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Aberfan and the Free Wales Army

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PLAYTHING OF THE GODS (or why did that bird shit on me?)


By Gaynor Madoc Leonard, 2014-10-17

We all have days when we wonder what the hell it's all about and, despite initial optimism, the past two weeks have been like that.

A couple of weeks ago, I helped to publish a book of poetry on behalf of my dear Twitter friend, David Lewis. I've already talked about him in my two most recent blogs but, just in case you missed those, David is a lovely, kind man who is in the final stages of a terminal disease and wants to help a charity called Harrison's Fund. The poetry book is being sold to aid that fund, with no money going to David at all.

Despite our best efforts and David's daily blog reaching thousands of people around the world, sales have been slow. A wonderful core of supporters bought the book and tweeted about it but things seem to have stagnated. Even a 25% discount by the publishers didn't seem to tempt many people. To say that this is dispiriting is to understate the case. As I've pointed out before, the e-book costs about the same as a cup of coffee and the print book about the same as an ordinary bottle of wine and probably less than a packet of cigarettes (I don't smoke so I'm not sure of the prices these days). While times are hard, people can generally find the cash for a couple of drinks so why can't they find that money to help thousands of children and their families?

To repeat what I've said before, Harrison's Fund is raising money for research into Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. 1 in 3500 children (almost always boys) have this disease; that's an awful lot of children. Soon after I became involved, I saw a TV programme about a family which had a son suffering from the disease. The programme, DIY SOS Big Build (BBC), showed a charming young lad whose limbs are already beginning to fail; he may live into his teens or possibly into his 20s but not beyond that, unless some cure is found in the meantime. It was very moving.

Harrison, of the eponymous fund. is a young boy whose family is doing its best to raise awareness and money; the fund is part of the Duchenne Alliance. I can't imagine the pain the family must go through daily when faced with this uphill struggle and the knowledge that young Harrison may not be with them for much longer. Neither can I imagine David's pain as he struggles to stay afloat and do something very important with the time that remains to him.

This is one charity where we are not asking for money for just a sticker or a flag; you actually get something that you can keep and look at again and again. David has laid bare his feelings, so long hidden and repressed, and writes so sincerely of love and hope, without shying away from the prospect of death.

Each day, I think that sales of the book will be up and people will realise what we've been trying to do. Each day, I'm more than a little disappointed and the disappointment is heightened by the daily struggle with my father, who has severe dementia, and other personal problems which I won't begin to bore you with.

It was in this spirit that I set out today, to do my daily errands. Gloom and doom dogged my footsteps but I told myself that at least it wasn't raining. No sooner had thought that, a bird flew overhead and I felt a splat on my coat and hair.

On top of the gloom and doom now came anger. The Furies had nothing on me; they could have taken my correspondence course. And I still feel rather angry. Is there no one who can do without a bottle of wine, a pack of cigarettes or a couple of beers at their local bar? Could they not take a few short minutes to go online and buy an e-book or print book which will help to make a difference to thousands of children and their families?

Too much to ask?

I'd like to thank those who have already bought Slushy Tourette's by David Lewis in either form. For anyone else who would like to buy, please go to either of the websites below:

smashwords.com for the e-book

lulu.com for the print book

More information about DMD can be found at www.harrisonsfund.org or go to http://http://www.harrisonsfund.com/muscular-dystrophy-video/

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Sorrry that I haven't been around for a couple of weeks but we have been busy having some home improvements done and have had to do a lot of decorating. Things have settled down a little now.

Exciting times. The project has been completed and the Lego image is now ready for the exhibition in January. I think that the Lego mock up looks really good and applaud the skill of all of those involved. The image is made up of more than 7,000 Lego bricks and took some 36 hours spread over 2 weeks to build. More news and photographs to follow soon.

Zsolt has just mailed me to say that the photographer of the National News Agency loved Striped Water and is going to the school to take some photos so it looks like the project is going to make the national press in Hungary.

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An array of performers will come together at the Royal Albert Hall's Elgar Room to sing the work of married Welsh composers, Daniel and Laura Curtis.

 

The one night only concert will take place on  October 14th  and features many of the West End's leading artists including Alexander Hanson (Stephen Ward, Jesus Christ Superstar), Sabrina Aloueche (Les Miserables, We Will Rock You), Rebecca Caine (Phantom Of The Opera), Mark Moraghan (Priscilla Queen of The Desert), Chloe Hart (Hairspray, Wicked), Lucie Jones (X Factor), Charlotte Jaconelli (Britain's Got Talent) and many other special guests.

 

Critics describe the music of Daniel & Laura Curtis as “frequently stirring and soaring” (The Public Reviews) with some songs “which could slot into a Richard Rodgers musical”.

 

The composers first came into the public eye when they produced and composed 'A Miner's Song' which featured over 300 performers including numerous celebrities such as Aled Jones, Ioan Gruffudd, Jonathan Pryce, Matthew Rhys, Paul Potts, Michael Sheen and Joe Calzaghe. The song went on to raise tens of thousands of pounds to help fund the National Mining Memorial in Senghenydd.

Daniel and Laura recently lent their composing talents to help fundraise for BBC Children in Need by producing 'Love on 42nd Street', which pulled together numerous Broadway and West End Superstars including Disney's Aladdin star, Lea Salonga who provided the singing voice for Princess Jasmine as well as Broadway's current Jean Valjean, Ramin Karimloo.

 

Discussing the challenge of enticing current audiences to experience new music Laura Curtis said; “It can be difficult getting an audience to come and listen to new music as there is always some uncertainty about what they are letting themselves in for. But you can be surprised – many people assume the music will be in a particular style due to the fact that it is Musical Theatre, but we ourselves are examples that this isn't true, an evening of our music spans numerous genres from gospel and rock to traditional Musical Theatre which could have been written in the 1950's. And they all tell stories in the same way you'd see a theatrical number performed in a show”.

 

The evening will feature music from Love on 42nd Street as well as premiering a number of new songs.

 

Tickets are available now from the Royal Albert Hall Box Office http://www.royalalberthall.com/" target="_blank"> http://www.royalalberthall. com/  0845 401 5034

 

The full list of performers for the evening are:

Sabrina Aloueche, Rebecca Caine, Maria Coyne, Alexander Hanson, Kara Lily Hayworth, Chloe Hart, Duncan Heather, Kasia Howley, Charlotte Jaconelli, Lucie Jones, Max Keir, Rosie Ladkin, Adam Robert Lewis, Mark Moraghan and Sean Rumsey.

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SYMPATHY FATIGUE


By Gaynor Madoc Leonard, 2014-10-13

Over the past 10 days or so, David Lewis and I have been marketing quite frantically on social media, trying to sell his book of poems, Slushy Tourette's.

This book, both in e-form and print, will benefit Harrison's Fund, a member of the Duchenne Alliance. Neither David nor I will gain anything from the sales, apart from a sense of satisfaction. A small core of supporters has both bought the book (sometimes several copies) and helped spread the word via Twitter, but we need more sales! Until 15th October, lulu.com is offering the print version (and all print books on its site) at a 25% discount with the code EATYOUREGGS. This is a fantastic opportunity to buy the book either for oneself or as a gift; it would make a super stocking-filler at Christmas or a rather wonderful and rather different wedding favour.

There are so many demands made of all of use these days, from umpteen charities, but this one is special. Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy affects 1 in 3500 children (almost always boys) and they are unlikely to live beyond their 20s. Slushy Tourette's gives people the opportunity to do some good and to get something for themselves.

Like many people, I have charities which I support regularly and I tend to ignore the rest. And, like other people, I have problems in my own life which make it hard to care as much as I should about those in trouble, even if they are in worse straits than myself.

David is dying; he has a terminal illness and is in constant pain. I'm not sure what is worse than that. If I'm honest, I am feeling extremely tired; my father has severe dementia and I have scarcely seen my own home this year, being obliged to help my mother. The stress has affected my own health. In addition, my oldest friend has had cancer this year and, because of my situation, I have been unable to be of any direct support. That has upset me greatly.

You might say, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, Yadda, yadda, yadda. We've all got our own problems". Indeed we have and many of them are far worse than mine, but if David can pull himself out of the slough of despond and do something positive with what remains of his life then the least one can do is log on to one of the websites below and spend just a little money (the cost of a fancy cup of coffee for the e-book or a bottle of very ordinary wine for the print version) to bring some hope to thousands of children and their families.

Just do it.

SLUSHY TOURETTE'S by David Lewis

e-book at smashwords.com

print book at lulu.com (with 25% discount through 15th October with the code EATYOUREGGS)

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An array of performers will come together at the Royal Albert Hall's Elgar Room to sing the work of married Welsh composers, Daniel and Laura Curtis.

The one night only concert will take place on  October 14th  and features many of the West End's leading artists including Alexander Hanson (Stephen Ward, Jesus Christ Superstar), Sabrina Aloueche (Les Miserables, We Will Rock You), Rebecca Caine (Phantom Of The Opera), Mark Moraghan (Priscilla Queen of The Desert), Chloe Hart (Hairspray, Wicked), Lucie Jones (X Factor), Charlotte Jaconelli (Britain's Got Talent) and many other special guests.

Critics describe the music of Daniel & Laura Curtis as “frequently stirring and soaring” (The Public Reviews) with some songs “which could slot into a Richard Rodgers musical”.

The composers first came into the public eye when they produced and composed 'A Miner's Song' which featured over 300 performers including numerous celebrities such as Aled Jones, Ioan Gruffudd, Jonathan Pryce, Matthew Rhys, Paul Potts, Michael Sheen and Joe Calzaghe. The song went on to raise tens of thousands of pounds to help fund the National Mining Memorial in Senghenydd.

Daniel and Laura recently lent their composing talents to help fundraise for BBC Children in Need by producing 'Love on 42nd Street', which pulled together numerous Broadway and West End Superstars including Disney's Aladdin star, Lea Salonga who provided the singing voice for Princess Jasmine as well as Broadway's current Jean Valjean, Ramin Karimloo.

Discussing the challenge of enticing current audiences to experience new music Laura Curtis said; “It can be difficult getting an audience to come and listen to new music as there is always some uncertainty about what they are letting themselves in for. But you can be surprised – many people assume the music will be in a particular style due to the fact that it is Musical Theatre, but we ourselves are examples that this isn't true, an evening of our music spans numerous genres from gospel and rock to traditional Musical Theatre which could have been written in the 1950's. And they all tell stories in the same way you'd see a theatrical number performed in a show”.

The evening will feature music from Love on 42nd Street as well as premiering a number of new songs.

Tickets are available now from the Royal Albert Hall Box Office http://www.royalalberthall.com/" target="_blank"> http://www.royalalberthall. com/  0845 401 5034

The full list of performers for the evening are:

Sabrina Aloueche, Rebecca Caine, Maria Coyne, Alexander Hanson, Kara Lily Hayworth, Chloe Hart, Duncan Heather, Kasia Howley, Charlotte Jaconelli, Lucie Jones, Max Keir, Rosie Ladkin, Adam Robert Lewis, Mark Moraghan and Sean Rumsey.

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Dylanthon - to celebrate Dylan's centenary


By Bob Titley, 2014-10-02

 

PRESS RELEASE INFORMATION FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 30 TH SEPTEMBER 2014

Wales Theatre Company, Swansea Grand Theatre, Dylan 100, The Welsh Assembly Government and Homer Simpson Productions present

THE DYLATHON Patron:  Hannah Ellis

A 36-HOUR NON-STOP READING OF THE WORKS OF DYLAN THOMAS TO CELEBRATE THE CENTENARY OF HIS BIRTH at SWANSEA GRAND THEATRE,

 11am SUNDAY 26th OCTOBER - 11pm MONDAY 27th OCTOBER

STARS OF STAGE, SCREEN, POLITICS, SPORT, MEDIA AND THE ARTS JOIN SWANSEA SCHOOL CHILDREN, YOUTH and COMMUNITY GROUPS

in EPIC CLIMACTIC EVENT OF THE DYLAN THOMAS 100 FESTIVAL

in aid of

THE PRINCE'S FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN & THE ARTS

Supported by Dylan Thomas 100 Festival and City and County of Swansea.

 

GUEST OF HONOUR

Irish President Michael D Higgins

IAN McKELLEN, JONATHAN PRYCE, KATHERINE JENKINS, SIAN PHILLIPS JOIN HUNDREDS ON LIVE ON STAGE

 

The climactic event in the Dylan Thomas 100 Festival, The Dylathon is a 36 Hour live non-stop reading of the works of Dylan Thomas at Swansea Grand Theatre ending on the very hour of his birth 100 years before.

 

Readers live on stage include great stars of stage and screen (Ian McKellen, Sian Phillips, Jonathan Pryce) ; sports legends (JPR Williams, Eddie Butler, Ryan Jones ) ; national treasures (Ruth Madoc, Katherine Jenkins, Nicholas Parsons) ; a strong Irish contingent to greet our guest of honour President Michael D Higgins (Dervla Kirwan and Frank Kelly) ; broadcasters (Robert Peston, Gethin Jones, Sian Lloyd) ; actors (Celyn Jones, Suzanne Packer, Charles Dale) ; musicians (Eggs Laid by Tigers, The Morriston Orpheus Choir );   comedians (Jo Brand, Kevin Eldon) ; writers (Howard Brenton, Gillian Clarke) ; together with local school children,  young people and community groups.   The closing hour of the show will include   The Rt Hon Carwyn Jones AM, First Minister of Wales reading  Those Who Died in the Dawn Raid ,   Michael Sheen will join the party via live-link from New York and Hannah Ellis , Dylan Thomas 100 Patron and Thomas' Granddaughter will read 'Letter to Aeron' - Dylan's letter to his daughter Aeronwy,  Hannah's mother.

 

Olivier Award-winning stage director Michael Bogdanov will stage 36 hours of non-stop Dylan, creating twelve elegantly crafted 3 hour 'chapters' from the poems, short stories, letters, broadcasts (including Under Milk Wood ) and film scripts plus some rare and unpublished materials.  Fully devised and curated, with over 200 pieces of material read by literally hundreds of voices. The event is designed by multi-award winning Ed 'Dr Who' Thomas and literary consultant is the international Dylan Thomas expert Jeff Towns.

 

It will be a fitting tribute to Wales' most potent cultural icon, an audacious centenary celebration in the city of his birth, his beloved Ugly, Lovely Swansea.

 

For the final chapter of the Dylathon 'The Thin Night Darkens', President Michael D Higgins , Dylan Thomas 100 stakeholders international dignitaries and guests will join the audience for the climactic minutes leading up to 11pm on Monday 27th.  This final 3 Hour chapter will feature: 

 

  • Hannah Ellis (Dylan Thomas' granddaughter and Dylathon patron) reading 'Letter to Aeron' - Dylan's letter to his daughter Aeronwy, Hannah's mother
  • HRH The Prince of Wales' (Dylan Thomas 100 Festival Royal Patron) recording of 'Fern Hill' .
  • The Rt Hon Carwyn Jones AM, First Minister of Wales reading ' Those Who Died in the Dawn Raid'
  • Ian McKellen reading 'Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night', from 'Deaths and Entrances'
  • Katherine Jenkins and Ian McKellen  reading Rosie Probert and Captain Cat from Under Milk Woo.
  • Jonathan Pryce reading 'A Child's Christmas in Wales'
  • Sian Phillips  reading Dylan's 1st letter to Caitlin Macnamara, his future wife
  • Ryan Jones - former Wales Rugby Captain and British Lion reading  ' A Letter to Vernon Watkins' , written November 13, 1937
  • Gillian Clarke , Wales National Poet Laureate reading 'Poem On His Birthday' from 'In Country Sleep'
  • Michael Sheen - a live link from New York - reading 'And Death Shall Have No Dominion'  from '25 Poems'
  • The Wales Theatre Company reading from ' Under Milk Wood'.  
  • The Morriston Orpheus Choir singing The Reverend Ely Jenkins Sunset Poem from 'Under Milk Wood'.

Dylan Thomas fans from throughout the world can buy tickets for this extraordinary celebration for the entire 36 hours, for 12 hours or for a 3 hour block. See www.dylathon100.com  for programme descriptions and booking details.  Press tickets available.

The Prince's Foundation for Children & the Arts will be the beneficiary charity of The Dylathon. Children & the Arts is the only national charity working to ensure that all children in the UK are inspired by the arts and to address social and economic barriers to participation. Working with Children & the Arts, The Dylathon will provide a dynamic programme of opportunities for Swansea school children to participate on stage at the event, reading materials Thomas wrote as a child. Funds raised from The Dylathon will enable disadvantaged children in South Wales to participate in high-quality arts activities.

The Dylathon is supported by City and County of Swansea and the Dylan Thomas 100 Festival. 

Live on stage:   Kevin Allen, Bill Bellamy , Di Botcher , Howard  Brenton, Eddie Butler, Colin Charvis , Boyd  Clack, Gillian Clarke, Tracey  Curtis, Charles Dale, Kath  Dimery,  Kevin  Eldon, Kate Fahy, Peter  Finch, Trevor Fishlock, Phil George, Russell Gomer, Helen  Griffin, Ian Griffiths, Geoff Hayden, Frank Hennessey, Katherine  Jenkins, Kevin  Johns, Celyn Jones, Kirsten  Jones, Ryan Jones, Frank Kelly, Bob   Kingdom, Dervla Kirwen, Tony Lewis, Sian Lloyd, Ruth Madoc, Ian   McKellen, Jessica Lee Morgan, Liz Morgan, Sharon Morgan, Terry Mortimer, Richard  Munday, Chris Needs, Roy Noble, Jamie Owen, Suzanne Packer, Nicholas  Parsons, Robert Peston, Sian  Phillips, Mal Pope, Jonathan  Pryce, Robert Pugh, Ieuan Rhys, Shani Rhys James, Jonathon Roberts, Nia Roberts, Lisa Rogers, Michael  Sheen, Dai Smith, Zoe Speas, Peter Stead, John Tregenna, JPR Williams, John Williams, Martyn Williams, Eggs Laid By Tigers, Morriston Orpheus Choir plus participants from,  Swansea Little Theatre Bishop Gore School, Dylan Thomas Community College, Big Issue Vendors, Gower Gorseinon College Sir Harry Secombe Trust Youth Theatre and Blaenymaes Primary School

 

ENDS

For further information please contact:

 Sarah O'Brien: sarah@hobpublicity.co.uk / 07770 747171

Sally Homer: sally@hobpublicity.co.uk   / 07973 142127

 

 

For queries regarding the Irish Presidents attendance please contact:

  Clare Brosnan, Press Officer, Embassy of Ireland on +44 (0)207 2012 522/ clare.brosnan@dfa.ie

 

For further information on The Prince's Foundation for Children & the Arts please contact:

Marcus Stanton: marcus@marcusstanton.co.uk T: 07900 891287

 

 


 

*** TICKETS NOW ON SALE ***

www.dylathon100.com

 

LISTINGS DETAILS

 

THE DYLATHON

11am SUNDAY 26th OCTOBER - 11pm MONDAY 27th OCTOBER

 

Swansea Grand Theatre,

Singleton St,

Swansea SA1 3QJ

 

Box Office: 01792 475715 swanseagrand.co.uk or book at www.dylathon100.com

Tickets available for the whole 36 hours, 12 hours or 3 hour sessions.

 

SUNDAY OCTOBER 26th

11am – 2pm   TO BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING

2pm - 5pm      UP TO NO GOOD         

5pm - 8pm      HOT FROG, CYANIDE AND BAT-SPIT       

8pm - 11pm    TOO LATE COCK, TOO LATE

MONDAY OCTOBER 27th

11pm - 2am     DROWNED ASLEEP

2am - 5am       FLYING  LIKE BLACK FLOUR

5am - 8am       THE DARKEST BEFORE DAWN

8am - 11am     SEAWEED AND BREAKFAST                         

11am - 2pm    THE MORNING IS ALL SINGING

2pm - 5pm      PARLEZ VOUS JIG JIG

5pm - 8pm      OFF TO GOMORRAH

8pm - 11pm   THE THIN NIGHT DARKENS


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And the greatest of these is love


By Gaynor Madoc Leonard, 2014-09-26

About a year ago, I started following a man called David Lewis on Twitter. In fact I bought chocolates from him; chocolates which he had made himself and which he was selling in order to buy his daughter a laptop for university.

From his tweets, I learned about his terminal illness, his troubled childhood, his extraordinary determination, humour and humanity.

David was expected to die by spring of this year; all those who care about him (and there are many of us) have been very glad that so far he has defied the prognosis, though not without considerable pain.

By following him on Twitter, I became aware of Harrison's Fund. Harrison is a young lad who is suffering from Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy and his family is determined to help find a cure. The disease affects 1 in 3,500 children, almost always boys. Sufferers generally do not expect to live beyond their 20s, although there are exceptions.

David has been writing poems for a time and I know that I was not the only person to suggest that he publish them. A kind and generous man, he decided to do just that and give all the proceeds to Harrison's Fund.

Somehow or other, I was appointed editor-in-chief and I enlisted the support of my own excellent editor, Eifion Jenkins, to help. I also contacted a friend, Natasha Kinley, who, as well being a graduate of the Juilliard School in New York, is a talented jewellery-maker and artist. She has produced lovely artwork for this book and any subsequent books.

I mentioned David's troubled childhood. His father was alcoholic and abusive and was eventually sent to prison. David was determined to be the opposite of his father and has done his best to counsel and help troubled children during his career. Despite all the problems that he's had, his poetry speaks of love and joy. Above all, it is sincere.

David's book, "Slushy Tourette's", which is dedicated to his best friend (and tower of strength), Angela Spencer, is now available as an e-book (for any e-reader) from www.smashwords.com . You will also find it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and all the usual suspects. It will also shortly be published on www.lulu.com as a print book, again obtainable directly from lulu or from other online stores. All profits will go directly to Harrison's Fund; neither David nor I will benefit financially,

At the top of the page, I've quoted St Paul's words from his letter to the Corinthians. Other translations use the word "charity" instead of "love" but they are interchangeable, certainly in the case of David Lewis.

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http://fineartamerica.com/featured/striped-water-steve-purnell.html

I am not a regular blogger but I am really excited to announce that I was recently approached by Zsolt Hudack, a teacher in an educational establishment in Hungary requesting that I would allow him to use my work Striped Water (also known as Zebra Water) to be recreated by a group of underprivileged students. This is what Zsolt had to say:-

" I work in a secondary vocational school where almost half of the students are socio-economically underprivileged and/or gypsy minority students. I run the workshop in order to keep the students off the streets.

Since we are a partner institution of the LEGO factory based in our city, we have already had a few projects together. The biggest one so far was a 24-hour LEGO day, building a 25.000-brick LEGO map of our county. The design was by the American David Tracy (davidtrumantracy.com) and there were about 250 students , 30 teachers, and over a hundred local guests (artists, sportspeople, students) involved.

After this project, some of the students wanted to continue working with bricks, and so we did. They created some pictures and statues, and currently we have three projects going on simultaneously.

From the initial four students, the number of members have gone up to eight. All of the students are underprivileged, and/or minority students. Actually, before the end of the previous school year, there were five criminal cases going on against them. And the aim of the workshop is to help them find their place in the world, and to have them experience success.

To my great surprise the four students I started work with improved their academic results at the end of the school year as compared to the previous one. This helped us strengthen our support at LEGO.

From the beginning of this school year in September, we are aiming to have a certain goal for each semester. This is how my students came up with the idea of having an exhibition of 'black and white' pictures.

We are planning to have an exhibition of these black and white pictures in January of 2015. Since 2015 is the Year of Light by UNESCO, we wish to have this exhibition as part of our bigger project organized in our school. We hope to have the local media taking part in the event, however, with the approval of LEGO, we wish to involve the national media as well."

I am delighted to say that I have given my permission and that work is already underway. You can check out progress at Zsolt's Twitter feed @zshudak.The group also have a Facebook page called Tekerd.

The exhibition is due to be held on 29 January 2015. The venue is at Wesselenyi Miklos Vocational and Training School, 10-12 Dugonics Street, Nyiregyhaza 4400, Hungary.

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Anthony Bunko's brave new memoir reveals the hilariously funny and scandalous world of the Business Consultant In a brave new memoir, best selling author, Anthony Bunko from Merthyr Tydfil reveals all about the hilariously funny and scandalous world of the business consultant after spending 15 years in the job. Lord Forgive Me... But I was a (Business) Bullshit Consultant (published by Y Lolfa) is a laugh-our loud ‘consultant had enough’ memoir based on true events, and is a rollercoaster ride full of fist-fights, muggings, kidnapping, gun chases, ghosts, psychopaths. hookers, back stabbing, bullshit, weird sex, strong drugs and the odd plate of sausage rolls.......It was a bloody nightmare!!!

AmeriCymru talked to Anthony about the book and his new career as a writer.

...


...


Books By Anthony Bunko ...... ......... Press Release

AmeriCymru: Hi Anthony and many thanks for agreeing to be interviewed by AmeriCymru. Care to tell us a little about your recent book:- Lord Forgive Me...But I Was a (Business) Bullshit Consultant?

Anthony: I’ve been told by the people who have read it, that it’s a laugh-out loud ''consultant had enough'' memoir about a writer trapped inside a business consultant’s body.

It’s quite funny because when I first landed my dream job as a management consultant I thought it would mean a life of travelling to exotic places, meeting interesting people and making lots of money. Yet, what many people considered to be a glamorous profession, nearly got me murdered in New York, kidnapped in Amsterdam, mugged by the police in Moscow; got me in a fist fight in Germany, threatened by the business mafia in Italy and scared half to death in a ‘Psycho’ hotel in Sweden. And that was just for starters!

I used the experience of writing the mad events as therapy. Instead of lying on a couch talking to some bloke charging me £50 an hour, I used the novel to offload 12 years of walking through the fires of consultant Hell without a safety net.

AmeriCymru: Was there any one incident in particular that made you decide to ''go straight''?

Anthony: There were lots of incidents in many years of talking bullshit for a living that made me ‘go straight’. But below is a little snippet from the book, which was probably the post-it note that finally broke the flip-chart’s legs.

Picture the scene; after 8 hours delay in Cleveland, I finally find myself alone in Newark airport in New York at midnight. My connection to London had gone, I’d lost my luggage and I was in a taxi going to a motel until I could get a flight home in the morning. The insane taxi driver was not only trying to rip me off, but he didn’t have a bloody clue where he was going. I had enough and told him to stop the cab. We both jumped out….here’s what happened next :-

He leant into the glove compartment and pulled out a gun. I sprinted over the bridge without looking back. The car horns blared as I zigzagged in and out of the oncoming traffic. Their headlights lit up my face. I darted up an alleyway, into a side street.

When I thought I was safe; I stopped running. My heart pounding in my chest, my legs felt like jelly. I punched the air. I had taken on the mad taxi driver of Newark on his home patch, and beaten the money-grabbin’ bastard.

Smirking to myself, I slowly walked towards the broken neon sign of the motel. It was only when I looked around did it dawn on me I was in more trouble than ever. I was in the wrong part of town, at the wrong time, and in the wrong whatever else I wanted to add to the wrong situation.

They appeared out of the shadows, staggering towards me like zombie creatures from the Michael Jackson’s Thriller video. In my mind I was sure I could hear the low murmur of the gutter people chanting. ‘Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the fear of a business man!’

I stood frozen to the spot. A gun shot rang out behind me. I screamed and put my hands over my head. Ok, it was probably a car exhaust backfiring, but I didn’t stick around to find out. I ran again, only this time much faster.

I sprinted around the corner; I could see the sign for the motel in the distance. In my imagination, I could feel their breath on my neck and their hands touching my skin.

I barged into the reception area, nearly knocking the door off its hinges. Everyone in there stopped to look at me.

Three prostitutes sitting on a worn-out sofa in the corner smiled. One uncrossed her legs. I swear it looked like a cave at Cheddar gorge. To be honest, if I was smaller, I would have crawled up there and hidden in the safety of her nether regions. It may have looked dirty and smelt of cheese but it looked like the safest place to be at that moment.

Link to amazon:- Buy ''Lord Forgive Me...'' here

AmeriCymru: Why writing? Of all the trades in all the world, what made you take up the pen?

Anthony: I began writing more by accident than design. However, I now think there was always some creative demon inside of me trying to get out. One day in 2002 I sat in a three hour traffic jam on the M4 after returning from a business workshop in London. Bored, I picked up a pen and scribbled down the now infamous title, ‘The Tale of The Shagging Monkeys’. Two months later, the comedy novel based on my mates from Dowlais Rugby Club was born.

The spelling was terrible and the grammer was worser (ha ha), but the mad-cap tale not only made people laugh, it earned me a 4 star rating in the Western Mail, the National paper of Wales.

After that I got bitten by the bug. Writing became my passion. Every spare minute (even though I was working full time as a consultant) I spent writing fiction stories. To me there is still nothing better than sitting in a pub with a bottle of wine and my imagination for company. (But don’t tell anyone about that, they think I’m weird already!)

AmeriCymru: What was it like working with Stuart Cable on the ''Demons and Cocktails: My Life with Stereophonics'' project?

Anthony: Stuart was a larger than life character with a large smile and larger hair style. What I loved about Stuart was he was a down-to-earth rock star, a real people’s person, who always made the time and effort to talk to anyone about everything. I met him while interviewing him for a spoof magazine I was writing called the rag. After several beers we both ended up in his mansion in Aberdare where he told me stories about supporting U2 and the famous tale about how he ate Keith Richards’ Shepard pie after a gig in Paris. Slightly worse for wear, I asked him if I could I write his life story. He shook my hand there and then, and the rest is history. For a year he took me everywhere and I met some wonderful and weird people. Partying with the Oasis brothers, Liam and Noel, who were both great guys, was a night I will never forget. Also becoming a life-long friend with the infamous and lovely Howard Marks, (Mister Nice, the drug baron) was all down to Stuart.

When Stuart died, it was like losing a brother, such a terrible shock and such a sad waste of someone’s life!

Me and Stuart at one of our many book signings

AmeriCymru: You have written a number of other biographies. Can you tell us more?

Anthony: The book Demons and Cocktails changed my life and to a degree my writing. The success of the book led to a London publisher asking me to write books on Hugh Laurie and Hugh Jackman. Then in 2010 I wrote the harrowing true lifestory, Ma’am Anna, about Human Trafficking Advocate Anna Rodriguez which was released in America.

Next stop on my rollercoaster ride found me in Bangkok in 2013, with the outrageously funny and slightly insane Mike Spikey Watkins – former-Welsh rugby captain. 2 hard to handle earned us the title of bestselling authors after it stayed number 1 for 8 weeks on Amazon best sellers book list, beating off the likes of Johnny Wilkinson and Richie McCaw. To date it’s had 35 reviews on amazon, all five stars out of five.

AmeriCymru: We have all been greatly amused by the recent revelations concerning the NATO summit itinerary. What is your involvement with the Walesoncraic site? How did it come to be founded?

Anthony: I’m not a political person at all, but I just find all the nonsense around things like the NATO visit just completely bonkers. I’ve never seen so many armed police in my life and I’ve been to football matches between Cardiff and Swansea !!! These politicians don’t live in the real world. Luckily, I started walesoncraic with a real talented writer, Patric Morgan from Cardiff a week or so before. Both of us had been doing similar types of stuff separately, so we met up in Wetherspoons in Merthyr for a cooked brekkie and within ten minutes, walesoncraic appeared out of the mist like Frankenstein’s monster. Hopefully it’s going to take over the world. Our first week saw us reporting on the Nato summit and all the madness surrounding it.

Link to the site:-
http://www.walesoncraic.com/

AmeriCymru: What''s next for Anthony Bunko? Any new works in the pipeline?

Anthony: As well as the spoof website, I’m also doing a few different type of creative stuff at the moment. Writing-wise, I’m just finishing off a few mad-cap children’s books which I hope to get released in 2015.

I’ve always wanted to write a stage play and I’ve written a comedy play based on the Wizard of Oz, but set in Merthyr today. It’s called the Wizard of Gurnwah and rehearsals starts pretty soon.

I’m also involved in a new creative group in my hometown, called HWYL – Made in Merthyr – its aim is to change the perception of the town to the outside world and also change the perception of the arts in the town itself. Even though the group has just started, I can’t believe how many talented people we have in the town…from writers, film directors, musicians, artists, poets, software designers, fancy cooks (who actually cooked for Obama and Nato in Cardiff Castle)…the list is endless…..I will keep you updated on progress…

AmeriCymru: What do you do when you finish a book?

Anthony: When I get that first copy in my grubby hands, I always lock myself away in my conservatory and read it from cover to cover while drinking a good bottle of wine. Then I put it away and move onto the next thing. I never read that book again…sad but true.’

AmeriCymru: What is your favourite book?’

Anthony: My all-time favourite book is Catch 22 by Joseph Keller. I revisit it every two years or so. It’s the funniest thing I have ever read. Even now it still makes me laugh out loud. The film based on the book didn’t capture the humour at all…but the book is brilliant.

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

Anthony: ‘Yep, a simple message for all the creative people out there looking for some kind of inspiration……

’You can walk tirelessly around the world in search of comfortable shoes… only to find a pair already under the bed.''

Make out of that what you will….it worked for me!!!

Here’s the link to most of my books on amazon:-

Books by Anthony Bunko on Amazon

Stay free

Bunko x


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