2 the Story of Wales

Week/Wythnos 9 February/Chwefror 25 - March/Mawrth 2, 2012

Pages/Tudalennau:

2 The Story of Wales: The Makings of Wales 3 The Story of Wales: Power Struggles 3 Welsh Towns 4 Helicopter Rescue 5 BBC National Orchestra of Wales 6 Six Nations: England v Wales 7 Scrum V Live: Ospreys v Warriors 8 Pobol y Cwm

Places of interest/Llefydd o ddiddordeb:

Bangor 2 Brecon 3 Caerleon 2 Caernarfon 4 Cardiff 5 Gower 2 Llandwrog 4 Llyn 4 Newport 4 Pontypridd 4 Snowdon 4 Swansea 6

Pictures are available at www.bbcpictures.com/Lluniau ar gael yn www.bbcpictures.com

NOTE TO EDITORS: All details correct at time of going to press, but programmes are liable to change. Please check with BBC Cymru Wales Communications before publishing.

NODYN I OLYGYDDION: Mae’r manylion hyn yn gywir wrth fynd i’r wasg, ond mae rhaglenni yn gallu newid. Cyn cyhoeddi gwybodaeth, cysylltwch â’r Adran Gyfathrebu.

THE STORY OF WALES: THE MAKINGS OF WALES Monday, February 27, BBC One Wales, 9pm www.bbc.co.uk/storyofwales

Broadcaster Huw Edwards presents The Story of Wales, one of BBC Cymru Wales’s most ambitious series ever - epic in its scale, and covering 30,000 years of the Welsh nation’s history from the ice age to the information age.

The Story of Wales is packed with heroes and triumphs, grand dreams and great endeavours. From a land of story-tellers, this is the story of the land itself and the people who’ve shaped it.

Shot on location across the country, with dramatic reconstructions and impressive CGI, Huw starts the six-part series with a recreation of the earliest known human burial in Western Europe - that of the “Red Lady” of Paviland in Gower - 30,000 years ago.

In the first programme Huw also looks at what markings on an ancient tomb in Bangor can reveal about Wales’s contact with Europe at the time, travels to Caerleon to review the latest findings about the Roman settlement there and examines the Age of the Saints.

Jenny Walford THE STORY OF WALES: POWER STRUGGLES Thursday, March 1, BBC One Wales, 9pm bbc.co.uk/storyofwales

In the second episode of The Story of Wales, broadcaster Huw Edwards visits the longest ancient monument in Britain, Offa’s Dyke, built in the 8th century, and marking the first territorial border between what would become England and Wales.

Though the people behind the dyke were often thought of as uncivilised, Huw discovers there is evidence of a sophisticated people as he visits a crannog - an artificial island - in Llangorse lake in the Brecon Beacons, where a royal palace once stood.

Huw also looks into the legacy of Hywel Dda, who gave Wales its first written laws - some with a surprisingly modern flavour - visits the abbey at Strata Florida in Ceredigion, reviews the impact of the death of Llywelyn the Last, acknowledged by the English King as Prince of Wales, and tells of the rebellious exploits of probably Wales’s greatest hero, Owain Glyndŵr, who anointed himself with the latter title after being roundly snubbed by Parliament when he took a grievance to them.

Jenny Walford

WELSH TOWNS: NEWPORT Monday, February 27, BBC One Wales, 10.35pm

Once the largest town in Wales and now its newest city, Newport owes much of its importance to the river that runs through it. The Usk has some of the biggest tides in the world and has been an important natural harbour for centuries.

The city started life at the top of Stow Hill, where St Gwynllyw established a religious centre. As the town grew through trade and commerce the centre moved to the riverbanks. But it was the industrial revolution which made modern Newport, as thousands of ships exported coal and iron around the world.

Newport, birthplace of presenter Eddie Butler, has always attracted immigrants who have added to its unique character. In the 19th century thousands of victims of the Irish potato famine came to the growing port - in the mid-20th century it was immigrants from Asia and the Caribbean. The vibrant culture they created had a lasting legacy - and had a lasting influence on one former Newport resident: Joe Strummer, the lead singer of punk band The Clash.

Jenny Walford HELICOPTER RESCUE Wednesday, February 29, BBC One Wales, 7.30pm

In the final episode of the three-part series Helicopter Rescue, harrowing events unfold when the Swanland ship is tragically hit by stormy seas off the Llŷn Peninsula. With five men missing it’s one of the most challenging rescues yet for the RAF Search and Rescue Force.

Elsewhere, as walker Peter Whitton calls for help from Snowdon’s Pyg Track, what began as a routine rescue suddenly turns perilous when icy low cloud threatens the Sea King’s ability to climb to his aid.

And as the Search and Rescue Force celebrates 70 years of life saving, the sole survivor of the first pioneering RAF Mountain Rescue Team reveals the perils of the job during the war years. Tom Scudamore, 93, originally from Pontypridd, was a young officer in RAF Llandwrog, near Caernarfon, when the first RAF Mountain Rescue Team was founded there in 1943.

Mari Williams

BBC NATIONAL ORCHESTRA OF WALES Thursday, March 1, St David’s Hall, Cardiff, 7.30pm bbc.co.uk/now

Welsh soloists Catrin Finch and Rosemary Joshua join the BBC National Orchestra of Wales for their annual St David’s Day Gala Concert. The concert celebrates the music of Wales, featuring works by some of Wales’s greatest composers - including Gareth Glyn, Grace Williams, Dilys Elwyn-Edwards and Morfydd Owen.

During the concert, harpist Catrin Finch will be performing an arrangement of Rodrigo’s famous Concierto de Aranjuez and soprano Rosemary Joshua will be singing a selection of popular Welsh songs, including Suo Gân and Mae Hiraeth yn y Môr.

The Orchestra will also be joined by primary school pupils from across Wales, who will be performing as part of CânSing - a new Wales-wide initiative designed to raise the profile and standard of singing across Wales.

Tickets are priced at £10 to £26 (discounts available) and are available by calling 0800 052 1812.

Highlights from the concert will be broadcast on BBC Radio Cymru on Sunday, March 4.

David Hopkins SIX NATIONS: ENGLAND V WALES TV/radio/online - Saturday, February 25 (KO 4pm)

Wales face England at Twickenham this afternoon in the 2012 Six Nations, with the possibility of doing something no Wales team has ever achieved - lifting the Triple Crown on English soil.

John Inverdale presents live coverage of the game on BBC One Wales and BBC HD in Six Nations: England v Wales from 3.30pm. Joining John in the studio will be Jeremy Guscott and Jonathan Davies, while match commentary comes from Eddie Butler and Brian Moore. BBC Cymru Wales is also supplying live coverage to S4C in Y Clwb Rygbi Rhyngwladol introduced by Gareth Roberts with guests Nicky Robinson, Gareth Edwards and Shane Williams. Commentary is from Huw Llywelyn Davies and Gwyn Jones and the analysis is from Brynmor Williams with Dot Davies reporting from pitch-side and interviewing some well-known faces as they arrive at the ground.

After a stunning start to their 2012 Six Nations campaign with wins against Ireland and Scotland under their belts, hopes will be high for Warren Gatland’s young team to keep the momentum going this afternoon. England also come to the game with wins against Scotland and Italy in their opening 2012 Six Nations matches.

BBC Radio Wales - your Six Nations station - will have all the build-up to the big game including The Back Page with Simon Davies from 8.30am with a full preview of the game. Then from 9am Owen Money is live from Old Deer Park in Richmond in a specially extended edition of Money For Nothing with all the latest news and atmosphere ahead of the Six Nations clash. From 11.30am Wales’s star of the comedy circuit Rhod Gilbert takes over the mic from Owen live from Deer Park with all the build up to the game. Mark Poyser has full live coverage of the game in Radio Wales Sport from 1.30pm, while BBC Radio Cymru will have full live commentary from the game in Camp Lawn from 2pm.

On Sunday, February 26 on BBC One Wales join Jason Mohammad and Lisa Rogers at the BBC Wales Rugby Club for the latest Scrum V Six Nations Special from 10.25pm. The programme will feature extensive highlights and in-depth analysis of Wales’s performance in the game with special guests Gwyn Jones, Josh Lewsey and Michael Owen.

Nigel Partridge SCRUM V LIVE: OSPREYS V WARRIORS Friday, March 2, BBC Two Wales, 7pm (KO 7.05pm)

It’s Round 17 of the Pro 12 and the high flying Ospreys welcome the Warriors to Swansea on Friday night.

Ross Harries presents live coverage on BBC Two Wales in Scrum V Live: Ospreys v Warriors from 7pm. Ross is joined at the Liberty Stadium by Robert Jones for expert analysis. Commentary is from Jonathan Davies and Gareth Charles. Viewers can press the Red Button while the game is in play for the Scrum V Red Zone for extra commentaries, including Welsh language and Rick O’Shea.

Directly following the game, Jason Mohammad returns with all the action, news, reaction and reviews from the best of Welsh sport in Sport Wales from 9pm.

Nigel Partridge

POBOL Y CWM Llun-Gwener, Chwefror 27-2 Mawrth, BBC Cymru ar S4C, 8pm Monday-Friday, February 27-2 March, BBC Wales on S4C, 8pm bbc.co.uk/pobolycwm

Daw Sheryl i ddysgu mwy am fywyd cudd Gethin a theimla gywilydd nad oedd wedi dyfalu dim cyn hyn. Caiff wybod bod gan ei chariad wraig, ac yn fwy na hynny, bod ganddo fab ifanc o’r enw Daniel, ac mae Sheryl yn torri ei chalon. Mae Gethin yn erfyn am gyfle i egluro ond mae’n creu mwy o gwestiynau yn hytrach na’u hateb. Tybed a fydd Sheryl yn cael goleuni ar y mater gan Moc?

Mewn anobaith llwyr am ei beichiogrwydd, nid yw Ffion yn teimlo y gall hi ymddiried mewn dim heblaw’r botel. Ond mae Iolo yn sylwi bod rhywbeth mawr yn bod arni ac yn cynnig cefnogaeth. Mae hi’n cyfaddef wrtho am ei sefyllfa ac yntau yn ymbil arni i beidio peryglu ei hun na’r babi yn fwy drwy yfed. Ceisia Iolo ei orau glas i’w darbwyllo yn erbyn cael erthyliad ond a fydd hi’n gwrando?

Mae siom i Cadno wrth iddi sylweddoli nad yw ei breuddwyd o brynu’r fferm yn edrych yn debygol. Caiff Eileen Penrhewl wedi ei brisio gan arwerthwyr ond nid yw Eifion yn cymryd sylw o ofnau ei bartner gan annog Eileen i barhau gyda’r gwerthiant.

 Sheryl learns more about Gethin’s double life and she’s ashamed to realise that she had no idea what was happening under her nose. She finds out that her boyfriend has a wife, and even a young son called Daniel, and is heartbroken. Gethin pleads for an opportunity to explain himself but this leads to more unanswered questions. Will Moc be able to shed any more light on the matter?

In complete despair about her pregnancy, Ffion feels that the bottle is her only friend. But Iolo realises that something’s wrong and offers his support. She confides in him about her situation and he begs her not to make things worse for herself or the baby by drinking. Iolo tries his very best to persuade her against an abortion but will she listen?

Cadno faces disappointment as she realises that her dream of buying the farm lies in tatters. Eileen has had Penrhewl officially valued and the price is just too high for them. But Eifion won’t give in and encourages her to go ahead with the sale.

Meleri Thomas