Talsarnau Eisteddfod 1978
Cadair eisteddfod

 

A memorable Eisteddfod was held again this year, with competitors from all parts of the country taking part. On Friday night the children were at their best competing for the beautiful medals and cups. The long talked about hymn competition for the over 50s, with thirteen singers at their best, a feast indeed to listen to.

Six national winners were seen on stage and Mr Geraint Lloyd Owen, verbal prose and literature judge, and Mr T J Williams, music judge, paid particular praise to the high standard of verbal prose, the Welsh language solo and the solo competition, challenging radio and television people to come from their Cardiff offices into the Welsh countryside to see the plentiful talent available.

There was also a particularly high standard of material submitted for the Chair competition, won by Medwyn Jones, Ruthin for the ode 'Moliant Tyddynwr'. John Griffith Jones, a native of Llyn, who married one of the natives of Ardudwy, who is currently living in Abergele, took home the beautiful Main Literary Medal for an inscription to 'Sarn'.

It is a tradition to invite two past inhabitants of the area to preside at the Eisteddfod and to give a short talk. On Friday night, it was Margretta Jones, a teacher from Barmouth, formerly of Llety'r Fwyalch, and on Saturday night, Gwyndaf Williams, Liverpool, formerly of Cefngwyn. Both will no doubt have felt the benefit of returning to the old locale, meeting old peers and enjoying fifteen hours of Eisteddfod, led by Gwynfor Williams, Celt Roberts and Evie Morgan Jones.

The two very accomplished piano accompanists were Mrs Byron Howells on Friday night and Mrs Sol Owen on Saturday, and the harpist was Telynores Aran. Selyf, with his usual geniality, assessed the Cerdd Dant section. (the art of signing a counter melody over a harp melody).


Article from Llais Ardudwy in April 1978 - Issue 33.

GREAT SNOWSTORM FEBRUARY 1982 

A number of people had to spend the night in Gwrach Ynys because of the drifts on the Morfa Harlech road, on Friday night, 8 January, 1982.  At one time there were ten people in the house but Sergeant Gareth Roberts from Penrhyndeudraeth and Policeman Dafydd Jones from Maentwrog was able to venture home at seven o'clock, when a four-wheel drive vehicle came to escort them.

The last to arrive was Mr Tongue from Glan Gors, at half past nine at night, having come all the way from Manchester, over the Crimea pass but to get stuck near Bryntirion, yr Ynys. He started walking, but he was defeated by the stormy weather and he too had to spend the night on the floor of Gwrach Ynys.

From left to right: Mr Tongue, Bobi Pryce Jones, Hywel Evans, Harlech, Lynnette and Alan Gayden, Dyffryn, Eluned Williams, Glan Gors, Aled Owens, Bl Ffestiniog.

CANLYN Y CAMERA (following the camera) JANUARY 1990 Second diary of a Naturalist

At the beginning of a year, many of us probably made resolutions that have now all been broken! New year's resolutions are like that - temporary things that are forgotten in no time. Not so the photographer's pictures - if you look after them properly, they last forever. From the Dolig press, came 'Canlyn y Camera' - Second diary of a naturalist (Dwyfor Press) It is a chronicle of a period in the life of Ted Breeze Jones, and between two covers, he managed to capture in picture and word, the wonderful atmosphere of his area. As you would expect from Ted Breeze's camera, there are some great pictures of animals and birds: the little owl (pg.48), the jay and her chicks (pg.63), the silk-tail (pg.73), and the warty toad (pg.37) among the most memorable of them. There are also special pictures of the landscape and characters of Gwynedd.

But this book is more than that - there is a record of part of his life, and that of his wife Anwen: we get the story of their journeys to see some bird or other: we get a story about a fisherman in the waters of Llyn Cwm Orthin and a description of forking flounder in the Dwyryd estuary - a unique variety.

After reading a novel, you put it on a shelf to stand and collect dust - not so this book. You will want to pick it up again and again to read it, to look at the pictures and to show it to this one and that - and for £5.50 you get a gem of a book that will pay for itself in a big way. Buy it!

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