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We urge all our readers and members to sign the petition linked below

From the page:-

We, the undersigned, call upon Gwynedd Council to remove the Welsh history exhibition from the public lavatory at Abergwyngregyn.

We feel that both the quality and location of this exhibition degrade the history of Wales in a shameful way.

We cannot imagine any other country placing such an exhibition in a public lavatory.

Sign The Petition HERE

An open letter to CADW from the chief petitioner:-

Open Letter to Cadw:

Re: your exhibition about the cartoon Princes of Gwynedd, located in a public lavatory just off the A55



How is it possible for an organisation charged with the preservation of a nations heritage to then treat it with such disrespect? As a patriotic Welshman with a developed interest in my nations history and culture, I am revolted and the frankly bizarre decision to place... an exhibition about the Princes of Gwynedd in .... a public lavatory! You have made our history, culture and indeed our nation itself into a laughing stock throughout the world. Browse the Internet and discover how people are reacting!


Your decision at Abergwyngregyn (to use the post-conquest name) is incomprehensible at the least level as a waste of public money and has made me deeply ashamed and angry. Please consider my long-standing life membership of your organisation void and terminated.


I hope one day soon that those responsible for this tasteless travesty and poorly produced vulgar farce will be made publicly accountable. Your badly produced, childish and ill-sited garbled cartoons have insulted Welsh people everywhere and devalued a proud heritage.



Yours with complete disrespect,


Dafydd Bullock

Gorsedd y Beirdd

The 'Welsh Merlin' of politics, David Lloyd George, had many Pembrokeshire connections. Lloyd George's ancestors marched to Bosworth with Henry Tudor and in return received grants of land in Pembrokeshire.

Inthe nineteenth century, Lloyd George's father, William, was articled to Dr. Brown of Haverfordwest but found medicine a disagreeableprofession.

Instead,he opened a private school near Mathry,a small hamlet betweenFishguard and St.David's. The painter, Augustus John's father was one of his first pupils.

William George married a Miss Huntley of Haverfordwest. Unfortunately, shortly after the marriage she died and was buried in the churchyard of St Thomas a Beckett.

From 1880 onward Victorian prosperity suffered setbacks. Haverfordwest, a country town, was dependent on the surrounding agricultural areas. This resulted in low wages and high food prices. Although the Poor Law authorities provided some small payment in the way of out-relief, for many, the workhouse presented a real threat.

In 1908, William's son, David Lloyd George, introduced the Old Age Pensions Act, bringing great relief to many.

Last week I had afternoon tea in Marylebone HighStreet, London. It was a sunny day and I sat at an outside table, beneath an awning. When my order arrived, on a three tier cake stand, it consisted of two scones, jam and cream, two tiny chocolate cakes,a sugary puff pastry confection and three finger sandwiches with fillings that included cucumber, watercress and smoked salmon. The tea was freshly brewed, I had a thick linen napkin to wipe my fingers on and, in case there was still a corner to fill,a chocolate came with the 9.60 bill. I'd go there every week if I could, I enjoyed it so much.

Afternoon tea is making a big come back and, looking for ideas, I remembered that I had a handwritten cookery book, dating from 1922. It was written by a student teacher, Nita Sybil Evans, who lived in Llangendeirne, Carmarthen.

The recipes cover forty years, until 1964, when they end with a 'Banana cake'.

I was born near Llangendeirne and my early foody memories include 'Cawl Potch', made with meat, usually ham, carrots, leeks, potatoes, (plenty), parsley, parsnips and whatever else you had to throw in.Wild rabbits also featured on the menu and I liked to look at their teeth before they were prepared, (decapitated and skinned), for the pot.

In 1959, when I married, I remember that 'Good Housekeeping' magazine featured a recipe for jugged hare. Cooks were meant to save the blood of the hare and strain it, to ensure there were no clots, which would spoil the gravy. Compared to that recipe, an omelette appeared very tasty.Shall give you some more recipes next time I talk. Hwyl, Gillian

I was twenty when Betty Friedian's 'The Feminine Mystique' was published. Fishguard library kept up with the times and I borrowed a copy of the book. I soon got the jist of it: if God intended women to wash dishes He would have given them steel hands.Betty forgot to mention that men weren't born with steel hands either, so perhapsshe wasexpecting the fairies to wash up for her.

I don't know why she banged on about dishes because I could have told her that after a day working on people's pay, tax, and sickness allowances, washing the dishes could be regarded as a treat.

Imentioned Betty toPeter.He didn't find heras amusing as I did.

There was no issue about dishesin our house: Peterdid the breakfastthings during the week because I was onthe 8.45am 'bus to Trecwn. In the evening, we did them together.

I'm letting the Chwiorydd (Sisterhood) downbysaying I've always thought it's the woman's job to wash the dishes if it's the man's job to earn the money.Sorry, but I do.

Perhaps it doesn't affect me like it does some people because Peter enjoys housework. Always has. Knows everything about shining brass, removing stainsand all that.

Having been married for ever and ever, I have decided views on some things. I worked for three years when I was first married, then I washome for ten years bringing up the girls and I worked again for twenty one years. Now, this may be beyond the pale, but I have never said to Peter that I am going to put air in the tyres, wash the car and fill it with fuel. Idon't wantto be shown how to, either.(I have put fuel in the car twice in the fifty years I have been driving).

Ilike tocook our food although, when Peter retired before me, he cooked every meal during the week (though he asked me what I'd like), saw to the dishes,cleaned the house, shopped, took the car for the MOT. As soon asI retired, Icooked again and we sort thehousework between us.

But whatI am coming to is this: if a man stays at home for a few years in order to bring up the children, his wife beingthe main earner, should she support him for the rest of her life if they split?Even if he is still under forty and perfectly able to work?

Someone I've heard of ispayingher husband, who has left her, a monthly allowance, although the children no longer need him. The wifehas given her husband hisshare of the house and is still supporting herself and the children.He will also want a share of her pension, even though he did not take out his ownpension whilstat home.

I also believe that a woman should not expect aman to bank roll her for life. If a woman marries a rich man, and it does not work out, she should not expect to leave the marriage with buckets full of cash.

My advice to a couple getting married is this: washing the dishesis easy compared tosorting thecash if the fairytale crashes.

The Last Hundred Days by Patrick McGuinness is shortlisted for the 2011 Costa First Novel Award

Congratulations to Patrick McGuinness, who finds his debut novel on the Costa Book Awards shortlist. The Last Hundred Days is up against three other titles for the 2011 Costa First Novel Award. Set during Ceausescu's last hundred days in power, Patrick McGuinness's accomplished debut novel explores a world of danger, repression and corruption. The Last Hundred Days was also long-listed for the Man Booker Prize 2011. The Costa Book Award First Novel judges Henry Layte, Emma Lee-Potter and Jojo Moyes described the book as "Funny, insightful and compelling."

Other Reviews

First Minister Carwyn Jones AM toasts Seren at thirty

Seren celebrated 30 years of publishing and launched the latest instalment of their Mabinogion re-tellings. Award winning authors Fflur Dafydd and Horatio Clare read from their latest novellas at a glitzy bash in Cardiff at Chapter Arts Centre, in the company of First Minister Carwyn Jones, who is also Seren's local AM in Bridgend. Carwyn Jones was delighted to be present at the launch, and paid tribute to Seren for their work over thirty years publishing high quality literature from Wales.

More News

Seren are set to publish Wales Rugby World Cup 2011 in pictures, Heads Held High . Unique images from official tournament photographers, GettyImages. Foreword by Phil Bennett and Afterword by Max Boyce. For two weeks in October, Wales held its breath. In the Rugby World Cup, with an influx of young players and probably the most exciting rugby played in the competition, Wales had negotiated a difficult qualifying group to reach the quarterfinal against an unbeaten Ireland side.

NEW TITLES

The Princes Pen by Horatio Clare Award-winning author Horatio Clare refracts politics, faith and the contemporary world order through the prism of some of the earliest British myths, the Mabinogion, to ask who are the outsiders, the infidels and who the enemy within. "...an epic tale of conflict, faith and banishment...this reworked tale provides a graphic depiction of the cruelty of war and torture The Guardian 2011.Paperback 8.99 ISBN: 9781854115522

The White Trail by Fflur Dafydd. Life is tough for Cilydd, after his wife seems to vanish into thin air at a supermarket one wintry afternoon. So begins a tale of intrigue and confusion that ends with a wild boar chase and a dangerous journey to the House of the Missing. "Dafydd seamlessly amalgamates the extraordinary into the everyday in her reworking of 'Culhwch and Olwen The Guardian, 2011.Paperback 8.99 ISBN: 9781854115515

The Keys of Babylon by Robert Minhinnick A collection of 15 linked stories by award-wining poet and author Robert Minhinnick, giving voice to migrants around the globe. Both a fictional record of, and an exploration into their lives, the migrants and the people with whom they interact reflect a comprehensive mix of hope, success, failure, fear, indifference and passion.Paperback 8.99 ISBN: 9781854115508

The Salt Harvest by Eoghan Walls The debut collection from a startling new talent. Dark and evocative, these poems involve rich, multi-layered descriptions of the natural world, and cast a sardonic and tender eye on the human condition. Threads of humour run throughout, an imaginative playfulness evident in Martin Healeys War on God and Ireland, Frog and Star Matter.Paperback 8.99 ISBN: 9781854115492

Loudness by Judy Brown Shortlisted for the Forward Prize 'Best First Collection 2011. An outstanding and original new voice in modern poetry with a straightforward manner and a gift for ironic humour which belie the artful complexities and exacting observations evident in her poems. A baroque quality, along with her sudden modulations of tone and register, and a keenly sensuous appreciation of the physical world, make her work reminiscent of the metaphysical poets.Paperback 8.99 ISBN: 9781854115478

Cusp by Graham Mort Mort's new collection features many of the qualities readers have come to admire; keen observation, a feeling for the natural world and the sense of the individual as part of a larger society. Included in the collection is the remarkable, ambitious long poem, 'Electricity, fizzing with riffs on its theme. Mort's formal rigour, instinctive compassion, and warm humanity shine through in this new book, the first since his acclaimed: Visibility: New and Selected Poems.Paperback 8.99 ISBN: 9781854115485

Real Powys by Mike Parker Observant, passionate, witty, offbeat, Mike Parker tours Powys from the border towns of Hay on Wye, Presteigne and Knighton, through the interior and on to the furthest points of Newtown, Penybont, Ystradgynlais and Brecon. Could it be that Powys is a time capsule of British life fifty years ago? Is it a stronghold for the Welsh language and culture? What surprises does he stumble upon among the mountains, forests, streams and farms of this mysterious countryside? Paperback 9.99 ISBN: 9781854115539

MEET THE AUTHOR

Thursday 22nd November 2pm: Ruth Bidgood reading from her poetry collection Time Being . This collection won the Roland Mathias Prize 2011. The Hours, Brecon.

Friday 2nd December 9pm: Seren author Owen Sheers ( White Ravens ) at Hay Winter Weekend. Screening of Owen Sheers film Resistance . The story opens in wartime 1944: after the failed D-day landings, a German counter-attack lands on British soil, Within a month, half of Britain is occupied. Starring Michael Sheen and Andrea Riseborough. Venue: Richard Booths Bookshop.

Saturday 3rd December 2pm: Mike Parker launches Real Powys at Erwood Station Craft Centre, Llandeilo Graban, Builth Wells, LD2 3SJ

Saturday 3rd December 10am: Seren author Horatio Clare ( The Princes Pen ) at Hay Winter Weekend. Explore the writing and crafting of short stories with Horatio Clare, then get hands-on with formatting and style under the expert guidance of Paul Thomas (BWA Design). You'll leave having created a completely unique book from start to finish. Bring a packed lunch. Venue: Parish Hall. Tickets 15.00, available from the Festival website www.hayfestival.com

Saturday 3rd December 3.30pm: Francine Stock talks to Owen Sheers about 'A Century of Film and How it Shaped Us. Join Francine on her personal journey through a glorious century of cinema, showing in vivid detail how film both reflects and makes our world. For tickets and further information visit the festival website: www.hayfestival.com/winterweekend/

Sunday 4th December 5pm: Award-winning author and contributor to Oxfams Ox-Travels anthology Horatio Clare introduces his striking contribution to Seren Books New Stories of the Mabinogion series, The Princes Pen , as the tale of Lludd and Lefellys is brought sharply into a world of suicide bombers and surveillance.Venue: Community Centre. Tickets 4.00, available from the Festival website: www.hayfestival.com

Thursday 8th December 7.30pm: Seren poet Ellie Evans reads from her debut collection The Ivy Hides the Fig Ripe Duchess at the Imperial Hotel, Merthyr.

Thursday 8th December 7.30pm: Seren poet Carrie Etter (The Tethers) reads in Swindon. Bluegate Poets reading series, Arts Centre, Devizes Road, Old Town, Swindon SN1 4BJ. For an open mic slot, email organiser Hilda Sheehan at hsheehan@btinternet.com . 4, 2 for Bluegate members.

Thursday 15th December, 6.30pm: Niall Griffiths will be reading from his 'Mabiniogion Story' The Dreams of Max and Ronnie and Gwen Davies from Sing Sing Sorrow at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre bookshop. We're working with independent booksellers across Wales (and Church Stretton) and the Welsh Books Council to offer 12 great books at a 3 for 2 offer.

Poem of the Month

WhenI was eight years old and a pupil in the Model School, Carmarthen, we were given the holiday task ofwriting downthe inscription on the monument to General Sir Thomas Picton, which stands at the western end of the town.A friend and Idiligently copiedthe details, none of which I remembered afterwards. (The monumentwas commissioned in 1823, the king contributing a hundred guineas towards its construction, I have since read.)

Thomas Picton was born in Poyston, Pembrokeshire, in 1758.

Regarded as a hero by those unaware ofhis background,a Haverfordwest school was named after him, calledSTP bythe pupils. My son-in-law, Neil, was the first Head Boy.

A brave soldier, Pictonbecame Governor of Trinidad. By all accounts, he was brutal with a foul temper.

'Let them hate, so long as they fear', was his motto.

In 1806, Picton appeared before Lord Ellenborough at the King's Bench, accused of torturing a fourteen year old girl, making her stand on a peg. She was suspected of assisting a lover to burgle the house of the man she lived with.

The jury decidedSpanish lawdid not allow the torture of suspects and, on the evidence given, found Picton guilty.

Picton sought a retrial and this time the jury reversed the earlier verdict but said that torture of a free person was distasteful to the laws of England and Picton must have known he should not have permitted it.

His reputation was tarnished.In England there was talk of his ill-treatment of slaves, including his own and his land profiteering.

Mortally wounded by a musket ballat the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815, he was said to have been wearing civilian clothes and a top hat because his trunk, containing his uniform, had not arrived.

Picton's portrait hangs above the Judge's chair at Carmarthen Crown Court. A solicitor has objected, saying the court is a symbolof justice and Picton's portrait is highly objectionable.

One of the first things students of history learn isto judgea pastage bythe standards of that age. Ialways argued this pointin essays I wrote when in college and yet, I have some sympathy with the sentiments expressed.

Conversely,Ithink it is no bad thing to remember the atrocities of the past and endeavour not to repeat them, even if it means keeping General Picton's portrait in situ.

I'm particularly keen to let you AmeriCymrics know about the plans for a 3 acre Green Field, "Maes Gwyrdd" launching at the National Eisteddfod in Glamorgan next year. Finally we plan to have a proper platform for Welsh folk music (overdue at the Eisteddfod, surprisingly) and a talks tent (the "e-Coleg")for ecological presentations and debates, as well as workshops, green crafts, artworks, storytelling and more. All in Cymraeg, wrth gwrs! Do contact me if you or any of your friends are keen to get involved. We're looking for content for the e-Coleg as well as sponsors who might want to advertise in our programme or offer talks on eco products or services, or bring a stall. Croeso i bawb gyda diddordeb mewn pethau gwyrdd! Anyone with an interest in Green matters or subjects fromfolk / craft heritage to alternative energy, would be very welcome. Diolch!

I'm particularly keen to let you AmeriCymrics know about the plans for a 3 acre Green Field, "Maes Gwyrdd" launching at the National Eisteddfod in Glamorgan next year. Finally we plan to have a proper platform for Welsh folk music (overdue at the Eisteddfod, surprisingly) and a talks tent (the "e-Coleg")for ecological presentations and debates, as well as workshops, green crafts, artworks, storytelling and more. All in Cymraeg, wrth gwrs! Do contact me if you or any of your friends are keen to get involved. We're looking for content for the e-Coleg as well as sponsors who might want to advertise in our programme or offer talks on eco products or services, or bring a stall. Croeso i bawb gyda diddordeb mewn pethau gwyrdd! Anyone with an interest in Green matters or subjects fromfolk / craft heritage to alternative energy, would be very welcome. Diolch!