Blogs
VOICES FROM WALES – FORTY-TWO OF FIFTY-TWO
We have been working on this video for the past six months off and on. It is part of an educational project on behalf of the Carmarthen Coracle Netsmen Association.
It was part funded by the Heritage Lottery. Alongside this on the People’s Collection of Wales is a vast archive of stories and tales surrounding the practicalities of coracle fishing and the myths and stories that have surrounded the fishing community of Carmarthen.
It has been put together as a heritage project for local schools.
Today is Australia Day (also referred to as Invasion Day by indigenous Australians)
On this day 1788, Mary Watkins, a 20 year old from the Vale of Glamorgan, along with four Welshmen men and two other women from Wales, were passengers of the six convict ships that had docked in Port Jackson (now known as Sydney) and a deputation had been sent ashore to establish the first permanent European colony on the Australian continent.
Mary's adventure had begun after being sentenced to seven years transportation overseas for stealing sixpence worth of clothing. She was boarded onto the "Friendship" in Portsmouth and the fleet set sail on 13 May 1787. Conditions on board were harsh and food soon ran short, as officials organising the trip had underestimated what was needed for the 8-month voyage.
Mary went ashore with the other women on the 6th February and set up camp. However, that night soon descending into chaos, as there was a violent storm that flattened many of their tents and the men broke into the women's quarters. Order was restored the following morning and the convicts put to work, building houses and clearing land, but life remained hard. Crop failures, drought and bushfires were common and food became short when the cattle they had brought with them were lost in the bush.
To alleviate the food shortage, some of the party, including Mary, were sent to Norfolk Island, where she and her partner, Issac Tarr, converted 3/4 acre of bushland into farmland and bought a sow, which produced litters and thus a supply of fresh meat. The last record of Mary is in 1794 after she had returned to the mainland with Issac.
It was the discovery of copper and gold in the early 1850s which caused the provinces Welsh population to increase sharply. The census of 1851 indicates that there were about 1,800 Welsh-born settlers in Australia and by 1871, there were almost 7,000 in Victoria alone, which increased to 12,000 by the turn of the century. However, not all settlers came to find work in the mines. Joseph Jenkins, from Cardiganshire, fled from a nagging wife in 1868 at the age of 51. Later he became an infamous swagman in rural Victoria. It was the chapel and the Welsh language which provided a sense of cohesion and identity to the emerging Welsh communities at this time. In Victoria, the chapel leaders organised Cymanfa Ganu and the first Welsh-Australian Eisteddfod in 1863.
The Abermule train disaster on the 26th January 1921 resulted in the death of 17 people.
The crash was a head-on collision between a train from Whitchurch and another from Aberystwyth, which arose from a miscommunication, which allowed both trains onto a section of the line that was single tracked. The subsequent enquiry found that safety measures had been relaxed and resulted in major changes to British Rail's safety procedures.
The Menace of the U-Boats;
On 26th January 1918, twelve crew were killed, when an Irish steamship, the Cork, was torpedoed by a U-boat off Point Lynas in Anglesey.
This followed the Kaiser declaring in 1915, that the waters around the British Isles were a war zone and he also instructed U-boat captains to sink merchant and neutral ships without warning. Subsequently, over 6,000 such vessels were sunk during World War One, including the RMS Lusitania with the loss 1,198 lives. To counteract the threat, Britain introduced escorted convoys, which ultimately allowed enough Allied shipping to survive.
Born this day 1934 in Butetown, Cardiff,
Joe Erskine - heavyweight boxing champion, who was a credit to both Wales and boxing game he graced with such dignity.
The great Joe Erskine defeated many of the big names of his time, including Henry Cooper and Brian London. He was considered small for a heavyweight, relying on outmanoeuvring rather than overpowering his opponents and it was said of him that had been just a bit bigger he would have been World Champion. After his glory days, Erskine he died broke and alone in his Adamsdown flat.
Died on this day 1716.
The Rev Dr Daniel Williams (born in Wrexham, c.1643 – 26 January 1716) - benefactor, Presbyterian minister and theologian ( Presbyterians are Christians outside the Church of England, who govern themselves by representative assemblies of elders)
Williams left the majority of his £50,000 estate, to charities including the formation of Dr Williams's Library, in Gordon Square, Bloomsbury, London, a centre for research on English Dissenters (Christians who parted with the Church of England in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries). He also left money to aid the foundation of seven charity schools in North Wales.
Today is St Dwywen's Day in 2020, the Welsh patron saint of friendship and love, you can find out more about her here: https://americymru.net/americymru/blog/940/dont-forget-st-dwynwens-day-january-25th-the-welsh-valentines-day?fbclid=IwAR1W3Cqjh2vjV0ddovu0guxwfUuqDdPhlGjmS43yqfSvHI5zn67bLQjX6Fw
And send someone you love a free St Dwywen's ecard, funny or serious, here - http://welsh-american-bookstore.com/index.php/st-dwynwen-s-day/rwcard/1/
VOICES FROM WALES – FORTY-ONE OF FIFTY-TWO
Mother Bear has been sick and poorly ill over Christmas and new year so hasn’t been able to get out and film any specific Xmas activity.
The natural storytelling of Margaret Lee is once again the subject. There’s not many left I promise!
Social history is so important, and everyone should archive their own in whatever way they can. In this digital world it’s easy to take photos but it’s just as easy to record testimonies through video or audio recording. I urge people to get out there and press the record button.
Ani Glass Releases New Single ‘Mirores’ on 17th January 2020 - Debut album released on 6th March 2020!
By Ceri Shaw, 2020-01-17
Ani Glass Releases Debut Album MIRORES on 6th March 2020 via Recordiau Neb
On 6th March 2020, Ani Glass's debut album MIRORES finally sees the light of day; the culmination of four years developing her own sound and visionary artistry. With its tapestry of electronic sounds, elliptical melodies and samples threaded into a song cycle, MIRORES is based around the idea of movement and progress - one which takes us on a journey around her hometown of Cardiff. The title is taken from Ani’s bardic name - created when she joined the Cornish Gorsedh in 2013. The Gorsedh itself is a celebration of the Celtic spirit of Cornwall and Bardship is awarded to people who contribute to its cultural and linguistic heritage. MIRORES is a play on words which incorporates the name of one of her favourite artists – Joan Miró – along with the Cornish word for “to look”, which is miras. Therefore, MIRORES essentially translates as ‘Observer’ thus presenting the album as Ani’s observation of the city in which she was born and now lives.
MIRORES also represents Ani’s first foray into production. Having been inspired by her experience of working with Martin Rushent during her time as a member of indie-pop group The Pipettes , Glass has spent the past few years teaching herself the art of recording and production. Her sound is inspired by many leading electronic and avant-garde artists and producers of the 1980s including Martin Rushent, Giorgio Moroder, Vangelis, Jean-Michel Jarre and Arthur Russell whilst the wider themes are inspired in part by the works of abstract painter Agnes Martin and the renowned author and activist Jane Jacobs. Despite some of the album’s heavier themes, Ani maintains a strong pop sensibility throughout, most certainly cemented during her time as a member of R&B pop group Genie Queen – managed by OMD’ s Andy McCluskey.
Following a year of touring and playing at festivals across the UK and beyond including Sound City, Future Yard, Greenman, Sŵn, Focus Wales and POP Montreal (as part of the FOCUS Wales delegation with the support of PRSF and WAI) as well as supporting acts such as Audiobooks and Stealing Sheep , Ani will be returning to her hometown of Cardiff and to towns across Wales for a series of very special performances.
Ani Glass MIRORES 2020 tour dates:
6th March - Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
7th March - Railway Station, Caernarfon
14th March - Tŷ Pawb, Wrexham
21st March - Tangled Parrot, Carmarthen
Follow Ani Glass:
VOICES FROM WALES – FORTY OF FIFTY-TWO
Life in Carmarthen Town during WW2 with Aunty Mags. Margaret Lee talks of pub life in The Eagle Inn, Priory Street during the war.
Billeting soldiers and VE Day.
Four of Eight and she threatens to record more!
Visit the Dydd Miwsig Cymru website here:- Dydd Miwsig Cymru
We will be featuring a new playlists every day or so between now and February 7th.
Today's sample playlist (You will need a Spotify account): Darganfod
"To celebrate European Day of Languages on 26/09/2019 this playlist showcases music in Cymraeg, Gàidhlig, Kernewek, Gaelg and Gaeilge."
14 SONGS
Welsh Language Music Day (Dydd Miwsig Cymru in Welsh) is on the 7th February 2020. The day is about celebrating Welsh music and the language with thousands of people getting involved across Wales and further afield. This is the fifth Welsh Language Music Day, which has seen Hollywood actors Rhys Ifans and Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens, urge fans to discover the incredible music being made in the Welsh language.
Why not get involved with the celebrations in any way that you can? Why not hold a gig and play Welsh language music, or swap your usual playlist to a Welsh language one? Welsh language music has numerous genres, you can find lots of great playlists here .
Ani Glass’ debut album released on 6th March 2020 via Recordiau Neb
On 6th March 2020, Ani Glass's debut album MIRORES finally sees the light of day; the culmination of four years developing her own sound and visionary artistry. With its tapestry of electronic sounds, elliptical melodies and samples threaded into a song cycle, MIRORES is based around the idea of movement and progress - one which takes us on a journey around her hometown of Cardiff. The title is taken from Ani’s bardic name - created when she joined the Cornish Gorsedh in 2013. The Gorsedh itself is a celebration of the Celtic spirit of Cornwall and Bardship is awarded to people who contribute to its cultural and linguistic heritage. MIRORES is a play on words which incorporates the name of one of her favourite artists – Joan Miró – along with the Cornish word for “to look”, which is miras. Therefore, MIRORES essentially translates as ‘Observer’ thus presenting the album as Ani’s observation of the city in which she was born and now lives.
MIRORES also represents Ani’s first foray into production. Having been inspired by her experience of working with Martin Rushent during her time as a member of indie-pop group The Pipettes, Glass has spent the past few years teaching herself the art of recording and production. Her sound is inspired by many leading electronic and avant-garde artists and producers of the 1980s including Martin Rushent, Giorgio Moroder, Vangelis, Jean-Michel Jarre and Arthur Russell whilst the wider themes are inspired in part by the works of abstract painter Agnes Martin and the renowned author and activist Jane Jacobs. Despite some of the album’s heavier themes, Ani maintains a strong pop sensibility throughout, most certainly cemented during her time as a member of R&B pop group Genie Queen – managed by OMD’s Andy McCluskey.
Following a year of touring and playing at festivals across the UK and beyond including Sound City, Future Yard, Greenman, Sŵn, Focus Wales and POP Montreal (as part of the FOCUS Wales delegation with the support of PRSF and WAI) as well as supporting acts such as Audiobooks and Stealing Sheep, Ani will be returning to her hometown of Cardiff and to towns across Wales for a series of very special performances.
Ani Glass MIRORES 2020 tour dates:
6th March - Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
7th March - Railway Station, Caernarfon
14th March - Tŷ Pawb, Wrexham
21st March - Tangled Parrot, Carmarthen
The book explores a little-known episode of Welsh history. The Welsh Mormons were crossing a continent at a particularly dramatic time in American history. The ‘49ers’ and the Pony Express shared the trails with them. They were passed by the first trans-continental stagecoaches. They saw the beginnings of the Indian Wars and the end of the Civil War. Buffalo Bill and Wild Bill Hickock rode the same trails and Calamity Jane and Crazy Horse have a place in their stories. Part of the Mormons religious responsibility was to keep diaries, and hundreds of these documents describing their adventures are now kept in the Church archive of the Mormon Church History Library in Salt Lake City. Wil Aaron has made good use of this rich resource and of the Welsh journals and memoirs collected on ‘ welshmormonhistory.byu.edu ’.
“This is a book about the grit and steadfastness of ordinary men and women whose remarkable tale deserves a place in the history of the Welsh people,” says author Wil Aaron.
Professor Jerry Hunter of Bangor University writes, “Here is a volume I shall return to time after time, and I know that others will do likewise. The author has consulted extensive historical resources and has discerningly deciphered them, arousing anew an interest in the story.”
Wil Aaron’s career has been in television. He has made documentaries and factual programmes for the BBC and HTV in Cardiff and in London. His production company, Ffilmiau’r Nant , produced many of S4C’s early successes.
Welsh Saints on a Mormon Trail by Wil Aaron (£14.99, Y Lolfa) is available now. BUY IT HERE
VOICES FROM WALES – THIRTY NINE OF FIFTY-TWO
Life in Carmarthen Town during WW2 with Aunty Mags. Margaret Lee lets her into pub life in The Eagle Inn, Priory Street.
Evacuees: ‘I wanted one!’
Rationing!
German Spies and Darts matches!
Four of Eight and she threatens to record more!
