The Ninth Wave by Russell Celyn Jones – A Review

"You cannot be a true Mabinogi fan without reading this book" The Ninth Wave is a retelling of ‘Pwyll, Lord of Dyfed’ from the First Branch of the Mabinogion. Jones paints a world in the future where planet earth is out of oil. The horse is the preferred mode of transportation, sailing ships rule the seas and centralized governments have failed. Cars, trucks & vans are all roadside relics many of which are now inhabited. Wales is ruled by cantrefs (like our counties), which are inherited or won by conquest. While this Mad Max setting is intriguing, it seems slightly unpolished or needing more thought and attention to detail to make it work. However, there is enough here to make an interesting tale as long suspend your disbelief and ignore the awkward parts of it. When Pwyll drives, his mint condition saved and stored Bentley convertible on a tour of sacrifice while using its last tank of gas. The climax being to drive into a lake on another Lord’s property as a peace offering, yes that is what I said! (Here my lip trembles) I got out my hanky, well I will spare the details just saying it ended up wet and snotty. I have sat on this review for some time now, hoping to gain a more unbiased view of the work. In rereading the original tale of Pwyll, you find a young Lord who meets the Lord of the Otherworld. He swaps places with him for a year and a day including total shape shift of bodies. Slays (only a human can kill a god) the only competing Lord of that realm. Kills the suitor of the woman he wants to marry, has a son, son is kidnapped, wife is blamed and punished. Son is restored as a teenager and Pwyll rules happily ever after. Briefly an awkward paced fast then slow tale, deserving more space for a retelling. Jones by the nature of the assignment follows the same path but does not take enough space to fully develop the tale, as should be. The old tales involved a ‘Geis’ a magical binding or prohibition laid upon central character of the tale. Geis are behind the mythological tales in folklore, but now writers do not use Geis. A Geis would place a hero into legend, but now we must build a mighty saga to do the same. Considering that, Seren wants only novella length tales this is still a fine story. By explaining the limitations set for the task and then having my wife read the book her experience was thus. Struggled through the first half of the book not being a fantasy or science fiction reader, and then enjoyed the slower paced second half. There are pleasant surprises such as the return of the surfing son with a talent for leadership. The landscape of desolation will give you the shivers. You cannot be a true Mabinogi fan without reading this book. Buy the book HERE Review by Bill Tillman

An Interview With Geoff Brookes - Stories In Welsh Stone

Geoff Brookes is the author of 'Stories In Welsh Stone', a remarkable book which brings together fifteen grisly tales of murder and betrayal as revealed on the gravestones of various Welsh country churches. As the author says:-" These gravestones are not just curiosities. They represent past lives and tell stories we should not forget. We owe it to those involved to remember what happened." Americymru: We note from your profile page on Americymru that you live in Swansea. Care to tell us a little about the city for our American readers? Geoff: Swansea is officially Britain’s wettest city. What more do you need to know? It is more than enough for me! Swansea is the second city of Wales and there are about 250,000 of us here, about 40 miles west of Cardiff. It is a place with a long history. The Romans came here and it was the Vikings who gave the place its name, which was originally Sweynesse, a reference to the king of Denmark, Sweyn Forkbeard. The city sits on a fantastic bay that stretches right round from the docks in a gentle curve to the Mumbles lighthouse. It can be a lovely place. The people are loyal, friendly and inquisitive. For me it is where West Wales begins. The English language predominates although Welsh can be heard everywhere. The industries of the past, the copper and the steel, have gone. Now the city tries to promote its undoubted attractions as a tourist destination. With the decline in the industries the environment has improved beyond recognition, with better water and beach quality. Indeed there is now a small but thriving surfing culture amongst the younger generation. We now have a smart marina full of smart boats and surrounded by smart accommodation. Swansea is the birthplace of Dylan Thomas, Catherine Zeta Jones, my wife Liz and my son David. Richard Burton and Anthony Hopkins were born not far away. From Swansea you can access the Gower peninsular. It is green and beautiful, with isolated bays and cliffs. It can be very busy in the summer with so many visitors. Better to go down in the winter when it is peaceful and untouched and place can feel like your very own secret. The only down side? The weather. It is generally mild and you can determine the season of the year by the temperature of the rain. It rains most in October and least in May. But it rains. I have lived here since 1981 and I still haven’t learned to accept it. Americymru: You are the Deputy Head of Cefn Hengoed Community School. What exactly is a Community School? What is its place in the overall educational system in Wales? Geoff: I was appointed Deputy Head teacher of Cefn Hengoed Comprehensive School in January 1991 so I have been there for quite a while. It is a school which inspires a great deal of affection in those who work and learn there. It serves a disadvantaged area on the eastside of the river Tawe and we teach all the children in the area between the ages of 11 and 16. As well as being Deputy Head I also teach a handful of lessons. My subject is English. It always has been, ever since I started teaching in 1973. We are designated a community school because we are open outside normal hours and our buildings are used by other parts of our local community. There are evening classes for adults, there is a family centre where young mothers can meet, and there is a leisure centre which provides sporting and leisure opportunities. There is always plenty going on throughout the day. Of course our core business remains teaching and learning for our 700 young people. We have a reputation as a caring and forward-looking school. We are successful at what we do, even though we are housed in crumbling and inadequate buildings. Some regard us as a tough school because we deal with issues associated with social disadvantage and troubled young people. But I have been fortunate to find a place where I feel I belong and where I can make a contribution. It means a lot. Americymru: How did you become involved in your 'Stories in Welsh Stone' project? What provided the initial inspiration for the series? Geoff: It is quite simple really. I have always enjoyed writing and especially the process of taking detail and shaping it into something coherent and engaging. This has always given me great satisfaction. I have been lucky because my working life as an English teacher has often focused upon writing and telling stories. It has always been very important to me. I started writing articles for journals and newspapers about educational issues. After all, I have been a teacher for 36 years so far and like a lot of teachers I have plenty to say about it. But I realised that I wanted to step outside that enclosed world and write about different things. A colleague told me about the Murder Stone in Neath, South Wales. It is quite notorious. Local children are still frightened by it, but I had never heard of it. I went to see it and I was amazed. I had never seen anything like it before in my life. I just had to find out more – and then I wanted to tell the story of what I had found. Also I wanted to pay proper respect to Margaret Williams. Now she is part of a curiosity. But once she was a real person and I think we owe it to her to try and remember her as a person who came to such a horrible end. Her story is a gripping one and still leaves unanswered and intriguing questions. In the course of my research other stories emerged that also needed to be told. The words on every headstone hint at the life of the person beneath. I believe it is our duty to remember these stories and my duty to tell them. That is what my book is – a collection of real-life stories. I have lived in Wales since 1981 but I am still, to some extent, an outsider (I was born in Sheffield in South Yorkshire). As a result the unknown and private history of Wales fascinates me. So that first visit to Cadoxton church was a turning point. Americymru: How do you find the subjects for your stories? Does a typical story begin with a visit to a graveyard or with research into local newspaper archives? Geoff: A good question. I suppose there are two ways in which I find a story to pursue. In most cases, like Sara Hughes or Louisa Maud Evans (their stories feature in the May and July editions of Welsh Country Magazine) I find a story in old newspapers and then set out to find the grave. I really need a gravestone. That is what makes the person – and the story – real. Sometimes it isn’t easy. It can be painstaking work in the long wet grass, but there is a real sense of achievement when you find a headstone that has been hidden or overlooked for so long. The stories need to be brought out into the light. So there is research and then there is work in the cemeteries. Harold Lowe, an officer who survived the sinking of the Titanic, would be another good example. His story was easy to put together. The grave was more of a challenge! I have looked a big events like the Titanic but I have always tried to focus on individuals and what happened to them. I have been working on the wreck of The Royal Charter in 1859 and written about the role the local vicar played in the aftermath. For this story we went to Anglesey and explored a number of other tales that the research uncovered. In some cases though, I find a grave that seems really interesting whilst I am looking for something else. For example, we went to see a 2000 year old yew tree and found the grave of John Price from 1826. His story appears on Page 50 of Volume One. This grave is crumbling away but it is notable because not only does it carry his name, but also the name of the man who killed him during a long-running family feud. Such discoveries however can be very frustrating. The grave can look interesting but there might not be enough for a full story. We went to Cathays Cemetery in Cardiff and, as well as finding Louisa Maud Evans, we also found the grave of Major Jacques Theodore Paul Marie Vaillant de Guelis, who died in a car accident in 1945. He worked under-cover in occupied France during the war. I am sure his grave hides a fascinating and dramatic story but I haven’t been able to find out much so far. I think I shall have to put a page on my website where I can store all such scraps and see if anyone else out there has any additional information! Americymru: How important is it, in your view, that we remember these tales of past lives? Do we learn anything from history? Geoff: The stories open a window on the past and generally what we see are real lives. They might be “Stories in Welsh Stone” but really the Welsh part is irrelevant. That is merely where the graves are. The stories are about people. They could be anywhere. Their ordinary lives are suddenly defined by extra-ordinary events, usually not of their own choosing. Look at Joseph Butler, shot by a poacher who fled to Ohio (page 100). He was doing his job and suddenly found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or Adeline Coquelin, Napoleon’s niece, drowned in a shipwreck off South Wales (page 60). The victim of a random and unpredictable event. All our lives are fragile and sometimes our luck runs out. What the stories tell us is that the fundamentals of human experience don’t change a great deal. It is humbling to remind ourselves that however sophisticated we think we are, our ancestors, wherever they were, faced the same problems as us. Americymru: Of all the stories you have done, which one do you regard as your favorite? Geoff: It is hard to say which one is my favourite story. I have a lot of affection for the story of poor Arthur Linton, possibly the first sportsman to die of performance enhancing drugs (page 136). He was world champion cyclist in 1894 and he died rather suddenly two years later. His trainer, who carried a bag of drugs with him everywhere, was the wonderfully named “Choppy” Warburton. I suppose the truth is that my favourite story is the one that comes after the one I am writing. I am always desperate to start that story! So I have been finishing off a long piece about the wreck of The Royal Charter steam clipper in 1859 but I am eager to start writing about two little girls who were accidentally killed by a servant in Caernarvon in 1844. And when I am close to finishing that one iwill be very keen to move on to the next. Americymru: In the preface to your book you give thanks to "...Kath and Ian at Welsh Country magazine who have made this book happen." How did your creative relationship with the magazine come about? Geoff: A turkey played a key part in the development of our relationship. How many others can say that? I had written about the Cadoxton murder stone because I wanted to find out more about it. Then I tried to find someone to publish it. I had no success at all. When you become more experienced as a writer you realise that is completely the wrong way round of doing things but I was naïve. It was December 2004 and we ordered our Christmas turkey from an organic farm in North Wales. It arrived and with it came a complementary copy of the first issue of Welsh Country Magazine. I liked what I saw and immediately sent off my piece via email, more in hope than expectation I have to say – and received a reply almost straight away. I imagine I sent them the right thing at the right time. The story appeared in March 2005 and I have written for every edition since then. I enjoy it very much and we have established a creative and co-operative relationship. They are genuine and honest people who want to create a quality, readable and interesting magazine about Wales and I think they are succeeding. The faith they have shown in the book is fantastic. I want the book to succeed because I believe in the material but also because of the commitment they have shown to my writing. When they said they wanted to publish it I had no idea that they were committed to such high production values for the book. I was stunned when I first saw it because it is so beautiful. Americymru: How can our American readers obtain a copy of the book? Geoff: The ISBN number is 978-0-95587350-8. The best and most reliable way of getting a copy, especially if you are outside the UK, is to order one directly from Welsh Country Magazine. Here is their website address www.welshcountry.co.uk . They will send you a signed copy if that is what you would like. Ian Mole is the commercial manager of Welsh Country and you can contact him on the Americymru site too. If you want a particular dedication then all you need to do is to contact me and I will sort it out. You can contact me on this site or you can use the contacts page on my own website, where there is lots of additional information. The link is storiesinwelshstone.co.uk . You should have no worries about using Welsh Country. They are entirely reliable and trustworthy. If you do have any difficulties then let me know and I will sort them out! I know where they live… There is a new story in every edition of Welsh Country Magazine. Volume One contains 15 stories, some of which originally appeared in the magazine, although in the book they contain more information, since there is no restriction on space. There are, however, other stories which have not, and will not, appear in the magazine – like Mary Morgan. What a tragic story that one is. Volume Two will have the same format – and the others that will come later. It will a long time before I run out of material. Americymru: How soon can we expect to see a 'Stories in Welsh Stone: Part 2'? Geoff: Ah yes, the old “Volume Two” question! I’ve have completed my bit for Volume Two. That means the stories are written but it has yet to be designed or produced. We have to sell enough copies of the first book to allow us to move on. Volume Three is intended to collect together the stories behind 15 military graves. I have written 13 of these so far and they stretch across the whole of Welsh history. There are a number of women in the book too, it isn’t just soldiers. So I need a couple more chapters and that book is finished too. Volume Four is already underway. I like the stories in Volume Two very much. I think it is a better book. I have spread the net wider than just the nineteenth century and it includes some of the oldest graves we have found. There’s the story of a stowaway who ended up in the Antarctic and the original pirate of the Caribbean. And there is the Titanic and the cholera cemetery in Tredegar… I enjoyed putting it together very much. Volumes Two Three and Four? They will look really good, all together on your bookshelves. To be honest I love it! There is so much fascinating material out there and I want to capture and preserve it. You might find it hard to believe but I haven’t earned a cent from the book so far. We haven’t yet covered the production costs. But that is largely unimportant. It is not what it is about. After all have a proper day job that pays me well enough. Believe me or not, that’s up to you. But there is a heritage in Wales that is slipping away. We can’t leave it to another generation or it will be lost forever. Americymru: Are you involved in any other writing projects at the moment? Geoff: Since Stories in Welsh Stone was published in November 2008 my other writing projects have taken a back seat. The other books I have written have been about educational issues, like a guide to the poetry of Gillian Clarke and Seamus Heaney or about the role of a deputy head. There are details of these books on my website. I still write for journals and newspapers on education, but Stories in Welsh Stone has rather taken over my life – and willingly so. We have four children. Three girls and a boy. When David was diagnosed with dyspraxia (or Developmental Co-ordination Difficulties) I was determined to find out more about the condition. As a result I have written three books about it. I have now been offered the opportunity to write another book on dyspraxia but I don’t think I will be able to fit it in. I maintain three blogs too about the work connected to Stories in Welsh Stone. One appears on this website, Americymru, one is featured on the Welsh Country website and the other is on my own website – www.storiesinwelshstone.co.uk/blog . I also stick copies of some of the material on My Space and on Sagazone. There are so many stories I am anxious to share – the story of Siwan, Crawshay Bailey, the Welsh settlement in Patagonia, a floating workhouse called the Clio, a murder in Llanblethian, a poisoning in Laleston. Oh yes there is plenty to keep me busy. Americymru: Any other message for the readers and members of americymru? Geoff: There is one message for us all I think. The next project, the next thing, drives all of us forward. But don’t forget the past. The stories of real people can tell us so much. The small acts, of love or heroism or compassion, are the things that bind us all together. We must never forget them, either in our own lives or in the lives of our ancestors. After all, it has always been the past that has shaped today. Part of my degree at University was History. But it was political history. The great moments, the big decisions. But never at any point did we engage with the experience of real people. And we should. We all should. If any of you out there on this lovely website want to ask me any other questions then I will be very happy to answer them. And you can contact me on my own website at any time if you prefer. Thanks for reading all this. I hope you have found it interesting. And thanks too to Ceri for giving me this opportunity. It must be a tough job running a social network like this when there are strange people like us out there in cyberwales! Interview by Ceri Shaw Email

Welsh Country / Stories In Welsh Stone Competition

Win a free year's subscription to 'Welsh Country' magazine.

AND a signed copy of 'Stories in Welsh Stone' by Geoff Brookes

Just answer the following three questions ( correctly ):-


1. Which famous Welshman instigated a revolt against the rule of Henry IV of England on September 16th 1400? Was it:-


A. Owain Glyndwr

B. Ron Davies

C. Neil Kinnock


2. Which great Welsh poet wrote "Under Milk Wood"? Was it:-


A. Dylan Thomas

B. Max Boyce

C. Rolf Harris


3. What is "The Mabinogion"? Is it:-


A. A collection of prose stories from early medieval Welsh manuscripts.

B. A holiday drink made with egg-yolk, fermented apple cider and nutmeg.

C. An ancient Welsh clan of ninja like assassins.



SUBMISSION GUIDELINES


The competition is open to the general public. You do not need to be a member of Americymru to participate. Please send all entries to americaneisteddfod@gmail.com and title them Welsh Country Competition in the subject line. Only one entry per email address is permitted. Duplicates will be disqualified.

The winning entry will be selected randomly by line number from the email address above and announced at the Left Coast Eisteddfod in Portland Oregon on August 22nd 2009. The winner will be contacted by email and provided with the necessary contact details to claim their prize.

We do not sell lists of email addresses. We wouldn't on principle and besides we don't associate with the kind of people who buy them.

New Left Coast ( Online ) Eisteddfod Poetry Competition!

Today we are pleased to announce the details of yet another competition category in the Left Coast ( Online ) Eisteddfod! Details of the Poetry Competition can be found below. All submissions should be made in/ or linked from a separate group discussion in the Left Coast Eisteddfod 2009 Poetry Competition Group ( see details below ) .

THE LEFT COAST (ONLINE) EISTEDDFOD COMPETITIONS

Read all about our Short Story competition HERE. Win $100!

Read all about our Poetry competition HERE. Win $100!

Read all about our Pirate Lookalike competition HERE. Win $50!

In the next day or so we will be announcing details of our photographic competition. Others to follow. Keep checking back for further details.

POETRY COMPETITION RULES FOR SUBMISSION

You may submit your entry in either Welsh or English. The two language categories will be judged separately and there will be a prize for each. Accompanying graphics are not permitted. There is a US100 dollars (approximately 50GBP ) prize for the winners in both categories. The final submission date is July 31st 2009 and the winners will be announced at the Eisteddfod ( August 2009 ). The judges have yet to be selected and a further announcement will be made soon. The judges decisions will, of course, be final. The winners will also be entitled to free admission to some Eisteddfod events. Runners-up prizes will be announced later.

All poetic styles and conventions are welcome ( limericks, however, will not be considered for a prize ) There is no upper or lower word limit. Entries need not reference Wales in any way , shape or form. You may submit up to three entries and work which has appeared elsewhere is acceptable provided you have not surrendered your copyright.

The winner and his/her work will also be featured on this site on what we hope will be a heavily trafficked page.

How To Submit Your Poem

Members

1. Simply join this Group and post your poem (and any links) as a separate discussion in the group forum ( see "Lorem Ipsum" example below). If you wish to include a link to your website or blog please do so but remember you must link back to us.

2. Post your poem your website or blog and post a link to the relevant url as a separate discussion in the group forum ( see "Lorem Ipsum" example below).. Once again you will need to link back to us.

Non Members

1. Post your submission on your blog and email us with the url ( americymru@gmail.com ). We will include it on the Group page. We would appreciate a link to this page or to the blog home page.

2. Email your submission to us and we will post it on the group page and credit you as author. ( in this case mutual linking is an option but not required )

The Fine Print

1. There is no entry or submission fee for this competition. The requirement to backlink if you are posting on your own blog and linking here ( or submitting a link to your blog on this page ) is obligatory and designed to be mutually beneficial.

2. Any materials submitted in this group will remain the sole property of the author. We guarantee not to display any story or any portion thereof on other pages or sites without the express permission of the author. Likewise materials submitted here or linked here can be removed or unlinked at any time by the author or at his/her request.

Remember, Remember, Llywelyn Day on 11 December

To mark the anniversary of the death of Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf, the last leader of an independent Wales, Y Lolfa will be publishing A Stone for Remembrance – a fantastic collection of short stories based on the most well-known and loved Welsh legends.

Commissioning editor Rhys Parry explains: “This book coincides with the commemoration of Llywelyn II on 11 December and gives interesting interpretations of some of the stories and heroes of Welsh history, hopefully entertaining and encouraging readers to learn more about Wales’ past.”

Editor Barrie Llewelyn says, “This book brings together 16 of the best loved traditional Welsh stories, which are retold in new and interesting ways by writers who live and work in Wales.”

Readers will discover the exploits of Llywelyn and Gelert, Merlin, Dic Penderyn, Caradog and Owain Glyndŵr in tales of battle, intrigue, romance, mystique and magic.

A Stone for Remembrance is the perfect introduction to the colourful stories which form such a vital part of the heritage of Wales. It will appeal to the general reader as well as parents and teachers who wish to introduce these culturally important stories to the next generation in an easily digestible format.

The collection includes:



Llywelyn and Gelert by Rhys Parry

A Vision of Merlin by David Morgan Williams

The Battle of Ynys Môn by Andrew Peters

Rhiannon: Lady of the Horse People by Fiona Collins

A Stone for Remembrance by Sally Roberts Jones

Princess Gwenllian by Robert Soldat

The Boy Who Saw Dic Penderyn by Mike Jenkins

Christmas 1176 – The First Eisteddfod by Liz Whittaker

"My First Colouring Book" - A Review

My First Colouring
Book

Read our interview with Lloyd Jones HERE.

Speaking as a hard-core short story fanatic, I can honestly say that Lloyd Jones' "My First Colouring Book" has been the high point of my literary year so far. It's great to see a Welsh author who has so far mastered this genre as to be worthy of mention alongside Carver, Cheever, Maupassant, Mansfield and, dare one even suggest it, Chekhov himself.

Lloyd Jones is fond of referring to his writing as "scribblings". In this collection he has elected to "scribble" in a dazzling variety of colors, all of which are intensely evocative.

There are many fine things in this anthology. There is "Blood," which warns of the potentially cataclysmic dangers of "exotic blood transfusions". There is "Post Office Red," which asserts the critical importance of preserving a sense of mystery and wonder. The closing sentence of this story reveals the "moral" of the tale with the same blinding clarity achieved by Mansfield in "The Doll's House". In "Black," an intellectual atheist meets a lady friend at a lake near the oldest church in Wales. It is close to the festive season and they are invited to join the Christmas service. The protagonist spends his time in the church indulging sexual fantasies about old girlfriends and the female occupant of the burial plot in the pew beneath his feet. On the drive back home they pass a dark and sinister stranger on the road and he has perhaps the closest thing to a religious experience that he will ever know. "Wine" is a heart-warming "feelgood" tale about a devout christian who performs a charitable act in order to fill a gap in the "O" section of his address book. It contains elements of high farce and compares favorably with the best of O Henry.

Also not to be missed are the four short essays at the end of the book which describe walks in North, South, East and West Wales. As a South-Walian and a keen hill-walker back in the day, I deeply appreciated his account of a sojourn in the Black Mountains and his visits to Cwmyoy and Partrishow churches. Both are magical places and evoked masterfully.

Lest anything I have so far said gives the impression that this is a light-hearted collection, please allow me to observe that these stories contain some of the most profound and poignant meditations on life, love and death in 21st century literature. In a recent interview with Americymru, Lloyd Jones was asked about his future literary plans. He replied, "Maybe some more short stories?". We sincerely hope so.

In short, this book is a treat for short-story fans, lovers of literature and lovers of Wales. If you fall into all three categories, then it is simply a "must read". If you are buying a gift for Christmas, either as a gift to yourself or for someone else, you couldn't do better than "My First Colouring Book."

CS

An Interview With Valerie Wood-Gaiger ...W-Icon.

Learn With Grandma

Member Valerie Wood-Gaiger – author, grandmother and teacher – recently won a contest to become one of two W-Icons, or spokespeople, for the British Women's Institute (WI). The Women's Institute is the largest voluntary organisation for women in the United Kingdom. The first British Women's Institute was formed at Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, Anglesey, Wales, in 1915 and today the WI boasts more than 200,000 members.

Valerie lives in Myddfai, in the county of Carmarthenshire, in south Wales. Besides her work with the WI, Valerie is active in her community, enjoys walking with her dogs, is a great-grandmother, an author and one of the founders and operators of Grandma’s Stories, a small publisher, through which she will be publishing a series of books on "on pan European prehistory".

You recently won a competition to become one of two W-Icons, how did you come to be in the competition and what does that mean for you?

I read about the competition in WI Life magazine, just before closing date, and thought I could have a go at that! Got my entry in one hour before Carmarthenshire WI Federation office closed for two weeks! I only applied the day before the competition closed, and before I knew it I found myself in the top ten. We then had two days ask people to vote for me. I live in Myddfai, where there are only about five computers, so I enlisted help from my grandchildren. I was amazed that I received votes from Ukraine to California, Latvia to Australia! I am thrilled that Wales has another winner. The judges actually decided to have two winners. The other one is Emma Cunningham, a 35 year old, from Hampshire. Between the two of us we illustrate the wide age range of women involved with the modern WI.

Many people may not be aware that as well as being fun, the WI is, always was, a campaigning organisation. A current campaign is against slavery in the West. I've just returned from a conference in the Ukraine on language learning where I was the keynote speaker. While there I was able to speak to a lot of students and took the opportunity to warn them to thoroughly check before accepting jobs promised to them in the West. Usually promised jobs are bona-fide offers but there are cases, even here in Wales, where young women, have had their passports, money and mobile phones taken from them and they are forced into prostitution. W.I. is much more than simply "jam and Jerusalem" [jam-making competitions and "Jerusalem," a song many WI chapters sing to open their meetings]. We are encouraging younger women to join and it is an excellent organisation for those women who are recently retired. When retirement comes, work networks can be lost but membership of the WI can provide the opportunity to establish a whole new network of friends.

I am increasingly being asked to give talks to WI, U3A, Rotary (I am a Paul Harris Fellow, which should impress any Rotarian's reading) which I like doing. The next conference I will speak at is on eLearning in Berlin. I will introduce Inter-Generational eLearning. It is absurd that my 10-year-old grandson can produce a PowerPoint presentation and I can't. We older people can learn from the young and we have lots of skills to pass on – we need to do so in a modern technological way.

How did you come to be involved in the WI?

I joined as a young woman in the late 1960s, early 1970s, when I moved to a village in Hampshire. I then lapsed when I lived in London and rejoined when I moved to Myddfai in 1999. WI is a great way to meet new people. WI are keen to attract younger members, incidentally, that is why there are now two SKY W-Icons. There was to have been just one winner but the judges decided to have two: me, sixty-seven years old and a great granny, and Emma, a young mum of thirty-five. I also think that WI is ideal for ladies who have just retired and have lost work-related networks. WI is a great network.

What will you do with the grant that you've won in the competition?

The money will be donated to the 'not for profit' company, Learn with Grandma, which I co-founded after I read that 64% of grandparents look after their grandchildren on a regular basis. In the past that was something they did because they wanted to but these days, with both couples having to work and so many divorces, it is becoming a necessity. I wanted to use this money to help people all over the country have fun without breaking the bank, especially important in these economically difficult times.

One of our publications will be Grandma’s Guide to Great Days Out, which will list FREE places to take your children or grandchildren, and those that offer excellent value for money, less than £25.00 for a family ticket. There will be no charge for inclusion in the guide.

We are looking for places like St Fagan's, wonderful and FREE! In the 100-acre parkland of St Fagans Castle are over forty buildings moved from all over Wales. Roam round the late 16th-century manor house, see workshops where craftsmen demonstrate traditional skills, native breeds of livestock in the fields and galleries with exhibitions of costume, daily life, farming implements and the largest collection of Welsh Love spoons in the World. All FREE. The only charge is £2.50 to park the car and you can eat Welsh food in the café or take a picnic. Places that offer great value for money like Ladyland Farm where, for only £6.00 per person, you get a tractor ride and a badge, you get the opportunity to get right in with the animals, to hold fluffy day old chicks, rabbits and kittens, to see the baby calves, lambs and piglets and to feed & stroke them and bed them down.

How many books have you written and what are your plans, as a writer and publisher?

I am currently working on a series of fourteen books that trace history from the Ice Age chronologically through to Roman times. The first of these, The Ice Journey , is based on America's Smithsonian Institute research that indicates that the original humans to reach the American continent were from what is now Europe. My books are aimed at Key Stage 2 but can also be used in helping adults to read and the dual language Welsh/English version is ideal for adult Welsh learners. This series will end with The Welsh Empress of Rome, the wife of Magnus Maximus, murdered in 388. All books in this series will be bilingual. They're aimed at older children and for adults to read with children and the subject matter is designed to interest a very wide age range. I like weave little known facts into a fictional story. Most adults who read my books find themselves saying, "I didn’t know that." Parents, grandparents, even teachers learn with the children. Books are equally suitable for adults learning a second language. Following a trip to Ukraine recently (I was keynote speaker at a conference for English teachers from eastern Europe) we are working towards publishing in Russian/English, Ukrainian/English, Latvian/English and perhaps Polish/English.

I write from the perspective of a grandmother teaching her grandchildren and at the end include a Learn with Grandma Section with comprehension questions as well as things to do. I remembered all the things I used to do with my grandma, included those and added science and modern technology.

For The Ice Journey , I show how to make a DNA molecule using sweets. Fortunately the old educational idea of learning through doing is now back in fashion. The second book in this series, Beck, an Ice Age Hunter, will be published in the New Year. I am also working on a series based on pan European folk & fairy stories that will be for younger children, These books will also contain our Learn with Grandma actives.

How did you come to write The Ice Journey?

After some research I decided to write a history of the people of the Celtic lands. There is a lot of interest in the Celts but people do not really know much about them. I decided to start, long before the Celts, back to The Ice Age because that was the start of ‘modern’ history. The only people alive were homo sapiens – people exactly like you & me. Also because I hope one day to bring these stories to the American market.

When will this series be available?

Grandma’s Stories is a new, small publisher. We can only afford to publish one book at a time, when we have the money to do so. Book two of the prehistory series will be out in the New Year. After that it is in God’s and our customers hands. We need more customers!

Prior to writing this book, did you have a background or an interest in archaeology, anthropology or related sciences?

No formal background but a great interest in archaeology, anthropology & related sciences. This had been fostered by my grandmother. After my children grew up most of my holidays were spend visiting ancient sites in many countries. I always did the research before going. I went on an archaeological dig in Portugal last summer. I saw it advertised on an online archaeological magazine & decided to go. It was very interesting, great fun and I loved the journey to northern Portugal. The train ride up the Douro Valley was spectacular.

What was your prior career?

Quite a few. Ranging from photographer to shop owner to soft toy agent (I earned enough from that to have a 19 room house. A Rolls Royce, send my three children to boarding school and run a huge overdraft!) to founding a charity to create work for disabled people, for which I was awarded MBE and, in the same week, I was made redundant, age 58. After wasting two years crying, I woke up and realised that I was not redundant, that it was time I pulled myself together and started a new life.

You have a great-grandson, how many children and grandchildren do you have?

My son Neil will be 50 on 2 December. He lives in Glastonbury has two children: Emma, nearly 25, Adam, 22 yesterday. My son, Nicky, 48, is a DJ and a teacher. He lives in Ithaca in the USA and has three children. Maria, 23, is Danish and lives in Copenhagen. She is mother to Magnus, who will be 2 years old in January, Kristian, age 12 and Lula, age 10. My daughter, Alison is married to Erik and lives in Surrey. She has two sons: Oscar, age 10, and Hugo, age 8.

Did you tutor or educate your own children or grandchildren? Have any of them followed in your footsteps?

I was only 17 when Neil was born. We had a lot of fun learning stuff together when they were children. They have all made their own path in life and live all over the world. I am now working on a new ways of maintaining contact with my grandchildren. I started writing books after Kristian said ‘I love you grandma but I need to see you’. I am "Facebook Friends" with the older grandchildren. I have now bought a webcam to tell Magnus stories and am off to Berlin in December to launch a new intergenerational e-learning project.

Can you describe the place you live? How long have you lived there?

Myddfai is a tiny village - about 30 people live in the actual village, plus second homes, Prince Charles has bought a property here. I'm very involved in my community, I go to church and chapel and help organize events to help keep the community together, so important since our pub closed. I have two dogs to walk, great walking round here! And there is the day job. It is a hill village, three miles above Llandovery and in The Brecon Beacons National Park. It is stunningly beautiful and the people have been so kind and welcoming. I thank God for the wind that blew me here. I hope to die here.

Vote for Val to be the Women's Institute Icon

Hello my name is Valerie. I live in Myddfai, a tiny village in The Brecon Beacons National Park, in rural Wales and I need your help!

Sky TV are looking for an 'Icon' for their new learning channel.

I am a member of the Women's Institute who are organising the competition. I entered this competition and now I am in the top ten!! There are only 2 finalists from Wales and if I won it would really help my village.

My company is, Grandma's Stories Ltd and I write fun educational books for children & adults who are learning Welsh. We will have a Welsh language site when resources allow. The Big Plus is that, with the £10,000 first prize, we could launch our new not for profit company 'Learn with Grandma' properly and set up a dedicated website.

Please vote for me and ask your friends to do so too!

This is vital. Myddfai is such a tiny community there is no way I could muster the sort of support someone from a large community could attract. Especially at such short notice.

HOW TO VOTE

Voting will be on the Daily Express website starting on Thursday 18 September until Sunday only. Click on the link to vote

So not much time to get those votes in! Please will you forward this to your friends too.

God Bless
Valerie

Grandma's Stories