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North Wales Chronicle
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- North Wales Chronicle
Nonagenarian former runner does laps of Caernarfon care home
John Carson, a former member of the Eryri Harriers running club, completed several laps around the grounds of Pendine Park's Bryn Seiont Newydd care home in Caernarfon. Mr Carson joined fellow residents and staff in walking 40 laps - covering 10 miles - to celebrate Pendine Park's 40th anniversary and the care home's 10th birthday. (Each lap measured a quarter of a mile.) Mr Carson said: "It's always good to get some exercise – it's great therapy for the mind and the body. "Doing this makes me feel like I'm 21 again!" Originally from Matlock in Derbyshire, Mr Carson moved to North Wales for work at Trawsfynydd power station. Mr Carson said of his upbringing: "I grew up running in Derbyshire. "When I was at school there was no such thing as school dinners so I had to run home every day for my lunch. "We lived at the top of a very steep hill, so when it came to running mountains I found I was already well trained!" He continued running into his seventies, earning several awards for his times in the veterans' class. For the first lap of the anniversary walk, he was joined by fellow Eryri Harriers veteran Emyr Gibson, a Welsh actor, singer, and the care home's creative practitioner. Mr Gibson said: "John has an amazing running record and he can still build up a fine pace today. "If I can walk a quarter of a mile as well as he can when I'm in my nineties, I'll be a happy man." Mr Gibson is known for his 18-year role as Meical in the S4C Welsh language series Rownd a Rownd. He now works with musician-in-residence Nia Davies Williams and other staff to deliver a therapeutic programme of music, arts, and crafts for residents with dementia. Other residents also took part in the walk. Kathleen Taylor said: "It's nice to get out in the fresh air and build up our energy levels. "The gardens are beautiful at this time of year, which makes it all the more enjoyable." Residents Henry Brian Jones and Huw Williams completed a lap alongside Bryn Seiont Newydd manager Sandra Evans. Mr Williams said: "It's been great to see everyone getting involved and being so enthusiastic. "There are definitely lots of smiles here today." Ms Evans said it was heartwarming to see staff and residents waving anniversary pennants and bunting from windows as the runners went by. READ MORE: Bangor: Four-month roadworks by Ysbyty Gwynedd set to start She said: "It is amazing to think that a decade has gone by since we first opened our doors to residents here at this wonderful site in Caernarfon. "We have become like a big family - Bryn Seiont Newydd really is a home from home for residents and staff." Ms Evans said the double anniversary, of Bryn Seiont Newydd and of Pendine Park, made this year "extra special for us all."
Leader Live
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
Over 600 join music workshop at Llangollen Eisteddfod
The intergenerational session was held at the Eisteddfod and organised by Pendine Park, a major sponsor of the festival. Led by creative practitioner Emyr Gibson and Pendine's musician-in-residence Nia Davies Williams, the workshop brought together residents living with dementia and pupils from schools across North Wales and Cheshire. Sarah Edwards, Pendine's consultant artist-in-residence, said: "These dementia music workshops are inter-generational and involve our residents living with dementia in our care homes and lots of different schools. "They are fun, interactive music sessions and our residents really get involved in them, and the children do too. "It's all about having fun, shaking their maracas and waving their Pendine flags – just having a good old time." The sessions were supported by 16 care staff and 15 residents from Pendine Park care homes. Funding came from the Pendine Arts and Community Trust, set up by Pendine owners Mario Kreft MBE and his wife Gill to back arts and community projects. Year 5 teacher Gemma Jones, from The Rofft in Marford, said: "It was so nice to see all the residents enjoying themselves, you can see they are so engaged in the music. "The children really enjoyed joining in and having fun." Nia Davies Williams, musician in residence and Emyr Gibson, creative practitioner at Pendine Park's Bryn Seiont Newydd singing along with Ysgol Y Gwernant pupils (Image: Mandy Jones) Pupil Ted, 10, said: "The music workshop was really good. "I enjoyed the singing. "It was really nice to spend time with older people and shaking the maracas." Care home resident Gwen Davies said: "It was lovely to see so many children, they are so nice." READ MORE: Parade of Nations celebrated by hundreds in colourful spectacle at Eisteddfod Emyr Gibson, well known for his long-running role as Meical in the S4C series Rownd a Rownd, called the workshop a privilege. Mr Gibson said: "It's a privilege to do this, to bring generations together, and also to help people with dementia. "I just love the role, and holding sessions to help people with dementia, you get so much from it." Ms Williams said the workshop embodied Pendine's core values, she said: "Music and the arts are the golden thread that runs through everything we do at Pendine."
