Wales

There’s a few links in this post but before you look at any of them my advice is to take care. The history of American socialism is one of the most addictive substances known to man… It’s got everything – heroics, lynchings, show trials, executions, great songs, exiles and imprisonment….and best of all total abject glorious failure…. Let’s meet the Wobblies. Today the Industrial Workers of the World are at the vanguard of the struggle for justice for Starbucks employees. …

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Ever heard of Carwyn Jones, Edwina Hart or Huw Lewis? I wouldn’t be too concerned if you haven’t. I asked in the office who was standing to suceed Rhodri Morgan as Labour Assembly leader and First Minister in the One Wales Labour coalition and the response was deafening. Strange really, as come the next General Election one of the above will very probably be the senior elected Labour politician in the countries of Britain. Process An electoral college of 3 …

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After nine and a half years at the helm Wales’s First Minister, Rhodri Morgan, decides it’s the time to go.Many fine things about the man. 1) He’s funny: Paxman: “Do you want to be First Minister?” Morgan axiomatically: “Does a one legged duck swim in cirles?” 2) He’s a man of the people, in Welsh we’d say “Un o’r Werin”. I moved to Cardiff from the Valleys about two years ago. On my first night I went on a wander …

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The political star of his generation, Adam Price MP, has announced that he will be leaving Westminster at the next election. The Western Mail reports that he’s been awarded a $40,000 Fullbright scholarship to study for a year in the US. He then intends to become an Assembly member at the 2011 elections. Betsan speculates on potential successors in what is that unusual beast, a relatively safe Plaid Cymru seat. I’m more interested in how Adam can get into the …

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Glyn Rowlands of Corris, Machynlleth was buried last week. An ex member of the Free Wales Army, Mr Rowlands was one of the few FWA men to be prosecuted back in the day. Here’s Glyn ap Gruffudd’s tribute. Photos of the funeral parade by Sian Ifan (c) here and here. Thanks to Daithi DewiWelsh Nationalist. Rugby Fan. Know a bit about History and Railways…

Plaid’s conference this year is in the Conwy resort of Llandudno. Ron Davies thinks that the 21st century could be Plaid’s time – a potential recruit according to Simon. I wasn’t a great Ieuan Wyn fan when he replaced Dafydd Wigley as party leader – I didn’t think he listened well. However since becoming Deputy First Minister he’s grown immensely in my eyes. Here’s his theory and here’s the practice – Think Different. Think Plaid. What do you think of …

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You have wonderful murals and stuff – we have graffiti. Here’s the background to the slogan – Now we are preserving it -Cool. DewiWelsh Nationalist. Rugby Fan. Know a bit about History and Railways…

We’ve mentioned Nest’s brother Gruffudd ap Rhys briefly before. As son and heir to Rhys ap Tewdwr he had a bad start when Rhys got killed in 1093 and his lands passed to the Normans. As was the style amongst penniless Welsh heroes of the day, Gruffudd spent the years following his Dad’s death in exile in Ireland. After one unsuccessful truce with Henry 1 and another Irish interlude Gruffudd joined Owain Gwynedd’s superb 1137 campaign which liberated Deheubarth. Smashed …

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Where were we? Somewhere on this complex lineage… Giraldus Cambrensis, Gerallt Gymro, Gerald of Wales, or Giraldus de Barri was such an interesting bloke that, not only did he have 4 names, we’ve also just named a train service after him. Nest’s grandson via Angharad and William de Barri he was born c1146. in Manorbier Castle, Pembrokeshire. Educated at the best colleges of the time (including Paris) he became archdeacon of Brecon on his return to Wales in 1175 ish. …

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GGN asked about the use of Welsh in England in modern times. Of all the bilingual signs about the one above, just over the Severn Bridge, gives me the most pleasure. Anyway: 2 Major areas: 1)Archenfield, part of ancient Welsh kingdom of Erging but left in Herefordshire on the dark side after the Acts of Union 1536-42. 2) The area of Shropshire around the town of Oswestry. Mercia’s encroachment into Powys left it on the wrong side of Offa’s Dyke. …

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To understand contemporary Welsh and Irish politics it is important to understand context and to start in the abstract. In that spirit let’s go back to 1093. After defeating England in a day in 1066 William the Conqueror spared little time in trying to take on the rest of us. The Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth was ruled, after the battle of Mynydd Carn in 1081 by Rhys ap Tewdwr whose alliance with Gwynedd’s Irish born glorious Gruffydd ap Cynan had …

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