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I want to express my sincere gratitude to Robert and Pattie Titley, for all their generous hard work on the PR for my two engagements at the Metropolitan Room.Last night being the 1st.

Through announcing my appearances to the media, plus postings on various websites, St Georges being one as of course this one. Articles inNite life and more,produced a wonderful turnout. I had a great night, it was fun and exciting, and even more important, a joy having friends in the audience. A surprise celebrity Morgan Freeman in attendance was the iceing on the cake as they say. So thank you for all your support.

The Deputy Consul Generals wife who was a guest of Vicki Downing. Chief of Staff for the MountbattenOrg ,summed up the evening as being invited to a party!! Vicki also brought her young student who were wonderful and excitedly expressed their enjoyment, so much so, they want to return for my next show.

Robert brought, and entertained media guestsDon TuthillRobert AdamsDavid Booth Perry

andKathleen Becket For which I amgrateful.

My Next and finalperformance willbe Sunday 20th October.

Hope to see you there and if you are, please make your selfs known to me.

Iris

 On 7 October 1567, the first translation into Welsh of The New Testament was published.

 A history of the key events in the lead up to the publication of the New Testament in Welsh;.

1516 Erasmus published the Greek text of the New Testament

1522, Martin Luther  began to translate the Bible into German.

1526 William Tyndale translated the New Testament into English but was killed in 1536 before being able to complete the whole Bible.

1539 Miles Coverdale edited a new translation of the English Bible, ‘The Great Bible', under the patronage of Archbishop Cranmer and the government of Henry VIII.

1549  Under Edward VI, it was deemed that all acts of public worship were to be conducted in English instead of Latin.

1563 Elizabeth I introduced legislation which required all churches in Wales to have Welsh translations of the Book of Common Prayer and the Bible alongside the English versions. Welsh became the first non-state language of Europe to be used to convey the word of God after the Reformation.

 The translation of the New Testament into Welsh, produced by William Salesbury followed in 1567.  Salesbury, was the principal translator, but worked with Richard Davies (Bishop of St David's) and Thomas Huet (Precentor of St David's) to prepare the translation from the original Greek. 

Salesbury was born in about 1520 in the parish of Llansannan, Conwy and educated at Oxford University, where he studied Hebrew, Greek and Latin and also became familiar with the then banned writings of  Martin Luther and William Tyndale as well as the technology of printing.  As a convinced Protestant, he had been obliged to spend most of the reign of  Mary I, 1553–1558, in hiding. 

However, his translation although in hindsight, a monumental achievement was at the time not universally well received.  The main fault was not the translation itself, which was excellent, it was the confusing layout of the text that Salesbury used, as he was determined to show the Latin word origins and also included several different words for the same meaning and put dialect alternatives in the margins.  This resulted in a text that was difficult to read and there were reports of it being agony to listen to the clergymen struggling to get through the service.

His translation was subsequently superseded by a translation of the whole Bible by Bishop William Morgan in 1588.  

Born on this day 1839 near Tregynon, Montgomeryshire

Morgan Jones - American railroad builder, credited with helping to open the semiarid and largely unoccupied Texas plains

A boyhood fascination with the railroads resulted in him leaving the family farm aged 19, to seek his fortune in railroad construction.  After serving a seven-year apprenticeship with the Cambrian Railway Company, he sailed to the United States in 1866, where he was  immediately made a foreman of a construction crew and was involved in forming the first transcontinental railroad in the United States.

During the next five decades, Jones built a reputation for meeting seemingly impossible construction deadlines in organising hundreds of miles of railroads in Texas, which were laid without federal or state land subsidies, which made him a local hero and he is credited with helping to open up the semi-arid and largely unoccupied Texas plains. 

Born on this day 1778

Vice Admiral, Sir Charles Paget, one of the Pagets of Plas Newydd on Anglesey 

Paget was an active captain of the Royal Navy during The French Revolutionary Wars 1792- 1802 and The Napoleonic Wars 1803–1815.  He attained the rank of Vice Admiral in 1837 in charge of North American and West Indian Waters. 

His career was also notable for his noble action in saving seven hundred enemy crew members lives when he happened upon a disabled French ship, during a rough storm, towing the stricken ship to safety with his ships anchor.

Paget was MP for Caernarvon Boroughs and appointed Groom of the Bedchamber during the reign of King William IV.   Paget died of yellow fever, which is caused by the bite of female mosquitoes, on board HMS Tartarus in 1839.  

For action on 7th-8th October 1918, John (Jack) Henry Williams, was awarded the Victoria Cross.  He is the most decorated Welsh non-commissioned officer of all time.

Williams was born in Nantyglo, Monmouthshire in 1886 and in November 1914, he gave up his work as a colliery blacksmith, to enlist in the 10th Battalion, South Wales Borderer.  He was promoted to Sergeant in January 1915.

His citation for the Victoria Cross:

"For most conspicuous bravery, initiative and devotion to duty on the night of 7th - 8th October 1918, during the attack on Villers Outreaux, when, observing that his company was suffering heavy casualties from an enemy machine gun, he ordered a Lewis Gun to engage it, and went forward, under heavy fire, to the flank of the enemy post which he rushed single-handed, capturing fifteen of the enemy"

When his prisoners realised that Williams was acting alone, they turned on him and gripped his rifle. However, Williams then bayonetted five of them, which resulted in them surrendering for the second time

His medal ceremony for the VC, DCM, MM and Bar from King George V,  was the first time that the same man had been decorated four times on the same day and during the presentation one of the wounds in his arm opened resulting in him receiving medical attention before he could leave the palace.  His grave and memorial are at Ebbw Vale Cemetery. 

Born on this day 1973 in Llwydcoed, near Aberdare.  

Actor - Ioan Gruffudd. 

Gruffudd was an accomplished oboist in his teens, playing in the South Glamorgan Youth Orchestra for several years and won prizes for his baritone singing at the National Eisteddfod, while at school.  He started his acting career at the age of 13 in a Welsh television film called Austin (1986) and then later moved on to the Welsh language soap opera Pobl y Cwm from 1987 to 1994, which led to him being offered the lead role in the 1996 TV remake of Poldark.  He then came to international attention as Fifth Officer Harold Lowe in the film Titanic (1997), and as Lt John Beales in Black Hawk Down (2001). However, he is best known in the UK for playing the role of Horatio Hornblower in Hornblower (1998–2003).  Gruffudd has also starred as Oscar Wilde's lover John Gray in Wilde (1997), as British anti-slavery abolitionist William Wilberforce in Amazing Grace (2006) and as Tony Blair in W (2008), as well as having roles in the films 102 Dalmations and King Arthur (2004). 

Gruffudd is a native Welsh speaker and was inducted into the Gorsedd Beirdd Ynys Prydain at the highest rank of druid in the National Eisteddfod in 2003, with the bardic name "Ioan".  

On 6th October 1864, the Denbigh, Ruthin and Corwen Railway was completed through to Corwen,  which was a vital development in the town's importance as the centre of the local Agriculture industry.  The railways also opened up North Wales as a tourist destination, especially for Chester, Liverpool, Birmingham and other English cities.  Their arrival also had a major impact on North Wales newspapers as daily London newspapers became available on the day of publication.  

From the birth of the railway network, 120 railway companies existed in England, Wales and Scotland.  This resulted in there being no standard practice for any of their procedures.  By 1921 the 120 companies were combined into four groups: the London Midland and Scottish; the Great Western Railway; the London and North Eastern Railway; and the Southern Railway, which led to more efficient and economical working and by 1948, the four companies were merged into one publicly-owned undertaking with the title ‘‘British Railways’’.  

 The "Wrexham riot" occurred in October 1601,

Supporters of the poet and patron of literature, Sir John Salusbury were involved in violent clashes with surviving supporters of the Essex Rebellion (an unsuccessful rebellion against Elizabeth I of England), during Salusbury's attempt for election to parliament.   These conflicts are referred to as the "Wrexham riot".  Salusbury's cousins Owen and John were implicated in the rebellion, Owen being killed in the fighting. After the Rebellion, Salusbury, who became MP for Denbighshire, was knighted for his support in suppressing it. 

Salusbury was a member of the Salusbury family of Lleweni, Denbighshire.  He was born in 1567 and educated at Oxford University, where he matriculated aged just 14. He later studied law and was appointed to the court of Elizabeth I.  Salubury was a staunch Protestant and became noted for his "ostentatious loyalty" to the queen, in contrast to other members of his family, who were associated with Catholic sympathies and plots against her.

Born on this day 1951 in Singapore. 

Clive Rees - former Wales rugby international and British and Irish Lion and captain of London Welsh for the club's 1984-85 centenary season. 

Rees studied at Loughborough College, where he earned the nickname Billy Whizz because he ran so fast his legs were a blur.  A nickname by which Rees is still fondly referred to.  His speed made him an excellent Sevens player and he soon attracted the attention of the Welsh selectors, especially after he outpaced JJ Williams in a trial match.

He went on to gain 13 international caps and even though he never scored a try for Wales himself, but his blistering speed and support play contributed to many.  His legendary carving run down the left wing at Murrayfield in 1983 produced one of the all-time great Welsh tries.  Rees played in an era before professionalism and achieved his success in the game while still a highly respected school teacher.

Born this day 1948 in Maesteg.

Olympian Tony Simmons, who finished 4th in the 10,000 metres at the 1976 Olympics and 2nd in the 10,000 metres at the 1974 European Athletics Championships.  He also set a world record  for the half marathon in 1978. 

Born on this day 1988 in Cardiff

Sam Warburton - Grand Slam winning captain of Wales and series winning captain of the British and Irish Lions. 

Warburton  played soccer Whitchurch High School, alongside Gareth Bale, but he excelled at rugby, represent Wales at all school levels.  At the 2011 Rugby World Cup, Warburton became the youngest World Cup captain ever and in 2013, the youngest ever Lions captain at the age of 24.

Warburton was sent off controversially in the Semi Final of the 2011 Rugby World Cup against France for a tip tackle on Vincent Clerc, but despite this, he was still named as the player of the tournament.  

5th October 1839 saw the opening of West Bute Dock in Cardiff, which resulted in Cardiff becoming the biggest coal exporting dock in the world by 1913. 

Following the discovery and development of coal found in the Cynon and Rhondda valleys and the rapid expansion of Merthyr's iron operations in the wake of the Industrial revolution, their export required a sea connection to the Bristol Channel. 

The Glamorganshire Canal was opened in 1794, linking Cardiff with Merthyr and by the 1830s, Cardiff was shipping almost half of Britain's iron exports, which led in 1839 to  John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess of Bute and Cardiff's foremost landowner, being instrumental in the construction of the (West) Bute Dock, which was opened on 5th October 1839.

Two years later, the Taff Vale Railway was opened and with the construction of the new East Bute Dock from 1855, coal supplanted iron as the industrial foundation of South Wales, with coal exports increasing from 44,350 to 2.219 million tonnes, between 1840 and 1870. 

However, frustration at the lack of further development at Cardiff led to rival docks being opened in 1865 at Penarth and in 1889 at Barry.  These developments eventually resulted in the opening of the Roath Dock in 1887 and the Queen Alexandra Dock in 1907, which saw coal exports from the South Wales Coalfield via Cardiff rise to 10,700,000 tons by 1913, making Cardiff the biggest coal exporting dock in the world.  

  Marcher lord Roger de Mortimer de Chirk was appointed Justiciar of North Wales in October 1316. 

Following Edward I of England's conquest of North Wales (1277-1283), the counties of Anglesey, Caernarfonshire and Merioneth were created out of the Kingdom of Gwynedd by the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284 and placed under direct royal control. The Justiciar was responsible for the royal administration in these counties as well as the administration of justice. English law applied to criminal cases, but Welsh law was allowed to continue in most other matters. 

Roger Mortimer de Chirk was said to be a lecherous and violent man.  In 1277, the Lord of North Powys died leaving two young sons and de Mortimer was appointed by Edward I as their guardian.  However their bodies washed up in the River Dee four years later and Mortimer who was suspected of their murder was granted their lands. 

In 1282, Chirk was a Captain in the royal army in the conflict against Llywelyn ap Gruffydd and at the Battle of Falkirk in 1298 when William Wallace was finally defeated. He was subsequently created Lord of Chirk and acquired huge estates taking ruthless control of Welsh strongholds. He had begun work on Chirk Castle sometime after 1295. 

On 28 January 1316, the Sheriff of Glamorgan and his men holding court outside the walls of Caerphilly Castle were attacked by a gang of Welshmen led by Llywelyn Bren, who had declared war on the maladministration of Payn de Turberville, a new royal appointee. Years of famine and punitive taxation led Llywelyn to desperate measures in defence of his people.  Mortimer and the Earl of Hereford were ordered to raise men to crush the rebellion and marched an army of 2,150 from Bristol, relieving Caerphilly and forcing Llywelyn to surrender. Subsequently, Chirk was appointed to post of Justiciar of North Wales in October 1316. 

In 1321, Chirk and his nephew, Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March, the lover and ally of Queen Isabella, were leaders of a baronial revolt against Edward II of England, which was initially unsuccessful and led to their imprisonment in the Tower of London, where Chirk died. However, his nephew, Roger Mortimer, managed to escape the Tower and fled to France to join Isabella, from where they launched a successful rebellion against Edward II in 1326.  

Born on this day 1923 in Pretoria, South Africa

Glynis Johns - actress and singer  particularly remembered for "Send in the Clowns"

Husky-voiced Glynis is the daughter of actor Mervyn Johns, best known for her light and flirtatious comedy roles.  Glynis was born in South Africa while her parents were on tour there (her mother was a concert pianist) but was always proud of her Welsh roots and took delight in playing the female lead (opposite Richard Burton) in the classic Under Milk Wood (1972). Glynis is probably best known for her role as the suffragette mother in Mary Poppins (1964) although she is probably best loved for her roles in Miranda (1948) and Mad About Men (1954). She had earlier showed she could take on the serious roles as well as in Frieda (1947) and showed her longevity, with her role in Superstar (1999).  

Born on this day 1890 in Amlwch on Anglesey

William Williams who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his role in the sinking of a German submarine on 7th June 1917.

The award was given to the crew of the HMS Pargust  as a whole, the first time a ship's company had been honoured for act of collective gallantry and t he citation on Williams's award read

'selected by the ship's company under Rule 13 of the Royal Warrant'.  In the case of a gallant and daring act in which all men are deemed equally brave and deserving of the Victoria Cross a secret ballot is drawn.  In this case, the crew of  HMS Pargust  selected William Williams to be the recipient of the award, by secret ballot. 

During World War I, the German Navy attempted to blockade Great Britain, using its submarines (U-boats) to cut off food and vital supplies.  In response the British used Q-ships, which were armed ships disguised as merchant ships, to encourage enemy attacks and then use their hidden guns against the submarine.

The H.M.S. Pargust was one such Q-ship and when the crew were seen to abandon their vessel a German submarine prepared to attack.  However unknown to them, a small number of men were hidden on board and Seaman Williams managed to hold the starboard gun port in place for over 30 minutes even though it had been released from its securing weights.  This action allowed the gun to be successfully used against the submarine when it emerged.

Media Contact : Bob Titley For Immediate Release

The Robert Titley Consultancy

roberttitley@aol.com

(917) 690 8418

The Welsh Government Announces Dylan Thomas 100

2014 Cultural Festival To Celebrate the Life, Work and Legacy of Fabled Welsh Poet

New www.dylanthomas100.org for All Things Dylan, Including 2014 Events

The Prince of Wales, Royal Patron of Dylan Thomas 100 , Records One of His Favorite Dylan Thomas Poems, 'Fern Hill, to Mark National Poetry Day

New York, October 3, 2013 Today, October 3, is National Poetry Day in Wales. What more appropriate time to talk about the countrys storied poet Dylan Thomas. The centenary of Dylan Thomass birth (born Swansea: October 27, 1914; died New York City: November 9, 1953) will be celebrated by a yearlong countrywide cultural festival- Dylan Thomas 100 - in Wales in 2014. A new interactive map-based and eponymously named digital hub www.dylanthomas100.org makes it easy and fun to discover Dylan Thomas, explore places in Wales he is connected with, engage via social networking and locate festival events via a Timeline tab.

The site www.americas.visitwales.com is a resource for planning your Dylan-themed trip to Wales and for downloading a program of Dylan Thomas 100 events. The program will be updated regularly.

The Dylan Thomas 100 Festivals Royal Patron, HRH Prince Charless new reading of Fern Hill is now available online at http://www.dylanthomas100.org/english/multimedia/prince-charles-reads-fern-hill/ . Fern Hill' is one of Thomas's best known poems. The Prince of Wales said: "For National Poetry Day, I was very
glad, if somewhat hesitant!to be able to record a reading of one of my personal favorites, 'Fern Hill', with its poignant and moving evocation of a rural west Wales childhood. I cannot help feeling this is one of the great legacies of Thomas's poetry that it inspires people to appreciate the incomparable landscape of Wales."

Honorary Patron and Dylans granddaughter, Hannah Ellis has joined the Welsh Government in endorsing Dylan Thomas 100 and its digital hub.

Dylan Thomas 100 and www.dylanthomas100.org will of course highlight Welsh locations closely associated with the poet-like his birthplace, Swansea, his old writing shed, and his home -The Boathouse - in the town of Laugharne. And New Quay-template for the Under Milk Wood village, Llareggub (bugger all spelled backwards!). However, the festival encompasses the entire country and beyond. And the program ranges across all artistic disciplines from literature, to opera, theatre and painting. From high profile exhibits and live performances to community-based educational programs.

This celebration will transcend geographic boundaries, stretching beyond Wales to New York. In one of its most inventive and ambitious projects, National Theatre Wales, in cooperation with BBC Wales, will stage a multimedia global event. In a combination of live broadcast, film and performance, a distinguished Welsh cast will engage with contemporary Welsh poet Owen Sheers 60-minute version of Under Milk Wood in a transatlantic live-linked event, with characters and voices in various locations from Laugharne to New York. For the live theater audiences, this may be an intimate audience of six in a dressing room with actor Eve Myles (TORCHWOOD) or hundreds on a street in Laugharne with Artistic Director / Actor Michael Sheen (FROST / NIXON; THE QUEEN).

Business and Tourism Minister Edwina Hart said: Dylan Thomas is one of the literary giants of the last century. These events will help contribute to a fitting legacy for Dylans life and work, but I also hope they will resurrect a passion for literature and inspire people of all ages to connect more actively with our rich cultural heritage. In the spirit of Dylan, it is an opportunity to showcase Wales as a land of artistic excellence to an international audience and raise further the iconic status of this great literary figure.

On 4th October 2013, despite opposition, the Newport Chartist Mural was controversially demolished to make way for a new shopping centre development.   

The Chartist Mural, celebrated the Chartist uprising of 1839 when John Frost led a march of thousands of protestors to the Westgate Hotel and was fired on by troops, with some 22 demonstrators killed.

The mosaic, designed by Kenneth Buddmural comprised of 200,000 pieces of tile and glass, it was 115 feet long and 13 feet high and situated in a pedestrian underpass in Newport. Its panels depicted;   

* The march of the armed Chartist insurrectionists towards Newport.   

* The Chartists' marching banners for the democratic demands of the Six Points of the People's Charter.   

* Their convergence on the Westgate Hotel to protest their demands.   

* The final tragedy when soldiers opened fire upon the assembled Chartists.   

On 4th October 1976, British Rail began its Inter-City 125 mph High-Speed Train service, with the first scheduled journey on the London - Bristol - Cardiff  route.  Powered by two diesel motors the Inter-City 125 recorded a top speed of over 140mph, making it the fastest diesel-powered train in the world at the time.  Its introduction made significant reductions in journey times across the UK and led to a marked surge in passenger numbers. 

In the absence of an official ceremony by British Rail to mark the occasion, passengers were unaware that they were making history as the 0805 left Paddington.  But most travellers did appreciate some improvement in comfort, with the aircraft-like seating and sliding electric doors at the end of each carriage.  Hot food was also served quickly from an onboard kitchen with the aid of a then state-of-the-art microwave oven.  

Born on this day 1946 in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York City. 

Actress Susan Sarandon, who won an Oscar for her performance in the 1995 film "Dead Man Walking" and also gained cult status for her role as Janet in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show". 

She is descended from the Tomalin family of Carmarthenshire and tests for the BBC programme "Coming Home" showed that her DNA was "clearly very Welsh".    

Born on this day 1984 in Johannesburg, South Africa (brought up in Aberdare) 

Ian Evans  - Wales and Lions rugby international.   

Born on this day 1958 in Cowbridge. 

Anne "Anneka" Rice - television presenter. 

Rice began her TV career as a trainee for the BBC World Service, before moving to Hong Kong, where she presented the news on English-language television station TVB Pearl. Upon returning to the UK, she worked as a secretary in the BBC Children's department and landed her first major TV job as the jump-suited "sky runner" of Channel 4's Treasure Hunt, in 1983 which was hosted by former BBC newsman Kenneth Kendall.  Rice hosted the BBC's Children in Need appeal in 1987 and then launched, Challenge Anneka in 1989. 

Rice quit television in 1998 to study for and ultimately gain a degree in painting at Chelsea College of Art.  Then in 2003 Rice returned to presenting on the Five show Dinner Doctors and in 2012 she became co-presenter of The Flowerpot Gang on BBC1 with Joe Swift (TV garden presenter) and Phil Tufnell (ex-cricketer).   She was also confirmed in 2012, as the successor to Zoe Ball on Radio 2's Weekend Breakfast show, on Saturday mornings.  

Brigadier Lewis Pugh Evans from Abermad, near Aberystwyth, was awarded the Victoria Cross for action on 4th October 1917, near Zonnebeke, Belgium during The First World War. 

Whilst leading his batallion on an assault, they came under strong machine gun fire. Lt.-Col. Evans rushed the garrison and captured it by firing his revolver through the loophole.  He refused medical attention, even though severely wounded and led his battalion forward against a second position.  When this objective was completed and their position was secure, Evans collapsed from loss of blood, but as there were many other casualties, he refused immediate assistance and made his own way to the Dressing Station. 

On 3rd October 1283: Dafydd ap Gruffydd, the brother of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, become the first prominent person in recorded history to be hanged, drawn and quartered.  He was also the first person known to have been tried and executed for high treason against the King.

Dafydd was dragged through Shrewsbury, attached to a horse's tail then hanged alive, revived, then disembowelled and his entrails burned before him for "his sacrilege in committing his crimes in the week of Christ's passion", and then his body cut into four quarters "for plotting the king's death".

Pictured is the cross on Pride Hill, Shrewsbury, which  replaced the earlier High Cross that was the site for proclamations and significant executions. A notice nearby states that David III, Prince of Wales was hanged, drawn, beheaded and quartered near here in 1283 for high treason.

Events leading up to the execution of Dafydd ap Gruffydd;

1238  Dafydd was born to Gruffydd ap Llywelyn and his wife, Senena, and thus a grandson of Llywelyn Fawr.

1241  Dafydd is recorded as having been handed over as a hostage, as part of an agreement with Henry III of England. 

1255  Dafydd joined in a challenge to Llywelyn at the Battle of Bryn Derwin.  Llywelyn was victorious and imprisoned Dafydd but released him and restored him to favour the following year.

1263  Dafydd  joined King Henry against Llywelyn 

1267  At the Treaty of Montgomery,  Llywelyn was  recognised as Prince of Wales by King Henry and Dafydd was again restored to Llywelyn's favour

1272  Henry III died and was relaced on the throne by his son Edward I

1274  Dafydd was involved in an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Llywelyn and forced to flee to England where he was maintained by king Edward I  and assisted in further raids on Llywelyn's lands,

1276  Edward declared Llywelyn a rebel and gathered a massive army to march against him.

1277   Edward's forces had reached the heart of Gwynedd and confiscated the harvest in Anglesey, which forced Llywelyn to surrender.  This resulted in the Treaty of Aberconwy, which guaranteed peace in Gwynedd.  Dafydd and Llywelyn were also reconciled.

1282 (Easter)  Dafydd attacked Hawarden Castle, thereby starting the final conflict Edward I.

1282 (11th December)  Llywelyn was killed and Dafydd who had become Prince of Wales, was on the run. 

1283 (January)  Edward I  had the heartland of independent Wales ringed with a massive army. Dafydd was initially based at Dolwyddelan, but with limited resources this became indefensible and he moved to Castell y Bre.

1283 (April)  Castell y Bere was besieged by over 3,000 men, and the small Welsh garrison surrendered. Dafydd, however, managed to escape to Dolbadarn Castle. 

1283 (May)  Dafydd was forced to move  to the mountains above the Welsh royal home in Abergwyngregyn.

1283 (22nd June)  Dafydd was  captured near Bera Mountain to the south of Abergwyngregyn. Dafydd, who was seriously wounded, was taken to King Edward at Rhuddlan and then to Chester and finally to Shrewsbury.  Dafydd's wife Elizabeth and their seven daughters, as well as Llywelyn's daughter, Gwenllian were also taken prisoner.

1283 (28th June)  Edward summoned a parliament at Shrewsbury, to discuss Dafydd's punishment.

1283 (3rd October)  Dafydd was executed, with Edward ensuring that his death was slow and agonising.  

Born this day 1972 in Newport

Josie d'Arby - television presenter, actress, writer and director

d'Arby began a presenting career while studying at RADA. In the early 1990s, she presented on Children's BBC and had her own show 'Josie' on Channel 5. She has since presented a number of high profile programmes including the Bigger Breakfast, Top of the Pops, BBC Young Musician of the Year, BBC Cardiff Singer of the World and BBC Choir of the Year.   She and Cerys Mathews hosted the Children in Need section for Wales.  She has also worked in radio, as a co-presenter for BBC Radio 2 of The Steve Wright Show and has also presented a number of documentaries for BBC Radio 4.

d'Arby's first high-profile dramatic acting role was as series regular WPC Jodie Finn, in the BBC drama, Merseybeat and the Channel Four sketch series Spoons.  She is a celebrity ambassador for the British Red Cross.  Continuing her diverse career, Josie now works as a writer-director and her first play ' The Newport Monologues' about life in her hometown, opened to rave reviews from press and audience in September 2012.  

Born on this day 1804 in Sandy Hill, New York (of Welsh descent)

Townsend Harris, U.S. politician and diplomat, who was the first consul from the West, to reside in Japan and was subsequently instrumental in shaping Japanese–Western relations.

A minor Democratic politician, Harris became the president of the New York City Board of Education in 1846. He then left on a series of financially disastrous trading voyages, but in 1853, he managed to join a deputation to Japan to open trade with the West and using his political connections, managed to have himself appointed the first consul general to Japan in 1855. However when Harris arrived in Japan, he was not made welcome and the Japanese authorities simply ignored his presence, which forced him to establish his consulate in a Buddhist temple in the small town of Shimoda.

Eventually, his sincerity and perseverance were rewarded with several audiences with the Shogun, which culminated in Harris persuading the Japanese to sign a commercial treaty (Harris treaty) on July 29, 1858, with similar treaties soon signed between Japan and other Western countries. He resigned in 1861 and returned to New York, where he remained active in politics until his death in 1878.  

In October 1848, the building of the North Wales Hospital in Denbigh was completed.

The North Wales Hospital (locally known as Denbigh Mental or Denbigh Asylum) is a Grade II listed building and was built in response to the Lunacy Act 1845 as a hospital for housing 200 people with psychiatric illnesses.

The act was an important landmark in the treatment of the mentally ill and changed the status of the mentally ill to people who could be treated and cured, an attitude that had been highlighted by the mental disorder of ruling monarch George III.

Apologies for taking a month to get on with part 2!

We continue the trip at Pontrhydygroes, once known as 'little Switzerland' the valley does have something of an Alpine feel here.

The village of Pontrhydygroes is spread out across the wooded hillside on the southern side of the river Ystwyth. Whether you approach from New Row or from down the Valley the Methodist Chapel dominates the village. Below the village, the river runs through a narrow gorge, and down stream enters a narrow V shaped valley. The Miners Bridge, a footbridge, rebuilt a few years ago, provides the only access to woodland walks opposite, without a lengthy detour. It replaces a bridge built by miners 150 years ago to connect New Row with the village and the Mines.

At the Bridge (Pont) there presumably used to be a ford (Rhyd) and I believe the cross (Groes) refers to the road junction. You have to head a little way up the hill to reach the main part of the village, on the left the Miners Arms Pub B+B and shop is now the focal point of the village, further up is Lisburn garage and 'Cwtch' Cafe.

In the crook of the bend in the road above Lisburn Garage sits the Count House, with steps from the road to a door where Miners once received their wages, and a balcony on the end where the bosses once sat, while the miners sat on benches in the yard below on 'setting day'. Work in different sections of the mine would be assessed and teams of miners would bid against each other to work in different parts of the mine. Under the bend in the road is the level Fawr, a tunnel begun in 1785, taking 9 years to drive of a mile to drain and ventilate Logaulas Mine, over the following 30 years it was driven a mile or so further for access to 3 more mines. It is said that at sun set on mid summers day, the sun shines straight along the tunnel for some distance for a few moments.

Further up the road is Ysbyty Ystwyth with its Cornish style Church, beyond here you are up out of the Ystwyth Valley and heading for a fantastic view over Tregaron bog (Cors Caron) and the upper Teifi Valley which runs down to Cardigan / Aberteifi.

Returning to the Bridge at the bottom of the Hill, a lodge guards the lower entrance to The Hafod estate and the road heads off up the side of the valley. If it were not for the former mansion, I'm certain the road would continue up the bottom of the valley to Cwmystwyth village but instead climbs high up the side for traffic to bypass the heart of the estate. The road splits part way up the hill, the left going to Devils Bridge and the right climbing high above the estate and zigzagging its way along the upper edge of the valley. Before it emerges from the trees, a small Cornish style church is seen to the right of the road, belonging to the former great Mansion. Walks through the Hafod estate begin here. As the road emerges from the forest, it begins to head away from the valley, towards Pwllperian farm, but the main route forks right to continue to Cwmystwyth. As the village is approached, the valley bottom is broad and contains the green meadows of several farms and the sweeping curves of the river .

Pwllperian. (the following paragraph is taken from www.pumlumon.org.uk )

For more than 80 years researchers at Pwllpeiran have worked to improve the viability of farming the uplands of Wales. Their studies have helped hill farmers care for their livestock and manage their land more efficiently. Pwllpeiran has a long and distinguished record of involvement with change and development in the Welsh uplands and was once part of the famous Hafod Estate of Thomas Johns. In the 1930s it became the centre of Sir George Stapledons pioneering Cahn Hill Improvement Scheme before becoming in 1955 a Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Experimental Husbandry Farm.

This had two objectives:- Firstly to demonstrate integration between agriculture and forestry and secondly to develop practical systems to increase the output from Welsh Mountain Farms, as a way of maintaining rural populations and incomes.
Over a thirty year period, Pwllpeiran increased its agricultural output dramatically and its systems were widely taken up by farmers but lead to serious impacts on both landscape and the environment particularly overgrazing .
Today, output is no longer so important and the uplands are increasingly being managed for multiple objectives with the aim of creating a more diverse rural economy which can provide jobs and stable rural communities. This change in emphasis away from production per se towards far more environmentally sustainable system, is reflected in Pwllpeirans current activities.

Pwllperian has recently become part of Aberystwyth University's Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS)

Cwmystwyth village is little more than a scattering of farms and houses, as soon as you pass through the valley narrows, the sides are clad with oak woodlands. Emerging from the woodland is the most dramatic change of scenery you will find almost anywhere. The Mines of Cwmystwyth have huge waste tips, various ruined buildings, tramroads, leats, adits, and shafts. High up the hillside copper was mined here around 4000 years ago. Most of the evidence that can be seen now is from mining which developed through medieval times and peaked in the second half of the 19 ^th centuary, struggling on until 1921. Almost a mile of the valley side is covered in bare rock, from the crags of Graig Fawr so the spoil heaps at the edge of the river, it is visible on google earth / maps when you have the whole of Wales on your screen. http://goo.gl/maps/oaTyd A closer look at the right hand half of this view shows the spoil heaps from the Bronze age workings on Copper hill and probably the most impressive example of 'hushing' in Britain.

I'm sure most people passing through between here and the Elan valley beyond see the old mines as a dreadful mess and nothing more, which is a shame because there is a wealth of stories to be told about the people who lived and worked in conditions to play their part in the development of everything we take for granted today. I'll come back to this subject one day.

At the head of the Valley is Tyllwyd farm, which has just constructed a small hydro electric scheme using the old mine leat to carry a pipe line. There is also a Campsite here and Esgair wen holiday cottage. The road climbs from here up to the Elan Valley Estate.