Not a peal of bells

I believe in the expression 'God helps them who help themselves', I don't believe in standing idly by watching everything going to pot, but doing nothing is not negative, it is neutral and cheap, whilst paradoxically, doing something can cost, therefore, as in my case, mainly ink & petrol, expensively negative. More than a year out of work, the money my mother left me has gone up in smoke as has the contemptible contents insurance; I am left with nothing except hundreds of photos that no-one wants. The good news is that on April 9 the pub will be cleaned out ready for work to start on the rebuilding, the bad news is that, if as likely, the bar won't be ready before the end of the year my problems will be almost insurmountable without financial support. I have just bought two new tyres with post-dated cheques, my car insurance runs out tonight, I have electricity & water bills, plus a personal loan to pay back. I need money now! There must be someone out there, benefactor, sponsor, saviour, who can help to keep me afloat; I should have earned enough money at Easter, Whitsun and the Summer, but it looks at present as though that has been put off for another year. Now I've got that off my chest I'm going to try and switch off for an hour or so to see how Sir Percy Blakeney aka The Scarlet Pimpernel escapes from prison, which I suppose he will. Thank goodness for my books & my friends.

Risky tire

I'm up early to go to the market in Callac but on second thoughts the threads are showing on my tyre risking a blowout, which is dangerous in itself, and also I don't have a spare since I lost its sister two days ago; I took a huge risk going to Rostrenen yesterday, I'm not going to push my luck today the way things have been going, it's not as though I'm likely to sell many photos, but I was hoping to build up a routine; never mind, tomorrow Uhelgoad market is on the way to the garage where I'm promised two more, how I'll pay I don't know, and if it's fine I'll mow the grass.

Agenda

I'll be in Rostrenen 'till 1pm if my other front tyre holds out, another expense I can ill afford; I need to sell some photos if only to break even on the ink.

One foot in Paradise, the other feeling the heat.

Spiritually I'm feeling great; I find my temporary!? new life very fulfilling with all the walking along the river & canal banks, smelling the fresh odours of Springtime, visiting the churches & chapels, not for religion but their history, art & folk connexions, searching for lost holy wells, feeling the magnetism of the menhirs and enjoying panoramas such as the view over the port in Dinan, capturing what I can on celluloid to share with you, reading of past travels , exploits, experiences, adventures; accompanying George Borrow through Cymru/Wales or reading Wordsworth in the countryside open air ; unfortunately nothing is perfect, I get home, push open the door against the weight of the mounting bills and wade through the letters whose contents are squeezing the breath out of me; I won't let it get me down, although today I didn't find the 'fontaine' I went looking for, it was too late to look for the tumulus and ended with a puncture and the necessity to buy two new tyres, I watched the bumblebees at work, admired the fluttering butterflies and the fleeting catkins. Tomorrow morning I'll be taking my photos to the market in Rostrenen with the hope of selling a few, but even a few won't be enough, I'm beginning to slide in the wrong direction. I need sponsorship and/or a loan now, meeting with the bailiff tomorrow evening to try and sort things out.

Unraveling the troubles of Christendom

 March 1417 the Dean of York, Thomas Polton, argued that the 'English or British nation' was made up of eight kingdoms or particular nations, comprising ; England, Scotland, Wales, Man, the four kingdoms of Ireland and the principality of John, prince of the Orkney Islands; whilst Jean de Campagne, proctor for King Charles VI of France argued that Wales, Scotland and Ireland were 'nationes particulares' and should not be included with the English 'nation'.

Capital

Cardiff built 'National' monuments & institutions then got itself made the 'official' Capital by the authorities in London; there is an official Red Dragon flag with a crown but is not recognized in Wales. In other words Cardiff is London's Capital as Peter Hain is London's Welsh spokesman, although it appears a 'fait accompli' the Welsh should now affirm, or not, London's decision, either with a rubber stamp or by plebiscite.

For David James in particular and other interested parties in general

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footballnation/merthyr-tydfil-fc/2011/03/11/merthyr-eye-quickfire-title-glory-91466-28316015/?sms_ss=email&at_xt=4d7a4afb95ee79f7%2C0

Long time coming

We held the crown of Britain by armed might & by birthright until Oswald of Northumbria killed Cadwallon in 634 or 635, steadily we lost ground to 1284, there was a revival under Glyndwr, then we were subsumed under Tudor England; forward to 03/03/2011 when one of the oldest Countries in Europe is reclaiming responsibilities taken away more than 700 years ago, for too long we've had to go cap in hand to strangers with no common bond or understanding of our problems, can we finally be trusted, are we able to act on our own, albeit to a limited extent, have we any self respect? These are not questions for others to answer. Hopefully the WAG will now attract better minds, with London being of secondary importance for Welsh politicians; whether it's good or bad is in our own hands, and that's how it should be, we've been given the key to our own apartment, and it's up to us to keep it tidy, but we still share the gas, electricity, kitchen, bathroom and roof. A key to an apartment, nothing to make a fuss about, but paradoxically seismic given that Wales was not a recognized Country like Scotland under English law and only had royal assent to a capital city in 1955. It is only right to have laws made in Wales adapted for Welsh circumstances, with our elected representatives living in their constituencies sharing their neighbours' problems. We can now put Edward I, Henry VIII and Neil & Glenys Kinnock behind us. It's OUR future for US to decide.

Radical change

For thirty years not counting the last, my life revolved around a bar, the people and the music within in a little village 'lost' in the Breton countryside, not walking more than the length of the bar for hours, days, weeks, months & years on end till 1am; in just the last two days I have found the time to drive around Cymru/Wales figuratively and and parts of Breizh/Brittany literally; 'I returned to Wales' in the company of  S.P.B. Mais, 'bought a mountain' in Eryri/Snowdonia with Thomas Firbank, shook hands with old and new acquaintances in Roazhon/Rennes, had a panoramic view of the port in Dinan, and set up my stall in villages many miles apart, the change has been radical; my muscles lungs and brain have been re-educated so that I can once again run a 100 metres, skip, climb hills and read. Unfortunately, except for the reading part, it cannot be kept up due to lack of resources, I can eat or I can drive, but when eventually I get back to the bar and my earnings I will be setting days, if not weeks, aside, because that will be it, no retirement.