Page 1 - Ninnau Jan-Feb 2021

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The North American Welsh Newspaper
Papur Cymry Gogledd America™
Incorporating Y DRYCH™

© 2021 NINNAU Publications, P.O. Box 712, Trumansburg, NY 14886 Vol. 46, No. 1 January-February 2021
Ann Jones Retires from Welsh Language Lessons After 21 years!

Ann’s first Welsh lesson was village was drowned to form adult Welsh classes in the Before the death of her hus-
published in Ninnau in April of Llyn Celyn, a reservoir for Cardiff area as well as partici- band, Ann traveled quite exten-
2000. The final Welsh lesson Liverpool. pated in various residential lan- sively. Since Islwyn’s passing,
will appear in the next issue of Ann attended secondary guage classes throughout she hasn’t brought herself to
Ninnau, March/April 2021. For school in Dolegllau and studied Wales. Ann also does research travel yet. Ann references
those who still wanted to learn Welsh, German and English at into presentations that she gives Aristotle, “Love is composed of
Welsh, we will be re-running the University of Aberysywyth. at occasional speaking engage- one soul inhabiting two bodies.”
the series from the beginning, She went on to study at ments. Her latest research Iswyn spent time as a host and
so there is still time! University College of North involves looking at the appro- tutor for Americans participat-
Ann started preparing the Wales, Bangor, where she priateness of the words in the ing in the Elderhostel program.
‘Dewch i Siarad’ course of obtained her post graduate Welsh National Anthem; She often accompanied him on
lessons in Ninnau after being teacher’s certificate and after ancient land? Land of poets, speaking engagements as he
persuaded to do so by Ninnau completion began teaching in musicians, other people of delivered academic presenta-
founding editor, Arturo Roberts. Wrexham. She met her husband Ann Jones renown, brave warriors, ancient tions and after-dinner speeches.
Ann said he was hard to refuse! Islwyn, head of Welsh at Barry language. She notes that the She recalls receiving many bou-
Since then, she has prepared College of Education, moved to years. The time slot grew as words are really a peg on which quets for doing nothing but
165 lessons. Ann recognizes the Barry and taught Welsh to well, and they accommodated to hang a little history lesson. showing up!
challenges of trying to teach the adults. In the late 1970s, Ann four different levels. In her spare time, Ann enjoys Thank you, Ann, for the years
language through the medium moved to the Education Catchphrase lasted for 21 years! gardening, reading, and knit- you have given to Ninnau read-
of print newspaper. No audio Department at the BBC to act as Before retiring Ann edited the ting. She also volunteers at her ers and sharing your knowledge
for the learners to hear the lan- a tutor alongside Basil Davies final four courses of lessons and local library and as a house of the Welsh language. Diolch
guage is certainly difficult. Ann and Cennard Davies on a course they are still available online as guide at a local mansion now yn fawr!
hopes that she has at least been called ‘Catchphrase.’ ‘Catchphrase original lessons’ run by the National Trust.
able to offer a taste of Welsh Catchphrase was a 5-minute on bbc.co.uk/learnwelsh.
language to Ninnau readers. Welsh lesson that aired nightly. Ann was initiated into the Penblwydd Hapus 100!
Ann was born in Capel Celyn, Each tutor taught for a week at a Blue Order of the Gorsedd at
in the Tryweryn Valley near time. Ann went on to become the National Eisteddfod in Bala
Bala. Many are familiar with the producer of the show. It in 1967, under the chosen
the small village as it gained grew from a one-year course to bardic name of Ann o Fawddey.
notoriety in the 1960s after the two, three and eventually four Since retiring Ann has taught

A Most Unusual Assignment

By Dilys Rana

Actually, it was our usual
assignment - decorate the Welsh
Christmas tree at the Museum
of Science and Industry as we
have done for almost thirty
years - but with very different
guidelines. After all, this has
been a very unusual year. The
Welsh Cambrian Society of
Chicago like every other society
and organization, Welsh or oth-
erwise, had to suspend all of its
regular functions and events for
the rest of the year when the Myra Thomas Lawrence and Will Fanning, Past President,
COVID pandemic roared with WNAA, December 2017, Montecito, California
devastating fury into our lives.
Our St David’s day banquet was A tribute to Myra tributions at national eisteddfo-
the last time we were all gath- Thomas Lawrence dau—given the leadership of the
ered together, still naively Cymru ar Wasgar at
unaware of how much our lives Myra Thomas Lawrence is a Porthmadog in 1987 and elected
were to be upended. living legend in Welsh commu- to the Gorsedd of the Bards at
Our spring Gymanfa Ganu, nities worldwide and a delight Rhymney Valley in 1990.
summer picnic, booth at the to her wide circle of friends, NWAF awarded her its Heritage
Highland Games quickly fell particularly here in North Medallion in 1993. Her influ-
victim to the restrictions on America. While her career took ence to the benefit of Welsh life
public gatherings and our own is immeasurable.
concerns for our health and well her out of her native land, her Her travel has been curtailed
being. Nationally, we accepted love of Wales and its culture in recent years, but her activities
the loss of our beloved NAFOW went with her, first to England, have not diminished. This was
festival as we grieved for those and then to Honolulu and made abundantly clear by her
who had lost loved ones in hor- California. In her inimitable donations to WNAA, NWAF
rifying circumstances. As win- fashion as a leader, she has
ter approached we sought com- helped spread her Welsh tradi- and Cymru a’r Byd (Wales
fort in small things, anything to tions. In California, she founded International) in 2017 to support
give us hope and encourage- the Welsh Heritage Club in activities otherwise impossible.
ment. Santa Barbara. At the national The future of Welsh cultural life
For us, it came in October in The masked tree trimming brigade: JoAnn Evans, Janet level, she served as a trustee of in Wales, in North America, and
the form of an invitation from Walquist, Diane Macewicz, Saran Larson, Sue Stealey, the Welsh National Gymanfa the world beyond will now
the Museum to decorate our tree and Dilys Rana. Ganu Association (WNGGA/ flourish further through the
for the annual Christmas sonnel were permitted to help us display site once all other trees WNAA) and as a director of the vision and generosity of Myra
Around the World exhibit. Six with the task. They had left us were finished. Now that the National Welsh-American Thomas Lawrence.
volunteers bravely took up the two tall ladders, long tables for Museum is closed due to the Foundation (NWAF/NAWF). Photograph taken on the
challenge. We arrived fully unpacking, bottled water and renewal of lockdown restric- Her seemingly inexhaustible occasion of Will’s delivery of a
masked to fill out the necessary packaged snacks. We completed tions it can only be viewed vir- energy has led her to Welsh recording by Menna Elfyn of
paperwork and have our tem- the task in just under two hours. tually via their website, activities on both sides of the “Optimist Absoliwt,” “
peratures checked. Then we Our signature tree topper MSI.org. Nevertheless we are Absolute Optimist,” her biogra-
were escorted with our cartload emblazoned with Welsh flags overjoyed to have been able to Atlantic, including annual trips phy Eluned Phillips, Myra’s
of ornament boxes to an isolated was secured by staff using a celebrate our Welshness once to WNNGA and the North good friend, made possible by a
corner of the building where our hydraulic lift, after we had left, more this year and in this very American Festival of Wales. donation from her. The transla-
tree awaited. No museum per- and the tree was moved to its special way. She was recognized for her con- tion is dedicated to Myra.