Pub saves Christmas in village after Storm Darragh wrecks celebration plans

A local pub came to the rescue, ensuring a village’s Christmas celebrations went ahead despite challenging circumstances. For several years, the village of Rowen has held spring and summer car boot sales, with proceeds going towards community events, particularly those during the festive season.

This tradition evolved into the Rowen Winter Festival, a community event featuring a Christmas tree, lights, and gifts from Father Christmas for all the children. This year, a grand celebration was planned, complete with a band, hog roast, and treats for the children in the village hall.

However, Storm Darragh had other plans, causing a power outage last Saturday afternoon. Despite communication difficulties due to downed phone lines and mobile signals, the fundraising committee decided the show must go on, especially since the hog roast was already on its way from Anglesey.

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Coincidentally, it was also the reopening night for the Ty Gwyn pub, now under the management of local landlady Ann Anderson, who runs the establishment with her husband and brother. They agreed to host the event, stoking fires to provide warmth for those who had lost heating at home.

The hog roast arrived as planned, providing food and drink for villagers unable to cook hot meals at home. Local farmers managed to provide some lighting alongside candlelight, and the villagers gathered in the pub for a memorable evening, reports North Wales Live.

The village children’s Christmas was saved and the community spirit soared, thanks to the local pub stepping in during a power cut. Nicky Fryer, a committee member, recounted: “We had Father Christmas, a band and the hog roast all lined up when the power went.”

She added, “We had no way of communicating with each other with no power and no signal. The pub saved the day and on their opening night. The new publicans went above and beyond to open their doors to the community, they had to find more chairs from the shed.”

Eileen Burtonwood, who leads the Christmas committee, explained the situation further: “At 3pm the village power went off – it meant no power in the village hall. After walking to get a signal Nicky called to see if we could rearrange the hog roast but they were on the way already.

The community were all able to come together at Ty Gwyn pub

“That is when the pub stepped in and we were able to move the event. The pub has just been taken over and this was the first night, they were happy to help. The whole village rallied around, a couple of farmers used generators to get light to the pub and we had 100 people – including lots of children – in there between the event and the opening night.

“We may not have had power or the internet but we had each other and there was a wonderful atmosphere in there. The village pulled out all the stops to save the event”.

Ann Anderson, the new landlady, expressed her gratitude and said: “Thank you to everyone who ventured out last Saturday in the storm – a fun, successful and memorable day/evening by candlelight….it was lovely to see the Ty Gwyn full of familiar faces as well as new customers.”

Image Credits and Reference: https://uk.yahoo.com/news/pub-saves-christmas-village-storm-094742199.html