Rhuddlan Community Group (North Wales)

20/10/2026

18/10/2026

🌸🌿 GOOD NEWS, NEW FACES AND A FEW GROAN-WORTHY JOKES! 🌿🌸

Compliments are always welcome, whatever they’re for! 😊 Just before our September meeting, the Parish Magazine dropped through the letterbox, and, as always, I turned straight to see what Ed had to say. Imagine our delight when we discovered he’d put our efforts into print! Smiles all round! 😁

A BIG THANK YOU, ED! 👏

And what a lovely way to start a meeting! Our Chairman welcomed not one, not two, but THREE new members to our ranks! 🎉

💧 Meet Seb, our new Head of Watering! Seb joined us a few weeks ago, so do say hello when you see him out and about keeping our plants happy.

🍽️ Welcome to Tricia, who came to us from our Food Fair table. We already knew Tricia from our days living in Carmel.

🏡 And welcome to Jean, who has recently moved to Rhuddlan.

It’s wonderful to see our group growing, and a huge thank you to all three for joining us! 🌼

The meeting continued in a positive vein, with some of Pat’s responsibilities being allocated.

🌳 A few updates from around Rhuddlan:

Sadly, most of the flowering cherry trees at the top end of Admirals Field have died. They will be replaced with fruit trees, thanks to Rhuddlan Town Council (RTC) and the Local Places for Nature Wildlife Grant. Third time lucky, perhaps? 😂 It’s a long story!

🌹 Meanwhile, our newer member Noel has spent hours clearing and tidying the rose gardens at the entrance to the Library car park and at the Knights by the river bridge. Following an approach to RTC, gravel has now been added to finish the job off nicely. Great work, Noel! 👏

🌱 Fancy getting your hands dirty and joining us?

If you have a trowel that needs a bit of exercise, we’ll be emptying the planters during the week commencing 28 September, ready for planting on Monday 5 October.

📍 We meet at Rhuddlan Community Centre at 9am, and planting usually takes a couple of hours.

We’re also always grateful for offers of help with deadheading. So, if you’re out and about, with or without the dog, and spot some flowers that need a little attention, please feel free to lend a hand! 🌸🐕

Every little bit helps to keep Rhuddlan looking colourful and cared for. 💚

😂 AND FINALLY… TIME FOR A FEW TERRIBLE ZOO JOKES!

📞 Why couldn’t anyone call the zoo? All the phone lions were busy!

🐘 What do you get when you cross an elephant with a fish? Swimming trunks!

🐆 Why should you never play games at a zoo? There are too many cheetahs!

🐒 The zoo is the only place where monkey business is encouraged.

🦒 The giraffe always sees opportunities before everyone else.

🦁 I tried to ask the lion for directions, but it just roared with laughter.

🦩 The flamingo stood on one leg because it couldn’t remember where it left the other one!

🤣 We apologise for absolutely nothing!

Thank you to everyone who gives their time, energy and enthusiasm to make Rhuddlan a brighter, greener and more welcoming place to live. New members, helping hands and plenty of smiles; that’s what community spirit is all about! 💚🌷

🌼

05/10/2026

September’s Parish Mag Article;

🌿 Well, here we are rattling into September… 🌿

Christmas decorations are appearing on the shelves, and somebody even said they’d spotted an Easter Egg! 🤔 Last Easter or next? Scots mist! 😂

Where is the year going? It doesn’t seem five minutes since we were planting the summer flowers, and already we’re thinking about winter planting!

🎪 Picnic in the Park

The group recently attended Picnic in the Park, joining a marquee full of local voluntary and community groups.

We weren’t there to raise funds, we were there to fly the flag and let people know what we do and our brand-new pull-up banner certainly did the job! It attracted plenty of attention and became quite the talking point.

By the end of the day we were tired, hoarse and £18 to the good, but best of all, we gained a new volunteer! What more could you ask for? 💚

🌱 Winter planting is coming!

Our winter plants have now been ordered, and planting will take place on:

📅 Monday 5th October
⏰ 9.00am
📍 Rhuddlan Community Centre

Trowels at the ready! 🪴

All trowels and all willing volunteers are very welcome. Come along, see what we get up to and perhaps get your hands dirty while you’re here!

During the week commencing 28th September, all the planters will be cleared, topped up and fed ready for their winter makeover.

And just to prove there’s never a dull moment… we’ve already received the application form for the 2027 Food Fair! 😳

🎂 A big thank you!

Thank you to the Parish Magazine for the birthday mention. It was a birthday with a rather large O in it, so naturally it called for a family gathering and an enjoyable Sunday lunch.

A huge thank you to Debbie and Linda at Bailey’s, High Street, Rhuddlan you did us proud! ❤️

📢 Can you spare an hour?

Our next meeting is:

📅 Tuesday 8th September
⏰ 6.30pm
📍 Rhuddlan Community Centre

The main item on the agenda will be looking at how we spread the load following Pat’s departure at the end of the year.

So, if you’re reading this and think you could spare the occasional hour for painting, planting or watering, why not come along and meet us?

You don’t need to sign your life away, every little bit of help makes a difference! 🌼

📞 For more information, contact Richard on 07513 839569.

😂 And finally…

I recently moved to a new house. Everybody was wearing tight jumpers. I later discovered it was a tight-knit community! 🧶

When a cop yelled, “Pullover!” to a driver who was knitting, she yelled back, “No, it’s a scarf!” 🚓🧣

I tried to quit using yarn, but I just couldn’t unravel the habit.

Why are Christmas trees so bad at knitting?
🎄 They always drop their needles!

Why did the sewing machine go to therapy?
🧵 It had too many tension issues!

My favourite outfit is whatever isn’t in the laundry pile. 😂

And finally…

I own a suit for every single occasion…
except the ones where I actually have to go somewhere! 👔🤣

🌸 Here’s to another busy month in Rhuddlan — see you out and about!

05/10/2026

New Winter Plants for Rhuddlan 🌷🪻🌺
Volunteers of the Rhuddlan Community Group were out in force today replanting the boxes in Rhuddlan with Winter Flowers 💐

16/09/2026

🍂 Well, here we are… rattling into September! 🍂

Christmas-type things are already appearing on the shop shelves, and somebody even said they’d spotted an Easter Egg! 🥚🐣 Was that for last Easter or next Easter? 🤔 Scots mist! 😂

Where is the year going? What have we done, and what are we doing next?

🌳 Picnic in the Park

The group recently attended Picnic in the Park, joining a marquee full of local voluntary groups. We weren’t there to raise funds — just to fly the flag and let people know who we are and what we get up to.

Our brand-new pull-up banner certainly helped with that! It attracted plenty of attention and became quite the talking point.

By the end of the day we were tired, hoarse and £18 to the good, but best of all, we gained one new volunteer! 🙌

What more could you wish for?

🌼 Winter planting is coming!

On the doing side, we’ve just ordered our winter plants. Planting day will be:

📅 Monday 5th October
⏰ 9.00am
📍 Rhuddlan Community Centre

We’ll be gathering, trowels at the ready! 🌱

All trowels are welcome! 🪴 If you’ve ever wondered what we actually get up to, why not come along and see for yourself?

During the week commencing 28th September, all the planters will be cleared, topped up and fed ready for their winter makeover.

And, just to prove there’s never a dull moment… we’ve already received the application form for the 2027 Food Fair! 😳😂

🎂 A birthday thank you

A big thank you to the Parish Magazine for the birthday mention. It was one with a rather large O in it, so naturally a family gathering and an enjoyable Sunday lunch were in order!

Many thanks to Debbie and Linda at Baileys, High Street, Rhuddlan — you did us proud! ❤️

👥 Could you spare the occasional hour?

Our next meeting is at Rhuddlan Community Centre on Tuesday 8th September at 6.30pm.

The main item on the agenda will be how we spread the load following Pat’s departure at the end of the year.

So, if you’re reading this and think you could help with the occasional hour of painting, planting or watering, why not come along?

You don’t have to commit to every activity — every little bit helps. 🌷

Or give Richard a call on 07513 839569 for more information.

😂 And finally…

A few little jokes to finish:

🧶 I recently moved to a new house. Everybody was wearing tight jumpers. I later found out it was a tight-knit community.

🧶 When a cop yelled “Pullover!” to a driver who was knitting, she yelled back, “No, it’s a scarf!”

🧶 I tried to quit using yarn, but I just couldn’t unravel the habit.

🎄 Why are Christmas trees so bad at knitting?
They always drop their needles!

🧵 Why did the sewing machine go to therapy?
It had too many tension issues!

👕 My favourite outfit is whatever isn’t in the laundry pile.

👔 I own a suit for every single occasion… except the ones where I actually have to go somewhere! 😂

As always, thank you to everyone who supports what we do around Rhuddlan. ❤️

Here’s to the autumn — and whatever else the rest of 2026 decides to throw at us! 🍂🌼

14/08/2026

🌸 Keeping Rhuddlan blooming! 🌼

Our fantastic watering gang are working overtime at the moment! 💦🌺 Their hard work is really paying off, with the results particularly noticeable along the High Street and around the Library car park picnic area. And it’s not just watering, our deadheading gang are also out in force, keeping the flowers looking fresh, colourful and tidy. 👏🌷

The recent heatwave has certainly tested our gardens. I spent a week in hospital during the hot spell, and it certainly played havoc with my own garden. Thankfully, the water butts came to the rescue and a good soaking seems to have revived most of the plants! 💧🌿 The water butts are now empty though… but I’m sure the rain will come eventually! ☔😂

🔥 Talking of heatwaves… 1976!

Back then, we lived in a Dorset village on the edge of a forest and very close to what was reputed to be one of the largest army fuel dumps in Europe, probably not the ideal location during a heatwave!

The forest caught fire and we narrowly missed evacuation by one road. The soldiers were on high alert, apparently even watching out for rabbits emerging from the forest with their fur alight! 🐇🔥 We had a couple of sleepless nights, accompanied by the constant sound of helicopters keeping a watchful eye on the situation. Quite an experience!

🌱 Looking ahead to winter…

The group are already planning for our winter planting. Planting will take place on 5th or 12th October, starting from the Community Centre at 9am.

If you fancy lending a hand, we’ll also be clearing the summer plants from the boxes during the last week of September.

📞 Fancy helping? Give Richard a call on 01745 590331.

And there’s another important reason we’re looking for volunteers…

After an incredible 15 years at the helm of painting, planting and watering, Pat announced at our May meeting that she’ll be hanging up her trowel and leaving the group at the end of the year. 🌷❤️

That’s some pretty big gardening boots to fill!

So, while you’re reading this, if you’re thinking “That’s something I could help with…” why not polish your trowel and come and join us? 🌱🪴

📞 Contact Richard on 07513 839569 for more details, or come and see us at our Picnic in the Park table on 1st August.

And finally… because every community update needs a few terrible jokes! 😂

🥧 What’s the best thing to put into a pie?
Your teeth!

🥚 Why are eggs afraid of chefs?
Because they’re always beating the eggs!

🧀 What happened after an explosion at the French cheese factory?
There was de brie everywhere!

🥞 Did you hear about the man who wanted to make pancakes for breakfast but never got around to it?
He kept waffling!

🍄 How much room should you give fungi to grow?
As mushroom as possible!

🥒 What is black, white, green and bumpy?
A pickle wearing a tuxedo! 😂

🌸 Fancy getting involved? Come and join us! Every helping hand makes a difference! 🌸

16/07/2026

☀️ A busy few months for the Rhuddlan Community Group! ☀️

Although we’re only halfway through the year, preparations are already underway for Christmas!
🎄 The History Society Christmas cards are being sorted and will be available from our Community Market table from September. At just £4 for a pack of 8, they’re a lovely way to send a little piece of Rhuddlan to friends and family near and far.

🍔 Food Fair 2026
A huge thank you to everyone who came along to the Food Fair. It was such a shame the weather had other ideas, with some activities having to be scaled back or cancelled after so much hard work by everyone involved.

Thankfully, we were nice and dry indoors, where Paddington and his Welsh girlfriend, Petra, proved to be a big hit! Visitors were challenged to guess which Welsh location (from 160 possibilities!) was where they first met. The game completely sold out at just 50p a guess, raising an amazing £80 for the group. Thank you to everyone who took part, our fantastic volunteers, and those who expressed an interest in joining us—we’ve been in touch and look forward to welcoming you.

🌼 Could you help us?
As mentioned previously, after an incredible 15 years, Pat will be stepping down at the end of the year from leading our painting, planting and watering team. She leaves some very big shoes to fill.

If you enjoy gardening, being outdoors, or simply want to help keep Rhuddlan looking its best, we’d love to hear from you. Why not dust off your trowel and join us? Contact Richard on 07513 839569 for more information.

And finally… a few weather-themed groaners to brighten your day! 😄

🌧️ Why do mother kangaroos hate rainy days? Because the children have to play inside!

🏖️ What’s the best day to go to the beach? Sun-day!

☃️ What do you call a snowman who tells tall tales? A snow-fake!

⚡ Where do lightning bolts go on dates? Cloud 9!

💰 Why did the woman go outside with her purse open? Because she expected some change in the weather!

🍌 Why do bananas wear sunscreen? Because they peel!

🤧 How do you prevent a summer cold? Catch it in the winter!

Have a wonderful summer, and thank you for your continued support of the Rhuddlan Community Group.

15/06/2026

Lots of action since the last article, the usual completion of the painting of all the groups furniture, followed by clearing all of the planters of the winter plants, some of which were salvaged and replanted in other locations, then the composting and adding of the dynamite to help the new plants on their way.

Bank Holiday 4th May @ 7.30am we took delivery of 650 plants a mixture of petunias, geraniums & begonias, Pat set about her methodical way of dividing the plants between the 20 or so planters, then at 8.30am the troops and trowels arrived, and so the planting procession weaved its way from the Community Centre to eventually end up at the library car park picnic site, the planting was assisted by bowser operator Judy, who made sure the plants had a good drink to start them off. (See picture)

Our volunteers enjoy what they do, making Rhuddlan colourful and a place to be proud of, but will those responsible please desist from stealing and trashing the newly planted plants at the picnic area, replacing the plants is a costly and time consuming task!!

I mentioned Pat who has been at the helm of painting, planting & watering for 15 years, Pat announced at our May meeting she will be hanging up her trowel and leaving the group at the end of the year, in her meticulous way she produced a list of hers and others responsibilities which make the group tick.
Whilst you’re reading this article you may think that is something I could help with, why not polish your trowel and come and join us, contact Richard 07496770576 for more details.

And finally:-

Q. What is a reptile's favourite film?
A. The Lizard of Oz
Q. Did you hear about the snail racer who ditched his shell?
A. He thought it would make him faster but it just made him look sluggish
Q. Did you hear about the killer whale who could play the saxophone?
A. He joined the orca-stra
Q. What did the farmer call the cow with no milk?
A. An udder failure
Q. What happens when a frog's car breaks down ?
A. It gets toad away
Q. How do apes travel across the air?
A. By hot air baboon