"In your hands, the birth of a new day... " (Limahl)

30 September 2013

AFC Wimbledon v Fleetwood (1)


Guinness Cake

Found @ Town Hall Cafe, Llanbedr PS... 

Stephanie's Strawberry Jam


Llanelli Scarlets v Exeter


Tempest End Banners (9)


Tempest End Banners (8)


Tempest End Banners (7)


Tempest End Banners (6)


Tempest End Banners (5)


Tempest End Banners (4)


Tempest End Banners (3)


Tempest End Banners (2)


Tempest End Banners (1)


28 September 2013

Gustav Holst Museum, Cheltenham

...there's a geocache under the sign!

Aberdaugleddau / Milford Haven

Stats bysgio / Busking Stats

Wedi Chwarae / Played: 1

Cyfanswm / Total:  £61

Dylanwad / Influence

Dim ond unwaith wedi bysgio, rhai blynyddoedd yn ôl. Ond rwyf wedi canu sawl gwaith yng nghartref preswyl Rickeston Mill gerllaw. Hefyd un gig deuawd cofiadwy ar long tal yn y Porthladd gyda Helen Adam o grŵp Fiddlebox.

Only played here once, some years ago. However I have performed several times at the nearby Rickeston Mill nursing home. Also a memorable duet gig with the fiddler Helen Adam of Fiddlebox on a tallship anchored in the harbour.

Folly Farm

Folly Farm: yr atyniad teuluol "gwerth am arian" gorau yng ngorllewin Cymru. Ceir anifeiliaid diddorol (gan gynnwys jiraffiaid a phengwyns), yn ogystal a ddigonedd o adnoddau chwarae i blant o bob oed, yn ogystal â ffair hen-ffasiwn. Gwell nac Oakwood!

Folly Farm: the best value family attraction in west Wales. Lots of interesting snimals (including giraffes and penguins), play resources for children of all ages, as well as an old-fashioned fairground with baby soft play. Better than Oakwood! 

Priodas Mark Cole

Ces i hwyl yn canu'r delyn ym mhriodas Mark ac Alyson Cole yn ddiweddar. Daethom ar draws ein. gilydd pan oeddwn yn gohebydd gwleidyddol gyda Chylchgrawn GOLWG yn 2006-07. Ers hynny, rydym wedi cwrdd ar yr achlysuron rwyf i wedi bysgio yn Aberteifi ers 2010. Fel unigolion, ry'n ni'n perthyn i draddodiadau gwleidyddol gwahanol, ond rwy'n falch iawn i'w gyfri'n ffrind annwyl. Llongyfarchiadau Mark ac Alyson, a phob dymuniad da at y dyfodol.

Llun: "Triawd o bwdin" ym mrecwast priodas Mark ac Alyson, Gwesty Nant-y-Ffîn, ger Clunderwen.

Autumn in Cheltenham

Trip down memory lane today. Used to come here busking as far back as 1998, today's aspect on Landsdown Road reminded me of those autumnal busking days.



Cheltenham 1-0 AFC Wimbledon

Nice day out marred by last minute goal by Jamie Cureton for Cheltenham. Found 5 geocaches before and after the game.

16 September 2013

Cyfllwyniad / Introduction









Shwmae a chroeso i'r blog!  
Hi and welcome to the blog

Yma rwyf yn hoff o gadw fy lluniau mewn ryw fath o ddyddidur teithio, fel yr oedd fy niweddar Dad yn arfer gwneud. Yma hefyd rwyf yn cadw trefn ar fanylion fy ngyrfa fel delynor a mewn swyddi cyflogedig; fy ymgyrchoedd elusenol a'm hobiau eraill

The main purpose of the blog is to keep ongoing snapshots of life in the form of a photographic travelbloga bit like my late Dad used to do. I also use the sidebar of the blog to keep a bit of order on my ever-changing career details, both as a harpist and in paid employment; also my charitable campaigns and other hobbies


Rwyf yn byw ym Mhorth Tywyn, Sir Gaerfyrddin. Rwyf yn briod i Kathryn ac rwyf yn eithriadol o lwcus i gael dau plentyn hardd a charedig, sef Heledd a Gwyn. Rwyf yn hoffi cerddoriaeth o bob math - gwerin, canu gwlad a bluegrass, clasurol a cherddoriaeth pop y 1980au. Rwyf yn gefnogwr AFC Wimbledon ac yn hoffi rhywfaint o gasglu ceiniogau a rhaglenni pel droed. Ar hyn o bryd rwyf yn Ymarferydd Cwsg dros elusen Cerebra.


I live in Burry Port in Carmarthenshire. I am married to Kathryn and am exceptionally lucky to have two beautiful and kind children, namely Heledd and Gwyn. I enjoy all forms of music - folk, country and bluegrass, classical and good old 1980s pop.  I support AFC Wimbledon and enjoy dabbling in collecting coins and football programmes. I am currently a Sleep Practitioner for Cerebra charity.


Un peth sydd yn dod a llawer o hapusrwydd i'm bywyd yw teithio i rhanbarthau gwahanol (gyda'r delyn os yn bosib!), a chofnodi'r llefydd a'r atgofion yma, fel dyddiadur ar ffurf llun. Rwyf wedi bod yn ffodus i gael byw bywyd llawn amrywiaeth, gan obeithio y gwnewch chi mwynhau pori trwy cynnwys y blog. Mwynhewch!

One thing that brings a lot of simple happiness into my life is travelling to different regions (preferably with the harp!) and recording those places and memories on here. I have been lucky to have lived a very diverse life and I hope this is reflected in the blog. Enjoy!

Recordiau CALC Records


Recordiau CALC yw enw'r label rwyf yn defnyddio ar gyfer fy CDs. Wedi ei sefydlu yn fy ngegin yn 2010, fe wnes i cofrestri'r label yn 2011 gyda chwmni ar-lein Ditto Music, a'm helpodd i lanlwytho fy alawon i'r cyfryngau digidol megis itunes. Ysbrydolwyd enw (a lliwiau) label "CALC" oherwydd y golffiwr Mark Calcavecchia, a oedd yn Bencampwr yr "Open" ym 1989, pan oeddwn yn dechrau ymddiddori mewn cerddoriaeth gwerin. Mae "CALC" hefyd yn cynnig yr acronym handi "Crap ar Label Carwyn".

CALC records is the label I use for my CDs. Formed in my kitchen in 2010, I registered the label in 2011with the on-line company Ditto Music, who enabled me to upload my music onto digital platforms such as itunes. The name and colours of the CALC label are inspired by the golfer Mark Calcavecchia, who won the Open Championship at the time I was getting into folk music in 1989. "CALC" also provides the handy Welsh acronym "Crap ar label Carwyn".

CALC 001: "Cywaith Calon"

CALC 001 oedd siwr o fod fy menter mwyaf amhroffesiynol ac, o bosib, anghyfrifol! Recordiwyd "Cywaith Calon" yn y tŷ ym mis Awst 2010 gyda peiriant recordio digidol llaw i safon anerbyniol, wrth edrych yn ôl. Wnes i cynhyrchu'r clawr gwreiddiol adref gyda phapur "Pritt Stick", nes fy mod wedi gwerthu digon i dalu am lyfryn cymharol safonol o siop argraffu lleol (v. 1.2 a 1.3). Pwrpas "Cywaith Calon" oedd ariannu CD mewn stiwdio proffesiynol maes o law. Rhywstud, perswadiwyd pobl de-orllewin Cymru i brynnu 184 copi o "Cywaith Calon" yn ystod Hydref 2010.

CALC 001 was probably my most unprofessional and possibly most irresponsible venture! "Cywaith Calon" was recorded in my own house in August 2010 with a handheld digital recorder. In hindsight, the recording was unacceptable by my own admission, and should not have been released for public consupmtion! The original CD cover was hand-made with paper and Pritt Stick, until I had sold enough to pay for a reasonably designed cheap booklet from a local printer (v. 1.2 and 1.3). The purpose of "Cywaith Calon" was to fund a professionaly-recorded CD in due course. Somehow, I persuaded people across south west Wales to buy 184 copies of "Cywaith Calon" on the streets in Autumn 2010.
























CALC 002: "Carolau o'r Stryd" / "Carols from the Street"
CALC 003: "Carolau ar y stryd" E.P. Nadolig / "Carols from the Street" Christmas E.P.

Erbyn Tachwedd 2010, roedd yn rhaid cynllunio ar gyfer y cyfnod bysgio Nadolig gyda CD o garolau Nadolig. Recordiwyd CALC 002/003 yn stiwdio bach Kayleigh Morgan (Llanbedr Pont Steffan). Paratowyd EP o'r traciau cryfach i'w ddosbarthu i'r radio. Cafodd traciau o'r recordiad hwn eu gynnwys ar raglen "Celtic Heartbeat" gan Frank Hennessey ar BBC Radio Wales, ac ar podlediad FolkCast

By November 2010, I needed to plan for the Christmas busking period by doing a CD of Christmas Carols.CALC 002/003 was recorded at the small studio of Kayleigh Morgan (Lampeter). An EP of the strongest tracks was prepared to send out to radio stations. Tracks from this recording were played on Frank Hennessey's "Celtic Heartbeat" programme on BBC Radio Wales, and on the FolkCast podcast.























CALC 004: "Alawon o'r Stryd"




Fy CD cyntaf "go-iawn". Recordwyd yng Nghanolfan Telyn Cymru, Llandysul yn Ionawr 2011, wedi ei chynhyrchu gan Owen Shiers, gydag artistiaid gwadd Imogen O'Rourke (Ffliwt) a Dan Morris (Ffidil). Mae traciau o'r CD wedi cael eu chwarae ar BBC Radio Wales a BBC Radio Cymru.

My first proper CD. Recorded at the Harp Centre of Wales, Llandysul in January 2011. Produced by Owen Shiers, with guest artists Imogen O'Rourke (Flute) and Dan Morris (Fiddle). Tracks from the CD have been played on BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio Wales.

CALC 005: "Awen ac Aber"


Gan bod "Alawon o'r Stryd" yn gwerthu'n dda ar y strydoedd ac mewn cyngherddau, penderfynais yn fuan i recordio ail albym. Daeth yn amlwg y byddai recordio cyngerdd fyw yn ffordd hwylus o wneud hyn, ac felly trefnwyd cyngerdd yn theatr "Y Drwm", Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Aberystwyth ym mis. Daeth cynulleidfa o tua 30 a recordiwyd y gig gan Gwyn "Maffia" Jones. Golygwyd a chymysgwyd y recordiad yn Stiwdio Bos, Llanerfyl, Powys, ym mis Mehefin 2012. Tynnwyd y lluniau gan Keith Morris - byd gwahanol i'r papur a'r Pritt-Stick a r fersiwn cyntaf CALC 001!

Bellach, mae'r cân cyntaf ar "Awen ac Aber", sef "Criw Porth Tywyn", wedi cael ei mabwysiadu gan driawd gwerin yn y gogledd sydd yn cynnwys y cerddordion gwerin amlwg Stephen Rees a Huw Roberts.

As "Alawon o'r Stryd" had sold well on the streets and in concerts, I decided shortly afterwards to record a second album. It appeared that one handy way of doing this would be to record a live performance, and so a concert was organised at "Y Drwm" theatre at the National Library in Aberystwyth. An audience of around 30 people came along, and the gig was recorded by Gwyn "Maffia" Jones. The recording was edited and mixed at Stiwdio Bos, Llanerfyl, in June 2012. The photography was done by Keith Morris - a world away from the paper and Pritt Stick of the first version of CALC 001!

Recently, the first song on "Awen ac Aber", namely "Criw Porth Tywyn" -  has been covered by a folk trio in north Wales which includes the prominent musicians Stephen Rees and Huw Roberts.

CALC 006: "Tanddwr"

This is most recent CD, launched in Spring 2016. It is my most ambitious recording to date as it features Geraint Cynan (Keyboards) as well as Imogen O'Rourke (Flute) and myself on two harps and elctric guitar, not to mention vocals and backing vocals.