Musical Veg at Nant Y Coed Christmas Fair

Melon bongos, pepper shakers, leek violins and carrot kazoos will be just some of the musical instruments created and played by pupils of Nant y Coed Primary School at their Christmas Fair on the evening of the 2nd of December.

The performance, which will start at 6.00 p.m., launches the coming of a new children's book, 'Arnie Williams Talks to Veg!'. It celebrates the fact that, helped by Llanrug artist Efa Dyfan, 88 of the novel’s 150 illustrations were drawn by pupils of Nant y Coed themselves. Illustrations include ‘Evil Mastermind with Cat’ by Hellen Yesil, ‘Fear of Birds’ by Ryan Aitchison and ‘Man Refuses to Give Up Biting Dog’ by Ellie Hocknell. Efa has just graduated from Edinburgh University with a degree in Illustration and is about to set up a business painting bespoke toilet seats!

Written by Angie Roberts, the author of the BAFTA Wales winning television series, ‘Jinny May’, ‘Arnie’ is a humorous and contemporary Welsh story that includes Vegetable Orchestra Audio, instructions on how to make Carrot Whistles, Onion Stalk Trumpets, Melon Drums – and a whole load of other ridiculous vegetable instruments!  Caernarfon based musician and composer, Neil Browning, created the sound track – a squelchy rendition of a traditional melody perhaps better known today as a rousing Welsh rugby song. This then, is a book that even the most reluctant of young readers will want to possess.
 
 “I must say I really enjoyed ‘Arnie Williams Talks to Veg’,” says a reader for the Welsh Books Council. “In fact, I couldn’t put it down!”

For anybody interested in Wales there’s a visit to the National Botanic Garden, there’s the curious legend of Llyn y Fan Fach and there’s the Doctors of Myddfai and their mysterious understanding of the amazing medical properties of some of the plants that grow here in our own country.

Arnie's Scrapbook of Inventions for children to make themselves can be downloaded from the Free Crafts page of this website. It includes Anti Stink Apple Dolls, Pong-Planet Mobiles, Worm Camps, Bird Cafés, Rose Petal Perfumes and, oh yes, exceedingly tasty vegetable curry!
 
Ysgol Nant y Coed’s Christmas Fair will be an exciting event in itself – with crafts, cards, candy floss, cakes, hot dogs and, not to forget the good man himself, Father Christmas.

HELLEN YESIL - Evil Mastermind with Cat

RYAN AITCHISON - Fear of Birds

ELLIE HOCKNELL - Man Refuses to Give Up Biting Dog