Category: Tribute

TRIBUTES TO PENARTH DIPLOMAT WHO FORGED LINKS BETWEEN WALES AND LITHUANIA

Tributes have been paid to a long-standing Plaid Cymru member, who was the Honorary Consul for Lithuania in Wales.

Anthony Packer, of Salisbury Avenue, Penarth, died at the age of 74 after battling prostate cancer at the Cardiff and Vale Marie Curie Hospice.  St Joseph’s Church was packed for the funeral mass, and the congregation heard of his many achievements, interspersed with some amusing anecdotes.

A man of many academic achievements, a loving family man and an entertaining raconteur, he had a host of friends and touched many lives.  He was gregarious, happy to engage anyone in conversation and happy to argue that ‘black was blue’ – with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

One of his major achievements was to build links between Wales and Lithuania, helping to create an international identity for Wales in Europe.  He believed he could advance the cause of Wales by pursuing recognition of Wales, its language, culture and qualities and as a place in which to do business at an international level.  In particular, he sought to develop close links between Wales and the Baltic States, and he was one of the founding members of the Baltic Society in Wales in 1991.

Six weeks before Lithuania’s unilateral declaration of independence, he led a delegation to the country (repeated in 1993) to help the authorities de-Sovietise the country’s education system and other institutions.

Though the country was still under the control of Moscow, he visited the headquarters of Sajudis, the movement for an independent Lithuania, with a message of support from Plaid Cymru.  It was a simple note of democratic regard and support for the movement’s objectives, and was the first such message to come from any British political party.

It was this act of disobedience that led to his initial acquaintance and subsequent friendship with Vytautas Landsbergis, the first President of an independent Lithuania.

During his time as Honorary Consul, he forged strong links between universities in Wales and Lithuania as well as organising the visit of Vytautas Landsbergis, the first post-Soviet President of independent Lithuania, to Wales.

He persuaded Landsbergis to publish his memoirs, helping to translate, edit and publish them.  He was recently presented with the Order of the Diplomatic Star, the highest distinction in the Lithuanian Diplomatic Service, in recognition of his work.

Anthony Packer was born in Caerleon in 1939 and raised in Hengoed. He was educated at grammar schools in Pengam and Barry and studied at the University of Wales College, Cardiff (History), CuddesdonCollege, Oxford (Theology), the London School of Economics (Social Administration) and the University of Liverpool (Psychiatric Social Work).

He began his career in London as a teacher before beginning work as a psychiatric social worker in local hospitals.  He later became the Chief Administrator for the Family Welfare Association and Chief Trainer for child counselling at the world renowned Tavistock Clinic in London.

Wanting to return to Wales with his wife, Ann, and his three children (later to become four), he took up a lectureship at CardiffUniversity.  He initially split his time between the Department of Social Work and the Department of Education before moving on a full-time basis to the Department of Education from 1984 through to his retirement in 2001.

He taught himself Welsh and helped to advance its use in education and social work throughout Wales.

He was for four years the joint editor of the academic periodical, The Welsh Journal of Education, and for two years the chairman of the Department of Economics and Sociology of the Welsh Guild of Graduates.

Anthony served as the Treasurer of the International Round Table for the Advancement of Counselling (IAC-IRTAC) from 1983 to 1992.  He was also a trustee of the Welsh Centre for International Affairs and the Treasurer and Deputy Chairman of the United Nations Association in Wales.  He also represented the Catholic Archbishop of Cardiff on the steering committee of the UK 3 Faiths Forum.

He was President of the Consular Association for Wales and its Secretary for six years, presiding over its significant expansion and the advancement of its aims towards the active promotion of business and cultural links between Wales and the countries represented by its 29 members.

Anthony Packer is survived by his wife Ann, his mother, Gleeda, children Rhiannon, David, Cerian and Tomos, daughters-in-law Frida and Sasha, sons-in-law Tony and Geraint, and grandchildren Kajsa, Oliver, Tomos, Elis, Alys, Annest, William and Steffan.

Allan Pritchard, the former Plaid Cymru leader of Caerphilly County Borough Council, described as “a giant of the Valleys”, has passed away after battling against cancer.

Allan, who was 71 and lived in Oakdale, leaves a wife Pauline and two daughters, Kailey and Rhayna, as well as three grandchildren.

Lindsay Whittle, South Wales East AM, said: “Allan served two terms as my deputy when I was leader of Caerphilly council and took over as leader after I was elected to the National Assembly.

“Allan was a giant of the Valleys, a larger than life character who was always committed to doing his best for his community and those across the county borough.

“Alan was a musician, a poet, a first class rugby player, a family man and a Welsh Nationalist. He was the epitome of a Welshman. I will miss my close friend dearly. His life has been cut short far too early.”

Fellow South Wales East AM Jocelyn Davies, who served with Allan Pritchard on the former Islwyn council, said: “Allan’s passion for his home village of Oakdale – which he always referred to as the city on the hill – as well as the community and his country never waned one jot in all that time.

“Allan devoted his life to public service with the support and understanding of his wonderful family. He was a politician of commitment who always stood up to challenges and never shied away from difficult decisions. His retirement was well earned, but sadly all too brief.”

Colin Mann, Leader of the Plaid Cymru group on Caerphilly council, said: “Allan was truly a giant of a man, not only in his stature but also in his personality and his beliefs.

He served his party and his country with honour for many decades.

“Allan battled bravely against cancer and my thoughts at this difficult time are with Pauline, his daughters and the family.”

Leanne Wood, Leader of Plaid Cymru, said: “Allan was an amazing man who gave so much to the Welsh national cause.

“His dedication, belief and ability to inspire and enthuse others was incomparable while his humour and love of life was infectious. He was always personally supportive to me. My thoughts are with his family.”

Allan Pritchard joined Plaid Cymru following the Aberfan Disaster and was first elected as a councillor on the former Islwyn Borough Council in 1979. He left the authority due to work commitments in 1991 but after the formation of Caerphill County Borough Council decided to stand again in 1999 and won back his old Penmaen ward seat.

When Plaid Cymru took control of the authority in 1999, he was elected Deputy Leader and was responsible for Personnel and Modernisation. In 2008 when Plaid re-took control of the council, he again became Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Human Resources and Constitutional Affairs.

He started work in 1957 at the age of 15 with the National Coal Board as an underground mining trainee and gradually worked his way through the ranks becoming personnel manager at the Oakdale mining complex and was also awarded British Coal Personnel Manager of the Year.

When the colliery closed, he moved to the Princes Youth Business Trust in 1993 as a regional manager for South Wales and helped more than 300 disadvantaged youngsters set up their own businesses.

In 1996 Allan Pritchard became Director of Development for the Tredegar Development Trust, helping to regenerate the old town. His focus brought new concepts to the area such as cyber cafes and training opportunities for people with learning disabilities.

He was a rugby enthusiast and a former captain of Tredegar, Blackwood, Oakdale and Monmouthshire County (Gwent).

Reflecting on his political career after losing his council seat in 2012, Allan Pritchard listed his achievements as:

• Leading the successful campaign against proposals to close Oakdale Comprehensive School.
• Witnessing the development of Oakdale Business Park on the former Oakdale Colliery site where there are now more people employed than there were at the colliery before its closure in 1989.
• Leading Caerphilly to become the first council in Wales to negotiate a Single Status Agreement and introduce Equal Pay for lower paid women workers.
• Introducing the highly successful training and apprenticeship scheme within the council.
• Freezing council tax for two consecutive years, the only authority in Wales to have achieved this.

Regenerating town centres such as the Blackwood Miners’ refurbishment and new or refurbished libraries and customer first centres at Bargoed, Risca Palace, Blackwood, Abercarn and Caerphilly.

The long-standing Plaid Cymru member and artist, Eirian Llwyd, 63, died in Ysbyty Gwynedd following a short illness in January  2014.  Eirian was the wife of the former Plaid Cymru leader and former AM and MP for Ynys Môn, Ieuan Wyn Jones.  She was also the loving mother of three children, Gerallt, Gwenllian and Owain and grandmother to six grandchildren. A statement from the family. Eirian’s contribution has been invaluable – she gave a lifetime of love to her friends and family, a lifetime of service to her nation and to humanity, and more recently she worked with great passion in the field of the arts. She qualified as a nurse in Liverpool in 1969-73 and then worked as a midwife at St Asaph Hospital. Born at Prion, near Denbigh, she passionately loved her native area. Wherever she spent time, she regularly returned to Tanywaen, the family farm, from which she derived inspiration and strength. Her brother John and her sister Bethan meant so much to her. She married Ieuan in 1974 – over forty years of love and firm friendship. Eirian gave him every support during his political career as Member of Parliament, Assembly Member, Leader of Plaid Cymru and as Deputy First Minister in the One Wales Government. Without her continued sterling support, he could never have achieved so much. She worked to promote women’s position in politics, and was responsible for amendments to Plaid’s constitution in the 1980s and for securing women a more prominent place on Plaid’s major committees. She battled prejudice within her own party and beyond, and did everything in her power to secure fairness and equality for women in the ranks of political parties. Eirian was responsible for establishing the Rhyl branch of Women’s Aid in the 1970s and 1980s. She persuaded Clwyd County Council and the Borough Council to fund a women’s refuge in the town, and helped to secure a temporary home for women and children who were victims of domestic violence. She campaigned vigorously to change attitudes within local agencies, such as social services departments, the health service and the police. This was in a period when many agencies were reluctant to admit the need for intervention in cases of domestic violence. After moving to Ynys Môn, she qualified as a health visitor and worked in that field until the late 1990s. She was highly respected, and prominent in her concern for children and families in need, for whom she battled to win a fair deal. She wrote a thesis on accidents to children in the home, and organised a seminar on the subject, bringing all agencies together. A number of the recommendations were implemented, including that of making children’s play areas safer. In 2001, she changed direction, and graduated in art at Cardiff Institute. She specialised in the field of print, and her work was regularly exhibited in Wales and further afield. She created work in several print media, and her work was very often based on the natural world, ancient monuments and the churches of Ynys Môn, using such media as linocuts, etchings and lithograph. With two friends, she established The Original Print Place, to bring the original prints of a number of prominent Welsh artists to the attention of a wider audience. She felt passionately that original prints needed to be better appreciated and understood, and to be seen as an affordable means of purchasing the original works of some of the nation’s best artists. She launched the enterprise by having a stand at the National Eisteddfod’s Exhibition Hall, and the work has now been exhibited at several Welsh galleries, including Ucheldre at Holyhead, Plas Glyn y Weddw at Llanbedrog, Wrexham and Cardiff. Recently, the work of Welsh printmakers was taken to Brussels and Amsterdam. Eirian convened meetings of printmakers across Wales and sought to persuade them to establish a Print Council in Wales. She saw this as a means of providing an even better platform for artists. In many respects, Eirian was a pioneer, a principled campaigner with a clear vision of what needed to be done, in whichever area she worked. To many of her contemporaries and colleagues, she was an inspiration. As an outstanding mother to her three children, Gerallt, Gwenllian and Owain, Eirian has rejoiced in their success, and was a grandmother of six – Elin and Tomos, Annest and Rhodri, Morgan and Megan. Her care for them has been constant, and she has shared with them her love for art and for nature. Eirian was a passionate nationalist, and has campaigned for the Welsh language with Cymdeithas yr Iaith, taking part in a number of protests in the 1960s and 1970s. Within Plaid, she worked closely with Ieuan, and he depended heavily on her for support, advice and campaigning work. Eirian’s faith was unshakeable, and during her illness, she displayed extraordinary resilience, facing all that came her way with grace and dignity. We came to know her better, and her family and close friends were privileged to be in her company. We are better people because of her.

Plaid Cymru AM for South Wales West, Bethan Jenkins, said:

Nigel Jenkins , who died today at the age of 64, was one of Wales’ s most committed and also eclectic writers. He won many prizes, including Wales book of the year in 1996. He was a dedicated member of Plaid Cymru, and regularly emailed me with his thoughts and ideas about how Plaid Cymru could be active in helping to improve the area of South Wales West, as well as his views on the aspiration for a Republican Wales for the future.

He supported our local campaign in Swansea against the closure of the Dylan Thomas bookshop, and the campaign against any possible downgrading of the Dylan Thomas Centre in Swansea. He was a long-term activist in CND Cymru, and members of CND Cymru have contacted me to express their sadness at his death, in recognition of his activism.

He was an editor of the influential ‘Radical Wales’ magazine, and very active in the welsh union of writers. He learnt Welsh and was a great supporter of the Welsh Language.

He will be sadly missed by all who care about literature and left-wing politics in Wales.

Plaid Cymru’s Swansea West Assembly candidate Dr Dai Lloyd said:

“Nigel Jenkins was a poet whose work enlightened the life of the whole of Wales.  He had the precious gift of helping us laugh at ourselves, in both our languages – but at the same time celebrating what our nation had to offer to the world.

“Like Dylan Thomas, whose centenary we mark this year, his poetry and scholarly prose publications placed Swansea, Gower and Wales on a world-wide stage.

“I was fortunate to have known him well – our children attended the same Welsh-medium schools and our paths often crossed, both politically and culturally.

“He will be sadly missed in the Swansea area in particular, but his unique voice lives on in his inspiring poetry.”

Plaid Cymru’s Swansea West Assembly candidate Dr Dai Lloyd said:

“Nigel Jenkins was a poet whose work enlightened the life of the whole of Wales.  He had the precious gift of helping us laugh at ourselves, in both our languages – but at the same time celebrating what our nation had to offer to the world.

“Like Dylan Thomas, whose centenary we mark this year, his poetry and scholarly prose publications placed Swansea, Gower and Wales on a world-wide stage.

” I was fortunate to have known him well – our children attended the same Welsh-medium schools and our paths often crossed, both politically and culturally.

“He will be sadly missed in the Swansea area in particular, but his unique voice lives on in his inspiring poetry.”

 

One of Plaid Cymru’s most colourful characters, the former Cynon Valley county councillor Glyn Owen, died on 5 November 2013.  Here we publish with thanks the funeral oration delivered by the historian D. Leslie Davies, Aberdare.

I have prepared these remarks about the late Glyn Owen at his request – both written and oral. I have prepared them with his wishes in mind. I thank him for entrusting the task to me, to be undertaken (hopefully) with propriety and dignity.

……………

Colourful and determined. A charming controversialist. A genial, restless man. An amusing individual who could be very stubborn. Generous and parsimonious. A man capable of pity who could be ruthless if he felt a need. A faithful friend who was sometimes so  fickle. A politician who attracted loyalty and enmity in equal measure like no-one else I can think of  – except, perhaps, Margaret Thatcher (although he wouldn’t thank me for saying that!) .

All these traits (and more) formed part of the character of that talented yet complex person, Glyn Owen, who died on Tuesday, 5th November having endured a period of ill-health which gradually stole from him much of the zest and acuity which so marked him in his prime.

My intention today is to speak concisely not of Glyn Owen the private individual but chiefly – as Glyn requested – of the public figure who was once such a prominent person in the life of the Cynon Valley, Glamorgan and Wales.

Glyn was born at Miskin, Mountain Ash, in 1932, the youngest of six children. His father – a miner – was born at Abercwmboi but later moved to Mountain Ash. Glyn mentioned that his father’s father had come from north Wales and that his mother hailed from Blaenau Ffestiniog. Glyn left Miskin Secondary Modern School in 1947, aged 15, and said that he had worked for a while as a railwayman. He did National Service with the RAF between 1952-54 before crossing the world with the Merchant Navy prior to returning home. He mentioned that he’d  briefly worked as a miner following his return, but wanted to work for himself by virtue of his experience and natural ability.

My impression often was that the circumstances of his childhood had been quite difficult and challenging. Why should that be a surprise, given that he’d been born during the hardest, most depressed and straitened economic times of the 20C ? As with us all, the circumstances of his childhood doubtless had an influence on the rest of his life and on his world-outlook since, as Wordsworth puts it, “the child is father of the man”.

It was as a local businessman that Glyn first became widely-known in the Cynon Valley. On returning there, he settled at Cwmbach and opened a clothes shop which functioned as both a retail- and credit-drapery. This was the start of a career into which Glyn later entered more fully: that of commercial and personal finance.

Yet, it was not as a provider of personal or commercial finance that Glyn made his lasting mark over a period of time in the Cynon Valley and elsewhere. His contribution to the politics of Wales during the 1960s and ’70s is what will stand as a memento to him. It is this that will earn him a place in the history of Wales at a time of great change in its political temperament and governance, and in public attitudes towards the Welsh language. Glyn welcomed these changes and took pride in thinking he had contributed towards them in some degree – especially towards winning for Wales an elected Assembly in 1997.

He played a definite rôle in securing this outcome by contributing hugely in his day towards building the political momentum essential to achieving it. He is due copious thanks for his timely and substantial contribution.

Time doesn’t permit me to detail the various campaigns, elections, meetings, speeches, publicity stunts, demonstrations, rallies and political posts that Glyn undertook in his prime. Such ‘insider details’ will have to wait until my memoirs appear !

Glyn’s energy and dedication during these years was phenomenal: like a tornado and a tsunami in one. So much so that his political opponents often didn’t know what had hit them nor how to respond. Without wishing to make a political point of it, it is only fair to say as much. Only a fraction of his energy – so often very creative, but occasionally counter-productive – will be discernible in the media of the time for researchers of the future to pick-up on, but  part of the testimony is there.

Glyn was an elected member for some fifteen years of the old Aberdare Urban District Council and its successor, the Cynon Valley Borough Council. He was elected to Glamorgan County Council and its successor, Mid-Glamorgan County Council. There has never been in the history of these bodies a time more lively and tumultuous than when he served on them as a diligent and forthright member. In those days, politics were fun as well as important – thanks, more often than not, to Glyn  !

Posts with Plaid Cymru afforded Glyn his greatest influence on public life in the Wales of his day. I won’t burden you with details, but he re-organised the party financially to make it more ambitious and effective than before. He trod on some toes in doing so – but to Glyn, this was an occupational hazard.

Glyn worked keenly on his party’s campaigns in dramatic by-elections at Rhondda West (1967), Caerffili (1968) and Merthyr (1972) and as the party’s agent at Aberdare in the general election of 1970, with Dr. Gareth Morgan Jones as candidate. The effect of these contests was to threaten directly Labour’s hold on much of the south Wales coalfield and its self-confidence in not having faced such a serious challenge for generations. This created a momentum which led, in large part, to the referenda of 1979 and 1997. Glyn Owen played a huge rôle  in all of this: a rôle that has not received to date the attention it deserves.

Glyn Owen’s vibrant campaigning methods transformed the 1970 and 1974 general elections in the Aberdare constituency (as it then was) into the most memorable since the triumph of Keir Hardie and the Labour Party here at the start of the 20C. One can seriously suggest as much without forgetting the notable campaigns of Wynne Samuel and Gwynfor Evans in the constituency in 1946 and 1954.

Because it occurred between famous by-elections at Caerffili (1968) and Merthyr Tydfil (1972), and in the context of a general election, the importance of the 1970  campaign at Aberdare – which Glyn organised – is sometimes overlooked. Its significance was that it stood in sequence with those very by-elections as a further warning to the Labour Party that its grip on the coalfield was slackening. The 11,431 votes won by Gareth Morgan Jones  at Aberdare in 1970 (a hundred more than Plaid received in Arfon that same year) were just as significant as the by-elections mentioned. The best compliment paid Glyn was that all the others parties began copying his methods thereafter. Elections in the Valleys were certainly different once Glyn got ‘stuck in’ !

The peak of Glyn’s political career came when he stood as the Plaid Cymru candidate in both general elections of 1974. The result of the second was a disappointment to him; but let it be noted that the 11,973 votes Glyn received in the first 1974 election (just 27 short of 12,000) was the highest vote achieved by any candidate opposing Labour in this constituency since 1924  (when a Liberal scored 15,201 against George Hall). No candidate opposing Labour has surpassed Glyn’s vote since 1974 either. By 2014 his record will have stood for 90 years. Naturally, he was proud of  this in his later years and regarded it as something of a legacy.

By 1985, politics began to unravel somewhat for Glyn. For various reasons, he withdrew from active campaigning to concentrate on his business. Much could be said of these years – as some present will know; but it is better now to draw across them a curtain of reconciliation and comradeship.

Glyn was a complex character: competitive but kind too. He was generous in providing a bus to carry pupils without cost to the local Welsh School when the county council threatened to charge them and Catholic children – but no-one else – for this service. I know how faithful Glyn could be towards those whom his respected (my mother being among them) and how kind he could be towards causes and individuals close to him.

He had – still has – his critics. Perhaps they will have something to say about him still. Perhaps they once had a point, I don’t know. But that isn’t the Glyn Owen I choose to recall.

No-one is sufficiently snow-white to judge another without measure  as some have done in Glyn’s case. To them, I commend chapter 8 (vv. 2-11) of St. John’s Gospel. There, a crowd of worthies approaches Jesus to test him, bringing with them a woman who had behaved in a way that required stoning under Jewish Law. Jesus invited whoever was without fault to cast the first stone. No-one threw a thing. Everyone slunk off in embarrassment.

Rather than judge, what about seeking, if possible, reconciliation with the world and all within it since there is, according to the poet Henry Vaughan from Breconshire, something of the divine in everyone:

“Walk with thy fellow creatures…  There’s not a spring

or leaf but hath his morning hymn. Each bush

and oak doth know I AM; can’st thou not sing… ?”.

                                                                                     David Leslie Davies.

                                                                                     15 Tachwedd, 2013.

§§§

Welsh Nation Spring 2014

Councillor who rocked the Labour machine

writes Jack Wood

Church-goers said a fond farewell to a leading politician, the former borough and county councillor Glyn Owen, who, for the best part of 20 years, was the principal symbol of political defiance and Welsh Nationalism in the Cynon Valley. He was 81 and had been in ill health for two to three years.

A packed congregation at his funeral service in St Elvan’s Church, Aberdare heard tributes to one of the few Valleys Plaid Cymru politicians who managed to rock the Labour Party machine time and time again with headline-grabbing statements and actions.

He came close to breaking the Labour Party’s grip on power in the Cynon Valley in 1974 by picking up just under 12,000 votes in one of the most closely contested Cynon Valley parliamentary elections in decades.

He honed his debating skills as a member of Aberdare Urban Council and, later, of Cynon Valley Borough Council, where he locked horns frequently with Labour Party leaders Councillors Bill Williams and Bill Morgan.

On their passing, the Chamber was open for Glyn Owen to rule the roost albeit not, as a member of a minority party, to wield the authority.

He made an even bigger impact and nuisance of himself in the former Glamorgan and Mid Glamorgan County Council chambers before the borough and county councils were merged to form Rhondda Cynon Taf.

His efforts in the sixties and seventies paved the way for Plaid Cymru to take control of Cynon Valley Borough Council but by that time he was no longer politically active. He will be remembered in the Valley as a champion of the common man. He made a habit of exposing rogue traders, long before the practice made for compulsive TV viewing, and embraced many popular campaigns, such as opposition to increased council and water rates, opposition to local hospital closures and the use of NHS facilities by private practitioners.

He was not always in favour with the Plaid Cymru hierarchy because of his unwillingness to toe the party line and his unpredictability. He was willing to make common cause with the Labour Party when the occasion demanded, such as the successful fight against the siting of two massive gas storage tanks in Hirwaun.

A Cynon Valley man through and through, Glyn Owen was born in Mountain Ash and lived for most of his life in Cwmbach before retiring in his latter years to Hirwaun. He was a champion of traditional Welsh values and set great store by Welsh culture, espousing the literary talents of the poet Harri Webb and playwright Rhydwen Williams, both of whom he attended regularly during their latter years of ill health.

To some he was a hero, to others a rogue – to some extent because his money lending business was not considered a suitable pursuit for a people’s representative but, to a greater extent, because of his opportunist tendency to grab the limelight. The implied conflict of interests never manifested itself publicly, but Coun Owen’s publicity stunts occasionally resulted in brushes with the law. In any event, he was the most flamboyant and, some would argue, the most significant politician the Cynon Valley has ever produced.

 

Memories of John Howell (1928-2009)

John was born of Welsh parentage in 1928 in Lahore during the time of the British Raj. ,and raised far from Wales His early years were spent mainly in India, where he went to school , followed by his later education at Bristol University studying Mechanical Engineering . He was among those who contributed to the electoral progress of Plaid Cymru during the late 1950s and 1960s. He stood twice as a parliamentary candidate in Caerphilly in 1959 and 1966. These years have been described as a real turning point for Plaid Cymru.

John was no armchair politician. He had a charismatic personality and a mischievous sense of humour. He was an eloquent public speaker, and stood in the village square of many a mining community sometimes, speaking to an audience of an old man and a dog, and sometimes just a dog. His charisma attracted many young people to the nationalist cause. On one occasion,
John raised his loud hailer, speaking in an empty square about the benefits of self-government for Wales. Standing out of sight in a nearby house was a young academic, Phil Williams, who having heard him speak, made up his mind to join Plaid Cymru, despite being a member of the Labour Party at that . time

“Out of the blue –here was a Nationalist candidate who shattered my prejudices. John Howell was brought up in Pakistan, didn’t speak Welsh, and had worked in the aerospace industry in California “(Phil Williams, ” Voice from the Valleys” 1959-1975)

Phil Williams was not the only convert to be influenced by John’s personality, eloquence and conviction. On another occasion, accompanied by his agent, Alf Williams, John was out canvassing, speaking with a loud hailer in Pontlottyn. A young man, who had just returned home from work, was sitting eating his supper in a back kitchen, listening carefully. As a result, sometime later Dave Walters was himself out canvassing with Phil Williams in the 1964 election, experiencing much the same conditions —using a loud speaker in an empty terrace, no one in sight, and not an open door.

“Don’t worry, Phil, there’s a chap having his supper. He’s listening carefully and tomorrow he’ll be down at your house, wanting to join “(Voice from the Valleys)

John was versatile in his approach to electioneering —out canvassing with Owen John Thomas, approaching a Pakistani corner shop; John introduced himself in Urdu, his first language. Taken by surprise, the shopkeeper asked John, ” But what country do you come from?” Pakistan “, replied John. “Yes, yes, but what is your nationality? “I’m a Pakistani just like you”. Answered John, much to the amusement of the shopkeeper.

Given his upbringing and education in a school in Lahore founded to educate the future rulers of the Raj, his dedication to the Nationalist cause was all the more remarkable. Influences in his early life in India, where he witnessed the rise of the Indian Nationalist movement led by Gandhi; and later in Canada, where he worked as an aeronautical engineer, and saw the renewal of French nationalism in Quebec, no doubt played their part in developing his political consciousness.

His withdrawal from active engagement with Plaid Cymru was forced upon him by the onset of Multiple Sclerosis, but he continued to take a keen interest in the political life of Wales,
and remained a staunch supporter of Plaid Cymru all his life.

Tribute: Ivy Thomas 1921-1912 Ivy was a character.  That was the opinion of all who had met her and all who had the privilege of calling her a friend.. She was a many faceted character, the backbone of her family throughout her life, a livewire  in her community, busy within church and chapel, a world traveller, a language and history  student and one who took interest in public affairs at every opportunity.  She was honest and plain speaking  with everyone – no matter who they were, or what their circumstances were.  To crown it all she had a sharp and dry sense of humour  that hit the right note and set things exactly in their right perspective. Ivy was born I Godreaman in September 1921.  She was an intelligent person, but like many of her contemporaries  – in spite of their abilities  did not have the opportunity to continue with her education.  She had to leave school at the earliest opportunity to help  support the home.  It was ironically, the massacre of the Second World War that gave women the opportunity   to widen their horizons and their experiences by going to work for the first time in factories, shops or offices as part of the war effort and and  Ivy played her part . After the war Ivy and her husband Tom married in St. Margarets church, Aberaman and settled in York street where they brought up their family.  Tom was also a very likable person.  He worked as a carpenter in the Aberaman pit for years but his heart was in the country .  He was very aware of his family background in the Senny Valley. Horses ,shearing and harvest times  were his delight  but  like many other rural families of that time left for industrial Glamorgan.. Ivy and Tom had two children, Pat and Steve.  Pat now lives in Whitchurch, Cardiff where she partakes in the Welsh life of the city.  Steve lives outside Canberra in Australia and worked as a craft and technology teacher. Ivy and Tom were good Welsh people and had some knowledge of the language.  When Pat and her late husband Graham decided to bring up their children to be fluent Welsh speakers, Ivy with her characteristic application and determination decided to improve her Welsh in order to be part of the family’s intention.  I had the pleasure of being her tutor at the old Aman School during the 80’s and  because of the determined way in which she applied herself to the task she soon became quite fluent and ready to speak in Welsh.  There was very little English between us from then on.  When Clochdar was established in 1987 Ivy was one of its most loyal readers and supporter. Ivy and Tom gave generously of their time during the 80’s and 90’s helping  Plaid in Godreaman during every election.  At the time I worked as an election agent for Plaid and often there were many problems when organising  campaigns, but there was never any cause to worry about the polling station in Ysgol Aman with the Thomas family in charge. Ivy became a member of Capel Gwawr, Jubilee Rd. and worked assiduously there for many a year.  Sometime after Tom’s death in 2000 it was decided that she should move to Cardiff to be closer to Pat and her grandchildren.  In no time at all she discovered Ty’r Cymry where Welsh learners meet, and  for as long as she was able to she was a loyal member.  She also made several  journeys to Australia to visit Steve and his family. Cardiff gave Ivy a second lease of life.  She enjoyed travelling independently on the Cardiff  buses.  She joined Pat in the life of the Welsh Unitarian church in Cardiff and in Highland Place Aberdare and it seemed as if she had found a new spiritual home inkeeping with her nature.  She made many new friends in her new home and looked forward in a confident and practical way towards the future, but  she did not forget Clochdar and looked forward to receiving  and read her monthly copy. Ivy’s children  and grandchildren were of the utmost importance to her  and brought her unending pleasure . What gave her boundless joy was to be able on th 3^rd September to celebrate her 90^th birthday, still in good health in their company. Following a short illness Ivy died on 27^th April in her daughter’s home.  The funeral was conducted by  The Reverend Eric Jones in Thornhill Llanishen on the 8^th of May.  It was a blessing for Ivy and the family that Steve had been able to come home in good time (as he and his family had been able to do for his mother’s 90^th birthday the previous  September. The service in Thornhil on that summery dayl was a celebration of Ivy’s life, an occasion to raise the spirit – as Ivy did so often during her lifetime.  Though writing these words in her memory I cannot get rid of the feeling that I have lost not only an old friend but also a friend who became old.

Rhobert ap Steffan In the early hours of Tuesday 11^th of January 2012, Wales lost one of her most patriotic sons, Rhobert ap Steffan. Born in Hove, Sussex in 1948 of Welsh parents, the late Rev. Stanley & Mrs. Muriel Hinton, he was brought up and schooled in that proud South Wales valleys town, Treorci,  a coalmining epicentre of our age-old struggle for cultural and political survival. He was a high spirited, warmhearted, likeable personality who thoroughly enjoyed socializing and a good old banter with his many friends and associates. It was through this very warm-heartedness that he gravitated, naturally, towards that early Plaid Cymru stalwart and character, Glyn James. Glyn became a life-long friend and welcomed him into the arms of the Plaid. He joined the party in the early 60’s and because of his rebel spirit and his (very) vocal advocacy of the inalienable rights of nations to self determination; he acquired the nickname of ‘Castro’ and was affectionately known as such throughout his life. The radical nature of his Welsh politics was triggered by two key events, the first being the 1965 enforced evacuation of the Welsh-speaking village of Capel Celyn in North Wales’ Tryweryn Valley, drowned to supply Liverpool industry with water. This took place despite there being viable alternatives, despite massive demonstrations and despite total Welsh parliamentary opposition. The other, seminal, event followed close on, in 1966, when an unsafe coal-tip slid into Aberfan’s Pantglas Junior School, near Merthyr Tudful, killing 116 children and 12 adults, as a result of what he considered criminal negligence by the National Coal Board. In 1966 he visited Dublin to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising, following this up with active participation in the 1969 Anti-Investiture Campaign. seeing in all the fawning and show-biz pageantry a sycophantic celebration of his nation’s domination by another. A friend of Julian Cayo Evans and other leaders of the Free Wales Army, he was never openly implicated in its clandestine activities, preferring to put his skills to good use staging protests and rallies. Tired of all this, and of the pressure put upon him because of his radical views, he decided to get away from it all and fulfill an oft-expressed ambition. He followed in the wash of the Mimosa and sailed, in a cargo ship, to Patagonia, the Gwladfa of legend. After a year of many adventures among the welcoming locals (including being detained by police as a suspected communist guerilla whilst hitching through the land!), he returned to Wales with perfect Welsh flowing from his lips, despite having left his nation as a monoglot English speaker. His next step was to qualify as a teacher of art which he taught, through the medium of Welsh and with rewarded success, in West Wales as Head of the Art Department in Llanymddyfri Comprehensive School, It was after this, in the mid-seventies, that he met, on the Maes of the Cricieth Eisteddfod, his future wife, supporter and love of his life, Marilyn, with whom he had three children, Iestyn, Rhys and Sioned. Throughout his career and afterwards he worked tirelessly to support the Local Government and Parliamentary candidates of Plaid Cymru. He also stood as a council candidate himself, on a number of occasions. Other worthy organisations supported by Rhobert at various periods of his life included the Swansea based Young Nationalist Association, Y Gweriaethwyr, Cofiwn and Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg. Working with the community, Rhobert was the inspiration and driving force behind the project to commission Toby and Gideon Petersen to create the inspiring stainless steel memorial to Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Fychan, erected by the remains of Llanymddyfri castle. Llywelyn had led English forces a merry dance to allow Owain Glyndwr to escape the forces of England’s King Henry IV. As punishment for his actions, Llywelyn was condemned to be executed in the town square. (Llywelyn was hung, drawn, and then, before he was quite dead, his stomach was cut out and cooked in front of him. He was then quartered.) In the same vein, Rhobert was a member of the organising group of the Owain Lawgoch Society, whose wish was to build a permanent memorial to Owain, who was a grand nephew of Prince Llywelyn the Last and recognised by the King of France as Prince of Wales. (After a lifetime of fighting on the side of the French King, the Scot Jon Lamb, acting on the orders of the Regent of England assassinated him. Three times Owain’s sea-borne invasion of Wales was thwarted by storms. He was murdered whilst besieging the castle of Mortagne sur Gironde in 1378.)  The statue campaign was successful and it was unveiled, near the church of Saint-Léger in Mortagne, by Rosemary Butler AM, Chair of the National Assembly’s Culture Committee, in 2003. As you have, no doubt, gathered by now, Rhobert’s contributions to the Welsh cause, be they based within or outside of Plaid Cymru, were multifarious; indeed, they prove almost impossible to list in full. He was an invaluable canvasser for Adam Price MP and Rhodri Glyn AM, and contributed immensely to the politics of the Llangadog ward, for which he was twice a candidate. Realising the value of publicity in the successful passing of a message to the public, he was one of the prime organisers of the campaign to encourage people to ignore the 2001 Census forms, since they contained no tick box acknowledging Welsh Nationality. Rhobert and a doughty band of patriots journeyed through villages and towns, the length and breadth of Wales, encouraging people to stuff their Census forms into a coffin, to be buried ‘somewhere’ after its last stop outside the National Assembly. Very many forms were stuffed into the coffin, but no prosecutions resulted and the 2011 census included the ‘Welsh’ tick box – a direct result, perhaps? After retiring early from teaching, he played an important part in the development of Cambria Magazine, to which he was appointed ‘Editor at Large’ and it was with the then editor and founder, Henry Jones Davies, that the idea of establishing an annual Saint David’s Day Parade through Cardiff was mooted, then swiftly realised. The Parade, ‘Y Gorymdaith Gwyl Dewi’ is now very large indeed, with representatives from the other Celtic nations taking part. In fact, it now rivals that taking place through Dublin on Saint Patrick’s Day. Throughout his political life, Rhobert maintained a huge interest in the affairs of the other Celtic nations, with many a visit and cultural link to Brittany, Ireland, Cornwall and the Gaelic- speaking islands of Scotland. He had always planned a return to Y Wladfa, and in 2008 he fulfilled his ambition. Mencap Cymru, the charity that makes a difference to the lives of adults and children with learning difficulties, had organised a sponsored walking trip through the Southern Andes to raise funds. All taking part had to raise at least £3,500, but Rhobert managed nearly £10,000. After the trek, he stayed on to make a very personal gift of gratitude to the people for teaching him Welsh by distributing copies of the, newly published, Encyclopaedia of Wales to libraries and schools. He was quoted in a local Carmarthen paper thus “I will be there as a kind of unofficial Welsh ambassador and will try to help strengthen the ties between Y Wladfa and the ‘Old Country’. I spent a year in Y Wladfa in order to learn Welsh. I worked in a big ‘Estancia’ (ranch) near Trefelin in front of the Andes in Cwm Hyfryd, I spoke Welsh within a few months – I had no choice as almost no one spoke English!” Prior to 2010, not once, in 40 years, did he miss the annual commemoration of the death of our last prince, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, at the hands of English forces on the 11^th December 1282. This is held around a remembrance column in Cilmeri, close to where he was killed. It was obvious that something was seriously amiss when he did not turn up in 2010. It was he, after all, who had done so much to convene the rally over the years. What most present didn’t know was that he had just been diagnosed with a particularly virulent form of cancer and had but a month to live. Keep a place for us by the bar in Tir na Nòg, Castro…. You are sadly missed. John Page and Gareth  ap Siôn “Rhobert, with the support of the community, was the inspiration for the project to commission Toby and Gideon Petersen to create a memorial in steel to Llywelyn ap Gruffudd Fychan which can now be seen by the ruins of Llandovery Castle.  “

Dafydd Huws  1936 – 2011

Tribute by Dafydd Williams

Dafydd Huws, who died aged 75 during 2011, was a leading member of Plaid Cymru who helped hold the party together at a crucial phase in its history.

He combined three careers – as a psychiatrist, farmer and politician – bringing to each of them a capacity for innovation and for speaking his mind.  Later in life he turned to the promotion of renewable energy as a way of bring new life to rural communities in West Wales.

I first met him in 1964, as a new member of Côr Aelwyd Caerdydd, the Urdd  youth choir led by Alun Guy.  Dafydd was a star member of the tenor section, whose musical ability made him exempt from regular choir practice.  You couldn’t miss his mischievous sense of humour and his store of jokes. Dafydd was the first I heard to perform “I’m Kerdiff born and Kerdiff bred” – although he was actually born in Kenya.

He worked as a leading psychiatrist, who became Clinical Director of South Glamorgan psychiatry service.  This was a truly high pressure job, with responsibilities ranging from the treatment of the severely disturbed to preparation of evidence for court cases.  Later on, I would see him in his work environment at Tegfan in Cardiff’s Whitchurch Hospital, when I called during his lunchtime break to prepare for Plaid Cymru executive meetings.  There I saw for myself the way he engaged with  professionals and patients alike with never failing ease and humour.

Dafydd’s natural gift for communication meant he was soon in demand by the media, making frequent appearances on radio and television on medical issues and current affairs in both Welsh and English.  His love of Wales, its landscape, language and culture was boundless, and later in life he mastered the intricacies of Welsh metrical poetry, becoming an accomplished practitioner in the art of cynghanedd.

His second career, in agriculture, provided a welcome relief from the strains of medical life.  Soon after I got to know him, he took the major gamble of acquiring part ownership of Mynydd Gorddu, an upland farm in the Pontgoch area near Aberystwyth, close to his childhood home.  Dafydd’s commitment reflected his deep attachment to the life of rural Wales rather than a commercial investment, although he proved adept at running a business as well as being a caring employer.

But most people will remember him for his involvement with politics as a lifelong member of Plaid Cymru.  In the heady days that followed the 1966 Carmarthen byelection, Dafydd took on the task of contesting the Plasmawr ward, an area that included Fairwater and part of Ely in Cardiff West.  And in 1969 his charisma and enthusiasm carried the day, winning Plaid Cymru’s first ever seat on Cardiff City Council with a razzmatazz campaign that included motorcades and yellow dayglo posters galore.

He was to contest Cardiff West against George Thomas, later Viscount Tonypandy, fighting the 1970 and the two 1974 general elections.  By the late 1970s, his services as an inspirational candidate were required in the more winnable seat of Ceredigion, his home county.   Dafydd was far from keen.  Apart from the heavy demands of being a frontline candidate, there was always the dread possibility of winning!  Life as an MP in Westminster held no appeal for him, and he frequently told me how he admired the ‘two Dafydds’ (Wigley and Elis Thomas) who showed every sign of relishing their job in the House of Commons.  What swung the balance was a letter from Gwynfor Evans, concluding with the words, ‘Dafydd, derbyniwch hyn fel eich tynged’ –  accept this as your destiny, or fate!.

In the same way, he accepted the role of Chairman of Plaid Cymru in the wake of the failed 1979 referendum and the loss of Gwynfor Evans’ seat at Carmarthen.  This is never an easy job (and it was and is of course unpaid).  In the circumstances of the 1980s, at a time of considerable infighting over the direction of the party, it was a veritable bed of nails.  Dafydd saw it as his role to steady the ship; accepting that the frequent attacks he had to endure went with the territory.  Plaid Cymru owes him a huge debt of gratitude for holding the party together and preparing for successful 1997 referendum and later Assembly election advance.

Perhaps that experience was good training for the new role of pioneering renewable energy.  Dafydd was an innovator by instinct: and he saw that the imperative of developing wind energy could help provide rural communities with a much needed economic input – providing that control was in the hands of local people.  He succeeded in developing a wind farm at Mynydd Gorddu in the face of opposition, mainly from incomers to the area.  That involved a running battle over the red tape surrounding supply of power through the National Grid, which made local control well nigh impossible.

A more ambitious project near Tregaron, Camddwr, was held up by similar bureaucratic issues – this time the interpretation of how Ministry of Defence low flying restrictions impacted on wind farm development.  Dafydd was not prepared to accept the civil service view; so he travelled all the way to Aberdeen to attend an energy policy convention to lobby a senior MoD official who just happened to be a former student at Aberystwyth.  As suspected, the strict interpretation turned out to be misplaced; and the project may well proceed, although too late for Dafydd to witness its fruition.  And it was during this mission to Aberdeen that he noticed the first signs of the cancer that he fought so bravely for the next seven years.

Whatever the challenges that confronted him in his professional and political life, there is no doubting the enormous happiness he found in his family.  Meeting Rhian brought to an end his career as one of Wales’ most eligible bachelors but it opened up his life as a husband and father of three daughters and two sons, who were a source of great happiness and fulfilment.

To his family and friends, Dafydd will remain the source of many fond memories: to all of us, his life is an inspiration to make Wales the free, self-respecting nation that he sought for future generations.

Glyn James: an inspiration to so many

Plaid Cymru President Jill Evans MEP has expressed her great sadness at the death of Rhondda’s Glyn James.
Born in Llangranog, Glyn came to the Rhondda to work in Tylorstown and then Lady Windsor collieries.
He first stood in Ystrad Rhondda in a by-election in 1959, losing by only 4 votes. He overcame the disappointment by winning the first ever seat for Plaid Cymru in the Rhondda the following year. He was re-elected many times and served as Mayor of the Rhondda.
Glyn was a campaigning councillor. He chained himself to Llwynypia hospital in a protest to keep services; he climbed onto the roof of the council offices to call for more services for the Rhondda Fach; and he broadcast on his pirate radio station, ‘Radio Free Wales’ from Penrhys Isaf farm. He stood for the Rhondda several times in general elections and will be remembered, too, for the smoke-breathing dragon on the back of a lorry that was typical of the way he got his message across.
Jill Evans said,
“Glyn was a close friend and colleague. He was a major figure in the Rhondda and in Plaid Cymru and a real inspiration to me. He loved the Rhondda and Wales with a passion and his enthusiasm was reflected in his colourful and exciting campaigns. He never stopped campaigning. He was the eternal optimist who never doubted that Wales would win its freedom. It is this, most of all, that I will remember about Glyn and that will continue to inspire so many of us in Plaid Cymru for many years to come. He was a great man and I will miss him very much. On behalf of Plaid Cymru I offer our deep sympathy to Hawys and the family.”