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ISSUE 29 : 6TH OCTOBER 2020 | LATEST NEWS FROM HAFREN ////////////////////// www.thehafren.co.uk

Hi All,
With the announcement that Cineworld have decided to temporarily shut the doors of all their UK and Ireland cinema’s this week until Spring 2021 saying that it was unviable to keep open during the coronavirus pandemic, largely due to the lack of new blockbuster films being released and so lack of customers this has been another huge blow to our industry.

Unfortunately we have also just heard from Montgomery YFC that the National YFC have decided to cancel next year’s pantomime Festival due to members being unable to meet for rehearsals.

Let’s hope for some better news soon.

If you would like anything to go into the newsletter please send it to conference@thehafren.co.uk

Stay safe,
Lorna Davies - Editor
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Pictures (2)

In June I wrote about 'Pictures at an Exhibition' and two of the pictures that we’d bought over the years. I thought this week I’d continue that theme, with some of the other slightly odd pictures we’ve acquired.

The grandmother who tutted when I told her of my whizz around The National Gallery was quite an accomplished water colourist herself; however, my favourite of hers is this charcoal sketch from a boatyard (one of two that originally hung in my bedroom pre marriage) that we have in our sitting room. It featured in our early courting as sitting in Sue’s home with her family I entirely innocently suggested - I jest not - that next time she was at my place she ‘Come up and see my sketchings!!!').
The next curiosity is a photograph that sat on my father-in-law’s desk. This is at The Serpentine Lake in Hyde Park - Sue’s family give the cup for the Christmas Day swimming race.
Now imagine our surprise when watching the BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are? that featured Poirot actor David Suchet, to see a version of the same picture by his father, acclaimed photographer James Jarché - Spot the differences!
(A new series of WDYTYA is reported to be starting soon with Doctor Who actress Jodie Whittaker, Britain's Got Talent judge David Walliams, Silent Witness actress and comedian Liz Carr and Gavin and Stacey star Ruth Jones already announced).

Sometimes it’s the moment that does it! We’d not been married long and were enjoying a romantic seafood dinner (with a glass or two) by the old port in Benidorm, when to Sue’s annoyance a pretty young girl approached our table with a portfolio flogging paintings - as I opened my mouth to tell her to go away she put a picture in front of us - we loved it and agreed, at a very reasonable price to buy it (maybe it was the Sangria) - and two more!
The next picture we found in my other grandmother’s attic, it’s just one I love! I see something different every time I look at it. Sorry about the flash - couldn’t do it any other way - I did think about pretending it was sunrise!
Finally, an indulgence, daughter Anna’s final art piece at university was a huge chandelier made from beer cans. Students aren’t what they were in my day - she had to ask our friends to collect cans for her as she couldn’t find enough at uni! The resulting construction was photoshopped into the beautiful Georgian Grand Pump Room in Bath.
Each one of these pictures holds a memory of a person, place or occasion;
the pictures themselves we enjoy, but it is the association that gives each a place on our walls. Mark Michaels - Front of House
 
Let's chat about books and.
Some Well-Known Women Novelists
Shirley Conran, Jackie Collins & Jilly Cooper

A couple of weeks’ ago I wrote about Sir Terence Conran, who died recently. Doing so made me recall having lunch with his then-wife the writer Shirley Conran, now 88 and still feisty on social media, whose book ‘Superwoman’ had just been published. The saying ‘Life’s too short to stuff a mushroom’  taken from that book has become part of our vocabulary. Shirley and I got on like a house on fire, and that saying still comes in handy on innumerable occasions.

Another female author I interviewed was Jackie Collins, whose raunchy novels, two of which ‘The Stud’ and ‘The Bitch’ were made into films, were extremely popular in the Seventies and Eighties. The interview took place in Jackie’s suite at the Ritz Hotel in London. Pro that she was, she was made up to the nines in a leopard skin pantsuit with drop earrings, draped over the sofa, prepared to be photographed. Wonderful! Even more wonderful was that as we talked it became more and more obvious how completely down to earth she was despite living in a mansion in LA. We discovered that, as women, we had much in common. Sadly, this became even more the case when tragedy struck Jackie’s life and her husband Oscar died of a brain tumour - a year after my own dear husband had died of the same disease.

Then there was Jilly Cooper - what fun she was to interview! Getting her to be serious was quite a task, but it didn’t really matter. Jilly was hilarious, and her merriment was infectious. Hardly, surprising really if you think of those rollicking novels such as ‘Riders’ featuring the handsome Rupert Campbell Black. The good news is that Jilly, who like Shirley is now in her eighties,  has a new book coming out on October 29th - ‘Between the Covers’, full of her witty, often acerbic, comments on; ‘Sex, Survival and Socialism.’ You can pre-order on Amazon in hardback or on Kindle. Personally, I can’t wait! Barbara Michaels
Showbiz Snippets

Excited to hear that ‘Sherlock’, with the incomparable Benedict Cumberbatch, will be going into another series, albeit not expected back on our TV screen until, in all probability, 2021 or even 2022.
A welcome return also of that absolute darling and wonderful actress Una Stubbs, as Sherlock’s landlady Mrs Hudson. Una and I go back a long way - I knew her way back in her early days when she was one of the Dougie Squires dancers in the music show ‘Cool for Cats’ - Una’s first TV appearance about which she made no secret of the fact that she was thrilled to bits! Barbara Michaels

RUBY WAX HOW TO BE HUMAN

TUESDAY 13TH OCTOBER, 7.30PM


LIVE from your living room!
Livestream Screening of Ruby Wax’s show How To Be Human.
Based on her bestselling book, Ruby’s show answers every question you’ve ever had about evolution, thoughts, emotions, the body, addictions, relationships, sex, kids, the future and compassion.

A Very Special Online Event! DON'T MISS OUT!
Tickets £10
Purchase Tickets

Running Times

7.30pm - Intro from Ruby (live)

7.35pm - How To Be Human

8.25pm - Comfort Break

8.35pm - Q+A with Ruby (live)

The live elements of the show will be BSL Interpreted,
and the recorded elements will have subtitles.

Hafren Seating Plan
This is a Socially Distanced (2m) Seating Plan.
Please note, every other row (blue shading) is unavailable.

Seating Plan Key:
  • Black Central Seats - Seats removed to allow central aisle.
  • All blue seats - unavailable for seating or using as an extension to your area for the placing of coats or bags.
  • All numbered seats - available to purchase tickets.
  • Row AA - 4 Wheelchairs with 1 carer each.
  • No Large Backpacks or Bags (Clutch bags and purses are admissible).
  • No Food and Drink unless purchased from Hafren and delivered to your seat.
  • No Large Coats.
To download a copy of the seating plan, please click here.
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To view the full 10-page Business Update, please click here.
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Rescheduled in 2021....
UK PINK FLOYD EXPERIENCE
FRIDAY 19TH MARCH 2021

Come and share the passion for Pink Floyd’s music as we tackle one of their most iconic albums “The Dark Side Of The Moon” played in its entirety. Of course, no Pink Floyd show would be complete without classics including “Wish You Were Here”, “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”, “Another Brick In The Wall” and “Comfortably Numb”.

With outstanding musicianship, superb vocals and amazing production, this spellbinding show is a true celebration of all things Floyd.

BUY TICKETS
NEWTOWN MALE VOICE CHOIR
SATURDAY 17TH APRIL 2021

Join Newtown and District Male Voice Choir for a night of traditional and popular songs, as once again they bring their Annual Concert to
The Hafren.

This year, they will be joined by soprano Shân Cothi and tenor Rhodri Prys Jones, both of whom will be accompanied by Jeffrey Howard.

The choir will be conducted by Musical Director Sarah Astley-Davies and accompanied by Greg Jenkins.
BUY TICKETS
FRANCIS ROSSI
I TALK TOO MUCH
FRIDAY 23RD APRIL 2021

Legendary Status Quo lead singer Francis Rossi will share the extraordinary secrets of his 50-plus years in rock’n’roll when he takes to the stage for an intimate evening of chat and music.

In Francis Rossi: I Talk Too Much, the founder, lead singer and lead guitarist of Status Quo will talk about his mishaps and adventures of life on the road with one of the biggest and most loved bands ever.

Francis is a true member of British Rock Royalty.  He sang the first words at Live Aid in 1985, survived the obligatory rock’n’roll brush with alcohol and drugs, was awarded an OBE in 2010 and has a BRIT for his Outstanding Contribution to Music. His band has sold more than 120 million records globally.

Expect laughter, revelations, tales involving some of the giants of music, exclusive video clips, snatches of classic tunes and a great night out. Rossi will be joined on stage by award-winning writer and broadcaster Mick Wall, who has sold more than 1 million books.

BUY TICKETS
GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN
WEDNESDAY 30TH JUNE 2021

From the writers of the hit comedy Hormonal Housewives, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun is the brand-new musical comedy show that does exactly what it says on the tin.

Join the star cast of four refreshingly honest and unreserved girls on a riotous evening of laugh-out-loud sketches and classic pop anthems that define being a 21st Century woman.

We take a no-holds-barred comedy romp through everything life throws at a modern day woman, dating, relationships, breakups, fashion, dieting, chocolate, more dieting, sex, going out, staying in, wine, more wine and of course, men. All are thrown under the microscope of uproarious dissection - no subject is too taboo!

Get involved and come along to channel your inner diva because Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

“A seriously funny evening - it’s like an episode of Loose Women but with music, singing, dancing and a bottle
of bubbly!”
BUY TICKETS
Hafren wishes to thank the Arts Council of Wales for the
Sustainability Funding (Covid 19) Grant they have been awarded
to cover ongoing operational support and compliance for the building.
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