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Once again, as part of this year's WCE , we've secured a booth at this year's Wordstock , Portland's book and publishing festival.

The last time we were at Wordstock was 2010. That year, Welsh authors Chris Keil and Niall Griffiths
appeared on a panel on Welsh writing in English and Chris delivered a well received workshop on writing dialouge. Their books were featured at the AmeriCymru booth and they were there with Welsh author Peter Griffiths and Welsh-American author Lorin Morgan-Richards .

As every year, Wordstock takes place at the Portland Convention Center, on the east side of the Willamette River and very easy to get to by public transit - there's a trolley/train station right there next to the convention center. Thousands of people attend and there are booths from publishers and writers and many book and literature related business and organizations and individuals as well as several stages and areas for readings, lectures, workshops, seminars and other events going on over the four days of Wordstock.

So far this year we've confirmed Jen Delyth , who will be there signing copies of her book Celtic Folk Soul: Art, Myth & Symbol , and we're working on confirming more authors.

Oregon Convention Center at night

And we'll be there, bringing Welsh literary goodness to Wordstock!

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No name is so frequently invoked on Wales as that of Owain Glyndŵr, a figurehead of Welsh nationalism and the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales. However, although much is known and recorded about Glyndŵr, he disappeared from the pages of history in 1412 and it is still not certain where his burial ground is located. Further still, except for what was recorded by some poets of the time, much less is known about his children’s lives.

It is due to these mysteries surrounding Glyndŵr’s life that author John Hughes decided to write Glyndŵr Daughter, a fictional account of the life and times of the daughter of the Prince of Wales - Gwenllian. Although it is possible to glean Gwenllian’s renowned beauty, poise, intelligence and loyalty from poems sung by poets who visited her home in Cenarth, Llanidloes, what has not been documented is the fact that as Glyndŵr’s daughter, her life was tied to the ebb and flow of her father’s war.

In Glyndŵr’s Daughter, Hughes takes the reader back to the cloak and dagger life of the time, and shows how Gwenllian was herself drawn deeply into the murky world of espionage in order to help her father’s cause. Gwenllian suffered horrific experiences during the period of the Glyndŵr uprising, experiences which are shared for the first time in the novel.

The author also suggests a new possible burial location for Glyndŵr in the novel, and argues against the common notion that he was possibly buried close to his home, or on the estates of one of his other daughters in Herefordshire. As Gwenllian lived in a remote part of Wales, she was in a better position to help hide her father and deceive his numerous enemies during the last years of his life, and would therefore have played a crucial role in his burial. So according to John Hughes, where exactly was Owain Glyndŵr buried at dusk in the dark autumn season of 1415?

Glyndŵr’s Daughter is John Hughes’ first novel. He has a PhD in Chemistry and is a newly retired head teacher of Llanidloes High School after 26 years in office.

Extract from the novel:

They returned to Glyndŵr’s grave and stood near it for a few seconds, and Gwenllian said, “If we are successful, no one will ever know where this true prince of Wales in buried. I don’t like the thought of that…”

“Don’t worry, Gwenllian,” said Meredydd. “No one knows where Arthur is buried either, but he has not been forgotten.”

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We are asking all members to please consider signing this petition:- Abertis - change your approach or sell Cardiff Airport

"Policies by Spanish owner Abertis have led to a collapse in passenger numbers, jobs and investment at Cardiff Airport. Every month, more and more passengers are forced to choose Bristol or Birmingham Airports, while jobs are shed at Cardiff, airport-based industrial/business property lies unused, local firms reliant on the airport suffer, Wales' High Street travel agents find their need to offer Welsh departures/arrivals are frustrated and the Welsh public discover they have no say over their international gateway.

ABERTIS MUST RETHINK THEIR APPROACH OR BE FORCED TO GIVE UP CARDIFF AIRPORT."

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It is vital for Cardiff and for Wales that it has a thriving international airport preferably with a direct transatlantic connection. It appears that under the current owners much needed investment and development is not forthcoming. Therefore we are urging all members to consider supporting this campaign. If you do not wish the app to post to your Facebook wall, simply click 'skip'. If you do not wish to make a donation to support iPetitions you can hit the 'back' button in your browser when you come to the donation screen. Most importantly....DO NOT ALLOW THESE CONSIDERATIONS FROM LETTING YOUR VOICE BE HEARD. VOTE NOW TO SUPPORT CARDIFF AIRPORT.

Diolch

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Follow the whole nine yards here (a 95 part series) :- Half Marathon Blog

Why I am running:- West Coast Eisteddfod Bryn Seion Church

For details of how to sponsor see this post

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OK so I'm gonna be super lazy tonight BUT this really doesn't need any commentary. My next running challenge

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'Nuff said.
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A Treasury of Welsh Heroes


By Ceri Shaw, 2012-04-30

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A book to stir the blood and stimulate the imagination

a treasury of welsh heroes front cover detail Wales undoubtedly has a rich history of both heroes and heroines who are hailed in the tales and legends of Wales. Ten of the most prominent characters are celebrated in the latest publication by Pont Books , A Treasury of Welsh Heroes

Between the covers you will find saints and kings, lovers and lawmakers, poets and princes, rogues and warriors but who will be your favourite? Will you be taken with Prince Llywelyns bravery? Will you be enchanted by Princess Nests beauty? Or will daring Twm Sin Cati capture your imagination? Whoever is your favourite hero from the history of Wales, youre sure to find a story to tempt you amongst the variety of heroes featured in this publication.

Based on Trysorfa Arwyr Cymru , an original work by Tudur Dylan Jones, the approach to each hero is different: some are reported from the viewpoint of a young bystander; some are autobiographical and some are more poetic.

Not only does the book tell the tale of some of our most famous heroes, such as Llywelyn Our Last Prince and Owain Glyndr, but we also learn more about heroes such as Princess Nest, who are, perhaps, lesser known. The publication could also be regarded as a journey through the centuries and also a journey through Wales beginning with the story of Saint David through to the legend of Guto Nyth Brn.

Between the covers of this lavish volume, Brett Breckons breathtaking artwork brings the characters to life in front of your eyes. His detailed artwork combines historical accuracy with his noted flare for drama and design. Art has always been a passion for Brett At a very young age, art kind of grabbed me, and hasnt really let go since. I somehow felt certain that Id become an illustrator, and now it is almost impossible for me to imagine doing anything else.

The illustrator from Roch near Haverfordwest, can often be found in one of three places - on the beach with his surfboard, paddling his kayak or in his studio quietly painting.

A Treasury of Welsh Heroes is available to buy from all good bookshops and online retailers.

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Follow the whole nine yards here (a 95 part series) :- Half Marathon Blog

Why I am running:- West Coast Eisteddfod Bryn Seion Church

For details of how to sponsor see this post

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My daps finally gave up the ghost today. One is split at the toes and the other is split at the heels. Guess I'm going to have to invest in new footwear soon. Meanwhile I was reminded of a typically helpful remark by our top commenter Swansea Jack ( he loses a buck for every day he misses ) who suggested some time ago that I consider running barefoot. I decided to investigate

It seemed to me that the risk of stepping on broken glass or rocks and gravel whilst running barefoot far outweighed any advantage that might accrue from the more natural stride that this practice supposedly encourages. But...lo and behold....I came across this article about barefoot running shoes !!:-

The running life: New things, like barefoot running, worth trying

Now perhaps I am missing something here. It might seem natural to suppose that barefoot running would involve running with no shoes on. But apparently not. What it actually means is that you run in bizarre daps with individual toe spaces buit in. There is a pic in the article linked above.

Another article I found lauds the benefits of running in 'barefoot sneakers':-

Get out and (barefoot) run

Has anybody tried this? Should I?

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Follow the whole nine yards here (a 95 part series) :- Half Marathon Blog

Why I am running:- West Coast Eisteddfod Bryn Seion Church

For details of how to sponsor see this post

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Well, today was my day off. I try to take at least one day off from AmeriCymru, running, blogging etc per week. I freely admit that I have spent the day catching up on the latest series of 'Breaking Bad'. If you haven't seen 'Breaking Bad' yet you are in for a treat. Easily the best show on TV at the moment imho.

But back to running. I was amused to see the following in a post on the site about the about the World Alternative Games in Wales :-

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The man vs. horse race, an event at the World Alternative Games in Wales, has been around for three decades; a man has won three times.

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I guess, over a short distance, the horse should win every time. But I seem to recall reading somewhere that native Americans would capture and break wild horses by tracking and running after them for long distances. The horse would obviously bolt whenever its pursuer came into view but would eventually tire, provided the pursuit was kept up for long enough. I also recall reading somewhere that this has to do with the fact that horses have a thick coat and are unable to lose body heat as effectively as humans . Consequently when it comes to endurance over long distances ( provided one is super fit ) a man can indeed outrun a horse.

I wouldn't swear to any of this and I cant remember the sources of my information. Maybe it's just a mental 'barnacle' ( in the words of Aldous Huxley ) that I have picked up somewhere along the way.

Anyway I dont plan to outrun any horses on July 4th....just finish the course and maybe celebrate with a pint or two. Of course I have to perform the 'Grangetown Dap Dance' before I can get down to any serious celebrating ( all part of my pledge ) but I still don't know the steps. I'll repeat my appeal for info on this . Does anyone know the right moves?

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Wales Coast Path set to opan May 5 2012


By Bob Titley, 2012-04-28

In just 7 days, the 870 mile Wales Coast Path will be officialy opened. I am sending 7 major outdoor activity media from USA and Canada to cover the opening and to walk some of the path in North Wales and Anglesey.

Wales will be the only country with a full access coastal path and combined with Offa's Dyke Path, the only country you can walk all the way around.

Check out www.walescoastpath.gov.uk

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Welsh pub owner organizes 2012 World Alternative Games

By John Bordsen Foreign Correspondence

John Bordsen
John Bordsen is the Travel Editor for The Charlotte Observer.
  • The man vs. horse race, an event at the World Alternative Games in Wales, has been around for three decades; a man has won three times.

  • Peter Brown, 60, lives in Llanwrtyd, Wales, in the county of Powys, where he has a pub, the Stonecroft Inn. He is also the organizer of the 2012 World Alternative Games, which will be held in his village.

Peter Brown, 60, lives in Llanwrtyd, Wales, in the county of Powys, where he has a pub, the Stonecroft Inn. He is also the organizer of the 2012 World Alternative Games, which will be held in his village.

Q: OK, how do you say where you live? Lan-word-did?

Near enough.

Q: What does your part of Wales look like?

Its brilliant: one of the most unexplored parts of Wales, with rolling hills, streams and rivers smack bang in the belly button of Wales. It can be wet at times, but when the sun shines its one of the best parts of Britain.

You get here by road or train. Its about four hours from London, but there are airports at Bristol and Cardiff. Manchester is only three hours away.

Its very sparsely populated: Less than 700 people live here, generally working in forestry or farming. Theres a small business in town that employs about 30.

I live in the pub. Its very traditional a black and white building thats long and narrow and is about 100 years old. Its typical Old-y World-y, selling traditional beers.

Q: Youre the chairman of the World Alternative Games. And they are?

Weve always been known for crazy events in town bog snorkeling, man vs. horse races and we were just talking about so many of these kinds of events, and how little of (Britains) 2012 Olympic games are coming to Wales. We thought we would bring as many fun, quirky outdoor events down to us for our own games.

We got a good reaction to this in town, though some are obviously worried about the number of people who may come down for the events. We got a good reaction from the Wales Tourist Board and Welsh government TV. Were starting to get presenters (TV announcers) wanting to come down here. There are companies wanting to do little bits about the events.

Q: What are the usual crazy events?

The man-vs.-horse race is usually in June; bog snorkeling is in August. The bog snorkeling will pretty much remain in the same time slot. The games begin Friday, the 17th of August, and finish Sunday, the 2nd of September. Its basically the gap between the London Olympics and the Paralympics.

We will have something like 30 different events: chariot racing, beer-barrel rolling, bath-tubbing, downhill mountain board championships, wife-carrying, stone-skimming, wool-sack carrying, backwards running, worm charming plus more. Such as gravy wrestling.

Q: Bath-tubbing?

Its where people race in old bathtubs around a course. Its on water. Theyll be doing this probably down at a local lake, Abernant Lake.

Q: Worm charming?

Competitors try to get as many worms as they can out of a 3-meter square of a grassed area, using only a fork. They have 30 minutes to do this. The world record is well over 500. It was set in Nantwich, right over the border in Cheshire.

They dig their fork around in the dirt, but are not allowed to turn the surface over. That and stomping your feet attract the worms to the surface. The worms are put in a suitable container and not released until after dark, because the birds might eat them. We think of everything, you see.

The oldest event here is probably the man-vs-horse; that goes back 30 years. Weve had something like 500 runners and up to 50 horses.

Q: Do horses always win?

Nearly always. But a man has won three times.

Were trying in these event to promote the spirit that taking part is more important than winning. However there will be gold, silver and bronze medals.

Q. Welshmen have been famous archers since the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. No longbow events?

Too dangerous. Not quirky enough, really. Anybody can have a go at this.

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Jenkins Bakery boss joins Pasty Tax march


By Robert Lloyd, 2012-04-28

One of the bosses from popular South Wales bakery Jenkins the Bakers joined a march on No10 Downing Street in protest at the Pasty Tax.

David Jenkins, commercial director and company secretary with Jenkins the Bakers, joined hundreds of bakers in presenting a petition objecting to Pasty Tax to No10.
Mr Jenkins said: It is grossly unfair to ask the consumer to pay an extra 20 per cent on the product simply because it is either hot or warm.
We live in a very difficult economic climate and a lot of our customers are on very tight budgets and they cannot be expected to pay the extra amount.
Its an unfair tax
The Jenkins Bakery currently sells more than 50,000 corned beef pasties every week in South West Wales.
Mr Jenkins said the proposed 20 per cent VAT would obviously hit sales of the bakerys products.
Todays march was organised by the National Association of Master Bakers (NAMB) and started from Pudding Lane.
Up to this morning, nearly 500,000 signatures had been collected for the petition to No10.
Last week a move by Labour to block the Pasty Tax was defeated despite a revolt by 14 coalition backbenchers - nine Tories and five Liberal Democrats.
Jenkins the Bakers, a third generation family business based in Llanelli and with shops across South West Wales, is in the vanguard of a campaign to halt the tax proposal.
The tax is unmanageable, unpalatable and unfair, said the Jenkins Bakerys operations director Russell Jenkins.
The Government is out of order in introducing VAT on some of the nations favourite and most affordable foods.
We know how popular our products are and many appeal to families who are already suffering severe budget restraints in these difficult economic times.
Our customers will feel the damage of this unwelcome tax in their pockets and that is bad news all around.
The Chancellor, George Osborne, has angered craft bakers across the country with his Budget plan to change the VAT rules on freshly baked, hot pies, pasties and other savouries.
Mr Jenkins said: It is anticipated that the VAT will increase by 20% the cost of some of the nations favourite and most affordable foods.
The move has angered craft bakers across the country who fear for the resulting loss of sales and the effects on their businesses.
The National Association of Master Bakers (NAMB) is mounting a campaign to ensure that this proposal is dropped from ministerial plans before it can become law in October.
We have until May 4 to make the Government see how this price increase will effect ordinary people and how unmanageable the implementation of the tax will be; concentrating as it does on the relative hotness of the product in comparison to the ambient temperature in the bakers shop!
The Association believe the proposal is ill conceived and poorly thought through, making it open to mis-interpretation. It will be confusing for both bakery staff and consumers who will see it as an unfair tax.
An online public petition has been set up on the following internet link
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/32044
Picture: Russell and David Jenkins.
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