Noticeboard

Season’s Greetings

Our President, David Hughes, writes:

Annwyl Aelod, mae 2020 bron a dod i ben – diolch byth. Da ni yn gobeithio gewch chi gyfarfod hefo teulu and cael ychydig o bleser ac mwynhad dros y Nadolig a’r Flwyddyn Newydd. Felly Nadolig Llawen and Blwyddyn Newydd dda i bawb. Cymerwch ofal ac aroswch yn iach. Hwyl fawr – David & Alison.

Dear EWS member, 2020 is coming to an end and we can only hope that 2021 is a lot, lot better. We both hope that you are able to have some time and some enjoyment with family over the Christmas and New Year period. So please have a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope that we can meet up at some point before too long. Take care and stay safe and healthy. Best wishes – David & Alison.

Chair from the past

The chair that Jennifer Welsher displayed at our “Bards wanted!” session was one that she had won at the 1986 Society Eisteddfod, an occasion that she remembers as the “E-flat Eisteddfod”, for reasons that will become clear when you read this linked account, which is in Jennifer’s own handwriting. Changed days!

Not so changed is the description of EWS in the entry that enabled Jennifer to win the beautiful Jim Graham chair from a field of 27:

There thrives a Society of Taffs
In Church Halls, Skittle Alleys and caffs
Keeping hiraeth at bay
As they sing, talk and pray
Or just get together for laffs.

Bards wanted!

Our next meeting (Friday 27 November at 7.30pm) is being held as near to St Andrew’s night as is practical, and will take the form of a Zoom party. Please feel free to serve your own haggis, neeps and tatties, and a wee dram, as desired. An article of Welsh or Scottish dress (or both) will be appreciated.

The focus of the evening will be a ‘write and read out’ of your own limerick which should have some Welsh or Scottish (or both) theme.

This means you’ll need to stimulate those grey cells, and energise those pens or keyboards. We’re not looking to find a potential Prifardd (or the next Makar, come to that), but we are looking for something better than Poem Generator can produce!

We will also have an interlude of favourite snippets of poetry for those who would prefer.

If you are thinking of taking part, please let our Secretary know beforehand, so a programme of events can be roughed out. In any event, we need to know ahead of time who is zooming in so you can be given the relevant codes. Please email Jennifer, and do join us.

Quiz tonight!

The Zoom get-together proposed in the latest EWSNews is tonightFriday 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 / We are still here

“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