Saturday 29 August 2020

DYMA RAI SYNIADAU AR SUT I FYND ATI I AIL-FEDDIANNU TIR EIN GWLAD. HERE ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO GO ABOUT RE-POSSESSING THE LAND OF OUR NATION.









The holiday home issue has risen its head again as the demand for properties in Cymru has increased at an alarming rate.  Outsiders are, no longer, just looking for properties to buy to have as holiday homes, they are now buying properties to live in all year round as the advance in technolgy is enabling them to 'work from home' wherever they choose their homes to be, and as they are eager to leave the crime, drug and now Covid ridden inner cities of England, they increasingly choose Cymru as 'where they want their home to be'. Added to this is the latest sinister development of syndicates, both English and International, and they are, also, seeking cheap properties, lands and forestries to add to their portfolios. These syndicates may, just sit on these properties for a period and then re-sell for a large dividend on their investment or, they may develop to reap in their profits that way, either way, Cymru is losing these properties on a large scale.

In the case of housing, unemployed Cymry, and that's a large proportion of the population of Cymru, cannot ever hope for a mortgage to purchase a property and the Cymry in employment, in most cases, cannot compete against outsiders in the housing market and others, in many cases, have spent thousands on solicitors and surveying fees when trying to buy properties only to be gazumped by higher offers from outsiders!

This unfairness should not be happening and would not be happening if the County Councils and Welsh Government had been doing what they should have been doing to safeguard our nation, land, properties and resources but, clearly, they haven't delivered on the promises made when voted into their positions. They have been in their positions for many decades, and have not bothered to scrutinize and tighten up housing policies in favour of the Cymry in their own land. Likewise, they've done nothing to re-possess and/or seek compensation for land and resources pillaged over the centuries by robber baron families and later by capitalist companies and are now, allowing our land and 'crown jewels', such as Coleg Harlech and Plas Glynllifon, to be bought and re-sold over and over to outsiders without lifting a finger to save them.

The Cymry are waking up, at last, to the seriousness of the situation and are spitting out their anger on social media  - with some 'openly' calling for the return of Meibion Glyndŵr but, in my opinion,  I believe that the re-launching of an arson campaign on holiday homes would be futile as a means of combating the current crisis. Yes, this method of 'fighting back' would certainly create a level of exitement and make the news, and raise insurance cover costs for holiday homes but, it could also cause fatalities and I, for one do not want anyone's death on my conscience. There are other, more effective ways in the long term, of being active in fighting back, as follows;

CHANGING PROPERTY BUYING POLICIES IN FAVOUR OF THE CYMRY.


Alun Lenny, who is a Plaid Cymru Councillor in Sir Gâr I believe, revealed a very interesting point on social media the other day, he pointed out how the province of Bolzano in Italy has banned both foreigners and Italians from buying holiday homes in the area – for that very reason. Second homes can only be bought by residents who have spent five years living in the region, or those who work locally.

 We most definitely need similar policies in Cymru. Every four years, we are bombarded with flyers from persons who promise to change our world for the better if we give them our vote in council elections and every five years, we are promised similar by prospective candidates in the general election but, have they, in general, delivered on their promises once they've had our vote? If we look at housing and job opportunities in Cymru today, a big resounding NOOOO is the answer! Our land, forestries, resources and housing is being sold off at 'given away' prices and the Cymry have no means or any hope of competing for any of it on the property market. Also, offers will always be gazumped by the higher offers of outsiders so, like Scotland, we must have a policy in place to stop the practice of gazumping in Cymru. 

THIS HAS TO CHANGE - AND IT WON'T UNLESS WE FORCE IT TO!

Write to your local County Councillor and to your constituency Senedd Member DEMANDING that they get housing policies changed now - IMMEDIATELY, so that Native Cymry, like those of  Bolzano in Italy, CAN buy a house in their native land.

HOW MANY CYMRY OR CYMRIC COMMUNITIES ARE AWARE OF THE WELSH GOVERNMENT'S TAN 6 POLICY, A POLICY NOT AVAILABLE IN ENGLAND?

Not many I guess, so, it REALLY is in the interest of ALL Cymric communities to read this policy thoroughly in the following link;


Whilst the majority of Cymry and Cymric communities are completely oblivious in regards to the TAN 6 policy that has been in action since 2008, an Oxford based company Lammas has been encouraging and assisting hordes of English outsiders to move to Cymru to start ventures for this 'One Planet Development' concept of theirs and all with the assistance and 'green light' planning permissions of the Welsh Government. I repeat, THIS POLICY IS NOT AVAILABLE IN ENGLAND. 

 See links below to see how Lammas has been and still is encouraging this 'exodus' from England into Cymru assisted by the TAN 6 policy - right under our noses:





The question is poised, why has the Welsh Government not been active in making Cymry and Welsh communities aware of their TAN 6 policy and available funding to establish ventures in Cymric communities? They could have done so in a number of ways, large adverts in the Cymric media and Papurau Bro and by holding seminars on the subjects in community halls throughout Cymru for example. Instead, all members, including Plaid Cymru members, in this NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE' institution in Bae Caerdydd have sat back and not only allowed, but have colluded with the 'on going' colonizing of our land by means of this TAN 6 policy.

See link below how this is done:


THIS STOPS NOW! THERE SHOULD BE A MAJOR RALLY HELD OUTSIDE THAT "SHAM ASSEMBLY" TO SHOW CLEARLY THAT WE, THE CYMRY, ARE NOW AWARE OF THE TAN 6 POLICY AND WE WILL NOT PUT UP WITH IT ANYMORE. LIKE THEIR HOUSING POLICIES, IT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO BE ONLY AVAILABLE TO CYMRY AND CYMRIC COMMUNITY INITIATIVES! LET ENGLAND GET THEIR OWN SIMILAR POLICY OUT SO THAT THE ENGLISH CAN CONTRIBUTE TO 'SAVING THE PLANET' BY STARTING VENTURES ON THEIR OWN 'GREEN AND PLEASANT LANDS AND NOT IN AND ON OURS!

Of course, we cannot have a major rally outside the "sham Senedd" at this present time  due to restrictions posed by the Covid 19 pandemic but, we can start the ball rolling by signing a petition (which I'v just penned and which is now waiting to be approved by the  Welsh Government) and by writing to your Senedd member to express your disapproval and also, by sharing this post far and wide, but only throughout Cymru to ensure that as many Cymy and Cymric communities become aware of the TAN 6 policy and begin to take advantage of it to start ventures in their communities.

I, myself, by browsing the web have only really had my own eyes fully opened to how dangerous this TAN 6 Policy, this One Planet Development Plan and the Lammas organization is to the continuation of Cymru as a nation. The One Planet Development is just that, it has no interest in sustaining the identity of nations, history, culture or language only the planet! I have only provided a few links to open everyone's eyes to what is going on and would advise, one and all to look more into this for a 'full on eye opener'. If it is allowed to continue, forget marching for Independence, we will have no nation left to get independence for. The "sham Assembly" politicians, including the Plaid Cymru ones, know it and they have got the cheek to demand 30 additional Senedd members! Is that their idea of Independence? A puppet "sham Welsh administration centre" that will be part of a 'one planet' melting pot?

 AND THE PILLAGING CONTINUES...

 The TAN 6 Policy, as bad and as harmful as it has been and still is,  is but one side of the coin, as well as,  houses and other properties, land and forestries throughout Cymru are being bought up by wealthier outsiders and developers at an equally alarming pace, be they individuals or capitalist,  and similar to housing policies, policies in regards to the sales of our land and forestries have to be tightened up so that Cymric community syndicates have priorities over outsiders or otherwise,

However, don't sit back and wait for them to change the TAN 6  policy to be applicable to indigenous Cymric communities only, begin to take advantage of the policy immediately to assist in forming Cymric syndicates to buy land and forestries to develop community regeneration programmes on, and with this in mind, it would be worth looking into the old Cymric tradition of building tai - unnos on tir comin (common land) see following links:










They are already reclaiming old log cabins and rebuilding in Worcestershire.


With a bit of backbone, this could be still done to place a stake on common land here in Cymru. Go searching and old 'tai un-nos, now in ruins, can still be found on common lands.  We ourselves, did try and encourage the building of, at least one, three years ago, whilst we were campaigning against the setting up of a gigantic Wind Farm on Mynydd y Gwair, which is land stolen by the medieval robber barons and which is still being ravaged by their ancestors the Beauforts. We tried to encourage patriots to join us in building a Ty -un-nos on Somerset Field, the last bit of commom land on Mynydd y Gwair, in protest against the ravaging of our lands by robber barons and the building of wind farms on this land by capitalist Wind Farm developers. See link to one of Gethin ap Gruffydd's blog post  in regards to this protest action:


But, did any Cymric patrioticn volunteers come on board to help us build a Ty un-nos on Somerset field? NOOOOO! We had a few empty promises but, when the date came to carry building materials up, there wasn't a 'rebel' in sight!


HOW THE REGENERATION OF CYMRIC COMMUNITIES CAN  BOOST THE ECONOMY OF CYMRU AS A WHOLE AND ENABLE CYMRU TO DECLARE ITSELF TO BE AN INDEPENDENT SOVEREIGN NATION.

See link before to another of Gethin ap Gruffydd's blog posts for Hu Gadarn ventures. This has already been started by Blaenau Ffestiniog patriots and I believe they are having limited assistance from the town's council but it is a concept that can be developed throughout Cymru and colleges, such as Coleg Harlech,  are needed to train the unemployed of our nation in necessary skills that will sustain and strengthen Hu Gadarn and numerous other ventures that would enable Cymru to be economically Independent whilst able to trade worldwide.

See second link for the Mondragon Venture which started in Euskadi (Basque country) in 1956 and be inspired with how they developed and are now trading world wide.

 Hu Gadarn blog post:


montdragon Venture:


This blog post gives plenty of information and plenty of food for thought and hopefully will show clearly how much of a crises Cymru is in. This is to launch our new fb group TYDI CYMRU DDIM AR WERTH! and all associated material to inform and enspire action to save what we have left of our nation will be placed on the page of this group.

FOR A FURTHER 'WAKE UP CALL', I WOULD SUGGEST THAT EVERYONE WATCHES A PROGRAMME ENTITLED 'OUR LIVES TO BE BROADCAST ON BBC1 AT 7.30PM ON WEDNESDAY 3RD SEPT. SEE LINK BELOW.
















posted by WELSH REMEMBRANCERS @ 00:40  

Sunday 23 August 2020

More information and the latest news in regards to the selling off of one of our 'Crown Jewels' Coleg Harlech





I have been digging a bit deeper into the selling off of Coleg Harlech and, it seems, that the ongoing saga started In February 2017 when it was announced that Coleg Harlech would be closing as an adult education college at the end of the academic year. It was then sold to businessman Leslie Banks Irvine in April 2019, but, he then placed it on sale again in September of that year as four properties with a total asking price of around £630,000 consisting of the Wern Fawr site, theatre and gymnasium, the buildings were promoted as a "development opportunity".

It seems the Hall of residence, along with the St David's Hotel had been bought by a company called Aitchinson Associates Limited (AAL) who was registered as a company in Gibraltar but their office address is Buckingham House, Myrtle Lane, Billingshurst, West Sussex, RH14 9SG.

The St David's Hotel closed in 2008 and became subject to planning application NP5/61/23L[6 which was lodged with the Snowdonia National Park Authority (SNPA) with the following proposal:

"Full application for demolition of hotel and adjacent college hall of residence and construction of a new 130 bedroom hotel and 76 holiday apartments",

 Following a review by the Design Commission for Cymru, they issued a report in Dec 2008 which concluded that the replacement hotel complex would be an over development of the site. However, the Snowdonia National Park Authority approved the application on the 29th April 2009 and it was resolved that the St David's hotel would be demolished.

There was a ten year period then where AAL just allowed the hotel to fall into total disrepair and the SNPA issued an 'enforcement notice' to AAL in Dec 2015 for the hotel to be demolished and the site  completely cleared. AAL continued to do nothing, were taken to court by SNPA and were fined £1,000 + £100 victim's surcharge. Still no action by AAL so they were taken to court again and fined another £20,900 in April 2018 for failing to comply with the court order to demolish the hotel they had allowed to deteriorate beyond repair.

Now, it gets farcical, in the end, the SNPA were resigned to demolish the hotel themselves but, before they could do that, they had to 're home' a colony of bats roosting within it so, had to appoint a contractor to build a bat barn for the bats. HOW MUCH DID THIS COST? Apparently, the bat barn was never completed so, what became of the bats?

AAL had the SNPA in a stranglehold, it was obvious that they had no intention of demolishing the hotel and clearing the site, all they had to do was sit back until the job was done by the SNPA who were getting all the flak from locals and tourism businesses in the area because of the dilapidated hotel’s detrimental impact on the special landscape qualities of the area and on the tourism industry but, the SNPA was only able to finance the demolishing and clearing of the site if they got funding from the Welsh Government and Gwynedd County Council to cover it. They had two lots of funding from the Welsh Government consisting of £30,000 and £300,000. This funding enabled important preparatory works and surveys to take place, and the demolition costs to be met. I haven't been able to find out yet what additional funding they had off Cyngor Sir Gwynedd or, as to what thy needed this additional funding for ?


So now AAL have got a cleared prime site overlooking the golf course and beach which will guarantee them a massive dividend pay off on their investment and all cleared with money paid from the tax payer's purse and I have no doubt in my mind that they are now sitting back whilst observing the Halls of Residence getting into a similar dilapidated condition as can be seen in the link below. This, undoubtedly, will mean that the SNPA will have to step in again and take them to court, they will ride the fines and the SNPA will end up clearing the site paid for with further thousands from the taxpayers purse and AAL ends up with another cleared site all set for development into holiday flats and this, no doubt with even more money in development grants from the tax payer's purse.




The money given, thus far to demolish the St David's hotel and clear that site is much more than was paid for it in the first place so, wouldn't it have made more sense if the SNPA and Cyngor Sir Gwynedd had bought the St David's hotel,  retained in Cadw's listing description for Coleg Harlech - which is a Grade II* Listed Building, when it first came on the market, renovated it to its former glory to save it for the nation and provide employment opportunities in it for the people of Harlech? It is ironic, but not out of character, that Cadw, a department within the Welsh Government, can spend £6m of tax payer's money to erect a footbridge to enhance the visitor's experience to one of the castles that was built by Edward Ist to keep the Cymry in subjection but the Welsh Government, the SNPA and Cyngor Sir Gwynedd cannot lift a finger or spend a penny to save our own national treasures from being saved.

https://www.mottmac.com/article/10079/harlech-castle-footbridge-uk#:~:text=Construction%20began%20in%201283%20and,in%20Gwynedd%20World%20Heritage%20Site.

  And now, the same fate that destroyed the St David's hotel awaits the Coleg Harlech Halls of residence if we all sit back and leave it to AAL and SNPA and Cyngor Sir Gwynedd and...WE MUST NOT ALLOW IT! That halls of residence can still be refurbished at this point to be re-used for the purpose of housing working class students being taught much needed skills for a new post Brexit and post-covid Cymru! in the other main areas of the College which is also, at this time, in grave danger of being lost for good to outside developers as its all up for Auction in Bangor or Biwmaris next week? See link below:

We must all monitor this sale very carefully because, we must not allow this Crown Jewel to be lost to Cymru and to the needs of working class Cymry without a REAL fight. The Welsh Government, the SNPA and Cyngor Sir Gwynedd owe it to the Cymric nation to buy this 'jewel' back because, when it was first sold by the Adult Learning Wales (and who on earth gave them the right to sell it?) their chief executive Kathryn Robson said:

 "It is heartbreaking that we have to take the decision to sell the property, but the name of Coleg Harlech and all it stands for continues, as we provide life-changing opportunities for many adult learners in Gwynedd and thousands more throughout Wales. Mrs Robson added: “Our priority now is to attract prospective purchasers who can deliver a creative solution for the people of Harlech, which generates economic growth and retains the historic and architectural importance of the building. "We are working with Cyngor Gwynedd Council, Snowdonia National Park Authority, Visit Wales and Cadw to secure a strong future for the buildings, and we are hopeful that we can deliver on

Mrs Robson added: “Addysg Oedolion Cymru | Adult Learning Wales, the National Community College, will ensure that the work of Coleg Harlech and all it stands for remains, where we provide life-changing opportunities for adult learners in Gwynedd and across Wales, continuing the good work and positive legacy for second-chance education which has been the life-blood of Coleg Harlech for the past 90 years.”

We must all campaign hard to keep them to that promise so continue to sign the petition to save the college and Halls of residence If the Welsh Government can spend £6m of Cymric taxpayer's money on a foot bridge for Harlech castle then, they can BUY COLEG HARLECH AND THE HALLS OF RESIDENCE BACK FOR THE CONTINUAL USE OF THE WORKING CLASS OF OUR NATION!


The petition requesting that the 'Senedd'; save the college has been doing well with over 1,150 signatures to date since it was first posted a week ago but,  the number should be much higher by now ; where is the loyalty of the many thousands 'marching for Independence, don't they all want to save this Cymric Crown Jewel and see the need to use the issue as a launch pad for a renewed campaign to clearly show that CYMRU IS NOT FOR SALE? 

 See the brilliant letter in the link below, as the author rightly states, this would never have been allowed to happen to New Battle Abbey in Scotland and to Ruskin in Oxford, both established with the same vision as that for Coleg Harlech.


How, then, was this allowed to happen to Coleg Harlech and, as Peter states in the above letter,  where was the "mass cry of defiant, radical outrage" and protest action that should have taken place against the sale? I, myself, only found out what was going on when I visited Harlech a month ago or I would, most definitely, have instigated action but where were the Cymric patriots of Cymru/ Gwynedd, all 8,000 of them that attended an Independence rally in Caernarfon last year? 


In the last couple of years,  "radical outrage" was clearly shown when a crumbling piece of wall carrying a Cofia Dryweryn slogan was demolished, and 'defiant' was shown when Cymric patriots rebuilt it and it was then bought from the farmer who owned the crumpled wall for an 'undisclosed' sum. I have still to get info on this via the 'Public Right of Information Act' of course, what happened with the drowning of Tryweryn was a tragedy and mass protests occurred at the time including the painting of the aforementioned slogan but, our nation is still being raped and robbed of its land, resources, properties and national treasures but, there is no 'active protest' to stop it so, the raping and pillaging of Cymru will continue until the day when Cymry, in a lost land, will be painting COFIA CYMRU on walls in a show of futile defiance.   

Coleg Harlech a Cadw grade II listed building is again up for sale in auction this Thursday 27th Aug, see Golwg 360 article in link below, THE WELSH GOVERNMENT AND GWYNEDD COUNCIL MUST BUY IT BACK FOR THE NATION, REFURBISH IT AND PUT IT BACK INTO USE AS A SKILL TRAINING COLLEGE FOR THE CYMRIC WORKING CLASS! If they don't, then I, for one, will most definitely be asking what value are our politicians and Councillors if they cannot protect our nation, its resources and people. I will be asking the question, are they in their positions to better their own lives or the lives of the people they depend on to vote for them. I will be conducting detailed research into their salaries and expenses and will be publishing it and asking the question...ARE ANY OF THEM FIT FOR PURPOSE! for, if we look at their track record in regards to their inaction concerning Coleg Harlech, the St David's Hotel, the Coleg Harlech Halls of residence and Plas Glynllifon, they have already proved that THEY ARE NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE and I for one, will be campaigning hard for a 'no vote' come the next elections.



WE MUST NOT GIVE UP ON THE COLEG, THE PHOENIX MUST RISE UP TO SAVE IT...so, keep signing the petition in this link and, whatever happens in the auction sale on Thursday, do keep on passing it on far and wide to every corner of this world so that we get thousands of names on it to enforce a debate in the Welsh Goverment chamber and to show those politicians in Bae Caerdydd that WE WILL NOT allow our nation and its people to be treated like this. SHAME ON THEM, THE SNPA, CYNGOR SIR GWYNEDD AND SHAME ON ALL WHO WAS AWARE OF WHAT WAS GOING ON BUT DID NOTHING! The least, these people can do now is to sign the petition or, if this selling off of our nation is allowed to continue, there will be no nation left to march for Independence for!





posted by WELSH REMEMBRANCERS @ 07:00  

Thursday 20 August 2020







ROLL UP...ROLLUP...COUNTRY FOR SALE...BARGAIN OF THE MILLENNIUM...WHEN ITS GONE...IT'S GONE!

Wedi'r sioc o weld yr hyn sydd wedi digwydd i Goleg Harlech (gweler y ddau bost diwethaf) es ati i weld pa eiddo arall sydd wedi, neu yn cael ei werthu yn ein cenedl fach ac am faint a sylweddolais yn fuan iawn, y byddwn yn ymchwilio hyd at ddydd y farn' achos mae'r gwerthiant sy'n mynd mlaen yn ddi-bendraw, Gweler isod, dolenni cyswllt fydd yn eich galluogi i gael blas o'r hyn sydd wedi ei golli ar wahan i safle Coleg Harlech.

Following the shock I had when I saw, with my own eyes, what had happened to Coleg Harlech (see last two posts) I decided to conduct some research as to what other properties have or are being sold in our small nation and to whom and for what price and I soon found that the 'selling' is endless and that I could carry on researching the topic until the day of reckoning ' - which won't be long for Cymru at the rate it's being sold off so, see below, links that will provide aa taste of what has already been lost apart from the Harlech College site.

Plas Glynllifon:    https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/plas-glynllifon-mansion-seiont-manor-17832768


Celtic Royal, Caernarfon:    https://www.business-live.co.uk/commercial-property/historic-hotel-caernarfon-been-sold-17409775


Ruthin Castle  Hotel and Spa:    
Caer Rhun Hall, Cwm Conwy - valued at £1.4m in 2015, sold in 2018 for £7.08m     https://www.dailypost.co.uk/business/business-news/conwys-caer-rhun-hall-sold-10341417


Belmont Hotel, Llandudno:     https://www.dailypost.co.uk/whats-on/llandudnos-belmont-hotel-reopens-after-13036445

Queen's Hotel, Llandudno: In 2018, it was worth £5.3m     https://www.business-sale.com/news/commercial-property/the-queens-hotel-in-llandudno-sold-for-3m-211598


COEDWIGOEDD/WOODLANDS:   https://www.woodlands.co.uk/buying-a-wood/west-and-south-wales/

 https://www.woods4sale.co.uk/woodlands/south-wales.htm
https://www.woods4sale.co.uk/woodlands/north-wales.htm


https://www.uklandandfarms.co.uk/woodland-for-sale/wales/

Ac mae digonedd mwy ar werth - a cofiwch, bod mewnfudwyr yn prynu'r coedwigoedd yma ac wedi cychwyn adeiladu ffermydd cymunedol ar y tir yn barod, mae angen i'r Cymru ffurfio grwpiau cymunedol i brynu'r coedwigoedd a gwneud yr un peth. Sefydlu Mentrau Hu Gadarn ar y tir.

The list of Cymric forestries for sale go on and on and remember, these forestries are bought by groups of outsiders for the purpose of starting community farms. The Cymry must FIGHT BACK by forming community groups to buy these woodlands and do likewise - form Hu Gadarn Ventures on the land.

Ffermydd a tir ar werth/Farms and land for sale:   https://www.uklandandfarms.co.uk/woodland-for-sale/wales/https://petitions.senedd.wales/petitions/200218

Beth sy'n gyffredin am yr uchod yw mai cwmniau o du hwnt i glawdd offa sydd unai wedi prynu neu, sy'n gwerthu - ac mae hyn i gyd ar ben y broblem o werthiant tai! Mae'r gwleidyddion, o bob plaid, yn ymwybodol iawn o'r sefyllfa ond does run ohonyn nhw wedi codi bys i wneud dim i rhwystro'r holl werthiant o'n gwlad. Os na wnawn nhw weithredu yn ddi-oed, fy nghyngor yw i beidio a phleidleisio i run ohonyn nhw, (boed iddyn nhw fod yn wleidydd yn San Steffan neu ym Mae Caerdydd) pan ddaw yr etholiadau nesaf. GWNEWCH HI'N AMHOSIBL I REOLI CYMRU O LAN STEFFAN

The common denominator  in all the examples in the links above is that all the companies buying and selling Cymru are outsiders and it all goes on in addition to the wholesale selling of houses. The politicians have been and are very aware of the ongoing and accelerating situation but have done nothing about it!. If they do not get into action immediately to stop this 'gold rush' of Cymric land, resources and properties, my advice would be not to vote for any of them come the next elections, be they politicians in Westminster or Bae Caerdydd. MAKE CYMRU UNGOVERNABLE FROM ENGLAND!

Byddaf yn datgelu mwy am werthiant Gwesty Dewi Sant, Harlech a Coleg Harlech yn y post nesaf fory.  Mae'n rhy hwyr i achub Gwesty Dewi Sant, does dim carreg yn sefyll ar ôl ond tydi ddim yn rhy hwyr i achub y Coleg eto felly, arwyddwch y ddeiseb i geisio ac achub y coleg ar gyfer y Werin ac i orfodi'r gwleidyddion i drafod y creisis sy'n bodoli.

  https://deisebau.senedd.cymru/deisebau/200218

Gyrrwch y ddeiseb i Gymry oddi gartref ledled y byd.

I will be revealing more about the 'shenanigans around the selling and demolishing of the St David's hotel in my next post tomorrow. It's too late to save the St David's hotel, it has been demolished but, it is not, as yet, too late to save the Coleg so, please sign the petition and pass on to ex pats worldwide. We need 5,000 signatures to get the crisis regards Coleg Harlech - and the whole of Cymru discussed at the Senedd :  https://petitions.senedd.wales/petitions/200218

DEWCH I NI DDATGAN YN HOLLOL GLIR GYDA LAWNSIAD Y DDEISEB, MAE'R CYMRY YN YMLADD NOL! CYMRU RYDD!

LET'S MAKE IT CLEAR TO ONE AND ALL WITH THE PETITION, THE CYMRY ARE FIGHTING BACK!  CYMRU RYDD!


posted by WELSH REMEMBRANCERS @ 05:19  

Friday 14 August 2020

COLEG HARLECH RESTORATION PETITION - PLEASE SIGN AND PASS ON - DIOLCH!

posted by WELSH REMEMBRANCERS @ 06:55  

Tuesday 4 August 2020

A FO BEN,BID BONT, 'HE WHO WILL BE A LEADER, LET HIM BE A BRIDGE'.

COLEG HARLECH WHAT NOW? IF WE CAN NOT SUSTAIN COLEG HARLECH WHAT HOPE AN INDEPENDENT CYMRU?

Just over a week ago, I had cause to visit my home town of Blaenau Ffestiniog with my sister to take care of some family business and whilst there, decided to visit Harlech and the college that was such an important turning point in my life. I had gone through a nasty divorce in 1975 and after a period of living in Ireland, I returned to Cymru and to Caerdydd and whilst there, I met up with Dr Meredydd Evans, who was an old family friend and it was he that convinced me that my next step should be to apply for a place at Coleg Harlech to continue my education - he even sent for the application form for me.

I filled out the form and sent it off and was invited to an interview. In due course, I received the notification that I had been accepted to pursue a two yr diploma course in Welsh General studies at the 'College.  

This was 1977, the year of the English Queen's silver jubilee. I was already involved with 'anti jubilee protests and the producing of posters for fly posting' in Caerdydd  and whilst at a book shop in Cathays, I by chance, picked up a poster/leaflet which outlined and promoted an 'anti jubilee protest' organised by Coleg Harlech students which was to take place at Harlech during the Queen's visit to the town during that month of June. I took a copy of the poster and showed it to other patriotic friends and as a result, a car load of us made the trip to Harlech to participate in the protest, followed every step of the way by a car load of 'special branch officers' who made no attempt at all to disguise the fact that thy were following us - even to the point where they stopped at Caersws, when we did, and had a meal of fish and chips in the same cafe that we did. 

We arrived at Coleg Harlech, the 'centre of operations' just towards the end of the dafydd Iwan concert that we could hear was in full swing in the gym. A sheep had been donated for a barbicue by Owain Williams, one of the three that had blown up a transformer at Tryweryn in 1963, but, alas, we arrived too late to savour a taste of that as well. 

Part of the protest was to hold an all night vigil outside the castle. We gathered the many Cymric republican flags that had been produced from the 'operations room' and the formation of students marched their way in the dark up the hill towards the castle and stayed there to await the royal visit, accompanied by a large number of police officers with dogs, the 'not so special branch' that had accompanied us up all the way from Caerdydd and a battalion of cackling old royalist women supporters armed with umberellas who hurled abuse at us and delivered the occasional blow with their umberellas as the students marched their way back down the hill to the college later in the afternoon, following the royal visit and the protest.

Such was my 'baptism of fire' into life at Coleg Harlech and I could not wait to return in the September of that year to commence on my two yr diploma course.

Below is the Anti Jubilee poster we were fly posting around Caerdydd in 1977, colours were in red and blue. This is a black and white photo of that poster.


Coleg Harlech was often referred to as the 'College of the 2nd chance' as, it had, initially, opened in 1927 to give those from a working class background 'a 2nd chance' to receive the necessary education that would open up their career options. Of course, in reality, this was the 1st chance for the working class to have such an education in a residential background that would give them the necessary qualifications to enter higher education, as it was the norm for children from working class families, including myself, to be expected to leave school at 15 to immediately start work in order to earn a wage to assist the family. Children of the likes of coal miners and quarry men were rarely expected or encouraged to continue with their schooling once they became of school leaving age, I know I wasn't, so, having this unique opportunity to return to full time education at a residential college in days when such was funded by the DES (Department of Education and Science) was a gift from God as far as I was concerned and, I can honestly state that my two yr experience of studying at Coleg Harlech were the happiest 2 yrs of my life

Below are 2 pics of the college when it was thriving as a vibrant centre of education for the working class,  





pic of some of the students of 1977


The 'dosbarth Cymraeg of 1977 -9. Our tutor, Silyn Hughes, is sitting in the front row and I'm sitting on his left. 

I owe my thanks to Dr Meredydd Evans, Coleg Harlech, my tutors and my fellow students during my two yrs at the college for the unique experience of such 'an opening of my mind' which has provided me with the appetite to continue learning right up to the day I die so, when I visited just over a week ago, you can imagine how horrified and dismayed I was to see that, not only was such a 'jewel in our Cymric crown' up for sale but, that it had been allowed to decay to such a sad state. I took the following photographs in the hope that such will prompt a strong enough protest from all who believe that the college should be saved for the use of the working class of Cymru, who deserve and are owed a 1st chance to learn, both via academic and practical courses, so that they can contribute fully to the building of a new nation in the 'hoped for' new 'equal for one and all' democracy of an Independent Cymru.

In between the photos that I took below are links to an abundance of further info on the college, its background and its current state of despair. There is even a very long video taken from somebody that has filmed the inside of the college in its present state;this video will break the hardest of hearts and there is also a link to an excellent article from the Planet magazine. Strongly recommend you watch the video and read this article.
    

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coleg_Harlech



https://www.amazon.co.uk/Coleg-Harlech-First-Fifty-Years/dp/0708306578


https://coflein.gov.uk/en/site/407668/details/plas-wernfawr-coleg-harlech-harlech


                             http://www.harlech.com/coleg.html




https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-21778126




https://www.facebook.com/UrbanExplorerShropshire/videos/abandoned-coleg-harlech/511470562729675/


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LNy38XgePI


https://www.adultlearning.wales/en/news/226/coleg-harlech-site-and-buildings-under-new-ownership#


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdnrycqzOnM


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-22525949


https://www.europeana.eu/en/item/9200182/6CB1E68D0FF8649EE003030A73D7635789A022FD


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-22525949


https://www.dailypost.co.uk/business/business-news/historic-gwynedd-college-building-sold-16067252


http://www.cambrian-news.co.uk/article.cfm?id=128075&headline=Local%20businessman%20buys%20old%20Coleg%20Harlech&sectionIs=news&searchyear=2019




 So, now having read this blog and researched the accompanying links depicting clearly the dire straits that this 'once' unique and magnificent complex is in, are not, one and all, ' angry' enough to be determined to save it for the continual use of the working class of our nation? How on earth was this situation allowed to happen? Where were our politicians and Gwynedd County Council?  

We have lost so many national treasures over the centuries due, initially, to ignorance of their existence and then, due to apathy in regards to demanding the return of such treasures. This is another 'Jewel in our Crown' that we are about to lose due to ignorance and apathy and it is an irony that Cadw, a department within our "Senedd" can save, preserve and upkeep the castles of our Anglo Norman oppressors but they cannot save this historical 'jewel' that has done so much for the working class and Cymru!

 The destruction of this complex is every bit as destructive as the destruction of the monasteries at the hands of Henry VIII!  How can we march in our thousands for 'Cymric Independence' when we cannot even protect such 'jewels in our Cymric crown - and ones that can, and should be employed to good use to train and prepare our people in industries that will be needed to get our Independent new nation on its feet?  

A post Covid-19 world is going to be a totally different world to the pre Covid-19 world we were familiar with. Economies will be destroyed - as we are already witnessing in progress, and nations and economies will need to be rebuilt. Common sense will dictate that all employable tools, in both human and constructional terms are going to be needed to rebuild nations and their economies and there we are here in Cymru, sitting back in total apathy whilst every bit of land and all the remaining 'jewels in our crown' such as Coleg Harlech are sold off for 'peanuts' to outsiders to capitalise on!

INDEPENDENCE! Don't make me laugh...and don't make the world laugh! We cannot protect what we have left so, what, and who, exactly is the Independence that is being called for going to benefit? Certainly not our nation, in territorial terms, as it loses more ground and its remaining resources and gets smaller and smaller, and certainly not the working class of our nation who will remain on the scrap heap until there is no Cymru left and they will then remain on the lowest scrap heap of a struggling post Covid-19 England!

So, how can we fight the above horrific scenario? I suggest that we start by facing the truth of it and commence the fight back immediately by ENSURING that Coleg Harlech, this unique 'jewel in our crown' is re-purchased IMMEDIATELY by the "Senedd" in collaboration with Gwynedd County Council, to be renovated and put back into use as a residential college to educate and train the Cymry in all the practical, technical and professional skills needed to re-built the structure and economy of our nation for the equal benefit and prosperity of all our people.

I, myself, will be personally issuing every AM and PM and every Gwynedd County Councillor with a link to this blog in the hope that it will be a 'wake up call' to them. I suggest that all serious about the cause of Cymric Independence should write to the Senedd and Gwynedd County Council stating that they MUST issue a re-purchase order to the present owner to ensure that the Coleg Harlech complex is bought back as property of the nation.

THE FUTURE OF THIS 'JEWEL IN OUR CROWN' IS IN OUR HANDS AND IF WE CANNOT SAVE IT THEN, DO NOT HOPE TO SAVE OUR NATION! 

THIS SELLING OFF OF OUR LAND, RESOURCES AND 'CROWN JEWELS' HAS TO END!

       




posted by WELSH REMEMBRANCERS @ 08:56