COMMUNITY PERFORMANCE

After many months of hard work Glyncoch Community and Creative Communities Performance Project has delivered the goods. Several hundred people were enthralled by a performance that was both entertaining and thought provoking. In poetry, prose, song and action, the performers demonstrated the problems faced on a daily basis by people in Glyncoch and thousands of communities like it. Perhaps more importantly, the caste challenged the audiences to provide answers to the dilemmas presented to them, thereby demonstrating what is so often missed- we can control situations if we’re given the power to do so. From Tia-Leigh aged 6 to Cynthia Williams aged 61, from students to postmen, this company of actors, writers, set designers and artists deserve nothing but praise for a stunning, thought-provoking series of sketches, songs and poems.

I spoke to Kevin Jakeway from Creative Communities after the performance. He told me that his organisation had run this project in Glyncoch as a pilot, to see if it was possible to use this sort of performance to highlight issues within communities. He is no longer in any doubt; he was particularly struck by the innovative way that the Glyncoch players had overcome the limitations of playing on a stage more suited to a pop performance (for example: instead of moving scenery around, they used a simple blackboard backdrop and drew the scenery needed for each scene). He finished by saying that he is certain that people will now be talking more constructively about the issues facing Glyncoch, and he congratulated everyone involved on a good job well done.

Creative Communities will use the experience gained in Glyncoch, to seek funding to run similar projects in other disaffected communities within the valleys.

GAFA MARCH 2008

Recycling queen, Hannah Gulwell (Right) will be chairing a meeting of the Glyncoch Green and Friendly Action (GAFA) group, next Monday (March 10) at 6pm in the Christian Fellowship Church on Garth Avenue. If you have anything to say about making Glyncoch a greener safer place to live, this is your chance, all are welcome.

On the subject of the environment (any excuse to have a rant), I see the bus fares have gone up again. At a time when the government is asking us to reduce our carbon footprint, it is totally unreasonable to expect people to pay £3.65 for a 4 mile round trip. Compare this with a fare of £3.50 Return to travel from Pontypridd to Cardiff. I realise that the discrepancy is due to the varying subsidies paid by the Local Authorities, but if RCT is serious about protecting the environment, they need to increase their subsidies on these basic journeys.

PACT FEBRUARY 2008

February’s meeting of Partnerships and Communities Together (PACT) will take place in the Community Centre next Monday at 6pm. January’s priorities were

· Dog Nuisance,

· To get a “Low Bridge” sign put at the entrance to Grover’s Lane, and

· Vandalism at Craig yr Hesg School.

If you want to find out what has been done about these priorities, or wish to have your say about priorities for February, please attend the meeting. If you are unable to attend, let Helena James (our local PCSO on 0780 530 1041) or me know what you would like brought up and we will put your concerns to the rest of the committee. Alternatively, you can log onto Ourbobby.com and read Helena’s updates and leave a message for her to pick up before the meeting.

VSO GLYNCOCH

We have been lucky in Glyncoch over the last couple of months, to have two volunteers from the VSO Global Village programme working in the community. 24-year-old Akano Amina from Kaduna State in Nigeria and 19-year-old Craig Imrie from Dunfermline in Scotland are leaving on Friday. A spokesperson from Glyncoch Communities First said that their time with is had been a wonderful opportunity to gain a “completely different perspective on what we are doing; we have also learned a lot about other cultures and hopefully Craig and Amina have learned more about how we do things in Wales”.

Craig and Amina have written an open letter to the community, which I reproduce below:

“Global Village is a programme that brings young people from all over the UK and Nigeria to work together, share ideas, learn about each other's cultures, and most importantly, to develop the young people so that they can make a positive impact to their own societies.
“We all know that young people can be tools used to develop and revolutionise not only a community but a nation. So if the young people are active and empowered enough, then the future will be great and the world will be a better place to live. As beneficiaries of this laudable programme we would like to commend the Global Exchange programme and the British Council's Voluntary Services Overseas for the great impact they have made in so many societies through young people.
“18 of us have been working all over RCT for 2 months. We were fortunate enough to be placed in Glyncoch Communities First. What we see in Glyncoch is so different from what others seem to think about it. The atmosphere in Glyncoch is so calm, and the people are warm and friendly. Everyone has been very welcoming and extremely friendly towards us. Something that never stops amazing us is the strong bond that exists within the community. It is also interesting to know how much the people strongly desire to give the community a new face. We have experienced a huge community spirit. The future of Glyncoch seems very bright with the community cohesion needed to make Glyncoch an even better place.”

The letter is signed Craig and Amina.

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GOLF -"A good walk ruined"

LEE Llewellyn has created a website for the Glyncoch Social Golf Society. The site has only been in existence for just over 24 hours, but there are already some interesting comments to be read (and perhaps replied to). This could easily become the best read website in Glyncoch, that's why I've added it to the "ALL THE GOOD STUFF" list on the right hand side of this page.

PACT JUNE

THIS Month’s meeting of PACT (Partnerships and Communities Together) was held at the Community Centre to discuss issues of concern to the people of Glyncoch and Coed-y-Cwm. Last month’s priorities were discussed, and it was agreed that increased police patrols and better awareness by the bus companies has led to a radical decrease in the annoyance caused by young people waiting for school buses on Cefn Lane. It was also agreed that the community Centre is suffering far less aggravation than it had been. It was therefore agreed that these two priorities have been dealt with adequately for now. The third priority for May was the annoyance being caused to residents of Lower Garth Avenue by youths playing football in the street. PCSO Helena James explained to the meeting that a number of ASBO referrals have been made and footballs have been confiscated; in addition the Local Authority has put up signs informing people that no ball games should be played in the area. Despite all this, the problems continue. Councillor Judith Burford was quite vociferous in speaking up for her constituents, and informed the meeting that she has spoken to Chief Superintendent Farrar about the matter. Helena informed the committee that a street meeting (the first in the South Wales Police area) had been arranged for the Thursday evening to discuss the problems, and invited Councillor Burford to attend. It was agreed that this item should remain a PACT priority for the month of June. Various other items of concern were considered, including a problem with wheelie bins being stolen from all over the estate, and the youth problems in Coed-y-Cwm. Helena agreed to arrange a PACT meeting for Coed-y-Cwm residents, separate from either Ynysybwl or Glyncoch, because of the odd geographical position of the estate.

It was agreed that annoyance at Craig-yr Hesg Primary School should be a priority for June after Head Maggie Hudson explained the cost of protecting the building from vandalism; she has recently had to spend over £1000 on defensive measures- money that should be spent on books and education. The third priority for June is controlling vehicle annoyance. Recently, almost a dozen scrambler motorcycles and 4 cars have been seized in an operation to reduce anti-social vehicle use. Each time a vehicle is seized, the owner has to pay £105 to release it and £12/day for storage. The next PACT meeting will be held in the Community Centre at 6 pm on July 2.

The only way that PACT can work is if the whole community gets involved. If you see any antisocial behaviour in the village, ring 01656 655 555l; if the incident is one of the PACT priorities, let the person you are speaking to know. You can also contact the Community Police team for the area by ringing 01443 485351 and asking for extension 40320.

“BAD DAY GOOD”

TWO communities came together last weekend, when young men from Glyncoch and Rhydyfelin paid their respects to a local friend by arranging a football match in memory of James Williams, who sadly passed away on June 2 last year. Being James’ first love, a football match between good friends/ex teammates was seen as the ideal way to show that James was still a part of their lives, as well as their thoughts.

There was a good turn out and plenty of support on the day from James’ family and friends, who ensured the match was no quiet affair. The weather held out until the final whistle, which allowed all involved to get a dose of the very rare Welsh sun.

On the stroke of half time both teams gathered around the halfway line and a surprise bouquet of flowers was sprung on James’ parents, Richard and Jeanette. Some heart-felt words were spoken from the boys to the parents and from the parents to the boys and there was an overpowering sense of togetherness.

The match was played with an official referee and it was a very tight but sporting affair. However, this wasn’t reflected in the final score line: Rhydyfelin 7 Glyncoch 1. Nevertheless the boys of Glyncoch would like to congratulate the Rhydyfelin boys on a cracking result and a fulfilling game.

After the match Richard and Jeanette laid on a barbeque-buffet, beverages and musical entertainment. Both sets of boys attended along with Richard, Jeanette and family, where they shared some very funny jokes and stories with each other.

The evening ended with thanks from both parties for each other’s commitment. Richard and Jeanette thanked the boys for making a bad day, good.

The boys would like to thank Richard and Jeanette for all their help, support and hospitality. The day would not have been the same without them. Also thanks to all the boys who played, including James’ brother, Daniel Williams who turned in a quality performance for Glyncoch.

Last but not least congratulations to Ian Webb “Webber” for earning man of the match for a solid display in Rhydyfelin’s defence.

POEMS AND PINTS

THE Glyncoch poetry blog, Poems and Pints has a couple of new poems on it. Check it out by clicking on the title of this post, or by using the link on the right.

ODE TO THE CLEANERS

When mostof us have had our fun
And the next day's rest has just begun
Into the club, march Sue and her mob.
They scrub and they polish, for that is their job.

But they also pick up the food that's been tipped
And they deal with the furnishings that have been ripped.
They clean up the shit and they clean up the spew
I wouldn't do it! Tell me truly- Would You?
And do Sue and her gang earn mighty wages?
Of course they do! they have done for ages!
But, what these girls earn, and the pay they receive
Are just not related. I don't wish to deceive.
So all of us members should be grateful to Sue
And show some respect for her and her crew.
If you spill someone's pint, you buy them a beer.
Never one for the cleaner, isn't that queer?
She's the person who will clear up your mess
Yet none of us think we should offer redress.
So the least we can do, if we're to call ourselves men
Is to show them some gratitude, now and again.

BATO

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COMMENTS WELCOME

I have just been harangued in the Social Club over one of the articles on this blog.

It appears that some people feel that I have been unfair in my reporting on this blog. I would point out that the criticism came from someone who hadn't even read the article he was complaining about, but had heard about it from someone else. This "someone else" was not identified, but whomever it was, is welcome (nay encouraged) to add comments to any of my postings; There is not even a need to give your name; though of course it sometimes helps if you do so. It is only by picking up on the comments that I can hope to improve my reporting.

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THE THREE LEGGED PIG

I visited granddad down on his farm,

And at once I noticed with some alarm,

That one of his pigs, an old sow called Peg

Appeared to be missing one of her legs.

I said to my granddad, "Bampy" says I

"See that old sow- over there by the sty,

She's got just three legs, it ought to be four."

Well Granddad was angry, He let out a roar.

"If you don't like that pig then you are a fool-

"Last week your cousin fell in the cesspool.

"Well up jumped old Peg and in she did dive

"And thanks to that pig, young Fred's still alive."

I said "No doubt she's great and medals will adorn her

"But Bamps, she should have a leg at each corner."

Said granddad "Young Paul. Don't call me a liar!

"If it wasn't for Peg, your gran would have died in a fire.

"Peg smelt the smoke and dragged gran from her bed.

"If it wasn't for Peggy your gran would be dead."

I said "Granddad, Please, Why won't you listen?

"That heroic pig has got a leg missing."

Granddad moaned "I'm ashamed, you're letting me down.

"Really young Paul, you've lived too long in town.

"My dear Grandson, you've become a dunce.

"You don't eat a good pig like that all at once."

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WHAT A BLAST

AS ALWAYS Blast From the Past put on an amazing show last night, in order toraise money towards Emma Davies' oxygen regenerator. Donna and the rest of the troupe are truly professional in their approach to the whole business of supporting those in need within our community. Ali Ballbaggs will be giving a lot more information once she has Blast's blog up and running properly (hopefully this weekend).
She can be found at the Blast From the Past Blog.
JUST CLICK ON THE LINK and see for yourself.

WELCOME BACK CLIVE

AFTER a long drawn out investigation, Clive Mitchell has finally been exonerated.

The entire membership will be glad to see him back behind the bar of the Social Club where he belongs.

At Sunday's AGM it was revealed that he has been the victim of almost two decades of mismanagement by the Club committee. I readily hold up my hands and say that I was one of the people responsible for the catalogue of errors that so nearly led to the demise of the best steward in the valleys.

WOMEN'S RUGBY

Referee Nigel is staying well back- he's no pushover

We know it's in there somewhere

Don't bother girls that's another try for Stacy

That's another one for Martina then!

NEW FESTIVAL CHAIR

SAM Turner has been elected as chairperson for the 2007 Glyncoch Festival. I am sure that everyone will congratulate the committee on making such a wise choice.

CARWYN AND GARYN

CONGRATULATIONS to Andrew and Michelle Talbot on the birth of Carwyn and Garyn, brothers for Kyle and Ashley. Welcome to Glyncoch both of youi

PACT FEBRUARY

February's PACT priorities are:

• Parking in Cefn Lane & Glyncoch Terrace,
  

• Youth Annoyance at Craig Yr Hesg Primary School
  
• 
  
• Monitoring the situation with the buses.

If you have any comments as to how successfully these targets were addressed, or wish to help set the priorities for March, you will need to attend the PACT meeting at the Community Centre on Monday March 5 at 5:30pm.

MONEY ADVICE

THE Equality, Diversity and Social Justice team from Rhondda Cynon Taff will be running a Money Advice day at Glyncoch Community centre on Monday January 29 from 1pm-4:30pm.
There will be a wide range of advice services present, and a free buffet lunch at 1pm. There will also be activities provided to keep the children entertained.

Thay are also sending a free Managing your Money handbook to everyone in Glyncoch, with more copies available on the day.

The Equality, Diversity and Social Justice Team can be contacted on (01443) 424182.

TEN SOCIAL CLUB MEMBERS

THE MEMBERSHIP

Ten Social Members came to the club all the time;
One argued with the committee, then there were nine.

Nine Social Members stayed up drinking late;
One overslept on Saturday, then there were eight.

Eight Social Members, on their way up Cefn;
One took the Farm Lane, then there were seven.

Seven Social Members, chirping like chicks;
One hated Karaoke, then there were six.

Six Social Members seemed very much alive;
One took a vacation, then there were five.

Five Social Members hurrying for the door;
One stopped to take a rest, then there were four.

Four Social Members, each as busy as a bee;
One had his feelings hurt, then there were three.

Three Social Members, deciding what to do;
One couldn't have his way, then there were two.

Two Social Members each signed up one more;
Now don't you see, that two plus two is four?

Four Social Members, drinking early and late;
Each brought another, now there were eight.

Eight Social Members if they double as before;
In just seven days, we have a thousand twenty four.

In this little jingle, there is a lesson true;
You belong either to the building, or to the wrecking crew.

Bato

With apologies to the author of Ten Little Christians

Gang Warfare

There have been a lot of gangs in Glyncoch through the years
And this has caused a bit of apprehension, even fear.
There were Teddy Boys always fighting together,
There were Mods and Rockers in parkas and leather
There were beatnik types with hair full of roses
And then punk rockers with pins in their noses.

And though they are older, they are still fighting
Though now its for safer roads and better street lighting.
They’re fighting to keep rubbish off our greens
And they fight against boredom for all of our teens.
They’ve earned their colours, or that’s what is said
And now they’re all in Jenny’s Gang and they’re all dressed in Red.

SAFELY TO SCHOOL
Our local council, a lovely bunch of blokes
Decided to have a game, to play a little joke.
They cancelled all the buses across to Coedylan
And nominated a safe route, a cunning little plan.
This has helped the police out in a strangely effective way
'Cos now they know exactly where the pervs will go to play.
And there no longer is a problem with teens who're overweight
The bullies take their lunch before they’re near the school gate.
And they tell us teenagers just don't do exercise
At Coedylan Comprehensive that's just a pack of lies.
To avoid bullies and perverts, the kids are all running
And what is surprising, (it's practically stunning)
Is the council has now provided a pool
And the children are able to swim into school.
Bato

COMMUNITY WEBSITE

If you need to know what's going on in the wider community then Rhonddacynontaff.com is the place to go. You will find news, views and articles on where to eat, where to dance and where to drink for the the whole borough and beyond. Just click on the title of this article or use the link on the righthand sidebar.

SOCIAL CLUB NEWS

THE half yearly meeting at the Social Club was held last week. Less than 10% of the membership attended to hear that the club is struggling financially (and perhaps that is why). On a positive note, the Club is doing better than many similar institutions in the area, but there is certainly no room for complacency. There have been several changes in the Club’s hierarchy recently and several people have asked me who is now who? In order to satisfy this natural curiosity, I have obtained a new list: Steve Price is now chairman and Roy Williams is Vice Chair. The Club Secretary and Treasurer are unchanged, being Geoff Wdowik and Tommy Shine respectively. The management Committee consists of Kevin and Andrew Quinlivan, Neil and Wayne Mitchell, Dai Shepherd, Brian Davies, Dai Llewellyn and Dai Marshman.

CONGRATULATIONS LEE AND TEESHA

I take great delight in welcoming Gareth David Llewellyn to Glyncoch. Congratulations to Lee and Teesha on the birth of a beautiful boy on 22nd August.

CANCER RESEARCH WALES

ALF’S bicycle ride for Cancer Research Wales’ Million Mile Challenge led to an amazing display of fun and generosity at the Social Club recently. Other events on the day included a skittles competition, a golf ball chipping competition, karaoke, a raffle and a quiz. Donna Lewis’ “Flowers of Venus” won the quiz and immediately donated their prize money to the Charity. People who deserve special mention include Liz and Chris Richards-MC for the day and musical impresario respectively, Rob Cox- who had his chest “waxed” with gaffer tape, Laura Cox and Mel Forward- who ran the darts competition, Terry Mahoney and Neil Mitchell- the village’s most inept golfers, Tricia Fry- who didn’t let a mere detail like a broken leg slow her down, Lynette Webb- who dyed her hair pink, Sam Trask- who finally had a haircut and Maggie Mahoney who worked tirelessly all day selling raffle tickets and generally running around making sure the day was a success. The auction raised £164, which included £30.00 for two hand made dolls from a telephone bidder. The total raised on the day topped £1000, meaning that members of the Social Club have donated over £2500 to Cancer Research Wales in the last couple of months.

This is just some of the team from Glyncoch Social Club that helped to raise over a thousand pounds during the recent Activity Day for Cancer Research Wales' "Million Mile Challenge".

SOCIAL CLUB SUPPORTS RUGBY CLUB

Thanks to the hard work put into organising this show at very short notice £765.00 was raised to buy kit for the Rugby teams. Well Done to all involved, especially Susan Wdowik, whose brain child it all was.

PACT PRIORITIES FOR AUGUST

THIS Month's PACT priorities were decided at a meeting in the Community Centre on Wednesday evening.They are:

• Extra Signage and enforcement of one way system in Porcher Avenue
• Youth Annoyance on the Tarmac area at the rear of Ty Gwyn School
  

PC Colin Ridout explained to the meeting that there had recently been a joint operation between South Wales Police and RCT Trading Standards, during which test purchases of alcohol had been made at various stores in the Borough by underage children. All Glyncoch traders showed due diligence and refused to sell the items requested.

OPEN LETTER FROM JAMES YON

James Yon has been visiting Glyncoch Christian Fellowship Church for the last couple of months. He wrote the following letter in appreciation of his time spent in our community.

To the community of Glyncoch:

Hello my name is James Yon and I have been living in Glyncoch since June 9th. I came over here with a group of Americans to be a volunteer church worker. I have been living with David and Sylvia Carr and have been working with the church Glyncoch Community Christian Church. I have also been helping out with the community centre on Thursday nights with the youth and have been training with the rugby team on Tuesday nights. There are some things that I would like to share with you all about what I have experienced this summer living in your community.

I really have enjoyed being apart of your community this summer with the warm welcoming and acceptance that you gave me when I arrived. The community centre opened their doors and allowed me to work with the youth on Thursday nights. There I was able to get to know the youth by hanging out with them. We played games like rugby, ultimate Frisbee, rounders, cricket, and football. The youth in Glyncoch have a lot to offer. I found that the music program that they put on was fantastic. The girls did a great job being on stage for the first time and the boys were great singing their song. I was pleased to see a huge turn out of the community coming to see their performance. The youth workers are great. They take a lot of time out of their schedules to spend time with the youth, giving so much of their hearts and it is truly paying off.

Another area that has blessed me has been the Rugby Club. When I arrived here, the one thing that I wanted to leam to do was to play Rugby- Welsh style. I asked David Carr if he knew of anything that I could attend where I could leam and he said the Rugby Club. When I got there I was thinking that they would not let an American play or train with them; but they did! Lee, the trainer/coach, allowed me to experience true Welsh rugby. It has been such an amazing summer and it's going to be really hard leaving this wonderful community. The reason that I am writing this article is to let the rest of Pontypridd know what an amazing community Glyncoch really is. I have heard negative stories about the community being filled with violence and have been given looks of caution when I tell people where I'm living. However, I have found the community to be a very pleasant place to be. I've walked around Glyncoch several times at night by myself, without ever being scared for my life. The community in Glyncoch is something special. After building relationships with the people, I now have car horns blown at me while people give me the 'thumbs up'. I have youth yelling out my name when I walk by their houses, just to say hello. The rugby club continues to teach me about true camaraderie, something that is evident in the community as a whole. I hope that by writing this article, people outside of the community will view Glyncoch in a different light. I am truly an outsider living in this community, getting to see this place as it truly is. This group of people are now family to me. Thank you to all who have allowed me to live, to work and to play in Glyncoch. I will never forget this summer and I hope that I will be able to come back for a visit.

James Yon

RACING CARS

RACING Cars, the Rhondda's premier rock band will be playing at the Glyncoch Social Club THIS SATURDAY July 29. Tickets are just £3.00 and are available from behind the bar. Get them early; this show WILL be a sellout.

TOOGOODTOWASTE ROADSHOW

LOCAL furniture recycling charity toogoodtowaste will be hosting a furniture display at Glyncoch Community Centre on Wednesday August 23, where stylish quality furniture at bargain “toogoodtomiss” prices will be available from 11am to 1pm.

toogoodtowaste is Rhondda Cynon Taf’s most effective furniture recycling charity and since its establishment in 1995 has helped to reduce waste to landfill, improved the work skills of its many volunteers and trainees, and helped thousands of people in need throughout the community.

Driven by a passion and determination to improve its service to the local community, the charity’s affordable reusable furniture can now be purchased by all members of the public with discounts, special packages and free delivery available to customers on qualifying benefits.

By opening to all, employees, trainees and volunteers hope to generate more income to tackle community issues more effectively, as well as creating a greener Wales by encouraging more people to choose recycled. Opening to all will help the charity improve its training facilities for volunteers, and channel more money into providing free furniture packages to families and individuals living in poverty.

toogoodtowaste your local charity…working with the community for the community! For further information contact its friendly customer service staff on 01443 733600 / 01685 733600.

FESTIVAL ON LINE

GLYNCOCH Festival was such a great success this year that a committee is being set up to co-ordinate next year's extravaganza. A website of photos from this year's event and information on next year's is now available on www.glyncfestival.blogspot.com.

GLYNCOCH FESTIVAL

Click on the photos to see larger images

On a glorious day last Saturday, the people of Glyncoch got together to celebrate the diversity of the culture in which we live. Thanks to the hard work of the PTA at Craig-yr-Hesg, the dedication of the teachers, parents and especially the children at both schools, we were treated to an explosion of colour, an absolute riot of sound and some of the best fun we've had in a long time. Of course there was a serious side to all this too. We were also taught in an extremely pleasant way that racism is stupid and the result of ignorance and fear.

"SHE'S NOT GETTING ANY YOUNGER" SAYS DONNA

MARCIA Lewis celebrated her birthday last week. Unfortunately Donna was too scared to tell me her age. Happy Birthday anyway Marcia with lots of love from Donna, Jane, Philip, Tracey, Dale and all the Grandkids.

GLYNC FACTOR

Last Friday (July 7) at the Community Centre, for one night only the young people of Glyncoch took to the stage and put on a show for all the village's residents. They performed songs, dance routines and showcased their own pop video. The video was made following a 12 week project organized and funded by Glyncoch Communities First Partnership and Young Music Wales. These young people worked extremely hard to provide an excellent show. The whole village should be proud of them.

HELP FOR THE ELDERLY

DESPITE his growing infirmity Clive Mitchell will be able to continue playing golf thanks to a group of club members who clubbed together to buy him an electric golf cart. Clive has asked me to thank Jackie, Lisa and Jason for showing such kindness to a very old man.

THE VALLEY'S OLDEST DJ

Despite rumours to the contrary, the valley's oldest DJ has not retired. Cliff Blacker has asked me to point out that as people get older they need to have a snooze more often than younger people. He had a snooze that lasted a couple of weeks.

GLYNCOCH ON LINE

GLYNCOCH Communities First P