Welsh Celebrate 80th Anniversary of Vancouver’s Cambrian Hall
 HEATHER DAVIES and Pat Morris dressed in traditional Welsh costume for the celebrations. |
 NEVILLE AND KATHY Thomas at the Cambrian Hall. Neville was the master of ceremonies at the 80th anniversary celebrations at the Cambrian Hall. |
 EIFION WILLIAMS at the 80th anniversary celebration of the Cambrian Hall. He is shown here with Jane Byrne, past president of the Welsh Society, and current president, John Morris. |
 FULL HOUSE at the 80th Cambrian Hall celebrations. |
 THE GOSPEL BOYS entertaining at the Cambrian Hall. |
 RUSSELL ROBERTS who did a Dylan Thomas reading. |
By CATHOLINE BUTLER
VANCOUVER – On the weekend of November 6-8, the Vancouver Welsh Society celebrated the 80th anniversary of the Cambrian Hall, which is located at 215 East 17th Avenue in Vancouver.
I dropped in to the Cambrian hall on November 6, to take in some of the Noson Lawen celebrations – a traditional Welsh evening of music, verse and comedy.
The main upstairs hall was packed with standing room only available as the gathering eagerly awaited each announcement from master of ceremonies Neville Thomas.
John Owen, a soloist from Boise, Idaho, lead off the celebrations, followed by Nerys Hagg and The Cambrian Circle Singers who also often entertain at the hospitals and care facilities in the area.
You could hear a pin drop in the hall when Russell Roberts gave a reading from Dylan Thomas. He will be back at the Welsh hall again on December 11 for the very popular reading of A Child’s Christmas in Wales. If this is the year that you have promised yourself to attend, then better hurry and get your tickets since this is always a sold out event.
The Gospel Boys were made-up of members of the popular Welsh Men’s Choir and I noticed they had members of the audience swaying in time to their music. I also had an opportunity to meet and speak to some members of the choir, many of whom I had only spoken with on the telephone, including Lin Matthews.
It was a full evening of Welsh entertainment and verse. For anyone attending this historic event and not familiar with the entertainers, MC Neville Thomas supplied a superb introduction and background on each of the performers.
The Cambrian Hall is listed as a Vancouver Heritage Building and home to the Welsh of the Lower Mainland since 1929.
Congratulations to the Vancouver Welsh community on reaching this historic milestone. with the Cambrian Hall.
Much credit is due to all those Welsh businessmen who had the foresight some 80 years ago to purchase this now very valuable piece of property and build this hall. It has provided a home away from home for generations of Welsh immigrants and their families in Vancouver continue to gather to celebrate the culture and heritage of their homeland.
For more information about the Vancouver Welsh Society and their activities, see: www.welshsociety.com.
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