Seren yr Wythnos | Star of the Week

Welsh General / Questions
#253

Oh boy. I’m a team player. I don’t like being singled out. :blush: I believe that everything we achieve as humans is from working together.
That said, I also know that if someone does single you out, you don’t just shrug your shoulders. So many, many thanks for this - it means an enormous amount to know that my efforts to put something back are appreciated.
I’ve said before that this whole thing is a fluke: Me learning Welsh, me being successful leaning Welsh via making an early connection with a culture I didn’t really know existed, me finding out that bonding with my daughter via mutual learning of this language would not only enrich our lives but enrich our lives exponentially, all of it a pure fluke. That’s kind of what makes me want to help out here - to spread the luck around a bit and enable other people to have their own life-changing experiences.

Dal ati, bois. The rewards are endless. :slight_smile:

12 Likes
#254

And that’s about the loveliest possible response to a Seren yr Wythnos…:star: :star2:

[Quick, single him out more, see if he can keep it up…;-)]

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#255

Diolch Rob. You have been a part of my Welsh journey for as long as I have known of SSIW ( a length of time I’m not sure of, 5 years maybe?) Always patient with me and other learners at siop Thomas, even if I am looking at you blankly when not understanding. When I had my daughter four and a half years ago you gave me something to aspire to and the knowledge that what I’m attempting is achievable. So I am grateful to your fluke.

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#256

Well said, but, cofiwch! Every member of the team has a special part to play. Aran has merely identified your contribution to team SSiW. :blush:

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#257

Dear @robbruce , thank you for everything you have done! Your particular ‘Seren yr Wythnos’ has made me think about the part others’ play in ones life, even when you have never met! I guess it is similar to the ripple effect, you share, and it goes so much further than you ever imagine.

I have often tried to define to friends how important learning Welsh, and belonging to this forum, is to me. It dawned on me that it it is because of people like you, who unselfishly share their own experiences (and time) to help others’, simply because they want to share the joy they felt at mastering this language! Thank you!

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#258

Seren yr Wythnos #12

:star: :star2: Huw Jones :star2: :star:

Huw was on our first ever Bootcamp - yes, he’s a founding member of our Magnificent Saith! - where he startled me by displaying a far wider range of vocabulary about all things gourmet than I had - in fact, I’m ashamed to say I still can’t remember the names of half the fish he taught me (and, ahem, I’m pretty certain I wouldn’t be able to recognise them, either)…

And from then on, he’s been a wonderful, ever-supportive member of this community - with his calm, friendly contributions on the forum, but also with huge amounts of unseen work behind the scenes.

Huw took over the project management of our ‘Importing Team’ - the fantastic volunteers who used to stitch the courses together in the days before SSiBorg (using the Spennyware->adapted-by-Jeff-to->Jennyware), which was a huge amount of work to take on. He also did a huge amount of the importing itself - which I can still remember (despite all the therapy) as a brutal, soul-draining experience (although, admittedly, still a million times better than the ‘by hand’ version we started off, which I now struggle to imagine).

He’s always been a delightful presence at our birthday parties - I’m fairly sure Catrin went through a stage of inviting Nia Parry mostly so that she could watch Huw blushing and getting flustered - and he’s been a generously and warmly open host to fellow SSiWers - I remember @Sionned having a lovely time staying with Huw and Maureen for one birthday party in Aberystwyth (I think that was the one when Iestyn and I decided we should build SaySomethinginKlingon, but in our defence it was very late at night and a very long walk back into town).

He also recently arranged a reunion meeting for the first Bootcampers - the Magnificent Saith - which was an absolutely fabulous evening - which will be one of our abiding memories.

He’s given so much to this community - particularly via his areas of passion! - that he’s ended up being adopted as Catrin’s spare father - a very dangerous fate for anyone to face. His courage in that particular line of fire has been inspirational…:wink:

So, Huw has impacted your learning journey with SSiW if you’ve ever:

  • used the forum, or

  • used any of the imported lessons (which is most of them!).

In which case, now would be a wonderful time to thank him… :star: :star2:

Huw, diolch o waelod calon :heart:

Seren yr Wythnos #1

:star: :star2: Iestyn ap Dafydd :star2: :star:

Seren yr Wythnos #2

:star: :star2: Catrin Lliar Jones :star2: :star:

Seren yr Wythnos #3

:star: :star2: Cat Dafydd :star2: :star:

Seren yr Wythnos #4

:star: :star2: Dee McCarney :star2: :star:

Seren yr Wythnos #5

:star: :star2: Spenny :star2: :star:

Seren yr Wythnos #6

:star: :star2: Jeff Lewis :star2: :star:

Seren yr Wythnos #7

:star: :star2: Ifan Baines :star2: :star:

Seren yr Wythnos #8

:star: :star2: Kev Smith :star2: :star:

Seren yr Wythnos #9

:star: :star2: James Mahoney :star2: :star:

Seren yr Wythnos #10

:star: :star2: Louis van Ekert :star2: :star:

Seren yr Wythnos #11

:star: :star2: Rob Bruce :star2: :star:

Seren yr Wythnos #12

:star: :star2: Huw Jones :star2: :star:

9 Likes
#259

[P.S. I know, I know it’s not Friday - but it’s a great excuse this week - we spent 12 hours of Friday driving from Carmel to Charing in Kent…!]

#260

I just signed in to see if there were any messages from @sharonmonks beofre we skype shortly when I read this!
I am more than whelmed, more than overwhelmed, I am completely hyperwhelmed - but very grateful. :smile:

Believe it or not, I was glad that Nia was unable to make it to the last party because it gave me a chance to show that my real devotion was to SSi itself and all the lovely people in it ( besides, I think Maureen is beginning to be suspicious.

Diolch o waelod galon, @aran - rhy caredig yn wir. :blush:

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#261

@hewrop has very regularly made me laugh so much I’ve lost some of my morning coffee (I had originally written “Huw has often tickled me” but I thought that really would make Maureen worry). Diolch am fod rhan o’r cymuned hon! You’ve always been such a positive contributor! I hope we get to meet one day (hopefully the next birthday party).

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#262

It was great to finally meet you at the party Huw. :blush: All these people working behind the scenes are an inspiration!

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#263

Cheers, Huw! It was a huge pleasure working with you in the good old days of “The Importing Team.” I look forward to someday actually meeting in person!

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#264

It is indeed, a revelation to discover just how many have started to learn Welsh and ended up volunteering to use their various talents to set the whole thing on a solid base and are still working behind the scenes! I have discovered to just how many I owe thanks, Huw being just the latest whose light has been languishing beneath a bushel all this time!
Diolch Huw! Diolch Pawb! :star: :star: x llawer!

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#265

Diolch, Huw! :slight_smile: :star:

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#266

Hi Huw. I remember very well the Bootcamp where I met you first and I remember very well your famous ancestry. :smirk:
Diolch yn fawr iawn for being such a nice person, an always helping member of SSiW and thank you for everything you did in the background.

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#267

Huw, diolch o galon am bopeth ti’n ei wneud ar gyfer y Gymraeg. You were great company at Bootcamp, and it was delightful to meet your lovely wife at the Llyfrgell Genedlaethol, too long ago now. If it were up to me, I would appoint you as the gentleman-in-residence at SSi :smile:

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#268

Diolch, hyperwhelmed @hewrop! :star::star:

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#269

Dear @hewrop, Huw! Always courteous, I have always appreciated your posts here, like Rob last week, you have been an ever present support in so many people’s learning adventure (sorry can’t bring myself to use the ‘journey’ word) :-S Thank you for all you have done for SSIW, and also for being such a supportive forum member!

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#270

Diolch @hewrop and llongyfarchiadau on getting Seren yr Wythnos . Was great to meet you at the SSIW party :grinning:

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#271

That first ever bootcamp when we had no idea what we were letting ourselves in for was an experience I’ll never forget, but the thing that made it really special was the people. @hewrop played a huge part in making it such an enjoyable time. With his warm smile, relaxed manner, and infinite patience, no one could worry about whether their Welsh was ‘good enough’. We were all just too busy having fun.

@hewrop - it’s been such a pleasure getting to know you over the years. Diolch yn fawr iawn for always being there behind the scenes giving a helping hand. I hope we will celebrate many more Magnificent Saith reunions and SSiW parties in the future.

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#272

Yes, many thanks Huw, for your help on the Forum and also for all the behind-the-scenes work that you have carried out for SSi.

Thanks also to all serenau of previous weeks for your kind input.

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