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On May 23rd 2009, over 30 Welsh Football Supporters will set off from Cardiff in old bangers to aim to reach Baku to watch Azerbaijan play Wales in a World Cup qualifier on 6th June. The cars will have a value of 400 maximum, some will make it, some probably won't. In this Interview Neil Dymock of GolCymru explains why.
Neil Dymock in one of the cars along with
Wales players Lewin Nyatanga & Gareth
Bale.
1. What is "Baku or Bust?" and whose idea was this?
"Baku or Bust" is the name of a charity project. A number of Welsh Football Supporters are attempting in May to raise money for orphanages along the way. The idea is to drive from the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff through Europe to reach Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan in time to see Wales play the Azeris on 6th June 2009 in a Qualifier for the World Cup in South Africa. I initially had the idea from reading an article on two people who had driven from London to Mongolia in a charity rally and saw their route had taken them through A zerbaijan. Back in March last year, I drove to Luxembourg with a friend, Gareth Davis, to watch Wales play a friendly there and we talked about the possibility of driving to Azerbaijan. It started from here basically and has really taken off since then.
We started with one of two cars and around 4 or 5 people really interested, but after some advertising in the Wales fanzine I produce called 'The Dragon Has Landed', I started having one or two emails from curious Wales fans asking for more details. To be honest I was making up most of the answers to their questions at that stage as the idea was still on the drawing board, but since last Autumn it has really taken off and we now have over 30 Wales supporters taking part and over 10 vehicles.
2. You're raising funds for Gl and you're a trustee for them - for people outside Wales, what is Gl and what does it do?
Gl came about on a bus ride back back from a place called Valkeakoski in Finland in September 2002, where I had just seen Wales Under 21's lose 2-1 to Finland. Myself and two other Welsh fans, Gary Pritchard and Dylan Llewellyn were talking about our upcoming trip to Azerbaijan in the November and we decided to see if we could locate some orphanages we could help to promote the kind nature of Welsh Football fans. We found three to visit, raised over $2300 to donate and the rest as they say is history.
On our return, we decided to carry on fundraising and came up with the name Gl which means Goal in Welsh. We formed an informal charitable organisation and continued visiting orphanages, childrens homes and hospitals whenever Wales played abroad. We then decided to help underpriveledged children in Wales watch Wales play at the Millennium Stadium and terminally ill children, those suffering from Leukaemia and children who normally would not have the opportunity to see Craig Bellamy and co play, can now watch Wales. In October 2008, we applied for charitable status with the Inland Revenue and now have a charity number XT14176.
3. How did you get involved with this? Are you personally going on the drive?
I have been involved with Gl since its infancy and have been to all of the 30+ places Gl have visited in the last seven years, bar Moscow and Iasi, with Gl raising around $60,000 in this time. It has been a labour of love during this time, but totally worthwhile, with so many Wales fans involved with Gl, be it by coming along on an orphanage visit or simply buying a raffle ticket. I remember one guy won a tabl football game in a raffle at work and he brought it all the way to Azerbaijan to give it to an orphan. The Welsh Football team can be very proud of their fans, who aim to make a difference at every game. With the papers being sold containing stories of Craig Bellamy's spat with a fan in Portugal the other week, Gl were busy visiting two orphanages in Albufeira, enabling children at the homes to have dental treatment in 2009. The Welsh players are a great help to Gl though, from signing shirts we can use in raffles to having photos taken with children suffering from Leukaemia.
A lot of people ask me from time to time how and why we achieve what we do with Gl. Watching Wales around the world is a priveledge, you make great friends for life from all over Wales, travel to places most people have never heard of and have stories to tell that people wouldn't even think of making up. However the answer is simple, we can ! One of the people inspirational in obtaining souvenirs and prizes to raffle which helped raise the money to donate to those first three causes in Azerbaijan is no longer with us. Maralyn Olsen was a retired school teacher and Welsh Football supporter who did so much for Gl before she sadly lost her fight against cancer in January 2004. She has been a massive loss to Gl and Welsh Football in general. Gl continues with her spirit and those of other Wales fans no longer with us.
I am now one of four trustees the charity has and two of us, myself and Tim Hartley will be going on the drive. Duncan Jardine and Andy Hurst are the other two trustees. We have had so many people who have contributed to Gl though since 2002. Dylan Llewellyn, Gary Pritchard, Rob Santwris, Mark Ainsbury, have been major influences, the list goes on, many fans have all put in a tireless amount of work for the good name of Welsh Football Supporters.
Going back to BakuorBust I don't think Tim really thought I was serious when I mentioned driving to Azerbaijan, but he has and is proving a tremendous help in assisting me with the preparations and has raised over $1500 already. Everyone taking part has been a great help though and given me great confidence that this project will be a resounding success, especially Dave and Jim who have driven to Mongolia before and have the experience of border crossings by car. We aim to visit over 20 orphanges en-route to Baku and raise over $15,000 to spend on these good causes.
4. Have you ever done anything like this before?
No I have never thought about driving a very old car, which drinks oil by the pint over 3700 mile !!! Seriously though I have been involved in a number of Gl fundraising activities, including leading a team to run in Iceland in 2005 and organising a charity walk in London from the Oval where Wales first played in London to Orient where Wales last played. I have always enjoyed fundraising and have run a few times for charity in the past, including Chigaco in 1999.
5. Where are you all getting your cars from? What might they be? Have you got them yet? Got yours?
The first few cars were supplied by Dainton Brothers Garage based in Hengoed, just outside Cardiff. Gareth, Huw and Winstone Dainton have been a tremendous help in sourcing cars for us, refurbishing them and getting them through an MOT. Dial-a-Weld, Part Mart and King David Tyres have also supported Dainto Bros in helping get the cars in a driveable condition with half a chance of making it to Baku. While a special mention to Smart Graphics for designing the advertising that will be going on all the cars. I am driving a very old Peugeot 106, which has done 140,000 mile, while Tim will be driving a Toyota Rav4, which has over 120,000 mile on the clock. We have a red taxi in the shape of a 'London Black Cab', two people carriers and rumours are rife that one of the fund raisers is in negoatiations to obtain an Ambulance. We did have an offer of a Fire Engine as well but turned this down as there were more logistical negatives than positives to driving a Fireman Sam Fire Engine to Azerbaijan.
6. How will you do it, in teams? How will they be selected?
Most of the 'teams' have been 'self selected' as a group of friends taking part. A few individuals are taking part so I have matched them up with other team's. The biggest team is from Cardiff, with five driving in an old people carrier nicknamed Val. One team, Marc and Richard from North Wales have yet to find a car and the weekend visits to dodgy second hand car lots go on and you can read about on Marc's blog. www.conwytobaku.co.uk
7. How are you going to choose your routes? Will they all be the same or every car for itself?
The general route will be through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan. We are planning to leave Cardiff on Friday 22nd May, but some of the cars may not leave until Monday 25th as Cardiff City or Swansea City may be playing in the Championship Play-Off Final at Wembley. If this happens and some of the other teams leave late, the plan is to meet up in Istanbul on the Friday evening before traveling together from here. In Georgia we are spending two days in Kutaisi, which is twinned with a city in Wales ( Newport ) and they will be holding a civic reception for us when we arrive.
8. Will you all meet and celebrate when you arrive? What plans do you have for that?
I am traveling to Azerbaijan for a week at the start of May, by plane not by car ! I will be meeting the President of the Azerbaijan Volunteers Union, Sebuhi Rzayev to discuss our plans to visit seven oprhanages in Qazax, Tovuz, Shamkir, Ganja, Goychay, Kurdamir, and Baku. While I will also be meeting Jon Patterson, an Ex-Pat who I met when Wales played there in 2002 and 2004. Between discussions with these two people I hope to organise a celebration party for Friday 5th June in Baku. During my week in Baku I will also be working as a volunteer in two or the orphanages we are helping to get a better understanding of how we can help these places and the children there. All the money raised by April the 30th for BakuorBust will be spent on items that the orphanages we visit, need. I will be ordering a lot of the supplies for orphanges in Azerbaijan during my week in Baku and we will then distribute ihem when we arrive in the country. For example there are 160 children suffering from mental disabilities at the Saray Orphanage just outside Baku and many have towels as diapers as the home can't afford new supplies. Gl will be donating fresh suppliers so the children can have some dignity.
10. How many cars do you think will make it?
I'd like to think they will all make it, but the law of averages tells me its unlikely. The combined mileage of these cars is well in the excess of one million and although they all have MOT's even new cars can break down at any time. We have various back up plans already in place and the basic idea is if a car breaks down and is not fixable within a timely and financial limit, we will arrange to have the car disposed off and the people driving those cars will jump in a fellow fundraisers car. However we have several difficulties to overcome for any of the cars to reach Baku. Right Hand Drive cars are not allowed in Azerbaijan, but we are hoping to obtain dispensation to take the cars in off the Azeri President, Ilham Aliyev. Plan B, is to leave the cars in Georgia and have a bus waiting at the Georgian / Azerbaijan border to take us to Baku. It is hoped whoever and wherever we leave the cars they will be used for good causes, even if it's for a technical college for budding Azeri or Georgian mechanics to practise on !
Neil Dymock in one of the cars along with
Wales players Lewin Nyatanga & Gareth
Bale.
1. What is "Baku or Bust?" and whose idea was this?
"Baku or Bust" is the name of a charity project. A number of Welsh Football Supporters are attempting in May to raise money for orphanages along the way. The idea is to drive from the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff through Europe to reach Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan in time to see Wales play the Azeris on 6th June 2009 in a Qualifier for the World Cup in South Africa. I initially had the idea from reading an article on two people who had driven from London to Mongolia in a charity rally and saw their route had taken them through A zerbaijan. Back in March last year, I drove to Luxembourg with a friend, Gareth Davis, to watch Wales play a friendly there and we talked about the possibility of driving to Azerbaijan. It started from here basically and has really taken off since then.
We started with one of two cars and around 4 or 5 people really interested, but after some advertising in the Wales fanzine I produce called 'The Dragon Has Landed', I started having one or two emails from curious Wales fans asking for more details. To be honest I was making up most of the answers to their questions at that stage as the idea was still on the drawing board, but since last Autumn it has really taken off and we now have over 30 Wales supporters taking part and over 10 vehicles.
2. You're raising funds for Gl and you're a trustee for them - for people outside Wales, what is Gl and what does it do?
Gl came about on a bus ride back back from a place called Valkeakoski in Finland in September 2002, where I had just seen Wales Under 21's lose 2-1 to Finland. Myself and two other Welsh fans, Gary Pritchard and Dylan Llewellyn were talking about our upcoming trip to Azerbaijan in the November and we decided to see if we could locate some orphanages we could help to promote the kind nature of Welsh Football fans. We found three to visit, raised over $2300 to donate and the rest as they say is history.
On our return, we decided to carry on fundraising and came up with the name Gl which means Goal in Welsh. We formed an informal charitable organisation and continued visiting orphanages, childrens homes and hospitals whenever Wales played abroad. We then decided to help underpriveledged children in Wales watch Wales play at the Millennium Stadium and terminally ill children, those suffering from Leukaemia and children who normally would not have the opportunity to see Craig Bellamy and co play, can now watch Wales. In October 2008, we applied for charitable status with the Inland Revenue and now have a charity number XT14176.
3. How did you get involved with this? Are you personally going on the drive?
I have been involved with Gl since its infancy and have been to all of the 30+ places Gl have visited in the last seven years, bar Moscow and Iasi, with Gl raising around $60,000 in this time. It has been a labour of love during this time, but totally worthwhile, with so many Wales fans involved with Gl, be it by coming along on an orphanage visit or simply buying a raffle ticket. I remember one guy won a tabl football game in a raffle at work and he brought it all the way to Azerbaijan to give it to an orphan. The Welsh Football team can be very proud of their fans, who aim to make a difference at every game. With the papers being sold containing stories of Craig Bellamy's spat with a fan in Portugal the other week, Gl were busy visiting two orphanages in Albufeira, enabling children at the homes to have dental treatment in 2009. The Welsh players are a great help to Gl though, from signing shirts we can use in raffles to having photos taken with children suffering from Leukaemia.
A lot of people ask me from time to time how and why we achieve what we do with Gl. Watching Wales around the world is a priveledge, you make great friends for life from all over Wales, travel to places most people have never heard of and have stories to tell that people wouldn't even think of making up. However the answer is simple, we can ! One of the people inspirational in obtaining souvenirs and prizes to raffle which helped raise the money to donate to those first three causes in Azerbaijan is no longer with us. Maralyn Olsen was a retired school teacher and Welsh Football supporter who did so much for Gl before she sadly lost her fight against cancer in January 2004. She has been a massive loss to Gl and Welsh Football in general. Gl continues with her spirit and those of other Wales fans no longer with us.
I am now one of four trustees the charity has and two of us, myself and Tim Hartley will be going on the drive. Duncan Jardine and Andy Hurst are the other two trustees. We have had so many people who have contributed to Gl though since 2002. Dylan Llewellyn, Gary Pritchard, Rob Santwris, Mark Ainsbury, have been major influences, the list goes on, many fans have all put in a tireless amount of work for the good name of Welsh Football Supporters.
Going back to BakuorBust I don't think Tim really thought I was serious when I mentioned driving to Azerbaijan, but he has and is proving a tremendous help in assisting me with the preparations and has raised over $1500 already. Everyone taking part has been a great help though and given me great confidence that this project will be a resounding success, especially Dave and Jim who have driven to Mongolia before and have the experience of border crossings by car. We aim to visit over 20 orphanges en-route to Baku and raise over $15,000 to spend on these good causes.
4. Have you ever done anything like this before?
No I have never thought about driving a very old car, which drinks oil by the pint over 3700 mile !!! Seriously though I have been involved in a number of Gl fundraising activities, including leading a team to run in Iceland in 2005 and organising a charity walk in London from the Oval where Wales first played in London to Orient where Wales last played. I have always enjoyed fundraising and have run a few times for charity in the past, including Chigaco in 1999.
5. Where are you all getting your cars from? What might they be? Have you got them yet? Got yours?
The first few cars were supplied by Dainton Brothers Garage based in Hengoed, just outside Cardiff. Gareth, Huw and Winstone Dainton have been a tremendous help in sourcing cars for us, refurbishing them and getting them through an MOT. Dial-a-Weld, Part Mart and King David Tyres have also supported Dainto Bros in helping get the cars in a driveable condition with half a chance of making it to Baku. While a special mention to Smart Graphics for designing the advertising that will be going on all the cars. I am driving a very old Peugeot 106, which has done 140,000 mile, while Tim will be driving a Toyota Rav4, which has over 120,000 mile on the clock. We have a red taxi in the shape of a 'London Black Cab', two people carriers and rumours are rife that one of the fund raisers is in negoatiations to obtain an Ambulance. We did have an offer of a Fire Engine as well but turned this down as there were more logistical negatives than positives to driving a Fireman Sam Fire Engine to Azerbaijan.
6. How will you do it, in teams? How will they be selected?
Most of the 'teams' have been 'self selected' as a group of friends taking part. A few individuals are taking part so I have matched them up with other team's. The biggest team is from Cardiff, with five driving in an old people carrier nicknamed Val. One team, Marc and Richard from North Wales have yet to find a car and the weekend visits to dodgy second hand car lots go on and you can read about on Marc's blog. www.conwytobaku.co.uk
7. How are you going to choose your routes? Will they all be the same or every car for itself?
The general route will be through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan. We are planning to leave Cardiff on Friday 22nd May, but some of the cars may not leave until Monday 25th as Cardiff City or Swansea City may be playing in the Championship Play-Off Final at Wembley. If this happens and some of the other teams leave late, the plan is to meet up in Istanbul on the Friday evening before traveling together from here. In Georgia we are spending two days in Kutaisi, which is twinned with a city in Wales ( Newport ) and they will be holding a civic reception for us when we arrive.
8. Will you all meet and celebrate when you arrive? What plans do you have for that?
I am traveling to Azerbaijan for a week at the start of May, by plane not by car ! I will be meeting the President of the Azerbaijan Volunteers Union, Sebuhi Rzayev to discuss our plans to visit seven oprhanages in Qazax, Tovuz, Shamkir, Ganja, Goychay, Kurdamir, and Baku. While I will also be meeting Jon Patterson, an Ex-Pat who I met when Wales played there in 2002 and 2004. Between discussions with these two people I hope to organise a celebration party for Friday 5th June in Baku. During my week in Baku I will also be working as a volunteer in two or the orphanages we are helping to get a better understanding of how we can help these places and the children there. All the money raised by April the 30th for BakuorBust will be spent on items that the orphanages we visit, need. I will be ordering a lot of the supplies for orphanges in Azerbaijan during my week in Baku and we will then distribute ihem when we arrive in the country. For example there are 160 children suffering from mental disabilities at the Saray Orphanage just outside Baku and many have towels as diapers as the home can't afford new supplies. Gl will be donating fresh suppliers so the children can have some dignity.
An orphan at Saray Orphanage, Azerbaijan
9. What other fundraising activities does Gl conduct or contribute to?
Gl is always looking for funraising opportunities. I have already mentioned running in Iceland and walking in London as previous events. We have also had people running in London, New York, Dublin and Cardiff. One Wales fan cycled from Cardiff to Dublin, while another took part in the world famous Wicklow Bike Race. On April 12th Owen Williams will be swimming Llyn Tegid in Bala, while next year Andy Hurst hopes to run in a long distance event on every continent in the World. We have also set up online fundraising on a site known as Just Giving. We are hoping people with a Welsh background around the world will contribute $3 per person to our project. For example if just half the members of Americymru donate $3 each, this would raise over $1500. This can be done online at justgiving.com/bakuorbust .
10. How many cars do you think will make it?
I'd like to think they will all make it, but the law of averages tells me its unlikely. The combined mileage of these cars is well in the excess of one million and although they all have MOT's even new cars can break down at any time. We have various back up plans already in place and the basic idea is if a car breaks down and is not fixable within a timely and financial limit, we will arrange to have the car disposed off and the people driving those cars will jump in a fellow fundraisers car. However we have several difficulties to overcome for any of the cars to reach Baku. Right Hand Drive cars are not allowed in Azerbaijan, but we are hoping to obtain dispensation to take the cars in off the Azeri President, Ilham Aliyev. Plan B, is to leave the cars in Georgia and have a bus waiting at the Georgian / Azerbaijan border to take us to Baku. It is hoped whoever and wherever we leave the cars they will be used for good causes, even if it's for a technical college for budding Azeri or Georgian mechanics to practise on !
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Call me a picky old fellah if you like but I don't see the point of playing rugby at 20:00 on a Friday night.14:00 on a Saturday was the traditional kick off time in Cardiff and Paris. In Cardiff, especially, one could fight to get into The Queens Vaults ( if you wanted a dusty pint ) or The City Arms or The Bluebell or Earl Haig club et al. I swear we could drink about 15 pints of Brains Dark, watch such nonsense as fart the penny and the spoon game and still make it to the ground and back home bursting at the seams in the days when DMU''s didn't have toilets. I think it was due to the consumption of about four Clarke's pies ( with pastry that could absorb anything and keep the most wanton alcoholic sober ) before the liver bashing started that kept us in trim for the day - that and the fact that Brains Dark was 99% water.
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From the Page:-
"50 of Amazon vouchers to be won!"
"The National Library of Wales plans to create an online library of newspapers, journals, magazines, books and papers about Wales and the Welsh people. The project is called 'The Theatre of Memory' and it would make the printed record of Wales and the Welsh people freely available to be searched and read by anyone on the Internet. Its aim is to lay bare the memory of Wales so that it can be seen by anyone on the World Wide Web."
"The Library is conducting a survey of organisations and individuals to find out levels of interest and what you would like to see included in The Theatre of Memory. For your chance to win 50 worth of Amazon vouchers, complete the questionnaire and enter your name and email address at the end!"
"The questionnaire should take approximately five minutes to complete: all your responses will be treated in confidence and in accordance with the Market Research Society's Code of Conduct. Your completed questionnaire will be returned to an independent market research company, Scotinform Ltd, which has been commissioned to conduct this survey on behalf of the National Library of Wales."
GO TO THE SURVEY PAGE:-
ENGLISH
CYMRAEG
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Hiya,I'm sort of new to this social networking thing, so excuse my many faux pas. (how do you make "pas" plural?)Anyway, watched the Wales v. England rugby match the other day with the Chicago Tafia, and as always, it was a good time. Then wandered around town eating and drinking at some favorite spots with some soon-to-be Ex-Expats.
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A Welsh author living in America was overcome by emotion twenty five years since leaving his homeland and became ludicrously patriotic, so decided to write a novel glorifying Wales. Peter Griffiths is a Welsh-speaking author from Cynheidre near Llanelli, moved to Denver, Colorado in 1972, but in the last few years has gravitated back to Wales.
Peter Griffiths said: In 1990, while driving from Heathrow to Bala, climbing the Berwyn from Llangynog, I distinctly remember being moved by the grandeur, and feeling ludicrously patriotic. How could I not write a novel glorifying Wales, its people, and its language? It would be aimed mainly at my circle people in the States, who go weak at the knees over Scotland and Ireland, but rarely over Wales.
The novel is called, Tongue Tied, and is set in the Tryweryn valley and the Rhondda. The novel considers how language has had an unifying and some times divisive role over the centuries. The author said: One is Welsh if one feels Welsh. The novel recognises the tension that arises at times between the majority of Welsh people who cant speak Welsh and the minority who can; and the divisiveness of the language in these instances is compared, with sadness, to its crucial unifying role over the millennia.
Tongue Tied is published by Y Lolfa on St Davids Day. The author now shares his time between Swansea and Denver. This is his first novel.
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It's Shrove Tuesday - so what are you all going to give up for Lent? Not pancakes I hope.
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St. David's Day BanquetSunday, March 1, 2009Place: Heritage Oaks Country Club4800 Chase Oaks DriveSarasota, FL 34241-9159Time : 6PM Social Hour7PM DinnerMenu : Traditional Leek SoupChoice of Prime Rib, Chicken Breast orVegetarian entreeChef's choice Welsh DessertDonation : $33 for members$36 for non membersAn exciting program has been arranged for our Florida Welsh Delights! Hon. John Stone, retired member of the WELSH GUARD will be speaking to the us about the long and honorable history of this august group! The WELSH GUARD are known for their HUGE BEARSKIN HATS and for guarding the Queen and all British Monarchs. This select and highly qualified infantry regiment of the British Army was established in 1915. In addition to his duties as a Guard, Mr. Stone was a member of the proud Her Majesty's Welsh Guard Band and Trumpeters. He will share with the us the INSIDE STORY of being a member of this very special group..Music will be provided by Southwest Florida's renowned Marilyn Parry, a mezzo soprano soloist of proud Welsh descent. She will perform familiar Welsh songs.Group singing, long a grand tradition of March 1st in Sarasota, will be a major part of the evening.For more information, please call Muriel (941-925-8481) or Amy (941-349-6069)Send to: Gulf Coast Welsh Society, PO Box 96, Osprey, FL 34229
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Mrs Katie Lewis was known to all as Klepto Kate. This was because of her uncontrollable need to steal small objects and hide them away. She was a good old soul though and no one took offence when the odd cup or ornament went missing because it was understood that there was nothing vindictive in her habit and all things borrowed, as it was called, were easily retrievable and were often returned by Katie a day or two later.She was married to Denzil Lewis a small miner and part time accordion player who could empty a room when the blues were upon him. They were a contented pair and were married for some forty years. This was partly due to love and partly due to the fact that Katie was almost stone deaf and Denzil took a delight in objet dart to relieve the boredom of his constant toil.Later in their lives Katie was taken ill and fell into a deep depression in which her usual cheery smile became a thing of rarity. Such was the concern for her health that she was placed in a hospital that specialised in elderly care. Denzil would visit her daily in the hope that she would recover. He tried the accordion but was banned from bringing the instrument to the hospital after it was decided that the nerves of the residents and staff were simply not up to the banshee like sounds that emanated from it.Some time after Katie was admitted to the hospital the staff had begun to get complaints that small items of some patients personal affects would go missing for a short while and mysteriously reappear a few days later. It was a perplexing problem as the articles taken were replaced. No one knew of Katies past habit and so as no damage had been done the incidents were merely logged and forgottenThe problem was solved however on the day that Denzil Lewis walked excitedly into the sisters office after visiting his wife. He was full of praise. How did you manage it? he said. The sister was baffled. Managed what Mr Lewis? Its Katie. Shes smiling again with the brightest smile Ive ever seen. I cant thank you enough. The sister now beyond curious decided to investigate Denzils claims and sure enough there was Katie with what could only be described as a dazzling grin on her face. The sister was flummoxed until on closer inspection she discovered that Katie had four sets of false teeth in her mouth none of which belonged to her.The clue to Katies depression was soon solved and she returned home to Denzil where they lived for many years as happy a couple as one could wish to see.
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By David L. Parry
Gwyndaf Jones is a Welsh Tenor who currently resides in Toronto, Canada.
Gwyndaf has performed as a lead tenor for the Welsh National Opera Company, English National Opera Company and the San Francisco Opera Company. He continues to perform throughout Toronto and is pleased that this coming year he will be joining the Toronto Welsh Male Voice Choir as a featured soloist.
Find more music like this on Americymru
Gwyndaf has performed as a lead tenor for the Welsh National Opera Company, English National Opera Company and the San Francisco Opera Company. He continues to perform throughout Toronto and is pleased that this coming year he will be joining the Toronto Welsh Male Voice Choir as a featured soloist.
Find more music like this on Americymru
Q1 What part of Wales do you hail from?
A1 - Llanfairpwll, Angelsey, North Wales.
Q2 When did you cross the pond to Canada and why?
A2 - I crossed the pond to first live in Canada back in 1994 after finishing my contract with the Chicago Lyric Opera. Before then, I first came as a young boy touring with a choir from Anglesey. At the same time my father, the late Reverend Huw Tudur Jones, was trying to find a church he could call home so that we could emmigrate to Canada. When that didn't work out, we returned to Wales.
Q3 Over the years you have performed in a number of prestigious venues in the UK and indeed the rest of the world which ones particularly stick out as your favorites?
A3 - Royal Albert Hall in London, England was one of the most memorable venues I have ever performed in simply because of its sheer size. This was also where I had my first opportunity to perform as a lead tenor for a concert version of La Boheme. My mentor, Gwynne Howell, became ill and as his understudy I was asked to step in and perform in this grand venue. It was also one of the most terrifying experiences of my musical career as I was only a mere 18 years of age when this opportunity came to me.
Q4 Do you have any plans for any performances in North America in the near future?
A4 - In 2009, I am looking forward to joining the Toronto Welsh Male Voice Choir at Metropolitan United for the annual St. David's Day concert on Saturday, February 28th at 7:30 pm. For tickets and information on all these upcoming events, please visit my website at www.thewelshtenor.ca
Q5 - Wales, with it's incredibly small size and population, seems to produce a remarkable amount of singing and acting talent. Do you have a pet theory as to why this is?
A5 - It's a fact that any suppressed nation in history tends to find solace and comfort in their art forms. This is especially true with music because people can relate to it, connect with it and loose themselves in it even if only for just a second. Through the centuries, Wales has taken this idea a step further by developing and keeping a very high standard of arts training. Now it has become the norm for us to expect great things from the product of this tradition.
Q6 Who do you rate among the up and coming Welsh singers?
A6 Katherine Jenkins & Aled Wyn Davies.
Q7 How often do you get back to Wales and what is the first thing you try to do when you get there?
A7 - Unfortunately, I don't get back home as often as I would like. Up until last year, I hadn't been back to my hometown for over 20 years. Even so, last year I was able to revisit my hometown and introduce my Canadian wife to Welsh culture. One of the first things I did was spend the day walking through the island enjoying the smell of the ocean, the glorious views and feeling like I had never left.
Q8 Do you think you will ever move back to Wales?
A8 - Sometimes I feel like I could move back to Wales and other times I feel like it will never be a possibility. There are things that I will always miss about Wales, especially my childhood memories of church functions, community gatherings for the arts and playing rugby. But at the same time, I know that there are things that I would miss about Canada if I was in Wales, so it's really hard to say. Regardless, I believe that a large part of me has never really left Wales.
Q9 What do you think is the best way for Wales to go about raising its profile abroad?
A9 - One of the things I admire about living in Canada is how multicultural we are as a nation. Everyone is from somewhere else, and if you were born in Canada your ancestors are from somewhere else. I have always admired celebrities who use their fame to promote the arts in their homeland. One such example is Bryn Terfel, a baritone on the world stage who still sings Welsh repertoire in many of his concerts throughout the world and proudly displays his daffodil pin on his lapel where ever he goes. The Welsh stars can bring notoriety but it takes more than that to promote Wales in the world. What we can take from this is the idea of proudly showing our fellow citizens and neighbours who we are, where ever we live. The average Welsh person needs to educate others about where we are from, what we are about and what we can offer as a unique people. We are known as a creative nation; let us follow in that tradition.
Q10 Do you have any messages for our AmeriCymru readers?
A10 - My message for AmeriCymru readers is this; in my travels and experiences I learned very quickly that the Welsh have had and continue to have tremendous influence in theology, politics and the arts in many countries of the world. We need to be a little less complacent and a little more ready to tell people about ourselves. Myself, I am tired of hearing that Celtic music is mostly made up of Irish songs where the Welsh have beautiful folk melodies that belong in this category. Or knowing that the average Canadian has never heard of Wales unless someone was speaking about titles of the Royal family. We have no one to blame but ourselves. We have so much to be proud of and let us not focus on just what we have done in the past but continue it into the future. As a Welsh artist it is important for me to put my talents towards this cause, however I know that I can not do it alone. I know that there are many talented and connected Welsh out there. What we need is to network and support each other in these endeavours.
For further information and tour dates please visit: www.thewelshtenor.ca
A1 - Llanfairpwll, Angelsey, North Wales.
Q2 When did you cross the pond to Canada and why?
A2 - I crossed the pond to first live in Canada back in 1994 after finishing my contract with the Chicago Lyric Opera. Before then, I first came as a young boy touring with a choir from Anglesey. At the same time my father, the late Reverend Huw Tudur Jones, was trying to find a church he could call home so that we could emmigrate to Canada. When that didn't work out, we returned to Wales.
Q3 Over the years you have performed in a number of prestigious venues in the UK and indeed the rest of the world which ones particularly stick out as your favorites?
A3 - Royal Albert Hall in London, England was one of the most memorable venues I have ever performed in simply because of its sheer size. This was also where I had my first opportunity to perform as a lead tenor for a concert version of La Boheme. My mentor, Gwynne Howell, became ill and as his understudy I was asked to step in and perform in this grand venue. It was also one of the most terrifying experiences of my musical career as I was only a mere 18 years of age when this opportunity came to me.
Q4 Do you have any plans for any performances in North America in the near future?
A4 - In 2009, I am looking forward to joining the Toronto Welsh Male Voice Choir at Metropolitan United for the annual St. David's Day concert on Saturday, February 28th at 7:30 pm. For tickets and information on all these upcoming events, please visit my website at www.thewelshtenor.ca
Q5 - Wales, with it's incredibly small size and population, seems to produce a remarkable amount of singing and acting talent. Do you have a pet theory as to why this is?
A5 - It's a fact that any suppressed nation in history tends to find solace and comfort in their art forms. This is especially true with music because people can relate to it, connect with it and loose themselves in it even if only for just a second. Through the centuries, Wales has taken this idea a step further by developing and keeping a very high standard of arts training. Now it has become the norm for us to expect great things from the product of this tradition.
Q6 Who do you rate among the up and coming Welsh singers?
A6 Katherine Jenkins & Aled Wyn Davies.
Q7 How often do you get back to Wales and what is the first thing you try to do when you get there?
A7 - Unfortunately, I don't get back home as often as I would like. Up until last year, I hadn't been back to my hometown for over 20 years. Even so, last year I was able to revisit my hometown and introduce my Canadian wife to Welsh culture. One of the first things I did was spend the day walking through the island enjoying the smell of the ocean, the glorious views and feeling like I had never left.
Q8 Do you think you will ever move back to Wales?
A8 - Sometimes I feel like I could move back to Wales and other times I feel like it will never be a possibility. There are things that I will always miss about Wales, especially my childhood memories of church functions, community gatherings for the arts and playing rugby. But at the same time, I know that there are things that I would miss about Canada if I was in Wales, so it's really hard to say. Regardless, I believe that a large part of me has never really left Wales.
Q9 What do you think is the best way for Wales to go about raising its profile abroad?
A9 - One of the things I admire about living in Canada is how multicultural we are as a nation. Everyone is from somewhere else, and if you were born in Canada your ancestors are from somewhere else. I have always admired celebrities who use their fame to promote the arts in their homeland. One such example is Bryn Terfel, a baritone on the world stage who still sings Welsh repertoire in many of his concerts throughout the world and proudly displays his daffodil pin on his lapel where ever he goes. The Welsh stars can bring notoriety but it takes more than that to promote Wales in the world. What we can take from this is the idea of proudly showing our fellow citizens and neighbours who we are, where ever we live. The average Welsh person needs to educate others about where we are from, what we are about and what we can offer as a unique people. We are known as a creative nation; let us follow in that tradition.
Q10 Do you have any messages for our AmeriCymru readers?
A10 - My message for AmeriCymru readers is this; in my travels and experiences I learned very quickly that the Welsh have had and continue to have tremendous influence in theology, politics and the arts in many countries of the world. We need to be a little less complacent and a little more ready to tell people about ourselves. Myself, I am tired of hearing that Celtic music is mostly made up of Irish songs where the Welsh have beautiful folk melodies that belong in this category. Or knowing that the average Canadian has never heard of Wales unless someone was speaking about titles of the Royal family. We have no one to blame but ourselves. We have so much to be proud of and let us not focus on just what we have done in the past but continue it into the future. As a Welsh artist it is important for me to put my talents towards this cause, however I know that I can not do it alone. I know that there are many talented and connected Welsh out there. What we need is to network and support each other in these endeavours.
For further information and tour dates please visit: www.thewelshtenor.ca
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