More music Sian Lile-Pastore, 18 September 2009 Loads more visitors to the Pop Peth exhibition in Oriel 1, St Fagans:National History Museum have been telling us about their best gigs. A couple of people said that Arcade Fire has been their best gig, with Stefano saying that it was the 'closest I've come to a religious experience.'Sara went to see Cool and the Gang in Cardiff in the 1970s, and Carys recently enjoyed Yr C Ffactor. Branwen loved Big Leaves in the Eisteddfod in Dinbych as well as Bon Iver at this years Green Man Festival.Steven has written a long list of best gigs which includes Manic Street Preachers, Bob Dylan and Evan Dando who played 'cross legged at our feet to 20 people' in 1995.Gareth has been to over 500 gigs and festivals, but it all started in 1999 when he went to see Stereophonics at Morfa Stadium. Les went to see Bob Dylan play in the Capitol in Cardiff in 1966 where the first half was acoustic and the second half was electric (i'd like to hear more about this... was anyone else there? did you boo?)Please add comments or email me with your best gigs, or anything you've seen recently that was good - last week I went to see Efterklang... they were fantastic and had nice mustachesThere will be an official opening for the Pop Peth exhibition on Saturday the 26th of September, I'll add details about it soon!
Autumn adventure Gareth Bonello, 17 September 2009 Firstly, apologies for my extended absence from these pages. I don’t have an excuse other than the summer activities kept me very busy this year! However, I find myself in a bit of a calm period at the moment so I thought I’d update you on what’s coming up over the next few months.The autumn is fast approaching and the evidence is all around St Fagans. A quick walk about the site reveals bursts of bright red berries on hawthorn bushes and rowan trees and delicate highlights of yellow and orange edging into the green leaves of the beech woodland. A walk in the woods is accompanied by the steady sound of beech mast dropping with the breeze. The horse chestnuts have already begun to fall too, and the acorns and sweet chestnuts look like they won’t be long to follow.In October activities will focus on this season of change. For Seed Gathering Sunday we will be looking at the variety of tactics trees use to disperse their seed during an enjoyable walk about the grounds.On October the 24th there’s a real treat in store as the Ty Gwyrdd kitchen will be in action for the first time in years to demonstrate some traditional apple recipes.The apple theme continues in the Ty Gwyrdd on the 25th of October where you can take part in Feed the Birds Day with the RSPB, and learn how to use apples to make great bird feeders.During October half term we will be running Autumn Feast activities looking at traditional foods grown in the autumn as well as the wild food that grows in our woods, fields and hedges.And right at the end of November I will be running activities alongside the RSPB that look at ways of telling trees apart and the importance of trees for wildlife. If that appeals to you why not join us on the 5th of December when we'll be working with the BBC to try and break the world record for the most amount of trees planted in one hour!So I hope to see you at an event this autumn, and in the meantime get out there and enjoy the sunshine!
Remembering the white ox of Nannau Oliver Fairclough, 15 September 2009 The Nannau ox painted with the family's cowman, Sion Dafydd, by Daniel Clowes of Chester. The ox was one of the last of an ancient herd of white cattle at Nannau. Sir Robert Williames Vaughan (1768-1843). By permission of Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru / National Library of Wales The candelabrum made from the horns of the Nannau Ox, mounted onto two of its hoofs. The horns can be detached to form two drinking cups. This oak and silver cup is part of a set of six acorn-shaped cups made for the 1824 birthday celebrations at Nannau, using the wood of the Ceubren yr Ellyll. The White OxOn 25 June 1824 one of Wales's grandest 21st-birthday celebrations took place for the son of Merioneth's biggest resident landowner. Held on the Nannau estate, Dolgellau, 200 guests sat down to an extravagant banquet that included a huge joint of beef from the white ox of Nannau. Various items produced to commemorate the event are now in the collections of Amgueddfa Cymru including a candelabrum made from the horns and hoofs of the prized white ox.Heirs to landed estatesFor centuries it was customary for communities to celebrate the coming of age of the heir to a landed estate. This seems to have been especially true in north Wales. Until the Parliamentary reforms of 1832, the region was socially conservative, and its traditional Welsh-language culture remained strong.The best-documented celebrations were those of Robert Williames Vaughan of Nannau.A pillar of the communityThe young man's father, Sir Robert Williames Vaughan (1768-1843), 2nd baronet, was Merioneth's biggest resident landowner and its sole representative in Parliament for over four decades. A pillar of the community, he took pride in maintaining old Welsh customs and kept open house at Nannau, where the neighbourhood came to dinner daily without special invitation.Beef for the poor, beer for the richThe younger Robert Williames Vaughan's coming of age was marked not only by his family but also by the local inhabitants of the nearby towns. It was accompanied by illuminations, fireworks, balloon ascents and cannon fire, and also much eating and drinking, especially of beef, which the poor never otherwise enjoyed, and beer, which the wealthy usually avoided in favour of wine. Oxen were roasted for the poor of Corwen, Barmouth and Bala and subscription dinners were held in Conway, Dolgellau and Chester.Tables bent under the weight of good thingsThe central event was the celebration at Nannau itself on 25 June 1824. A wood, canvas and thatch tent was built in front of the late 18th-century mansion. Here, played in to the tune of The Roast Beef of Old England, 200 guests sat down to "a most sumptuous and plentiful banquet". After a fish course, a huge joint or 'Baron' of beef from a prized white ox, weighing 166lbs, was escorted into the room by the family's cowman, Sion Dafydd. The tables literally bent under the weight of good things. As well as wines, enormous jugs of Cwrw Da ('beer') were placed at proper intervals on the tables.The Vaughans had a long tradition of cultural patronage and Sir Robert's toast to his son encapsulates the spirit of the occasion: "May he fear God and Honour the King; show reverence to his superiors and respect to his inferiors. Heddwch, Dedwyddwch a Chymydogaeth dda".Owain Glyndwr and the hollow oak of the demonThe white ox was commemorated in a painting by Daniel Clowes of Chester, and the horns and hoofs were made into a candelabrum. Sir Robert also had six special toasting cups made for the occasion. They were made from the wood of the Derwen Ceubren yr Ellyll, 'the hollow oak of the demon', an ancient tree at Nannau associated with Owain Glyndwr. These were subsequently cherished by the Vaughans, and are now also in Amgueddfa Cymru's collection.The 1824 celebration was the highpoint of the family's influence. When the region marked Robert Williames Vaughan's wedding eleven years later in 1835 feeling in the neighbourhood was still said to be "worthy of old times when the words Radical & Reform were unknown", but he never enjoyed his father's prestige and died childless in 1859.Article by: Oliver Fairclough, Keeper of Art, Amgueddfa Cymru
Magpie on the Clock Tower?! 4 September 2009 Another succesfful seaon of peregrine watching has drawn to a close. Our sadness at the failure of the eggs has been some-what made up for by the excellent views of the adults we have been getting. The birds have been having a lovely relaxed time of it, preening and dozing on the clock tower. Both birds look very well fed and in good health, which means that they should be in excellent condition for next breeding season-fingers crossed!It has been very quiet on the clocktower with little action to report. However, one day in the final week of the project we had a visit from a very cheeky magpie, who investigated the peregrine nest right under the noses (or should that be ceres!) of both peregrines! Fortunately for Mr Magpie, neither peregerine noticed him, lost in their own vanity they were too busy preening! What makes it worse was the fact that the RSPB had just finished explaing that peregrines are one of nature's great predators-thanks guys, made us look like right mugs! All that remains is for me to thank you for your interest in this project. We have met so many enthusiastic people and have heard some fantastic wildlife stories. Please keep watching those birds! Hope to see you all next year!Peregrines on the Clock Tower Team
Best gigs..... Sian Lile-Pastore, 28 August 2009 I went to The Green Man Festival last weekend and saw some amazing bands including Dirty Three, Beach House, Vetiver and Peter Broderick. Meanwhile visitors to the Pop Peth exhibition in Oriel 1, St Fagans:National History Museum have been letting us know about their favourite gigs.Becky loved Sugababes, Jacob Price (who's 4) went to see Automatic at the Big Weekend in Cardiff. Cat saw the Manic Street Preachers on the eve of the millennium. Huw's best gig was Deep Purple at St Davids Hall in 1996. Vanessa loved The Who at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea. Seven more people said that Take That in Cardiff was their best gig and Rachel saw Brian Wilson at Glastonbury and cried...
