An Interview With Jean Mead, Author of 'The Widow Makers' - Americymru

Jean Mead

"It is always a pleasure to introduce a first rate historical fiction writer on the site. All the more so if her work happens to be set in Wales. In this interview AmeriCymru spoke to Jean Mead author of The Widow Makers , Strife - The Widow Makers and Freya 800AD about her work, future plans and passion for sailing. Be sure to check out Jean's website for details of her past publications and future speaking engagements.

Jean has also contributed an original short story for publication on the site. Joe Standish - Boyhood 1823 is a prequel to 'The Widow Makers' and revolves around incidents from the boyhood of one of its main characters."

Centenary of a Welsh great’s birth celebrated with two new books - Pennar Davies

  

November 12, 2011 marks the the centenary of the birth of one of the great figures in twentieth-century Wales. Pennar Davies was a coal miner’s son, who was born into sheer poverty in Mountain Ash. Educated there, he later obtained a double First Class Honours degree at University College, Cardiff before attending Balliol College, Oxford, where he gained a B.Litt. He spent the next three years at Yale University in the United States which awarded him a Ph.D. After another year at Cardiff he returned to Oxford, this time to Mansfield College. He was ordained into the Christian ministry at Minster Road Congregational Church, Cardiff in 1942.

In 1946 Pennar was appointed Professor of Church History at Bala-Bangor College before undertaking a similar post at the Congregational Memorial College, Brecon, in 1950. He served as college’s principal until his retirement. Pennar Davies, who learned Welsh as a teenager, became a leading figure in the literary life of Wales as a poet, novelist and writer.

To mark this centenary, Y Lolfa is publishing two books by former students of Pennar Davies: Saintly Enigma, a biography of Pennar Davies in the English language by the Rev. Ivor Thomas Rees of Sketty, and Diary of a Soul, a translation of Pennar Davies’ great spiritual classic Cudd fy Meiau [Hide my sins], by the Rev. Herbert D Hughes, a former lecturer at Trinity College, Carmarthen. A foreword to this volume has been written by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams. The two volumes will be launched at Christwell United Reformed Church, Manselton, Swansea on Saturday, 1 October at 10.30 a.m. Sadly, Rev. Hughes passed away at his Brecon home a few months ago.

The main speakers at the launch will be Professor D Densil Morgan, Professor of Theology at the University of Wales, Trinity St David’s and author of Pennar Davies’s Welsh-language biography, and Professor M Wynn Thomas, Professor of Welsh Writing in English at the University of Swansea.

Ten Questions with Author Jayne Joso

Author Jayne Joso's most recent novel is Perfect Architect, from Y Lolfa.

Book Review: Patagonia, Matthew Rhys

Matthew Rhys, a native of Cardiff now living in Los Angeles, has appeared in more than 30 roles for film and television, including "The House of America," "The Edge of Love," and the television drama "Brothers and Sisters."

In 1885, a group of Welsh settlers in Chubut, Argentina set out to explore the Andes and found and settled Cwm Hyfryd, "Pleasant Valley". They were members of the largest Welsh settlement in South America, founded twenty years earlier by the passengers of the Mimosa.

Actor and author Matthew Rhys joined a group of the descendants of the original Cwm Hyfryd expedition to recreate their accomplishment, on horseback as they did themselves. Rhys has published a beautiful book of his photographs and commentary on this experience: Patagonia: Croesi'r Paith/Crossing the Plain, a photographic memoir of this journey by horse through the Patagonian landscape and some of its Welsh history.

Although formatted as a beautiful coffee-table style book, Patagonia is about equal parts text and photographs, mainly black and white. It's presented in English and Welsh, including an introduction in those languages and Spanish. Rhys has included some background history of Welsh immigration to Argentina and the story of the original journey, including a few wonderful historic photos of those early settlers and the Argentina of their time. Instead of a linear description of the trip, chapters focus on Rhys' companions and elements of his experience, with titles like "Lunch," about the routine of easting, resting and riding and "Knives," which gives some insight into the arrangement of the trip. Rhys describes the following encounter:

"A number of farmers, and their wives and children, came out to greet us. One old gentleman gestured toward me inviting me to slow down. He ventured something in Spanish, and I gave him my customary response:

"'Perdon, no hablo catellano, señor.'

"'Wyt ti'n siarad Cymraeg, fachgen?' ('Do you speak Welsh?') was his answer."

The photographs are excellent. Sometimes humorous, sometimes heroically panoramic. Sometimes warm and small and precise little narratives themselves of people and things.

Patagonia was a comfortable pleasure to read. Picture and narrative together subtly built a sense of place and people, of Rhys' experience, the things he saw and the men who accompanied him, the marks on the land the original settlers left and the effect all this had at the end of the trail. The people, the landscape and customs are brought vividly and splendidly to life and conjure the desire to enjoy an asado in the Andes with these wonderful people, in this beautiful place.

Patagonia is published by Gomer Press and is available through Amazon.com

Nature and Language’s Revival in the Valleys Inspires Maesteg Poet

This week Y Lolfa will be publishing a new volume of Welsh poetry by a learner from Maesteg. Cerddi’r Galon by Susan May is a collection of poems which transport the reader to the old industrial valleys of south Wales, where the works now stand idle and nature can be seen at her best once more. Susan began learning Welsh in the 1990s so that she was able to converse with her mother when she was unwell, she explains,

“My mother was bedridden and no-one remained of the family’s older generation to speak to her in Welsh so I decided to learn the language with her in 1994. When my mother died I promised myself that I would continue to learn to speak and write in Welsh.”

In 2001 Susan won the Learners Chair in the National Eisteddfod with the poem Yfory, which is included in this book along with several poignant and honest poems which discuss her childhood and life and topical issues such as open-cast mining. The poems look at the scars left behind on the landscape by the heavy industries of the area,

“Three coal mines employed 3,000 miners in the Maesteg area and some of the poems look at the beauty which has returned to these valleys.”

Her Welsh tutor, Morgan D Jones, has clearly made an impression on Susan as she has written a poem especially for him and he has written the foreword for this volume. Susan May was a lecturer in midwifery prior to her retirement. In order that Welsh learners can enjoy the poems she has included a vocabulary for each one. Cerddi’r Galon is sure to enrich the experience of learning the Welsh language, and will appeal to learners of different standards and Welsh speakers alike. The price of Cerddi’r Galon, which is part of the Golau Gwyrdd (Green Light) series by Y Lolfa, is £4.95.

The Mabinogion Tetralogy by Evangeline Walton

Fantastic telling of the four branches of the Mabinogion. One truly needs to read several versions before being comfortable with the four branches. This is my ultimate favorite among all books Mabinogi. In the forward Betty Ballantine tells the story of Evangeline Walton born in 1907 in Indianapolis Indiana as a blue baby and never enjoying good health. All her life she had to cope with silver nitrate treatments which left her with a blue complexion. She was thus home educated and was very much a recluse. In this atmosphere, she began a life long love affair with books, her early favorite authors being Rider Haggard, Edgar Rice Burroughs, L. Frank Baum, and Lord Dunsany. The worlds of fantasy, love and adventure were also her world. A love of ancient and medieval history as well as the high poets formed her. Along with these factors, writing became a lifelong habit and passion. Her direction was toward magic and fantasy and when mixed with her burgeoning imagination this led her to the Mabinogion with its heroic myths of ancient Welsh lore. Therefore, her ambition focused on this rich body of literature. The myths, with a matter-of-fact acceptance of magic in the everyday lives of humankind, together with the fierce, tempestuous stories of the early Cymru, the titanic imagery, the blending of gods and men - proved the lure of a lifetime. In 1936, Walton published the Forth Branch of the Mabinogion with a title of 'The Virgin and the Swine.' This in the Depression went largely unnoticed. In the early 1970's Ballantine Books found a copy of 'The Virgin and the Swine. .Having started a new line of adult fantasy books, they were more than eager to republish this book. The Library of Congress did not have an address for the author, the publisher was long defunct. Ballantine posted ads for any information about the author in hundreds of publications. Calling the republished book The Island of the Mighty it was already in its print run when the Library of Congress informed them that the copyright had been renewed but  they still had no address. A  publisher's nightmare! Then another author found a twenty-year-old address for Walton. She was living in Tucson Arizona, and was pleased to see her book back in print. She asked if Ballantine would like the manuscripts for the other three branches. Checking and revising her early work, Prince of Annwn, The Children of Llyr, and the Song of Rhiannon The Mabinogion Tetralogy was published to the delight of dedicated fans of the Ballantine adult fantasy series. Recognition of her immense writing talents followed rapidly in the mainstream media. The Saturday Review of Literature wrote of Walton: “Evangeline Walton stands with T. H. White and C. S. Lewis as not only the best fantasies of the twentieth century. . . they are great works of fiction. Walton succeeds in creating an imaginary world that we believe actually existed [their italics] in this world’s history.” So this is the one work you cannot live without if you love the tales of the Mabinogi. Paperback: 720 pages Publisher: Overlook TP (December 31, 2003) Rating: 5 Stars Review by Bill Tillman

The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander

The tale of Taran, assistant pig keeper, has been entertaining young readers for generations. Set in the mythical land of Prydain (which bears a more than passing resemblance to Wales), Lloyd Alexander's book draws together the elements of the hero's journey from unformed boy to courageous young man. Taran grumbles with frustration at home in the hamlet Caer Dallben; he yearns to go into battle like his hero, Prince Gwydion. Before the story is over, he has met his hero and fought the evil leader who threatens the peace of Prydain: the Horned King. What brings the tale of Taran to life is Alexander's skillful use of humor, and the way he personalizes the mythology he has so clearly studied. Taran isn't a stick figure; in fact, the author makes a point of mocking him just at the moments when he's acting the most highhanded and heroic. When he and the young girl Eilonwy flee the castle of the wicked queen Achren, Taran emotes, "'Spiral Castle has brought me only grief; I have no wish to see it again.' 'What has it brought the rest of us?' Eilonway asked. 'You make it sound as though we were just sitting around having a splendid time while you moan and take on.'" By the end, Alexander has spun a rousing hero's tale and created a compelling coming-of-age story. Readers will sigh with relief when they realize The Book of Three is only the first of the chronicles of Prydain. Paperback: 190 pages Rating: 5 Stars Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. BYR Paperbacks (May 16, 2006) Review by Bill Tillman

Drunkenness and celebrity obsession 1860s style in new teen novel

Gold Hunter is an original tale of adventure for teenagers and is set in Australia. One of its themes is to explore the modern craving for fame and fortune among the young; something which it suggests doesn't necessarily lead to their happiness. In 1864, an arrogant and ambitious sixteen-year-old steals his widowed mother’s life-savings and sails from Cardiff to Australia to find gold. William Jenkins journeys into the bush only to encounter drunkards, crocodiles, outlaws and aboriginals with a reputation for cannibalism. When he stumbles into a strange community of ex-convicts, their leader tells him, “You’re the one sent to us by God”. William is then astonished to be offered half the profits in a gold mine. But before before returning to Wales, he discovers that there are more important things in life than riches. Though a work of historical fiction, several themes are explored which should strike a chord with modern teenagers. The binge-drinkers who crowd into city centres at night have much in common with the colonial drunkards of 1864. The story also delves into the complexities of mother-son relationships which are as fraught in the story as they often are today. William disobeys, curses and then steals from his widowed mother. Through his experiences in the bush, he comes to realise that, as Tom Davies puts it, "I do know that – above all things in this world – you should love your mam". The author comments, “On one level, Gold Hunter is a simple adventure story about a young Welsh migrant to Australia in the 1860s, which is why I chose the Aussie-Western scene with the bound and gagged bushranger for the cover. Like many teenagers, I like an action-packed narrative and I deliberately write in a fast-paced style. But there is a deeper meaning to the story. William Jenkins discovers that the fame and fortune which he craves at the outset do not make him happy. In a world obsessed with celebrity, regardless of any talent being involved, this strikes me as a point worth making.” William Vaughan was born and educated in Cardiff. He taught History and English in Leicestershire and at the Cathedral School, Llandaff, before becoming a writer of fiction for children and young adults. He is a member of Academi. William Vaughan’s third novel follows his success with The Black Legion, also published by Y Lolfa.

Faith, Hope and Love - Llwyd Owen

“Well paced, tightly plotted...[Owen] holds a magnifying glass to the middle classes to highlight their dark underbelly.... an unconventional thriller that will linger long in the memory.” - Lloyd Jones, McKitterick winner Alun Brady is a bit of a mummy’s boy: he is facing his 30th birthday and still lives in his parents’ cushy, middle class suburban Cardiff home. But when his mischievous, self-educated, warm grandfather Paddy makes his deathbed in their spare bedroom and pleads with Alun to help him die earlier than nature will let him, Alun’s makes a decision that turns his world and his values upside down. Upon his release from jail for euthanasia, Alun’s world looks a lot different. His parents have since died and an affair with his brother’s wife prior to his spell inside, leaves him alone, without a family, and readjusting to a new life of poverty on the streets of Cardiff. Surrounding himself with ‘friends’ from Cardiff’s underbelly, Alun find himself embroiled in a crime, with tragic consequences. Shifting in time and cutting across the social classes of Cardiff, Faith, Hope and Love is a superbly plotted, pacey, urban thriller, brilliantly evoking the city of Cardiff, and authentically exploring notions of memory and identity. Here, translated and adapted by the bi-lingual author Llwyd Owen, the original Welsh-language version of Faith, Hope and Love was winner of the Welsh Book of the Year, 2007. The novel, Llwyd Owen’s first one in English, has been selected as Book of the Month for June in Wales’ independent bookshops. Faith, Hope and Love will be launched in Cardiff at Gwdihw bar, Guildford Crescent, at 7.30pm, with readings, late bar and music from The Gentle Good and The Garden of Edam. Llwyd Owen is an award-winning Welsh and English-language fiction author born in Cardiff in 1977. His rising cult following in Wales stems from his lively use of street language and his exploration of some of society’s less visible characters – prostitutes, pimps, and criminals, to name a few. As well as publishing four highly-acclaimed Welsh language novels, he is also a published poet and photographer and has presented his own television documentary on S4C on the Cardiff art scene in 2008. His home town of Cardiff, where he currently lives with his wife and daughter, provides the inspiration for a lot of his work. When he is not writing, he works as a part-time translator. Available from 13/05/2010

'White Ravens' by Owen Sheers - A Review

First impression, a Wizard of Wales, a storyteller with a subtle pen for a wand, 'White Ravens' is a must read. Owen Sheers has a rare talent. Like the Florida gator, he is both ancient and today. The Second Branch of the Mabinogion contains the story of ‘Brânwen, Daughter of Llyr’. Sheers requested this tale because of its impact upon his own life. If you have not read The Mabinogion, I urge you to read this novella first. It will deepen your appreciation and widen your view of the art and skill of the Bards of old, as well as Owen Sheers. The author begins by drawing the reader into a modern day Welsh tale of tragedy and high adventure involving a family who raise sheep. Rhian is watching the sunrise as it turns the Thames gold. On a bench by the Tower of London, she recalls her life, at age six her father abandons the family. Ten years later her mother dies leaving her to run the household with Dewi and Sion her brothers to do the sheep farming. The third tragedy comes about six years later. Due to a Foot and Mouth breakout, the sheep are shot. Dewi and Sion get involved in sheep napping (pun intended), steeling a hundred head at a time and butchering them while on the way to London to sell on the black market. All goes well until the driver comes down sick. This book should become a N.Y. Times bestseller, Seren publishing house of Wales and author Owen Sheers gets a big thumbs up. Seren publishers commissioned ten Welsh writers to do some retelling of the national treasure 'The Mabinogion'. Theme: keep these old tales at the heart of a new story. The tale of Rhian and her brothers is complex and compelling. However, when she meets an old man with a cane on the park bench he tells her another tale. This is a tale about a WWII Irish soldier named Matthew O’Connell. Wounded in Italy Matthew is given an assignment to go to a remote farm in Wales to pick up six raven chicks. The mission is Top Secret as ordered by Prime Minister Churchill. While waiting for the chicks to mature for traveling Matthew falls in love with Brânwen, sister of the farmer Ben. A whirlwind affair ending with a wedding two weeks later, a returning brother Evan from the war casts a black cloud on the couple that night. After returning the chicks to London Matthew and his bride leave for Ireland and his farm home on the coast below Dublin. Farm life is terrible for both as Matthew’s family hate the British and his Welsh wife. Matthew turns sullen and Brânwen sends a message to Ben about how terrible life is. Ben and Evan show up one night to rescue Brânwen. Evan shoots Matthew and knocks their two year old son into the fire. Later Matthew recovers from the shot, saved by his pocket watch. By the time he contacts Ben in Wales Brânwen has died of a broken heart. But with a stroke of genius, Sheers redeems both the young woman and the old man in a surprise ending. In addition to these tales, Seren includes a synopsis of the original tale from The Mabinogion. Also an afterword by the author at the back of the book is inspiring. Branwen, Daughter of Llyr English text here More information about the Tower of London ravens here. Buy 'White Ravens' here. Review by Bill Tillman

Review: 'Always The Love of Someone' by Huw Lawrence

Huw Lawrence's stories have three times won in the Rhys Davies Short Story Competition, have gained three Cinnamon Awards and a Bridport prize. He was runner up for the 2009 Tom Gallon prize. Born in Llanelli, he trained as a teacher in Swansea, continuing his education at Manchester and Cornell Universities. He spent several years doing a variety of labouring jobs in Manchester and the Ffestiniog area of north Wales and now lives in Aberystwyth. I remember reading somewhere that you should only read one short story a day. Short stories have a single central idea to convey and given that that thought is successfully implanted in the readers mind you should spend some time savouring it. Reading them consecutively only serves to negate or dilute the impact of these finely crafted gems. Whether there is any merit in this prescription really rather depends on the quality of the writing. In the course of ten pages or so there is no time for elaborate characterisation or intricate plotting. But the finest short story writers can take a single thought or situation and explore or exemplify it with such intensity that the end result is electrifying and the reader is left with a desire to ponder the subject matter further. Pondering takes time. Perhaps one a day is truly the well balanced way. At any rate there is no doubt in this readers mind that 'Always The Love of Someone' is a collection to be savoured. The stories in this volume stopped me in my tracks several times and I felt compelled to share what I had read and discuss it with someone. Luckily my partner shares my literary tastes and pretty soon we were passing the book back and for and swapping recommendations. Theres nothing like enthusiasm shared. This collection focuses on human relationships and ranges in tone from the whimsical to the semi-tragic. There is the story of the old lady in "Yellow Umbrella' who cannot understand a young boys ability to live for the moment. When she offers the lad, whose parents are 'itinerants', shelter from the rain he appals her by revealing that he has no permanent address and is being 'home schooled'. Their contrasting reactions to their environment and in particular to the days weather reveal a tragic lack of spontaneity and a profound pessimism in the old lady's character which has perhaps destined her to live alone. Then there is the tale of Alf whose lifelong dislike and fear of dogs evaporates in old age when he is prevailed upon to adopt a lurcher. Throughout there are moments of profound introspection and equally revealing dialogue. In 'A Man And A Woman' a bachelor on a date is credited with making a simple discovery:- " The man's simple discovery had been to pause before speaking. A couple of seconds was enough to choose a better response than the one that leapt to mind, one that allowed dialogue, allowed the other's world to exist. Speech was not for you to be right. It was to find outcomes." In the closing story, 'Nothing is Happening Because There is a Point', a couple discuss their relationship and whether destiny played any part in it. The following rather incisive comment on logic stands out from this exchange:-"....Words can insist that other words following them have to be true, but logic doesn't bring about marriages, or there probably wouldn't be any." There is much,much more to savour in this collection , which for the short story afficianado is a veritable feast of nectared sweets. Huw Lawrence's touch is masterful throughout and each story is as elegant as it is insightful. I will be filing this collection on my bookshelf next to Raymond Carver and John Cheever and returning to it often. 'Always The Love of Someone' will be published on 30 May 2010 and will be an AmeriCymru Book of the Month selection for June. Reviewed by Ceri Shaw Email

'The Doorkeeper' - Octavius Pitt

Octavius Pitt's second novel, 'The Doorkeeper' is set in pre-World War II Britain, the story of an eight-year-old boy who goes to live with his grandparents in Wales. Jonathan Webster's mother has left him and his father for what seemed to her a more glamorous life in fascist Italy. Jonathan's father must briefly leave him also, for work in the United States. Jonathan goes to stay with his maternal grandparents on their farm in Wales, a part of his family his mother turned her back on and about which he knows next to nothing. In Wales, Jonathan finds the love and shelter of a greater family and a place in which he fits. The beauty of his new home can't dispel his concern for his parents but he finds an unusual and unexpected ally who comes to his aid. The Doorkeeper contains passages of lyrical prose which bring the landscape of its setting to vivid life. The rustic routine of daily life on the farm is described in many passages:- 'Peat, fuel for cooking and winter heating, they cut high up on the hafod land at Fawnog-fawr. Black, wet peat, sliced into rectangular blocks by Mr Williams with his special spade made for the purpose, whilst he sang out happily in the breezes in his lovely baritone voice. Each piece was then laid out by the boys for drying in the warm July winds - plentiful up there now, among misty mountains beyond the distant Conwy river in a picture book panorama. They returned when the blocks were dried, at least as far as the weather had allowed, Prince pulling the big wooden wain down to the hendre, it stacked high with partly dry peat blocks looking like solidified treacle and Jonathan as tired as a virgin navvy holding the reins manfully, the farmer, his pipe burning strongly, giving out gentle instructions to two loved grandsons among curling wreaths of cheerful blue smoke.' But there is much more here to intrigue and delight the younger reader. What is the secret of the old Mithraic Roman temple? What is the connection between Squire Bellamy and Old Mad Silas? The Doorkeeper controls access to the hidden world of 'Ansaurius' where the real power of 'Mother Earth' is revealed to Jonathan as he is prepared for future adventures he could little have anticipated. This delightful and occasionally profound tale is ideally suited for older children and younger adults. Mr Pitt has said that this will be the first of several volumes in the series. The reviewer sincerely hopes that volume two will be published soon.

The Six Nations Rugby Songbook

Essential Companion for all the Six Nations Sing-Songs If the Six Nations tournament would be about singing the Welsh would probably win it every year. A new handy companion will be published this week with the words to all the songs that will be sung in buses, pubs and stadiums during the coming weeks. The Six Nations Rugby Songbook, published by Y Lolfa, includes all the Welsh favourites such as Hymns and Arias, Bread of Heaven and Delilah as well as songs from the other five nations such as The Fields of Athenry and Flower of Scotland. Translations are included for the Welsh language songs such as Sosban Fach, Calon Lân, Myfanwy and I Bob Un Sy’n Ffyddlon. The bus trips, the dressing up, the socialising, the friendly banter between fans and rousing sing songs are now as much a part of the Six Nations championship as the rugby. This pocket sized book will be a godsend to any one who isn’t sure of the words and wants to join in the impromptu singing sessions and to tour organiser who wants to ensure that everyone knows the words to all the songs making sure that even if Wales don’t win the rugby as far as the singing is concerned the “land of song” will always be leading the way. The Six Nations Rugby Song Book is available at www.ylolfa.com and bookshops around Wales for £2.95. A list of Songs included in the book Wales Hen Wlad fy Nhadau, Sosban Fach, Calon Lân, Myfanwy, Cwm Rhondda, Bread of Heaven, When the Coal Comes from the Rhondda, I Bob Un Sy’n Ffyddlon, Hymns and Arias, Delilah, We’ll Keep a Welcome in the Hillside England God Save the Queen, Jerusalem, Swing Low, Abide With Me, Amazing Grace Ireland A Soldier’s Song, Ireland’s Call, Molly Malone, Fields of Athenry, The Wild Rover, Danny Boy Scotland The Flower of Scotland, Loch Lomond , Scotland the Brave France La Marseillaise, Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien Italy Inno di Mameli Other Nations God Defend New Zealand, The Haka, Advance Australia Fair, Waltzing Matilda, God Bless Africa

It’s Carmarthen – but not as we know it!

A new humorous and whimsical novel published this week, The Carmarthen Underground, explores the possibility of an ‘alternative Carmarthen’ filled with secret agents, spies and thugs. Beneath the town’s busy streets lies the hub of a sophisticated organisation whose officers are dedicated to the protection of Wales and its people from ruthless predators who are determined to undermine the country, its language and its culture. But is there an enemy within? The agents of Carmarthen Intelligence must find out or risk all they and the veterans of the Battle for Wales have strived for.Author Gaynor Madoc Leonard was inspired by a quote in William Knox's book The Pan-Celtic Phrasebook (also published by Y Lolfa) which asks: “Is there an underground train in Carmarthen?” “The ‘underground’ in the title doesn’t just apply to the train but to the organisation, Carmarthen Intelligence,” she explains, “which happens to be situated underground at Guildhall Square.” “One day I just sat down at my computer and started typing. I had no idea what the story would be at the point, but I was talking to an author who repeated that well-known rule: ‘Write about what you know.’ I know Carmarthen! As the first chapter progressed, I realised that this would be an ‘alternative’ Carmarthen. On the face of it, everything would be familiar to anyone who knew the town but it would be Carmarthen with a twist. “I wanted it to be amusing and not only to the inhabitants of the town or Welsh people in general. I hope that they will see that the book is written with affection for both Carmarthen and Wales. Perhaps it will make people look at the town with a new eye.” Gaynor was born and brought up in Carmarthenshire, in a Welsh-speaking family. Despite spending most of her life in England, where she worked for some years in the City of London, she visits her home country regularly and has a particular love for the Towy Valley.

Wales – do-able in a lifetime, according to historian and author, John Davies

Bijou but beautiful - Wales may be small but that just makes it all the easier to get to know and love. All within easy reach; accessible and inspiring, enchanting and evocative. And if you need more encouragement to get out and about, the inimitable John Davies, one of Wales most admired historians, invites you to wander with him to his definitive list of Wales’ 100 most memorable, historic places in his latest book Cymru: Y 100 lle i’w gweld cyn marw (Wales: the 100 places to see before you die). Known for his talent for bringing history to life, for recounting tales of old, of stories past and present, Davies links up with renowned photographer Marian Delyth to encapture Wales in word and picture. Let your senses travel the four corners of the country, starting on Mynydd Parys on Anglesey and wandering across and down, and round and over, to Pennant Melangell and Pont Cysyllte Aqueduct, Strata Florida and Whitland and Abergavenny, to name but a few, before finishing your journey at Chepstow and the Second Severn Crossing. The list contains firm favorites, Harlech, Beaumaris, Portmeirion, Conwy, The Mumbles and Tenby. But it also gives deserved attention to Wales’s industrial heritage, with stop-offs at Blaenau Ffestiniog, Dowlais, Neath, Rhondda Heritage Park, Blaenafon, Brynmawr and Tredegar. There are more remote locations, a visit to Old Beaupré Castle near Cowbridge, Llanddewi Nant Hodni in Gwent and Barclodiad y Gawres and Bryn Celli Ddu on Anglesey. But there are surprises too, no boat trip to magical Enlli or a beach walk to remote Ynys Llanddwyn and Snowdon mentioned only in passing. John Davies explains, “The places discussed are all evidence of the fruit of the labours of human beings. Places like Llanddwyn and Enlli could well be included in a volume concerned with the hundred places in Wales famed for their natural beauty; indeed such a volume would be a suitable companion to this one.” Do-able over the course of a lifetime by people who love exploring and who appreciate a sense of place, but for Marian Delyth it was a journey of epic proportions. For she, along with her trusty camera, was tasked with representing Davies’ wanderings in photo. It took her months to complete the project but the results are stunning. Her colour photographs capture the spirit of Wales – early morning light in the Tanat Valley and then the sun setting over the sea at Aberystwyth; snow on the slopes of Yr Eifl in March and heather on Foel Drygarn in September. Delyth comments, “This comission was quite a marathon. Photographing a hundred places takes a fair amount of commitment, patience and perseverance. That said, by the end of the journey, my co-author John Davies had led me, in his own inimitable way, to a few gems – places that I’d known very little about, let alone had visited. Places that I’m certain I’ll go back to as I didn’t have enough time to linger this time around. I learnt a lot too, especially about our post-industrial regions, where I often had to look hard for that perfect shot to showcase the remains of our heritage.” A limited edition hard back, numbered and signed by the authors, John Davies and Marian Delyth, retailing at £29.95, is now available to pre-order from publishers Y Lolfa. A paper back version, in coffee table style (220mm x 220mm), priced at £19.95 ISBN 9781847711687, is also being published. Lefi Gruffudd, general manager, for publishing house Y Lolfa added, “Cymru: Y 100 lle i’w gweld cyn mawr (Wales: the 100 places to see before you die) is a must have for the Christmas stocking list, perfect for anyone and everyone who loves Wales and getting out and about. A signed hard back copy is extra special. So, why not take up John Davies’ challenge and do Wales in your lifetime!”

Chris Needs - 'And There's More'

Chris Needs – ‘I want to leave Wales because people here have been really cruel to me’ After writing about being sexually abused in the best-selling Like It Is, the most shocking revelation in And There’s More, the second volume of autobiography from Chris Needs published this week, is the amount of vitriol he has received from his fellow countrymen (and women) regarding his sexuality. The legendary entertainer, charity fundraiser and BBC Radio Wales presenter has had abuse shouted at him in the streets, received hate mail in which some have questioned whether he should be allowed to have a godson, and even death threats. “Some people here in Wales have been really cruel to me,” he says. “I still get a lot of insults about my sexuality and this makes it much harder to hang on to the job. I love what I do in the radio studio, i.e. talking to people and, of course, the music. But is it worth it?” Needs dreams of a new life in his beloved Spain with partner Gabe Cameron and “no expensive petrol, no income tax, no ‘chavs’ and no moaning old gits calling me a queer… and, oh, no rain! I will probably retire to Spain. But I keep clutching straws that Wales will have its day, with cheaper prices, better weather, more liberal people… I can live in hope.” As well as his feelings towards his country, Needs speaks about bittersweet memories of his much-missed mother, why her will caused “immeasurable trouble and damage” to his family, his desperate desire to have children, and living with diabetes. On a lighter note, he also tells of starting out in show business and working with the stars, some nightmarish trips abroad, receiving a ‘Lifetime Achievement’ award from the Variety Club, meeting The X-Factor’s Rhydian, and how Gabe and godson Sam help to make his life more bearable. The stories are funny, honest and warm-hearted – much like the man himself. And There’s More (£9.95) is published by Y Lolfa and includes extracts from Living with Chris Needs by Gabe Cameron. Chris Needs will be touring Welsh bookshops in December. Confirmed dates: Fri, 4th Dec (1.00-3.00) Borders Fforestfach Tues, 8th Dec (11.30-12.30) WH Smith Neath Wed, 16th Dec (11.30-1.30) Waterstones Carmarthen (more dates to be revealed on his radio show)

A Must Read for all Football and Rugby Fans in Wales

A new guide, The Football and Rugby Playing Fields of Wales by Richard E Huws is about to be published. A life-long passion for sport led Huws to undertake a decade of research into the history of around 600 grounds throughout Wales. The result is this informative and comprehensive volume packed with fascinating facts and stats. The entries detail the teams that have played on each pitch and some famous matches that have taken place. The author explains further: “I have endeavoured to record the playing fields used by all current senior football and rugby teams in Wales. Fields used by some defunct teams have also been included if they can be clearly identified. I have also attempted to record some special events which have been held on certain fields. These range from agricultural shows to national eisteddfodau, and to other sporting events and unique occasions such as papal visits.” The book will appeal to sports fans and those with an interest in local and family history. Huws is surprised at the lack of information about sport in general local history books. He says, “I very much hope that this work will inspire local historians to delve deeper into the history of sport in their area and to record in greater detail this somewhat neglected aspect of community activity. I feel that this is especially important as an alarming number of traditional playing fields are falling victim to commercial, housing or transport developments.” Born in Carmarthen, the author has spent most of his adult life in Ceredigion. He worked at the National Library of Wales for almost 40 years, and recently retired from the post of Head of Reader Services. He has published widely on the history of printing, local history, family history and sport. He lives in Bont-goch, near Aberystwyth, and is a keen follower of most sports, and especially of his beloved Swansea City.