Welcome to Camau - Newsletter for Menter Iaith Sir y Fflint!
Tegeingl – The Festival of Hidden Folk 15 & 16 August 2008
Tegeingl – The Festival of Hidden Folk will be on your doorstep soon so remember to come and support. A huge yellow and green marquee will be raised on Mold Rugby Club pitch and the following artists from Wales, England, Ireland, Canada and Poland will be there to entertain all: Steve and Martha Tilston, Fern Hill, Les Barker, Ceolta Si, Dawnswyr Nantgarw, Jez Lowe, Crasdant, Bella Hardy, Siân James, Eileen McGann and David K and Pen Tennyn. There will also be a whole host of other activities including meet the artist, informal instrumental and sing-along sessions. There will be plenty of entertainment for the family with ball pools for toddlers, an old fashioned Fun Fair, puppet show, nursery rhymes with Siân James, Art and Craft and local story tellers. There will also be harp, fiddle, clog dancing, Welsh Poetry and Welsh Taster Sessions free for all for anyone who wishes to turn their hands to a new skill.
Mei Mac will be keeping order at the Poetry Slam. And the competitive spirit will be alive and kicking in the Traditional Music Group and Young Musician Competitions. David Jones, Wrexham (English) and Meri Roberts Plas-Ym-Mhowys (Welsh) will give lectures on Lady Herbert Lewis, Caerwys and her Edison Phonograph will be on display. The Rugby Club are offering camping facilities, and there will be an opportunity to taste local produce at the licensed market. There are still a few spaces left if any one would like to book a stall.Your support is crucial to the success of this exciting new venture. Remember to visit www.tegeingl.com to order your tickets.Annual General Meeting
Our AGM was held at the Futures@Holywell centre on the 12/06/08. We are glad to announce that all the current directors were re-elected with one addition. The Menter Iaith
Directors for 2008-2009 are:
Chair: Harri Bryn Jones
Dylan Jones
Nia Wyn Jones
Huw Alun Roberts
Pedr Wynn Jones
Gwawr Cordiner
Geraint Brython Edwards
Our guest Speaker on the night was Meic Raymant, North Wales Police’s Welsh Language Advisor. It was encouraging to hear of their commitment to their Welsh Language Scheme. They treat the Welsh language as a critical skill, and an understanding of the Welsh language is a matter of safety for an emergency service like the police. Every member of the service in north Wales receives training on Language Awareness and Sensitivity, and staff are expected to show basic language courtesy. Recently the bar has been raised, and since January this year all new recruits to the force need to demonstrate oral Welsh language skills to Level 2 prior to joining and achieve level 3 before the end of their probationary period. Also since the 1st of January this year, all staff seeking promotion need to demonstrate oral Welsh skills to level 2 before they become eligible to enter the process.
Come and chat!
Could your spare a few hours per month to talk Welsh? Menter Iaith Sir y Fflint run a number of Welsh Chat Sessions across the county to give learners the chance to practice their Welsh outside the class in social situations. Experience of teaching is not required, just an experience of talking!! If you can help, please contact Ellie on 01352 755614 or ellie@menteriaithsiryfflint.co.ukRemember to come and practice your Welsh over the summer holidays:
| Where | Day | Time |
| Pavilion Cafe,Flint | Wednesday | 10:30am-12:00pm |
| Deeside College, Connah’s Quay | Wednesday | 12:30pm-13:00pm |
| Ruthin Castle Pub, Mold | Wednesday | 8:30pm-10:00pm |
| Daniel Owen Centre Cafe, Mold | Thursday | 10:00am – 11:30am |
| Bistro, County Hall, Mold | Thursday | 12:30pm – 1:30pm |
| Blue Bell Pub, Halkyn | Thursday | 7:00pm - 8:30pm |
May Day Celebrations!
We had a very busy week during the Language on Tour Week 2008. Many thanks to all the partners that were involved in activities to promote the language across the county. Here are the Welsh Horticulture College flower arranging group with Bethan Gwanas, children at Toybox Nursery at Deeside College enjoying Mr Urdd’s company, and Clwb C3 watching Wrexham’s last game in the league at the Race Course. Click on the pictures to discover out more!
Approximately 150 children came together to celebrate the 11th Cadi Ha Festival. Holywell High Street was a blur of colour and dancing. Congratulations to Ysgol Gewnffrwd and Ysgol yr Esgob for attending all 11 Cadi Ha Festivals. The highlight of the day for the older dancers was performing on the lawn at Plas Pen Uchaf, Caerwys with the permission of Mrs Nest Price. Mrs Price is the grand-daughter of Lady Herbert Lewis, who made the original recordings of Holywell residents singing the Cadi Ha at the beginning of the last century.
Click on the picture to see a slide show of some of the pictures from the Cadi Ha!
Language and Heritage Project
The Menter has secured funding of £130,000 under the Welsh Rural Development Plan to run a three year project until February 2011. The grant application was approved by the Flintshire Rural Partnership to fund two exciting projects. We will be looking to appoint a Language and Heritage Officer with the funding, that will raise awareness and teach residents and visitors to the county about the history of the language in the context of an area that lies on the border with England, it’s literary, historic and artistic culture and the Anglo-Welsh influences on the language over the years. Contact Gwawr Cordiner for an application pack. The grant will also fund a Feasibility Study to develop, build and operate a Language Technium as a centre specific to provide bilingual services to the communities of Flintshire. The consultation process will start during winter 2008. Language and Heritage Project
Ieuenctid y Fro
Theatr FfM
Kids Play
Flintshire County Council will be providing two Welsh Medium Play Schemes over the summer holidays. The sessions will run between 21st July to 22nd August, from Monday to Friday.
| Where | When |
| Queen Street, Treuddyn | 10.30 - 12.30am |
| Ysgol Maes Garmon | 1.30 - 3.30pm |
The Halkyn Cylch Ti a Fi is going from strength to strength since its launch during the Language on Tour Week in May. They meet weekly in Halkyn Old Library every Tuesday morning between 9.30-11.00 am. There is a warm welcome everyone. Contact Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin for information on your local Cylch 01978 363422 or marian.antrobus@mym.co.uk To encourage children to play through the medium of Welsh in the playground, our Children and Youth Officer has been busy teaching Welsh Playground Games to children in Year 4 at Ysgol Croes Atti, Flint over the last month. The children’s homework was to find out what games their parents and grandparents played during their childhood.
Mentrau Iaith Cymru Exchange Scheme
Our Children and Young People’s Officer will be taking a group of young people from the Youth Forum of the Menter Iaith to the Conway Centre in Llanfairpwll on the 19th of July. The young people will have an opportunity to mix with a group from the Menter Môn Youth Forum whilst learning to climb, as part of the Mentrau Iaith Cymru Exchange Scheme.
Poetry Workshop and Family Twmpath
Planned for the Autumn term is a Poetry Workshop with Mei Mac in Gwenffrwd and Croes Atti schools, and a family Twmpath in Bagillt. More information will be on our website shortly.
Battle of the Bands
The winners of this years final on 02/07/08 were The Offbeats. This is a project that encourages young bands to develop and compete nationally, that is organised between Mentrau Iaith Cymru and C2 Radio Cymru.
Beating Like a Drum
The Cambria Band helped us launch our first newsletter during the Cadi Ha festival. This marching band have been in existence for two years now, and played locally, nationally and internationally! The band practice on Thursday night at the St Mary’s Church Hall, Mold. New members are more than welcome. For more information, phone 07957173262. To see more about the Band, click on the photo. To see them performing at the Cadi Ha, click here!
Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gig
The Taith Tafod Gig will be visiting Mold Rugby club on Friday 25/07/08, with Derwyddon Dr Gonzo, and the Clwyd Forum will be held on Saturday 26/07/08. Contact Osian Jones the north Wales Officer on gogledd@cymdeithas.org or 01286 662908 for more information Menter Iaith Membership
Menter Iaith Sir y Fflint is a Company Limited by Guarantee with seven Directors, four members of staff and nearly 70 members. The main objective of the company is to"promote and extend the use of the Welsh language in Flintshire" We recognise that it is only through the support of our volunteers throughout Flintshire and beyond that we are able to meet our objectives. Membership is available to anyone who shares this vision, and all members are invited to the Annual General Meeting to elect Directors