http://www.hopehouse.org.uk/

All the best toall the Santas running today at Llandudno and Wrexham. Hope you raise loads of money for the lovelychildren of Hope House.

GARY SPEED

Shock tears and sadness at the death of Gary Speed

Why, oh why, we cry, the loss and grief reported papers plead

So young with fun, talent, drive when alive now passed

Country wide from club to club emotional silence, then applause that last

As football families mourn from Wales to Leeds and clubs country wide

For Gary speed a football legend, player, coach, Welsh manager, he stopped the slide

We send our love compassion to his wife, both sons and Garys dad as life did cease

So goodbye, Mr Speed, husband, father and son, from a fellow Welshman, Gary, May You Rest In Peace.

Alan Hanford

November 2011

We tried a new way of making jelly today.To condensed liquid jelly, bought in a glass bottle, addwater, pour mixture into a saucepan, bring to the boil,simmer for three minutes.Easy peasy, lemon squeazy, except Peter, who was put in charge of the proceedings, said it wasn't. Too much fiddling and stirring was his verdict and too expensive, too.

A block of jelly costsabout seventy pence, but the bottle cost 1.99. We had four generous servings, more thanwe'd have had fromthe jelly block. The bottled jelly took only three hours to set, which was a bonus.

We both agreedthejelly tasted good. ('I should hope so, considering what it cost', Peter declared). I spoonedChristmas compote over the jelly and we hadbrandy cream as well.

Yesterday, as a pudding, we had pears baked in white wine andhoney. I also addeda few cloves to the dish, to spice it up.

Next I simmeredblanched almonds in butter, placed them on a baking tray, sprinkled a few crystals of salt over them and left them in the oven for five minutes.

When the pears were ready, I mixed Amaretto liqueur into Greek honey and served it with the pears, sprinkling the nuts on top. All thisto avoida suetty Christmas.

I wasn't intending talking about cookery now.

I've just heard from Emma and family who are having a Christmas shopping weekend in Bath. Maudie went on the condition she would have a 'three course evening meal' (her own words).

These happy thoughts have led me elsewhere.

InFishguard today, Peter noticed a man he'd seen walking about when we arrived was still walking aimlessly around an hour later. I suggestedhe mightlive in a bed-sitter and had nothing to do.

Thiseveninga homeless man was featured on television and we started talking about the plight of the homeless.

I was approached bya young woman on Cardiff station whoasked if I couldsparesome money for her train fare to somewhere up the valleys. I askedhow much she needed and it was ninety pence. I gave a pound. Alright, she was 'trying it on', buta pound wouldn'tbankrupt me and yes, I know she wasn't catchingany train. She looked around at station staff watching her and told me they thought her a nuisance, but she wasn't, she assured me.

Next, she approached a man inhis thirties whorushed passed her without pausing. She then stoppeda teenager whogave her some coins.

This government is building only half the mount of homes required in this country, partly due to the economic situation. A recentletterin the 'Western Telegraph' complained about the nine hundred proposed new homes that are coming to this town and the writer decided, on what basis, I don't know, that Haverfordwest does not need these houses.

My aunt was the first house off the main road in a small country area. Tramps often came to the door and shepacked a 'cwdin' (paper carrier bag) with sandwiches and whatever she had to spare.

A friend of mine, in Fishguard, has a different tramp callingeach year at midday on Christmas Day and she gives a turkey dinner.

I haven't made a study of homelessness, why people find themselves in this situation, but I do know that it is very easy to become blinkered, when you're stirring the pudding and stuffing the turkey.

Back now, to my journey home from Caerdydd. (I don't mean to be too Freudian, talkingabout trains and stations, comings and goings butI thought I'd fill you in.)

On thereturn journey I found myself sitting by a lady who had boarded the train at 8.15am in West Yorkshire. She was visiting her son who had been working in Haverfordwest since August.

Hefound it hard to settle and the people were unfriendly. I explainedI havelived here for over forty years and it takes time to understand the local patois. Shelived in a rural area in Yorkshire and everyone spoke to everyone.

Not wishing to be perceived as unfriendly, I told her about the Landsker line and how the natives fled the Norman barons and settled north of the county. Flemings and Norman hangers on usurped the south, accounting for the big divide.She nodded, but I don't think history was of muchhelp regarding her son's social life. I could have mentioned the Palace Cinema, the George's Restaurant, surfing, the Leisure Centre, butshe was longing for a cigarette.

A man sitting opposite joined the conversation and askedif I liked history. He'd always wanted to study it. He went through various books he'd read, talked about the 1906 landslide victory of theLiberals, what were my thoughts on Lloyd George as atwo-family man. (My, how train journeys exercise the brain). I replied gifted men have usually got a lot of excess energy, with which he seemed satisfied. Thenhe saidhe'd decided, over the last few minutes, to start an extra mural course in 'Hanes'. Da iawn', I said.

When he'd gone, I pointed across the Towy Estuary and explained where my mother lived, in an effort to entertain my companion. I pointed outthe new footbridge into Carmarthen from the station.

Each station we stopped at saw her craning her head towrds the luggage rack at the back. I askedif she was anxious about her pigskin travelling bag and she nodded, saying the Christmas cake was in it.I suggested she buy a strap and lock the bag to the rail next time.

One of my sons- in- law was travelling on a train when he had his bag stolen. He gave me a strap when I went to London. Fortunately, five minutes before we were due in, I had a premonition. It took me five minutes of struggle to unlock the strap, so now Itake the absolute minimum when I travel and keep the bag under my legs.

In Carmarthen, a woman in her sixties got on and sat across the aisle from me. It was not long before she was in conversation witha couple who had been silentuntil now. Soon, we knew that they were from California, but he was originally a Londoner. They were going to a wedding in Haverfordwest.

The lady herself gave them her marital history, saying she was against marriage, should anyone ask her, but she advised them, as they had been married thirty years, to stick with it.

She still drove, but not to Carmarthen anymore, though she had an unblemished licence. The Californian couple no longer drove, either, because they went everywhere on internal flights, even distances as short as fifty miles.

Their fellowpassenger was leaning across the table, in animated conversation. She recounted all the places she'd visited, all the times she had been searched, how she disliked flying, hated it, but had to put up with it, if she wanted to see the world. She did not know what was happening to the world, she volunteered, but it was changing, definitely, and she didn't like it.

Thepassenger beside me said that the woman opposite was chatty for Haverfordwest.

All was revealed when we stopped to get outat Haverfordwest.The talkativewoman saidshe was travelling on, to Milford Haven.

The Yorkshire passenger looked at me enquiringly. 'A different breed again', I said. 'Chatty. Definitely'.

SNOW is the codename assigned to Arthur Owens, one of the most important British spies of the Second World War. Described by MI5 as a typical 'Welsh underfed type' he became the first of the great double-cross agents who were to play a major part in Britain's victory over the Germans. AmeriCymru spoke to author Madoc Roberts about this fascinating and little known character.

Buy 'Snow'  HERE ( Kindle edition available )

..

...

AmeriCymru:- Hi Madoc and many thanks for agreeing to be interviewed by AmeriCymru. When did you first become aware of 'Snow'? What piqued your interest?

Madoc:- I have my own television production company called Barkingmad tv and amongst other things we traced Hitler’s relatives to Long Island in New York. This involved getting hold of files from both the American and British Governments. Around the same time I noticed files about a Welsh spy called Snow were being released. I started researching him in case there might be a television programme in the story and that was the start of a six year search which ended up as my first book. This involved reading hundreds of secret Mi5 files and tracing his family. I have discovered a son in Ireland and a Hollywood branch of the family.

Snow’s real name was Arthur Owens and he was born in Pontardawe and later moved to Canada where he invented an improvement to batteries which he hoped would make his fortune but nobody wanted it so he came back to Europe . One day he walked into the German embassy in Belgium and came out as Germany’s master spy in Britain with the codename Johnny O’Brien. Every German spy sent to Britain was told to contact Johnny. What the German’s didn’t know was that he was already working for the British security services and he handed all these agents over to Mi5. That is how this little Welshman became the most important British double agent during the early years of WWII

AmeriCymru:- How easy was it to access the MI5 files necessary for your research? How much work was involved?

Madoc:- The files were all kept at the National archives in Kew where the staff are very helpful. The problem is that the system is not easy to follow so you have to be very persistent to get what you want. There were hundreds of pages on Snow (his real name was never mentioned) so I photographed them all, took them home and started reading this amazing story which had never been told. In many cases you are the first person looking at these files that were written over sixty years ago, so it is a thrilling experience.

AmeriCymru:- How valuable was Owens work to the allied cause?

Madoc:- The pattern that Arthur Owens set as Mi5’s first wartime double agent was followed by all those who followed. By the end of the war Mi5 controlled every single agent that Germany had sent to Britain and they also took their expenses which means that the Germans were paying for Mi5s operation. The greatest success of the double cross system was the D-Day deceptions which saved thousands of allied lives. It has been described as the greatest military deception since a large wooden horse was discovered one morning outside the city of Troy. On top of all this Arthur Owens messages which were sent to his handlers in Hamburg were used to make the first British breakthrough in the German Enigma code. He also went on may exciting missions involving early infra-red systems, trying to capture senior German spies and he brought back information regarding German plans to poison British reservoirs. I would say he was vital to the allied cause.

AmeriCymru:- OK I have to ask...which side was he on? Or was he playing both sides to his own advantage? The trip to Lisbon and the spell in Dartmoor are as confusing as they are intriguing.

Madoc:- Arthur Owens has always had bad press and his role as the founder of the double cross system has largely been ignored. The reason for this is because most of the books that bother to mention him rely on German sources for their information but of course these sources were based on false information that Mi5 were sending to the Germans in order to send them on the wrong path. Mi5s problem with him was that unlike most of their other agents who were ex criminals, Arthur Owens was a volunteer. His initial motive may well have been money but he had something of worth and in 1935 when he started spying for the British security services we were not at war with Germany. The public school boys and ex-military types of Mi5 described him as a “typical underfed Cardiff type” and he is often categorised as a fervent Welsh nationalist who sang folk songs to entertain the Germans but his son denies that he could sing a note. The information he gave to the Germans was all cleared by Mi5 and the formation he brought back from his exciting missions was invaluable.

After his final mission to Lisbon Mi5 decided that they couldn’t trust Snow anymore and chose to believe the ex-criminals they had watching him. The problem with the double game was that it was hard to know when an agent was tricking them or just playing their part as a Nazi spy. One false move and an agent could find themselves being put up against the wall and shot by either side. Arthur Owens liked a drink and everyone at his local pub seemed to know that he was a spy so when Mi5 had him detained in Dartmoor it was probably his saving grace. It is typical of Arthur Owens that even when he was in Dartmoor he took it upon himself to spy on his fellow inmates and he brought out some of the first information about the German V2 rockets.

AmeriCymru:- Why do you think the Heath government blocked rehabilitation of Owen's name?

Madoc:- In the 1970s several books were published about the double cross system and this was the first time that their existence was acknowledged publicly. These books painted a very unflattering picture of Arthur Owens who was portrayed as an untrustworthy, duplicitous, womaniser. Upon reading these accounts his eldest son Robert wrote to the Prime Minister asking to be allowed to tell his side of his father’s story. However Ted Heath used the official secrets act to block Robert’s right of reply. Robert probably had a rose tinted view of his father’s activities and by the strict letter of the law none of the books should have been published either. In fact the authors had to go America to find publishers. After the war Arthur Owens used his skills as a master spy to change his identity and vanish because he feared that someone he had double crossed might catch up with him. This not only made it a very difficult task to find him, it also left a vacuum which was filled by myths and half-truths. He didn’t want to be rehabilitated he just wanted to start a new family and forget about his war time activities.

AmeriCymru:- There is a Hollywood connection to this story. Care to tell us what it is and how you discovered it?

Madoc:- The Mi5 files mentioned that Snow had a daughter who they called Pat. I knew from her age that she would have been born in Canada but finding Canadian citizens is not easy as only family can apply for certificates. The only Patricia Owens I could find in Canada was a Hollywood film star who was the star of the original version of The Fly so I dismissed her as a mere coincidence. There were many people looking for Arthur Owens on the internet but by this time I knew that most of the books were wrong when they gave his middle name as George. I had discovered the patent for the battery invention which gave his middle name as Graham. So when someone replied to one of my requests for information saying that his father might be Snow’s son and that his name was Graham I got in touch with him. We compared notes and it became obvious that I was talking to a son of agent Snow from his second family which he started in Ireland. The Graham told me that as a boy he had been taken to the pictures to see The Fly and his mother told him that the leading lady on the screen was his sister. Patricia Owens had a glittering career appearing in over thirty films alongside the likes of Marlon Brando, James mason and Vincent Price. However she lost touch with her father and lived in fear that the public portrayal of him that emerged of him as a Nazi spy would become public and her career would be over.

AmeriCymru:- Do you think there is more to be discovered about this devious and fascinating character?

Madoc:- Snow is buried in an unmarked grave in Ireland because his son can’t quite work out what to put on his stone. I do find it a bit of a coincidence that he died only a few days after a newspaper article was published about his activities as a spy. At the time he was living in Ireland where he attended nationalist meetings and clapped loudly at the end of speeches although he couldn’t understand a word of Irish. If he had been sent to Ireland to infiltrate Sinn Fein then his time in Dartmoor would have given him the perfect cover but as with all things in Snow’s story you never know if things are true or whether it is all part of the double cross game. I may have to make another visit to the National archives to see if I can uncover even more.

AmeriCymru:- Where can our readers go to buy the book online?

Madoc:- Snow: the double life of a world war II spy is available through Amazon here

It has also just been released in the USA and can be purchased here

If people want to read more about Snow they can go to the codenamesnow site Where there is more information, a video interview with Snow’s son which features clips of Patricia with Marlon Brando in the Oscar winning Sayonara. The site also has a BBC Wales news item about him and a BBC Radio Wales interview I did on Jammie Owen’s show.

There are also lots more pictures including previously unseen family photos on my Facebook site

AmeriCymru:- What's next for Madoc Roberts?

Madoc:- I have just finished editing an interesting episode of the channel four archaeology series Time Team which went in search of Shakespeare’s house in Stratford upon Avon. I am also hoping that we might get a chance to make a follow up feature film to “Flick” which we made a few years ago and starred Faye Dunaway as a one armed cop in search of a killer zombie! Also an American record label has re-released my bands single from the seventies. We were called the Tunnelrunners and we were a punk band which played in the Swansea area. One of the original singles sold on eBay recently for $1,000 and a re-release of four other songs will come out soon. On the book front I am looking at a Nazi plot to kidnap the Duke of Windsor which I am provisionally calling Operation Willi and the Nazi Queen. It is a great story but a bit of a minefield when it comes to the research so we will have to see how it goes.

AmeriCymru:- Any final message for the members and readers of AmeriCymru?

Madoc:- Nadolig Llawen a blwyddyn Newydd dda I chi gyd and if you are looking for a gift with a seasonal title then let’s all hope that we get Snow for Christmas. (Geddit? Sorry.)

Interview by Ceri Shaw Email

Decided to give myself a little Christmas bauble. Well, Emma and Kate decided.

Precisely, somejewellery. Particularly, a crystal studded ring by S*****ski.

Normally, I'd need to be on more thannodding termswithan oligarch to have this, but it was not costing me anything because I had a reward voucher. Andsoit was that I found myself on the 9.29 am trainpulling out of Haverfordwest and heading for Cardiff last Wednesday.

I sat back, enjoying thescenery, rhimed frost on the grass andlone birds flapping about, likethe last survivors on earth.All was calm all was white, as inthe carol.

That was until wepicked up passengers in Carmarthen.First, someone's Auntie Vi could not find her seat, 15 A. This took five minutes of disruption and then the party began.

Four women and a bottle of wine, yo ho ho and away we go.They all had a glass (they'd forgotten about Auntie Vi by now, whose crocheted cap was bobbing up and down towards the front of the train), and cries of 'Penblwydd Hapus' rang out. (I mean 'rang').

The refreshment trolley arrived with sandwiches, crisps, chocolate and tea. One of the revellers gave it serious thought,before being told, 'Ti wedi bwyta cyn dod'.She'd eaten before getting on the train, apparently. Quite a sensible remark, I thought. Well nothing funny about it, not in a funny ha, ha, haway, anyway. However,hysterical laughter broke out and some of the 'party' were doubled up laughing. I tried saying 'Ti wedi bwyta cyn dod' quickly and then slowly in my mind, to see if I could figure out somethingha, ha, ha, about it, but I couldn't.

After a short silence, I heard someone say; 'It's cold today' and another voice answering, 'Yes, it is'.

This time the laughter wentoff the Richter scale and a drink was spilled, which was even more amusing.

The rest of the journeypassed witheruptions of laughter startling the new passengers who came on at Llanelli and all the myriad stops in between.

In Dinas Caerdydd,a cold wind blew across The Hayes. With the S******ski ring firmly in my mind, I decided it must be just as cold in Siberia. (I've never been to Russia, but the imagination is a powerful tool, so never mind.)

I had to go to the St. David's Shopping Centre. I wished I'd had a personal satnav to find my way aroundbut I found the shop I wanted, twoagreeable young men sellingpots of hand cream pointing it out to me andI chosemy ring,its colours sparkling like a peacock's tail feathers.

Outside, one of thechapels had puton a Christmas pageant. Two donkeys, a manger, and deacons dressed up as doethion ('Wise Men') and shepherds drew crowds of shoppers.Childrenpatted donkeys as straypricks of icy rain fell and thewind scoured people into the arcades. I rushed through myshopping before stopping for fish and chips and hot mulled wine in St Mary's Street. (This is the way to get your shopping done. Yah.)

On the train back I rang Peter to say what I'd had eaten and to pick me up atthe station.

We got into Haverfordwest (the train had started out in West Yorkshire) on time.

Peter greeted me with the words, 'I've got a fishcake in the oven for you'. I said nothing. I could feel the ring glittering in the box and I didn't mind if I had to eat fish and chips again.I'd had a good day out.

A Christmas Past and PRESENT - DECEMBER 2011.

One

A Christmas day lunch, with all of the bunch and also a secret Santa

Food n pud a laugh and a drink not arf, combined with the Christmas banter

Remembering school play, Joseph and Mary with baby and shepherds, stage fright!

With folks in front row, some tears as they flow, sing carols this candle lit night.

A festive film story, of Scrooge and theres Marley in chains, some sadness now that hes past

3 ghosts as the future, present and past, a moral now learned, Tiny Tim happy at last.

Two

Imagine a scene, a dream so serene, 3 wise men some gold, spice and star

Who started the story of Christs birth so holy may peace be upon you so far

Turkey, and presents, hang stockings o fire, imagine a sleigh bell that night

Whos the red guy on roof with a Reindeer aloof, whose nose is so red and so bright.

Use the door not the chimney a risk, Elf & safety, says Mary to Santa, his wife,

With snow roundabout, so deep and so crisp, also so cold and so even,

This lookout king Wenceslas twas moon filled relentless the day then the feast of St Stephen

A mince pie and sherry for us oh so merry, champagne, the chocolate we pass.

Some chocolate liquor, fruit, are you sure, some nuts, so demure, or even a Christmas Mass

Then home straight to bed and sleep well its said of Lapland in dreams as they pass.

Three

Its Christmas day now with flashing tree bough, the turkey in oven now cooking

Spuds, Sprouts, and the Swede, long boiling indeed, and the gravy so festively looking

Roast spuds and peas, Cranberry and cabbage a vegetable baggage so tuck in with glee and delight

Then presents old spice some brut, splashed all over, or bubble bath, soaking tonight

Some socks book or pen more chocs, there again a monopoly board or a game

200 pass go as the dice now you throw buy a hotel or street house of fame

As you travel around, this board game so sound with that silver whats its name.

Four

The lunch now is served with turkey and veg - thats a sprout I think its well done

Pull a cracker or two with jokes far and few its Christmas, so lets have some fun

Custard and pudding, brandy splashed spirit, the flame, lit a bright Christmas past

Merry Christmas is sung, by all and the young, the carols that obviously last.

FIVE

Monochrome vision, channels decision the choice we had then was just three,

Queens afternoon speech or a royal hello for family and friends or just thee

A sleep for us all, no snoring the call, another flat out by tree.

SIX

Bing Crosby is dreaming of a Christmas so white

Let it snow says Andy with family on TV tonight

Candles now lit the perfume it flows a sensory memory in head

Cinnamon, citrus, this Christmas aroma, a great ambiance indoors it is said.

SEVEN

But now its x box, game boy, all electrical and zapping, not charades in wrapping

Needing power, for guns, bombs, flashing on screen, eyes focused as cars crashing at speed when their lapping

Interacting with headphones, on screen an explosion or even a gun

This Christmas on screen may not be serene, but the family this yuletide is fun.

EIGHT

Spend time with your family in frivolity so festive

Christmas spirit, with cracker, a joke so suggestive

Thanks for the Santa, the presents and banter give and receive its just fine

So raise up a glass now the last verse I pass to you all as you sit down to dine

I wish you all well in the few words I tell with love care and humour in rhyme

Merry Christmas to you all, cheers is the call, fill up the glass with some wine

Regards to you all this Christmas the call, as we share in this festive toast

Keep happy and healthy and a little more wealthy and more gatherings with you and mine host.

Merry Christmas to you all

Alan Hanford December 2011

Rhydian has a new all Welsh album out this Monday - it is fantastic - listen to clips here.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/WELSH-SONGS-CANEUON-CYMRAEG-Rhydian/dp/B0064JSTX6/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1320925796&sr=1-1