A double dose of chocolate heaven raised more than £3,000 for the National Eisteddfod that’s coming to Denbigh next year.
A sell-out audience attended a special screening of the classic, Oscar-nominated movie, Chocolat, at the town’s Theatr Twm o’r Nant.
Along with champagne and chocolates, the film lovers were treated to a feast of entertainment.
Guitarist Gethin Juckes-Hughes, 17, performed a song he composed especially for the occasion and, accompanied by his friend, Rob Williams, also played two songs from the film.
The talented singing group, Enfys, coached by Eisteddfod stalwart Leah Owen, also delighted the audience with a medley of appropriate, sweet-related songs.
Earlier in the day, there was a children’s matinee when the 1971 film version of the Roald Dahl classic, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, was shown.
The screenings were organised by a partnership of Denbigh Chocolate Shop, care organisation Pendine Park, public relations company Ceidiog Communication and Denbigh Film Club.
The evening event was compered by Gwynfor Jones, from the Pendine Park care organisation, who hails originally from Llandyrnog.
The fund-raising was supported by the HSBC bank that has a branch near the Chocolate Shop on Vale Street as well as the Buckley-based printers, EWS.
The bank contributed £1,500, helping the organisers to top the £3,000 mark.
Denbigh branch manager Hanna Andersen said: “It’s been a really fantastic event and we’re really looking forward to welcoming the National Eisteddfod to Denbigh – HSBC have a long history of supporting the Eisteddfod and we really want to get involved with it being in the local community.
Mark Young, from Denbigh Chocolate Shop, said: “I am just astonished at how much local talent there is in Denbigh, the two lads and Enfys were amazing.
“It was really nice to have an opportunity like this to showcase local talent and that’s what the Eisteddfod is all about. The community should be proud, it’s certainly blown me away.
“I could have sold three times as many tickets for this event and this afternoon was equally successful when the Willy Wonka film went down a storm with the children who were really well behaved.
“At a time when people aren’t being very nice about banks, HSBC have been very generous and we are very grateful to them for their support.”
According to Tracey Cuthill, the manager of Pendine Park’s Penybryn specialist brain injuries unit, the whole evening had been an enchanting experience.
Tracey, who lives in Cyffylliog, said: “The entertainment and the film complemented each other perfectly.
“We were delighted to be able to support the fund-raising to help the local committee achieve their overall target.”
Lil Jones, from Denbigh Film Club, paid tribute to her fellow members for the huge effort and energy they put in.
She said: “I am extremely pleased that all the hard work has been rewarded by the brilliant success of the two events.”
Ceidiog Hughes, the Managing Director of Ceidiog Communication, added: “I love films and the National Eisteddfod so this has been a heavenly combination.”
