Monthly Newsletter
January 2025
Previous Month
Next Month
NEWSLETTER Happy New Year January 2025
​
What’s On at The Met this month
​​​​
15th – 17th Jan 7pm AADMS present SHOUT! A musical evening of 60s & 70s music. £10.50.
28th Jan 7pm, ADHOC Theatre present TWP & Tamping, a comedy play. Tickets £11.
30th Jan 7.30pm The Songs of Joni Mitchell £22
​
For these and more visit:
https://awenboxoffice.com/the-met/whats-on
Tel 01495 533195
​​​​
Museum Opening Times
​​​​​​
The Museum is open to the public, free of charge:
​​​​​​
Thursday* to Saturday 10am – 1pm
​​​​​​​
Contact us
​​
Museum phone number 01495 211140
Email: abertillerymuseum@btconnect.com
Web: www.abertilleryanddistrictmuseum.org.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abertillerymuseum
​​
Contact Names
​​
Mr G Murphy Curator
Mrs P. Bearcroft Deputy Curator
Mrs E. Ewers Chair
Mrs J. Price Secretary
Mrs K. Pratley Treasurer
Mrs S. Murphy Newsletter
​​
Vice Presidents (Annual Subscription £25)
​​
Rev Roy Watson
Mrs Carol Brooks
Mrs Margaret Cook
Mr John Cavaciuti
Mrs Margaret Herbert
Mr Ross Leadbeater
Ms Michele Dack​
​​​​​​
December 100 Club
​​​​
This month’s prize numbers were drawn by member John Davies and the lucky winners are:-
​
No. 18 Gillian Yemm £20
No. 7 Karen Pratley £10
​
If you would like to join our 100 club and be in with a chance of winning, it costs just £1 a month. Ask at the museum for further details.
​​​​​​​
​Annual Membership Reminder
​​​
​​​
​​
​​
​
​
​
​​
​​​
With our biggest fundraiser of the year (Winterfest) cancelled in December due to bad weather, we will be depending on our membership subscriptions more than ever this new year so if you have not yet renewed your annual membership please do so. We rely on your support to stay open. The fee is just £8 for standard membership and £25 for Vice Presidents and if you are a taxpayer, please come in and sign a Gift Aid declaration (if you have not already done so) so that we can claim another 25p for each pound given at no extra cost to you. Membership will entitle you to a free hot drink in our café each month and for under 16s there is our junior membership for £4 for the year which will include a free treasure hunt each month.
​
The Christmas Raffle was drawn on 14th December and all winners have been notified. The winning ticket numbers are detailed below.
Prize Ticket no. Serial No.
​
Hamper Pink 451 AD213421
​
Pamper Pink 476 AD213421
set
​
Christmas Blue 683 AD214148
cake
​
Candle Blue 599 AD214148
​
Prosecco Pink 615 AD213421
Roses Blue 734 AD214148
​
Celebrations Pink 582 AD213421
​
Quality Pink 689 AD213421
Street​​
​
Abertillery Library
​
Have you been to the ‘New’ library in Abertillery? Did you know that the first library that I can just about remember in Abertillery was in the Natural Church of England School which became the Scala cinema when the new library (now old library) opened. This was opened as a public library in July 1952 by county councillor Hubert Jones, and the first Librarian was Miss Dorothy Morgan giving the public access to over 10,000 books.
On Saturday 7th November 1970 the library at the school closed and the following Thursday 12th November 1970 the ‘new’ library opened. The ‘new’ library was built on disused railway sidings with two levels. It had a new modern style glass surround on the upper floor with steps leading to a glass fronted entrance that was later modified to accommodate people with mobility problems.
It was said to have cost £50,000 for a population of 20,000 and was said to be the most modern branch library in the county at the time. It was said to have over 2000 adult books for lending and over 4000 children’s books within its 3000 square footage of floor space. The lower floor, built of brick to match other new builds in the area, (I’m guessing the neighbouring fire station) had its own entrance via an adjacent road and pavement to the back of the library.
It was to be used as a 1000 book reference library plus two additional rooms, one of which was to be used as a lending library for gramophone records and the second by the local museum society to display artefacts and below is a photo of part of the museum artefacts on display at the library.
​​
​​
​​
​​
​​
​​​​​
​​​
​​​
​​​
​​​
In August 2024 this lovely building was closed and a ‘new’ library opened in October in the newly refurbished Trinity English Calvinistic Methodist Chapel (near the Foundry Bridge).
​
The concept of an Abertillery museum first started in September 1964 when an inaugural meeting was held in Carmel Chapel schoolroom. This was the beginning of the Abertillery & District Museum Society. In 1972 it opened on the ground floor of the Abertillery library and was cared for and run by volunteers as it still is today.
In August 1996 it moved to temporary storage at the Metropole Building in Market Street until enough funds were raised to transform the Old Market Hall into the Museum we have today. In July 2007 the Museum was opened with help from Grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund and continues to be run by volunteers and is funded by grants and donations plus public annual membership.
​
Karen Pratley
​​​
​TERRY'S CHOCOLATE ORANGE​​
​​​​
​​​​​​​
​​​
​​​​
​​​​​​
​​​​
​​​​
​​​
​​​​
​​​​
​​​​​​​​​
Did you have a Terry's Chocolate Orange over Christmas? The story of this Christmas favourite is fascinating. Mr Terry was Joseph Terry. A chemist by profession, he joined a sweet making company in York where he developed various products; in 1830 he bought the company out and it stayed as a family business for a considerable period although the brand has since changed ownership several times.
Over the years the company experimented with various flavours including a chocolate apple and a chocolate lemon but it was the chocolate orange, launched in 1932, which has gone from strength to strength. It is now produced in Strasbourg in France but I can't recall ever seeing one for sale in France.
Although you can now buy Terry's chocolate oranges in different flavours, including mint, the classic Terry's Chocolate Orange is flavoured with orange oil. Whatever the flavour, it is wrapped into an orange shape, splitting into twenty segments when opened. It helps to give the orange a sharp tap before unwrapping to help the segments separate.​​​
​​​​​​
​​​​​​​
​​
​​​​
​​​​​​​
​​​​​​
​​​​​
​​​​​
​​​​​
​​​​​
​​​​​
​​​​​
A study some years ago found that Terry's Chocolate Oranges were found in one in ten Christmas stockings. About 9 million are sold in the UK each year. It seems there are all sorts of ways to eat chocolate oranges, from cakes to brownies to cheesecakes and more. It's not my favourite chocolate product but they are fun and I have taken to knitting little covers for them before giving them to friends. Last year it was Christmas trees, this year it is elf hats. A bit of nonsense but fun and we need some of that with all the sadness in the world. Happy Christmas and happy munching on your chocolate orange and remember, it’s not Terry’s, it’s yours!
Jen Price​​​​
​
New Year Quiz
​
How much notice of events were you taking in 2024? Try this quiz and find out! Answers on page 4.
1). Name the American-British actor/singer, famous for his hit single Silver Lady, who died in January 2024.
2). In which month was the General Election held?
3). Actress Maggie Smith died in September aged 89 but what role did she play in the Harry Potter films?
4). Which country hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in 2024?
5). Which country won the Eurovision song contest in 2024 and so will be hosting in 2025?
6). The 2024 General Election saw the highest ever number of female MPs elected. Was the number:
263 221 or 197
7). Which famous landmark re-opened in Paris on 7th December?
8). In December, who stepped down as host of the BBC2 Radio Breakfast Show?
9). Which film won best picture at the Oscars in 2024?
10). In the Chinese zodiac, what animal represented 2024?
11). What song made number one in the charts on Christmas Day 2023 and again in 2024?
12). Following a 22% price in increase in October, how much does a first-class stamp now cost?
​​
13). What was the most watched TV show of 2024?
14). What was the highest grossing film of 2024? (Hint – it was an animated film).
15). Who won the 2024 Turner Prize?
16). What programme had the highest viewing figures on Christmas Day 2024?
17). Kemi Badenoch is now the new conservative leader but who came second?
18). What was the most popular boys name last year?
19). What was the most popular girl’s name last year?
20). Which actor, who was famous for his role as ‘Private Pike’ in Dad’s Army, died in February?
21). Who won ‘I’m a Celebrity, get me out of here’ 2024?
22). Which horse won the Grand National in April?
23). Which country won the Cricket World Cup in June?
24). Who won the men’s title at Wimbledon in July for the second year running?
25). Who famously called for the return of the ‘sausages’ when he meant the ‘hostages’?
26). How many medals in total did team GB win at the 2024 Paris Olympics?
​​
27). Who was the winner of Strictly Come Dancing in December 2024?
​​
AMAZING GRACE
​
This is one of those rare songs that invariably makes you tingle. I had always thought it originated in North America as it is a favourite with gospel choirs and Wintley Phipps's version is rightly hailed as one of the best. Barack Obama sang it at the conclusion of his eulogy for Senator Clementa Pinckney who was among 9 people shot dead at an African-American church in Charleston in 2015. You can find those two versions on YouTube along with any number of other individuals and choirs singing the song and there is also a version by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards which hit the charts in 1972.
​
When I came to look at the origins of the song I was surprised to see that the words were written in 1772 by an English clergyman by the name of John Newton. Before he was ordained, he was a seaman. Originally press ganged into the navy, he rose to become a captain and worked on a variety of ships involved in the slave trade as well as general cargo vessels.
​
It is said he was one of the more considerate captains transporting slaves but it was undoubtedly a horrific practice. Some thought that he wrote the song when he decided to renounce his ties with the slave trade but it is more widely believed that he turned to God when he survived a storm while captain of a general cargo sailing ship. Whatever the reason for his turning his back on the sea and becoming a clergyman, he was friendly with William Wilberforce and himself also became an abolitionist.
​
It seems the song was popular from the outset and was published in 1779 as part of a collection of hymns he wrote with William Cowper. Originally the hymns would have been sung unaccompanied. The tune which is so familiar to us now is known as 'New Britain' (actually an area in the United States) and was composed sometime in the early 19th century.
​
If you fancy singing along, here are the words (I think some of the verses are commonly left out).
​
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.
​
‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.
When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.
Quiz answers
-
David Soul
-
July
-
Professor McGonagall
-
Sweden
-
Switzerland
-
2638
-
Notre Dame
-
Zoe Ball
-
Oppenheimer
-
Dragon
-
Last Christmas (by Wham)
-
£1.65
-
Mr Bates v The Post Office
-
Inside Out 2 (made $652.9million)
-
Jasleen Kaur
-
Gavin & Stacey
-
Robert Jenrick
-
Noah
-
Olivia
-
Ian Lavendar
-
Danny Jones
-
I Am Maximus
-
India
-
Carlos Alcarez
-
Keir Starmer
-
65
-
Chris McCausland
