Blogs
My creative writing workshop at Wordstock:
SEX AND THE SERIOUS NOVEL
The workshop will look at the role of the erotic in literary fiction: sometimes moving, sometimes embarrassing, sometimes unintentionally hilarious. Sex is a major part of life; why do so many serious writers have such trouble writing about it?
Wordstock Festival, Oregon Convention Center, Portland
Saturday, October 5th
On this day 1588, The Spanish Armada was spotted off the coast of England and beacon fires were lit across Wales and England as a warning.
Some Welsh connections to the Spanish Armada
* John Nash of Carmarthen was master of a merchant ship named the Margaret and John, which participated in the sea battle against the Spanish Armada.
* Penguin is given as an example of an English word of Welsh origin and is attributed to Welsh crew members of Sir Francis Drake's ship the Golden Hind in 1577, and is likely to have been constructed from the Welsh words pen and gywn, meaning white head. The first citation of the word is noted in the log of Sir Francis Drake's reading: "Infinite were the Numbers of the foule, the Welsh men name Pengwin.
* In England the victory was greeted as a sign of divine approval for the Protestant cause. In Wales, however, Protestantism was regarded with suspicion, with the feeling that it was a new and heretical English faith. The Latin services of the Catholic faith were more familiar than English, which was an alien tongue to most Welsh worshippers. Elizabeth I, concerned that England’s enemies could attack England through Wales, if Wales remained Catholic, passed the Act for the Translating of the Bible and the Divine Service into the Welsh Tongue, and ordered the translation of the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer into Welsh. It was an attempt to affiliate the Welsh people to the English crown.
* The provision of The Bible in Welsh, a language which was not the official state language, was unique in Europe during the Protestant Reformation. Thomas Jones, the translator, had previosly written a hymn of thanksgivingfor deliverance from the Armada.
On 31st July 1917, James Llewellyn Davies from Ogmore Vale, Glamorgan was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. Davies, of the 13th Battalion,The Royal Welch Fusiliers, was involved in action at Polygon Wood, Pilkem in Belgium.
His citation reads;
"For most conspicuous bravery during an attack on the enemy's line, this non-commissioned officer pushed through our own barrage and single-handed attacked a machine gun emplacement, after several men had been killed in attempting to take it. He bayoneted one of the machine gun crew and brought in another man, together with the captured gun. Cpl. Davies, although wounded, then led a bombing party to the assault of a defended house, and killed a sniper who was harassing his platoon. This gallant non-commissioned officer has since died of wounds received during the attack"
On 31st July 1917, Ivor Rees from Felinfoel near Llanelli was awarded the Victoria Cross. Rees, of the 11th, South Wales Borderers, supported the capture of a fortified German defensive line during the Battle of Passchendaele.
His citation reads;
"At Pilckem, Belgium, on 31st July 1917, an enemy machine gun inflicted many casualties when it opened fire at close range. Sergeant Rees, leading his platoon, gradually worked his way round the right flank, by making short rushes, to the rear of the gun position. At 20 yards from the machine gun, Sergeant Rees rushed forward towards it, shooting one of the crew, and bayoneting the other. He bombed a large concrete emplacement, killing five of the enemy and taking 30 prisoners, including two officers and capturing a machine gun, undamaged."
On 31st July 1917, Robert James Bye from Pontypridd was awarded the Victoria Cross. Bye, of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, was involved in the defence of the Yser Canal in Belgium during the Third Battle of Ypres.
werfwe
werfwe
werfwe
werfwe
werfwe
Born this day 1894 in Cardiff
Fred Keenor - former Wales soccer international, best known for captaining the Cardiff City team to success in the 1927 FA Cup Final.
werfwe
werfwe
werfwe
werfwe
werfwe
The first section of the Great Orme Tramway at Llandudno was opened on 31stJuly 1902 , the longest funicular railway (the ascending and descending vehicles are fixed to a cable and counterbalance each other) in the British Isles.
It is also Britain's only remaining cable operated street tramway and one of few surviving in the world. It operates between Llandudno Victoria Station to the summit of the Great Orme headland.
werfwe
On 31st July 1957 The Tryweryn Bill became law, despite the fervent opposition of Welsh MPs. It gave Liverpool City Council permission to build a reservoir which would drown the Welsh speaking village of Capel Celyn near Bala. This led to increased support in the late 1950s for the Welsh nationalist party, Plaid Cymru, and gave impetus to the demand for Welsh devolution. The official opening of the reservoir in 1965 was disrupted by protesters who had cut microphone wires, and the chanting protesters drowned out the speeches. In October 2005, Liverpool City Council published a public apology for the incident.
The full statement reads;-
"The Council acknowledges its debt to the many thousands of Welsh people who have made their homes in the City. They have, in so many ways, enriched the life of the City.
We know that Liverpool, especially in the fields of medicine and education, has been of real service to the people of Wales.
We realise the hurt of forty years ago when the Tryweryn Valley was transformed into a reservoir to help meet the water needs of Liverpool.
For any insensitivity by our predecessor Council at that time, we apologise and hope that the historic and sound relationship between Liverpool and Wales can be completely restored."
On July 31st 1998, The Government of Wales Act 1998 was given Royal Assent. This led to The National Assembly for Wales being established in 1999.
The Act followed the affirmative devolution referendum in September 1997 and facilitated the transfer of the powers of the Secretary of State for Wales to the new Assembly.
We have re-designed the Welsh American Bookstore somewhat and made some navigation improvements. However, the site is still a work in progress and we would welcome any suggestions for improvements, new features, new listings etc. Please comment here or email americymru@gmail.com....diolch 
Born this day 1874 in Chirk
Billy Meredith , the former Wales soccer international and captain, was considered one of the early superstars of football and one of the greatest players of his era. Billy aged 74, is pictured kicking off a match with the Glyn Ceiriog team.
Billy started work at Black Park Colliery as a pit pony driver at the age of 12 and spent eight years working in the mines. His family were Primitive Methodists and Meredith himself remained a lifelong teetotaller. Meredith's playing career was spent between Manchester City and Manchester United and he won every domestic trophy in the English football league and at 46 years, 281 days, he became United's oldest ever player. Meredith also gained 48 caps for Wales and at 45 years and 229 days, he remains the oldest player to win a Wales cap.
A model professional, he spent his spare time improving his game with extra training sessions and maintained peak physical fitness by avoiding alcohol and tobacco. His "gimmick" was to chew on a toothpick during matches, and contemporary cartoonists were quick to exploit this habit. Meredith was a firm supporter of firmly players' rights, held the view that they should, if they so wished, be allowed to move from club to club. He helped to form the players' union and supported a strike when the union entered into a dispute with the F.A.
30th July 1996 saw the video premiere of the film Hedd Wyn
Hedd Wyn is an anti-war biopic based on the life of Ellis Humphrey Evans, a Welsh soldier killed in WWl. The title is the bardic name chosen by Evans, under which he was awarded, posthumously, the Eisteddfod Chair in 1917. The film starkly contrasts the beauty of the Meirionnydd landscape of the poet's home with the horror of the trenches at Passchendaele where he died. Evans, played by Huw Garmon, is portrayed as a tragic hero with an intense hatred of war and nationalism. Writer Alan Llwyd and director Paul Turner won several BAFTA Cymru awards, and the film was voted the Best Single Drama by the Royal Television Society. It was the first Welsh language film to be nominated for an Academy Award.
edffwef
edffwef
Stan Stennett (born in Cardiff on 30th July 1925) was a comedian, musician and actor.
Stennett served in the army during World War II, and also worked as an entertainer. He became the regular comedian on a radio show,'Welsh Rarebit', although he was better known as a comedy guest on 'The Black and White Minstrel Show'. Although a renowned variety and pantomime performer, Stennett has also played "straight" acting roles in television programmes such as Casualty and Coronation Street. Stennett was a friend of Eric Morecambe, and he was acting as host during the final performance when Eric suffered a heart attack and died on 27 May 1984.
edffwef
On 30th July 1942, a German Heinkel 111 crashed on Pwllheli beach, killing three crew. The pilot survived and was captured.
During World War II, Germany used night bomber raids, in response to which the home forces employed night fighter squadrons which operated around the coast, as well as anti-aircraft guns and searchlights. One of the most successful night fighter units was 456 Squadron, stationed at Valley aerodrome on Anglesey.
On the night of 30 July 1942 Wing Commander EC Wolfe was flying a Bristol Beaufighter over the Irish Sea and Cardigan Bay, seeking enemy raiders. With him was Pilot Officer EA Ashcroft. They confronted a German Heinkel bomber on its way to Birmingham. After an exchange of machine gun fire, the Heinkel went into a vertical dive and crashed onto the beach at Pwllheli.
Three men perished in the crash, but the pilot, Dirk Hofles, did manage to bale out of the diving Heinkel and was quickly taken prisoner and taken into captivity.
Hi everyone,
Cambrian Safaris provides excursions into the Cambrian Mountains in a Land Rover Discovery to enjoy fantastic views and scenery, local history and wildlife. We will pick you up from your accommodation or arrange a meeting point.
We are able to offer airport pick up and arrange accommodation for international visitors, or provide recommendations and contacts if you wish to make your own arrangements.
Today Cambrian Safaris took an Australian visitor for a trip around Devils Bridge, the Hafod Estate, Pontrydygroes, Ysbyty Ystwyth, Ystumtuen, Bwlch Nant Yr Arian, (at 2.30 for the Red Kite feeding), Cwmerfyn, Cwmsymlog and the lakes at Pendam, Bleanmelindwr and Syfydrin. These places are all about 10 -15 miles in land of Aberystwyth. It was a drive around some small back roads, with some fabulous views in very mixed weather - sunshine and heavy rain with some thunder and lightening. The development of the 'Picturesque' Hafod estate was featured, as was the mining industry which left its mark on the areas landscape. I'll talk about all of these and more in future blogs, both as me, Richard Smith, and in write ups of Cambrian Safaris tours.
Back to Welsh Literature page >
This year is the 50th anniversary of the start of Dusty Springfield’s solo career. The iconic singer, who for millions was the definitive pop diva, launched her first solo hit record ‘I Only Want to Be With You’ in 1963. Celebrating this fact is a new play by Derek Webb called ‘Call Me Dusty’.
With Jessica Sandry in the title role, the play attempts to disentangle myth and facts, and begin to understand the very complex character who was Dusty Springfield. She was born Mary Isabel Catherine Bernadette O’Brien – a shy, chubby, Catholic convent girl. Her mother was Irish, her father an accountant, she was brought up in West London and from a child was in love with the cinema and music: longing to be an actress like June Haver or a singer like Peggy Lee.
In 1960 she became part of the very successful trio called The Springfields with her brother Tom and his friend Tim Field and together they were the first British group to succeed in a big way in America.
But by 1963 she had decided to go solo and the legend that was Dusty Springfield was truly born. Many times voted Best Female Singer, Dusty Springfield achieved enormous worldwide fame. Loving soul music, she was largely responsible for bringing Motown to the attention of a UK audience. A perfectionist who refused to compromise in the pursuit of the ultimate pop record, Dusty Springfield effectively was the producer on many of her recordings. And, while shy privately, she was often outspoken publicly. In 1964 she was one of the first to stand up against apartheid in South Africa and a few years later, she was to famously declare herself gay – something few would have dared to do at the time.
Despite the fame and success, however, Dusty’s personal life was full of drama and tragedy. Not only did she find her sexuality at odds with her Catholicism, but drugs and alcohol took their toll, and increasingly she began to self-harm.
'Call Me Dusty' explores the dichotomy of the quiet, shy private person and her alter ego with her extravagant black mascara and backcombed hair; while at the same time celebrating the music which still ranks amongst the best of its kind. Not for nothing is Dusty Springfield heralded as the finest white soul singer ever.
Jessica Sandry, who plays Dusty, is in the new series of Stella with Ruth Jones on Sky TV and her numerous stage appearances have included portraying another singing legend, Doris Day, in the acclaimed show Being Doris Day which toured nationally. Playing her manager Vic Billings and other characters is James Scannell whose stage credits include Romeo & Juliet, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Hamlet, A Christmas Carol , Romeo & Juliet, and Of Mice and Men . And playing Dusty’s secretary Pat Rhodes and other characters is Jayne Stillman, whose credits include Varya in The Cherry Orchard , Miss Ronberry in The Corn is Green and Emilia in Othello .
The play covers the time from when she first decided to reinvent herself as Dusty Springfield to a period in the early 1970s when she had seen the meteoric rise in her career begin to falter and decided to move to the US. Dusty herself in fact tried several times to reinvent herself, and achieved a reawakening in her fortunes and discovered a brand new fan base in the late 1980s when the Pet Shop Boys asked her to sing on the No 1 hit ‘What Have I Done to Deserve This?’. Dusty Springfield died of breast cancer in 1999 just short of her 60 th birthday.
Call Me Dusty is produced by Ignition and plays at the Swansea Grand on September 11 th and 12 th before touring to Ammanford, Abertillery, Monmouth, Cwmbran, Barry, Newport, Cardigan, Milford Haven, Worcester and Llanelli.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was established on July 29th 1958, with the aim of encouraging peaceful applications in space science.
Some of Wales's connections with NASA:
* George W. S. Abbey Sr is a former Director of the NASA Johnson Space Centre. His mother was from Laugharne and he has a lifelong interest in Wales and its heritage. He is also an Honorary Fellow of Swansea University.
* Dafydd Williams, whose father emigrated to Canada from Bargoed and is exceptionally proud of his Welsh heritage, is a NASA Astronaut and A&E consultant who has shared insights into creating safer working systems with NHS staff across Wales. Dr Williams served on two shuttle missions, in 1998 and 2007, when he was mission specialist on the space shuttle Endeavour and took part in three of the four spacewalks.
* Cardiff-born Dr John “Tony” Llewellyn resigned from Nasa’s spaceman corps in 1968, less than a year before the historic lunar landings which could have seen his name added to the cosmic annals of history. Llewellyn took the decision to opt out because he’d failed to master piloting jet aircraft “blindfolded”. A special ruling had been made, making him one of only two men at the time to receive astronaut status despite not being American-born.
* The Welsh Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor John Harries, was awarded NASA's most prestigious civilian honour in recognition of his distinguished public service in advancing knowledge of the Earth's atmosphere and climate change.
On 29th July 1981, twenty year-old Diana Spencer became Princess of Wales when she married the Prince Charles at St Paul's Cathedral. Her wedding ring was made from Welsh gold.
Some other Welsh connections of Princess Diana;
* Her first official tour with the Prince of Wales was a three-day visit to Wales in October 1981.
* During the tour to Wales in 1981, Diana was given the Freedom of Cardiff at a ceremony in St Davids Hall, where she made her first public speech, part of which was in Welsh.
* The Princess of Wales Hospital is a district general hospital located on the outskirts of Bridgend.
* Princess Diana supported the Welsh rugby team and regularly attended international matches.
* The hymn "Cwm Rhondda was sung at Diana's funeral.
* Eight members of the Welsh Guards accompanied Diana's coffin on its procession through the streets of London.
Captain America: The First Avenger, released on 29th July 2011, is an American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Captain America. War scenes were filmed at the former Royal Navy Propellant Factory in the Welsh village of Caerwent.
eswer
eswer
eswer
eswer
eswer
eswer
eswer
eswer
Risen, released on 29th July 2010, is a film biopic, directed by Neil Jones, of the Welsh boxer Howard Winstone from Merthyr Tydfil.
Howard became Featherweight Champion of the World at the age of 29 in 1968. As a young man he lost the tips of three fingers in an industrial accident. He was no longer able to make a fist with his right hand, which was a devastating blow for a professional boxer, especially one such as Winstone who was renowned for his right-handed power. Howard, however, completely changed the way he boxed and went on, remarkably, to become British Champion, European Champion and World Champion.
eswer
eswer
eswer
eswer
In July 2005, a rare Sooty Tern was spotted in the Skerries, Anglesey. It was only the second sighting of the bird in Wales in the past century, and the first sighting in the UK since 1980.
Hundreds of birdwatchers, or twitchers, from all over Britain descended on Anglesey to see the bird, which is normally found in the tropics or the South Atlantic. Boatmen in Holyhead, Cemaes and Amlwch laid on charter trips.
eswer
eswer
eswer
eswer
Back to Welsh Literature page >
The Pembrokeshire based, Pint-sized Plays competition is gearing up for its 2013 performances. Once again, the number of entries in the competition exceeded previous years, with many more coming in from Australia, New Zealand and the US as well as Wales and the rest of the UK.
The six winners and four runners up are now in rehearsal ready to be performed as part of the Tenby Festival. Six pubs in Tenby will be hosting the plays over two nights, Monday September 23rd and Tuesday September 24th.
It is hoped that selected plays will also be performed in other pubs in the county too. And then, as in previous years, all ten plays will compete at 4U in Fishguard at the Pint-sized Plays Script Slam on September 28th, where the audience get to vote for their favourite script and there’s a ‘Pint Pot’ awarded to the winner and a half-pint for the runner up as well as prizes for the best performances.
This year there will be an additional ‘theatre’ performance at the Small World Theatre in Cardigan on October 5th. Called Pint-sized World , this will feature all ten plays in one show with a bar and cabaret style seating.
Pint-sized Plays have begun publishing the plays too. The first volume, which has 20 plays from the first four years, has just been published and are available for other theatre companies to perform as well as being ideal for drama schools and colleges to use. Already some of the plays have been taken up. One play, ‘In-Sex’, was performed at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival by a Brighton theatre company and a further six plays were performed by an Oxford company. Performances aren’t limited to the UK either. A successful New Zealand version of Pint-sized Plays began earlier in the year and plans another festival for 2014. Pembrokeshire-born Pint-sized Plays it seems just keep on growing! More information: info@pintsizedplays.org.uk
'' . The Winning Script in the 2012 Pint-sized Plays competition
The town of Puerto Madryn in the province of Chubut in Argentine Patagonia was founded on July 28, 1865, when 150 Welsh immigrants arriving aboard the clipper Mimosa named the natural port Porth Madryn in honour of Sir Love Jones-Parry, whose estate in Wales was named "Madryn".
Towards the end of 1862, Captain Love Jones-Parry financed a trip, accompanied by Lewis Jones, to Patagonia to decide whether it was a suitable area for Welsh emigrants. Having first visited Buenos Aires for discussions with the Interior Minister, they headed south and reached Patagonia in a small ship named the Candelaria. An unexpected storm drove them into a bay which was later named "Porth Madryn". Jones-Parry and Lewis Jones gave a glowing report of the area, and in 1865, a group of 162 Welsh emigrants departed for Patagonia in the ship Mimosa.
The settlement flourished especially after the opening of the Central Chubut Railway, built by Welsh, Spanish, and Italian immigrants. The railway, opened in 1888, linked Porth Madryn to Trelew through the lower Chubut River valley.
Puerto Madryn now has about 58,000 inhabitants and is twinned with Nefyn on the Llŷn Peninsula.
Today is the feast day of Saint Samson
Born in 486, Samson was the grandson of Meurig ap Tewdrig, King of Glamorgan and Gwent. He was educated by St Illtud at the Abbey of Llanilltud Fawr, where he was ordained a deacon and then a priest, but he fell out with Illtud's nephews and decided to move to the monastery on Caldey Island, where he became abbot after the death of Saint Pyr, who was killed when he fell down a well while drunk. Samson, who abstained from alcohol, considerably reformed the discipline of the enclave.
He then travelled extensively while carrying out his missionary work; first to Ireland, where he is said to have founded or revived a monastery, then to Cornwall, where he was consecrated a Bishop and appointed an abbot, then to the Scilly Isles where one of the islands was named after him and finally to Brittany where he founded the monasteries at Dol (Brittany) and Pental (Normandy), and is said to have defeated a dragon on the banks of the Seine. He is regarded as one of the foremost evangelizers of the era and has long been venerated with enthusiasm in Wales and Brittany. In the 930s King Aethelstan of England acquired a number of his relics - including an arm and his crozier and proudly displayed them in Milton Abbey in Dorset.
A short history of the potato, including its introduction to Wales;
The potato is now regarded as an essential component of the diet, providing starch, vitamin C, potassium as well as being an excellent source of fibre. But that has not always been the case; at first they were treated with suspicion and considered to be of little nutritional value.
The potato is thought to have been first cultivated in the area between the south of Peru and the northeast of Bolivia over three thousand years ago, though scientists believe they may have grown wild in the region as long as 13,000 years ago.
1532 The Spanish conquistadors first encountered the potato when they noted that the Incas had learned to preserve the potato for storage by dehydrating and mashing potatoes into a substance called chuñu which could be stored for up to 10 years. As well as using the potato for food, the Incas also thought that they made childbirth easier and also used it to treat injuries.
1570 The potato arrived in Spain, although they were regarded with suspicion, unfit for human consumption and used only as animal fodder
1589 ( 28th July ) Sir Walter Raleigh is reputed to have been the first to bring the potato to Ireland and planted them at his Irish estate at Youghal, near Cork. However in Ireland and the UK many Protestants would not plant potatoes, as they had no mention in the Bible and Catholics would only grow them if their seed potatoes were sprinkled with holy water and planted on a GoodFriday.
1776 It was reported that potato cultivation was widespread at Milford Haven. Up until this date, the British diet had consisted primarily of dairy produce, bread and meat. Vegetables were seldom consumed, being regarded as worthless and even harmful.
1801 - 1851 England and Wales experienced an unprecedented population explosion, due to the Industrial Revolution, their combined population doubling to almost 18 million. High yielding, easily prepared potato crops were the obvious solution to resulting increase in demand for food, which also helped mitigate the effects of such diseases as measles, dysentery, scurvy and tuberculosis. The higher birth rates and lower mortality rates that potatoes encouraged led to a tremendous population increase.
1801- 1809 In the USA, potatoes did not become widely accepted until they received an aristocratic seal of approval from Thomas Jefferson, the Welsh speaking President, who served them to guests at the White House.
1845 The Irish Potato Famine. The most dramatic example of the potato's potential to alter population patterns occurred in Ireland. By 1800, potatoes were the staple crop, and the population doubled by 1841. There was no introduction of industry or change in farming methods, simply the cultivation of the high-yielding potato. By the early 1840s, nearly half of the Irish population had become dependent on the potato. When the crop was blighted, many thousands starved.
1922 The growing of Pembrokeshire Earlies on a field scale began.
1945 After the Second World War, consequential market and political pressures resulted in an increase in the acreage of potatoes being grown in Pembrokeshire, the majority being sold to markets in the large population centres of South Wales and the Midlands.
1950's - 1970's saw an increase in the growing of the early potato sector, with Pembrokeshire farmers selling the majority of early potatoes to markets in the Midlands and North of England to meet growing consumer demand.
1980's Thirty Pembrokeshire growers came together to form a Potato Marketing Group which ensured that only potatoes of sufficient quality were supplied to market.
1995 A potato processing plant was built in Pembrokeshire which to grade and prepare potatoes for the mass market.
The Pembrokeshire potato is a brand that is in strong demand; it is regarded as a quality product with a distinctive taste that is used by many top chefs and appears as a named ingredient on their menus.
Pembrokeshire Earlies is the name given to immature potatoes of the solanum tuberosum species of the Solanaceae family. They are small in size because the potatoes are young when harvested. The potato is round or oval in shape with a soft skin and distinctive strong nutty flavour. It has a creamy texture and is a bright white colour. The first crop in May is sold with the soil still on in order to protect the soft skin of the potatoes. As the season progresses the skin hardens sufficiently to allow washing. Pembrokeshire Earlies are harvested from the beginning of May until the end of July, after which they are called main crop potatoes. There are particular skills associated with growing Pembrokeshire Earlies, with stones being left in the soil to aid warming. Hand picking is necessary to minimise damage during the first two weeks of the harvest when the potatoes are very soft. As the season progresses, the potatoes harden sufficiently to allow careful machine harvesting.
It is the short growing time and the mild climate of Pembrokeshire generated by the North Atlantic Drift of The Gulf Stream, which helps keep the western coast of Great Britain a couple of degrees warmer than the eastern side. This minimises the risk of frosts damaging the emerged crop, enabling Pembrokeshire Earlies to be grown and harvested earlier than in most areas in the UK.
On 28th July 1481 a copy of the Great Bible was sent out to every church in Wales and England.
This was during the Protestant Reformation, when in 1534, Henry VIII had broken from the papal authority of Rome in a dispute over the annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon and declared himself head of the Protestant Church of England. This was followed by The Acts of Union, which commenced in 1536 and was an attempt to absorb Wales into England. The issuing of the Great Bible, which was only printed in English, can, therefore, be seen as Henry's attempt to uniform and consolidate his rule throughout his kingdom. The first Welsh translation of the Bible was not printed until 1567, under the rule of Henry's daughter, Elizabeth I.
wewedw
wewedw
On 28th July 2004, the University of Wales admitted four new institutions as full members of the university;
* Glyndŵr University, formerly known as North East Wales Institute of Higher Education.
* Swansea Institute of Higher Education, later known as Swansea Metropolitan University.
* Trinity College, Carmarthen, later known as Trinity University College.
* Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff.
wewedw
wewedw
wewedw
wewedw
wewedw
wewedw
Born this day 1966 in Neath
Andy Legg - former Wales soccer international, who was known for having the longest throw-in in football, being able to regularly throw the ball over 30 metres and once held the world record with a distance of 44.6m
