I’m afraid that things
didn’t work out at all well as I’d planned in 2014.
Alan became ill and
sadly died unexpectedly that June – hence the big lapse in my blog entries.
Over this period, I’ve
been so blessed with family and friends that have kept me going.Various followers have since been trying to encourage me to re-start my blog, but the spirit refused to move. However, here I am at last, due to one faithful follower, Tom Carpenter, making me shake his hand last night and promise to re-start it. I’ve been so blessed with family and friends that have kept me going.
One thing that I’ve
loved doing each week, is meeting up in Will’s Bar (Oyster Catcher, Rhosneigr)
with my Panad and Sgwrs group of Welsh Learners. As you can see, one even won
the Bardic Chair in the Welsh Learner’s Eisteddfod in Caernarfon.
These are mainly incomers to our area, who also contribute in so many other ways to our community, which is brilliant. I’m afraid, like they also state, it’s the bought empty properties that have taken the heart out of our community.
In April, I had a most
pleasant surprise email from my CADW friend, Marion Blockley, to say that the
Interpretation boards I’d been begging for, were actually completed and on
their way to be placed by Llyn Cerrig Bach. Marion and I had emailed each other
backwards and forwards planning it all, so I owe her so much for making my
dream come true.
The first group to
meet up with me there for their talk were the Anglesey Walking Festival
walkers. This I have done for 12years now! It was a thrill to see my father’s
picture on one of the boards, together with a copy of the letter of thanks he
had from Sir Cyril Fox, verifying the fact that he was the finder of the hoard.
I then met up there after
with the older children of Bodedern Primary School.
This was a great
pleasure as they all listened intently and asked sensible question. It was
lovely to be back amongst children again like in my old times around the
schools. Had lots of pictures taken, but unable to include as permission still not had from parents and school.
My next step back in confidence was to give my Powerpoint presentations. The first was in April to a lovely group of WI ladies in Newborough through the medium of English.
I then ventured on my own to Felinwnda in Caernarfonshire. This was a challenge also, due to having to give it through the medium of Welsh, where they speak a much purer Welsh than mine! It was also to a Historical Society, so I was very wary of what questions I might be asked at the end. However, they were so very appreciative with their comments at the end and thankfully had no questions I couldn't answer!
I felt very uplifted
in finding my way back to being able to do things on my own again, having lost
Alan’s constant support on such occasions. However, his replicas of the main
artefacts were very much admired, especially as they are made to the true size.
Never satisfied, my
next request to Cadw was to have copies of the Interpretation Boards as posters
at Anglesey Airport. The airport is based immediately across the road to Llyn
Cerrig Bach at RAF Valley.
Here, I arranged to meet
up with the Anglesey County Council Head of Highways as he is also in charge of
the airport. Dewi Roberts, a lovely gentleman met me on site and he agreed that
I could have the use of a display panel both in the foyer lounge and in the
departure lounge!
My good friend Marion
Blockley of Cadw then put me in touch with Dave Penberthy in Cadw. He and Dewi
managed to co-ordinate it all by email and hey presto, today I went to see them
in situ.
My sincere thanks to
them all for a super pre-birthday present!
Success thankfully - not easy remembering how to do this after all this time. Also I forgot that I had to re-size all the pictures before downloading them!
