St David's Day 1st March

Subject: St David's Day 1st March
From: Rasener
Date: 01 Mar 08 - 05:21 AM

Happy St Davids day to all those Welsh Mudcatters wherever they may be.

Subject: RE: St David's Day 1st March
From: Folkiedave
Date: 01 Mar 08 - 05:33 AM

As John Foreman used to say " Welsh? Scrum of the Earth" :-)

DAve

Subject: RE: St David's Day 1st March
From: Scooby Doo
Date: 01 Mar 08 - 05:54 AM

Thanks Villan from Llantrisant,South Wales.




Scooby

Subject: RE: St David's Day 1st March
From: Anne Lister
Date: 01 Mar 08 - 06:01 AM

Thanks, Les! And we even had some daffodils out, too.

Anne

Subject: RE: St David's Day 1st March
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 01 Mar 08 - 06:15 AM

Happy St Davids day from a David who was Christened on a St Davids day many years ago:-)

Subject: RE: St David's Day 1st March
From: David C. Carter
Date: 01 Mar 08 - 09:53 AM

Guess I got to wish myself a Happy St David's Day!

And to the rest of you.God bless.

Here in France St david's day is on the 29 December.I'll just sit around untill it comes around.

David

Subject: RE: St David's Day 1st March
From: Mary Humphreys
Date: 01 Mar 08 - 10:21 AM

Thanks Les.
I have a baby leek to wear this evening when I play keyboards in our ceilidh band.A full-size leek gets in the way....
We are doing an Anglo-French ceilidh, so I expect a few puzzled looks from the punters.
Mary

Subject: RE: St David's Day 1st March
From: GUEST,old girl
Date: 01 Mar 08 - 12:33 PM

Just picked up 2 leeks from farm shop thay are for dinner tomorrow,
still happy St David's Day to all fellow welshmen & women.
from Rose & Dave

Subject: RE: St David's Day 1st March
From: Llanfair
Date: 01 Mar 08 - 12:37 PM

Stormin' St David'd day session in the market hall in Welshpool this afternoon. 10 musicians turned up, and we had 2 hours jamming. These sessions are getting better every week!!

Subject: RE: St David's Day 1st March
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 01 Mar 08 - 12:39 PM

St David's Day greetings from

David Gareth Roberts

Subject: RE: St David's Day 1st March
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 01 Mar 08 - 03:39 PM

My wife is 1/2 Welsh. Her mother came to Canada as a war bride. We have never been there but hope to make it yet.
Happy St. David's day to all!

Subject: RE: St David's Day 1st March
From: Peace
Date: 01 Mar 08 - 03:41 PM

The Welsh Mudcatters I met here are a beautiful bunch of people. From the heart, Happy St David's Day to all of you.

Subject: RE: St David's Day 1st March
From: Peace
Date: 01 Mar 08 - 03:42 PM

That's from Scottish/English/Irish mix in Canada.

Subject: RE: St David's Day 1st March
From: Rasener
Date: 01 Mar 08 - 03:46 PM

Bloody hell I just realised my mother is Welsh.

Does that mean I can tell Welsh sheep jokes?

Subject: RE: St David's Day 1st March
From: Peace
Date: 01 Mar 08 - 03:47 PM

Only to a Scotsman.

Subject: RE: St David's Day 1st March
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 01 Mar 08 - 08:16 PM

It wasn't directly anything to do with St David's - but tonight we went to see the Swansea City Opera touring production of The Magic Flute - and it was bloody brilliant. (See the pictures and read the comments in that link.)

There's a list of the remaining dates in the tour here, and I'd urge people to go. Even if they don't think they like opera.

And it was a very appropriate way of marking the day.

Subject: RE: St David's Day 1st March
From: Chris in Portland
Date: 02 Mar 08 - 04:45 PM

The Portland (OR) Welsh Society celebrated its 101st annual St. David's Day yesterday at St. David's of Wales Episcopal Church. My little group with its honorary Welsh members led the group in a number of songs, including Llythyrau Dros Y Lli, about another Welshman who ventured from Yr Hen Wlad. Bydded i'r heniaith barhau!
Chris yn Portland

Subject: RE: St David's Day 1st March
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 02 Mar 08 - 04:59 PM

And there's the apocryphal Welsh Songbook: Take a Leek

Subject: RE: St David's Day 1st March
From: GUEST,jeff
Date: 02 Mar 08 - 05:42 PM

Celebrated St. David's Day by singing 'The Last Rose of Summer'. Listened to my Sian James CD 'Gweini Tymor' and one I made from a recording of Paul at Gog's music store in Llandudno playing some tunes out of 'Blodau'r Grug'. I call it 'Cerdd O Cymru'. In researching my Welsh heritage I was able to trace it to a 'Richard Jones' in 1760. Only problem was there were 2 other Richard Jones' on the same boat. Anyway, I named my son Owen in honor of our heritage only to find out it should've been spelled O-W-A-I-N. Robin Huw Bowen's 'Sweet Harp Of My Land' was played yesterday, also. All in all w/t good weather here in Middle Tennessee it was a fine St. David's Day. Hope yours was good. too.

Subject: RE: St David's Day 1st March
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 Mar 08 - 06:08 PM

A little late, but Happy St. David's Day to all. I've enjoyed learning about Wales, the language and music from so many of you. It is fascinating and you all have been very kind in sharing your knowledge and heritage with me. Thank you.

Just in case you missed it, have a look at a joke posted by Splott Man. I think the Welsh may find a chuckle.

I have another chuckle if I ever figure out how to get a photo off of my old cellphone. It is a sign I saw in a van which said "Welsh Parking Only."

(McGrath, thanks for the opera link. That is wonderful, esp. that it was The Magic Flute! My brother is working on an opera and is always saying, "Why do I write it...does anyone do opera any more?! Of course he's being a bit histrionic, but I know your posting will cheer him up.)

kat

Subject: RE: St David's Day 1st March
From: GUEST,catlin
Date: 02 Mar 08 - 07:05 PM

Wore a cast pewter leek (bedecked with a green and purple braid)to church today. Had to explain myself to fellow my parishioners using the Henry V movie etc. At least our preist(Episcopal) got it.

Speaking of leeks: The folks in north central Pennsylvania call wild garlic leeks. Anyone know why?

Subject: RE: St David's Day 1st March
From: SussexCarole
Date: 02 Mar 08 - 07:13 PM

St David's beer was on tap tonight at our local & there were daffodils in the hallway - oops.. I never realised why til I saw this thread!

Subject: RE: St David's Day 1st March
From: Splott Man
Date: 03 Mar 08 - 04:09 AM

Dame Patti & myself and about 6000 others took part in the St David's Day March in Cardiff on Saturday. Assembling at the National Museum we were treated to a school choir from Penarth singing a specially written ode to St David, a full choir from Cardiff and the Goodwick Brass band from Pembrokeshire, and greetings in their native tongues from our Celtic cousins in Brittany, Cornwall and Scotland, before setting off on the mile and a half to the Senedd (Welsh Parliament) in Cardiff Bay.
The march was led by a small Bragad of pipes & drums, followed by a small army of people bearing the flags of Wales and St David. The sun shone, and a stiff breeze ensured the flags stayed in full view. Pat & I were with the flag bearers and were immediately followed by the brass band. If you've never walked/marched in front of a brass band, it's an experience never to be forgotten, especially when they struck up Sospan Fach while passing under a railway bridge. We were joined on the march by 2 full Bragads from Quimper, and a dance team and their musicians from Nantes; a Scottish Pipe Band; and some magnificent heavy horses among others.
Later in the afternoon, we joined our Welsh dance team (Pen-y-Fai) for a display in the Millennium Centre (opera house) where we were privileged to have the opera singer Bryn Terfel briefly among our audience.
The aim of the march as always is to persuade the Assembly to make St David's Day a national holiday.

Splott Man

Subject: RE: St David's Day 1st March
From: sian, west wales
Date: 03 Mar 08 - 04:39 AM

Sorry I didn't chip in earlier myself, and a happy belated St David's Day to all. Dydd Gw^yl Ddewi Hapus!

You won't believe where I was.

OK. I'll confess.

I was at the Welsh Conservative Party Conference in Llandudno.

I have a very good reason, so don't get on my case.

We've been campaigning to get the Licencing Act changed and we've found a chink in the armour; we've been working on it since last summer, including going to the Welsh party political conferences. Saturday I had a chance to tell David Cameron (UK Conservative Party Leader for those who don't follow these things) why the Law must be changed and he asked me to send him the dossier. He also bragged a bit that it was he who got the exemption for Morris Dancing, so he obviously feels some 'ownership' of the issue. (OK - if I dig back, I'll probably remind myself that the Tories could have helped more than they did but, in some campaigns, you have to focus on the 'now' rather than the 'then'.)

Anyway, attending the conference may yet turn out to be a worthwhile sacrifice of my St David's Day. I'll let you know how things turn out.

Let's keep this thread to St D's Day, though. (I'll revive a PEL thread at the appropriate time.)

Sandy, I do hope we see you over here someday. Chris, glad you kept the flag flying in Portland; my mum arranged for her church organist in Ontario to play Welsh tunes in the Prelude and the Minister chose a Welsh hymn for the occasion. Splotty, super to hear that the March went so well ... and particularly with the Goodwick Band involved. I've been using them as a case in point re: draconian licencing officers who've been giving them grief. Oops. Didn't mean to get back on PELs! And the parade was led by a bRagad, eh? What the pipe-boys getting a bit full of themselves, are they?

St David's main quote was, "Be happy and do the little things." (i.e. the little things make life really matter) So I hope everyone had a lovely day, kicking back and enjoying life.

sian

Subject: RE: St David's Day 1st March
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Mar 08 - 07:09 AM

I missed Bagad Penars and dancers from Kemper (Quimper) in Brittany; they were performing at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay on Friday, but the wind and rain conspired to touch off such a howling storm that I didn't dare go out. Sad, that.

Dewi Sant (St David) has the honour of having his saint's day celebrated by his own countrymen - not so St George, the patron saint of England, who was Armenian, St Andrew (Scotland) who was a fisherman from Galilee while St Patrick (Ireland) was Welsh. That only leaves Piran, the sixth century Cornish abbot and patron saint of Cornish tinminers; Cornishmen celebrate Saint Piran's Day on March 5th, in two days' time!

We (Gwerinwyr Gwent) marked St David's Day at Hill College, Abergavenny, where the Welsh class celebrated with a twmpath. Alun played celtic harp, Mike was on melodeon, Olly fiddled sweetly and I played tabwrdd (percussion instrument from North Wales with a history dating back 1,000 years.) In the bar, I spotted some Gwynt Y Ddraig Orchard Gold cider from Llantwit Fardre, just three miles up the road - absolute nectar!

Subject: RE: St David's Day 1st March
From: GUEST,Granny In Wales
Date: 03 Mar 08 - 07:13 AM

Belated wishes to all from little old me in sunny, spaced out Rogiet, overlooking the Severn and the new(er) bridge

Subject: RE: St David's Day 1st March
From: GUEST,Mick Tems
Date: 03 Mar 08 - 07:14 AM

Doh, sorry - that was me. My Dr Price membership seems to have escaped me this time.

Subject: RE: St David's Day 1st March
From: Splott Man
Date: 03 Mar 08 - 07:44 AM

I think you would have had a wasted journey on Friday, Dr Price, the Bretons only just arrived in time on Saturday.

The leading group was Bragad Bo Morgannwg, with among others, Gerard KilBride.

Interesting point: there seems to have been absolutely no media coverage of the parade.
Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Subject: RE: St David's Day 1st March
From: Cats
Date: 03 Mar 08 - 12:46 PM

Greetings to all Welsh and adopted Welsh Catters. Jon and I spent Saturday at a family get together to celebrate my sisters 70th birthday. 4 generations in the same hall. Excellent.

Subject: RE: St David's Day 1st March
From: Stu
Date: 03 Mar 08 - 12:56 PM

Just doing my family tree and have traced the maternal side to 1830's Wales. There has always been a strong thread of Welshness from my mum's side of the family (she was born in Aberdare) so she was thrilled to find we were proper Celts ; )

Subject: RE: St David's Day 1st March
From: GUEST,albert
Date: 03 Mar 08 - 12:59 PM

Greetings to one and all from the Valley Folk Club in Pontardawe [gateway to the north ] and a warm to our singaround which will take place at 8.30 in the Ivy Bush [ upstairs ] this friday,the 7th March!
albert