WHY WAIT UNTIL St VALENTINE'S DAY WHEN YOU CAN WISH YOUR LOVED ONE 'DWI'N DY GARU DI ' (I LOVE YOU) THIS WEEKEND?

In a earlier post I suggested those of a romantic disposition might wish to celebrate DIWRNOD SANTES DWYNWEN - St Dwynwen's Day, rather than wait for St Valentines Day in February.

As some may already know, it's the Welsh version of St Valentine's Day, St Dwynwen being a 5th century Welsh girl who devoted her life to the happiness of lovers. And it's a time a time for you to get down on one knee, recite love poetry, and as all true Welsh lovers know, exchange love spoons with your beloved....  

Or celebrate at a Santes Dwynwen Night Special at a landmark Wrexham pub and music venue that is set to re-open as a Welsh cultural centre and venue this weekend.

Saith Seren opening party weekend 27th & 28th January 2012

Friday night, (27^th January) sees the doors of the old Seven Stars pub in Chester Street thrown open to the public as it becomes Saith Seren (Welsh for Seven Stars) kicking off with live band Gwibdaith Hen Frân, a Welsh music act from Blaenau Ffestiniog providing the entertainment for this romantic night - the perfect place to take your beloved for a special night out!


Named Gwibdaith Hen Fran, for two main reasons, firstly, as a tribute to Jack the Crow - a crow rescued and nurtured, but unfortunately, a crow that one day flew against a wall and died.  Secondly, as a tribute to 'The Old Crow Medicine Show', an old-time bluegrass string band based in Nashville Tennessee, who greatly inspired the band. 

Another great inspiration is George Formby, a renowned ukulele player, with a comical style of writing and singing. The thrilling sound of the ukulele plays an important role in Gwibdaith Hen Fran's music. The band's attitude towards life in general is not to take it too seriously. The inspiration to write their songs has been spurned on by the old characters in the village with their never-ending stories, and personal experiences of the band members in their daily lives.


Seriously?..."Fun and a good crack is what we want, and that's what we try to achieve in our gigs and hope we've achieved this in our album" said Paul, the group's guitarists and singer. 

But you'd better hurry as tickets are selling quickly (available from Siop y Siswrn in the People’s Market and Saith Seren itself).

The opening party weekend, on the 27^th and 28^th January, celebrates the launch of not just a pub, but of a Welsh cultural centre offering a warm bi-lingual welcome to all, with Welsh food, real ale and language classes will all be on offer at the pub as well as meeting places upstairs.


Two local legends, former Wrexham FC player and manager Dixie McNeil and Spencer Harris, former Welsh learner of the year and a key player in Wrexham Supporters’ Trust, from Brynteg, and will both officially open the centre at midday on Saturday the 28th.

Saith Seren chair Marc Jones said: “Both Spencer and Dixie in their different ways are local heroes and, as well as promoting the Welsh language and culture in all aspects of Welsh life, Saith Seren is also about celebrating local achievement and pride in Wrecsam. Both Dixie and Spencer have done their bit in making our town somewhere to be proud of.

“That’s why we’re also delighted to have reached agreement to sell Wrexham Lager in the bar. The new lager brewery has been very supportive of our venture, has successfully taken on the big lager companies and that’s also something to celebrate.”


Asked how he would describe the taste of his new 4.0 per cent lager, Wrexham Lager's Mark Roberts, said: “It’s very, very good, and very similar to the taste of the old lager. We’re taking it back to the original of years ago. It’s brewed the proper way – no added chemicals - a real lager not a chemilager”.

On Saturday night another live band, the Wee Bag Band, from Denbigh will be playing in the bar. They described as a Pogues-like Irish band who are guaranteed to get people dancing.

Saith Seren is run by a cooperative that has succeeded in attracting members from across Wales and as far afield as San Fransisco. It has appointed Amanda Hughes, from Brymbo, to be the centre’s full-time manager and she will be in charge of staff and volunteers at the centre.

Besides serving Welsh food from its newly installed kitchen, real ale and Wrexham Lager customers will, in the coming months, be able to rent refurbished offices and hire out meeting rooms in the converted upstairs part of the building.


The intention is to provide a focus for Welsh speakers, learners and supporters of the language and culture in the centre, which is designed to be a permanent legacy of last year’s National Eisteddfod in Wrexham.




Marc Jones, who is also a local councillor, said: “The centre will provide a warm bilingual welcome for all. We intend to hold all sorts of events at Saith Seren, with regular live music by Welsh-language bands and also local bands. We also want to put on alternative entertainment, such as poetry, film and theatre, as well as offer a focus for the many hundreds of Welsh learners in the area.


"Sustainability is at the heart of our vision for Saith Seren, any profit made at the centre will be reinvested to provide community facilities, such as meeting space, training for local people, help with business start ups and financial support for local groups. We will also work with existing organisations to provide a bilingual local support network focused on creating opportunities for the local population.

“Six months ago, when the Eisteddfod finished, we made our first public appeal for people to join our cooperative. I don’t think anyone believed then that we would be opening so soon but here we are. I hope everyone comes to visit Saith Seren, which is one of Wrecsam’s landmark buildings, to join in the hwyl and see what we have on offer – whether it’s for a meal, an afternoon coffee or a pint.”

For more information on Saith Seren visit http://saithseren.com/

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