Self-styled epithet - insult to Wales

The Editor,The Western Mail,

SIR

Your lack of coverage of the Saturday’s National St David’s Day Parade in the capital is shameful. That you published false information in your Saturday edition about the location and timing of the Parade was even more reprehensible. The largest National St David’s Day Parade ever was held in partnership with Cardiff Council and the National Assembly and was attended by national dignitaries and many thousands of people from all over Wales and beyond. Some 8,000 people including pipe, brass and drum bands processed through the capital’s streets which were thronging with onlookers. The earlier military parade was miniscule by comparison. The St David’s Day Parade was officially received by officials of the Senedd and the Welsh Assembly Government in Cardiff Bay. It was, as Presiding Officer Lord Elis-Thomas said in his address, ‘a significant step in the progress of Welsh history’. Cardiff has never experienced anything like it, yet you chose to ignore it. This can only be construed as willful, discreditable negligence on your part.

An increasing number of people in this country are beginning to see through the now barely hidden agenda of your management and editorial team, doubtless prompted by your London owners, as the lamentable ABC circulation figures published last week show. Tired of being treated with intellectual contempt, Welsh readers are voting with their feet.

Three years ago you threatened, risibly, Cambria magazine and myself as then editor, with actions for criminal libel and defamation over an article by Clive Betts, which suggested that the tabloid version of your paper had dumbed-down, a graph which showed the steady decline of your circulation, and a cartoon showing an ailing mule on its last legs. The threats were, of course, swiftly rebutted by my legal team, but it is satisfying to know that we were absolutely right. You cannot fail to agree that the figure of 35,067 speaks, deafeningly, for itself.

I suggest that you remove the self-styled epithet ‘The National Newspaper of Wales’ from your masthead as it is an insult both to the Welsh nation and the newspaper publishing industry.

Henry Jones-Davies

Publisher

CAMBRIA – The National Magazine of Wales

Bogus National Newspaper of Wales

Sir,

The absence of any coverage ( except 1 photograph of the figure of St David with a strange caption in Wales on Sunday) by your newspaper of the massive and joyous National St David's Day Parade last Saturday through the streets of Cardiff and ending up at the Senedd in the bay, must rate as one of the most blatant pieces of media spin ever to befall this Nation of ours. Add to that your bogus claim to be "The National Newspaper of Wales" and there is a certain lack of credibility starting to creep into your ever declining readership.

That almost 8,000 people walked to the sounds of Brass Bands, Scottish Pipe Bands, Welsh Pipers, Drum Bands and two Breton Bagads (pipes and drums), one from Cardiff's twinned city of Nantes, who played to the thousands of well wishers and shoppers who lined the streets and completely filled St Mary's Street ( that's the one next to your offices) and went completely unnoticed by any of your reporters is unbelievable. Especially as the Rt. Hon.The Lord Mayor of Cardiff led an array of dignitaries including some 40 Town Mayors from all over Wales and the Presiding Officer for the Assembly Government, Lord Dafydd Elis Thomas, who delivered an astounding speech to the assembled Paraders outside the Senedd at the end of the Parade.

Your small notice given to readers to assemble at Sophia Close at 3:0 pm was misleading and on it's own could be construed as a mistake, but in the light of your total avoidance of any coverage can only mean that you have another agenda. One that clearly is not shared by the 8,000 people who did join the Parade.

It is not too late to address this faux pas completely, a series of coloured photographs showing just what a spectacle it was, along with an article mentioning how important this show of National pride is for the Nation of Wales would go some way to redressing the balance of what actually went on in Cardiff, the National City of Wales, on our Patron Saint's Day.

Your readers deserve nothing less.

Yours sincerely,
David Petersen. (One of the Organising Committee).

Editor's Letter

editorial,cambria

IT SEEMS RATHER LATE NOW to be wishing you all a very happy 2008 but perhaps with all the gloom and doom that seems to have accompanied this January maybe we need good wishes more than ever. If you are flying Aer Arann - welcome aboard!

For us, 2008 got off to a flying start with the news that Aer Arann will be carrying Cambria on all their flights in and out of Cardiff International Airport. They have picked up several of Air Wales old routes and are looking to expand their operations further in Britain and Europe.
The St. David’s Day Parade falls on a Saturday this year, so hopefully it will mean that many more can attend than in past years. It will certainly provide spectacle this year: a bagad – Bagad Penhars one of the finest Breton pipe bands and already well known to the people of north Pembrokeshire - is coming over from our sister nation Brittany, the Welsh Horse, the acclaimed Cambria Band and plenty of costumes, flags, banners, dancers and musicians.

This year it sets off from the steps of the National Museums and Galleries at 1.15pm, and will then go down to the Bay to end on the steps of the Senedd with an address by Lord Elis-Thomas. If you have the chance, get there early and spend a couple of hours touring the Origins exhibition, a condensation of 40,000 years of Welsh history and how we came to be.
The Welsh must be the perfect immigrants to any country. Our talent for blending in and integrating in newly adopted homelands has, however, meant that we are not as well recognised abroad as are the Scots and the Irish. Perhaps this ability comes from centuries of subjugation, from the threat of having one’s head removed if found in the wrong place, not being allowed to speak ones own language etcetera - all encouragements’ not to stand out but to blend in. Despite all efforts to stamp it out on a number of levels, the survival of the Welsh language makes us the envy of every other Celtic nation.

This year is the Year of Wales at the Interceltic Festival at Lorient in Brittany. Unfortunately it clashes with the Eisteddfod, but if you haven’t experienced it, it is well worth while doing so, and since it lasts for ten days it is quite possible with a bit of juggling to do both. Last year 850,000 people from all over Europe converged on the town for ten days of song, music and dance, culture, wine and food, so accommodation needs to be booked well in advance. That it has not been consistently well supported by, in particular, Welsh officialdom, unlike those of the other Celtic nations who embrace it with enthusiasm, has not gone without notice, and is interpreted by many in Brittany and elsewhere as a lamentable lack of interest and commitment. This despite the existence of an ambitious and impressive Memorandum of Understanding promising close cultural co-operation between the Welsh and Breton governments. The Bretons might rightly ask ‘Where’s the beef?’ It did not go unnoticed either, that this magazine was the sole representative of the entire Welsh media at the event. The festival is covered live by all the major European television networks, except, sadly, our own. 2007 was the Year of Scotland, and the Scottish government entered into the spirit of Lorient with customary zeal, taking full advantage of all the festival offers in terms of cultural and economic co-operation.

Lastly, the petition we launched for the Ray Gravell Cup has well exceeded 5000 signatures. Many have added comments and personal memories, heart-warming evidence of the love and respect which was felt for him. Those collected so far have been bound and will be presented to his wife and family by David Gravell at the Cofio Grav concert which is being held on 2nd March at the Lyric, Carmarthen. David Gravell and Mansel Thomas first organised the concert with the backing of Ray himself, at that time called Cyngerdd Grav, to raise awareness of diabetes. After his death it was decided that the concert should go ahead anyway and that all monies raised should go to charity. All those asked to participate have agreed and will do so for nothing. The line up promises to be astounding.

St David's Day Pictures

icwales.co.uk :: View topic - St David's Day Pictures

St.David's Day Video from icwales.co.uk

St.David's Day petition

Says it all!

St.David's Day news

Cardiff prepares for St David's Day

Feb 26 2007

Lisa Jones, South Wales Echo

The fourth annual St David's Day parade through the streets of the Welsh capital is set to be the biggest yet. People celebrating the Patron Saint of Wales will parade through Cardiff on Thursday, March 1. 'It's going to be led by somebody dressed up to look like St David,' said organiser David Petersen. 'We are going to celebrate our Welsh identity and we hope it will grow into a fully-fledged national festival of which the Welsh people can be proud.' Passionate Welsh men, women and children are planning to gather outside the Mochyn Du pub in Sophia Gardens at 1pm on Thursday, ready for the start of the parade at 2pm. More here...

Ring out the bells for Dewi mp3 download

To listen to the song ... go here

Performance by:
'Ysgol Gymraeg Treganna', Treganna, Caerdydd. Headteacher Rhys Harries did the backing track and the person who taught the children the song is called Bethan Williams.

Children's Song for St.David

Cenwch y Clychau i Dewi

Dewr a doeth ydoedd Dewi
Ei ddwylo yn iacháu
Gwnaeth ef y pethau bychain
Daioni r'oedd e'n hau
(Felly) Dathlwch y dydd i "Dewi"
Arwr y Cymry i gyd
Heidiwch i’r cwch fel gwenyn
Ble bynnag yn y byd

Cytgan

Cenwch y clychau i "Dewi"
Cenwch nhw mewn coffâd
Cenwch y clychau
Yn uwch ac yn uwch
Cenwch nhw ar hyd y wlad

Mellt yn fflachio’n wyllt fel cyllyll
A hollti’r graig yn ddwy
Ar ddydd ei eni’n faban
Dioddef ni fydd mwy
(Felly) Dathlwch y dydd i "Dewi"
Arwr y Cymry i gyd
Heidiwch i’r cwch fel gwenyn
Ble bynnag yn y byd

Daeth y dorf i Landdewi
Cyn canu’r ceiliog croch
Tir llwm dan draed a gododd
A'i lais yn glir fel cloch
(Felly) Dathlwch y dydd i "Dewi"
Arwr y Cymry i gyd
Heidiwch i’r cwch fel gwenyn
Ble bynnag yn y byd

©
Gwenno Dafydd 2006

Ring out the bells for Dewi Brave and wise was our Dewi His hands were healing hands Small deeds were full of goodness Spread his fame through our lands (So) Lift up your voices for Dewi Shout his name loud and clear Hero of Welsh men and women Our Dewi had no fear Chorus Ring out the bells for Dewi Ring out across the land Ring out for Dewi Let them ring, ring, ring Ring out over sea and sand Lightning flashed, hot like wild knives Did split the rock in two Clear sign to mark the birthplace Of Dewi, healer true (So) Lift up your voices for Dewi Shout his name loud and clear Hero of Welsh men and women Our Dewi had no fear Thousands came to Llanddewi Like bees, homeward to hive His voice rang out like Bangu The ground arose, alive (So) Lift up your voices for Dewi Shout his name loud and clear Hero of Welsh men and women Our Dewi had no fear © Gwenno Dafydd 2006