BLAENAVON TOWN BAND: Mr Lyn Davies, chairman of Blaenavon Town Band, has given me details of the band's Annual Presentation Night.

The was held at the Constitutional Club, Blaenavon, and was a great success, with 75 people attending.

Top honours went to Jane Davies, who won the Gareth Protheroe award for Bandsperson of the Year.

The Owen Meredith award for the Most Improved Player was presented to Tianna Priest, and Anna Browne won the Bill Baldock award as runner-up Most Improved Player, both of these two awards were decided by band conductor Gareth Ritter.

Awards were also made to the juniors of Blaenavon Town Band, where Daniel Cox won the Crispin Rudge Shield for Junior Bandsperson of the Year. Ryan Browne was presented with the Best Learner award.

During the evening a special award was made to Paul Miles, who was given Life Membership for his contributions to Blaenavon Town Band over many years.

The junior section of the band are now working very hard rehearsing for a competition in Cross Keys, on January 26, where they will be competing with 22 other bands.

The senior band are rehearsing in preparation for the start of the regional contests for the National Brass Band Championships, which begin in March.

2007 was a very successful year for the band and we wish them every success again in 2008. Well done everyone.

FAME REPORT: The musical youth company, WAWWA performed Fame the Musical, at the Dolman Theatre, in Newport, in December.

Blaenavon girl, Rhiannon Porter, was the leading lady, and I'm told was excellent in her role.

A Blaenavon resident who went to see the show enjoyed it so much that he has asked me to include his report, which appears as follows: On Saturday, December 15, I watched WAWWA's musical production of Fame, at the Dolman Theatre, Newport.

What a really wonderful show. I thought it was going to be a difficult show for the young people to perform, but I was thrilled by how good they all were.

The young lady who took the lead role of Carmen Diaz (Rhiannon Porter) and her partner Joe Vegas (Matthew Bryant) were both wonderful, and well suited to their parts.

It was an outstanding show and I would like to give special thanks to Mr Jay Coleman and staff for all their work in training the young people.

Good luck for future productions.

Congratulations to Rhiannon for performing so well, and best wishes for more musical success this year.

PACT MEETING: The Next PACT meeting in Blaenavon will be held tomorrow, on Wednesday, January 16, at Blaenavon Workmen's Hall, at 7pm.

Partnerships And Communities Together (PACT) meetings provide an opportunity for you to make your views count, and to ensure the issues which matter to you are dealt with effectively by police and partners.

COMMUNICATION PROBLEM: I needed to contact Blaenavon police station on Wednesday, January 9, as I had been invited to a pre-PACT meeting which I was unable to attend and wished to give my apologies.

The meeting was to take place at 10am, so I rang at 9.30am, assuming that the station would be manned then.

I was put through to headquarters, Croesyceiliog and then Pontypool station. I was told Blaenavon was unmanned, and then transferred back and forth several times and didn't speak to anyone with my message at all.

I found this situation very frustrating, and it is not the first time this has happened to me.

I cannot understand why there is not an answerphone system in place at Blaenavon station.

I know that the station is not manned full-time, but surely there should be some way of leaving message of information, etc?

This problem with communication has been raised on several occasions by Blaenavon Traders Association, and Blaenavon town council, but it still has to be resolved.

I actually spoke to Inspector Paul Jackson at a PACT meeting in Blaenavon in September last year about this communication problem, and asked why there was no answerphone phone, and I was told that it was an issue that was being looked at, as it was known that the telephone exchange system was causing some difficulties.

On January 10, just past, I rang 01633 838111, which is the number the public are advised to contact their Neighbourhood Team on, and again was transferred between Croesyceiliog and Pontypool, this time it was three times, and I didn't get to speak to the person I required.

I personally don't think this situation is good enough for Blaenavon residents, and I can't understand why something isn't being done about it.

COME AND DINE WITH ME: If you love entertaining, love cooking and having fun, then you could take part in the Channel 4 show, Come Dine With Me.

A new series of the show starts filming on February 4, and people are being selected to take part now!

Over four days, four strangers from all walks of life take turns to host the perfect dinner party for each other.

At the end of the week the most impressive host wins a £1,000 cash prize.

Each episode of the series visits a different town or city, and Granada TV are looking for contestants in the Pontypool and Blaenavon area, if possible.

If you, or anyone you know, would like to take part, please asap and leave your details on 0871 244 4142, or email comedinewithme@granadamedia.com