Category Archives: Wales

50 years on, Welsh speakers re-enact key language battle

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Vasco Phillip de Sousa

“The Trefechan Bridge protest is considered the first battle for the Welsh language.” Says the daily Post.  I disagree with that statement, as Plaid Cymru and others were acting for many decades before that.  However, by week’s end, fifty years … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Wales | Tagged | Leave a comment

How Green Was My Valley (1941) review

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Vasco Phillip de Sousa

I’d lived in Wales for well over a decade before seeing what “everyone” calls the quintessential Welsh film. Like many “Welsh” films, How Green Was My Valley wasn’t made in Wales, but in Hollywood. A few of the accents may … Continue reading →

Posted in fiction, history, melodrama, review, Wales | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Have we forgotten the purpose of the University?

Posted on October 3, 2012 by Vasco Phillip de Sousa

Recently, I’ve heard embittered graduates complain that University was a waste of time. They saw going as purely an economic investment. But, this hasn’t always been the case. Continue reading →

Posted in education, history, Wales | Tagged , | 1 Comment

The Physicians of Myddfai still give health advice, over 700 years later

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Vasco Phillip de Sousa

Sometimes it seems that folklore is ahead of science.  In the thirteenth century, the Physicians of Myddfai apparently linked butter to heart disease. “Do not take butter, as at this time (in November) the blood of all men has a … Continue reading →

Posted in adaptations, history, medicine, Wales | Tagged , , | Leave a comment