When you are in Dinas make sure you find out what is going on in Newport’s Memorial Hall; it’s only three miles down the road.

The building was constructed in 1922 as a memorial to local men who died in the first World War. You’ll find their names listed inside.

The hall is now a venue for clubs, fairs, art exhibitions and other events. Tomorrow (November 1st) there’s a benefit concert for Syrian refugees. Jess Hope, the organiser writes:

“As a member of my local Amnesty group, I was involved in an interactive presentation given during refugee week this year. We organised a skype question and answer session, where the public were invited to come and ask questions to my Syrian daughter-in-law who had experience of working in the refugee camps in Lebanon. We heard of the immense suffering endured by many Syrians in their exile but were given hope when my daughter-in-law spoke of the good work of a small charity called ‘Syrian Eyes’, a non-political group of young Syrians dedicated to the delivery of humanitarian aid to this community.  All proceeds from this event will go to help Syrian Eyes with their work.”

If that’s too short notice for you, make a note of the date of the Newport Film club’s next event on 7th November. There’ll be a showing of Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Vertigo’ with an introduction from John Russell Taylor, Hitchcock’s only official biographer. Taylor knew Hitchcock personally for over twenty years and the film to be shown was recently rated the best film of all time by BFI film critics. Unmissable!