Beryl (Bee) Richards earned degrees in art, human resources and career guidance and retired from a career in human resources and education to pursue interests in writing and historical research. She is the author of Nantybar - A Vanished Village in the Afan Valley and is currently working on a novel on the South Sea Bubble. Bee was born in Port Talbot, on the South Welsh coast, and came back to live there after traveling extensively. She quotes a familiar saying, "You can take the girl out of Port Talbot, but not Port Talbot out of the girl."

Bee will be appearing at the Left Coast Eisteddfod to give a presentation on Prince Madoc.

AmeriCymru: You will be giving a talk on the Madoc Legend at this years' Left Coast eisteddfod. Care to tell us a little about that? How did you first become interested in the Madoc Legend?

Bee: Madoc is one of the fascinating stories, which is surrounded by circumstantial and anecdotal evidence. I think it ranks in mystery with stories such as the Turin Shroud, the Mari Celeste and it has a parallel in the Scottish legend of Summerled. Such mysteries and legends circulate all over the world. Always unproveable, always fascinating. Sometimes I wonder do we really want to solve these enigmatic tales. A lot of the fascination is taken out of such romanticism when proven a reality by science....

I am constantly fascinated by riddles, mysteries and enigmas such as Madoc. The further I delve into the story the deeper the mystery becomes. All sorts of phantoms are released. What were the political aspirations of the first voyage? How in the light of the Welsh Civil war was Madoc able to sail from Rhos with ships fully equipped for a journey to who knows where? Were there any Imperialist designs from the royal house of Gwynedd? My interest in the enigma started with a friend of mine a historian by the name of Bill Isaac lending me a book by Richard Deacon entitled (of course) Madoc and the Discovery of America I became hooked!

AmeriCymru: What do you think it will take to prove that the Welsh discovered America? What direction would you like to see further research take?

Bee: One of the possibilities would be to pursue the DNA trail. Another would be in finding definite proof that the saga ever took place. Any reported remains have mysteriously disappeared or have been burned. There is a huge body of anecdotal evidence and written evidence by many famous individuals but nothing left of the material remains of the said Welsh. It is unfortunate that academia dismisses the hypothesis. No one institution has to my knowledge ever conducted a multi disciplinary approach to the problem, either in Wales or in the US where I suspect more archaeological evidence could be found to support the Madoc claim.

AmeriCymru: Are there any books on the subject that you would particularly recommend?

Bee: There is quite a body of literature on the subject, one of my favourites is the book which a lady called Zella Armstrong wrote and published herself entitled Who Discovered America; the Amazing Story of Madoc. Richard Deacon Madoc and the discovery of America another highly recommended volume is entitled Madoc, the Making of a Myth, by Gwyn A Williams. One of the most entertaining fictional accounts encompasses three volumes written by a novelist called Pat Winter. William A. Traxel also wrote an account which takes the saga further called In the footsteps of the Welsh Indians. There are many more.

AmeriCymru: What inspired your interest in history? Would you agree with R.S. Thomas that it is not possible to ".... live in the present, at least not in Wales?"

Bee: Inheritence and curiosity also have a bearing on my interest. My father was one of the great instigators of my interest in history. Politically he was one of the best informed individuals I have met; discussions with him through my teens led me to want to find out the motivation behind his convictions. I started to read and found I had a great interest in how the past has influenced the present and how it will influence the future. It is my belief that we can only start to know our humanity by recognising the humanity and the struggles and triumphs of the past. Wales is a place full of crazy contradictions from the Mabinogion, to the religion of Rugby to the huge contribution we have made to the world of culture and industry. We are a multi cultural society and yet manage to draw in and to meld many communities into what is a vibrant modern country. I certainly think we live in a modern society, melded out of the people who have gone before us.

AmeriCymru: What inspired you to write "Nantybar...A Vanished Village in the Afan Valley"?

Bee: The wish to find out in more detail about the history of the little known Welsh valley of Afan was the motivation in writing Nantybar. The Rhondda Valleys are the usual topic of the Welsh Industrial Revolution, but what happened in the Upper Afan Valley during the 1800s was repeated all over the country when the rural population made a mass migration to industrial sites in all parts of the country. The North, Scotland, Wales. All these places played a huge part in the support of the British Empire with little or no recognition.

AmeriCymru: Any other message for the members and readers of AmeriCymru?

Bee: Congratulations to AmeriCymru in accomplishing what will be a unique occasion. I hope this year will be the first of many.

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

I've just got back from a couple of weeks in Europe. My wife loves to go there for the art, the scenery, the markets, the food, the vino and the history. Me, I like to go there to crawl around under church pews, to crick my neck trying to spot carvings on timber framed houses, to be the guy laying on the floor taking pictures of an ornamented chair leg while everyone else is drooling over Rembrandts and to be the fellow who barely notices the magnificent stained glass of Chartres Cathedral because I'm mesmerized by the tiny roses carved into the stone columns. I confess, I absolutely love the wood and stone carving of the medieval and renaissance period! Whenever I start to think I am getting pretty good at what I do, a quick look at some carvings done by the artists of medieval Europe puts me well and truly back in my place and vividly illustrates the distance I have yet to travel!

But it isn't just the masterworks of the medieval church carver which inspire. The 'folk' carvings of the Barvarian and Tirolean Alps never fail to dazzle me with their exhuberance and virtuosity. Scarcely any wooden object was left unadorned and the result is an exciting legacy of chip carving which is still practiced by adherents around the globe today.

What I really like about wandering around Europe though, is that wood carving seems to show up everywhere. This picture was taken of a shop door in a Parisien fashion arcade. Although the picture doesn't do it justice, the work was exquisite. If there was some of this kind of stuff at the fashion stores here in Canada, my wife would have a fighting chance of getting me to go shopping with her once in a while!

I know that many carvers out there struggle with finding designs to inspire them and they especially find imagining their own patterns very difficult. I'm not too much different in that respect but I have found that by continually keeping my eye peeled for little gems like this, I have managed to vastly expand the repertoire of ideas I have to draw on during the design process. This simple little detail from a confessional is absolutely captivating and will definitely find its way into one of my designs some day soon. It may get altered a bit, but it is such an elegant form that I can't wait to find a way to carve it! To have this kind of inspiration available almost everywhere one looks really does make a trip to Europe more than worthwhile for a carver. And did I mention the beer? Ahhhh, the beer!

I'll conclude my little travelogue with this last picture from Chartres Cathedral (I was exaggerating for effect earlier, I did notice the stained glass!). This, for me, was the absolute highlight of my European trip! Although hard to see in this pic (as it is in real life) there is a tiny frog carved onto the stone column. His head has been broken off at some point, but his torso and limbs remain. Representing a staggering amount of extra work for the carver, this little frog was likely carved here for the sole purpose of supplying some whimsical beauty for the observant viewer. What a delight he must have been for eagle eyed children (and adults) over the years. And what a modest, quiet and yet powerful illustration of the beauty of carving!

AmeriCymru member, operatic tenor Gwyndaf Jones will be traveling from Toronto to perform at this year's NAFOW in Pittisburgh, PA. If you haven't heard him sing, here's his site and go listen - wow!The NAFOW guest bios page lists him: http://www.wngga.org/NAFOW/guest_bios.html "Gwyndaf Jones ~ Banquet PerformerBorn and raised in Llanfairpwll, North Wales, Gwyndaf Jones had many great experiences performing and competing in Welsh festivals throughout the country. In fact, it was the 1987 Singer of the World Competition held in Cardiff where he began his musical career. At age 18, he placed first in the tenor category and was awarded an Opera Program Scholarship to the Guild Hall School of music in London where he studied. Since then, he has performed with the Welsh National Opera, English National Opera, San Francisco Opera and Chicago Lyric Opera as well as extensively in concerts throughout Canada and the USA."Gwyndaf has produced and recorded a solo album in 2007. Currently living in Toronto, he teaches vocal technique of Belcanto singing to private voice students. "Go, Gwyndaf! The page lists a lot of other very interesting sounding people and it looks like it will be a great event.

Legendary American musician/composer/producer/arranger and general musical virtuoso, Quincy Jones told the BBC that he recently discovered that his father, Quincy Delight Jones, Sr., was half Welsh. Here, listen to a sound file of Jones discussing his feeling about his recently discovered Welsh heritage and that he was pleased to find Cardiff was "so Ghetto," - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/8132889.stm Quincy Jones is Welsh, Borat is Welsh, I keep telling people that everyone is Welsh and I know I'm right!

My fellow Americans, have a great day today, whatever you're doing! Set off explosives, enjoy beer or boating or barbecuing or whatever you choose to do today! I'm thinking I'm dragging my kids off birdwatching and swimming in the Columbia Gorge, and of course a picnic, as the forecast here is f'ing hot!Happy 4th!

Bryn Seion Church celebrated its 125th anniversary this last Sunday in Beavercreek, Oregon. A church service was held at 11:00AM, the first sing of the annual Gymanfa Ganu at 1:45PM, followed by an afternoon tea and the evening sing at 6:00PM.

From the Gymanfa program:

"Musical guests in alphabetical order:

"Rhiannon Acree was born and raised in Dolgellau, North Wales, to a distinguished musical family. She now lives in Long Beach, CA where she has a home-health care company. She has conducted many Gymanfaoedd including the National North American Gymanfa Ganu in San Jose in 2001. This is her third time directing Bryn Seion's Gymanfa.

"Reverend John O. Hasenjaeger, co-pastor of Bryn Seion church is a minister of the Presbyterian church USA and has been preaching [at Bryn Seion] regularly for just a year. John teaches philosophy and religion in Mt Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon and is an active volunteer with the music program there; he also assists in the ministry of several congregations in the area.

" Bronn and Katherine Journey are from Sultan, WA. Bronn's grandfather directed Bryn Seion's first Gymanfa Ganu in 1936. Bronn has performed for many Welsh functions in the northwest. Katherine is from Calgary, AB and has a Master's Degree in vocal performance. Her parents moved to Calgary from the "old country" of the Netherlands shortly after the close of WWII. Bronn and Katherine recently returned from a 13,000 mile US concert tour to the east coast, presenting programs for community concerts.

"Peter Kramer is a music student at MHCC, emphasizing composition, also studying piano and violin, and singing tenor in the MHCC chamber choir and playing violin in the orchestra.

"Quinland Porter is retired from Lewis and Clark college where she taught English and Humanities. She has been participating in Bryn Seion's Gymanfaoedd since 1952, and has sung locally with the Symphonic Choir, Portland Camerata, Portland Revels, St Steven's Cathedral Choir and Ascension Chapel.

"Owen Hofmann-Smith, cellist, has played with several regional symphonies and jazz combos including the Metropolitan Youth Symphony, Portland Youth Philharmonic, Mount Hood Community College and Mount Hood Symphony.

"Teresa Vosse is currently organist at Glenfair Evangelical Church, Portland, accompanist the classical choirs at [Mount Hood Community College], and plays violin in the MHCC orchestra. Teresa is retired from a career as a music educator, specializing in the classical strings."

Betty Pierce corralled as many of the children as she could to sing "Calon Ln" to a packed house during the morning sing, and joined them. The church building was completely full and the audience spilled out onto the lawn on both sides.

The BBC reports that, despite his unfortunate birth in London, comedian Sacha Baron Cohen has ties to Wales - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/1898402.stm , "the outrageous wide boy's father and grandfather are both Welsh and his mother still owns a department store in Cardiff. " That's right, the outrageous creator of Borat, Ali G and Bruno has family roots in Pontypridd, in "the Wales".

The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod will this year be taking centre stage in Washington D.C as one of the 160 organizations, musicians, poets, scholars, artists and craftsmen representing Wales as the Guest Nation at the two week long Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Washington D.C. 24 June 5 July.

The Smithsonian Folklife Festival , which takes place every year and attracts over one million visitors from the USA and overseas, will welcome Wales as the featured Nation providing visitors with a unique opportunity to learn about Welsh culture. As representatives of Wales festivals, Llangollen will be an integral part of the Wales and the World Pavilion where they will be telling the unique story of Llangollen and the Welsh Eisteddfodic tradition on which it is based./p>

The International Eisteddfods presence in Washington will highlight the parallels between both events as the International Eisteddfods Executive Director, Mervyn Cousins explains, It is a great privilege to be part of such a major world festival with similar aims as ours. In the same way as the Llangollen Eisteddfod aims to promote world peace through music and dance, the Smithsonian Festival aims to do this by showcasing the best the Guest Nation has to offer to the rest of the world and we are very proud to be here representing Wales festivals. Llangollen is where Wales and the World meet and therefore this is an ideal opportunity for us to take Llangollen to the world!

During the two-week festival, that takes place between 24 28 June and 1 5 July senior Llangollen personnel will lead various presentations. The talks will range in their themes from how the Eisteddfod came into existence 63 years ago, through to the Festivals commitment to sustainable development and the environment, to how a small town in North Wales was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize!

Betty Belanus, Curator of the Wales Smithsonian Cymru program expressed her enthusiasm for the collaboration: "Having visited the Llangollen area during my extended research stay in Wales in 2007, I was very impressed with the beauty of the area as well as the obvious positive impact the International Eisteddfod has had on the town and environs. The idea of an International Eisteddfod illustrates the warm welcome that I have always felt in Wales. Although I have never had the pleasure of attending the event, its vision of promoting peace through mutual cooperation is much like that of our own Smithsonian Folklife Festival. We look forward to hosting the representatives of the International Eisteddfod who will be participating in the Festival, and we hope that visitors will be inspired by the global reach of Wales through finding out about events such as the International Eisteddfod. I believe that the depth of pride and determination of the Welsh people will shine in our event, through one on one interaction with the participants from all around Wales, including Llangollen.

The Smithsonian Folklife Festival has collaborated with the Welsh Assembly Government to select the best that Wales has to offer. First Minister, Rhodri Morgan said: "No longer will Wales be Europes best kept secret. The Smithsonian is one of the worlds biggest cultural festival events and we have a unique opportunity to raise our profile in Washington and right across North America. Visitors to the festival will be able to learn more about our traditional and contemporary cultures and we hope that inspires them to visit, study or invest here."