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Inserted is a picture of Gwynne House School's R'n'B Orchestra c1955 (before my time).Famous throughout Carmarthenshire for its association with Diwc Wellington, T-Bone Ifansand the artist formerly known as "Tywysog", a stomping good time was guaranteed by this "big band" (Jools Holland, eat your heart out). Duringmyown gradual rise from the triangle ranks through tambourine and recorder, to the conductor's dais,we touredthe clubs and dives ofthecounty (and who of uscould ever forgetthe night inFfostrasol?) in a bus which wasthe home of excess. I doubt there was anywhere at the time where more Tovali pop and Five Boys chocolate bars were consumed.
I won't give away anymore as I'm saving the seamier revelations for my memoirs.
On 2 June 1982, Pope John Paul II become the first reigning Pope to visit Wales.
The pontiff's message in Welsh of "Bendith Duw arnoch" - "the blessing of God be on you" - was received with enthusiastic applause from the crowds gathered in Pontcanna Fields, earlier in.the day he had been awarded the freedom of Cardiff,
On 2nd June 1869, the Mold Riots occurred
When John Young, the English manager of the Leeswood Green Colliery announced a pay cut and the banning of the use of the Welsh language underground, miners took him to the police station and all of his furniture to the railway station.
Seven miners were arrested and subsequently, Ismael Jones and John Jones, were sentenced to a month's hard labour. After hearing the verdict, a large crowd became incensed and began to through missiles at the soldiers escorting the convicted men to the railway station. The soldiers opened fire in retaliation and four of the crowd were killed.
The coroner's inquest into the deaths, which returned a verdict of "Justifiable Homicide" became a farce, as the coroner, who was partially deaf, had to use an ear trumpet to hear the evidence.
However, the tragedy forced the Authorities to rethink the way in which they dealt with public disorder in the future.
On this day 2002, the Llangernyw Yew was designated as one of 50 Great British Trees as part of the celebrations of the golden jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.
The Llangernyw Yew resides in the churchyard of St. Dygain's Church in Llangernyw, Clwyd. It is over 4,000 years old, meaning it was planted sometime in the prehistoric Bronze Age — and it's still growing.
On 2nd June 1862, the Vale of Llangollen Railway Line opened to passengers, linking Llangollen to the rail network for the first time.
The Vale of Llangollen Railway was built as a spur from the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway at Ruabon to the town of Llangollen. It was initially opened for goods only on 1 December 1861 and to passenger traffic on 2 June 1862, and was worked by the Great Western Railway and subsequently the Western Region of British Railways. A portion of it survives as part of the heritage Llangollen Railway.
Just A Bit Of Banter, Like - An Interview With Welsh Author Christopher Westlake
By Ceri Shaw, 2013-06-02
His first novel ''Just A Bit Of Banter, Like'' revolves around the adventures and misadventures of Nick Evans:-
".... a young city-slicker with a trophy-girlfriend on his arm. Fast-forward just a day and he''s caught his girlfriend in an uncompromising position with his friend, accidentally sent a rude email to his boss - and he''s on his way home to South Wales with his tail firmly between his legs. Unemployed and single, life seems oh-so simple for Nick back in Southerndown, a coastal village where sheep vastly outnumber people."
AmeriCymru spoke to Chris about Just A Bit Of Banter, Like and his plans for the future.
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AmeriCymru: You have won prizes in many international short story competitions. Care to tell us a little about these? What was your proudest moment?
Christopher: Winning the Global Short Stories Award will always have a special place for me because it was my first competition win. It gave me such a massive confidence boost. I''d enrolled on an online writing course a few months before and began small by writing letters to women''s magazines (yes, I am male). A few got published, I earned a bit of cash and, most importantly, my name was in print! I then entered a few short story competitions.
The Global Short Stories Award was the third competition I entered and coming first was just amazing. I recycled the setting for my short story, Welsh Lessons, in my first novel, Just a Bit of Banter, Like.
After winning the September Global Short Stories Award I entered quite a few competitions and didn''t come anywhere. Zilch. Writing can be quite isolated. You send off a lot of work and sometimes it disappears into a black hole when you get little or no response back.
The Stringybark Stories Awards has served me well. This is an Australian competition but they welcome overseas contestants. It is a great set-up because all short-listed applicants get published in their anthologies. I came first in the Erotic Fiction Award (the first overseas winner) and that felt great because the anthology was named after my short story, The Heatwave of 76. This was the first story that I had published in paperback. Holding a book in your hand that you contributed to was such a thrill!
AmeriCymru: Are your short stories available anywhere in print?
Christopher: My short stories are included in the Heatwave of 76, The Road Home and Fight or Flight anthologies and can be purchased in Kindle or paperback from the Stringybark Stories website. I also have a short story included in the Past Pleasures anthology, available from Amazon and Waterstones.
AmeriCymru: What real life events inspired you to write your first novel, ''Just A Bit Of Banter Like''?
Christopher: This is quite a difficult one! I don''t really think real life events inspired me to write the novel as such, but quite a few of the funnier scenes have definitely been inspired by real life!
I think it was time to write a novel and I concentrated on getting the basics right. I focussed on making the characters involving, the storylines intriguing and the book an enjoyable, interesting and funny read. The characters were a cocktail of people I''ve met along the way. My Nan and Gramps had dementia and this was definitely an inspiration for the deteriorating mental health of Nan in the novel. I grew up in rural Wales and moved to London (but I haven''t yet moved back to Wales!) and this inspired the two central settings. When I moved from London to Birmingham it was a difficult time as I left a decent job and then struggled as a temp. Nick has a massive fall from grace and struggles to rebuild his life. Like Nick, I''ve also examined what is important to me in life. That said, I am a chronic over-thinker and so I''ve examined pretty much everything in my mind over the years!
AmeriCymru: How would you describe the book?
Christopher: It started off as a light-hearted comedy but I realised that I wanted to explore deeper subjects such as dementia, drug abuse and missing people, which didn''t naturally fit in with the ''light-hearted'' category! Getting the balance between the humour and the darker subjects was one of the most difficult aspects. With most descriptions as I have cunningly used the term ''dark comedy'' but I am still searching for something that sounds a little more impressive, if you have any suggestions!
It is a story of family, friendship and discovering what is really important to you. The characters are central to everything. if the reader does not care for them then the overlapping storylines and the element of mystery are irrelevant.
AmeriCymru: The book is set in Ogmore and Southerndown. Can you describe the area a little for our American readers?
Christopher: Ogmore and Southerndown are neighbouring villages on the South Wales coastline. It is were I grew up, but like most things, I only started appreciating its beauty when I moved away. The weather in Wales can best be described as mild in the summer and freezing in the winter, and so the long stretch of beach is more suitable for leisurely walks with the dog than for sunbathing. The residents of each village are in the hundred. The sheep number thousands and they stroll around the greenery and often wander on to the road. The mouth of the river in Ogmore is bordered by pebbles and rocks on one side and sand dunes on the other. You can cross the stepping stones to the other side and a little further down river lies the old castle.
I have many happy childhood memories of both Ogmore and Southerndown.
AmeriCymru: What do you read for pleasure? Any recommendations?
Christopher: I love reading autobiographies because people fascinate me and learning about lives gives me inspiration for my characters. I enjoy gritty contemporary drama by novelists such as Irvine Welsh and John King. I''ve also become fascinated by Welsh literature, such as Ash on a Young Man''s Sleeve by Danny Abse.
AmeriCymru: What are you working on at the moment? Any new titles in the pipeline?
Christopher: I''ve started planning and researching my second novel. It is going to continue the welsh theme, this time focussing on the towns Merthyr and Porthcawl. I love researching welsh history and this novel will be a journey through the last few decades. It is going to be darker and grittier than Just a Bit of Banter, Like and a much bigger project.
My aim is to make each book better in some way than the last. In my mind, it makes sense that my very best work won''t be for at least another few books, but who knows?
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru and the Welsh American Bookstore?
Christopher: I''ve only just discovered the site but it has been so welcoming I wish I had done so earlier. It seems like a dream combination for me. Obviously I love Wales but I also have family in Boston who we visited a few years ago and I had a fantastic time, and so America is close to my heart, too.
I am going to be roaming through books myself as I am sure there are titles that will grab my attention!
If you choose to read Just a Bit of Banter, Like, which naturally I hope you do (!) I would love you to provide me with feedback.
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Blessed Are The Cracked This interconnected collection of five novellas and two short stories from the casebook of retired local policeman Tegwyn Prydderch, is set in the fictional West Wales farming community of Llanefa.
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These are not ''comfortable'' tales and Llanefa is no ''chocolate box'' Welsh village. Author Delphine Richards worked as a cop in rural Wales for a number of years and one can only assume that she brought her experience of real crime and real police work to the pages of this book.
From the prologue we learn that DCI Tegwyn Prydderch has retired from the force and is being urged to while away his retirement years writing his memoirs. Forced to convalesce after a hip replacement operation Tegwyn finally succumbs. As he ponders his old case files he wonders how best to put them to literary use:-
"If only the people themselves could tell the story, he thinks, a ''warts and all'' account of how it all came to be. Now, there would be a book worth buying!"
In each of the tales which follow we are treated to precisely such an account. These stories are not ''whodunnits'' but rather a blow by blow account of events as they occurred, told from the perspective of the victim or perpetrator.
In the opening tale ‘ Donald’s Cat’ , a home help becomes trapped in an abandoned explosives container while searching for a missing cat. Her fear of suffocation and dehydration are graphically described as she battles to preserve her sanity in her pitch black surroundings. She fixates on recent traumatic events and unfinished business that she has left behind outside the metal frame which confines her. Despite this claustrophobic setting the story is a masterful and fast paced thriller with an unexpected twist in it''s tail.
If you are an afficionado of the ''grittier'' school of crime writing then there is much in the pages of Delphine Richards for you to savour. Welcome to the seamier side of life in rural Wales. I for one am looking forward to the next offering from the Welsh Elmore Leonard.
About Delphine Richards
Cambria Books website:- "An experienced writer in several formats from magazine articles, short stories, to a weekly newspaper column, Delphine Richards’s new work draws on her real life experience as a member of the Welsh Police in rural Wales. In these dark tales, she brings to fictional life a new, uniquely Welsh, policeman character, Tegwyn Prydderch, from whose grisly casebook and early memories these stories are drawn."
"The Merthyr Rising"
On 1st June 1831, the symbolic red flag was raised for the first time in the UK at "The Merthyr Rising".
The Merthyr Rising, started as a popular rebellion against unjust working and living conditions, but quickly rose into armed insurrection, which has been described as "the most ferocious and bloody event in the history of industrialized Britain."
The Great Depression of 1829 had led to massive unemployment and when Merthyr ironmaster William Crawshay lowered his employee's wages, the panic in the town, led to a series of local demonstrations. One led by Thomas Llewelyn, a Cyfartha miner, resulted in goal prisoners being released and another from Hirwaun marched on Merthyr, raiding property and shops to return previously confiscated goods to their owners.
In an attempt to restore order, Scots Highlanders from their Brecon Barracks were sent in and opened fire on a large crowd that had assembled outside the Castle Inn. Over two dozen of the crowd were killed and hundreds wounded. However 16 soldiers were also killed and the Highlanders were forced to retreat. The following day Swansea Yeomanry were sent in, but they were ambushed and disarmed.
It took a week for order to be restored to the area and the resulting punishment was severe, with Richard Lewis (Dic Penderyn), being hanged at Cardiff Gaol on the charge of wounding a soldier. It is recorded that his last words were "O Arglwydd, dyma gamwedd" (Oh Lord, what an injustice).
Born this day 1893 in Llanddulas, Denbighshire.
Lewis Valentine , politician, author, editor, Baptist pastor and Welsh language activist, who is best remembered for his involvement in the 1936 protest known as 'Tan yn Llyn' (Fire in Llyn)
The UK government had announced its intention to establish a military bombing school at Penyberth on the Llyn Peninsula in Gwynedd. Despite bitter protestations locally and appeals to parliament, the construction went ahead. On September 8th 1936, the bombing school building was set on fire. Lewis Valentine, along with Saunders Lewis and D J Williams claimed responsibility.
At their trial, the accused men were sentenced to nine months imprisonment, but took full responsibility for the damage adding that in spite of thousands of protests that the placing of such an institution in Llyn would endanger the culture and traditions of one of the most Welsh regions in Wales, the English Government had refused even to receive a Welsh to talk over the matter. They went on to say that as lawful and peaceful methods had failed to secure for Wales even common courtesy at the hands of the Government of England, they felt compelled to draw attention to the immoral violation of the sure and natural rights of the Welsh nation.
On Monday 1st June 1857, the Crumlin Viaduct was officially opened.
Crumlin viaduct was hailed as 'one of the most significant examples of technological achievement during the Industrial Revolution'. It was the highest railway viaduct in Britain and only the Aqueduct of Spoleto in Italy and the Portage Timber Viaduct in the United States were higher anywhere else in the world.
However, as a result of the report by Dr Reginald Beeching, for British Railways in 1963, over 2,000 stations and a quarter of Britain's railway lines were closed. This included the Crumlin Viaduct, which carried its last passenger train on 13th June 1964. Interestingly, during its demolition, it was used as a location for the film 'Arabesque, starring Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren.
On 1st June 1939, the submarine HMS Thetis sank during trials in Red Wharf Bay, Anglesey, with the loss of 99 men.
After the tragedy, she was salvaged and recommissioned as HMS Thunderbolt serving in the Atlantic and Mediterranean theatres until she was lost with all hands on 14 March 1943, making her one of the few military vessels that have been lost twice with her crew in their service history.
Born this day 1980 in Bridgend
Lee Byrne, Wales and Lions rugby international.
Born this day 1947 in Holywell, Flintshire
Jonathan Pryce, actor and singer.
After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1974, Pryce began a career in theatre, which resulted in an award-winning performance of Hamlet at the Royal Court Theatre. This led to him appearing in many supporting roles in film and television and he made his breakthrough screen leading role in Terry Gilliam's 1985 cult film Brazil. Known for his versatility, Pryce has also appeared in films such as Tomorrow Never Dies, Evita and Pirates of the Caribbean. His career in theatre has been just as prolific, with him winning two Tony Awards.
Cetlicos/Americymru has a two-page spread in this month's issue of "The American" magazine, a magazine for Americans in the UK.
We're in the right column on page 21, here:
http://issuu.com/michaelburland/docs/the_american_magazine_722_jun13
You can see the dragon, we're tiny but we're there! This whole two-page spread is on the Celticos/AmeriCymru tour. The Celticos site, with further details, is also linked from the artcle.
The magazine is pretty interesting, too.
We have a page of audio interviews with people connected with the tour here:
http://americymru.net/profiles/blogs/celticos-americymru-trail-tour-interviews
We'll have further developments on the NEW Celticos/AmeriCymru Farm Trail tour, coming soon!
The Welsh claim to Manhattan
Robert Edwards (1716 - c.1788) was a Welsh buccaneer given 77 acres of largely unsettled Manhattan by Queen Anne of England for his services in disrupting Spanish sea lanes. On June 1st 1778. Edwards leased the land for 99 years to John and George Cruger on the agreement that the land and all improvements thereon were to revert to the descendants of Edwards and his siblings at the expiration of the lease on May 31st 1877. Apparently, this never happened and the land ended up in the hands of Trinity Church, of which the Crugers were wardens.
Subsequently, all attempts by Edward's heirs to file a claim to the land have proved fruitless, with the case eventually being defeated by the state's Statute of Limitations.
Born this day 1938 in Prestatyn.
John Prescott - Britain's longest serving Deputy Prime Minister, who is also remembered for his passion for Jaguars and the punch he threw at a farmer during an election campaign.
Born this day 1875 in Taibach
Daniel "Dan" Jones , Welsh international rugby union scrum-half who played club rugby for Aberavon. He is notable for being the first player to represent Aberavon at international level. Jones was a tinplate furnaceman by occupation and lived in Taibach all his life.
Born this day 1910 in Briton Ferry
Sir Francis Avery Jones - gastroenterologist.
After graduating in medicine from St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical School, Jones specialised in gastroenterology and became a leading authority on the treatment of stomach and bowel ulceration. He was also the editor of the journal Gut, a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and president of the Medical Society of London.
May 31st 1900, saw the installation of The Welsh Hospital at Springfontein, South Africa
The Welsh Hospital was a private initiative by Professor Alfred W Hughes and a team of surgeons, medical students, nurses and volunteers from Wales, that operated during the Anglo Boer War (1899-1902). The mobile hospital was employed initially treating the wounded at Springfontein but was later moved to Bloemfontein to help deal with a typhoid epidemic, which was wiping out the British troops.
On this day 1977, Wales defeated England at Wembley at soccer for the only time to date. The score was 1-0, with Leighton James scoring the goal from the penalty spot
The Welsh team that day was;
Dai Davies
Rod Thomas
Joey Jones
John Mahoney
Leighton Phillips
Ian Evans
Peter Sayer
Brian Flynn
Terry Yorath
Nick Deacy
Leighton James
Manager: Mike Smith
And the England team;
Peter Shilton (Stoke City); Phil Neal(Liverpool), Emlyn Hughes (Liverpool),Dave Watson (Man City), Mick Mills(Ipswich); Kevin Keegan (Liverpool, capt), Brian Greenhoff (Man Utd), Trevor Brooking (West Ham; sub: Dennis Tueart), Ray Kennedy (Liverpool); Mick Channon (Southampton), Stuart Pearson (Man Utd).
The Battle of Jutland, during World War I commenced on 31st May 1916 at which Vice Admiral Sir Hugh Evan-Thomas from the Llwynmadoc estate near Beulah, Powys distinguished himself and earned glowing tributes from Admiral John Jellicoe. Evan Thomas was subsequently knighted for his actions.
The Battle of Jutland is considered to be the main naval battle of World War One. Even though the British Navy lost considerably more men and ships than the German Navy and Admiral John Jellicoe's tactics received much criticism, it is considered as a British victory, as the German Navy was never in a position again to put to sea during the war and the British Navy remained a powerful fighting force.
From the Wikipedia Brecknock Museum :- "Brecknock Museum is a museum managed by Powys County Council in Brecon, the historic county town of Brecknockshire or Breconshire in Mid Wales. Built off Captain's Walk, The Watton in 1824 as a shire hall, the building later functioned as an assize courts until its closure in 1971, re-opening in 1974 as a museum. One of Brecon's most significant pieces of architecture, the building has been Grade II listed since 1952."
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Someone had the foresight to record the recent restoration work on the roof of the Brecknock Museum with time lapse photography.
Excellent video of the Aberystwyth Cycle Festival, Constitution Hill Downhill MTB. More about the event, held between May 24th and 26th this year can be be found on the Aber Cycle Festival website.
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In May 1949, Dylan and Caitlin Thomas settled at the Boat House in Laugharne.
Caitlin Thomas (8 December 1913 – 31 July 1994), née Macnamara, was the wife of Dylan Thomas. Their marriage was a stormy affair, fuelled by alcohol and infidelity, however, the couple remained together until Dylan's death in 1953.
Caitlin Macnamara was introduced to Dylan Thomas in a pub in London in 1936 by Augustus John. She and Dylan bonded immediately and that summer Dylan travelled to Laugharne, where Caitlin was staying with John at Castle House. By the end of 1936, Caitlin and Dylan had begun a relationship through correspondence and in April 1937 were living together in London, marrying on 11th July 1937 in Penzance, Cornwall.
They then travelled widely, spending time in Chelsea, Oxford, Ireland and Italy before eventually settling in Laugharne in 1938, firstly in a rented cottage, then in the 'Sea View' and finally the Boat House, which was purchased for them by Margaret Taylor, one of Dylan's benefactors.
Caitlin and Dylan had three children, Llewelyn Edouard, Aeronwy Thomas-Ellis and Colm Garan Hart.
On this day in 1929 Lady Megan Arfon Lloyd George (1902-1966) became the first female MP in Wales when she won Anglesey for the Liberals
Megan Lloyd George was not only the first female MP in Wales, she also remains the longest serving. As the daughter of the former Prime Minister and the dominant figure in Welsh politics, her selection to fight the then safe Liberal seat of Anglesey in 1929 was a matter of some controversy. Megan’s brother Gwilym was already an M.P and it seemed to some that David Lloyd George was intent on creating his own dynastic power base. Suggestions of nepotism faded as Megan began a parliamentary career that, despite a lengthy interruption in the 1950’s, would span thirty years. Although the declining fortunes of the Liberals would keep her out of high office- the last Liberal government was that of her father- she nevertheless became Deputy Leader of the party and a prominent political personality in her own right.
Welsh issues were never far from the top of her agenda. She was the founding president of the ‘Parliament for Wales’ campaign – an early attempt to secure devolved government. 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. Such campaigns led to significant concessions to Welsh interests both in parliament and in the apparatus of government. In 1944, Megan Lloyd George opened the first ever ‘Welsh Day’ debate at Westminster. Later she was also 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 however, she had changed political parties. Defeated on Anglesey by Cledwyn Hughes in 1951, she defected to the Labour cause soon afterwards – one of the several prominent figures to do so. She returned to parliament in 1957 after winning Carmarthen for Labour and remained an MP until her death nine years later.
Born this day 1912 in Marian Glas, Anglesey
Hugh Griffith , Oscar-winning actor for his role as Sheik Ilderim in Ben-Hur alongside Charlton Heston, Griffith is also fondly remembered by Welsh rugby fans for his role in television film comedy Grand Slam.
On 30th May 1842, John Francis, whose father was Welsh, made his second attempt to assassinate Queen Victoria.
The previous day, Victoria had been riding in a carriage along The Mall, London, when Francis aimed a pistol at her but did not fire. However the following day, as Victoria drove the same route Francis shot at her and was immediately seized by plain-clothes policemen. Francis was tried and convicted of high treason, with the expected death sentence commuted to transportation for life.
