From the London Welsh Trust l and Association at Grays Inn Road LWMai/May 2012 • Rhif/Issue 63 CL £2.00 www.londonwelsh.org Philip Madoc tribute P13 Cylchgrawn Cymry Llundain The magazine of the London Welsh 2 LW CLl O’R GANOLFAN/FROM THE CENTRE Reshaping ‘the trinity’ - new constitution will deliver strength for growth The London Welsh Centre is on the move. namely, delivering a constitution that can Our new Chief Executive Rhian Jones and support our ambitious plans. At the meeting her team are taking the Centre forward the Trustees will be proposing important with new ideas, publicity and above all hard changes that will reshape the organisations work. In the last three months we staged that make up the “Centre” (the London Welsh our first “St David’s Day Festival”, a series Trust, the London Welsh Association and the of successful Six Nations days, a Swansea London Welsh Association Club) to make City supporters’ evening, a photograph them more transparent and user-friendly. exhibition, a Welsh student gig and built on The fact that the Centre has three our Welsh teaching programme. Iain organisations based within it will surprise Richards as Cultural Development Officer many and very few of those that know they is coordinating these activities into a exist have a clear understanding of the coherent cultural programme that will governance structure of the Centre. Our Aleine, Alex and Iola evolve to serve the full range of interests structure is costing us money in lost gift aid, within the London Welsh community. As this programme develops and leaves the Centre potentially exposed to regulatory and Rhian and Iain are doing a great job building our reputation as a operational difficulties as our procedures are overtaken by high-profile Welsh venue in London and they deserve our full technological developments and recent charity and company support. Please contact Iain with ideas for cultural events you would legislation. Moreover, we need to attract new skills and input at a like to see at the Centre, and keep up-to-date at Trustee level. The current over-complicated constitution www.londowelsh.org.uk , on Facebook (search Canolfan Cymry discourages new faces simply because they do not have the time to Llundain) and on Twitter @LondonWelshCCLL. trawl through a library of paperwork to understand their role. We Rhian has recently faced a particular challenge caused by the hope to address both these issues by updating the constitution with retirement of two valuable members of staff. Aleine Kearsley and changes that will be proposed at the AGM. Iola Bilson have given many years of loyal service to the Centre and The changes will not result in any immediate modifications to on behalf of the Trustees I want to thank them as they begin their the look of the Centre. Over time however we are confident that the retirement. New faces at the Centre will do their best to replace Iola changes will equip the Centre with a constitution that will allow us and Aleine so please make the new staff members feel welcome. to expand our activities, strengthen our governance and grow and There will be a great opportunity to meet all the staff and the prosper for decades to come. We have taken independent legal volunteers involved in the running of the Centre at the AGM on 11th advice and are proposing the changes as the right balance of June 2012. This year, as in 2011, we will be celebrating the efficiency, transparency and good governance. You will be able to achievements of the past twelve months. If you would like to see the details of the proposed changes on our website in due nominate individuals or groups for special recognition for their course. On behalf of the Trustees I encourage you to support them service to the Centre this year, please send a short email or letter to at the AGM. Rhian or myself at the Centre. We continue to look for more One of the reasons for changing the constitution is to allow the support at an Officer Centre to claim gift aid on the entire amount of your membership LWC Ll - The Magazine of the London Welsh and Trustee level. If subscriptions. This change will be a cost-free boost to the Centre’s you are interested in income but will require the account into which subscriptions are Published by The London Welsh Association. 157 Grays Inn Road, London WCIX 8UE. helping the Centre paid (and therefore standing orders) to be changed. We will also Telephone: 020 7837 3722 by becoming a review the membership structure to ensure that we are delivering www.cymryllundain.org.uk / www.londonwelsh.org.uk EDITORIAL TEAM: Eirlys Bebb, Theo Brueton, Rita Clark, Trustee at this the right options for users and supporters to help maintain a Welsh David Daniel, Gordon Roberts, Bob Trevor and important time in cultural presence in London. I will write separately to explain the Gethin Williams. DESIGN SUPPORT: Taliesin Communications. the Centre’s history, relevant changes in advance of the AGM. On behalf of the Trustees, ADVERTISING: Rita Clark. PRINTED BY: Y Lolfa please do get in thanks again for your continuing support and patience through this Editorial contributions may be sent to the address above or, preferably, emailed to [email protected] touch. period of great change and great excitement for the London Welsh Advertisers may also contact Rita Clark The AGM will Centre. Views expressed in this publication must not be taken as necessarily representing those of the London Welsh also focus on Alex Meredith, Chairman Association. completing some The London Welsh Trust is a Registered Charity. This statement is given to support any advertisement which very important Send any feedback on any aspect of the Centre to appears in the columns of London Welsh Magazine from behind-the-scenes [email protected] , or find me on Twitter: @admeredith, time to time in the name of the Trust and deemed, in terms of the Act, to be fundraising. work at the Centre, Facebook or Linkedin. Front cover picture: London Welsh President Huw Edwards and Philip Madoc. See page 13. Photo by John Downing. Copy from contributors and advertisers is required by July 1 for inclusion in the next issue. O’R GANOLFAN/FROM THE CENTRE LW CLl 3 y r r e D e n i l o r a C : o t o h P Côr yr Aelwyd sing on St David’s Day at the Centre. Youth choir entertains ahead of Urdd Eisteddfod challenge The London branch of the Urdd choir, Côr yr Aelwyd entertained the then led the crowd in a series of patriotic and rousing hymns, masses at the London Welsh Centre bar in the St David’s day including Cwm Rhondda , Calon Lân and Gwahoddiad . concert and sing-along. Two particular highlights were the entire rendition of Hymns and The choir performed a set, including some of the pieces they Arias (very timely given the previous weekend’s result at Twickers) would sing at the Urdd Eisteddfod in Jewin later in the month, and and a unique version of Oes Gafr Eto . Upping the tempo - London Welsh Sessions bring psychedelic rock to the Centre A great start to the new season of The London Welsh Sessions in a satisfying climax of controlled psychedelic mayhem, amply collaboration with Huw Stevens. Filmed by BBC Wales, a justifying their position as headlining act. substantial crowd was treated to a fine lineup consisting of Altogether it was a fine start to the new season of gigs, and harpist/singer/songwriter Georgia Ruth Williams from Aberystwyth, many thanks to Huw Stevens, Robert Jones and new Cultural and indie/psychedelic rock band Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog. Officer Iain Richards for getting it underway with a bang. The next Georgia says that she took up the harp in order to avoid violin London Welsh Sessions is on Friday 11 th May – put it in your diaries lessons, but the fiddle’s loss is our gain! Hardly looking old enough now! to be allowed in the bar, and backed with great empathy by the Mitch Palmer Cowbois’ rhythm section, she treated us to a full hour of her songs on the subject of the strangeness of relationships, with a voice of exceptional purity that conjured up visions of Sandy Denny and Alison Krauss. Her unusual and beautiful chord voicings on Dysgu Cymraeg? Learning Welsh? the harp are very guitaristic, and meshed beautifully Saturday, 16 June 2012, 9.30 am - 5pm with the electric backing – a very difficult feat to pull The London Welsh Centre, 157-163 Gray's Inn Road off. The audience was spellbound, and you could WC1X 8UE have heard the proverbial pin drop during her set – wonderful stuff! £30 for the entire day, which includes sandwich lunch, tea, coffee and It’s been a while since the Cowbois last paid us a biscuits, or £25 without lunch. We offer a variety of courses suitable to your visit, and it was interesting to see how the band has level, including complete beginners. Classes will run at levels where there is developed since then. Brothers Iwan, Aled and sufficient demand so to avoid disappointment please register in good time! Dafydd Hughes, with guitarist Llyr “Tonto” Pari and The deadline for registration is June 1. recently-added member Branwen “Sbrings” Williams on keyboards and vocals, are a noticeably tighter and Further information and registration forms are available from more assured outfit after another year’s-worth of [email protected] or by contacting Danielle Mercy at 020 8427 0173.