Newcastle Emlyn and Adpar / Castell Newydd Emlyn ac Adpar

Heart of the Dragon CD to be launched at Newcastle Emlyn Castle
Wednesday July 16th 2008 6 to 8pm

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The story so far…

Last year saw two and a half thousand people descend upon the small market town of Newcastle Emlyn, on the Carmarthenshire / Ceredigion border.

This place - where local legend tells the Last Dragon of Wales was killed - was destined to bring history and legend alive and right up to date!

The Heart of the Dragon Festival was held at the castle next to the beautiful River Teifi, with its cascading whitewater leat and riverside path.

The two day event, funded by Heritage Lottery, wove together a Medieval Market Fayre, Storytelling, Drama, Music and Dance pieces created by the local community, along with a Dragon Procession through town, of schools, youth groups, elderly and middle aged! Guarding the castle, a Copper Dragon from Rhyader and a Giant Metal Dragon - made locally by people with special needs - joined a Portuguese Water Dragon in celebration.

A dramatic Giant Dragon Fire Sculpture ensured the spirit of the Last Dragon was well honoured in the dark of the evening…and marked the place where a new history was to be born…

Hero Prince of Wales, Owain Glyndwr, historical revolution leader, fought a battle at the castle in 1403. His Red Dragon Flag flew to reclaim it from the occupiers…

The legend tells of the tragedy of this short lived resistance.

Appearane of the Dragon’s Egg…

However, mythology and history came full circle, when a Giant Dragons Egg mysteriously and magically appeared in a coracle on the river behind the castle on Midsummer Eve 2006.

Thanks to the children of the town guarding and protecting it in a nest in a shop window, it had grown to a giant size over the year and had been taken to people of Poland and Ireland for their good wishes.

This Giant Egg took pride of place at the Heart of the Dragon Festival and it was with great relief and satisfaction that a new Baby Dragon, the first new Dragon of Wales, was born at 2pm on Sunday July 8th 2007!

Beautiful, green and gold and very sleepy, as we all sang a lullaby for its welcome.

The first appearance in 2008…

So now, after being carefully guarded over winter, Baby Dragon is making its first appearance at the castle at a summer evening picnic on Wednesday July 16th 2008 from 6pm to 8pm.

You are all very warmly invited to come along and catch a glimpse of Baby in its magical Dragon Mobile Nursery.

We will share our food and drink, and listen with Baby Dragon to the wonderful music, songs and stories from the festival, recorded on heart of the dragons first bi-lingual CD called ‘Yn y Dechreuad / in the beginning’.

The CD blends mythology with place and history, and music ranging in styles from a light summer fayre dance to an epic Dragon World creation piece, a gentle lullaby and a stirring Dragon Anthem called ‘Red and Green’.

Artists and musicians, (including international jazz singer Maggie Nicols who is musical composer and director, and storytellers Pamela Gaunt and Haydn Jones) are all local talent, some professional and some volunteers from within the community.

They will be available to sign copies of CDs should you want to buy a copy to take the experience home and hear many times over…who knows, maybe Baby Dragon will give a claw print autograph…

Rumour has it even Owain Glyndwr may make an appearance…

Please come, listen to the stories, relax, dance and sing…

And don’t forget your picnic!

Following their success in the Goodyear “Tyred Playgrounds” competition and the children’s fun day, the King George V playing fields committee is asking people to get involved in another fund raising exercise. Committee member Fiona White explained:

“The Newcastle Emlyn play park has been short-listed as one of the 12 finalists in the Carmarthen Journal and Barclays Bank £5,000 community makeover competition.

“Each week from 11th June until the 9th July 2008 the Carmarthen Journal will print one token worth 100 points. The winner is the project that collects the most points. Closing date is 22nd July 2008.

“To help us win, all you need to do is collect as many tokens as you can, ask all your friends, family, neighbours and colleagues, and then attach them to the voting panel printed in the Journal on 9th July and send them to the Carmarthen Journal.”

At several collection points around the town, tokens can be dropped off and they will be delivered on your behalf.

• Ysgol Y Ddwylan,
• Ysgol Gyfun Emlyn,
• GS News,
• Dewi James Butchers,
• 1 Emlyn Square,
• Little Jems,
• The Candy Box

A promotional poster/leaflet can be downloaded here

Resignations

At the Playing fields committee meeting following the recent fund raising successes, three long-standing members of the playing fields committee Alan Jones, Peter Lewis and Bill Lacey, resigned. The committee is actively seeking new members to help move their campaign forward.

Saturday’s Childrens fund raising fun day added a further £2,378.83 to the playground refurbishment fund which was boosted earlier in the week when the Town won £10,000 in the Goodyear “Tyred Playgounds” competition.

Jennifer Jones, Sue Tabbitt, Town Cllr Fiona White,
Drikje Vingerhoert and County Councillor Haydn Jones
display the £10,000 cheque from Goodyear.
(Click image for larger version)

Cllr Fiona White of the playground committee said:

“I would just like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their amazing efforts on Saturday and I am very pleased to confirm that the total raised was £2378.83! Well done everyone! Here is the breakdown of how the money was raised.

“So many people have commented on what a wonderful day it was, full of happy people with a lovely community feeling and it was only possible to achieve this due to the 200% committment from everyone who made yesterday possible, not only on the day but all the hard work that went on behind the scenes to organise it. So once more thank you!”