Nant Gwrtheyrn > Blogs
…….let’s have a little competition to celebrate! 2022 is a milestone in the history of Nant Gwrtheyrn, with 40 years having passed since the first Welsh class was held there. Thousands have followed the winding road down to the Nant during this time, many falling in love with the magical location as well as with […]
Nant Gwrtheyrn has re-created Llithfaen’s iconic Surgery in the Nant, the Surgery where the dream of buying and reviving the old village was born, over half a century ago. The Old Llithfaen Surgery was a part of Dr Carl Clowes’ practice, the doctor who came to the area in 1970, from his specialist post […]
Why learning Welsh is important by Fran Clarke I Moved to Ceidio in Pen Llŷn five years ago. I’m originally from Yorkshire. Before we moved, I used to come on holidays to the area and would hear the language being spoken. I always felt that I wanted to learn and speak Welsh. So, once I […]
How being part of the community encourages me to learn Welsh by Margaret Taylor-Hill We moved to Wales three years ago. I had family connections with my dad’s family living on the border in Llanymynech. But my Welsh was limited to counting to ten and ‘paned o de’. I’d always wanted to learn Welsh it […]
The language teacher who became the student by Theresa Munford I don’t think I have any Welsh blood in my veins, and I don’t live in Wales. Serendipity and friendship are probably the best ways to explain my journey into Welsh. I have always loved languages: I studied French, German and Spanish at school and […]
Looking back from the crest of a wave By Rhodri Evans (Education Manager) As we approach the Christmas period, it’s inevitable that, in breaks to its wonderfully frantic rhythms, we’ll pause and reflect on this most unprecedented and tumultuous of years. And when we do look back at it all, I’d imagine that ‘change’ is […]
Living in Munich and learning Welsh by Janet MacKenzie My only – very tenuous – link to Wales is the fact that I was born in Liverpool, which, as I’m reliably informed, is the unofficial capital of North Wales. So as a child in the fifties I would hear Welsh spoken when visiting shops in […]
A birth right is worth fighting for by Robert Davis I speak Welsh. I do this even though I’m from the United States. Most people — including Welsh people — are surprised by this. I first started studying Welsh when I was in grad school. I got one of those sets of CDs and started […]
Why I’m learning Welsh online with Nant Gwrtheyrn by Helen Blodwen Rees I’ve always felt Welsh: my middle name is Blodwen and my dad was a Welsh speaker. But I never lived in Wales until my husband and I decided to retire to Conwy a few years ago. We attended Nant Gwrtheyrn residential courses together […]
“Change is coming whether you like it or not” (Greta Thunberg) by Eirian Davies For those of us who belong to a certain generation, the word Zoom referred to the red, yellow and green rocket-shaped ice-lolly that needed to be licked/eaten rather quickly before it started dripping down the fingers, hands and wrists during those […]
Nant G and me by John Williams I’d just finished my foundation level Welsh course through the Open University (2010) and I was thinking: Well, I’ve worked quite hard this year, and I’ve got a taste for the language but I haven’t been able to say much. Am I going to leave it like this […]
Passing halfway and getting to grips with soft mutation (y treiglad meddal) by Mathew Penri Williams ‘Surely you don’t need Bruce for your Entry level students?’ my wife asked nodding towards the dictionary on our kitchen table. ‘Of course not, I’m using it to prop up my laptop so that they can see me on […]
A diary of an online tutor – halfway and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel! by Shân Gwenfron Jones “Write a blog” “What’s a blog?” It’s not a diary. A written entry of what’s what. I’ve pondered a lot over the last ten years about the meaning of the word. I keep […]
The world around us by Ceri Brunelli Williams It’s a strange world (rhyfedd o fyd). I was reminded of this great Welsh saying by a wise colleague a few weeks back. And never has it been so true. This time in our lives is different for everyone, and we’ll all look back at it with […]
Keeping in touch with Nant Gwrtheyrn by Siôn Elwyn Hughes Nant Gwrtheyrn is a special place for many – it attracts locals and tourists to eat, stay, get married or to take advantage of the magnificent all year-round views. But for me, knowing that my family lived, worked, and shaped the Nant in the early […]
The digital learning diary of a tutor, featuring drama! by Shân Gwenfron Jones Well, for the last two weeks I’ve been Zooming day and night and wow, Zoom really is great. I received the national call to Zoom for Wales a couple of months back, for the duration and until we see the sun again […]
At the end of week two by Mathew Penri Williams It was late 2019 when I decided to change my role at Nant Gwrtheyrn and to become a full-time tutor. The idea had always been at the back of my mind since I started working at the Nant five years ago. This was what drew […]
The new normal by Ifor Gruffydd ‘Things will never be the same again’ is constantly being heard by us all during the current Covid-19 emergency. At the beginning, I thought “here we go again, people being negative”, but by now I agree with them. I’ve come to realise that some things will permanently change and […]
After eight at the Nant by Eirian Davies (Work Welsh tutor) Right, is everyone ready?! First question: In which decade was Cardiff made the Capital City of Wales? Here are your choices – 1930s; 1950s; 1960s. If you know the exact year, you get a bonus point. Does this sound familiar? Has your general knowledge […]
A glimpse at my career by Gwenda Griffith My TV career started in the seventies – yes, last century! I was in front of the camera back then, children’s programmes on the BBC and an afternoon programme for women, Hamdden on HTV. Those were the good days! I also worked in the tourism sector and […]
Shani on the mountain by Shân Gwenfron Jones “By mastering the substance of a mountain, one could penetrate to the deepest of his spirit.” Well, we’re over five weeks into the lockdown and I’m starting to feel a longing for the mountains. Especially one special mountain, Moel Eilio. My favourite mountain. It has a beautiful […]
The author’s course by Bethan Gwanas I was in the process of putting together a Powerpoint about Dewi Prysor when Covid-19 came crashing into our lives. Dewi was one of the authors I was going to introduce on our Authors of Wales course in mid-June. But there we go, I’m sure it will be held […]
Getting to know the learners at Nant Gwrtheyrn by Alun Jones Visiting the Nant and getting to know the learners is always an absolute pleasure. Why? It’s a fantastic opportunity to speak to interesting learners from all over the world. I have kept in contact with many of them over the years, as I man […]
Exciting news by Dr Carl Iwan Clowes With many aspects of the work at the Nant currently closed, from the courses to the accommodation and the café, it’s great to see some activity continuing. On a personal level, I’ve had the pleasure of updating my book – ‘Nant Gwrtheyrn – Rebirth of a Lost Village’ […]
Powder House – a hidden gem at Porth y Nant by Geraint Jones This truly fantastic building is the Porth y Nant powder house, otherwise known as ‘the magazine’, specifically for Porth y Nant quarry, hanging on at the very edge of a remote cliff it stands like a beacon keeping an eye out for […]