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A guide to over 100 pubs in Wales with historic interiors of real national significance, many of them stretching back a century or more.
Born on this day 1354 (according to Pennant),
Owain Glyndŵr , who led a popular uprising against English rule in the 15th century which lasted more than a decade.
Owain was a member of the Welsh gentry who studied law at the Inns of Court in London and who was descended from the ancient royal houses of Wales. In 1400, after a century of subjugation to the English crown, the Welsh were ready for rebellion. Henry IV had seized power from Richard II, and the new king refused to support Glyndŵr's legitimate grievance against Reginald de Grey, Lord of Ruthin. This initially local dispute quickly became a national uprising. Rallying other Welsh nobles, Glyndŵr proclaimed himself Prince of Wales. Support for his cause was widespread, with Welshmen from Oxford and London returning home to join Glyndŵr's rebellion. Henry responded by marching his army into Wales. Glyndŵr remained elusive, harrying Henry's army and ravaging his strongholds. By the end of 1403, Owain Glyndŵr controlled much of Wales.
Glyndŵr sought to establish alliances, notably with the French. His 'Pennal' letter to Charles VI of France survives today and resulted in some financial and military support. French troops landed at Milford Haven in 1405 but only remained fighting alongside Glyndŵr for under a year. Owain's defeat at Pwllmelyn in Monmouthshire was a turning point, after which his power ebbed. Glyndwr retreat into the heartland of central Wales, where he died, probably in around 1416, still a free man, having secured a legendary place in Welsh history.
Born this day 1848 in Saundersfoot,
William Frost, arguably the true inventor of the flying machine.
Frost conceived the idea of building a flying machine in the 1890s and despite a lack of funds, constructed the "Frost Airship Glider", which seems to have resembled a vertical takeoff airplane, with gas-filled tanks. Frost reportedly made a flight on or about 2 September 1896. Observers claimed that the machine flew for 500 metres before crashing, outdistancing the Wright brothers in their first powered flight. Unfortunately, Frost's machine was destroyed in a storm the same night, and the flight, though witnessed, was not recorded. Frost applied for a patent which was accepted and registered in London, but he was too poor to pay the renewal fees and the patent lapsed. He died without wealth or recognition in 1935.
Born this day in 1883 in Gayton, Northamptonshire, England,
Sir Bertram Clough Williams-Ellis , architect, who built the village of Portmeirion between 1925 and 1975.
The family had strong Welsh roots and Williams-Ellis claimed direct descent from Owain Gwynedd. He is regarded as being a self-taught architect and landscape designer, and was passionate about environmental protection, which led to a knighthood in 1971 for his services ‘to architecture and the environment’.
He is most closely associated with the construction of the Italianate village of Portmeirion, the setting for the ‘cult’ drama series ‘The Prisoner’ starring Patrick MaGoohan, which was filmed there in 1967. Today the village is a tourist attraction and a lasting tribute to his vision and work.
Born this day 1968 in Melbourne, Australia (her mother, Carol Ann (nee Jones) was a former dancer from Maesteg, and along with sister Dannii, has always been proud of her Welsh roots)
Kylie Minogue OBE , Australian pop singer, songwriter, and actress.
Her role in the television soap series 'Neighbours' brought her recognition, but it was as a pop artist that she became globally popular. She is the only female vocalist to have produced UK chart-topping albums in four consecutive decades (the 80s, 90s, 00s and 10s).
On 28th May 2010, Llanrwst celebrated the 400th anniversary of the almshouses built by Sir John Wynn.
They were built in 1610, providing lodgings for 12 almsmen; people who were too poor to afford their own homes, and continued to shelter the needy of the parish until 1976, long after council provision had superseded the role of almshouses.
The building lay empty for the next 25 years but was restored and opened as a community museum by the Almshouse Museum Trust in 2002, closing in 2011 when the trust's lease expired. It is now used as the headquarters of Llanrwst Town Council.
On 28th May 1987, the Mametz Wood Memorial, sculpted by David Petersen, was unveiled in Cardiff.
The First Battle of the Somme was one of the most savage battles of the First World War. The 38th Welsh Division was given the job of attacking Mametz Wood on 7th July 1916 but were driven back by heavy German machine gun fire. They were ordered to attack again and succeeded in reaching the wood. By 12th July, the Germans and their machine guns had been ousted from the woods but more than 4,000 soldiers from the Welsh Division had been killed in the process.
28th May 1971 saw the opening of the Llanberis Lake Heritage Railway.
It runs along the trackbed of the defunct Padarn Railway, which was originally built in 1842 to carry slate from the Dinorwic Quarry to Y Felinheli (Port Dinorwic) on the Menai Strait.
On 28th May 1865 the clipper ship "Mimosa" set sail from Liverpool carrying 153 Welsh emigrants bound for Patagonia.
The passengers paid £12 per adult and £6 per child for the journey. Their aim was to establish a Welsh colony in the Chubut River valley in a bid to preserve the Welsh language and culture. They landed on July 28 and were met by Edwyn Cynrig Roberts and Lewis Jones who had arrived in Patagonia in June to prepare for the main cohort of settlers. They named their landing site Porth Madryn and on September 15th 1865, the first town in the colony was named Rawson, which was followed by settlements at Gaiman and Trelew.
In 1875 the Argentine government granted the Welsh settlers ownership of the land, encouraging hundreds of others from Wales to join the colony.
Today, more than 50,000 Patagonians are of Welsh descent, with almost 5,000 being Welsh speakers. The Welsh-Argentine colony, which became known as Y Wladfa, remains centered around Gaiman, Trelew and Trevelin.
A RAVEN ABOVE PRESS
Presents the
Los Angeles St. David's Day Festival-National Day of Wales
Dydd Gwyl Dewi Sant, Los Angeles-Diwrnod Cenedlaethol Cymru
March 1, 2014
Barnsdall Art Park, 4800 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90027
Free Outdoor Festival 10am-5pm
Druid Blessing 1:30pm and Grand Concert from 2pm to 5pm
We are very proud to announce Meinir Gwilym will be making her North American debut headlining the St. David's Day Festival-National Day of Wales Grand Concert!
Born and raised in the small village of Llangristiolus in the heart of the Isle of Anglesey (Ynys Mn) off the North Wales coast, singer-songwriter Meinir Gwilym has established herself as one of the best-selling Welsh language artists ever. Her breakout release Smcs, Coffi a Fodca Rhad (Cigarrettes, Coffee and Cheap Vodka) in 2002 met with phenomenal response being hailed as one of the most original and inspired compilations to come out of Wales in years. Follow-up albums have built on her success with performances at all major festivals in Wales, including Sesiwn Fawr Dolgellau, Maes B, The Royal Welsh Show and Bryn Terfels Faenol Festival.
Meinirs list of accomplishments include presenting shows for: BBC radio and Heart FM, music series Noson Chis a Meinir on television and school tours, S4C (Channel 4 Wales)s nightly magazine show, Wedi 7, and a special one hour fly-on-the-wall S4C broadcast documentary which followed Meinir for a year, including an inside look at Yamaha by whom she is endorsed.
Along with traditional Welsh songs and her hits, Meinir will be performing new material from her forthcoming album!
The Grand Concert will also be featuring Welsh harpsichordist Christopher D. Lewis!
Christopher was born in Rhiwbina, Wales, and moved to North America in 2005 to study harpsichord with Luc Beausejour & Hank Knox at McGill University, Montreal. Since that time he has received outstanding recognition and accolades for his performances internationally. Christopher will be performing a special set dedicated to British and Welsh composers (and he will be playing on the harpsichord that appeared in the movie Titanic).
Christopher's set is sure to be informative, as he has presented numerous lectures on the history of the harpsichord and narrated for many projects. Past projects include collaborations and performances with American Bach Soloists, The San Francisco Bach Choir, The Bay Area Rainbow Symphony, Ensemble Parallele and The San Francisco Conservatory of Music's New Music Ensemble.
We are also excited by the return of the Welsh Choir of Southern California (Cor Cymraeg De Califfornia) to the Grand Concert stage. Under the direction of Tony Davis, the choir performs Welsh traditional and hymnal music and believes in the power of music to restore our faith in life, in ourselves, and in each other. The Choirs repertoire is one hundred percent Welsh, with approximately two-thirds sung in the Welsh language and one-third in English.
To begin the Grand Concert, we will be showing Yr Etifeddiaeth (The Heritage).
Yr Etifeddiaeth was filmed between 1947 and 1949 by 'Y Cymro' photographer Geoffrey Charles, with the newspaper's editor, John Roberts Williams, as director and script-writer. It presents the culture, work and rural way of life in Llyn and Eifionydd. Freddie Grant, a young, black evacuee from Liverpool who was housed with Eliseus Williams, ex-headteacher of Llangybi school and friend of John Roberts Williams, is used, initially, as (voice-less) presenter. The poet 'Cynan' [Albert Evans-Jones], is the narrator, extolling the area's past and present - in which communities are held together by a shared culture and language - but expressing concern that its future is threatened by the readily available modern, but English-language, media and the hordes of English-speaking summer visitors who visit, many of whom stay at the new Butlins holiday camp at Pwllheli (opened in 1947 with accommodation for 5,000 people).
The film closes with shots of the summer visitors splashing about in the Butlins swimming pool and, in contrast, a small but respectable band of the Cymry Cymraeg gathered outside the chapel on Sunday morning, torch-bearers for the threatened faith and tradition.
Yr Etifeddiaeth was first shown at the National Eisteddfod in Dolgellau in 1949, attracting full houses for the nightly screenings. (Description from the National Screen and Sound Archives of Wales)
Outside the Grand Concert beginning at 10am visitors will be delighted in a free Celtic Marketplace, Welsh language classes by Jason Shepherd of the Learn Welsh Podcast, Celtic workshops, Welsh Corgi demonstrations, Kids Crafts, and the LA Eisteddfod featuring poetry, storytelling, readings, performance, Welsh food, and much more.
We will be promoting artists from both Wales and the US in a special book release party for 'The Age of Saints. An illustrated guide to the Saints of Wales' written by Peter Anthony Freeman from Llanelli, Wales and published by A Raven Above Press. Artists include Ruth Jn Evans, Jen Delyth, Martyn Jones, Anthony Richards, Nathan Wyburn, Siobhan Owen, Sarah Hope, Nichola Hope, Robert Karr, Judy Adamson, Kerry Evans, Jo Mazelis, Liam OConnor, Eirian Llwyd, Istebrak Al, Michele Witchipoo, Karen Richards, Briana Lopez, Kelly Haigh, Rochelle Shelly Rosenkild, John Charles, Geri Gallas, Danny Walden, Kimberly Wlassak, Jason Shepherd, Lorin Morgan-Richards, and many more!
Also, artist Kimberly Wlassak will be exhibiting her artwork from the book 'Tylwyth Teg: Excerpts from The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries ,' by W.Y. Evans-Wentz, and illustrated by Kimberly Wlassak. This book will be in association with activities for kids, where they can try on their own fairy wings or learn how to fly like a dragon at the kids craft corner!
Today is the feast day of Saint Melangell, patron saint of hares and rabbits.
Prince Brochwel Ysgithrog was hunting near Pennant in the year 604 when his hounds chased a hare into a thicket, where they found a beautiful maiden at prayer. The hare sheltered under the hem of her garment, and the dogs fled. The Prince, discovering that the lady was Melangell, a king’s daughter who had fled Ireland to escape a forced marriage, gave her the valley as a place of sanctuary. Melangell remained there, where she founded a nunnery.
On 27th May 1989, John Evans of Fforestfach became the UK's oldest man ever; Evans died the following year aged 110, but the record stood until 2009. He remains the longest-lived Welsh-born person.
Evans had been a coal miner and attributed his longevity to abstinence from drinking, smoking and swearing.
In May 2006, two Big Brother contestants, Imogen Thomas and Glyn Wise, were told not to use the Welsh language in private conversations. The ruling was reversed after a formal complaint from Cymdeithas yr Iaith (The Welsh Language Society).
Born this day in 1881 in Cardiff,
Edward Vivian Robertson , who became a United States Senator for Wyoming. Having served in the Welsh Regiment during the Second Boer War, he became a mechanical and electric power engineer. He emigrated to the United States in 1912 and settled in Park County, Wyoming, raising livestock and engaging in the mercantile business at Cody between 1912 and 1942.
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Held on this day in 1929 at Corwen in North Wales, the first Urdd National Eisteddfod.
It is one of the biggest youth festivals in Europe and is hosted by a different area of Wales each year, with over 15,000 young people competing during the week in a variety of events including dancing, singing and drama. The competitors are the winners of local and regional rounds contested earlier in the spring. The pavilion, seating 1,800 people is the focal point of the event, but the eisteddfod field, the ' maes', has stalls, live music and sporting events, making it one of the most popular events in Wales, attracting 100,000 visitors each year.
On 26th May 1568, a congress of "bards and musicians" took place at Caerwys on the orders of Queen Elizabeth I.
In ancient Celtic times, a bard composed verses to honour heroic achievements, with poems and tales being passed from generation to generation.
The tradition continued in Early Medieval times through bards such as Taliesin and Aneurin.
Later Medieval bards fulfilled three functions: they continued to celebrate victories, but they also chanted the nation's laws and recited genealogies. They were treated with respect and were exempt from taxes. Festivals were held, at which the most renowned bards from various districts contended in song. This form of bardic tradition ended in the 13th century when the 1282 conquest ended the rule of the Welsh princes.
However, the poetic traditions were continued throughout the Middle Ages, by noted 14th-century poets such as Dafydd ap Gwilym and Iolo Goch. The tradition of assembling bards at an eisteddfod never lapsed and was bolstered by the formation of the Gorsedd by Iolo Morganwg in 1792, establishing Wales as an upholder of the bardic tradition even in modern times.
On 26th May 1940, Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered the evacuation of a third of a million Allied troops from Dunkirk. Several of the small boats and ships involved in that historic rescue operation sailed from Welsh ports; these included the paddle steamer Glengower and the ferry boat The Scotia.
In May 1534, the notoriously anti-Welsh bishop Rowland Lee was appointed President of the Council of Wales and the Marches. Lee claimed to have hanged 5000 Welshmen in his five years in charge, which resulted in him being referred to as the "hanging Bishop".
The Council was first convened in 1472 by Edward IV to act on behalf of his son, the infant Edward, Prince of Wales, who he established at Ludlow Castle.
Under Henry VIII, the Laws in Wales Act of 1542 gave the Council statutory recognition. It continued to convene at Ludlow and had jurisdiction over the whole of Wales, along with Cheshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.
It was to hear all civil and criminal suits; it was to try all cases of murder; it was to investigate charges of misgovernment, and to deal with disputes.
The Council was abolished in July 1689, following the "Glorious Revolution" which overthrew James II and established William III as king.
On 25th May 1999, the last pit pony in South Wales, 'Robbie', worked his last shift underground at Pant y Gasseg, Pontypool.
In 1913, there were 70,000 ponies working underground in Britain's coal mines, gradually replaced by mechanised haulage, until by 1984, only 55 ponies were still in use.
Small ponies no more than 12 hands high were needed, Shetlands being a breed commonly used because of their small size. Ponies were stabled underground, coming to the surface only during the colliery's annual holiday. They would work an eight-hour shift, during which they might haul 30 tons of coal.
Born on this day 1784 in Newport,
John Frost , a prosperous citizen turned rebel who led the Newport Rising.
A successful tailor, Frost was initially radicalised during a spell in prison following a dispute with a solicitor. He became involved with the Chartist movement, which campaigned for basic democratic rights overlooked in the Great Reform Act of 1832.
Frost advocated violent action to achieve reform, which outraged Home Secretary Lord John Russell. Frost led a three thousand strong march on Newport, mostly miners from the Gwent Valleys, converging on the Westgate Hotel in Newport where Chartist prisoners were supposed to be held. The authorities had stationed troops inside the building and opened fire, killing 20 people and wounding many more.
The Chartist movement was suppressed, as Frost and his fellow ringleaders were put on trial. Although sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered, the Prime Minister Lord Melbourne ordered Frost to be transported to Australia instead. Frost eventually returned to Britain, and by the time of his death at the age of 91, most of the reforms for which the Chartists had campaigned had been enshrined in law.
The Glamorganshire Canal, stretching between Merthyr and Cardiff, was closed on 25th May 1942.
Construction on the 25-mile canal started in 1790 and was completed by 1794. Its purpose was to transport iron from Merthyr, and it later served the coal industry. It closed as a result of subsidence and competition from the railways; much of its course later buried beneath the A470 Cardiff to Merthyr Tydfil dual carriageway.
On 25th May 2012, the Olympic torch started its five-day tour of Wales, as part of the torch relay of the 2012 Summer Olympics. Chairman of Disability Sport Wales, Gareth John, became the first person to bring the torch into Wales.
Born on this day in 1942 in Holywell, Flintshire, Ron Davies, former Wales soccer international.
Ron made his debut in 1960 for Chester City and for Wales in 1964 after playing for Luton and Norwich City. He went on to play for Southampton, where in his first season he scored 37 goals in 41 games.
Released on this day in 1977, the first film in George Lucas's Star Wars sci-fi saga.
Welsh connections to Star Wars;
* Richard Marquand, director of "Return of the Jedi" was born in Llanishen, Cardiff.
* The full-scale model of the Millennium Falcon was built in Pembroke Dock by Marcon Fabrications.
* Andy Secombe, the son Harry Secombe voiced the computer-generated slave owner Watto, in The Phantom Menace and Attack Of The Clones
* The Church of Jediism, which is a religion based on the philosophical and spiritual ideas of the Jedi as depicted in Star Wars was founded in 2007 by Daniel M Jones on Anglesey. The organisation has over 20,000 members across the globe and was the most selected "alternative faith" in a 2012 census of England and Wales.
On 25th May 2010 The Learned Society of Wales was launched.
Fellowship is open to Welsh residents, those born in Wales or have a particular connection to Wales, who have a "demonstrable record of excellence and achievement" in academia, or who have made a recognised contribution to knowledge in their professional field.
On the 24 May 1901 81 of the 82 men working at the Univeral Colliery, Senghenydd, were killed in a gas and coal dust explosion.
A report showed that fire, coal dust and air produced a deadly mixture, and new laws were passed requiring the constant damping down of coal dust. However, a much bigger disaster occurred in the same mine 12 years later, killing 439 men and boys, the worst mining disaster in UK history. Safety had not been prioritised and regulations had been ignored. Universal Colliery was finally closed on Friday 30 March 1928 with the loss of 2500 jobs.
The National Botanic Garden of Wales near Llanarthne, Carmarthenshire was opened to the public on 24th May 2000.
It is both a tourist attraction and a centre for botanical research and the conservation of rare and endangered plants. Its 'Great Glasshouse' is the largest of its kind in the world.
On 24th May 1847, five people were killed in the Dee bridge disaster, when Robert Stephenson's railway bridge at Chester collapsed.
An investigation concluded that the design was flawed and a Royal Commission condemned the use of cast iron on railway bridges. Stephenson later rebuilt the bridge using wrought iron.
The first Eurovision Song Contest was held in Lugano, Switzerland on 24th May 1956.
* In 1970 Welsh singer Mary Hopkin came 2nd with "Knock, Knock Who's There"
* In 1976, Brotherhood of Man, won with "Save All Your Kisses For Me". Nicky Stevens (the dark haired female vocalist) from Carmarthen, is the only Welsh person to ever win Eurovision.
* In 1990, Emma (Emma Louise Booth), from Bridgend, came 10th with "Give a Little Love Back to the World"
* In 1996, Elaine Morgan, from Cardiff came 19th, representing France in the band Dan Ar Braz & L'Héritage des Celtes, with the Breton language song "Diwanit Bugale"
* In 2002, Jessica Garlick, from Kidwelly came 3rd with "Come Back"
* In 2004, James Fox, from Bargoed came 16th with "Hold On To Our Love"
* In 2013, Bonnie Tyler, from Skewen came 19th with "Believe in Me".
Born this day 1857 in Abergavenny,
John Williams , who was awarded the Victoria Cross for action at Rorke's Drift during the Anglo-Zulu War.
His citation reads:
Private John Williams was posted with Private Joseph Williams, and Private William Horrigan in a distant room of the hospital, which they held for more than an hour, so long as they had a round of ammunition left: as communication was for the time cut off, the Zulus were enabled to advance and burst open the door and killed Private Joseph Williams and two of the patients. Whilst the Zulus were occupied with the slaughter of these men a lull took place, during which Private John Williams, who, with two patients, were the only men now left alive in this ward, succeeded in knocking a hole in the partition, and in taking the two patients into the next ward, where he found Private Hook. These two men together, one man working whilst the other fought and held the enemy at bay with his bayonet, broke through three more partitions, and were thus enabled to bring eight patients through a small window into the inner line of defence.
Whitsun (Sulgwyn) is recorded in the Laws of Hywel Dda as one of the three main holidays of the medieval Welsh kingdoms, the others being Christmas(Nadolyg) and Easter (Pasc).
Whitsun traditions in Wales;
* In areas of south and east Wales the Church used to organise an outdoor feast called the Whitsun Ale after the specially brewed ale that was provided. A Lord and Lady of the Ale would often be elected to preside over the festivities, which included music, dancing, sports and games. These were later replaced by fairs and parades in some areas.
* A custom once held at Lleyn was where couples desiring future happiness tried to pass through a divided tree called Y Pren Dedwydd ('The Blessed Tree').
Reprinted with permission from David Western's Lovespoon Blog , 2012 David Western, all rights reserved.
Come and meet two of the finest lovespoon carvers currently promoting the craft across Wales and beyond. Sin Llewellyn of Bridgend and David Western, originally from Cardiff and now living in Canada, are both passionate about their art and ensuring that an age-old tradition remains fresh and vibrant in modern-day life.
Call in to the Museum Shop to see them at work between 11-1 and 2-4pm at the National History Museum of Wales at St Fagans. (near Cardiff, Wales)
I'm VERY excited to be appearing with fellow carver Sin Llewellyn at the museum which is home to one of the finest collections of lovespoons in the world, and I hope that if you are in the area on May 26th, you'll stop in to say hello!!
