Croeso i’r cylchlythyr.
Welcome to the latest edition of A Word From Wales- the weekly newsletter for the Welsh Diaspora wherever you maybe in the world. The newsletter gives you a flavour of some of the events in “yr hen wlad” over the past week or so. In this edition, the Welsh Rugby Union’s decision to ban a popular song, a new film production venture on Ynys Mon, and concerns over the continuing deterioration of a landmark building in the Welsh non-conformist tradition.
Welsh rugby off key on the pitch and off the pitch
There was not much to report back after Wales’s first outing in the Six Nations Rugby Tournament on Saturday, with Wales totally outclassed by Ireland, 34-10.
A dismal return for coach Warren Gatland who was invited back to the role after the departure of previous coach Wayne Pivac.
But the major talking point of the fixture centred on an off-field decision taken beforehand by the Welsh Rugby Union- to ban the playing of the song Delilah by Welsh icon Tom Jones.
The rugby union has been embroiled in a huge internal scandal recently involving misogyny and bullying at very high levels, which led to the resignation of its chairman Steve Phillips.
Their PR department then took the decision to take Delilah off the play-list of the pre-match band at the Principality Stadium- a song about a man who stabs his lover to death after witnessing her unfaithfulness with another man.
Some applauded the decision saying the song was totally inappropriate and should have been banned years ago.
Others saw it as pure deflection by the WRU, in order to take attention away from its internal travails.
With other commentators arguing that if the WRU were genuine about tackling domestic violence, rather than banning a song, they should instead seek to ban alcohol from the stadium on match days. As there are many studies attesting to the fact that domestic violence always peaks in Wales at times of rugby internationals which invariably feature copious amounts of alcohol consumption.
More generally, it could be argued that this type of “gesture politics” by the WRU- trying to police popular songs- is just a slippery slope which could lead to all kind of unanticipated complications if taken to its logical conclusion.
Should the popular tune “Men of Harlech” be banned as it glorifies the killing of Zulus for example?
Or indeed should “Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau” be banned as it glorifies the loss of blood to defend the motherland?
Altogether it seems to be another PR disaster for the Welsh Rugby Union.
And with the on-field performance also so poor on Saturday, there seems no hiding place now for this organisation which has traditionally wielded so much power in Wales for so many years.
A brighter song for beleagured island
With the WRU hitting all the wrong notes on and off the pitch, a brighter song is emerging at the oposite end of the country, in Ynys Mon.
With the opening of Aria in Llangefni- a new studio production facility- supported by Rondo, S4C and the Welsh Government.
The facility will include two large studio and performance areas, which can be used for television and film purposes. Already the popular S$C soap opera “Rownd a Rownd” is based at the studio.
Such a media investment on Ynys Mon has been a long time coming. A creative sector has flourished in Caernarfon over the water over the past twenty years or so, but curiously, the island hasn’t been able to replicate this success at all.
But now, with the opening of Aria, there are hopes that this could be the starting point and that it will lead to other media spin-offs in Llangefni and the surrounding area.
Which can hopefully provide new employment opportunities on an island which has seen so many job losses over recent years, and an exodus of young people in particular, in search of greener pastures.
With the natural beauty of the island, the studios could also be a real attraction for some new film productions both home-grown and from further afield.
The sorry state of Eglwys Princes Road, Lerpwl by today
Iconic “Welsh Cathedral” continues to decline
Further concerns were expressed last week about the condition of Eglwys Princes Road, Liverpool- once known as the “Cathedral of Welsh Non-Conformism”
Princes Road used to be the focal point for the Welsh community in Liverpool during the 19th century and up to the middle part of the 20th century.
With several notable Welsh preachers serving at the church over the generations, John Williams Brynsiencyn, R.Hywel Williams and Oswy Davies.
And thousands of children, young people and adults passing through its doors for religious, cultural and educational purposes through the medium of Welsh.
But since its closure in 1976, the building has been left unused and has just continued to decline year by year.
A social regeneration initiative did purchase the building some years back, but for some reason they have been unable to proceed with their plans to renovate the building.
Last week “Vista Pictures”- a popular photographic site in Liverpool- posted several pictures of the church expressing concerns that its condition now posed a safety to passers-by with slates and so on being dislodged by high winds.
He argued there should be some immediate health and safety funding which could be accessed by Liverpool City Council to make the building safe.
Bearing in mind the importance of Princes Road to the Welsh Story in Liverpool for so many generations, it seems a scandal that there had not been more home-grown efforts back home to safeguard the site.
Questions could be asked of the Presbyterian Church of Wales and other cultural organisations in Wales why they have been so loath to save Princes Road for the nation.
With the right will and motivation, it would seem to be the perfect place to build a permanent memorial to the importance of the Welsh presence in Liverpool for so many years.
Perhaps somebody could also start a petition about this to the Welsh Government as well.
A dyna ni am wythnos arall.
We’ll see you again next week.
I personally find the continued use of Ponce Willy's feathers far more offensive.