This morning on my memory page from 4 years ago René Griffiths sings Myfanwy; this afternoon Gweltaz Ar Fur walked into my bar with the man and his guitar. Gweltaz was the proprietor of the famous Breton book/record shop 'Ar Bed Keltiek' in Kemper (Quimper) (Cymer) before it closed, he was also the first President of 'Diwan' (Breton language schools) and a renowned musician, I remember when we got him to sing in Cefn, Merthyr supporting Meic Stevens. René is a Welsh Argentinian from Patagonia, the last time we met was in the Porthcawl interceltic festival organised by Derek Smith of the old 'Mabon', where he gave me his bi-lingual album sung in Cymraeg and Castillan (Argentinian version), a few days later we met up again at Meic Stevens's birthday party in the Coal Exchange, quite a co-incidence his being on my memory page the day he turns up at the bar. As they sat down and ordered a drink a couple walked in with whom René got chatting about music, to which another guitar was brought in, the two were identical Alhambras, the one from Paris, the other from Patagonia (a second co-incidence!). René sang for us in Welsh & Spanish, the Parisian played instrumentals.

Monday & Tuesday were my days of rest; Monday was shared with James Cagney, Edmund O'Brien and Dylan Thomas in between a lot of sleep, whilst Tuesday was banking and shopping in between eating and sleeping. While out shopping I met a Welsh couple from Y Dref Newydd (Newtown) who have a house in Locarn and are Eisteddfod goers when possible and also visitors to the Lorient InterCeltic Festival. She taught Welsh in Gellideg, Merthyr Tudful and knew of Phyl Griffiths's Zoar bookshop. They are returning to Cymru today, but hopefully they will be back to visit my bar in October.

Yesterday was the last day of the local 'pardon' (religious festival); I had a good day. From today onwards I'll be closing on Mondays & Tuesday.

1. Had an englyn dedicated to me yesterday by last year's Eisteddfod chair winner; it will be framed.

'Three Weird Sisters', a 1947 film about the happenings in a Welsh mining village turned up the other day on Youtube for 48 hours only; I'd never previously heard of it. Today as I said I picked up 'Dylan Thomas', a biography of the poet, and by a buzarre co-incidence there it was on the 3rd page of chapter 2:

"But Leigh Aman, now Lord Marley, who was production manager of 'Three Weird Sisters' after the war, says categorically that Thomas spent three weeks virtually locked up on the top floor of the Royal Court Hotel in London writing the script."

In the taxi on the way to the hospital I finished the second volume of 'River Out of Eden' a novel about the growth of Cardiff written by Jack Jones, a Merthyr boy born behind the Theatre Royal on the edge of Darren view and not far from my old Queen's Rd. Infants School, I put it down and picked up 'DYLAN THOMAS' by Paul Ferris, a birthday present.

Yesterday was very quiet; I won't be opening on Mondays any more until Easter or Whitsun. I had 3 customers from La Martyre (in French), Merzher (in Brezhoneg (Brythoneg)/Breton), Merthyr (in Cymraeg/Welsh. Today no better except for three 15 euros t(ee)-shirts, top quality. Went to Morlaix this morning for my chemotherapy session, got back to the bar before 4pm, waste of my time, so I won't be opening on Tuesdays anymore this year either. My daughter for one will be happy that I'll be resting for at least two days a week while I'm under treatment.

My daughter's birthday, she came into this world 37 years ago and now has 3 children of her own. The bar was quiet again today, BUT! Collorec, La Feuillée, Brennilis, Landivisiau, Guilvinec, Douarnenez, Brest & Rennes; Sunday day outers but no tourists.

Little accident at the bar yesterday, my bag came unstuck, fortunately two of my nurses had come back for a quiet drink and there was a change of clothes in my car. A quiet day for a Saturday, although there were customers from Collorec, Huelgoat, Berrien, Locmaria-Berrien, Carhaix, Plouguerneau, Lannion, Paimpol, Nantes & Normandy.

Following on from yesterday, a group turned up today from Lyons carrying with them the Geoguide, they were happily satisfied. Nothing surprises me where my pub is concerned, I mentioned to a middle aged married couple that there had been a terrorist attack in Barcelona, they said that they already knew as their children were just 20 metres from the incident and had phoned to say that they were safe.

Began slowly, one man, one 'diabolo menthe' (lemonade with mint cordial), chatting for an hour, went outside for a sit in my car for a few minutes, then this seeming tide of people came past me and entered into the bar, 20 Breton learners and a group of Cardiffians, friends of Al Tal, all in one go; as is usual these days, even with a driver, one drink each, when a second or third would make a great difference to the till. Although it finished a relatively quiet day there was a visitor from Amsterdam with his Cornish girlfriend. I may as well add that although I've been taken out of most guide books because of my 3 years closure due to a fire, I still have a very favourable article in the Geoguide and am 5 star recommended in both Trip Advisor and Google. I used to be in the backpackers 'Guide du Routard/Trotter as one of the best bar addresses in Brittany, so I find it particularly hard to lose that one, although all the guides that I was in (including The Michelin) recommended me favourably, 3 years was too long to be closed, giving the idea that it was permanent, and just when my trade was building back there was this latest closure of 7 months which is a lot when the custom base is spread so far; I thank my lucky stars for Facebook.

1. Quiet for a bank holiday, but a fine mixture of Merthyr (born in London), Ystradgynlais, Walsall, Cornwall, Devon, Bassaleg, Basque country (south), Burton, Ivory Coast; some living here, some on holidays; plus Bretons of course.

My Owain Glyndwr flag came today to replace the one that Ap Steffan (Castro) gave me that went up in flames when the pub burned down. Diolch yn fawr Sian Ifan

ATTENTION! A CAUSE D'UNE MALADIE, JUSQU'AU 15 SEPTEMBRE LE BAR SERA FERME A 22H AU LIEU DE 1H LES LUNDIS, MARDIS, MERCREDIS ET JEUDIS; 1H LES VENDREDIS ET SAMEDIS. LES DIMANCHES VERS 21H?/N.B. UNTIL SEPTEMBER 15 THE BAR WILL CLOSE AT 10PM INSTEAD OF 1AM ON MONDAYS, TUESDAYS, WEDNESDAYS AND THURSDAYS; 1AM ON FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS. SUNDAYS NOT LATER THAN 9PM.

1. Went for my chemotherapy, asked them to bring it forward now that I'm back in work which they did, the Basque couple sent me our photo together (see below) by e-mail. I close at 10pm in the week instead of 1am in order to catch up on my rest, at 10.30pm there were people wanting to come in, too late sorry, they'd read on the internet that I close at 1am, I explained my case, they understood, they'll be back tomorrow they said.

With my Basque customers:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155637561612277&set=a.148902637276.112431.653492276&type=3

The Basques were back (photos to follow), so were the Australians (his father from Maesteg, her father Irish) whom I forgot to mention yesterday, and the couple who live and trade in neighbouring businesses in Paris, plus the regulars including the Kentish couple and the rugby player from Gloucester who rides to the bar on a Royal Mail bicycle from a house down the road. Mick originally from near Burton is in every day and changes my barrels for me.

Saturday was quiet with many customers at the 'Fête du Stang', Landelo/Landeleau, or at the F.I.L. (Festival InterCeltique), An Oriant/Lorient. Sunday afternoon was quiet with the exception of a group of 11 motorbikers, then when I was thinking of an early closing it flowered, with Westy & Liliane, a couple of Basques (who gave me a bottle of 'Eskartxa', licor de endrinas) and groups of others. Because of my illness I shouldn't stay too late so I closed at 10pm.

Amongst my first customers today were tourists from Groningen, The Netherlands; not many in otherwise, glad to get Monday and Tuesday over with, although there was a visit from f/b friend Christophe Baron and his Mexican wife who came after reading about the re-opening.