National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales preserves and celebrates the sound and moving image heritage of Wales, making it accessible to a wide range of users for enjoyment and learning. Its film collection reflects every aspect of the nation’s social, cultural and working life across the 20th century, giving a fascinating insight into Welsh filmmaking, both amateur and professional.
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Carnival Day - Amlwch
From July onwards, the rain came down in 1960 but, fortunately for those in Amlwch, the sun shone on 6th August for the first carnival to be held in many years.
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Overview
Amlwch's first carnival for years and the sun is out, despite the wet summer. The procession includes "beauties" lounging on the top of a car and a "beast" controlled by two boys, either or both requiring nourishment in the form of a hefty sandwich that is handed up to them by a spectator. This special day also includes a bit of "Victorian rock-and-roll".
One carnival float bears people dressed as the Gorsedd of Bards (a body responsible for the rituals and ceremonies of the National Eisteddfod, a Welsh language arts festival) and an empty chair labelled 'Caerdydd 1960 Y Gadair Wag' (Cardiff 1960 The Empty Chair). This refers to the fact that no poet's offering had been found worthy of the Chair at the National Eisteddfod hosted by Cardiff the previous week. Poets compete annually for a unique, carved wooden chair. It is won for a poem on a set topic composed using a particular pattern of sounds (stress, alliteration and rhyme) known as 'cynghanedd' – harmony. Cardiff had a reputation as a national eisteddfod locality that often failed to deliver a chaired bard.
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