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Early Welsh settlers in Patagonia.
On 27th July 1865, over 150 settlers from Wales arrived on The Mimosa, at Puerto Madryn in Southern Argentina, with the intention of establishing Y Wladfa (the Welsh Colony in Patagonia)
The notion of a Welsh colony in South America was proposed by Professor Michael D. Jones, a non-conformist preacher based in Bala, who had spent several years in the United States, where Welsh settlers had adapted to the new lifestyle very quickly. He advocated establishing a Welsh speaking colony, far from the influence of the English Language, in Patagonia. The destination was chosen for its isolation and the Argentines' offer of 100 square miles of land along the Chubut river.
The Mimosa sailed from Liverpool in May 1865 and after approximately eight weeks arrived at Puerto Madryn. Unfortunately, the settlers found that Patagonia was not the fertile land they had been promised. They had been led to believe that it was similar to the fertile lowlands of Wales. In fact, it was a windswept pampas, with no water, very little source of food and no woodlands to provide building materials or shelter. Some of the settlers’ first homes were simply dug out from the soft rock of the cliffs in the bay. At first, the colony looked as if it were doomed to failure. The settlers had to walk forty miles across the desert, pushing in wheelbarrows their meagre belongings and food, finally managing to reach the proposed site for the colony in the Chubut valley. It was here in 1865, where the river Camwy cuts through the desert from the nearby Andes, that the permanent settlement of Rawson was established. The settlers on The Mimosa included miners, carpenters, brickmakers, cobblers and tailors, but very few farmers. This proved to be a serious disadvantage, as the terrain was dry and dusty and it was difficult to grow crops. Life for the settlers was made even more difficult by arguments over land ownership, bad harvests and floods. In addition, there was no direct route to the ocean to import necessities. Without the help of the Tehuelche Indians, who at first had been suspicious and unfriendly, the settlement may not have survived the early food shortages.
Simple irrigation of the Chubut river was successful, and over the next several years new settlers arrived from both Wales and Pennsylvania. By the end of 1874, the settlement had a population of 270, with a patchwork of farms beginning to emerge. In 1875, the Welsh settlers were granted official title to the land by the Argentine Government, and this encouraged many more people to join the colony, with more than 500 arriving from Wales. There were further migrations from Wales between 1880-87, and 1904-12. The settlers had seemingly achieved their utopia with Welsh speaking chapels, schools and local government.
These now productive and fertile lands soon attracted settlers of other nationalities to Chubut, eroding its Welsh identity. By 1915, the population of Chubut numbered 20,000, with approximately half of these being from nationalities other than Welsh. Over the years, use of the Welsh language declined, and after 1914, there was little contact between Wales and Chubut. Change began to occur, however, when large numbers of Welsh people visited Patagonia in 1965 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the colony. There has recently been a co-ordinated attempt by the Argentine government and the National Assembly of Wales to promote and maintain Patagonia's Welsh heritage and identity. Teachers are being sent there to assist in keeping the language alive, eisteddfodau are being held, chapels are being supported and bara brith is being served in Welsh teahouses. In 2006, sporting links were established when Wales played Argentina in a rugby international at Puerto Madryn.
On 27th July 1469, following the Battle of Edgcote Moor, near Banbury, during the Wars of the Roses, William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke, and his brother Richard were executed.
William Herbert had been the guardian of the young Henry Tudor, the future Henry VII, between the ages of 5 and 12.
Herbert, known as "Black William", was the son of William ap Thomas who founded Raglan Castle, and Gwladys ferch Dafydd Gam. He was, therefore, a grandson of Dafydd Gam, who had been a loyal follower of King Henry V of England. Herbert was a Yorkist supporter in the Wars of the Roses and was rewarded in 1461 by King Edward IV with the title Lord Herbert of Raglan.
Later in 1461, at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross in Herefordshire, the Yorkist forces defeated the Lancastrians, led by Owen Tudor, who was subsequently beheaded at Hereford. His brother Jasper had to flee in disguise to Pembroke and was hunted mercilessly by Herbert. Jasper successfully eluded capture, eventually escaping to France via Scotland.
Herbert replaced Jasper Tudor as Earl of Pembroke and as guardian of the four-year-old Henry Tudor, who had been left behind at Pembroke Castle. Young Henry seems to have been treated kindly by the Herberts and was given a gentleman's education.
However, in 1469 Herbert fell out with "Kingmaker" Lord Warwick, because Warwick reneged on the King, leading the Lancastrian forces at the Battle of Edgecote Moor, after which William was executed, along with his brother Richard.
Hugh d'Avranches (born circa 1047 – died 27 July 1101), 1st Earl of Chester. Hugh, due to his gluttony, became so fat that he could hardly walk, earning him the nickname of le Gros (the Fat). He would also earn the nickname Lupus (Wolf) for his savage ferocity against the Welsh.
Following the Norman Conquest, King William I of England (William the Conquerer) installed Hugh d'Avranches, William FitzOsbern and Roger de Montgomerie as Earls of Chester, Hereford and Shrewsbury respectively.
These areas became known as the Welsh Marches and as a frontier society, the Earls were given special powers to bring their adjacent parts of Wales under Norman control. Absorbing towns and villages and laying down their own laws and customs, they claimed these territories along the March as rights of conquest and built hundreds of small castles as assertions of power as well as defences against Welsh raids.
Hugh inherited a large estate in northern France and Normandy and was an important councillor of William the Conquerer, probably fighting with him at the Battle of Hastings, after which he was given the command of Tutbury Castle in Staffordshire.
1071 - Hugh was given the Earldom of Chester.
1081 - Gruffudd ap Cynan King of Gwynedd was captured at a meeting with Hugh at Rug, near Corwen. and imprisoned at Chester. Earl Hugh and Robert of Rhuddlan, his cousin, went on to take possession of Gwynedd, building castles at Bangor, Aberlleinog and Caernarfon.
1094 - Gruffudd ap Cynan escaped from captivity and regained Anglesey and much of the rest of Gwynedd.
1098 - Joining forces with Hugh of Montgomery, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury, Hugh attempted to recover his loss in Gwynedd. Gruffudd ap Cynan took refuge in Anglesey but fled to Ireland when a fleet he had hired from the Danish settlement in Ireland changed sides. The situation was turned around when a Norwegian fleet arrived, under the command of King Magnus III of Norway, also known as Magnus Barefoot. He attacked the Norman forces, and Earl Hugh of Shrewsbury was killed by an arrow, reputedly shot by Magnus himself. The Normans evacuated Anglesey, and in the following year, Gruffydd returned from Ireland to recover possession. Hugh apparently came to an agreement with him and did not try to recover these lands.
The 27th July 1967 is a significant and vitally important date in the history of the Welsh language.
The Welsh Language Act 1967 was passed and became law. It was based upon part of the Hughes Parry Report (1965), which "advocated equal importance and significance, in both writing and speech, for Welsh and English in the court system" and was the beginning of a process of replacing out of date legislation that dated back to Henry VIII and the Acts of Union in 1536. It had been passed only after extensive campaigning by members of Plaid Cymru and Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (the Welsh Language Society)
* The act gave the right to use Welsh orally in court proceedings in Wales provided that the person who wishes to do so has notified the court in advance
* The act allowed the appropriate and relevant government ministers to authorise Welsh versions or translations of any documents.
* The act repealed the part of the Wales and Berwick Act of 1746 that stated that the term English should be used to include Wales as well as England.
* The significance of the 1967 Welsh Language Act lay in the fact that only English was used in the law courts, disregarding the fact that most people in Wales in the 16th and 17th centuries spoke only Welsh. Very few had any real understanding of English. The new act put Welsh on equal terms with English in public life.
However, some campaigners saw it as toothless and continued a pro-active campaign of protest, eventually leading to a new Welsh Language Act in 1993, which gave much more importance to the Welsh language. Significantly, however, it could not have been passed had it not been for the 1967 act.
Born on this day 1926 in Merthyr
Eddie Thomas was a brilliant welterweight boxer with a fast left jab, who won the European, Empire and British boxing titles and came close to a world championship. He is best remembered, however, for his success as a manager. His protégée Howard Winstone won the WBC Featherweight title and Ken Buchanan became undisputed World Lightweight Champion a decade before Colin Jones, from Gorseinon, came heartbreakingly close to giving him a third world champion.
As a young man, he joined his father and three of his six brothers in the mines at Cwmddu and continued working underground even after he became a successful professional fighter. All seven of the boys boxed, but his father opposed Eddie taking up the sport professionally as he considered it 'too dangerous'. In an ironic twist, his father was to lose an arm in a mining accident, while Thomas survived nearly fifty professional bouts without sustaining any damage. He was known as the 'Singing Boxer' for entertaining the crowd with the song "Bless This House" after every fight.
He was considered a hero outside the ring as well, being among the first at the scene of the Aberfan mining disaster in 1966, and using his mining expertise to organise the rescue attempt. He salvaged many of the children's bodies himself, and the people of his community never forgot this, giving him the freedom of the town in 1992 and electing him mayor in 1994.
Born on 27th July 1911 and raised in Abertillery
Air Vice Marshall Wilfred Oulton - The Welshman who tested the H- Bomb
After University College, Cardiff, he became a pilot officer, joining a flying boat squadron at Southampton. In 1935, he attended the School of Air Navigation at Manston where he was recognised as an exceptional navigator.
During the Second World War, the most critical campaign of all, as conceded by Churchill, was the one fought against the German U-boats, who were eventually defeated by the Royal Navy and Coastal Command of the RAF. Among the RAF pilots in that campaign, none was more expert and successful than Wilfred Oulton, who was awarded the DFC and the DSO for his courage, and who was mentioned three times in dispatches.
After the war, Oulton was deputy director of the newly-formed Air Traffic Control, helping to establish early systems at Heathrow, before being appointed as the Air attaché covering the southern part of the South American continent. At that later post, as Joint Commander of Operation Grapple at Christmas Island from 1956 to 1958, he organised and conducted nuclear tests.
On 27th July 1946, the cause of an outbreak of typhoid in Aberystwyth was traced to locally-made ice cream. During the outbreak, up to 210 people contracted the disease and four died.
The outbreak ruined the town's attempt to re-establish itself after the war as a viable holiday destination. At the time, one national newspaper carried the banner headline “Typhoid Town” above a story covering the infection, and the resulting bad national publicity reduced the number of visitors to Aberystwyth that summer and the following year.
The disease was found to have originated from a Bitchell’s ice cream cart; it appears that Bitchell’s power supply failed and they were unable to heat up the cream properly before freezing it.
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September sees the third annual PENfro Book Festival held at Rhosygilwen and this year it will run over four days, with two evenings of events before the weekend starts.
The festival begins with a special evening of music and spoken word on Thursday September 12 th . ''Hungarian Dances: the concert of the novel'' promises to be an uplifting and memorable experience with author Jessica Duchen reading extracts from her international bestselling novel, accompanied by award-winning musicians David Le Page and Anthony Hewitt playing the Hungarian and Gypsy-influenced violin music that inspired it. The concert featured to great acclaim on Radio 3’s ‘In Tune’.
Friday evening has local poets ‘The Cellar Bards’ and other local poetry groups joined by performance poet Tim Wells and the winners of the PENfro poetry competition together with the guest judge Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch.
There’s more poetry on Saturday evening with the Poet Laureate herself, Carol Ann Duffy together with the National Poet of Wales, Gillian Clarke, reading from their work. This is a real coup for the festival and will it is hoped really put PENfro on the literary map.
During the day, once again there will be special workshops for writers, covering everything form screenwriting to poetry, writing biography to using new media, which are sure to be as enjoyable as they are stimulating. PENfro Chairman, Derek Webb, is pleased at the expanding nature of the festival. “We’re aiming to have a good mix of events to attract everyone with any interest in books and to celebrate the amazing wealth and diversity of writing in Wales today. Above all though we hope that PENfro will be seen as a fun festival with the warmth and welcome that we are so good at in Pembrokeshire.”
Sunday is the big day when there is a book fair with a wide variety of bookshops and other traders in Rhosygilwen’s magnificent Oak Hall together with readings, book launches, discussions and other events starting at 10.30 am. Among the many diverse events are rock climber and prize winning travel writer Jim Perrin’s debut book of short stories, a discussion on the remarkable 19 th century woman and novelist Amy Dillwyn, and Peter Lord on his new book 'Relationships with Pictures' which describes, using fifteen pictures, the evolution of his own sense of self.
There’s a Welsh language event with Grahame Davies talking about 'Alcemi Dwr/The Alchemy Of Water'– an illustrated book about Welsh lakes, rivers, shorelines and waterfalls. And there’s a good deal for children too. World famous storyteller Daniel Morden will be telling tales from his award-winning book, 'Dark Tales from the Woods' . Throughout the day there’s a mystery game that children with their families can join in – searching for an elusive stolen ivory statue – with prizes for those who find it and catch the thief!
There will also be plenty of opportunities to meet local authors and hear about their books. One such author is popular writer and illustrator Jackie Morris who has a new book out called 'Song of the Golden Hare' . And, at the other end of the spectrum, Detective Chief Superintendent Steve Wilkins and ITV News reporter Steve Wilkins, will talk about their book 'The Pembrokeshire Murders' – the story of Operation Ottawa, the cold case detection of John Cooper for two double killings.
So what makes a good read? That’s the subject of a discussion between authors Paula Brackston, Francesca Rhydderch and Katherine Stansfield who will discuss their latest books in conversation with Richard Davies. And to wrap up the day, one of the UK''s leading TV screenwriters, Lucy Gannon will talk about her career and writing for television including the new series of Frankie , Soldier Soldier , Branwell, Lewis and the award winning The Best of Men .
The PENfro Book Festival 2013 is at Rhosygilwen, Cilgerran, Pembrokeshire from Thursday September 12 th until Sunday September 15 th .
Born this day 1969 in Cardiff.
Tanni Grey (Baroness Carys Davina Grey-Thompson) was christened Carys Davina Grey, but her sister referred to her as "tiny" when she first saw her, pronouncing it "tanni" and the name stuck.
Born wth spina bifida, Tanni is Britain's most successful Paralympian ever, winning 11 Paralympic gold medals, as well as six London Marathons. But she is not only defined by her sporting success, as since being made a peer, she has become an active champion in the House of Lords for the rights of disabled people, and alongside such sporting legends as Jack Nicklaus, Boris Becker and Pele, Tanni is also a Laureus Academy Member, which strives to improve the lives of disadvantaged children through participation in sport.
Tanni graduated from Loughborough University in 1991 with a BA (Hons) degree in Politics and Social Administration and is to be applauded in her recent attempt to learn Welsh, saying that "Mum was a Welsh speaker but never spoke Welsh at home. I always thought she'd be around to speak Welsh to my daughter, Carys, but when she died, there was no one else to teach Carys". Her autobiography Seize the Day was published in 2001.
Born this day 1967 in Aberdare
David "Dai" Young - former Wales and Lions rugby international and rugby league captain
Young made his debut for Wales against England in the quarter-finals of the 1987 Rugby World Cup aged 19 and went on to win 51 caps, a record for a prop forward. He is also the only man to have toured with the British and Irish Lions in three separate decades: 1989, 1997 and 2001. Young then transferred to Leeds to play rugby league, for a world record at the time of £150,000 He captained Wales in the 1995 Rugby League World Cup. After retiring from playing, he became head coach of the Cardiff Blues and is currently Director of Rugby at London Wasps.
The film Ironclad, released on 26th July 2011, was filmed entirely in Wales at the Dragon International Film Studios in Llanharan. It was the largest independent production to be filmed in Wales.
Set in 13th-century England, the film depicts a small group of Knights Templar fighting to defend Rochester Castle against the tyrannical King John.
A historically accurate replica of Rochester Castle was built in the studio complex.
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On 26th July 1841, the proprietors of The Skerries Lighthouse off Anglesey, the last privately owned lighthouse in the British Isles, were awarded £444,984 in compensation for its sale to Trinity House.
1716 - The Skerries Lighthouse was first lit, having been built by William Trench, who tragically lost his son off the rocks.
1759 - The lighthouse was rebuilt, and was lit by a coal brazier on top of the tower.
1778 - Morgan Jones, who was twice High Sheriff of Cardiganshire, inherited the lighthouse. He raised the top of the tower by 6.7 metres (22 ft) and built an iron balcony with railings enclosing the oil-burning lantern. The light itself was comprised of square glazed panes and topped by a cupola.
1836 - Trinity House took over operation of the lighthouse under an enabling act of 1836, but not without a fight from the original owners, who wanted to protect their investment from a low takeover price.
1987 - The light was automated and is now controlled from Holyhead.
The National Pageant of Wales was held in Cardiff between 26th July - 7th August 1909.
Held in Sophia Gardens, it was intended to inspire the Welsh people to achieve great things. The roles of ancient Welsh heroes and heroines were acted out by local dignitaries dressed in sumptuous costumes, with the Marchioness of Bute leading the performance as "Dame Wales," in a dress encrusted with a large red dragon. Reportedly over 5,000 local people took part, including groups of children from local schools who played fairies, servants and supporters, and local rugby players who enacted marauding armies. The pageant was held over two weeks, with the first week's performances taking place in the afternoons, and the second week's evening performances being lit by hundreds of electric lights.
Although the pageant attracted newspaper coverage and hundreds of visitors, it was not as successful as the organisers had hoped. Various reasons were suggested for its lack of impact and overspend:
* A failure to take advantage of possible advertising opportunities. The event had only briefly been mentioned at the Eisteddfod in London a few weeks earlier.
* The cost of costumes and the spectator stands.
* The cost of the 3,000 incandescent electric lamps used during the evening performances, alongside electric flare lamps to illuminate the stage and searchlights of ten thousand candle power to sweep the grounds
* The failure of the population of Wales outside Cardiff and its surrounds to engage with the pageant.
On 26th July, the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games held in Cardiff came to an end with the closing ceremony at Cardiff Arms Park.
The Games, including the opening and closing ceremonies, were all held at the Cardiff Arms Park. A new Wales Empire Pool was constructed for the swimming events, Sophia Gardens Pavilion was used for the boxing events and Maindy Stadium was used for cycling. Boxer Howard Winstone won a Gold medal for Wales at the games.
Cardiff had originally been scheduled to host the games in 1946, but the event was cancelled because of World War II. The Cardiff Games were the last in which South Africa participated until 1994, after the abolition of apartheid. There were objections and demonstrations against South Africa in Cardiff because their team had been selected on the basis of race and colour rather than ability.
Born this day 1895 in Llanuwchllyn, Merionethshire
Sir Ifan ab Owen Edwards - best known as the founder of Urdd Gobaith Cymru, the Welsh League of Youth, also a writer and film-maker,
Sir Ifan was educated at Bala grammar school and University of Wales, Aberystwyth and after military service on the Western Front during World War I, he studied history at Lincoln College, Oxford. He then worked as a teacher and lecturer from 1920 to 1948, before giving up the profession to concentrate on his work for the Urdd. In 1922, Edwards wrote a letter to the periodical Cymru'r Plant, as a result of which the Urdd was established. The first Urdd recreational camp was held at Llanuwchllyn in 1928, under his direction. It was gradually followed by more permanent camps and residential centres at Llangrannog, Glanllyn, the Wales Millenium Centre in Cardiff and Pentre Ifan. In 1947, he was knighted in recognition of his youth work.
He directed the first Welsh language sound film, The Quarryman, along with J. Ellis Williams. He was also a director of Television Wales and the West and encouraged the making of television programmes in Welsh. Owen Edwards, his son, was to be appointed as the first chief executive of S4C.
Building work commenced on Aberystwyth Castle on this day 1277, during Edward I's invasion of Wales following Llywelyn ap Gruffudd's refusal to do homage to him at Chester in 1275.
A history of Aberystwyth Castle;
1110 Marcher lord Gilbert de Clare built an earth and timber Motte and bailey castle a mile south of the current site called "Castell Tan-y-castell", which was subsequently replaced with stone.
1136 The castle was captured by Owain Gwynedd.
1221 After changing hands, at least, three times, Llywelyn the Great captured the castle and razed it to the ground, building another one in its place.
1277 Work started on Edward I's castle on 25th July.
1282 (March) Captured briefly by the Welsh and burned.
1282 (May) Recaptured by the English, with repair work overseen by Master James of St George.
1282 Edward I stayed at Aberystwyth Castle 10-16th November.
1294-5 The castle was subjected to a lengthy siege during the revolt of Madog ap Llywelyn.
1295 Edward I stayed at Aberystwyth Castle.
1307 A borough was thriving outside the castle walls, the Welsh name of which was Llanbadarn Gaerog.
1404 Owain Glyndwr took the castle.
1405 French troops land in Wales in support of Owain Glyndwr. Charles VI of France seals a treaty with Owain Glyndwr at Aberystwyth Castle.
1408 Castle recaptured by Prince Henry ( the future Henry V).
1415 Henry V uses Aberystwyth Castle to hold French prisoners captured at Agincourt.
1637 Aberystwyth Castle functioned as a Royal Mint making silver shillings during the reign of Charles l.
1642 - 1644 The castle was held by Royalist supporters during The English Civil War.
1646 Parliamentarians took the castle.
1648 Cromwell ordered the castle to be slighted (taken out of use).
Gruffydd ap Rhys II (died 25 July 1201) - eldest son and heir of Rhys ap Gruffydd (The Lord Rhys), ruler of Deheubarth.
In Rhys' last years a feud developed between Gruffydd and his brother Maelgwn ap Rhys. They became bitter enemies, so much so that when Rhys ap Gruffydd died in 1197 and Gruffydd was recognised as his successor, Maelgwn used troops supplied by Gwenwynwyn ab Owain of Powys to attack Gruffydd in Aberystwyth. Capturing both the town and the castle, Maelgwn took Gruffydd prisoner, handing the captive to Gwenwynwyn who turned him over to the English. He was imprisoned in Corfe Castle in Dorset.
In 1198 Gwenwynwyn threatened to take English holdings at Elfael and Painscastle, and Gruffydd was released in order to mediate the dispute. He failed, but Gwenwynwyn was defeated in the resulting battle.
Gruffydd remained at liberty, and by the end of 1198 had captured Ceredigion from Maelgwn except for the castles of Cardigan and Ystrad Meurig. In 1199, he captured Cilgerran Castle. Maelgwn made a pact with King John of England, exchanging possession of Cardigan castle for the remainder of Ceredigion.
On 25th July 1201, Gruffydd died of an illness and was buried in Strata Florida Abbey.
On 25th July 2012, Cardiff hosted an Olympic event for the first time as Great Britain's women's soccer team took on New Zealand.
On July 25th 1839, Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone married Catherine Glynne of Hawarden.
A history of Hawarden House and Castle:
Hawarden House and estate had previously belonged to the family of his wife, Catherine Glynne and is still owned by the Gladstone family, In its grounds are the ruins of Hawarden medieval castle, whose earthwork embankments date back to at least the Iron Age and was the site of a Norman motte and bailey castle, which went on t0 play an important role during the Welsh struggle for independence in the 13th century;.
1260's Llywelyn ap Gruffydd was granted possession of the castle from Simon de Montfort's son Henry, but the agreement was reneged on by the English.
1265 In retaliation Llywelyn destroyed the castle and captured Lord Robert de Montalt
1267 Montalt had been returned to power at the castle but was required to swear to never again fortify the site, an agreement he did not keep, refortifying the castle with a masonry round keep.
1282 Dafydd ap Gruffydd. sieged and captured the castle and its constable, Roger de Clifford, thereby starting the final Welsh conflict with Norman England, by the end of the year Llywelyn had been killed, and Dafydd fled, only to be captured and hanged, drawn and quartered in Shrewsbury the following year
1294 The castle was taken by Madog ap Llywelyn during a revolt.
1295 The castle was retaken by the English king Edward I
1642 During the English Civil War the castle was under Royalist control.
1643 It was briefly captured by Parliamentarians, but was quickly restored to Royalist control.
1646 The castle finally fell to the Parliamentarians and was slighted and never restored,
1752 Hawarden House was erected and the castle became part of the estates
This week is the week of the Royal Welsh Agricultural show. For anyone who lives in rural Wales it is a highlight of the year, if any schools have not yet broken up for the summer holidays there will be a notable level of absenteeism! Farming families strive to get the hay crop in in time this year it would have been easier than for about the last 6 years thanks to 4 weeks dry weather and take a weeks holiday to camp on site or nearby.
For anyone not wanting to go to the show, its worth avoiding Builth Wells, which can be difficult as Wales' 2 major north south trunk roads cross here, traffic gets waved into car parks, I once over heard some poor Japanese tourists ask if this was the way to London after they had been herded into a car park, I dread to think how long it took them to get out!
The first Royal Welsh Agricultural show was held in Aberystwyth in 1904, and for the first half of its history the show was hosted by different counties at different locations around Wales each year. The tradition of the show being 'hosted' by different counties has continued, but since 1963 the show has taken place at Llanelwedd, across the river Wye from Builth Wells. In 2013 Anglesey is the 'featured county'.
http://www.rwas.co.uk/fifty-years-at-llanelwedd/
http://www.facebook.com/RoyalWelshAgriculturalSociety
I'm not sure if BBC iplayer works outside the UK...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/search?q=Royal%20Welsh%20Show%20(2013)
And for more tv highlights there's S4C http://www.rwas.co.uk/television-highlights-1/
Its not just an Agricultural show for farmers, anything and everything to do with the countryside is there, from falconry displays to fishing demonstrations, crafts, vintage machinery, an incredible variety of food to sample, I always look for ostrich burgers, venison, wild boar as well as Welsh lamb and beef... and fabulous farm cheeses and Ice cream, so its a glorious and tiring - family day out.
There are always a wonderful variety of displays in the main ring, http://www.rwas.co.uk/whats-on/ . One of the highlights is the pony club games, there are always some stunning performances by specialist display teams. Wednesday is Welsh Cob day, there's always a big cheer as these hefty horses thunder around the ring.
A wide range of organizations which work towards looking after the countrysides from various standpoints are represented in the countryside area. http://www.rwas.co.uk/countryside-care-area-1/
Anyone will say you need to spend all four days there to get around half of the displays, trade stands and activities, to sample just some of the food on offer, to watch performances in the various rings or to see the huge variety of animals shown.
If you plan to travel to Wales in the future, consider a day at the show, but plan your accommodation well in advance! Cambrian Safaris could of course provide or arrange transport from accommodation in the Aberystwyth area! At other times of the year, the Spring festival, also known as the Smallholdings and Gardens Show is held on the 3 rd weekend in May and the Winter fair is at the beginning of December.
See http://www.welshbreedsnews.co.uk/albums/Royal%20Welsh%20Show%202012/ for more images like the one below!
But with a difference!
As many of our readers will be aware we have held an online Photographic Competition in years gone by as part of the West Coast Eisteddfod. This year we are pleased and proud to announce that we are doing something a little different. In conjunction with our partners at Focalview we bring you the Americymru Focal View International Photographic Competition. The differences?
- You do not need to register with AmeriCymru in order to submit ( although we hope you'll consider joining )
- The competition will be judged by an international panel of eight professional judges.
- The winning submission will be used to illustrate the front cover of issue two of eto , our bi-annual anthology of Welsh fiction due for publication in September.
SO you have approximately 5 weeks to enter....for submission details see below. The winner will be announced both here and on the Focalview website in early September. We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our contestants pob lwc/best of luck in the competition.
The Americymru Focal View International Photographic Competition is a joint salon which coincides with the West Coast Eisteddfod, offering writers and poets the opportunity to add creative images to their contributions and for photographers in Wales and elsewhere opportunity to offer images to illustrate contributions to the Eisteddfod.
The competition is free and open to all. The first two month cycle prizes include your image as the front cover of the next edition of ETO due to be published in September. The images are assessed by an international panel of eight professional judges as well as our 'open judging panel'.
Visit http://www.focalview.co.uk/ to register for the Judging Panel and to accept our free book ' A Story of a Judgment' which explains how images are assessed in competition.
Visit http://www.focalview.co.uk/americymru international.html to enter the Americymru Focal View International Competition
Also check out the The Focal View Photographic Course details below :-
Writers and Photographers in Collaboration ; ETO and Creative Photography
Photographic illustration of contemporary writing and poetry brings like-minded people together to present shared stories. The Focal View Photographic Course uses ETO as required reading to teach the techniques and skills for illustrative imagery. Focal View are now publishing a new range of tutorial guides used in the course and also for sale separately as advice material for the competition themes.
These are the Perspectives On ..... series. The first is based on an ETO story and gives you ideas for creative illustration. This eBook as well as the full version of ETO will be 'must-reads' for all contributors to the Americymru Focal View International Photographic Competition: http://www.focalview.co.uk/americymru international.html
The infamous ‘Monk’s Blood’ manuscript
On 24th July 2010 there was a special opening of the exhibition "Thomas Phillips and the Greatest Little Library in Wales." at the University of Wales, Lampeter, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the birth of its benefactor, Thomas Phillips.
The exhibition included the many books and manuscripts which Phillips donated to St David’s College between 1834 and 1852; in excess of 30,000 volumes, all printed between 1470 and 1850. The focal point of the collection is the 'The Monk’s Blood manuscript', which is reputed to have been spattered with the blood of one of the twelve hundred monks massacred at Bangor-Is-Coed in around the year 616 before the Battle of Chester. There, Aetelfrith, the King of Northumbria, conquered the Kingdom of Powys. The manuscript was described in 1862 as “The grand curiosity is a manuscript which once belonged to the monks of Bangor Is Coed. It bears the marks of blood with which it was sprinkled when the monks were massacred by the heathen Saxons…”
The Window tax was abolished in England and Wales on 24th July 1851
"Daylight robbery"
The Window Tax was introduced in 1696, during the reign of William III, when Britain was burdened with expenses from The Glorious Revolution of 1868 and the costs of re-coinage necessitated by the "miserable state" of existing coins, which had been reduced by clipping small portions of the high-grade silver coins. It was levied at two shilling on properties with up to ten windows, rising to four shillings for houses with between ten and twenty windows. It was extremely unpopular and to avoid paying the tax some houses from the period can be seen to have windows bricked-up
The term "daylight robbery" is thought to have originated from the window tax as it was described by some as a "tax on light".
Born this day 1975 in Mufulira, Zambia
Dafydd James - former Wales and Lions rugby international. James won an ERC Elite Award for becoming the first player ever in Heineken Cup history to score twenty-five tries in the tournament.
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On 24th July 1816, the Old Wye Bridge, Chepstow (rebuilt in cast iron) was opened across the River Wye.
The Old Wye Bridge at Chepstow crosses the River Wye between Monmouthshire in Wales and Gloucestershire in England. There had been wooden bridges in the same location below the castle since Norman times, but the present cast iron road bridge was built in 1816 to an initial design by John Rennie, which was subsequently modified by John Rastrick who actually constructed it.
The river Wye has one of the highest tidal ranges in the world, and the bridge across it considerably shortened the journey distance between Newport and Gloucester. A new road bridge was opened alongside the railway bridge in 1988, with the old road bridge, which is a Grade l Listed Building, now carrying local traffic.
Born this day 1876 in Varteg Hill, near Pontypool
Viv Huzzey - former Wales rugby and baseball international. Huzzey left Wales to play rugby league for Oldham in 1900 after he had controversially been denied the captaincy of Cardiff.
Born this day 1913 in Plymouth
Michael Foot - “grandfather of devolution” and MP for Ebbw Vale from 1960 to 1992.
A deep thinker and prolific writer; he had a glittering career in journalism before becoming an MP; Foot was as far from the modern image-obsessed politician as it is possible to imagine. He first became an MP in Plymouth and in 1960 took over the constituency of Ebbw Vale from his hero, Aneurin Bevan, later writing a two-volume biography of him and with James Callaghan and Neil Kinnock. He was one of a group of Welsh MPs who dominated Labour’s senior ranks in the 1970s and 1980s. He led Labour from 1980 to 1983, a period marked by internal party rows and a failure to counter the Conservative populism of Margaret Thatcher. After his death in 2010, tributes were paid to him by politicians from all parties.
* Former First Minister Rhodri Morgan saluted Mr Foot as the man who “set Labour on course for devolution. While people might not have necessarily expected it from somebody from Plymouth, he was a passionate supporter of devolving power who pushed for the 1979 vote in the face of the internal opposition".
* First Minister Carwyn Jones said: “We have lost a real political giant. Michael Foot was a great thinker, a fine orator and superb writer. He crammed a huge amount into his long life and he led the Labour Party during one of the most difficult periods in its history. Above all , he remained a fierce advocate for equality and social justice throughout his life and it is that passion for which he will always be fondly remembered.”
* Former Welsh Secretary Paul Murphy said: “He was a true socialist, never wavering in his views, and he had a particular affection for Gwent, representing Ebbw Vale after the death of Nye Bevan. I knew Michael as a friend and as a neighbouring constituency colleague, and as Gwent MPs we campaigned on many issues together. He had a real understanding of the people of the Welsh Valleys and was proud to be an adopted Welshman."
* Chris Roberts, Welsh Labour’s general secretary, said: “I had the great privilege of driving Michael around North Wales in 1989. I was in awe of a lovely man who switched effortlessly from personal reminiscences of George Orwell and the leaders of the Spanish Republic to a chat over a cup of tea with two delighted elderly ladies in Porthmadog Milk Bar. We have lost a great socialist and a splendid human being.”
* Plaid Cymru leader Ieuan Wyn Jones said: “Michael Foot was a man of principle and a great Parliamentarian who commanded respect across the political divide. It was my privilege and pleasure to have known him and to have served in Westminster at the same time as him where I learnt much from his wealth of knowledge and commitment to social justice." “Michael Foot was also a great devolutionist and I know that he was delighted when the people of Wales said yes to the creation of a National Assembly in 1997, despite wanting a more powerful parliament for Wales. His passing is a loss to the political culture of Wales.”
A staunch republican (though actually well liked by the Royal Family on a personal level), Foot rejected honours from the Queen and the government, including a knighthood and a peerage, on more than one occasion.
July 1861, the Welsh newspaper 'Baner ac Amserau Cymru' began twice-weekly publication.
In the mid 19th century, a newspaper was beginning to be considered as one of the essentials of life. The first successful Welsh newspaper was Yr Amserau [The Times] which was established in Liverpool in 1843 and dealt with contemporary issues, such as landlords and tithes, the Corn Laws, politics and education.
Yr Amserau was bought by Thomas Gee in 1859 and joined with Baner Cymru [The Banner of Wales]. Baner ac Amserau Cymru [The Banner and Times of Wales] became significantly influential. It was generally Liberal in outlook, supporting Radical causes and taking every opportunity to defend and promote nonconformity. The paper succeeded in attracting many able journalists, such as John Griffith, who was the London correspondent of the Baner, reporting parliamentary debates and attending political meetings throughout Wales.
Sir Roger Mostyn (1625-1690) was a royalist during and after the English Civil War, whose subsequent fortune established the Mostyn Baronets, who in the following generations founded the town of Llandudno.
1625 Born near Holywell, Flintshire,
1642 Outbreak of The English Civil War.The Mostyn family supported King Charles I, with Sir Roger probably instigating the 'loyal address of the people of Flintshire', presented to Charles at York.
1642 Mostyn and Captain Salesbury provided Welsh troops when Charles visited Chester after his formal declaration of war. After the king's departure, the soldiers pillaged the houses of suspected parliamentarians.
1643 Mostyn was made a colonel and led a force of Welshmen into Chester, who expressed their loyalty by ransacking the town-house of Parliamentarian Sir William Brereton.
1643 Mostyn was appointed as the governor of Flint Castle, but following a long autumn siege, during which the garrison was reduced to eating their horses, he surrendered it to Brereton and Sir Thomas Myddelton.
1643(18 Nov) Mostyn headed a combined troop of Irish soldiers and Welsh recruits, forcing the parliamentarians to abandon Flint. They also captured Hawarden Castle.
1646 Mostyn visited Ireland to muster recruits for the relief of Chester, returning with 160 men. The planned march to Chester was thwarted, however, when Brereton intercepted them and forced them to retreat to Conwy and to Denbigh. Mostyn himself escaped and managed to elude his enemies for 12 years.
1658 Mostyn was captured by Colonel Carter at Conwy but was soon released. However, he had bankrupted his estate in the service of the crown and had to live in impoverished seclusion for many years at a farmhouse called Plasucha.
1660 After The Restoration of the English monarchy, Charles ll made Mostyn a Baronet, his finances improving through profits derived from lead and coal mines.
1684 (23rd July) His situation became so secure that he was able to provide a 'very great and noble entertainment' for the Duke of Beaufort and his entourage on their official progress through Wales before securing Bristol for King Charles II.
The Battle of Woodbury Hill - the battle that never was.
In July 1405, a French force arrived in Wales to assist the Owain Glyndwr Rebellion.
1405 was the "Year of the French" in Wales. Their force left Brest with more than twenty-eight hundred knights and men-at-arms led by Jean de Rieux, Marshal of France. However by the time they landed in Milford Haven they had lost many warhorses who had died through lack of fresh water. They marched inland alongside Owain's army and took the town of Haverfordwest but not the castle. They retook Carmarthen and laid siege to Tenby, then inexplicably, marched right across South Wales and into England. Force-marching through Herefordshire and Worcestershire, they met Henry lV's army at Great Witley, ten miles from Worcester itself. Henry's army stood on Abberley Hill facing south towards Owain's army, which took up position a mile away on the hill fort of Woodbury Hill. The armies surveyed each other, without any action, for eight days. No battle was initiated and eventually both sides withdrew, the Franco-Welsh force returning to Wales.
The reasons for the impasse and subsequent withdrawal are unclear, although it is generally believed that Henry's army had the advantage of being well supplied on home soil whereas the Franco-Welsh force was isolated deep in enemy territory and at risk of being surrounded. Also, Owain had suffered a devastating loss earlier that year at The Battle of Pwll Melyn (Battle of Usk) losing 1500 men according to some sources, including his brother Tudur and he was maybe reluctant to initiate an attack.
PRYNWCH UN A GEWCH CHI UN AM HANNER YPRIS
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Saint Phillip Evans and Saint John Lloyd were executed for their beliefs on this day in 1679.
Philip Evans was born in Monmouth in 1645 and joined the Society of Jesus in Watten on 7 September 1665, he was ordained at Liege and sent back to South Wales as a missionary in 1675. After working as a Jesuit priest in Wales for nearly four years, a local priest hunter, John Arnold of Abergavenny offered the then enormous sum of £200 for his arrest. Despite the danger, Father Evans continued to minister to his flock. He was eventually arrested inDecember 1678.
John Lloyd, from Breconshire was a secular priest who was educated first in Ghent and then in Spain. He took the 'missionary oath' and was sent back to Wales in 1654 to minister and to encourage conversion to Catholicism. He fulfilled his vocation despite being on the run for almost 24 years. He was arrested in November 1678, and imprisoned in Cardiff Gaol where he was joined by the Jesuit, Philip Evans.
Both Lloyd and Evans had been caught up in the anti-catholic hysteria that had swept the country in the aftermath of Titus Oates' fictitious "Popish Plot" to kill King Charles II.
Their executions took place in Cardiff on 22 July 1679.
On 25 October 1970, both John Lloyd and Philip Evans were canonised by Pope Paul VI. Although they died on 22 July, this is the day of St Mary Magdalen, so their joint feast day has been designated as 23 July.
On this day in 1933, Britain's most famous woman pilot, Amy Johnson and her husband Jim Mollison ( the “Flying Sweethearts”), took off from Pendine Sands in Carmarthenshire, in their attempt to fly across the Atlantic non-stop.
Huge crowds congregated in Pendine during the three weeks of preparations for the flight. Amy and her husband intended to fly to New York, but they were blown off course. The plane crash-landed at Bridgeport, Connecticut after flying for 39 hours. They covered a distance of 3,300 miles at an average speed of 85 mph. They were both injured in the crash, but after a period of recuperation, the pair were feted with a ticker- tape parade through Wall Street and lunched with President Roosevelt.
Born this day 1967 in Haverfordwest (raised in Ruthin)
Rhys Ifans is an actor and musician, best known for his roles in films such as "Notting Hill" and "Twin Town". He also appeared in "The Amazing Spider-Man", "Hannibal Rising", "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" and "Mr Nice", based on the life of Howard Marks. Ifans also won a BAFTA for his portrayal of comedian Peter Cook in the TV film Not Only But Always.
Since 2012 Ifans has been involved with the 'Living Paths Society', which aims to further and develop the Welsh language Wikipedia: Wikipedia Cymraeg.
In July 1403, Owain Glyndŵr, together with 800 men, laid siege to Carreg Cennen Castle.
A history of Carreg Cennen Castle (located within the Brecon Beacons National Park, four miles south of Llandeilo):
* The first masonry castle was probably built by The Lord Rhys, who died in 1197, and it remained a possession of the Deheubarth dynasty for the next 50 years.
* Lord Rhys's grandson, Rhys Fychan, eventually inherited the castle but was betrayed by his mother (the Norman Matilda de Braeos) who turned over the stronghold to the English. Rhys retook in 1248 only for it to be confiscated by Maredudd ap Rhys Gryg, his uncle and then claimed by King Edward I in 1277.
* Edward I granted the castle to John Giffard in 1283. He had been commander of the English troops at Cilmeri where Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (The Last) was killed. Giffard had the castle significantly remodelled.
* In early July 1403 Owain Glyndŵr attacked Carreg Cennen with a force of 800 men but failed to take it despite inflicting damage to the castle's defences. It was held against Glyndwr, who laid siege to it for several months, by the man who, a few years later, was to marry one of Glyndwr's daughters. He was Sir John Scudamore of Herefordshire.
* in 1461, during the Wars of the Roses, Carreg Cennen was held by Lancastrian forces, though the Yorkists eventually captured the castle and set about demolishing it with a team of 500 men.
* The Vaughan and Cawdor families took ownership, and from the 18th century, it started to attract artists (Turner sketched the castle in 1798).
* The second Earl of Cawdor began an extensive renovation in the 19th century, and in 1932 Carreg Cennen was given to the guardianship of the Office of Works.
* In the 1960s Carreg Cennen Castle was acquired by the Morris family of Castell Farm when Lord Cawdor's legal team inadvertently made a mistake in the wording of the deeds and included the castle as part of the farm.
* Today the castle is still in private ownership, although it is maintained by Cadw.
On 22nd July 1817, Windham Sadler became the first person to succeed in crossing the Irish Sea by hot air balloon, landing near Holyhead.
Sadler lifted off from the Portobello barracks at Dublin and ascended to a good height to catch a suitable westerly current which enabled him fly the balloon across the Irish Sea. In mid-channel he wrote, ‘I enjoyed at a glance the opposite shores of Ireland and Wales, and the entire circumference of Man.’
On 22nd July 1966 fifteen people, among them four children, were killed in a ferry boat accident in the Mawddach Estuary near Dolgellau.
Thirty-nine people were on board the Prince Of Wales ferry as it was nearing the end of its pleasure trip from Barmouth to the George III hotel when the tragedy happened. The skipper was manoeuvring the boat towards the jetty when the vessel was washed into the wooden toll bridge at Penmaenpool and the passengers were thrown into the fast-running incoming tide.
The Cardiff City stadium, in the Leckwith area of Cardiff, was opened on 22nd July 2009.
It replaces Ninian Park as the home ground of Cardiff City Football Club. With a capacity of 26,828, it is the second largest stadium in Wales.