Category Archives: Welsh language

Sneak Preview

Posted on February 23, 2016 by bookvolunteer

Dinas’ Primary School closed in 2002 but it didn’t take long for local people to negotiate, fundraise and recruit supporters so that it could open again as ‘Yr Hen Ysgol’. There are activities on offer now for everyone, ranging from … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Crafts, Entertainment, Food, Welsh language | Tagged cafe, Dinas, Dinas Cross, Yr Hen Ysgol | Leave a comment

Gedeon

Posted on February 9, 2016 by bookvolunteer

Coflein tells us that Gideon Independent Chapel was built in 1830, restored in 1930 and again in 1960. The present chapel…. is built in the Vernacular style with a long-wall entry plan. The facade dates from 1830 with improvements made in … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Religion, Welsh language | Tagged Chapel, Dinas, Gedeon | 3 Comments

The essential accompaniment to Sunday breakfasts – Welsh diaspora, 1960s

Posted on August 25, 2015 by bookvolunteer

To re-live the experience click here. (The Delysé record company was set up in 1954 by Isabella Wallich who was born in Italy to a musical family in 1916, but migrated to Britain with her family at the age of 5. … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Religion, Welsh language | Tagged Gymanfa Ganu, Wales | 2 Comments

Gate of the Bones (or not)

Posted on August 21, 2015 by bookvolunteer

There are very few street names in Dinas but this straggling village divides into smaller hamlets whose names form part of our addresses. Tegfan is situated in Iet-yr-Esgyrn or ‘Gate of the Bones’. Very satisfactory. It’s a dead-end quiet corner not far … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Welsh language | Tagged Dinas, Dinas Cross, Iet-yr-Esgyrn, Pembrokeshire | Leave a comment

Fabulous food at Ffwrn

Posted on July 14, 2015 by bookvolunteer

We had an early lunch at St Mary’s Church Institute Ffwrn. As you approach Fishguard’s main square (coming from Dinas) it’s on the left, opposite the church. From the outside, it doesn’t look much changed and once you are through the main … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Welsh language | Tagged bar, cafe, Dinas, Dinas Cross, eating out, Fishguard | 1 Comment

Teachers in the family

Posted on June 19, 2015 by bookvolunteer

The first was Paulina George who was employed as a pupil-teacher at Dinas County School. By 1903, aged 19 she had been promoted to ‘assistant’ and earned £35 per annum. She made a significant contribution to the school by introducing Welsh-medium education to the Infants. This was one of many … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Welsh language | Tagged Avery Hill Teacher Training College, Chaucer Primary School, Dinas, Dinas County School, Dinas Cross, English Martyrs Primary School, Roper Hall, Union Street School | 2 Comments

Pwnc (to rhyme with Nunc)

Posted on May 22, 2015 by bookvolunteer

Being the child of a mixed marriage – mother from a Catholic background and father from a Protestant, non-conformist, family – I had thought that those two versions of Christianity were at opposite ends of a very broad spectrum. But Whitsun … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Religion, Welsh language | Tagged Baptist chapel, Dinas, Dinas Cross, Pembrokeshire | Leave a comment

Improving literature

Posted on May 5, 2015 by bookvolunteer

When the Welsh non-conformist chapels had congregations that filled the pews and most households owned a family bible that was large enough to record the family’s births and deaths on blank pages, the other devotional book with which most chapel-goers were familiar … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, books, Religion, Welsh language | Tagged Chapel, Dinas, Dinas Cross | Leave a comment

Seeking the person behind the inscription: DAVID CHARLES JONES

Posted on March 24, 2015 by bookvolunteer

The Reverend David Charles Jones was not originally from Dinas and indeed Jones is not a common surname in the village. However, he spent many happy holidays in the area and chose to be buried, with his wife and son, … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Religion, Welsh language | Tagged Cwm yr Eglwys, D C Jones, Dinas, Dinas Cross, Gwynrug | 1 Comment

One eisteddfod (eye-steth(e)-vod) Two eisteddfodau (eye-steth(e)-vod-eye)

Posted on March 13, 2015 by bookvolunteer

Every big national event spawns a plate – probably several – and the coming of the National Eisteddfod to Fishguard, our local market town, in 1986 was a big event to be celebrated and remembered for more than just the … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Welsh language | Tagged 1936, 1986, Abergwaun, Dinas, Dinas Cross, eisteddfod, Fishguard, Pembrokeshire | Leave a comment

Free university education for Welsh immigrants and their children

Posted on January 27, 2015 by bookvolunteer

In the late 1930s about 9,000 young people, in total, graduated from UK universities per year: an experience that was out of the question for my father and his sisters – with my grandfather a fireman and recent economic migrant. But when his … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Religion, Welsh language | Tagged B Ivor John, Betty Davies, Byron Jones, Chapel, Dinas, Dinas Cross, E Glyn George, J Emlyn Jones, London, London Welsh, Nan Thomas, O G Morgan, S E 1, Southwark Bridge Road, The Boro', The Borough Welsh Congregational Church | 1 Comment

Hedd Wyn (Blessed Peace)

Posted on December 26, 2014 by bookvolunteer

In our Christmas 2014 exchange of letters, Gill (an old friend from Abergavenny) and I both wrote about films we had seen during the past year. Her chosen film was Hedd Wyn and she has inspired me to search it out to … Continue reading →

Posted in Farming, History, Religion, Welsh language | Tagged anti war, Ellis Evans, film, first world war, Hedd Wyn, welsh language | Leave a comment