Blogs

Llanelli hotel manager Christine Langley Evans has enlisted the help of Cor Meibion Llanelli (Llanelli Male Voice Choir) in herlatest fund-raising drive for Leukaemia Research.

Mrs Evans, manager at the Thomas Arms, has first hand experience of leukaemia.

I was one of the lucky ones, she said. I was diagnosed with leukaemia, but I was lucky enough to get a bone marrowtransplant nearly two years ago.

I will always be grateful for the life-saving care and treatment I received, so I like to stage events every now and again toraise awareness for Leukaemia Research and to help raise funding for thecharity.

Mrs Evans added: I am grateful to Cor Meibion Llanelli for helping me out with my latest event a musical evening at theThomas Arms this Saturday, starting at 7.30pm.

There will also be a guest soloist, Mandy Starr, who is from Port Talbot and sings classical and operatic items, so it promisesto be a real musical treat.

There will be a comedian and cawl and crusty bread is included in the ticket price, which is 10. Tickets are available at theThomas Arms, or by calling 01554 772043.

Please click on the link below to follow. Let me know what you all think!

Many thanks

Darren

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Darren-Parry/22234438968

Welsh writer Dave Lewis has just published his new book Sawing Fallen Logs For Ladybird Houses , a collection of poetry split into five sections and accompanied by photographs on the authors web site. The collection contains the poem Learning in Gaps which was highly commended in the New Writer competition judged by Helen Ivory.

Praise for Sawing Fallen Logs:

"From the first eponymously titled poem, we realise that Dave Lewis's work possesses an energy and freshness that lifts his imagery and empathy way above the work of many less ambitious poets. The element of surprise in each poem, however short, is even more startling coming as it does from such uncluttered writing. Last lines are an example, while phrases such as trees as tall as ships, a severe lack of hares, the brittle grass of misunderstanding... will surely enhance the readers' own perceptions of the world around them. This collection's structure too, works well under its five separate headings, and the diverse forms used in several poems adds visual variety. A wonderful read. Buy it!"
Sally Spedding
"Dave Lewis is a vital voice of the Valleys, in touch with both the streets and the natural world. His free-flowing verse makes him a Welsh son of the Beats."
Mike Jenkins

Dave Lewis has done it again! A superb collection of Zen-like poetry, not the usual pseudo-academic bullshit churned out by most of the arts council hangers-on but a cutting edge piece of art guaranteed to make us all sit up and take notice. A cyclic collection divided into five parts, each one able to stand alone yet each also flows easily into the next. We find ourselves transported from the beauty and fragility of nature past ex-lovers and exotic far off lands before finally returning home to the valleys and close family a wonderful sense of time and place. The last poems highlight an obsession with his local environment where sparse verse expertly pin-point what surrounds, influences and controls us all. This is another book to savour, full of surprises, but more importantly, full of answers in an ever distracting modern world.
Mark Davies

Dave Lewis is an accomplished photographer who moves easily between the beauty of an ecological landscape and the stark reality of urban decay.
Andrew Davies, The Gallowbirds

Dave is also competition organizerfor the Welsh Poetry Competition , an international event based in Pontypridd. You can purchase a copy of his third title, plus his other work from his website, Amazon, Welsh Books Council and all good booksellers. For more information visit the following websites:

Dave Lewis website www.david-lewis.co.uk

Welsh Poetry Competition www.welshpoetry.co.uk

Just got this--just in time for the "Wedding Watch"!Subject: Just announced - music of Welsh composer Paul Mealor to be played at Royal Wedding35 year old Welsh composer Paul Mealor has been chosen by Prince William and Kate Middleton to provide a large amount of the ceremonial music at their wedding tomorrow.Mealor was born in 1975 in St Asaph in north east Wales . Said to be inspired by landscapes - he divides his time between the highlands of north east Scotland and Wales - hes been hailed as a new romanticist of classical music.Heres what the New York Times says about him:One of the most important composers to have emerged in Welsh Music since William Mathias a real and original talent Music of serene beauty, fastidious craftsmanship and architectural assuredness Music of deep spiritual searching that always asks questions, offers answers and fills the listener with hope New York TimesVisit his website: http://www.paulmealor.com/ CatrinCatrin BraceUS Representative -Office of the First MinisterWelsh Assembly GovernmentWales International Center845 Third AvenueNew York, NY 10022

Royalist or republican, we all like a nice long weekend. And it's better when there's plenty of things to do. Allow us:

This Saturday, Howl Griff will be playing a gig for charity; on Monday, we release our latest single Bluebirds.

SATURDAY GIG FOR A KIDS' CHARITY

Saturday's gig is at Streatham's White Lion run by Music 4 Children, a charity dedicated to helping vulnerable kids world-wide. A lovely big ol' Victorian building on the Streatham High Road, The White Lion offers an enclosed beer garden and even accommodation. There are three bands on (including one from Italy!) and we're headlining. Entrance fee is via a charitable donation.

White Lion website: http://www.whitelion.org.uk/
White Lion's Google Maps page (directions, transport etc): http://tinyurl.com/3swlfkj

LAUREN LAVERNE LOVES OUR NEW SINGLE

On Monday we release Bluebirds, from the album The Hum. The single has already been played several times on radio stations from California's renowned KCRW to BBC 6 music whose Lauren Laverne called it "lush from a new band we love".

A driving Krautrock arrangement opens up into a typical harmony-laden melodic HG construction, with lyrics inspired by recording The Hum a goal-kick from Cardiff City's Ninian Park during the home side's FA Cup clash against Arsenal, as we explained to the South Wales Echo in a recent interview.

Bluebirds video (and many others): http://www.youtube.com/HowlGriff
South Wales Echo: http://tinyurl.com/63hm9tk
BUY IT ON iTUNES!: http://tinyurl.com/iTunesHowlGriff

AND IN SUMMER

Further ahead, we're very glad to confirm our first festival booking of the summer - at Buckinghamshire's Penn Festival on July 9/10. Among the other acts performing will be Dodgy, The Farm, Snap and Doctor and the Medics tickets are 29 for the day, 53 for the weekend with discounts for teenagers and families and under-12s free.

See the link below for more details on Penn - and keep in touch for more news about festivals this summer.

http://www.pennfestival.com/

That's it for now - hope to see you Saturday

--
HOWL GRIFF
Website: http://www.HowlGriff.com
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/HowlGriff
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/HowlGriff
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HowlGriff
Twitter: http://twitter.com/HowlGriff
Merchandise: http://howlgriffshop.spreadshirt.net

We are: Hywel Griffiths, Nick Moore,
Gary Parkinson, Steve Kennedy and you

Latest news from Rhuddlan, Denbighshire, North Wales
Newyddion diweddaraf o Rhuddlan, Sir Ddinbych, Gogledd Cymru

http://www.natur-rhuddlan.com/

Rhuddlan Local Nature Reserve website come and visit 24.7
Gwefan Gwarchodfa Natur Leol Rhuddlan ymwelwch ni 24.7

www.redstonecreative.eu

Read about Welsh elements in the Royal Wedding and the Prince's love of Anglesey:

The Royal Couple

"The groom, Prince William of Wales. and his bride-to-be Catherine Middleton live on the Island of Anglesey, Wales. William has a job with the Royal Air Force (RAF). Known as Flight Lt. Wales, William is a helicopter pilot of RAF Valley in Anglesey where he helps out with mountain resuce, the coastguard and air amublancer serices.

"I am very much looking forward to spending the first part of married life on Anglesey, It's been a fantastic time, I have very much enjoyed it and so has Catherine; she has loved being here. We've had an extremely warm welcome, couldn't have asked for better... So I couldn't say anything more positive about Anglesey.."

Read more here ( pdf ):- Welsh Royal Wedding