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Latest news from the Jazz in the Bar team at Brecon -


Welcome to 2014 and jazz delights in our lovely Brecon Jazz Bar at Theatr Brycheiniog!
Two weeks into the new year, and our monthly jazz club gig is:-
Tuesday 14 January : Will Barnes Trio
Will Barnes:guitar, Ian Cooper:double bass, Phill Redfox O'Sullivan:Drums
Swinging sounds, standards, some Latin, Brecon hot club....
Will is a wonderful jazz talent, here with a great, new year lineup.
Jazz Buffet: yes! At the Lansdowne Hotel prior to the performance.
Food from 6.45 pm for one hour, then hot foot over to Theatr. 5 pp
Please email me to book, or ring hotel if on the day.
You are always welcome and we know sometimes not able to plan ahead - so just come!
If you didn't see or get a copy of Gena Davies' Book, The Brecon Jazz Story in Photographs or receive one as a Christmas present, it is still available and very interesting too.
Email David Moore:davidmoore@phonecoop.coop
or you can order at the HOURS Bookshop.
See you on 14th -
Lynne, Roger, David, Rosie, Barrie, Ian & co
Brecon Jazz Club
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All set for big brass date at Burry Port


By Robert Lloyd, 2014-01-08

Burry Port Town Band are gearing up for their third West Wales Solo and Ensemble Day on Saturday 25th January in the Memorial Hall, Burry Port starting at around 10am

This is an important event for the band and the town as it offers an opportunity for budding brass players (of all ages!) from South Wales the chance to perform.
There is some excitement about the event already building in bandrooms across South Wales, with Youth Bands from Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, Swansea and the Valleys regions wanting to attend and already busy practicing their performances.
The band are looking forward to entries in a variety of classes for solos, duets, trios, small and large ensembles and finally full Youth bands.
The organisers have engaged some talented local adjudicators for this event and believe it will be an ideal opportunity for youth bands, players and ensembles the chance to show their talents to a wider audience.
It's not too late to enter!
Entries should be in by January 11th, so please think about coming along, the more the merrier!
If you wanted to take a look at the entry details they are all available on the band's website - burryporttownband.co.uk on the Music Festival page.
The ethos of the day is to allow budding and developing brass players of all ages the opportunity to demonstrate their talent in front of an appreciative audience, so there are guidelines, no rules, no timing of performances, but leave it to each performer to manage their performance time.
Graham Howe, the Band's Chairman, said: "It was such an enjoyable event last year and the adjudicators really bought into the ethos of the day, where we're looking to give the young brass players a stage and an appreciative audience to perform to."
The town and the band looks forward to welcoming performers, supporters and teachers to the event on Saturday 25th January in the Memorial Hall, Burry Port.
If you can't make it on the day itself, you can follow on Twitter using #wwsed
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Look what the wind did to the Trafalgar Beacon in Llanelli.
The beacon was erected at Llanelli's Millennium Coastal Park as part of the Trafalgar bicentenary celebrations in 2005 to mark the 200th Anniversary of the sea battle and death of Lord Nelson.
Park manager Rory Dickinson Mr Dickinson said the 14-inch square post was snapped like matchwood in the vicious 70mph winds causing the cauldron atop the post to crash to the ground.
You can read more about the storm damage here -
http://www.llanellistar.co.uk/Llanelli-businesses-sealed-like-pharaoh-s-tomb/story-20392364-detail/story.html
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The Welsh Government'sFirst Minister, Carwyn Jones, has praised the quality of the Welsh food and drink sector and encouraged people to buy local during a visit to an award-winning farm shop in Gorslas, Carmarthenshire.
The First Minister took a tour of the family-run Cwmcerrig Farm Shop and Grill and sampled some of the first-rate Welsh produce on offer.
The shop sells beef, lamb and poultry which it rears to high animal welfare standards on Cwmcerrig farm, as well as a wide range of other locally sourced products.
More than 600 products from the Carmarthenshire area are on offer, with a total of 1000 products for the whole of Wales.
The First Minister said: Cwmcerrig Farm Shop and Grill is an impressive showcase of produce from Carmarthenshire and Wales. The pride it takes in sourcing locally wherever possible means increased financial returns for local food and farming businesses and it raises the profile and reputation of home grown produce.
The business creates a real farm to fork experience, allowing consumers to learn about the provenance of their food, providing excellent choice, and giving customers the confidence that their food has been raised to high welfare standards.
As I have been reminded today, the quality of Welsh produce is second-to-none. I encourage everybody to support their local businesses and ensure that the food they enjoy with family and friends is bought locally wherever possible.
The First Minister also spoke of the Welsh Governments new draft food and drink action plan, which aims to deliver growth and jobs in the food and farming sector and increase the profile and reputation of Welsh food.
He said: Our new action plan is designed to ensure that Wales food industry reaches its full potential. We already have a good story to tell on food and drink, with Wales having seen a 6% growth in food and drinks sales last year, however were determined to do more. I encourage all interested parties to get involved and have their say.
Mr Jones is pictured above with Cwmcerrig partner Roland Watkins, who said: "We were delighted to welcome the First Minister to our shop and grill. We've had a number of VIP visitors over the years and it is good to see that they are always impressed with our work and the quality of our produce."
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One of the Age Cymru Sir Gar befriending links groups is in the running for an 'Epic Award' (Voluntary Arts Wales).
The public can help the Llanelli group win the award by voting for them online.
The group shortlisted for the award is the popular Llangennech Knit, Craft and Chat Group craft group which offers isolated over-50s friendship and a chance to develop skills.
To vote for thegroup, click on this link, http://blog.epicawards.co.uk/category/epic-awards-2014/shortlisted-2014/
You may need to register (if you havent already) and scroll down to look for the Llangennech group then click on the little green icon to vote.
Help this wonderful group of over 50s win this award.

The nomination on the Epic Awards website reads -
Popular craft group which offers isolated over-50s friendship and a chance to develop skills.
Established in 2012, Llangennech Knit, Craft and Chat Group was set up as part of a taster week in which basic knitting and card making skills were demonstrated by Swanseas Hobbycraft.
The initial session was such a success that those attending decided to proceed as a craft group with the emphasis on friendship and community.
The group now gathers weekly at Llangennech Community Centre near Llanelli, with the volunteers subs going towards materials, paying for the venue and group trips.
The Llangennech Knit, Craft and Chat Group now has 40 members, with three volunteers helping to run the group which has gone on to engage fully with the wider community.
Examples of this include a donation to Red Nose Day, knitted blankets for Romanian orphanages and food provided for the Salvation Army Foodbank in Llanelli.
In the future, the group will continue to offer friendship to over-50s who may feel isolated within their community, as well as developing their skills in knitting, crocheting, card making, quilting and dress-making. This befriending service is part of the BIG Lottery funded West Wales Befriending Links initiative, which aims to reach over 3,000 people in such groups over the next five years.
The group goes from strength to strength, and in June 2013 it celebrated its first birthday, says Peter Morgan. There is a tremendous unity within the group, they give each other lifts to the Community Centre and strong bonds have developed.
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Red Kite Law delight at Lexcel award


By Robert Lloyd, 2014-01-08


Welsh law firm Red Kite Law has once again won the Law Societys prestigious management quality mark.
The Lexcel quality mark is a cherished benchmark only achieved by some 10 per cent of law firms.
To achieve the standard you have to go through a rigorous accreditation process, said Red Kite Law partner David Sangster.
Having done the initial accreditation, firms have to reapply for the quality mark every year, undergoing further assessments of law management.
The further assessment includes background checks and an on-site Ofsted-style visit from an assessor. We have just completed our reassessment and passed with a clean bill of health.
This is a wonderful pat on the back for the hard-working team at Red Kite Law. We have a large team of legal experts spread throughout seven offices in Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire.
Delivering quality, value-for-money services to the local community matters a great deal to us.
Mr Sangster added: The Lexcel quality mark is no tick box process. The assessment process is rigorous and challenging.
Why do we put ourselves through it all? Partly, because it helps us as a business to know that we are doing the right things in the right way. But also because it means our clients can be completely confident that they have chosen a law firm with the highest client care and business management standards.
Frankly, when you are trying choose a law firm to help you make difficult decisions, a Lexcel quality mark provides that extra level of reassurance.

Red Kite Law was established in 2011 with the merger of two highly-respected firms Lowless & Lowless and Morris Roberts. Lowless & Lowless was formed in 1898 and, since its centenary year, saw significant expansion which included the acquisition of a number of practices including Paul Settatree & Co, Walter Williams Solicitors and Rogers-Haggar.
Morris Roberts was formed in 1999 following the merger of two established Carmarthen firms, Morris Lloyd and J C Williams and Roberts.
The team at Red Kite Law can be contacted on 01267 239000 and 01437 763332 or through the website at www.redkitelaw.co.uk
Red Kite has 13 partners and a total headcount of 81, with seven offices spread across Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire. The senior management team consists of Andrew Manning as CEO, Gayle Butland HR Manager, Chris Woolley as Finance Director and Sally Calverley as Business Development Director.

Photo: Red Kite Law partners with the Lexcel certificates for the companys seven offices. Left to right, John Griffiths, Luke Smith, David Williams, David Sangster, Rebecca Proctor, Paul James and John Lewis.

Weblinks
http://www.lawsocietyapproved.com/Lexcel.aspx
www.redkitelaw.co.uk
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Dysgwr 2014 - Nawr and Rwan


By Ceri Shaw, 2014-01-08

More Here - dysgwr2014

I remember as a schoolboy being introduced to palindromes. My history teacher chalked the immortal sentence 'Able was I ere I saw Elba' on the board in the course of a lesson on Napoleon and his exile in 1814. I've loved them ever since and was delighted to discover many years ago during one of my frequent attempts to learn Welsh that the word for 'now' in Welsh is 'nawr' or 'rwan' .

There is a graphic which goes some way toward explaining this on this page:-

http://caterpillarandredpostboxes.tumblr.com/post/23497124939/nawr-v-rwan

'Nawr' is used in south Wales and 'rwan' in the north. I remember hearing the word used many years ago on a walking trip in north Wales. I was at the breakfast table at the Inn where I was staying when I heard the landlord announce to his wife - "Dwi'n mynd i siopa rwan".

Of course whether you adopt the north or south Walian pronunciation neither can be enunciated without rolling the 'r'....nawrr or rrwan.

I cant help wondering how this situation arose? Is there anyone with a knowledge of Cymric etymology who can offer an explanation? Is there an explanation?

Anyway, in pursuance of my new years resolution, which is to master basic conversational Welsh by the end of 2014, I am looking forward to John Good's AmeriCymraeg class tomorrow evening at 5.00pm ( Pacific Time ). This will be the first class that I have attended as a student rather than as an administrative overseer and I will be blogging my progress throughout the year in my series of dysgwr2014 blog posts. I hope to be composing the blog in both Welsh and English by the end of the year so keep checking back for daily updates. Better still click the graphic below to join AmeriCymraeg and make 2014 the year that you learn Welsh

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Pwyll Prince of Dyfed - Mythic Crew


By Ceri Shaw, 2014-01-07




Storyteller: Liz Warren, Musician: John Good, 50 mins playing time, price $9.99



The Story of Pwyll and Rhiannon

The stories that comprise the Mabinogion were written down sometime between 1160 and 1220 A.D. in Wales. They seem to have been written for a sophisticated, courtly audience. It is unknown whether their author created them in this form or if they were already current in the repertoires of medieval Welsh storytellers. Scholars agree, however, that the elements, characters, and ideas from which the stories are built reflect much older and more widely spread Celtic beliefs. The story of Pwyll and Rhiannon in particular introduces us to ancient concepts of the otherworld and sovereignty while showing us how a proper medieval Welsh prince should behave.

All the stories in the Mabinogion explore the themes of friendship, marriage, and feuds. The First Branch, the story of Pwyll and Rhiannon, begins with a feud which Pwyll resolves and in so doing makes an important friendship and alliance with the otherworld. This connection enables him to meet and ultimately marry Rhiannon, who represents sovereignty. Throughout their relationship Rhiannon must first endure Pwyll’s impulsiveness and lack of experience and later must bear an unjust punishment during which she is distanced from her husband and her royal role. This separation and her ultimate redemption is an element of most Celtic sovereignty myths.

Through the story, Pwyll grows in maturity and wisdom, reflected in his efforts to balance the demands of the nobles of his court with his love for Rhiannon. By the end of the story when he and Rhiannon are reunited with their child, Pwyll has proven himself a just and wise leader and she has shown her eternal nature by surviving and rising above injustice. Together they have proven their fertility, thereby assuring the fertility and productivity of the land, while providing an heir to continue their good works. Listen to a sample from the album in the pop up player below.


Characters and Pronunciation Guide


Pwyll (Pweeth): Prince of Dyfed, Head of Annwfn. His name means caution or wisdom.

Arawn (Ah-roon): King of the Otherworld

Hafgan (Hav-gan): Defeated King of Annwfn. His name means ‘summer song’.

Rhiannon (Hree-an-on): Pwyll’s otherworldly bride, horse goddess, and bestower of sovereignty. Her name comes from a Celtic term meaning high queen.

Hefaidd Hen (Hev-ay -ith Hen): Rhiannon’s father.

Gwawl (Goo-awl): Rhiannon’s rejected suitor.

Teyrnon (Tir-non): The best man in all the world.

Pryderi (Prud-er-ee): Pwyll and Rhiannon’s son. His name means anxiety.

Cigfa (Keeg-vah): Pryderi’s bride.


Other Terms


Mabinogion (mab-i-no-gee-on): Collective name for eleven medieval Welsh mythic stories.

Dyfed (Duv-ed): Pwyll’s realm in south-west Wales.

Gorsedd Arberth (Gor-seth Ar-burth): The magical mound of Arberth.

Cantref (kan-trev): Medieval Welsh administrative district of 100 villages.


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Dysgwr Cymraeg yn 2014!


By Ceri Shaw, 2014-01-07

More Here - dysgwr2014

I may be guilty of sending conflicting signals in my posts on New Years resolutions last year. I seem to recall posting on Facebook that I would "stop kidding myself that I have any will power". On Twitter I announced that 2014 was the year to learn Welsh.

Well, the above mentioned tweet was picked up by the UK Daily Express who deemed it the most "eye-catching" of the season. This puts me in a spot. I cannot really exhort others to 'Learn Welsh' and join our online class without doing so myself!

And so it is with some trepidation that I hereby pledge to master the Welsh language to at least basic conversational level by the end of this year.. I say 'with trepidation' because I have tried before, several times, and failed a month or two after making the initial effort. But this year will be different! I plan to launch a blog and track my progress by discussing some aspect of the Welsh language daily between now and December 31st. At the outset the blog will be written in English rather than Welsh but by years end I hope to write in both languages without recourse to Google Translate.

I'd like to finish this inaugural post with an exhortation. If you have been toying with the idea of learning Welsh please consider joining John Good's AmeriCymraeg online Welsh class.

You couldn't wish for a better or more dedicated instructor and there are live online sessions once a week on Wednesday evenings ( 5-7 pm PST ). The courses cater for beginners and intermediate level learners. Class sizes are small so every student gets plenty of individual attention. Click the graphic below for more details AND remember that the first class of 2014 is on Wednesday 8th of January. So...if you are thinking of enrolling sign up now or email americymru@gmail.com for more details.

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Christmas 2013


By C Reg Jones, 2014-01-06

You won't know the places or names, and nothing of note occurred except that I found myself caught on Nostalgia Avenue. However, this actually happened how it's put down, and when I put it up on the Facebook page for my home town, Old Colwyn, it went down really well. So I thought I'd share it here too.

I spent the evening of Christmas day at my brothers house with the family. We had a great time and, as is more often than not the case, I was the last to leave. It was about 5 am, and with no taxis about I decided to walk to Tanylan.

On a cloud of alcohol-fuelled melancholy I sauntered up through Old Colwyn, passing The Plough, where I bought my first beer in OC, (after a sixth form Christmas panto I visited while on leave from Junior Leaders) to the crossing where my mam used to wait for me as a child after school. I paused at where Radio Rentals once stood, and remembered how we used to visit once a week to pay the rent on our TV. I always dodged inside to the pet shop next door to speak to the nice old man who used to run it, and ogle the fishes. Always friendly, wed buy budgie seed from him, and he regularly gave a playful wink as he tipped an extra scoop into the bag for us. Little things seem to be so much more with a personal touch.

The Red and The Sun came next, places I occasionally visited during my youth but have played a more prominent role in my trips home over the last couple of years. Up from the tight little road leading from Llawr Pentre, I stopped to look at where The Ship once ruled the waves, sad at its demise. Next to it, Oldhams, where we used to spend a couple of pence for chips after Cubs, before carrying on to Banksy's where I once had a paper round.

My round ran from Endsleigh road through to Tanylan, and Ill never forget the shocked elation at the amount of tips I received on my first Christmas.

They must be happy with you then. Allan Banks said when I told him, which made me feel ludicrously proud at the time.

I walked past the park towards the Lyndale, where my in-laws always stay when they visit from Germany, to what was once the Queens Hotel. The old front entrance is now bricked in but the semblance of a main door is clear to see, and with the lights on, I was suddenly whisked back to a Christmas party that either the British Legion or the Vic Club held there when I was eight or nine. The Queens was the first pub I went to with my Tad for a pint. Strained and alien as it was to sit with the man who ruled our house, its an event that still sits in my head as being one of the barriers crossed from boy to man. Now we talk about everything, but then we were two very different people, trying to find common ground and realising it was too hidden to see.

After passing the Vic, one of the places that symbolised my infrequent visits home as a young soldier, I turned in to the hole in the wall and ambled down St. Davids road. The morning was windy, with a light drizzle, yet clear, and I could see the curve of the bay pegged out in lights. As I always do when I return home, I pondered on what Id lost when I left for the army on that consequential day in September 1983.

Someone a lot wiser than I once said that home is where we were happy as children, and thats what Id left behind. My home.

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