Shw mae, Lynne?
Everything that Margaret says…
The only problem being that the evening activities - maybe at the pub, or in the ganolfan, are an important part of the bwtcamp, so if you miss out on those, you will only be having a very intense experience rather than the full on bwtcamp thing.This may affect how much you benefit.
Of course, if the choice is no bwtcamp or 80% bwtcamp, then you are obviously going to benefit more from the 80% experience!
Just a quick reminder to everyone, now that Christmas is past, and spring is in the air (OK, the sunshine of the last two days may have made me a touch over enthusiastic there…) it’s time to get this bwtcamp on the road.
So, remember that we are booking at 9pm (21:00 hrs) GMT on Friday. I shall open the booking and publish the link here at 9.
The evening activities would be fine. But as a seriously allergic person I’d sleep at home, which might also save the expense of paying for overnight care for two dogs.
Hi Lynne. I’m sure that if you are able to get most of the activities done, but need to sleep at home in order to be relaxed / healthy enough to get the most out of bwtcamp, then that is a great way to run things.
If you would like to discuss any other aspects (particularly regarding the allergies etc) then ask away here or feel free to PM me - just click on my name at the top left of this message.
Meanwahile, for anyone waiting with baited breath - there’s just under 2 hours left to wait. I’ve set up the booking page, and just need the link to put here and at the top of the page.
As the films say:
“Stand by… Stand by…”
(or is that sheep dog trials?)
Booking is now Sold Out (after 4 minutes…)
Sincere apologies to anyone who was unable to book this time.
It’s well worth putting your name on the waiting list here: https://v1.bookwhen.com/he4qc/201804210000/qd5
And keep an eye on our 2018 Bwtcamp page for the next available date, which will probably be at the end of June (Give me a week or so while the dust settles on the Arpil bookings, and I’ll check and publicise the next date).
2018 page is here: Bwtcamps 2018
That was fast!!! Booking is now full!
Makes booking a Kate Bush concert look positively slow!
Good heavens. I think that’s a new record! 
Trist iawn ,edrych ymlaen myndi Bwtcamp,chwaerteg bydd 'in dal ati dysgu Cymraeg hyd Bwtcamp nessa Cofion cynnes Bob
Almost makes me pleased that I’m stuck in the house with bronchitis. Without it, I’d have been at a birthday party and would have missed the tiny window.
Have fun everybody!! I’m really jealous, bwtcamp is a great experience! Have loads of fun, treat it like a holiday because it is, don’t worry about the dips, everyone has them, just remember have fun, smile and laugh! Oh and have fun 
So, now that you know who will be at bootcamp, is there a way for us to find out who our compatriots will be?
I don’t know how these things are usually handled, since this is my first bwtcamp, but I’m in. It might be valuable to know who’s attending (for example, anyone else from Germany?), as that may help in planning the trips to Tresaith.
Bore da Bwtcampers!
As Sionned and Hendrick have already said, it would be great if people who have successfully booked the April bwtcamp could put their hands up here, and we’ll start to get to know each other a bit.
You will all receive emails today which includes a couple of questions to start us off. Here are my answers:
My name is Iestyn, and I live with my wife Cat and our 4 (is it only 4?) children in Llandysul, Ceredigion. I was brought up in Gilfach Fargod, in the Rhymney Valley.
I want to speak Welsh because it is my first and native language, the language of my Welsh ancestors, and because my kids would find it a bit weird if I started speaking English with them…
I love singing. I’ve always sung to the kids since they were babies, and I was in a choir before the pressures of being a dad ate into that too much and I decided to give it a miss for a while.
One of my favourite things to do is to get up early (before 6 most mornings) and do an hour or more of stuff before anyone else turns up in my life. The world is particularly beautiful first thing in the morning, and when everyone else is asleep you can get so much done!
I’m looking forward to meeting you all - on the forum to start with, and “in the (Welsh speaking) flesh” very very soon!
Iestyn
I’m Lynne, and I live in Ceredigion, not far from Tresaith. And that’s why I want to speak Welsh.
I was brought up in Caerphilly, left to go to university, then worked in London and Brussels, and came back to Wales when I had to retire early owing to bad health.
I could have done with moving to a dry climate, but came back for family reasons. Those, and my own health, have got in the way of sorting out my Welsh. Time for action after 10 years failing to get to regular lessons.
My father’s first language was Welsh. My mother didn’t speak it, and back then the idea was that it was too confusing to bring children up speaking two languages. So although we went to Welsh chapel, and there was a lot of Welsh about, we didn’t speak it at home.
I do understand quite a lot of Welsh. On the active side, some of the grammar comes pretty naturally. And in principle I should have a reasonable active vocabulary. But, as a very shy child, I was hugely put off speaking by my father’s brothers laughing at me when I made mistakes. I will happily chunter away making mistakes in other languages, but decades on, I still tend to freeze up when it comes to speaking Welsh. I do my best when people speak to me in Welsh, but I never initiate a conversation, except with my dogs. I thought total immersion might be a way of getting over this.
So, I’ve got dogs. I walk a lot, though not so quickly these days. I sing. I am learning the harp. I like going to the pub, but I’ll be sleeping at home, so no beer. I like cooking. I know my way around Ceredigion.
P.S. The avatar is my dogs on the Ceredigion Coast Path with the mountains of North Wales in the far distance.
Now that’s interesting, Lynne - which chapel were you brought up around? Was it TonyFelin? Or Groeswen? I know quite a few members there. In fact, I’ve just thrown out some editions of the “Cwm Ni” Papur Bro (A kind of community newspaper), but they are only in the paper recycling pile, so I’ll see if I can dig a couple out for you. You may be surprised by a few familiar names!
I think bwtcamp mught be just what you’re looking for, because as you say, you almost definitely have a large amount of Welsh stashed away, and we’ll just have to work on chipping away some of the self-protection barriers that are in the way. If we can suss that, then you are away! The jar of peas will be your friend, for certain…
I’m Sionned, and I live in Columbia, Missouri USA. My husband and I live in the 135-year-old house I was raised in, though I have lived in a few other places (college, a different house in town, that sort of thing). We moved in with my mother to take care of her in the last years of her life (she’s now gone).
I fell in love with Wales the first time I visited (1994) because it felt like “home” - it was only later that I found that I have Welsh ancestry (waaay back). That’s why I want to speak Welsh. (Besides, I now have a neice-in-law who is Cymraes Cymraeg!)
I am a musician, mostly vocal though I do play many of the medieval wind instruments. My first two degrees were in Music History, and I’ve been part of various quartets and choirs over the years, primarily because I like to sing.
My husband and I walk most mornings, weather permitting, though my stamina tends to wane after a couple miles. My caffiene of choice is Dr. Pepper (in limited amounts). I enjoy socializing with like minded people, though I will join Lynne in being a non-alcohol drinker at the pub.
It was Bethel (Annibynwyr) though we knew Tonyfelin people and I used to go to Welsh nursery class in their vestry on Saturday mornings.
My first harp came from Llandysul of course, though I didn’t live here then. Small world.