Happy New Year!

New Year’s customs

Have you thought about any resolutions for the New Year? The Romans named January after the god Janus who was the god of gates and doorways. He had two faces, one looking back and the other forward, so he became a symbol of forgetting the past and moving on into the future – therefore a time for forgiving people and being kind. Perhaps we should copy the Romans and make a resolution to be kind in some way instead of to get fit or go on a diet!

Science Fiction Day

Isaac Asimov was a Russian-American science fiction writer. He was considered one of the top 3 Sci-Fi writers of his time and wrote or edited over 500 books. Isaac was born on January 2nd, 1920. As a result, January 2nd is the national day of science fiction to honour the work of Isaac Asimov. Do you have a favourite science fiction book or film? – today is a good day to read or watch it. You could also dress in costume for the day or have a science fiction themed meal...

Films4Tenby double bill

On Tuesday 3rd January, Films4Tenby present a double bill of films for all the family. First at 2pm, DC League of Superpets will be screened, and later at 4.30 pm, Jurassic World Dominion will be shown. As these are particularly aimed at families, you can come to either one for only £3 each (or a family for £10) or both for the usual price of £5 or £4 if you are a member of Films4Tenby. Everyone is welcome!

Twelfth Night

January 5th was the day Christmas used to be celebrated, and in some countries, it is still when people exchange presents. It is also known as Epiphany, St Nicholas’s Day and the Feast of the Three Kings. In medieval times, people used to feast for 12 days from December 25th, so Twelfth night was the last feast day, and is still the day that Christmas celebrations come down. It was also the day for Wassailing – blessing the apple trees and singing to them to encourage a good harvest of apples in the next year. Do you have a nearby apple tree so you can continue the tradition?

Christmas Cards

Once you have enjoyed looking at all the Christmas cards you have received, what can you do rather than just put them in the bin? You can cut them into gift tags ready to use next Christmas; or cut the front off the cards to re-use on another piece of cardboard to make a new Christmas card to use. You could make an advent calendar for next year using pictures cut from old Christmas cards. They make great seasonal bookmarks, or larger ones can be cut into jigsaw puzzles – you might want to stick them onto another piece of cardboard first so they last longer… What can you think of to do with old cards?

Nest building

This is the time that birds start looking for somewhere to nest, and even start building a nest ready for the warmer weather when they will lay their eggs. You might see blue tits or coal tits collecting twigs or feathers or fur. Keep a note of the first time you see this, and send it in to https://naturescalendar.woodlandtrust.org.uk/ to add to the record scientists have of how the timings of things change from year to year.

Warm Spaces

These are open around town for anyone to use – somewhere to keep warm, keep connected, have a hot drink, and as a bonus, save on your heating bills! At the moment you can go to the Salvation Army on Tuesdays between 11 and 2, where you can have soup and a roll as well as a hot drink, or you can go to Deer Park Church Hall from 10.30 for their digital drop-in. On Wednesdays, you can go to St Johns Church Hall from 9.30 to 12.30. or to St Mary’s Church House from 10 to 45pm – and they are also doing soup. On Fridays you can go to Augustus Place Community Hall from 10.30 to 3,30pm, and as well as a hot drink and a chat, you can have a game of boccia or Kurling in the afternoon. These places are open for everyone, so please don’t feel that they are meant for someone else – they are there for you too! If we don’t use these community spaces, we won’t get funding for them again next year so try and support them if you can and suggest them to everyone you know.

Petanque Pitch

Funding has been received for installing a petanque (boules) pitch in the corner of Battery Gardens. This is a good location as it is accessible, there is parking, there is seating, and it is a great place to be anyway. It will be available for people to use whenever they want, you will just be able to go along with a set of boules and play. It will also be good enough for a club to set up and play – there is a Welsh Petanque Association – who knew! It is hoped to start putting it in in January.