Summer is here - hopefully!

“Feel the warmth outside and inside. Let this July roll out all your worries with its warm days and happening nights. Hello to July!” 

Well June flew past in a bit of a blur. With all the excitement of Picnic in the Park and the sun making an appearance on the day, it managed to feel like summer may have finally started.

Thank you to everyone who supported the event, either as a stall holder, visitor or volunteer. It was a fabulous day and we have had so much positive feedback, which is great. Next year we are hoping to be even bigger and better as it will be Pontyclun’s 175^th anniversary, so stay tuned and follow us on social media for all the updates.

Sticking with all the fun, Pontyclun RFC have their annual Ciderfest coming up on Saturday 13^th July. A full day of fun, with a BBQ and live music. Tickets are available behind the bar.

The following week – Sunday 21^st July, Urban Markets will be back for their Summer Fun Day in Pontyclun Park. I know it was a fabulous day last year so I’m sure this year will be even better. Keep an eye on local noticeboards for more information coming up.

We will be back for our Food Festival on Saturday 24^th August. We have some delicious food traders lined up this year, entertainment for all the family and of course our friends at The Pipeworks will be keeping us all hydrated throughout the day.

The Llantrisant Folk Group have a full programme throughout July at Pontyclun Athletic Club:

Wed July 3: Pete Morton - an unruly mix of comment and humour.

Wed July 10: Rattle on the Stovepipe - a touch of Old-Timey Americana.

Wed Jul 24: Truckstop Honeymoon - hollerin banjo/doghouse bass/witty songs.

Wed Aug 7: Les Barker Tribute Night - a mirthful evening as we remember Les.

All other Wednesdays are Song & Music Nights.

Moving on from the fun stuff, as many of you will have noticed, our gorgeous summer flowers have been planted and look fantastic. Unfortunately, this year we had 17 plants stolen out of them within the first week of planting. This is just awful and sad. The flowers come out every year, brightening up Pontyclun and making people smile. The cost to keep replacing them gets more expensive all the time. We have had to report this too police and thankfully most of the planters have CCTV covering them, so the footage will be reviewed.

I’m sure many of you will have seen or heard about the Safe Roads Pontyclun group that has been set up to try and campaign against the Forest Wood quarry plans. They held a protest in May on the zebra crossing and a large number of supporters turned out – Wales Online and ITV also did features on their work. Banners are available to show your support and they have set up a Go Fund Me page to take donations to assist with costs going forward. If you would like more information, please join the Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/saferoadspontyclun

 

Enjoy the final push before the summer holidays and lets hope the weather stays kind. If you have anything you would like us to chat about in our August piece, please get in touch on community@pontyclun-cc.gov.wales