Festival of Wales in Dyserth: Molawd Y Crefftwyr/In Praise of Craftsmen

Urdd Gobaith Cymru, the Welsh language youth movement, contributed to events organised by the villages of Dyserth and Cwm from May-September 1958 for the Welsh Tourist Board’s ‘Festival of Wales’. Members provided a day of entertainment at the Urdd Hall in July, featuring traditional dancing accompanied by ‘Telynores Brython’ (harpist Frances Mon Jones) and a tribute to local skills: mining, weaving, cobbling, tailoring, farming, coachbuilding, quarrying.

The Festival of Wales aimed to attract visitors by showcasing and celebrating Welsh culture. The driving force behind the Festivities Committee for Dyserth and Cwm was ‘DJ’ – D J Thomas, head of Dyserth Primary School. The leader of the Dyserth branch of the Urdd at the time was Gwyn Williams. They are seen with a harp at the end of the film, DJ with false beard. Rhys Roberts, the local pharmacist, filmed the Urdd performances and other festival events. NB 1: Glowr - miner, Gwehydd - weaver, Crydd - cobbler, Teiliwr - tailor, Offer Fferm - farm implements, Saer Troliau - coachbuilder, Chwarelwr – quarryman. NB 2: Fogging of image: camera gate fault. Possibly double perf 9.5mm format run through single perf gate?