大象传媒

Sunday secrets

"My grandmother had two hats. One she wore when scrubbing the floor and the other she wore on Sundays.

The highlight of my Grandmother's week was going to chapel. She never went anywhere else as far as we knew. On Sundays she dressed in her best black clothes, complemented by gloves, her chapel hat, and her Bible. I remember once telling my father that she creaked as she walked along. 'Ah', he said, 'Gwich y Gwrach' - 'The Creak of the Witch'.

On Sundays we too changed into tidy clothes... and then walked together up the narrow road that led to Capel Ebenezer.

My brother and I spoke no Welsh then, and in chapel at the end of every meeting would come the moment we dreaded. Someone would stand up and give out notices which always ended in the same way, '...a wedyn, croeso i wyr and wyres Mrs Tilt - Jennifer and Adrian'. Then everyone in the chapel would slowly turn and look at us. We were always embarrassed, but could feel our Grandma quivering with pride besides us.

On the road home to Grandma's cottage, where I now live, we passed the old milestone telling us it was four miles to Lampeter. There, according to Grandma, was the devil and all his works. However, as soon as we got home, after a bowl of bara t锚, we always settled down to a game of Newmarket, which we played for ha'pennies. Close at hand would be a thick velour tablecloth. At any sign of visitors this was thrown over the evidence so that any caller thought that we were just having a proper family Sunday-quiet conversation round an empty table.

Now, thanks to Grandma's Sunday tuition I am still an expert card shuffler."

Please tell us a little about yourself.
I am of Cardiganshire descent - both my grandmothers were born and raised in South Cardiganshire - Betws Bledrws and Cilcennin. I went to school in Aberystwyth, then England. I lived in Germany (BAOR), Nigeria, East Pakistan, and Indonesia - then worked for the Halle Orchestra (PA to the Chief Conductor, poor soul). Then I worked in London and eventually came back to Lampeter in 1994 to do a degree and also did a wonderful course in Cultural Landscape and Archaeology which led on to my present interest in Genealogy and local history. I live in the cottage where my Grandmother lived and currently teach a Family and House History course in the University of Wales, Lampeter and am a member of their Student Support Team. I have a lot of involvement with the local community, and in researching both my family and the local history. My Welsh IS improving (or so I tell myself).

What's your story about?
My story is about my Grandmother and how my brother and I spent Sundays with her long ago, in the Llangybi of the 1950s. I wanted to encapsulate one of the many happy days we spent with Hannah - and also, from a practical viewpoint, I had photos to fit the story.

What did you find most rewarding about the workshop?
Meeting all the other very interesting people, both local and the 大象传媒 team, who took part in the four days VERY HARD WORK!
Quite apart from learning potentially very useful new skills and techie things it was great meeting people who were all "aware" - and all interested in life and community - and all good fun! It was definitely a community enhancing experience.
Hopefully we will be able to meet each other again. [I meet someone in town who said - ah yes, you're the card sharp - dearie me!]

Your comments

"I thought this story was/is wonderful, it made me think of my mum!" Laura Cairns from Welshpool.