I have a class Wednesday mornings. There’s a slight chance though that it’s for a qualification I’ve already obtained. But I probably won’t know until next week. (Because they really are that organised) Honestly though, I’m not sure a proper class is what I need right now and might be just as well trying to improve my vocabulary and conversation skills.
Well, you know we’d love to help you with that! There were four of us at the Hub today, sorting out what’s happening this September.
There are no activities at the Canolfan Palmerston at the moment on Monday evenings. Problems over venue and it’s a case of ‘watch this space’.
Sessions at the Bear’s Head with Nic ap Glyn have started again on Friday mornings (10-12, Windsor Road, Penarth).
Next Tuesday morning, 9th September, we plan an outing to the Mochyn Du in Cardiff, where there is apparently a session between 11 and midday - at least three of us going, everyone welcome.
No news of anything happening this month with Merched y Wawr. I expect the first regular meeting will be in October, usually on the first Tuesday of the month.
Yet to be confirmed - the first session of Barry Cymrodorion is due 16th September, 7pm in the Tabernacl Vestry.
Sarian has arranged the bore coffi Saturday sessions at the central Barry Library. If you want to join us, it’s held in the room on the right at the top of the stairs between 10 and 12.
The Sadwrn Siarad sessions organised by the Prifysgol have now been advertised. First one is on Saturday 13th September. Sioned has details.
Next Hub get-together will be Thursday 18th September at 2pm
We enjoyed the outing to the Mochyn Du on 9th and plan to go again. Five of us had a very enjoyable time in the Hub on Thursday. Next Hub is Thursday 2nd October, 2pm. Hoffi Cerdded, Hoffi Coffi over on Barry Island is on Tuesday morning, 7th October, 10am outside Coffee Cove.
The second October Hub is on Thursday 16th at 2pm, but sorry, I won’t be able to be there.
Shmae Day is the day before that - Wednesday 15th October - an opportunity to greet everyone you meet in Welsh.
Well, we all seem to be coming and going in October, so we weren’t able to fix on dates for a trip to the Museum, trip to St Fagans or a re-visit to the Mochyn Du. We’re thinking about going to the drama ‘Garw’ at the beginning of October, and trying to find out about the gig at the Windsor (if there is one) in Penarth on 24th October.
If that all seems a muddle, maybe we just enjoyed our conversation a bit too much - and next time I’ll remember to take a diary and a pen!
Please correct or add to this, thanks.
If you are free on Fridays, do come and join the fun at the Palmerston Centre. Free sessions with a great new tutor. Starts at 9.30am with a drama workshop. From around 11.30am there is a computer workshop or card crafting or Welsh scrabble and chat. At around 1.15, come and join the choir. Bring your own lunch, or a it’s a short walk to Waitrose.
If today’s session is anything to go by, this will be a cracker of a course.
October starts with our meet-up at the Hub next Thursday 2nd Oct, 2pm to 3.30pm
Wow, that’s great news - amazingly I am free on Fridays at the moment! Well, as in that’s the time when I also have to clean / tidy / shop / organise everything for the family. So I can’t afford more than a couple of hours at the most. Based on yesterday, could you possibly recommend what it might be best for me to head for?
Many thanks!
Hi Netmouse - we’ve missed you over the summer! How fantastic you can spare a couple of Friday hours. Depends on what you like doing, really. If you like singing, then come 1.15 to 3pm. If you want to get involved in discussing a drama project come at 9.30 to 11.30. If you just want to relax and have a go at very easy three letter attempts at scrabble with long pauses for chatting and scoffing sarnies, then come in the middle.
Really, I think it’s a good idea for you to try a bit of everything and see what you feel happy doing. The whole thing is aimed at people who are learning Welsh and who want to use the language, and the organisers are there to help. We have one tutor who learned as an adult, one tutor who went to Welsh school and one main organiser who is first language - all very supportive.
See you soon.
Hi Arianrhod, thanks for the run down. I’ll maybe try them alternate weeks and see. Drama project sounds intriguing - but clashes with my other little luxury of coffee with mums from school Fri am. Hmm, can i afford coffee and welsh? Seriously organised Fridays coming up! See you soon!!
@Arianhod. Let me know when you’re going to St Fagans. I might like to tag along if you don’t mind adding a still-improving speaker to your group.
Hi Steve, that’s great. We had no takers for St Fagans in September with everyone hopping of to Europe in various directions, so Carolyn and I went for a day out together somewhere else instead. We’d love to have you along if we make it to St Fagans in October. When would you ideally be free?
Need to do more trying out of the new format… and bump our thread up a bit!
Lovely to see you today, Arianrhod. Shame not more people could make it. Hopefully the gang will be out in force again soon - such a brilliant day for them to be putting on, I hope we can make the most of it!
So good to see you, Netmouse! Yes, it was very disappointing to see only a handful of people turn up yesterday after such a good start last week. One alto and a bass just don’t make a choir! On the other hand, a lot of Mums and Dads might not have been able to come out on Monday evenings in the past, so hopefully there will be more once the word gets round. Are you able to spread the word at the school gate?
The morning drama workshop was challenging - I never thought we’d be learning Brechtian techniques through the medium of Welsh (although recently at bore coffi in the Library we were learning a bit of Mandarin through the same medium - Nin Hao, pawb!) The vocab was interesting yesterday - Llun Llonydd (freeze frame), Osgo ( body language), Dieithrio (alienate), Damcaniaeth (theory). However, the centre is willing to adapt these Friday activities to suit the people who attend, so whatever people want to do…
On Tuesday morning (7th Oct) at 10am, we’re meeting outside Coffee Cove and joining the Hoffi Cerdded, Hoffi Coffi group for a stroll. The same evening at 7pm in the Tabernacl Vestry, Merched y Wawr has a talk by Alcwyn Deiniol (Evans), about his recent book on the history of the Dan Evans department store in Barry, a store which is sadly missed.
See some of you there, perhaps.
Hum, not too sure about selling the Brechtian drama bit at the school gate… The more pressing question is whether it would be acceptable for someone to come along for a bit with a 2-year old? What do you think? Maybe I should ask next week.
Yes, agreed! Although it was fun when we’d understood the question. I should perhaps have emphasised how willing Mared and Sarian are to adapt the day to suit the people who turn up, so long as there are enough of us. If nothing else, it’s a chance to meet up to practise speaking Welsh together, without that perennial problem of one person in your group who only speaks English. And the tea and coffee machine only costs 30p a throw… As for bringing a 2-year old, I don’t know the answer to that. At the Hub I’d definitely say yes, of course, but I don’t know about the Palmerston.
Hi Arianrhod, no particular preference for a date, I’m happy to try and fit in with your own plans. I work at St Fagans so I’m there more often than not.
Wow! How exciting. We’d love to meet and hear about your work there. Last year we left St Fagans until November and we found it a bit chilly, so we’re hoping to arrange something earlier this year. Having said that, the month looks choc-a-bloc already now all the courses etc have started up again. Definitely come back to you on this one, when the current Atlantic front has stopped chucking wind and rain at us.
Well, if you come during the week there’s a chance I can rope a Welsh-speaker into showing you around. Otherwise it’s just me and my very very hesitant Welsh 
Happy to try and organise something when your diary is sorted out though.
Don’t know if there are any mobile users who might check at lunchtime, but just in case you do, please give my apologies to the Palmerston people. We’re stuck at home with nasty back to school bugs. Hope to make it next week, although only after the first session as have to wait for the gas man. Hope the drama session is surviving.
Any possible chance of a St Fagan’s visit on a Thursday? It would be amazing if I could make it! (Barring any last minute obstacles).
Just arranged!! We’re okay to go to St Ffagans on Thursday 23rd October, meeting in the entrance hall at 1.30pm - if that’s possible for Steve. A million thanks, Steve, for your offer of a Welsh speaker to show us around. I’ve spoken to Alcwyn Deiniol (who was the guest speaker at Merched y Wawr this week), and he indicated he’d be happy to help out, and I think he’s at St Ffagans on a Thursday, if you could have a word with him, or someone else.
Sonia - hope that time is okay for you. I didn’t make Palmerston yesterday, either, but I hear they are still very short of people. The morning drama group is going to be reading a play over the next few weeks. Palmerston Fridays are free of charge, still offering scrabble a sgwrs at lunchtime and choir from 1.15pm
The WEA course with Carol Grant is reverting to its previous venue - the community centre next to the library in Wenvoe. Friendly group if you’re looking for a bit of history through the medium of Welsh. Costs around £30 a term. Over the summer, Carol continued to meet the group informally for a coffee at the Wenvoe Garden Centre.
Reminder - come and chat informally next Thursday 16th October at the Hub, Gladstone Road between 2pm and 3.30pm. At least two intending to be there, although three of us can’t make it.
That’s great news, thank you for arranging a Thursday for St Ffagans! I’ll definitely be there (barring any more emergencies…). Hope to see you on Fri at Palmerston again too - although I’ll have to wait for the gas man first, so will miss the drama group, whatever it has turned into. I hope it survives until I finally manage to get to a session!
There are a few problems with the St Fagans trip at the moment - but we will be discussing them on Saturday morning at bore coffi in the Library 10am to midday. I’ll post further later.