Breton/Welsh traditional pub - top quality ales: Stout; Christmas ale; Best bitter; I.P.A. & Organic lager (& Blanche during the summer). Choice of whiskies: Scotch; Irish; Breton & Welsh. Wines: Red; Rosé; White. Steak & kidney pies, pickled eggs, crisps, accompanied by huge music selection. Closed mondays & tuesdays during the winter period, otherwise open 7/7 the rest of the year & holidays. Open early afternoon till late at night.

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'Jesus' a middle-eastern 'prophet' with a Hebrew name meaning 'God saves' had evangelizing followers whom we refer to as 'disciples'. his cult spread throughout the Roman Empire, which included us; we were eventually forced to accept, on pain of death or torture, well before the '60s a sandal wearing long haired hippie's philosophy, as with Arthur, written hundreds of years later. I'll let you into a little secret, nobody spoke English in those days anywhere, so nobody was called Matthew, Mark, Luke or John; choose your bible, choose your language. Then four centuries later another middle-eastern so called prophet turned up also claiming descent from Abraham. The sooner humanism takes over from religion the better, what's it got to do with us, are they can't both be right. The Roman Empire handing over to the British, French, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese and German Empires spread the seed of wars in the name of peace; they have a lot to answer for. The last thing we needed were missionaries! The word is God, God is the word, unless you happen to be, Chinese; Indian, Native American; Druid, etc.,etc.,etc. Which cult, sect, religion is right? Who has God on his side? Is there a God, or is there some kind of power which has nothing to do with anything, yet everything? I always believe I'm being tested, but by what or whom?

Just a quick thought, 'good health' in Cymraeg/Welsh translates 'Iechyd da'; please don't demean the language and yourselves by repeating the popular bastardized form, which I hear too often, 'iaky da'..

Owain Glyndwr, if given the vote in today's circumstances would not be voting for either Corbyn or May, he would be fighting for his country, for a unified and independent Cymru/Wales.

Is Glamorgan really bigger than Wales; it says something for the Welsh mentality that Scotland & Ireland are cricket nations, whereas Glamorgan is a secondary county while Wales is a minor county, notwithstanding that the game of cricket is not really Welsh but it seems to be the second sport of many Welsh rugby backs.

Etymological: Old English = Teutonic/German/Scandinavian; Architecture: Old English = Old French; Weather: Western European (Northern France, Cymru, Scotland, Ireland); English breakfast = non-indigenous British breakfast; English oak !!!!!! (considering that the oaks were there before England); English Channel = British Sea; Bristol Channel = Severn Sea; I'm sure that there more, such as English love of dogs and perhaps English gardens, but I haven't got time. What is the point? Why is everything English? when in fact its self glorification and we are being dragged in! P.S. No such thing as an English Christian/first name either, nor French come to that. I nearly forgot the biggest joke of the lot: 'ENGLISH TEA.'!!!

Neither the Scottish nor the English are indigenous peoples, the Scots crossing the Irish Sea and the Germans crossing the North Sea; although we were tribal and didn't really have a name for ourselves, the German invaders (eventually to refer to themselves as English as their respective kingdoms united in the 10th century, before their selves in turn being conquered by the Normans in the tenth) named us 'Welsh', meaning them over there, not us, foreigners in our own country, we as the indigenous Britons, in an act of solidarity called ourselves the 'Cymry' today's 'Welsh' people; Cymru the land of the Britons, the compatriots, at that time south of Lake Lomond, today our western peninsular. The Cornish don't use the term, neither do the Bretons. The Bretons speak Brezhoneg, which transposes Brythoneg, the common language from Glasgow to Nantes (ignoring dialects). The word 'Welsh accepted as it is is an insult, yet so many people, basically because of the invasive language of England see it as a compliment and are proud to be. Rugby the so called 'national sport carries the feathers of the eldest son of the queen who has absolutely nothing to do with Cymru/Wales, the reason why Cymru/Wales is no longer treated as a principality, but rather a constituent country, as Charles has no responsibility whatsoever in the running of the country. Cymry am byth.

A miner is a miner is a miner, at least he was until Thatcher closed down our mines; but I don't like the British/English nationalist argument that within their idea of socialism British internal borders don't exist; sAneurin Bevan said that there are no Welshproblems, only problems, much as I admired the man, it's plainly ridiculous. Somehow the English idea of socialism encompasses Scots, Welsh and English but excludes foreigners. Somehow miners from beyond the English/Scottish/Welsh borders are exempt from their idea of socialism; the French/German/Polish/Chinese miners can go and f*** themselves. The one time anthem of the working class, the International has been dropped by with the Kinnockites, the Blairites, and any other of the same, I won't call it ideology, but the rich have to rule, whether Labour profiteers who endeavour to have or Conservative who already have. There's a new man on the block who with his truly socialist ideas is scaring the pants off everybody on the right, pity he's English, which is good for them, and I hope that he forms the next government, unfortunately whatever is decided in westminster, it's never beneficial to this little country on the western peninsula, so we have to wake up, work for the betterment of Cymru/Wales and stand behind someone who will, I'm sure, as in days gone past, fight for our little corner of this island. We may need Jeremy Corbyn in England, but we need more Adam Price in Cymru/Wales.

Did I hear correctly this afternoon? The Shadow Foreign Minister asked for those Labour members who support the Arabs in defence of their lands, against the Israeli government, to be expelled for being ant-Jewish and therefore racist, but this is nonsense, as not all Jews are Israelis. What they are fighting is Israeli State policy denying them their civil rights, and not's let us forget that Israel won its freedom through acts of terrorism. The state of the Israeli and Palestinian Arabs is understood to be unacceptable by all fair minded people; they are a badly treated minority, the defence of which the Labour Party is all about. I think it is she who should be thrown out!

I was brought up Labour Party and proud to be so, Aneurin Bevan on the Left against Hugh Gaitskill on the right, what you ask, right wingers in our socialist party? Get real. The enemy was and still is the Conservative Party, when Bevan said that they were lower than vermin we all agreed, then when he said that there were no Welsh problems only problems, I had to think, then when Harold Wilson, another man whom I admired took the Aberfan Fund to clear the tips that was the end. When Emrys Roberts came to Merthyr to stand for Plaid Cymru there was no way back, he was a socialist who stood for Cymru/Wales and minorities worldwide. I got to know him and his wife Margaret, went to their house, wonderful people. He nearly got elected to Merthyr as M.P. but narrowly lost. I became a member of the Merthyr executive and as such went to the counts as a scrutineer, often I caught the employees of Merthyr council cheating, putting one Labour Party vote over many opposition votes, giving the impression of a Labour majority, they also fiddled with the ballot boxes, so it is possible that Emrys in reality won the election. Now that the Labour Party has a socialist leader the right wing forces will do anything within their ability to deny him power, ironically in the same way that the corrupt Labour rule in Merthyr denied the socialist Emrys Roberts.

P.S. Merthyr in the 20s and 30s was ruled by predominantly the founders of the movement, but with few exceptions such as Tal Loyd and Albert John, Trades Union activists, in the sixties Merthyr council was controlled by the Irish catholic community. As with the Communists infiltrating the Labour Party, the catholics in Merthyr infiltrated the Town Hall. I stood agains Terry Mahoney who became the first Chairman of Mid-Glamorgan, but he wasn't Labour, he was a Liberal who married into the McNamaras, then Plaid Cymru took over with Emrys Roberts as its leader, so there had to be a rethink. Plaid didn't last long for whatever reason, then Bill Morgan the newly elected leader was a Church in Wales vicar. Then I left Merthyr to come to Brittany. I've learned since that the Labour Party has lost its majority on the council. Although I've moved away, I'm keeping an eye on things. As with Joseph Parry, bachgen bach o Ferthyr erioed erioed.

P.P.S. When canvassing up the mush, predominantly Irish community, I used to get the doors slammed in my face, then one day I was up the road in Sunnybank an old lady came to the door and told me she was Irish, so as I turned away she said 'we Irish & Welsh have to stick together.' Took me aback, but very welcome.

Although Keir Hardie founded the Labour movement which led to the Labour Party as we know it he was never at ease at the way it was going and stayed in the I.L.P. which was often at odds withe Labour Party; since when although it is commonly referred to as the 'Socialist party it's always kept socialists at arms length. My local M.P. S.O. Davies, an old miners' leader was always in trouble with them; the last leading socialist, Aneurin Bevan, (with the exception of Tony Benn and Michael Foot) was always in trouble with the right wing Hugh Gaitskill, there shouldn't be right wingers in the Labour Party. We had Kinnock who distrusted left wingers, probably afraid that they would question the fortune that he built up, he led to Tony Blair who admired Margaret Thatcher, I suppose he's become a millionaire by now. Now that the Labour Party has a socialist at its head everyone, including the Parliamentary Labour Party, is scared stiff that this will lead us to socialism and the so called English ideal of fair play and rights for the disadvantaged. Perhaps it's because that in practice the Labour party was never voted for for its socialist ideals but moreso as a tool for the working class to selfishly move on, nothing to do with equality, more to do with the old song,'the working class can kiss my a***, I've got the foreman's job at last.

I have a regular loss of Hemoglobine which no-one can figure out, so yesterday I went into hospital to have a chest bone punctured to test the marrow in order to find out why.

The Germanic invaders of Britain, later to be called the English, did everything in their power to retrieve a lost language; conquered by the Normans who'd introduced their own dialect, which was soon replaced by Occitan; common Germanic words became swear words, a new English was discovered from a mixture of Latin & Greek that became the lingua franca of 2 thirds of the world. Good on them, an example for we the Welsh, Cornish & Bretons to follow, we should be respected for trying to defend our cultures, Cornish/Welsh/Breton, not to be abused by our own who prefer to look for the greater good elsewhere.

I don't like saying this, but the working class, outside their self-taught political leaders has never been socialist, the Labour Party was their way to get out of their rut, to get on, no way they could have joined the Conservatives, and for people such as Kinnock for self-agrandissement and riches. Now Plaid Cymru is abandoning its traditions searching for the Socialists in the Valleys, I've got news for them, I'm from there, the vote in the Valleys was not for Socialism it was for Labour, which led to corruption & nepotism, who you knew worked for you. Gradually people are seeing through this therefore fewer local authorities are being governed by Labour. Please don't try looking for something that's not there and never has been. You won't win votes by insisting on socialism, you wtll only split the nationalist vote leading to the formation of a new party, which is what has just happened, the way to win votes is to fight for what benefits people in Cymru/Wales, such education, the Health service, wages, working hours, not forgetting the culture, history and language of the country. Before voting they ask themselves what they can gain. The argument has to be for all people living in Cymru/Wales for the future of the country. There's no difference in condemning the Party to Welsh speaking areas than limiting yourself to a non existent Socialist philosophy; people want to get on, they don't want to share. Give us hope, give us our country back with the right  to decide our own future; not lost every time as an anti-democratic English majority rule rump. Fight for the whole of Cymru/Wales.

I have to say something, these attaques on Jeremy Corbyn for defending Arab minorities, attacking him for being anti-Semitic are absurd; have people forgotten that the State of Israel was built on terrorism, that they elected a President who was a member of the Stern Gang, a terrorist organisation that  murdered British soldiers under the Palestinian mandate? Now it appears that having gained their government through terrorism, the displaced Arabs have no right of protest, that now that any actions of theirs, no matter how extreme have become legitimatized under their own laws, they appear to see themselves above criticism, and God help anyone such as Jeremy Corbyn who doesn't necessarily take their side in the present conflict that they themselves created. There is a real argument in support of the Arabs if only because of its unevenness Where is the so called British sense of fair play?

England is our Israel, after centuries of conflict, even after some success during the 6th century, there's no longer any conflict, only the ongoing search for the right to decide.

Because I live in Brittany in the canton of Huelgoat, Uhelgoat in Breton, and on some old maps as Huelgoit, I thought that some people might be interested that the historical pre-Roman invasion British/welsh name for Exeter was according to some annales Kaer PenHuelgoit.

History.—Exeter was a town of the ancient Britons long before the Roman invasion; and it has made a conspicuous figure in every subsequent age. It was called by the Britons Caer-Isc, "the city of the water, " from its situation on the Exe, -anciently Isc, signifying "water;" and Caer-Rydh, "the red city, " from the colour of the soil around it. It was called, by the Romans, Isca et Legio Secunda Augusta, from its having been occupied by the Augustan legion; and Isca Damnonioum, from its having belonged to the British Damnonii, and to distinguish it from Isca, afterwards Usk, in Monmouthshire. It was called, by the Saxons, Exan-Cestre or Exacestre, signifying "the castellated city of the Exe;" and that name passed, in course of time, through the forms of Exceaster, Excester, and Exceter, into the modern form Exeter. It is called, by Geoffrey of Monmouth, Caer-Penhuelgoit, signifying "the prosperous chief city in the wood;" and by the writer of an old, local, legal document, Pennehaltecaire, signifying "the chief town upon the hill." It likewise bore, for some time, the descriptive name of Monkton, from the existence in it of many monasteries; and was described, by Henry of Huntingdon, as "Excestria clara metallis"- Exeter famous for metals-probably from its vicinity to the Dartmoor mines. It was the chief city of the Damnonii; it must, from the evidence of relics, have been an important station of the Romans; and it has ranked, in later times, as the capital of the south-west of England. Ancient roads went from it to Totnes, Stratton, Molland, and Collumpton; traces of camps are discernible in its vicinity; and many Roman coins, small bronze statues, tesselated pavements, fragments of columns, and other relics, have been found within and near its site.

Get with it people, attacking Netanyahu and the Israeli government for its policies towards its Arab minority is not anti-Semitism, anymore than attacking Theresa May for her policy of selling arms to Saudi Arabia massacring the Yemenis is racist towards the English. To attack a government for its policies is legitimate politics, this is right-wing press propaganda frightened that Corbyn will lead the next left-wing government. Just listen to him, and not the press, his arguments are clearly not anti-Semitic, but logical and anti-right wing, pity about his stance on Brexit. He's almost too honest for politics.

The idea of a 'Great' Britain began its death throes during the fifties, Theresa May & her right wing cohorts believe they can bring it back, but the 'great' has nothing to do with power or influence, it was the (not so) new name for the union of Scotland & England, originally it referred to the Britons/Welsh on one side of the channel to distinguish them from their compatriots in Brittany. It will be back to England & Wales after Scotland gains its independence. Bearing in mind that there's no such thing as real independence, only the political right to decide, we're all interdependent, yet the Tories are trying to push back the tide.

Magnus Magnusson taking our troops abroad with him to usurp Gratian's Western Roman Empire before losing his life in battle against Theodosius in 388 was the reason we couldn't defend ourselves, we were left defenceless! We allowed the Germans to come to our aid, they settled in Kent, and came and came and came; the 6th century held them back for a while, but then still they came and came, then the Irish attacked from the north leaving us Cymru/Wales, Kernow/Cornwall, and the creation of Breizh/Brittanny. Then they in their turn were attacked by the Danes before being conquered by the Normans. Since when all their royalty has been foreign, except for the Tudor family who in truth should have been the Merediths, and Cromwell the protector who was really a Williams from Caerdydd/Cardiff.

Watching Bull last night about a girl kidnapped and imprisoned, dominated by her captor, then falling in love with the man who was abusing her got me thinking about the British & French colonies, totally dominated by their respective masters even to the extent of taking away their native laws and changing their languages. Some of these colonies fought back and were hanged or imprisoned, some were eventually successful after decades of struggle, think Algeria,but , this is where I came in, some fell in love, such as Le Penn in Brittany, or Alan Cairns/Welsh Rugby Union management/Hospital namers, whoever they are, or any other Sioni Bob Ochr who decries or shouts down his country, think Kinnock for example. Food for thought perhaps.

I never thought that I'd say this, it certainly was not expected when I first arrived: I was in all the French guidebooks, even in one of the most popular as one of the best addresses of bars in Brittany, then came the fire and three years closure. Everyone thought that it was definitive, the guide books dropped me; my Basques & Cantabrians haven't returned; my motor bike clubs stopped coming, a thirty year tradition that would have ended but for the grace of 'Facebook' and its circulation. After 3 years closure, for four years it was more or less returning to normal, then I closed again for seven months due to illness, so the rebuilding goes on. In the meantime I've lost my students from Rennes and my weekly bands from Kemper & Morlaix who are now limited in their consommation by the lawful police activity making it not worthwhile anymore to travel so far just to stay under the legal limit without risk; as we are out in the middle of nowwhere taxis are out of the question, as it is one car, one driver, they can't select one non-drinking driver for the night, each one living too far apart from the other. The Bretons don't have a 'pub' culture, it's all based around the meal, my villagers are in at 'six' for their aperitifs and gone at 'seven'; the bars everywhere are closed before 9pm. except in the towns. I was fortunate to be included amongst the young Breton/Irish musical renaissance and the new 'pubs' that accompanied it, which brought people from everywhere to be a part of this mode, which  for different reasons has all but disappeared except in the towns and the festou-nos. I have to say that if it wasn't for the English newcomers with their 'pub' culture & traditions I could close my pub tomorrow, for I have the best beers, accompanied by the best music, subjectively speaking, and they spend the whole evening drinking pints whilst their wives drink kirs & rosés. The reason that I'm wring this, and why I began in such a way,  because ten of my regular customers who spent the evening drinking pints, English couples mostly, plus Huelgoat/Zimbabe have  returned home. Thinking positively, they will be back, and the holidays will soon be upon us. But I came here for Breton/Welsh solidarity that has existed since the 5th c. A.D., excuse the pessimism but there's not much left of it now. I'm open every day except mondays, you will be very welcome, especially if you appreciate good beer, good conversation and good music.

As I'm working tomorrow, Whit Monday bank holiday, and as I like to have one day off, I may close on Tuesday instead.

As I came to the bar yesterday at 2pm there was someone already there waiting for me on the terrace, I looked at him studiously, then he introduced himself to my surprise as Ian Perryman, the man who drove me to this bar nearly forty years ago. That's twice this week that I have served Porth Grammar old boys, the other living 40 Km. down the road, Ian lives in Pentyrch. (For readers of 'Dyddiadur y Dyn Dwad', Perryman is Penniman in the book).

A partir de cette semaine: Mardi 17h/5pm; Mercredi, Jeudi, Vendredi, Samedi, Dimanche 14h/2pm. Fermé Lundi;

Bun Walters: Queens Rd. Infants; Penydarren Juniors; Cyfarthfa Grammar; Ice Cream salesman, Billy Smart's Circus; Fitter's mate, Triang Toys (Lines Bros); Records clerk, Ebbw Vale; Machine operator, Moss Gears; Man from the Pru (Prudential Assurance); Odd job man, Castle Hotel, Merthyr; Painter, Mid Glam County Council; Fitter's/Roofer's/Brickie's/Plasterer's Mate/ Shop Steward, Brecon Rd. Yard; Refuse collector, Night Watchman, Toilet Attendant, Storeman, Dowlais Yard; General worker/Shop Steward, Rhydycar Sports & Leisure Centre; Branch Secretary/Constituency Executive Member/County Delegate/National Delegate Plaid Cymru; County Council candidate aged 21, lost to Mid-Glam chairmanArea Organiser Cymdeithas yr Iaith; Co-founder with Malcolm Llywelyn & Maldwyn Walters of Merthyr Sefydliad Cymru (first extra mural Welsh lessons in Merthyr, held in pub lounges in the Six Bells, Heolgerrig, The Owain Glyndwr, Pontmorlais, The Crown, Lower High St.; Linked to these was a carte blanche to organize Max Boyce concerts, Dafydd Iwan, Ryan Davies, Elenor Bennett, and the first Welsh language rock concert with Injaroc at Rhydycar, with permission from the council, not forgetting our Welsh language 'Disco Dewin with Malcolm & Maldwyn.' These various happenings could come under the auspices of either' Plaid Cymru', 'C-Y-I-G' or 'Mudiad Adloniant Merthyr.'  Thence forward to maker of concrete girders at Pierre LeJeune's yard, Plouye; Pub landlord; co founder of 'Coreff', first Breton brewery of modern times, two brewers, Jean-François Malgorn/Christian Blanchard, Roger, Ty Coz, Morlaix, Bernard, Chez Tom, Lesneven, Tavarn Ty Elise, Plouye (Me). Ty Elise, the genesis of the proto (not yet baptised) Vieille Charrues, organized by a band of friends, former 'pion(ne)s directed in the main by Stephan Pastor/Thierry Le Ster. It has gone on from two tables with food & wine brought into a little bar with background music to become the largest open air music festival in France. My activities are now on hold after two recent double operations on my liver and intestines, this means that I have to rest for at least a month before getting back to business when I hope to be back to full strength offering a huge welcome to all from then on (except trouble makers). P.S. Thanks to Elen, the bar is open fridays, saturdays & sundays, soon to open on wednesdays to sundays inclusive.

News update on provisional internet connexion: Back home from hospital for hopefully the last time after a successful operation on my liver and intestines, six weeks rest recommended. My new address is 15 route de Huelgoat. Pub is however open every friday, saturday & sunday until I return.

Sorry for my absence; not as though I have nothing on my mind, it's just that I've been lacking inspiration, standing at the bar, shopping, watching the telly and sleeping, I should have been more thoughtful not leaving people think the worst. I apologise again. Glorious weather coming across in the taxi, Spring is definitely in the air, very sunny with not a cloud in the sky, primroses & daffodils everywhere, although temperatures are very low, when the nurse came by this morning it was -8° C. My operation for Jan. 11 was postponed because my haemoglobin level was so low I risked having a blood quantity problem in case of a haemorage durng the intervention, however I have since been given the all clear, the operation will take place tomorrow. The taxi got me to the hospital in Brest at 3pm., the operation will comprise cauterising a cancerous lesion in my liver and taking my bag away by reversing the first operation on my intestines. I should be here for a week to 10 days, and perhap's a week's convalescence to follow; see you then. Da bo'chi/ Kenavo.

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