Welsh forum Members?

[Eyemo]

On the back of Irish forum members..Any Welsh here

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

Possibly not exactly what you're looking for, the best I can offer - my husband is Welsh, and actually joined the forum a few years ago, when I did, but can't remember his username now. He visits vicariously through me.
And he doesn't live in Wales anymore.....

 

[Eyemo]

Cool!... Watch part of Wales was he from?

 

[dhermann1]

I'm either 1/16th or 1/32 Welsh. My great grandmother, Harriett Lewis, left Bristol, England with her parents, Titus Lewis and Rachel Thatcher Lewis in 1850, when she was 9 years old. Titus was a tailor, and I still have the little 5 by 8 inch brass plaque that says "T. Lewis - Tailor". Titus died of TB within months of arriving here. His family had a hard time, but my great grandmother eventually graduated from Pennsylvania Normal School (the teacher's college of the day) in 1868. Which, by the way, makes my niece the fifth generation of women in her family to go to college.
I take a great deal of pride in my small, but meaningful, Welsh heritage, About 25 years ago I saw a gamanva gani (spelling???) in Baltimore. 2,000 Welsh men and women, singing hymns in Welch in 4 part harmony. Whoa.

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

My fellow hails from Aberdare. His sister & nephews are still there, and an uncle lives in Newport, but the others have scattered. I guess that's what comes from growing up expecting to go down the mines, just as the mines close, leaving a particular generation grasping for an identity.

 

[Eyemo]

My fellow hails from Aberdare. His sister & nephews are still there, and an uncle lives in Newport, but the others have scattered. I guess that's what comes from growing up expecting to go down the mines, just as the mines close, leaving a particular generation grasping for an identity.

Ha.. Aberdare, about an hours drive for me....
Yes, there was a time when that part of Wales led the industrial revolution... I even think some Cannons for the American civil war were made in Wales...

Totally different story now...Unemployment is rife, coal mines are shut and the steel industry is struggling.

dhermann1:-
Great Story
The Welsh have strong connections with Pennsylvania, I do believe that there are many Welsh place names in the state.

Ironically, The 28th Infantry Division, "The Keystones", who were the National Guard Division from Pennsylvania were based during WW2 (Prior to D-Day) on the South Coast of Wales, spending months training on the beaches of the Gower...I'm sure some of the young GI's had Grandparents from Wales...

I too had family who went over in the 1800s and settled in Utah.. Would love to travel the route they took.

 

[PADDY]

Aberdare..small world!

I worked as a full time staff reporter on the local newspaper and lived in Aberdare. Small world indeed.

My mother's side of the family come from the north, Blaenau Ffestiniog in Snowdonia.

My fellow hails from Aberdare. His sister & nephews are still there, and an uncle lives in Newport, but the others have scattered. I guess that's what comes from growing up expecting to go down the mines, just as the mines close, leaving a particular generation grasping for an identity.

 

[Eyemo]

Hey Paddy, are you still a reporter?

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

I worked as a full time staff reporter on the local newspaper and lived in Aberdare. Small world indeed.

My mother's side of the family come from the north, Blaenau Ffestiniog in Snowdonia.

Go figure. Was it the Leader, or that Cynon Valley paper, Paddy? And what years did you live there?

 

[Cody Pendant]

Which Way Did The Bull Run?

I'm half Welsh, if that counts 'ne.

As for the Penn connection I'm guilty. Moms from the Wilkes-Barre / Laural Run area, back in the "Fire in the Mountain" era. Grandfather was a draftsman / engineer for the Mines there. Both he and Mumgu came to America as teenagers.

The other half's Texan!

"Eich Dyn" Ya'all!

 

[Chasseur]

Even more spurious connection here, I went to University at Aberystwyth for two years...

 

[Eyemo]

Spookie... I lived there for 8years.. Great Place!! did you kick the Bar?

 

[PADDY]

...

Cynon Valley Leader. Mid 90's. My first few weeks were a nightmare as I was having to try and pronounce Welsh place names around the valleys that bore no resemblance to how they were written!! Aberdare was pretty bleak as a place too, as the bottom had fallen out of the economy, with lots of places boarded up. It was so bad that even youngish girls were having to sell themselves on back streets to make money [huh] and that's in a rural town that seemed a million miles away from no-where. Hey, I even thought that Mountain Ash must be a beautiful place named after forests of Ash trees that must dot the mountain!! duh!!! Spot Mister Irish man!! haha.

Right, must go, plane to catch!

 

[Chasseur]

Yes I did kick the bar a couple of times. Pretty little town, but after awhile you do start to feel a little isolated... I shot in the clay pidgeon club and went to Dovey Valley a few times. Climbed up most of the way of Snowdown, but the fog came in and my group wanted to go home... Love Welsh lamb and leeks...

 

[Eyemo]

Being Isolated helped in keeping it's charm...But I agree, also frustrating if you needed to get somewhere else...especially in a hurry.

Back in the 80's there was a fantastic 1930 Deco dance hall situated right on the sea front...The council decided that it was unsafe, and tore it down....took months, as it was more "safe" than they anticipated.. shame really, it really made the front look something special.

 

[Eyemo]

Here you go...

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?i...ages?q=kings+hall+aberystwyth&hl=en&sa=N&um=1

 

[Chasseur]

Wow thats too bad. Beautiful building, somehow "Pier Pressure" doesn't quite replace it...

 

[Eyemo]

Best avoided...Rummers and the Cwps were my haunts in town...The Black in Llanbadarn was my regular as it was only a 5min walk from my house.

 

[Chasseur]

Yes it was best avoided. I enjoyed Rummers and I thnk the other one was Scholars? I think at least. Had some good meals at Little Italy and that one Indian restaurant there, forgot the name...

 

[Eyemo]

Little Italy..Ha!.. with the upstair window seat that was almost street level...That buliding must have sunk over the years..lol!

I feel the need to move back!...Great memories!:eusa_clap