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By Jude Johnson, 2011-04-13
I'm learning the ropes here on AmeriCymru. Been here a couple of months in this incarnation, still don't know how the "freind" think is working - I click but don't see anything being sent - but I hope folks don't think I'm being too much of a pest...I'm scheduled to "guest blog" on Friday on The Long And Short Reviews' (LASR) blog, part of their "Spring is Bustin' Out All Over" promotion and I thought I'd share the opportunity with everyone here. You see, if you go to their site - http://www.longandshortreviews.com/promo.htm - and comment, you are entered to possibly WIN your choice of:a WiFi Nook, a WiFi Kindle, or $150 gift certificate to either Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Every comment earns you an entry, so return daily to increase your chances of winning. NOTE: You MUST have an email address included in your entry or public blog profile to be eligible to win.Now, here's where I could use a little help. When my guest blog runs on Friday, April 15th, the more people comment on my post, the greater the chances that I, too, can win a little something. Could be a WIN-WIN! (Could be a lose-lose, too, but we aren't going to be all pessimistic now are we?)My post which is titled "Long Before The Equinox" has to do with how my Welsh characters learn to appreciate springtime in the desert. It's far more subtle than the beautiful profusion of daffodils in Wales or the Eastern U.S.So please stop by on Friday, April 15th and leave a comment.There is more information here on my regular blog The Words That Remain: http://wordsthatremain.blogspot.com/2011/04/sping-is-bustin-out-all-over.html Pob Lwc!JudeAuthor of Dragon & Hawkhttp://jude-johnson.com
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In this post AmeriCymu member and guest reviewer Margaret Lloyd Beckham reviews Aubrey Malone's 'Still Rockin' Tom Jones - A Biography' and talks to the author. The book is available from premier Welsh publisher 'Y Lolfa' and other titles by Aubrey are listed at the bottom of this post.

As soon as I heard about this book, I wanted it, NOW! Unfortunately, that wasnt possible. I had to order it from Wales. So, it was hurry up and WAIT! I didnt have to wait long. It was in my mailbox within a few days. I read at record speed (for me); I couldnt put it down. Admittedly, I am a devoted Tom Jones fan, so the subject matter was of great interest to me!

The best part was how beautifully written it was. Aubrey Malone is an excellent writer! I learned so many things I didnt know about Mr. Jones (as I like to call him). I learned that while Tom Jones is a strong man, he is a vulnerable one as well. Both are good qualities in my opinion.

Tom endured violence during his youth, forcing him to defend himself on many occasions. This added a somber quality to his personality. He has a lovely family; hes been married to his childhood sweetheart, Linda, for more than 50 years. This relationship has been a fraught with difficulties, but he and Linda have refused to allow fame, anyone, or anything to split up their family! How many of us could do as well under these same conditions? Hes endured scandals, rumors, personal loss, and the same problems we all face. Hes done it well, in most cases. We all have things wed rather not discuss; Tom Jones is no different. He remains polite, sincere, gentlemanly, down to earth, and funny; with the most amazing and mighty voice I have ever heard!

There are some funny and crazy stories in Still Rockin. Get the book and read all about them! Thanks to Aubrey Malone for telling us about the man from Pontypridd!

Tom Jones is truly one of Wales finest gifts to the world. I can get hundreds of people (from AmeriCymru alone) that will second that! Youll love this book!

An Interview With Aubrey Malone

Margaret: Why did you choose to write about Tom Jones?

Aubrey: Next to Elvis, Tom Jones was the most powerful voice I experienced growing up, as the rock and roll boom took root in the fifties and sixties. Cerys Mathews compared it to a train leaving a tunnel. Songs like 'I'm Coming Home' and 'I'll Never Fall in love Again' blew me away. He strangled lyrics in such a muscular way and made songs, even ordinary songs, throb and pulsate. Then when you saw him moving it lent an extra surge of adrenalin. He was a powerful explosive force like a volcano and he had music gold in his throat. We all know the Welsh are great singers but Tom took it to another level. I mention in the book that Elvis (whom Tom became friends with in Las Vegas when Elvis' career was on the slide and he needed a new injection of vigour as the movie phase of his career was coming to an end) at first wanted to be a ballad singer but the pop boom killed that ambition off. Likewise,Tom could have been a classical singer if born in another age - and you could say the same about people like WhitneyHouston (who to me is really an opera singer) an d countless others, even U2's Bono. Very often the age dictates what direction a career goes in. For me Tom Jones was just as much "The Voice" as Frank Sinatra was. As he's at pains to point out himself, no matter how many headlines he grabs for the wrong reasons (even if he's responsible for a lot of that himself with the way he used to "milk" the underwear-throwing routines) you can't get away from the fact that he has an incredible range - which sustained his career even in those patches when the hits weren't coming.

Margaret: Did you have an interview with Mr. Jones?

Aubrey: I didn't interviewTom for obvious reasons. It would have been awkward for me to have put questions to him about his love life. First off, he wouldn't have answered them. He would have cancelled the interview. And it would have been hypocritical of me to talk to him about his music knowing I was going to be telling "tales out of school" about his escapades with women.Even though the book is broadly speaking an affectionate tribute to him, there are a lot of "kiss and tell" anecdotes in it as you know, and this is not something he likes to have high-profiled, especially since his marriage has survived all the lurid stories over the years and he has now returned to Linda with his tail, as it were, between his legs. I don't feel I was breaching any confidence in recycling these stories as "the man in the street" has heard most of them in some form, but it would have been insensitive of me to get "up close and personal" with the man behind them. I didn't want to tarnish Tom's reputation, and tried to focus on the humorous aspect of the stories rather than anything else.

Margaret: What other sources did you use that we might be interested in, or know about? (ex: friends of his, relatives, etc)

Aubrey: My book is what they call a "secondary" biography in the`sense that there are no "new" revaltions in it. In other words, I talked to nobody. There are so many accounts of Tom's life on the shelves already I didn't need to. But what I did do, I hope, was extract all the extraneous baggage from what had been written already and whip it down to the more readable format I was working in for my "capsule" style biography. I also tried to put in my own "ten cents" worth about what I believe made Tom such a great artist (if not husband).

Margaret: Which writers did you admire that convinced you to become one yourself?

Aubrey: I tend to have favourite books rather than authors, but the people who made me want to be a writer are many. I didn't read much as a child, except for "nickel and dime" books my father had around the house. At that time books to me were things I associated with school, which I hated. It was only when I went to university and was allowed some freedom in what I read that I discovered authors my contemporaries had been reading long before me, people like Hemingway and Mailer and Camus and Tennessee Williams, etc. Later on I discovered Charles Bukowski, who may not be the greatest writer who ever lived but in my view he's the most compulsive. I also like many Irish writers (I'm Irish myself) - Joyce, John McGahern, Neil Jordan, Des Hogan, William Trevor,Colum McCann, etc.

Margaret: Are there any particularly amusing incidents/stories that you encountered whilst writing the book? Would you please tell us one or two?

Aubrey: All of the stories about Tom's cavorting with women are funny, and some of them are hilarious in a kind of "French farce" way. you imagine him grabbing his trousers and shoes and escaping out the back windows of hotels or apartment complexes as angry husbands make their way up the stairs to whatever boudoir he happened to be in at the time. The story that most amused me about Tom was the one about the woman from Texas who claimed to be his wife, and who claimed he was really "Boris from Budapest". Some of the stories around him were wacky, like this one. From a more romantic point of view, I liked the story about him shipping over the phone box from Pontypridd which he used "like an office" in the years when he was romancing Linda.

Margaret: There are many stories in Still Rockin which are somewhat scandalous in nature. One story that we at AmeriCymru love is the turkey (chicken, as we know it) incident at a club in Caerphilly during Toms early years. Is this story for real? True or not, we love it! :))

Aubrey: I wasn't in Caerphilly on the night in question but all of the stories in my book , including the chicken/turkey one, are "out there" in the public domain and in other biographies as well as my own, and testified to by either eyewitnesses and/or avid researchers so I believe the're true. Tom has been a very naughty boy but is now happily reformed - or so he says!

Margaret: Whats next for you, Mr. Malone?

Aubrey: I am working on a personal memoir of my early life, and also a "Hollywood Babylon" type book. There is also a possible biography of the actress Maureen O'Hara in the works.

Margaret: Do you have any new books coming along?

Aubrey: I have just had a book of humorous travel quotes published. It is called 'It's Great to Be Back on Terra Cotta" and is published by the History Press. Next up in "Scottish Wit" which will be published by Callio Press at the end of this month, and next month sees the publication of my book "Censoring Hollywood" by McFarland. This is an account of a century of film censorship.

Margaret: Do you have a closing message for your readers and members of AmeriCymru?

Aubrey: Please give my very best wishes to all your members and wish them a happy Easter for me. Happy reading!

'Y Lolfa' Titles By Aubrey Malone

Books in English

Still Rockin': Tom Jones, A Biography (Aubrey Malone)
Tom Jones is one of Wales' most enduring pop legends. Now 70, he says he has no notion of retiring: "I'll still be ...

Welsh Drinkers (Aubrey Malone)
It has been said the Welsh livers and kidneys are quite unlike those of the rest of the human race - which is just as we...

Welsh Wit and Wisdom (Aubrey Malone)
Welsh Wit and Wisdom, by Aubrey Malones, is a new anthology of truisms, observations, and quips about Wales. Quotes by a...
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this blog can viewed in its original format with pictures at www.crapwifeblog.co.uk or craphousewife.blogspot.com

After the migrainey horror of the past 5 days, I am grateful to report that my head no longer feels as though its home to the chorus line of Jersey Boys whore fighting over a Wizard of Oz DVD.
On Friday, instead of the 45000 CVs from boy band hopefuls I anticipated, I wasgreetedwith a single email advising me that my advert has not been processed as my card issuer declined the transaction. The snotty nosed slag on the phone tells me this is because I made an error with the expiry date.
There must be a mistake as I dont make mistakes. Mistakes are for Husbands and tax offices. I re-check the original order and realise that a card expiring 01/04 probably wouldnt work. This is a major hiccup and I cant help but feel that this typo is somehow Husbands fault. Now, when I head out of the door on my errands later, all Husband has to do is mow the lawn and drink beer. Im tamping.
I need to make him twitchy to buy time so I can formulate a plan B.
Morning Husband, I love you.
I love you too baby, you feeling better?
I'm alright thanks cock-mag, full of the joys of Spring. I missed you when I was sleeping.
Hes visibly shaken.
Meant to tell you babe- Ive sent thatRegaine back, it wasnt working and it smelled funny.
Bollocks.
Also, I've thrown out all the meat Oxos and ordered a vegetable steamer. He tells me.
Two bollocks.
Yeah, I was going to say that actually, I thought of it yesterday, before you did probably... I reply.
...yeah well if being veggie is making you better we should keep it up. Love you.
Two mahusive bollocks and a misshapen penis called Simon.
Now Im going to have to schedule a meat stop into my very busy day.
Ive decided that Im coming to town with you. Husband tells me.
Husband initially thinks that I am crying because I dont want to spend time with him, then he realises that my headache's probably come back and urges me to go to bed.
Im going to leave the rest of the weekend unreported- I had a veggie BBQ and I cant bring myself to talk about it yet.
This morning however, I feel far more positive about the vegetarianism. I must admit, the headaches although as frequent are less severe, and yesterday the Doctor said its a 'step in the right direction'. Not only that, it has highlighted just how dedicated to my health and well being my dear Husband is.
When he left early for work this morning I ventured online in search of meat free meal options and followed a slutty little recipe onto the Sainsburys website that promised to be both easy and satisfying.
The Sainsburys website is a marvellous thing. One click and the ingredients are in my basket, and Im proud to tell you that the whorish beef wellington flaunting itself at the top of the page was no match for my resolve.
Pleased with myself I log onto my nectar transactions and decide to pay with points.
Below is a table showing the recent purchases I have earned nectar points for and the text messages I received from Husband around the time of said purchases:
Text Message from Lying Cock-Sucker Husband
Purchases Brought Home.
Mystery Missing Purchases.
Love you so much, hope head is better, veggie thing good idea, will get V moussaka.xxx

Sainsbury's Vegetable Moussaka, Be Good To Yourself 400g

Nurofen Migraine Pain x12

Hows your head, love you. Actuallyfeel healthier for being veggie, its a good idea babe. Do you think its helping your head?xxx
Sorry u r not feeling well again- poor baby, I read that cutting sugar can help? Shall we give it a go? I dont mind; anything if it makes u better. xxx
I agree. Having couscous in a bit, shall I pick anything up? xxx
I cant believe he actually thought he could get away with this kind of deceit. While Ive been sat at home eating celery(and one fillet steak, a ham and cheese sub, a McChicken sandwich and two corned beef pasties from Greggs)hes been in work cheating on me with animals.
A quick internet search of 'my husband is cheating on me with animals' brought up a worrying selection websites. I was unable to sign Husband up to any of them as I had first intended because my desire for revenge couldn't match my horror at some of the stuff I have today seen. I don't care how liberal you are, fantasising about getting raped by the Lion King and sucking off horses is just plain wrong. Instead, I text him:
'I can't believe you're cheating on me.'
With a Ginsters pasty no less; a fillet steak I could sort of understand, a lamb shank even- but a Ginsters pasty for fucks sake? This must be exactly how Sandra Bullocks felt when her Husband shagged that tattooed munter. I may start a support group. In the meantime, I've made him a pie for dinner.
YOU CAN ADD CRAPWIFE ON FACEBOOK BY SEARCHING FOR Daily CrapWife OR FOLLOW ON TWITTER@CrapWife
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People in Wales are urged to celebrate a real, forgotten Welsh Prince rather than the wedding of an English royal later this month. Y Lolfa publishers will not publish a souvenir book celebrating William and Kates wedding, but instead are publishing a book celebrating the life of Dafydd ap Llywelyn , a seemingly forgotten royal sovereign of Wales whose brief, but kaleidoscopic life heralded fraternal strife, ambitious politics and bloody conflict.

Y Lolfa have decided to publish the book at the same time as the royal wedding, urging the Welsh to make the most of their own heritage and princes and to ignore the wedding of a future English king.

Lefi Gruffudd said: I cant see any point in celebrating this wedding it has no relevance to us in Wales. We should make the most of our own royal families including the Gwynedd dynasty, and especially Dafydd ap Llywelyn, who was the first prince to proclaim himself Prince of Wales.

Dafydd was the favourite son of legendary Welsh prince Llywelyn the Great and although Dafydds life was cruelly cut short, he succeeded in cementing a respected legacy that has thankfully survived eight centuries. His life, during the first half of the 13th century, is vividly portrayed in this refreshing account.

Dafydd was born around 1215 at a Welsh royal court called Castell Hen Blas which was situated in the medieval manor of Coleshill, near Flint. Dafydd ruled as Prince of Gwynedd and Wales between the years 124046 and he became the first Welsh prince to officially use the prestigious title of Prince of Wales. During the period of his brief reign he fought two wars of defence against the kingdom of England.

As the author states, Dafydd ap Llywelyn deserves to be placed alongside those other great Welsh rulers of the Mediaeval age, including Hywel Dda, Rhodri Mawr, the two Llywelyns and Owain Glyndr and this account shall hopefully encourage such a defining prospect, aiding the campaign for his seemingly obscure name to be finally included within the realm of the modern-day Welsh psyche.

Steve Griffiths, who lives in Flintshire, is a tireless pioneer for the cause of Welsh history. He played a prominent role in the successful implementation of commemorative plaques recounting the history of Ewloe and Bagillt. He has recently staged a month long exhibition at Buckley Library entitled A Chronicle of Welsh Princes.

The book which contains over 60 photographs of sites important in the life of Dafydd ap Llywelyn, and has been reviewed and commentated upon by local Welsh Assembly Member Carl Sargeant, Minsiter for Social Justice and Local Government.

The book is published by Y Lolfa in April and retails at 5.95.

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Listen to my interview on BRFM Radio from Brynmawr, South Wales (with Chris Phillips) from Wed 6th April here on my Myspace page. Interview also features my great buddy's Juan Lozano and Robert Devereux. Happy Spring everyone!

http://www.myspace.com/darrenparrymusic/music/songs/brfm-radio-interview-40-copyright-brfm-41-81136233

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JUST FANCY THAT!!!!!


By Ian Price2, 2011-04-10

.

You couldn't write fiction using these stories --- people wouldn't believe it was possible!!!!

It's time again for the annual 'Stella Awards'! For those unfamiliar with these awards, they are named after 81-year-old Stella Liebeck who spilled hot coffee on herself and successfully sued the McDonald's in New Mexico , where she purchased coffee. You remember, she took the lid off the coffee and put it between her knees while she was driving. Who would ever think one could get burned doing that, right? That's right; these are awards for the most outlandish lawsuits and verdicts in the U.S. You know, the kinds of cases that make you scratch your head. So keep your head scratcher handy.
Here are the Stellas for this past year -- 2010:

* SEVENTH PLACE *
Kathleen Robertson of Austin, Texas was awarded $80,000 by a jury of her peers after breaking her ankle tripping over a toddler who was running inside a furniture store. The store owners were understandably surprised by the verdict, considering the running toddler was her own son.
Start scratching!

* SIXTH PLACE *
Carl Truman, 19, of Los Angeles, California won $74,000 plus medical expenses when his neighbor ran over his hand with a Honda Accord. Truman apparently didn't notice there was someone at the wheel of the car when he was trying to steal his neighbor's hubcaps.
Scratch some more...

* FIFTH PLACE *
Terrence Dickson of Bristol, Pennsylvania, who was leaving a house he had just burglarized by way of the garage. Unfortunately for Dickson, the automatic garage door opener malfunctioned and he could not get the garage door to open. Worse, he couldn't re-enter the house because the door connecting the garage to the house locked when Dickson pulled it shut. Forced to sit for eight, count 'em, EIGHT days
and survive on a case of Pepsi and a large bag of dry dog food, he sued the homeowner's insurance company claiming undue mental Anguish. Amazingly, the jury said the insurance company must pay Dickson $500,000 for his anguish. We should all have this kind of anguish.

Keep scratching. There are more...
Double hand scratching after this one
* FOURTH PLACE *
Jerry Williams, of Little Rock, Arkansas, garnered 4th Place in the Stella's when he was awarded $14,500 plus medical expenses after being bitten on the butt by his next door neighbor's beagle - even though the beagle was on a chain in its owner's fenced yard. Williams did not get as much as he asked for because the jury believed the beagle might have been provoked at the time of the butt bite because Williams had climbed over the fence into the yard and repeatedly shot the dog with a pellet gun.
Pick a new spot to scratch, you're getting a bald spot
* THIRD PLACE *
Amber Carson of Lancaster , Pennsylvania because a jury ordered a Philadelphia restaurant to pay her $113,500 after she slipped on a spilled soft drink and broke her tailbone. The reason the soft drink was on the floor: Ms. Carson had thrown it at her boyfriend 30 seconds earlier during an argument. What ever happened to people being responsible for their own actions?
Only two more so ease up on the scratching...

*SECOND PLACE*
Kara Walton of Claymont, Delaware sued the owner of a night club in a nearby city because she fell from the bathroom window to the floor, knocking out her two front teeth. Even though Ms. Walton was trying to sneak through the ladies room window to avoid paying the $3.50 cover charge, the jury said the night club had to pay her $12,000....oh, yeah, plus dental expenses. Go figure.
Ok. Here we go!!

* FIRST PLACE *
This year's runaway First Place Stella Award winner was: Mrs. Merv Grazinski, of Oklahoma City , Oklahoma , who purchased new 32-foot Winnebago motor home. On her first trip home, from an OU football game, having driven on to the freeway, she set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left the driver's seat to go to the back of the
Winnebago to make herself a sandwich. Not surprisingly, the motor home left the freeway, crashed and overturned. Also not surprisingly, Mrs. Grazinski sued Winnebago for not putting in the owner's manual that she couldn't actually leave the driver's seat while the cruise control was set. The Oklahoma jury awarded her, are you sitting down? $1,750,000 PLUS a new motor home. Winnebago actually changed their manuals as a result of this suit, just in case Mrs. Grazinski has any relatives who might also buy a motor home.
If you think the court system is out of control, be sure to pass this one on.

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Untitled


By Daffni Percival, 2011-04-10

Finally the snow thawed and I went in for my new knee. The hospital was wonderful and I was returned home a week later with nothing like the pain I'd been in for a couple of years. I have a new lease of life, am allowed to drive again and see to my own animals and even do gardening. It's wonderful.

Ceri, if you come to read this, it will do double duty by letting you know that if you still want to do an interview, I'd be delighted.

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Latest Newsletter

New Special Episode

This is the Chatterbox Show. We've got so much to talk about, so much to tell you that we thought instead of bringing you dribs and drabs here and there that we'd bring you a different type of show. This one is an informal chat where we talk about some of the national news that's going on around us, some of our plans for the coming year, what's happening with the show and where we would like to go with it.

On top of all this you can also hear five fantastic pieces of music, including one track from the group that we now play with - the Pentacle Drummers. And as if that wasn't enough - we finish off with a competition for a one-off, unique prize! We loved making the show and hope that you have just as much fun listening to it!

Hope you enjoy the show,

Gary & Ruth x x x

Next Show Planned

As mentioned above, the next show should be the Irish Mythological Cycle Summary show - but there's a chance we might get the Spirit of Albion show out first.

How to Listen

The Episode is available for subscribers on the feed, or you can download it or listen to it from our Episodes page . You can find the Shownotes for this episode in the Shownotes section .

If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players - have you considered subscribing? It's easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you're unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.

How to Find Us

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About David Barry :- David Barry (born 30 April 1943) is a Welsh author and actor. He is best known for his role as Frankie Abott, (the gum-chewing mother's boy who was convinced he was extremely tough), in the LWT sitcom Please Sir! and the spin-off series The Fenn Street Gang, He has appeared in several films, notably two TV spin-off movies - Please Sir! and George and Mildred. David is now an author with two novels and an autobiography under his belt, Each Man Kills , Flashback and Willie The Actor. Read an extract from 'Flashback' here . His next novel is about the Micawber family adventures in Australia and is called 'Mr Micawber Down Under'.


AmeriCymru: Hi David. Many thanks for agreeing to talk to AmeriCymru. You became involved in the acting profession at a very early age. Care to tell us how that came about?

David: Having moved from Amlwch, Angelsey, to Richmond, Surrey, my parents were involved in amateur dramatics and were performing in a production of The Corn is Green. A young Welsh speaking boy was needed for the part of Idwal, which was where I came in. Another English boy was playing one of the boys in the classroom, and he attended Corona Academy Stage School. I pestered my parents to send me there, but it was a fee-paying school. But Corona assured my parents that, because I looked younger than my 12 years, they could find enough work for me to cover the fees. Which is what happened.

AmeriCymru: What was it like working with Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh?

David: Vivien Leigh spoiled me rotten, and Olivier was a remarkable stage actor. I occasionally witnessed tempestuous domestic arguments between them, and Vivien Leigh reminded me of Scarlet O'Hara.

AmeriCymru: You are best known for your role as Frankie Abbott in 'Please Sir' and 'The Fenn Street Gang'. What is your fondest recollection of working on those two series?

David: Working with a great cast, and hearing wonderful stories and memoirs from the actors who played the staff in Please, Sir! and exploring comedy in Fenn Street Gang, and starting to write scripts myself.

AmeriCymru: What, for you , is the high point of your acting career?

David: Playing First Voice in a tour of Under Milk Wood, which was not only challenging but the imagery of the words is so powerful that much of the text I can recall after more than 15 years.

AmeriCymru: In 'Flashback' you write about your childhood in North Wales, and touring to theaters in Cardiff, Swansea, Porthcawl and Llandudno. Can you tell us a little about your Welsh background?

David: My father was a London Welshman, and both my parents spoke fluent Welsh. I was born in Bangor, and my parents had a newsagent's shop, and then we moved to Amlwch. There were not many theatres around at the time, and my father loved the arts, so much of my acting inspiration came from seeing almost everything the Ritz cinema had to offer. I guess my father missed theatres, museums and galleries, as did my mother, which is why we moved close to London when I was 11.

AmeriCymru: After a long and distinguished career as an actor you decided to take up writing and published your first crime fiction novel ( 'Each Man Kills' ) in 2002. Was this a new departure for you or had you always nurtured an ambition to be a writer?

David: I began attempting to write scripts, and my first broadcast script was an episode of Fenn Street Gang. Up until that time I hadn't considered writing as an option.

AmeriCymru: Your first novel ( 'Each man Kills" 2002 ) is a detective novel set in Swansea. Care to tell us a little more about the book?

David: I was working in a summer season at Aberystwyth, and I heard a story about an armed response unit killing a murderer the previous year. The murderer committed a motiveless crime, killing a relative I was fascinated by the story, and it stayed with me over the years. I eventually considered writing a novel, and I like crime fiction. So I wrote about my antagonist being known from the start of the book, but there being no apparent motive. My protagonist's challenge is to find a motive for the crime, and I suppose the Aberystwyth incident had inspired me..I chose Swansea because of the Dylan Thomas connection, and I love the Gower peninsula and Rhosili Bay.

AmeriCymru: Your second novel ( 'Willie The Actor' 2007 ) is a novel about an ordinary man leading an extraordinary double-life of crime. We learn from the 'product description' that it is loosely based on a true story. Care to expand on that?

David: I read about Willie Sutton in a magazine article. He was a notorious bank robber with a difference - he never fought anyone or fired a shot in his life. I became fascinated by this real-life criminal who was a sympathetic character, who was such a contrast to the violent gangsters around during the prohibition era.

AmeriCymru: What's next for David Barry?

David: I love Charles Dickens's novels, and I've written a spin-off from David Copperfield. My novel is about the Micawber family adventures in Australia and is called Mr Micawber Down Under, and will be published by Robert Hale Ltd next October. I have also been working on another Swansea-based crime novel.

AmeriCymru: Any final messages for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?

David: Iechyd da i pawb!

Interview by Ceri Shaw Email

Posted in: Author Interviews | 3 comments

Al Lewis - Male Artist of the Year 2011
(BBC Cymru RAP Awards)

Dyddiad Rhyddhau: 18 o Ebrill - Ar Gael i Rag Archebu Rwan

Mae rhain meddu ar y ddawn o gyfansoddi caneuon melodig a fydd yn cael eu cofleidio gan gynulleidfaoedd. Mae rhain meddu ar y ddawn o ganu fel eos.
Dengys Ar Gof a Chadw, albwm newydd sbon Al Lewis Band, fod y bachgen lwcus hwn yn meddu ar y ddau.

Mae presenoldeb Al Lewis ai fand yng Nghymru, a thu hwnt bellach, yn amlwg iawn. Daeth yr albwm Sawl Ffordd Allan (Sain, 2009) yn fyw trwy donfeddir radio ai berfformiadau niferus, ac roedd ychwaneg o lwyddiant ar y gorwel. Wedi rhyddhau ei albwm Saesneg cyntaf, In the Wake (ALM, 2010), daeth i fod yn artist y mis ir cwmni Cafe Nero, gan sicrhau dechreuad prysur i 2011 wrth deithio ledled Prydain yn canu mewn caffis.

Mae Ar Gof a Chadw yn dilyn sn a naws cynnes In the Wake. Maer holl ganeuon yn trafod y syniad o fywyd yn gwibio heibio gan ein gadael yn hiraethu neun myfyrio am gyfnodau penodol. Ond yn fwy na dim, y teimlad hwnnw o berthyn.

Mi fydd Al lewis hefyd i'w glywed ar y dyddiau canlynol:

Rhaglen Daf & Caryl (Radio Cymru) - Dydd Llun 18 Ebrill
Wedi 7 - Dydd Llun 18 Ebrill
Albym yr wythnos - Rhaglen Lisa Gwilym: 18-22 Ebrill

Release Date: 18th April - Available to Pre Order Now

Some people can effortlessly compose melodic songs that audiences will lap up. Others can sing beautifully with no effort. Ar Gof a Chadw, Al Lewiss latest album proves that some people have it all.

Al Lewis Bands presence in Wales, and beyond is unmissable. His album Sawl Ffordd Allan (Sain, 2009) came alive through the airwaves and his numerous performances, and more success was on the horizon. After the release of In the Wake (ALM, 2010), Al was chosen by Caf Nero as Artist of the Month, ensuring a busy start to 2011 as he toured cafes throughout Britain.

Ar Gof a Chadw reflects the warm sound of In the Wake. All songs discuss how quickly life passes by, leaving us longing for the good old days. But more than anything, they discuss the feeling of belonging.

You can also hear Al Lewis on the following dates:

Daf & Caryl's Show (Radio Cymru) - Monday 18 April
Wedi 7 (S4C)- Monday 18 April
Album of the week - Lisa Gwilym's Show: 18-22 April

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