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The queue from the main tent was six deep and stretched for nearly two miles back to the little Powys town of Hay-on-Wye.
The reason was the release of Howard Marks new book at the Hay Book festival.The former Oxford Graduate and Welsh mastermind of a European Cannabis Ring sat ‘smug’ly. Who said crime doesn’t pay. The best selling author had released his latest in a series of books with a view to helping his former fellow prisoners bide away their time in jail. Like the author himself, the release date had kept going forward, as the US backed Drugs Enforcement Agency had objected to his books and profiteering.“ Who shall I make the book out to sonny?” asked Marks ‘pen’ at the ready.“ And more importantly which one of my aliases would you like ‘Marked’ on it?” asked the globetrotter with more passports than the entire Newport Office.“ Mr Nice will do!”said the little boy rolling his autograph pen like it was a joint. Marks had over the last five decades seen more joints than most, some with but most without bars.His seven years in the Terre Haute Prison in America, had taken their toll on the face of the Welshman- his once ‘Film Star’ looks had been replaced by that of a roc kstar. Unfortunately, it was a combination of Bill Wyman and Keith Richards.
He was once on a ‘Rolling Stoned’ tour with his idols in Cardiff , where as part of his parole conditions he had to tell the schoolchildren at Cathays High School not to take drugs. One of the children raised his hand up and complained that there were none left in Cardiff as Keith Richards and Howard Marks had done them all already. The other non-criminal writers like Jeffrey Archer and Rupert Allison, at the Times Newspaper sponsored event, looked on jealously as the volumes produced by Marks and publishing stable-mate Boyd Clack were setting new festival sales records. Both Clacks’ book entitled ‘High Hopes’ and the Marks one called ‘Pot Black’ were outstripping demand.They seemed to have a hidden quality that their rival authors did not- besides being well-written that is.
“Howard ....did you ever in your wildest dreams think that this would be such a roaring success?” asked Melvyn Bragg nasally.“ Howard I know ?” said the former prison author, as he signed another book looking Northward, sat in the glorious sunshine on the raised grass platform in the Powys field . “ So you mean...you didn’t expect this kind of ‘South Bank Show’?”said Melvyn.“ I expected a good turnout....I’m not called ‘Mr Nice’ for nothing...but I don’t like to Bragg!” continued the ‘pot idol’ as he signed another volume using yet another alias...this time ‘Puff Daddy’. Boyed by the attention, his fellow writer Clack, a former hippy , was not only signing his books but adding a ‘smacker’ with his own lips to the front cover.“ Kisses are better than Wine!” he declared to the latest in along line of BBC Wales Comedy Fans.“ Howard....how do you think the book will be received around the World...do you have any regrets at all ....shamelessly cashing in on your notoriety as a criminal and convicted international drug smuggler?” asked the adenoid suffering arts presenter.“ None at all....this time I’m making legitimate money...this isn’t a front....even if it appears to be affront to the US....after all they are the ones to put the ‘dope’ into dope smuggling!” laughed Marks with a smile not seen since he was released on bail (appropriately to Hay- on- Wye) .
“ Do you think America will be interested in a book about Snooker entitled ‘Pot Black’.....why would the prison population want to buy (albeit in great demand) a book about the exploits of Welsh World Champions Terry Griffiths, Ray Reardon and Doug Mountjoy from the 1970’s.....I can understand the dynamic and flair of players like Mark Williams and Matthew Stevens.....and even that one that looks like Merthyr’s John Williams-Dominic Dale!” asked Bragg.
“ Have you read the book Mel?” asked Howard.“ Not yet....I have had a bit of a head cold recently....but I will get round to it soon!” said the smooth talker.“ If you are congested try rubbing the front cover on the end of your sinuses....the book has an almost medicinal quality, unsurpassed by other books of its kind!” suggested Clack eavesdropping on the conversation.“ And it tastes almost as nice as a piece of ‘battyberg’!” he said looking skyward to dad.“ These books aregood for ‘Hay Fever’!” said Marks smiling just like a Super Furry Animal.
Bragg began to smell a rat.He was surrounded by people who were the usual suspects at ‘Brecon Jazz’, those who slept in tents in a field, most were from the ‘flower power’generation and wore ‘Bob Marley’ and Jimi Hendrix tee-shirts.They weren’t buying the book to read it.Marks looked at him as the penny dropped.“ Guess how many kilos of books I have sold to the prisons in the USA?” asked Marks.“ Those prisoners have been described as of being of ‘ex-hemp-lary character’....it is after all helping to make the detention centres a much ‘karma’ place.“Personally, Melvyn I don’t think Ihave made a ‘hash’ of my career!...what do you think?” smirked Mr Nice.“ I think you're very clever Mr Marks indeed!” replied Bragg catching on to the three way conversation.“Anything that is manufactured in the UK and exported these days is fine ‘in my books’ too !” agreed Clack.“ We all have ‘High’ Hopes for success ...give this one to Federal Drugs Officer Craig Lovato with my compliments... next time you’re stateside...I’m afraid I can’t...I’m barred from the place!” said Marks.
Lockdown closes Dylan's Birthplace
Along with so many other businesses the Birthplace closed in March and we cannot see it fully opening for some considerable time. We still have bills to pay and precious little support from the government (When is a museum not a museum? Well, according to the Arts Council (of England) who decide these things it's when it is not a charity or run by a local authority!)
"Do not go gentle" we said as we developed our plans to survive lockdown and come out the other side with a bright and vibrant Thomas family home. We don't expect handouts or pay crazy interest rates to invisible lenders. Our plan is simple and has evolved from a number of other successful projects from the hospitality and tourism sectors. We have come up with a plan which helps us through the lean period and gives you a great deal to help save the Birthplace for future generations.
We are turning to crowdfunding and have two amazing products on offer.
Pay it Forward vouchers will allow you to buy a voucher which can be used for any product on offer at the Birthplace at a 20% discount. So, if you purchase a £100 voucher it will be worth £120. Don't worry how long the lockdown will last as it will be valid for five years. They also can make great birthday or Christmas presents.
Unique Experiences and Rewards We have to thank our great artists and performers for helping us develop the experiences. You could choose to have a handwritten poem from one of the many poets who have performed at the Birthplace, buy a limited edition DVD of performances at the house or have your own personal house tour.
There is lots more information on the crowdfunding page www.crowdfunder.co.uk/dylan so why not pop along and have a look.
Thank you for reading our appeal and thank you in anticipation for your support - it will help us survive, help the Dylan community and give you a great deal. We look forward to seeing you very soon.
Keep safe
Geoff and Sarah Haden, the staff, volunteers and performers at the Birthplace.
10th June 1921 saw the formation of what is now Cwmbach Male Choir..... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US !!!!!!
Although we haven't been able to meet we've put together this short special video to celebrate. Using the wonders of Whats App and technical wizadry of Nathan Jones of nathanjonesmusic.co.uk we feel this is a suitable tribute.
We share our birthday with someone else that is 99 today - can you guess who ? Watch till the end to find out.....
Many thanks to our Chairman Brian Williams for the intro, our MD Mike Thomas and accompanist Jayne Thomas..... however special thanks to the choristers who donned uniform and took part ... if you'd told them 3 months ago that they would be filming themselves on smart phones and uploading video via the internet they would have laughed you out of town.... but they did it.... well done boys !!
Children's rainbow pictures in windows
Thursday evening national applause fests
with saucepan percussion accompaniment
guards of honour for those discharged
from Intensive Care Units
joyous scenes of a joyful population
the best of us in the worst of times
acts of kindness
of selflessness
sacrifice and courage
the rubbed-out outline of community
becoming visible once again
through the paper-thin official effort
the erasers in temporary abeyance
frightened by the zoo tiger
rattling its cage bars
let’s be tigers once again
and as for so-called “protection”
for our care and health workers
some will be wearing bin bags tonight
if they’re lucky
our “defence” budget is £40 billion
tell me just who’s the enemy?
“From my early childhood I was fascinated by the self-sufficiency and wisdom of the people who lived ‘on the mountain’ near my childhood home. I wanted to know their story. Over the years that I interviewed people and drafted this book I learned about a whole hidden way of life. I acquired a huge respect for the people of the hilltops, their courage, ingenuity and wit,” said Lilla Pennant.
The book is a snapshot of a traditional way of living, with the oral histories collected by the author in the 1980s, from the community in which she grew up. At the time, one particular family lived in a farmhouse that showed barely any trace of the twentieth century. Pennant tells the story of the people who lived in the Welsh hills, who were neither farmers, nor employees, but lived by their wits on dark winter nights with a steady wind.
“I didn’t intend to write this book. I set out to write about the rich history from this part of the Vale of Clwyd, but I am not a historian, and it was not going well. I started writing from the oral history that I had collected, and the book took off! Since writing this book in the 1980s, genetic research has found that descendants of the earliest surviving race in all the British Isles were to be found not in Scotland or Ireland, but in North Wales, or the mountainous world of North-West Wales to be precise,” said Lilla Pennant.
Reviewers have described On a Dark Night with Enough Wind as:
“Lilla Pennant has created an important piece of work documenting the stories of a life in Tremeirchion and Sodom by seeking out and listening to the oral stories of people living on the mountain and then committing the stories to paper for future generations to read.” Roy Hogben
“The book had me gripped from beginning to end. It is an interesting mix of a mystery story that turns into a elegy for a lost way of life. Above all I was moved by her obvious love for the people she writes about and her desire to make sure that their stories are not lost.” Jessica Starmer
Lilla Pennant grew up in Wales. She has worked as a freelance writer in London and New York. She has written two small books on remarkable civilian stories from both world wars. She has also worked in the field of family violence and published professional articles in this field. Lilla Pennant currently lives in the United States.
On a Dark Night with Enough Wind by Lilla Pennant (£7.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
Introducing Cardiff's very own 'Tiny Trumpeter Steffan Raynor Owen and Sing For Wales event anthem coach Gwenno Dafydd. This will be the third time that the anthem is performed worldwide to thank everyone for the part they have played in Wales during the covid crisis.
Gan gyflwyno 'Trwmpedwr Tidli Twt' unigryw Caerdydd, Steffan Raynor Owen sy'n cyfeilio i anogydd anthem digwyddiad Sing For Wales Gwenno Dafydd. Hwn fydd y trydedd tro i'r anthem gael ei fferfformio led-led y byd i ddiolch i bawb am y rhan mae nhw wedi ei chwarae yng Nghymru yn ystod y cyfnod cofidus.
Hospital ship
a sailing cathedral that brings its crosses
and enormous floating decks of sick beds
beautiful impressive hopeful
and quietly terrifying
cruise ships suddenly
no one wants or
wants to be aboard
no port in this health storm
the talk the imagery is of hospital wards
I've spent too much time this year
in the halls of our National Health Service
but I wasn’t to know
entertainment is replaced
by the thirst for information
which in turn is replaced
by a thirst for entertainment
anything that will blank out
the unfolding horror
every day we sit down
turn on our televisions
and watch the Government update
Ministers seem to be getting younger
at least those that have avoided symptoms
and as the statistics pile up
into a metastatic mess of numerals
we begin to feel casualty-drunk
and unconfident that the Cabinet
is up to the task in hand
so many people are dying
that they are beginning to have names
attached to their passing
such as the comic Eddie Large
I didn't know he was Scottish
the way our accents are quietly dropped
Honor Blackman expires
age 94 of "natural causes"
which is now double speak
for non Covid-19 death
farewell Pussy Galore
Our World King who art in Heaven
abhorred be thy name
thy fiefdom scum
thy will be dumb in slums
as it is in Number 10
give us this day our daily dead
and forgive us our trepassses
as we forgive those that trespass against us
and lead us not into infection
but deliver us our Hermes
for thine is the freedom
of power and fake stories
forever and never
amen
Two young men in the back of a small car
accepting balloons of nitrous oxide
the drum and bass booming
they turn it down a touch
as I approach
but are not laughing
what sort of animals are they?
I pull in next to them
the only other vehicle
on this bumpy patch of elevated ground
the gateway to the hills
to a sanctuary that has no walls
but a view
a saner place of isolation
in a curfew
what sort of animal am I?
considering whether a drone
winging and glinting in sunlight
could be making a note
of my car’s registration number
for the incipient police state
the sheriffs of our private moments
getting away from it all
from nothing at all
what sort of animals are we?
STOP PRESS: The competition is open for voting till June but the outstanding quality of Nichola's work has already been recognised with the award of the 'Elizabeth Hosking Prize For Watercolor'. We all wish Nichola the best of luck next month. VOTE HERE
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Nichola: Thank you for the wonderful opportunity to share my work with your members and communicate.
My Tansy Beetle, watercolour has been shortlisted for Wildlife Artist of the Year 2020. My work is one of 159 artworks selected from an incredible 1,200 entries from across the world.
It really is a huge honour to be shortlisted by this competition. Through art, we can raise awareness and support wildlife conservation. This exhibition is usually held in Mall galleries London but due to the pandemic is now a live online exhibition. You can view my work here:
https://davidshepherd.org/wildlife-art/artwork/tansy-beetle/
My work is featured in the category Facing Extinction. This category invites artists to celebrate these vulnerable species, capturing their behaviour and importance in striking imagery. They may be gone tomorrow if we do not act today.
AmeriCymru: In 2005, you became a visiting artist for WNO. What does this entail? Where can people see samples of your work online?
Nichola: I observe and draw the rehearsals and performances on stage. For over ten years, I’ve been documenting a visual history of Welsh National Opera through the medium of drawing alongside my sister Sarah Hope, who is also a professional fine artist. Our work is held in public and private collections across Europe, Australia and the USA
Working from live performance requires a responsive gaze and the ability to capture movement and emotion with immediacy and confidence. Watercolour allows me to work with colour in a very fluid way and this medium offers up unique qualities.
I’ve been fortunate to draw two productions at Lyric Opera, Chicago. It was an amazing experience and I fell in love with the city, the friendly people and crazy weather!
My work can be viewed on www.nicholahope.com or on social media - Instagram and Facebook @thedrawingeye
AmeriCymru: In 2019 you were invited to do a drawing demonstration in the galleries of the National Museum of Wales for the public event 'After Dark'. Care to tell us more about this experience?
Nichola: I began drawing natural history specimens at National Museum Wales in 2019. I’m currently interested in shorebirds connected to Wales. We have a diverse range of habitats that are important for birds. Some, such as the seabird colonies of Anglesey and Pembrokeshire, have probably been that way for thousands of years.
I was invited to do a drawing demonstration at After Dark, an event held by National Museum Wales in Cardiff. The museum was opened up in the evening and was attended by a thousand members of the public.
The museum’s taxidermy collection was used as an inspiration for drawing. I chose to draw a grey heron in ink and wash. I hope that this inspired people to look closely and respond creatively to the wonderful wildlife we have.
AmeriCymru: Your work is clearly inspired by the animal world. What can you tell us about your 2019 exhibition - 'London Rats' - at the Workers Galley in Porth?
Nichola: The Workers gallery is located in the little village of Porth, South Wales. Three of my works from a series called London Rats were selected for the exhibition Drawn to Life. This aligned with the Big Draw festival 2019. Over 25 countries including Wales participate in this worldwide campaign each year.
London Rats is inspired by the role of rats as Other in folklore and history. Rats are hugely symbolic. Interestingly it’s year of the rat!
AmeriCymru: What's next for Nichola Hope? Any new exhibitions or events?
Nichola: My exhibition of opera paintings and drawings at the Pierhead Building, Senedd Welsh Assembly was due to open in May 2020 but has been postponed due to the pandemic. I’m looking forward to rescheduling the show for a future date!
I’ll be submitting a sketchbook to the Brooklyn Art Library, NYC later this year and that will be part of a touring exhibition and will be digitized.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Nichola: I admire how AmeriCymru raises Wales’ cultural profile to American audiences and I’d love to see more cross Atlantic artistic collaborations between Welsh and American artists in the future.
You can vote for Nichola Hope for the People’s choice award here: Wildlife Artist of the Year 2020
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Artwork TITLE: TANSY BEETLE |
