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just got back from a great weekend in New York , saw Mike at 2 shows , he can still rock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was fun runnig in to so many Welsh at the shows and on the street ,youcan't keep Welsh a part ,we like to have so much fun!!!!!!!!!!!!

Aeronwy Thomas-Ellis the daughter of Dylan Thomas passed away suddenly on Monday after suffering from cancer for some time.Aeronwy worked tirelessly on behalf of her father's memory and was responsible for keeping his memory alive particularly in the 70s and 80s. Her brother Llewellyn died in 2000 and a younger brother Colm lives in Italy. She has two children Huw and Hannah.We first met Aeronwy and her husband Trefor at the London Welsh Club in London a few months after we had taken on the restoration of 5 Cwmdonkin Drive which was the birthplace of Dylan. She agreed to help us in any way and to be our house inspector when the work was finished.Over the next three years she visited on a number of occasions and officially opened the house to the public on what would have been her father's 94th birthday last 27 October.In unveiling a new plaque on the wall of the house to 'A man of words' she said that she was overwhelmed by the press and media interest in her family (pictured with us at the unveiling).Last year she followed in her father's footsteps and toured the States with Swansea poet Peter Thabit Jones and opened the Dylan Thomas trail in New York.Aeronwy was a small lady with a dry sense of humour who inherited her father's looks and poetic ability - we will miss her support and friendship.Her funeral will be at 1.30pm on Thursday 6th August at Holy Cross Church, Motspur Park, Surrey

WalesOnce upon a time in the Kingdom of Heaven, God was missing for six days. Eventually, Michael, the archangel found him, resting on the seventh day. He inquired of God, "Where have you been?" God sighed a deep sigh of satisfaction and proudly pointed downwards through the clouds, "Look, Michael, look what I've made."Archangel Michael looked puzzled and said, "What is it?" "It's a planet," replied God, "and I've put Life on it. I'm going to call it Earth and it's going to be a great place of balance." "Balance? inquired Michael, still confused. God explained, pointing to different parts of earth, "For example, northern Europe will be a place of great opportunity and wealth while southern Europe is going to be poor; the Middle East over there will be a hot spot and the Antarctic down there will be a cold spot. Over there I've placed a continent of white people and over there is a continent of black people," God continued, pointing to different countries. "This one will be extremely hot and arid while this one will be very cold and covered in ice." The Archangel, impressed by God's work, then pointed to an unusually shaped land mass and said, "What's that one?" "Ah," said God. "That's Wales, the most glorious place on earth. There are beautiful lakes, rivers, sunsets, beaches and rolling hills. The people from Wales are going to be modest, intelligent, and humorous and they are going to be great sportsmen, singers and poets. They will be extremely sociable, hardworking, and high-achieving, and they will be known throughout the world as diplomats and carriers of peace." Michael gasped in wonder and admiration but then proclaimed, "What about balance, you`ve given them everything, a perfect land God? You said there would be balance!" God replied wisely, "Wait until you see the neighbours Im giving them

Shw mar Irene,Your face rings a bell. I'm probably older than you, but I used to visit Glanaman regularily as a child, and stay with my Uncle and Aunt at Abernant Glas farm. You probably know it.alsoI'm from the Bont, born and bred. My parents owned a chip shop there.Dilwyn

Going to Seattle tomorrow to promote Ballad of a Bagpiperhttp://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/event/3003547

Celebrated Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers will release their latest album, Journal For Plague Lovers, on Columbia Records on September 15th 2009. Produced by Steve Albini its an incredible and arresting album, sure to floor both long-standing Manics fans as well as the uninitiated.....more HERE .

Details of individual concerts and venues are linked below.

September

Mon -21 Seattle, WA @ Neumos
Tue- 22 Vancouver, Canada @ The Commodore Ballroom Thu-24 San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore Fri- 25 Los Angeles, CA @ The Avalon Mon-Sep-28 Denver, CO @ The Bluebird Theatre Wed-Sep-30 Minneapolis, MN @ The Varsity Theatre

October

Thu-01 Chicago, IL @ The Metro Fri- 02 Detroit, MI @ The Majestic Theatre Sun- 04 Toronto, Canada @ The Phoenix Concert Theatre Tue- 06 Philadelphia, PA @ World Caf Live Wed- 07 New York City, NY @ Webster Hall Thu- 08 Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club

The single from the TREORCHY MALE CHOIR entitled THE LIBERATION HYMN has reached the number ONE position in Wales . The single, a total Welsh package of Choir, Composer, Studio and Record Label released the single for HELP FOR HEROES, the charity to help the injured and Wounded soldiers returning from overseas.Available on dowmload on itunes and others, and aslso from www.amazon.co.uk More info from OPTIMUM Records 00 44 (0) 1873 810142

Pantycelyn was one of the main players in the Welsh Methodist movement.A hymn writer.but that is history.His words ring in my head, a solid reminder, a nod towards recollection to one who lives in a Post Christian world, as I do.I do not know if the poetry inspired the music of the hymns or whether it is the other way round.I only know that through redirection to them I seem to have a recollection of a more personal Christ.About joy Williams is emphatic.it will come with the attainment of heavenIf sorrows in the world to endure until the end, all this shall come to a close within heaven, sadness becomes rejoicing.Os ywn gofidiau yn y bydI bara hyd y diweddO fewn y nef fe dderfydd hynTroir tristwch yn orfoleddHe does not deny sorrow, allows only the hope of heavenWhat is lovely?...he sees the world and it natural features and in it finds his vision of Christ.I am looking across the distant hills surrounding you every hour ..come, my sweet, the hour is lengthening and my sun is almost sinkingRwyn edrych dros y bryniau pellAmdanat bob yr awrTyrd, fanwylyd, maen hwyrhauAm haul bron mynd I lawrYma dymunwn dreuliom hoesO fore hyd brynhawnLle cawn i wylo cariad purYn ddagrau melys iawnHere would I wish to spend my days (literally age),from morning till afternoon where I could weep in pure love of very sweet tears.His vision is that of sorrow transmuted with the attainment of heaven. We weep not in sorrow but with the knowledge of love and there are sweet tears in grasping that truth.Today Pantycelyn speaks of love ,of Christ to me.Pererin wyf mewn anialdir as he wrote elsewhere.I am a pilgrim in a wilderness.His vision helps even now by considering what he wrote though it could be taken to further depths. But there is hope in the reading and in a Post Christian world his lyrics are still relevant.Hope this all makes sense in the midst of wandering thoughts and perceptions

Reprinted with permission from David Western's blog , all material 2009, David Western --

This week I finally got back to the Eisteddfod dragon after being away for a few weeks and then being swamped by all the "wedding season' carving which I should have done before I left! It was a nice treat to reaquaint myself with my little walnut friend here and to work on getting him ready for the Left Coast Eisteddfod next month.

I've got some work to do on his body and want to define the scales a bit to match the front of the spoon. As with any part of the carving, the sensible thing to do is pencil out the lines and then do a shallow cut with a straight knife to ensure everything is where it should be. Because it is such a sensible thing to do, I used to ignore this phase and plunge straight into the carving. Now, with advancing years and a bit of the wisdom that years of mistake making brings, I always do my drawing before I start hacking.

Here I'm using a very short straight knife to clear away the bulk of the scale. As you'll note, I am cutting toward myself which is yet another not-very-sensible thing to do. I am, in my defence, restraining the cut considerably and only taking a very small shaving. This limits the sweep of the cut and the force I need to make it...the idea is to stop the knife from being able to reach the left hand....works most of the time!

Here's a picture showing the shaping of the scales. As I proceed up the length of the dragon's body, the repetition of the scale form will make the body look much more vibrant and lively. The trick at this point is not to make a mistake and whack a chunk off the high sections of the scale. I also want to remember to shape the roundness of the chest as I am working my way along.

Nothing works better for putting a very gentle curve into the scales than the bent knife. With the two sided blade, I can cut in two directions without moving the piece and can easily alter the radius of the curve. Curiously, the bent knife never gets the credit it deserves except among NW coastal artists who keenly understand its great value and abilities. I know I would be lost without mine!!

Well, there he is, almost done! Just some work to do on the head and another eye to inlay next week and we're almost there!

Speaking of almost there, so is the Left Coast Eisteddfod!! With only a month to go until the big days (2 of 'em!) things are getting exciting. If you haven't donated to the cause, please consider a donation today. Every dollar you donate equals one chance to win this lovespoon!!

We are now officially a Registered Charity. Our Charity No. is 1130709.Trustee of the fund...Rosemary Yendle, Louis Thomas-Yendle, Ben Thomas-Yendle, Helen Thomas- Powell and Maria Hurley.We are liasing with the Charities that helped Ieuan through his life. Our objective is raise funds to purchase a Holiday Home to provide holidays and experiences for children and their families where the child is suffering from cancer, life threatening illnesses and disabilities.The idea behind the holidays and experiences is to provide opportunities for the children and their families to escape illness and the clinical sterile atmosphere of hospitals. Our aim is to make life a real experience for the children and their families.Ieuan and his family for many years had the opportunity to stay in holiday homes through the Charities. Where Ieuan spent many happy times and we have wonderful memories of these, this would not have been possible without the help of the Charities involved. We want other Children and their families to be able to experience this escapism the way Ieuan and his family were able to.The holiday home we are fundraising for will be adapted for wheelchair accessibility, walk in shower facilities, extra wide doors and hoists, if these facilities are required.We are hoping the holiday home will be sited in Tenby West Wales, where Ieuan spent many happy holidays here.To be able to purchase this holiday home we have to raise 45,000, as you can see this is a lot of money but with the determination of the trustees and the fundraising activities we will achieve this figure.If you can help in anyway however big or small every little helps. You can support Ieuan The Lion in many ways, from making a donation to hosting a charity event, from corporate sponsorship to a cake sale at your local school all donations no matter how small will go directly towards the holiday home.Here are just a few ideasDonations you can donate securely through www.ieuanthelion.com using your credit or debit card or your PayPal account. Just click on the Donate button that you can find throughout the website. For cheque donations,please make cheques payable toIEUAN THE LION MEMORIAL FUND and post to42 Milman Street, Newport, South Wales. NP20 2HRActivity challengesare a great way of involving friends and workmates in a worthwhile cause: Sponsored ascents of one of Wales famous mountains, cycling marathons, organised abseiling, dragon boat racingthe list is endless. And of course well help you promote your fund raising event through our website.Corporate sponsorship. Companies can gain valuable branding and profile benefits through sponsorship of Ieuan The Lions Fund, while at the same time ensuring that they are supporting a fantastic cause. For more information about what your company can do, contact us by email at wayne@ieuanthelion.com or by phone on 01633676286. We will advertise your businesses through the website. We feel that the website is a valuable tool for advertising due to the amount of visitors the site has gained in one year totalling over 15,000 visitors.Non uniform day. Schools can help by allowing students to make a donation to attend school in their own clothesThe list is endlesstrivia quizzes, fancy dress day at work, guess the baby competition, concerts, fashion shows, car boot sales, sponsored silence you choose. And of course well help you promote your fund raising event through our website.For any further information please email us at wayne@ieuanthelion.com or telephone 01633 676286/mobile 07749742322.FOR MORE INFORMATION ON IEUAN THE LION MEMORIAL FUND PLEASE VSIT www.ieuanthelion.com