Unforeseen

I thought that if my  my computer gets cut off, on top of my mobile only working one way, my telephone not working at all, ditto my car, with no money to pay for them, the pub having burnt down 10 months ago, I'd be half way on the road to hell; but this morning I woke up with a fright, no electricity; hold on, I lay there and calmly reasoned it out, the French don't cut it off during the winter months, so all the while with fingers crossed I approached the counter, lifted the lever and prayed, pressed the light switch and it came on; now I need 400 euros, and you're all invited to the re-opening party, if I can make it.

Harder Times Ahead

Last week I skidded on the ice, this week it's my c.d's; I initially bought and recorded DVD+R's, and they work well, then I went back to the shop to restock and because it was the end of the month, which meant the end of my bank card for a while, I bought more than I would normally have done, which wouldn't matter because it was a short term investment that only needed recording and distribution. Warning bells sounded when Helen brought her disc back because it wasn't accepted by her DVD player, turned out that they were incompatible CD-R's; all was not lost because I discovered a logicial or means of reparation; I converted them to compatability, did 5 and went to bed at 2.40 am. Next day I went back to work, except that it was an expired trial offer which I had to buy to continue, but if I can't sell them I can't put money into the bank to enable me to use my card. I went back to 'Real' which holds my files, they burn video and audio but not data; I have other ways of burning discs but they can't pick up on my 'Real' files. In the mean time I had a rendezvous to see someone about helping me with my bills, and as my car wouldn't start my son took me there. When  we arrived I told him not to wait because I didn't know how long I was staying;  I got in the office only to be told that the person responsible was off sick, but by the time I got back out he'd gone. I managed to find somene an hour or so later to bring me home, where I continued wasting my time working on the computer until I decided to give up and go to Karaez/Carhaix for more DVD's, trouble is they're more expensive; my neighbour gave me hand to start the car, so I drove down to Karaez and as I got into the town the radio cut out, and everything else electric, then the engine started to give up on me and I hobbled along to the nearest garage where they told me that the faults were independent of each other and that he couldn't do anything at 4 o'clock on a friday evening anyway, whereupon I telephoned my son who brought me home; to top it all I arrived back at 5 o'clock to see a note in the door telling me that Yvon le Bras had been at the house 15 minutes earlier to share cans of Guinness with me. The only good thing to have come out of  this week was listening to Lleuwen's voice on Radio Cymru last night. One thing I can say with certainty is that without a car to get around, cancelling and postponing will be the order of the day with things are looking very dark indeed. I had hoped that this week-end would finance next week, now I don't know where to turn.

Caerdydd/Cardiff

When I frequented the Metropolis many years ago our haunt was the New Ely until the landlord got fed up with Welsh speakers taking up his valuable space, although I lived in Merthyr and only went down occasionally, we collectively moved on to the Rhymney near the prison where the racist prisoners used to shout at Ap Siôn to go back home to Pakistan, this apparently had more to do with the price of soap than to his blood origins, although he was and is a prodigious curry eater, the hotter the better; his blood brother in curry eating is Castro, they order the hottest in the restaurant, and when it is served ask the waiter to take it back to the kitchen for an extra dose of spices. I remember one day on the way to the Rhymney after a match Gareth gave a huge swing at Castro, missed by a mile, then stormed off. We got into the bar, I went to the toilet and came out to see them both  drinking together at the table. The New Ely was where I met Hervé Kerrain, "the mad Breton" in the Dyddiadur y Dyn Dwad. Hervé was called up to the French army, but was one of a number of Bretons who don't consider themselves French so Gareth persuaded him to go with them to Cymru/Wales, where he was lacking in resources "I 'ave no muuny"  but was treated like a king, until the papers caught up with him then he went to Ireland and lived like a tramp, I found it ironic that a girl sang an Irish song at his funeral, anyway the French used to have a system whereby at the election of a new President there would be a general amnesty, so at the election of Chirac I think it was, Hervé came home only to be put into prison as it didn't count for him, not having already been incarcerated. The New Ely was also the pub where I met Jean-Louis Nano who told me of his project to open up a pub in the Breton hills and where a year or two later I met him again in his role of landlord of the Temps des Cerises in Berrien, one of the very first of the new Breton 'pubs' selling draught Guinness instead of bottled cheap German copies, just 7 miles from where I myself became 'mine host' at Ty Elise in Plouie/Plouye, another one of these new 'pubs' as against 'cafes', on my marriage to Elise Provost, the 'st' being pronounced in Brittany, as are the 't's' at the end of the place-names; my friend Bernard in Plouie/Plouye is a Maltret, whereas his cousin in Karaez/Carhaix is a Maltré(t), the towns are grander places. It's difficult for the French coming to Brittany not having prepared themselves for a distinct culture and mispronouncing everything, it also creates problems for the English expecting a French National homogeneity. Back in Caerdydd/Cardiff, on the odd occasion when I missed the last train home I used to stay at Ian Perriman's house in Alfred St. off Claude Rd. in Y Rhath/Roath which his aunt had left him, it was large enough for him to rent out the bedrooms, and I used to doss down there, whilst upstairs Dafydd Jones was writing the dyddiadur y dyn dwad, recounting the exploits of a band of friends, all of whom were born elsewhere, even if it was only from Ponty or the Rhondda just up the road, although many of the characters were immigrants from the Gogledd, as was the author himself. It was later made into a film where ap Siôn was an extra watching an actor playing his role; Dafydd also had a regular spot writing in 'Y Faner' under the pen name 'Charles' Jones. The Claude was the sunday morning haunt. Other watering holes at the time were mainly across town; the Conway, Half Way or the Robin Hood, and on a saturday night we were likely to end up at the Blue Moon or Pappagio's down the docks. Since I've come to Brittany, I've heard of the newer generation of pubs such as the Tomos Watcyn, selling its own brew, where Castro's son Iestyn worked behind the bar, The Cayo Arms, where apparently they want to replace the Eagle of Eryri, with a necktie, on Cayo's photo outside, and the Mochyn Du where the new annual St. David's Day march begins. My reason for writing this is because in my last dream I found myself visiting Caerdydd/Cardiff where Gareth ap Siôn took me to a real ale style ('in') pub of the moment, it was called Mulloney's and it was on George St.

First Day of December, 2010

What a day! Went to the funeral of my old friend and most regular customer, Mich Rochard in the church of Saint Teilo at Landelo/Landeleau and it was full; facing us was a large stained glass window depicting the Saint on a deer, it was a circumpherential ride on this animal which was at the origins of the community that grew up around the church, and as I come from the diocese of Saint Teilo in Cymru/Wales it gave me an added incentive to go back to the church where I got permission to take a photo. The family went to Chateauneuf du Faou for a coffee & crepes, as is the tradition, whilst some of us went to the nearest bar for a drink to his memory; it was whilst in this bar that I heard of an old disused chapel in the vicinity, I didn't manage to find it, although I did find some other subjects; in the meantime there was a heavy snowfall that made driving difficult, too difficult for yours truly as I duly slid the car into a deep ditch; after telephoning around to no avail I started to walk home under a heavy fall, turning whiter with each step until I saw some bright headlights approaching me; I stopped the vehicule, providentially it was a huge tractor, followed by another one, carrying two young farmers home after their day's work was done, fortunately they agreed to help me, only problem, they didn't have anything to pull the car with, but the first car I stopped did, mercifully they got me back onto the road and after I thanked them, I don't know how, but  I managed to get home with the car sliding all the way. Now I've warmed up some food which I'm going to eat in front of the telly directly.

Photos for Sale

Tavarn Ty Elise, The Early Years; 1200 photos on c.d. video = 10 euros + postage: 1750 photos of Breizh Ma Bro/Byn's Bits of Brittany = 10 euros: 2800 photos of Breizh Ma Bro/Byn's Bits of Brittany = 13 euros: individual A4 plastic protected photos of Breizh Ma Bro/Byn's Bits of Brittany; Tavarn Ty Elise souvenirs; flora & fauna, Spring 2010= 5 euros.

Photos of Brittany for sale on DVD.

I made a crucial mistake earlier on which I will now correct:- 1 DVD = 9 volumes = more than 1700 photos for 10 euros & postage.

Bynbrynman's profile - Like.fm

Bynbrynman's profile - Like.fm

Gmail - Folk Alley 'Round Town, Brazilian music, Loudon Wainwright and more Nov 17-20 - bynwalters@gmail.com

Gmail - Folk Alley 'Round Town, Brazilian music, Loudon Wainwright and more Nov 17-20 - bynwalters@gmail.com

Investment in my future

Little problem, telephones already cut off, electricity threatening, and normally I have 'till tomorrow for my internet connexion. I need my internet. Any money advanced will be duly written down in my little black book, usual method by paypal directly to my e-mail address; bynwalters@libertysurf.fr, or by cheque to Tavarn Ty Elise, 29690 Plouye, or 12906 00023 02353555001 97 Credit Agricole Finistere, 16, rue cendres, 29690 Huelgoat. I'm hanging on but whether or not I fall, and/or how far, and if there is a safety net depends on you. All I have to offer is photos and in the long run, c.d's, t-shirts, sweaters, beer and anything else I can think of plus return of any money lent when the pub is up and running; anyone like to join in? Time is running out!



Flag of Wales - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Flag of Wales - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia