Category Archives: News

History Grounded

History Grounded

For the second event of the Cambrian Society’s programme, Dr Elin Jones will give us her illustrated talk Hanes yn y Tir: History Grounded – a Visual History of Wales from the Cromlech to the Senedd.

In early 2022 her book History Grounded, a children’s history book (though not exclusively for children!) was provided to all schools in Wales by the Welsh Government in time for the 2022/2023 academic year. It’s a beautifully produced hardback, copiously illustrated, and it’s also available in a Welsh language edition. So different from the history books of old, it’s been called a gamechanger.

We hope to see a large crowd at this talk which will cover 5000 years of history.
The talk will be preceded at 7pm by the Society’s AGM.

Details:
7.30pm on Friday 13th October.
Earlsdon Park Village Hall.
Admission £6 (Cambrian Society Members £5).
Pay on the door.

More information: info@coventrycambrian.co.uk

Elvis “Live”

Elvis tries again. 

Last year the Cambrian Society’s first event of the season was cancelled because it fell in the mourning period for Queen Elizabeth II. Nothing daunted, we’re trying again. At 7.30pm on Friday 15th September Wynne Roberts BEM will be give us his show Elvis “Live” at Earlsdon Park Village Hall.

Wynne works near Bangor, where he is the Chaplain at its regional hospital, Ysbyty Gwynedd.

His Elvis other-life started after a performance at the Porthcawl Elvis Festival – maybe, the largest Elvis Festival in the world. “I went up on stage and sang ‘You Gave Me a Mountain’ and the whole place went ballistic.”

In the last nine years, Wynne and ‘Elvis’ have raised more than £250,000 for charity and, having gained the attention of audiences far and wide, in 2019 he was awarded the British Empire Medal by the Queen for his charitable services.

This will be a ticketed event with tickets, at £7, available from Cambrian Society committee members, or 024 7671 1397.

All the proceeds will go to Wynne’s charity for the night, the British Heart Foundation.

An Arabian Odyssey: from Flintshire to the Land of the Pharaohs

Our first event of the New Year is a talk by Sheila Woolf, a well-known speaker in Coventry and Warwickshire who has about 20 illustrated talks to her name.

For us, she will be telling the story of one of her Welsh ancestors, Edward Baldwin Evans.

In the 1880s, Evans, the son of a Rhuddlan schoolmaster, found himself at the centre of international business and politics following the opening of the Suez Canal.  Recruited to military intelligence in Egypt and the Sudan, he played a key role until finally meeting a tragic fate.

His story, told through his own diary, and letters to family in Warwickshire, is now largely forgotten except for a magnificent memorial in Rhuddlan churchyard.

The Welsh Chapel Bilingual Carol Service

On Sunday 18th December at 2.30pm, we will be going to the Welsh Chapel Bilingual Carol Service – congregational carols, readings and some musical interludes.  As always, after the service you are invited for a cup of tea, a piece of cake and a chat.

This is the second year that we will be at the new venue – the clean, warm, light and airy Radford & Holbrooks Methodist Church.  It’s at 5 Rupert Road, (off Beake Avenue). CV6 3AZ and it has good parking at the side of the church. 

Directions:  As you come out of town on the Radford Road (B4098), after about a mile, take the right hand turn on to Beake Avenue, signposted Holbrooks.  After .7 mile you will see the church on the right.  Turn down Rupert Road.  There is car parking at the front of the church and at the rear.  We hope to see you there.

St David’s Dinner with Bois y Fro

The St David’s Dinner was wonderful (“the best ever”, said one); Lamb Shank and Dauphinoise Potatoes (Well done Coventry Golf Club); and Bois y Fro were excellent singers with well matched voices – a happy gang from Aberystwyth, full of friendly fun.  WE ARE SURE TO HAVE THEM AGAIN!

St David’s Dinner with Bois y Fro

We’re taking names for the St David’s Dinner with the quartet Bois y Fro at Coventry Golf Club on Saturday, March 2nd, 7.00 for 7.30pm.   You may remember last March’s snowy dinner when Bois y Fro couldn’t get out of Aberystwyth.  We hope for better things this year.  Bois y Fro have appeared on S4C (the Welsh Channel 4) and last year released their first record with Cwmni Sain.  See them on YouTube.

Tickets at £29 each can be ordered from any committee member or Contact Us.  Spread the word.  Bring loads of friends.

Noson Lawen at Earlsdon Park Village Hall (CV5 6JQ)

There was a pretty full house for Sioned Davies’s talk on Lady Charlotte Guest last Friday and buoyed up by the buzz of the evening, people are now tuning their guitars, exercising their singing voices and waggling their piano fingers in readiness for the Noson Lawen at Earlsdon Park Village Hall (CV5 6JQ) at 7.30pm on February 8th.  Only £2.50 (non-members £3).  Come early, and have a coffee or a drink at the bar beforehand.

Sioned Davies: Lady Charlotte Guest – her life and legacy

We start the New Year with Sioned Davies giving us her illustrated talk Lady Charlotte Guest – her life and legacy.  (Friday 18th January 7.30pm. Earlsdon Park Village Hall.)  Lady Charlotte Guest (1812-95) was one of the most outstanding women of the nineteenth century.  This illustrated talk will examine her contribution to Wales and to Welsh literature, in particular her English translation of The Mabinogion.

Sioned is a Professor in Cardiff University’s School of Welsh and was for twenty years its Head of Department.  She is the much acclaimed recent translator of The Mabinogion – stories from the 12th and 13th centuries compiled in Middle Welsh.  The Guardian wrote “This fresh, energetic translation is a revelation and, for the first time, shows off The Mabinogion tales as what they were originally: splendid entertainment.”

This WILL BE an excellent talk from an acknowledged expert in her field.

Welsh Chapel Bilingual Carol Service

One year ago the Welsh Chapel Bilingual Carol Service was cancelled due to a heavy snow fall that disrupted the country for a few days.  This year no snow is forecast and the planned congregational carols, readings and a few musical interludes will definitely take place.  And afterwards we are all invited for a cup of tea, a piece of cake and a chat.  Circle Sunday 16th December, 3pm, in your diaries.  Where?  The Great Meeting House, 116 Holyhead Road. CV1 3AE.