Weekend Wales

We spent the weekend in Wales. We went first to Llanfyllin, where Eleri's sister and brother-in-law were staying in Glyn's sister's home. (In 1833 S Lewis wrote 'This place derives its name from the dedication of its church to St Myllin, or Mewn Llyn, concerning whom a tradition is extant that he was the first baptist ever known in Britain, and from being constantly in the water baptizing and inviting those who passed by to partake of that ceremony, was called by the natives St Mewn Llyn, or "the Saint in the Pool." This can't possibly be right!) It was nice to see them and Glyn's parents and their friend and her girls. A chapel in the village is the site of where Ann Griffiths, the Welsh hymn writer, was converted. I also noted that Charles I had stayed in Llanfyllin (en route to Chirk Castle). We played football and watched Last choir standing on TV - two Welsh choirs (one from the north, one from the south) in the final I see (typically the Cardiff contingent among us knew at least one fellow in the southern one).

On the Sunday we headed to Penrhyndeudraeth, where I was to preach in Capel Fron. We went via the infamous Llyn Celyn off the Tryweryn river. I was able to preach with some freedom from Ezekiel 37 and Psalm 94. We had a lovely time with Mike Perrin and his wife Elaine and a friend of theirs who very kindly gave us a load of lovely blueberries, which we are enjoying. We enjoyed walking and talking and fishing newts out of their pond. (Interestingly the Welsh word for newt is madfall ddwr - water lizard. The Welsh like that sort of thing I think. Cf Twrch ddaear - earth boar [mole], dyfr gi - water dog [otter]). Mike's always interesting to talk to. A bit of a renaissance man, he's always into something. Most recently it has been kayaking and recorder playing. He had a nice anecdote about the 1986 funeral of Alfred Bestall (Rupert artist), a Christian it seems, whose funeral he took. Paul McCartney and Terry (Python) Jones were there among others with a lot of middle aged men dressed in red tops with yellow scarves!

The middle boys' paper rounds started again today so we had to head back. We got home around 1 am.

[Music from an ancient Welsh mss. By Yr Hwntws]