2009 is of course 40 anniversary of Adfywiad'69 noting that toward end of last year came timely publication of Freedom Fighters by John Humphries to remind us of ADFYWIAD GWLADGAROL FAWR 1962 - 69. I have managed to, as busy as I am read the book but will reserve my most major comments to a review I am working on for a post in my WELSH PATRIOT blog. I also have to dive into my AWNM&S Archive to dig out material for some major posting work in this blog as from coming 26 February on subject of ''The Sixties'' and our most dramatic of Welsh Nationalist Revolts since that of Owain Glyndwr in the 15th century.
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Whatever, I have made a start on the Archive digging and came up with the below which I have not recorded previously, that is the death of the 'Brigadier', Ronald Williams, formerly Chief Petty Officer RN and in ''The Sixties'' an FWA Officer as most of the volunteers were. I was aware of Ron Williams and other Patriots that hung out at 'The Lamb' in Merthyr but I cannot remember if I ever had a pint there myself, nor can I remember ever meeting Ron Williams though I knew of him via the Patriotic grapevine. It's quite possible I had met Ron but so many people came in out of Nationalist ranks in those days of freedoms dreaming, that I cannot really say for sure I had.
.
I unfortunately could not attend Rons' funeral but some one must have sent me an invite which I have posted below for record and posterity sake. However, last year I bought as a present for one of my daughters a Photographic Book of Merthyr Characters and Ron was therein. W
hat surprised me most was not that he was therein or that it was actually mentioned he was an FWA Volunteer but rather it mentioned the fact that he was from Heolgerrig an old Working Class 19th century 'Barrio' Tai Un Nos Township on edge of Merthyr Tudful. My Mam's Mam came from Heolgerrig but on getting married moved into Merthyr itself, but for first five years of my life I lived in Merthyr and also visited family Friends who remained at Heolgerrig, of which there are photos in our Family Album,of what appears to be happy times in my early years playing about in some ones garden with girls too.
.
So there you go interesting to me but perhaps not to you, as may be the knowledge that ''The Cobblers'', the Radical 'Sixties' Revolutionaries of Penybont hung out at The Ship Public House, and boy do I get doses of nostalgia about those times, when & where I became a ''Victim of the Sixties''. Whatever, more of the same plus to come through course of year on matters as the PF Plot to mess up the Investiture of an Englishman as Prince of Wales, some further truths about the FWA but not all as bad as John Humphries makes out in his book Freedom Fighters published last year.
.
I will have a lot to say about the FWA Trial and put the record straight about a great deal , it most defiantly was not such the great farce as John Humphries makes out, against the background of even being novice revolutionaries and getting much wrong and then again much right. Not least there a number of facts set aside, ignored and unknown about the Anti - Investiture Struggle and how it was at the 11th Hour betrayed and then all but fully thwarted by the full power of the English State being brought to bear on true radical Adfywiadwyr Gwladgarol.
.
It's one thing looking in on great events as an Editor of a News Paper but it's an entirely different matter trying to do some fast track revolutionary learning on the ground when one is also up against Welsh Apathy and the pacifism of 'Cultiural Nationalism', oh yes Cowardice and Treachery, as well as Informers, and full on Secret Service Agents. No it's not the easiest of things to motivate, plan and organise a 'Welsh Rebellion', yes it's time the Fat Lady began to sing a little! So stick with it and stay posted, spread the word that this is the Welsh Blog to watch this year, you will be far from being bored by the posts to come and just maybe it will inspire you all to get up and at it with another ADFYWIAD GWLADGAROL FAWR but not in the ''Old Way''. This time around I am not talking 'Armed Struggle', lets leave that in ''The Sixties'', this time around it must be more about AGIT - PROP ACTION OF THE PASSIVE RESISTANCE AND CONSTRUCTIVE PROTEST KIND ALONG WITH A LITTLE ''CONSTRUCTIVE VANDALISM'', all of which I will enlighten you on, in due course in a number of my other blogs, not here as this is strictly a ''Museum''.
..
Whatever, I have made a start on the Archive digging and came up with the below which I have not recorded previously, that is the death of the 'Brigadier', Ronald Williams, formerly Chief Petty Officer RN and in ''The Sixties'' an FWA Officer as most of the volunteers were. I was aware of Ron Williams and other Patriots that hung out at 'The Lamb' in Merthyr but I cannot remember if I ever had a pint there myself, nor can I remember ever meeting Ron Williams though I knew of him via the Patriotic grapevine. It's quite possible I had met Ron but so many people came in out of Nationalist ranks in those days of freedoms dreaming, that I cannot really say for sure I had.
.
I unfortunately could not attend Rons' funeral but some one must have sent me an invite which I have posted below for record and posterity sake. However, last year I bought as a present for one of my daughters a Photographic Book of Merthyr Characters and Ron was therein. W
hat surprised me most was not that he was therein or that it was actually mentioned he was an FWA Volunteer but rather it mentioned the fact that he was from Heolgerrig an old Working Class 19th century 'Barrio' Tai Un Nos Township on edge of Merthyr Tudful. My Mam's Mam came from Heolgerrig but on getting married moved into Merthyr itself, but for first five years of my life I lived in Merthyr and also visited family Friends who remained at Heolgerrig, of which there are photos in our Family Album,of what appears to be happy times in my early years playing about in some ones garden with girls too. .
So there you go interesting to me but perhaps not to you, as may be the knowledge that ''The Cobblers'', the Radical 'Sixties' Revolutionaries of Penybont hung out at The Ship Public House, and boy do I get doses of nostalgia about those times, when & where I became a ''Victim of the Sixties''. Whatever, more of the same plus to come through course of year on matters as the PF Plot to mess up the Investiture of an Englishman as Prince of Wales, some further truths about the FWA but not all as bad as John Humphries makes out in his book Freedom Fighters published last year.
.
I will have a lot to say about the FWA Trial and put the record straight about a great deal , it most defiantly was not such the great farce as John Humphries makes out, against the background of even being novice revolutionaries and getting much wrong and then again much right. Not least there a number of facts set aside, ignored and unknown about the Anti - Investiture Struggle and how it was at the 11th Hour betrayed and then all but fully thwarted by the full power of the English State being brought to bear on true radical Adfywiadwyr Gwladgarol.
.
It's one thing looking in on great events as an Editor of a News Paper but it's an entirely different matter trying to do some fast track revolutionary learning on the ground when one is also up against Welsh Apathy and the pacifism of 'Cultiural Nationalism', oh yes Cowardice and Treachery, as well as Informers, and full on Secret Service Agents. No it's not the easiest of things to motivate, plan and organise a 'Welsh Rebellion', yes it's time the Fat Lady began to sing a little! So stick with it and stay posted, spread the word that this is the Welsh Blog to watch this year, you will be far from being bored by the posts to come and just maybe it will inspire you all to get up and at it with another ADFYWIAD GWLADGAROL FAWR but not in the ''Old Way''. This time around I am not talking 'Armed Struggle', lets leave that in ''The Sixties'', this time around it must be more about AGIT - PROP ACTION OF THE PASSIVE RESISTANCE AND CONSTRUCTIVE PROTEST KIND ALONG WITH A LITTLE ''CONSTRUCTIVE VANDALISM'', all of which I will enlighten you on, in due course in a number of my other blogs, not here as this is strictly a ''Museum''.
