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).