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In her editorial to the very first issue of The New Welsh Review, published in the summer of 1988, Belinda Humfrey wrote, for a long time to come, it is obvious that, should we wish, The New Welsh Review could go on, bursting at the seams, with writing from the land of its birth.
The magazine has been published quarterly for twenty five years since that first edition;the hundredth issue of magazine is still as relevant and bursting at the seams as the first. We've continued to profile the best writing from Wales, stayed at the forefront of magazine design while both spotting and curating diverse literary trends along the way.
Hi everyone. I intend to write something on here once or twice a week, because I enjoy telling people about places and the stories which go with them. I have an ulterior motive of course, to promote my business, 'Cambrian Safaris' which I'll push more directly another time. I have a separate identity on here for the business, where I will write about tours and places of interest.
First a little bit about myself.
I was brought up in the south east of England, but my association with Wales started with the majority of childhood holidays being taken in Cardiganshire (as we knew it then).
I am married to Hester, a Dutch lady I met at a the Dolaucothi Gold Mine (more about that someday) and we have 2 children, Dylan, 13 and Bethan,11. We live on the edge of a small village about 11 miles from Aberystwyth, a little way up in the hills, and have a few chickens and 2 Dogs, (Flatcoated retrievers). There are some great views to Cardigan bay from just up the road.
Places have always been important to me, perhaps partly because of the experiences I have had in those places. A theme I will no doubt expand upon in the future is how the place where you live the landscape in particular- influenced people and their fortunes in the past.
In my 'youth' I spent the best part of a couple of years in the Lake District, working with the National Trust... I've started writing about that somewhere... For the greater part of the last 17 years I worked at the Llywernog Silver Lead Mine, conducting guided tours through the mine and telling people what it was like living in the 'wild west' of Wales for the people who came here to work in the mines. I will definitely write about this a number of times no doubt, featuring how the Geology and Geography of an area influences peoples led their lives in the past.
Mid Wales has been my home for about 20 years now, including my time as a student in Aberystwyth. To me one of the things that is most special about the area is the variety in the Landscape.
The Wild west of Wales.
Ceredigion has a bit of everything, from a varied coastline, deep river valleys, green farmland and the Cambrian Mountains. The coast, from the sand dunes at Ynys las and Borth Bog, to the raised beaches at Llanon, and the cliffs from New Quay to Cardigan covered in nesting sea birds, is largely designated as a Heritage coast, with special wildlife protection stretching out to sea. Dolphins, Porpoises and Seals, are regularly seen here, boat trips are on offer from New Quay, and crab and lobster boats operate from here too.
The Cambrian Mountains guard the eastern side of the county, although they are a fraction of the size of the Rockies, they have always been a barrier to communications, nowadays the barrier is more psychological, in the past communities along the coast had more trade with Ireland than England.
The southern half of the county has more of a lowland character, although it is still pretty hilly with some deep valleys cutting into it, it is covered largely in farmland with - I believe mostly good grazing. The valley of the River Teifi runs along the foot of the mountains from Pontrhydyfendigaid, Tregaron and Lampeter, and runs down to the coast at Cardigan, (Aberteifi) through Newcastle Emlyn.
In the northern half of the county the Cambrian mountains stretch down to the coast, these hills are crossed by a number of fault lines along which the remains of over 100 old Silver Lead mines can be found, a mini 'wild west' with the stories of the people who came in search of riches here over the last 4000 years.
If you work your way up a valley like the Ystwyth, the landscape changes dramatically every few miles, from a broad open valley to an Alpine like V, a deep gorge and opening up into a forested estate, more farmland, heavily mined hillsides, and high wide open moor land, all in the space of about 15 miles.
This merely touches on the riches of a little known part of the world. It has long frustrated me that Wales is always divided into 'north' and 'south' when described from outside, tourism wise its all about the National Parks. Mid Wales is very much a non entity, and Ceredigion is barely heard of in the outside world,which is a very great shame. Things are hopefully changing, Ceredigion is slowly becoming known as a specialist food producer, Welsh Lamb, farmhouse cheeses, lobster, even wine!
Part of my idea for Cambrian Safaris is to play a small part in showing the rest of the world that mid Wales has something to offer, spectacular landscapes and the history and stories that go with it.
1st-8th August.
The National Eisteddfod of Wales, begins today in Meifod, near Welshpool. The Eisteddfod alternates every year between North and South and is the most important cultural event of Wales.
The 1st of August is the day Lleu Llaw Gyffes, Lord of Gwynedd is celebrated.
Illegitimate, nameless, rejected by his mother, cuckolded and betrayed by his wife and murdered by his neighbour, Lleu Llaw Gyffes may seem an unlikely folk hero. However, his perseverance against odds seemingly stacked against him, his resilience, and his ability to bounce back every time, even from death, make him enduringly appealing to readers of the Mabinogi.
This is his story:
Arianrhod, the high-born niece of the great magician Math fab Mathonwy and sister to Gwydion and Gilfaethwy, claimed to be a virgin. However, her lack of chastity was revealed when she gave birth to Dylan, and to his twin, an unnamed male child whose existence was concealed by his uncle, Gwydion. Some years later, Gwydion presented the boy to his mother, who flew into a rage at this unwelcome reminder of her shameful loss of virginity. She placed a 'tynged' or curse on the child that he would forever remain nameless unless she herself would name him, something that she, of course, never intended to do. After considering the problem for a year or so, Gwydion devised a cunning plan. A master of magic and disguise, Gwydion assumed the identity of an itinerant cobbler of great skill, with the nameless child as his apprentice. The shoes he crafted were of the finest, softest leather and exquisitely wrought, and soon became widely desired by all the noble women of the district. Faced with the prospect of being the only woman without a pair of designer Gwydion shoes, Arianrhod sent for a pair. Gwydion sent her a pair which were deliberately too small, then a pair which were too big. Arianrhod had no choice other than to visit the mysterious shoemaker for a personal fitting. While she was there, the child aimed a cobbler's needle at a wren resting on a nearby post. So true was the boy's aim that he hit the bird between the tendon and the bone of the leg, prompting Arianrhod to remark, "the fair-haired boy has a skilful hand!" At this pronouncement, Gwydion revealed his true identity and declared that henceforth the boy would be called Lleu Llaw Gyffes, 'the skilful handed fair one.'
Furious at having been tricked, Arianrhod placed a second 'tynged' on the boy; that he would never bear arms unless she should dress him in them herself. This implied that Lleu would remain forever powerless, vulnerable, emasculated and unable to be a warrior. Not to be outdone, Gwydion disguised himself and Lleu as travelling storytellers or bards and smooth-talked their way into Arianrhod's castle, and performed wonderful tales and ballads. Towards the end of the evening, Gwydion used his magic to conjure an illusion of sound, as though the castle were being attacked by a marauding horde. In fear and panic, Arianrhod, sending for armour and weapons, pleaded with the itinerant players to help protect her and her castle. While speedily dressing himself in armour, Gwydion urged Arianrhod to dress his companion. When she had done so, Gwydion triumphantly revealed that she had done exactly what she had sworn not to do, namely arming her son for battle.
Arianrhod's fury was legendary, and in her third tynged, she proclaimed that Lleu would never have a wife from the human race. Temporarily outmanoeuvred, Gwydion sought the advice and assistance of his uncle, the renowned and powerful wizard Math fab Mathonwy. Together they wrought strange magic, and fashioned a woman from the flowers of the field and the forest, and imbued in her the life-force of wild nature. They named her Blodeuwedd and married her to Lleu Llaw Gyffes, who was both grateful and ecstatic. Love's young dream was not to last, unfortunately, as by trying to tame the spirit of field and forest, they had created a creature without compunction. Blodeuwedd was feral and feckless, and her lustful eye soon wandered from the morally upright Lleu. She engaged in a passionate affair with a passing lord, Gronw Pebr, who was so infatuated with Blodeuwedd that he agreed to conspire with her in arranging the murder of Lleu in order to be with her forever. Gwydion had cast a powerful protective spell on Lleu's life so that he could only be killed under almost impossible to arrange circumstances. Using her womanly wiles, Blodeuwedd discovered these secret terms and arranged their execution, culminating in an assassination attempt by Gronw on Lleu's life. Despite being mortally wounded by Gronw's spear, with Gwydion's intervention and Math's magic, Lleu survived to seek his revenge. Blodeuwedd being banished to the forest in the shape of an owl, forever deprived of the light of day, Lleu sought just revenge on Gronw Pebr. He was brought to the exact spot and circumstance of the attempt on Lleu's life, and despite pleading mitigating circumstances and requesting the protection of a rock shield, the force of Lleu's spear thrust pierced the rock and killed Gronw. Lleu seized Gronw's land and became supreme Lord of Gwynedd.
The Battle of Colby Moor, which took place near Wiston, Pembrokeshire, during The English Civil War, on August 1, 1645, was fought between the forces of Parliament and the Royalist army. It was to be the final confrontation between the two factions following three years of bitter struggle in west Wales.
Pembroke Castle was an important stronghold for Parliament as it controlled the Milford Haven waterway and the important sea route to Ireland. In early 1644, the garrison at Pembroke, led by the mayor, John Poyer, Colonel Rice Powell and Major-GeneralRowland Laugharne with support from the Parliamentary navy moved against several of the nearby Royalist strongholds. Then in the summer of 1645, in retaliation to the threat by Royalist to burn the cornfields around Narberth, Laugharne decided to attack the last remaining Royalist camp at Haverfordwest.
29th July - Laugharne marched northwards from Pembroke with two guns, 550 soldiers and 200 horse and dragoons. At Canaston Bridge, he was joined by 250 seamen from the frigate Warwick.
1st August - The Royalists moved out of Haverfordwest. They numbered 450 horse and 1,100 foot-soldiers, with four field guns. The two armies came face to face at Colby Moor. For the first hour, the action was very fierce, with neither side gaining the advantage. Eventually, the Royalist lines buckled and a chaotic retreat began to Haverfordwest Castle, during which weapons and carriages were abandoned by men fleeing for their lives.
5th August - Haverfordwest Castle was bombarded and stormed by the Parliamentarians, with 120 Royalist soldiers and 20 officers taken prisoner.
From Haverfordwest, Laugharne moved swiftly to recover other Royalist garrisons in Pembrokeshire and by the end of September 1645, all of Pembrokeshire was under Parliamentarian control. The gentry of Carmarthenshire and Cardiganshire declared for Parliament during September. The Royalists abandoned Cardigan and surrendered Carmarthen to Laugharne on 12 October, Newcastle Emlyn, in December and Aberystwyth, in April 1646 after a sustained siege.
In all, the Royalists lost 150 men killed at Colby Moor, whilst over 700 were taken prisoner. Some of the dead were buried in a mound still visible in the fields near the site of the battle. Others are said to lie in unmarked graves along the northern perimeter of the graveyard of St Mary’s Church, Wiston , where a memorial to the battle may be seen.
Landscape painter Richard Wilson, was born in Penegoes, Montgomeryshire on 1st August 1714. Wilson was one of the founder members in 1768 of the Royal Academy and has been described as '...the most distinguished painter Wales has ever produced and the first to appreciate the aesthetic possibilities of his country.' Later, his landscapes were acknowledged as an influence by both Constable and Turner.
Gŵyl Galan Awst (Lughnasadh) Celtic communities marked the beginning of the harvest season with community gatherings and festivals. The Christian church, probably in an attempt to convert followers of the old tradition, established the ritual of blessing the fields and celebrating the first wheat harvest with Lammas Day when it was customary to bring to church a loaf made from the new crop. Lammastide was also the traditional time of year when shops would be decorated and people would dress in bright colours and wear ribbons. There were also craft festivals, marches, ceremonial plays and dances.
Later, Christian communities shifted the hharvest celebration to the end of the gathering in September rather than at the beginning in August. The modern British tradition of celebrating Harvest Festival in churches began when the Reverend Robert Hawker invited parishioners to a thanksgiving service at his church at Morwenstow in Cornwall in 1843. Later hymns such as "We plough the fields and scatter" and "All things bright and beautiful" helped to popularise his idea of the harvest festival and spread the annual custom of decorating churches with home-grown produce for the Harvest Festival service.
Aberdare Low-Level railway station was opened by the Taff Vale Railway Company on 1st August 1846 on the line from Abercynon to Cardiff. Aberdare High Level) was opened in 1851 on the adjacent line from the Vale of Neath,
Aberdare situated 3.5 miles south-west of Merthyr Tydfil, was little more than a village at the end of the eighteenth century, but grew rapidly in population owing to the abundance of coal and iron ore and the population of the whole parish, 1,486 in 1801, had increased to 53,779 by 1911. A large proportion of the migrants came from the rural parts of west Wales which had been affected by an agricultural depression. It has since declined, owing to the loss of most of the heavy industry, with the population at the 2001 census being 31,705.
The Coal mining and iron smelting industries grew significantly during the industrial revolution, particularly as coal-derived coke replaced charcoal in the smelting process. Between 1750 and 1800, the availability of limestone, coal and iron ore at the heads of the valleys led to a number of ironworks being founded there, such as Cyfarthfa and Dowlais works.
Canals were built to bring the iron down the valleys to the coast for export and later the canal company and local quarries built tramroads from the canal to connect with the nearby industries.
In 1804, Richard Trevithick built a steam locomotive at Penydarren Ironworks near Merthyr Tydfil and drove the world's first steam-hauled train along the Merthyr Tramroad from the ironworks to the canal basin at Abercynon. This combined with congestion on the canal encouraged the appeal of a quicker railway route.
In 1835 , the owner of the Plymouth Iron Works, Anthony Hill, asked his friend Isambard Kingdom Brunel, to investigate the building of a railway from Merthyr to Cardiff and to Bute Docks and on 21 June 1836, Royal Assent was given to The Taff Vale Railway Company's Act, allowing for the creation of the Taff Vale Railway Company.
On 1st August 1872 - Minffordd mainline railway station opened.
Minffordd station is unusual, as it is actually two adjacent stations operated entirely independently of each other. The mainline station (Minffordd Junction) opened on 1 August 1872 at the point where the then newly built Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway line from Dovey Junction to Pwllheli (latterly to become part of the Cambrian Railways) passes under the existing narrow gauge Ffestiniog Railway built in 1836 to carry dressed slate from the quarries of Blaenau Ffestiniog for export from Porthmadog. It also carried passengers from 1865 and the interchange between standard gauge and narrow gauge railways in theUK has never been common and Minffordd station, which in 1872 was the earliest to provide such a facility is still in regular use.
From 1865, it also carried passengers and from 1872, was the earliest station in the UK to provide an interchange between standard gauge and narrow gauge, a facility which is still in regular use.
Llandudno Pier, which was opened on 1st August 1877 is the longest pier in Wales at 2,295 feet (700 m) and is very unusual in that it has two entrances, either side of the Grand Hotel. The Pier, which was voted "Pier of the Year 2005" was used for the 2002 TV production of The Forsyte Saga and a 2013 advert for Volkswagon. It has been described as being like an Indian Gothic style Maharajah's palace zooming out of the sea.
My creative writing workshop at Wordstock:
SEX AND THE SERIOUS NOVEL
The workshop will look at the role of the erotic in literary fiction: sometimes moving, sometimes embarrassing, sometimes unintentionally hilarious. Sex is a major part of life; why do so many serious writers have such trouble writing about it?
Wordstock Festival, Oregon Convention Center, Portland
Saturday, October 5th
On this day 1588, The Spanish Armada was spotted off the coast of England and beacon fires were lit across Wales and England as a warning.
Some Welsh connections to the Spanish Armada
* John Nash of Carmarthen was master of a merchant ship named the Margaret and John, which participated in the sea battle against the Spanish Armada.
* Penguin is given as an example of an English word of Welsh origin and is attributed to Welsh crew members of Sir Francis Drake's ship the Golden Hind in 1577, and is likely to have been constructed from the Welsh words pen and gywn, meaning white head. The first citation of the word is noted in the log of Sir Francis Drake's reading: "Infinite were the Numbers of the foule, the Welsh men name Pengwin.
* In England the victory was greeted as a sign of divine approval for the Protestant cause. In Wales, however, Protestantism was regarded with suspicion, with the feeling that it was a new and heretical English faith. The Latin services of the Catholic faith were more familiar than English, which was an alien tongue to most Welsh worshippers. Elizabeth I, concerned that England’s enemies could attack England through Wales, if Wales remained Catholic, passed the Act for the Translating of the Bible and the Divine Service into the Welsh Tongue, and ordered the translation of the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer into Welsh. It was an attempt to affiliate the Welsh people to the English crown.
* The provision of The Bible in Welsh, a language which was not the official state language, was unique in Europe during the Protestant Reformation. Thomas Jones, the translator, had previosly written a hymn of thanksgivingfor deliverance from the Armada.
On 31st July 1917, James Llewellyn Davies from Ogmore Vale, Glamorgan was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. Davies, of the 13th Battalion,The Royal Welch Fusiliers, was involved in action at Polygon Wood, Pilkem in Belgium.
His citation reads;
"For most conspicuous bravery during an attack on the enemy's line, this non-commissioned officer pushed through our own barrage and single-handed attacked a machine gun emplacement, after several men had been killed in attempting to take it. He bayoneted one of the machine gun crew and brought in another man, together with the captured gun. Cpl. Davies, although wounded, then led a bombing party to the assault of a defended house, and killed a sniper who was harassing his platoon. This gallant non-commissioned officer has since died of wounds received during the attack"
On 31st July 1917, Ivor Rees from Felinfoel near Llanelli was awarded the Victoria Cross. Rees, of the 11th, South Wales Borderers, supported the capture of a fortified German defensive line during the Battle of Passchendaele.
His citation reads;
"At Pilckem, Belgium, on 31st July 1917, an enemy machine gun inflicted many casualties when it opened fire at close range. Sergeant Rees, leading his platoon, gradually worked his way round the right flank, by making short rushes, to the rear of the gun position. At 20 yards from the machine gun, Sergeant Rees rushed forward towards it, shooting one of the crew, and bayoneting the other. He bombed a large concrete emplacement, killing five of the enemy and taking 30 prisoners, including two officers and capturing a machine gun, undamaged."
On 31st July 1917, Robert James Bye from Pontypridd was awarded the Victoria Cross. Bye, of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, was involved in the defence of the Yser Canal in Belgium during the Third Battle of Ypres.
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Born this day 1894 in Cardiff
Fred Keenor - former Wales soccer international, best known for captaining the Cardiff City team to success in the 1927 FA Cup Final.
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The first section of the Great Orme Tramway at Llandudno was opened on 31stJuly 1902 , the longest funicular railway (the ascending and descending vehicles are fixed to a cable and counterbalance each other) in the British Isles.
It is also Britain's only remaining cable operated street tramway and one of few surviving in the world. It operates between Llandudno Victoria Station to the summit of the Great Orme headland.
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On 31st July 1957 The Tryweryn Bill became law, despite the fervent opposition of Welsh MPs. It gave Liverpool City Council permission to build a reservoir which would drown the Welsh speaking village of Capel Celyn near Bala. This led to increased support in the late 1950s for the Welsh nationalist party, Plaid Cymru, and gave impetus to the demand for Welsh devolution. The official opening of the reservoir in 1965 was disrupted by protesters who had cut microphone wires, and the chanting protesters drowned out the speeches. In October 2005, Liverpool City Council published a public apology for the incident.
The full statement reads;-
"The Council acknowledges its debt to the many thousands of Welsh people who have made their homes in the City. They have, in so many ways, enriched the life of the City.
We know that Liverpool, especially in the fields of medicine and education, has been of real service to the people of Wales.
We realise the hurt of forty years ago when the Tryweryn Valley was transformed into a reservoir to help meet the water needs of Liverpool.
For any insensitivity by our predecessor Council at that time, we apologise and hope that the historic and sound relationship between Liverpool and Wales can be completely restored."
On July 31st 1998, The Government of Wales Act 1998 was given Royal Assent. This led to The National Assembly for Wales being established in 1999.
The Act followed the affirmative devolution referendum in September 1997 and facilitated the transfer of the powers of the Secretary of State for Wales to the new Assembly.
We have re-designed the Welsh American Bookstore somewhat and made some navigation improvements. However, the site is still a work in progress and we would welcome any suggestions for improvements, new features, new listings etc. Please comment here or email americymru@gmail.com....diolch 
Born this day 1874 in Chirk
Billy Meredith , the former Wales soccer international and captain, was considered one of the early superstars of football and one of the greatest players of his era. Billy aged 74, is pictured kicking off a match with the Glyn Ceiriog team.
Billy started work at Black Park Colliery as a pit pony driver at the age of 12 and spent eight years working in the mines. His family were Primitive Methodists and Meredith himself remained a lifelong teetotaller. Meredith's playing career was spent between Manchester City and Manchester United and he won every domestic trophy in the English football league and at 46 years, 281 days, he became United's oldest ever player. Meredith also gained 48 caps for Wales and at 45 years and 229 days, he remains the oldest player to win a Wales cap.
A model professional, he spent his spare time improving his game with extra training sessions and maintained peak physical fitness by avoiding alcohol and tobacco. His "gimmick" was to chew on a toothpick during matches, and contemporary cartoonists were quick to exploit this habit. Meredith was a firm supporter of firmly players' rights, held the view that they should, if they so wished, be allowed to move from club to club. He helped to form the players' union and supported a strike when the union entered into a dispute with the F.A.
30th July 1996 saw the video premiere of the film Hedd Wyn
Hedd Wyn is an anti-war biopic based on the life of Ellis Humphrey Evans, a Welsh soldier killed in WWl. The title is the bardic name chosen by Evans, under which he was awarded, posthumously, the Eisteddfod Chair in 1917. The film starkly contrasts the beauty of the Meirionnydd landscape of the poet's home with the horror of the trenches at Passchendaele where he died. Evans, played by Huw Garmon, is portrayed as a tragic hero with an intense hatred of war and nationalism. Writer Alan Llwyd and director Paul Turner won several BAFTA Cymru awards, and the film was voted the Best Single Drama by the Royal Television Society. It was the first Welsh language film to be nominated for an Academy Award.
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Stan Stennett (born in Cardiff on 30th July 1925) was a comedian, musician and actor.
Stennett served in the army during World War II, and also worked as an entertainer. He became the regular comedian on a radio show,'Welsh Rarebit', although he was better known as a comedy guest on 'The Black and White Minstrel Show'. Although a renowned variety and pantomime performer, Stennett has also played "straight" acting roles in television programmes such as Casualty and Coronation Street. Stennett was a friend of Eric Morecambe, and he was acting as host during the final performance when Eric suffered a heart attack and died on 27 May 1984.
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On 30th July 1942, a German Heinkel 111 crashed on Pwllheli beach, killing three crew. The pilot survived and was captured.
During World War II, Germany used night bomber raids, in response to which the home forces employed night fighter squadrons which operated around the coast, as well as anti-aircraft guns and searchlights. One of the most successful night fighter units was 456 Squadron, stationed at Valley aerodrome on Anglesey.
On the night of 30 July 1942 Wing Commander EC Wolfe was flying a Bristol Beaufighter over the Irish Sea and Cardigan Bay, seeking enemy raiders. With him was Pilot Officer EA Ashcroft. They confronted a German Heinkel bomber on its way to Birmingham. After an exchange of machine gun fire, the Heinkel went into a vertical dive and crashed onto the beach at Pwllheli.
Three men perished in the crash, but the pilot, Dirk Hofles, did manage to bale out of the diving Heinkel and was quickly taken prisoner and taken into captivity.
Hi everyone,
Cambrian Safaris provides excursions into the Cambrian Mountains in a Land Rover Discovery to enjoy fantastic views and scenery, local history and wildlife. We will pick you up from your accommodation or arrange a meeting point.
We are able to offer airport pick up and arrange accommodation for international visitors, or provide recommendations and contacts if you wish to make your own arrangements.
Today Cambrian Safaris took an Australian visitor for a trip around Devils Bridge, the Hafod Estate, Pontrydygroes, Ysbyty Ystwyth, Ystumtuen, Bwlch Nant Yr Arian, (at 2.30 for the Red Kite feeding), Cwmerfyn, Cwmsymlog and the lakes at Pendam, Bleanmelindwr and Syfydrin. These places are all about 10 -15 miles in land of Aberystwyth. It was a drive around some small back roads, with some fabulous views in very mixed weather - sunshine and heavy rain with some thunder and lightening. The development of the 'Picturesque' Hafod estate was featured, as was the mining industry which left its mark on the areas landscape. I'll talk about all of these and more in future blogs, both as me, Richard Smith, and in write ups of Cambrian Safaris tours.
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This year is the 50th anniversary of the start of Dusty Springfield’s solo career. The iconic singer, who for millions was the definitive pop diva, launched her first solo hit record ‘I Only Want to Be With You’ in 1963. Celebrating this fact is a new play by Derek Webb called ‘Call Me Dusty’.
With Jessica Sandry in the title role, the play attempts to disentangle myth and facts, and begin to understand the very complex character who was Dusty Springfield. She was born Mary Isabel Catherine Bernadette O’Brien – a shy, chubby, Catholic convent girl. Her mother was Irish, her father an accountant, she was brought up in West London and from a child was in love with the cinema and music: longing to be an actress like June Haver or a singer like Peggy Lee.
In 1960 she became part of the very successful trio called The Springfields with her brother Tom and his friend Tim Field and together they were the first British group to succeed in a big way in America.
But by 1963 she had decided to go solo and the legend that was Dusty Springfield was truly born. Many times voted Best Female Singer, Dusty Springfield achieved enormous worldwide fame. Loving soul music, she was largely responsible for bringing Motown to the attention of a UK audience. A perfectionist who refused to compromise in the pursuit of the ultimate pop record, Dusty Springfield effectively was the producer on many of her recordings. And, while shy privately, she was often outspoken publicly. In 1964 she was one of the first to stand up against apartheid in South Africa and a few years later, she was to famously declare herself gay – something few would have dared to do at the time.
Despite the fame and success, however, Dusty’s personal life was full of drama and tragedy. Not only did she find her sexuality at odds with her Catholicism, but drugs and alcohol took their toll, and increasingly she began to self-harm.
'Call Me Dusty' explores the dichotomy of the quiet, shy private person and her alter ego with her extravagant black mascara and backcombed hair; while at the same time celebrating the music which still ranks amongst the best of its kind. Not for nothing is Dusty Springfield heralded as the finest white soul singer ever.
Jessica Sandry, who plays Dusty, is in the new series of Stella with Ruth Jones on Sky TV and her numerous stage appearances have included portraying another singing legend, Doris Day, in the acclaimed show Being Doris Day which toured nationally. Playing her manager Vic Billings and other characters is James Scannell whose stage credits include Romeo & Juliet, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Hamlet, A Christmas Carol , Romeo & Juliet, and Of Mice and Men . And playing Dusty’s secretary Pat Rhodes and other characters is Jayne Stillman, whose credits include Varya in The Cherry Orchard , Miss Ronberry in The Corn is Green and Emilia in Othello .
The play covers the time from when she first decided to reinvent herself as Dusty Springfield to a period in the early 1970s when she had seen the meteoric rise in her career begin to falter and decided to move to the US. Dusty herself in fact tried several times to reinvent herself, and achieved a reawakening in her fortunes and discovered a brand new fan base in the late 1980s when the Pet Shop Boys asked her to sing on the No 1 hit ‘What Have I Done to Deserve This?’. Dusty Springfield died of breast cancer in 1999 just short of her 60 th birthday.
Call Me Dusty is produced by Ignition and plays at the Swansea Grand on September 11 th and 12 th before touring to Ammanford, Abertillery, Monmouth, Cwmbran, Barry, Newport, Cardigan, Milford Haven, Worcester and Llanelli.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was established on July 29th 1958, with the aim of encouraging peaceful applications in space science.
Some of Wales's connections with NASA:
* George W. S. Abbey Sr is a former Director of the NASA Johnson Space Centre. His mother was from Laugharne and he has a lifelong interest in Wales and its heritage. He is also an Honorary Fellow of Swansea University.
* Dafydd Williams, whose father emigrated to Canada from Bargoed and is exceptionally proud of his Welsh heritage, is a NASA Astronaut and A&E consultant who has shared insights into creating safer working systems with NHS staff across Wales. Dr Williams served on two shuttle missions, in 1998 and 2007, when he was mission specialist on the space shuttle Endeavour and took part in three of the four spacewalks.
* Cardiff-born Dr John “Tony” Llewellyn resigned from Nasa’s spaceman corps in 1968, less than a year before the historic lunar landings which could have seen his name added to the cosmic annals of history. Llewellyn took the decision to opt out because he’d failed to master piloting jet aircraft “blindfolded”. A special ruling had been made, making him one of only two men at the time to receive astronaut status despite not being American-born.
* The Welsh Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor John Harries, was awarded NASA's most prestigious civilian honour in recognition of his distinguished public service in advancing knowledge of the Earth's atmosphere and climate change.
On 29th July 1981, twenty year-old Diana Spencer became Princess of Wales when she married the Prince Charles at St Paul's Cathedral. Her wedding ring was made from Welsh gold.
Some other Welsh connections of Princess Diana;
* Her first official tour with the Prince of Wales was a three-day visit to Wales in October 1981.
* During the tour to Wales in 1981, Diana was given the Freedom of Cardiff at a ceremony in St Davids Hall, where she made her first public speech, part of which was in Welsh.
* The Princess of Wales Hospital is a district general hospital located on the outskirts of Bridgend.
* Princess Diana supported the Welsh rugby team and regularly attended international matches.
* The hymn "Cwm Rhondda was sung at Diana's funeral.
* Eight members of the Welsh Guards accompanied Diana's coffin on its procession through the streets of London.
Captain America: The First Avenger, released on 29th July 2011, is an American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Captain America. War scenes were filmed at the former Royal Navy Propellant Factory in the Welsh village of Caerwent.
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Risen, released on 29th July 2010, is a film biopic, directed by Neil Jones, of the Welsh boxer Howard Winstone from Merthyr Tydfil.
Howard became Featherweight Champion of the World at the age of 29 in 1968. As a young man he lost the tips of three fingers in an industrial accident. He was no longer able to make a fist with his right hand, which was a devastating blow for a professional boxer, especially one such as Winstone who was renowned for his right-handed power. Howard, however, completely changed the way he boxed and went on, remarkably, to become British Champion, European Champion and World Champion.
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In July 2005, a rare Sooty Tern was spotted in the Skerries, Anglesey. It was only the second sighting of the bird in Wales in the past century, and the first sighting in the UK since 1980.
Hundreds of birdwatchers, or twitchers, from all over Britain descended on Anglesey to see the bird, which is normally found in the tropics or the South Atlantic. Boatmen in Holyhead, Cemaes and Amlwch laid on charter trips.
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