Knighton hotel, champion brothers, window dressing, tea, coffee, WI, market, Sunday services, gardeners and much more (From Hereford Times)

Knighton hotel, champion brothers, window dressing, tea, coffee, WI, market, Sunday services, gardeners and much more

1:24pm Thursday 9th February 2012 in K - L

HOTEL - More than 100 people turned out on an icy night to celebrate the relaunch of The Knighton Hotel. Guests included local residents, civic dignitaries and members of the business community. Now independently owned and privately run, the Knighton Hotel has undergone a major programme of refurbishment over the past few years. New executive chef Sean Kyle, who has almost 20 years’ experience of the restaurant industry, has previously worked at a number of Michelin-starred venues and is the main chef on tour with the Under-21s England football team. Hotel proprietor Gianni D’Aniello said the restaurant’s new menu was created by Sean using local ingredients wherever possible.

CHAMPIONS - Brothers Jonathan and Andrew Rowlands, who live at Beguildy, have both become Welsh champions in the same year.

At the Welsh Motorcycle Federation presentations held recently in Brecon, 17-year-old Jonathan became the Welsh junior masters trials champion and his brother Andrew, 15, became Welsh youth clubman champion. The brothers, members of Knighton-based Central Wales Auto Club, compete most weekends and have travelled all over the UK.

As well as the Welsh championships the brothers also competed in the British national Championship series finishing in 17th and 11th places. President of the Welsh Motorcycling Federation David Vaughan, chairman of CWAC, said: “It’s very nice to see the brothers both winning Welsh championship trophies in the same year. I don’t think this has ever happened before.

Jonathan is a very committed club member and is very talented all round competitor competing in trials, enduros and motorcross.

Andrew is sure to follow in his footsteps”.

Next season Jonathan will be moving into the adult class. The boys both ride Gas Gas 125cc motorcycles and say they are looking forward to competing in the 2012 championships.

WINDOW DRESSING - The presentation took place at The Hundred House Inn in Bleddfa to the winners of the Window on Knighton Christmas window dressing competition, organised by the Knighton Chamber of Trade.

First prize of the Ray Scotford Cup plus the £50 cheque went to John and Julia Roberts of The Tower House Gallery. The runners-up were Mac and Sue Beddoes of The Headmaster Barbershop whose prize was a voucher for a meal for two at the Hundred House Inn at Bleddfa. Businesses which received highly commended certificates were, Angelina’s Sweetshop, MER Industries, Snips hairdressers, McCartney’s Estate Agents and Caleb Roberts Insurance.

The chamber thanked all those involved for making a wonderful effort, and Brian and Brenda Warburton of The Hundred House Inn for agreeing to be judges. Sarah Scotford of The Plough donated the cost of the inscription on the winner’s cup.

TEA - On Saturday, afternoon tea will be served at the church hall, Knighton, from 3pm. There will also be items for sale including cakes, books and produce.

COFFEE - There will be a coffee morning in the schoolroom of Knighton Baptist church on Thursday, February 16, from 10.30am- 11.30am. At the event there will be drinks, a cake stall and bric-a-brac for sale.

Contributions for the stalls can be taken to the event on the morning.

WI - For their February meeting, Tref-y- Clawdd WI members gathered for a very interesting talk by Marilyn Thomas on her beautiful wooden, china and scrimshaw boxes. Marilyn also makes boxes with paper and wood and then lines them before adding decorations. Members also brought along their favourite boxes and each told why they were special to them. The next meeting is on March 7, at 7.30pm in the Baptist Church schoolroom. New members will be made welcome and the speaker will be Sandy Underhill on the subject of homeopathy.

MARKET - Knighton Food and Craft Market will be back at the Community Centre on Saturday.

SUNDAY’S SERVICES - Baptist Church, 11am led by Rev Maggie Rich. Methodist Church, 11am Holy Communion, Rev Pauline Long.

Catholic Church, 11am Holy Mass. St Edward’s, 9.30am Holy Communion, Canon John Greaves. St David’s, Whitton, 9.30am morning worship, John Clements. St Andrew’s, Norton, 11am, morning worship, John Clements.

GARDENERS - Teme Valley Gardeners Club’s next meeting is on Monday at 7.30pm in Knucklas Community Centre. Non-members welcome.

PALESTINE LINKS - At the end of January Roger Williams MP came to his second meeting with the Kighton Palestine Links Group.

Five of the group had already visited Palestine and are now linked with the village of Azzoun in the West Bank, which is suffering extreme settler violence. The group is very concerned as recently they received information from Azzoun, with the names of 16 children who had been arrested after being severely beaten along with their family members in the middle of the night. Mr Williams expressed concern about the treatment of Palestinian child prisoners in Israel and will put a question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The Knighton group welcomes Nick Clegg’s recent statement that the continued expansion of illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land is making the possibility of a two-state solution increasingly remote.

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON - Teme Spirits presented their musical Keep Calm and Carry On at Knighton Community Centre for three nights last weekend. Written by producer Carole Pigram, Hilary Baker and Keith Owen, it was set in the early 1940s in east London and told the story of how Londoners coped during the war. The performance started with and air raid warning and everyone hurrying to the safety of Leytonstone underground station guided by the men of the ARP.

In the underground children played games and sang, adults chatted with their neighbours or in some cases fell out with them but everyone just had to keep calm and carry on.

When the all clear was given they went out to see if there was any damage. In the musical there were stories of love, soldiers going off to war, rationing, American soldiers coming to the UK, WRVS ladies and a great community spirit. War time London really came to life during the performance with fantastic costumes, set and props. With more than 40 people involved including a cast of more than 30 who all played their parts so well, the society, including musical director Katie Mohamed who wrote some of the songs, should be very proud of the performance they put on.