The length of Wales stretches for more than 200 miles, with a myriad of local accents positively thriving. As for trying to pinpoint how to pronounce 'Dewi' - well, it's a pretty tall order!

I lived in Ystalyfera, 13 miles up the Swansea Valley, but the Valley accent was very different from the 'Swansea Jacks' city accent. The same goes for the Llanelli accent, the Bridgend accent, the Kairdiff accent and the Newport accent; they're only 12 miles apart, but you could pick out the Cardiff contingent from the Newport residents any time! In fact, I was at a residents' meeting, when the speaker was the language expert from the National History Museum at St Fagans. By listening to their speech, he could identify which village the person had come from, and even pick out which side of the street! I later moved to Llantrisant, where I endured the South-East Valleys accent - I'm still enduring it!

I love that North-West Wales family of accents - especially the 'u', pronounced 'ee'. But a North Walian pronounces 'u' with the vowel coming from somewhere deep down in the throat, a sound which I could not possibly copy - what a gorgeous, fascinating speech it is.

My good friend Pavane, you were right in hearing 'Dowey'; but you living in Bryncoch, near the Neath Valley... which is different again. I have no problems pronouncing 'Deh-wee'. Wales is a nation with a hundred different accents, and long may it continue.