Demonstrating how maths and music often go together, our musical director Huw Thomas provided the screenshot above “about Elmer Rees, a former president of the society whom many of us will remember well”.

Our list of Society Office Bearers confirms that Professor Elmer Rees was our Vice-President in 1988/89, becoming President the following season.

To quote the page that Huw found: “Born this day 1941 in Llandybie, near Ammanford, Elmer Gethin Rees, who is a mathematician and has published texts on linear algebra, algebraic geometry, differential geometry and topology. One of his best-known achievements is in establishing the International Centre for Mathematical Sciences, ‘designed to bring together mathematicians and practitioners in science, industry and commerce.’”

A search on The History of Wales Facebook page shows that his birthday (21 April) has been celebrated every year since 2016! If you’re interested in Wales and Welsh people – as most of our readers will be – do take a look at that page, because it’s a constant feed of facts about most interesting folk from all walks of life.

At 7.00pm on Friday 24 May Arwel Emlyn will give a talk entitled “Nid Taith y Pererin Mohoni!”

Arwel Emlyn, a bard, will talk about a journey which he made to Ynys Enlli in the summer of 2012. Although he started along the ancient pilgrim route, it wasn’t long before Arwel decided instead to head directly to Ynys Enlli, stopping at KFC and the Tŷ Coch pub rather than at traditional pilgrim sites!

The poetry which Arwel wrote about this journey won the Llanuwchllyn Eisteddfod Chair for him in 2013.

Our friends at Cwmulus are hosting this on-line talk, which this time is in Welsh rather than English, but we are told that learners are likely to find it accessible. Registration at this link.

Martin Macintyre has sent us an invitation: “I thought you and your members might be interested in my forthcoming book launch at 50 George Square, Edinburgh at 7.00pm on Friday 19 April. All will be most welcome!”

Rhedeg Rhwng Dwy Ddraig is described as “a new, rich collection of Martin MacIntyre’s Gaelic poems, inspired by travels and experiences in Catalonia and Wales and translated now into Catalan, Welsh and English by the three poets (Martin MacIntyre, Ifor ap Glyn and Noèlia Diaz-Vicedo). It represents a first for Scottish Literature!

“The poets will read a selection of poems from the collection in all four languages, and Fraser Fifield’s specially composed tune for pipes, low whistle and saxophone will be played.”

It’s free, but you need to book at https://tinyurl.com/yardurfm, which also has more details.

At 7.00pm on Friday 5 April Mike Farnworth will give a talk entitled “Sarn Helen: A slice through Roman Wales”.

Sarn Helen was a Roman road which went all the way from one end of Wales to the other. It wasn’t exactly straight, and it didn’t lead to Rome, but in other respects it was a typical Roman road. Most of the route can still be traced, linking sites which were important in Roman times.

This talk looks at life and travel in Roman Wales, using slides to illustrate the course of Sarn Helen from North to South and to show the places of interest on the way. It also considers the questions of why the Romans were in Wales in the first place, and who, exactly, was Helen?

Our friends at Cwmulus are hosting this on-line talk, which this time is in English rather than Welsh. Registration at this link.

Wales’ first international crime literature festival is taking place after Easter – Wednesday 17 – Friday 19 April and Monday 22 – Wednesday 24 April 2024. The physical festival is taking place in Aberystwyth, one of several other festivals/events that will make the town a lively environment, but you don’t have to attend in person …

There are two free on-line events lasting an hour every evening at 18:30 and 20:00, and recorded events at 16:00 on the intervening Saturday and Sunday (20/21 April) that will be available to watch for a month. Full details at this link. You need to book, but it’s totally free, and there are also some give-aways!

Crime Cymru is the brainchild of Alis Hawkins, whose idea it was to bring the crime writers of Wales together for a mutually supportive group in 2016. But after discussions with fellow crime writers Matt Johnson and Rosie Claverton, in 2017 Crime Cymru was officially born with a much more ambitious remit – not only to support each other but to develop new crime writers and to take Welsh crime writing to the world! From that meeting onwards, the membership grew steadily and the group as of 2022 had 40 published crime writing members and more than 30 associate members.