Memories of Pentraeth
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Year: 1969
MERCHED Y BRYNIAU.
Another Pentraeth Memory. by Ross Davies Just about 38 years ago, I was approached by some of my former pupils, who were now mostly married and with children of their own, with the idea of forming a Pentraeth based entertainment group. The village had always had an excellent reputation for choral singing and they wanted to revive the tradition, but on much more modern lines. Such an enterprise would give them all a focus to aim for, to enjoy, and to give good entertainment value. They wanted me to weld them together into an acceptable group. My protests about not being able to play an instrument, read music, or act as choirmaster, went unheeded. That did not matter at all. Most of them had good voices and an ear for harmony, so they would monitor themselves, and learn as they went along. All they wanted from me was the ability to discipline and organise. So, - "Merched Y Bryniau", was born. At the final count, the group consisted of over forty ladies ranging from thirty to over sixty years with a mixture of mums, daughters, and a couple of grans, all eager to make a success of the whole project. Fortunately, somebody found a wonderful pianist, who could play anything asked of him. His name was Hefin Hughes, from the village of Pensarn, and he is remembered with affection and respect because he was the lynchpin of the group. The range of their programme was very ambitious stretching from Welsh traditional songs to Welsh pop, English favourites, ancient and modern, South American collections, Sea Shanties, etc. The list was endless, but all interspersed by solos, duets and comedy spots. At one stage they even experimented with a skiffle band complete with washboards. Invitations to perform at various venues began to roll in. Most were very enjoyable but some places did present certain hazards. One such occured at Llanddona Village Hall. The hall was filled with everybody settling down to enjoy the entertainment. Merched Y Bryniau were opening the evening with a collection of South American songs, starting with the "Banana Boat Song". The ladies were looking as authentic as possible in the best South American style and each member carried a basket of bananas on their heads. No sooner had they reached the first chorus, the lights went out and plunged everyone into total darkness. A panic stricken whisper reached me at the side of the stage, "What shall we do, Mrs Davies?". "Stay exactly where you are", I ordered. "Put your baskets on the stage beside you. The lights will be back, oh in no time". Half an hour passed by before they did and in the meantime, we heard strange scuffles, wafts of moving air, and stifled giggles around us in the darkness. When the lights finally came on, they showed empty baskets on the stage, and the children in the first two rows of the audience, polishing off the last of the bananas. Another time, at the old hall in Newborough, just as the group were launching into a lively Welsh chorus, the whole stage dropped two inches under their feet. To give them their due, they kept their nerve and no one screamed, but the whole evening had to be abruptly terminated. Old age and woodworm in the hall had won the day. The newly formed skiffle band had it's brief moment of glory, headed by a baton wielding bandmaster. This lady, shall be nameless, but she was well known as a joker in Pentraeth. Merched Y Bryniau were invited to entertain at a social evening in a large chapel room in Upper Bangor. They received a warm welcome and the audience thoroughly enjoyed the evening. The final item on the programme was the skiffle band. Unknown to the rest of us, the bandmaster had dressed up in a full clown regalia,- bushy red wig, two feet long shoes, a red nose, and a pair of baggy check trousers held up by red braces. She was an instant hit with the audience. The band performed well and as they reached a final crashing crescendo, under the waving baton, she purposely dropped the baggy pants around her ankles and revealed a pair of red and white striped boxer shorts underneath. The cheers from the audience hit the roof, and she was delighted that her joke had worked so well. Later, we were all offered a very welcome supper. However, in the middle of eating, I was approached by a grim looking gentleman wanting to know if I was responsible for this dreadful group. When I replied that I was, he launched into a tirade about the amount of smut shown in television these days and now he was having to put up with it in his own chapel hall as well. We should be thoroughly ashamed of ourselves. Looking around, I could not see a single person that shared his sentiment but I did go home that night suitably chastened. The lady offender in question, also got thoroughly told off for going too far, as usual, by her mother, who was also a member of Merched Y Bryniau and a performer in the skiffle band. She had laughed as heartily as anyone while it was all going on. Happy days. Perhaps an ex-member of Merched Y Bryniau would also like to add a memory of her own. Last edited: 08/08/2007 10:16 by James Griffiths |
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THE THREE LEAPS. by Ross Davies
A PENTRAETH LEGEND Most people driving past the entrance to Plas Gwyn manor house, on the outskirts of Pentraeth, might well be surprised to learn that they are passing a commemorative monument that has stood there for over 800 years. It may not look much like a monument as it is made up of three large boulders grouped together in a narrow field alongside the entrance, but it does mark an event that happened eight centuries ago, and it is known as "The Three Leaps". There is history attached to these stones, and a touching love story which happened somewhere between 1200 and 1230 A.D. The Prince of Wales at the time was Llywelyn the Great. The Prince had more than one palace in Wales, but a favourite was Aberffraw on Anglesey, where his whole court came to stay from time to time, and to enjoy the hunting and fishing in the area. He was always accompanied by his elite band of warriors, known in Welsh as "Y teulu" - (the family). These men had to be of noble birth, but also, in addition to the usual martial skills, had to achieve a worthwhile deed, or overcome an almost impossible ordeal in order to qualify. The Prince was fortunate to have by his side an able and astute seneschal (chief stewart) called Ednyfed Fychan. His job was to oversee his master's affairs both in and outside the court, and he was very highly respected. Ednyfed was married and had a very beautiful daughter called Angharad. She was just coming up to marriageable age and it was her father's fervent wish that she would marry a man that she loved, and find lasting happiness. This, in itself, was rather unusual for the time, because, in many families, women were not highly regarded. Daughters, in noble families, were used as pawns by marrying them off to men who could either enrich the family coffers, or to seal a bargain, or even to form an advantageous alliance, whatever their age. Angharad, therefore, was fortunate in having a loving and considerate father in Ednyfed, because she had already fallen in love with Einion, the son of the Lord of Gwalchmai. It was true that Einion was of noble blood, but, as yet, he had not achieved anything really worthwhile. Ednyfed was aware of this and could see problems ahead. Prince Llywelyn would have to approve of the match, because of Ednyfed's high standing at court, and the most exacting standards would be demanded of any prospective son-in-law. This is where Ednyfed had to be very astute. He knew that young Einion was a master at an ancient, athletic, sport called "Hop, Skip and Jump." This could well be the answer. He set about organising a whole day event, and the chosen venue was a place now called Plas Gwyn in Pentraeth. It was to be held on the bank of the River Nodwydd, which ran down to the sea at Red Wharf Bay. The eventual winner would win the hand of Angharad. This particular athletic event has its equivalent in today's Olympic Games, but it is now called "The Triple Jump", although it's origin is Celtic and very old. When the sons of noble families in the area heard about the contest, they flocked to Plas Gwyn in droves. Each one was eager to prove himself, knowing that winning Angharad's hand would probably lead to a place in the Prince's "teulu" as well. The day wore on, with the lengths of the jumps increasing from 15 to 20 feet then to 30 feet and even to 40 feet. The pace was gruelling, and halfway through many had to give up, weeping with disappointment. By late afternoon, only a handful remained, with Einion amongst them. They forced themselves to the limit of their endurance. At last, Einion, with a superhuman effort, succeeded in jumping an unbelievable 50 feet, which none of the others could match. One rival dropped dead, with a heart attack, in his rage and despair. So ended a marathon event. Angharad was overjoyed. She could now marry Einion. Ednyfed, too, was content. He had done his duty by his daughter and his Prince. Three huge boulders were rolled to the site and planted in the ground to commemorate an outstanding "Triple Leap". These stones have been investigated some years ago by an archaeological team from Bangor University. Their antiquity has been confirmed. It was found, also, that similar to icebergs, only one third of each one is above the surface, and two thirds below ground. The arrangement of the group of stones is not a natural one and, therefore, the conclusion was drawn that they were placed there by man. Last edited: 08/08/2007 10:55 by James Griffiths |
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Year: 1950
Memories of Pentraeth Nicknames by Ross Davies
When I first came to Pentraeth in 1950, I became very intrigued by the nicknames attached to certain individuals. In fact, they were better known by their nicknames than by their own names. One example was the leading male singer in the local church on a Sunday. He was known as Basso Profundo, a name that stuck to him until his dying day. I never did find out his real name. Pentraeth, also had a fine male voice choir, in years gone by, with particularly good tenors. Their group of tuneful tenors were all related to one another, and became known as "the Sweets." Apparently, it all started when the choir held an impromptu concert in the Squre and some Americans, based at Brynsiencyn, had come over to listen to them. One was so impressed that he said, "Dang me! that is the sweetest sound that I've ever heard!" It has always been a Welsh trait to attach people's names to their jobs, e.g. Bob Becar, Ned Gôf, Fred Chips, Will Glô, etc., but in this village it happened with families as well. If the family became well known for any reason, whether it was good or bad, then the matriarchal name became part of each Christian name, such as Twm Nan Jones, John Charlotte, Eddie Gertie, or John Maggie Dick, or Dafydd Nell Aubrey. The next one, for me, was a gentleman, who carried a very unusual addition to his name, for which there were two explanations. The first one was that he and his wife had moved to a house close to the former Hen Bôst, but they could only live on the upper floor. The second story was that his wife became quite ill and ailing. Whenever someone stopped him in the street to enquire as to her health, he would always answer, "Unfortunately, she's still upstairs." From that time on, he was always known as Hugh Upstairs. Happy Days. Last edited: 06/08/2007 13:12 by James Griffiths |
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