Last Friday at Tenby Arts Club, Andrew Dugmore (see above) presented an evening of storytelling from the oral tradition (writes Anne Draper). He began by painting in our minds an image of a young woman by a fire in a cottage. Her stepmother and step sisters kept her busy working for them, but the stepmother wanted her gone. Her father reluctantly took her off into the snow in a sleigh and left her on the edge of the forest.

Grandfather Frost came through the forest to the tree above her. "Are you warm," says he? "Fine, thank you," the girl replies. He gave her rugs and jewels. Back in the kitchen, the dog sings of the daughter's fortune. The stepmother kicked out the dog. The father and daughter return with the jewels and the stepmother says, "Take my daughter!"

So, off they go to the edge of the forest. Down comes Grandfather Frost, "Are you warm?" "Freezing, you silly old greybeard!" she snarls, and he froze her to death. The stepmother waits, but the dog sings that her daughter is dead. She kicked the dog out. The father returned with the dead stepdaughter, and the mother dies of shock. The father and daughter lived happily ever after!

There is a rich tradition of storytelling in Wales, which had a longer oral and more recent written tradition than many other nations. Traditional storytellers don't remember word for word, but see the story in pictures, like a storyboard, and describe them.

Andrew then burst into song - O little town of Bethlehem, and began another story. Mary Jones and Davey Jones moved from England to Bethlehem, near Llandeilo. The locals liked them, and noticed Mary was pregnant. Rumours went round that the baby was somehow 'special'. Davey was a carpenter and on his way home, someone grabbed him and said "You've had my job."

Willy Mathias, a hill farmer, thought the rumours were codswallop. However, when he was checking his sheep on the way home from the pub, he saw a rough bunch on their way to Mary and Davey's house. He went down and found that Mary had had her baby. He took the new family up to his farm and gave them the keys of his self-catering cottage (converted from one of his barns). During the night their house was set on fire. Andrew sang O little town of Bethlehem again.

Andrew explained that as well as a storyteller, he was a tour guide and worked with unemployed and economically inactive people with the charity re-connect, taking them out into the country to make campfires and reconnect with nature. He is from the valleys, but finished school in Tenby, and has picked up many of his stories from talking to people in Pembrokeshire, like the one about the man who said he'd make a delivery to London, but failed to realise he'd need an address once he got there rather than being able to ask for the person by name!

It was a cold winter's day with a clear sky, late afternoon with a setting sun. A very cold snowman with glass eyes, a stone nose and a twig for a mouth, stood on a hill, looking towards the sun in the west. He slid down the hill towards the warmth. He saw a shepherd, and grabbed his stick. He saw a cowman with a lovely woolly hat and said, "Give me that hat." "No, it was my grandfather's." "Then I'll club you with this stick." He gave the snowman the hat.

The snowman continued down the hill. He saw a hunter with a lovely animal skin jacket, and said, "Give me that jacket!" "No!" "I'll club you!" The hunter handed over the jacket. The snowman continued down the hill, as the snow got thinner. He saw an old lady collecting sticks, with lovely warm gloves, and got the gloves. The snowman continued towards a cottage with a lovely fire. The farmer let him in, gave him a blanket, sat him by the fire. "Are you warm now?" The snowman just gurgled - he had melted! The shepherd, cowman, hunter and old lady collected their things back and thanked the farmer. The snowman was just a puddle.

The chairman thanked Andrew Dugmore for a unique and enthralling presentation. This Friday (November 29) the Arts Club welcomes David James, a model shipwright, to talk on West Wales Maritime Heritage. This will be at St. Johns Church Hall at 7.30 pm, and will be £2 for members and £4 for non-members, including light refreshment. Everyone is welcome!

The Arts Club

seeks stage talent

Christmas creeps ever closer. Angels singing, sleighbells ringing, carols around the big log fire, Good King Wenceslas finding the snow deep crisp and even, mince pies too. Well, Tenby Arts Club plan to improve on all that with an evening of celebration, a fantasia of cheer. Scheduled on Friday evening, December 13, in St. Johns Church Hall, Warren Street at 7.30 pm.

Castings are well in hand with a triumvirate of intellecnals driving the show.

Members who have a talent, or have no talent, but ambition, should turn up for rehearsal on December 9 at 7.30 pm in the St. Johns Church Hall. The triumvirate are not looking for trouble, but will welcome anyone who can offer a little bit of Christmas sparkle. Members or even arrivistes.

On the other hand, should any Tenbyite be able to escape from chains and a heavy sea anchor from 20 fathoms below the sea off Caldey in a storm, Houdini-like, that person will be welcomed. And the triumirate will provide a Santa hat for the effects.

Singers, actors, ballerinas, Nureyev, poets, composers, musicians, sculptors, Old Masters and Hollywood ladies will also be welcome.

It would be helpful if potential arrivistes could signify their wish to help by telephoning either: secretary Jackie on (01834) 811305; treasurer Kath on (01646) 672526; or chairman Philip, who is ex-directory and doesn't hear a phone call in any case.

This is not an 'Opportunity Knocks'. It is the open gate to stardom.