LAST Wednesday, July 1, 35 Tenby Friendship Club members travelled by Taf Valley Coach to Craig-Y-Nos Castle, on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park.

On arrival, after the group stopped for photo, they were welcomed with a cuppa and biscuits. Then they were shown into Adelina Patti’s specially-built theatre for a recorded talk about the history of the castle. The floor of the theatre was unique in that it sloped but could be cranked flat for dancing.

Renowned opera singer Adelina Patti (1843-1919) was the first in Wales to have electric lighting as the stage lighting with paraffin caused her dresses to catch fire! Patti married three times during her lifetime. After she died, the castle was made into a TB Hospital.

The Tenby friends wandered all over the ground floor, and some were taken upstairs to see Patti’s boudoir. Reassembling together for a lunch of Vegetable Soup and roll, and then a variety of sandwiches and biscuits with more tea or coffee, they then had until 2.30pm to wander the gardens, or just sit outside in the Fountain Courtyard in the sun before the return journey to Tenby.

Members voted the trip one of the best the club has undertaken.

Tenby Friendship Club member will meet one more time before the summer holidays: next Wednesday, July 15. They welcome new members to join them on September 9 when the club starts again.