. Rydym yn edrych ymlaen at weld Mary yn gynulleidfa o hyn ymlaen lle bydd yn gallu ymlacio a mwynhau ein siaradwyr gwych pob mis.

Rhaid diolch i Morgan Ditchburn sy’n aelod o’r pwyllgor am gymryd yr awenau fel Trysorydd; rydym yn siŵr y bydd Morgan yn gwneud gwaith o’r radd flaenaf yn y rôl bwysig hon. Diolch hefyd i John Davies am archwilio’r cyllid.

Mae gwefan Grŵp Hanes Deganwy yn parhau i fod yn drysorfa o wybodaeth hanesyddol leol, ac i aelodau’r pwyllgor, Lucinda Smith, Diane Williams a Wendy Lonsdale mae’r diolch am baratoi’r adroddiadau am wahanol bwyntiau a manylion y sgyrsiau a gafwyd yn ystod cyfarfodydd y flwyddyn. Mae’r wybodaeth yma ar gael fel cofnod o’r sgyrsiau ar ein gwefan. Rhaid diolch unwaith eto i Trefor am ddiweddaru a chynnal a chadw’r gwefan; nid yn unig yw’r wefan yn adnodd gwerthfawr iawn fel archif, ond hefyd yn ddolen i’n Cymdeithas Hanes ar gyfer, yn llythrennol, gweddill y byd. Diolch i Ifor ag Arfon, dau aelod arall o’r pwyllgor, am ddarparu cyfieithiadau Cymraeg lle bo angen.

Diolch hefyd i Arfon am ei waith cyson drwy’r flwyddyn yn cynnal a gwella’r ddau safle o dan adain y Gymdeithas – Ffynnon y Santes Fair a Llwybr Beti.

Diolch, yn wir, i’r holl bwyllgor – Vicky, Trefor, Mary, Ifor, Arfon, Adrian, Lucinda, Diane, Morgan, Wendy, Eric Smith a John Griffiths – y mae eu mewnbwn cyson yng nghyfarfodydd y pwyllgor ar hyd y flwyddyn wedi chwarae rhan annatod yn llwyddiant parhaus y Gymdeithas.

Mae’n rhaid i ni gyfeirio unwaith eto at yr holl waith a wneir gan Vicky ac i ddiolch iddi am yr holl amser a roddwyd i ddarparu rhaglen lawn o sgyrsiau ac ymweliadau ar ein cyfer yn 2023, rhywbeth i edrych ymlaen ato’n bendant.

Yn olaf ond nid lleiaf, diolch yn fawr i’r holl aelodau sydd wedi mynychu cyfarfodydd eleni, gan ofyn cwestiynau i’r siaradwyr ac ychwanegu sylwadau diddorol, gan ddangos gwerthfawrogiad ar ddiwedd cyfarfodydd, ac wrth gwrs, am roi cefnogaeth ac anogaeth i’r Grŵp Hanes.

Felly, i gloi blwyddyn lwyddiannus arall i’n Grŵp Hanes, hoffwn ddymuno Nadolig Llawen iawn a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda i chi, un ac oll.

Welwn ni chi yn 2023!

Nadolig 2022

Chairman Kevin Slattery

Christmas 2022

Newsletter 29

Over the past year, the Deganwy History Society has been able to provide a full programme of talks and visits with only a minor ‘wobble’ caused by the terrible covid virus at the start. Many thanks are due to the continuing efforts of our Secretary, Vicky Macdonald, and our technology wizard, Trefor Price. We have them to thank for enabling this year’s talks and visits to go ahead.

In January, we held the first meeting of the year online, using Zoom technology, thanks to Trefor, because of a sudden outbreak of covid throughout the country. Nevertheless, the meeting, endearingly entitled “Posh Privies”, by Dr Marian Gwyn, was very well attended. In February, however, we were back in the Chapel for another “Snippets” session, which comprised Trefor with another intriguingly titled talk, “William’s Trowel”, Nerys Owen with “An interesting Gravestone”, and thirdly “Industrial Gyffin” by Dr Stephen Lockwood. March saw Peter Collins talking about Store and Show Furniture of North Wales, and April’s talk was by Wil Aaron – “Martha Hughes Canon”. In May, Mike Blackburn gave a talk on “The Industrial Families of North Wales”.

June saw the first of our two summer outside sessions – “A Visit to the Conwy Archives”, organised by committee member Lucinda Smith and facilitated by Lucinda and the staff of Conwy Library Archives, and then, in July, “A Visit to Bodnant Gardens”, organised by committee member Wendy Lonsdale. With no event in August, our next event was in September, given by Dafydd Williams – “Navigating the North Coast of Anglesey : Wrecks, Mysteries and Secrets”. October saw committee member Adrian Hughes giving another of his highly informative and enjoyable talks, this time on the subject of Conwy’s Military History. The final talk of the year was provided by Dr Stephen Lockwood, covering the history of Benarth Hall and its occupants. All these talks were well-attended and enjoyed by all.

We have to thank Vicky Macdonald once again for putting a great deal of time into organising this year’s Annual Lunch at La Paysanne restaurant in November, proving to be yet another very enjoyable occasion, with local bandleader Clive Wolfendale as the guest speaker, providing an interesting and entertaining talk on his career within the Police Forces of England and Wales and his subsequent work with community and charity groups.

Mary Meldrum decided that this year would be her final year as our Treasurer. We must also thank Treasurer Mary Meldrum for keeping the finances intact throughout the past several years always with her patient and meticulous style, as was also her continual presence at the entrance to the Chapel room, ready to welcome members and visitors alike. We look forward now to having Mary as a member of the audience, where she can fully relax and enjoy our wonderful speakers each month.

It is committee member Morgan Ditchburn who we have to thank for taking over the reins as Treasurer; we are sure Morgan will do a first-class job in this important role. Thanks also to John Davies for auditing the finances.

The Deganwy History Group website continues to be a real treasure-trove of local historical knowledge, and it is principally committee members Lucinda Smith, Diane Williams and Wendy Lonsdale who we have to thank for noting down the various points and details of the talks which took place during the year, so that they have been able to be placed on record on our website, the updating and maintenance of which we once more have to thank Trefor; the website is not only a very valuable resource serving as an archive, but also is a link to our History Society for, literally, the rest of the world. Thank you Ifor and committee member Arfon Williams for providing Welsh translations where needed.

A word of thanks is again due to Arfon for his regular work throughout the year, maintaining and improving the two sites under the wing of the Society – St Mary’s Well and Betty’s Path.

Thanks, indeed, to the whole of the committee –Vicky, Trefor, Mary, Ifor, Arfon, Adrian, Lucinda, Diane, Morgan, Wendy, Eric Smith and John Griffiths – whose consistent input in committee meetings throughout the year have played an integral part in the continued success of the Society.

We must also say yet another thank you to Vicky for all the time put into providing us with a full programme of forthcoming talks and visits in 2023, something to definitely look forward to next year.

Last but not least, many thanks to all the members who have attended meetings this year, asking questions to the speakers and adding interesting comments, showing appreciation at the end of meetings, and, of course, giving support and encouragement to the History Society.

So, to conclude another successful year for our History Group, may I wish you, one and all, a very merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year.

See you in 2023!

Christmas 2022