Oriel 1 Chris Owen, 4 October 2007 Cyfarchion o Oriel 1!Yr wythnos hon fe ges i gyfle i arbrofi gyda sesiwn i blant ysgolion cynradd r'yn ni wedi ei galw'n 'gemau dyfalu'. Dwi ddim yn siwr os yw hyn yn beth da neu'n beth drwg ond roedd yr Oriel fel syrcas am yr awr a finne ar fy nglinie am weddill y diwrnod! Bydd rhaid cael stamina gwell na hyn o rywle! Roedd ymateb y plant yn ddiddorol a'u gallu i gyffroi dros gynnwys yr Oriel yn wych!Mae llawer o ymwelwyr wedi dangos brwdrydedd dros gynnwys yr Oriel newydd a gyda'r sylwadau cliriaf i aros yn fy nghof yw gwraig ganol oed yn dweud wrtha i, "This really is wonderful, but mind you, the old gallery was like a museum". Dwi ddim yn siwr os mai mynegi siom oedd hi neu beidio, efallai nad oedd hi'n gwybod yn iawn. Fodd bynnag mae'n sicr yn yr achos hwn, nad oedd cynnwys yr Oriel yn cydymffurfio i'r hyn yr oedd yr ymwelydd yn disgwyl ei weld yn yr amgueddfa. Gellir dadlau mai dyma enghraifft glir o'r Oriel yn deffro'r ymwelydd i'w amgylchedd gan ei atgoffa mai nid ymweld a'r amgueddfa er mwyn cael golwg ar y gorffennol a wna.Dyma un sylwad a nodwyd ar gerdyn sylwadau am arddangosfa gyntaf yr Oriel, 'Perthyn', 'Hmmm, not sure what this is all about - Belonging - where?' A dddylai cynnwys yr Oriel gynnig atebion? Dyma sylwad arall sy'n treiddio i'r cwestiynau sylfaenol ynglyn a beth yw oriel ac amgueddfa.Dewch draw i rhoi eich barn, neu rhowch sylwad yma os ydych chi wedi ymweld! Rwy ar ruthur braidd yn anffodus...ond wedi cael blas ar y blogio 'ma tro 'ma...felly mi fydda i nol ma arna i ofn!
Spirit of the miners 1 October 2007 The modern county of Ceredigion is not immediately associated with mining. As you travel towards Aberystwyth on the coast, following the inland valleys of the Ystwyth, Rheidol and the Mynach rivers in the northern part of the county, you could be mistaken in thinking that the economy of Ceredigion - formerly known as Cardiganshire - had always been dependent on agriculture. As you journey through the hills, take a closer look at the changing landscape and a different story unfolds. Driving from one rural settlement to another, the ancient landscape hides many stories, traditions and intrigues of the years gone by. Mining for metals such as copper, lead, zinc and silver has been an important part of the economy of the county for nearly 4,000 years. The scattering of small communities such as Ponterwyd, Pontrhydfendigaid, Ffair Rhos, Cwmystwyth, Ysbyty Ystwyth, Goginan, Ystumtuen, Pontrhydygroes, Cwmsymlog, Taliesin and Talybont often have nothing seemingly in common. However they do have one theme linking them all - the history and legacy of metal mining. This information forms part of the website 'Spirit of the Miners' - a community regeneration project that sets out to create an identity for northern Ceredigion using the legacy of metal mining as a theme for regeneration.
Moving the Bryn Celli Ddu stone Pip Diment, 27 September 2007 Moving the Bryn Celli Ddu stone from upper archaeology into its new home in the Origins exhibition.Having moved most of the Early Christian Monuments to new homes already, we looked into the final stone – the Bryn Celli Ddu stone. This stone is from the Bryn Celli Ddu tomb (Anglesey) which is one of the best preserved passage tombs in Wales (for more information see this Rhagor article ). We thought it was quite small, and shouldn't be too big a problem - we were wrong! It went right down to the floor, and was encased in a concrete block. We needed help. We called on Nigel Brake from Penybryn Engineering who had already helped us with the ECMs and has helped us many times with other specialised lifting, moving and metal work around the National Museum Cardiff.Over the course of 10 days, we made a plan to remove the stone upwards out of its casing and onto a pallet for moving to the new gallery. In order to do that we needed to remove some ceiling tiles to create enough space above the stone. The lifting gear was brought in, curators and conservators watched anxiously as the stone was secured to the lifting gear and then removed from the concrete support. It was lifted clear and then carefully laid on a pallet. Jackie Chadwick, Archaeology Illustrator, took the opportunity to photograph and draw the stone in detail as it hadn't been seen in its entirety since 1979. Interestingly we made our own archaeological discovery: as the stone was removed we found evidence of a very different attitude to conservation – cigarette butts in the base of the stone meaning it most have been ok to smoke in the galleries then – unlike today!Finally it was time to install the Bryn Celli Ddu stone in it's new support in the Origins Gallery. You'll be able to see it in all its glory when the exhibition opens in December.
Exploring Our Woodlands Gareth Bonello, 26 September 2007 Beech Trees, early autumn Hello everyone! I've decided to start a blog about the newest and (in my opinion) coolest project here at St Fagans: National History Museum. I have been appointed 'woodlands facilitator' and it is my job to facilitate the woodland as much as is humanly possible.First I think I might tell you a bit about my own background. My name is Gareth Bonello and I am 26 years old. I am originally from Cardiff and despite living in the city I developed a deep love of nature which led me to study Zoology at the University of Bristol. After graduating in 2002 I worked for the BTO (British Trust for Ornithology) conducting bird surveys throughout the North West of England. I returned to Cardiff in 2003 where I worked as a Natural History Facilitator at the National Museum Cardiff for three and a half years.I began working at St Fagans National History Museum in May 2007. I also have an interest in Photography and Film and I and am about to complete an MA in Film at the University of Wales Newport. If I ever have any spare time I like to play my guitar, eat and sleep!The ProjectEnough about me, what about the project? Well it has three main branches:Education Nature Path The Web Firstly, the project is an educational project aiming to teach people about the natural history of the forest, sustainability and a lot more besides. During the school term I shall be running workshops for schools inside the woodland here at St Fagans. The workshops will incorporate such activities as mini-beast identification, tree biology, PE and Art. During the school holidays I will be running activities for families based on a woodland theme.Secondly, the project aims to put a new nature path in place. This will run through Beech woodland to the rear of the Celtic Village where a new entrance shall be in place. Along the path there will be interpretive panels with information about the natural history of the Beech Wood and uses of woodland throughout history. I’m also hoping to get a chainsaw sculptor in to make some interesting carvings and the new Celtic Village interpreter Ian Daniel is hopefully going to make some wooden carvings of figures from Celtic mythology.Thirdly, the project will go online. Wildlife camera specialists Eco-Watch (who did BBC Springwatch) are going to help put in nest box cameras, bird table cameras and pond dipping cameras ready for the spring. In addition I shall be filming and taking photos throughout the year and posting pictures and movies on the web to keep you abreast of the latest developments.The wildlife here is pretty impressive with Lesser Horseshoe Bats roosting in the barns, Great Crested Newts in the ponds and mind boggling varieties of Insects, Birds and Mammals; I think I’ve got my work cut out for me! The website will also feature educational games and resources for teachers as well as links to this blog and to other websites dedicated to woodland wildlife.I’m going to aim to write on here once a month, but I’ll write extra bits when really interesting things happen! In the meantime have a look at these websites to find out more about woodlands and the animals that live there:BBC Autumnwatch BBC Springwatch The Woodland Trust Nature Detectives RSPBHere are some photos that I've taken recently: The Exploring Our Woodlands project is funded by Legal & General and Cardiff Council through Cardiff Council Communities Landfill Trust;
Traditional fishing practices on the Severn Estuary 25 September 2007 The lave net. Blackrock Lave Net Fishermen, beside the Second Severn Crossing. From left to right: Bob Leonard, Richard Morgan a Martin Morgan. The centuries-old fishing method of 'Lave Net fishing' continues along the banks of the River Severn. The waters of the Severn Estuary are among the most dangerous in Wales but this has not deterred generations of fishermen from fishing its rich waters for salmon. Traditional Welsh methods of catching salmon survived particularly strongly in the area. Within living memory a range of methods were used, including putcher ranks, stopping boats, putts, drift nets and lave netting. Lave Net fishing is the only traditional method to have survived into the 21st century. Unique historic significance The number of lave netsmen has declined over the years and now can only be seen in the area of the Second Severn Crossing close to the villages of Sudbrook and Portskewett in Monmouthshire. The Blackrock Lave Net Fishermen Association, carry on a tradition that has a unique cultural and historical significance. Fish are caught at low tides, known as spring tides, using a hand-held net. At one time fishermen were allowed to fish from February to August but this has since been restricted from June to August. At most, they can fish for an hour and a half at a time depending on weather conditions. Fishing commences as it always has with the fishermen going down to the shore at Black Rock standing where their grandfathers and great-grandfathers once stood. The basic technique for lave fishing is simple, the hand-staff is held in one hand and the headboard with the other, whilst the fingers are entwined in the bottom of the mesh feeling for the fish. The net is positioned in front of the fisherman, to face the run of the water. The fishermen consider wind direction and the height of the tide, with the optimum conditions being flat and calm. At one time there was no need to divide the catch as there was sufficient salmon for everyone. Times have changed and commercial fishing using the lave net has not been viable on the estuary since before the Second World War. Prior to 1939 the fish were sent to Billingsgate Market in London. The lave netsmen are as skilled as their forefathers but due to the diminishing fish stocks they are lucky if they catch more than a dozen fish for the season. They fish to keep their centuries old craft alive as Martin Morgan, Secretary of the Association explains "Lave fishing has a tradition going back a thousand years in Wales. My great-grandfather was a fisherman and passed his skills on through the family". Background Reading Severn Tide by Brian Waters. Published by J.M. & Sons Ltd (1947). Nets and Coracles by J. Geraint Jenkins. Published by David and Charles (1974).
