Thank you - and, yes! I was also really inspired by the way you were very relaxed about including the odd English word if you didn’t know the Welsh one - so much better than getting stressed about not knowing enough or thinking ‘I can’t say that because I don’t know the word for X’. And anyway, given that we had two members of the group turn up with various dictionaries, learning the required Welsh word is never far away 
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One dictionary was well used. The other (mine) was new. I did look up one word, but in general I think that it is far better to get on with the conversation. Like you, @rebecca, I found @cat-1’s attitude inspiring and encouraging. I love the idea of words going round on a little train. English words do that too. I didn’t manage to say much, but I really enjoyed the meeting.
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If I may chip in - have you ever travelled on a bus in mid-Wales? That’s one place where I was very aware of the mixed up bilingual conversations of many totally unselfconcious Welsh speakers. Everone has to grab words in every conversation. I have been in Yr Allban (Scotland) now since 2003 and I still have to ask for translations from Janet, who was raised in England at first, but mainly speaks mid-Argyll English. I don’t say ‘wee’ for little, because it doesn’t come naturally, but I know what she means, but sometimes she says things which totally throw me! In many parts of Wales, people who are all bilingual will chat away and what word said next is just as likely to be in either language. I think too many learners have hang-ups about tossing in English words. Like me on a boat to France, so determined not to speak English that I asked the French guys on the next table, forgetting ‘sel’, for ‘halen’!
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This sounds like a very significant breakthrough, @rebecca - my guess would be that getting to the point where you can let go of the ‘mistake=bad’ belief has opened you up to a faster process of neuroplasticity - which I think really means that it’s ‘game over, I won’ for you from here on in… 
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I do hope so! It occurred to me that it could prove useful in other areas of life too … I work as an academic and I have the common problem of being reluctant to write for fear of writing something stupid/wrong. I know that, technically, that that’s how progress is made, but my emotions have trouble catching up. I will be forever indebted to SSIW if my Welsh-learning process makes my professional life easier 
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Ooh - if you notice any crossover emotional impact like that, I’d LOVE to hear… 
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Well, quite chuffed that my Welsh piece was selected for a recent book about Aberystwyth, created as part of the “Hen Llinell Bell” festival over the Summer.
The task was to create a 100 word original piece about the town/your experiences of it. Was suprised to find a copy of the book in a cafe this morning, and even more surprised to find my piece in there!
Not bad for an illiterate Welsh writer eh?
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Llongyfarchaidau, Nicky! Da iawn ti! 
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Hollol osym, da iawn ti
I renewed my subscription to Lingo Newydd over the phone the other day (so that I wouldn’t have to send credit card details by email), and told them about my new address in the process.
95% in Welsh, though I needed a brief translation a couple of times to make sure I was understanding them correctly.
Two phone calls: one to be told that the person to speak to wasn’t in at the moment(?) and to call back in about an hour… I only understood something about awr 
but since that seemed to me to be the point of the message I didn’t worry too much. The second one worked out more or less all right, though I didn’t catch the bit at the end when she said she had renewed (adnewyddu) my subscription.
Still, I felt like I could pat myself on the shoulder for doing it mostly in Welsh!
(Well, when I spelled my address for them, I went “aitch - eye - tee” etc. rather than whatever the Welsh names of the letters might be. But still mostly Welsh!)
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Was listening to Mae Hen Wlad fy Nhadau, sung by Cerys Matthews today while following the words on Wikipedia. Spotted a difference between what Cerys was singing (‘i fi’ at the end of the second verse) and ‘i mi’ on Wiki). Checked back on the original manuscript http://webapps.rhondda-cynon-taff.gov.uk/heritagetrail/english/taf/anthem.html and found that Cerys was right.
Changed the text on Wikipedia. Now I am wondering if this is a ‘regional variation’.
Web page with higher resolution version of the original manuscript: http://www.etomusicpractice.co.uk/national-anthem-of-wales/
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A regional difference I think. Tend to see i mi a bit more in written Welsh. Almost every version I’ve seen has had “i mi”.
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Enjoyed myself at a physio class in Caerfyrddin this morning! I originally spoke Welsh to the physio when I first went to the class a couple of weeks ago, and she has carried on speaking Welsh to me and English to the others. It feels so natural, and I love not having to go back into English.
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I notice there’s an ‘i mi’ in the first verse, and an ‘i fi’ in the second. So everyone should be happy!
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I got talking to an elderly resident in Newport (Pembs) today and asked him if the town was Welsh speaking. He said it was to an extent, but not as it used to be; but that English incomers were diluting the number of Welsh speakers.
I took this as a cue to switch into Welsh. He carried on speaking in English, but I was sort of prepared for this following past posts on this forum. He was such a nice person that It didn’t seem to throw me. Hopefully, I have crossed a line now and will be confident enough to continue in boldness from now on.
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Just renewed my car tax in Welsh … in England.
Ok, so the online form asked me if I had a “V11W” reminder (the bilingual one issued in Wales) and I clicked “Oes” which could be a technical white lie as I have the V11 English only version. But I reasoned that the system would either complain that I was in England, or would just work anyway - it just worked anyway 
Clearly, they just wanted to confirm I had a reminder (with a suitable code attached) and assumed (wrongly) that everyone wanting to use Welsh was in Wales. To be fair, the original page of the (English language) car tax renewal website told me “this form is also available in Welsh” via I hyperlink, which I clicked. If that’s not an invitation, I don’t know what is!
So, for the record, it appears we CAN renew car road tax in the UK in Y Gymraeg
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Oh, and I now have an email receipt to prove I have paid - yn Gymraeg, too
The subject line is “Cadarnhad o Dreth Cerbyd” which, of course, translates to “Confirmation of Vehicle Tax”. So I have proof:
(1) That I have paid as required and
(2) That I paid in Welsh (!)
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Me again.
I don’t want to take over the thread, but I’m buzzing (after a fair few minutes somewhat shaking like a leaf).
I just rang an Estate Agency in Caernarfon and arranged some house viewings, totally in Welsh (with the exception of giving my current English address). I’m no longer too nervous of speaking Welsh in social settings like a regular Welsh language pub session with tame compatriots. But I was clearly speaking to a Fluent local speaker in Caernarfon. I could understand pretty much everything my ears caught, but my ears did miss a fair few words and I had to ask her to ailddweud (repeat) a few things.
I thought I had pretty much reached functional listening fluency with being able to follow Radio Cymru, but Caernarfon folk at full speed are officially harder (in a good way) - so saith Bob.
Anyway, I’m sure when I move I will get even more regular chances to get my ears firehosed with high speed Welsh. Which is, of course, the whole idea. I guess it’s payback for all the people that I have firehosed with my motormouth monologues - now I know how they feel.
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Hollol wych - llongyfarchiadau mawr iawn iawn!
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