He was a farmhand and then a caretaker with the County Council in 'that big place in Llangefni', as he called it. Apart from a period in the army, he spent his whole life in Rhos-y-ffordd. He was well known as an actor, author of plays for local drama companies, producer and popular lecturer. He wrote two classic volumes of memoirs: Y Gŵr o Baradwys (1963) and Tân yn y Siambar ['A Fire in the Bedroom'] (1966). In 1971 J. Elwyn Hughes edited the volume Cribinion ['Gleanings'], which includes essays in honour of Ifan Gruffydd and a selection of his own essays. One of these is 'Cariad Cyntaf' ['First Love'], a written version of the memories in the story, recorded on tape MWL 1635.
