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Following the 70th anniversary of the Battle of El Alamein, the vivid account of the life of Second World War soldier Elfed Davies (1919-2002) from Cardiganshire and his time as a young soldier in the North African Campaign has been published in a new book, called Salem Soldier.
Salem Soldier is a tale of two halves, as it is the story of a father and son, Elfed and Brian Davies, both raised in the tranquillity of north Cardiganshire hamlets, Salem and Penrhyn-coch. They lived dramatically different lives: Elfed Davies recalls his journey from north Cardiganshire to the ravages of war, when he served his country in Egypt, Libya and Italy during the Second World War. When he returned to Salem in 1945, the place and his world had changed dramatically.
Higher education provided a gateway to a career in outdoor education for Brian, and the means to travel extensively - from Penrhyn-coch to the Alpine ranges of Europe, the Far East and the extreme ends of our planet in South Georgia, Antarctica, Svalbard and Iceland. But, just like his father, the longing to return to the area was paramount in his mind. Salem Soldier portrays Salem and the surrounding north Cardiganshire area through the eyes of two generations as Elfed and Brian Davies tell of how our world changed.
During one particular journey with my father to Machynlleth some years ago, we took a detour and started reminiscing, said Brian Davies. My father recollected needing to borrow a copy of Old Moores Almanack before planning local concerts or eisteddfods in the old days, to find out the night of the full moon a clear night would illuminate the journey for the participants and audience alike.
I suggested that these recollections should be recorded and shared, and some time later I was presented with a moving, detailed account of my fathers early years, explains Brian. My own memories of a childhood within this caring community then came to mind. My fathers formative years, his wartime separation from the community, his marriage and my own birth, and some of my own memories, have led to an appreciation of the significance of cynefin to the Cymry cefn gwlad.
Brian Davies was born in 1946 and was educated at Ardwyn Grammar School, Aberystwyth and Cardiff College of Education. He has spent most of his career teaching at outdoor education centres and was chairman of the Association of Heads of Outdoor Education Centres, 19992002. His interests lie in mountaineering and walking, photography, wildlife, travel, fishing and the local history of north Cardiganshire, especially the lead mining industry.
Here's a screenshot of the new Activity Feed in action on another network, along with a Main Page status box:
There several things I'd like to highlight here:
- Members can post a Status from the Main Page.
- Activity Items have a new, cleaner UI that makes it easier for members to interact with content in the feed.
- Videos are playable inline, and photo thumbnails are larger.
- When you click "Continue" on a blog post, the post expands inline.
- Ability to like & comment inline on the Activity Feed
- Ability to like & comment on statuses.
These improvements, which will make a huge difference to the ease with which members can interact on the main page, will go 'live' in the next couple of weeks.
2 Barclodiad y Gawres and Bryn Celli Ddu
3 Beaumaris
4 The Menai Bridges
5 Bangor
6 Caernarfon
7 Tre'r Ceiri Hillfort
8 Llanberis
9 Gwydir
10 Bodnant
11 Conwy
12 Rhuddlan and St Asaph
13 Denbigh
14 Holywell
15 Ewloe and Hawarden
16 Mold
17 Gresford
18 Bersham and Erddig
19 Wrexham
20 Chirk
21 Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
22 Llangollen
23 Ruthin
24 Penllyn and Bala
25 Blaenau Ffestiniog
26 Portmeirion
27 Harlech
28 The Shrine Church of St Melangell
29 Welshpool
30 Montgomery
31 Newtown
32 The Centre for Alternative Technology
33 Aberystwyth
34 Aberaeron
35 Strata Florida
36 Llananno
37 The Pales
38 Presteigne
39 Talgarth
40 Llangorse
41 Tretower
42 Brecon
43 Garn Goch (Red Cairn) and Carreg Cennen Castle
44 Llandeilo and Dinefwr
45 Cardigan
46 Foel Drygarn
47 Pentre Ifan
48 St Davids
49 Haverfordwest
50 Pembroke
51 Lamphey and Manorbier
52 Tenby
53 Whitland
54 Carmarthen
55 The National Botanic Garden
56 Llanelli
57 Central Swansea
58 Mumbles
59 Morriston
60 The Lower Swansea Valley
61 Neath
62 Margam
63 Kenfig and surrounding area
64 Ewenny
65 Llantwit Major
66 Barry
67 Old Beaupre
68 Cardiff Castle
69 Cathays Park
70 Cardiff Bay
71 Llandaff
72 St Fagans
73 Castell Coch
74 Caerphilly
75 Pontypridd
76 Rhondda Valley Heritage Park
77 The Rhondda Townscape
78 Aberdare
79 Aberfan
80 Merthyr Tydfil
81 Dowlais
82 Butetown
83 Tredegar
84 Brynmawr
85 Newport City Centre
86 The western fringe of Newport
87 Gwent Levels
88 Caerleon
89 Cwmbran
90 Pontypool
91 Blaenavon
92 Abergavenny
93 Llanthony
94 The Three Castles
95 Raglan
96 Trellech
97 Tintern
98 Caerwent
99 The Second Severn Crossing
100 Chepstow
AmeriCymru is looking for blogs to feature on the new AC Magazine page. If you are a Welsh or Welsh American blogger please contact us at americymru@gmail.com . Places are ( more or less ) unlimited and all you need to do is send us your url. Be the first:-
Click Here For Blogs We Follow
If we like your content we'll do our best to get you more traffic.
PUTTING YOUR TALENT TO THE TEST
The Eistdeddfod has long been a storied tradition in Wales and, since 1994, at the North American Festival of Wales as well. Thus, every year we run competitions in singing and (poetic) recitation, mostly with a focus on the language of heaven, i.e., Welsh, and offer cash prizes and trophies to the winners. At the same time, simply competing has proven to be an award in itself as experienced, professional-caliber adjudicators offer a very meaningful,personal critique to each competitor to help them in continuing to cultivate their innate and developing talents. This year, we are lucky to have among our adjudicators the Three Welsh Tenors, who already are performing on Thursday, August 29, at the NAFOW Opening Concert but also have graciously offered their time and wealth of experience - for our two Solo Voice competitions (see below).
The recitation competitions include Youth Recitation (with a set piece in English), Learners' Recitation (for adults relatively new to Welsh, with a set piece in Welsh) and Adult Recitation
(for adults with some demonstrated Welsh proficiency, also with a set piece in Welsh). The Learners' category is new for 2013, as we aim to draw on a burgeoning interest shown by people learning the language through the online resource, Say Something in Welsh, as well as other learners.
On offer for the singing competitions are Hymn Singing, Solo Voice and Solo Voice/Semi- professional. Hymn Singing involves a single piece in Welsh, while the others involve two pieces each where at least one must be in Welsh. The Solo Voice/Semi-professional competition is distinct in offering the David Morris Memorial Award, which includes a cash prize to send the winner to compete where it all began... at the next National Eisteddfod in Wales ! Several Morris winners have gone on to great success in Wales, including Catrin Rowenna Davies, who won first prize in Mezzo-soprano at the National in Vale of Glamorgan just last year.
We would love to see you come and compete... you never know where it might lead ! It is certainly as much fun as it is rewarding. As is the custom, our winners will also perform at an
Eisteddfod Concert on Saturday, August 31, which is normally very well-attended and well-received.
For more information, see NAFOW Program Eisteddfod
or send an email to Alan Upshall or Ian Samways at eisteddfod@nafow.org.
Ian K. Samways
The Fairmount Royal York Hotel Toronto,
venue of the North American Festival of Wales 2013
AmeriCymru: Hi Becca and many thanks for agreeing to be interviewed by AmeriCymru. When did you start the Welsh Gift Shop ? 
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| An early Christmas present from The Welsh Gift Shop. Order unique Christmas gifts from Wales with a guaranteed 10% discount. This offer is exclusive to AmeriCymru members and readers. The discount code is 'americymru10%'. Just quote this when ordering for instant reductions. Offer lasts until December 10th. |
Interview by Ceri Shaw Ceri Shaw on Google+
