The Society
Officers
Brycheiniog
Digitalisation
Oral Archive Project
Sir John Lloyd Lecture
Schools History Project
New Acquisitions
Officers
Brycheiniog
Digitalisation
Oral Archive Project
Sir John Lloyd Lecture
Schools History Project
New Acquisitions
Brecknock Society and Museum Friends
Cymdeithas Brycheiniog a Chyfeillion yr Amgueddfa
Cymdeithas Brycheiniog a Chyfeillion yr Amgueddfa
Charity Registration No.518041 Rhif Cofrestru Elusennol
Llyn y Fan
In silence deep of peaks of Mynydd Du
In silence deep of peaks of Mynydd Du
In rock’s scarred shadow, in glade so green,
There liest thou, bright pearl of dearest dew
In fair flower cup in this land’s wildest scene.
I heard the raven’s croak above the peak
And bleat of lamb from lakeside green drawn on,
Saw sons of Sawdde coming to thy bank
To keep their tryst in blessed life’s first dawn.
No more shall I thy giddy rocks ascend
Nor see the Maiden from thy waters rise.
But shall again your white waves’ strength commend
In silence once again my heart to ease.
O may the peace I once felt near thy shore
Through all my depths of soul rush back once more.
William Davies / Wil Dyfan (1903-76) Translation by Brynach Parri
William Davies (1903-1976) was born at Pen-cae, Myddfai, the seventh of 13 children. He was educated at Llandovery Grammar School, and Coleg y Normal, Bangor. He had to abandon his career as a teacher at Garnant, Carmarthenshire, in the 1930’s when his health failed due to tuberculosis. He learned the strict measures of cynghanedd, and his work was published ina variety of periodicals. His bardic name, Wil Dyfan, was taken from Allt-y-fan, Cwm-Wysg, Breconshire, which was his parent’s last home.
Handel Jones: After leaving school in 1962, Handel became a trainee journalist in Carmarthen before joining the BBC in Cardiff. In 1979 he became a freelance journalist and broadcaster, specialising in rural matters and nature. He has lived on a smallholding at Rhandir-mwyn, Carmarthenshire, since 1983, and is now a full-time translator.
A Country Boy’s Reminiscences
I was born on a farm at Cwm-
There were never more than about fifteen to twenty pupils in the single-classroomed school, where the teacher, Miss Parry, combined her teaching skills with stoking the coal-burning stove, and acting as nurse and waitress.
The food was delivered from Sennybridge - a huge school compared with Aberpedwar. My first visit there was in March 1954, just before my tenth birthday, to sit the entrance examination for the Grammar School. 1 was terrified. Never before had I been with so many children - strangers at that - in one room.
The move from Aberpedwar to the Boys’ Grammar School in Brecon the following September was to be even more traumatic. In those days, it wasn’t possible to travel every day from places like Cwm-Wysg and we, country boys, had to lodge in town from Monday to Friday.
Shortly before the start of the new school year, my parents and I were invited to meet the headmaster who had just retired, Mr Jacob Morgan. He kindly offered me some words of advice and suggested that I should stay with Mr and Mrs Smith in Lion Street.
They were a friendly couple - with children about my age. Certainly, my mother was satisfied that the lodgings were well-suited. But on the first morning of the school term, 1 arrived in Brecon to be told that Mrs Smith had been taken ill, and that I would have to stay with a friend of hers, Miss Evelyn Williams. She lived in the Watergate with her aged and blind mother. Miss Williams was kind, yet strict. She was a devout member of the Church in Wales, and was very proud that no less a person than Bishop Havard had once lodged there, when he was a pupil at the Grammar School.
When I arrived, the lodgers included Ken Jones of Llanfihangel Nant Brân, whows to become the Brecon Librarian. We were later joined by Ken’s brother, Vincent, and by my cousin, Glanville Davies.
Although we arc talking about 1954, we had no electricity at home on the farm. To be able to study in the Watergate by the light of an electric bulb - as opposed to the flickering light of an oil lamp - was sheer luxury.
Some time later, even life at Watergate was transformed when a forestry worker by the name of Mr Preece arrived. He had a television set, which was promptly installed in the sitting room. Although we were allowed to watch, we were restricted to the news, Panorama with Richard Dimbleby and Sportsview with Peter Dimock.
My arrival at the Grammar School coincided with the arrival of a new headmaster, Mr Aneurin Rees. I must admit that I was always more than a little afraid of Mr Rees, but the fear, for the greater part, was born out of respect. Here was a scientist who had worked at Famborough, a rugby forward who had played for Llanelli. And, above all, in view of my chapel upbringing, a Welsh-speaking Congregationalist.
To be sent in disgrace to his study was a terrible punishment. I still sense the shame of those endless afternoons spent outside the door for forgetting my rugby kit. And I shall never forget the swish of the cane, following a drink of cider during a visit to a school play in Maesydderwen. But the real pain wasn’t physical. My parents had to be told that I was being suspended, and they were strict teetotallers. The only alcohol in OUR house was a tiny bottle of gin, used for medicinal purpose only, to help lambs recover from hypothermia.
When I started at the Grammar School, I had to survive on pocket money of half-a-crown a week. And there was a further allowance to buy evening meals of fish and chips - which then cost 1/3 a portion. I have to admit that some of those funds were redirected. The fish-and-chip shop didn’t do as well as one or two of the sweet shops, or the mobile tuck shop.
Although my primary education had been through the medium of English, the home, playground and chapel had been Welsh. English was still very much a second language. I was very aware that, linguistically, I was different to most of the other pupils at the Grammar School. They conversed with ease in English; for me, it meant a conscious effort.
The English master was very understanding. Never once did Mr Ewart Davies pour disdain upon my paltry efforts. Instead, he would seek out any merits and offer praise and encouragement. He helped me gain a certain confidence and taught me - and others - how to appreciate and enjoy language and literature. I could turn to Mr Davies and discuss any problems through the medium of Welsh, as I could with several other teachers during my early days in the Grammar School.
Woodwork, at which I was more than useless, was made tolerable - if not enjoyable - by the affable Mr Len Moses. Mr Caerwyn Roderick was more than tolerant when I repeatedly failed to display any brilliance in Mathematics. The History master, Mr Huw Thomas, soon despaired. Even Mr Harvey Williams came to the conclusion that there was no hope for the Welsh language if its future depended on pupils like me.
Despite the kindness and forbearance of headmaster and staff, I have to confess that for a couple of years, I crept ‘like snail unwillingly to school’, but as soon as I became ‘acclimatised, as it were, there started one of the happiest periods of my life.
I discovered that it wasn’t really such a big school, after all. We were, I believe, a happy family and, with very few exceptions, an extremely well-disciplined band of boys. Once we moved to the new site at Penlan, we couldn’t have wished for better facilities nor a more pleasant environment.
Handel Jones (1954-62)
Pwy Oedd Rhys Gethin? Cledwyn Fychan
Publisher: Ceredigion Book Society
Although Brycheiniog would have beenpleased to publish this booklet as a contribution in our journal, this proved impossible for copyright reasons. Cledwyn Fychan was kind enough to lead a group of members of this Society around Rhys Gethin’s territory, the Irfon valley and its uplands in Buellt in the summer this year (2008), where he displayed his thorough knowledge of the area and its history, as does his book in a remarkable interesting way too. And who was Rhys Gethin? Well, that is the prupose of the book, and anyone who would like to know more would be well rewarded by buying and reading the book which deals with a corner of our County and a period in our history which are all too often ignored, not to mention an historical character who was unknown to most of us before this volume appeared. An interesting aspect of the book is the author’s research, which depends to a large extent on the memoirs of shepherds and residents of this remote corner of the county on the winding road from Abergwesyn to Tregaron.
Hidden History – Discovering the Heritage of Wales
Publisher: RCAHW pp: 327
Although we all celebrated the centenary of the National Library and the National Museum last year, the centenary of another important national institution, the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, was largely ignored, although the BBC and the Commission cooperated in marking the occasion with a series of programmes and a valuable and praiseworthy publication, a book which covers the whole range of buildings, artefacts and sites which form part of the Commission’s responsibilities. All Wales is to be found in the remarkably interesting illustrations and articles which range from the histroy of the first recorded inhabitant of Wales – the Red Lady of Paviland (a boy, not a lady at all, it seems) – up to contemporary buildings such as the Millenium Centre and even the gas pipeline which scarred Brecknock so thoroughly last year. From our Brecknock perspective, the volume offers reports or pictures of no less than 22 sites in the county (even though we do gasin one through the mis-location of Bugeildy, Radnorshire, to Brecknock). To be parochial, Tŷ Illtud was also mislocated – it actually stands near Llanhamlach, not Llanfrynach, and what is very irritating to the Welsh speaker is the insistance that ‘Abergafenni’ not y Fenni, is the Welsh name of Abergavenny. And I am still searching for the ‘igflaidd’ that the Red Lady hunted – it would seem ‘udflaidd’ – hyena – was meant! But despite these niggles, this book deserves its place on the bookshelves or coffee table of any historian worth his salt in Wales.
Publisher: Ceredigion Book Society
Although Brycheiniog would have beenpleased to publish this booklet as a contribution in our journal, this proved impossible for copyright reasons. Cledwyn Fychan was kind enough to lead a group of members of this Society around Rhys Gethin’s territory, the Irfon valley and its uplands in Buellt in the summer this year (2008), where he displayed his thorough knowledge of the area and its history, as does his book in a remarkable interesting way too. And who was Rhys Gethin? Well, that is the prupose of the book, and anyone who would like to know more would be well rewarded by buying and reading the book which deals with a corner of our County and a period in our history which are all too often ignored, not to mention an historical character who was unknown to most of us before this volume appeared. An interesting aspect of the book is the author’s research, which depends to a large extent on the memoirs of shepherds and residents of this remote corner of the county on the winding road from Abergwesyn to Tregaron.
Hidden History – Discovering the Heritage of Wales
Publisher: RCAHW pp: 327
Although we all celebrated the centenary of the National Library and the National Museum last year, the centenary of another important national institution, the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, was largely ignored, although the BBC and the Commission cooperated in marking the occasion with a series of programmes and a valuable and praiseworthy publication, a book which covers the whole range of buildings, artefacts and sites which form part of the Commission’s responsibilities. All Wales is to be found in the remarkably interesting illustrations and articles which range from the histroy of the first recorded inhabitant of Wales – the Red Lady of Paviland (a boy, not a lady at all, it seems) – up to contemporary buildings such as the Millenium Centre and even the gas pipeline which scarred Brecknock so thoroughly last year. From our Brecknock perspective, the volume offers reports or pictures of no less than 22 sites in the county (even though we do gasin one through the mis-