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CYLCHLYTHYR LLYFRGELL GENEDLAETHOL CYMRUTHE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF WALES NEWSLETTER

www.llgc.org.uk

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Y CWTSH MAWR!THE BIG CWTSH!

WELSH HISTORY ON THE BBC26 TREASURES NEW COLLECTIONSPWLLHELI ON FILMIT’S ALEC TEMPLETON TIME!

HANES CYMRU AR Y BBC26 TRYSORCASGLIADAU NEWYDDPWLLHELI AR FFILMIT’S ALEC TEMPLETON TIME!

SPRING 2012 — ISSUE 15 The National Library of Wales Newsletter Cylchlythyr Llyfrgell Genedlaethol CymruGwaNwyN 2012 — RHIFyN 15

Rhoi cwtsh i un o adeiladau pwysicaf Cymru – dyna oedd yr her! Ar ddydd Gwener 15 Gorffennaf 2011 daeth dros 500 o bobl ynghyd i ddathlu canmlwyddiant gosod carreg sylfaen y Llyfrgell ac i ddangos eu gwerthfawrogiad o’r adeilad a’r hyn mae’r Llyfrgell yn ei sefyll drosto. Daeth plant â’u rhieni â’u neiniau a theidiau; academyddion, ‘pobl dre’, criw dan ofal Cymunedau’n Gyntaf a rhai am y tro cyntaf erioed! Llwyddwyd i gynnal cadwyn ddynol – cwtsh – reit o amgylch yr adeilad a llogwyd hofrennydd i dynnu lluniau o’r awyr. Gwisgai nifer o bobl ddillad coch ar gyfer yr achlysur bwysig – lliw logo’r Llyfrgell a lliw Cymru. Denwyd y wasg a’r cyfryngau ac wedi’r cwtsh cafwyd areithiau byrion o flaen yr adeilad gan y Llywydd, Yr Arglwydd Dafydd Wigley, a’r Llyfrgellydd, Andrew Green. Yno hefyd roedd yr Athro Dafydd Jenkins, aelod hynaf y Llyfrgell oedd yn gant oed, a Gwennant Gillespie oedd yn 101 oed! Wrth i’r dorf gloi’r seremoni gan ganu ‘Hen Wlad fy Nhadau’ gallwyd gweld y cymylau duon yn rhuthro dros Fae Ceredigion. Ond fel pe bai Duw’n cadw llygad drosom ni ddechreuodd lawio nes i’r seremoni a’r cwtsh orffen. Roedd yr amseru’n berffaith i ddiwrnod hanesyddol, hapus a theimladwy iawn. Y neges yn glir oedd bod ’na lawer iawn o bobl yn gwerthfawrogi ac yn meddwl yn fawr o’r Llyfrgell Genedlaethol. Ymlaen i’r ganrif nesa’!

To give one of Wales’s most important buildings a ‘cwtsh’ (hug) – that was the challenge! On Friday 15 July 2011, over 500 people from all corners of Wales congregated to celebrate the centenary of the laying the Library’s foundation stone, and to demonstrate their appreciation of the building and all that the Library represents. Children came with their parents and grandparents, along with academics, ‘townsfolk’, a Communities First-sponsored group and some who were visiting the Library for the first time ever! Many were dressed in red – the colour of the Library’s logo and of Wales – for the special occasion. We succeeded in forming a human chain – a cwtsh – all the way around the building, and a helicopter was hired to take aerial photographs. The event attracted the attention of the press and media, and after the cwtsh the President, Lord Dafydd Wigley, and the Librarian, Andrew Green, gave brief speeches in front of the building. Also present were Professor Dafydd Jenkins, the oldest member of the Library at 100 years of age, and Gwennant Gillespie who was 101! As the assembled throng sang ‘Hen Wlad fy Nhadau’ so drawing the event to a close, dark clouds were forming over Cardigan Bay. It could almost be said that God was watching over us, as the rain didn’t fall until the ceremony and the cwtsh had come to an end. Perfect timing for an historic, happy and emotional occasion. It was clear that many people appreciate and think highly of the National Library. Onward to the next century!

y Cwtsh Mawr!The Big Cwtsh!

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The National Library of Wales Newsletter Cylchlythyr Llyfrgell Genedlaethol CymruSPRING 2012 — ISSUE 15 GWANWYN 2012 — RHIFYN 15

Sgwennu 62 gair yr un am 26 o drysorau’r Llyfrgell – dyna oedd yr her i rai o brif lenorion a beirdd Cymru! Dewiswyd 26 o drysorau’r Llyfrgell yn eu plith rhai adnabyddus fel llawysgrifau fel Llyfr Aneirin a’r Hengwrt Chaucer ond hefyd yn eu plith rhai llai amlwg fel rhigwm Humpty Dumpty neu’r darlun hyfryd yma gan artist anhysbus o dirlun Pumlumon. Roedd y fenter ar y cyd â Tŷ Newydd, Grŵp Ysgrifennu 26 a Chymdeithas Cyfieithwyr Cymru. Gellir gweld y gwaith ar wefan www.26treasures.com. Cyfieithwyd pob darn i’r naill iaith a’r llall a hynny i 62 gair yn unig hefyd!

To write 62 words on 26 of the Library’streasures – that was the challenge set for some of the most prominent authors and poets of Wales! We selected 26 of the Library’s treasures, which include famous medieval manuscripts such as the Book of Aneirin and Hengwrt Chaucer and also some items that aren’t so well-known, such as the Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme and this delightful landscape by an unknown artist of Pumlumon mountains in Ceredigion. This was a joint initiative with Tŷ Newydd, the 26 Writing Group and the Association of Welsh Translators. The work can be seen at www.26treasures.com. Every piece was translated into both languages, each example keeping to the limit of 62 words!

26 Trysor26 Treasures

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The National Library of Wales Newsletter Cylchlythyr Llyfrgell Genedlaethol CymruSPRING 2012 — ISSUE 15 GWANWYN 2012 — RHIFYN 15SPRING 2012 — ISSUE 15 GWANWYN 2012 — RHIFYN 15

‘Arna i Chwant Priodi’‘Rwy’n ddeg ar hugain oed, ac arna’ i chwant priodi!’ dyna eiriau’r hen gân werin ac yn wir, mae croeso i lanciau deg ar hugain oed, neu unrhyw oedran, briodi yn y Llyfrgell Genedlaethol bellach! Eisoes cynhaliwyd pedair priodas lwyddiannus a llawen iawn. Mae Ystafell y Cyngor yn lle delfrydol ar gyfer y seremoni ffurfiol a does dim golygfa harddach na mwy urddasol na’r olygfa o’r Llyfrgell dros Fae Ceredigion a thref brifysgol Aberystwyth. Ar 24 mis Mawrth 2012 byddwn yn cynnal Ffair Briodasau yn y Llyfrgell. Bydd yn gyfle i weld darparwyr gwasanaethau priodas yn yr adeilad bendigedig yma. Felly, os oes chwant priodi arnoch ac os hoffech wybod mwy am y Ffair Briodasau, tarwch nodyn at Siân Henson: 01970 632545 neu priodas@llgc.org.uk

Winifred Coombe Tennant – Dynes RyfeddolCyhoeddiad diweddaraf y Llyfrgell yw Between two worlds: the diary of Winifred Coombe Tennant 1909 – 1924 a olygwyd gan Peter Lord. Bu Winifred Coombe Tennant yn brwydro drwy gydol ei hoes rhwng ei chredoau metaffisegol ac ymarferoldeb newid y drefn gymdeithasol. Roedd hi’n gyfryngwraig ysbrydol (spiritual medium) ac yn gariad i’r gwleidydd, Gerald Balfour. Yn ddiweddarach yn ei bywyd daeth yn un o gyfeillion agos Lloyd George a bu’n dyst i drafod telerau y Cytundeb Eingl-Wyddelig yn 1921. Roedd hi’n ymgyrchydd dros y bleidlais i fenywod, yn ymgeisydd seneddol, a hi oedd y dirprwy Prydeinig benywaidd cyntaf yng Nghynghrair y Cenhedloedd. Fel noddwraig arlunwyr ieuanc, daeth yn ffigwr ganolog ym myd celf Cymru.

‘Between two worlds: The diary of Winifred Coombe Tennant 1909-1924’Peter Lord£24.99

Hanes Cymru ar y BBCDros fisoedd yr haf bu criw teledu Green Bay o Gaerdydd yn ffilmio casgliadau’r Llyfrgell a chyflwyniadau gan y darlledwr Huw Edwards ar gyfer cyfres fawr sydd i’w dangos ar BBC Prydain, The Story of Wales. Ymysg y casgliadau a ffilmiwyd gan y criw teledu oedd: Cyfreithiau Hywel Dda (llawysgrif Peniarth 28), adroddiad addysg ddamniol ‘Y Llyfrau Gleision’; geiriau gwreiddiol Hen Wlad fy Nhadau’; archifau’n ymwneud â Therfysgoedd Beca a llawer mwy. Roedd Arwel Jones, Cyfarwyddwr Gwasanaethau Cyhoeddus y Llyfrgell, yn hynod o falch fod cyfres am Gymru am fod ar y BBC. ‘Roedd yn dda cydweithio â chyfres mor bwysig i’r BBC a chyfres fydd yn bwysig iawn i Gymru hefyd. Roedd hefyd yn gyfle bendigedig i’r Llyfrgell ddangos peth o’r trysor o gasgliadau sydd gennym am Gymru a’i phobl.’

...a Hanes Prydain ar y BBC hefyd! Bu cyfres hanes arall yn ffilmio yn y Llyfrgell yn ddiweddar – ond y tro hwn cyfres am bobl Prydain. Cyflwynydd y gyfres fydd Michael Wood, sy’n adnabyddus iawn am ei gyfresi am Alecsandr Fawr a phentref Kibworth yn Lloegr. Bydd y gyfres yn canolbwyntio ar bobl Prydain yn fwy na’r ‘mawrion’. Ymysg y casgliadau a ffilmiwyd yn y Llyfrgell gan Maya Vision o Lundain ar gyfer y BBC oedd llawysgrif o’r bedwaredd ganrif ar ddeg, Llyfr Taliesin, ac yn arbennig cerdd ‘Armes Prydein’. Esboniodd Maredudd ap Huw, Llyfrgellydd Llawysgrifau’r Llyfrgell, bwysigrwydd y gerdd: ‘Credir i’r gerdd ddarogan ‘Armes Prydein’ gael ei chyfansoddi tua 930 OC. Mynega ddyhead rhai Cymry i ffurfio cynghrair o filwyr Cernyw, Llydaw, Iwerddon, yr Hen Ogledd, Llychlynwyr Dulyn a Chymry i fwrw’r Saeson o Brydain, ac adfeddiannu’r deyrnas. Gwneid hynny gyda chymorth Dewi a’r saint brodorol, a hefyd yr hen arwyr Cynan a Chadwaladr. Ond fel yn achos llawer o ddaroganau eraill y Canol Oesoedd, ni wireddwyd y dyhead.’

Casgliadau NewyddBob dydd, bob wythnos, bob mis a phob blwyddyn mae’r Llyfrgell Genedlaethol yn derbyn neu’n prynu casgliadau newydd i’r genedl. Dyma ddetholiad o rai o’r casgliadau a ddaeth i’n rhan dros y misoedd diwethaf. Am yr wybodaeth lawnaf a diweddaraf, ewch i wefan y Llyfrgell yna, Casgliadau > Cymorth i Ddarllenwyr > Derbynion Diweddar.

DarluniauPortread, pensil ar fwrdd wedi ei fframio, o ‘Dorelia’ gan Augustus John, c. 1900.

Darlun olew ar gynfas gan Julius Caesar Ibbetson o John Smith, y telynor dall o Gonwy, gyda chantorion penillion, wedi ei lofnodi a’i ddyddio 1793.

LlawysgrifauArgraffiad cyntaf o Lexicon Islandicum, 1683, gyda nodiadau drwyddo gan William Wotton yn cymharu iaith Gwlad yr Iâ, Saesneg ac Eingl-Sacsoneg.

Nodiadau llawysgrif gan Dylan Thomas ar gyfer y gerdd i’w dad yn dwyn y teitl ‘Elegy’.

Casgliad o lythyron oddi wrth Augustus John at Mavis de Vere Cole ac at Tristan de Vere Cole, a llythyron eraill.

FfotograffauDeg ffotograff print halen wedi eu tynnu gan John Dillwyn Llewelyn, c. 1850au. ArchifauCasgliad o lythyron a phapurau eraill yn ymwneud â sefydlu Merched y Wawr ym 1967 a blynyddoedd cynnar y mudiad.

Casgliad o ddrafftiau nofelau’r awdur Niall Griffiths, gan gynnwys Grit; Sheepshagger; Kelly and Victor; Stump; Wreckage; a Runt, a drafftiau a nodiadau ar gyfer ei weithiau ffeithiol Real Liverpool a Real Aberystwyth. MapiauMap wedi ei argraffu ym 1598 o fap Cambria of Wallia, gan Humphrey Llwyd a dau fap wedi eu hargraffu gan J. Heywood, y naill o Ogledd Cymru a’r llall o Dde Cymru.

Diolch Dafydd, Croeso DeianWedi pedair blynedd o wasanaeth cadarn a brwdfrydig, daeth tymor yr Arglwydd Dafydd Wigley fel Llywydd y Llyfrgell i ben ym mis Rhagfyr 2011. Heb os Dafydd Wigley yw un o ffigyrau gwleidyddol mwyaf ei genhedlaeth ac roedd ei angerdd dros Gymru a’r Llyfrgell yn amlwg i bawb. Yn ystod ei gyfnod hefyd fe’i dyrchafwyd yn Arglwydd yn Nhŷ’r Arglwyddi fel cydnabyddiaeth o’i gyfraniad a’i allu. Dilynir yr Arglwydd Wigley gan ffigwr boblogaidd a llwyddiannus arall, Syr Deian Hopkin. Brodor o Lanelli yw Syr Deian. Bu’n ddarlithydd yn Adran Hanes y Brifysgol yn Aberystwyth am dros ugain mlynedd cyn ei benodi’n Is-Ganghellor a Phrif Weithredwr Prifysgol South Bank yn Llundain. Mae’n hanesydd praff gan arbenigo ar hanes y mudiad llafur ac roedd ymysg yr haneswyr cyntaf i weld mantais ryfeddol y we fyd eang ar gyfer haneswyr academaidd a lleyg. Mae’n aelod o sawl bwrdd a sefydliad arall gan gynnwys bwrdd ymgynghori’r Times Higher Education. Mae ei benodiad yn un poblogaidd ymysg staff ac aelodau’r Bwrdd ac mae Syr Deian yntau hefyd yn edrych ymlaen at y swydd newydd. Dywedodd: ‘Rwy’n ddefnyddiwr brwd o’r Llyfrgell ers blynyddoedd lawer ac rwyf wedi bod yn aelod o’i Chyngor, felly rwy’n ymwybodol iawn o’i rôl hollbwysig o fewn bywyd diwylliannol a deallusol Cymru. Rwy’n gyffrous iawn ynghylch y datblygiadau posibl yn y dyfodol â’r byd digidol gan y gall pobl Cymru a gweddill y byd elwa cymaint arnynt. Rwy’n edrych ymlaen yn fawr at arwain y Llyfrgell dros y blynyddoedd nesaf.’

New CollectionsEvery day, every week, every month and every year, the National Library receives or purchases new collections for the nation. Here is a selection of some of the collections we have acquired in recent months. For the latest and most comprehensive information, visit the Library’s website, and then go to Collections > Help for Readers > Recent Acquisitions.

PicturesA framed portrait, pencil on board, of ‘Dorelia’ by Augustus John, c. 1900.

An oil on canvas painting by Julius Caesar Ibbetson of John Smith, the blind harper of Conwy, with penillion singers, signed and dated 1793.

ManuscriptsA first edition of Lexicon Islandicum, 1683, annotated throughout by William Wotton, drawing parallels between Icelandic and English and Anglo-Saxon.

Dylan Thomas’s handwritten notes for the poem to his father, entitled ‘Elegy’.

A collection of letters from Augustus John to Mavis de Vere Cole and to Tristan de Vere Cole, and other letters relating to Augustus John.

PhotographsTen salt print photographs taken by John Dillwyn Llewelyn, c. 1850s. ArchivesA collection of letters and other papers relating to the establishment of Merched y Wawr in 1967 and the movement’s early years.

A collection of drafts of author Niall Griffiths’s novels, comprising Grit; Sheepshagger; Kelly and Victor; Stump; Wreckage; and Runt, along with drafts and notes for his non-fiction works Real Liverpool and Real Aberystwyth, and ephemera. MapsA 1598 print of the Cambria of Wallia map, by Humphrey Llwyd and two maps printed by J. Heywood, one of north Wales and the other of south Wales.

Thank you Dafydd, Welcome DeianHaving served for four years with steadfastness and enthusiasm, Lord Dafydd Wigley’s term of office as Library President came to an end in December 2011. Dafydd Wigley is without doubt one of the major political figures of his generation, and his passion for Wales and the Library was there for all to see. Whilst in office he was also made a Lord in acknowledgment of his contribution and abilities. Lord Wigley is succeeded by another popular and successful figure, Sir Deian Hopkin. Sir Deian hails from Llanelli. For over twenty years he was a lecturer in the History Department at Aberystwyth University, before being appointed Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of South Bank University in London. He is a perceptive historian who specialises in the history of the labour movement, and he was among the first historians to realise the amazing benefits the web could bring to academics and lay historians. He is a member of many other boards and organisations, including the Times Higher Education consultative board. His appointment has proven popular with staff and Board members, and Sir Deian is also looking forward to his new post. He says: ‘I’ve been a keen user of the Library for many years and I’ve been a member of its Council, and so I’m very aware of the pivotal role it plays in Welsh cultural and intellectual life. I’m very excited about the possible future developments in the digital realm that will bring great benefits to the people of Wales and the rest of the world.’

For Weddings…The National Library of Wales is an ideal place to study or visit an exhibition… and also hold a wedding ceremony. We have already hosted four very successful and happy wedding ceremonies. The Council Chamber is an ideal location for formal ceremonies, and there cannot be a more beautiful and grander view than the one from the Library over Cardigan Bay and the university town of Aberystwyth. On 24 March 2012 we will be holding a Wedding Fair in the Library. This will be an opportunity to meet wedding service providers in this wonderful building. So, if marriage takes your fancy and you want to know more about the Wedding Fair, be sure to contact Siân Henson on 01970 632545 or priodas@llgc.org.uk

Winifred Coombe Tennant – an Extraordinary Life The Library’s latest publication is Between two worlds: the diary of Winifred Coombe Tennant 1909 – 1924 edited by Peter Lord. Winifred Coombe Tennant struggled all her life with the conflict between her metaphysical beliefs and her practical wish to change the political and social order. She was a spiritual medium and the lover of the politician Gerald Balfour. She subsequently became an intimate of Lloyd George with whom she witnessed the negotiation of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921. She was a suffragist, stood for parliament, and was the first female British delegate to the League of Nations. As a patron of young painters, she became a central figure in the Welsh art world.

Between two worlds: The diary of Winifred Coombe Tennant 1909-1924

Peter Lord£24.99

Welsh History on the BBCOver the summer Green Bay production company and broadcaster Huw Edwards visited the Library to film scenes for a major new series to be shown on the BBC throughout the UK, The Story of Wales. The crew filmed a variety of collections, including: The Laws of Hywel Dda (the Peniarth 28 manuscript), the damning report on education in Wales, ‘The Blue Books’; the original lyrics to ‘Hen Wlad fy Nhadau’; archives relating to the Rebecca Riots, and many more. Arwel Jones, the Library’s Director of Public Services, is immensely proud that a series about Wales is to appear on the BBC: ‘It was good to collaborate on such an important series for the BBC, and a series that will also be of great importance to Wales. It was also an excellent chance for the Library to showcase our treasure trove of collections on Wales and its people.’

...and British History on the BBC too! Another series was filmed at the Library recently, and it was another history programme – this time about the people of Britain. The series is presented by Michael Wood, who is famed for his series on Alexander the Great and the village of Kibworth in England. The series will focus on ordinary British folk, rather than the ‘Grandees’. Maya Vision production company came from London to film a number of the Library’s collections, including Llyfr Taliesin, a nineteenth century manuscript, and in particular the poem, ‘Armes Prydein’. Maredudd ap Huw, Manuscript Librarian, explains the poem’s importance: ‘We believe that the prophetic poem ‘Armes Prydein’ was composed around the year 930. It expresses the aspirations of some Welshmen to expel the English from Britain and reclaim their kingdom by forming an alliance with soldiers from Cornwall, Brittany, Ireland, and the the ‘Old North’ (the Welsh-speaking kingdoms of present day northern England and southern Scotland) and, the Vikings of Dublin. This was to be done with the assistance of Saint David and the native saints, and the old heroes Cynan and Cadwaladr. But as was the case with many other prophesies of the Middle Ages, their aspirations were not realised.’

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01 John Smith gan/by Julius Caesar Ibbetson, 1993 02 Deian Hopkin

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SPRING 2012 — ISSUE 15 The National Library of Wales Newsletter Cylchlythyr Llyfrgell Genedlaethol CymruGWANWYN 2012 — RHIFYN 15

arCHiF GEnEDLaETHOL SGrin a Sain CyMrUTHE naTiOnaL SCrEEn anD SOUnD arCHiVE OF waLES

Pwllheli ar FfilmYmwelodd yr Archif Sgrîn a Sain â thref Pwllheli ddiwedd Tachwedd i helpu Neuadd Dwyfor i ddathlu can mlynedd o ddangos ffilmiau ar ei safle yn Stryd Penlan. Yn sinema hyfryd yr hen ‘Town Hall’ mwynhaodd y gynulleidfa ddwy noson gofiadwy o drysorau ffilm yr Archif – y rhan fwyaf yn berthnasol i Bwllheli a’r cylch – gyda Paul Shallcross, y pianydd ffilmiau mud, yn ychwanegu at yr awyrgylch. ‘Roedd diddordeb arbennig yn y ffilmiau cynnar – carnifalau Pwllheli ddiwedd y 1920au, yr Eisteddfod yno ym 1925 (gyda Brenhines Rwmania yn cael ei derbyn i’r Orsedd fel ‘Marie Gwalia’), a ffilm o awyren yn codi (a chrashio) ger y dref ym 1911 – arswydus braidd, ond addas iawn gan mai dyna flwyddyn cafodd y ‘pictiwrs’ gartref parhaol ym Mhwllheli!’, meddai Iola Baines ar ran yr Archif. Cafodd Lloyd George, Y Chwarelwr, Yr Etifeddiaeth a Jerry the Tyke oll dderbyniad gwresog hefyd, a dychwelodd yr Archif gydag addewid am bedwar casgliad ffilm newydd, a gwybodaeth ffres am rai o’r ffilmiau – o enwau pobl sydd yn Yr Etifeddiaeth i hanes Rhian, Lydia, a Yola – sef breninesau carnifalau’r 1920/30au!

Dychweliad y Gwylliaid i Ddinas MawddwyYn sgil ail-ddarganfod dwy ffilm goll o’r 1930 au am hanes Gwylliaid Cochion Mawddwy, cynhaliodd yr Archif Sgrin a Sain noson yn Ninas Mawddwy ym mis Medi i ddangos y ffilmiau i drigolion yr ardal heddiw. Cyndeidiau llawer ohonynt oedd actorion y ffilm, a llanwyd neuadd y pentref gan sŵn eu chwerthin a’u siarad ag iddynt adnabod eu perthnasau a gymerodd ran yn y cynhyrchiad. Ymhlith y bobl a deithiodd yn arbennig i fod yn bresennol oedd Giles Greenwood o Middlesborough, a roddodd y ffilmiau i’r archif er mwyn diogelu gwaith ei daid, John Meredith - un o’r tri gŵr fu’n gyfrifol am y fenter wreiddiol. Ar y noson roedd camerâu’r rhaglen Pethe yno i ffilmio pawb wrth iddynt droedio’r carped coch at ddrws y neuadd, ac ar 18 Hydref darlledwyd rhaglen arbennig am y ffilmiau ar S4C.

It’s Alec Templeton Time!Dyna oedd enw sioe radio boblogaidd ar hyd a lled America yn ystod y 30au a 40au yng nghwmni’r cyfansoddwr a’r pianydd dall, Alec Templeton. Brodor o Gaerdydd ydoedd yn wreiddiol a gafodd yrfa lwyddiannus yn yr Unol Daleithiau fel cerddor amryddawn a diddanwr penigamp. Gweithiodd gyda sêr ei gyfnod ac fe’i anrhydeddwyd ei hun â seren ar y ‘Walk of Fame’ yn Hollywood. Yn ddiweddar derbyniodd yr Archif Sgrin a Sain gasgliad sylweddol o recordiau Templeton, ac yn y Drwm ar nos Wener 2 Mawrth 2012 byddwn yn ail-greu rhai o’i berfformiadau o gerddoriaeth glasurol a jazz yng nghwmni’r pianydd, Simon Crawford-Phillips a Rhian Davies o Ŵyl Gregynog, mewn sioe a lwyfanwyd eisioes yn Washington ac Efrog Newydd.

Tocynnau £7 ar gael o siop y Llyfrgell.

Pwllheli on FilmThe National Screen and Sound Archive visited Pwllheli at the end of November to help Neuadd Dwyfor celebrate a hundred years of film screenings on its site in Penlan Street. The audience enjoyed two memorable evenings of films in the wonderful old ‘Town Hall’ cinema – most reflecting Pwllheli or the surrounding area and with Paul Shallcross, the silent film pianist, adding to the vintage atmosphere. There was much interest in the early films – Pwllheli carnivals from the late 1920s, the National Eisteddfod there in 1925 (with the Queen of ‘Roumania’ being accepted into the Gorsedd as ‘Marie Gwalia’), and footage of an aeroplane taking off (and crashing) nearby in 1911 – slightly alarming, but very apt since this was the year the ‘pictures’ found a permanent home in Pwllheli! Lloyd George, Y Chwarelwr (The Quarryman), Yr Etifeddiaeth (The Herigate) and Jerry the Tyke all enjoyed a warm welcome, and the Archive returned with a promise of four new collections and fresh knowledge about some of the films shown – from names of people in ‘Yr Etifeddiaeth’ to the identification of Rhian, Lydia and Yola as the 1920/30s carnival queens!

Return of the Red BanditsFollowing the rediscovery of two lost films from the 1930s about the famed Red Bandits of Mawddwy, the Screen and Sound Archive held a screening in Dinas Mawddwy in September 2011 of films for the present-day inhabitants of the area. The actors in the film were the forebears of many of those present, and the village hall was filled with the sound of laughter and talking as people recognised old relatives who took part in the production. Among those who had travelled a long way was Giles Greenwood, who donated the films to the archive in order to safeguard the work of his grandfather, John Meredith – one of the trio who dreamed up the original venture. As befits a modern-day film premiere, television cameras were present to film everyone treading the red carpet to the entrance of the hall, and on 18 October 2011 S4C devoted a special edition of the arts show, Pethe, to the films.

It’s Alec Templeton Time!During the 1930s and 40s blind composer-pianist Alec Templeton hosted a hugely popular coast-to-coast radio show in the United States. Born in Cardiff, he enjoyed great success in America as a versatile and talented musician. He worked with the stars of his time and was honoured with his own star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. The Screen and Sound Archive has recently acquired a substantial collection of Templeton recordings and in the Drwm on Friday 2 March 2012 we will be recreating some of his best-known performances in the company of pianist Simon Crawford-Phillips and Rhian Davies of the Gregynog Festival, in a show already staged in Washington and New York.

Tickets £7 available from the Library shop.

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SPRING 2012 — ISSUE 15 The National Library of Wales Newsletter Cylchlythyr Llyfrgell Genedlaethol CymruGwaNwyN 2012 — RHIFyN 15dyluniwyd gan/designed by Elfen

Nabod ein Staff – Emyr Lloyd Jones Beth yw eich swydd, beth yw’chwythnos arferol? Gweithio yn yr Uned Hyrwyddo i hybu amrywiaeth o ddigwyddiadau a gynhelir yn y Drwm ar brint, yn y wasg ac ar y we. Byddaf hefyd yn arwain teithiau tywys o gwmpas y Llyfrgell.

Beth yw’ch cefndir? Rwy’n wreiddiol o ardal Llanrhystud ger Aberystwyth; bûm am 18 mlynedd yn dysgu mewn ysgolion cynradd yn Llundain ac Aberystwyth. Rydych yn cwrdd â nifer o bobl yn rhinwedd eich swydd, oes unrhyw bobl yn sefyll yn eich cof? Ychydig wythnosau yn ôl daeth myfyrwyr rhyngwladol ar daith ac roeddynt wedi eu cyfareddu o weld yr adeilad ac eitemau o’r casgliadau - roeddynt fel plant mewn siop losin! Roedd eu brwdfrydedd iachus yn anhygoel ac yn heintus.

Oes unrhyw un o ddigwyddiadau’r Llyfrgell yn sefyll yn eich cof? Arddangosfa Owain Glyndŵr yn y flwyddyn 2000. Ymwelodd oddeutu 70,000 o bobl a phlant ysgol ag Oriel Gregynog pan oeddwn yn gweithio yno fel Swyddog Oriel. Dyma oedd arddangosfa fawr gyntaf y Llyfrgell ac roedd rhywbeth arbennig amdano. Dathliad canmlwyddiant yr adeilad lle ffurfiwyd cadwyn ddynol (‘y Cwtsh’) o 500 o bobl o gwmpas y Llyfrgell gyda hofrennydd yn ffilmio’r digwyddiad hanesyddol. Fe gadwodd y glaw bant hefyd hyd at y 5 munud olaf! Pam dylai pobl ddod i’r Llyfrgell? Am fod yma gyfoeth o ddeunydd a thrysorau i’w gweld a’u darllen a’r olygfa orau sydd gan unrhyw lyfrgell yn y byd. Mae Aberystwyth hefyd yn ganolog i’r gogledd a’r de - does dim esgus gan neb i beidio â galw draw!

Meet the Staff – Emyr Lloyd Jones What is your job, and what does your week usually involve? I work in the Promotion Unit, publicising a variety of events held in the Drwm in print, in the press and on the web. I also lead guided tours around the Library.

What is your background? I’m originally from the Llanrhystud area, near Aberystwyth; for 18 years I was a primary schoolteacher in London and Aberystwyth. You meet many people through your job, have any of them been particularly memorable? A few weeks ago I conducted a guided tour with international students, and they were bewitched by the building and the items in our collections – they were like kids in a sweet shop! Their healthy enthusiasm was fantastic and infectious.

Has any one of the Library’s events stayed in your memory? The Owain Glyndŵr exhibition in 2000. Some 70,000 adults and children visited the exhibition and I was the Gallery Officer. This was the Library’s first major exhibition, and there was something special about it. The Library’s centenary celebrations, when 500 people formed a human chain (the ‘Cwtsh’) around the Library, with a helicopter cameraman filming this historic event. The rain stayed away too, until 5 minutes from the end! Why should people visit the Library? Because of the wealth of materials and treasures to see and read at the Library, and to enjoy the magnificent view. I doubt that any other national library in the world has such a fantastic view. Aberystwyth is also central to both north and south Wales – there’s no excuse fornot dropping by!

Cwrdd â’r Darllenwyr: Roger BryanBeth yw’ch gwaith? Rwy’n newyddiadurwr wedi ymddeol.

Lle ydych chi’n byw? Ceinewydd, Ceredigion.

Beth yw’ch cefndir? Magwyd fi yn Swydd Gaerhirfryn (Lancashire). Treuliais dair blynedd hapus iawn yn y brifysgol yn Aberystwyth ar ddiwedd yr 1960au, cyn mynd i weitho fel newyddiadurwr i’r Yorkshire Post a’r London Evening Standard cyn ymuno â’r Mail on Sunday yn 1982 fel dirprwy olygydd. Cwrddais â’n wraig, Bethan, yn Llundain ac mae’n bedwar plentyn yn siarad yr iaith – mynychon nhw i gyd Ysgol Gymraeg Llundain ar ryw gyfnod. Wedi bron i 30 mlynedd yn Llundain, symudom ni i Geredigion yn 2004.

Beth sy’n dod â chi i’r Llyfrgell?Ers tair blynedd bellach rwy wedi dechrau ysgrifennu llyfrau. Rwy wedi cyhoeddi llyfr ar hanes Ysgol Llanarth ac un arall ar hanes Aberaeron. Cyhoeddais lyfr arall, casgliad mynpwyol o gofeiriau o’r enw It’ll Come In Useful One Day, ym mis Tachwedd 2010, a fersiwn newydd, well yn Nhachwedd 2011. Cefais hyd i lawer o wybodaeth ar gyfer y llyfr yn y Llyfrgell Genedlaethol.

Beth ydych chi’n ei hoffi fwyaf am y Llyfrgell?Wrth i mi gerdded drwy’r drws blaen byddaf wastad yn meddwl fod y Llyfrgell yn lle croesawgar iawn. Caf yr argraff fod pawb sy’n gweithio yno yn hapus a gwybodus a barod i helpu. Efallai bod yr adeilad ychydig yn fygythiol ar yr olwg gyntaf, ond peidiwch fod ag ofn gofyn am gymorth. Byddaf wastad yn edrych ymlaen at fy ymweliadau yno.

Meet the Reader: Roger BryanOccupation: Retired journalist

Where do you live: New Quay, Ceredigion

What’s your background: I was born and brought up in Lancashire. I spent three very happy years at the UCW Aberystwyth in the late 60s, before eventually getting a job at the Yorkshire Post and the London Evening Standard, where I was chief sub-editor for three years, before joining The Mail on Sunday in 1982 and becoming assistant editor. I met my Welsh-speaking wife Bethan in London, and our four children also speak Welsh – they all attended the London Welsh School for various lengths of time. After almost 30 years in London, we moved to Wales in 2004.

Why do you use the Library?In the last three years I have started writing books. I’ve published one book on the history of the school in Llanarth and another on Aberaeron. I published another book, a quirky collection of mnemonics, called It’ll Come In Useful One Day, in November 2010, and a new, improved second edition in November 2011. I found a fair amount of material for that book in the Library.

What do you like most about the Library?As I walk though the door I always think that it’s a very friendly place, and one gets the impression that everybody working there is happy and knowledgeable and looking to be helpful. It may seem a bit foreboding at first, but don’t be afraid to ask for help. I always look forward to my trips there.

Oriau Agor: Llun i Sadwrn 9.30am – 4.30 pm. Mynediad am ddim

3 Ionawr - 3 Mawrth 2012‘Hamddena’ - arferion amser hamdden y Cymry dros y canrifoedd

3 Ionawr – 3 Mawrth 2012’Dathlu’r 70: C.Ff.I. Ceredigion’

3 Ionawr – 25 Tachwedd 2012‘Awduron Cymru: David Jones ac Angharad Tomos’

31 Mawrth – 16 Mehefin 2012‘Dilyn y Fflam’ - cyfraniad y Cymry at y Gemau Olympaidd

31 Mawrth – 16 Mehefin 2012Lorraine Bewsey a Sam Hunt – porteadau o 2 o athletwyr o Gymru

21 Ebrill – 29 Medi 2012‘Seliau a’u cyd-destun: Cymru a’r Gororau’

7 Gorffennaf – 22 Medi 2012Christopher Williams 1873-1934 – golwg newydd ar un o brif artistiaid Cymru

20 Hydref 2012 – Mawrth 2013 ‘Cyfathrebu’ – edrych ar gyfathrebu yng Nghymru

Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday 9.30am – 4.30pm. Free admission

03 January – 03 March 2012‘Life of Leisure’ - leisure activities of people in Wales over the centuries

3 January – 3 March 2012’Celebrating 70 years: Ceredigion Y.F.C.’

03 January – 25 November 2012’Writers of Wales: David Jones and Angharad Tomos’ 31 March – 16 June 2012‘Following the Flame’ – the contribution of Welsh athletes in the Olympics

31 March- 16 June 2012’Lorraine Bewsey and Sam Hunt’ – portraits of two Welsh athletes

21 April – 29 September 2012‘Medieval Seals and their context: Wales and the Marches’

7 July – 22 September 2012‘Christopher Williams 1873 – 1934’ – New and original insights into one of Wales’s foremost painters

20 October 2012 – March 2013‘Communication’ – communication and the Welsh

arddangosfeydd yn Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru, aberystwyth 2012Exhibitions at The national Library of wales, aberystwyth 2012

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THE naTiOnaL LiBrary OF waLES ISSN 1744-6759LLyFrGELL GEnEDLaETHOL CyMrU www.llgc.org.uk

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Oriau Agor Cyffredinol /General Opening Hours Dydd Llun – Dydd Gwener/ Monday – Friday 9:30am – 6:00pmDydd Sadwrn/Saturday9:30am – 5:00pm

CYLCHLYTHYR LLYFRGELL GENEDLAETHOL CYMRUTHE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF WALES NEWSLETTER