VOICES FROM WALES - THIRTEEN OF FIFTY-TWO

The ABC of Opera is the brainchild of Mark Llewelyn Evans. Mark has visited over 250 schools in South Wales and has now published a book to go with the workshops that is sold online worldwide. It is a fantastic piece of work that has been collated with the help of creatives across Wales.

Five Hundred years of opera to captivate, inspire, enlighten and empower children of all ages and abilities.

I feel so passionate that every child should have the chance to experience the performing arts
whilst using their imagination to their full potential. It's about inspiring our next generation….
No art form should be elitist or unobtainable.

Mark Llewelyn Evans

Purpose of the project:

• To make opera accessible to all children, non-pretentious and without elitism.
• Offer the means to introduce opera to a much wider audience.
• Educate about opera through the current curriculum.
• Bring the power of classical music to young people.
• Nurture imagination and personal creative expression through interactive elements of the project.
• Offer the thought-provoking morals within each of the stories within a modern context.
• Give some insight into the historical and cultural significance of the stories.
• Make learning fun, build personal skills, build confidence, nurture imagination and creativity

Tom 'Paddington' Jones

  Photos: 5

It may come as a surprise to some readers that Tom Jones has been formally inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.  Many readers will be aware of the fact that Tom has had a long standing interest in the squared circle...except in this instance we aren't talking about the famous singer, but a lesser known Welsh namesake, who was actually added to the famous Boxing Hall of Fame back in 2010.  He may not be as familiar to boxing fans as other Welsh inductees, which include Joe Calzaghe and 'Peerless' Jim Driscoll, but Tom 'Paddington' Jones was one of the greatest fighters of  his day.  

Tom 'Paddington' Jones is said to have been born on November 18, 1771 in Montgomeryshire to Welsh parents, and was taken to London as a child.  His parents settled in the area of Paddington, which in time earned the youngster the nickname of 'Paddington' Jones.  Jones was little more than a boy when he fought a man named Ned Holmes at Paddington fields, which ended in defeat for the Welshman.  It was to be the only time that the fist of Paddington Jones wasn't raised in victory until 1799 when he battled valiantly but ultimately in vain against a youthful fighting phenomenon named Jem Belcher.

In the days of Paddington Jones, before the adoption of boxing gloves, fights within the 'prize ring' were bare-knuckle battles, and there can be no doubt that as a knuckle fighter, Jones was amongst the cream of the crop.  No less an authority than the celebrated Pierce Egan commented, "Paddington Jones has fought more battles than any other pugilist now in existence...for seven years VICTORY crowned all his attempts".  It is said that the number of opponents he met and defeated exceeded three figures.

With the boxing career of Paddington Jones having been so closely associated with his stomping ground of Paddington, London, it is perhaps unsurprising that even within the International Boxing Hall of Fame, where Jones is listed in the boxing 'Pioneers' category he is incorrectly recorded as having been born in Paddington, and not Montgomeryshire, Wales.  A new hardback book by Welsh boxing historian Lawrence Davies entitled 'The Story of Welsh Boxing, Prize Fighters of Wales' published by Pitch Publishing finally places him alongside the more famous inductees of the IBHOF, and gives the fullest published account of the Welshman's impressive pugilistic career to date.  

The cover features a striking illustration of Paddington Jones landing a punch on one of his well known opponents, Isaac Bitton, who was featured in the BBC programme 'Who Do You Think You Are?' exploring the ancestry of award winning Eastenders actress June Brown in 2012, who discovered that her great great great grandfather was the once famous Isaac Bitton.

'The Story of Welsh Boxing' will be published on June 1, 2019, and contains accounts of the careers of the most prominent Welsh fighters from the period 1700-1830.  The majority of the boxers within the book have never been recorded in any book of Welsh boxing history, and include such forgotten ring heroes as Jack Rasher, known as 'Ironface', John Thomas of Merthyr, who claimed to be the 'Welsh Champion', The notorious fighting brothers known as the 'Welsh Savages', and the first ever published account of the career of William Charles of Newport, deemed the 'Champion of Wales' by 1828, as well  as many more boxers that have been rescued from the mists of time.  

Thanks to the exhaustive research of Lawrence Davies, Paddington Jones can now finally take his place alongside the other great Welsh boxers to have been inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, and we can celebrate another fighting 'Welsh Wizard' and add him to the lists of great sporting Welshmen nine years after his induction.  

The Story of Welsh Boxing is released on June 1, 2019, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones, WH Smith, and other bookshops.  Read more about the book at:  The Story of Welsh Boxing

VOICES FROM WALES - TWELVE OF FIFTY-TWO

The Eclectic Shed Experience are Ron Savory and Liz Crippin. Both solo singer-songwriters who have now combined to inspire fresh arrangements of their most popular self-penned material.

They hope to record their first album soon. You can find them on the web at: theese.co.uk

They have just performed at the World famous Tredegar House Folk Festival in Gwent.

Last week they recorded an interview with Malcolm Cawley for B.B.Skone’s Pembrokeshire Music Show for Pure West Radio.

If you want to listen to one of the the tracks in full that are played on the documentary:

This was filmed a few weeks back when we were in the middle of a cold snap and the rain was driving down the valley.

Hope you can feel the warmth of the people, the music and the bwythyn.

VOICES FROM WALES - 11 of 52 James Page, Columbus Campervans

An enthusiast from Swansea who over the years has learnt how to restore old VW vans and from a hobby has turned the projects into a small business.

I first heard about Jimmy nearly 30 years ago when a guitar tutor friend came to a band rehearsal and said:

"You wont believe this but I am teaching guitar to Jimmy Page! Hang on!" he said, "I’m also teaching bass to his mate, Steve Miller!"

As the boys grew older and learnt their respective guitars to a high standard, they formed a band. Another friend called Paul Young came on board, he was the singer and on drums they had the magical drummer, Paul Daniels – a super group was formed!

LLYFR NEWYDD I DDATHLU  COFIWCH DR YWERYN!

Rydyn ni angen eich lluniau a’ch straeon! 

Mae Gwasg Y Lolfa’n paratoi cyfrol ddwyieithog i drafod a dathlu’r ffenomenon ddiweddaraf o furluniau Cofiwch Dryweryn, i’w chyhoeddi yn Hydref 2019. 

Bydd y gyfrol yn cynnwys detholiad o’r murluniau newydd sydd wedi eu creu o gwmpas Cymru mewn ymateb i’r trosedd casineb yn erbyn y murlun eiconig gwreiddiol. 

Meddai golygydd y gyfrol Mari Emlyn: “Cyfyngir y dewis o luniau i furluniau yn bennaf. Ni fydd yn bosib cynnwys pob murlun a llun yn y gyfrol, ond rydym yn chwilio am y rhai mwya trawiadol a diddorol! Bwriedir cynnwys dyfyniadau gan rai o’r bobl allweddol fu’n creu’r murluniau newydd a rhoi sylw i’r twf diweddar yn yr ymwybyddiaeth Gymreig ac annibyniaeth.” 

A fyddech gystal â chysylltu efo golygydd y gyfrol Mari Emlyn  mari.emlyn@btinternet.com    i rannu eich lluniau a’ch straeon? Dyddiad cau derbyn deunydd yw Mehefin 24, 2019 

A NEW BOOK TO CELEBRATE COFIWCH DRYWERYN!

We need your photographs and stories! 

Y Lolfa is preparing a bilingual book discussing and celebrating the recent phenomenon of the Cofiwch Dryweryn murals to be published in Autumn 2019. 

The book will contain a selection of murals and images that have been created all over Wales in response to the hate crime against the original iconic mural. 

The editor Mari Emlyn said: “The choice of photographs will be mostly limited to murals. And although it will not be possible to include every image in the book, we’re looking for the most impressive and interesting ones! Quotations by some of the people who have been instrumental in creating the new murals will be included in the book, as well as coverage to the recent serge in Welsh identity and the independence movement.” 

Please contact Mari Emlyn  mari.emlyn@btinternet.com  to share your photographs and stories. Closing date for submitting material is June 24, 2019

Voices from Wales - Week 10 of 52 - isea surfwear

In March 2012 I cycled with my brother in law from Chicago to New York as The Two Fat Cyclists and played in bars as we went. A supportive business woman sponsored us by making us some promotional hoodies and tee shirts in support of a Children’s Ward in Glangwili Hospital, Carmarthen.

Anna Strzelecki has set up her buisness i sea surfwear in the coastal village of Amroth. In the video Anna discusses how she started and developed her business from virtually nothing, whilst bringing up her daughter. It’s a story of a young woman having a dream of a lifestyle and having a work ethic that drives her towards the vision.

This week Anna posted on her Facebook page:

"Very proud of our little business to be awarded PLASTIC FREE APPROVED STATUS by Surfers Against Sewage."

"We've always made an effort to be as environmentally friendly as possible and we have made lots of small changes over time and there's still more to do but every little bit helps!"

"If you'd like to know more about becoming a Plastic Free Approved business go to www.plasticfree.org.uk or feel free to get in touch with me or your plastic free communities leader in your area."

Congratulations Anna

Teach Your Cat Welsh has been developed due to the huge popularity of the dog version, as well as numerous requests by cat-lovers who are learning Welsh!

“The popularity of the series has been amazing! I was thrilled when Teach Your Dog Welsh was re-printed for the first time – but I’m amazed that it’s been reprinted three more times since! A lot of cat lovers approached me personally or contacted me over social media asking if there’d be a cat version of the book,” says author and illustrator Anne Cakebread.

The mischievous black cat in the book, who – unlike the very obedient dog in Teach Your Dog Welsh – often ignores instructions, has been inspired by two cats: one being Chanel, the cat of Anne Cakebread’s two nieces. Mari and Elin are thrilled to have Chanel in a book.

“Chanel made a lovely model as she’s nice and plump and full of character,” said Anne Cakebread. “The other cat that inspired the personality is the local black tom cat with yellow eyes who prowls and hunts around the old Abbey ruins, and is a bit of a legend here in St Dogmaels. He’s a seriously tough character!”

Originally from Cardiff, Anne and her partner moved to St Dogmaels on the west Wales coast. She wanted to improve her Welsh as it was important to her to become part of the lively Welsh-speaking community in the area.

“I first had to unlearn the Welsh I'd been taught in school as it's nothing like the Welsh people speak here. That's why I've made the expressions in the book colloquial, as a large part of learning is listening to what people say around you.”

The original book was inspired by Frieda, a rescue whippet, who only understood Welsh commands when she was first homed with Anne and her partner. Slowly, whilst dealing with Frieda, Anne realised that she was overcoming her nerves about speaking Welsh aloud by talking to the dog, and her Welsh was improving as a result – this gave her the idea of creating a book to help other would-be learners whilst also using her skills as an illustrator.

Summoning up the confidence to use a language you’re learning can be daunting at first, and a number of books are available to help with vocabulary and pronunciation, but the light hearted context and the beautiful illustrations mean that this book is a bit out of the ordinary. Lefi Gruffudd from Y Lolfa says:

“This book is both a practical and a fun way to practise Welsh, and hopefully it will be a useful resource to Welsh learners.”

Carolyn Hodges, Head of English Publishing at Y Lolfa, who developed language-teaching materials for Oxford University Press for many years, said: “Some people have a bad experience of learning Welsh at school and that puts them off trying again as adults. One of the key factors in motivating someone to start learning and using a new language is to make it enjoyable. Teach Your Cat Welsh really brings the language to life and makes it fun – it’s a really positive (re)introduction to this wonderful language.”

“It was particularly fun for me to edit the book as I started learning Welsh on my own in Oxford, where the only ‘person’ I had to practise on was my cat! This book would have been really useful!”

There are plans to expand the Teach Your Cat Welsh and Teach Your Dog Welsh series to include translations into other minority languages including Cornish and Irish. Teach Your Dog Māori is already available as an e-book, and there will be a special travel edition teaching Japanese to coincide with the Rugby World Cup in the autumn.

Anne Cakebread is a freelance illustrator with over 20 years’ experience in publishing and TV, including cover art and illustrations for numerous books, magazines and adverts. She also illustrated sets and props for Boomerang on S4C’s award-winning ABC. She grew up and went to school in Radyr, Cardiff and now lives with her partner, two whippets and lurcher in St Dogmaels, where she runs a B&B Oriel Milgi.

Teach Your Cat Welsh by Anne Cakebread is available now (£4.99, Y Lolfa).