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Born this day 1903 in Liverpool,

Mary Elizabeth "Mimi" Smith (grandparents were welsh) who was the maternal aunt and parental guardian of John Lennon.

Other Welsh connections to the Beatles;

* Paul McCartney produced the 13-year-old Pontardawe schoolgirl Mary Hopkin's hit single Those Were The Days.

* Welshman Allan Williams was the Beatles’ first ever manager.

* Cardiff’s Capitol Theatre was the venue for their last-ever UK concert in December 1965.

* The group were visiting Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Bangor for transcendental meditation when they heard of the death of Brian Epstein.

* Comic actor Victor Spinetti appeared in three Beatles movies

* Welsh clothes designer Tommy Nutter dressed three out of the four Beatles for the cover of The Beatles album Abbey Road.

On this day 1927, Cardiff City won the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium against Arsenal.

It was the first and only time the FA Cup has not been won by an English club. This was also the first cup final to be broadcast live on BBC Radio and the FA Cup anthem Abide With Me was first sung.

The Morriston Orpheus Choir was formed this day 1935.

Formed by Ivor E Sims, it is one of the best-known male voice choirs in the world, receiving standing ovations in the Sydney Opera House and "five standing ovations" at the Carnegie Hall in New York. The choir has also performed in Germany, France, Canada, Spain, Poland, Taiwan, Abu Dhabi, Oman and Ireland.

Alwyn Humphreys was the Musical Director from 1979 to January 2005 and is now the Choir's Conductor Emeritus. His replacement as Musical Director was Sian Pearce who herself was replaced by Joy Amman Davies in 2004. The Choir features regularly on television and has produced over 50 recordings and features in more than 100 compilation albums.

Born this day 1731 in Lebanon, Connecticut (of Welsh descent)

William Williams, merchant and a delegate for Connecticut to the Continental Congress in 1776. He was also among the signatories of the Declaration of Independence, one of sixteen of Welsh descent. He arrived too late to vote for Independence (he replaced Oliver Woolcott, who became seriously ill), but he did sign the Declaration.

Born this day 1914 in Lampeter Velfrey,

Glyn Daniel , scientist, archaeologist and writer of detective fiction. He also appeared on television as host on the game show Animal, Vegetable or Mineral?

Born this day 1895 in Aberystwyth,

John Creyghton Ainsworth-Davis , 4 x 400m relay gold medal winner in the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp.

Situated at the centre of the Snowdonia National Park is the Snowdonia Massif. This was the view on Saturday just gone. Most of the late snow that we have experienced has now gone. This image captures the true geological shape of the massif, as well as making the "Snowdon Horseshoe" very evident. The horseshoe is a challenging days walk comprising the peaks of Y Lliwedd (left on image), Snowdon (centre), and Garnedd Ugain and Crib Goch (right).

In the centre, the main valley, Cwm Dyli, leads up to Snowdon and attracts many walkers.

Welsh connections to Star Wars

* Richard Marquand, director of "Return of the Jedi" was born 22nd April 1938 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, north Wales. 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.

Born this day 1917 in Cardiff

Leo Abse , solicitor, and Labour MP for Pontypool from 1958 until 1983, and for Torfaen until he retired from Westminster in 1987.

Abse was a colourful character remembered for wearing 18th-century-style dress on Budget days. He courted controversy and knew how to interest the press, once suggesting "an analysis of the repressed homosexual components of the relationship between Gordon Brown and Tony Blair."

But he was also a serious politician and got more reforming legislation on the statute book than any other individual MP in the 20th century especially regarding gay rights. Later in life when 83, he married Ania Czeputkowska, a 33-year-old textile designer from Gdansk in Poland.

Born this day 1937 in Lampeter,

Julian Cayo Evans , nationalist activist and co-founder of the self-styled Free Wales Army.

In Wales in the 1960s, groups such as the Movement for the Defence of Wales undertook "direct action," blowing up pipelines feeding Welsh water to English homes. Cayo's belief was that Wales's problems stemmed from its connections with England, which led to the formation of 'The Free Wales Army.' Members wore paramilitary uniforms, marched at nationalist rallies and gathered for training. This brought them to the attention of the British security forces and Evans was arrested shortly before the investiture of the Prince of Wales in 1969 and sentenced to 15 months in prison. In Cardiff, 'The Cayo Arms' pub and the beer 'Cwrw Cayo' are named in his memory. He died in 1995.

Born on this day 1789 in Llanymynech, Montgomeryshire,

Richard Roberts who turned Samuel Crompton's invention of the spinning mule into a sophisticated piece of textile machinery. It could be operated by unskilled workers, establishing the potential of the factory system and mass production with immense social repercussions.

By 1833, 100,000 spindles were in operation and the total was 500,000 four years after that. However, the efficiency of Roberts's invention proved to be his down fall as his design made it possible to convert existing mules quite easily. Ultimately Roberts did not prosper and in 1864, like Crompton and so many other inventors before him, he died in poverty, but as a gesture towards his genius and his contribution to British industry, After his death, the Government granted Roberts's daughter a £300 annuity.

Born on this day 1902 in Criccieth.

Lady Megan Lloyd George - daughter of David Lloyd George and the first female MP for a Welsh constituency.

Megan Lloyd George was the first female MP in Wales and remains the longest serving. Her selection to stand for the safe Liberal seat of Anglesey in 1929 initially caused controversy, but accusations of nepotism faded as Megan began a political career that would span thirty years.

She became Deputy Leader of the party and a prominent political personality, championing many Welsh causes. She was the founding president of the ‘Parliament for Wales’ campaign, and later she was prominent in the Treweryn Defence Committee – the body formed to resist the controversial flooding of a village near Bala to provide water for English consumers.

In 1944, Megan Lloyd George opened the first Welsh Day debate at Westminster. She was prominent among those who pushed for the creation of the Welsh Office and the post of Secretary of State for Wales in the early 1960’s. By then she had changed political parties, defecting to Labour in 1951. She returned to parliament in 1957 after winning Carmarthen for Labour and remained an MP until her death nine years later.

On 22nd April 1912 , Denys Corbett Wilson made the first manned flight fully across the Irish Sea, from Goodwick to Crane near Enniscorthy, County Wexford in a time of 1 hour 40 minutes.

Pioneering Photographs inspired by Rembrandt

By Simon Collinge and Andrew Gale

Invitations have now been sent to over 100 groups, societies and organisations who have taken part in the project and the authors look forward to welcoming everyone with an interest in the History of our Town. Courtyard Books, Llangollen Library and Llangollen Museum will also display books on the theme of Llangollen.

Inspired by Rembrandt and Frans Hals portraits Simon Collinge and Andrew Gale applied the Dutch artists dramatic lighting techniques to photograph Llangollens various clubs and societies .

Simon Collinge, said:

The book is a unique record of the people and their activities preserved for posterity providing both an historical record for the town and a fascinating guide for visitors

These 100 plus portraits show how rich and varied an experience living in a small town can be if you simply reach out to find like minded individuals

The book website, llangollencommunity.co.uk , will go live on the 25 ^th April when the book is on sale. The website will include the content from the book with photographs with their copy and, in addition, contact details for the groups. It will also be possible to purchase copies of the book and prints through the site.

1.00 from every copy sold will be donated to the community venues that were used for some of the locations.

Interesting comment from one of the proof readers that the book, with over 500 named individuals, should be titled Langollen Whos Who?.

What a useful guide for identifying all those people whos faces you recognise but cannot remember their names!.

A selection of prints from the book are also on display in our exhibition at Llangollen Museum during April where large quality photographs from the book can be viewed.

Further details:

http://www.memorybox.org.uk/Llangollen_People.htm

Llangollen Community Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Llangollen-community/287437458043111?ref=ts&fref=ts

Llangiollen Museum Exhibition

https://www.facebook.com/events/282063581927778/

Simon Collinge

simon952@btinternet.com

Andrew Gale

info@andrew-gale.com

At last it had been done. Two years after our big move, all my books were in order, unpacked and shelved properly. And for the first time ever, all my Dylan Thomas books were together in one place.

The shelf where they sat was quite wide, with room enough for something to sit in front of the books. A bust of Dylan Thomas would be ideal. Yes, the perfect thing.

So when I was next in town, I looked in the souvenir shops near Cardiff Castle. No luck. The National Museum shop, maybe? Nothing there, either. I widened my search; I went online, asked friends and relatives, contacted poetry society luminaries. Nobody had ever heard of such a thing. As far as anyone knew, nothing like that existed.

I felt a little downhearted when my month-long search ended in failure. If music lovers could have a bust of Beethoven on their piano, then why couldn't literature lovers have a bust of Dylan on their bookshelf? Surely his words had inspired just as many people as had Ludwig Van's music.

Several nights later, I woke suddenly at around 2.30 in the morning, the remnants of a dream still in my head. I dreamt I'd been in a shop and had walked over to a shelf and picked up a bust of Dylan Thomas. This long sought-after treasure was white and about six inches tall; the perfect height to sit on my bookshelf. In my dream, I bought the bust, enthusing the whole time to the shop's owner, and walked home proudly with it.

But the Dylan I had dreamed of wasn't the famous poet. No, it was the young man sitting in his bedroom at Cwmdonkin Drive, head raised slightly, gazing out across Swansea Bay and dreaming in rhyme of the poems that would make him famous.

But my dream made me feel all the more disappointed that I couldn't really find a bust of the poet. The more I thought about it, the more I realised that I had to do something about this sad state of affairs myself - I would get one made!

A friend put me in touch with Barry-based sculptor Jeremy Cooper. I went to talk to him and told him what I wanted. He agreed it would be possible but there were only a handful of photographs of Dylan at the right age. And there was the famous painting by Augustus John, of course.

Jeremy spent two months working away at the bust. Slowly the poet's features began to appear out of the clay. The nose needed adjusting, the mouth wasn't quite right. Then, one day, I visited Jeremy and Dylan Thomas sat there on the table staring up at me. I was delighted.

I watched the light play across its features at different times of the day as it sat on my bookshelf for the next several weeks. It was perfect.

Then a friend visited who was involved in the University Of Wales Dylan Thomas Prize. She noticed the bust and commented on it. I said half-jokingly: "Yes, wouldn't it be nice if you could hand a bronze bust of Dylan to the winner of the prize each year?"

She looked at me and said "Actually ... it would." She went on to explain how the organisers of the prize, which had been set up in 2006 by historian Professor Peter Stead, were thinking of having a trophy made to present to each year's winner along with the cash prize. And, as the Prize was for young writers, my Dylan bust showed the poet at just the right age.

So now I had to make good on my joke. I knew nothing about how you took something made of clay and transformed it by some alchemy into bronze. Fortunately a sculptor friend was thinking of including some bronze elements in his work and had already contacted a foundry in West Wales. So when he went to visit the owner, he took me along.

Yes, it was possible, the owner told me. I'd have to leave my precious bust with him in order for a mould to be taken, but it should only take a month to create, using the age-old 'lost wax' method. That would be cutting it fine - it was already late September and the prize-giving ceremony was in early November.

With a week to spare, the courier delivered the parcel to me and I carefully unwrapped the bronze bust. It had a dull shine like an old penny and looked stunning. The dream I'd had several months before had now been transformed into something fit for a museum.

On the night, I watched as the 2010 prize winner Lucy Caldwell (pictured outside 5 Cwmdonkin Drive) was handed the heavy bronze. She seemed utterly delighted with it and wouldn't let it out of her sight.

One BBC journalist, clearly impressed with the bronze, described it as 'the Oscar of the Dylan Thomas world'. This and other comments convinced me that other people also wanted busts of the poet. So my company Blackmark was born.

I soon found someone who could make copies of the original sculpture. These would be done in a specially-toughened plaster-like material and hand-finished with a coat of silicone, to make them easier to clean. Christening the busts 'Young Dylan', I have now made them available to Dylan fans the world over through a simple, easy-to-use website.

You can find it at www.blackmarkwales.com . Take a look for yourself. If you too want to have 'Young Dylan' on your bookshelf, just get in touch and let me know you saw this article on AmeriCymru, and you can have it for the special discount price of 30 (roughly $45, depending on the exchange rate) plus shipping.

The collector's edition bronze bust is available, too, for 375 (around $570) including shipping.

www.blackmarkwales.com

The Treaty of Woodstock

In April 1247 - Llywelyn ap Gruffydd and his brother Owain Goch ap Gruffydd came to terms with King Henry III of England at his royal residence of Woodstock Pace in Oxfordshire.

Gwynedd was divided with Llywelyn and Owain gaining joint control of Gwynedd Uwch Conwy, the part of Gwynedd west of the River Conwy and Henry himself taking control of Gwynedd Is Conwy, east of the river.

1255 - At the Battle of Bryn Derwin, Owain joined an alliance against Llywelyn, but was defeated and imprisoned and Llywelyn became sole ruler of Gwynedd Uwch Conwy. With Henry III distracted by war with his barons, this cleared the way for Llywelyn to recover and extend Gwynedd's territory until it encompassed much of the rest of Wales and in 1258 to declare himself prince of Wales.

1277 - Under the terms of the Treaty of Aberconwy, peace was agreed between King Edward I of England and Llywelyn, but also essentially guaranteed that Welsh self-governance would end upon Llewelyn's death. Llywelyn also reluctantly released Owain under the terms of the treaty, who retired to his estate in north-west Wales.

1282 - Owain is thought to have died, prior to the catastrophic death of Llywelyn at Cilmeri.

The reign of Henry VIII began this day 1509 on the death of his father Henry VII.

Henry VIII's relationship with Wales;

Henry VIII's father Henry VII was born at Pembroke Castle and took great pride in his Welsh ancestry. After he became king, Henry rewarded many Welsh men with lands and government posts, but he did not pass the same love of Wales to his son Henry VIII.

1491 Henry was born, the second son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York

1502 Henry's older brother Arthur died, making Henry heir to the throne and Prince of Wales.

1509 Henry VII died and Henry succeeded his father to the throne as Henry VIII.

At this time Wales was divided into two administrative areas:

1. The Principality, which was divided into shires and governed as if it was part of England. The more important towns in the principality were Aberystwyth, Harlech, Caernarfon and Conwy.

2. The Marcher Lordships, which covered the remaining two-thirds of Wales and was governed by the Marcher Lords.

Henry was not happy with the way that the marcher Lords were dealing with law and order along the Welsh and English border. Henry’s concerns increased after his divorce from Catherine of Aragon, as many Marcher lords were Roman Catholic and he doubted their loyalty. He was also concerned that parts of the south-west coast of Wales were poorly defended and open to landings from enemy forces. Henry dealt with this by passing Laws in Wales Acts from 1536 to 1542, in which Wales in effect became a part of England.

English became the sole official language, law courts in Wales only conducted their affairs in English and knowledge of Welsh became a disadvantage. Rich Welsh families who sent their sons to England in an effort to advance themselves, ensured that they only spoke English.

Born this day 1926 at 17 Bruton Street, Mayfair,

Queen Elizabeth II, whose connections to Wales include:

* Elizabeth II claims Welsh descent through Henry VII's daughter Margaret Tudor who married King James IV of Scotland, later crowned James I of England

* During the Second World War, plans were drawn up to quell Welsh nationalism by connecting Elizabeth more closely with Wales. Welsh politicians suggested that she be made Princess of Wales on her 18th birthday, but this was rejected by King George VI because he felt such a title belonged solely to the wife of a Prince of Wales.

* In 1946, she was inducted into the Gorsedd of Bards at the National Eisteddfod of Wales.

* In 1948, she was given the freedom of the city of Cardiff.

* At her coronation on 2 June 1953, Elizabeth's gown was embroidered with the emblems of the Commonwealth countries, among which was a leek, representing Wales.

* Pembroke Welsh Corgis are the favourite breed of Queen Elizabeth II, who has owned more than 30 during her reign.

* Her grandsons HRH Prince William and HRH Prince Harry have chosen the surname Wales.

* She invested her son Charles as Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle in 1969.

* She played a prominent role in the officially opening of the Welsh Assembly on 26 May 1999 in Cardiff.

* On 1 March 2006, The Queen opened the permanent home for the Welsh Assembly in Cardiff.

* A donation of a kilogramme of Clogau Welsh gold was made to The Queen on her 60th birthday in 1986, who also wears a wedding ring of Welsh gold

* The Queen and Prince Phillip visited Aberfan the week following the disaster in 1966, and in 2012, she returned to open Ynysowen Community Primary School during her Diamond Jubilee visit to Wales.

Born this day 1941 in Llandybie, near Ammanford.

Elmer Gethin Rees is a mathematician who has published texts on linear algebra, algebraic geometry, differential geometry and topology.

One of his best-known achievements is establishing the International Centre for Mathematical Sciences, "designed to bring together mathematicians and practitioners in science, industry and commerce."

The National Museum of Wales was officially opened on 21st April 1927.

It was initially founded in 1905, with a royal charter being granted in 1907. Prior to this, the Cardiff Museum had shared a building with Cardiff Central Library at The Hayes, being a sub-department of the library. Construction of the new building at Cathays Park was interrupted by the First World War and it did not open to the public until 1922, with the official opening taking place in 1927.

Easter Monday - Llun y Pasg.

One of the Welsh rituals on Easter Monday involves a procession to the top of nearby mountains before sun rise. In some areas, people carry bowls of water to reflect the rising sun while others perform three somersaults as the sun rises.

Born this day 1893 in Nebraska (his paternal great-grandparents were Welsh)

Harold Lloyd, film actor and producer, most famous for his silent comedies.

Early in his career, he lost most of his right hand in an accident with a bomb, but went on to perform all of his own hair-raising stunts, including the iconic hanging from the hands of a clock in "Safety Last!" He made more films than Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin put together, and was dubbed "the king of daredevil comedy."

Died this day 1176, Strongbow (Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke)

Strongbow was a Cambro-Norman lord notable for leading the Norman invasion of Ireland, later becoming Lord of Leinster and Justiciar of Ireland.

1148 His father died and he inherited the title Earl of Pembroke.

1167 Diarmait Mac Murchada was deposed as King of Leinster and in order to recover his kingdom, he travelled to Wales and solicited the help of de Clare in exchange for the hand of Aoife, Mac Murchada's eldest daughter in marriage and the succession to Leinster.

1169 Strongbow's army included Welsh archers and landed near Bannow, County Wexford on 1st May. They were massively outnumbered but were able to kill 500 of their opponents and take 70 prisoners and in quick succession took the Viking towns of Wexford, Waterford and Dublin.

1171 (May) Diarmait died and Strongbow became the new king of Leinster. Henry II of England was concerned about Strongbow's growing power in Ireland and later that year he arrived with an army and forced Strongbow to supply 100 knights for the service of the crown in return for control of his land.

1171 (26 August) Strongbow married Aoife in Waterford; one of their daughters, Isabel, went on to marry William the Marshall, who later became the Earl of Pembroke as her consort.

1176 Strongbow died, he was first interred in Dublin's Christ Church Cathedral but is now buried in Ferns Cathedral, Wexford.

Alice of Abergavenny.

Alice was the lover of a Norman Marcher Lord, who took her with him during Strongbow's invasion of Ireland in 1170 and was killed in action. In revenge, Alice took an axe and beheaded all 70 of the Irish prisoners that had been taken during the battle, throwing their bodies over a cliff.

‘The Song of Dermot and the Earl’, describes the incident.

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Today is the feast day of Saint Beuno.

Saint Beuno, c. 640 was born at Berriew in Powys, the grandson of a prince. After education in the monastery of Bangor on Dee, he became an active missionary, going as far as Somerset, but eventually founded an abbey at Clynnog Fawr on the Llyn Peninsula. He performed numerous miracles, among them restoring St.Winifred's head after she was beheaded.

Born this day 1957 in Swansea,

Geraint Wyn Davies , stage, film and television actor and a director. He moved with his family from Haverfordwest to Canada when aged seven and is best known for his portrayal of Nick Knight in the Canadian television series Forever Knight.

Born on this day 1938 in Port Talbot,

Andrew Vicari , an artist who has established a career painting portraits of the rich and famous, particularly in Saudi Arabia, where he has been the official painter to the Government and King.

The controversy surrounding the date of Easter;

Easter does not fall on a fixed date, but on the first Sunday after the full moon following the March equinox. However, the Celtic Church of the Early Middle Ages in Wales had developed its own method of the dating of Easter, and refused to conform to Archbishop Augustine's demand in 597 that the papal method be used.

Over the following century, when most of the churches in the Celtic-speaking lands came to accept the Roman Easter, Wales was the only territory still refusing to conform. Th English historian Bede claimed in his Ecclesiastical History of the English People in 731, that the Welsh "upheld their own bad customs against the true Easter of the Catholic Church."

Easter Eggs

The word Easter comes from the Saxon Ēastre and the pagan goddess Eostre, both of which connect to the growing sun and new birth. Many cultures around the world use the egg as a symbol of new life and rebirth.

Easter egg traditions;

* The oldest tradition is to offer gifts of dyed and painted chicken eggs, but the modern custom is to substitute them with chocolate eggs.

* Schoolchildren in North Wales would go from house to house, clapping their hands or wooden clappers, chanting the following words as they went: "Clap, clap, gofyn wy, i hogia' bach ar y plwy" (beg an egg on the parish, children).

* The tradition of egg- rolling, taken to America by European settlers, symbolises the rolling away of the stone from Christ's tomb.

On 19th April 2002, Glyndwr's Way National Trail Path opened,

Named in honour of the Welsh nobleman who in 1401 led a revolt against English domination. The trail extends for 135 miles through Powys between Knighton and Welshpool.

Using these upland tracks, Glyndwr was able to travel elusively, enabling him to fight a guerrilla campaign against the English.

The trail passes a number of battle sites, including the Battle of Hyddgen which was a turning point in Glyndwr’s rebellion. The church at Pilleth is near the site of the battle of Bryn Glas, which took place in 1402. During this battle, Edmund Mortimer, was captured but later married Glyndwr’s daughter. The mid-point of the trail is the town of Machynlleth, where Glyndwr held Wales’ first Parliament in 1404 and was for a period the capital of Wales.

The trail ends in Welshpool, where Glyndwr’s Way links with Offa’s Dyke.

The Royal Welch Fusiliers fought at the Battles of Lexington and Concord, which took place on 19th April 1775

The Battles of Lexington and Concord marked the outbreak of conflict between Britain and its thirteen colonies in North America.

The British aim was to destroy military supplies at Concord, but as they passed through Lexington, the first shot was fired, the "shot heard around the world." 500 American militiamen fought and defeated three British companies, forcing the British to retreat with their mission unaccomplished.

Born this day 1900 in Weybridge, Surrey (of Welsh descent),

Richard Hughes OBE, writer of plays, short stories, novels and poems. He wrote the world's first radio play, Danger', commissioned by the BBC and broadcast on January 15, 1924. Of his four novels, the most well known is A High Wind in Jamaica, written while he lived at Castle House, Laugharne. It was here also that his friend Dylan Thomas wrote his book " Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog" and it was Hughes who influenced Thomas to make a permanent home in Laugharne.

Born this day 1820 in Plas-y-Felin, Neath,

Anna Letitia Waring, who was a poet and hymn-writer. Originally a Quaker, she converted to Anglicanism 1842 and learned Hebrew in order to study the Old Testament in the original. In 1850, she published 'Hymns and Meditations'.

At Easter 1230, William de Braose, during a visit to Llywelyn ap Iorwerth (Llywelyn the Great), was found in the bedchamber of Llywelyn's wife Joan. In fury, Llywelyn had de Braose hanged and placed Joan under house arrest.

William de Braose was despised by the Welsh, who called him Gwilym Ddu, 'Black William'. He inherited several lordships from his father in 1227, including Abergavenny and Builth. He was captured near Montgomery in 1228 and ransomed for the sum of £2,000, but afterwards made an alliance with Llywelyn.

The affair and the execution jeopardised Llywelyn's good relations with the royal government and ended his negotiations with the de Braose family regarding marriage for his son Dafydd. These tensions precipitated the outbreak of war in Wales in 1231.