Wales Feed

Welsh festive feasting traditions

2014-12-22T09:30:00+00:00

All nations have their own folk traditions, particularly at important times of the year. Wales is no different. From the ancient custom of Plygain on Christmas morning to the appearance of the Mari Lwyd each New Year, our country has a rich and fascinating range of folk customs, and nowhere is that more apparent or more interesting than in the traditions relating to food and drink at this festive time of the year.

Wassailing has always been thought of as an English custom, based mainly in the cider producing regions; a toast and a drink from the wassailing bowl was meant to bring good health to people, crops and animals. In the late Saxon period and the Middle Ages the wassail cup would be filled with cider, which most householders then fermented, and carried from house to house and from street to street as everyone took their share of the offering. The original name for wassailing - ‘waes hael’, was an Anglo-Saxon term meaning “be healthy” and the whole purpose of the activity was to wish good fortune to the community.

Wassailers by Paul Johnson

Yet wassailing was also common in parts of Wales, particularly in the border areas to the west of Offa’s Dyke. There, presumably, cross cultural traditions were both fertile and common, despite the restrictive nature of the dyke. Both sections of society learned from each other and, even now, in Chepstow a new tradition or a coming together of both English wassailers and the Welsh Mari Llwyd has recently been set into motion.

Wassailing has also been practiced on the Gower peninsula which - after the coming of the Normans, like Pembrokeshire to the west - always had strong English connections.

The Gower wassailing bowls were usually made from elderberry boughs and the contents consisted of a mixture of wine, sherry, cider and beer, all topped off with a layer of bread or apples that were coated with beaten eggs. In days of short rations the toppings were just as popular as the alcoholic content of the wassailing bowl.

The Gower wassailers sometimes painted their faces black or wore masks and, occasionally, even dressed as women. The tradition has definite shades of the later Rebecca Riots - except that the Gower cross-dressers were called Bessy and carried nothing more lethal than a broom.

The strength of the old Welsh traditions can be judged by the fact that many of them survived the rigours of Oliver Cromwell’s Commonwealth despite the Puritans steadfastly refusing to make merry at Christmas time. One of the traditions to be maintained was that of making Caroller's Broth - Cawl y Carolwyr in Welsh.

Caroller's Broth was a tradition that originated in north Wales, possibly from the Treweryn area. The broth was made from either lamb or beef, depending on what was available, and was given as a gift to people singing Christmas carols around the houses – in itself a derivation of the old wassailing custom. Potatoes, onions, carrots, honey and celery were included in the mixture – as well as a large helping of cider.

Making Welsh White Christmas Cake was another old tradition, the cake having none of the ingredients like demerara or treacle that make the usual Christmas cake so dark. It is easy to see the reasoning behind the creation of the recipe, as sugar was very expensive and beyond the means of many ordinary people although they usually did manage to top the cake with a layer of glacé fruits and nuts.

The making of Taffy was once a common practice. It was usually done on Christmas Eve when women were waiting for their menfolk to come back from the traditional Christmas Plygain in the church or chapel – a service with unaccompanied singing in three, or four-part harmony that sometimes lasted for three or four hours. Toffee would be boiled up in an open pan on the fire and then dropped into ice-cold water. It immediately curled into various shapes - some of them were like letters which the unwed girls would interpret as the names of the men they were going to marry.

Christmas pudding by iStock/esp imaging

One of the more unusual Welsh Christmas customs concerning food comes from Monmouthshire. A Christmas pudding would be impaled on the horn of a cow which would then be frightened into running around the field until she threw off the pudding. If it went forwards it spelled a good harvest and if it fell backwards the outlook was decidedly poor.

A recipe from Penarth, dating from the end of the nineteenth century implored people to make Christmas pudding sandwiches! Thin slices of the pudding were to be layered between two slices of bread and then eaten cold. The recipe was not a success and died with its creator.

Food and drink have always been important at Christmas time, particularly in rural regions like pre-industrial Wales. They signified fun and enjoyment at the darkest time of the year and, after the four week fast of Advent, were a welcome diversion to what was really a very difficult and bleak existence. That is something worth remembering when we sit down to this year’s Christmas lunch.

A Child’s Christmas in Wales

2014-12-19T11:08:33+00:00

Dylan Thomas

Forget the poetry and the dissolute behaviour, mention Dylan Thomas to anyone who is the slightest bit interested in literature, in literary biography or literary history and the chances are they will respond with ‘Under Milk Wood’ or ‘A Child’s Christmas in Wales’.

The quality of Dylan’s play for voices is well known but, increasingly, ‘A Child’s Christmas in Wales’ is being seen as a wonderful piece of writing. Because of its ability to conjure a time and a place when, as someone once said ‘All the world was young’, it is seen by many readers as the modern day equivalent of Dickens’s ‘A Christmas Carol’.

Since its first appearance back in the 1940s, ‘A Child’s Christmas’ has grown in popularity and has become something of a symbol for the way Christmas and the Christmas season used to be celebrated – and maybe will be again – not just in Wales but across the whole world.

Dylan Thomas had been writing radio scripts for some years when, in 1945, Lorraine Davies, producer of Children’s Hour in Wales, suggested he might like to come up with something on Christmas memories. Dylan duly wrote his essay; it was recorded in advance because producer Derek McCullough - Uncle Mac as children knew him - did not trust the unreliable Welsh poet, and it went out on the radio in time for the Christmas festivities. It was also published in ‘The Listener’.

Some time later Dylan revised and enlarged the piece, using parts of another essay he’d written for ‘Picture Post’ to fill out space and ‘pad’ it a little. In 1950 he sold it to the American magazine ‘Harper’s Bazaar’ for $300. During Dylan’s 1952 reading tour of America he recorded it for Caedmon Records, mainly because the poems he was going to recite did not fill the required space. He was paid $500 with royalties to be paid once sales had passed 1,000. Since then ‘A Child’s Christmas in Wales’ has gone on to sell in the thousands.

The piece has been published in book form and has been adapted for the stage, for animation and for television. Being relatively short it lends itself to good quality illustrations by people like Fritz Eichenberg and Edward Ardizzone – all part of building the icon that ‘A Child’s Christmas’ has now become.

There is no single and clearly defined narrative structure to the story; Dylan relies on short cameos and character sketches to build an evocative picture of life in Swansea during the 1920s. He uses powerful descriptions and images so that when he writes about ‘fish-freezing waves’ or ‘the crackling sea’, the reader (or listener) is immediately transported back in time.

A Child's Christmas in Wales

This is a romantic and sentimental picture of the Christmases we all had – or would like to have had – in the past and one that leaves us with a warm glow of contentment. Yet, even as we read the story, part of us knows that Christmas was never like this - not Dylan’s nor ours. The ability to suspend disbelief is the mark of a quality piece of writing and we believe Dylan’s version of Swansea Christmases partly because of the power of his prose and partly because we actually want to believe him.

So although Dylan writes “It was always snowing at Christmas” the reality is that it wasn’t, not in Swansea during the 1920s at least. Maybe it did snow in Dylan’s memory or imagination but not in Swansea. However, so powerful is the image and so effective is the picture the writer draws that we believe them implicitly and bring them happily into our own lives. Most of us will swear that we can remember white Christmases with snow up to the letter box and all traffic suspended. “A Child’s Christmas in Wales” is, quite simply, a picture of that world and of the childhood we all wanted.

When Caedmon first released the story on record back in 1952 it sold modestly – now it is probably second only to “Under Milk Wood' in terms of popularity and market sales. It is read and listened to all over the world but in Wales, in particular, the story has a special relevance. For the Welsh, “A Child’s Christmas” has become almost part of a ritual.

The story is read each Christmas, much as Charles Dickens’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ or Clement Moore’s ‘The Night Before Christmas’ are read in the weeks and days leading up to 25 December. Just as most families have their traditions – decorating the house, listening to the Queen’s Speech, chestnuts roasting by the fire – reading ‘A Child’s Christmas in Wales’ has become part of the ritual in many homes.

Most Welsh writers have tried their hand at their own version of ‘A Child’s Christmas’, notably Richard Burton with his ‘A Christmas Story’. Dylan’s is a difficult act to follow, however, and no-one has really ever succeeded in emulating what is actually a unique and memorable achievement. We all want a Christmas like Dylan had – or didn’t have, except in his imagination – and we are willing to put aside our doubts and cynicism in the face of his images and the power of his words.

‘A Child’s Christmas in Wales’ has become an integral part of the Christmas experience, just like Clement Moore’s poem or Dickens’s ghost story. Beyond its Welsh context, it speaks to all mankind. This, then, is the ultimate tribute to a remarkable writer.

Emlyn Williams reads an extract from A Child's Christmas in Wales (1958)

Welsh Christmas number ones

2014-12-11T10:33:57+00:00

It’s a cliché but, as the old saying goes, every Welsh man and woman can sing like an angel. Whether that statement is true or not is another matter.

But even if it is only partly accurate, it could be one of the reasons why Welsh recording artists have had a more than generous distribution of the spoils when it comes to hit records. Even the briefest study of Top Ten successes since records (no pun intended) began back in the 1950s will show a considerable number of Welsh singers regularly appearing in the lists. Plus the much coveted Christmas No 1 hit single has been claimed by several Welsh singers over the years, while others have come very close.

Shirley Bassey just missed out on the Christmas No 1 spot when her song “As I Love You” hit the top spot on 9 January 1959, just two weeks too late. It had already appeared in the singles charts, reaching No. 27 the previous December, then disappearing before re-entering a little while later to claim poll position. The song – one of only two No. 1s in her glittering career, the other being the double-A Side ‘Reach for the Stars’ and ‘Climb Every Mountain’ – went on to remain on the singles charts for seventeen weeks.

Tom Jones

Tom Jones also missed out on the Christmas No. 1 spot with his debut hit ‘It’s Not Unusual’. The song did actually reach the top, but only in February 1965. He made up for the slip when he achieved the Christmas No. 1 slot with his renowned rendition of the country classic ‘The Green, Green Grass of Home’ in 1966.The song – which had previously been recorded by, amongst others, Jerry Lee Lewis – hit the top at the beginning of December and remained there for seven weeks. It has since sold over a million and a half copies and also been No. 1 in countries like Ireland, Norway and Australia. In the USA it managed to climb only to No. 11 in the Billboards Chart.

After Jones, Cardiff singer and guitarist Dave Edmunds was the next Welsh artist to claim a Christmas No. 1 with his perennial favourite ‘I Hear You Knocking’. It achieved the top place in December 1970, his first hit and his only No 1. He continued to record and achieve Top Ten hits, however, throughout the 1970s.

Shakin' Stevens

Then, of course, came Shakin’ Stevens. Real name Michael Barratt, Shaky (as he was universally known) came from Ely in Cardiff, where he was one of eleven children. He was the biggest selling singles artist of the 1980s and first came to prominence after he appeared in the London stage play ‘Elvis’. Having already just missed out on claiming a Christmas No 1 – ‘This Ole House’ reached top spot in February 1981 and ‘Oh Julie’ in January 1982 – he finally achieved his Christmas No. 1 when his 1985 single ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’ hit the top at the end of 1985.

Shaky’s Christmas No. 1 returned to the charts in 2007, reaching No. 22, and has since charted every year since the download concept began. It is one of those songs that you hear in every shopping precinct and public house while the Christmas season lasts – infuriating but decidedly catchy.

Welsh singers and musicians have also been featured as part of several groups to achieve Christmas No 1s. One of the most notable was Swansea guitarist Spencer Davis. Educated at Dynevor School in the city, Davis moved to London when he was sixteen. His last name was really spelled Davies in the traditional Welsh way but with many English promoters and publicists repeatedly calling him ‘Daveys’, Spencer decided to drop the letter ‘e’ from his surname. He formed The Spencer Davis Group in Birmingham in 1963 and the band achieved the Christmas No. 1 position with their fourth hit ‘Keep on Running’ which got to No 1 on 2 December 1965 and remained in the charts for a further fourteen weeks.

Amen Corner was an all Welsh band with members from places like Cardiff, Neath and, in the case of leader Andy Fairweather Low, Ystrad Mynach. The band, named after a regular slot in the music programme at the Victoria Club in Cardiff, did not quite manage a Christmas No. 1 but they were close. Their song ‘If Paradise Is Half As Nice’ reached the top at the end of January 1969 and they went on to score several other successes before breaking up. Andy Fairweather Low later achieved success as a solo artist with his haunting ‘Wide Eyed and Legless’.

The Flying Pickets

A capella band The Flying Pickets scored their Christmas No. 1, ‘Only You’, in 1983. Welsh actor and lead singer Brian Hibbard came from Ebbw Vale, a man who was immediately recognizable for TV viewers because of his long bushy side whiskers. After the band broke up he made several films and television shows, dying from prostate cancer only a few years ago. ‘Only You’ is another of those songs that can be regularly heard – not just at the Christmas season – wherever there is ‘canned music’ being played. The Flying Pickets, as their name suggests, had decidedly left wing sympathies. At a time of great political and social unrest, with the miner’s strike dominating the headlines, it was perhaps surprising – for them and the public in general - to learn that the Christmas No. 1 was the favourite song of Tory Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

Other Welsh singers, people like Pontardawe-born Mary Hopkin, Swansea’s Bonnie Tyler and groups like The Manic Street Preachers haven’t had Christmas No. 1 hits – yet! There is still time and with quality acts regularly coming to the fore there is every reason to hope that it will not be long before Welsh singers and musicians achieve that much valued and sought after Christmas No. 1 spot.

The One Show Virtual Carol Concert

2014-11-24T17:25:27+00:00

Even by my holly-loving, fairy-light adoring, Christmas crackers standards, the high streets started their aggressive Christmas onslaught rather early this year. However, as I assemble the ingredients to begin the 2014 Sinnerton Family Christmas Cake Bake, I have decided to simply embrace the coming of the festive period.

Don’t give me your bah humbug cries of ‘it’s not even December yet’ because I don’t care! From now until Epiphany my house will be a haven of gingerbread and mince pies. Some people diet for their summer holidays - I diet for the Christmas period so I can eat myself silly, safe in the knowledge that my concert clothes will still fit in the New Year.

Carolling has been a tradition since pagan times, when people would sing and dance carols in praise of the winter solstice. When the Christian church adopted December as the month in which to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, its leaders retained this tradition, seeing in it the vital unifying experience of people raising their voices together in song. Even Oliver Cromwell couldn’t make the tradition die and today, regardless of their religious perspective, I know few people who do not enjoy a Christmas sing-along.

There is something unique about a group of people raising their voices together in song. It is a verity that the Welsh are clearly acutely aware of, as the plethora of choirs around the country and the singing of Calon Lân or Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau at concerts and sporting events will attest to. There is a power in it, an inexpressible shared spirituality, a rising passion that makes one’s heart beat that little bit faster.

Virtual Carol Concert presenter Carrie Grant

This year, the BBC are giving you the opportunity to join The One Show Virtual Carol Concert to create a chorus of massed voices from all across the United Kingdom, in a special performance of one of the great traditional Christmas carols, O Come All Ye Faithful. We recorded the backing track in BBC Hoddinott Hall a few weeks ago - a rather unique experience for us, as we were working with a green screen onto which participant’s videos will be superimposed.

To take part in this project, simply go to The One Show and follow the instructions. Practice well before you record and upload your video - we look forward to seeing the results of your endeavours!

The orchestra has a wide range of events coming up for the festive period – including our annual Christmas Celebrations concerts which this year take place in Cardiff, Swansea and Haverfordwest. While this may seem like a rather premature heads up, tickets for these events sell very quickly, so do not complain that I haven’t warned you!

So, as the Christmas season approaches, limber up your vocal chords, galvanise them with something warm and mulled, throw on your most ghastly Christmas jumper and join in the carolling fun. You have until Sunday 30 November to upload your video!

Visit bbconeshow.streamuk.com to upload your video and take part in The One Show Virtual Carol Concert. Entries close on Sunday 30 November.

Find out more about BBC NOW’s Christmas concerts by visiting bbc.co.uk/now

Up the junction, BBC Wales Christmas TV idents

2013-12-20T11:58:58+00:00

Just as many of us like to adorn our homes at this time of year with festive decorations and lights; we’ve also come to expect our TV channels to get into the spirit too by adding a touch of wintry wonderland magic into the mix.

A selection of BBC Christmas idents from 1999-2009

Christmas idents – the colourful animations in the junctions between programmes - have become as much a staple part of the BBC’s festive output as the Doctor Who Christmas special, the Queen’s speech and the double issue Radio Times.

But just why do we have idents in the first place? TV and radio broadcasters have to identify the station or channel currently on air. You might think that as most television sets come with an EPG (Electronic Programme Guide) these days on-air idents are redundant. But with the perplexing multitude of channels and stations available in todays’ digital world, it’s reassuring to have that regular anchor confirming what it is we’re actually tuning in to.

The radio equivalent of an ident is a jingle – a few seconds’ worth of catchy ditty identifying the station and reflecting the style of the show or presenter currently on air.

On TV there have been a variety of ident symbols since the infamous ‘bat wings’ first floated onto our screens in 1953.

BBC One Wales Christmas clock ident, 1986

The perfect places for idents are the junctions between programmes where, being television, something must be shown whilst the channel director announces what channel we’re watching and informs of us what’s coming up next for our delight.

The BBC’s Nations and Regions channels played branded versions of these corporate idents, so you knew you were watching BBC One Wales for example rather than say BBC One West.

Up until 1985 these animated images came from mechanical devices and, amazingly, were usually screened live rather than played back from tape. So if it broke down, we saw it break down. How many schoolboys must have wished for a cuss word from the announcer live on air as the famous BBC Wales spinning crystal broke free from its home-made looking support and shattered into a million pieces in front of our very eyes?

BBC Cymru Wales ident crystal, 1968

Or maybe someone would forget to turn the thing on – this actually happened once on BBC Wales and the channel director announced “You're watching BBC Wales... and in a moment I'll prove it to you" as he hastily powered up the mechanical ident. His quick thinking actions under pressure saved the day, but also earned him a word in his ear from the boss.

Many mechanical idents involved a potter’s wheel idea; something revolving to show animation. A globe fitted the bill perfectly; planet Earth revolving (somewhat faster than actual speed) while a ghostly elongated version of it rolled by in perfect sync behind it. The effect was ingeniously achieved by the use of an illuminated globe rotating in front of a curved mirror.

BBC Wales ident globe, from 1969

If you look closely you’ll notice that there are quite a few extra Pacific islands than there should be – a result of the hand-painted globe’s matt black coating flaking off over the years.

Christmas creativity would shine through during the festive holiday period and the globe would give way to skaters, robins and even a Christmas pudding!

BBC Christmas pudding TV ident, 1977

Many of today’s idents take the form of fully self-contained trails previewing a selection of Christmas programmes coming up, but the fondly-remembered days of the marvellous mechanical wonders of the early animations have earned their place in the history of pioneering television.

Al Lewis - A Child’s Christmas in Wales

2013-12-20T11:17:11+00:00

If you like festive tear-jerkers but weren’t so keen on the John Lewis or Sainsbury’s Christmas ads this year then you should take some time to watch the video of north Walian singer songwriter Al Lewis’ new Christmas track.

I may be nearly six months pregnant and prone to weeping at basically anything but there is something really lovely about the way he has captured the nostalgia of Christmas and what it means to different generations.

Al Lewis. Photo: Rosie Collins

A Child’s Christmas in Wales is based on the Dylan Thomas short story of the same name and comes ahead of the poet’s centenary in 2014 for which numerous celebrations are planned.

Al's single is already creating quite a buzz, featuring on the BBC Radio 2 playlist and getting frequent airplay as well as being the subject of complimentary tweets by Gary Barlow.

Released on Monday, it had already reached number three in the iTunes Singer Songwriter chart by mid morning, something which Al is both really pleased and humbled by.

He told me: “It’s nice people are being so positive about it and it’s out of this world to have somebody like Gary Barlow calling it a great song.

“I’m an independent artist and have put it out by myself so I had low expectations. It feels totally surreal to hear people like Terry Wogan announcing it and playing it on Radio 2.

“Radio is such a fantastic medium and to think my song is being played in thousands of homes is just amazing. I really hope that next time I play a gig some of those people will come along and hear the rest of my music.”

The story was originally written by Thomas and recorded for radio in 1952. It retold Christmases past from a child’s perspective and what resonated with Al was the mention of uncles and aunts getting drunk and falling asleep - something which most listeners can relate to.

He said: “I knew the story as a child but re-reading it as an adult, it struck me how timeless it is. It could have been written yesterday.

“I loved the sort of feelings it evokes and wanted to create something that encouraged others to enjoy it but let their own imaginations take them where they wanted to.”

The song features backing music from the Welsh harpist Catrin Finch and was filmed entirely in Swansea, with all the interior shots filmed at 5 Cwmdonkin Drive, where Dylan Thomas was born.

Al, who himself grew up in the seaside town of Pwllheli on the Llyn Peninsula, admits that key to having a great Christmas song is having a video that connects with the audience and he credits his friend Ben Williams for achieving just that.

“He’s done a cracking job in telling the story of Christmas in a way that isn’t so sickly sweet and shows that while you can be gleefully happy like a child, there are also people who feel very sad and lonely at Christmas,” said Al.

“The actors Alan Lloyd, Caryl Morgan and Reuben Holt are just brilliant at telling the story too.”

To find out more about Al’s music visit: allewismusic.com

My Christmas: the wrapping paper designer

2013-12-20T10:24:57+00:00

Ever wondered what it’s like to design Christmas? We spoke to Julia Berthelemy, who works for International Greetings, to find out who is behind the festive wrap and sparkle.

Julia Berthelemy, designer and design manager at International Greetings.

“We start Christmas in February and don’t finish it until January. It’s really all year round for us as we start researching trends for the following Christmas in February. So next February, we’ll be working on Christmas 2015.

“We’re at the peak of designing wrapping paper in July. We need to be in the mood for Christmas in the height of summer.”

Julia explains what her daily work as a designer and a design manager entails: “My job involves seeing customers and then designing wrapping paper to suit their requirements. We build a range of Christmas-themed designs for them and I take them to the buyer and we make any changes to the design. I also design myself.

“Whatever you do, it’s related to Christmas and fun. Even if you’re very busy you can look at what you’re making and realise that it’s fun.

Christmas crackers from International Greetings.

“We have a reasonably big team, but it’s a relaxing atmosphere because of the nature of the work – doing things geared towards greetings and Christmas keeps everyone smiling.

The time taken on the creative process depends on the complexity of the project. For wrapping paper, Julia explains, “If it’s ornate or particularly ‘trendy’ it takes longer than kids’ wrapping paper. Usually it’s six to nine months from the design to production to the shelves.”

The big trends for this year for gift wrap include chalkboard wrapping paper.

What happens at Christmas time when you work on Christmas all year round? Julia says, “When it is finally Christmas, we go all out. We have started Christmas songs in October in previous years - we’re so desperate to get there! We put festive lights up and decorate our desks.

Products from the International Greetings range.

“Even though we work on Christmas all year round, we try to make a point of celebrating. It’s hard to design Christmas when it’s August so we really need to push the boat out when it’s actually Christmas to keep the feeling going through the year!”

My Christmas: confessions of a pantomime dame

2013-12-19T10:43:49+00:00

Christmas time is the season for traditional pantomime entertainment so we caught up with Wyn Calvin- one of the greatest pantomime dames to come out of Wales and hailed by the media as the number one Widow Twanky. Oh yes he is!

After a career spanning sixty years, he’s played the parts and worked alongside some of the world’s best performers - from Morecambe and Wise to Bob Hope, George Formby, Gracie Fields and, of course pantomime legend, Christopher Biggins.

Wyn Calvin as Widow Twanky in panto with Frank Bruno.

Wyn Calvin’s acting career began with the Entertainments National Service Association entertaining the troops in World War Two in Europe.

After intensive theatre work back home, performing a different play each week, comedy and pantomime came naturally to him. “When you’ve got a face and voice like mine it has to be comedy doesn’t it?” said Wyn.

Wyn soon realised he had a natural ability for comedy and left the straight plays behind.

His first big break came in the 1960s in the guise of Humpty Dumpty in a part written for Sir Harry Secombe who performed it at the London Palladium but Wyn took the show on the road from London to Manchester.

It was at Bristol, performing with The Seekers, that Tom Arnold – the then ‘King of Pantomime’ told Wyn he wanted him in skirts the following year.

Wyn did a double-take replying that “he didn’t feel feminine” to which Tom replied “exactly, that’s why you’ll make a great pantomime dame!”

“Children are amused knowing that pantomime dames are men trying to be feminine and failing.” The rest is history.

Wyn believes that “laughter is the best music of all and the sound of a theatre full of kids laughing is special.

“It’s easier to get the laughs dressed in outrageous costumes and helps establish the fact that you’re there to be laughed at”.

“Getting ready can take up to 30 minutes for an opening performance but after that it’s about four minutes each time” said Wyn.

Costume changes are par for the course with Wyn who always did at least ten - with each one getting progressively more ludicrous. “Thank God for Velcro” he said.

Wyn Calvin with his Widow Twanky costume.

Wyn’s wife Carol made all his costumes with Wyn providing the silly ideas. One of Wyn’s all-time favourites was his Widow Twanky hat which featured a miniature washing line on the top and now resides in the Wiltons Music Hall Museum.

Make-up is another matter and a good pantomime dame always does her own make-up!

Over the years Wyn has tweaked his look, concentrating on the eyes and mouth. “The important thing is making it look as if you’re trying to look feminine. Every dame does the character differently, in their own way”.

Travelling around performing meant Wyn saw his fair share of theatre ‘digs’ – a tradition that no longer exists today.

Looking back on it now Wyn laughs, referring to it as “a form of imprisonment” – arriving at work for midday and working until midnight before sitting down to his first hot meal. “You never ate before a performance and often had a matinee and evening performance each day”.

One landlady who saw him performing once said “If I’d have known you were top of the bill I’d have given you clean sheets.”

One night while playing the De Valance Theatre in Tenby Wyn asked the audience if anyone was local.

Someone shouted ‘Yes, Narbeth’ to which Wyn exclaimed “I was born there!”

The mystery voice from the crowd replied ‘Yes, I know. I delivered you!” at which point the theatre erupted in laughter and Wyn stood dumbstruck before asking her if he’d changed much.

Wyn hung up his dresses in 2011 finishing up as Widow Twanky in Aladdin but has no regrets.

Variety shows may be long gone but Wyn feels privileged to have been a part of it. The new breed of soap stars have provided their own comedy moments for Wyn though.

Once during a performance of Aladdin, a well-known soap star once came off stage shaking uncontrollably saying that the crowd had booed him off stage.

Wyn replied “Of course they booed, you’re playing Abanazar and the more you get, the better you are!”

Pantomime is alive and well in Wales this Christmas. Find your nearest one here.

My Christmas: the church organist

2013-12-18T09:26:17+00:00

A church service at Christmas without music would be like a Christmas tree without lights, and the church organist has at his or her fingertips the keys for keeping congregations singing together in perfect harmony.

David Hutchings

Organist David Hutchings graduated in Musicology from Cardiff University in 2009 and has since remained a citizen of the capital, serving in several parishes in and around the city as an itinerant organist.

With the extra services as church attendances traditionally swell at Christmas, he’ll be doing the usual dash between parishes as church-goers take time out from all the pressures of preparing for the big day by coming together to worship in prayer and song.

When worshippers turn up for mass, the candles are lit, the choir is already in place, and a calming piece of music floats gently over the pews. It’s as if the organist and choristers actually live there and have somehow simply popped out from behind the panelling and started playing. Well, not so of course, and David regularly travels between St Dochdwy’s in Llandough, St Peter’s in Roath and St Margaret’s in Penylan, among others, for services and to rehearse.

This year, once he has fulfilled his carol service obligations in Cardiff, he will be returning to his home in East Sussex to spend Christmas with his family. But there won’t be a crotchet’s rest for him till he’s played the organ at the Christmas Eve vigil and then the Christmas Day morning service at the church of St Thomas More in Brighton.

Image: Ria Chatterjee

“The organ is like an orchestra at your fingertips,” says David as he explains its amazing range of timbres from shrill flute and piercing piccolo through the mellow clarinet range and on to the raspy growls of the bass pipes operated by foot.

“Before a service I try to improvise on a theme or motet from one of the hymns and settle the congregation with something gentle and reflective. This can also serve to remind people of a particular hymn melody if perhaps it’s one which is not so familiar to them.”

At the end of a service David feels it’s important to uplift the spirits with something rousing, and at Christmas an improvisation on Hark, the Herald Angels Sing fits the bill perfectly.

It’s not all plain sailing though, as David recalls a particularly unfortunate moment when a dreaded “cipher” occurred during the middle of a hymn. In the organ world, a cipher is when an air valve on a pipe gets stuck in the open position, usually due to a speck of dirt or other foreign object.

“It wouldn’t have been so bad if it was on a pipe in the key of the current passage of music,” explains David, “but no, it was like a bagpipe banshee wailing out from the rafters.”

The standard way to solve the problem is to identify which pipe is stuck open and then repeatedly press the corresponding key until the blockage is cleared. “So while my right hand repeatedly screeched out a note like a siren, all the time I had to keep the hymn going with my feet and left hand.”

The choristers understood what was happening but, says David, “I could feel the glares of astonishment on the back of my neck from the congregation, whom thankfully I couldn’t see at the time.”

All part of the job. Good luck David with keeping everyone singing from the same hymn sheet this Christmas.

My Christmas: the reindeer herd manager

2013-12-17T11:01:37+00:00

Robert Morgan, 39, is the fifth generation in a line of farmers from the Morgan family working at Poundffald Farm on the Gower, just outside Swansea. Previously the farm worked with more traditional lambs and cattle but the challenge of competing with supermarket pricing made Robert seek out a more festive source of business.

Robert explains: "We found it hard to compete with supermarkets controlling the prices of meat so I started to plant Christmas trees and that went ok. I thought there was a niche in the market for good Christmas trees. I was fed up with the quality of the trees of the imported European trees and went from there.

Robert Morgan and his reindeer

"It was a sharp learning curve – in the first year all my trees got eaten by rabbits, I killed most of them.

"I always missed the animals as I was brought up on a farm with lots of animals around. After the Christmas trees, I thought the next best option was reindeer. I bought two reindeer about eight or nine years ago and now we’re up to 19 reindeer in total.

"Before I’d be looking forward to a long, cold wet lambing season with 500 ewes and 200 cattle. Now I've got 320,000 Christmas trees and 19 reindeer and quite a buoyant business."

Robert's reindeer are kept pretty busy in the run up to Christmas. He explains: "I take them out about a dozen times and that generally pays for their upkeep for the year. Basically, they work to pay their way. My family are very busy in the run up to Christmas and even the animals work for their keep.

"It's just a couple of weddings and a few school visits. The school visits are getting very popular and it’s nice to educate the children about where the reindeer come from. It’s not just about Santa it’s about how they live and how the Sámi people look after them and also the problems they are having with their herds over in Europe. The reindeer are dwindling there in vast numbers."

Reindeer at Poundffald Farm

The reindeer seem to enjoy their trips out, Robert says, "I take about six or seven out each time. Obviously they are a herding animal so the more we take out the happier they are. I don’t agree with taking only one or two reindeer out. I always take a group and they enjoy it."

For the rest of the year the reindeer are left to roam in a huge wooded area. Robert says, "We've adapted our farm for the reindeer, rather than the reindeer for the farm. They just do what they do in the wild, except they haven’t got wolves, bears, eagles or lynx preying on their young.

"We do a bit of work with them, such as walking them, but they are mainly left to their full natural cycle – the mating season, the calving season in the summer, then there’s the rut when the males fight for the females. It's just like any reindeer in the wild, it's exactly the same."

Reindeer do like eating carrots but Robert imports special moss for them. "They love moss – it's like giving chocolate to children!"

Christmas is a very busy period for the farm, but Christmas Day itself is quiet. "The greatest feeling is at 4 o' clock on Christmas Eve when all the reindeer go out from the grotto. Everything comes together when they are all out on the field together waiting for the cold weather – they love the cold weather and the snow. They've got about 20 acres to roam in, which is home from home for them.

On Christmas Day Robert unwinds by swimming in the sea. "Christmas is a very testing time for me. I swim in the sea throughout the year without a wet suit on. The best part of my day is to jump in the sea on the Gower – obviously not naked – I put my shorts on!

"Christmas work is all over by then for me and it’s a great relief. I'm also out on the farm on Christmas Day. The reindeer like to see me every day and I like to see them – they accept me as part of the herd."

Festive season promises treat for culture vultures and slapstick lovers alike

2013-12-02T10:08:36+00:00

'Tis once again the season to be jolly, and arts venues across Wales will be serving up an array of Christmas crackers this festive period to entice you in from the cold.

National Theatre Wales is putting on its first ever Christmas show in the atmospheric environs of Cardiff Castle, from 19 December to 4 January.

Silly Kings is a full-scale musical adaptation of Monty Python star Terry Jones' Fairy Tales, which will feature live music from Groove Armada's Patrick Dawes as well as a whole host of circus performers and other musicians, in a huge, heated Spiegeltent within the castle.

The musical has been adapted by Katherine Chandler and will be directed by Jo Davies, who has worked as a director and associate director at the ENO, Royal Opera House, Royal National Theatre, Barbican, in London's West End and on Broadway to name a few.

George Fuller and and Hannah McPake in rehearsal for Silly Kings. Photo: Farrows Creative/National Theatre Wales

At the Aberystwyth Arts Centre audiences can enjoy a stage adaptation of one of the biggest tearjerkers of all time - festive favourite It's A Wonderful Life (19-22 December), directed by Richard Hull and featuring all the best belting Christmas carols.

The venue's more traditional panto fare comes in the form of the cunningly named Dick Whittington and the Pi-Rats of the Caribbean (9-24 January), where youngsters can join Dick and his amazing cat as they journey to London to make their fortune.

Meanwhile, Clwyd Theatr Cymru in Mold hosts its rock 'n' roll pantomime version of Beauty and the Beast (until 25 January) replete with jokes, slapstick and audience participation and starring Phylip Harries as Dame Bronwen Bigbreaths.

It features over 20 rock 'n' roll and soul favourites including Let Me Entertain You, Hot Stuff, Keep on Runnin', Without You and Love Train to really get the festive roar going.

The Sherman Cymru has commissioned Penarth writer Robert Alan Evans to adapt the traditional fairytale Sleeping Beauty for their Christmas show, but in his version there are in fact two beauties, best friends Dawn and Eve, played by Gwawr Loader and Bettrys Jones.

The Sleeping Beauties (6 December until 4 January) will also feature actress and 9Bach folk singer Lisa Jen Brown as a magical storyteller who will guide the audience on their journey with the two beauties, while performing songs composed by Lucy Rivers.

Lisa Jen Brown, Bettrys Jones and Gwawr Loader in Sleeping Beauties. Photo: Kirsten McTernan

Children's book writer Elen Caldecott from Wrexham has penned her first ever children's play to entertain under-sevens at the theatre this Christmas.

Bilingual productions Corina Pavlova and the Lion's Roar/Corina Pavlova a'r Llew sy'n Rhuo opened at the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff on 8 November before touring a whole host of venues across Wales, including Theatr Brycheiniog in Brecon, Pontardawe Arts Centre, the Beaufort in Ebbw Vale and the Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl, before returning to the Sherman from 9 December until 4 January.

Just down the road at the Wales Millennium Centre, Hijinx Theatre's Odyssey theatre group present The Last Snow of Winter (5-7 December) inspired by stories of great journeys.

The centre, in partnership with Big Talent Show, also presents the Young Company Christmas Show (14 December), a charming tale about the finest Christmas puddings ever tasted and a little chimney sweep ordered to steal the recipe. To book call 029 2063 6464 or visit wmc.org.uk.

Images from Corina Pavlova. Photos: Mark Douet

Anglesey-born soprano Llio Evans will be returning to her native north Wales on 7 December to perform in a celebration of Christmas at Theatr Colwyn, Colwyn Bay.

Noёl, Noёl – The Sound of Christmas also stars tenor Matthew Sims and baritone Owen Webb with accompaniment from Annette Bryn Parri, and will be at other venues in Wales throughout the festive season.

To whet the panto appetite a production of Dick Whittington will run at the theatre from 21 December to 4 January featuring all the traditional pantomime ingredients such as songs, a live band, magic illusions, puppets and a big festive dollop of slapstick comedy.

Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff will be running a darkly comic Christmas sequel to the award-winning musical My Name Is Sue.

Sue Timms, the piano-wielding prophet, returns for Sue: The Second Coming, a cabaret-drama featuring piano playing Sue and her alternative guide to Christmas.

It is a collaboration between the two award‐winning theatre‐makers responsible for National Theatre Wales' The Village Social: writer‐director Ben Lewis and writer‐composer Dafydd James.

The production opens for one-week runs at Chapter Arts Centre (3-7 December), the Soho Theatre in London and Bristol Old Vic.

Dafydd James as Sue Timms in Sue: The Second Coming. Photo: Kirsten McTernan

Also at Chapter, Shock and Awe present adult-only satirical Christmas review of the year Beauty and the Beasts from 16-18 December. Those who would like to contribute ideas for songs and sketches should contact shocknawe.org.uk.

From 18-20 December, the Leftfield Theatre Company will retell the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge in Humbug, a production that sees modern dance merged with theatre and explores beyond the themes of the Dickens original to a social analysis of a person’s place in modern society.

Meanwhile in Swansea, spectators can enjoy a fully immersive promenade performance of A Queer Christmas, a new show by Bethan Marlow with Mess up the Mess, which takes place at various locations along Swansea High Street.

The show is based on interviews with Swansea's LGBT community and also new writing from various workshops Bethan has held, and aims to give an accurate representation of LGBT life in the city.

The cast is a mixture of professional actors and local actors, dancers and performers, and includes Aled Pedrick (who recently directed Finborough Theatre's acclaimed Saer Doliau), Meilir Rhys Williams and Peri Thomas. It runs from 6-8 December, starting at the Kings Arms Pub, High Street, Swansea.

At the New Theatre in Cardiff the uplifting The Holly and the Ivy runs from 4-7 December and stars Stuart McGugan (It Ain't Half Hot Mum/Tutti Frutti), Corrine Wicks (Emmerdale/Doctors), Tom Butcher (The Bill/Doctors), Dean Smith (Waterloo Road) and Hildegard Neil (Anthony & Cleopatra).

Meanwhile, this year's panto is Jack and the Beanstalk which stars Julian Clary and Mike Doyle (14 December to 19 January). For more info visit newtheatrecardiff.co.uk or call the box office on 029 2087 8889.

A few miles down the M4 at The Riverfront in Newport, Hiss and Boo present Beauty and the Beast (3 December to 5 January) starring S4C Tag presenter and Pobol Y Cwm star Elin Llwyd, and Eastenders and Gwaith Cartref's Richard Elis. Over at The Swansea Grand it's Peter Pan with Jimmy Osmond, Kevin Johns and Liam Mellor, running from 13 December to 12 January.

Justin Fletcher from CBeebies will star as the magic mirror in The Grand Pavilion Porthcawl's Christmas panto Snow White (11 December to 5 January). While at The Torch Theatre in Milford Haven, audiences can enjoy Aladdin (20-28 December) as well as Cardiff trio The Siren Sisters in their Christmas show on 14 December.

Over at Venue Cymru in Llandudno, Coronation Street's Vicky Entwhistle, Coach Trip's Brendan Sheerin and John Evans will star in Sleeping Beauty from 7-29 December followed by Tommy Steele in Scrooge from 6-11 January.

And at The Lyric in Carmarthen, Owen Money stars in Aladdin (3-12 January) which is on a tour of Wales between November and February.

Although this is just a snapshot of what theatres across Wales have in store this season, we hope we've found something to tickle your festive fancy among all these Christmas treats.

A Christmas date with X-Ray

2013-11-18T16:30:34+00:00

I don't have a very strong stomach. Even the mere thought of curdled milk can leave me feeling queasy. So during the interview with Alastair Low of Cardiff Scientific Services, I could immediately feel my tummy starting to churn.

Insects. Their excrement. Their larvae. Found in dates and figs on sale in Cardiff. Excuse me one moment...

We'll let you know what you should do if you are unlucky enough to happen across a fig surprise this yuletide.

Talking of Christmas surprises – the cost of hampers. You won't believe the difference in the cost of the contents of a hamper if they're bought separately, compared to when you buy them all wrapped up in a basket with a bow.

We've been counting the cost of the hampers of some the big high street names. It could make you think twice before you splash out this Christmas, though the stores say the extra cost reflects the care that goes into the choosing and packing, and that hampers remain very popular with their customers.

So as you can tell, we're in festive mood, even squeezing in a trip to a Christmas tree farm in the Vale of Glamorgan for one film. It was magical.

Lucy Owen during filming at a Christmas tree farm for X-Ray

A bright, sunny morning, the light catching the dewy branches of the firs, making them sparkle as if they had already been decorated.

Of course what you won't see on camera is the boggy ground underfoot or the soggy coat after 10 takes strolling through wet trees. Worth it though, if it helps leave us all with a bit of extra cash in our pockets this Christmas for some extra treats. Fig anyone?

Watch X-Ray tonight on BBC One Wales from 7.30pm, and on BBC iPlayer for the seven days after transmission.

My Christmas: the hospice nurse

2012-12-21T09:09:38+00:00

Christmas is traditionally a time for family gatherings, when the house is full of people, laughter and celebration.

But for those nearing the end of their battle with a terminal illness and their relatives, it is an emotional time, made all the more poignant by the thought this could be the last one they spend together.

Balancing festive cheer with the sensitivity of her patients' situations is something incredibly important for Kathy Fildes, deputy sister at St David's Hospice in Llandudno.

Hospice nurse Kathy Fildes

The hospice provides end of life palliative care free of charge to the people of Anglesey, Gwynedd and Conwy.

The centre tries to help as many patients as possible go home for Christmas, but for those that are simply too ill, staff do their utmost to ensure the day is as special as possible.

"If families want to stay overnight so they are there on Christmas morning then they can," says Kathy, who usually works every other Christmas at the hospice and has been there on and off for eight years.

"We have a brilliant chef who does his best to accommodate what the families want so they can have a Christmas meal together.

"We all wear Christmas hats and tinsel and play a bit of festive music but only when we feel it's appropriate - we have to judge that very carefully.

"It might sound strange to say it but it isn't all doom and gloom, we try to make sure everybody has as good a time as possible."

Kathy usually works a late on Christmas Eve and then will arrive back at the ward at 7.15am on Christmas Day. And after 41 years in nursing, she is well used to starting early on a day when most other people are sleeping in.

"The first thing I'll do is have a handover from the night staff and then wait for the patients to wake up.

"We try to be there when they wake and we have Christmas presents for them which we help them open.

"When children or grandchildren of patients come in we try and make it feel like Christmas with mince pies and music."

Even after a day on her feet looking after her patients, Kathy says she usually still has the energy to cook a meal for her family when she gets back from work to her home in Caernarfon.

"I absolutely love Christmas and cooking the Christmas meal and my family are used to us not having it until the evening.

"I usually eat so many chocolates with the other nurses during the day that I can resist Christmas lunch at work so am really looking forward to it by the time I'm home!"

Despite the nature of her work, Kathy says she feels very privileged to work at the hospice as it has so much support from the local community.

"They are so brilliant and often bring in flowers and chocolates for the patients over the festive season.

"We also have carol singers and visits from the mayor and the board of governors.

"I just love Christmas and if I can in any way make it better for the patients and their relatives then that is a good thing."

A town called Bethlehem – in Wales

2012-12-20T17:02:24+00:00

When we stand in church or chapel this Christmas Eve and sing the carol O Little Town Of Bethlehem, most of us will be thinking of the settlement in the Holy Land, famous as the birthplace of Jesus Christ.

Yet there are 16 other communities called Bethlehem in various parts of the world. And Wales can lay claim to one of the smallest, the tiny hamlet of Bethlehem in Carmarthenshire, home to about 150 people.

Bethlehem sign (photo: Carmarthenshire Council)

Like its Palestinian namesake, this remote and peaceful village on the foothills of the Brecon Beacons is set in the foothills of a mountain range. Sitting in the Tywi Valley, to the northeast of Llandeilo, the Welsh Bethlehem is a quiet and secluded spot just across the river from the main A40 road.

Quiet and secluded, that is, apart from in the month of December. For that is when thousands of people flock to the village in order to post their Christmas cards and receive the unique Bethlehem postmark on their letters.

Bethlehem lost its post office during a round of economic cuts in the 1980s. But since the mid 1960s the tradition of posting Christmas cards from the village had been growing stronger and stronger. As a consequence, the post office was reopened in 2002 – as someone once said, it might have been a Christmas miracle.

Normally the post office – situated in the old village school (also closed) – opens for just a few hours every Tuesday afternoon. But in the Christmas season demand for the Bethlehem stamp is so strong that the place is forced to open six days a week. People come from all over Britain, even from places as far away as America and Germany, just to get that classic stamp on the front of their envelopes.

Christmas crowds in Bethlehem, Wales (photo: Carmarthenshire Council)

The Welsh Bethlehem is overlooked by an old Iron Age fort, Carn Goch, and is six miles equidistant between two other significant fortresses, the Welsh castle of Dinefwr and the Norman fortress of Carreg Cennen.

The name Bethlehem came into common parlance in Wales once Bishop Morgan translated the Bible into Welsh in 1588. While the village was originally known as Dyffryn Ceidrich (Ceidrich's Valley in English), the name Bethlehem was soon given to the local chapel – which can still be seen just off the main street.

By the time of the Methodist Revival in the middle years of the 19th century, however, the village was being called by the name of its chapel rather than its original title.

Unlike the Bethlehem in the Holy Land, the Welsh Bethlehem does quite often get snow. The place is used to shepherds but that is about as far as the similarities go. Interestingly, it lies 120 miles to the south of another Welsh village with a Biblical name, Nazareth (now spelled Nasareth) in the Nantlle Valley of Gwynedd.

Bethlehem and Nazareth? The Biblical connotations and the connections with the life of Jesus are fascinating. They remain an important part of the religious and social history of our country.

My Christmas: the Royal Navy sailor

2012-12-20T09:05:34+00:00

It is one thing to be working over Christmas but quite another to be doing so aboard a ship at sea almost 8,000 miles away from home.

And for Royal Navy sailor John Emberton from Rhosddu, Wrexham, this Christmas will be especially poignant as it will be the first he has spent away from his two young children, Seren aged seven and Finlay aged three.

Royal Navy sailor John Emberton

"This is the first time I've been deployed at Christmas since I've had children," explains John, 42, who is a petty officer serving on HMS Edinburgh, which is on a six-month deployment in the South Atlantic.

"It will be hard because we usually have a really nice family Christmas with my parents, Brian and Elizabeth Emberton, in Rhosddu.

"It will be strange not seeing them but I plan to Skype them on the day if I can and then I can see what they got for Christmas and join in with their day as much as I can."

If you thought Christmas shopping was tricky enough on land, then imagine the added headache involved for a sailor at sea.

Happily, says John, his wife Meryl has done the lion's share this year.

"I've ordered a few things online for my family but the main bulk has been sorted out by my wife," he says.

John, who went to Groves High School in Wrexham, joined the Royal Navy in 1990, and works as a gunner, maintaining and operating the ship's 20mm gun. He is also qualified to fire the Sea Dart missiles.

HMS Edinburgh

HMS Edinburgh is the last of the Royal Navy's Type 42 destroyers which will make way for the new-generation Type 45 destroyers.

On its current deployment the ship, says the Royal Navy, will "provide reassurance" to UK territories and dependencies and "support counter narcotics efforts" in the West African region.

It doesn't sound, though, as if Christmas Day will be a complete washout for John and his 259 shipmates.

"We'll be having a turkey dinner on board," he says, "and the lads are dressing up in various outfits so there will be lots of festive cheer on board to get us all through."