Huw and Jent noticed an event taking place as part of Edinburgh Tradfest – a Welsh horror film, with a mini-concert first. It’s on Monday 5 May at 6.00pm at The Cameo, 38 Home Street, Edinburgh.

The first horror film to be made in the Welsh language, in 1981, O’r Ddaear Hen (From the Old Earth) follows a mysterious stone head that is unearthed in a council house garden in Bangor. When this ancient head is brought inside into the home of local archaeologist, their family begins to begins to experience terrifying visions of a half-man, half-animal creature, with a terrifying ties to the ancient gods of the land. Will anyone survive the encounter unchanged?

The film will be introduced with a special mini-concert from Welsh harpist and singer Gwen Màiri Yorke.

Information and tickets at this link.

Our friends at Cwmulus invite us to their next on-line talk by Mike Farnworth. At 7:00pm on Friday 9 May, it’s entitled “Bellowing, bleating, and beasts on the banknotes – the drovers of Ceredigion”.

It was as if they were made for each other. Mid-Wales had cattle and an appetite for money. London had money and an appetite for beef.

But between them were mountains, rivers. robbers, and a two hundred mile walk. At least there were plenty of pubs.

This talk tells how the drovers of Ceredigion developed their trade over centuries, taking livestock to London, bringing wealth back to Wales, and building some banks on the way.

Registration at this link.

Doubtless you are one of many in our Society who enjoy a wee dram. But did you know that there are eleven distilleries in Wales, and hundreds of Welsh whiskies to discover? Seeking to plug the gap in everyone’s knowledge is the Welsh Whisky Society, officially launched in Autumn 2024, debuting at the first annual Wales Whisky Fest this month. As one of their Board told us: “In a nutshell, we as a Society look to promote the past, present and future of Welsh whisky and want as many Members as possible to enjoy exclusive offers as we can provide.” More details at this link.

While probably only briefly in active use, Offa’s Dyke and Wat’s Dyke have had enduring consequences for the making of both England and Wales. Our friends at Cwmulus have invited us to “Dykes as deeds: interpreting Offa’s Dyke and Wat’s Dyke”, an illustrated on-line talk by Professor Howard Williams from the University of Chester. Professor Williams will explore the latest fieldwork and thinking behind the interpretation of these long linear earthworks of the Anglo-Welsh borderlands, and consider the relationship between the two earthworks, their various functions, and their significance in the landscape of early medieval Britain.

The talk is at 7:00pm on Friday 19 November, and  you can register free of charge at this link.

Alan Campbell has let us know that Helen’s brother, Rev Gethin Russell-Jones of Cardiff, will be in Edinburgh next month. Members may remember that Gethin gave a Zoom talk to the Society on his book about his mother’s experience as one of Alan Turing’s codebreakers at Bletchley, and he is giving an illustrated talk on the subject in person to the Guild at Liberton Kirk on Monday 18 November at 7.30pm in the Kirk Centre. All are welcome. Gethin will also be preaching at Liberton Kirk at both services (9.30 and 11.00am) on the previous morning (17 November).