I didn’t make it clear - this is a novel by Myfanwy Alexander. But exciting to see a Welsh novel being produced in both languages as an audio series - will be handy for learners as you can listen to and read both!
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Not my work Lorna, a book by Myfanwy Alexander - but fantastically useful for learners when it happens, as you can listen to the dramatisation in both languages!
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There’s another Sgwrs up, peeps. A bit of a different format this time - as I have managed to secure a Sgwrs with the fantastic Arfon Jones, Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales, I thought that a one-off item wouldn’t do him justice really, and something hugely long can be a struggle to focus on, so there will be a trilogy of Sgyrsiau, the first one up today - Beca a’i Phobl 042. Hope you enjoy.
Incidentally, his accent is Merionethshire and he says ‘nash i’ instead of ‘nesh i’ for ‘I did’, which is quite unusual. So just in case that throws you!
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Aran suddenly understands lots of conversations with Arfon in retrospect
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Hahaaa! Maybe you should have a listen then, Aran…! There’s always room for improvement… 
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Great, thanks Beca. I’ll check it out. Incidentally, I’m noticing that the ê is tending towards an a with Swansea young people, even in English. So, Wales sounds a bit like Wals. Also, in SE Wales: the final “a” seems to change to an “o”: “Gwastad” -> “Gwastod”. I’m pretty sure I picked that up when I lived there for a couple of years.
As you were 
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What a fascinating scwrs, @beca-brown! Thank you!
It’s made me think of something I’ve wondered about, watching programmes like Craith and Hinterland. Maybe the answer will be in one of the other parts - or maybe someone else will know. That is - how much of the North Welsh police force is Welsh speaking these days? (On the streets and among senior officers?) Are those who transfer in from other forces expected to learn Welsh? And what is the default language in the stations and in briefings etc?
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Please would you tell me how to find the translations and transcripts for the Advanced Course.
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Hi @rhumphreys9,
They don’t appear on the App (if that is what you are using) - they are on the Advanced Course page on the website, as links next to the audio.
Personally I log onto the site via a browser on my phone as well, so it doesn’t mean you need a computer/ to do anything special to be able to view them.
Rich
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Thanks for your help, Rich.
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Oh, good, I’ll blame that for being able to catch just a handful of words throughout this one.
It seems a faster talker than you, @beca-brown 
Thanks for having mercy, and cutting it down in 3 parts. It’s an interesting topic especially for detective stories fans like me. But a 25-minute long one like this would throw me into despair! 
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Hiya! Oh wow, you were up early! Or maybe it just felt early to me because I was in at 6am! 
Haha! Yes he is a fast talker and goes quieter in bits too doesn’t he. Yup, it’s a challenge - which is why it’s coming in bite-size chunks…! 
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Oh so glad you enjoyed it! I’ll put that question to him. I was also going to ask about the crime fiction on tv and how close/far away it is from reality. I know Arfon loves to watch crime dramas…
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Yes that’s true. The vowels do vary a bit from area to area, and you see that in name variants. For example my daughter is Leisa - Welsh for Lisa or Eliza really - but you’ll find Leusa, Lusa and of course Lisa too. It’s dialects and different ways of sounding the vowels.
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I heard you again on Bore Cothi earlier this week (on Tuesday, I think) - you are clearly in demand on Radio Cymru at the moment!
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Any chance of interviewing Mali Harries about the Archers, you could kill two birds etc. and it would be really interesting because it would be about the Archers. Does Andy Hockley who plays Philip speak Welsh?
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Haha!! You’re either on it every minute until people are fed up with hearing you, or you’ll be out of favour for months! But hey, it’s all good. I was on Rhaglen Geraint Lloyd last week talking about SSiW!
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She’s on my list! I’d love to interview her…