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        <title><![CDATA[@Byn (Bynbrynman)Tavarn Ty Elise - blog]]></title>
        <description><![CDATA[]]></description>
        <link>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise</link>
        <lastBuildDate>Sun, 05 Apr 2026 17:36:55 +0100</lastBuildDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Rent to Lease, now for Freehold - @byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise]]></title>
                <link>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/2295/rent-to-lease-now-for-freehold</link>
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                <description><![CDATA[The English are Germanic (Angles; Saxons) in a partitioned France (Normandy; Aquitaine; Anjou; Plantagenet north of the Channel) ruled by Germans &amp; Danes (House of Herzogtum Sachsen-Coburg Und Gotha, family name Wettin, &amp; House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glucksberg, family name Battenberg), who today speak a modern international medium commonly referred to as 'English' but these days 'American' would be more apt.The Welsh, together with their compatriots the Cornish, are Britons of the west, they may have lost the crown, orb &amp; sceptre of this ancient land, but theirs is the final resting place of the pre Anglo-Saxon Brythonic language &amp; culture of their island home.Former rentpayers in the Franco-Germanic (e)state, just having taken over the lease of their semi-detached house from the absentee landlord who takes their money for redistribution amongst the rich acolytes of the south-east, leaving them to fend for themseves with hands tied to live on pittances called grants; whilst there are positive thinking visionaries, patriots who wish to take over the freehold of a detached home with hands untied to set themselves up with their families within the forseeable future, away from interfering neighbours and their lackeys, so that they can create a healthy &amp; wealthy dynamic of their own far from the source of their present disease, no more starved of vitamins &amp; protein and free to breathe the fresh air to fill the lungs and strengthen the heart. If Scotland thinks it can do it, the Scandinavian states have done it, and particularly the Slovenians who are doing it with two thirds the population of Cymru/Wales. Fe godwn ni eto; Cymru am Byth.]]></description>
                <pubDate>Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:43:22 +0000</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[My Response to an article in the NYT - @byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise]]></title>
                <link>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/2278/my-response-to-an-article-in-the-nyt</link>
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                <description><![CDATA[ I've been asked to send this on:  <br class="Apple-interchange-newline"> Just sent this to the New York Times in response to an article comparing Wales to Greece suggesting that we are living off England's largesse: Wales, or as it is more properly known, Cymru, from pre-Roman times to the end of the First World War was one of the richest countries of the world in mineral resources and productivity; the country has been robbed, raped &amp; pillaged until there is nothing left, sucked dry except for its water, with its valleys being drowned to serve the neighbouring English conurbations of Liverpool* &amp; Birmingham. Wales/Cymru is no Greece, it has a population of 3 million and had enough natural &amp; industrial wealth to be very comfortable indeed. It served the empire until its back was broken under England's weight, but we still have the wind &amp; rain if only we would be allowed to exploit them on our own terms. We have never been supported by England, on the contrary we have filled her coffers for centuries; perhaps it's time for an apology and a reimbursement..  * Liverpool has apologized for drowning the Welsh speaking village of Capel Celyn in Cwm Tryweryn 30 years after they realized it wasn't needed, they were allowed to go ahead even after 35 out of the 36 Welsh representatives sent to the British Parliament said no! http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/28/business/global/the-wales-economy-slips-but-london-cushions-the-fall.html?_r=1   ]]></description>
                <pubDate>Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:00:34 +0000</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA['Re-writing History', or just plain 'Daydreaming' - @byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise]]></title>
                <link>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/2202/re-writing-history-or-just-plain-daydreaming</link>
                <guid>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/2202</guid>
                <description><![CDATA[Bruce was the Norman de Braose; The Stuarts were originally Bretons, which got me thinking, if the Norman/Breton Marcher lords had taken over the Principality as well, our native lordships would possibly have continued living in a Welsh cultural environment under Welsh law, as they were allowed to do for a long time in the uplands of Glamorgan &amp; Gwent; the King's writ could not have been be served (the Marcher lords had their own laws), one of them could perhaps have been elected leader/king of a united Cymru, we would have been living a life similar to that of the Scots with whom we could have allied ourselves, it's then possible that Edward wouldn't have succeeded, or even dared to go against either of the united kingdoms, there wouldn't have been the 'Laws of Wales Act' nor the Act of Union with Scotland, England wouldn't have had the Tudors nor the Stuarts, but it's possible that the 3 countries would have each signed a treaty of co-operation or concordat leading to a loose union of interdependent sovereign countries, the integrity of Ireland would have stayed untouched, perhaps joining with us as the fourth equal partner, fifth if we count Kernow. If someone writes this book or makes a film I claim it as my intellectual property, the rights that go with it, and I want a share of the profits.]]></description>
                <pubDate>Sun, 11 Dec 2011 13:37:23 +0000</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Empty Pub - @byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise]]></title>
                <link>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/2175/empty-pub</link>
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                <description><![CDATA[I understand that by now this may be getting a bit tiresome but I can tell you it's a lot more tiresome for me, anyway somebody asked me to explain my problem so here we go again:<br>My pub/bar burned down in February 2009 so I've been out of work for almost two years without pay not being entitled to insurance nor dole. There are people who are willing to help me rebuild the pub but I don't own the walls I just run the business, therefore I have to reply to these gentle people that I have nothing to do with the rebuilding, I only come into the picture on getting the keys, probably next May. The pub will have been repainted and electricity installed BUT it will be empty, I will need help to procure tables &amp; chairs; a small coffee machine; music is all important so I will need material such as a small computer to hold my iTunes collection, an amplifier and speakers; a lamp; dart board, and various items to help replace all the lost memorabilia, most of which was unique having been built up over 30 years. So you see, I have plenty of volunteers willing to work for nothing to aid me in the rebuilding, but unless I get help to refurnish I'll be taking over an empty pub.]]></description>
                <pubDate>Sat, 03 Dec 2011 23:29:32 +0000</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Sad Irony - @byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise]]></title>
                <link>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/2173/sad-irony</link>
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                <description><![CDATA["Wales is the fuel poverty capital of Britain" says the UK Press association, with a third of its homes fuel poor; isn't this sadly ironic for a country that fuelled the British Empire? We were raped and pillaged and now we have nothing left, but hold on; oil was the new coal, soon water will be the new oil and we have it in abundance. We can learn from the lessons of the past to become the Bahrein of Europe, but first we must own our natural resources. This puppet Welsh government run by English Parties has already put that out of the question by stating that nothing must be done that touches on England's interests, which it would if England were made to pay Cymru/Wales a fair price for its commodities. It would put a stop to the argument that it's too late econonomically to rejoin the international community in our own right.]]></description>
                <pubDate>Fri, 02 Dec 2011 19:43:18 +0000</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Open Doors - @byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise]]></title>
                <link>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/2133/open-doors</link>
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                <description><![CDATA[One door closes another one opens; the pub burnt down (I always wrote 'burned' then I noticed that my friends were writing 'burnt; when I was small I said 'burnt my finger', later I altered my pronunciation and the spelling to go with it, or vice versa, anyway I digress) I began going for long walks with my camera taking many photos of Brittany, then I started putting them on sale at the markets, not being worthwhile with the cost of petrol, now I can't afford the car insurance, instead I'm researching Welsh sport; Brittonic heritage; and music that comes out of Cymru/Wales &amp; Breizh/Brittany, which I put on to their respective sites I've set up on Facebook, something I wouldn't otherwise have been able to do. Every now &amp; again I glance across to the door and witness a shrew or a mouse or two being sadistically toyed with by my kitten Do(o)do(o), I've gotten over my worm phobia so I pick up and throw out the ones she brings in. Two days ago I was sitting on the settee with my laptop guess where? listening to the Roy Noble Show, there was something he wanted to know so I tapped a few buttons, found what he was looking for and sent it in, it was gratefully acknowledged and mentioned again the following day which I missed, I know because a friend told me on facebook.]]></description>
                <pubDate>Fri, 11 Nov 2011 20:39:27 +0000</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[For sale: Books in Welsh - @byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise]]></title>
                <link>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/1976/for-sale-books-in-welsh</link>
                <guid>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/1976</guid>
                <description><![CDATA[ 443 visits to  http://crwtynrhifnaw.blogspot.com  yesterday, not bad! I have now added a selection of Welsh language books for sale through 'Amazon,' also on  http://patrimoinebreton.blogspot.com  ;  http://taffawrnantmorlais.blogspot.com  &amp; http://miscellaneous-bynbrynman.blogspot.co     ]]></description>
                <pubDate>Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:28:50 +0100</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Borrowings &amp; Mr Lewis - @byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise]]></title>
                <link>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/1970/borrowings-amp-mr-lewis</link>
                <guid>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/1970</guid>
                <description><![CDATA[Last sunday before heading for the granite saints I wrote that I was setting out on my 'treck' which seemed logical, but it was bugging me after I'd written it because in the back of my mind I knew there was no c, the reason being that although it's used in English it's really a South African Dutch word, which brought me to this: a week ago in the Daily Mail Roger Lewis an author from Caerffili wrote a review of Jasper Rees's new book 'Bred of Heaven'; besides generally denigrationing his country of birth in a way that only the Welsh can do, he picked up on Welsh borrowings of English words, now we know that Welsh is a very old culture having shared their country with the Romans and spoken latin as a living tongue, English history &amp; culture begins with the pagan Anglo-Saxons. For some reason deracinated Welsh such as Mr Lewis grow up not only to hate the country they left behind but try to prove their superiority by climbing to the pinnacle of the country that educated them and berated their perceived inferiority, we have exaggerated examples in the Corsican Napoleon, the Austrian Hitler, the Georgian Stalin &amp; the Breton Le Pen. The world revolves around their adopted home, everything is seen from its perspective. Taking England as their base and looking at things from its standpoint it must seem strange to hear English borrowed words in Welsh, but if one takes Latin, French or German as one's starting point one wouldn't notice borrowed words in Welsh their being infinitesimal, but one would notice the thousands upon thousands of borrowed words in English without which the language wouldn't exist; Welsh can stand on its own as a language, English cannot. The Welsh didn't miss out on the classical world and built Britain's first university in Llanilltud Fawr before having the misfortune of having the English moving in next door raping &amp; pillaging, destroying civilisation; the English having missed out grafted it on later at their own universities of Oxford &amp; Cambridge creating their own lie, the great pretenders camouflaging the past by writing their own history linking Greece, Rome &amp; England. If the truth were told Roger Lewis &amp; people like him turn the world on its head.P.S. in some cases modern 'English' words like 'car'are Welsh in origin, whilst there are latin words in English that have been in use in Cymru/Wales since before England was conceived.]]></description>
                <pubDate>Tue, 16 Aug 2011 11:07:24 +0100</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Tâf Fawr to Nant Morlais - @byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise]]></title>
                <link>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/1968/tf-fawr-to-nant-morlais</link>
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                <description><![CDATA[ 5,000 words have been added since the last time.   http://taffawrnantmorlais.blogspot.com/   ]]></description>
                <pubDate>Mon, 15 Aug 2011 21:55:38 +0100</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Music &amp; books - @byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise]]></title>
                <link>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/1936/music-amp-books</link>
                <guid>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/1936</guid>
                <description><![CDATA[ Books &amp; music from Cymru/Wales plus selections from the following artistes: Meic Stevens (including his autobiography); Dafyd Iwan; Mary Hopkin; Bryn Terfel; Katherine Jenkins; Shirley Bassey; Tom Jones; Petula Clark (mother's from Merthyr); Cr Meibion Dowlais Male Voice; Manic Street Preachers; &amp; Stereophonics can be bought through Amazon from the following sites: http://crwtynrhifnaw.blogspot.com/ ; http://taffechannantmorlais.blogspot.com/;http://mymiscellaneous-bynbrynman.blogspot.com/     ]]></description>
                <pubDate>Mon, 01 Aug 2011 05:59:17 +0100</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Tâf Fawr/Nant Morlais, Growing up in Merthyr Tydfil: my first 28 years. - @byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise]]></title>
                <link>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/1935/tf-fawr-nant-morlais-growing-up-in-merthyr-tydfil-my-first-28-years</link>
                <guid>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/1935</guid>
                <description><![CDATA[             http://taffechannantmorlais.blogspot.com/<br>              ]]></description>
                <pubDate>Mon, 01 Aug 2011 05:25:02 +0100</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Not a peal of bells - @byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise]]></title>
                <link>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/1681/not-a-peal-of-bells</link>
                <guid>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/1681</guid>
                <description><![CDATA[I apologise if it appears as though I'm plumbing the depths but I'm getting desperate,I believe in the expression 'God helps them who help themselves', I don't believe in standing idly by watching everything going to pot, but doing nothing is not negative, it is neutral and cheap, whilst paradoxically, doing something can cost, therefore, as in my case, mainly ink &amp; petrol, expensively negative. More than a year out of work, the money my mother left me has gone up in smoke as has the contemptible contents insurance; I am left with nothing except hundreds of photos that no-one wants. The good news is that on April 9 the pub will be cleaned out ready for work to start on the rebuilding, the bad news is that, if as likely, the bar won't be ready before the end of the year my problems will be almost insurmountable without financial support. I have just bought two new tyres with post-dated cheques, my car insurance runs out tonight, I have electricity &amp; water bills, plus a personal loan to pay back. I need money now! There must be someone out there, benefactor, sponsor; saviour, who can help to keep me afloat; I should have earned enough money at Easter, Whitsun and the Summer, but it looks at present as though that has been put off for another year. Now I've got that off my chest I'm going to try and switch off for an hour or so to see how Sir Percy Blakeney aka The Scarlet Pimpernel escapes from prison, which I suppose he will. Thank goodness for my books &amp; my friends.If there is anyone who can help me until I get back on my feet; Paypal to my e-mail: bynwalters@libertysurf.fr or cheque to Byn Walters, Tavarn Ty Elise, 29690 Plouye, Bretagne/BrittanyApologies again if this appears unseemly.]]></description>
                <pubDate>Thu, 31 Mar 2011 15:25:42 +0100</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Help me if you can! - @byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise]]></title>
                <link>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/1229/help-me-if-you-can</link>
                <guid>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/1229</guid>
                <description><![CDATA[I'm lying here in my bed for the fifth day in a semi-depressive state, with gout in both feet, not knowing where to turn. Building should begin on the pub any time, the owners have informed me that the insurers have given the green light to get on with it and that all work completed will be reimbursed, yes, that's right, I don't own the pub, I just run the business, pay the State insurances and taxes. I am not directly involved with the main insurance, but I did get a slight recompense for my mementoes, which included watercolours &amp; oils that had no meaning for them, and many items that were purely personal. I was badly insured, it didn't cover everything on the list, which wasn't big because of the small size of the bar; on top of which I wasn't covered for loss of earnings. Being self-employed I don't qualify for dole, and am still paying social security, etc. based on last year's earnings, small compensation is that if I can get through this year, I won't have anything to pay next year. Because I'm diabetic I took advantage of the pub closure to walk around the countryside, then I began using my mobile phone to take photos, inspired, and not wanting to sit at home moping, I used my contents insurance to invest in my photos (and to eat) e.g. two tents to cover them from the wind &amp; rain that got blown into the lake in Huelgoat and broke up; my little Peugeot 205 was too small, so I went to the local garage for their cheapest car that could hold everything; also, a little printer; little digital camera; small computer; ink &amp; paper etc.,etc. It hasn't worked out, the weather didn't help, e.g. I went down to the music &amp; dance festival last weekend at Rostrenen and ended up selling 2 photos to the flautist Jean-Michel Veillon who then put me on to his guests' list so I got to see the concerts. I am already overdrawn so that means that my standing orders will not be paid this month, including the insurance for my new, old second hand car, meaning that I can't sell the Peugeot nor the photos. The Mayor of Carhaix has offered me the use of the largest theatre in the area, and tens, if not hundreds of musicians have offered me their services free, this is now urgent but I need someone to take it in hand. If work begins on the pub straight away it won't be finished before February or March, and by then I could be bankrupt. Seventeen people have already made an effort but I'm afraid that I don't have enough to keep my head above water for another 6 months. What I was thinking was that when the bar opens again, because all this is being noted, I could give free meals, or days, or weeks, depending on the individual amounts advanced, or just straight-forward re-imbursements on loans. It is now urgent! Byn Walters, Tavarn Ty Elise, 29690 Plouye; or Paypal: bynwalters@libertysurf.frI'm depending on you, not all of you obviously, some of you are in just as bad a state as myself, but I've just got to hold on for another 6 months, and then hopefully next summer I'll be able to more than make up for this year; big bearded Harley-Davidson Hell's Angels types have been seen to break down, when after knocking on the door they've realized that it's just an empty shell.]]></description>
                <pubDate>Thu, 02 Sep 2010 05:10:31 +0100</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Welsh Choir To Perform - @byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise]]></title>
                <link>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/1115/welsh-choir-to-perform</link>
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                <description><![CDATA[The Welsh Male Choir of Ystradgynlais and neighboring areas will give three performances this weekend. On Saturday May 29, the choir will perform at the 100th anniversary dinner of St.<br>David's Society of Lackawanna County, which will be held at Genetti<br>Manor in Dickson City. The choir will also perform on Sunday, May 30, at<br>3 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church of Carbondale, 76 Salem Ave.,<br>Carbondale. The Carbondale Area High School Chorus will also perform.<br>The choir will perform on Monday, May 31, at Memorial Day services at<br>the Keyser Valley Community Center.The group will also give concerts in Wilkes-barre, Shamokin and New York City, after which they will return to Wales. The all-male Welsh choir is under the direction of<br>Conway Morgan and will have two guest soloists: soprano Helen Gibbon<br>and tenor John Davies. Tickets are $15, and are available by calling<br>689-9927 or 282-4234.<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>]]></description>
                <pubDate>Fri, 28 May 2010 23:03:26 +0100</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Welsh in America - @byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise]]></title>
                <link>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/928/welsh-in-america</link>
                <guid>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/928</guid>
                <description><![CDATA[ http://ebook30.com/history/history/166797/the-welsh-in-america-letters-from-the-immigrants.html  ---This message was sent by  bynwalters@libertysurf.fr  via  http://addthis.com . Please note that AddThis does not verify email addresses.  Make sharing easier with the AddThis Toolbar:  http://www.addthis.com/go/toolbar-em W]]></description>
                <pubDate>Wed, 06 Jan 2010 22:43:27 +0000</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[25 Years of Love - @byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise]]></title>
                <link>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/860/25-years-of-love</link>
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                <description><![CDATA[Welsh artist to display 25 Years of LovePress release,11-08-2009LAKE CHARLES  Welsh artist Pat Love will be hosting 25 Years of Love, a new exhibit at the Historic City Hall Arts and Cultural Center in Lake Charles, with an opening reception from 6-8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6.The public is invited to attend the reception, while the collection of oil paintings and prints will remain on display through Dec. 26.]]></description>
                <pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:17:43 +0000</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Mike Tyson, Merthyr Tydfil &amp; The Times - @byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise]]></title>
                <link>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/854/mike-tyson-merthyr-tydfil-amp-the-times</link>
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                <description><![CDATA[From Times OnlineNovember 4, 2009Owen Slot, Chief Sports ReporterMike Tyson arrived through Heathrow yesterday... He then left for Merthyr Tydfil, not the most obvious of destinations,...Your CommentsByn Walters wrote:Why the flippant remark "...Merthyr Tydfil, not the most obvious of destinations"? Mike Tyson was a boxer, Merthyr was a boxing town; this is a sports page, so what could be more obvious than that? It wasn't only Johnny Owen he had in mind, he also admired Howard Winstone, featherweight world champion when that phrase meant something; there was Jimmy Wilde, who some say was the best pound for pound fighter in the history of the sport; world champion Ken Buchanan was trained there, so was contender Colin Jones; their manager, Eddie Thomas was European Champion, again, when it meant something; flatten out the hills and the story magnifies to include boxers of the calibre of Tommy Farr who took Joe Louis the distance; so don't be so flippant next time you mention Merthyr and boxing in the same articleNovember 3, 2009 10:37 PM GMT on community.timesonline.co.uk]]></description>
                <pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:06:58 +0000</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Wales is 7th Greatest Destination in the World - @byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise]]></title>
                <link>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/848/wales-is-7th-greatest-destination-in-the-world</link>
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                <description><![CDATA[Wales Is Honoured As 7th Greatest Destination In The World By National Geographic SurveySource: Welsh Assembly Government Posted on: 27th October 2009In the November/ December edition of the National Geographics Traveler Magazine, Wales is ranked 7th among 133 destinations surveyed in a sixth annual survey of destination stewardship.The survey is carried out by the National Geographic Societys Centre for Sustainable Destinations.The survey is not positioned as a popularity contest but rather as an assessment of authenticity and stewardship and how development, mass tourism, pollution and globalization has affected some of the worlds iconic destinations.Wales was ranked seventh as one of the best rated places, said to be in excellent shape relatively unspoiled and likely to remain so. Also in seventh position were the Berkshires in Massachusetts, USA; Douro Valley in Portugal and the Engadine Region, Switzerland. The Fjords, Norway came top of the survey.A panellists comments about Wales were: I was gobsmacked by the beauty of the Welsh countryside, while another said that it was: extraordinary verdant with 500,000 Welsh Speakers. The downsides were marked as the rainy weather and environmental degradation from mining.Heritage Minister, Alun Ffred Jones commented:Its fantastic news for Wales that weve been ranked so highly in this survey. The surveys focus is on how a destination has retained its authenticity and has developed sustainably which is crucial in these days of mass tourism. The Assembly Government has emphasised that for tourism to prosper it is essential that we safeguard and enhance our unique assets which visitors come here to enjoy. Our Sustainable Tourism Framework acknowledges that the potential of the environment will always be a key priority in the development of tourism. In addition to this, we believe that tourism development considers the needs and quality of life of local communities, enhance and respect culture and local traditions, contribute to local economic prosperity as well as minimise damage to the environment.We pride ourselves in selling Wales as a destination which is authentic, real and unique. By staying true to Wales core values we can develop tourism in a sustainable manner which wont degrade our natural assets. Our marketing campaigns position Wales as a destination which can offer a truer, richer, deeper, experience where people can get involved in the local history and culture and landscape.Topics: globalization, Great destination, National geographic, pollution, stewardship, tourism, Wales, Wales core values, Welsh countryside]]></description>
                <pubDate>Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:10:11 +0000</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Welsh Choir at Trinity UCC - @byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise]]></title>
                <link>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/847/welsh-choir-at-trinity-ucc</link>
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                <description><![CDATA[Welsh choir, soloists to perform at Trinity UCCDaily Record/Sunday NewsUpdated: 10/27/2009 02:53:23 PM EDTTrinity United Church of Christ will host a concert by the Rehoboth Welsh Choir from Delta at 7 p.m. Nov. 7.Celtic harpist Meghan Gwyer of Laurel, Md., and soloist Sabrina Coleman-Clark will perform. A freewill offering will be collected.The church is at 22 W. Market St. For details, call 848-1775.The choir will also perform at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Chester County, 7 and 8 p.m. Dec. 1 and at the Rehoboth Welsh Church in Delta 2:30 and 7 p.m. Dec. 4.Privacy Policy | MNG Corporate Site Map | Copyright]]></description>
                <pubDate>Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:02:14 +0000</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[I.W.P. participant - Fflur Dafydd - @byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise]]></title>
                <link>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/840/iwp-participant-fflur-dafydd</link>
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                <description><![CDATA[[Media Newswire - Press Release Distribution]For IWP participant Fflur Dafydd, the Welsh language is in her bloodWhy would a writer who grew up bilingual, with one language the most-spoken in the world and the other understood by only 700,000, choose to limit her audience by working primarily in the language spoken by the few rather than the many? For fiction writer and singer/songwriter Fflur Dafydd, a participant in the 2009 University of Iowa International Writing program the answer is simple: Welsh is in her blood.(Media-Newswire.com) - Why would a writer who grew up bilingual, with one language the most-spoken in the world and the other understood by only 700,000, choose to limit her audience by working primarily in the language spoken by the few rather than the many? For fiction writer and singer/songwriter Fflur Dafydd, a participant in the 2009 University of Iowa International Writing program the answer is simple: Welsh is in her blood.( Fflur Dafydd is pronounced fleer DAH-fith. )"I grew up with Welsh-language activists for parents," she said. "They were very much involved in the Welsh Language Society [see  http://tiny.cc/YRdmI ]. During the '60s and '70s there were many things that needed to be done. We didn't have bilingual road signs; we didn't have a proper Welsh Language Act; we didn't have Welsh television. So there was a real struggle at that time against English imperialism."Both my parents were imprisoned at different times for their acts. My father was imprisoned for six months when I was a baby for his role in a campaign where 12 people from the Welsh Language Society demolished a transmitting tower because there was no Welsh-language television channel. In the end we did triumph, and my parent's generation achieved quite a bit. We were able to have a bilingual education and we were able to reap the rewards of a new attitude toward bilingualism."So when Dafydd writes and sings in Welsh, her motivations are both literary and political. "Any activism I do it through the work," she said. "The songs are not overtly political, but singing in Welsh is a political decision. I feel that I want to record only in Welsh, I feel that I have something to bring to the Welsh music scene because there are so few of us. I don't think the English language world needs my songs in English in the same way."She has released three albums in Welsh and has performed in Ireland, Belgium, Croatia, Finland and the United States. [See  http://www.myspace.com/fflurdafydd  and  http://www.fflurdafydd.com/  for more information on her work.]And yet, because of the encouragement of her publishers and readers, Dafydd's recent writing has become available in English. Her second novel "Atyniad" ( "Attraction" ) was awarded the prose medal at the 2006 National Eisteddfod -- a traditional Welsh competition for writers and musicians -- and is now available in her English "translation" as "20,000 Saints.""It's been a very long journey for this story, and it has gone through several mutations, but the genesis of it was when I spent six weeks on Bardsey Island ( Ynys Enlli in Welsh ) in 2002 as their first-ever writer in residence. It's quite remote. You have to get there by boat; there's not much electricity; there is a very small community living there; it is only two miles across."All sorts of different people are drawn there for different reasons. I found myself being the only artist on the island, but surrounded by people who were interested in a lot of the different aspects of the island -- the archeology, the bird-watching, people who go there for religious reasons. I found this rich tapestry of people and events, and also a real intensity. On one hand you are free and away from the world, but you are also incarcerated, and you can't leave the space. These tensions were a real gift for a writer. The story started with this canvas."I wrote a book that was quite abstract and fragmentary. A collection of different recollections of my experiences on the island, coupled with fictional characters and some real character, and there was real mingling of genres."After winning the prose medal, her Welsh activist spirit convinced her that the book provided an opportunity to educate English-language readers about this iconic location in Wales where, according to myth, 20,000 saints must be buried because of all the religious pilgrims who died there."When I began writing it in English I realized that this kind of fragmentary rhythmic narrative that worked in Welsh perhaps didn't work as well in English because of the difference between the languages," she explains. "English is perhaps cooler and more exact, while Welsh was more passionate. What seemed poetic in Welsh seemed overindulgent in English. The kind of humor I have in Welsh is definitely different because I'm inside the culture -- I poke fun at things that Welsh speakers understand. In English I have a different register for the humor -- more understated. Writing in the two languages is like working with different tools. It's like having these two people inside you and they are influencing each other."That's when I decided to have a little bit of different agenda, and I saw it as a golden opportunity to talk about the Welsh language and what it's like to be a Welsh speaker, and to be in this small country and have the tensions of a small country. So the island in "20,000 Saints" becomes a microcosm of Wales, and how extreme we can get, but also how we interact with each other in creative ways. By the end of it I had a novel double in size with a completely different thread in terms of plot and the emotional development of the characters. It's been a very interesting and rewarding process."The result led to her selection as the Oxfam Emerging Writer of the Year.Her third novel, "Y Llyfgell" ( The Library ), winner of the 2009 David Owen Prize, the top fiction prize in Wales, in going through a similar process, in which the English version will not be so much a translation as a re-imagining in a different language, for different readers.The library in the title is the Welsh National Library, an institution that is another source of national pride.But she is not straying far from her roots: She is simultaneously writing a new collection of short stories in Welsh. "I feel very proud that of all the Celtic languages Welsh is the one that has flourished," she says. "The fact that I am able to live my daily life through the medium of Welsh -- most of the colleagues in my department at Swansea are Welsh-speakers, the people around me are Welsh speakers -- sometimes I forget that it is a minority language. Watching Welsh on television, sometimes you can forget. That for me is a blissful thing that occasionally you forget that not everyone speaks this language."Dafydd, who teaches at the University of Wales at Swansea and also writes poetry and scripts for film and television, is the first writer to attend the IWP through a new partnership with the British Council's UK Writer-in-Residence Program.Biographies of all the 2009 IWP writers are accessible at  http://iwp.uiowa.edu/writers/index.html .UI arts events are searchable on the UI Master Calendar:  http://calendar.uiowa.edu . For additional arts information, visit  http://www.uiowa.edu/artsiowa . To receive UI arts news by e-mail, go to  http://list.uiowa.edu/archives/acr-news.html  and click the link "Join or Leave ACR News," then follow the instructions.STORY SOURCE: University of Iowa Arts Center Relations, 300 Plaza Centre One, Suite 351, Iowa City, IA 52242-2500MEDIA CONTACT: Winston Barclay, 319-384-0073 ( office ) 319-430-1013 ( cell ), winston-barclay@uiowa.eduBookmark and SharePublished by:Release DateThis story was released on 2009-10-21. Please make sure to visit the official company or organization web site to learn more about the original release date. See our disclaimer for additional information.(c) Media-Newswire.com - All Rights Reserved]]></description>
                <pubDate>Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:43:44 +0100</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[A French Reporter in Wales - @byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise]]></title>
                <link>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/831/a-french-reporter-in-wales</link>
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                <description><![CDATA[I'm reading this minute a French publication entitled 'Midi Olympique Magazine', dated monday 5 October, apparently Hirwaun is in the heart of the Rhondda Valley at the extreme south-west of the Principality, where all the mines were called the Big Pit, the mine owners were English and every mine had its rugby club. Now I'm on dodgy ground, I don't remember 120 miners dying in an explosion at Hirwaun in 1966, and I don't remember 114 dying in a flood in 1975 at Cymmer, it might have happened; Newport, Llanelli, Swansea and Cardiff are the economic lungs of the west coast. They headed towards the Brecon Forest and along the way they stopped at a pub at the side of the road in Trehafod called the 'Royal Oak', which translated from the French means 'Royal Eagle', it is part of an industry that will never know a crisis in Wales, that of hops. Inside the pub they were told a story of a university educated coach who warned the local rugby team of an imminent match against the French who were renowned for their rough play, the miners in the team laughed, they knew all about violence, for hadn't they only recently lost 120 fellow workers in the bowels of the Welsh earth! A customer brought it in to me yesterday and I thought I'd share it with you.Right, let me explain for those non-Welsh amongst you: Hirwaun is not in the Rhondda, is not in the south-west; Big-Pit is not a name for pits in Wales, only one tourist attraction; the biggest mine owner in the Rhondda was David Davies, a Welshman who built Barry docks; not every mine had its rugby club;120 people died in Aerfan, not Hirwaun, in 1966 but not one was a miner; neither Newport, Cardiff, Swansea nor Llanelli is on the west coast; I don't know of a brecon forest; Royal Oak does not translate 'l'Aigle Royal' as for the hops, pubs are closing everywhere; Where did they get this journalist, and did they pay him; didn't they expect anybody to check?]]></description>
                <pubDate>Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:04:24 +0100</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Obituary: Patrick Hannan - @byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise]]></title>
                <link>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/828/obituary-patrick-hannan</link>
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                <description><![CDATA[Bit of a surprise!  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/tv-radio-obituaries/6308994/Patrick-Hannan.html   P.S. This message was sent by  bynwalters@libertysurf.fr  via AddThis.com. Please note that the sender's email address has not been verified.]]></description>
                <pubDate>Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:28:31 +0100</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Llongyfarchiadau i'n aelod Menna Elfyn - @byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise]]></title>
                <link>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/827/llongyfarchiadau-in-aelod-menna-elfyn</link>
                <guid>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/827</guid>
                <description><![CDATA[News WalesItaly honours Welsh writersFor the second time in two months a literary institution in Italy has chosen to honour a writer from Wales.Poet Menna Elfyn will be awarded the Anima Istranza Foreign Prize for Poetry at the International Festival of the City of Olbia on the island of Sardinia on Sunday 25 October 2009.The prize is awarded every two years by the Amistade cultural society which established the Olbia festival in 2001 to enable Sardinians to discuss the literatures and cultures of other minority languages as well as their own."Two years ago, the foreign prize for poetry was given to the Irish poet Nuala N Dhomhnaill. This year, we are honoured to present the prize to Menna Elfyn as an acknowledgement of her activities in defending and promoting the Welsh language and for the quality of her poetry," said President of the awarding committee, Giuseppe Serpillo.The committee studied poems by Menna published in two volumes - Autobiografia in Versi and I nuovi bardi - which have been translated into Italian by Andrea Bianchi and Silvana Siviero.Both volumes are part of the Geiriau o Gymru (Words from Wales) /Parole dal Galles series which is published by Mobydick in Italy with support from Wales Literature Exchange.To show her appreciation, Menna Elfyn has written a special poem to Sardinia which she will read at the prize-giving ceremony."I feel it is a privilege to be awarded this prize. It's an international award and it shows the importance of going out into the world, and sharing our literature and culture rather than keeping it within the confines of Wales," said Menna."Literature travels and through translation, Welsh writing can be heard and appreciated in languages other than English which is perhaps the most common language of translation. I hope this award will offer some form of inspiration to other poets who are trying to write in a minority language," added Menna whose own work has been translated into around 18 different languages.In September author Harri Pritchard Jones travelled from Cardiff to receive the City of Sassari International Award for Minority Languages in Sardinia.Both Menna Elfyn and Harri Pritchard Jones will return to Italy in November to speak at a series of literary events in Bologna, Venice and Coderno di Sedegliano in Udine.Back]]></description>
                <pubDate>Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:12:09 +0100</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Oddities - @byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise]]></title>
                <link>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/816/oddities</link>
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                <description><![CDATA[Perhaps I should explain my earlier blogs; Jan Morris got her fact wrong in stating that Crumlin is in Glamorgan, the viaduct was well into Monmouthshire. I am from Merthyr Tydfil, and to go to work in Ebbw Vale I crossed the River Rhymney at Rhymney Bridge, the County border, and past the River Sirhowy at Tredegar before arriving at the head of the Ebbw Fawr, which, after its confluence with the Ebbw Fach was the river that the viaduct spanned. The Glamorganshire Canal ran from the Cyfarthfa Iron Works at Georgetown, Merthyr Tydfil down the Taff Valley to the docks at Cardiff.As for the Cymric Celts; the first wave of Celts were the 'Q' Celtic or Gaels, followed by the second wave, the 'P' Celtic or Brythons, British or Britons: it was this second wave of Celts who began referring to themselves as the Cymry, the first mention of which was in the 'Armes Prydein Fawr', 'The Great Prophesy of Britain', written between 935 and 950. Although, according to Geoffrey of Monmouth, Wales was named after Kamber, a son of Brutus, leader of the Trojans, who gave his name to the Britons.He had two brothers, Albanactus and Locrinus, who gave their names to Scotland (Yr Alban) and England (Lloegr) respectively.Owen M. Edwards says that for a long time the name Cymry was despised as a term of reproach, to express degeneracy, taking the place of the proud name of Britons and didn't come into its own until the rule of Llywelyn Fawr, when by then it was obvious where we stood. 'Britain' was still used by the bards, but the leaders were now Princes of Cymru.]]></description>
                <pubDate>Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:33:33 +0100</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[The Old North, when Wales and the insular Britons were split into three separate parts - @byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise]]></title>
                <link>http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/byn-bynbrynmantavarn-ty-elise/blog/815/the-old-north-when-wales-and-the-insular-britons-were-split-into-three-separate-parts</link>
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                <description><![CDATA[  #999; padding-bottom:10px" colspan="2"&gt; Gwlad y Gwyr y Gogledd     Strathclyde@Everything2.com <br>   Source: everything2.com <br> <br>        #999;" colspan="2"&gt;      Byn Walters sent this using  ShareThis .   ]]></description>
                <pubDate>Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:51:58 +0100</pubDate>
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