THEY shook, they rattled and they rolled when the ‘King of Rock and Roll’ came to town for the launch of the first pop-up dementia-friendly cafe in Crickhowell.

Caffi Croeso, based at the Parish Hall, pulled out all the stops for their grand opening on April 17th, generously supported by local traders and friends.

Topping the bill on an afternoon of feasting and celebration was Elvis tribute act, Darren Graceland Jones.

Darren, who gave up his employment to work in a care home to gain experience of people living with dementia, is already a dementia friend and hopes to become a dementia champion.

Ian Thomas from the Alzheimer’s Society commented, ‘I think this has to be the best afternoon tea I have had. No wasting your time on savoury fare here, it was straight into the cakes, biscuits tea or coffee.

‘The volunteers were genuinely warm and friendly and enjoying their jobs so much which made for a very good atmosphere.’

Bingo was called by, Paul Lowe, proprietor of Bacchus Off-licence. The bingo tickets were provided free of charge by Dai Man U - who supplied enough to last

for a year.

The bingo machine was on loan from Gary at The Swan and proved so popular it is likely to become a permanent event at the Cafe.

Cakes were provided by Lucy from The Pantry and Chocolate Brownies from O’Donnell Bake House. Biscuits were courtesy of Morrisons, Asda and Waitrose.

The next event will take place on the May 15 at 2pm and will feature musical fun with Sally Rees, singer and guitarist. On June 19 the cafe will host Blaenau Gwent Rhythm & Ukes Band.

Every month Caffi Croeso in Crickhowell will offer a social space where everyone will have the opportunity to meet new friends and catch up with those they’ve met through previous visits.

Organiser, Suzan Alderton commented, ‘This is all about meeting lovely people and finding out what’s going on in your local area. These aren’t support groups but a chance to have a drink, meet new people and get out of the house. If you are nervous coming along to things like this feel free to bring a friend.

‘Living with Dementia Society is funding the cafe and we need your support to make sure the cafe can maintain its existence and provide quality entertainment suitable for all.

 ‘We are putting on a charity concert at the Clarence Hall to raise money to continue funding Caffi Croeso as well as other dementia related causes.

The Beaufort Male Voice Choir will be accompanied by a young soloist and we believe the evening will be quite remarkable. So please support people living with dementia and at the same time have a wonderful evening by booking your ticket ASAP. We have already sold over 100 tickets and are aiming for a full house.’

Tickets for the concert cost £10 and are available from Suzan or Mike, [email protected] or by calling Suzan on 07876085769 or Mike on 07528 279488.’