Meet the team

Vicar

Reverend Hywel Griffiths
Tel: 01792 403957
Email: rev.hywel1961@outlook.com

Hywel Griffiths was born in Clydach where his vocation was nurtured and discerned. Before ordination, Hywel worked as a graphic designer for a company called Menter based in Neath.
In June 2016, he was ordained a deacon and served in the Parish of Clydach on Tawe covering the churches of Saint Mary’s in Clydach, Saint Michael’s in Trebanos and Saint Peter’s in Pontardawe. Shortly after being ordained a priest in June 2017, Hywel became the assistant curate of the Parish of Llwynderw. He was made Vicar in 2020.
Hywel is married to Sian and they have two children and four grandchildren. He enjoys many interests including gardening, walking, sports, particularly following the Ospreys and DIY.

Archdeacon of Gower

Venerable Jonathan Davies
Tel: 01792 512747
Email: archdeacon.gower@churchinwales.org.uk

Archdeacon Jonathan was ordained in St Davids Cathedral in 1996. He served as assistant curate in the Parish of Betws with Ammanford before moving to the Diocese of Swansea & Brecon in 1999 when he was appointed as assistant curate to the Parish of Newton. He was later appointed as Vicar of Manselton & Cwmbwrla and Area Dean of Penderi before becoming Vicar of Llwynderw and Canon of Brecon Cathedral. In 2016, he became Archdeacon of Gower and continues to be based at Llwynderw.
Jonathan is married to Sharon and they have two children.

Assistant Curate
Parish Magazine Editor

Reverend Biddy Wigley
Tel: 01792 405404
Email: llwynderweditor@gmail.com

Biddy was born in Sussex and has lived on both sides of Offa’s Dyke.  She trained in Catering but ‘retired’ to bring up a family, working freelance as time permitted.  During this period, she chaired the local PTA, was Treasurer of the area’s RDA group, and helped set up and run the Abertawe Festival for Young Musicians.  Biddy came to faith in 1994 and joined the worshipping community of Llwynderw.  Her interests in computing and writing led her to take up the Editorship of the Parish Magazine in 2001.
Biddy was licensed as a Reader in 2014. In the following years, she discerned a call to non-stipendiary ministry (local) and was ordained a deacon in 2020 and priested in 2021.
Biddy is married to Bob and they have three children and five grandchildren.

Honorary Assistant Priest

Reverend Canon Arthur Howells
Tel: 01792 402123
Email: aghow@hotmail.com

Born in 1932, Arthur graduated from St David’s College, Lampeter in 1954, before training for the Ministry at St Michael’s College, Llandaff. Made Deacon in 1956, he was priested the following year and served his first Curacy in the Parish of Oystermouth which at that time embraced the areas now covered by Llwynderw.  Arthur and Margaret began their married life together in the Parish of Llangyfelach, where he was in charge of the work at the new church of St Teilo-on-the-Clase.  After incumbencies at Llyswen and St Paul’s, Landore, Arthur was made Canon Missioner in 1980, during which time he lived in West Cross Lane and had an office at Eastmoor, then on Bishopston Common.  For those ten years, Margaret ran the Sunday School at Holy Cross where she worshipped.  In 1994, Arthur was made Chancellor of Brecon Cathedral, and served his final incumbency at St James’, Swansea until he retired in 1998.
In addition to assisting in various parishes in the Gower Archdeaconry, Arthur has published three Lent anthologies: ‘A Lent Companion’ and ‘Generous Love’ (both published by Redemptorist Publications), ‘The Little Book of Lent’ (published by HarperCollins) and also ‘The Little Book of Advent’ (published by William Collins). ‘A Franciscan Way of Life’ in 2018 (published by The Bible Reading Fellowship). Just before Easter 2023, he compiled ‘An Easter Anthology’ (published by Hodder & Stoughton). He and Margaret have two sons, four grandsons and several great grandchildren.

Reader
PCC Secretary

Dr Felicity Padley
Tel: 01792 402437
Email: felicity.m.padley@gmail.com

Felicity Padley was brought up in Maidstone, Kent.  She took her degrees at St Hugh’s College, Oxford, completing her DPhil in 1970 (by which time she was lecturing and researching at, the now, Swansea University).  In the 1980s, she moved into FE teaching and worked at Gorseinon College, from which she retired as Director of Study and Assistant Principal in 2005 (although she continues to lecture part-time at the College).  She is now involved with various aspects of the work of the Church in Wales, on local, diocesan, and provincial levels.  She has been licensed as a Reader and has served as Llwynderw’s PCC Secretary since 2000.
Felicity is married to Peter (an erstwhile member of the Church in Wales Governing Body) and they have two sons: Kenneth (Canon Treasurer at Salisbury Cathedral) and Jonathan (A Fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge and their Admissions Tutor). The men are married to Anna and Danielle respectively. Kenneth and Anna have a son, Alex, born in 2009. Jonathan and Danielle have a son, Robin, born in 2018.

Mr Bob Wigley
Tel: 01792 405404
Email: bobandbiddywigley@gmail.com

Born and educated in Cardiff, Bob Wigley retired as the Wales Director of Lloyds TSB Bank plc in 2000, after some 41 years with the Bank, working in various parts of the country. In retirement, he has become more involved with the Church and the Parish – he is a Lay Eucharistic Assistant, a Lay Intercessor and a supporter and helper at Messy Church.
He has been Parish Treasurer for some 20 years, and is a long term member of the Swansea & Brecon Diocesan Board of Finance, and is a Member of its Audit Committee, and a Member of its Investment Committee.  He is also a trustee of the Swansea and Brecon Diocesan Trust.
Leisure-wise, Bob is past Chairman and now Commodore of the Bristol Channel Yacht Club, is a past Chairman and member of the Swansea 40 Club, and as his golfing days are now over, he remains a social member of both Langland Bay and Pennard Golf Clubs. He is also a member of Oystermouth Probus Club, and Chairman of the John Fussell Memorial Trust.
Keenly interested in classic cars, he owns and runs a 1949 Triumph Roadster 2000, and a 1996 Jaguar XJS Celebration Convertible. Bob is married to Biddy and they have three children and five grandchildren.

Parish Organist

Mr Leslie Ryan
Tel: 01792 406062
Email: les_ryan@btinternet.com

Leslie Ryan was born in Penarth, South Wales.  He became the organist at St. Augustine’s Parish Church there and an organ scholar at Llandaff Cathedral at the age of 15. Leslie trained at the (now) Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama where he won several prizes and a college diploma with distinction in organ playing. He qualified as a teacher at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff.  He has a joint honours B.A degree in music and philosophy. When he moved to Swansea in the 1970s he was appointed as Llwynderw parish organist. In 2002 he moved to All Saints Oystermouth and in 2018 returned to Llwynderw. Over the years he has conducted a BBC Songs of Praise and played for several BBC radio Celebration services.
During his teaching career he worked in several Swansea comprehensive schools: Cefn Hengoed, Morriston, Bishop Gore and at Gorseinon College where he specialised in teaching A level.
In 1975 Leslie became Musical Director of the Morriston Orpheus Choir and his first engagement was conducting the Choir at the Royal Albert Hall, London. To mark his appointment, Leslie composed a choral anthem for the Orpheus, Sing We Merrily, which was recorded by EMI and published by Novello.
In 2005 he was awarded the prestigious Archbishop of Wales Certificate of Merit in Church Music. In 2020 he was awarded the Royal School of Church Music Certificate of Special Service.
Leslie has played the organ for concerts at many prestigious venues including St Davids Cathedral, Brecon Cathedral, Llandaff Cathedral, Brangwyn Hall Swansea, Coventry Cathedral, Lincoln Cathedral, Lichfield Cathedral, Ely Cathedral, Pershore Abbey, Symphony Hall Birmingham, Huddersfield Town Hall, St David’s Hall Cardiff, Oxford Sheldonian Theatre and  Oxford Town Hall. For the Ariosa Singers tour to Rome, Leslie accompanied them at a weekday Mass at St Peter’s Vatican.
He is married to Penny Ryan OBE and together they run the Llwynderw Parish Chorale which sings at festival services in the parish. Their daughter Sali-Wyn is a professional violinist with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.