Born on this day 1945 in Cefneithin, near Ammanford 

Barry John - former Wales and Lions rugby international, who became known as "The King" and is considered by many  to be the greatest fly-half in the sport's history.

In 1967, John joined Cardiff RFC from Llanelli and formed a half back partnership with Gareth Edwards that was to became the most famous in world rugby. From 1967, John and Edwards played together for Cardiff, Wales, the Barbarians and ultimately the Lions on their winning tour to New Zealand in 1971.  On that tour, John played in all four Tests and played some of his finest rugby, finishing as the Lions' top Test scorer.

His excellent balance and precise kicking made him a pivotal part of the Welsh team that won the 1971 Grand Slam, the first time Wales had achieved a Grand Slam since 1952.  However, he retired from rugby in 1972, at the age of 27, citing the pressure of fame and expectation behind his decision.  

Abbey Cwmhir located in the secluded valley of the Clywedog brook, just north of Llandrindod Wells, was a Cistercian abbey established by a charter of Llywelyn ap Iorwerth (Llywelyn the Great) on 6th January 1199.

With its fourteen-bay nave, it was the largest Abbey in Wales and would have housed up to 60 monks.  Its nave is longer than those at Canterbury and Salisbury Cathedrals and twice the size of that at St. Davids.

The Norman invasion of Wales was followed by the establishment of Benedictine monasteries in the shadow of the Norman castles, however because they were identified with the conquest, they failed to make any real impression on the local population.  The Cistercians, in contrast, sought out solitude in the rural areas, with thirteen of their monasteries being founded in Wales between 1131 and 1226.

A timeline history of Abbey Cwmhir

Abbey Cwmhir was a daughter house of Whitland Abbey and established with the patronage of three sons of Madog, the then Prince of Maelienydd (southern Powys).

1143 - An attempt to found an abbey was made about a mile to the east of the current site but was unsuccessful due to.the intervention of Hugh de Mortimer, Earl of Hereford. 

1176 -  The abbey was re-established by Rhys ap Gruffydd of Deheubarth. 

1199 - The abbey was given a charter by Llywelyn ap Iorwerth (Llywelyn the Great) on 6th January 1199

1200 - The community was involved for many years in the conflict between Llywelyn (the abbey's patron) and Roger Mortimer (then lord of Maelienydd) and was twice burnt by English soldiers.

1231 - The abbot was fined for aiding the Welsh cause in helping Llywelyn ab Iorwerth defeat the English near Hay on Wye.

1282 - The abbey is said to be the last resting place of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, following his defeat and death at nearby Cilmeri on 11th December. 

1401 - The abbey was burned by the forces of Owain Glyndwr.

1537 - Only three monks are recorded as living in the abbey at the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries in March 1537.

1644 - The Abbey was slighted during the English Civil War.

Twelfth Night Customs in Wales. 

In Wales, the custom of ‘Hunting the Wren’ usually took place between the 6th and 12th of January.

it involved a party of young men catching a wren and putting it in a cage.  They would then carry it through the community, singing songs acclaiming it as the King of the Birds. They would be invited into houses and given food and money.  In Pembrokeshire, it was called ‘Twelfth-tide’ and the wren's cage was in the form of a wooden cottage adorned with ribbons.   

Born on this day 1905 in Rhymney 

Idris Davies - miner, schoolmaster and poet, described as the voice of a generation.  He is perhaps best remembered for ‘The Bells of Rhymney’ from his debut collection, which became well known after being set to music in 1957.

Davies began writing poetry after being made unemployed as a miner following the General Strike of 1926 His poetry being inspired by mining disasters and the depressed South Wales coal mining communities valleys. 

Born on this day 1974 in Farnborough, Hampshire (of Welsh parents from Penygroes, Gwynedd)

Iwan Thomas -  one of the world’s elite 400mtr runners, who won a silver medal in the 4x400m relay at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.  Over his career, Thomas also won European and Commonwealth titles.  He retired in 2006, only to discover two years later that he was a world champion as well.

Born on this day 1965 in Watford (Welsh grandmother) 

Vinnie Jones - former Wales soccer international and captain. 

As a player, Jones was renowned for his tough man image, being sent off 12 times and at three seconds into a match, holding the record the quickest recorded booking.  Jones also took an uncompromising approach to his subsequent acting career, with his roles in "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Snatch"

Waldini (1894 -  5 January 1966)  was the stage name of Wallace (Wally) Bishop, a musician, band leader and impresario born in Cardiff, whose career spanned 6 decades

Known also as "The Great Waldini" or "Mr Music",  Waldini founded a concert party whilst serving with the Royal Army Medical Corps in Egypt, during World War One, after which he worked as  a cinema musician.  During the depression years of the 1930's, he formed a band of unemployed musicians, which he called Waldini and his Gypsy Band and they played every day at Roath Park, Cardiff.  

During World War Two, the band was hired to entertain the troops and after the war, they worked at summer holiday resorts all over the UK, but especially at Happy Valley at the Great Orme, Llandudno.  During his career, he also found time for talent spotting and in the early 1940s gave Peter Sellers one of his first jobs.   

Traditionally in the Western Church, the First Day of Christmas is Christmas Day, therefore, 5th January is the Twelfth Day of Christmas.   

On the Twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me - Twelve Drummers Drumming.  

Welsh medieval tabor (tabwrdd) player - The tabor is a portable snare drum, suspended by a strap from the forearm.  It is found in Medieval Europe from around 1300 and was often played in unison with a three-holed pipe flute  in the "pipe and tabor" one man band configuration, as since the pipe has only three holes it can be played with one hand, leaving the other available to play the tabor.  It was used for dancing, ceremonies and processions, folk customs and street entertainment. 

Born on this day 1878 in Tenby

Augustus  John - the leading British portraitist of his period and a brilliant draftsman.

John worked as a war artist for the Canadian army during World War I, after which he adopted a bohemian type of lifestyle, traveling with and painting, Irish travelers, Normandy fisherfolk, and gypsies. He later specialized in commissioned portraits of society figures.  

Born on this day 1940 in Cardiff.

Professor Brian Josephson - Nobel prize-winning physicist and “pioneer of the paranormal.” and whose motto is “nullius in verba” - take nobody’s word for it.

Josephson was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1973 for his discovery of the “Josephson Effect” which explains how an electrical current can flow between materials with no electrical resistance, even when an insulator is placed between them.  It is used for making immensely sensitive scientific instruments, that are capable for example, of measuring the magnetic field around a mouse’s brain. 

In the late 1960s, he began to explore paranormal themes, such as the relationship between music, language and mind and in the early 1970s started practising transcendental meditation and trying to find a scientific basis for telepathy. 

Born on this day 1850 in Bettws, Newport

Griffith Jenkins Griffith - Welsh - American industrialist and philanthropist, who donated 3,015 acres of land to the City of Los Angeles which later became Griffith Park.

Griffith emigrated to Pensylvania in 1865, before moving to San Francisco in 1873, where he became manager of the Herald Publishing Company.  In 1878, he became mining correspondent for a San Francisco newspaper and as such he gained extensive knowledge of the mining industry on the Pacific Coast.  His knowledge of mining, led to him being employed by many  mining syndicates and also earned him a significant fortune.

In 1882, he moved into property development and also started an ostrich farm near the Los Angelos River, to supply the feathers used in making women's hats.  After the property rush peaked, in 1896, Griffith donated 3,015 acres of land to the City of Los Angeles, which later became Griffith Park.  He also gave the money to build the park's Greek Theatre and Griffith Observatory. Griffith's legacy, however, was marred by his notorious attempted murder of his wife in 1903, a crime for which he served two years in prison.

Born on this day 1958 in Swansea.

Gary Jones - actor and writer, best known for his roles in Stargate SG-1, Stargate: Continuum and Stargate: The Ark of Truth.

Jones moved to Vancouver, Canada in 1986 where he worked as an Art Director and award winning comedy writer, before moving into acting.  He is also known as an excellent MC and is in great demand for hosting events, such as award presentations.

Traditionally in the Western Church, the First Day of Christmas is Christmas Day, therefore, 4th January is the Eleventh Day of Christmas.   

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me - Eleven Pipers Piping.  

Pipes have been documented in Wales since at least the 12th century and more than likely pre-date this considerably.  They would have been used socially for entertainment and accompanying singers as well as a rallying cry in battle.  

*  A Christmas feast which included pipers was held by the Lord Rhys at Cardigan in 1176, which is regarded by many to be the first eisteddfod.  

*  The Welsh Laws of Hywel Dda, in the 10th century and later versions in the 12th and 13th centuries provide information about the status of music in Wales and state that the king should recognize the status of master craftsmen in his service by giving each one an appropriate instrument, specified as harp, crwth, or pipes.  

*  In 1376, the poet Iolo Goch describes the instrument in his Cywydd to Syr Hywel y Fwyall.  Also, in the same century, Brut y Tywysogian ("Chronicle of the Princes"), written around 1330 AD, states that there are three types of wind instrument: Organ a Phibeu a Cherd y got ("organ and pipes and bag music").  

*  In 1784, Edward Jones wrote: `The musical instruments, anciently used in Wales... are six in number, the Telyn, or harp; the Crwth; the Pibgorn, or Horn-pipe; the Pibau-cod, or Pib-braich; that is, the Bagpipes, or the arm pipes: the Tabwrdd, Tabret or Drum; and the Corn-buelin, Cornet.' 

With the general decline of Welsh traditional music in the 19th century, the pipes slowly disappeared from use.  However in the last 30 or so years, there has been a revival of piping in Wales, with pipe bands being established in the cities of Newport, Swansea and Cardiff. 

Born on this day 1907 in Neath

Ray Milland - Academy Award-winning actor and director.  His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985 and at one time, he was Paramount Pictures highest paid actor, co-starring alongside many of the most popular actresses of the time. 

Milland was a member of the Household Cavalry of the British Army, before taking up acting.  He initially took parts as an extra in many British productions before starring in "The Flying Scotsman", which resulted in him getting a contract with MGM

He then moved to the United States where he signed for Paramount and Universal, appearing in  "Three Smart Girls" and  "The Jungle Princess" with Dorothy Lamour, which made him an international star.  After a further 20 years of acting success, he moved into directing.  

Born on this day 1987 in Carmarthen.

Ken Owens - Wales rugby international, who was part of the Grand Slam winning side in 2012.  Owen currently plays as hooker for the Scarlets regional side.  

Born on this day 1892 in Bloemfontein, South Africa

JRR ( John Ronald Reuel) Tolkien, the author of  The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion. 

Tolkien, whose fiction is influenced by Wales, is known to have loved the Welsh landscape and its language.  For example, the Elvish language, Sindarin, sounds very much like Welsh and many of his place names have similar Welsh equivalents e.g. Crick Hollow (Crickhowell)

Traditionally in the Western Church, the First Day of Christmas is Christmas Day, therefore, 3nd January is the Tenth Day of Christmas. 

On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me - Ten Lords a Leaping

It is thought that "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was a song used by Catholics, who were wary of showing their faith openly.  According to the theory, the subject of each verse represents a hidden religious meaning.

The Ten Lords a Leaping, represents The Ten Commandments.

The Ten Commandments, along with the Creed and the Lord's Prayer appear in the first book to be published in the Welsh language "Yn Y Lhyvr Hwnn" ( 'In This Book').  It was published in 1546 and was the work of John Price of Brecon. 

The full list of suggested hidden meanings are;

* The partridge in a pear tree, represents Jesus Christ.

* Two turtle doves, represent the two Testaments

* Three French hens, represent faith, hope and love.

* The four calling birds, represent the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

* The five golden rings, represent the first five books of the Old Testament.

* The six geese a-laying, represent the six days of the creation.

* Seven swans a-swimming, represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.

* The eight maids a-milking, represent the eight beatitudes, given in the Sermon on the Mount by Jesus.

* The nine ladies dancing, represent the Holy Spirit's nine fruits.

* The ten lords a-leaping, represent the Ten Commandments.

* The eleven pipers piping, represent the eleven faithful disciples.

* The twelve drummers drumming, represent the Apostles Creed's twelve points of belief. 

Born on this day 1856 in Pentrepoeth, Swansea.

John Viriamu Jones - scientist, who worked on measuring the ohm and an educationalist who worked to raise the standard of secondary education in Wales.

Jones was the first principal of Cardiff and Sheffield Universities, first vice-chancellor of the University of Wales and also principal of the Cardiff Technical School.

He was named after John Williams, the missionary to the South Pacific, 'Viriamu', in the language of the South Pacific island of Erromango means "Williams".   

The drowning of rural Welsh valleys in order to provide English cities with water, often by compulsory purchase and without compensation, is a controversial subject which over the years has led to many protests.  

On 2nd January 1982, The Welsh Army of Workers claimed responsibility for a bomb explosion at the Birmingham headquarters of the Severn Trent Water Authority.  An hour later a second bomb was found and defused at the main complex of the International Development Corporation (IDC) in Stratford-upon-Avon.   No one was hurt by the bombings, which were part of a campaign for local authorities from Birmingham and the West Midlands to pay for the water they receive from the Elan Valley reservoirs.

1880's - Lake Vyrnwy  in Montgomeryshire was the first reservoir in Wales and at the time, it was the biggest man-made lake in the world. It was built to supply water to Liverpool and Merseyside and involved flooding the head of the Vyrnwy valley and submerging the small village of Llanwddyn.  

1890s - The City of Birmingham Corporation bought 180km² of land in the Elan and Claerwen valleys in Powys, as there was an increasing demand for water in Birmingham for public health reasons and for industry.

1904 - The Elan Valley reservoir was opened to supply water to the City of Birmingham. The three dams opened there were - Craig Goch, Pen y Garreg and Caban Coch, with a surface area of 500 acres.

1907 - Llyn Alwen near Betws y Coed was constructed by the Wirral Water Board.to supply 9 million tons of water per day to Birkenhead.

1923 -  Welsh MP's prevented the Corporation of Warrington  drowning the Ceiriog valley near Wrexham.

1952 - Claerwen reservoir and dam in Elan Valley was opened and the area was leased by the Midlands for 999 years for a sum of 5 pence a year. It provides 75 tonnes of water per day. 

1965 - Consruction of the Llyn Celyn reservoir in Gwynedd involved the drowning of the village of Capel Celyn, to supply water to Liverpool

1967 - Llyn Clywedog near Llanidloes was built to supply water to Birmingham and the English Midlands, following an Act of Parliament ordering  its creation, despite strong local opposition.

Born on this day 1752 in Llandyfrydog, Anglesey.

Nicholas Owen - clergyman and antiquary who wrote on various topics from Welsh history, including the claim that it was Prince Madoc who first discovered America.

Owen was appointed perpetual curate of the now ruined St Michael's Church, Llanfihangel Ysgeifiog in Anglesey in 1790.

Traditionally in the Western Church, the First Day of Christmas is Christmas Day, therefore, 2nd January is the Ninth Day of Christmas. 

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me - Nine Ladies Dancing.    

Dancing has always been popular in Wales.  In the 16th century, the twmpath was an 0pportunity for the community to meet and dance in the open air to music provided by a musician sat on the tmwpath (a tump of raised ground).  There was also step or clog dancing, which included stepping and displays of skill such as high leaps and the dancers putting out a candle flame with their feet.   

However, when Nonconformity became dominant in the 1730s, dancing was discouraged as a more conservative way of life became expected by the ministers.   This resulted in folk dancing almost vanishing in Wales by the 20th century.  

The decline of traditional Welsh dancing was reversed in the 1930's when Lois Blake, an Englishwoman who had moved to Denbighshire, took it on herself to reintroduce the historic dance steps and music, such as Lord of Caernarvon's Jig of 1652, the Llangadfan set of 1790 and the Llanover Reel, popular at Llanover Court until the late 19th century.  

Then in 1949, the Welsh Folk Dancing Society was established, which along the introduction of folk dancing into the National Eisteddfod programme has ensured an optimism for the continuation of Welsh folk dancing.

New Year Customs in Wales.

Calennig.

The ancient custom of calennig can trace it roots back to the middle ages and is still active in some areas of Wales today. Children would go from house to house, singing rhymes and wishing the occupants a healthy and prosperous new year. In exchange for this goodwill, they would receive money, food or the calennig apple, which is an apple standing on a tripod of twigs and decorated with holly.

The Battle of Llwchwr and the Revolt of 1136.

The Battle of Llwchwr (Battle of Gower), which occured on New Year's Day 1136, between Loughor and Swansea, resulted in victory for the Welsh over a Norman army.

In 1135-1136, a succession crisis hit England following the death of Henry I. Stephen de Blois displaced his cousin and Henry's daughter Matilda which resulted in a breakdown in law and order, referred to as The Anarchy. Many Welsh lords saw this as an opportunity to rebel and recover lands, previously lost to the Normans. One such lord, Hywel ap Maredudd of Brycheiniog raised an army and marched on South Gower.

When the Normans intercepted them, the scale of the Welsh army took them by surprise and there was a violent clash on the common of Carn Coch, the Welsh army routed the Norman force, killing 500 men.

This victory inspired more rebellions and Gruffydd ap Rhys lord of Deheubarth journeyed to meet with Gruffydd ap Cynan of Gwynedd to enlist his aid in the revolt. In his absence, his wife Gwenllian raised an army and attacked the Norman castle of Kidwelly (Cydweli). However she was defeated, captured and beheaded and two of her sons, Morgan and Maelgwyn, also died (one slain in battle, one captured and executed).

In response, Cadwaladr and Owain, the brothers of Gwenllian, invaded Deheubarth, taking Llanfihangel, Aberystwyth and Llanbadarn and the two Gruffydds engaged a massive Norman army drawn from all the lordships of South Wales at the Battle of Crug Mawr, two miles outside Cardigan, in October 1136. After some hard fighting, the Norman forces were forced to retreat and were pursued as far as the bridge over the River Teifi.

The bridge collapsed with the weight of the fleeing Normans and hundreds are said to have drowned. Others fled int0 Cardigan, which was taken and burned by the Welsh. However they were unable to take the castle and it remained the only one to remain in the Norman's hands until the end of the rebellion.

Born on this day 1879 in Gowerton.

Ernest Jones - neurologist, psychoanalyst and Sigmund Freud’s official biographer. Jones was the leading exponent of psychoanalysis in the English-speaking world during the 1920s and 1930s.

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