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| April Jones: Machynlleth holds Eisteddfod Powys | April Jones: Machynlleth holds Eisteddfod Powys |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| An annual cultural festival is going ahead in Machynlleth, almost a month after the disappearance of April Jones. | An annual cultural festival is going ahead in Machynlleth, almost a month after the disappearance of April Jones. |
| Eisteddfod Powys organisers said they had considered cancelling but continued after learning the five-year-old's parents wanted it to go ahead. | Eisteddfod Powys organisers said they had considered cancelling but continued after learning the five-year-old's parents wanted it to go ahead. |
| The two-day festival included a procession from St Peter's church to the community centre on Saturday. | |
| Mark Bridger, 46, has been charged with abducting and murdering April, who was last seen near her home on 1 October. | Mark Bridger, 46, has been charged with abducting and murdering April, who was last seen near her home on 1 October. |
| The opening events of the eisteddfod, one of the largest regional events of its kind in Wales, were held at Y Tabernacl, a converted chapel which is now the museum of modern art. | |
| The stage has been decorated with pink flowers in tribute to April. | The stage has been decorated with pink flowers in tribute to April. |
| Machynlleth has been draped in pink since April's mother launched a ribbon appeal to support the search for her. | Machynlleth has been draped in pink since April's mother launched a ribbon appeal to support the search for her. |
| A week after disappearance her parents released a sky lantern, while others in the town released pink balloons. | A week after disappearance her parents released a sky lantern, while others in the town released pink balloons. |
| Hundreds of people turned out last Monday to see a town clock lit up in pink to mark the third week. | Hundreds of people turned out last Monday to see a town clock lit up in pink to mark the third week. |
| Michael Williams, a town and county councillor in Machynlleth, said April's parents and extended family were fully supportive of the eisteddfod going ahead. | Michael Williams, a town and county councillor in Machynlleth, said April's parents and extended family were fully supportive of the eisteddfod going ahead. |
| He said: "The fortitude of April's parents and the extended family is of huge importance to the town. | He said: "The fortitude of April's parents and the extended family is of huge importance to the town. |
| "They want people, especially children and young people, to once again take part in something such as the eisteddfod which is a major part of Welsh cultural life. | "They want people, especially children and young people, to once again take part in something such as the eisteddfod which is a major part of Welsh cultural life. |
| "The mood has lightened somewhat since the superb lighting of the town clock this last Monday but people are still mindful of the enormity of what happened on 1 October. | "The mood has lightened somewhat since the superb lighting of the town clock this last Monday but people are still mindful of the enormity of what happened on 1 October. |
| "The display of pink ribbons, etc, had indeed brought a major focus for everybody, so that there is this huge togetherness of us all and that's why it's important the eisteddfod does go ahead." | "The display of pink ribbons, etc, had indeed brought a major focus for everybody, so that there is this huge togetherness of us all and that's why it's important the eisteddfod does go ahead." |
| On Saturday, runners in the Snowdonia marathon wore pink race numbers in support of April's family. | |
| Her disappearance prompted one of the biggest searches for a missing person in recent times, and involved hundreds of volunteers from the Machynlleth area, across Wales and parts of England. | |
| Hundreds of trained search and rescue staff from the police, the fire service, mountain rescue teams and the coastguard have also been involved as the search continues. | Hundreds of trained search and rescue staff from the police, the fire service, mountain rescue teams and the coastguard have also been involved as the search continues. |