Planning Ahead

Re-ouverture -92 (que trois mois encore); besoin d'argent maintenant, pour chaque cheque de la somme de 100euros recu, vous allez recevoir 140euros de consommations (bieres, whisk(e)ys etc./Re-opening -92 (only 3 months to go); I need some capital to plan ahead; for every 100euros cheque I receive you will have drinks to the value of 140euros in return. Please send to Byn Walters, Tavarn Ty Elise ou/or 5, rue des Primeveres, 29690 Plouye, Breizh/Llydaw/Brittany/Bretagne, ou/or Paypal; ou/or Western Union.

Cymru/Wales v Australia

With Abertawe/Swansea finding success in the top half of the 'Premier League', Caerdydd/Cardiff top of their division, and Casnewyd/Newport & Wrecsam/Wrexham likewise in the 'Conference', not forgetting Gareth Bale superstar, it is more important than ever that Cymru/Wales beat Australia this week-end or we could see rugby trimming back to its core support with a possibility that our present under 11s growing up with soccer success might in the future be filling (from a rugby point of view) the wrong coffers in the wrong stadia, not to mention playing the wrong game. Although with all the money that there is in soccer with all the competition it engenders and the lack of it in Wales, the rugby authorities had better hope that 2012/13 is a one off ski lift to the slope with the quick descent it entails. It looks as though their are going for the type of risky play that got them the points against New Zealand after the game was sewn up in order to upset the Australian psyche & game plan, dangerous tactics, especially the way that kicking for touch went disastrously wrong when we could have gone for the points and had a different game. Back to this week-end, valiant effort, pushing for the line with seconds to go but eventually losing by one point, or more realistically 27 - 33

Church Concert

Because of my 'situation' I sometimes find myself temporarily without petrol money, so it was good this evening to have a concert only 500 yards down the road in the local church, and good it was; a group calling themselves 'Katell Kolled' sang traditional Breton songs in a sort of semi acapella, the only music, apart from they voices, being minimal drum & percussion support, including pottery vases, from nephew Glenn. The voices resonated to the centuries old church acoustics raising excellence almost magically to an even higher standard, whether taking it in turns to sing solo, engaging in musical conversation replying in turn 2 to one, or reciting a 'gwerz' or traditional tale. (The Welsh 'gwers' is a lesson or verse). It was all done to a background of 8 boards & easels exhibiting bright blues, reds, yellows, greens, blues & blacks in abstract form. An exceptional event adding to my life's quality experiences

Dreams & Nightmares

Excuses for Argentina, but after tonight it doesn't hold; arguably our best team for 40 years, with best strength in depth ever, were out fought and outplayed. Perhaps we were shown where our real level lies, whereas against New Zealand we will raise our game again. And don't tell me that Samoa raised their game because they were playing against Wales. It's good to follow international rugby in Wales because at the top we only have about 10 teams, mainly small countries, to beat, the best having an equivalent population; it allows us to dream, and anyone who knows Welsh history will know that our dreams give us the strength to carry on. One day .......

Leeches

There was once an inland port of Cyfarthfa with its main docks adjacent to Joseph Parry's house in Georgetown, Merthyr Tydfil. This port was at the top of the Taff valley taking the produce of the Cyfarthfa ironworks from the fork of the Tâf Fawr & the Tâf Fechan on the Tâf Fechan side together with the produce of the Penydarren works on the Nant Morlais and the Guest Works at Dowlais on the Nant Dowlais which connected with the Nant Morlais at Abermorlais on the Taff, around which the population & commercial centre grew to become the largest town in Wales during the industrial revolution of the 18th & 19th centuries, where unrest led to the unfurling of the first red flag in the world in 1831, the first steam locomotive to run on rails in the world in 1804. Nelsons cannons were made there as were the chains for the Menai Suspension Bridge and the railways for the empire. The workers were employed by iron 'kings', people such as the Crawshays who became the richest people in the United Kingdom before moving to their newly bought Caversham Park in England and taking their wealth with them, and the Berry family of whom Baron Buckland became a director of 60 companies within 3 years of his mentor D. A. Thomas (Viscount Rhondda) becoming a member of the Cabinet. Viscount Kemsley & Viscount Camrose, his brothers, became owners of 'The Times', The Telegraph' etc. Merthyr was overseen by bloodsuckers at the top whose physical heritage has been all but demolished by the Labour Party in the destruction of a unique story. The Nant Morlais has been covered up 2 centuries too late, and the magnificent Great White Tip, written in capitals, has gone for road fill; but Cardiff is the greatest bloodsucker, formed from produce brought down from the valleys exported elsewhere and ore uneconomically imported from the Basque country. Without the road, canal & rails that joined Cardiff to Merthyr there wouldn't be a comparative population there today, there probably wouldn't be a port, there wouldn't have been the first million pound cheque. The Marquess of Bute may have bequeathed Cathays Park but it certainly would not have become the so called (London granted, not historical) capital city of Cymru (Wales). If Merthyr had never existed to transfuse the little historical village of Cardiff, Swansea would still be there. Abertawe (Swansea)not like Cardiff has had to do everything itself and for that it can be proud. It's now a 'fait accompli'with 'national institutions', (soit disant' even before it became a city yet alone capital), but I cannot think of a more undeserving capital. With 10% of the votes it should be leading the way in Welsh affairs not a huge 'foreign' blockhouse barring the path, a place turning the world on its head where the inhabitants refer to their North Walian compatriots as immigrants!

Matchday Pubs

Would like to be drinking with my mates now in the pubs outside the ground, standing at the bar discussing the match, the country's problems and generally setting the world to rights. Never mind, I suppose I'll have to do with facebook/blogs here on my settee/couch/sofa, but the atmosphere's not the same.