Llanelwedd Centenary Celebrations

“Great joy at Llanelwedd this afternoon!  Celebrations were happy and all the more wonderful for your team’s delightful creativity with the children in the workshops and story-telling.”

So said Celia Jefferies, Secretary of the Hartstonge Educational Foundation which was funding the primary school celebrations. The foundation is named in honour of Dame Joanna Hartstonge, a Llanelwedd-born lady who died in 1718 leaving land rents to provide schooling and apprenticeships for the poor children of the parish.

Phil, Robin and Aimee workshopped Romeo and Juliet with the older children, leading to a rather marvellous performance for the parents with much sword-fighting and painful death from poisoning. Ralph Bolland enchanted the younger ones with his marvellous storytelling.

This description of Lady Joanna makes me think she would have approved of the festivities thoroughly :

“Dame Joanna Hartstonge impresses one as being an intelligent womn - her books and atlas suggest this, and yet no blue-stocking, since her brocade and velvet clothes hint at a feminine love of dress”.