Page 16 - Ninnau Jan-Feb 2021

News from Wales By Lise Hull

HERITAGE MISCELLANEOUS

A NEW £4 million scheme A SWANSEA woman who visitors from royalty to screen HOLYHEAD has been rec- Dunnottar Castle in
dedicated to protecting and cel- fought slavery in the United stars, has been bought by a ognized as an Honorary Aberdeenshire with 97.81 per-
ebrating the cultural and natural States was honored with a blue Welsh business couple. Quidditch Town. This is in cele- cent “of” good reviews, and
heritage of the Carneddau area plaque in her home city in Brown’s Hotel, in the centre of bration of new book: Quidditch Rowton Castle in Shropshire
has launched. With the help of October during the U.K.’s Laugharne, was put on the mar- Through The Ages Illustrated with 96.97 percent. Kidwelly
£1.7 million grant funding from Black History Month. In the ket earlier this year for Edition, which acts as a com- Castle was then in fourth place
the National Lottery Heritage 1850s, Jessie Donaldson operat- £795,000, together with its panion to the Harry Potter series with 96.93 percent and
Fund, The Carneddau ed one of three Ohio safe hous- nearby property, the New Three and guide on the wizard’s Pembroke Castle in fifth with
Landscape Partnership—a col- es, risking fines and prison by Mariners pub, which had an favorite sport. Bloomsbury 96.8 percent.
lection of organizations led by offering shelter along the Ohio asking price of £395,000. Publishing presented the mayor HOLLYWOOD star Ryan
the Snowdonia National Park River to slaves as they tried to Martyn Ingram and his partner of Holyhead, Cllr Alan Reynolds has sent cases of gin
Authority—has developed an escape the southern states to the Mel Hamilton-Searle are now Williams, with a decorative and a personal message to a
exciting scheme that will pro- north of America. the new owners of both the banner featuring gold Quidditch Welsh-language community
mote a positive future for the A ROMAN villa has been properties. Ingram, 57, owns hoops celebrating the town’s pub in Wrexham. The Deadpool
area. The area is home to rare found near Wrexham—the first engineering businesses in fictitious Quidditch team, actor, who has recently been
animals and plants, including of its kind in northeast Wales. Ammanford, Swansea and Port Holyhead Harpies. In total, 11 given the green light to take
species such as the chough and Metal detectorists found Roman Talbot and amongst the cou- towns and villages across the over Wrexham AFC along with
the Carneddau ponies, as well material at the site, sparking a ple’s property portfolio is Sea U.K. and Ireland, from Appleby fellow actor Rob McElhenney,
as fragile habitats such as mon- remote sensing survey by View in Laugharne, where to Wigtown, Ballycastle to sent the Saith Seren on Chester
tane heath—Wales’ tundra. archaeologists who then found Dylan Thomas and his wife Wimborne, are being honored, Street three cases of the premi-
There is also evidence of evidence of a buried structure. Caitlin lived when they were as are two fictitious Quidditch um Aviation Gin in which he
human activity dating back The remains, in a field in first married. towns, Chudley Cannons and has a business interest. The gin
thousands of years, and these Rossett, include stone and tile The previous owner of the Puddlemere United. Fans can has gone down well with the
th
remains are of international buildings around a central 18 -century property, Penderyn pledge their virtual allegiance to community pub that is also a
importance. The unique land- courtyard. Artifacts have been Whisky chairman Nigel Short, any of the 13 Quidditch teams hub for Welsh language activi-
scape of the area is under pres- found from the late 1st Century carried out a £1m refurbishment by visiting the official Harry ties in the town. The cases came
sure from climate change, shifts and early 4th Century, suggest- of Brown’s eight years ago. The Potter fan club, Wizarding with the message: “To the folks
in land-use patterns, invasive ing the villa was occupied for project, aided by the help of a World at Saith Seren: Some for you
species and human pressures. the majority of Roman rule in £300,000 funding package from (www.wizardingworld.com). and some for me. Hopefully see
The scheme will help conserve Britain. The University of the Welsh Government and A TREE that sits amid the you soon – Ryan Reynolds.”
the area’s heritage by promoting Chester and Wrexham museum monuments body Cadw, also ruins of one of Wales’ first A FAMILY from north
sustainable land use that pro- plan to continue investigating saw all the original woodwork Cistercian abbeys has been Wales had no idea they had an
th
tects rare habitats, species and the site over the next few years. retained in the bar where Dylan crowned Wales Tree of the 18 -Century Chinese cannon
archaeological remains, and by THE FAVORITE watering and Caitlin were regular cus- Year. The “Chapter House tree” sitting in their back garden. The
recording place names and hole of poet Dylan Thomas, tomers. at Margam Abbey, a 12 th - cannon has been with the family
memories. which has welcomed celebrity Century monastery in Margam for about 120 years and was
Park, Port Talbot, won an spotted by an expert who had
LANGUAGE online vote by the Woodland come to value other items at
their home. It dates back to
Trust in Wales. The fern-leaved
FARMING’S importance to teaches English tourists how to ydych wedi pendroni o rhan i beech has provided the back- 1789, during the Qianlong
Welsh must be recognized in speak to Welsh “peasants.” The chwi edrych i lawr) as well as drop for TV productions includ- Period, and has been valued at
post-Brexit plans to support the 180-year-old guide, called the “Do not look down” (Peidiwch ing the BBC’s Dr. Who and Duke’s of Dorchester auction
industry, Welsh language com- Welsh Interpreter was first ag edrych i lawr). Songs of Praise, and Netflix’ house at £100,000. The family,
missioner Aled Roberts has printed in London in 1838 and The hardback version Sex Education. The tree has originally from Anglesey,
said. Census figures suggest 43 carries the quotation: “Adapted belonged to Welsh barrister and won a £1,000 prize, which will moved to Dorchester in Dorset
percent of agricultural workers for Tourists, who may wish to author Enoch Salisbury, who be spent on its upkeep. Its name and had used the cannon as a
speak Welsh, compared with 19 make themselves understood by died in 1890. His life collection refers to the 12-sided Chapter garden ornament.
percent of Wales’ population. the peasantry during their ram- of Welsh phrasebooks and text- House of the monastery where The 258 kg cannon bears an
Funding has to be focused on bles through Wales.” The book books is considered to be the the tree is located. The tree beat inscription dating to the third
helping family farms survive, he offers a range of Welsh lan- earliest library dedicated to all off competition from five final- month of the Qianlong 54th
added. Roberts was responding guage phrases claimed to be things Welsh. It is now avail- ists, including the Monmouth year (1789), Governors Cup,
to the recommendations of a essential to the English traveler able online and in person at Catalpa Tree and the Chirk from Guo Xing Fu the merchant
recent report about how farmers to Wales in Victorian times, as Cardiff University’s Special Castle Sweet Chestnut. Trees of group. Guo Xing Fu was in
could help the government meet well as help with pronunciation. Collections and Archives ser- the year have also been charge of the maritime trade
its goal of one million Welsh It was written by Thomas vice. announced in England and across southeast China. All for-
speakers by 2050. Roberts of Llwynrhudol, A BRAZILIAN man hoping Scotland and an overall U.K. eign merchants bought Chinese
The report also called for Pwllheli, a businessman and a to become a U.K. citizen has winner will be chosen later this export cargoes into Xiamen sea-
changes to the planning system co-founder of London’s become one of the first to pass a year. The U.K. winner will be port during the turning point of
to help keep young people in Cymreigyddion Society, a citizenship test using Welsh. Dr. entered into the European tree the Ming and Qing dynasties.
rural areas by supporting farm social, cultural and debating Rodolfo Piskorski said Wales of the year competition. RAPPER Deyah has beaten
diversification and rural enter- society. was the only place he had lived
prises, as well as facilitating the Phrases in the book include: in the U.K., so he wanted to
building of new houses on farm- “My good friend, is this the way take the exam in his adopted
land, particularly in areas where to ____?” (Fy nghyfaill country’s language. The 34-
demand for second homes had addfwyn, ai hon yw y ffordd i year-old moved to the Welsh
pushed up property prices. ____?), and “Are you a capital in 2013 to study for his
Measures are needed too, the Welshman?” (Ai Cymro ydych PhD, and began learning Welsh
report said, to protect Welsh chwi?). It also includes tips for two years later. He took the £50
place names to ensure the lan- English tourists who choose to multiple-choice test in January,
guage and heritage remain visi- explore the Welsh mountain- and learned he was the first to
ble. side, such as being able to tell a pass the Welsh language ver-
ARCHIVISTS have Welshman: “You are giddy sion when he was given the
unearthed a phrasebook that because you look down” (Y’r results.

TOURISM

A HISTORICAL TRAIL is At the time of the strike, only top of the Welsh experi-
being unveiled to mark 120 Penrhyn Quarry was considered ence, it is the highest-ranking
years since one of Britain's to be the largest slate quarry in new U.K. entry, straight in at Pembroke Castle
longest industrial disputes the world, employing 2,800 No. 82.
divided a Welsh town. The men and swelling the popula- TWO NORTH Pembroke- TWO CASTLES in Wales Super Furry Animals frontman
Great Penrhyn Strike started on tion of Bethesda. It turned from shire beaches have been named have been listed in the top five Gruff Rhys and 13 other entries
22 November, 1900, and lasted a rural village at the head of the among the top five in the U.K. of the U.K., according to to win this year’s Welsh Music
three years. Now, a new self- Ogwen Valley in Snowdonia to based on water quality, visible reviews from the general public. Prize. Her album “Care City”
guided “Slate and Strikes” tour a bustling town of 8,000 people. pollution and the number of Kidwelly Castle in Carmarthen- scooped the 2020 prize at a dig-
using coded HistoryPoints SEVEN of Wales’ top tourist Instagram snaps. Whitesands shire and Pembroke Castle in ital ceremony. Her latest record
markers retells the story in spots have made it onto the has been named most desirable Pembrokeshire have been tackles subjects such as addic-
Gwynedd. It uncovers tales of Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Travel in the U.K., with Newgale rank- ranked fourth and fifth respec- tion and isolation. The self-
quarry spies, a battle between List. Thirty-four of the U.K.’s ing fourth in a poll compiled by tively in a “U.K.’s Best Rated released “Care City” was a fol-
owners and unions, and bitter best travel experiences can be company holidaycottages.co.uk. Castle” list compiled by holiday low-up to her previous album,
recriminations still felt today. found on the world list of 500, Barmouth Beach finished sec- provider Cottages and Castles. “Lover Loner,” which was
Roaming across the quarry and seven of those are in Wales. ond, Harlech beach was listed They looked at almost 2,000 shortlisted for the 2019 prize—
town, 19 points are marked with Wales’ best-loved experiences as sixth, Rosneigr came in sev- castles across the U.K. in total in the same year Deyah was
plaques, each bearing a QR range from outdoor adventures enth and Castle Beach in Tenby and calculated the percentage of added to BBC Introducing’s
code which can be scanned by a on the Wales Coast Path, was rated ninth. The company four and five star reviews each Hot List for International
mobile phone. It links to online Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia analyzed water quality, visible castle had on TripAdvisor. In Women’s Day. The panel of
information and stories about to enriching cultural attractions pollution, and the number of first place was Castle Stuart, a music industry experts said they
the location, and how it fits into Festiniog & Welsh Highland Instagram photos taken across 17th century Tower House near selected the winner from a
the often turbulent history of the Railway, St. David’s Cathedral, 593 beaches in England, Inverness in Scotland, which shortlist of 15 albums, showcas-
Great Strike. It starts at the St. Fagan’s National History Scotland and Wales to ultimate- had an overall rating of 97.84 ing the range of creative talent
quarry itself, which still pro- Museum and Portmeirion. The ly reveal the top ten most desir- percent. That was followed by in and from Wales.
duces slate, but nothing on the Coastal Path, which traces the able spots.
scale of the early 20th Century. entire coastline of Wales, is not (Continued on page 30)

Page 16 NINNAU - The North American Welsh Newspaper January-February 2021
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