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Competitions |
| To enter one of the competitions click on the group links below.PLEASE do not forget to read the relevant rules of submission before entering. ALL competitions are open to non-Americymru members but once again please read the rules before submitting your entry. They differ slightly for members and non-members. Winners will be announced at the West Coast Eisteddfod in 2011. | |
 | Poetry Competition Croeso/Welcome to the 2011 West Coast Eisteddfod Poetry Competition. |
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 | Short Story Competition Croeso/Welcome to the 2011 West Coast Eisteddfod Short Story Competition.. |
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The Judges |
| Peter Thabit Jones will judge the poetry competition ( English language submissions ). He is the author of several anthologies of poetry including 'The Lizard Catchers' . Peter is also the editor and founder of 'The Seventh Quarry' , an international poetry journal. |
 Lloyd Jones is the author of two novels, 'Mr Vogel' and 'Mr Cassini' , and has recently published his first collection of short stories ( 'My First Coloring Book' ) . Lloyd is also the author of several works in the Welsh language including his recently published novel Y Dwr . He is the judge of our short story competition. |
Clarification Statemant on Sign Up Issues - Should All Change ( For the Better ) Tomorrow!
By Ceri Shaw, 2011-01-12
From the Ning Blog:-
"For some time now, we've been talking about the progress of our project to replace the existing cross-Ning ID system used to sign up and sign in across all Ning Networks with Custom Network IDs. We're happy to announce that we're planning on releasing the final piece of this project tomorrow!
The new Custom Network IDs will mean much more control over your brand and your Ning Network's sign up experience. This also resolves the sign up issues some new members have been experiencing. And, as a bonus, it will allow us to add a slew of new features that we previously could not like giving Ning Creators the ability to delete members and letting new members sign up via Twitter.
What's changing tomorrow
Today, members must use the same password for every Ning Network they join. And, when they change their email address or password, that change must take place on all Ning Networks they've joined across Ning.Starting tomorrow, that will begin to change. After we complete the release tomorrow
- Existing members will still have the same email address and password, but anyone who changes their email address or password (including Network Creators) will only be changing it for that specific Ning Network.
- New members will be creating an account on your Ning Network, not a Ning account that works across all Ning Networks, so they'll be able to use any password they wish for your network.
Issues to expect during release
With such a massive change to the way sign up and sign in information is stored on the Ning Platform, it's going to take a few hours to complete this release. During tomorrow's release, theerror message that has traditionally been seen by brand-new members who enter an incorrect Ning ID password when signing up (again, those folks who have joined multiple Ning Networks over time), will instead see this message:"The email address has already been registered. Please choose another."As soon as the release is complete, these members should be able to sign up regardless of their password choice. They shouldn't run into any error messages.
Following this release, of course, all new members who join your Ning Network will have an account an email address and a password that is specific to your network . This should greatly enhance the experience of your members and eliminate any guesswork about members who may be experiencing any issues signing up.
We thank you for your patience, and we look forward to completing it!"
Visit Bodnant as part of the Welsh Hill Farming Experience
Welcome to Bodnant Welsh Food
Bodnant Welsh Food Centre is located at Furnace Farm, in the stunning surroundings of the Conwy Valley. Originally built in the 18thcentury, the buildings have been lovingly restored to provide an excellent venue for our farm shop , tea room , restaurant , cookery school and farmhouse accommodation . AmeriCymru spoke to managing director Chris Morton.
AmeriCymru: Care to introduce Bodnant Farm for our members and readers? What facilities and amenities does the farm offer?
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Chris Morton: The Bodnant Welsh Food Centre, opened by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, just over a year ago, is a popular tourist attraction that celebrates the very best in Welsh seasonal produce and local produce.
Located in the stunning Conwy Valley in North Wales, it features a restaurant, tearoom, dairy, farm shop, cookery school and farmhouse accommodation.
The fine food centre, the only one of its kind in Wales, also houses a bakery and a butchery, as well as hosting weddings and conferences, regular wine tasting and wine appreciation courses.
The cookery school, run by renowned chefs and artisan bakers, is proving hugely popular with people from across Wales and the north west of England and is also a hit with budding young chefs.
Situated close to the world-famous Bodnant Garden, the centre is the brainchild of Bodnant estate owners Michael and Caroline McLaren. Their vision was to create an innovative centre for the production, promotion and enjoyment of Welsh Food.
More than 70 per cent of the produce sold at the farm shop comes from across Wales.
The centre is also home to the National Beekeeping Centre for Wales.
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Bodnant Farm
AmeriCymru: I know that a lot of our readers will be interested in the Hayloft Restaurant. Can you tell us more about the menu? Do you use mainly local produce?
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Chris Morton: The Hayloft restaurant, converted from a former hay barn, provides dishes made from produce made on the estate and from the surrounding area.
The bread is baked in the bakery and the fish and shellfish caught fresh daily in the nearby Conwy Strait is served throughout the fine food centre. Meat is sourced from local farms and treated at the Bodnant butchery, whilst the cheese, butter and ice cream is produced in the dairy with milk from a herd of Friesian cattle located less than one mile away. In fact, the cows can be seen from the restaurant windows.
An ever-changing menu always features fresh, seasonal dishes, including Welsh cheddar cheese brulee; courgette and Pantysgawen goats cheese terrine; and fresh Conwy crab cocktail. Mouthwatering meals on the menu also include Welsh steak burger, Bodnant bacon (the pigs are free range and have their own meadow and lake) and Bodnant Aberwen cheese.
Diners are entertaining by musicians playing the harp and performing folk music, and the reputation of the restaurant has spread far and wide.
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Hayloft Restaurant opened by H.R.H Prince of Wales
AmeriCymru: What about accommodation? What's on offer at Bodnant?
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Chris Morton: Bodnants luxury bed and breakfast accommodation is located within Furnace Farms 18th century farmhouse with most rooms offering stunning views across the Conwy Valley.
A stay in the farmhouse enables visitors to experience at first hand a rural tradition that has been passed down the generations over hundreds of years a way of life where agriculture, livestock and the cycle of the seasons are ingrained and intertwined.
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AmeriCymru: Can you tell us a little about the history of the farm?
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Chris Morton: The Bodnant Welsh Food Centre has been developed following the transformation of Furnace Farm, a collection of derelict farm buildings.
Furnace Farm has been part of the Bodnant Estate since the 18 th century. The building that is now a tearoom was added sometime between 1821 and 1841.
The farm was given its name due to the blast furnace that was established at the farm in the early 1700s. The furnace fell silent in 1841 after a disaster that ruined the quality of the work it produced. Workers at the time believed this was the work of an evil spirit and refused to continue working.
In 1874 retired chemist and industrialist Henry Davis Pochin bought the estate, including its 25 farms. Pochin made extensive alterations to the farmhouse, adding two bays at the front in order to match Bodnant Hall.
During his very active retirement at Bodnant he strengthened the banks of the dell that the river ran through and planted the great American and Orient conifers that surround the farm today.
After Pochin died in 1895 the farm was let until World War II when the farm was used to house evacuees from Liverpool and Manchester and was requisitioned by the Home Guard.
After the war Furnace Farm became a home farm again and electricity was first connected in 1947. Farming ceased in the 1960s and subsequently the farm and outhouses fell into disrepair.
Henry Pochins grandson Michael now owns the farm with his wife Caroline and it was their idea to develop Furnace Farm into the Bodnant Welsh Food Centre. Restoration began in 2010 and now the food centre employs more than 60 people, 95 per cent of whom live in the area.
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Farmhouse Hall, Bodnant
AmeriCymru: I believe Bodnant was the first recipient of US tractors during WWII under the lend/lease agreement. Can you tell us more about this?
Chris Morton: After World War II, Furnace Farm was rented to the granddaughter of a Manchester councilor and became home to one of the first tractors to come to the UK as part of the US lend-lease arrangement.
The Lend/Lease Act was Americas way of helping Britain out. Prior to World War I, British agriculture was, for many of the poorer farmers, still dominated by horse-drawn machinery.
Between the wars a large amount of food was imported into Britain, which had driven British agriculture into decline. The dangers of shipping during World War 11 reduced their imports, forcing Britain to start ploughing every possible acre to produce food for a hungry nation.
A shortage of tractors prompted the US to send tractors and implements to Britain to use used by the remaining farm workers and the Womens Land Army, with many now collectorsitems.
AmeriCymru: What is your involvement with the Welsh Hill Farming Experience?
Chris Morton: Theres no better way to savour the Welsh Hill Farming Experience than by resting up in a lovingly restored 18 th century farmhouse.
The unique life of a hill farmer is perfectly matched by a stay at the cosy cottage accommodation at Bodnant Welsh Food.
The relaxed accommodation is furnished with soothing Farrow & Ball paints, handcrafted ironwork lights and Welsh-made Elanbach fabrics. Rooms are equipped with flat-screen TVs, WiFi, and powerful showers making them the perfect place to get a taste of rural life.
Guests also have use of the shared kitchen, which will allow for you to cater to your needs.
A visit to Bodnant Welsh Food not only enables visitors to enjoy the Welsh Hill Farming Experience it also helps to sustain the many farmers and food producers in the region who have worked the land for centuries.
Tin Shed's 28th Infantry Division Appeal - Press Release - Please Circulate - Fire At Will
By Ceri Shaw, 2013-01-08
A small, volunteer run museum in Laugharne, west Wales is launching an appeal to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the arrival of a very special group of American soldiers to Wales in 1943.
Tin Shed Experience 1940s museum is appealing for information on the 28th Infantry Division known as the Keystones.
Seimon Pugh-Jones of the Tin Shed has been interested in this particular division for quite some time, he even produced a self funded documentary on the Americans in Wales during WWII entitled Operation Bolero. He says, I have always taken an interest in the 28th It is the oldest division in the armed forces of the United States but the most interesting thing to me about these troops is that they hail from Pennsylvania and of course that area of America has a large Welsh community that dates back to the late seventeenth century where a large emigration of Welsh Quakers occurred and then later in the 19th century where Welsh coal miners emigrated to the anthracite and bituminous mines.
He goes on, The division arrived in October 1943 and were here until April 1944. In a way a lot of the guys that were coming over to train in Wales were likely to be returning home to the land of their forebears.
They were based along the whole of the South Wales coastline from Porthcawl to Pembroke Dock. Recently a memorial was unveiled in Mumbles to some of the American forces based in that area during WWII, namely the 2nd Infantry Division. Seimon explains Unlike the 2nd Infantry Division what is also notable about the 28th is that they were citizen soldiers. The troops of the 28th are a national guard unit and came from similar working class backgrounds to the inhabitants of South West Wales. They share similar day to day occupations in agriculture and the coal and steel industries, they were from community orientated based towns similar to the people of Wales.
We have been told some lovely accounts over the years by people who remember the red Keystones (worn on the shoulder sleeve of their uniform) of just how well these troops integrated into the Welsh communities when they were over here.
They made a huge impact on the local communities and left a large hole when they left. They are fondly remembered and well regarded by the local people.
After leaving Wales the division was posted to Wiltshere then landed in Normandy, France on 22nd July 1944 and swept through Luxembourg and onto the German border where it sadly went on to suffer huge casualties in the Huertgen Forest at the famous Battle of the Bulge During WWII the red keystone insignia of the division became known to the German forces as the Bloody Bucket such was the ferocity of the fighting from the men wearing it.
Of the 14,032 GIs that came to Wales with the 28th Infantry, many would never see their homes and loved ones again. 9,609 men lost their lives, with another 884 reported missing in action.
Matthew Hughes of the Tin Shed explained What we would like is to have some sort of monument erected in our local area to these men. The beaches of Amroth, Wisemans Bridge, Saundersfoot and Tenby were all extensively used as practice grounds prior to the D-Day landings and would be fitting locations for a lasting reminder. General Eisenhower himself even visited the 110th infantry regiment of the division at Tenby in March 1944.
He goes on, We are currently working with a few organistations in Pennsylvania who are helping us appeal to veterans and families of veterans of the 28th. One such organization is the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins Ice Hockey team who are hosting a Welsh Heritage night on St. Davids day next year in conjunction with the The Welsh Cultural Endeavor of Northeastern Pennsylvania. We are also appealing through the AmeriCymru social network.
Mr. Brian Coe, Vice President of Operations at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins said The Welsh influence is apparent nearly everywhere you look in Northeast Pennsylvania and Luzerne County, from the rich coal mining history in the region to The Welsh Bethel Baptist Church in downtown Wilkes-Barre. When our ties during wartime were brought to our attention by the Tin Shed Experience, we were eager to help their research in any way possible. We hope that our fans and the people of the Wyoming Valley will be able to assist in the organizations research.
In closing Matthew Hughes said, In our opinion we believe that Wales is missing out on a large amount of American visitors each year. The families of American veterans spend vast amounts of money on month long trips to Europe visiting sites where their relatives trained along the South Coast of England fought in France, Belgium, The Netherlands and finally Germany. Wales has not been highlighted as a destination and to some of them it could be the first leg of their journey. The insignia of the 28th Infantry and the state of Pennsylvania is the keystone of a bridge. We hope that this symbol can take on a literal form through our appeal and hopefully a memorial could be another great way to highlight the importance of our shared heritages and encourage them across the Atlantic to visit.
If you have any information for the appeal please get in touch via www.tinshedexperience.co.uk
The Tin Sheds Operation Bolero documentary along with a few commemorative images they have created are now available for download for the first time via their online shop. The proceeds go to this memorial appeal and the upkeep of the museums exhibits
Click here to shop - http://www.tinshedexperience.co.uk/shop.html
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Following the success of Penmon Point , Peter Walkers first short collection of poems, the St Asaph diocese vicar has been busy composing his second volume, Old Men in Jeans , which will be published this month.
Revd Peter Walker is an Anglican priest working in the Church in Wales and has been writing poetry since his teenage years, but it is only since joining the Diocese of St Asaph that hes started publishing his work.
The poems in Old Men in Jeans have been built on the theme of Christian legacy and spirituality in Wales, and the collection includes some personal reflections and experiences as a priest. I think that Ive found my personal voice in Old Men in Jeans , said Peter Walker.
One of my concerns is the language of church, because as secularism takes more of a hold, people are losing the vocabulary of church, and so its a question of how do we connect with the post-modern world.
What I have therefore tried to do is connect with people in two ways, Peter explained. Firstly, Ive tried expressing the core values of the Christian faith, which tend to get lost in the individualism and assertiveness of today's world. Secondly, Ive taken inspiration from our Celtic heritage of personal Godliness, and the way we are called to discover our inner spirituality.
Peter Walker is originally from the West Midlands, and taught Modern Languages for many years before working for a time in a parish in Telford, Shropshire. He now lives and works on the Welsh coast in the diocese of St Asaph, and is married with a daughter, and an agoraphobic cat!
Old Men in Jeans is Peter Walkers second collection of poems following on from Penmon Point , which was published in 2011. Both publications are available to buy directly from Y Lolfa or The Welsh Books Council .
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Day 11: My Half Marathon Blog - And What Costume Shall The Poor Boy Wear ( With Apologies To The VU )
By Ceri Shaw, 2012-04-10
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Follow the whole nine yards here (a 95 part series) :- Half Marathon Blog
Why I am running:- West Coast Eisteddfod Bryn Seion Church
For details of how to sponsor see this post
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How to address the vexed question of running gear? It is perhaps only a vexed question for me because I am a cheapskate. In the past I have only ever run in t-shirt, daps and jeans. The very same t-shirt, daps and jeans that I would in all probability, be wearing to the pub afterwards.
My researches indicate that a pair of men's running Capri's can cost anywhere between 50 and 100 dollars . Now I'm sure that these pants have advantages in so far as they are lighter than jeans and better adapted to the temperatures you are likely to be running in. But do they make all that much of a difference? I can't see how they would.
There are also many kinds of running headgear ( most of which resemble baseball caps ) with cool visors etc attached. Wouldn't you keep cooler if you didn't wear a hat at all?
I am convinced of the need for a cheap plastic wristwatch. The kind you pick up for a dollar with a 24 hour guarantee. That way you can look at your wrist from time to time and assess the duration of your remaining torment.
I also believe in the efficacy of knee supports. They can help absorb shock and keep you feeling comfortable and pain free over a longer distance.
Other than that........well of course an AmeriCymru t-shirt
Does anyone have any advice on the subject of running attire? Clearly I have a somewhat 'punk' attitude to the whole subject but I'm willing to listen to reason.
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Welsh on the Kindle
For the first time ever there is a selection of Welsh language books to read on the Kindle this year. Y Lolfa has published ten of its popular novels as ebooks on Amazons website. Y Lolfa has published ebooks on its website for almost four years but this is the first time that Welsh language books have been available on the Kindle. Amongst the books available is Dyn Pob Un (Every ones man) a satirical novel about the media and Yr Alarch Du (The Black Swan) a mystery novel set in Caernarfon.
There will be a far wider choice of Welsh and English books over the next few months and books will be available on all platforms. We hope that this will help to create a wider audience for Welsh interest books, especially to Welsh people who live in the US.
Link to Welsh books on the Kindle
Y Lolfas Website: http://www.ylolfa.com/
Cymraeg ar y Kindle
Yn sgil galw gan ddarllenwyr maer Lolfa newydd gyhoeddi deg o nofelau poblogaidd Cymraeg fel elyfrau ar wefan Amazon. Maer Lolfa wedi bod yn cyhoeddi e-lyfrau ar wefan y Lolfa ers bron i bedair blynedd ond dymar tro cyntaf i elyfrau Cymraeg fod ar werth ar wefan Amazon ar gyfer y Kindle. Ymhlith yr elyfrau sydd ar gael mae Dyn Pob Un , nofel ddeifiol a dychanol Euron Griffith a nofel newydd Rhiannon Wyn am Gaernarfon Yr Alarch Du . Mae prisiaur elyfrau ar gyfartaledd yn bunt yn rhatach nar llyfrau papur. Mae yna gynlluniau ar y gweill i gyhoeddi rhagor o elyfrau Cymraeg a Saesneg ar gyfer pob pob dyfais eddarllen. Bydd nifer o lyfrau newydd yn cael eu hychwanegu dros y misoedd i ddod. Gobeithio y bydd hyn yn golygu cynulleidfa ehangach i lyfrau Cymraeg a Chymreig yn enwedig yn yr Unol Daleithiau.
