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Useful background information:

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Welsh medium Wikipedia about the Saint Davids Day Anthem

You can buy a copy of Ring out the bells for Saint David here

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Ysgol yr Hendre, Trelew, Chubut, Patagonia children singing in 2013.

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Children from Ysgol Bro Dewi, sing the Saint Davids Day Anthem in both Welsh and English in Saint Davids Cathedral with the Pembrokeshire Banner taking a central place in the 2013 Saint Davids Day Service.

Whilst ringing a metal bell (an exact copy of one of Saint Davids bells) on the second ever National Saint Davids Day Parade in Cardiff 2004, Gwenno Dafydd had an idea to create a special Anthem to celebrate our Patron Saints Day. As soon as she could, she set about writing the bilingual words for Cenwch y Clychau i Dewi (Ring out the Bells for Saint David) and took them to Heulwen Thomas who composed some music to the words. The song has by now grown some wings and has been performed throughout Wales by schools, choirs and Goodwick Brass Band as well as in:

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• Patagonia (x3 and every year from now on by the children of Ysgol yr Hendre)
• Canada: Ontario,Toronto,Ottawa,
• Los Angeles, (South California Welsh Choir x2 and x2 this year)
• North America Festival of Wales, Scranton, America.
• Disneyland Paris, (Ysgol Penbarras Childrens Choir)
• Houses of Parliament. (Children from Londons Welsh Medium School)
• Saint Davids Cathedral (x3) Llandaff Cathedral (x1 )
• Brangwyn Hall, Swansea
• The Lampeter Festival of Sacred Music (2013)
• In Welsh and English in the National Wales wide Saint Davids Day Service in Saint Johns Church. Cardiff. And in five consecutive National Saint Davids Day Parades, Cardiff.

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Whilst part of the National Saint Davids Day Parade Committee, Gwenno had the idea of creating County Banners to be paraded on Saint David Day. The first of these County Banners is now on permanent display in the East Cloister in Saint Davids Cathedral.

Gwennos vision is that every County and school in Wales will create banners similar to this one to parade (either through towns or around school playgrounds) whilst singing the Saint Davids Day Anthem on their way to their Saint Davids Day celebrations.

http://www.fishguardartssociety.org.uk/ThePembrokeshireBanner.html .

AmeriCymru spoke to David and Mona Matthews about their forthcoming charity walk along the Wales Coast Path in support of cancer research ( and other ) charities. David and Mona will be setting out on March 1st from Chepstow in south Wales and you can follow their progress on the Mad Walking site and on their Facebook page here . AmeriCymru would like to wish David and Mona every success ( and clement weather ) on their 870 mile odyssey.

AmeriCymru: Hi David and many thanks for agreeing to this interview. You will be walking the Wales coastal path next month in aid of charity. Can you tell us why you decided to do this?

David: Two recurring thoughts have been turning over in my mind over the past few years. The first thought is the need to spend some significant time in my home country to explore, discover and understand things about Wales that as a young person I neglected to do. The second thought, having been fortunate in our life in Canada, was to pay homage to our family members, friends and others who battle or who have fought cancer. When the Wales Coastal Path opened in 2010, Mona and I saw the opportunity to combine both, explore the coast of Wales and raise money for cancer research.

AmeriCymru: What is your connection with Wales?

David: I was born in Aberystwyth and spent my childhood years in the seaside village of Borth exploring what young boys explore, the beach, the cliffs and rocks, the magic around the Ynys, the fishing in the Leri, Cors Fochno, the sand-dunes of Ynys Las, the Dovey estuary, and Aber. Another strong connection was through my mothers family in Carmarthenshire, around Pont-ar-Cothi, Peniel, and Carmarthen itself. My childhood visits to my uncles and aunts and cousins on the farms there stand out in my memory. In 1965 I attended Trinity College, Carmarthen and after three great years became a teacher!

AmeriCymru: What charities will you be supporting and why?

David: We are supporting cancer research and support charities in Wales, Canada and the USA. In Wales, we will be supporting Velindre Hospital, Cardiff, and Macmillan Cancer Support - North Wales, in Canada, the Childhood Cancer Foundation, and in the USA, the American Association for Cancer Research. So many families have unfortunate connections with cancer and we are no exception. We have relatives and friends, and the children of friends today in the USA, Canada and Wales who are battling or have battled this scourge.

AmeriCymru: How can people sponsor or support you?

David: We have a website called madwalking.com. Through that site people may choose to donate to the charity of their choice.

We would love people to interact with us through our blog as we pass through the coastal stretches, villages and towns. This can be done through the website or through the MAD walking Facebook page.

Join us on the walk if you can. Whether it is for a day or more, we would welcome the encouragement and support. You would be able to determine our whereabouts through the blog on www.madwalking.com .

AmeriCymru: How long will the walk take? Will you be breaking anywhere en route?

David: We estimate around 4 months. This will determined by a number of factors such as extreme weather, etc. Every 3rd day or so we will be looking for a rest day to wash and, more likely, dry clothes, recuperate, etc. We have been lucky to have some family members and friends in Wales who have offered their support in this regard. We are still looking for some rest day support on the Lleyn stretch between Caernarvon and Criccieth, and between Criccieth and Aberdovey.

AmeriCymru: Are any organisations or individuals supporting you? Anyone you want to mention?

David: We have the endorsement of the Welsh North America Association and the Calgary Welsh Society. My son-in-law put the website together. We have been fortunate to have the support of many family members in Wales, and friends who we have met through functions such as NAFOW, Cwrs Cymraeg, and through I know somebody who might be able to help... comments.

And thankyou Americymru for your interest!

AmeriCymru: Which part of the route are you most looking forward to?

David: Thats a tough one! I havent walked the Gower or Pembrokeshire before and their coastal walks are renowned. Walking down the Lleyn peninsula and Merioneth coast intrigues me. Anglesey has to be high on the list. D**n it, just about everything is going to be new and exciting, and well be always looking for whats around the next bay, or over the next hill.

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

David: Please support us through following our blog and please contribute to the charity of your choice! Diolch yn fawr iawn!

From the Wikipedia :- "Fort Belan (alternate: Belan Fort; pronounced: Bell-ann) is a coastal fortress in North Wales. It is located opposite Abermenai Point, at the south-western end of the Menai Strait, on the coast of Gwynedd, in the parish of Llanwnda. Situated at the tip of the Dinlle Peninsula, the windblown, north-westernmost point of the Welsh mainland, the fort is physically cut off twice a day by the incoming sea.[1] Of geographic importance because of its location, Fort Belan is the access point to both the north Wales coast and to Liverpool, England. It is said to have cost 30,000 to build the fort."

Visit the Fort Belan Website to discover more about this superb location

Click the Images Below for Full Details (.PDF)

Diolch Ralph Jones for the superb Dowlais RFC tshirt, tie and Rugby Addicts calendar. They arrived in the mail yesterday. I will wear the tshirt with pride between now and the end of the Six Nations. Speaking of which.....you will plainly see in the photograph above that I am pointing at the calendar entry ( highlighted ) for the Wales v Ireland match this Saturday. This is a reminder that, if you haven't already, it's time to post your scoreline predictions in the Wales 2014 Grand Slam Group. Here is the url:- Saturday, 8 February Wales v Ireland (14:30 GMT)

An Interview With Snowdonia Photographer and 'Oriel Hafod Ruffydd' Proprietor - Graeme Pettit

AmeriCymru spoke to Graeme Pettit, photographer and owner of the Oriel Hafod Ruffydd gallery in Snowdonia, north Wales. The gallery is situated near the village of Beddgelert ( famed for the legend of the faithful hound ) and features photographic works by Graeme and others.

Visit the website here:- Oriel Hafod Gruffydd for a full list of attractions.

( click on the pics below for full size images )

Winter view of Snowdon from the gallery

AmeriCymru: Hi Graeme and many thanks for agreeing to be interviewed by AmeriCymru. You own and manage the 'Oriel Hafod Ruffydd' in Beddgelert north Wales. Care to introduce the Gallery and surrounding area for our readers?

Graeme: The gallery is the culmination of a dream which began when I was out photographing the moorland at the end of a long deserted track in Mid Wales, where I found a tall house end wall, leaning outward, but heavily buttressed, and a tree growing next to it. I sat down for lunch, kicked the grass, and exposed a quarry tile floor. I was working full time at the time, but had one of those what if moments. On returning home, I described it to my wife, who said Im not moving anywhere unless it has a roof on it to which my reply So we can move then?. Two years later, and 170 locations looked at, we bought the property we are in. I sat on a rock outside, looking at the views and watching the light change, and decided to do something else with my life there and then that was in 2010.

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Beddgelert the local village

We are located about a mile North of Beddgelert, in Snowdonia, halfway along the new Lon Gwyrfai path between Beddgelert & Rhyd Ddu. We can see down the valley 20 miles to Cadir Idris, have Snowdon to the North East, and mountains all around us astonishing vistas, ever changing weather, and a valley with a microclimate all of its own. I am very interested in old folk tales and mythology, and the Beddgelert area is heaving with it. Cwm Meillionnen, in which we sit, is known as the valley of the fairies, and there is a tale of a silver purse, Arthurian legend, and of course, Gelert himself, to name but a few. Plenty there for inspiration!

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The gallery building is full of (as described by visitors) rural charm....

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The gallery building is full of (as described by visitors) rural charm. We are not white walled, wooden floors and perfectly lit ceilings. It is an old stone built barn possibly as old as the house we live in dating back to the 1500s. I have left the old sloping stone floor in part, and you have to duck as you enter through the door but inside, we hope visitors find a hidden gem something unusual, and that they wouldnt expect to find in the middle of nowhere. We are adding to it daily having opened in September 2013, and been very pleasantly surprised by the traffic we have had and the level of sales to date.

Whilst we do have parking at the gallery, most of our visitors are walkers, or those who found us via Helfa Gelf (the North Wales Art Trail). We welcome dog walkers, cyclists and anyone who cares to visit in fact, some of our first customers were folk who had got lost in the forest and just chanced upon us before we opened officially.

We offer hot and cold drinks, and are about to expand the catering side to cover hot snacks requested by walkers last Autumn. We found catering brought customers who may not have otherwise wandered off the path, and the investment has paid for itself in a very short time.

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Approach to the gallery - building on left

AmeriCymru: What images and other artwork can people expect to find on offer at the gallery? Do you specialise in local images?

Graeme: When we opened, about 20% of the work offered was from my Welsh travels the rest was NZ, USA, Thailand, Ireland, and the UK landscapes, travel, nature and transport were key themes. The proportion is getting on towards 50% Wales now, and only set to grow further. My wife paints in oils, and her work will go in, and we have had interest from other local artists of various disciplines, so we intend expand to cater for the variety over the course of the year. We are beginning to specialise in images of Northern Snowdonia, with a very local emphasis. Whilst all the work on show at present is my own, I am obtaining permission to offer some historic prints, and have a growing stock of local views by painters of the last century I hope to have these on show during the summer perhaps for purchase.

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I like to go beyond photography, so I am no purist. The digital darkroom affords me wonderful creative opportunities

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I like to go beyond photography, so I am no purist. The digital darkroom affords me wonderful creative opportunities to come up with work based on a photograph, but taken beyond into more of an art style. I also sculpt in wood, found items, and make things in metal, so the variety of what is here on offer, is only set to increase. That said, the focus will be my photography work.

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Gelert legend - faithful hound

AmeriCymru: Tell us a little bit about yourself. When did you first become interested in photography? How do you go about selecting and setting up your shots?

Graeme: I was an irritation to my grandfather as a small boy he was a keen horticulturist, but I wasnt interested in his prize winning Chrysanthemums and Carnations, and kept getting in his way after I had done the watering for him, so he gave me his camera, and told me to go learn how to take pictures and that started it sometime in the 1960s. He developed the films for me, and it seems they were not bad so we shared a few moments that way instead. As a student, I had to document my Forestry work as I was qualifying, so found myself with all sorts of challenges on which to hone my skills later, I ran a rather large railway website, highly demanding of images, and on my tours around the UK, began taking landscape and wildlife photographs. I had spent the last 32 years working with people within the UK prison system. Many are very creative in their own right with words, with art, and good with their hands. My work was in the education and workshop sides toward the end of my career, so I had time to discuss things with people, and became interested in faces. Through candid street photography in the Midlands of the UK, recording daily life, I began to do portrait work also, and there is a studio at the gallery for visitors and pet photography. I also do commercial work since turning professional a couple of years ago. It has been a long slow haul, and nigh on 50 years of learning the craft of photography for me.

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One still life image, A Feast for Bacchus took me two weeks to set up and get right.....

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I have a wide and varied taste musically, and something is usually playing around me often, that sets a mood emotionally, and I then take photographs to express that feeling. Wales is less than renowned for good weather, but it is a myth, and for the most part, has been kind to me Ill go out regardless of the weather, and always find something lensworthy. The concept of the weather being good, depends what you want to do when out in it and so long as you dress for it, almost anything can be achieved! I like my landscapes to have cloud cover the light tends to be more dramatic. I might be up on the hills at stupid oclock in the morning to get a shot Ive seen on a less good day, but often, my works are opportunistic the cameras live in the car most of the time, and I often see tantalising glimpses of something good so take my chances when I can get them. That said, I sometimes have an idea and try and create it. One still life image, A Feast for Bacchus took me two weeks to set up and get right but it is just the dining room table and light between two curtains from the window outside I wanted the feel of an old master, but it is for others to decide whether I achieved it.

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A feast for Bacchus

AmeriCymru: The gallery offers a range of other services: photography and software workshops, accommodation catering etc. Can you tell us a little more about these?

Graeme: We have a studio at the gallery I use it for product work, pets, people portraits, and still life/abstracts amongst other genres. As we develop our accommodation, we will be running courses in camera use, studio work, image processing and more some may be residential, others day based. The catering side is in its infancy my wife had the bright idea of offering hot drinks at the end of last summer to our gallery visitors, so invested in a coffee machine we sold out exceptionally quickly over the autumn, and the drinks brought viewers to the gallery which may have otherwise walked by. Chatting, some asked about food so we will be introducing hot food in a limited way once we have approval from the authorities. We bought the property with outbuildings the gallery occupies what used to be a milking parlour, creamery and stalling years back. Another is used as a workshop, where I do wood and metalwork sometimes artistically. We have been living in an attached Swedish style wooden cabin for the past year, whilst we have been doing up the 500 year old house on site and it is the cabin, and a small stone built annex which will form the core of our self catering accommodation the cabin sleeps 4-6, and the annex, a couple. We have had a lot of interest from art groups due to our spectacular location and ever changing light so we will have to see what the future brings. We are slowly moving into the house as our builders leave rooms

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Gallery interior

AmeriCymru: Are there any photographers whose work has inspired your own and who you would like to mention here?

Graeme: I have been inspired by so, so many over the years the classics, who shall remain un-named bar one, and many of the more modern image makers. In historic terms, I have always loved the pioneering work of O Winston Link the great railway photographer, but in the modern age, something can be learned from every image I see. I am impressed and inspired by the works of :

David Nitsche (USA) I love this chaps whole approach - his humour, creativity, and inherent simplicity of image underlies a phenomenal amount of work and experimentation. His work is always a pleasure for me to view.

John DeVaul (USA) I was first introduced to this mans work through his Light Painting set - almost HDR, but more - done with a superb subtlety and excellence of execution

Troy Paiva (USA) A friend in the US put me on to Troys inspirational night photography a few years back. His website "Lost America" is colourful, beautifully presented, and contains some truly excellent work - but that I had similar subject matter! If you want to see the best in contemporary night photography, visit Troys site - you wont be disappointed.

Another guy I love is:

James Ravilious (UK) I was introduced to this mans work through a friend and mentor. Based in Devon, and with much of his time spent out capturing rural life, he has caught an age quickly passing, and documented it for posterity - Beautiful images of daily life.

I have spent many hours in his back yard, but cannot find what he gives - perhaps I just don't feel it, perhaps I am trying to be too complicated in my approach - but these images are simply exquisite in every way to my eyes.

Each of these people has something special their own, unique take on their craft. I would do them and myself an injustice to copy their styles, but their dedication and attention to detail is something I do wish for myself.

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Must learn to speak Welsh that is major. Im a bit long in the tooth, but am trying!

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AmeriCymru: What's next for Graeme Pettit? Any major plans for the future

Graeme: Must learn to speak Welsh that is major. Im a bit long in the tooth, but am trying! It is very early days for us, living and working in Snowdonia. We need to consolidate on what we have so far by way of the gallery and commercial work, and get the self catering up and running. I suppose my major plans probably include developing the studio side and getting to the tops of more mountains in the shorter term, and expanding my photography of the beautiful Welsh landscape, but mumblings have been made by her indoors and there could be a few trips abroad coming. I would love to visit Iceland and Japan at some point, and return to New Zealand for another road trip, but I suspect we will end up on another roadtrip USA we are due one. It will either be New England/Canada/Nova Scotia, or a run from Chicago to New Orleans we have done almost everything east of the Appalachians that said, I would love to visit the Carolinas again Catfish is my favourite food! But to go in search of the Blues, would suit me fine!

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Snowdon from Plas y Brenin

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

Graeme: If you are a creative soul, then my advice is to appreciate and learn from the work of others, but to choose your own style and take it as far as you can. I would thank AmeriCymru readers for the good welcome and interest, just as I have found the natives of Wales so to an invading Englishmannow, who should I support in the 6 nations rugby tournament when Wales play EnglandLOL.

If you are interested in seeing my work, please either visit the gallery itself, or my website - www.graemesdesigns.com

I also offer a limited number of works through Fine Art America -

http://fineartamerica.com/customshop/graeme-pettit.html

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A view SE from the gallery over the Moelwyn range

CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW TO DOWNLOAD THE ENTRY FORM

February 2014 ISSUE No. 2 WELSHfest 2014

Historic Rockmart WELSHfest 2014 Thisyear's Festival is going to be bigger and better than ever! Moch Pryderi will be our musicalheadliners.The'Keeping Up With The Joneses'Fun Run is happening again.The Historic Van Wert Church open for tours.A special expo on Welsh Products will be held in the Slate Building. A Special Children's Area. The Welsh Honey Show happens.Bus & WalkingTours of Historic Rockmart, The Welsh Tea Room, Great Vendors & Food, Cindy Rosser Story Teller, Welly Wanging and of course....Men in Rockmart (in Kilts) Contest! VISIT OUR WEBSITE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS 7:00 Fun Run Registration 8:00 Fun Run 9:00 Opening Ceremony Drop off for Honey Show Begins 10:00 Vendor Village Opens WELSHexpo opens Bus Tour of Historic Homes Children's Area Opens 11:00 Judging of Honey Contest begins Book Signing 12:00/Noon Men In Rockmart (in Kilts) Van Wert Chapel Opens 12:30 Walking Tour of Historic Downtown 1:00 Honey Show Opens to public Welly Wanging 1:30 Bus Trip to Van Wert 2:00 The WELSH CUP Games 2:30 Cake Walk 3:00 Bus Trip to Van Wert 4:00 Awards Ceremony 5:00 Festival Closes

" Yes, the Welsh in America can be very proud of their heritage. And it is to be hoped that as each St. David Day comes around more people will remember how much good has come from so small a country, where the greatest honor each year is to be crowned Poet of the Year. "

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Welsh First Minister To Visit New York - Dylan Thomas 100th Anniversary Celebrations

AmeriCymru spoke to Welsh poet and Seventh Quarry poetry magazine founder and editor Peter Thabit Jones about plans for the forthcoming DT100 ( Dylan Thomas 100th Anniversary ) celebrations in New York and other US cities.

"Dylan Thomas is a cultural icon around the world and a poet who made a major impact on poetry itself. In many ways, poetry was never the same after the publication of the astonishing 18 Poems in 1934 and 25 Poems in 1936. For Wales, it is a great opportunity to celebrate his life and works and to put the spotlight on the main places of his inspiration, Swansea and Laugharne, indeed the whole of Wales."

READ MORE HERE