Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

User talk:DanH

2007-05-31T22:15:00Z

Dafydd: /* Cumbernauld */ Inappropriate language

'''Archives:'''

[[User talk:MountainDew]]

[[User talk:DanHarchive1]]

==Vandalism==

Dan,

Thanks for all your help dealing with this latest vandal. Rather than deleting all the pages he creates, I have been replacing them with content or redirecting them, and then protecting them. Eventually, we can hope he will run out of inventive names for Satan! ~ [[User:SharonS|Sharon]] [[User talk:SharonS|Talk]] 16:38, 11 May 2007 (EDT)

== [[deletedpage]] ==

when pages need to be deleted and protected, just protect it and replace the content with <nowiki>#REDIRECT [[deletedpage]]</nowiki>. that way it doesn't show up on searches. --[[User:CPAdmin1|Tim (CPAdmin1)]][[User talk:CPAdmin1|talk]] 12:24, 14 May 2007 (EDT)

== Please take a look at this edit ==

You might want to have a look at this [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Che_Guevara&diff=160970&oldid=160909 edit], and the associated photo that was uploaded to make the edit possible. I've already left a message with the user responsible for the photo and edit, but am not sure if it is revertable. [[User:HeartOfGold|HeartOfGold]] 18:41, 14 May 2007 (EDT)

==Allegation of Racism==

I fail to see how my comments on Sikhs are racist. Islam and Sikhism do not describe races they describe religion. Both are wrong in my opinion are to be condemed

== Thank you indeed ==

It has been an honor. Thank you indeed.

--[[User:Joaquín Martínez]], [[User talk:Joaquín Martínez|talk]] 19:42, 16 May 2007 (EDT)

== Deceit Entry ==

Dan, please accept my apologies on the Ward Churchill edit to the [[deceit]] entry. I was confused about who he is. Feel free to reinsert something, with support like this: [http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_3841949,00.html]
--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 22:08, 16 May 2007 (EDT)
No need to apologize. I just figured that this instance was not quite conducive to the direct you had intended for this article. I'll re-add it a little later this evening. [[User:DanH|DanH]] 23:29, 16 May 2007 (EDT)

== Hovind ==

May I ask why you removed "controversial". Given that many other YECs also have issues with him, calling him controversial seems fair. [[User:JoshuaZ|JoshuaZ]] 12:59, 17 May 2007 (EDT)

I've come under attack for my edits on this article (there was even a call for me to be blocked from the site, though it's not on any CP talk pages) and I was trying to "balance" the article somehow. [[User:DanH|DanH]] 13:02, 17 May 2007 (EDT)

== notice ==

please read this: [[New Sysops Training Page]]

[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] 21:22, 17 May 2007 (EDT)

== Hello! ==

First of all, thanks for the greeting. This project is very interessting. I'm trying to build up a counter-Wikipedia in german language. The situation of the german Wikipedia is really dire. If you are dissapoited by the english language Wikipeda, take a closer look at the german one. There are not liberals (left) dominating, there are partly well known left-wing extremists (communists, socialists) serving as administrators. It's bad. --[[User:Deutscher|Deutscher]] 16:43, 18 May 2007 (EDT)

== Trashbat ==
Dan - I've no idea if Trashbat is blocked or otherwise in disgrace but the crude sexual reference you removed from [[Leeds]] was not posted by him but by Tony Drago. FYI. [[User:BrianCo|BrianCo]] 14:44, 20 May 2007 (EDT)
: I stand corrected. Well spotted. Tony Drago must have been a sock. [[User:BrianCo|BrianCo]] 14:49, 20 May 2007 (EDT)

*I don't see Dan online, however I did see: ''10:13, 20 May 2007 DanH blocked "Trashbat" with an expiry time of infinite ("dogging" reference to Leeds)'' So the two users being blocked are different instances. The other user's block isn't infinte. ;-) --[[User:TK|Sysop-TK]] [[User_talk:TK|/MyTalk]] 14:51, 20 May 2007 (EDT)

:TK The "dogging" reference was put in twice but I only noticed the second edit which was done by Tony Drago. I thought that Trashbat was being unfairly blocked instead of Tony Drago but Dan pointed out that Trashbat had made the orginal edit a lot earlier, so it was fair after all. [[User:BrianCo|BrianCo]] 03:20, 21 May 2007 (EDT)

== Siege mentality ==

Thanks for moving that. I was trying to do it myself with a name change and redirect but being a sysop has its advantages I guess. [[User:BrianCo|BrianCo]] 03:15, 21 May 2007 (EDT)

== [[Contaception]] ==

Dan, can you move this to its proper title with an '''R''' in it. [[User:BrianCo|BrianCo]] 03:26, 21 May 2007 (EDT)

== [[Orthohombic]] ==

OK here's another one with a missing '''R''' - it should be orthorhombic. [[User:BrianCo|BrianCo]] 03:38, 21 May 2007 (EDT)

== think i made a mistake ==

Got your message. I unblocked him I think before i got your message. Please make sure I did the unblocking right as i am not too techie here. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] 22:58, 22 May 2007 (EDT)

== Question ==
I notice that some sysops protect images. Do you want me to do that to?[[User:Bohdan|Богдан]] [[User talk:Bohdan|Talk]] 15:16, 25 May 2007 (EDT)

==Article Creations==
Your welcome Dan. I enjoy contributing to this site. [[User:Crocoite|Crocoite]] [[User_talk:Crocoite|Talk]] [[Conservapedia:Requests for adminship#Support|Support my RfA]]) 22:44, 25 May 2007 (EDT)

== ! ==
I wanted to undo the Joshua article! Your to fast.[[User:Bohdan|Богдан]] [[User talk:Bohdan|Talk]] 23:44, 25 May 2007 (EDT)

== Thanks ==

Thanks for your kind welcome. I am glad to be here. I hope I can make a positive contribution. --[[User:ErnstR|ErnstR]] 00:06, 26 May 2007 (EDT)

== Thanks ==

Thanks for protecting Joshua. Recently I have become more aware of the responsibility that we have to avoid efforts at sensationalism or inappropriate edits. I found one of our articles in an internet search engine, the first one I have seen. It was listed under atheism. There, proudly, is the link to conservapedia. What is the first line of text in the search engine for all to see what conservapedia says? George Bush states that he doesn't believe atheists should be U.S. citizens... This is what is presented as conservapedia? When we allow through junk, we sully the reputation of the site... Thanks again... [[User:Learn together|Learn together]] 03:25, 26 May 2007 (EDT)

== Thanks! (sorry not to have anything different from the above 2) ==

It's good to be back! Oh, and check out my shiny new hellenised sig!--[[User:Wikinterpreter|'''ύικι ντερπρετηρ''']] [http://www.conservapedia.com/User_talk:Wikinterpreter talk?]

== Tiny typo==

Hi, hope you don't mind but I am really really picky about punctuation. I'm not proud of the fact, I just can't help it! In the Bible article, in the King James section, second paragraph, second sentence, it says "it's vocabulary", which should be "its vocabulary". "It's" is only ever a contraction of "It is". I wouldn't say anything but I just know there are people like me out there who will see that mistake, roll their eyes, and jump to conclusions (unfairly) about the quality of the article. [[User:Ferret|Ferret]] 19:09, 26 May 2007 (EDT)

* And then I went and wrote "tint typo" as the description. That's justice. [[User:Ferret|Ferret]] 19:10, 26 May 2007 (EDT)
==Chrono Trigger==
This was a well known video game in the mid 90s. It is definetly noteworthy. Wikipedia and Uncyclopedia both have articles on it.

== Answers in Creation ==

So do I get brownie points for creating this one Dan? ;-) [[User:Learn together|Learn together]] 16:05, 29 May 2007 (EDT)

You definitely do from me, but probably not from the majority of the sysops. LOL just kidding [[User:DanH|DanH]] 16:12, 29 May 2007 (EDT)

Hi Dan, I'm trying for sysop now to join you 'elect' guys. I know you've put a 'good job' on my page before so I thought I'd ask what you think of my overall contribution to conservapedia. If you're pleased with my work, I hope you'll drop by and add some comments. Thanks ;-) [[User:Learn together|Learn together]] 17:25, 30 May 2007 (EDT)

== Weimar republic ==

Why did you remove the stub? It is more than appropriate for this article. [[User:Order]]

== Protection ==

Hi Dan,

We may be at the point where it would be wise to protect Satan (again) and Hell. I know Satan was opened again to merge in Luficer, but that's been taken care of. Thanks! [[User:Learn together|Learn together]] 15:05, 30 May 2007 (EDT)

== Lions Den ==

Dan with a name like yours was it wise to enter the Lion's Den? :-) [[User:DollarsAndSense|DollarsAndSense]] 16:38, 30 May 2007 (EDT)

== Cumbernauld ==

DanH I see you reverted my reversion of this entry. Channel 4, is an incredibly controversial channel in the UK often broadcating sensationalist programs. It's main output is a program called Big Brother where members of the public are locked in a house together in order to be voted out by the public. Even this is fixed as the most sensational members are reinstated to boost viewing figures. It has featured coed type nude jacuzzi scenes and even live sexual acts. It also gave a prime-time slot to Richard Dawkins to attack religious belief. I would not take seriously any reference to programming from this source. [[User:Alban|Alban]] 17:58, 31 May 2007 (EDT)
:Follow the link - [http://www.channel4.com/life/microsites/D/demolition/worst2.html] Or would you prefer a BBC link? Try [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4362410.stm] I have no idea why you have suddenly appeared to defend reversion of my corrections of previous deliberately inserted inaccuracies and falsehoods, but I stand by my edits and the links above refute your opinion. [[Image:User Fox.png]] [[User:Fox|Fox]] ([[User talk:Fox|talk]]|[[Special:Contributions/Fox|contribs]]) 18:02, 31 May 2007 (EDT)

::Your BBC link actually refers to a protest by the local council against this slur. [[User:Alban|Alban]] 18:06, 31 May 2007 (EDT)
::: A ''slur'' that has seen the town 3 times voted a "carbuncle" etc. Regardless of the news source, the national opinions remain the same. Attacking the edit by claiming it is a liberalist, pornographers' conspiracy is just peurile. [[Image:User Fox.png]] [[User:Fox|Fox]] ([[User talk:Fox|talk]]|[[Special:Contributions/Fox|contribs]]) 18:09, 31 May 2007 (EDT)

::::If your are going to engage in ''ad hominem'' attacks and name calling then I will not continue this discussion. It is not appropriate language for Conservapedia. [[User:Dafydd|Dafydd]] 18:15, 31 May 2007 (EDT)

Llanddewi Brefi

2007-05-31T22:00:16Z

Dafydd: Expaded article

'''Llanddewi Brefi''' (approximate pronunciation: ''cland-dewi brevi''), pop 523, is one of [[Wales]]'s most scenic villages. It is situated in the central county of Ceredigion in west Wales and has recently achieved planning protection from urban blight owing to its national importance and oustanding architectural beauty.<ref>[http://www.cwlwmdeg.org.uk/] The Lampeter & Llanddewi Brefi Church Group</ref>.

Llanddewi Brefi is one of the largest parishes in Wales. It has a history that can be traced to pre-Christian times. The Romans, Celts and Normans have all left their mark here.

A collection of ancient grave markers, many inscribed simply with the names of those whose burials they marked, underlines the antiquity of the human settlement here. Symbols and words carved on these markers confirm the Christian nature of the burials. This hard evidence shows Christianity was here even before the time of St. David: this is one of the oldest definite Christian sites in the British Isles.<ref>[http://web.ukonline.co.uk/cj.tolley/ctm/ctm-llanddewibrefi.htm] Pre-Norman Stone Crosses In The British Isles</ref>

==History==

In the 6th century Saint David (Dewi Sant), the [[Patron Saint]] of Wales, held the [[Synod of Brefi]] in 519 AD. It was the site of one of St David's most famous miracles. At a church meeting held near the [[Rome|Roman]] fort of Bremia to discuss the [[Pelagian heresy]], David was unable to make himself heard in debate. He placed a cloth on the ground, which miraculously rose to form a mound from which he could speak.<ref>[http://cistercian-way.newport.ac.uk/place.asp?PlaceID=158] The Cistercian Way</ref> An alternative version says that the ground rose under his feet elevating him above the crowd and his voice was as a trumpet and the [[Holy Spirit]] in the form of a [[dove]] came and sat on his shoulder.<ref>
[http://www.brynheulog.com/llanddewi_brefi.htm] Brynheulog B & B</ref> Either way the mound in question is said to be the one on which the church was built, though it actually dates from almost seven centuries later. It has been altered a number of times, and at some stage in the past must have been considerably larger than it is now.<ref>[http://web.ukonline.co.uk/cj.tolley/ctm/ctm-llanddewibrefi.htm] Pre-Norman Stone Crosses</ref> The central tower of the church dates from the end of the 12th Century. Many features within this church bear witness to it having been an important centre for Christian worship during the 7th-10th centuries.

Llanddewi Brefi was a crucial test case in the [[Enclosure Acts|Enclosure Act]] Legislation of [[1750]], (amended 1801). When the legislation was enacted in [[Ceredigion]], a number of parishes, led by Llanddewi Brefi objected to the proposals. The dispute continued for the next 44 years during which time the other contesting villages had managed to resolve their disputes; [[Llanfihangel Genau'r Glyn]] in [[1813]] and [[Llangynfelyn]] in [[1824]]. In [[1845]], with Llanddewi Brefi still holding out, a new body called the [[Enclosure Commissioners]] was set up specifically to deal with the Llanddewi Brefi case. Despite this, the legal arguments continued for another 39 years, with the descendants (in some case the great grand-children) of the original parishioners still holding out. In [[1883]] the matter was finally resolved<ref>[http://www.archivesnetworkwales.info/cgi-bin/anw/fulldesc_nofr?inst_id=31&coll_id=2032&expand] Ceredigion Archives: Cardiganshire Enclosure Acts Collection</ref> but the case of Llanddewi Brefi still stands as one of the most costly (inflation adjusted) and long-running cases in British legal history.

It achieved such notoriety in [[Queen Victoria|Victorian]] England that it undoubtedly was the inspiration for one of the minor cases that the lawyer Tulkinghorne is pursuing within [[Charles Dickens]]' novel [[Bleak House]], the central theme of which is an equally long-running legal case called ''Jarndyce & Jarndyce''

==Sports==
Llanddewi Brefi is one of the premier sites for Welsh Trotting or ''harness racing''. Trotting (Welsh: ''troddin'') has been held in Llanddewi Brefi since the early twentieth century. However, it suffered a serious decline when most of the horses were conscripted during [[World War I]] and never returned. The sport was resurrected following the relaxation of meat rationing in 1952<ref>[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/searches/sidocs.asp?SIR=O56523] Ceredigion Archives</ref> and the Llanddewi Brefi track held its golden jubilee in 2002.<ref>[http://www.welsh-trotting.co.uk/track-details.php?track_id=15] Wales and Border Counties Harness Racing: Llanddewi Brefi</ref> Welsh Trotting differs from the American version by being held on a grass track.

==Crafts==
Llanddewi Brefi is home to one of the country’s leading stick makers, Dafydd Davies. He makes a range of sticks from shepherds crooks to carved animal and birds heads, through to walking sticks and thumb sticks. Every stick is an individual work of art made with skill and craftsmanship. Ranging from simple elegant Shaker style sticks with a silver ferrules to more intricate items with a leaping trout or a sheepdog crouched for his next command. These sticks are owned by such eminent personages as the [[Prince of Wales]] himself, or the Supreme Champion of an International [[Sheepdog]] Society and the Champions of the '[['One Man and His Dog]]'' competition.

==Politics==

Llanddewi Brefi is represnted by Plaid Cymru (the Party of Wales) in the Welsh Assembly and the local community council. Dai Evans, who represents Llanddewi Brefi, has proposed the auctioning of the village signs on eBay to raise funds for the Asian tsunami appeal.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/mid_/4168835.stm] BBC News: Little Welsh village seeks help</ref>

==Nootes & References==

<references/>

[[Category:Welsh Towns and Cities]]

Wales

2007-05-31T06:19:17Z

Dafydd: fixed link

'''Wales''' is a principality that is a part of the [[United Kingdom]]. It occupies the peninsula of land between the [[Bristol Channel]] and the [[River Dee]], on the west side of southern [[Great Britain]]. [[Anglesey]], [[Holy Island]], and the bardic island of Bardsey are also part of Wales.

Much of Wales is mountainous; the [[Cambrian Mountains]] run the length of the country, from [[Snowdon]]ia in the north. Several [[geological period]]s are named after the ancient Welsh tribes that lived in regions where strata characteristic of the period are to be found; the [[Ordovician]] ((Ordovices), the [[Silurian]] (Silures), and the [[Cambrian]] period is named for Cambria, the [[Latin]] for Wales.

The largest city in Wales is [[Cardiff]], which was declared to be the capital city in 1955, against competition from [[Swansea]]. Other important locales include the ports of [[Holyhead]] and [[Milford Haven]]; the mining and industrial centres of Llanelli, Neath, Pontypridd, Merthyr Tydfil and [[Wrexham]]; the ecclesiastical cities of [[St. Asaph]] and [[St. Davids]]; the resorts of Phwelli, [[Llandudno]], Colwyn Bay, Rhyl and Prestatyn; the university towns of Bangor and Aberystwyth; and the villages of [[Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch]] (the longest place name in Britain) and [[Llanddewi Brefi]].

English is universally spoken in Wales - however, the ancestral Celtic language of Welsh is still spoken as a first or second language by approximately a quarter of the population. The long-term decline in Welsh-speakers has stabilised since the early 1990s owing to the introduction of compulsory Welsh language classes in schools.

The national emblems are the [[leek]] and the [[daffodil]].

==History==

Wales emerged as a nation from the collapse of Romano-British Britannia following the invasions of the Angles, Saxons and Jutes from the fifth century AD onwards. What is now known as Wales was for a time known as 'North Wales', while [[Devon]] and [[Cornwall]] (in SW England) were 'West Wales' until their conquest. The Mercian king [[Offa]] (Mercia equates roughly to the English Midlands) created an substantial earthwork, [[Offa's Dyke]] running between the [[Irish Sea]] and the [[River Severn|Severn]] estuary in the later eighth century to separate his kingdom from Welsh lands. The dyke broadly marks the Anglo-Welsh boundary to this day.

The [[Norman Conquest]] of England following 1066 gave rise to Norman attempts to occupy Wales; by the thirteenth century much of eastern and southern Wales were under Norman control in autonomous 'Marcher Lordships' owing loyalty to the English crown. What was left of independent Wales was not a unitary nation, but comprised a number of separate, often warring, principalities, and only late on, under English pressure, did these unite to acknowledge one 'Prince of Wales'. These princes were provided by the most powerful of the Welsh states, Gwynedd, in the mountainous NW of the country. Most notable was [[Llewelyn the Great]] (1173-1240; who unified the country, and gave it a code of laws). His grandson, [[Llewelyn ap Gruffydd]], was unable to resist a powerful invasion mounted by the English king [[Edward I]], and his death in battle in 1282 marked the extinction of independent Wales.

A number of huge fortifications were built by Edward to pacify the country, notably that of [[Caernafon Castle]], and maintained by his successors. These castles wer known as the ''Iron Ring''.

A major revolt against English rule was mounted in the early fifteenth century led by [[Owain Glyndwr]], a member of the prosperous Welsh gentry who became embittered against the local English magnates for reasons which are uncertain, but probably owe as much to personal disputes as national sentiment. Glyndwr's rebellion achieved astonishing success, for a while. Beginning on Good Friday 1401, the rebels came to control much of the countryside and many Welsh towns, even advancing to [[Worcester]] in England. Glyndwr, who had been proclaimed Prince of Wales, held two parliaments at Machynlleth in mid Wales, and allied himself with the Duke of Northumberland and and the Earl of Mortimer in a plan to dismember the English kingdom once Henry IV had been conclusively defeated. He made an alliance with [[France]], and created two (short-lived) universities, one each in north and South Wales. However, by 1408 the tide had turned. His Northumbrian allies had been defeated and English forces retook many Welsh towns. The rebels resorted to guerilla warfare but by 1410 Glyndwr was a fugitive and he disappears from history, his fate a mystery.

Much as Owain Glyndwr emerged from the ranks of the Welsh gentry, so too did Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, who in 1485, as a somewhat tendentious claimant to the throne of England through the Lancastrian line, led an army of disaffected English magnates to victory over the Yorkist king [[Richard III]] at the [[Battle of Bosworth Field]]. Henry became King [[Henry VII]] and the progenitor of the [[Tudor dynasty]], the first Welsh king of England. Henry's son, [[Henry VIII]], completed the absorption of Wales into England in 1536, when the remaining parts of Wales were formally annexed to England and 'shired' - that is, divided into counties (shires) with sheriffs and lords lieutenant, rather than being ruled as marcher lordships.

[[Charles]], eldest son of [[Queen Elizabeth II]], is the current Prince of Wales, a title normally bestowed on the first-born son of the sovereign but implying no particular monarchical role in the Principality. The Welsh flag has a picture of a [[dragon]], usually called Idris. The Welsh flag forms no part of the Union Flag as at the time the flag was first devised Wales was considered as part of the Kingdom of England.

Even today in modern Wales, vestiges of anti-English sentiment remain strong in some parts; the Welsh Nationalist Party, [[Plaid Cymru]] typically returns several members to the British [[Parliament]], and with the unaffiliated Welsh terrorist group the [[Meibion Glyndwr]], ("the Sons of Glendower") conducting a sporadic campaign of arson against English-owned holiday homes in recent years.<ref>http://www.welshdragon.net/resources/Articles/arson.shtml</ref>

[[Druidry]] survived as a major force in Wales until the 18th century, and may never have completely died out. The first modern Welsh druids date from 1717, but they took many of their rites from existing practices.

== Industry ==

South Wales was formerly heavily industrialised, with [[coal]] mining and [[steel]]working, whereas North Wales is a pastoral area used mainly for [[sheep]]farming.

[[Coal]] mining in South Wales has undergone a recent resurgence due to the discovery of new energy resources, particularly in the Crumlin area.

== Sport ==

[[Soccer]] enjoys major popularity, with [[rugby union]] being particularly popular in South Wales.

== World significance ==

Welsh-derived surnames are common in the United States. The Welsh name ''Jones'' is in fact the fourth commonest surname in the U. S.<ref>Smith, Johnson and Williams ranking first, second and third</ref>; within the hundred commonest surnames, the Welsh names Evans, Edward, Morgan, and Jenkins rank 48th, 49th, 57th, and 83rd respectively.<ref>[http://names.mongabay.com/most_common_surnames.htm Most Common Surnames in the U. S.], website which claims its source is the U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Population Analysis & Evaluation Staff</ref> Names beginning with a double L, such as ''Lloyd'' and ''Llewellyn'' are almost certain to be Welsh, as is ''Floyd'' (the "Fl" being an attempt to imitate the sound of the Welsh double-L.

It is often said that the vowels in English are "A, E, I, O, U and sometimes Y;" however, in Welsh the letter W can be a vowel (pronounced roughly like a double-length U). Most English dictionaries contain some Welsh-derived English words such as ''cwm'' (a circular valley or ''cirque'') and ''crwth'' (an traditional Celtic fiddle-like musical instrument). These can be very effective stumpers when playing word games, provided of course that they are actually included in whatever dictionary is the authority agreed on by the players.

==Notes and references==
<references/>

[[Category:United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Wales| ]]
[[Category:Principalities]]

John Betjeman

2007-05-30T21:58:27Z

Dafydd: category & defaultsort

Sir '''John Betjeman''' (1906-1984) remains one of [[United Kingdom|Britain's]] best loved and best-selling poets.<ref>His ''Collected Poems'' (1958) has sold over 2.5 million copies. [http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/12/24/RVGG4N01RD1.DTL&type=books]</ref> He was appointed '''Poet Laureate''' in 1972 and served until his death in 1984. He was also passionate about [[Queen Victoria|Victorian]] architecture and campaigned against the demolition of several notable buildings. His poetry largely has an eye to British middle-class life, particularly the recent past. He was a lifelong [[Anglican]] and his religion often comes into his poetry in a light-hearted and occasionally jocular manner. He wrote many poems but one about the "Conversion of St. Paul" highlights his attitude:
<blockquote>''But most of us turn slow to see 
''The figure hanging on a tree 
''And stumble on and blindly grope 
''Upheld by intermittent hope, 
''God grant before we die, we all 
''May see the light as did St. Paul. ''</blockquote>

His mild and affable manner won him many admirers as television personality, bringing his poetry to an audience of millions. He remains perhaps best remembered for his (only half-joking) exhortations for the levelling of Slough, a soulless English town:
<blockquote>''Come, friendly bombs, and fall on Slough'' 
''It isn't fit for humans now, 
''There isn't grass to graze a cow 
''Swarm over, Death!</blockquote>

He was one of the brains behind the hugely successful ''Shell Guides To Britain'' and was a regular contributor to the satirical magazine ''[[Private Eye]]'' for its architectural column ''Nooks & Crannies''. When asked whether he had any regrets in an television interview shortly before his death, he famously replied, ''"Yes, I wish I'd had more sex."''

== References ==
<references/>

[[Category: Poets]]
{{DEFAULTSORT: Betjeman, John}}

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

2007-05-30T21:56:01Z

Dafydd: changed pronunciation

[[Image:180px-Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch_station_sign.jpg|thumb|Llanfair P.G. Station with sign]]

'''Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch''' (approximate pronunciation ''Clan-vire-pooll-guin-gill-go-ger-u-queern-drob-ooll-clandus-ilio-gogo-goch'') is a village on the [[Wales|Welsh]] island of [[Anglesey]]. Its name means "the church of St Mary in the hollow of the white hazels, close to the wild whirlpool and the church of St Tysilio of the red cave".

The first branch of the [[Women's Institute]] in the United Kingdom was founded in Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.

[[Category:Welsh Towns and Cities]]

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

2007-05-30T21:54:13Z

Dafydd: formatting

[[Image:180px-Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch_station_sign.jpg|thumb|Llanfair P.G. Station with sign]]

'''Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch''' (approximate pronunciation ''Clan-vire-pooll-guin-gill-go-ger-u-queern-drob-ooll-llandus-ilio-gogo-goch'') is a village on the [[Wales|Welsh]] island of [[Anglesey]]. Its name means "the church of St Mary in the hollow of the white hazels, close to the wild whirlpool and the church of St Tysilio of the red cave".

The first branch of the [[Women's Institute]] in the United Kingdom was founded in Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.

[[Category:Welsh Towns and Cities]]

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

2007-05-30T21:53:06Z

Dafydd: Pronunciation

[[Image:180px-Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch_station_sign.jpg|thumb|Llanfair P.G. Station with sign]]

'''Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch''' (approximate pronunciation Clan-vire-pooll-guin-gill-go-ger-u-queern-drob-ooll-llandus-ilio-gogo-goch'') is a village on the [[Wales|Welsh]] island'' of [[Anglesey]]. Its name means "the church of St Mary in the hollow of the white hazels, close to the wild whirlpool and the church of St Tysilio of the red cave".

The first branch of the [[Women's Institute]] in the United Kingdom was founded in Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.

[[Category:Welsh Towns and Cities]]

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

2007-05-30T21:48:52Z

Dafydd: Corrected meaning of name

[[Image:180px-Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch_station_sign.jpg|thumb|Llanfair P.G. Station with sign]]

'''Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch''' is a village on the [[Wales|Welsh]] island of [[Anglesey]]. Its name means "the church of St Mary in the hollow of the white hazels, close to the wild whirlpool and the church of St Tysilio of the red cave".

The first branch of the [[Women's Institute]] in the United Kingdom was founded in Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.

[[Category:Welsh Towns and Cities]]

Wales

2007-05-30T21:44:31Z

Dafydd: fixed link

'''Wales''' is a principality that is a part of the [[United Kingdom]]. It occupies the peninsula of land between the [[Bristol Channel]] and the [[River Dee]], on the west side of southern [[Great Britain]]. [[Anglesey]], [[Holy Island]], and the bardic island of Bardsey are also part of Wales.

Much of Wales is mountainous; the [[Cambrian Mountains]] run the length of the country, from [[Snowdon]]ia in the north. Several [[geological period]]s are named after the ancient Welsh tribes that lived in regions where strata characteristic of the period are to be found; the [[Ordovician]] ((Ordovices), the [[Silurian]] (Silures), and the [[Cambrian]] period is named for Cambria, the [[Latin]] for Wales.

The largest city in Wales is [[Cardiff]], which was declared to be the capital city in 1955, against competition from [[Swansea]]. Other important locales include the ports of [[Holyhead]] and [[Milford Haven]]; the mining and industrial centres of Llanelli, Neath, Pontypridd, Merthyr Tydfil and [[Wrexham]]; the ecclesiastical cities of [[St. Asaph]] and [[St. Davids]]; the resorts of Phwelli, [[Llandudno]], Colwyn Bay, Rhyl and Prestatyn; the university towns of Bangor and Aberystwyth; and the villages of [[Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch]] (the longest place name in Britain) and [[Llanddewi-Brefi]].

English is universally spoken in Wales - however, the ancestral Celtic language of Welsh is still spoken as a first or second language by approximately a quarter of the population. The long-term decline in Welsh-speakers has stabilised since the early 1990s owing to the introduction of compulsory Welsh language classes in schools.

The national emblems are the [[leek]] and the [[daffodil]].

==History==

Wales emerged as a nation from the collapse of Romano-British Britannia following the invasions of the Angles, Saxons and Jutes from the fifth century AD onwards. What is now known as Wales was for a time known as 'North Wales', while [[Devon]] and [[Cornwall]] (in SW England) were 'West Wales' until their conquest. The Mercian king [[Offa]] (Mercia equates roughly to the English Midlands) created an substantial earthwork, [[Offa's Dyke]] running between the [[Irish Sea]] and the [[River Severn|Severn]] estuary in the later eighth century to separate his kingdom from Welsh lands. The dyke broadly marks the Anglo-Welsh boundary to this day.

The [[Norman Conquest]] of England following 1066 gave rise to Norman attempts to occupy Wales; by the thirteenth century much of eastern and southern Wales were under Norman control in autonomous 'Marcher Lordships' owing loyalty to the English crown. What was left of independent Wales was not a unitary nation, but comprised a number of separate, often warring, principalities, and only late on, under English pressure, did these unite to acknowledge one 'Prince of Wales'. These princes were provided by the most powerful of the Welsh states, Gwynedd, in the mountainous NW of the country. Most notable was [[Llewelyn the Great]] (1173-1240; who unified the country, and gave it a code of laws). His grandson, [[Llewelyn ap Gruffydd]], was unable to resist a powerful invasion mounted by the English king [[Edward I]], and his death in battle in 1282 marked the extinction of independent Wales.

A number of huge fortifications were built by Edward to pacify the country, notably that of [[Caernafon Castle]], and maintained by his successors. These castles wer known as the ''Iron Ring''.

A major revolt against English rule was mounted in the early fifteenth century led by [[Owain Glyndwr]], a member of the prosperous Welsh gentry who became embittered against the local English magnates for reasons which are uncertain, but probably owe as much to personal disputes as national sentiment. Glyndwr's rebellion achieved astonishing success, for a while. Beginning on Good Friday 1401, the rebels came to control much of the countryside and many Welsh towns, even advancing to [[Worcester]] in England. Glyndwr, who had been proclaimed Prince of Wales, held two parliaments at Machynlleth in mid Wales, and allied himself with the Duke of Northumberland and and the Earl of Mortimer in a plan to dismember the English kingdom once Henry IV had been conclusively defeated. He made an alliance with [[France]], and created two (short-lived) universities, one each in north and South Wales. However, by 1408 the tide had turned. His Northumbrian allies had been defeated and English forces retook many Welsh towns. The rebels resorted to guerilla warfare but by 1410 Glyndwr was a fugitive and he disappears from history, his fate a mystery.

Much as Owain Glyndwr emerged from the ranks of the Welsh gentry, so too did Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, who in 1485, as a somewhat tendentious claimant to the throne of England through the Lancastrian line, led an army of disaffected English magnates to victory over the Yorkist king [[Richard III]] at the [[Battle of Bosworth Field]]. Henry became King [[Henry VII]] and the progenitor of the [[Tudor dynasty]], the first Welsh king of England. Henry's son, [[Henry VIII]], completed the absorption of Wales into England in 1536, when the remaining parts of Wales were formally annexed to England and 'shired' - that is, divided into counties (shires) with sheriffs and lords lieutenant, rather than being ruled as marcher lordships.

[[Charles]], eldest son of [[Queen Elizabeth II]], is the current Prince of Wales, a title normally bestowed on the first-born son of the sovereign but implying no particular monarchical role in the Principality. The Welsh flag has a picture of a [[dragon]], usually called Idris. The Welsh flag forms no part of the Union Flag as at the time the flag was first devised Wales was considered as part of the Kingdom of England.

Even today in modern Wales, vestiges of anti-English sentiment remain strong in some parts; the Welsh Nationalist Party, [[Plaid Cymru]] typically returns several members to the British [[Parliament]], and with the unaffiliated Welsh terrorist group the [[Meibion Glyndwr]], ("the Sons of Glendower") conducting a sporadic campaign of arson against English-owned holiday homes in recent years.<ref>http://www.welshdragon.net/resources/Articles/arson.shtml</ref>

[[Druidry]] survived as a major force in Wales until the 18th century, and may never have completely died out. The first modern Welsh druids date from 1717, but they took many of their rites from existing practices.

== Industry ==

South Wales was formerly heavily industrialised, with [[coal]] mining and [[steel]]working, whereas North Wales is a pastoral area used mainly for [[sheep]]farming.

[[Coal]] mining in South Wales has undergone a recent resurgence due to the discovery of new energy resources, particularly in the Crumlin area.

== Sport ==

[[Soccer]] enjoys major popularity, with [[rugby union]] being particularly popular in South Wales.

== World significance ==

Welsh-derived surnames are common in the United States. The Welsh name ''Jones'' is in fact the fourth commonest surname in the U. S.<ref>Smith, Johnson and Williams ranking first, second and third</ref>; within the hundred commonest surnames, the Welsh names Evans, Edward, Morgan, and Jenkins rank 48th, 49th, 57th, and 83rd respectively.<ref>[http://names.mongabay.com/most_common_surnames.htm Most Common Surnames in the U. S.], website which claims its source is the U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Population Analysis & Evaluation Staff</ref> Names beginning with a double L, such as ''Lloyd'' and ''Llewellyn'' are almost certain to be Welsh, as is ''Floyd'' (the "Fl" being an attempt to imitate the sound of the Welsh double-L.

It is often said that the vowels in English are "A, E, I, O, U and sometimes Y;" however, in Welsh the letter W can be a vowel (pronounced roughly like a double-length U). Most English dictionaries contain some Welsh-derived English words such as ''cwm'' (a circular valley or ''cirque'') and ''crwth'' (an traditional Celtic fiddle-like musical instrument). These can be very effective stumpers when playing word games, provided of course that they are actually included in whatever dictionary is the authority agreed on by the players.

==Notes and references==
<references/>

[[Category:United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Wales| ]]
[[Category:Principalities]]

Wales

2007-05-30T21:41:22Z

Dafydd: spelling & link

'''Wales''' is a principality that is a part of the [[United Kingdom]]. It occupies the peninsula of land between the [[Bristol Channel]] and the [[River Dee]], on the west side of southern [[Great Britain]]. [[Anglesey]], [[Holy Island]], and the bardic island of Bardsey are also part of Wales.

Much of Wales is mountainous; the [[Cambrian Mountains]] run the length of the country, from [[Snowdon]]ia in the north. Several [[geological period]]s are named after the ancient Welsh tribes that lived in regions where strata characteristic of the period are to be found; the [[Ordovician]] ((Ordovices), the [[Silurian]] (Silures), and the [[Cambrian]] period is named for Cambria, the [[Latin]] for Wales.

The largest city in Wales is [[Cardiff]], which was declared to be the capital city in 1955, against competition from [[Swansea]]. Other important locales include the ports of [[Holyhead]] and [[Milford Haven]]; the mining and industrial centres of Llanelli, Neath, Pontypridd, Merthyr Tydfil and [[Wrexham]]; the ecclesiastical cities of [[St Asaph]] and [[St Davids]]; the resorts of Phwelli, [[Llandudno]], Colwyn Bay, Rhyl and Prestatyn; the university towns of Bangor and Aberystwyth; and the villages of [[Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch]] (the longest place name in Britain) and Llanddewi-Brefi.

English is universally spoken in Wales - however, the ancestral Celtic language of Welsh is still spoken as a first or second language by approximately a quarter of the population. The long-term decline in Welsh-speakers has stabilised since the early 1990s owing to the introduction of compulsory Welsh language classes in schools.

The national emblems are the [[leek]] and the [[daffodil]].

==History==

Wales emerged as a nation from the collapse of Romano-British Britannia following the invasions of the Angles, Saxons and Jutes from the fifth century AD onwards. What is now known as Wales was for a time known as 'North Wales', while [[Devon]] and [[Cornwall]] (in SW England) were 'West Wales' until their conquest. The Mercian king [[Offa]] (Mercia equates roughly to the English Midlands) created an substantial earthwork, [[Offa's Dyke]] running between the [[Irish Sea]] and the [[River Severn|Severn]] estuary in the later eighth century to separate his kingdom from Welsh lands. The dyke broadly marks the Anglo-Welsh boundary to this day.

The [[Norman Conquest]] of England following 1066 gave rise to Norman attempts to occupy Wales; by the thirteenth century much of eastern and southern Wales were under Norman control in autonomous 'Marcher Lordships' owing loyalty to the English crown. What was left of independent Wales was not a unitary nation, but comprised a number of separate, often warring, principalities, and only late on, under English pressure, did these unite to acknowledge one 'Prince of Wales'. These princes were provided by the most powerful of the Welsh states, Gwynedd, in the mountainous NW of the country. Most notable was [[Llewelyn the Great]] (1173-1240; who unified the country, and gave it a code of laws). His grandson, [[Llewelyn ap Gruffydd]], was unable to resist a powerful invasion mounted by the English king [[Edward I]], and his death in battle in 1282 marked the extinction of independent Wales.

A number of huge fortifications were built by Edward to pacify the country, notably that of [[Caernafon Castle]], and maintained by his successors. These castles wer known as the ''Iron Ring''.

A major revolt against English rule was mounted in the early fifteenth century led by [[Owain Glyndwr]], a member of the prosperous Welsh gentry who became embittered against the local English magnates for reasons which are uncertain, but probably owe as much to personal disputes as national sentiment. Glyndwr's rebellion achieved astonishing success, for a while. Beginning on Good Friday 1401, the rebels came to control much of the countryside and many Welsh towns, even advancing to [[Worcester]] in England. Glyndwr, who had been proclaimed Prince of Wales, held two parliaments at Machynlleth in mid Wales, and allied himself with the Duke of Northumberland and and the Earl of Mortimer in a plan to dismember the English kingdom once Henry IV had been conclusively defeated. He made an alliance with [[France]], and created two (short-lived) universities, one each in north and South Wales. However, by 1408 the tide had turned. His Northumbrian allies had been defeated and English forces retook many Welsh towns. The rebels resorted to guerilla warfare but by 1410 Glyndwr was a fugitive and he disappears from history, his fate a mystery.

Much as Owain Glyndwr emerged from the ranks of the Welsh gentry, so too did Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, who in 1485, as a somewhat tendentious claimant to the throne of England through the Lancastrian line, led an army of disaffected English magnates to victory over the Yorkist king [[Richard III]] at the [[Battle of Bosworth Field]]. Henry became King [[Henry VII]] and the progenitor of the [[Tudor dynasty]], the first Welsh king of England. Henry's son, [[Henry VIII]], completed the absorption of Wales into England in 1536, when the remaining parts of Wales were formally annexed to England and 'shired' - that is, divided into counties (shires) with sheriffs and lords lieutenant, rather than being ruled as marcher lordships.

[[Charles]], eldest son of [[Queen Elizabeth II]], is the current Prince of Wales, a title normally bestowed on the first-born son of the sovereign but implying no particular monarchical role in the Principality. The Welsh flag has a picture of a [[dragon]], usually called Idris. The Welsh flag forms no part of the Union Flag as at the time the flag was first devised Wales was considered as part of the Kingdom of England.

Even today in modern Wales, vestiges of anti-English sentiment remain strong in some parts; the Welsh Nationalist Party, [[Plaid Cymru]] typically returns several members to the British [[Parliament]], and with the unaffiliated Welsh terrorist group the [[Meibion Glyndwr]], ("the Sons of Glendower") conducting a sporadic campaign of arson against English-owned holiday homes in recent years.<ref>http://www.welshdragon.net/resources/Articles/arson.shtml</ref>

[[Druidry]] survived as a major force in Wales until the 18th century, and may never have completely died out. The first modern Welsh druids date from 1717, but they took many of their rites from existing practices.

== Industry ==

South Wales was formerly heavily industrialised, with [[coal]] mining and [[steel]]working, whereas North Wales is a pastoral area used mainly for [[sheep]]farming.

[[Coal]] mining in South Wales has undergone a recent resurgence due to the discovery of new energy resources, particularly in the Crumlin area.

== Sport ==

[[Soccer]] enjoys major popularity, with [[rugby union]] being particularly popular in South Wales.

== World significance ==

Welsh-derived surnames are common in the United States. The Welsh name ''Jones'' is in fact the fourth commonest surname in the U. S.<ref>Smith, Johnson and Williams ranking first, second and third</ref>; within the hundred commonest surnames, the Welsh names Evans, Edward, Morgan, and Jenkins rank 48th, 49th, 57th, and 83rd respectively.<ref>[http://names.mongabay.com/most_common_surnames.htm Most Common Surnames in the U. S.], website which claims its source is the U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Population Analysis & Evaluation Staff</ref> Names beginning with a double L, such as ''Lloyd'' and ''Llewellyn'' are almost certain to be Welsh, as is ''Floyd'' (the "Fl" being an attempt to imitate the sound of the Welsh double-L.

It is often said that the vowels in English are "A, E, I, O, U and sometimes Y;" however, in Welsh the letter W can be a vowel (pronounced roughly like a double-length U). Most English dictionaries contain some Welsh-derived English words such as ''cwm'' (a circular valley or ''cirque'') and ''crwth'' (an traditional Celtic fiddle-like musical instrument). These can be very effective stumpers when playing word games, provided of course that they are actually included in whatever dictionary is the authority agreed on by the players.

==Notes and references==
<references/>

[[Category:United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Wales| ]]
[[Category:Principalities]]

Wrexham

2007-05-30T21:32:21Z

Dafydd: formatting

'''Wrexham''' is the largest town in North-East Wales. It the final resting place of [[Elihu Yale]], the first benefactor of the US university that bears his name. The '''Wrexham Tower''' in [[Yale]] is a copy of St Giles' church in Wrexham.

Wrexham was the first town in Britain to brew [[lager]] owing to the influx of [[Germany|German]] miners in the late nineteenth century.

Wrexham

2007-05-30T21:30:33Z

Dafydd: New page

'''Wrexham''' is the largest town in North-East Wales. It the final resting place of [[Elihu Yale]] the first benefactor of the US university, [[Yale]]. The '''Wrexham Tower'' in Yale is a copy of St Giles' church in Wrexham.

Wrexham was the first town in Britain to brew [[lager]] owing to the influx of [[Germany|German]] miners in the late nineteenth century.

Wales

2007-05-30T21:19:41Z

Dafydd: expanded & links

'''Wales''' is a principality that is a part of the [[United Kingdom]]. It occupies the peninsula of land between the [[Bristol Channel]] and the [[River Dee]], on the west side of southern [[Great Britain]]. [[Anglesey]], [[Holy Island]], and the bardic island of Bardsey are also part of Wales.

Much of Wales is mountainous; the [[Cambrian Mountains]] run the length of the country, from [[Snowdon]]ia in the north. Several [[geological period]]s are named after the ancient Welsh tribes that lived in regions where strata characteristic of the period are to be found; the [[Ordovician]] ((Ordovices), the [[Silurian]] (Silures), and the [[Cambrian]] period is named for Cambria, the [[Latin]] for Wales.

The largest city in Wales is [[Cardiff]], which was declared to be the capital city in 1955, against competition from [[Swansea]]. Other important locales include the ports of [[Holyhead]] and [[Milford Haven]]; the mining and industrial centres of Llanelli, Neath, Pontypridd, Merthyr Tydfil and [[Wrexham]]; the ecclesiastical cities of [[St Asaph]] and [[St Davids]]; the resorts of Phwelli, [[Llandudno]], Colwyn Bay, Rhyl and Prestatyn; the university towns of Bangor and Aberystwyth; and the village of [[Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch]] - the longest place name in Britain.

English is universally spoken in Wales - however, the ancestral Celtic language of Welsh is still spoken as a first or second language by approximately a quarter of the population. The long-term decline in Welsh-speakers has stabilised since the early 1990s owing to the introduction of compulsory Welsh language classes in schools.

The national emblems are the [[leek]] and the [[daffodil]].

==History==

Wales emerged as a nation from the collapse of Romano-British Britannia following the invasions of the Angles, Saxons and Jutes from the fifth century AD onwards. What is now known as Wales was for a time known as 'North Wales', while [[Devon]] and [[Cornwall]] (in SW England) were 'West Wales' until their conquest. The Mercian king Offa (Mercia equates roughly to the English Midlands) created an substantial earthwork, [[Offa's Dyke]] running between the [[Irish Sea]] and the [[River Severn|Severn]] estuary in the later eighth century to separate his kingdom from Welsh lands. The dyke broadly marks the Anglo-Welsh boundary to this day.

The [[Norman Conquest]] of England following 1066 gave rise to Norman attempts to occupy Wales; by the thirteenth century much of eastern and southern Wales were under Norman control in autonomous 'Marcher Lordships' owing loyalty to the English crown. What was left of independent Wales was not a unitary nation, but comprised a number of separate, often warring, principalities, and only late on, under English pressure, did these unite to acknowledge one 'Prince of Wales'. These princes were provided by the most powerful of the Welsh states, Gwynedd, in the mountainous NW of the country. Most notable was [[Llewelyn the Great]] (1173-1240; who unified the country, and gave it a code of laws). His grandson, [[Llewelyn ap Gruffydd]], was unable to resist a powerful invasion mounted by the English king [[Edward I]], and his death in battle in 1282 marked the extinction of independent Wales.

A number of huge fortifications were built by Edward to pacify the country, notably that of [[Caernafon Castle]], and maintained by his successors. These castles wer known as the ''Iron Ring''.

A major revolt against English rule was mounted in the early fifteenth century led by [[Owain Glyndwr]], a member of the prosperous Welsh gentry who became embittered against the local English magnates for reasons which are uncertain, but probably owe as much to personal disputes as national sentiment. Glyndwr's rebellion achieved astonishing success, for a while. Beginning on Good Friday 1401, the rebels came to control much of the countryside and many Welsh towns, even advancing to [[Worcester]] in England. Glyndwr, who had been proclaimed Prince of Wales, held two parliaments at Machynlleth in mid Wales, and allied himself with the Duke of Northumberland and and the Earl of Mortimer in a plan to dismember the English kingdom once Henry IV had been conclusively defeated. He made an alliance with [[France]], and created two (short-lived) universities, one each in north and South Wales. However, by 1408 the tide had turned. His Northumbrian allies had been defeated and English forces retook many Welsh towns. The rebels resorted to guerilla warfare but by 1410 Glyndwr was a fugitive and he disappears from history, his fate a mystery.

Much as Owain Glyndwr emerged from the ranks of the Welsh gentry, so too did Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, who in 1485, as a somewhat tendentious claimant to the throne of England through the Lancastrian line, led an army of disaffected English magnates to victory over the Yorkist king [[Richard III]] at the [[Battle of Bosworth Field]]. Henry became King [[Henry VII]] and the progenitor of the [[Tudor dynasty]], the first Welsh king of England. Henry's son, [[Henry VIII]], completed the absorption of Wales into England in 1536, when the remaining parts of Wales were formally annexed to England and 'shired' - that is, divided into counties (shires) with sheriffs and lords lieutenant, rather than being ruled as marcher lordships.

[[Charles]], eldest son of [[Queen Elizabeth II]], is the current Prince of Wales, a title normally bestowed on the first-born son of the sovereign but implying no particular monarchical role in the Principality. The Welsh flag has a picture of a [[dragon]], usually called Idris. The Welsh flag forms no part of the Union Flag as at the time the flag was first devised Wales was considered as part of the Kingdom of England.

Even today in modern Wales, vestiges of anti-English sentiment remain strong in some parts; the Welsh Nationalist Party, [[Plaid Cymru]] typically returns several members to the British [[Parliament]], and with the unaffiliated Welsh terrorist group the [[Meibion Glyndwr]], ("the Sons of Glendower") conducting a sporadic campaign of arson against English-owned holiday homes in recent years.<ref>http://www.welshdragon.net/resources/Articles/arson.shtml</ref>

[[Druidry]] survived as a major force in Wales until the 18th century, and may never have completely died out. The first modern Welsh druids date from 1717, but they took many of their rites from existing practices.

== Industry ==

South Wales was formerly heavily industrialised, with [[coal]] mining and [[steel]]working, whereas North Wales is a pastoral area used mainly for [[sheep]]farming.

[[Coal]] mining in South Wales has undergone a recent resurgence due to the discovery of new energy resources, particularly in the Crumlin area.

== Sport ==

[[Soccer]] enjoys major popularity, with [[rugby union]] being particularly popular in South Wales.

== World significance ==

Welsh-derived surnames are common in the United States. The Welsh name ''Jones'' is in fact the fourth commonest surname in the U. S.<ref>Smith, Johnson and Williams ranking first, second and third</ref>; within the hundred commonest surnames, the Welsh names Evans, Edward, Morgan, and Jenkins rank 48th, 49th, 57th, and 83rd respectively.<ref>[http://names.mongabay.com/most_common_surnames.htm Most Common Surnames in the U. S.], website which claims its source is the U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Population Analysis & Evaluation Staff</ref> Names beginning with a double L, such as ''Lloyd'' and ''Llewellyn'' are almost certain to be Welsh, as is ''Floyd'' (the "Fl" being an attempt to imitate the sound of the Welsh double-L.

It is often said that the vowels in English are "A, E, I, O, U and sometimes Y;" however, in Welsh the letter W can be a vowel (pronounced roughly like a double-length U). Most English dictionaries contain some Welsh-derived English words such as ''cwm'' (a circular valley or ''cirque'') and ''crwth'' (an traditional Celtic fiddle-like musical instrument). These can be very effective stumpers when playing word games, provided of course that they are actually included in whatever dictionary is the authority agreed on by the players.

==Notes and references==
<references/>

[[Category:United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Wales| ]]
[[Category:Principalities]]

Seven Wonders of Wales

2007-05-30T18:37:30Z

Dafydd: New page

The '''Seven Wonders of Wales''' are recounted in the following verse by an anonymous author:

<blockquote>''[[Pistyll Rhaeadr]] and [[Wrexham]] steeple, 
''[[Mount Snowdon|Snowdon]]'s mountain without its people, 
''[[Overton]] yew trees, [[St Winefride]]'s wells, 
''[[Llangollen bridge]] and [[Gresford]] bells 
</blockquote>

It is thought that the verse was written by an English tourist during the 19th century. Strictly speaking all seven wonders lie in North Wales.

John Betjeman

2007-05-30T18:11:54Z

Dafydd: sp and formatting

Sir '''John Betjeman''' was a notable [[United Kingdom|British]] poet and writer. He was '''Poet Laureate''' from 1972 until his death in 1984. He was aslo passionate about [[Queen Victoria|Victorian]] architecture and campaigned against the demolition of several notable buildings. His poetry largely has an eye to British middle-class life, particularly the recent past. He was a lifelong [[Anglican]] and his religion often comes into his poetry in a light-hearted and occasionally jocular manner. He wrote many poems but one about the "Conversion of St. Paul" highlights his attitude:
<blockquote>''But most of us turn slow to see 
''The figure hanging on a tree 
''And stumble on and blindly grope 
''Upheld by intermittent hope, 
''God grant before we die, we all 
''May see the light as did St. Paul. ''</blockquote>

His mild and affable manner won him many admirers as television personality, bringing his poetry to an audience of millions.

He was one of the brains behind the hugely successful ''Shell Guides To Britain'' and was a regular contributor to the satirical magazine ''[[Private Eye]]'' for it's architectural column ''Nooks & Crannies''.

John Betjeman

2007-05-30T18:10:22Z

Dafydd: New page

Sir '''John Betjeman''' was a notable [[United Kingdom|British]] poet and writer. He was '''Poet Laureate''' from 1972 until his death in 1984. He was aslo passionate about [[Queen Victoria|Victorian]] architecture and campaigned against the demolition of several notable builidings. His poetry largely has an eye to British middle-class life, particularly the recent past. He was a lifelong [[Anglican]] and his religion often comes into his poetry in a light-hearted and occasionally jocular manner. He wrote many poems but one about the conversion of St. Paul highlights his attitude:
<blockquote>''But most of us turn slow to see 
The figure hanging on a tree 
And stumble on and blindly grope 
Upheld by intermittent hope, 
God grant before we die we all 
May see the light as did St. Paul. ''</blockquote>

His mild and affable manner won him many admirers as television personality, bringing his poetry to an audience of millions.

He was one of the brains behind the hugely successful ''Shell Guides To Britain'' and was a regular contributor to the satirical magazine ''[[Private Eye]]'' for it's architectural column ''Nooks & Crannies''.

Talk:Llandudno

2007-05-29T22:34:26Z

Dafydd: Ch, K L ??

It's not ''really'' pronounced CLan-did-no is it? It's pronounced, well, LLan-did-no, in a way which isn't readily transliterated into English characters. [[User:Chrysogonus|Chrysogonus]] 18:04, 29 May 2007 (EDT)

'''''LL''''' is not easy to transliterate on a web page. I could use IPA (if I knew it) but bearing in mind the target audience I think ''Clan'' is a better approximation than ''Lan''. If you could come up with a better approximation I would be grateful but we're targetting people who may not even be able to pronounce Worcester correctly. Sorry if that sounds offensive but Britsih spellings and pronunciation can be difficult for non-natives. [[User:Dafydd|Dafydd]] 18:21, 29 May 2007 (EDT)

CHlan-did-no would be closer (where CH is similar to the Scottish CH as in LOCH). It is probably worth pointing out in the main article that the exact pronunciation is hard to capture. Maybe start a page on 'LL' with instructions on how to pronounce it. [[User:Chrysogonus|Chrysogonus]] 18:23, 29 May 2007 (EDT)

I did think of CH but thought it might end up as in chippy rather than loch. This is hardly the Rosetta Stone course on Welsh but there could be a need for some explanation of Welsh consonants. [[User:Dafydd|Dafydd]] 18:34, 29 May 2007 (EDT)

Talk:Llandudno

2007-05-29T22:21:28Z

Dafydd: How you say it in welsh?

Swansea

2007-05-29T22:14:06Z

Dafydd: Added category

'''Swansea''' is the second largest city in [[Wales]].

Within the city boundaries lie the Gower, the first area in Great Britain to be designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Gower boasts many fine beaches.

[[Category:Welsh Towns and Cities]]

Swansea

2007-05-29T22:06:00Z

Dafydd: Started page - more to come

'''Swansea''' is the second largest town in [[Wales]].

Dylan Thomas

2007-05-29T22:05:00Z

Dafydd: formatting

[[Image:Dylanthomas.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Portrait of the artist as a young dog]]
Dylan Marlais Thomas was born on October 27, 1914 at No 5, Cwmdonkin Drive in [[Swansea]], and died on November 9, 1953 in St Vincent's Hospital, [[New York]]. During his lifetime he wrote many great poems, including ''Fern Hill,'' <ref> for a full version of the poem see: http://www.bigeye.com/fernhill.htm </ref> and the villanelle ''Do not go Gentle into that Good Night.'' <ref>The only other modern English villanelle of equal significance is William Empson's "Missing Dates." Inspired by the death of Thomas' own father, it is a searing howl of protest at the inevitability of oblivion: [http://www.bigeye.com/donotgo.htm ''Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light.'']</ref> Most of all he is famous for writing the 'play for voices' ''[[Under Milk Wood]]'', and the collection of stories, ''[[Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog]]''.

==Under Milk Wood==
Thomas never fully completed Under Milk Wood, but it was published after his death in 1954. The play had its first solo performance by Dylan Thomas in the Fogg Museum at [[Harvard]] on May 3, 1953, and a stage performance in [[New York]] on October 25 of that year, just before his death on November 9, 1953. It was first broadcast on 25 January 1954 on the [[BBC]] Third Programme. Other productions followed in 1978 and 1994. However, perhaps best known is the 1963 production for radio, with narration by [[Richard Burton]], who claimed "the entire thing is about religion, the idea of death and sex". These important themes are central to the lives of the colourful characters whom Dylan Thomas describes with a great deal of fondness. The play begins:
<blockquote> ''It is Spring, moonless night in the small town, starless and bible-black, the cobblestreets silent and the hunched, courter's-and-rabbits' wood limping invisible down to the sloeblack, slow, black, crowblack, fishingboat-bobbing sea. The houses are are blind as moles (though moles see fine tonight in the snouting, velvet dingles) or blind as Captain Cat there in the muffled middle by the pump and the town clock, the shops in mourning, the Welfare Hall in widows' weeds. And all the people of the lulled and dumbfound town are sleeping now.''</blockquote>
The setting of ''Under Milk Wood'' is in the fictional town of [[Llareggub]]<ref> See the following link for the location and explanation of the town name: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llareggub The origin of Llareggub]</ref>, situated in South Wales. It is generally thought that the town of [[New Quay]] is the actual setting which inspired Thomas, and that he began a draft of the play called ''Quite Early One Morning'' as early as 1944.

==References==
<references/>

==Links==

[http://www.dylanthomas.com/ The Dylan Thomas Homepage]

Blaenau Ffestiniog

2007-05-29T22:02:19Z

Dafydd: pronunciation

[[Image:Blaenau.jpg|right|thumb|500px|The landscape surrounding Blaenau has been blighted with millions of tons of spoil. These slag heaps arose mainly as a result of 19th century mining techniques, and unfettered capitalisim.]]

'''Blaenau Ffestiniog''' (pronounced ''bly-now fest-inny-oc'')is the capital of the Welsh [[slate]] quarrying industry. The slate-bearing strata of Ffestiniog belong to the [[Ordovician]] or Lower [[Silurian]] systems, and are of an uniform soft blue-gray color, although the North Vein or topmost bed shows a tendency to be slightly darker. The chemical analysis of a standard Ffestiniog slate shows silica 55 per cent., alumina 25 per cent., iron oxide 11 per cent., the remainder being composed of various elements of which the chief is magnesia. The lime contents - an excess of which often characterizes an inferior slate - are negligible. <ref>For a more detailed account, see: http://www.llechicymru.info/t000952.cymraeg.htm</ref>.

Blaenau slate has been an important part of quality [[snooker]] and [[billiards]] tables for many years owing to the smooth flat surface that is revealed when slates are split or ''riven''. During [[Queen Victoria|Victorian]] times a snooker table would comprise four large blocks of slate, each 3 inches thick, so that they could be disassembled and carried by pack horses for the pleasure officers in the British Colonial Army on patrol in the outer reaches of India. Owing to the lower quality of the remaining slate from the mine however, modern tables have to be assembled from five slabs.

The slate produced from the Blaenau area is one of the highest quality roofing slates in the world, and gives the houses in [[Wales]] their characteristic blue roofs. Slate was mined via a variety of methods in the 19th century and all of these have left their mark on Blaenau, with the entire town and much of the surrounding countryside being blighted with slag heaps of slate spoil. Despite being in the centre of the [[Snowdonia National Park]], the gray slag that surrounds the town prevents it from being officially included in the designated Park area. Current plans to deal with this slag are being challenged by an environmental pressure group <ref> [http://www.walesdirectory.co.uk/swag.htm The Slate Waste Action Group (SWAG)] opposes plans to transport the slag to the North Wales coast. </ref>

[[Image:Slateworker.jpg|thumb|left|300px| Miners' Tramway (slytiau) showing one of the miners in action]]
The slate industry that Blaenau epitomizes is today only a fraction of its former size. In the 1880's the industry employed over 400 men. In the 19th century such men were renowned for their “..hard drinking, their singing and their sexual prowess” <ref> see the description in: http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/history/sites/mining/pages/slate_mining.shtml</ref> . To say that these men were responsible for the today’s slag spoil is to misunderstand thew history of Blaenau. Today the town has reinvented itself as a tourist destination with former quarries <ref name="Lech">See the website for the [http://www.llechwedd-slate-caverns.co.uk The Llechwedd Slate Caverns] </ref> offering trips on the miner's tramway into the side of the mountain and into the massive underground caverns built by the slate workers. At Llechwedd, for example it is possible to recreate the experience of the miners. Riding down the underground cliff railway into the dramatic Deep Mine, provides a stimulating audio-visual presentation as a miner from long ago takes you through the various chambers. On their way to the mine, visitors can experience the slag at first hand, going down on the tramway into dark, damp musky recesses. These cavernous spaces drip with a slimy substance, where miners would often would feel their helmets starting to become damp. Reaching the very depths, with a horn, the miner would stand up and slip into the vast cavern. The activity that ensued would be prolonged and exhausting, with several miners often being squeezed into the same recess for extended periods, but returning to the tramway repeatedly during this time, going in and out of the tunnel, before joining up for a joke Finally, when the tramway shudders to a halt, the miners all get off, and travel homewards for an evening’s drinking and singing<ref name = "Lech">a</ref>.

In preparations for the [[United Kingdom]]'s millenium celebrations, the [[Welsh Development Agency]] (WDA) in conjunction with the ''Beautiful Blaenau'' campaign sponsored research into how the slag may put to use in an environmentally-friendly way. In [[2001]] the Welsh Aggregates Company launched a range of composite building materials that have been used extensively in the regeneration of [[Cardiff]]'s historic waterfront.

The mined slate was taken on the narrow gauge Ffestiniog Railway which links Blaenau Ffestiniog with Porthmadog on the coast. The [[Festiniog Railway Company]] is the world's oldest independent railway company, established in 1832 by [[Act of Parliament]]. <ref> http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northwest/sites/history/pages/festiniograilway.shtml
</ref>. The ride is spectacular as the line twists and turns its way through the Welsh countryside.

Blaenau also has another claim to fame, In 1940 when London was faced with intensive bombing by the [[Luftwaffe]] every night, Prime Minister [[Winston Churchill]] was very concerned for the safekeeping of Britain's art treasures and he issued an order for them to be moved from the museums and art galleries in [[London]]. In order to keep them safe, they were sent to Manod Quarry in Blaenau Ffestiniog.<ref> http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northwest/sites/blaenau/pages/manodquarry.shtml</ref>

==Links==
*Map showing the Location of Blaenau Ffestiniog
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Blaenau+Ffestiniog&ie=UTF8&ll=52.988337,-3.927612&spn=0.264126,0.727844&om=1

* General Information: http://www.blaenauffestiniog.cymru.org/
* The Ffestionog Railway: Http://www.nwt.co.uk/english/snowdonia/blaenau_ffestiniog.htm
*Tourist information: http://www.walesdirectory.co.uk/Towns_in_Wales/Blaenau_Ffestiniog_Town.htm

==References==
<references/>

Blaenau Ffestiniog

2007-05-29T21:23:42Z

Dafydd: spelling

[[Image:Blaenau.jpg|right|thumb|500px|The landscape surrounding Blaenau has been blighted with millions of tons of spoil. These slag heaps arose mainly as a result of 19th century mining techniques, and unfettered capitalisim.]]

'''Blaenau Ffestiniog''' is the capital of the Welsh [[slate]] quarrying industry. The slate-bearing strata of Ffestiniog belong to the [[Ordovician]] or Lower [[Silurian]] systems, and are of an uniform soft blue-gray color, although the North Vein or topmost bed shows a tendency to be slightly darker. The chemical analysis of a standard Ffestiniog slate shows silica 55 per cent., alumina 25 per cent., iron oxide 11 per cent., the remainder being composed of various elements of which the chief is magnesia. The lime contents - an excess of which often characterizes an inferior slate - are negligible. <ref>For a more detailed account, see: http://www.llechicymru.info/t000952.cymraeg.htm</ref>.

Blaenau slate has been an important part of quality [[snooker]] and [[billiards]] tables for many years owing to the smooth flat surface that is revealed when slates are split or ''riven''. During [[Queen Victoria|Victorian]] times a snooker table would comprise four large blocks of slate, each 3 inches thick, so that they could be disassembled and carried by pack horses for the pleasure officers in the British Colonial Army on patrol in the outer reaches of India. Owing to the lower quality of the remaining slate from the mine however, modern tables have to be assembled from five slabs.

The slate produced from the Blaenau area is one of the highest quality roofing slates in the world, and gives the houses in [[Wales]] their characteristic blue roofs. Slate was mined via a variety of methods in the 19th century and all of these have left their mark on Blaenau, with the entire town and much of the surrounding countryside being blighted with slag heaps of slate spoil. Despite being in the centre of the [[Snowdonia National Park]], the gray slag that surrounds the town prevents it from being officially included in the designated Park area. Current plans to deal with this slag are being challenged by an environmental pressure group <ref> [http://www.walesdirectory.co.uk/swag.htm The Slate Waste Action Group (SWAG)] opposes plans to transport the slag to the North Wales coast. </ref>

[[Image:Slateworker.jpg|thumb|left|300px| Miners' Tramway (slytiau) showing one of the miners in action]]
The slate industry that Blaenau epitomizes is today only a fraction of its former size. In the 1880's the industry employed over 400 men. In the 19th century such men were renowned for their “..hard drinking, their singing and their sexual prowess” <ref> see the description in: http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/history/sites/mining/pages/slate_mining.shtml</ref> . To say that these men were responsible for the today’s slag spoil is to misunderstand thew history of Blaenau. Today the town has reinvented itself as a tourist destination with former quarries <ref name="Lech">See the website for the [http://www.llechwedd-slate-caverns.co.uk The Llechwedd Slate Caverns] </ref> offering trips on the miner's tramway into the side of the mountain and into the massive underground caverns built by the slate workers. At Llechwedd, for example it is possible to recreate the experience of the miners. Riding down the underground cliff railway into the dramatic Deep Mine, provides a stimulating audio-visual presentation as a miner from long ago takes you through the various chambers. On their way to the mine, visitors can experience the slag at first hand, going down on the tramway into dark, damp musky recesses. These cavernous spaces drip with a slimy substance, where miners would often would feel their helmets starting to become damp. Reaching the very depths, with a horn, the miner would stand up and slip into the vast cavern. The activity that ensued would be prolonged and exhausting, with several miners often being squeezed into the same recess for extended periods, but returning to the tramway repeatedly during this time, going in and out of the tunnel, before joining up for a joke Finally, when the tramway shudders to a halt, the miners all get off, and travel homewards for an evening’s drinking and singing<ref name = "Lech">a</ref>.

In preparations for the [[United Kingdom]]'s millenium celebrations, the [[Welsh Development Agency]] (WDA) in conjunction with the ''Beautiful Blaenau'' campaign sponsored research into how the slag may put to use in an environmentally-friendly way. In [[2001]] the Welsh Aggregates Company launched a range of composite building materials that have been used extensively in the regeneration of [[Cardiff]]'s historic waterfront.

The mined slate was taken on the narrow gauge Ffestiniog Railway which links Blaenau Ffestiniog with Porthmadog on the coast. The [[Festiniog Railway Company]] is the world's oldest independent railway company, established in 1832 by [[Act of Parliament]]. <ref> http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northwest/sites/history/pages/festiniograilway.shtml
</ref>. The ride is spectacular as the line twists and turns its way through the Welsh countryside.

Blaenau also has another claim to fame, In 1940 when London was faced with intensive bombing by the [[Luftwaffe]] every night, Prime Minister [[Winston Churchill]] was very concerned for the safekeeping of Britain's art treasures and he issued an order for them to be moved from the museums and art galleries in [[London]]. In order to keep them safe, they were sent to Manod Quarry in Blaenau Ffestiniog.<ref> http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northwest/sites/blaenau/pages/manodquarry.shtml</ref>

==Links==
*Map showing the Location of Blaenau Ffestiniog
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Blaenau+Ffestiniog&ie=UTF8&ll=52.988337,-3.927612&spn=0.264126,0.727844&om=1

* General Information: http://www.blaenauffestiniog.cymru.org/
* The Ffestionog Railway: Http://www.nwt.co.uk/english/snowdonia/blaenau_ffestiniog.htm
*Tourist information: http://www.walesdirectory.co.uk/Towns_in_Wales/Blaenau_Ffestiniog_Town.htm

==References==
<references/>

Blaenau Ffestiniog

2007-05-29T21:02:00Z

Dafydd: minor rephrasing

[[Image:Blaenau.jpg|right|thumb|500px|The landscape surrounding Blaenau has been blighted with millions of tons of spoil. These slag heaps arose mainly as a result of 19th century mining techniques, and unfettered capitalisim.]]

'''Blaenau Ffestiniog''' is the capital of the Welsh [[slate]] quarrying industry. The slate-bearing strata of Ffestiniog belong to the [[Ordovician]] or Lower [[Silurian]] systems, and are of an uniform soft blue-gray color, although the North Vein or topmost bed shows a tendency to be slightly darker. The chemical analysis of a standard Ffestiniog slate shows silica 55 per cent., alumina 25 per cent., iron oxide 11 per cent., the remainder being composed of various elements of which the chief is magnesia. The lime contents - an excess of which often characterizes an inferior slate - are negligible. <ref>For a more detailed account, see: http://www.llechicymru.info/t000952.cymraeg.htm</ref>.

Blaenau slate has been an important part of quality [[snooker]] and [[billiard]] tables for many years owing to the smooth flat surface that is revealed when slates are split or ''riven''. During [[Queen Victoria|Victorian]] times a snooker table would comprise four large blocks of slate, each 3 inches thick, so that they could be disassembled and carried by pack horses for the pleasure officers in the British Colonial Army on patrol in the outer reaches of India. Owing to the lower quality of the remaining slate from the mine however, modern tables have to be assembled from five slabs.

The slate produced from the Blaenau area is one of the highest quality roofing slates in the world, and gives the houses in [[Wales]] their characteristic blue roofs. Slate was mined via a variety of methods in the 19th century and all of these have left their mark on Blaenau, with the entire town and much of the surrounding countryside being blighted with slag heaps of slate spoil. Despite being in the centre of the [[Snowdonia National Park]], the gray slag that surrounds the town prevents it from being officially included in the designated Park area. Current plans to deal with this slag are being challenged by an environmental pressure group <ref> [http://www.walesdirectory.co.uk/swag.htm The Slate Waste Action Group (SWAG)] opposes plans to transport the slag to the North Wales coast. </ref>

[[Image:Slateworker.jpg|thumb|left|300px| Miners' Tramway (slytiau) showing one of the miners in action]]
The slate industry that Blaenau epitomizes is today only a fraction of its former size. In the 1880's the industry employed over 400 men. In the 19th century such men were renowned for their “..hard drinking, their singing and their sexual prowess” <ref> see the description in: http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/history/sites/mining/pages/slate_mining.shtml</ref> . To say that these men were responsible for the today’s slag spoil is to misunderstand thew history of Blaenau. Today the town has reinvented itself as a tourist destination with former quarries <ref name="Lech">See the website for the [http://www.llechwedd-slate-caverns.co.uk The Llechwedd Slate Caverns] </ref> offering trips on the miner's tramway into the side of the mountain and into the massive underground caverns built by the slate workers. At Llechwedd, for example it is possible to recreate the experience of the miners. Riding down the underground cliff railway into the dramatic Deep Mine, provides a stimulating audio-visual presentation as a miner from long ago takes you through the various chambers. On their way to the mine, visitors can experience the slag at first hand, going down on the tramway into dark, damp musky recesses. These cavernous spaces drip with a slimy substance, where miners would often would feel their helmets starting to become damp. Reaching the very depths, with a horn, the miner would stand up and slip into the vast cavern. The activity that ensued would be prolonged and exhausting, with several miners often being squeezed into the same recess for extended periods, but returning to the tramway repeatedly during this time, going in and out of the tunnel. Finally, when the tramway shudders to a halt, the miners all get off, and travel homewards for an evening’s drinking and singing<ref name = "Lech">a</ref>.

In preparations for the [[United Kingdom]]'s millenium celebrations, the [[Welsh Development Agency]] (WDA) in conjunction with the ''Beautiful Blaenau'' campaign sponsored research into how the slag may put to use in an environmentally-friendly way. In [[2001]] the Welsh Aggregates Company launched a range of composite building materials that have been used extensively in the regeneration of [[Cardiff]]'s historic waterfront.

The mined slate was taken on the narrow gauge Ffestiniog Railway which links Blaenau Ffestiniog with Porthmadog on the coast. The [[Festiniog Railway Company]] is the world's oldest independent railway company, established in 1832 by [[Act of Parliament]]. <ref> http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northwest/sites/history/pages/festiniograilway.shtml
</ref>. The ride is spectacular as the line twists and turns its way through the Welsh countryside.

Blaenau also has another claim to fame, In 1940 when London was faced with intensive bombing by the [[Luftwaffe]] every night, Prime Minister [[Winston Churchill]] was very concerned for the safekeeping of Britain's art treasures and he issued an order for them to be moved from the museums and art galleries in [[London]]. In order to keep them safe, they were sent to Manod Quarry in Blaenau Ffestiniog.<ref> http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northwest/sites/blaenau/pages/manodquarry.shtml</ref>

==Links==
*Map showing the Location of Blaenau Ffestiniog
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Blaenau+Ffestiniog&ie=UTF8&ll=52.988337,-3.927612&spn=0.264126,0.727844&om=1

* General Information: http://www.blaenauffestiniog.cymru.org/
* The Ffestionog Railway: Http://www.nwt.co.uk/english/snowdonia/blaenau_ffestiniog.htm
*Tourist information: http://www.walesdirectory.co.uk/Towns_in_Wales/Blaenau_Ffestiniog_Town.htm

==References==
<references/>

Blaenau Ffestiniog

2007-05-29T20:58:30Z

Dafydd: american spelling for grey, and capitalize heading

[[Image:Blaenau.jpg|right|thumb|500px|The landscape surrounding Blaenau has been blighted with millions of tons of spoil. These slag heaps arose mainly as a result of 19th century mining techniques, and unfettered capitalisim.]]

'''Blaenau Ffestiniog''' is the capital of the Welsh [[slate]] quarrying industry. The slate-bearing strata of Ffestiniog belong to the [[Ordovician]] or Lower [[Silurian]] systems, and are of an uniform soft blue-gray color, although the North Vein or topmost bed shows a tendency to be slightly darker. The chemical analysis of a standard Ffestiniog slate shows silica 55 per cent., alumina 25 per cent., iron oxide 11 per cent., the remainder being composed of various elements of which the chief is magnesia. The lime contents - an excess of which often characterizes an inferior slate - are negligible. <ref>For a more detailed account, see: http://www.llechicymru.info/t000952.cymraeg.htm</ref>.

Blaenau slate has been an important part of quality [[snooker]] and [[billiard]] tables for many years owing to the smooth flat surface that is revealed when slates are split or ''riven''. During [[Queen Victoria|Victorian]] times a snooker table would comprise four large blocks of slate, each 3 inches thick, so that they could be disassembled and carried by pack horses for the pleasure officers in the British Colonial Army on patrol in the outer reaches of India. Owing to the lower quality of the remaining slate from the mine however, modern tables have to be assembled from five slabs.

The slate produced from the Blaenau area is one of the highest quality roofing slates in the world, and gives the houses in [[Wales]] their characteristic blue roofs. Slate was mined via a variety of methods in the 19th century and all of these have left their mark on Blaenau, with the entire town and much of the surrounding countryside being blighted with slag heaps of slate spoil. Despite being in the centre of the [[Snowdonia National Park]], the gray slag that surrounds the town prevents it from being officially included in the designated Park area. Current plans to deal with this slag are being challenged by an environmental pressure group <ref> [http://www.walesdirectory.co.uk/swag.htm The Slate Waste Action Group (SWAG)] opposes plans to transport the slag to the North Wales coast. </ref>

[[Image:Slateworker.jpg|thumb|left|300px| Miners' Tramway (slytiau) showing one of the miners in action]]
The slate industry that Blaenau epitomizes is today only a fraction of its former size. In the 1880's the industry employed over 400 men. In the 19th century such men were renowned for their “..hard drinking, their singing and their sexual prowess” <ref> see the description in: http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/history/sites/mining/pages/slate_mining.shtml</ref> . To say that these men were responsible for the today’s slag spoil is to misunderstand thew history of Blaenau. Today the town has reinvented itself as a tourist destination with former quarries <ref name="Lech">See the website for the [http://www.llechwedd-slate-caverns.co.uk The Llechwedd Slate Caverns] </ref> offering trips on the miner's tramway into the side of the mountain and into the massive underground caverns built by the slate workers. At Llechwedd, for example it is possible to recreate the experience of the miners. Riding down the underground cliff railway into the dramatic Deep Mine, provides a stimulating audio-visual presentation as a miner from long ago takes you through the various chambers. On their way to the mine, visitors can experience the slag at first hand, going down on the tramway into dark, damp musky recesses. These cavernous spaces drip with a slimy substance, where miners would often would feel their helmets starting to become damp. Reaching the very depths, with a horn, the miner would stand up and slip into the vast cavern. The activity that ensued would be prolonged and exhausting, with several miners often being squeezed into the same recess for extended periods, but returning to the tramway repeatedly during this time, going in and out of the tunnel. Finally, when the tramway shudders to a halt, the miners all get off, and travel homewards for an evening’s drinking and singing<ref name = "Lech">a</ref>.

In preparations for the [[United Kingdom]]'s millenium celebrations, the [[Welsh Development Agency]] (WDA) in conjunction with the ''Beautiful Blaenau'' campaign sponsored research into how the slag may put to use in an environmentally-friendly way. In [[2001]] the Welsh Aggregates Company launched a composite building material which has been used extensively in the regeneration of [[Cardiff]]'s historic waterfront.

The mined slate was taken on the narrow gauge Ffestiniog Railway which links Blaenau Ffestiniog with Porthmadog on the coast. The [[Festiniog Railway Company]] is the world's oldest independent railway company, established in 1832 by [[Act of Parliament]]. <ref> http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northwest/sites/history/pages/festiniograilway.shtml
</ref>. The ride is spectacular as the line twists and turns its way through the Welsh countryside.

Blaenau also has another claim to fame, In 1940 when London was faced with intensive bombing by the [[Luftwaffe]] every night, Prime Minister [[Winston Churchill]] was very concerned for the safekeeping of Britain's art treasures and he issued an order for them to be moved from the museums and art galleries in [[London]]. In order to keep them safe, they were sent to Manod Quarry in Blaenau Ffestiniog.<ref> http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northwest/sites/blaenau/pages/manodquarry.shtml</ref>

==Links==
*Map showing the Location of Blaenau Ffestiniog
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Blaenau+Ffestiniog&ie=UTF8&ll=52.988337,-3.927612&spn=0.264126,0.727844&om=1

* General Information: http://www.blaenauffestiniog.cymru.org/
* The Ffestionog Railway: Http://www.nwt.co.uk/english/snowdonia/blaenau_ffestiniog.htm
*Tourist information: http://www.walesdirectory.co.uk/Towns_in_Wales/Blaenau_Ffestiniog_Town.htm

==References==
<references/>

Slate

2007-05-29T20:53:02Z

Dafydd: Created

'''Slate''' is a metamorphic rock created by the application of intense pressure on mudstones and siltstones during periods of [[orogeny]] many millions of years ago. As the [[mud]] or [[silt]] was laid down in thin layers slate is a highly fissile rock that can be split into thin sheets.

Slate has found use as a roofing or flooring material, for the bed of a [[snooker]] or [[billiards]] table and for writing tablets. Slates for writing have been in use for many thousands of years and were common well into the twentieth century in many schools. Writing would be accomplished either with a coarse stick of [[chalk]] or a fine stylus made of [[graphite]]. Owing to the ease at which the slate tablets could be cleaned for re-use we get the English [[idiom]] to "start with a clean slate".

Blaenau Ffestiniog

2007-05-29T20:37:50Z

Dafydd: Regeneration

[[Image:Blaenau.jpg|right|thumb|500px|The landscape surrounding Blaenau has been blighted with millions of tons of spoil. These slag heaps arose mainly as a result of 19th century mining techniques, and unfettered capitalisim.]]

'''Blaenau Ffestiniog''' is the capital of the Welsh [[slate]] quarrying industry. The slate-bearing strata of Ffestiniog belong to the [[Ordovician]] or Lower [[Silurian]] systems, and are of an uniform soft blue-grey color, although the North Vein or topmost bed shows a tendency to be slightly darker. The chemical analysis of a standard Ffestiniog slate shows silica 55 per cent., alumina 25 per cent., iron oxide 11 per cent., the remainder being composed of various elements of which the chief is magnesia. The lime contents - an excess of which often characterizes an inferior slate - are negligible. <ref>For a more detailed account, see: http://www.llechicymru.info/t000952.cymraeg.htm</ref>.

Blaenau slate has been an important part of quality [[snooker]] and [[billiard]] tables for many years owing to the smooth flat surface that is revealed when slates are split or ''riven''. During [[Queen Victoria|Victorian]] times a snooker table would comprise four large blocks of slate, each 3 inches thick, so that they could be disassembled and carried by pack horses for the pleasure officers in the British Colonial Army on patrol in the outer reaches of India. Owing to the lower quality of the remaining slate from the mine however, modern tables have to be assembled from five slabs.

The slate produced from the Blaenau area is one of the highest quality roofing slates in the world, and gives the houses in [[Wales]] their characteristic blue roofs. Slate was mined via a variety of methods in the 19th century and all of these have left their mark on Blaenau, with the entire town and much of the surrounding countryside being blighted with slag heaps of slate spoil. Despite being in the centre of the [[Snowdonia National Park]], the gray slag that surrounds the town prevents it from being officially included in the designated Park area. Current plans to deal with this slag are being challenged by an environmental pressure group <ref> [http://www.walesdirectory.co.uk/swag.htm The Slate Waste Action Group (SWAG)] opposes plans to transport the slag to the North Wales coast. </ref>

[[Image:Slateworker.jpg|thumb|left|300px| Miners' Tramway (slytiau) showing one of the miners in action]]
The slate industry that Blaenau epitomizes is today only a fraction of its former size. In the 1880's the industry employed over 400 men. In the 19th century such men were renowned for their “..hard drinking, their singing and their sexual prowess” <ref> see the description in: http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/history/sites/mining/pages/slate_mining.shtml</ref> . To say that these men were responsible for the today’s slag spoil is to misunderstand thew history of Blaenau. Today the town has reinvented itself as a tourist destination with former quarries <ref name="Lech">See the website for the [http://www.llechwedd-slate-caverns.co.uk The Llechwedd Slate Caverns] </ref> offering trips on the miner's tramway into the side of the mountain and into the massive underground caverns built by the slate workers. At Llechwedd, for example it is possible to recreate the experience of the miners. Riding down the underground cliff railway into the dramatic Deep Mine, provides a stimulating audio-visual presentation as a miner from long ago takes you through the various chambers. On their way to the mine, visitors can experience the slag at first hand, going down on the tramway into dark, damp musky recesses. These cavernous spaces drip with a slimy substance, where miners would often would feel their helmets starting to become damp. Reaching the very depths, with a horn, the miner would stand up and slip into the vast cavern. The activity that ensued would be prolonged and exhausting, with several miners often being squeezed into the same recess for extended periods, but returning to the tramway repeatedly during this time, going in and out of the tunnel. Finally, when the tramway shudders to a halt, the miners all get off, and travel homewards for an evening’s drinking and singing<ref name = "Lech">a</ref>.

In preparations for the [[United Kingdom]]'s millenium celebrations, the [[Welsh Development Agency]] (WDA) in conjunction with the ''Beautiful Blaenau'' campaign sponsored research into how the slag may put to use in an environmentally-friendly way. In [[2001]] the Welsh Aggregates Company launched a composite building material which has been used extensively in the regeneration of [[Cardiff]]'s historic waterfront.

The mined slate was taken on the narrow gauge Ffestiniog Railway which links Blaenau Ffestiniog with Porthmadog on the coast. The [[Festiniog Railway Company]] is the world's oldest independent railway company, established in 1832 by [[Act of Parliament]]. <ref> http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northwest/sites/history/pages/festiniograilway.shtml
</ref>. The ride is spectacular as the line twists and turns its way through the Welsh countryside.

Blaenau also has another claim to fame, In 1940 when London was faced with intensive bombing by the [[Luftwaffe]] every night, Prime Minister [[Winston Churchill]] was very concerned for the safekeeping of Britain's art treasures and he issued an order for them to be moved from the museums and art galleries in [[London]]. In order to keep them safe, they were sent to Manod Quarry in Blaenau Ffestiniog.<ref> http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northwest/sites/blaenau/pages/manodquarry.shtml</ref>

==Links==
*Map showing the Location of Blaenau Ffestiniog
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Blaenau+Ffestiniog&ie=UTF8&ll=52.988337,-3.927612&spn=0.264126,0.727844&om=1

* General Information: http://www.blaenauffestiniog.cymru.org/
* The Ffestionog Railway: Http://www.nwt.co.uk/english/snowdonia/blaenau_ffestiniog.htm
*Tourist information: http://www.walesdirectory.co.uk/Towns_in_Wales/Blaenau_Ffestiniog_Town.htm

==references==
<references/>

Blaenau Ffestiniog

2007-05-29T20:22:14Z

Dafydd: Added importance for snooker tables

[[Image:Blaenau.jpg|right|thumb|500px|The landscape surrounding Blaenau has been blighted with millions of tons of spoil. These slag heaps arose mainly as a result of 19th century mining techniques, and unfettered capitalisim.]]

'''Blaenau Ffestiniog''' is the capital of the Welsh [[slate]] quarrying industry. The slate-bearing strata of Ffestiniog belong to the [[Ordovician]] or Lower [[Silurian]] systems, and are of an uniform soft blue-grey colour, although the North Vein or topmost bed shows a tendency to be slightly darker. The chemical analysis of a standard Ffestiniog slate shows silica 55 per cent., alumina 25 per cent., iron oxide 11 per cent., the remainder being composed of various elements of which the chief is magnesia. The lime contents - an excess of which often characterises an inferior slate - are negligible. <ref>For a more detailed account, see: http://www.llechicymru.info/t000952.cymraeg.htm</ref>.

Blaenau slate has been an important part of quality [[snooker]] and [[billiard]] tables for many years owing to the smooth flat surface that is revealed when slates are split or ''riven''. During [[Queen Victoria|Victorian]] times a snooker table would comprise four large blocks of slate, each 3 inches thick, so that they could be disassembled and carried by pack horses for the pleasure officers in the British Colonial Army on patrol in the outer reaches of India. Owing to the lower quality of the remaining slate from the mine however, modern tables have to be assembled from five slabs.

The slate produced from the Blaenau area is one of the highest quality roofing slates in the world, and gives the houses in [[Wales]] their characteristic blue roofs. Slate was mined via a variety of methods in the 19th century and all of these have left their mark on Blaenau, with the entire town and much of the surrounding countryside being blighted with slag heaps of slate spoil. Despite being in the centre of the [[Snowdonia National Park]], the grey slag that surrounds the town prevents it from being officially included in the designated Park area. Current plans to deal with this slag are being challenged by an environmental pressure group <ref> [http://www.walesdirectory.co.uk/swag.htm The Slate Waste Action Group (SWAG)] opposes plans to transport the slag to the North Wales coast. </ref>

[[Image:Slateworker.jpg|thumb|left|300px| Miners' Tramway (slytiau) showing one of the miners in action]]
The slate industry that Blaenau epitomises is today only a fraction of its former size. In the 1880's the industry employed over 400 men. In the 19th century such men were renowned for their “..hard drinking, their singing and their sexual prowess” <ref> see the description in: http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/history/sites/mining/pages/slate_mining.shtml</ref> . To say that these men were responsible for the today’s slag spoil is to misunderstand thew history of Blaenau. Today the town has reinvented itself as a tourist destination with former quarries <ref name="Lech">See the website for the [http://www.llechwedd-slate-caverns.co.uk The Llechwedd Slate Caverns] </ref> offering trips on the miner's tramway (or slytiau) into the side of the mountain and into the massive underground caverns built by the slate workers. At Llechwedd, for example it is possible to recreate the experience of the miners. Riding down the underground cliff railway into the dramatic Deep Mine, provides a stimulating audio-visual presentation as a miner from long ago takes you through the various chambers. On their way to the mine, visitors can experience the slag at first hand, going down on the slytiau into dark, damp musky recesses. These cavernous spaces drip with a slimy substance, where miners would often would feel their helmets starting to become damp. Reaching the very depths, with a horn, the miner would stand up and slip into the vast cavern. The activity that ensued would be prolonged and exhausting, with several miners often being squeezed into the same recess for extended periods, but returning to the slytiau repeatedly during this time, going in and out of the tunnel. Finally, when the slytiau shudders to a halt, the miners all get off, and travel homewards for an evening’s drinking and singing<ref name = "Lech">a</ref>.

The mined slate was taken on the narrow gauge Ffestiniog Railway which links Blaenau Ffestiniog with Porthmadog on the coast. The [[Festiniog Railway Company]] is the world's oldest independent railway company, established in 1832 by [[Act of Parliament]]. <ref> http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northwest/sites/history/pages/festiniograilway.shtml
</ref>. The ride is spectacular as the line twists and turns its way through the Welsh countryside.

Blaenau also has another claim to fame, In 1940 when London was faced with intensive bombing by the [[Luftwaffe]] every night, Prime Minister [[Winston Churchill]] was very concerned for the safekeeping of Britain's art treasures and he issued an order for them to be moved from the museums and art galleries in [[London]]. In order to keep them safe, they were sent to Manod Quarry in Blaenau Ffestiniog.<ref> http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northwest/sites/blaenau/pages/manodquarry.shtml</ref>

==Links==
*Map showing the Location of Blaenau Ffestiniog
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Blaenau+Ffestiniog&ie=UTF8&ll=52.988337,-3.927612&spn=0.264126,0.727844&om=1

* General Information: http://www.blaenauffestiniog.cymru.org/
* The Ffestionog Railway: Http://www.nwt.co.uk/english/snowdonia/blaenau_ffestiniog.htm
*Tourist information: http://www.walesdirectory.co.uk/Towns_in_Wales/Blaenau_Ffestiniog_Town.htm

==references==
<references/>