10 Reasons why I'm glad to be back in Wales

1. People are friendly
2. The water is softer (less shower gel, better tea or coffee taste, no limescale)
3. The views out are often good (the hills)
4. I can see more of the sky
5. When it rains, it often really rains
6. A little quieter
7. The singing in church is better
8. The Welsh language is everywhere, giving a different perspective
9. My family are nearer
10. These are my roots

Caerffili Area History 2 (Groeswen Chapel)

Pics https://www.visitcaerphilly.com/en/listings/groeswen-chapel/

Our second trip was to do with more recent history. Groeswen Calvinistic Methodist Chapel (later Congregationalist) was built in 1742 (Grade II listed). |It was the first purpose built Metofist place of worship in Wales. Its graveyard has been described as a Welsh Westminster Abbey as many Welsh poets are buried there. A bit lost on me to be honest. Their first long serving minister was WIlliam Edwards, also a builder, whio built the disticnctive bridgge in nearby Pontypridd.

Among those buried there

• Ieuan Gwynedd (Evan Jones, 1820–1852) fiercely patriotic journalist, independent minister and poet celebrated in Wales for his passionate defence of Welsh women and national character following the derogatory British government report known as the "Treason of the Blue Books" in 1847.
• Caledfryn (William Williams, 1801–1869) one of the nineteenth century’s most formidable Welsh-language poets, literary critics and Eisteddfod adjudicators. Served as a minister at Groeswen later in his life.
• The Coslett Dynasty. Highly influential family of local bards and scholars, including Gwilym Tawe (William Coslett) whose ornate family headstones form a significant piece of the graveyard's historic character.
• John Thomas "Llanwrtyd" (1839–1921) well-known Welsh composer and teacher who took his bardic name from his hometown.
• D C 'Christmas' Williams (1871–1926) prominent early 20th-century Welsh composer and conductor whose music was widely celebrated in chapel culture across South Wales.
• Griffith Hughes (1797–1839) charismatic minister who led the Groeswen flock during a time of immense growth and regional religious revivals.
• Tawelfryn (Charles Thomas, 1880–1927) beloved long-serving minister, local historian and writer, instrumental in documenting the chapel's rich history.

Also, some victims of the Senghenydd Colliery disasters. Beyond the famous cultural figures, the graveyard serves as an important site of industrial heritage, holding the remains of several local coal miners who tragically lost their lives in the massive Senghenydd colliery explosions of 1901 and 1913 - the latter being the worst mining disaster in British history when over 400 died, including, it turns out, one David Lewis Morgan, who lived here where I sit in our new home in Penyrheol, Caerffili. He was 35 when he died and left a wife and three children. See here.

Wales beat Norway

Neco Williams
(Tasnim News Agency, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>
 via Wikimedia Commons)

Good to know that Wales beat Norway 2-1 tonight in the football, their first win in nearly a year. Still bottom of Group D in the nations league but it's progress. Williams and James the scorers.

Tu ôl i bob dyn gwych ...

No-one knows quite the origin of the phrase that behind every great man there is a great woman. In 1985 the Eurythmics urged us to ditch the phrase and Maryon Pearson subverted it to "Behind every great man is a surprised woman". The truth is, however, that still today there are great men whose strength lies partly in their excellent wives. That is certainly true of many a man of God.

When I was growing up Derek Swann (1927-2007) and Eryl Davies were among the men of God in Wales and beyond who were serving the Lord with distinction. What I didn't know about them was that, as in the case of my own father-in-law, the two were married to godly Welsh speaking women, both of whom had been students in Aberystwyth University, my own alma mater. Both women died today and will be greatly missed by their families and fellow believers. There is an interview with Ceinwen Swann who married Derek in 1959 on YouTube. Magwen Davies had been very unwell in recent year I understand. Ceinwen's son Phil Swann is the main speaker at next week's EMW Conference in Aberystwyth.

(I should have mentioned that Helen Gibbard, the widow of Rev Noel Gibbard, also died recently. She would have been similar in age.)

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting. But a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Magwen/Eryl Seventies, Ceinwen 2019

Eisteddfod Yr Urdd Anglesey

FYI The Urdd Eisteddof for young people is on atm. It's live on S4C.

That's my oldest grandson in shot singing in the choir.

Dai and the Arabian gods

I came across a passage today in a book.It had me thinking for a while.

"Secondly, the Assyrian annals identify the gods of the Arabian pantheon as Atar-Samayin, Dai, Huhai, Ruldāwu, Abīrillu and Atar-qurumā."

Double International Win for Wales

We sit quite light to the nation's sporting successes but on a day when both the Association and Rugby football teams have won it is worth noting. We beat Japan by one point with the last kick of the game in the rugby, which I watched most of, and Liechtenstein 1-0 in the soccer, too. Hopes of world cu[ qualification remain alive.

Pedair

On Friday night I accompanied my wife to a fundraiser for the London Welsh School in a Welsh Chapel off Oxford Street. The Welsh folk group Pedair performed. A guitars and harps combo they are of a very high standard and mainly performed their own material (all yn Gymraeg, wrth gwrs). It was a very nice evening. More here.

Family Pic

 

This is a pic of the family was taken on holiday in North Wales last month

Holiday North Wales

Horseshoe Falls

Canal near Pontcysyllte

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct

We had a lovely family holiday in a farmhouse near Llangollen last week. Just the twenty of us as we are now with six more nearby. Lovely time.

Gwen Grace

Part of the fun here in Wales is meeting my six week old granddaughter Gwen for the first time.

 

Warren Gatland

I am in Wales at the moment. My son Owain (who turns 24 today - happy birthday!) and I came up on the train to join Eleri yesterday. On the way, who should be sitting a few seats from us but Warren Gatland, until recently manager of the Welsh rugby team (btw no mention of them becasue it is so bad at the moment - not really Warren's fault I think). Anyway my oldest grandchild played his forst proper game of rugby yesterday so I asked Mr Gatland if he'd sign something for me. I had a pen but the only piece of paper I had was an A4 manila envelope. Anyway, he very kindly signed it (see above). He wrote just the right thing. I explained to him that I am not a rugby fan as such but I am a Welshman. I think he understood.

10 Welsh words now in the OED

John Cambrian Rowland, Public domain,
via Wikimedia Commons

1. Calennig, n. A New Year's gift. Also: the practice or custom observed on the morning of New Year's Day, usually by children, of going from door to door making a request (traditionally in the form of a song) for food, money, or other gifts
2. cawl, n.2 Soup
3. iechyd da, int. Cheers (lit good health)
4. mamgu, n. Grandmother (South Wales)
5. Senedd, n. (The Welsh) Parliament
6. sglods, n. Chips
7. tadcu, n. Grandfather (South Wales)
8. taid, n. Grandfather (North Wales)
9. twp, adj. (and n.) Stupid
10. ych a fi, int. Expressing disgust or disdain

10 Things connecting The Beatles to Wales

1. Lennon apparently had Welsh ancestry. I read that a great grand or grandfather was a Calvinistic Methodist minister.
2. McCartney's aunt lived in Horseshoe Pass near Llangollen and as a boy would have visited with family
3. McCartney produced the debut single by Welsh speaking Mary Hopkin from Pontardawe
4. McCartney was best man when his brother Mike married in St Bridget's, Carrog, Merionethshire
5. Harrison also had an aunt living in Wales, in Broughton
6. Harrison loved Port Meirion and celebrated turning 50 there in 1993
7. Starr spent his early life living in Madryn Street, one of the Welsh Streets in Liverpool. These late 19th century Victorian terraced streets were in Toxteth. The houses were designed by Welsh architect Richard Owens and built by Welsh workers to house workers mainly involved in the industries on the docks; the streets were named after Welsh villages and landmarks. (Names of the streets include Voelas, Rhiwlas, Powis, Madryn, Kinmel, Gwydir, Pengwern and Treborth Street.)
8. Starr was playing drums for Rory Storm and the Hurricanes in Butlins, Pwllheli, when he got the call to join the Beatles
9. Apple Corps, the Beatles label, produced records by Badfinger, a band founded in Swansea and including more than one Welshman
10. The Beatles were in Bangor University learning about Hindu meditation when they heard of the death of Brian Epstein in 1967. There is a plaque there memorialising the fact.

10 Visits to Wales made by The Beatles

1. Rhyl, 14 July 1962, at the Regent Dansette Ballroom (a month later Pete Best was sacked)
2. Prestatyn, 24 November 1962, at the Royal Lido Ballroom
3. Mold, 24 January 1963, at the Assembly Hall
4. Cardiff, 27 May 1963, at the Capitol, 7 songs performed
5. Abergavenny, 22 June 1963, at the Town Hall
6. Rhyl, 19-20 July 1963, four shows at the Ballroom
7. Llandudno, 12-17 August 1963, two shows a night for six nights
8. Cardiff, 7 November 1964, two shows at the Capitol, 10 songs each time
9. Cardiff, 12 December 1965, two shows at the Capitol, 11 songs each time
10. In Bangor with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, 1967, at the University for seminars

More here

Dr Lloyd-Jones Memorial Lecture 2024 Welsh Revivals

It is a blessing to live so near the London Seminary. I especially like to be at the annual Dr Lloyd-Jones Memorial Lecture. I think I've been at them all, all the way back to 2008. (It would be nice to be asked to do one but that is not likely to happen). This time round it was Jonathan Thomas (the third time a Welshman has been the lecturer). His subject was Welsh Revivals and he gave a very helpful and straightforward reminder of some of the many revivals that have happened in Wales between 1735 and 1905. It is important to keep going back to this subject because it is easy to forget that God works in this way. Besides the references to Lloyd-Jones, the best part of the mesasge was perhaps the application where Jonathan reminded us of the importance of personal revival and reminded preachers that success is not all down just to good preaching. There needs to be a place in our thinking for God and revival.

Wales in 100 Objects by Andrew Green

A lot of publishing is driven by crazes. Ever since Neil MacGregor's History of the world in 100 Objects in 2010 there has been a steady flow of books in the same format. Over the last 100 days or so I have been reading Andrew Green's Wales in 100 Objects. The book (also available in Welsh) has a page of text and a picture (by Roland Dafis) for each object and soa  day at atime approach is slow but sure. The text is very well written and infomative. New dicoveries are being made all the time and changing the detail, although the general picture is long established. Fascinating.

10 Writers Called Thomas

 



1 Dylan Thomas (1914–1953, E), poet
2 Gwyn Thomas (1936–2016, W), poet and academic
3 Gwyn Thomas (1913–1981, E), novelist
4 Ned Thomas (b 1936, EW), critic and editor
5 (Philip) Edward Thomas (1878-1917)
6 Leslie Thomas (1931–2014, E), novelist
7 R S Thomas (1913–2000, EW), poet
8 William Thomas (Gwilym Marles, 1834–1879, W), poet and minister
9 David Thomas (Dewi Hefin, 1828–1909, W), poet and schoolteacher
10 Ebenezer Thomas (Eben Fardd, 1802–1863, W), poet


(The above writers wrote in E(nglish) or W(elsh) or both)

10 Welsh Place Names that include the word Holm

The word holm usually refers to an islet, especially in a river or near a mainland. It can also refer to a piece of flat ground by a river which is submerged in times of flood.

1. Flat Holm in the Bristol Channel
2. Steep Holm in the Bristol Channel
3. Burry Holms off the Gower Peninsula
4. Grassholm west of Skomer
5. Middleholm east of Skomer
6. Skokholm south of Skomer
7. Priestholm, former name for Puffin Island, Anglesey
8. Gateholm tidal island off the south west coast of Pembrokeshire
9. Brooksholm wood near Monmouth
10. Waterholmes, historical name for a place near Wiston, Pembrokeshire

A Few Days in South Wales

Cardiff/Cwmbran

Last Monday we left London and headed for Wales. First stop, Newport and my sister's. Two of her daughters were there with their husbands and young daughters to that added to the interest and we had a short but enjoyable time. We then went on to Cardiff where we are staying in my son's house (they are all on camp in West Wales this week). In the evening, we had a lovely meal with Eleri's Cardiff based sister and her husband and son. Nice evening. Tuesday Eleri and I drove into town and had a little wander. We had a cuppa in the museum and then lunch at Shake Shack. Lovely time. In the evening I did some blogging and then we entertained some Cardiff friends who are getting married in November and that was a good time too.

Eleri has spent today and yesterday at the National Eisteddfod, which this year is in Pontypridd, half an hour from here by train. She is helping man the stondin for the Welsh school but it is also a great opportunity to catch up with old friends and she has been having a great time, I think, although today has been rather wet.

I have been spending my time mostly reading and drinking coffee. Yesterday I headed into Whitchurch on foot for a coffee then caught a bus into town. I don't know Cardiff and so I enjoyed little things like the way all the stops are announced bilingually on the buses these days. (The route took us past The Earl Haig Club where I saw Focus in 2022 and the Velindre Cancer Centre where my mother had been a regular back in the nineties). I wandered around town and had lunch in the Caffe Nero in the St David's Centre (Focus also once played the St David's Hall and had someone play the organ for La Cathedrale). I then bussed back here before picking up Eleri. We popped over to Eleri's sister again later.

Today I took Eleri to the station then met up with my sister for a nice breakfast in a nearby Harvester. I then headed to Cwmbran where I enjoyed another coffee and an undercover wander in the rain. I sat in the Library which I now notice has similarities to the Swiss Cottage Library. I had luch in a  MacDonalds on the way to Pontypool and then headed back to Cardiff. (Kept my eyes peeled for anyone I might know but saw no-one. I like hearing the local accents, especially hearing people say by here and by there for here and there). In t evening I did a bit more wordling and reading and we watched the news an a couple of episodes of The Turkish Detective. Tomorrow we are off to Aberystwyth.