A.H.Lewis aka Toni Lewis, co - founder of ASF & NPF, Toni was very much the political thinker and motivator. Toni when I met him first, was certainly more aware of Welsh Politics and Welsh Nationalism than I, his politics were, right of centre but he was certainly no ''fascist'' as some called him. He was also far to clever and creative to be just a ''Knee Jerking Supa Patriot''. Our politics then were inspired by influences from a number of sources but least of all from, at that time the prevailing pacifist ''conservitave'' cultural nationalism of Plaid Cymru aka ''Welsh Nationalist Party''. Myself in these early years as Toni was being influenced by, at home members of the demised WRM I and from abroad the separatist nationalism of Quebec and Flanders. We were also of course influenced my the anti - colonial struggles in Palestine, Malaya, Cyprus and Aden, in main because patriots as Toni, Cayo, Coslett and others had done their National Service in these times. It was Britains Colonial problems which caught our attention, as well as revolts in Egypt, Hungary and later in Chechoslavakia 68. Liberation struggles in Algeria and Viet Nam did not catch my interest untill a much later date. Although, the militant struggles of Native and Black Americans were drawing my attention towards end of the 1960's, of course the history of Ireland and it's struggles, particulary 1916 Easter Rebellion was in time to have a crucial influnce on many of us 'Adfywiadwyr Gwladgarol' of the 1960's. It was the 50th anniversary of the Dublin Easter Rebellion Commemoration in 1966, to which many young radical nationalists attended, that had the biggest influence on our politics and patriotic struggle. Following this commemoration, we became much more radically militant, some 'Adywiadwyr Gwladgarol' went more into the FWA, while Toni and I stuck to the Patriotic Front. Soon however by 1967, the P.F. was focusing it's attention into motivating and organising the Anti - Investiture Struggle with PF Militants, taking to the streets and carrying out radical direction action protests that would lead to our arrests as photos here show, above of Toni being arrested and below myself being arrested, both of us for disturbing the peace and myself for ''assaulting'' a Police Officer? he stood on my toes and I pushed him off, that was it dragged off, booked and later fined. this brief introduction to the beginnings of the ASF/NPF and briefly showing where we were heading by 1967, into 1968 - 1969 will provide you with some background.
An History of the ASF & NPF 1964 - 1969:
I guess, I will have to type this out again?
ASF - NUSWS Membership Card with our Separatist aims:
Constitution of the Anti - Sais Front NUSWS.
The Patriots Rest Club, Cwmbran.
Sex, Dope, Rock and Roll? well that's the way the ''horrified'' members of local Plaid Cymru branch saw the ''infamouse'' Patriots Rest Club, a den of iniquity in which a wild bunch of patriots engaged in ''notorious activities''. Ok! Yes! Sex! (us younger elements anyway) but dope? maybe the occaisional ''joint'' but ''Rock and Roll?'', come off it! we were a very cultural lot, into folk music not trash Anglo - American stuff, I lie of course. I was well into Black Soul Music and even the Beach Boys but not the Beatles. It was Toni who was the Folk Music Fan and remained so throughout his life, he hated ''Rock and Roll'' but did have a liking for German Marching and Classical Music? Toni in later life became a very creative crafts person and capable folk musician whilst I went into catering as Grill Chef and Kitchen Porter (as Ho Chi Min).However, apart from the ''wild stuff'' mostly the product of Plaid Cymru immagination, we did do a lot of politics, believe it or not. Not least, it was out of this club that the annual Cilmeri Rally was born, when Toni organised a bus of ASF/PF members and supporters to go to Cilmeri - The rest is history, of which you can read much about in the Cilmeri 40th Anniversary Commemoration Tribute Blog 1966 - 2006 http://anturysbrydcofiwn.blogspot.com .
The Young Patriots League, was also a product of the Patriots Rest.
Above is but a sample of ASF - NUSWS material in my AWNM&S Hist Archive, but not much as it was not long before the ASF became the National Patriotic Front, mainly known as the Patriotic Front. Information on which will be contained in the next posting published to this blog. FOOTNOTE: Do note that much of the material published by the ASF/NPF was done on old fashioned typewritters and duplicated with, at first a table top 'Half Drum Stencil Duplicator'. Later we advanced to an Adana 5X4 and later again an Adana 8&5 hand printers, the big advance in our propaganda out put was a Gestetner 360, that machine initiated the Anti - Investiture Struggle and later carried Cofiwn into existance and great success and many achievements. In the early days we even used a kids ''John Bull Printers Set'', yes! this took a lot of enthusiasm and hard work plus kept our pockets empty. Toni and I were too busy funding all this, to ever become ''Pint Pot Patriots'', odd as it may be, we probably achieved more with this antiquated printing machinary, than many ''Patriot Grouplets'' to day with all this hi - tech at their disposal? That's no slurr on their ideals and enthusiasm but rather the patrioticaly bankrupt times we live in, but I do think many so called ''radical'' patriots could do more militant protesting rather that posturing and parading. NB: The ASF by the way was not an Anti - English ''racist'' style body, but stood more opposed to anglicisation, as is made clear in much of it's literature. .
Gethin ap Gruffydd.
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Co - Founder of the ASF & NPF with Toni Lewis.
