yn yr ardd (in the garden) Page 8
Bob Donaldson
Saxons, Vikings, and Celts is the first scientific, DNA-based study of the people of the British Isles. Geneticist Bryan Sykes, of Oxford University, headed a team of DNA researchers in a systematic ten-year survey of over 10,000 volunteers from across England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland and America. Although the results of these studies have primarily expanded our view of history, it has given us a remarkable revolutionary tool with which to study it. Also, new insights into archaeology, anthropology and genealogy have been acquired. Listed as SCIENCE/GENETICS, this study is presented in a simplified version and is both easy and enjoyable to the reader. All those interested in their genealogy, especially those with a Celtic background, should read this book. Other books by Bryan Sykes include: The Seven Daughters of Eve and Adam’s Curse.
Tegwyn Lantz
The Welsh Almanac, T.D. Breverton, July 2002. For each day of the year, the author has chosen several notable Welsh historical events and has included a pertinent quote of the day. Examples of events include birth dates of memorable Welsh men and women, rugby victories, interesting trivia, as well as mining disasters and turning points in battles of long ago. There is even room to write in your family and friends' birthdates/anniversaries making this book a wonderful treasure to refer to year after year. (I was pleased to be able to attend both of his seminars at NAFOW. The first was about Welsh pirates and the other was on William Williams -- seaman, adventurer and first American novelist.)
Jeanne Jones Jindra
I just finished The Welsh Girl by Peter Ho Davies, a novel set in a small village in Snowdonia during the end of WWII. The interaction of the local “Welshies”, German POW’s, and the always-hated British officers makes for a compelling mix of love, family, loyalty and national identity. A subplot involves interaction between a German-Jewish interrogator and the notorious Rudolf Hess, who is also a POW in Wales. This novel is a fairly quick read, especially if you are well-versed on war history.
Donna Boyce
A Writer’s House in Wales by Jan Morris
This visit to the Morris’ home is written as if the reader is actually with the author – “There’s a bold iron bell beside the door ... meant to be a doorbell … we’ll use it ourselves … isn’t that the whine of a vacuum cleaner? She is hastily cleaning up for your arrival.” The descriptions of the house and grounds, the author’s rooms and treasured items, and people of the neighborhood are intertwined with bits and pieces of Welsh history, legend and lore, and the writer’s insights of the meanings of Welshness. A delightful, quick read from an author of over forty books. (Check the “yn yr ardd” column on this page for an excerpt from A Writer’s House in Wales)
Editor’s Note: I would like to hear about books you’ve read by Welsh authors or with Welsh themes. Send a short review to dragontalesnews[at]sbcglobal[dot]net or to Dragon Tales, %WSCO, P.O. Box 12023, Columbus, OH, 43212. Please include your name and contact information in case I have questions.
yn yr ardd (in the garden) – a new column featuring a potpourri (oops, that’s a French word, not Welsh) of Welsh-related garden and plant information: plants that grow in Wales in case you want to “go Welsh” in your own yard, interesting gardens in Wales, web links. We’ll see what pops up as the column “grows.”
From A writer’s house in Wales by Jan Morris
“Honeysuckle, the Welsh symbol of fidelity, clambers here and there, the ivy traditionally stands for permanence, and I hope there is a rowan tree somewhere about, to guard us against demons. There is certainly a white quartz stone set in a wall, essential for warding off the Evil Eye … In the spring snowdrops, primroses and daffodils sprout all over the place, among scrambled rhododendrons and azaleas. Here and there blackberry brambles show signs of aggression. Ferns proliferate not in the domesticated way the Victorians loved, but with an almost drunken abundance. Ivy and Virginia creeper threaten to smother the house...”
(there is a review of this book on this page in the WSCO’s Library column)
From Wales --
A garden created by the Cardiff County Council and inspired by the Sci-fi show Doctor Who, which is made by BBC Wales and filmed extensively in Cardiff, won the prestigious Silver Gilt Award at the May, 2007, Chelsea Flower Show in London. The garden was officially unveiled by Welsh singer Katherine Jenkins and proved to be a big hit with the Queen when she visited the Flower Show.
“A Garden in Time” featured the Tardis (a time machine and spacecraft) as the centerpiece of the dual garden which contrasted a typical 1960s urban garden, when Doctor Who was first on TV screens, with a modern day garden emphasizing an awareness of sustainability, recycling and climate change to commemorate the filming of the show’s new series.
The series, which can be seen on BBC America, is written and produced by Welshman Russell Davies.