Shwmae, Lorna?
I’ve just checked, and yes, you are booked on the bwtcamp. That should mean that you got an email from me on the 22nd of May - I can see you on the send list, so if you haven;t received it, have a look in your spam folder and if it’s not there (don’t spend too much time looking!) let me know, and I’ll send it again. I will be sending another email with more information early next week (it’s all getting a bit close now)
If anyone else hasn’t heard from me, let me know!
Iestyn
Diolch, Iestyn. I am reassured.
Having gone on Outlook per browser I did indeed find your email in the “Junk” folder, and much else my app has kept from me, besides! Thanks, @Iestyn, @Aran.
S’mae pawb!
I’m Lorna, few achievements to boast of, born into English family living in Derry, who’d just found temporary rented accommodation in the city despite terrible housing shortages there, eve of 1960. Suddenly, aged 15, I was transposed to Liverpool’s outskirts. All said: you’ll love England (Lake District close, Wales just round the corner) but, sorry, I’ve struggled 43 yrs to learn to love England, aspects of, more especially since bereavement. I live (not sure why) on the outskirts of Brum, at whose uni (inc. year in West Berlin, FU) I did BA French/German.
I am too much online. Irish class, started 2010 locally, dissolved. So: Duolingo Irish - Duo user forum, Facebook - Welsh learners of Irish - SSiW plug - I start Welsh on Duo - Welsh Irish learners (eto) - I give SSiW more attention - fail to join Brum Welsh evening class Jan 2018 - Duo Welsh - SSiW 6mws - Camarthen Party booked - hell, bwtcamp still not filled yet even now with VAT - Lorna takes plunge. Acceleration as in Thelma &Louise.
On SSiW 6mth Slack I sport a pink & blue week number. I’d plumped for Gog (forced to choose). Rushed ahead in Gog, then realised that on the 6mth course it is about mostly 2 challenges weekly. So, mostly, I do 2 challenges of De weekly & slowed down on Gog. I confess I did not realise that this would be De when I booked. No matter.
Ok, so, now I’ll need to be very realistic, accept what’s feasible, do what won’t drag others back. It’s a cultural journey. I am “not from round here” a lot in life, so Tresaith can’t be worse.
I learnt to like then love glimpses of Wales as English-speaking daytripper led by happy ex rugby-playing partner Dennis, born to be a farmworker in Shropshire who’d become a teacher, instead. He saw Welshpool as beater hired by his Welsh gamekeeper uncle; his Tywyns were (both, different years) childhood summer weeks in borrowed caravans with Mum & young brothers, Dad working back on boss’s farm.
I lived with my widowed mother in Church Stretton (my longest continuous association/residence). I did not fit in. Mental health user groups co-operated across the border. Llandrindod Wells’ group was a leader in the 1990s. Dennis showed me/us Wales on occasional daytrips, and once my Mum’s needs were more properly met in a residential home I could show him bits of the Ireland I’d known while we camped and recuperated.
Learning Irish has been a mix of reconnection meeting old unspoken curiosity about what I’d witnessed, and self-extension. Speaking Welsh is good manners (if I am British) & entails exploration of what feels as much an alien culture to me as any other. Bicycle Beano/ Welsh Border Rides (a more respectful sort of tourism than Dennis’s preferred “English tourist daytripping”) gave me happy memories of 1980s Hay on Wye, Black Mountains, Builth (where BB/WBR based).
I sound English, don’t feel it. I expect lots to be challenging, on this bwtcamp but besides staying in my garden with a focus on boring tasks like larchlap fence & lawn maintenance, I’m not sure how else I am going to re-connect with the world offline.
Hi Pawb,
My name is Joan. This is a little bit about me.
I was born and brought up in rural mid Devon before living and working in London, eventually returning to Devon, where my daughter was born. In the early 1980s I moved to The Gower and spent my most of my working life as an English teacher in a comprehensive school in Swansea. After taking early retirement, together with my husband Pete, we bought and renovated an almost derelict farmhouse near Llandysul, Ceredigion. This has been challenging but very enjoyable and I now consider DIY, especially stone wall building, as one of my hobbies. We are currently working on the garden; this has involved JCBs and dumper trucks rather that forks and spades. The best bit, as far as I am concerned, is garden design and planting, which we are now working on but there is still a long way to go.
I am involved in a local community group. Many of the people there are first languages Welsh speakers, as are most of my friends. This has been a major incentive for me to learn Welsh. I feel bad when everyone changes from speaking Welsh to English because of my presence. I have been going to traditional Welsh lessons, alongside doing the SSiW course. For me speaking Welsh continues to be a huge challenge. I am hoping that the Bwtcamp will give me the confidence I need to bridge the gap between learning and living Welsh. Fingers crossed!
I am looking forward to meeting you all in Tresaith, and maybe at the SSiw party tonight!
Joan
This is shaping up to be a good one, bois bach!
And if there’s anyone else fancies a pop, we have one place that has just come up due to a cancelation.
Click here if you want it! https://bookwhen.com/ssiw
Hi, I’m Paul and I’m doing the southern course although I hope to try a few northern challenges just to get the hang of angen, medru, etc.
I live in Bradley Stoke, which is not far from Thornbury.
I’ll be travelling to Tre7 by car and I’m happy to give lifts and to play taxi during bootcamp. I’m happy speaking Welsh while driving because that’s what I’ve been doing while learning.
I’m English and although I have some family in living in Wales (including grandchildren), it’s not anywhere Welsh is spoken, sadly.
My main reason for wanting to speak Welsh is a lot easier to explain and understand in English than in Welsh.
I’m interested in linguistics and know a few bits and pieces of other languages but I want to actually be fluent in at least one (besides English). Not being from Wales, the choice of language was arbitrary until I tried the SSiW rugby course.
I’m a lapsed guitar player, so I’ll be interested in the ukulele playing that’s going to feature heavily in this bootcamp.
I went on a bootcamp last year and enjoyed it thoroughly, as did everyone.
Looking forward to meeting you all.
what course is that one?
It’s an introductory SSiW course that Iestyn did for the Rugby world cup a few years ago. It used to be on the SSiW website.
Perhaps @aran or @Iestyn can make it available again. The file is Rygbi.mp3 and it’s 11MB.
Or you might be able to use the internet wayback machine, https://archive.org/web to get at www.saysomethingin.com the way it was a few years ago.
I can’t because my ISP has blocked it.
I checked the wayback machine. Unfortunately, the Rugby file was stored on an external server that was not crawled by the machine… so no file 
I’ve got a copy of it at home but I didn’t want to give out copyrighted material without permission.
Thanks - it sounds really interesting and didn’t realise it had been done.
It might be worth reviving this question of cars. I’ve just realised that the end of bwtcamp clashes with Tafwyl. So I may be tempted to leave smartly to catch the some of the evening performances. Though of course I would be offering lifts too?
I’ll have a car and can take four passengers. I live in Llandysul; so if anyone is coming by public transport to Tresaith Bwtcamp via Carmarthen, get in touch and we can arrange lifts. I would be happy to pick/return anyone from/to Carmarthen train station.
Hope that might help!
I live in Llandysul too! I’m looking forward to meeting you 
Hi PhilgJones and Y Ddraig Las. Are you still up for a lift share on 23rd? If so, where and when shall we meet? I can get to one of the M4 service stations near Caerdydd if that helps.
Hi Tall Paul,
As you live in Bradley Stoke, it probably makes sense to share a lift. I’d be happy to drive or get a bus down to BS on the Saturday for you to drive. Either way, we could possibly pick up Sarah in Caerdydd on the way, or poss Ddraig_Las too, although he may want to get a swift getaway. Anyway, time to get in touch to arrange transport, so perhaps txt or call me on 07914083959 and we can communicate that way?.
Cheers - Phil Jones.
Hi Gareth,
I’ll be giving Phil and Sara a lift. Would you like a lift too? The plan is to join in the Ceredigion meet-up on the Saturday at the end of bwtcamp because they’re meeting in Tresaith.
Ok. I was thinking that 4 people in a car with everyone having tack for a week may be a bit much, unless it’s a super big car. Cloncidigion sounds wonderful, but I am still tempted to peg it back for Tafwyl. @Iestyn what is the car situation?
