My name is Di, I am hopeless at IT (I could never have managed to book on the Bwt Camp without my husband’s help!) and am probably putting this in the wrong place. So apologies if so.
I am originally form Pontypool and have always been proud of being Welsh, However my family were not Welsh speaking and we were not taught Welsh when I went to school, In fact we had to put up with the irritating accusation that Monmouthsire was in England - grrwgh.
I promised myself that I would learn Welsh when I retired, but since I did so in 2014 I have found it very difficult to find anything local in the way of courses. So I have been working through Duolingo, and now am doing my best with SSIW, but finding it challenging so far (dw i’n newydd dechrau Lesson Pump).
Shwmae pawb. I’m Emma. I grew up in London but came to Cardiff to university and have stayed ever since. I always felt drawn here as my grandparents were from Llanelli and 1st language Welsh speakers but sadly they didn’t pass it on to their children. I grew up with them speaking English except when they were talking about me!
I live just outside Cardiff now with my 2 children 5 and 3 and my 2 rescue dogs 15ish and 10 and still crazy.
The children are in welsh medium school with the 5 year old nearly fluent already- it’s amazing!
So I want to learn Welsh as I grew up with it and have also considered myself Welsh just with a London accent and I don’t want my children to gang up on me and not be able to understand them!
Like you Iestyn I’m an early riser or was pre kids and like anything outdoors. I say prekids but we did go up penyfan twice in the summer and only needed a bit of bribery for the 3 year old to walk all the way!
I agree I’m not great at singing apart from after much wine. I tried to learn calon lan and the national anthem for the autumn internationals but not sure if I can remember any of it now! Will try again next week.
I started level 2 a few weeks ago so should have finished it by bwtcamp. I haven’t got a regular learner to practice with or swap sentences with and hoping bwtcamp will help with my conversations. Will be a bit of a challenge being away for a week but I might get a full nights sleep first time in 5 years so that alone might my help my learning!
Hmm - certainly must have posted in the wrong place as ran out of word allowance.
As I was saying, I have registered to get some intensive help with Welsh, having failed to find much locally.
I am a retired nurse and solicitor (I know, - what a combination) now living in Nottingham. I enjoy walking, am trying to learn to dance and play the Uke (neither very successfully but I do enjoy them), and history. I am not very confident driving long distances these days. I have tried to find a route involving trains and coaches, but it all looks pretty hopeless, so I guess I will be driving. If I don’t make it send a search party - I’ll be on my way!
I grew up in Aotearoa (New Zealand) and lived many years in Australia, but after a few visits to Wales in my early 20s I always wanted to live here, so I came in 2008 and immediately launched myself into learning Welsh as I couldn’t imagine living here and not speaking the language.
I love singing, though I can’t do it very well, so I recently joined a choir in order to improve.
I’m not really an early riser, though I love it when I wake up early enough in the winter to see Venus shining in through my bedroom window.
Really looking forward to meeting you all in Tresaith - great place and lots of fun!
I know what you mean about getting the words out. I find sometimes that speaking Welsh is not unlike Eric Morecombe playing the piano, the right words come out, but not always in the right order!
Great introductions - it looks like we’ve got people from all sorts of backgrounds and ages. Even someone from New Zealand! (Oh, ok Dee - that’s you!)
I always find that the bigger the variety of people the more fun we have, so it looks like we’re going to have a blast, doesn’t it?!! @DiMatthews - it looks like the trains are reasonable from Nottingham to Aberystwyth, and then a T5 bus will get you from Aber to TanyGroes, which is about a mile and a half uphill from Tresaith. We often have people come by that route, and usually send someone up to meet the bus if we know someone’s on it!
Also, Di - are you aware of the Welsh group in Nottingham / Derby area? They meet up quite regularly, so you might very well be able to get a bit more pratice in as you fight your way through the course. And remember Dee (and Nia) are always happy to help with their 6month-course hangouts.
That would be wonderful. Have checked train info - it would be an hour from Nottingham to Nuneaton R.S., changing at Leicester. Are you near the railway station ?
Well I though I had replied to this Iesty but it didn’t show up so goodness knows where I sent it - told you I was hopeless with IT!
I do belong to the Welsh Society on Nottingham and have done so for a number of years, but its mainly in English. There is a Learners Circle in Derby once a month for a few hours - better than nothing but I need more, obviously. There was a course in Birmingham I attended for two terms. Started great then we were joined by an advanced group and it kind of got impossible. I stuck it out but didn’t learn that much. So I’m looking forward to the Bwtcamp!
Looks like I am a bit late posting my info, but here goes. My name is Steve Jones and I live in Pontllanfraith with my wife. I have 2 grown up kids who moved out ages ago.
I took early retirement in 2017 and at the time I was doing the Mynediad course. After leaving work (still not sure if I am retired or unemployed, no one pays me anything so either way I have no intention of doing any work) I enrolled with Coleg Gwent and did the Sylfaen course, and I am now doing the Canolradd course. Alongside this I am doing the SSiW course and have done the Duolingo course.
Outside of the classroom I try to go to as many “events” as possible to use my Welsh. This includes a walking group every Wednesday, Coffee morning every Thursday, and a couple of monthly get togethers.
Do forgive this “empty message” : I sent a (rather) long one last week, using the “reply” button under Lestyn presenation ot the May bwtcamp, but my message did not appear, and then got no answer si I’m testing to see what was wrong. Sorry !
Bizarre, bizarre… Now it works. The septembre camp would fit me BUT here is my question : I once had a language bwtcamp (not welsh) where you HAD TO participate at every extra activities, especially games, and if you did not, you were a bit considered putting yourself apart. It was not a good camp for me, because I love studying and praticing in a classroom, and also speak about things and others with people, aournd a glass of beer in a pub or walking in the countryside, but I have no pleasure at all in interactive plays, etc. So my question is : is this bwtcamp available for awfully indibidualist people like me , who really needs moments to be alone or just listenig and watching to people (I like people !) but not necessarely tooking part at games, even if I know that interactive games are a way of practicing., This is not shyness or proudness, just a “physiological” need.
Ooooops, I hope this old fashioned english will be understood. (and also hope the sending of thismessage will work !!!)
PS : if you think this sort of camp is not for me, could you inform me about another welsh practicing camp which would fit me ? Thanks a lot !
, who really needs moments to be alone or just listenig and watching to people (I like people !) but not necessarely tooking part at games, even if I know that interactive games are a way of practicing., This is not shyness or proudness, just a “physiological” need.