Cymru

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/14135985

The fear of witchcraft led to centuries of persecution and executions across Europe. While there were an estimated 500 executions in England, and between 3,000 and 4,000 killings in Scotland, only five people were hanged for witchcraft in Wales.

Early modern Wales was unique in its outlook on witchcraft. Distinct elements of Welsh culture, including superstition and religion, halted the witch trials seen across the rest of Britain and Europe.

In fact, the witch is steeped in Welsh culture. There is speculation among some researchers that the traditional tall, black hat of the Welsh woman served as inspiration for the wide-brimmed hat of the fairy tale witch. Yet Wales saw no witch hunt.

There were other factors, such as the preference for unreformed religion. And the people’s reliance on wise women and soothsayers who could cure sickness and find missing items, and the ever-present influence of old beggar women, meant witchcraft was less poised to be brought to the attention of the courts. When it did very occasionally come to trial, it was usually dismissed.

Vaughan Gething is set to be Wales' next first minister after narrowly winning the Welsh Labour leadership election with 51.7% of the vote.

Mr Gething, who will become the first black man to lead Wales, beat his only rival Jeremy Miles, who took 48.3%.

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi hapus, pawb.

Every year on 1 March, Wales celebrates St David's Day - but how much do we actually know about the country's patron saint?

Last spring people across Wales were asked to share their views on beavers living in the wild in Wales and the results are now in!

Beavers lived in Britain until they were hunted to extinction approximately 500 years ago. They have recently been reintroduced to Scotland and England and the Welsh Beaver Project, led by North Wales Wildlife Trust, is seeking to re-establish beavers in Wales.

The Welsh Beaver Project has been investigating the feasibility of reintroducing beavers to Wales since 2005, and this also involves finding out what people think about beavers in Wales. Lots of public engagement work has been undertaken, but this is the first time that an all-Wales online survey has been conducted.

A new organisation has been established in response to the continuing crisis in the Middle East.

Stop the War Cymru has been created to help coordinate anti-war efforts and messages of peace across Wales.

The organisation represents various peace movements across Wales who wish to see an end to war.

Stop the War Cymru will be organising and supporting public meetings, marches, and demonstrations to promote an anti-war and anti-imperialism message.

Rishi Sunak was “not available” for urgent talks requested by the Welsh First Minister about the potential loss of thousands of jobs from the closure of Tata Steel’s blast furnaces at its plant in Port Talbot, South Wales.

Mark Drakeford wrote to the Prime Minister to ask for a phone call on the redundancies.

But he was told by Downing Street that Mr Sunak was “not available to take the call today”, according to a spokesman for Mr Drakeford.

According to a major new EU study on quality of life in European cities, Cardiff can make a claim to be the most welcoming city in the continent for people from different walks of life.

The European Commission asked around 800 people from 83 cities about life in their community for migrants, people from ethnic minorities, LGBT people, older people and families with young children.

And the Welsh capital emerged with the highest score in two of the five categories.

Mark Drakeford has announced he will step down as Wales’ First Minister in March.

Mr Drakeford made the announcement on Wednesday morning on the Members’ balcony of the Senedd oriel.

The Covid pandemic and cost of living crisis have led to a sharp drop in the numbers of people volunteering, according to the head of Wales’ national voluntary sector organisation.

This International Volunteer Day, the Chief Executive of WCVA announced that the voluntary sector in Wales is struggling, with 90% of representatives of voluntary organisations from across the country stating they have volunteer recruitment issues.

A police search has been launched for four teenagers who have been missing since Sunday morning.

Jevon Hirst, Harvey Owen, Wilf Henderson and Hugo Morris, believed to be from Shrewsbury, are thought to have been travelling in the Harlech and Porthmadog areas of Gwynedd.

It is believed they had gone camping in the Eryri area.

They were last seen in a silver Ford Fiesta, registration HY14 GVO, police said.

Mae disgwyl i Awdurdod Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri safoni cannoedd o enwau llynnoedd mewn ymgais i ddiogelu enwau Cymraeg cynhenid.

Dros y blynyddoedd mae enwau Saesneg answyddogol wedi dechrau cael eu defnyddio i adnabod rhai o lynnoedd y parc.

Mae'r rhain yn cynnwys Lake Australia (Llyn Bochlwyd), Bearded Lake (Llyn Barfog) a Bala Lake (Llyn Tegid).

Ond yn sgil pryderon cynyddol fod rhai o'r enwau Cymraeg yn cael eu disodli, ac er mwyn safoni'r rhai sydd eisoes â mwy nag un ffurf, bydd awdurdod y parc yn trafod yr enwau y dylid eu defnyddio o hyn allan.

Daw hyn flwyddyn wedi i Awdurdod y Parc Cenedlaethol bleidleisio o blaid cefnu ar Snowdonia a Snowdon a defnyddio Eryri a'r Wyddfa yn unig.

Rob McElhenney's attempts to learn Welsh provided a highlight of television show Welcome to Wrexham.

But if things had been different, the language may not have been so alien to him - and he might have spoken it in school or even at home.

It was the intention of settlers in parts of his native Philadelphia for the government and people to use Welsh.

However, the attempts in 1681 did not prove as successful as those later in Patagonia, Argentina.

Even so, the map of the area is plastered with Welsh names - Bryn Mawr, Hughes Park, Uwchlan, North Wales, Bala Cynwyd, Haverford, Narberth, Gwynedd Valley and Penllyn.

There's even a St Asaph Church, its design based on the original in Denbighshire, and red dragons adorning police badges.

Phil Williams captured a stunning image at Melin Llynon at Llanddeusant on Anglesey.

Lynsey Hedley was another who managed to capture the spectacle on camera with pictures taken from Gwaenysgor viewpoint, near Prestatyn, showing the green ethereal glow of the Northern Lights in the distance (pic below). She snapped these photos at 6.30pm last night. Trystan Jones also took a great photo of the lights over Conwy Beach, which illuminated the sky with green, pink and red colours (main pic).

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/14009369

The latest figures show 28% of all children in Wales are living in relative income poverty. That is 8 children in a class of 30.

Today, the Senedd’s Equality and Social Justice Committee calls for a dedicated Minister for Babies, Children and Young People to be appointed to provide a more coherent response to the scourge of child poverty.

The Committee’s report, Calling Time on child poverty: how Wales can do better recommends a root and branch review of the Welsh Government's approach as it finalises its new child poverty strategy.

unitedkingdom@feddit.uk

The Welsh Language Commissioner has raised concerns that Welsh speakers are being prevented from speaking the language in workplaces.

In her first assurance report since taking up the position Efa Gruffudd Jones is encouraging organisations across Wales, not only to provide Welsh language services, but to promote them.

The report, entitled Raising the Bar is an opportunity to reflect on the way organisations consider the language when formulating policies and when planning and delivering services in the Welsh language.

Welsh Water has admitted illegally spilling untreated sewage at dozens of treatment plants for years.

The admission came after the BBC presented the water company with analysis of its own data.

One of their worst performing plants is in Cardigan in west Wales.

The company has been spilling untreated sewage there into an environmentally protected area near a rare dolphin habitat for at least a decade.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/3397554

At the bottom of an abandoned mine shaft in remote hills, Ioan Lord is shocked to see a tiny pair of boot prints next to his own in the darkness.

They look fresh, but were made 200 years ago - by child miners, the last people to set foot in the passage.

The student, 24, from Ceredigion, has made it his mission to rediscover long forgotten mines in Wales.

Their existence and whereabouts have been lost from knowledge for hundreds of years.

"It's very much like an Indiana Jones film," said Ioan, who has uncovered ancient objects, some dating back to the Iron Age.

"The difference is I don't fly to these locations, I just walk to them.

"There's over 1,000 mines in mid Wales altogether. I can only say I've been into 300 or 400 of them. There are hundreds that are still lost."

Ioan, who is studying for a PhD in the social history of metal mining in south Wales at Cardiff University, is the first person in hundreds of years to access many of these sites.

...

What appeared to be a wooden salad spoon he found deep underground was later confirmed by academics to be the oldest complete wooden mining tool ever found in Wales.

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/10947275

An Eryri (Snowdonia) mountain trail has been named as one of the best autumn hikes in the UK. According to experts at Blacks outdoor equipment retailer, Cader Idris Pony Path is among the best in the country for a beautiful scenic walk at this time of the year.

According to Blacks, it can be tough at times, but the six mile route provides some stunning views along the way, across Eryri towards Bala. Walkers were advised that knowing how to read a map and navigate was a must.

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/10505323

The UK government has given "a cast-iron commitment" that the electrification of the north Wales main rail line will happen.

Welsh Secretary David TC Davies said the full business case is still to be done but the line will be built.

Welsh ministers dismissed the £1bn cost announced as a "back of a fag packet figure" and a transport expert has put the cost at about £1.5bn or more.

During First Minister's Questions on Tuesday, Mr Drakeford said: "If there is to be no link beyond Birmingham then the flimsy case for regarding this as an England and Wales development collapses completely.

"And at that point, the case for making sure of a consequential for Wales will be stronger still.

"Wales has already missed out on £270m as a result of HS2 misclassification in the current spending review period, that will only grow beyond that unless and until this misclassification is put right."

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/2615928

Julia said the snorkelling festival in mid Wales "saved my life".

She was laid up in hospital unable to walk, aged 25, with a back problem and sciatica down both legs, needing a walking frame to get around and taking 16 tablets a day to ease her pain.

"My life wasn't really worth living and I was going have surgery on my back but doctors said I was on too many tablets to operate," Julia recalled.

"A friend of mine gave me the Guinness Book of Records and I saw this guy coming out of a bog in Wales.

"I live in a bog in Ireland and I was always warned against the dangers of a bog - so that picture opened my eyes and I wanted to do it."

...

Julia's inspiration came from the mud of mid Wales where the "whacky" showpiece had become a bucket list event for alternative thrill-seekers.

"I'd never swum before but I needed to swim to help my recovery and competing in Wales was my goal for getting better and I've not looked back since - it changed my life," said the supply teacher from the Republic of Ireland.

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Julia now snorkels around the world but feels Llanwrtyd Wells - where six world records have been broken, including Rutter's current 1 minute and 18.81 second time from 2018 - is to bog snorkelling what Wimbledon is to tennis.

"If it wasn't for Wales I wouldn't be alive," she said, holding back tears.

"When I come here it feels like I'm home, it has a special place in my heart. Wales is the mecca of bog snorkelling."