Welsh Blood

I mentioned the other day that Ferretfingers is missing our trips to Wales.

He seems to be making up for them by regularly viewing S4C, which is celebrating its 40^th birthday this year.

We’ve been treated to a few ‘looking back’ programmes which raised some memories of the early 1970s; particularly the fashions which I’d prefer to forget.

I got dragged into the Pobl Y Cwm (soap opera) Omnibws (sic) last Sunday but am determined not to get hooked.  I stopped living vicariously through all soap operas (including The Archers) some years ago.

Ferretfingers’ most surprising obsession is DechrauCanu Dechrau Canmol, (Start Singing Start Praising) S4C’s approximation of the BBC’s Songs Of Praise; what Mother used to call “community gin slingling”.  He normally abhors most music and singing but somehow gymanfa ganu style singing really appeals; perhaps through some sort of folk or genetic memory.   

A gymanfa ganu is when a chapel, or group of chapels, congregation get together and sing through old, or learn new, hymns so that when there is a service, wedding or funeral everybody knows the words and tunes.

So on most Sunday mornings our living room rings out to Welsh voices singing Welsh hymns.  It brings back memories of Granma listening to The Daily Service back in the 1960s; or indeed Songs of Praise on a Sunday evening around the same time.   

Or HenFfrind*’s home and the cowshed at milking time when the radio was on full blast because they seemed to yield more milk to music.

Needless to say, if I show any sign of enjoyment or interest or, God Forbid, joining in, it is muted immediately and we are left with the subtitles.

🐄🐄🐄

*Thanks to a recent message on my JustGiving page OldestBestFriend will henceforth be called HenFfrind; shorter and possibly even more apt.

Hen with a long e to rhyme with bairn.

Ffrind to rhyme with sinned.