Wyenot News was very sad to learn of the death of Bernard Matthews, who passed away at home on Friday, 2nd December 2005. Bernard, who owned and worked at Llangrove Garage was one of Llangrove's true personalities and will be sadly missed by many. Bernard's funeral will take place on Wednesday, 14th December at Welsh Newton Church.

Pictured below, Bernard can be seen as most will remember him, at work in the garage, opposite the Post Office and adjacent to his home. The photograph was taken in April of this year, when I went to talk to him about the Terry Nation television series, 'Survivors', part of which was filmed at Llangrove Garage. Bernard told me at the time that during the filming, he was paid to 'keep very quiet for the day'. Although I have never published this particular photograph before, it is one of my favourites taken during 2005. No posing. The picture shows a very friendly and extremely helpful man, just the way he was.

Visitors to the Maltings shopping arcade were treated to Christmas carols sung by the choir of St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, who were joined by Mayor, Gordon Lucas and a group of singers collecting for the air ambulance on Saturday.

Pictured below, the children making up the St. Joseph's choir were: Laura-Jane Thomas, Bethany Moore, Bronwen Virgo, Patrick Virgo, Kala Marlowe, Zoe Hall, Susannah Philp, Olivia Philp, Georgina Lloyd, Alysha Moore, Shauna Moore, Annabel Marshall, Rebecca Murphy, Dewi Wilcox, Louise Cross and Miriam Partington. Choir Leader, Alison Virgo provided the keyboard accompaniment. Sharon Thomas and Pam Wheeler were collecting donations on behalf of the school.

Goodrich Music successfully presented an amazing concert featuring Paul Jones and Dave Kelly, supported by local band Trilemma, in Goodrich Village Hall on Wednesday 7th December. Paul Jones will be known to many as a previous lead singer with Manfred Mann, a star of hit musicals and presenter of the weekly Radio 2 Blues Programme. Dave Kelly is possibly the greatest blues guitarist in the UK. Together, they have worked with the internationally acclaimed Blues Band for more than twenty years.

Goodrich rang to an evening of acoustic blues of the highest quality. Paul Jones' solo singing, with his own harmonica accompaniment left the audience breathless and in total admiration of his virtuosity and skill. Dave Kelly's slide guitar playing was astonishing in tone and quality. Together, they played and sang the night away, finishing the evening with encores and a standing ovation.

Continued . . .

Santa and his helpers visited the Maltings on Saturday collecting donations so that he could present all of the children in Ross with a Christmas present at the Christmas Carnival, which is to take place on Saturday 17th December. In the photograph he can be seen with helpers Colin Gray, Town Mayor Gordon Lucas, Ebony Hodges and Molly Brian.

Giving all of the children in Ross a present at the Christmas Carnival is a tradition which dates back at least fifty years, possibly even a century or more. Santa and his helpers were a little worried this year because other charities were collecting for their good causes in the same place and at the same time as Santa himself. He is hoping that some kind of co-ordination will take place in future years as shoppers only have a certain amount that they are able to give to charity each week and when this is shared between three different groups collecting in the same place at the same time, the money gets diluted.