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Past meetings

2024

July - excursion to Yr Ysgwrn, childhood home of Hedd Wyn

July - Rowen Memorial Hall - Reception and AGM, with guest speaker Anna Reynolds, local historian and author

May - Llanbedr and Tal-y-bont Memorial Hall - Elisabeth Parfitt, Conwy Archives - 'Herbert Luck North – the Arts and Crafts style in Conwy County'

April - Church of St Grwst, Llanrwst - Naomi Jones, Eryri National Park - 'Managing heritage assets of the Eryri National Park'

March - Rowen Memorial Hall - Dr Marc Collinson and Dr Mari William, Bangor University - 'Atomic Structures: how North Wales' nuclear power stations impacted people and places'

February - Rowen Memorial Hall - Edward Hiller, Managing Director, The Mostyn Estates - 'The Mostyn Estates'

February - Princes Arms Hotel, Trefriw - Annual Lunch, with guest speaker the Rev Eryl Parry

January - Church of St Grwst, Llanrwst - Dr Elizabeth Green, Senior Curator for Wales, National Trust - 'The work of  'Friends of Friendless Churches'

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2023

December - no meeting

November - meeting postponed

October - Rowen Memorial Hall - Charles Hawkins - 'Madagascar – the land that time forgot'

September - Rowen Memorial Hall - Joan Prime, biologist and horticulturalist - 'Aliens and invaders'

July - Rowen Memorial Hall - AGM, with guest speaker Diane Williams, architect

May - Rowen Memorial Hall - Maria Hayden-Hughes, Bangor University - "The world is your oyster - restoring a forgotten ecosystem in the Conwy  estuary" - 

April - Llanbedr and Tal-y-bont Memorial Hall - Dr. Debbie Jones, M-Sparc - "North Wales: The Home of Low Carbon Energy"

March - Llanbedr and Tal-y-bont Memorial Hall - Nigel Beidas - "Sheepfolds in the Carneddau - and Beyond"

February - meeting postponed, lecture rescheduled for May 2023

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2022

December - no meeting

November - Rowen Memorial Hall - Mike Potts - "A Bird Photographer's Travels in the Antarctic"

October - Church House, Glan Conwy - Prof. Chris Baines - "From Greenland to Glan Conwy – a personal view of climate change" (Joint meeting with CPRW, Conwy Branch)

September - St Mary's Church Hall, Conwy - Alastair Dick-Cleland - "Rescuing ruins - the work of the Landmark Trust"  (Joint meeting with the Aberconwy Historical Society)

August - Excursion to Bodrhyddan Hall (with Rowen Gardening Club)

July - No meeting

June - No meeting

May - Llanbedr and Tal-y-bont Memorial Hall - Teresa Bodner - Trees, farms, and the uplands – when is a landscape sustainable, and what does that look like in the Conwy Valley?

April - Rowen Memorial Hall - Dr Shaun Evans, Bangor University - Landed estates in North Wales: their effects on culture, society and landscape

March - Betws-y-coed Memorial Hall - Dr Martin Cherry -Houses in North Wales 1400-1600: some new discoveries

February - Rowen Memorial Hall - Professor John Reynolds - When mountains and lakes move: causes and consequences

January - no meeting

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2021

December – no meeting

November - Rowen Memorial Hall - Gerallt Llewelyn Jones, Menter Môn - The Morlais Tidal Energy Project, Anglesey

October - Tal-y-bont Memorial Hall - Dr David Gwyn - The North Wales slate industry and the bid for UNESCO World Heritage status
September - Rowen Memorial Hall - Beca Roberts, SNPA - The Carneddau Landscape Partnership

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2020

(The pandemic prevented further meetings until September 2021)

February  -  (Afternoon meeting)  -  Rowen Memorial Hall   - Morgan Burgess (History dept., Rydal Penrhos) "The Normans in North Wales"
January - The Princes Arms, Trefriw - CVCS Awards lunch and presentation by Mrs Janet Evans, former High Sheriff of Clwyd

2019
December - no meeting

November - Tal-y-bont Memorial Hall  -  Dr. Malcolm Smith (Biologist and author, former chief scientist at The Countryside Council for Wales)"Farming post Brexit: a once in a lifetime local opportunity"

October - Seion Chapel, Llanrwst  - Prof. Chris Baines  (Naturalist, horticulturalist and broadcaster) - "Working with nature – from water management to wildlife

gardening" (joint meeting with CPRW (Conwy Branch)

September - Ro-wen Memorial Hall  -  Matt Osmont RIBA  (Architect, Donald Insall Associates) "Building conservation in practice"

August - no meeting

July  - Excursion - guided tour of Gwrych  Castle

June   -  Dolgarrog Community Centre - A.G.M., with guest speaker, Dr. John Willis (Dolgarrog Railway Society) “The Dolgarrog Railway”.

May   -  Members’ social evening - at Gilfach, hosted by Isoline and James Greenhalgh

April   -   Ro-wen Memorial Hall - Professor Roy Alexander (University of Chester) - "Ashton Hayes Going Carbon Neutral Project: 14 years on"

March -  Betws-y-coed  Memorial Hall - Jenny Emmett (Gwynedd Archaeological Planning Service)  - “Archaeology and Development in North-West Wales”

February  -   Ro-wen Memorial Hall - David Hopewell (Gwynedd Archaeological Trust) - "Recent Discoveries in Roman North-West Wales"

January -  winter pub lunch at The Bee, Eglwysbach, with guest speaker - Judy Corbett, Gwydir Castle

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2018

December - no meeting

November - Trefriw Village Hall - Dr Andre Mazzetto, Bangor University - "Shrinking the footprint of food produced in the Conwy Valley"

October  -  7:30pm   -   Ro-wen Memorial Hall - Anne Pedley, Archivist, Royal Welch Fusiliers - “The Poets of the Royal Welsh in WW1”

September  -  Ro-wen Memorial Hall - Dewi Davies (The National Trust) - "The Upper Conwy Catchment Project"

August - no meeting

July - Dolgarrog Community Centre - AGM.

June - Betws-y-coed Memorial Hall - Bob Booth - North Wales Wildlife Trust - "Swifts" 

May - Trefriw Village Hall - John Lawson Reay - "The Dolgarrog Flood Disaster"

April - Ro-wen Memorial Hall - Gareth Evens - Team leader Flood Risk Management NRW - "Flood prevention in The Valley"

March - Trefriw Village Hall - Gavin Gatehouse  - Founding chair Ynni Anafon Energy Cyf. - "How to build your own hydro"

February - Ro-wen Memorial Hall  - Aneurin Phillips - "Llefydd Gwyllt/ Wild Places"

January - Eglwysbach, Aberconwy Hall - Dyfrig Roberts - Consultant Engineer and Herald Bard  - "Lighthearted professional anecdotes"

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2017

December - no meeting

November - Trefriw Village Hall - Susan Jones, Education Officer at the Welsh Mountain Zoo - "The history of the Welsh Mountain Zoo"

October - Ro-wen Memorial Hall - Mark Baker, Architectural Historian -"Gwrych Castle"

September - Ro-wen Memorial Hall - Joyce Hughes, Chairman CPRW North Wales -  "CPRW – protecting rural Wales for future generations"

August - no meeting

July - AGM Ro-wen, Memorial Hall

June - CVCS Awards - Princes Arms, Trefriw.

May - Eglwysbach, Aberconwy Hall - John Harold - "The Snowdonia Society at 50"

April - Natural Building Centre, Llanrwst - Ned Schärer - "From Westminster Abbey to Plas Tirion".  Talk, tour and refreshments.

March - Trefriw Village Hall - Jane Kenney - "The Home Front" 

February - The Bee Inn, Eglwysbach (afternoon meeting), lunch followed by talk - Eric Maddern - "Mythic Snowdonia"

January - Tal-y-bont Memorial Hall - Afternoon meeting - Anne Pedley - "The Royal Welsh Fusiliers in The Great War"

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2016

December - no meeting

November - Ro-wen Memorial Hall - Ken Davies - "40 years of working with lead"

October - St. John's Methodist Church, Rose Hill St. Conwy - Mike Brotherton - "Steam to Patagonia"  (Joint meeting, courtesy of Aberconwy Historical Society).

September - Ro-wen Memorial Hall - Glynis Shaw - “The Historic Gardens of North Wales”

August - no meeting

July - A.G.M. - Dolgarrog Community Hall

June - Betws-y-coed Memorial Hall - Margaret Thomas - "The history of Ty Hyll and its gardens"

May - Tal-y-bont Memorial Hall - Dr. Andy Evans  "Organ donation update and the introduction of deemed consent in Wales"

April - Trefriw Village Hall - Alan Pritchard - "A day in the life of a Snowdonia National Park Warden"

March - Eglwysbach, Aberconwy Hall - Helen Bradley - "The Chardon Family, indigo planters in Calcutta, and the founders of Llandudno Museum"

February  - Tal-y-bont Memorial Hall - Gethin Davies - "The Dark Skies campaign"

January  - Ro-wen Memorial Hall - Fiona Braithwaite - "Bodnant, the Winter Gardens, the Far End, and future plans"

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2015

December - no meeting

November - Old Board School, Lloyd St., Llandudno - Susan Ellis, Archive Service" All you ever wanted to know about the Conwy Archive Service - hands on at the current Archive Office" and Quiz

October - Peniel Chapel Schoolroom, Deganwy - Richard Clammer  - "Trefriw Steamers" - joint meeting with the History of Deganwy Group

September - Ro-wen Memorial Hall - Gwyn Lloyd-Jones - "Catherine of Berain"

August - no meeting

July -  Excursion to Hendre Hall (courtesy of Mr. Michael Tree)

June - Tal-y-bont Memorial Hall - AGM

May - Plas Maenan - Awards  Ceremony

April - Betws-y-coed Memorial Hall - Colin Goodey - Via Ferate: Walking in the Clouds

March - Ro-wen Memorial Hall  - Aneurin Phillips - Hot and Cold, Part 2: Contrasting Wildlife and Landscape

February - Plas y Brenin  - Netti Collister - Search and Rescue Dogs

January - Trefriw Memorial Hall - Vicky MacDonald -The Men who crossed The River Conwy

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2014

December - no meeting

November - Eglwys-bach Village Hall  - Chris Wynne - North Wales Wildlife Trust  - From Gardens to Landscape

October  - Eagles Hotel, Llanrwst - Mrs. S. Goodey - WWI, Battlefields of France

September - Tal-y-bont Memorial Hall –Paul Kay - Underwater Wales and the work of the Marine Conservation Society

August - no meeting

July - Llangollen Railway outing.

June - Tal Goed Nursery - AGM

May - Betws-y-coed Memorial Hall - Mel Morris – Stickmaking

April - Eagles Hotel, Llanrwst - Peter Collins – Welsh Furniture 

March - Maenan Abbey Hotel - Rev Eirlys Griffith – Holy Wells of Wales

February - Tal-y-bont Memorial Hall - Chris Martindale – Tea Tasting

January - Fairy Falls Hotel -Vicky MacDonald – Artists of the Conwy Valley

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2013

December - no meeting

November - Glasdir, Llanrwst - Keith Jones – Hidden Hydros of North Wales

October -  Ro-wen Memorial Hall - Helen Bradley – Princes of Wales

September -  St Tudclud’s Church, Penmachno - Open doors exhibition, talk and tea

August - no meeting

July - Bodnant Food Centre  - Tasting Session - Taste the best of Wales - 

June - Rowen Memorial Hall - AGM

May - Plas Maenan - Justin Albert - CVCS Awards Dinner

April - Plas Maenan - Michael Tree - Welsh landed estates - evolution or devolution?

March - Llanbedr and Tal-y-bont Memorial Hall - Aneurin Phillips - Hot and Cold

February - Maenan Abbey - Peter Barrar - Beekeeping in the Conwy Valley

January - Trefriw Village Hall - Marie Lidgett - The work of St David's Hospice

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2012

December - no meeting

November - Plas y Brenin - Martin Doyle - In Victoria's footsteps

October - Rowen Memorial Hall - J and B Osborne - 17th century costumes

September - Betws-y-coed Memorial Hall - Pierino Algieri - The Splendours of North Wales

July - No meeting            

June - Eglwysbach Village Hall - AGM

May - Summer lunch

April - Rowen Memorial Hall - Members' evening

March - Rowen Memorial Hall - Mike Gaches - Via Toscana: a walk across Souther France and Northern Spain

February - Plas Maenan - Adrian Lloyd Jones - The return of beavers to Wales (joint meeting with NWWT)

January - Trefriw Village Hall - Idris Hughes - A climate of change in our climate perspectives