VOICES FROM WALES – FORTY-ONE OF FIFTY-TWO

Mother Bear has been sick and poorly ill over Christmas and new year so hasn’t been able to get out and film any specific Xmas activity.

The natural storytelling of Margaret Lee is once again the subject. There’s not many left I promise!

Social history is so important, and everyone should archive their own in whatever way they can. In this digital world it’s easy to take photos but it’s just as easy to record testimonies through video or audio recording. I urge people to get out there and press the record button.

VOICES FROM WALES – FORTY OF FIFTY-TWO

Life in Carmarthen Town during WW2 with Aunty Mags. Margaret Lee talks of pub life in The Eagle Inn, Priory Street during the war.

Billeting soldiers and VE Day.

Four of Eight and she threatens to record more!

VOICES FROM WALES – THIRTY NINE OF FIFTY-TWO

Life in Carmarthen Town during WW2 with Aunty Mags. Margaret Lee lets her into pub life in The Eagle Inn, Priory Street.

Evacuees: ‘I wanted one!’

Rationing!

German Spies and Darts matches!

Four of Eight and she threatens to record more!

VOICES FROM WALES – THIRTY EIGHT OF FIFTY-TWO

Americana Gold Interview

It’s a blast from the past with an interview from the now non-operational Tin Shed in Laugharne. It was a wonderful venue for local, national and international music performers that has sadly now closed.

Three Welsh musicians from Swansea have always loved the sound of the West Coast of America and although the three professional musicians play in other bands there’s nothing more than they enjoy but to bring the songs of California to the people of South Wales.

Lorraine King, Peter King and Terry Thomas create a three-part harmony and a range of guitar skills that emanate the laid-back feel of the songs that they have grown up with.

In the interview with local music journalist, radio personality and music guru, Malcolm Cawley aka BB Skone, they talk about their passion for music.

Happy Thanksgiving!

VOICES FROM WALES – THIRTY SEVEN OF FIFTY-TWO

AUNTY MAGS PART THREE – THE EAGLE INN

Here she is once again, ‘Aunty Mags Part Three – The Eagle Inn’ with a collection of stories related to the family pub in Priory Street, Carmarthen.

It’s a little bit different in this video as Mags talks of the involvement of the American forces in Carmarthen who frequented the pub and gives an insight into town life during the Second World War.

Her stories are supplemented with text from the 2nd Bn 112th Infantry History from October 1943, and also Our Kind of Town, by Jim Condon.

VOICES FROM WALES – THIRTY SIX OF FIFTY-TWO, THE RIVER TOWY

Totally off the cuff, I woke up last Saturday and decided to take the dog, Eddy, on an adventure. I got dropped off just outside Carmarthen on the Llansteffan road and followed the Coastal path back to Carmarthen – not an enormous walk. I wanted to get the vibe of the river. I took my mobile phone with me, in case of accident etc and as I’m walking think I’ll take some pics and to a bit of a commentary. I hadn’t done any research regarding history, hence the links below. Maybe I’ll read up a bit and go back and do the walk with the knowledge and take Seimon, the cameraman and Eddy!

Rhyd Y Gors - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhyd-y-gors

Buffalo Bill - https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/wales/entries/c5eb1659-9985-368b-9b86-8a35c9834aa7

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/museum-officials-trying-identify-scene-1926131

Ystrad Tywi - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ystrad_Tywi

White Bridge - https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/300080709-white-bridge-the-bascule-railway-bridge-carmarthen#.Xb_UrC2caPQ

Busy Carmarthen Port from a hundred plus years ago.

VOICES FROM WALES – THIRTY FIVE OF FIFTY-TWO, ROUTE 66 -TAFFS ON TOUR

Ian Gravell and Robin Bowen, motor bike enthusiasts and friends for years decided at the start of 2019 to plan an adventure of a lifetime.

From May 26th to June 26th they endured the mother road of America -= Route 66. Taking a month out of their busy lives they wanted to fulfil a dream that they had held in their imaginations for maybe thirty years.

Driving west on their motor bikes following a dream of a journey from Chicago to the Californian west. A dream sold to their younger lives by Hollywood and the film Industry of the USA.

Both men have had life threatening accidents in the past but their passion for the motor bike has lasted.

Ian delivers his travelogue with huge zeal of meeting new characters and an honest pleasure in seeing landscapes only seen in books.

I introduce you to:

Bow and Ianto – Taffs on Tour – ‘Making America Great Again’ - 2019

VOICES FROM WALES – THIRTY FOUR OF FIFTY-TWO, AUNTY MAGS - PART TWO

Margaret Lee is 89 years old, lives in Newcastle Emlyn but to her core is a Carmarthen girl, St Peter’s girl born in Priory Street.

Her recall of her young life growing up in Carmarthen and her knowledge of families is legendary and unsurpassable. She is one in a million, as they say.

Here’s part two of the video when she sits with Andy, her first cousin’s son and browses through the Carmarthen Facebook page, giving a glimpse into the social history of the town and her family.

VOICES FROM WALES – THIRTY TWO OF FIFTY-TWO, YELLOW FACED CANARY GIRLS

Pembrey Country Park is a coastland parkland that has Cefn Sidan beach as its main attraction.

During the Great War of 1914-18 the park was used as a base for a munition factory which gave women employment from all over West Wales. The Royal Ordnance Factory was developed on a large scale.

Many of the women who worked there were stained yellow by the toxic chemicals that they were handling. They became known as the ‘canary girls’.

In 2018 a community workshop provided by Lorraine King and Andy Edwards for Pembrey Primary School took place. It was a storytelling session which ended up in the children writing the lyrics and Lorraine adding melody and the guitar parts. By the end of the afternoon the children sang and recording their song.

VOICES FROM WALES – THIRTY-ONE OF FIFTY-TWO, AUNTY MAGS - PART ONE

Margaret Lee is 89 years old, lives in Newcastle Emlyn but to her core is a Carmarthen girl, St Peter’s girl born in Priory Street.

Her recall of her young life growing up in Carmarthen and her knowledge of families is legendary and unsurpassable. She is one in a million, as they say.

In the video she sits with Andy, her first cousin’s son and browses through the Carmarthen Facebook page, giving a glimpse into the social history of the town and her family.