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I'm feeling a bit "down" at the moment because I've just been told that teenagers don't read any more, so there was no point in writing the three teenage novels (including the sequel to last year's Tir na n-Og Award winning "Full Moon") wot I rote. I'm also feeling a bit "up" because I've embarked on a new novel for pre-teens which is up and running with a vengeance. I started with an idea, but the character has (as usual) gone his own way and (as usual) set off running in directions I never intended him to take. I've had to put "Silver Fox 3 ~ The Long Amen" on a back burner temporarily because of it. I hadn't intended to write a third part, but considerable pleading by various people has prodded me into finding the ending of the Glyndwr story. I'll go back to that when I've finished my current project.

Why aren't there more hours in the day? However, the sun is shining, the birds are tweetin', and life is pretty good on the whole.

John de Braose (c.1198 – 18 July 1232) known as Tadody to the Welsh, was the Lord of Bramber and Gower and son in law of Llywelyn ap Iorwerth. 

John's father William de Braose 4th Lord of Bramber was a court favourite of King John of England and a major landowner in Wales. At one time, he was Lord of Gower, Abergavenny, Brecknock, Builth, Radnor, Kington,and Glamorgan. After having invited local Welsh leaders to a Christmas feast at Abergavenny Castle, William had them murdered, which resulted in great hostility against him among the Welsh, who there after called him the "Ogre of Abergavenny"

However William had fallen out of favour with King John after forging an alliance with Llywelyn ap Iorwerth and had all his lands siezed by the king. John's mother, Maud de St. Valery and brother (also William) were then walled alive and starved to death in Corfe Castle in Dorset, on the king's orders.  John, after initially hiding on the Gower with his younger brother Phillip, was imprisoned in 1214, but was released in 1218, following the death of John in 1216. 

In 1219 he married Margaret Ferch Llywelyn, daughter of Llywelyn ap Iorwerth and on the death of his uncle Reginald de Braose, inherited the lordship of Gower. Sometime in the 1220s, he established the deer park, Parc le Breos in the Gower Peninsula. In 1232 John was killed in a fall from his horse on his land in Bramber, Sussex aged 34.

Welsh Heraldry   

At the time of the Norman conquest of England in 1066, the knights carried shields, but there appears to have been no system of hereditary coats of arms.  During the twelfth century family crests started to be worn on shields and tabards (short coat, giving rise to the name ‘coat of arms’), as a form of identification in battle.  Then in the 13th century, coats of arms using heraldic symbols became established as a kind of flag or logo for higher class families in Europe, from which the Welsh princes of Wales took their example but after 1282 and Edward I's subjugation of Wales, control of these came under the control of the Englsh King.

 The High Court of Chivalry came into existence in about 1350 and in 1484, the College of Arms was incorporated to administer the system and flourished during the rule of Henry VIII and on 18th July 1555under a new charter, Queen Mary I granted the College a new house called Derby Place which had thirty-two rooms.  This College, however, recognised the special character of Welsh heraldry by appointing local men as deputy heralds, such as Gruffydd Hiraethog and Lewis Dwnn in the sixteenth century, and David Edwardes, Griffith Hughes and Hugh Thomas in the seventeenth.

Few families can establish their descent through more numerous stocks of historic distinction, than the Hughes of Gwerclas (pictured), which gives us a broad overview of Welsh heraldry and shows allegiances to both people and to Kingdoms within Wales.  The coats of arms shown from top left are, Kingdom of Powys Fadog, Cilin ap y Blaidd Rhudd (Lord of Gest), Kingdom of Powys, Cadwgan ap Elystan Glodrydd, Elystan Glodrydd, Tudor Trevor (Lord of Hereford), the Kingdom of Powys Fadog, Howel ap Meurig (Lord of Nannau), Roger of Bryntangor, Tudor ap Griffith Vychan (Lord of Gwyddelwern), Kingdom of Deheubarth, Philip ap Ivor (Lord of Iscord), Kingdom of Gwynedd, Owain I ap Gruffydd, Gruffydd ap Cynan, Edwin of Tegeingl

Some of the symbols used and their significance;

*  Dragon - Alchemy, the elements, eternal change, discovery of hidden treasures and the protector of all you possess.

*  Crescent moon - Said to signify one who has been enlightened and honoured by the gracious aspect of his sovereign; also a symbol of 'hope and greater glory'. 

*  Lion - Emblem of majesty, strength, and justice, military might and courage

*  Fox - Signifies one who will use all that he may possess of wisdom and wit in his own defence, and denotes one of strategic talents and fertility of resources.

*  Eagle - Signifies a person of action, occupied in high and weighty affairs; one of lofty spirit; also symbolizes courage, freedom, and immortality

*  Boars Head - Strength, courage, and ferocity

*  Raven - Symbol of initiation, protection, and prophecy.

Some of the colours used and their significance;

*  Or (Gold) - Generosity and elevation of the mind

*  Argent (White/Silver) - Peace and sincerity

*  Gules (Red) - Warrior or martyr; Military strength and magnanimity

*  Azure (Blue) - Truth and loyalty

*  Vert (Green) - Hope, joy, and loyalty in love

*  Sable (Black) - Constancy or grief

*  Purpure (Purple) - Royal majesty, and justice

*  Tenne (Orange) - Worthy ambition

Some of the consequences for Wales, of Henry VIII's split with Rome; 

On this day in 1536 Henry VIII declared papal authority void in England and elevated himself as king, to the status of supreme head of the Church of England. He took this unprecedented step so that he could divorce Catherine of Aragon and marry Ann Boleyn, a decision that would culminate in England and Wales leaving the Catholic Church.

*  The dispute took place during the Protestant Reformation in Europe. Although Henry did not become a Protestant, his actions and policies facilitated the establishment of the Protestant religion.

*  The Monasteries that Henry was to close were already in decline. By 1536, the 13 Cistercian houses of Wales had only 85 monks in total, with some of the establishments having a very dubious reputation, so their closure caused very little protest. 

*  Most of the monasteries fell into ruin, while the Benedictine abbey churches survived as parish churches.

* Welsh gentry bought up the old lands of the monasteries after the Dissolution; for example the Mansel family, who gained possession of Margam Abbey and the Somerset family of Raglan who gained property at Tintern . However, they felt restricted by Welsh property law, which dated back to the tenth century. Consequently they petitioned for the right to literally become 'English' and be governed by English law. This eventually led to the Acts of Union of 1536 and 1542, where Wales was incorporated into England.

*  As the Protestant Reformation progressed in Wales and England under the Tudor dynasty, one poet's response was to label the new order 'ffydd Saeson' - 'faith of Saxons', and there was a strong feeling that the Welsh were being forced to abandon the old religion due to English demands.

*  A number of Welsh Catholics were martyred, although many embraced their fate with equanimity. The Welsh priest Edward Morgan was reproached by a minister on the scaffold at Tyburn for being too optimistic of his prospective glory in heaven.

*  There were Catholics who passively resisted the changes by staying away from the new church services, and legislation was passed which punished these non-attenders or 'Recusants' as they were called.  They faced fines for non-attendance at church services as well as incurring suspicion.

*  Most Welsh people seemed to have accepted these changes, although they probably mourned the banning of colourful religious events like pilgrimages under the new regime.

*  Henry's successor was the young King Edward VI, who was a zealous Protestant and occupied the throne from 1547 to 1553. During his reign, the mass was replaced with the communion service, a firm rejection of Catholicism. The marriage of clerics was now permitted.  In 1549, the Book of Common Prayer was published and an even more Protestant version was adopted in 1553.  In 1551, the scholar William Salesbury published a Welsh translation of the main texts of the Prayer Book.

*  Mary I occupied the throne from 1553 to 1558. She was a fervent Catholic and returned her kingdom to the papacy. She sent 300 citizens to the stake to be burnt as heretics. Among these were several from Wales, including the Bishop of St. Davids.

*  It was the translating of the Bible into Welsh during Elizabeth I's reign which resulted in the eventual transformation of the Welsh into a Protestant people.  

The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition held throughout the United Kingdom in the summer of 1951.  It was a government instigated event intended to give the people of Britain a feeling of uplift after the Second World War with its heavy toll of bombings and rationing. The Festival showcased the best that the nation had to offer, from art and science exhibitions to new architectural concepts and designs. 

Some of the events organised in Wales;
*  The Festival of Britain Welsh Industrial Fair, which ran from 4th July to 18th July 1951
*  Wales submitted  Paul Dickson's film David as its screen representative for the Festival. 
*  Pageant of Wales, Cardiff
*  St Fagan's Folk Festival, Cardiff
*  Welsh Hillside Farm Scheme, Dolhendre
*  The Swansea Festival of  Music
*  The St David's Festival of Music and Worship
*  The international Eisteddfod at Llangollen
* The Royal National Eisteddfod in Llanrwst

Born this day 1970 in Haverfordwest

Gruff Rhys  musician and vocalist with the band Super Furry Animals.

18th July  1889 - Opening of the first dock basin at Barry.

By 1871 the population of Barry was approximately 100, with only 21 buildings. It was largely an agricultural community. Its rapid growth was the result of it being developed as a coal port in the 1880s. The coal trade was growing so rapidly that the facilities at Cardiff's Tiger Bay could not cope, so a coalition  of mine owners formed the Barry Railway Company and elected to build a new dockyard at Barry.

Work began in 1884, and the initial dock basin was operational in 1889, soon followed by two other docks and port infrastructure. The Barry Railway transported coal from the western South Wales Valleys to the new docks, where trade flourished. A million tons were shipped in the first year, and in excess of nine million tons by 1903. The port was packed with ships and supported ship repair yards, flour mills, cold stores, and an ice factory. By 1913, Barry was the world's largest coal exporting town. Alongside the docks, the terraced houses of Barry were built, which, with Cadoxton, formed a substantial town. The railways, which had played a major part in the development of the dock,  also did a great deal to make Barry Island a popular resort.

The Cardiff Riots of 1911.

July 18th 1911 saw rioting and strikes in Cardiff, as the Great Unrest swept across South Wales.

The disturbances were the results initally of the shipowners failure to recognise the Seamen's union but soon spread among dockers and other workers.  On the 19th July a warehouse on the docks was set alight and when fire workers turned the hoses on the strikers, they retaliated by pelting stones at the firemen.  Elsewhere Chinese laundries were targeted, with all 30 within the city wrecked.  Five hundred Lancashire Fusiliers and 350 Metropolitan constabulary were deployed to assist in maintaining order and during repeated baton charges, 30 people including several police were seriously injured.

During the summer, the discontent spread, culminating with copper workers in Swansea by October, but it also took in railway workers in Llanelli and colliers in the Valleys.  Virtually no sector of Welsh society was untouched.

Hello Pobl, ers talwm! / Welcome back people!

It's been a while, as you might of noticed and we wanted to update you all with what's happening in SFA land.

Cian's follow up to 'Outside In' is due for release Sep 23rd and is called 'They are nothing without Us' . Please come to

www.pledgemusic.com/projects/cianciaran for more info.

follow: @cianciaran

Gulp are releasing their new single Play on July 29th and are playing gigs over the summer.

info: http://gulpgulp.co.uk/

follow: @gulpworld

Daf's new project, The Earth , will release their debut album on September 30th, titled OFF/ON 1, releasedon strangetown-records. For further news and information visit www.theearthearthearth.com or follow on twitter

@theearthband

Follow Gruff's gradually emerging American Interior project on americaninterior.tumblr.com

There's also a new Neon Neon album called Praxis Makes Perfect out on Lex records, you can find it here: http://lexprojects.com/releases/neon-neon-praxis-makes-perfect/

And finally Bunf is continuing work on his eagerly anticipated LP whilst still working on collaborative projects ,

https://soundcloud.com/the-pale-blue-dots

For future reference you can get up to date updates here;

https://twitter.com/superfurry

and here

https://www.facebook.com/superfurryanimals.sfa

Isod mae hanes diweddaraf aelodau'r SFA. Gan ystyried nad ydym wedi cysylltu ers tipyn, gobeithio i fod dal o diddordeb! Er gwybodaeth mae modd dilyn SFA yma hefyd, https://twitter.com/superfurry a https://www.facebook.com/superfurryanimals.sfa

Mae record hir newydd Cian - 'They are nothing without Us' , yn dod allan Medi 23ain.

Os am fwy o fanyloion cliciwch yma: www.pledgemusic.com/projects/cianciaran

dilynwch: @cianciaran

Mae Gulp am rhyddhau eu sengl newydd Play ar 29ain o Orffennaf ac yn chwarae gigs dros yr Haf. Am fwy o fanylion ymwelwch: http://gulpgulp.co.uk/ dilynwch: @gulpworld

Bydd prosiect newydd Daf , The Earth , yn rhyddhau eu album cyntaf or enw OFF/ON 1 ar Fedi'r 30ed drwy strangetown-records. Am fwy o fanylion ymwelwch www.theearthearthearth.com a dilynwch @theearthband

Dilynwch brosiect hir dymor Gruff , American Interior yma:

americaninterior.tumblr.com

Record hir newydd Neon Neon ar gael yma:

http://lexprojects.com/releases/neon-neon-praxis-makes-perfect/

Ac yn olaf mae Bunf yn gweithio ar i LP newydd ymysg prosiectau eraill.

https://soundcloud.com/the-pale-blue-dots

Diolch eto am eich cefnogaeth ! / Thanks again for your continued support !

P arch! / Respect!

SFA ok .

In this interview ( soundcloud file above, click to play ) Welsh hill farmer and media superstar Gareth Wyn Jones talks about his life as a farmer and promoting Wales and Welsh tourism with particular reference to to the Celticos Welsh Hill Farming experience. New series featuring Gareth coming up on the BBC next year!

Check out the Welsh Hill Farming Experience

Follow Gareth on Twitter here!

More From Gareth on Youtube Here

On this day 1764 the immigrant ship "Vine" carrying Welsh Quakers from Merionethshire and bound for the Welsh Tract arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

The Welsh Tract of Pensylvania;

The period following the restoration of Charles II  to the English throne in 1660 saw the implementation  of religious intolerances which inhibited the rights of several groups, including Quakers, to worship in their chosen fashion. Large numbers of people, in some cases whole communities, elected to leave Wales in order to avoid persecution. In the Court of Great Sessions in Bala, North Wales, threats were made against the lives of Quakers, impelling the society of Welsh Quakers to acquire land from William Penn. This was known as The Welsh Tract, comprising an area of approximately 40,000 acres in and around what is now known as Pennsylvania.  

They began emigrating there in 1682. The first Welsh colony, Cambria, was in western Pennsylvania, and became an area in which the Welsh language, Welsh culture and Welsh religion was conducted in a community with a distinct Welsh identity. It was first established by Morgan John Rhys from Glamorgan, who was a Baptist minister. Many towns in the area still carry Welsh names; places such as Radnor, Haverford Township, Lower Merion, Upper Merion and Bala Cynwyd. Despite the disappointment of the settlers, the original name of the colony was changed. Penn tried to explain the change by writing the following;

"This day, my country was confirmed to me under the great seal of England, with privileges, by the name of Pennsylvania, a name the King would give it in honor of my father. I chose New Wales, being as this, a pretty, hilly country, but Penn being Welsh for head as in Penmanmoire (sic), in Wales, and Penrith, in Cumberland, and Penn, in Buckinghamshire . . . called this Pennsylvania, which is the high or head woodlands; for I proposed, when the secretary, a Welshman, refused to have it called New Wales, Sylvania and they added Penn to it, and though I opposed it and went to the King to have it struck out and altered he said it was past . . nor could twenty guineas move the under-secretary to vary the name"

Thus Pennsylvania was named after the Welsh word for head and not, as is usually supposed, after William Penn himself, although Penn in this regard could be accused of duplicity.The Welsh Society of Philadelphia, which was begun in 1729, is the oldest society of its kind in the United States and it is still very active. Pennsylvania has  provided many people of distinction who have made their influence felt in politics, in the justice system, and in agriculture, as well as in the manufacture of iron and steel.  

17th July 1936 saw the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, an event which stirred emotion throughout Europe, no more so than in the village of Abercrave in the Swansea valley.  Abercrave was home to a community of Basques, who had fled the mining districts around Bilbao in Northern Spain in 1907 to look for work and to escape tyranny and persecution.  Over three decades they retained their national identity, language and customs, building permanent homes which to this day are known locally as Spanish Row. They had nevertheless assimilated with the Welsh community and were highly respected as craftsmen in the mining and steel works in the area.  At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, the men of the entire  Basque community of Abercrave volunteered to join the International Brigade opposing the fascism of Franco, with many Welsh miners following suit.  Despite the British Government enforcing a complete ban on enlistment in Spain, the flow of volunteers continued.  It is estimated that up to 200 volunteers were from Wales; most from the mining areas and coal ports of the South. 

The song entitled 'If you tolerate this, your children will be next' by Welsh band  The Manic Street Preachers was inspired by the events of the Spanish Civil War.  The song is a tribute to the Welsh volunteers who joined the International Brigades to combat Francisco Franco's rebellion against the Spanish Republic. The song title echoes a Republican poster of the time, which depicts  a young child killed by the Nationalists under a sky filled with bombers. The poster carries the haunting  warning "If you tolerate this, your children will be next"   

Born on 17th July  1939 in Bon Y Maen, Swansea.

Spencer Davies - musician and founder of the 1960s rock band, The Spencer Davis Group.  Their best known songs include  "Somebody Help Me", "Keep on Running", "I'm a Man" and "Gimme Some Lovin"

  On this day, 2003 weapons expert David Kelly died at  Harrowdown Hill, Longworth, Oxfordshire.

 He appears to have gone directly to an area of woodlands known as Harrowdown Hill about a mile away from his home where he ingested up to 29 tablets of painkillers and to have then cut his left wrist with a knife he had owned since his youth.  His wife reported him missing shortly after midnight that night, and he was found early the next morning.

David Kelly was born in the Rhondda on 14 May 1944. He was a scientist and an acknowledged expert on biological warfare. He had been employed by the British Ministry of Defence and was a former United Nations weapons inspector in Iraq. He drew attention in July 2003 when he engaged in an unauthorised discussion  with BBC journalist Andrew Gilligan about the British government's information regarding 'weapons of mass destruction in Iraq' The conversation was revealed by Gilligan and led to a much-publicised controversy. Kelly's name was cited in the media as Gilligan's source, and on July 15th, he consequently appeared  before the parliamentary foreign affairs select committee investigating the issues outlined in Gilligan's report and was questioned  about his actions. His body was discovered two days later.

The Hutton Inquiry was set up, a public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death, which concluded that Kelly had committed suicide, a verdict that was challenged by many doctors, encouraging a conspiracy theory which implied that Dr Kelly had been silenced before further revelations on his behalf could embarrass the Government.  

On 17th July 2010, the Welsh language was used for the first time in a ceremony at Westminster Cathedral to honour the martyred saint John Roberts.

Dr Rowan Williams, who was Archbishop of Canterbury at that time, addressed the assembly in both Welsh and English.  The ceremony was part of a cluster of events to commemorate the 400th anniversary of John Roberts' martyrdom.  Roberts was a monk from Trawsfynydd in Gwynedd who was hanged, drawn and quartered in 1610 for being a Catholic dissenter, but was later canonised by Pope Paul VI in 1970.  The service in Westminster Cathedral was multi-faith and was attended by the leaders of all churches in Wales, along with the archbishops and bishops of Wales. There were also representatives from Douai in France where St John Roberts founded the monastery of St Gregory.   

On 17th July 1951 the Abbey Works steel plant at Margam, Port Talbot was opened. It is named after theCistercian Margam Abbey that used to be on the site - a small amount of the original building still stands (protected) within the site that survived the dissolution of the monasteries. Steelmaking at the Port Talbot complex began with the Margam Iron and Steel Works, completed between 1923 and 1926 and closed in 1953. After the Second World War, a group of south Wales steelmakers formed the Steel Company of Wales to erect a modern integrated steelmaking site using and subsequently the new Abbey Works was planned in 1947, was open in 1951 and was operating at full strength by 1953.

By the 1960s, the steelworks were the largest in Europe and the largest single employer in Wales, with a labour force of 18,000. In 1967, the company was nationalised and became a part of British Steel. By 2000, following privatisation, the works was part of Corus and then in 2010 it was announced that Corus was to be rebranded to the group name of Tata Steel.   

AmeriCymru spoke to Lyn Anthony, Secretary of the Pontarddulais Male Voice Choir about their forthcoming visit to Toronto to perform at the North American Festival Of Wales .

AmeriCymru: Many thanks for agreeing to be interviewed by AmeriCymru. The Choir will be performing at the 2013 North American Festival of Wales in Toronto, Canada. Can you tell us how this came about? Have you performed in Canada before?

Lyn: The invite to perform at the N orth American Festival of Wales (NAFOW) came directly from their president Mr Hywel Davies who now resides in America. Hywel is a descendant of our area and actually was a member of our choir many years ago. He actually assisted in organising our last tour to the USA when we visited Washington DC.

We were honoured to have been asked to perform at this prestigious event and gladly accepted the invite.

Our Musical Director Clive Phillips will also be conducting the Gymanfa (Music Festival) on the Sunday .

We have visited Canada previously on tours the last being in 1996 when we toured British Columbia from Calgary to Vancouver. Previous visits to Toronto and Ontario were in 1973 and 1977. No doubt we will see a big difference in the cities from that time.

AmeriCymru: When was the choir founded? Can you tell us something about its history?

Lyn: In 1960, under the leadership of the late Noel Davies M.B.E. the Pontarddulais Youth Choir had been successfully competing in youth Eisteddfodau. Suddenly they were too old for the youth competitions! The desire of the young men to continue as a choir was strong and so the Pontarddulais Male Choir was born.

At that time, as to this day, there were several established and distinguished choirs in a relatively small area.

The decision to step into the hotbed of male choral singing was therefore a momentous and courageous decision.

The Choir was formed in 1960 under the late Noel Davies MBE, who remained its conductor until 2002 when the now conductor Mr Clive Phillips took over. Clive had been the choirs accompanist for twelve years previously.

During this time the choir has asserted itself as a most credited ambassador of Welsh male voice singing. The choir has achieved prominence through a record fifteen first place at the Royal National Eisteddfod of Wales and two first places at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod. In 2004 the choir achieved the double by winning the male choir competition at both Llangollen and the Newport National Eisteddfod. At Newport the choir were awarded the prestigious title Choir of the Festival and in the adjudication Brian Hughes (Adjudicator) said,

Their mastery of choral technique is sure and their imagination at all ti mes on fire. This is the best singing of male choirs I have heard for many years.

At Cardiff National Eisteddfod 2008 they achieved their fifteenth win. This was the fourteenth successive win for the choir.

Whilst the number of Choristers has fluctuated over the years we have always maintained a number in excess of 100. On this particular tour the choir will be nearly 60 in number as unfortunately due to the timing it was difficult for several members to be able to travel with us.

AmeriCymru: Where in Wales is Pontarddulais? Would you describe the area a little for our American and Canadian readers

Lyn: Pontarddulais is located on the Mid South Coast of Wales 9 miles West of Swansea6 miles north east of Llanelli just to the North of the Famous beautiful Gower peninsula and Coast.

The name Pontarddulais translates as the Bridge on the Black river. Presumably this came about during the early days when coal mining and tinplate works were the main industries of the area and the river often ran black in colour from the mines high on the mountains above the village.

Nowadays there are no more working coal mines and coal tips but beautiful green mountains and each of the 6 Tinplate works which in their early days between 1872 and 1910 were some of the main tinplate providers to several parts of the world.

This period saw the transformation in population for the Town which grew from 1200 to 10,000 .

Later the opening of two large Modern tinplate factories outside of the area at Trostre and Felindre forced the eventual closure of all the tinplate works where mostly modern housing estates now occupy the sites.

The current population is approximately 16,000 with main employment being outside of the Town boundaries.

There is a very strong community spirit in the Town with music very high on the agenda.

Apart from the Pontarddulais Male Choir there are several other choirs and a Town Band all of whom have achieved their own distinctions in the music world. Sport is also very popular with thriving Rugby teams, Football and Cricket teams.

The Tenor Dennis ONeil was born and raised in the Town, the choir recently performed at his 60 ^th Birthday party Concert with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and a host of other famous singers.

Welsh is widely spoken with a very popular Welsh Primary school and local Comprehensive schools (High Schools) who teach through the medium of Welsh.

The first Welsh dictionary was published by John Walters (17211797) He was a Welsh cleric from Llanedi a village overlooking Pontarddulais. He was a noted lexicographer , publishing An EnglishWelsh Dictionary in fifteen parts (1770 to 1794).

There are websites with photographic collections of the town. http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=2733641

AmeriCymru: The choir has a particularly distinguished record at the National Eisteddfod. Care to tell us more?

Lyn: The choir a re by no doubt the most successful competitive Male choir in Wales with a record 15 wins at the National Eisteddfod the last 14 being successive.

They have also won twice at the prestigious Llangollen International Eisteddfod.

The Choir have always supported the Eisteddfodau in Wales which is a fantastic Music Festival our website will provide the full list of or winnings on which our reputation has been based and although it is a demanding schedule to prepare the choir for competition we have always risen to the challenge and hope to compete again in the near future.

In the world of Male choir its like going to the National football finals and singing at your very best. As Noel Davies would say and we maintain that ethos Its not Good unless its perfect

AmeriCymru: What is your repertoire? Is there a particular piece that you all enjoy performing more than others? Do you have a signature piece or one that's more often requested by audiences?

Lyn: I suppose our Repertoire encompasses Welsh folk songs, traditional hym n tunes, operatic choruses, Negro spirituals, light music from the shows as well as unaccompanied songs.

I dont think we have a particular signature piece I suppose a lot depends on the venue of our performance and the type of audience before us where we can adjust quite quickly.

One of the most requested songs probably is the Welsh Folk Love Song Myfanwy particularly Welsh Patriots living abroad.

The Lyrics of Myfanwy

Paham mae dicter, O Myfanwy,
Yn llenwi'th lygaid duon di?
A'th ruddiau tirion, O Myfanwy,
Heb wrido wrth fy ngweled i?
Pa le mae'r wn oedd ar dy wefus
Fu'n cynnau 'nghariad ffyddlon ffl?
Pa le mae sain dy eiriau melys,
Fu'n denu'n nghalon ar dy l?

Myfanwy boed yr holl o'th fywyd
Dan heulwen ddisglair canol dydd.
A boed i rosyn gwridog iechyd
I ddawnsio ganmlwydd ar dy rudd.
Anghofia'r oll o'th addewidion
A wnest i rywun, 'ngeneth ddel,
A dyro'th law, Myfanwy dirion
I ddim ond dweud y gair "Ffarwl".

I cant promise this will be sung during our concert

AmeriCymru: What is a typical year's tour schedule for your choir? What kind of events do you typically perform at?

Lyn: On average the choir will perform at about 12 concerts per year. The venues can vary from Large Cathedrals such as Lincoln to small Church or village halls to large concert halls of over 1000 capacity.

We have performed outside but unfortunately the British (Particularly Welsh weather Climate) often plays a part and performances are cancelled.

As a rule we normally only perform at venues where there is a particular fundraising event taking place, over the years I have no doubt we have helped raise hundreds of thousands of pounds possibly Millions for various charitable organisations. This we are very proud of. We only seek to recover our expenses and not make large profits on performances.

All Travel depends on engagements accepted as you will see from our website we have travelled extensively oversees but as the choir generally gets older and costs spiral these have been curtailed of late but we often travel long distances and stay overnight which is a good social side of the choir.

AmeriCymru: How often do you rehearse? Could you describe a typical rehearsal session for our readers?

Lyn: The choir always rehears twice weekly on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 7pm till 9pm. We average about 80-90 choristers at each rehearsal.

During rehearsal we will perform songs that are in our repertoire to keep on top of them and learn new music. We learn by Sol-fa thats the old d r m f s l t d for the none music readers.

I think Julie Andrews stole this from Male Choirs when they filmed the sound of music and made a song of it !!

Once we perfect the music we then add the lyrics. This is an excellent way of learning for someone who doesnt read music.

A lot of people say thats an old fashioned way of learning, but then we say Well thats how we win competitions !

AmeriCymru: You have recorded a great many albums over the years. What so far has been the highlight/s of your recording career?

Lyn: the years we have recorded many albums and these have been very successful, We have performed many times on Television and Radio including recently the BBC 2 World Armistice Day Service where we sang live on BBC Radio 2 to the World from our own St Michaels Church where the service was conducted.

I suppose one of the most memorable recordings was with Pink Floyd on their Album The Wall and later with Roger Waters on his hit Album The Tide is Turning. We also performed on the accompanying film to this album where we all dressed up as miners emerging from a Coal mine all blackened up singing.

We will have some of our latest Cds for sale at the Festival. If you like our performances why not take one home?

AmeriCymru: You'll be in Toronto this year but what's next for the Pontarddulais Male Voice Choir. Any new recordings or tours in the pipeline?

Lyn: Our Calendar is quite full for the next year we have no tours planned as yet but we always keep our options open. Our biggest problem probably has to be refusing concerts as we are already engaged. Normally we can accommodate probably for the following year.

With the National Eisteddfod appearing quite close to us next year I suspect we might rise to the occasion and see if we can improve on that winning streak.

AmeriCymru: Do you have any final comments for the attendees and organisers of the North American Festival of Wales?

Lyn: I can only repeat how honoured we are in being asked to attend this event and how excited we are.

We know how hard it is to organise such an event and we would like to thank all those concerned for their enthusiasm and assistance in making this event possible for us.

The petition can be found here. Diolch :-

http://www.change.org/petitions/cyngor-dinas-casnewydd-newport-city-council-addysg-uwchardd-gymraeg-erbyn-2016-welsh-medium-education-by-2016?utm_campaign=new_signature&utm_medium=email&utm_source=signature_receipt#share

On this day in 1976 Gwynfor Evans unveiled a plaque at Nant y Moch Dam to commemorate Owain Glyndwr's victory at The Battle of Hyddgen in the summer of 1401.

Gwynfor Evan's words that day;

"The followers of Glyndwr remained faithful to the end.  In 1415 Grufudd Young was still working for him in France; it was he who maintained in the Council of Constance, the assembly which ended the scandal of papal schism, that the Welsh were a nation and that they should have a voice there. There was not one attempt to supplant Owain as leader throughout his career, nor one attempt to betray him at the end of his life.

Not one Welsh word of  criticism of him has survived from that century. It is known that he was not alive in 1417 but no one knows where he died. He disappeared in dignified silence. The poets refused to believe that he was dead; so not one of them composed an elegy to his memory. To them and to a host of Welsh people he will never die. His spirit lives on like an unquenchable flame, a symbol of the determination of the Welsh to live as a free nation. The Welsh believed he would return when needed by his people.  His spirit is needed today.  As the nation matures in loyalty towards its own country, it can echo the words used by Dafydd Iwan in his great song:- Myn Duw, Mi Wn y daw - By God I know he will come"

Owain Glyndwr's victory against overwhelming odds over the King's forces at The Battle of Mynydd Hyddgen in the summer of 1401 is considered his first victory in the field, and it set the tone for the spread of the rebellion in its early stages and turned him from a local rebel to a national leader. 

Not much is known of the battle, but the probable site is a remote area of the Pumlumon Mountain range. It is thought that Owain's force of just 120 men would have been made up mostly of archers mounted on hill ponies that would have been well suited for travelling across boggy or mountainous regions. The English-Flemish army meanwhile would have generally consisted of infantry with some light cavalrymen supporting them. Despite having decent equipment, many of the English-Flemish soldiers were lacking in military experience, and there was a general lack of discipline within their army.

The solely written source is The Peniarth Manuscript 135 written by the poet Gruffydd Hiraethog many years later in 1550 and based on earlier accounts that have not survived;

"Owain rose with 120 reckless men and robbers and brought them in warlike fashion to the uplands of Ceredigion; and 1500 men of the lowlands of Ceredigion and of Rhos and Penfro assembled there and came to the mountain with the intent to seize Owain,  The encounter between them was on Hyddgen Mountain and no sooner did the English troops turn their backs in flight than 200 of them were slain.  Owain now won great fame and a great number of youths and fighting men from every part of Wales rose and joined him, until he had a great host at his back" 

Born this day 1989 in Cardiff.

Gareth Bale  - Wales soccer international, whose talent has earned him superstar status world-wide.  During the 2012-2013 season, he was awarded the PFA Players' Player of the Year award.

Bale attended Whitchurch High School in Cardiff, where he played football alongside Wales rugby captain Sam Warburton. Because of the exceptional skill he demonstrated in football, the school's PE teacher, Gwyn Morris, had to take measures to ensure that other pupils had a chance to compete during lessons, such as restricting Bale to playing with his non-dominant foot!  Morris said of him "Gareth has a fierce determination to succeed and has the character and qualities to achieve his personal goals. He is one of the most unselfish individuals that I have had the pleasure to help educate.

Born this day 1944 in Edgware, Middlesex to Welsh parents

Angharad Rees, Lady McAlpine  CBE  was an actress, famous for her portrayal of Demelza in the BBC drama Poldark in the 1970s. Among her many roles, she appeared in the 1972 film version of Under Milk Wood alongside Peter O'Toole, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. She was also an accomplished stage actress, appearing in a number of West End productions in London.  Angharad married twice, to actor Christopher Cazenove in 1973 and in 2005 to  Sir David McAlpine of the construction family. She died on 21 July 2012,of pancreatic cancer.

Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes led the tributes at her memorial service. He said "If there was one thing she was superb at, it was friendship and not just sympathetic friendship but hard-working, useful, practical assistance. She was anxious, I think, that she should not be defined, entirely, as the star of a popular series, as one half of a golden couple, as a mother and hostess, although she excelled in all of these. She wanted also to be remembered as a serious actress whose early career might have gone on to greatness had she not made the personal decision to change direction [by having a family].”

Inigo Jones (15 July 1573 – 21 June 1652), was born in London and was the son of a Welsh cloth-maker. He is widely considered as the first significant British architect of the 'early modern' period.   Jones' influence on the evolving landscape of London can be seen at the city's Covent Garden, where he created London’s first real 'square’ in 1630, and where he designed the church of St Paul. Inigo Jones also was also involved in the design of St Paul’s Cathedral, although his contribution to the restorative works and architectural additions were destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666.  Jones’ visits to Europe influenced not only his architectural concepts but also gave him valuable insight into a significant new way of constructing roofs. This innovation was called the king post truss, whereby a central post held up the rafters, allowing much larger roofs to be built. The same idea was further developed by Christopher Wren and the technique was used in some of his most celebrated designs. Jones designed 49 buildings in total, but unfortunately, only seven survive as testament to his architectural brilliance. His constructions were noted for being cool and sophisticated on the outside but full of colour and drama inside. More importantly, they were intrinsically different from what came before, introducing a style of architecture that is still influential today.

Gwyn Nicholls, the captain of the Welsh team that beat NewZealand 3-0 in 1905, was born 15th July 1874.

Nicholls, known as the "Prince of Threequarters"was born in Westbury on Severn and played the majority of his career with Cardiff.  His 24 caps for Wales were won between 1896 and 1906 and included ten matches as captain. He also captained Wales when they won the Triple Crown in 1902 and was the only Welsh player who toured Australia with the British Isles team. team of 1899.

Beheaded this day 1685 (It is said that it took eight blows of the axe to sever his head); James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, regarded by many as the true heir of Charles II, King of England and Wales's connection to The House of Stuart.

A popular legend claims that a portrait was painted of Monmouth after his execution: the story being that it was realised after the execution that there was no official portrait of the Duke — so his body was exhumed, the head stitched back on the body, and the corpse was seated for its portrait to be painted.

1649   Born in Rotterdam, to Charles II  (who was living in continental exile following his father's execution and the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell) and his lover, Lucy Walter who was born at Roch Castle near Haverfordwest.

1658   During The Protectorate  Monmouth was  sent to Paris for protection as, although he was illegitimate, there were rumours that Charles and Lucy had, in fact, married secretly, which made young James a potential heir to the throne of England.

1660   Restoration of the Monarchy.  Charles II becomes King of England.

1663    Monmouth is brought back to England and created Duke of Monmouth and a Knight of the Garter. As a Protestant, he was popular with the general populace, whereas the King's brother James, Duke of York, who was the official successor, was a convert to Catholicism.

1665 - 1678    Monmouth gained a considerable reputation as one of Britain's finest soldiers, fighting in the Anglo-Dutch Wars, the Franco-Dutch War and also putting down a rebellion in Scotland.  King Charles II directed that all military orders should be brought to the Duke for his examination, effectively giving him  command of the King's forces.

1679   As his popularity with the masses increased, Monmouth began to be seen as a threat to both King Charles II (his father) and the future James II (his uncle).Monmouth was consequently obliged to go into exile.

1683   Monmouth was named as a conspirator in the Rye House Plot, which was a plan to assassinate both King Charles II and the future James II.

1685    On King Charles II's death  Monmouth declared himself King and led the Monmouth Rebellion, in an attempt to take the throne from his uncle James II. The two armies met at the Battle of Sedgemoor, the last clearly defined battle on open ground between two military forces fought on English soil. Monmouth's unregulated force was no match for the disciplined army of the king, and he was unilaterally defeated.  Monmouth himself was arrested and beheaded on Tower Hill on 15 July 1685.

There are many theories regarding the identity of The Man in the Iron Mask; one claims that he was Monmouth on the reasoning that James II would not execute his own nephew, so someone else was executed, and James II arranged for Monmouth to be taken to France and put in the custody of his cousin Louis XIV of France.

The 15th July marks the anniversary of two of Wales' worst mining disasters;

On 15th July 1856  — 114 men were killed in a mining accident at New Cymmer Pit, Porth, Rhondda. The explosion in Insole's pit was the first on the coalfield to take more than a hundred lives, as a consequence of which the inquest sent the manager and overmen to be tried for manslaughter. The bitterness which was felt when they were acquitted was remembered in the community for more than a generation. 

On 15th July 1880 — 120 miners were killed when a gas explosion ripped through the Risca New Mine, Waunfawr. The force of the blast was so great that it buckled the ventilation fan, delaying the rescue effort.  Before this explosion, mine deputies would always use the “Davy” safety lamp while conducting their inspections of the mine, but the colliers themselves preferred to use the older style "Clanny” lamp because it emitted a better light. Many years prior to this, Sir Humphrey Davy had strong doubts about the safety of these older lamps because the gauge was unprotected against strong air currents. Davy's pronoucement was later proved accurate, and the use of the Clanny lamp underground was banned.

On 15th July 1874, the foundation stone was laid for the clock tower at Machynlleth, built to mark the coming of age of Viscount Castlereagh, the eldest son of the 5th Marquess of Londonderry of Plas Machynlleth.

A history of Machynlleth;

* Radiocarbon dating shows that copper mining was taking place in the Early Bronze Age (c. 2,750 years ago), within a mile of the town centre.

* The Romans settled in the area; they built a small fort at Pennal (Cefn Caer) four miles west of Machynlleth, and are reputed to have had two look-out posts above the town at Bryn-y-gog and Wylfa.

* One of the earliest written references to Machynlleth is the Royal charter granted in 1291 by Edward I to Owen de la Pole, Lord of Powys. The charter awarded him the right to hold a market at Machynlleth " every Wednesday for ever and two fairs every year". The market on Wednesday is still a busy and popular day in Machynlleth 700 years later. sdfsdf

* Machynlleth was the seat of Owain Glyndŵr's Welsh Parliament in 1404 and as such claims to be the "ancient capital of Wales".

* According to local tradition, Dafydd Gam, a Welsh ally of the English, was imprisoned in Royal House from 1404 to 1412 for attempting to assassinate Owain Glyndwr.

*  The weekly market and biannual fair thrived, so much so that there were complaints from other towns whose cloth trade was being adversely  affected. A document dated 1632 shows that animals for sale came from all counties of mid Wales and prospective buyers came from Flintshire, Radnorshire, Brecknockshire, Herefordshire and Shropshire.

* The Dyfi Bridge was first mentioned in 1533, but by 1601 "Dyfi bridge in the Hundred of Mochunleth" was deemed to be too narrow for the amount of traffic passing through and the current bridge was built in 1805.  Fenton describes it in 1809 as "A noble erection of five large arches. The piers are narrow and over each cut-water is a pilaster, a common feature of the 18th century".

* The Royal House is derived from the to the belief that Charles I stayed at the house in 1643.

* On 29 November 1644, a Civil War battle took place near Dyfi Bridge between Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army and the Royalists. A great many were killed and the nearby manor house Mathafarn as well as many houses in Machynlleth occupied by Royalists were burned down.

* Machynlleth hosted the national Eisteddfod in 1937 and 1981.

* Machynlleth applied for city status in 2000 and 2002, but was unsuccessful.

On this day in 1966, Gwynfor Evans became Plaid Cymru's first MP when he won the Carmarthen by-election following the death of Labour's Megan Lloyd George. 

A shy and introverted individual, Evans was an unlikely participant in the melee of Westminster, an institution he regarded as "the very symbol of the complete subjugation of Wales, the most mighty manifestation of the Englishness which is killing our country". He returned to parliament in 1974, having lost his seat in 1970. He lost it again in 1979 and was never to return. He was only   a teenager when Plaid Cymru was founded in 1925 and he learnt Welsh as an adult. Educated at Aberystwyth and Oxford, during the Second World War he declared himself a conscientious objector, refusing to fight. Evans was elected president of Plaid Cymru in 1945, a position he went on to maintain for 36 years. In the 1950s, he led the campaign against the flooding  of the Tryweryn Valley and of the Welsh speaking Capel Celyn by the  Liverpool Water Corporation. 

In 1980, he announced that he would fast " to the death" if the  Conservative government failed to fulfil its pledge to establish a Welsh language television channel.  Evans regarded the entire history of Wales since the 16th century as constituting a sustained and deliberate English attempt to eradicate the Welsh language and culture and believed that the government's intention of reneging on its promise was part of this historic vendetta.  His threat was initially dismissed as an empty piece of rhetoric; but Evans was in poor health, and government supporters were alarmed at the prospective repercussions of his perceived  martyrdom, especially in a period of high unemployment and industrial closures in Wales. Only a matter of weeks before his fast was due to begin, Margaret Thatcher capitulated, and the creation of S4C was assured. The decision was hailed by Evans as "the biggest victory we have ever won for the Welsh language".

14th July 1892 saw the official inauguration of the Lake Vyrnwy Reservoir, which had been built to supply water to Merseyside and Liverpool.

 The dam was built by flooding the Welsh village of Llanwddyn, where 2 chapels, 3 inns, 10 farms and 37 houses were lost.  In 1965, despite fervent protests by politicians, nationalist organisations and the local population, the welsh-speaking village of Cwm Celyn was also flooded in order to create the Tryweryn reservoir. The local school, post office, chapel and cemetery were submerged forever.  These events inspired the Manic Street Preachers song Ready for Drowning, and Enya's Dan y Dwr.

David Mitchell (born 14 July 1974) has a Welsh mother. 

 He is a writer, comedian and actor who, along with his stage partner Robert Webb, formed Mitchell and Webb, a comedy duo. The pair, who met at Cambridge University when Mitchell was President of the Cambridge Footlights, starred in Peepshow, a sitcom on Channel 4. Mitchell, playing Mark Corrigan, won the British Academy award for Best Comedy Performance in 2009. Other television credits include The Mitchell and Webb Situation, That Mitchell and Webb Sound and more recently That Mitchell and Webb Look. They have also appeared in Apple's Get a Mac advertisement and a  film 'Magicians' which was released in 2007.

As a solo performer, Mitchell appears regularly on panel shows; as a team captain on Would I Lie to You?, hosting The Bubble, and as a regular guest on other panel shows, including Mock the Week, QI and Have I Got News for You. He hosts a comedy news programme, 10 O'Clock Live, and on radio, The Unbelievable Truth. In addition, he  regularly contributes to The Observer and The Guardian newspapers.

First screened on 14th July 1945, The Corn is Green is a film starring Bette Davis. It is set in a Welsh coal mining town, where Davis plays a schoolteacher who is set on providing the town's children with an adequate education, despite local opposition. It is based on a play by Emlyn Williams, a Welsh actor and dramatist.

Released from prison on this day 1577, John Callis, pirate. 

John Callis, who was born into a wealthy family in Tintern, Monmouthshire in the late 1550s, had a notorious career as a pirate. He was well connected to the gentry through his family, with ties to the local aristocracy, the Herbert family, and to the Earl of Pembroke.  He was well educated, and his family expected him to follow a conventional career as a cloth merchant in London. This lifestyle was clearly not adventurous enough, and by 1574 he had returned to South Wales and was running a ship, "The Cost Me Noughte" and was accused by the Admiralty of being 'a notorious pyrate haunting the coasts of Wales', conducting raids and harrying coastal trade, particularly in the areas around Laugharne  and Carew. He avoided prosecution, however, because of his high society connections.

Among his prizes in 1574 was an Italian cargo ship whose goods he sold in Cardiff and Bristol and a Portuguese vessel which he took in the Azores. He continued to attack ships in the Bristol Channel for the next three years, continuing to seem immune from prosecution thanks to his association with the landowners of Glamorgan and of Pembrokeshire. He created a headquarters for himself in what is now the Point House tavern in Angle near Pembroke on the Cleddau.
He was finally arrested in 1577 and taken in chains to the Tower of London. He avoided hanging, however, by turning informer, providing the authorities with incriminating information about members of the gentry throughout Britain who had profited from piracy.

There is no sound evidence as to how he met his end, although some claim that he continued his career as a pirate off the coast of North Africa before being killed in 1586.

14th July 2004 - The National Woollen Museum re-opened at Drefach Felindre.

A history of the woolen industry in Wales;

Historically, wool was the most significant and widespread industry in Wales. During the late 19th  and early 20th century, it was centred in the Teifi valley, with the mill in the village of Dre-Fach being one of the most thriving in the area. The dozens of small mills, with the twenty or so in neighbouring Pembrokeshire, earned the area the nickname 'The Huddersfield of Wales'.

Sheep farming is documented in the laws of Hywel Dda, by which time white sheep, probably imported by the Romans, had interbred with native dark-fleeced types to produce varieties of Welsh Mountain sheep.

By the 13th century, sheep farming had become an important industry, with wool providing a much needed source of income. Much of the Welsh wool was exported to  London via markets in Shrewsbury and Oswestry, then sold on to European markets. The Cistercian abbeys owned large flocks, notably at Strata Florida, Margam and Tintern. Flemish weavers were brought to West Wales in the 14th century and introduced the fulling mill or 'pandy' where the wool was cleansed of impurities, then dyed and finished to make it thicker and more durable. 

This process of manufacturing wool remained largely unchanged until the mid 18th century, with the wool carding, the spinning and the weaving being routinely done at home, mostly by women.

A radical change from the domestic system to the factory system took place during the 19th century when water wheels were used to operate carding and spinning machines. The increased mechanisation  of the industry prompted the reorganisation of the wool trade in Wales. When the power loom was invented in 1850 together with advances in the fulling process, the industry became more successful than ever, with hundreds of small factories appearing in rural areas between 1860 and 1900.