The Zoom get-together proposed in the latest EWSNews is tonight – Friday 30 October – and takes the form of a quiz, hosted by Margaret and Chris Brandie.  This is a BYOB / BYOC (bottle/cuppa) event – think of our traditional “Croeso” – so sit in front of your Zoom device suitably prepared. You can also wear something “Welsh” as there will be a prize for “best dressed”! You will need to log in for 7.30pm and have a pen and paper to hand to write down your answers.

If you have expressed an interest in attending you will already have received the link, zoom ID code and password from Chris Brandie; if you haven’t, talk to Jennifer ASAP!

“Da ni yma o hyd”! – yn gyson a geiriau can enwog Dafydd Iwan mae Cymdeithas Cymry Dineidyn yma o hyd – yn fyw ac yn iach. Amser pryderus dros ben ac mae cynlluniau pawb wedi dymchwelyd. Ac yn fwy siomedig achos fod hi yn ganmlwyddiant y Gymdeithas. Fydd hi ddim yn newid llawer am beth amser dwi yn awgrymu. Ond peidiwch a poeni mae’r pwyllgor yn cysylltu yn amal ac mae ynrhyw newyddion pwysig yn yr “EWS News”. Gobeithio gawn ni gyfarfod dros “Zoom” cyn bo hir. Os ydych eisio cysylltu a’r gymdeitas ffoniwch neu gyrrwch e bost i Jennifer (ysgrifenyddes) neu i fi. Cymerwch ofal, arhoswch yn ddiogel a pob hwyl.

“We are still here”! – to echo the sentiments of the words from Dafydd Iwan’s famous song the Edinburgh Welsh Society is still here – alive and kicking. These are clearly very difficult times for everybody, and like most others we have not been able to have our regular meetings and events; this is especially disappointing as this year is the society’s centenary year. This situation is unlikely to change in any significant way for some time. However, be assured that the committee is still in regular contact and the “EWS News” has still been issued. We will be arranging some remote events via Zoom over the coming months. If you wish to contact the Society then please call or email Jennifer (Secretary) or myself. Stay safe and take care; all the best,

David Hughes – Llywydd / President

In line with the advice from the Scottish Government, we have decided to cancel the AGM which was to have been held on Thursday 23 April. Not all our members have internet access, so please do pass on the message.

However, this doesn’t mean that we have stopped planning and preparing for our next season, when we will celebrate the Society’s centenary. Particularly as there will be no meeting, we need you to share your ideas, though this will have to be done by phone or e-mail. Please don’t be shy about this, but phone Jennifer or any other member of the committee!

Just in case you miss other mentions, our St David’s Day dinner is on Saturday 29 February at 7 for 7.30 – details at this link, and you need to have booked by Monday 24 February at the absolute latest – and our Mini Gymanfa Ganu led by Huw Thomas is at 3.00pm on Sunday 1 March. For the latter, you don’t need to book – just bring your best singing voice as well as a daffodil or leek!

While our society is in Edinburgh, a Welsh language film is sometimes worth travelling for!

Solomon and Gaenor is shot in Welsh, English and Yiddish and stars Ioan Gruffudd, Nia Roberts and Maureen Lipman. Set in 1911 in the Welsh Valleys, against the backdrop of anti-semitic riots, it tells a Romeo and Juliet tale of a Jewish lad falling in love with a local girl. It is a glorious film; beautifully shot, utterly heartbreaking, and it’s playing in Glasgow on Sunday 10 November at 5.00pm at the Glasgow Film Theatre as part of a series of countrywide screenings to celebrate the film’s 20th birthday.

To book tickets and to see the film’s trailer, please go to https://ukjewishfilm.org/film/solomon-and-gaenor/.