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Mary Ellen Morgan
The May/June 2007 issue of Preservation Magazine, published by The National Trust for Historic Preservation, featured a lengthy article on the Welsh village of Portmeirion written by well-known author, Jan Morris.
Located in North Wales, in Sir Gwynedd on the coast of Snowdonia, the village is the architectural fantasy designed by Clough Williams-Ellis and has long been a major tourist attraction.
Williams-Ellis built Portmeirion from 1925 to 1975 on a peninsula off the coast of Snowdonia to show how the development of a naturally beautiful site need not lead to its defilement. Several television series and films have used Portmeirion for their filming and, with the attractions ranging from a Buddha to a 12th Century bell tower, nothing seems surprising after a few moments on site.
(Editor's Note: The National Trust for Historic Preservation is the only private, nonprofit organization chartered by Congress to encourage public participation in the preservation of sites, buildings, and objects significant in American History. http://www.nationaltrust.org/magazine; Portmeirion article excerpt: http://www.nationaltrust.org/magazine/current/traveler.htm)
The relatively new, free online magazine, Wales 4 All, is “dedicated to bringing Wales to the World” and plans to have pages exploring Welsh art, language, music, people, heritage, history, culture, travel, and world community. Certain pages of their monthly issues are scheduled to be updated every two weeks. A fairly recent addition, “Learning Welsh: A Weekly Journal,” is one person’s thoughts on learning the language. Week 8 covers something that the WSCO students from Tim Jilg’s Welsh language class should recognize: “Oes cyfrifriadur gyda chi?”
The site has potential but site navigation is a little tricky until you realize that the Celtic symbol in the lower right-hand corner of the pages gets you to the rest of the article, and there seems to be no way, once you are deep into an article, to get back to the beginning without clicking the Back key all the way. And your editor still can’t figure out how to get back to the Home page once she’s past it, but there are some interesting things on the site so give it a look-see at (site no longer available - Noted 3/2011)
A Good Read, part 2
Mary Ellen Morgan
Here are a few more mysteries featuring a Welsh setting or character to help occupy your summer leisure time.
In Faded Coat of Blue, by Owen Parry, Abel Jones, the detective hero, is a Welsh soldier/immigrant caught up in the American Civil War. His Methodist values are played off against the criminality and bloodshed around him. The author, a former military strategist for the US government, is of Welsh descent and dedicates his book to: "the Welsh, Scots, and Irish who built America while the English weren't looking." Other titles in the Abel Jones series: Shadows of glory, Call each river Jordan, Honor’s kingdom, Bold sons of Erin, Rebels of Babylon.
Author David Williams wrote two very popular series of mysteries. In the older series (1976-1993) the main character was Mark Treasure, a merchant banker. In the second series (1994-2003) the crimes were solved by Cardiff’s Detective Chief Inspector Merlin Parry and Detective Sergeant Gomer Lloyd. Last seen breathing, Death of a prodigal, Dead in the market, A terminal case, Suicide intended, Practice to deceive.
Sharon Kay Penman introduces Justin de Quincy, the unacknowledged bastard of a 12th century bishop, in The Queen’s Man, and continues his adventures in Cruel as the grave, Dragon’s lair (set in Wales) and Prince of darkness.
Merlin Richards, the main character in Murder in perspective by Keith Miles, is a young Welsh architect who travels to America to meet his hero, Frank Lloyd Wright, and becomes involved in a murder investigation. Prime suspect turned amateur detective. Sequel: Saint’s rest.
Malcolm Pryce writes about Louie Knight, a private detective (and the only detective in town) who cleans up the mean streets of Aberystwyth – an Aberystwyth in an alternate universe. Learn more at http://www.louieknight.com where you are welcomed “to Aberystwyth, the town of broken dreams…” Aberystwyth, mon amour, Last tango in Aberystwyth, The unbearable lightness of being in Aberystwyth, Don’t cry for me, Aberystwyth.
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Editor's Note: I would like to hear about books that WSCO members have read by Welsh authors or with Welsh themes. Send a short review with the details to Dragon Tales, WSCO, P.O. Box 12023, Columbus, OH, 43212, or to dragontalesnews[at]sbcglobal[dot]net Please include your name and contact information in case I have questions.