Recipe: Crepes and Pancakes

Enjoy your pancakes - I did!

Recipe: Crepes and Pancakes

Don't Forget it - Pancake Day is today

Today is Shrove Tuesday, Pancake day so don't forget to toss the pancakes.
If you want to know about the history of Shrove Tuesday click HERE.

THIS BLOG WINS THE PRIZE.....

AS THE MOST COLOURFUL ON THE BLOGOSPHERE!

The Major Political Parties - an Overview

The New Labour Party : a party which has few principles, let alone socialist principles, and little concern for the welfare of society. Has alienated public opinion through deception and devious practices, mismanagement, nepotism and incompetence.
The Conservative Party : lost its policies to New Labour, so is now trying to reinvent itself but lacks devolutionary initiative. Not very comfortable in a social democratic state and clings to the unionist status quo.
The Liberal Democratic Party : discussing abandoning the Democratic appellation by recognising the fact that there is little sign of liberal democracy returning to politics. Also lacking in enthusiasm for devolution.
The Welsh Nationalist Party - Plaid Cymru : the only party that puts the interests of the people of Wales first and maintains its radical outlook. Has progressive ideas for the reconstitution of communities and the restoration of social and national values.
Vote : YDW / YES >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

See : http://welshramblings.blogspot.com/

Saving the Patagonian Eisteddfod

Rhys Meirion on a Mission to Save Patagonian Eisteddfod‏
From Jeremy Wood
Esquel
Patagonia
The Annual Welsh Eisteddfod in Trevelin in Patagonia, which has been going for over 80 years, is in danger of folding because of lack of funding. This year's festival in May may be the last.
Rhys Meirion, the world-class operatic tenor from North Wales has agreed to attend the Eisteddfod, conduct the Cymanfa Ganu and give concerts in each of the five major Welsh towns in Patagonia to help raise money to help save it. He will waive his normal concert fee and his expenses will be paid by the Argentinean Province of Chubut (where all the Welsh colonies are). The Welsh societies in the 5 towns where Rhys will be singing are vying with each other to give him and his family the best welcome, to show off their particular part of the world and to introduce Rhys to the Welsh people of the region. Supporters can take part in the tour and will be invited to all the same parties, receptions and barbecues to which Rhys is invited by the local communities.
See
www.rhysinpatagonia.com

2008 Welsh events in Patagonia:

"Remember the most important 2008 welsh events in Patagonia"
DEWI SANT NOSON LAWEN on Friday evening, 29th of February at the Old Bethel Chapel in Gaiman.
TRELEW SAINT DAVID´S SOCIETY ANNIVERSAY DINNER on Saturday, March 15th, in Trelew.

Dydd Gwyl Dewi - Saint David's Day
Mawrth 1af / March 1st
Semana Santa - Easter week - Y Pasg
In Gaiman, Chubut from april 1th to april 8 th 2008
Eisteddfod Trevelin
In Trevelin, Chubut from may 2 and 3 th 2008
Gwyl y Glaniad
In Porth Madryn, Gaiman, Trelew. from july 27 th to july 29 th 2008
Eisteddfod de la Juventud - Youth Eisteddfod - Eisteddfod y plant
In Gaiman, Chubut from september 11 th to september 14 th 2008
Eisteddfod del Chubut - Eisteddfod y Wladfa
In Trelew, Chubut from october 23 th to october 26 th 2008
You are Welcome!!
TRIP PATAGONIA : Hydref - Tachwedd , 2008
Gaiman, Porth Madryn, Trelew.
Also to visit Buenos Aires , Bariloche, Esquel, Trevelin, El Calafate Glaciers and Iguazú Falls
Diddordeb ? Interested?
For more information contact us: ariannin@infovia.com.ar
"Ty ´r Haul Gaiman"
tourist office in Gaiman and Buenos Aires
Mirna Jones & Armando Ferreira
ariannin@infovia.com.ar

Waiting Game - Scotland Wastes No Time!

The Scottish Independence Convention

We exist to further the cause of restoring Scotland’s independence. Our platform draws together all the disparate groups, parties, organisations, politicians and individuals, in Scotland and beyond, who share this one basic, democratic objective.

The Scottish Independence Convention was born on St Andrew’s Day, 2005. Since then we have been busy working for the day when Scots will be invited to vote in a referendum on regaining our independence from the British state. We are an umbrella organisation—hence our logo—working to unite and encourage all who want independence for Scotland to meet on common ground and have their say in the growing debate on Scotland’s constitutional future.
We welcome everyone, regardless of party political affiliation, who shares our vision of Scotland being a free and democratic independent state. Your support will hasten the day when Scotland is reborn as an independent member of the international family of nations.

Celtic Resurgence

The resurgence in Celtic language and identity, as well as 'regional' politics and development, has contributed to forces pulling against the unity of the state.[10] This was clearly demonstrated when- although some argue it was influenced by general public dillusionment with Labour- the Scottish National Party became the largest party in the Scottish Parliament by one seat. Alex Salmond (leader of SNP) has since made history by becoming the first First Minister of Scotland from a party other than Labour. The SNP rule as a minority government at Holyrood. Nevertheless, recent opinion polls have suggested that nationalism (i.e. a desire to break up the UK) is rising within Scotland and England. However, the polls have been known to be inaccurate in the past (for example, in the run up to the 1992 General Election). Moreover, polls carried out in the 1970s and the 1990s showed similar results, only to be debunked at elections. While support for breaking up the UK was strongest in Scotland, there was still a clear lead for unionism over nationalism.[11]

The current Scottish Parliament was established by the Scotland Act 1998 and its first meeting as a devolved legislature was on 12 May 1999. The parliament has the power to pass laws and has limited tax-varying capability. Another of its jobs is to hold the Scottish Government to account. The "devolved matters" over which it has responsibility include education, health, agriculture, and justice. A degree of domestic authority, and all foreign policy, remains with the UK Parliament in Westminster.

The public take part in Parliament in a way that is not the case at Westminster through Cross Party Groups on policy topics which the interested public join and attend meetings of alongside Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs).

(Wikipaedia)

Wales Wins at Twickenham against all odds

A big boost in confidence for the people of Wales from the point of view of national consciousness and sense of nationhood.

Campaign to Save the Wall - Cofiwch Dryweryn

The wall is falling down and £30,000 is required to save the wall on which the slogan "Cofiwch Dryweryn" has been a constant reminder for the past forty years. The farmer who owns the wall is willing for it to be repaired if the money can be found. We add our support to this campaign as another campaign in our catalogue of campaigns on behalf of the people of Wales. Tryweryn is the reservoir which was created by flooding a beautiful valley to supply cities in England with water.

The Fallacy of British Democracy

The Fallacy of Democracy

Somebody said : “ Democracy is the rule of the majority, for the majority, by the majority… but who wants to be ruled by the majority?” The majority is English, isn't it?
If you are one of the majority…..maybe there is no problem for you. But what about if you are one of the minority, possibly one of the 48% who lost the election?

We have had autocracy, theocracy, oligarchy and democracy, at various times and in various places.

Is democracy the answer to equitable and ethical government? The President of the United States would say so, and he would like to impose American-style democracy on every nation in the world, as a cure for the world’s political ills. Indonesia claimed to be democratic under Suharto, and the government chose and approved the opposition candidates. The Philippines is ruled by an elitist oligarchy, intent on staying in power, yet it is vaunted as a democracy. Democracy comes in a number of guises.

The Democrats in America are in the minority – just, but the country is dominated by the majority – the Republicans. In fact it remains split down the middle. Many have diametrically opposing views, but only one side calls the shots. Can any country be democratic if the majority party is elected, and the minority is not also in power? Is this truly democratic? In a multi-party ‘democracy’, the majority party may be in power by gaining only one third of the votes. It would seem that any opposition to or criticism of American policy (the policy of the majority) is considered unpatriotic. This harks back to McCarthyism.

It took 400 years for democracy to evolve in the United Kingdom, and we have observed that true democracy does not exist without all the people being represented. Three candidates stand for election to a constituency, one wins, and the votes cast for the others are discounted. Can this be in any sense truly democratic?
Democracy is claimed to be the best form of government we have, but is it suited to every nation and every circumstance? Can it work in a country which has had no tradition of democracy? A country benefits from the quality of its leadership, not necessarily from its form of government. An example of this is Singapore under Lee Kwan Yew.

An answer might be a gerontocracy - a Council of Elders, perhaps, where the nation is guided by a group of wise men and woman who are chosen for their altruistic service and integrity.These people may be chosen by a consensus of the people. Do you feel that you are truly represented, and do you agree with what is being done in your name? If you do, you are obviously part of the majority. If not, what?

Alan in Dyfed

The Welsh National Anthem by Lorraine King (Celtic)

Mae hen wlad fy nhadau wedi annwyl i nhw ag o rhyddid collasant eu gwaed.

Blogtrotting to Freedom for the Celtic Diaspora

From Blogtrotter (Ffionchu)

We are exiles within
our own country; we eat bread
at a pre-empted table. 'Show us,'
we supplicate, 'the way home',
and they laughing hiss at us:
'But you are home. Come in
and endure it,' Will nobody
explain what it is like
to be born lost?

from R. S. Thomas, 'The Lost';
published in: No Truce with the Furies (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Bloodaxe Books, 1995).

This verse serves as my defense for all of us who claim our Celtic roots in the face of naysayers and buffoons. All of us who get jeered at for not having the right surname, degree, or passport. If the Net's to claim its territory as truly global, it's both a particular site and a world without borders for us to debate-- nationalism in a networked realm. A perfectly complicated, contradictory subject?

For those valiant few who are serious defenders of truth and justice and who are committed to the cause of freedom for their homeland I suggest that they take the time to read the deeply informative and educative writings of Ffionchu (see link).
Alan in Dyfed

Yr Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau

Wales is the 'secret garden' Celtic nation within the British Isles.It's tourism 'honey pots' are everywhere. It is now a dynamic business centre with Cardiff, Swansea, Newport and Wrexham leading the way. The world has heard of the culture and the iconography of Scotland and Ireland but not to much of Wales. Now it is our turn as the new 'Celtic Tiger' with a new confidence. The Welsh language is a powerful force,survived over millenia even against the constant legal and physical attacks of our bigger and more powerful neighbour. Wales is the birthplace of King Arthur (the whole story started here and taken over as theirs by a close neighbour). The three National Parks are havens of peace and beauty. The little Irish sea villages and bays are still untouched. For more information go to VISITWALES on the web. To travel around Wales contact enq@wales-tours.com
*****HEAR THE WELSH NATIONAL ANTHEM***** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUWd2CrAXj4

From Facebook

Three Sheep for every Person in Wales

But how many sheep are there for every sheep?
Too many people in Wales follow the party political dogma, and dutifully but unthinkingly behave like sheep, and we all have heard the story of the one who went to Westminster sporting a red ribbon. Presumably he became a sleeping member until eventually pensioned off.
But that was long ago and times have changed. Who would dream today of electing sheep to the parliament at Westminster, or more significantly, to the County Councils in May?
No, the time has come for change, and no longer will people in the hills and valleys of Wales, or in the cities of the South, automatically and mindlessly vote for these vegetative herbivores. They will, one expects, look around and find a radical and dynamic alternative, in the form of dedicated and enthusiastic young Welsh politicians, sporting a ribbon of a different hue, who see their future tied to the future of their nation.