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Born on this day 1974 in Farnborough, Hampshire (of Welsh parents from Penygroes, Gwynedd)
Iwan Thomas - one of the world’s elite 400mtr runners, who won a silver medal in the 4x400m relay at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Over his career, Thomas also won European and Commonwealth titles. He retired in 2006, only to discover two years later that he was a world champion as well.
This came about because Antonio Pettigrew, a member of the USA’s gold medal winning team in the 1997 World Championships in Athens admitted in 2003 that he had taken illegal substances and, as a result, all of his performances between 1997 and 2003 were declared void by the IAAF. This meant that the British squad of Thomas, Roger Black, Mark Richardson, and fellow Welshman Jamie Baulch belatedly became world champions after an eleven year gap.
His 400m time of 44.36 set when taking the UK title in 1997 is still a British record.
Born on this day 1965 in Watford (Welsh grandmother)
Vinnie Jones - former Wales soccer international and captain.
As a player, Jones was renowned for his tough man image, being sent off 12 times and at three seconds into a match, holding the record the quickest recorded booking. Jones also took an uncompromising approach to his subsequent acting career, with his roles in "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Snatch"
Waldini (1894 - 5 January 1966) was the stage name of Wallace (Wally) Bishop, a musician, band leader and impresario born in Cardiff, whose career spanned 6 decades
Known also as "The Great Waldini" or "Mr Music", Waldini founded a concert party whilst serving with the Royal Army Medical Corps in Egypt, during World War One, after which he worked as a cinema musician. During the depression years of the 1930's, he formed a band of unemployed musicians, which he called Waldini and his Gypsy Band and they played every day at Roath Park, Cardiff.
During World War Two, the band was hired to entertain the troops and after the war, they worked at summer holiday resorts all over the UK, but especially at Happy Valley at the Great Orme, Llandudno. During his career, he also found time for talent spotting and in the early 1940s gave Peter Sellers one of his first jobs.
Traditionally in the Western Church, the First Day of Christmas is Christmas Day, therefore, 5th January is the Twelfth Day of Christmas.
On the Twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me - Twelve Drummers Drumming.
Welsh medieval tabor (tabwrdd) player - The tabor is a portable snare drum, suspended by a strap from the forearm. It is found in Medieval Europe from around 1300 and was often played in unison with a three-holed pipe flute in the "pipe and tabor" one man band configuration, as since the pipe has only three holes it can be played with one hand, leaving the other available to play the tabor. It was used for dancing, ceremonies and processions, folk customs and street entertainment.
From its ragged cowl protrudes a skull - but no human skull - it has a long snout, huge eyes and many teeth set in a long jaw that snaps together repeatedly as it comes towards you.
Now you notice a band of musicians who strike up a tune, a troupe of strangely-garbed figures.
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| 'Our' Mari Lwyd. |
The tradition is called the Mari Lwyd (it means Grey Mary in Welsh). It has links with Punch and Judy, the need to bring cheer during the dark midwinter nights, and I've even discovered a connection that Susan Cooper made in her The Dark is Rising series between the Mari Lwyd and Merlin.
I encountered this tradition for the first time in the midwinter of 2011-12 when my wife Helen Adam, a fiddle player , was asked to accompany two artists who live in Carmarthen and who are obsessed with the Mari (as it's known for short).
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| Phil Larcher peeps out at Helen! |
The artists, Phil Larcher and Viv Morgan, are obsessed to the extent that their entire apartment is decorated with pictures and objects they have made of Maris.
Phyllis Kinney's excellent book Welsh Traditional Music describes the tradition as follows:
"The Mari Lwyd was a horses skull draped in yards of white canvas and looking like a ghostly spirit except for the adornment of coloured ribbons [we use red and green from the Welsh flag] , black bottle-glass eyes [ours has flashing lights] and black cloth or leather ears. Hidden underneath the canvas, a man with a 5 foot pole operated the Mari's jaw, which was on a spring, enabling it to snap."
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| Viv Morgan leading the Mari Lwyd (Phil Larcher) into a pub. |
They remember it from their childhoods.
Essentially what used to happen was that the party would knock on a door of a house and a ritualised exchange of banter would occur, each with an occasion for a specific piece of music.
- The arrival phase has verses greeting the householders and challenging them to a contest;
- there is then a spontaneous improvised debate in verse (called the pwnco ), largely an exchange of good-natured insults;
- if the party is then invited indoors (it may not be) havoc could be caused. For instance Punch might use his poker to put out the fire, unless he'd been made to promise not to before entry, or Judy might scatter the ashes over the room. There is even a suggestion that the Mari might be looking for a baby in the house;
- the hosts give the guests drink (!) and a wassailling song is sung as the visitors wish good luck to their hosts;
- a further song is sung as the party leaves.
Dymunwn ich' lawenydd I gynnal blwyddyn newydd Trapari'r gwr dincian cloch Well, well y bo chwi beunydd.
In our part of Wales, Carmarthenshire, as the tradition is being revived we do not visit people's houses but pubs instead. This is the second year I've been involved and the group has got larger partly because my wife has been running a Welsh tunes workshop in which we have been rehearsing the music.
Phil Larcher and Viv Morgan with their Mari Lwyd in the White Horse, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, in January 2012 with fiddler Helen Adam.
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| The Mari Lwyd in The Parrot pub, Carmarthen on December 15. You might spot yours truly playing the guitar. Viv Morgan is to my right, Helen on the left. |
In Llandovery our large party (two fiddlers, guitar, five percussionists including a monk, a flautist and an accordionist - my son Nemos - plus assorted singers) were turned away from the first pub. The second permitted us to terrorise the diners - who didn't know what had hit them!
We visited two more pubs and, halfway through the evening, a twmpath, or ceilidh in the community hall which we proceeded to disrupt - much to the dancers' enjoyment.
When we went to the final pub we found someone who obviously knew we were coming who was wearing a massive papier mach head with a top hat, whom I took to be the Merryman and who danced to our music.
But what are the origins of this madness?
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| Samhain decoration on the Mari's costume. |
The Mari Lwyd ritual has also been described as "a pre-Christian horse ceremony" associated with many similar customs throughout the world. Some aspects of it, including some of the music, suggest considerable age.
The Mari could be associated with the Welsh mythic figure Rhiannon, who first appears in the Mabinogion , the Welsh cycle of old stories, riding a shining white horse.
Our Mari is decorated with pagan symbols. The Leader, Viv, carries a broom whose staff is richly decorated, topped with a small black bird, and whose brush is made with freshly picked herbs.
Susan Cooper's brilliant The Dark Is Rising epic cycle of five children's fantasy books includes a character called Merryman. He is one of the Old Ones, on the side of Light. The second book, The Dark Is Rising , and the final book, Silver on the Tree , are set around Aberdyfi, south Gwynedd, in the area where her parents and grandparents lived, and it is likely Susan would have known of the Mari Lwyd tradition.One of the manifestations of Merryman in the book cycle is Merlin.
You might ask where a horse's skull might be obtained. If you look, they come to you. Viv and Phil swear that they found theirs hanging in the branches of a tree one day when they went for a walk following a storm.
The ritual is not associated with any particular day of the year, just any time around midwinter and the turning of the year, and so it can be repeated in different places. We have one further date on January 11 in Llandeilo, where we will be visiting three pubs during the course of the evening. Perhaps we'll see you.
Traditionally, the host are supposed to give us a drink in each one, but I don't think the publicans have yet cottoned on to this.
Nevertheless it's the best excuse for a pub crawl and a lot of fun on a dark midwinter night that I've come across in a long time. And the Tricksters and Lords of Misrule demand their time. There are those who would like to tame them - but they will not be tamed. Maris are wild.
If you should hear the snapping of jaws and the sound of hooves one dark night - don't venture near. The Maris don't care to be watched by the uninitiated.
Photos: Phil Larcher.
Born on this day 1878 in Tenby
Augustus John - the leading British portraitist of his period and a brilliant draftsman.
John worked as a war artist for the Canadian army during World War I, after which he adopted a bohemian type of lifestyle, traveling with and painting, Irish travelers, Normandy fisherfolk, and gypsies. He later specialized in commissioned portraits of society figures.
Born on this day 1940 in Cardiff.
Professor Brian Josephson - Nobel prize-winning physicist and “pioneer of the paranormal.” and whose motto is “nullius in verba” - take nobody’s word for it.
Josephson was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1973 for his discovery of the “Josephson Effect” which explains how an electrical current can flow between materials with no electrical resistance, even when an insulator is placed between them. It is used for making immensely sensitive scientific instruments, that are capable for example, of measuring the magnetic field around a mouse’s brain.
In the late 1960s, he began to explore paranormal themes, such as the relationship between music, language and mind and in the early 1970s started practising transcendental meditation and trying to find a scientific basis for telepathy.
Born on this day 1850 in Bettws, Newport
Griffith Jenkins Griffith - Welsh - American industrialist and philanthropist, who donated 3,015 acres of land to the City of Los Angeles which later became Griffith Park.
Griffith emigrated to Pensylvania in 1865, before moving to San Francisco in 1873, where he became manager of the Herald Publishing Company. In 1878, he became mining correspondent for a San Francisco newspaper and as such he gained extensive knowledge of the mining industry on the Pacific Coast. His knowledge of mining, led to him being employed by many mining syndicates and also earned him a significant fortune.
In 1882, he moved into property development and also started an ostrich farm near the Los Angelos River, to supply the feathers used in making women's hats. After the property rush peaked, in 1896, Griffith donated 3,015 acres of land to the City of Los Angeles, which later became Griffith Park. He also gave the money to build the park's Greek Theatre and Griffith Observatory. Griffith's legacy, however, was marred by his notorious attempted murder of his wife in 1903, a crime for which he served two years in prison.
Born on this day 1958 in Swansea.
Gary Jones - actor and writer, best known for his roles in Stargate SG-1, Stargate: Continuum and Stargate: The Ark of Truth.
Jones moved to Vancouver, Canada in 1986 where he worked as an Art Director and award winning comedy writer, before moving into acting. He is also known as an excellent MC and is in great demand for hosting events, such as award presentations.
Traditionally in the Western Church, the First Day of Christmas is Christmas Day, therefore, 4th January is the Eleventh Day of Christmas.
On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me - Eleven Pipers Piping.
Pipes have been documented in Wales since at least the 12th century and more than likely pre-date this considerably. They would have been used socially for entertainment and accompanying singers as well as a rallying cry in battle.
* A Christmas feast which included pipers was held by the Lord Rhys at Cardigan in 1176, which is regarded by many to be the first eisteddfod.
* The Welsh Laws of Hywel Dda, in the 10th century and later versions in the 12th and 13th centuries provide information about the status of music in Wales and state that the king should recognize the status of master craftsmen in his service by giving each one an appropriate instrument, specified as harp, crwth, or pipes.
* In 1376, the poet Iolo Goch describes the instrument in his Cywydd to Syr Hywel y Fwyall. Also, in the same century, Brut y Tywysogian ("Chronicle of the Princes"), written around 1330 AD, states that there are three types of wind instrument: Organ a Phibeu a Cherd y got ("organ and pipes and bag music").
* In 1784, Edward Jones wrote: `The musical instruments, anciently used in Wales... are six in number, the Telyn, or harp; the Crwth; the Pibgorn, or Horn-pipe; the Pibau-cod, or Pib-braich; that is, the Bagpipes, or the arm pipes: the Tabwrdd, Tabret or Drum; and the Corn-buelin, Cornet.'
With the general decline of Welsh traditional music in the 19th century, the pipes slowly disappeared from use. However in the last 30 or so years, there has been a revival of piping in Wales, with pipe bands being established in the cities of Newport, Swansea and Cardiff.
Born on this day 1907 in Neath
Ray Milland - Academy Award-winning actor and director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985 and at one time, he was Paramount Pictures highest paid actor, co-starring alongside many of the most popular actresses of the time.
Milland was a member of the Household Cavalry of the British Army, before taking up acting. He initially took parts as an extra in many British productions before starring in "The Flying Scotsman", which resulted in him getting a contract with MGM
He then moved to the United States where he signed for Paramount and Universal, appearing in "Three Smart Girls" and "The Jungle Princess" with Dorothy Lamour, which made him an international star. After a further 20 years of acting success, he moved into directing.
Born on this day 1987 in Carmarthen.
Ken Owens - Wales rugby international, who was part of the Grand Slam winning side in 2012. Owen currently plays as hooker for the Scarlets regional side.
Born on this day 1892 in Bloemfontein, South Africa
JRR ( John Ronald Reuel) Tolkien, the author of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion.
Tolkien, whose fiction is influenced by Wales, is known to have loved the Welsh landscape and its language. For example, the Elvish language, Sindarin, sounds very much like Welsh and many of his place names have similar Welsh equivalents e.g. Crick Hollow (Crickhowell)
Traditionally in the Western Church, the First Day of Christmas is Christmas Day, therefore, 3nd January is the Tenth Day of Christmas.
On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me - Ten Lords a Leaping
It is thought that "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was a song used by Catholics, who were wary of showing their faith openly. According to the theory, the subject of each verse represents a hidden religious meaning.
The Ten Lords a Leaping, represents The Ten Commandments.
The Ten Commandments, along with the Creed and the Lord's Prayer appear in the first book to be published in the Welsh language "Yn Y Lhyvr Hwnn" ( 'In This Book'). It was published in 1546 and was the work of John Price of Brecon.
The full list of suggested hidden meanings are;
* The partridge in a pear tree, represents Jesus Christ.
* Two turtle doves, represent the two Testaments
* Three French hens, represent faith, hope and love.
* The four calling birds, represent the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
* The five golden rings, represent the first five books of the Old Testament.
* The six geese a-laying, represent the six days of the creation.
* Seven swans a-swimming, represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
* The eight maids a-milking, represent the eight beatitudes, given in the Sermon on the Mount by Jesus.
* The nine ladies dancing, represent the Holy Spirit's nine fruits.
* The ten lords a-leaping, represent the Ten Commandments.
* The eleven pipers piping, represent the eleven faithful disciples.
* The twelve drummers drumming, represent the Apostles Creed's twelve points of belief.
The Cardiff Blitz, were the World War II bombings of Cardiff, by the Nazi German Luftwaffe, between July 1940 and March 1944. The worst night of bombings occurred on 2nd January 1941, when, 100 German aircraft took part in a 10-hour raid, that saw 165 people killed and 427 more injured, while nearly 350 homes were destroyed or had to be demolished. Western Cardiff was the worst hit area, particularly Canton and Riverside, where 116 people were killed, 50 of which were killed in one street in Riverside, De Burgh Street.
Cardiff was targeted because Cardiff Docks was one of the biggest coal ports in the world. In total, more than 2,100 bombs fell in the Cardiff district during the four years of bombings, with 355 people killed and 502 injured.
Born on this day 1856 in Pentrepoeth, Swansea.
John Viriamu Jones - scientist, who worked on measuring the ohm and an educationalist who worked to raise the standard of secondary education in Wales.
Jones was the first principal of Cardiff and Sheffield Universities, first vice-chancellor of the University of Wales and also principal of the Cardiff Technical School.
He was named after John Williams, the missionary to the South Pacific, 'Viriamu', in the language of the South Pacific island of Erromango means "Williams".
British Steel had just reported half-yearly losses and claimed it needed to reduce its workforce by approximately 30% in order to get back into profit. The steel workers feared British Steel's long term plans for profitability would mean the closure of some plants with the loss of thousands of jobs and the workers at Port Talbot and Llanwern in South Wales feared their plants would be the first to close.
After spreading to the privatised steel works, the strike lasted nearly 14 weeks, with the plants reopening after a pay package was agreed. Later that summer, however, 17,000 of the 24,000 South Wales steel workers were put on short time and by the end of 1980, British Steel had completed the closure of a number of outdated and loss-making plants, reducing its overall workforce from 268,500 employees to 130,000.
The drowning of rural Welsh valleys in order to provide English cities with water, often by compulsory purchase and without compensation, is a controversial subject which over the years has led to many protests.
On 2nd January 1982, The Welsh Army of Workers claimed responsibility for a bomb explosion at the Birmingham headquarters of the Severn Trent Water Authority. An hour later a second bomb was found and defused at the main complex of the International Development Corporation (IDC) in Stratford-upon-Avon. No one was hurt by the bombings, which were part of a campaign for local authorities from Birmingham and the West Midlands to pay for the water they receive from the Elan Valley reservoirs.
1880's - Lake Vyrnwy in Montgomeryshire was the first reservoir in Wales and at the time, it was the biggest man-made lake in the world. It was built to supply water to Liverpool and Merseyside and involved flooding the head of the Vyrnwy valley and submerging the small village of Llanwddyn.
1890s - The City of Birmingham Corporation bought 180km² of land in the Elan and Claerwen valleys in Powys, as there was an increasing demand for water in Birmingham for public health reasons and for industry.
1904 - The Elan Valley reservoir was opened to supply water to the City of Birmingham. The three dams opened there were - Craig Goch, Pen y Garreg and Caban Coch, with a surface area of 500 acres.
1907 - Llyn Alwen near Betws y Coed was constructed by the Wirral Water Board.to supply 9 million tons of water per day to Birkenhead.
1923 - Welsh MP's prevented the Corporation of Warrington drowning the Ceiriog valley near Wrexham.
1952 - Claerwen reservoir and dam in Elan Valley was opened and the area was leased by the Midlands for 999 years for a sum of 5 pence a year. It provides 75 tonnes of water per day.
1965 - Consruction of the Llyn Celyn reservoir in Gwynedd involved the drowning of the village of Capel Celyn, to supply water to Liverpool
1967 - Llyn Clywedog near Llanidloes was built to supply water to Birmingham and the English Midlands, following an Act of Parliament ordering its creation, despite strong local opposition.
Born on this day 1752 in Llandyfrydog, Anglesey.
Nicholas Owen - clergyman and antiquary who wrote on various topics from Welsh history, including the claim that it was Prince Madoc who first discovered America.
Owen was appointed perpetual curate of the now ruined St Michael's Church, Llanfihangel Ysgeifiog in Anglesey in 1790.
Traditionally in the Western Church, the First Day of Christmas is Christmas Day, therefore, 2nd January is the Ninth Day of Christmas.
On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me - Nine Ladies Dancing.
Dancing has always been popular in Wales. In the 16th century, the twmpath was an 0pportunity for the community to meet and dance in the open air to music provided by a musician sat on the tmwpath (a tump of raised ground). There was also step or clog dancing, which included stepping and displays of skill such as high leaps and the dancers putting out a candle flame with their feet.
However, when Nonconformity became dominant in the 1730s, dancing was discouraged as a more conservative way of life became expected by the ministers. This resulted in folk dancing almost vanishing in Wales by the 20th century.
The decline of traditional Welsh dancing was reversed in the 1930's when Lois Blake, an Englishwoman who had moved to Denbighshire, took it on herself to reintroduce the historic dance steps and music, such as Lord of Caernarvon's Jig of 1652, the Llangadfan set of 1790 and the Llanover Reel, popular at Llanover Court until the late 19th century.
Then in 1949, the Welsh Folk Dancing Society was established, which along the introduction of folk dancing into the National Eisteddfod programme has ensured an optimism for the continuation of Welsh folk dancing.
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Born on this day 1937 in Margam, near Port Talbot
Anthony Hopkins - Oscar winning actor.
Hopkins' schooldays were unproductive as he found that he would rather immerse himself in art, such as painting, drawing and playing the piano, than attend to his studies. His life path altered at age 15, following a brief encounter with Richard Burton, who encouraged him to become an actor. To that end, he enrolled at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff and then after two years national service, he moved to London and was invited by Laurence Oliver to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. From that moment on, he was to enjoy a successful career in cinema and television, with his remarkable acting style reaching the four corners of the world.
In 1998, Hopkins gave £1m to the National Trust in order for them to buy a large piece of land on Snowdon and therefore save it from private development. To learn scripts, Hopkins reads them out loud 250 times. He also learns a new poem every week to exercise his memory.
Humphrey (VI) de Bohun, 3rd Earl of Hereford(c. 1249 – 31 December 1298) - was an active participant in the Welsh Wars, who had inherited major possessions in the Welsh Marches from his mother, Eleanor de Braose.
1270 - Following the rebellion aganst King Henry III of England during the Second Barons' War of 1263–4 and the Treaty of Montgomery in 1267, at which Llywelyn ap Gruffudd was recognised as Prince of Wales by King Henry. Llywelyn had extended his territory into the Marches, taking much of de Bohun's land. Therefore much of de Bohun's focus was on reconquering these lands through private warfare against Llywelyn.
1272 - While Edward I was away crusading, Llywelyn refused to pay him homage, partly because of the military actions of de Bohun, which Llywelyn saw as violations of the Treaty of Montgomery.
1276 - de Bohun was present at a royal assembly where a judgment was passed against Llywelyn.
1277 - Edward I declared war on Llywelyn, with de Bohun serving in Anglesey.
1282 - War with Wales broke out again; this time a full-scale war of conquest. de Bohun assuming the role as Constable of England.
1294–95 - de Bohun fought again in Wales, in the suppression of the rebellion of Madog ap Llywelyn.
Born on this day 1878 in Llanfihangel-ar-Arth, Carmarthenshire and brought up in Rhydlewis, near Llandysul.
David Caradoc Evans - journalist, author and playwright.
Evans's best known work is a series of short stories called My People in which he highlights the hypocrisies he sees in the piety of non-conformist Christianity with the harsh reality of people living in poverty. The work attracted savage criticism from the press at the time and they referred to Williams as "the best hated man in Wales".
The Gop is a neolithic mound which lies north of Trelawnyd in Flintshire. It is the biggest prehistoric monument in Wales and was probably built around 3,000BC. Excavations have indicated that it was used as a look-out or hill fort and further down the hill there are are caves where burials date back possibly to 6,000 BC.
John Wynne (1650 – 31 December 1714) - the industrial pioneer and high Sheriff of Flintshire, was born and lived in Trelanwnyd
He had plans to turn Trelawnyd into the centre of the North Wales lead industry and an industrial town of some importance. He built houses, established a weekly market and built the Nonconformist chapel in 1701 as well as a grammar school at "plas yn dre". He also obtained permission to rename the village "Newmarket" in 1710. However his plans ultimately came to nothing, but Wynne was responsible for the village's growth and its population did top over 600 residents.
Ras Nos Galan
This is a race held in memory of Griffith Morgan (1700–1737) “the fastest man of his time”, known better as Guto Nyth Brân, from Llwyncelyn, near Porth. It is run every year on New Years Eve at Mountain Ash, over the course of Guto's first ever race. It has become a tradition of this race for a mystery runner to compete and over the years this has included Iwan Thomas, Linford Christie and Alun Wyn Jones At the conclusion of the race, a wreath is then placed on Guto's grave in Llanwynno graveyard. There is also a commemorative statue of Guto in Mountain Ash.
It was said that Guto's speed was first noticed, when he managed to catch a wild hare. Another legend has it that he could run the 7 miles, to the local town of Pontypridd and back home again, before his mother's kettle had boiled.
Seeing his potential the local shopkeeper, Siân o'r Siop (Siân from the Shop), became his trainer and manager and organised a race on Hirwaun Common against an unbeaten English Captain, for a £400 prize. Guto won the race won easily and kept on winning, remaining unbeaten until he was 30. Over the years, Guto and Sian had fallen in love and Guto decided to retire to enjoy a quiet life with Sian.
However, in 1737, a new champion runner had emerged, called the "Prince of Bedwas" and Sian persuaded Guto to have one last race against Prince, for a prize of 1000 guineas. The race was over the 12 miles from Newport to Bedwas and was a very even contest. Nearing the finish, Prince held a slender lead, however one last lung bursting effort from Guto, saw him cross the line first. However, in the celebrations after, Guto collapsed and died in Sian's arms.
Rowan Williams' 10 year term as Archbishop of Canterbury came to an end on 31st December 2012 and at a ceremony at Lambeth Palace, he gave the official robes that he had worn on his enthronement to the president of the National Museum Wales, where they will be displayed and will remain the property of the people of Wales.
The traditional carol "Deck the Halls" originates from the Welsh melody first found in a musical manuscript by Welsh harpist John Parry Ddall in 1741, It was subsequently published and named "Nos Galan" ("New Year's Eve") in 1784. Subsequently, the tune spread widely, with Mozart using it in a piano and violin concerto and Haydn in the song "New Year's Night."
Born on this day 1860 in Newport.
Horace Sampson Lyne - who won five caps for Wales, before retiring and becoming the WRU's longest serving president. Lyne is also notable as one of the six representatives that set up the International Rugby Board.
Traditionally in the Western Church, the First Day of Christmas is Christmas Day, therefore 31st December is the Seventh Day of Christmas.
On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me - Seven Swans a Swimming.
Several species of swan are found in Wales, but it is the mute swan that is most common, its population having recovered following the ban on lead fishing weights in 1987. Small numbers of Bewick and Whooper swans, over winter in Wales, with both species specially protected due to their small and vulnerable populations.
A history of Swans
* In Greek mythology, the story of Leda and the Swan describes Helen of Troy as being the daughter of Zeus disguised as a swan and Leda, Queen of Sparta. Other legends refer to the otherwise silent Mute Swan singing beautifully in death, hence the phrase swan song.
* A coat of arms was originally a knight's personal badge and many depicted birds especially swans. Later Henry V carried a swan on his pennon at Agincourt
* From the 12th century, the mute swan was a valuable commodity and was regularly traded between noblemen. It was also a favourite food of royalty and the owners of swans were duty bound to mark them by way of a succession of unique nicks in the beaks of their birds. It was and still is the duty of the Royal Swanmaster to organise the annual swan-upping and traditionally the British Monarch retained the right to ownership of all unmarked mute swans in open water. Today it serves as a check on the health of the swans
* Swansea is thought not to be named after the Swan, even though Swansea City F.C have adopted the Swan as their emblem and nick name. The name is considered to be of Viking origin.
