CACEN Meetup South East England

Welsh Meetups/Events
#1

You must excuse the linguistic irregularity - please let me know if it’s inaccurate.

This is the inaugural posting for CACEN, formerly SSIW Sussex/Hants/Surrey Meetups group.

In line with meeting up for a paned o de, CACEN is the newly voted group name : Cylch Alltud Cymraeg Enfys yn Ne Loegr.

Ok, it’s stretching the imagination a bit especially the ‘Rainbow’, but that’s what we decided on in a flurry of semi surrealistic fervour.

In line with the compulsory requirement for hwyl, we’ll meet for lunch so bring some food to share, and have a couple of hours of possibly I-Spy, Rhiannon’s newly acquired Wonder Word Cards from Owain (https://site.saysomethingin.com/welsh/forum/77ee5839bd075e54?query=cards) and other madness too.

We are returners, complete new starters and others at some stage along the language/time continuum. If you’d like to join us, please let me know by PM and I’ll forward details to you.

There is as much English as Cymraeg, but that’s ok. Don’t feel shy, just come along and see for yourself. We look forward to extending Croeso to you.

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Folk musicians in Sussex
#2

Stop Press.

One of our members, Mike, is an architect. One of his passions is a housing and social revitalisation project in St David’s, and he will be telling us about it at the session.

Those who can, please be there, those who know nothing about us but would like to come, just drop me a PM with your details and I’ll give you the details - you will be very welcome.

#3

Hylo Pawb

The CACEN awakes

Yes it’s another month’s meetup coming up

This time in Chichester hosted by Geoffrey and Rhiannon. All welcome. If you’re new to SSIW or an old lag who’s returning, it would be great to see you.

This meet-up will be the last until September. On offer we have the possibility of eye-spy, speed dating, a surrealistic on-the-hoof-made-up story with the random aid of Rhiannon’s brilliant story cubes as well as the opportunity to sgwrs whether in Welsh or English doesn’t matter. It’s the intention, the cymreictod and the hwyl that count.

Please bring a small plate of food to share lunch, and if you can come please let me know. If you haven’t been before or have forgotten the address, PM me.

Hwyl am y tro

Mark

#4

Unfortunately Saturday’s meetup (26th July) is cancelled due to ill health. Keep an eye on this forum for details of September.

Meanwhile, we wish Rhiannon the very best and a speedy recovery

#5

Brysia wella, Rhiannon!

Best. Meetup. Name. Ever.

#6

Gwellhad buan, Rhiannon!!!

#7

Hylo Pawb

Well, time is getting on and it’s high time I told everyone about the next CACEN (Cylch Alltud Cymraeg Enfys yn Ne Loegr).

Sunday 19 October Albourne West Sussex, near Hassocks and midway between Brighton and Crawley 1pm - 4pm

This time it’s at the Eastern end of the South, in Albourne near Hassocks. For the address, if you don’t know t, please PM me.

The first hour will be taken up with eating and just being Welsh-ish, whatever time is left after that long hour will be using as much welsh as can or want to indulge in.

Please bring a bit of food for a shared lunch.

On the agenda will be speed dating and maybe Rhiannon’s magic Story dice.

however much Welsh you have you will be able to exercise it, and if that’s not much it doesn’t matter.

If you’re new to us and would like to come along, you will be very welcome.

Meanwhile, another date for your diary is November 15. The meetup will be just outside Lewes, again 1-4. This will be the group’s third birthday. We will celebrate by being Welsher than usual as well having a ‘Noson Lawen’ where we can perform a ‘party piece’ likeliest in Welsh, but other languages are welcome. Terms and conditions apply - namely, someone in the group needs to speak that language to at least tell the rest of us you’re doing ok.

We’ll also have small Eisteddfod. (Don’t forget there may be a SSIW online Eisteddfod to support as well). So far we don’t know the SSIW categories so we’l paddle our own canoe and your/our works of art, poems, paintings, sculptures, songs or anything else pleasing to eye ear or nose can be an entry.

The only criterion is that it has to have a connection with Wales.

Since there is hardly a flood of entries to any one category, we’ll simply have an exhibition of all items, or if appropriate, a hearing, for us all to appreciate each other’s efforts. In other words we’ll adopt the mealymouthed Guardian- reading educationalistic prissiness of having it as a non competitive event. That way we’re all winners. Unless I’m shouted down and we completely revise all this and do it the old fashioned way.

Meanwhile, we’ll vote on our Learner of the Year who will be awarded the David March Remembrance Spoon. For those who don’t know, David was a loved and valued member of our group who tragically lost his life in a walking accident in Snowdonia last year.

Best wishes

Mark

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#8

Looking forward to hearing how the day went and who is your Learner of the Year

#9

Thanks for asking, Dee, hope you’re well.

Felly…
CACEN (Cylch Alltud Cymraeg Enfys yn Ne Loegr) the Welsh learner group in Sussex and Hampshire celebrated its third birthday on Saturday.

Usually we converse in as much Welsh as possible, playing games like ‘speed dating’ using a kitchen timer to change chat partners, going around the table with our individual news for the week/month or making up stories on the hoof with story dice. Whatever happens, it’s fun.

For our third Birthday, we decided we’d do it a little differently for this meetup. We would prepare something for the group in whatever form took our individual fancy, whether it was poem, painting or pie. In other words, any form of presentation, to appeal to any of the senses. This only criterion was that it had to connected in some way with Wales or Welshness.

After our usual lunch and sgwrs, we started the ‘presentations’. Val and Mike each produced a slide show showing evocative pictures of Wales and places that mean something deep to them, arousing passions and emotions that conveyed the feeling of hiraeth that only the Welsh can understand.

Rhiannon and Geoffrey, independently and unbenknown to each other, gave us the life story and tragic passing away of their muchloved family cat, immortalised in the language of pure poetry, Sally told us the story of the Rebecca movement, a tale of bitterness and exploitation which probably played a significant part in the Welsh psyche, and I sang a song about Hen Jac’s dream of his language once more being heard everywhere within Wales.

Lastly, in memory of David, a loved and much missed member who tragically lost his life in a walking accident in Snowdonia last year, the David March Lovespoon for most personal progress in the language during the last year was awarded to Sally.

Thanks to Mike for hospitality and Elizabeth for looking after us all, and now on to planning for our next meetups which will be at :

  • The Newmarket Tavern, Lewes BN7 3JR Monday 16 November 8:15 pm in time for sglodion a chaws and

  • Chichester Saturday 13th December 1-4 pm.

For details, please PM me and we’ll be delighted to see you.

Dymuniadau gorau

Mark

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#10

Gwych! Llongyfarchiadau mawr i chi gyd am greu grwp mor arbennig o ddiddorol! :sparkles:

#11

Do you want to just check that date Mark? Today is Monday 17 November :smile:

Great review of a wonderful day! Diolch yn fawr am sharing that with everyone.

#12

Aarghh

Dee, thank you for spotting the mistake, the meetup is in fact Tuesday, tomorrow, 18th November

#13

Hylo Pawb,

Just to let you know our next meetup will be in Chichester. Please send me a private message for the address and we’ll look forward to seeing you.

Bring a small plate of food for a shared lunch and we’ll start in earnest about 2:00.

To blow away the January blues we’ll likely have speed dating, story-telling with the aid of Rhiannon’s Magic Dice and plenty of conversation.

Come along whatever level because although the focus is on talking and hearing Welsh, you will be made to feel very welcome.

Nadolig Llawen i chi i gyd

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#14

Hylo Pawb

Just to bring this to the top of the list again, looking forward to seeing everyone in Chichester this Saturday

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#15

Hi Pawb

Our monthly meetings continue apace. We meet at each others’ homes by rotation and next time we are hosted by Sally at Seaford. Please PM me for her address.

Anyone new to SSIW or just learning Welsh anyway is welcome as are returners. The essence is hwyl. We start with some lunch so please bring a small plate of food to share, then we build in some fun learning.

Looking forward to meeting new members.

Dymuniadau gorau

Mark

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#16

Hylo Pawb

Firstly, please note the venue has changed from Seaford to Brighton.

Next :

Newyddion cyffrous. Exciting news.

BBC Radio 4 have approached CACEN about doing a mini-feature on the group and learning Welsh not in Wales. It will be recorded at our next meetup and aired on the nearest Saturday to Dydd Gwyl Dewi, which makes it 28th Feb from 9:00 am.

I have a feeling that this meetup will be like a suddenly-full church when Songs of Praise is being recorded. But, as always, all are welcome regardless of where you may be on the fluency continuum. There will be the opportunity to socialise, eat (bring a small plate of food to share) and use the language in conversation with a few fun activities and probably some pure silliness. And maybe the opportunity to address the nation.

If you’d like to come, please PM me and I’ll be pleased to give you the address.

Dymuniadau gorau

Mark

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#17
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#18

Brilliant. Thank you Gerald. they don’t write them like they used to.

#19

Congratulations Mark, wonderful news that at last Welsh-in-England is getting some publicity. Hopefully it should reach some more would-be learners around the country if you tell them how many other groups there are, and how Welsh speakers in England have never been counted, and that it was once spoken everywhere and how it is part of everyone’s history (“ourstory”?)

…….(sound of bee leaving bonnet).

Sorry i can’t be with you, have a great day.

Caroline

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#20

Wel, what an adventure. At our meetup last Friday we had the BBC in. Maggie had responded to their plea a few months ago for ideas for programmes. She told them about the learner group (us) in Sussex/Surrey/Hampshire and they followed up.
Pete, the producer (no less) of ‘Saturday Live’ on Radio 4 Saturday mornings at 9:00 am came with his recorder. He spent 2 hours with us, interviewing us separately on Pam yn y ddaer ydyn ni eisiau dysgu siarad Cymraeg? – why in the world do we want to learn to speak Welsh?
We filled him full of Picau ar y maen, bara lawr, bara brith and more, and told him what a beautiful language Welsh and our culture is, that individually we have very good reasons for wanting to learn, and shamelessly plugging SSIW like there’s no tomorrow.
He recorded some of our session as well, with all the the hwyl and noise and went away happy that he had 2 hours of material.
He certainly picked up on the energy of the group and seemed to have a good time. But then, he was a professional….
Anyway, tune in to Saturday Live Radio 4 next Saturday to hear the 7-minute edit of the day. It’s the nearest Saturday to Dydd Gwyl Dewi. We don’t know whether the whole programme is Welsh-connected or just this featurette.
If you’d like to join us for our next meetup, it will be near Lewes 1-4:00 Saturday 28 March, please PM me for the location. We also meetup weekly in a Brighton pub.
We’d be delighted to welcome you whatever your level, but can’t promise media interest every time!

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