Hello all,
From next week the Tuesday meetup in Abingdon will be at 3:30pm, still in the Riverside café.
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Thanks, @chris-roberts. All being well, I should be there at 3:30 next week and for at least a few weeks afterwards.
Sue
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Helo bawb - please note that on Friday, 27th, there’ll be another awayday, this time in Thame, instead of the usual Friday meetup in the Weston Library. @ken-burch has reserved a table upstairs for us in the Monkey Puzzle cafe in Thame High Street at 12:00 .
Hwyl
John
Helo bawb - apologies for the absence of the weekly post while I was away in 
. As you’ll see there’s been a change to the timing of the regular Abingdon meetup which starts now at 3.30pm (Friday’s meetup remains at 12:00) :
- 3:30pm Tuesday 8th October/ dydd Mawrth 8fed mis Hydref ( Riverside Cafe, Nag’s Head Island, Abingdon, OX14 3HX - see map in earlier post )
- 12:00 Friday 11th September / dydd Gwener 11eg mis Hydref ( ‘Space for Reading’, Weston Library, Broad Street, Oxford - inside entrance hall to the right, next to windows & opp. side from the excellent cafe)
After two successful Friday ‘awaydays’ to Marlow and Thame, we’re looking for ideas about where to go for the next one with Reading or Witney two possibles. Any more suggestions? 
Hwyl a chadw’n saff
John
@suw appears to coordinate the Reading group, should we wish to try and liaise.
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Helo bawb - unfortunately circumstances dictated that none of the regulars were able to make it to last week’s Abingdon meetup. Should anyone out there have turned up unannounced, don’t be discouraged - there’ll be another meetup there this week. Meanwhile, though, on Friday in the Weston Library there were six of us, including newcomer Will who’s just arrived in Oxford for the University Michaelmas term.
This week’s meetups:
- 3:30pm Tuesday 15th October/ dydd Mawrth 15fed mis Hydref ( Riverside Cafe, Nag’s Head Island, Abingdon, OX14 3HX - see map in earlier post )
- 12:00 Friday 18th October / dydd Gwener 18fed mis Hydref ( ‘Space for Reading’, Weston Library, Broad Street, Oxford - inside entrance hall to the right, next to windows & opp. side from the excellent cafe)
Hwyl a chadw’n saff
John
Helo bawb - with the clocks going back next Sunday, 27th Oct 
, sadly, it’s the last week of summertime. 
, but at least there’s the prospect of sunny periods for our Tuesday (Abingdon) & Friday (Central Oxford) meetups 
Last Friday, as well as Will who joined the previous Friday, we were able to welcome another newcomer, Joanne (and not forgetting Gaelic-speaker Drew 
who, while not learning Welsh 
, was just pleased to hear it being spoken 
)
This week’s meetups:
- 3:30pm Tuesday 22nd October/ dydd Mawrth 22ain mis Hydref ( Riverside Cafe, Nag’s Head Island, Abingdon, OX14 3HX - see map in earlier post ) - 82 years to the day when the Welsh Courts Act 1942 was passed which gave Welsh speakers the right, for the first time since 1536, to use Welsh in the courts;
-
12:00 Friday 25th October / dydd Gwener 25ain mis Hydref ( ‘Space for Reading’, Weston Library, Broad Street, Oxford - inside entrance hall to the right, next to windows & opp. side from the excellent cafe) - the anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 in which Welsh archers
played a key part in the defeat of the French army.
Hwyl a chadw’n saff
John
Helo bawb - just to confirm this week’s meetups:
- 3:30pm Tuesday 29th October/ dydd Mawrth 29ain mis Hydref ( Riverside Cafe, Nag’s Head Island, Abingdon, OX14 3HX - see map in earlier post );
- 12:00 Friday1st November / dydd Gwener 1af mis Tachwedd ( ‘Space for Reading’, Weston Library, Broad Street, Oxford - inside entrance hall to the right, next to windows & opp. side from the excellent cafe).
Hwyl a chadw’n saff
John
Helo bawb - here’s confirmation of this week’s meetups plus a couple of interesting(?) annivesaries :
-
3:30pm Tuesday
5th November/ dydd Mawrth 5ed mis Tachwedd ( Riverside Cafe, Nag’s Head Island, Abingdon, OX14 3HX - see map in earlier post ) - (little known fact: Guy Fawkes/Guto Ffowc was introduced to the Gunpowder Plotters by Welsh Catholic spy, Hugh Owen, who was deeply involved in attempts to destroy Protestant rule in Britain); -
12:00 Friday 8th November / dydd Gwener 8fed mis Tachwedd ( ‘Space for Reading’, Weston Library, Broad Street, Oxford - inside entrance hall to the right, next to windows & opp. side from the excellent cafe) (on this date 222yrs ago was born Welsh civil engineer & Welsh language supporter, Sir Benjamin Hall, after whom Westminster’s
“Big Ben” was named)
Btw, we’re mulling over the possibility of a regular additional meetup in the evening, weekly or monthly, via Zoom or face-to-face for those unable to make daytime meetups. Do, please, get in touch if you think you might be interested
Hwyl a chadw’n saff
John
Ooh, hello! Sorry, I totally missed the mention of my name – October was a bonkers month for me so I wasn’t checking the forum much.
The next Reading meet-up for Welsh learners and speakers is tomorrow, Monday 4 November, at the Rising Sun, 16 Castle St, Reading RG1 7RD, from 7pm.
All levels welcome.
Would be more than happy to liaise and maybe do a joint meet-up at some point!
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Helo bawb - here’s confirmation of this week’s meetups plus a couple more interesting(?) annivesaries :
- 3:30pm Tuesday 19th November/ dydd Mawrth 19eg mis Tachwedd ( Riverside Cafe , Nag’s Head Island, Abingdon, OX14 3HX - see map in earlier post ) - (22nd anniversary of Welsh being spoken for the first time at the EU when Welsh Culture Minister, Alun Ffred Jones, spoke to the Council of Ministers);
- 12:00 Friday 22nd November / dydd Gwener 22ain mis Tachwedd ( ‘Space for Reading’, Weston Library, Broad Street, Oxford - inside entrance hall to the right, next to windows & opp. side from the excellent cafe) (and, apparently, the 37th anniversary of Welsh being spoken officially for the first time by Pope John Paul II)
As usual, all welcome, and especially newcomers & new learners! Do please get in touch if you have any questions
Hwyl a chadw’n saff
John
PS Don’t forget we’re considering the possibility of an additional regular post-work meetup session 
, weekly or monthly (via Zoom or face-to-face) so that those who can’t make daytime meetups can have an opportunity to practise their Cymraeg. Let me know if you think you might be interested
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Helo bawb - time again for confirmation of the week’s meetups
- 3:30pm Tuesday 26th November / dydd Mawrth 26ain mis Tachwedd ( Riverside Cafe , Nag’s Head Island, Abingdon, OX14 3HX - see map in earlier post );
- 12:00 Friday 29th November / dydd Gwener 29ain mis Tachwedd ( ‘Space for Reading’, Weston Library, Broad Street, Oxford - inside entrance hall to the right, next to windows & opp. side from the excellent cafe)
Hwyl a chadw’n saff
John
Helo bawb - there’s a change to this week’s meetups. With Oxford SSiW’s 
Cinio Nadolig on Friday there won’t be the usual meetup in the Weston Library - no changes to the Abingdon meetup on Tuesday, though
- 3:30pm Tuesday 3rd December / dydd Mawrth 3ydd mis Rhagfyr ( Riverside Cafe , Nag’s Head Island, Abingdon, OX14 3HX - see map in earlier post );
Hwyl a chadw’n saff
John
Helo bawb - sorry for the ‘radio silence’ - just got back from Gogledd Cymru
In case you are wondering, yes, there will be the usual two meetups this week:
- 3:30pm Tuesday 17th December / dydd Mawrth 17eg mis Rhagfyr ( Riverside Cafe , Nag’s Head Island, Abingdon, OX14 3HX - see map in earlier post );
- 12:00 Friday 20th December / dydd Gwener 20fed mis Rhagfyr ( ‘Space for Reading’, Weston Library, Broad Street, Oxford - inside entrance hall to the right, next to windows & opp. side from the excellent cafe)
Hwyl a chadw’n saff
John
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Helo bawb - last Friday was our last meetup of the year but we’ll be looking forward to welcoming old & new faces when meetups restart in the new year on Friday 3 Jan at 12:00 in the Weston Library 
All welcome, no matter whether you’ve only just started learning Welsh as a New Year’s resolution, or you’re a first language Welsh speaker. Do get in touch if you have any questions!
Tan hynny,Nadolig Llawen! a 
Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!
John
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A quick reminder… 
Helo bawb - a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda! if you’re only just surfacing from the Xmas/New Year festivities
As usual, there’ll be two meetups this week - do get in touch if you’re thinking of joining us but would like a bit more info beforehand. As always, all welcome no matter what your level of Cymraeg, from brand new beginner to first language speaker (and, indeed, whether or not you use SSiW) :
- 3:30pm Tuesday 7th January/ dydd Mawrth 7fed mis Ionawr ( Riverside Cafe, Nag’s Head Island, Abingdon, OX14 3HX - see map in earlier post );
- 12:00 Friday 10th January / dydd Gwener 10fed mis Ionawr ( ‘Space for Reading’, Weston Library, Broad Street, Oxford - inside entrance hall to the right, next to windows & opp. side from the excellent cafe)
Hwyl a chadw’n saff
John
Helo bawb - the last week in January already with the usual Tuesday and Friday meetups. All welcome, especially newcomers, and we’ve welcomed a couple over the past week or so, so if you were trying to decide whether to ‘dip your toe in’, don’t woryy, you wouldn’t be the only ‘newbie’
- 3:30pm Tuesday 28th January/ dydd Mawrth 28ain mis Ionawr ( Riverside Cafe, Nag’s Head Island, Abingdon, OX14 3HX - see map in earlier post );
- 12:00 Friday 31st January / dydd Gwener 31ain mis Ionawr ( ‘Space for Reading’, Weston Library, Broad Street, Oxford - inside entrance hall to the right, next to windows & opp. side from the excellent cafe)
Also, in the next few weeks, we’re planning to restart our regular series of walks+sgwrs 
- if you’re interested, do keep an eye also on this thread: Oxford walks
Hwyl a chadw’n saff
John
Helo bawb - why not join us for a 
coffee/tea/hot chocolate 
in the warmth of one of this week’s meetups
- 3:30pm Tuesday 18th February/ dydd Mawrth 18fed mis Chwefror ( Riverside Cafe , Nag’s Head Island, Abingdon, OX14 3HX - see map in earlier post );
- 12:00 Friday 21st February / dydd Gwener 21ain mis Chwefror ( ‘Space for Reading’, Weston Library, Broad Street, Oxford - inside entrance hall to the right, next to windows & opp. side from the excellent cafe)
As always, all welcome, no matter what’s the level of your Cymraeg even if you’ve only just started learning. Do get in touch if you’ve any questions or would like to know more
Hwyl a chadw’n saff
John
PS A completely irrelevant fact: this Friday marks the 220th anniversary of the first steam train 
journey (no, not Stephenson’s ‘Rocket’, that was 5 years later) from the Penydarren Ironworks, Merthyr Tydfil to Abercynon
Just wondering if @Betterlatethan (or anyone else) is planning to be at the Riverside in Abingdon tomorrow, as all af the other regulars are away this week.