Into The Fray – Scotland 2014

Into The Fray

by Alan Jobbins.

2014m09Alan Jobbins YesPlaid History secretary Alan Jobbins travelled with Owen John and Sian Thomas to Scotland to help the Yes campaign in Scotland’s independence referendum. Here is his story.

Landing at Glasgow I wondered what was in store for Owen & Sian and myself. Glasgow being almost solid Labour land, what hope could there be for a ‘Yes’ vote?

We were quickly into the fray. Canvassing, leafleting houses and streets, singing and chanting with flash mobs – plus knocking up and polling booth duty. A particular memory was canvassing in a deprived area where voter after vote said ‘Yes’.

The ‘Yes’ Campaign was marvellous, well-organised, hard working – and even feeding us.

Late night St. Georges Square was inspirational with flags, bands, speeches and cheering. Even the shouting of a group of Loyalists waving Union flags only added to our good mood.

The result in Glasgow was for us – and another Referendum is inevitable. But when? Aided by the antics of Cameron and the other Unionist parties, before long.

Photo: Alan Jobbins in Glasgow – backing the Yes campaign

Meredydd Evans 1919 – 2015

Meredydd EvansWales has lost one of her foremost nationalists, Dr Meredydd Evans, who has died at the age of 95.

A respected figure in the country’s life, MerĂȘd was always ready to take a courageous stand for his nation’s language, culture and future.

We extend our sympathy and best wishes to Phyllis and the family.

 

Meredydd Evans BBC 1966
Dr Meredydd Evans in 1966 – in his post as head of light enterntainment for BBC Wales.

 

Clive Reid, Swansea 1935 – 2014

2014Clive Reid GwyrTributes have been paid to the late Clive Reid, Swansea, who died in November 2014.   A former Plaid Cymru parliamentary candidate for Swansea East and chairman of the Swansea West constituency, his life was honoured at his funeral in orations by the Rev Jill Hayley Harries, Heini Gruffudd and Gruffydd ap Gwent.

Photos of Clive Reid, courtesy of Anne Reid and Heini Gruffudd

Clive Reid, Swansea

Sadly Wales has lost Clive Reid, a well-known chemist as well as a staunch member of Plaid Cymru. Clive was brought up in Barry in a seafaring family but moved to work and live in Swansea. This tribute was delivered in Welsh at his funeral by Heini Gruffudd and translated by Dafydd Williams.

 

It is a privilege to say a word about Clive, and recall his strength of character as well as his civilised and pleasant demeanour.

Thank the lord for the deacon in Walham Green Welsh chapel in London who advised Clive and Anne that within the space of two years they would settle down to live there for good. What a shame that other Welsh people did not react in the same way as Clive, by moving back to Wales – and ironic that Walham Green chapel closed in 1988. Clive’s response to that advice indicates his dedication to Wales and his determination to live a full life as a Welshman.

Step by step he set about mastering the Welsh language, with great success. He enjoyed his Welsh lessons in school and pursued an O level in the language. On his mother’s side of the family he had Welsh-speaking relations and he became a member of Urdd Gobaith Cymru. Meeting Anne ensured another reason for persisting, and a long time was to elapse before Sara, David and Mari realised the significance of their parents’ decision to raise their family in a Welsh-speaking home. Clive was an embodiment of the way in which the Welsh language can gain ground.

Clive and Anne arrived in Swansea at a time of great excitement in Wales. This was the era of the drowning of Tryweryn, Gwynfor winning Carmarthen, and the foundation of Cymdeithas yr Iaith. Soon Plaid Cymru won seats in Meirionnydd and Caernarfon, and, with others, Clive saw to it that the waves of national renaissance reached Swansea as well.

After settling down in Killay, by now with a young child, he became aware of the evident anti-Welsh nature of political life of Swansea at the time. Clive was not ready to accept the way so many Swansea politicians, especially those in the Labour Party, were so ready to turn their backs on their national heritage, and he became a keen letter writer to the local paper.

He served as chairman of Plaid Cymru in Swansea West for three years and set up a chemist’s shop in Morriston. A small room at the back of the shop became the venue of many meetings that discussed Plaid and the nation, while he was dispensing medicines.

Clive contested a number of local elections in Morriston, defeating Labour in 1976, but not beating the Ratepayers. He also stood twice at Parliamentary level in Swansea East, sadly without any success. At the same time he served as Plaid’s spokesperson on health.

He held strong beliefs. He campaigned against cutting the number of beds in West Glamorgan hospitals, and against an army exhibition in Margam Park, which, in his view, was attracting young people to the armed forces without their recognising the dangers or the moral implications.

Here in Swansea there were campaigns to set up a Welsh-medium secondary school, which followed Clive’s wise counsel to decline going to Sandfields in the shadow of its chemical works.

Before that came the intrusion of the 1969 Investiture, of which Clive was critical. It was not that pantomime that was important to him that year, but the setting up of the Welsh-medium Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera. So what would he do, when invited by the residents of LĂŽn Camlad, to open their street party? Some of them were customers in his shop, and they saw the occasion as a national celebration. So what could be done but turn up to open the party, with me in attendance to take photographs and understand that there was more than one idea of Wales.

He talked about the time that he heard a Labour candidate trying to convince customers in his shop, not knowing he could hear, telling them, “We are not Nationalists, we are Internationalists”. Clive knew that this was a ‘British nationalist’ talking, whose internationalism went no further than London.

And Clive was certain in his backing for the highest standards of internationalism. He took an interest in Europe’s small countries, with Brittany one of his favourite destinations. He held shares in the P&O shipping company, which meant he could take his car and caravan to the continent half price, and he took his family on several trips to Brittany and France in particular. Under his influence I also ventured into the world of stocks and shares, and travelled cheaply with the family to Europe. The channel tunnel and cheap air travel shattered the share values, but Clive and his family carried on with their travels.

After retirement he still continued to make the case for Wales and the Welsh language. He was in correspondence recently in the Chemists’ Society magazine on the topic of Welsh language prescriptions after Morrisons in Bangor refused to accept Welsh prescriptions. In his letter, Clive asked why Welsh was regarded as a problem, although along with many other countries in the world Wales is a bilingual country. And then he reminded his readers that half a century ago the language of prescriptions was Latin.

That was the sort of person Clive was: well informed, conscientious, committed, someone who served his community and Wales with the highest standards.

You, his heirs and descendents, can be proud of him, remembering his ceaseless care for you. We remember him with the deepest respect, thanking him for his contribution, and recalling his late daughter, who was so dear to him, to you and to us.

Heini Gruffudd

2014Clive Reid Llun Ymgyrch

Remembering Clive Reid

This tribute was delivered in Welsh at his funeral by Gruffydd ap Gwent and translated by Dafydd Williams

I first met Clive in the early 60s, after I returned from college in Aberystwyth, through the involvement we both had with Plaid Cymru. He had to come to live in Swansea after two years in London, full of enthusiasm for everything that was good about Wales and keen to share and defend what he recognised as our nation’s treasures. This was his dream and he saw Plaid Cymru as the best vehicle to fulfil it.

On the whole politics in Swansea at that time was rather flat, but suddenly everything was changed in July 1966 when Gwynfor Evans won the Carmarthen By-election. Wales was alight and the period that followed, with by-elections in the Rhondda and Caerffili, was remarkably exciting. Everything was possible. Clive was in the thick of things and delighted. Several people remarked that Clive, like Gwynfor, came from Barry and had learnt Welsh. Another boost for our expectations!

From the office in Cardiff came the command that Plaid Cymru had to stand in every parliamentary constituency in Wales in the next General Election. That meant a quite unexpected development for me. One evening I answered the door in Yr Olchfa to discover Dr J. Gwyn Griffiths and Clive on the step. I gave in to their plea to stand as candidate in Swansea West and a new window opened in my life.

Over time Clive’s focus was increasingly drawn to Swansea East and the back room of Reid’s Chemist shop on Morriston Square became a centre for Plaid activity. Clive’s penetrating letters in the Evening Post were a source of inspiration for Plaid members everywhere and his dedication to fight for the people of Swansea East in particular an example to us all. Later on Clive himself stood as parliamentary candidate.

Today we remember and give thanks for Clive the patriot, the campaigner for justice, the chemist and Christian, but above all, Clive the man, the civilised gentleman, the friend and father. To him his family came first – Anne, Sara, David, Mari and the grandchildren. We know that life was not always easy for this family but in both fair and stormy weather Clive’s place was in the bosom of his family.

We are all richer for having known Clive and the world is a better place because of his life.

Thank you Clive.

Gruffydd ap Gwent

Photographer presents pictures from the 1960’s

1964 Meirion yn Diolch i Gwynfor
1964 Meirion yn Diolch i Gwynfor

The photographer Tudur Owen, from Croesor, has presented a series of pictures dating back to 1964 to the Plaid Cymru History Society.  Among the photographs are the Adoption Meeting of Elystan Morgan as a candidate in 1964, celebrations in the Plaid Cymru conference in 1966 following Gwynfor Evans’ by-election breakthrough, the Rhondda West and Caerffili campaigns of 1967 and 1968 and Dafydd Wigley’s campaign in Meirionnydd in 1970.

Plaid History Chair Dafydd Williams said, “This collection is a substantial addition to the archive and its great to see all the activity and buzz of the 1960s era brought to life in these photos.

“It’s interesting to see the presence of Winnie Ewing and a contingent of friends from the SNP in these images, in several memorable campaigns – a sure sign of the ties between our two national movements over the years.

Winnie Ewing a Vic Davies yn Nolgellau 1966
Winnie Ewing a Vic Davies yn Nolgellau 1966

“We are truly grateful to Tudur Owen for presenting this collection.”

 

Were you in Scotland?

2014 Leanne Alban Scores if not hundreds of Plaid members made their way north to help Yes Scotland in their fight for independence. Were you one of them? If so do you have a story we could publish on the Plaid History website (www.hanesplaidcymru.org)? We would welcome a note telling us where you went, any anecdote and a photo if possible. Please send to Dafydd Williams (daitenby@gmail.com).

DJ Williams

DJ Williams AbergwaunEisteddfod 2014 – Pabell y Cymdeithasau 2 at 3:30pm, Wednesday, 6 August

With Simultaneous Translation

CELEBRATING A GREAT CARMARTHENSHIRE HERO

The achievements of one of Wales’ best loved twentieth century writers will be celebrated during the National Eisteddfod in Llanelli.

A memorial lecture will mark the life of D.J. Williams (1885-1970), one of Carmarthenshire’s most famous literary figures and a staunch nationalist who was brought up in Penrhiw, Llansawel.
At the age of 16 he left his childhood home for the mining valleys, working underground before becoming a teacher and carving out a distinguished career as an author.

‘D.J.’ was a dedicated nationalist and one of those who founded Plaid Cymru in 1925. Together with Saunders Lewis and Lewis Valentine, he helped in the celebrated burning of the bombing school at Penyberth, for which he was sentenced to a gaol sentence in Wormwood Scrubs.

During the mid-1960s Plaid Cymru faced a critical financial situation, and it is doubtful it could have contested the 1966 general election without his gift of the proceeds of the sale of Penrhiw.

The lecture, organised  by the Plaid Cymru History Society, will take place in the societies pavilion (Pabell y Cymdeithasau 2) at 3:30pm, Wednesday, 6 August.  It will be delivered by Emyr Hywel, author of the biography of DJ, ‘Y Cawr o Rydcymerau’.
A native of Blaenporth, Ceredigion, Emyr Hywel was headmaster of Ysgol Tre-groes until his retirement.  He studied the life and work of DJ Williams for an M Phil. degree in the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, and has also published a number of stories and poems for children.

The Plaid Cymru History Society aims at promoting discussion, information and research about he party and at extending knowledge about people and events that contributed to the constitutional history of our country before 1925.

Contact:  Dafydd Williams (07557) 307667

Marian Morris

Councillor with iron in her soul

A leading member of Plaid Cymru in Merthyr Tydfil, Miss Marian Morris died in December 2013.Marian Morris

A devoted Plaid member for many years, she was a member of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council when the party was the ruling group under the leadership of Emrys Roberts.

For many years she served on the National Executive Council and was the Merthyr Branch Treasurer. She was also Honorary Branch President.

Paying tribute on behalf of the Merthyr and Rhymni Branch, Brian Thomas said: “I, like many other members, first got to know Marian in the 1970s when Plaid took off as a political force in the town. With other members, such as Emrys, Dafydd Wigley, Gareth and Linda Foster, Gwyn Griffiths (recently sadly deceased), my brother Geoff, she broke the stranglehold of the Labour Party in the council elections in the famous victory of 1979.

“Marian was a dear friend to all, and the Branch held regular meetings in her front room with plenty of cups of tea and coffee with biscuits.

“She worked tirelessly for her local church the Quar Church, a short distance from her home, and was a long-standing member of CND Cymru.

“We should all be truly thankful to Marian for her friendship and generosity and her love of Wales and the language.”

 

Emrys Roberts writes: “Margaret and I have very fond memories of Marian from our time in Merthyr Tydfil in the 1970s.

“She was a very quiet and unassuming woman with a great love of her country. Marian never looked for the spotlight or for any praise. She looked for work instead and she worked hard, with conviction and persistence, to help build a better Wales. She often reminded me of the fable about the tortoise whose persistence enabled him to reach the finishing post before the hare.

“When Margaret and I came to Merthyr Tydfil, everyone (apart from some Labour councillors, perhaps!) was very welcoming and friendly and promised all sorts of assistance. Plaid received a great deal of support from many people. But, unfortunately, many people fail to keep their promises. Marian was not like that. If she gave you her word, she would keep her word and she usually achieved far more than she had promised.

“Although quiet by nature, Marian had iron in her soul. She was loyal, active and persistent in her endeavours for Plaid and for Wales.

 

Diolch Marian.”

 

 

Penarth meeting led to formation of Plaid Cymru

Cyfarfod Penarth 7 Ionawr 2014
Chairman of Penarth Branch Adrian Roper, Alun Ffred Jones AM, Professor Richard Wyn Jones, Dafydd Williams

A special event was held to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the first meeting of The Welsh Movement, the group which led to the formation of Plaid Cymru. The historic, secret meeting was held in Bedwas   Place in Penarth on January 7, 1924, and led by the lecturer and dramatist, Saunders Lewis, who lived in Penarth for many years. At this month’s event, guest speaker Professor Richard Wyn Jones spoke of the importance of the meetings held by the group and how they led to links with Nationalists in north Wales and the official formation of Plaid Cymru the following year. He explained how policies drawn up by the group became the policies of Plaid Cymru in its early years. As well as Saunders Lewis, the first historic meeting was attended by the historian, Ambrose Bebb, and the owners of the house in which it was held, the historian and Welsh scholar, G. J. Williams, and his wife, Elizabeth. This month’s event, organised by the Plaid Cymru History Society and the Penarth Branch of Plaid Cymru, was attended by about a hundred people, including a television crew. A packed room at the Windsor Arms heard Penarth Branch Chairman Adrian Roper welcome Prof Jones, party members and supporters and local residents interested in the history of politics in Penarth. The meeting was chaired by Assembly Member Alun Ffred Jones, a grandson of the Rev Ffred Jones, who joined the group shortly after the first meeting. A vote of thanks to the speakers was given by the Chairman of the Plaid History Society, Dafydd Williams. Among the audience at the commemorative event were the parliamentary and Assembly candidates for Cardiff South and Penarth, Ben Foday and Dr Dafydd Trystan Davies, who was elected as the party’s national Chairman last year.

Hanes Plaid Cymru