Embassy Glyndŵr is saddened by the news that the Centre is under threat of closure but not in the least surprised. We have seen letters in the press complaining that the Centre had not been open when visitors tried to visit and we have personally witnessed this ourselves on numerous occasions when we have visited the town. Also, unless you are aware of the Centre’s existence you could pass on foot or in a car without being aware of its importance as a Centre; the ‘low key’ sign declaring the town’s important association with
Also, as part of our
programme to reinstate the lost national treasures of Cymru, we organised for
‘Cleddyf y Genedl’ (Sword of the Nation) to be hand made by a Cymric Master
blacksmith and to be presented to the town by the French Consul Madame Claude
Rapport during the festivities of 2004. This sword which was a replica of the
sword that was presented to Owain
Glyndŵr at his Coronation by the King of France in June 1404, is now kept at
the Canolfan Senedd-Dŷ Owain Glyndŵr
Centre.
Following on 2004, we organised for a silver and gold plated
replica of ‘ Owain Glyndŵr’s Crown’
to be produced, and in 2007, with the assistance of the Town Council, we
organised a civic ceremony on Parliament Green so that the Crown could be
officially transferred to the safe keeping of Cefn Caer, the medieval Hall
House at Pennal. The Canolfan Senedd-Dŷ Glyndŵr officials were invited and were
present at this ceremony and since 2007, Elfyn
Rowlands , one of the owners of Cefn Caer and Embassy Glyndŵr
have, on the 21 June annually, bought the crown to Machynlleth, to be at the
head of a parade which goes to the Plas. There, the Crown is handed over to the
Town Mayor by its Guardian Elfyn Rowlands
and the town Mayor then, carrying the Crown, leads the parade to the Canolfan y
Senedd-Dŷ where it is displayed to Machynlleth and the Cymric nation for the
day. The Crown symbolises ‘Cymric Sovereignty’ and the point of this annual
ceremony is to illustrate that as long as we have this ‘Crown of Owain Glyndŵr, our Cymric Sovereignty is still in
tact. Again, this ceremony was meant to be the central focus of the aforementioned
intended annual ‘Gŵyl Coroni Owain Glyndŵr Festival which would, eventually, have
placed Machynlleth on the Global map for Medieval Festivals had the concept
been adopted by all concerned and had enough enthusiasm, imaginative creative
ability and hard work been spent on it. .
Embassy Glyndŵr did not carry out this ceremony this year
out of respect to the town and the parents of little April Jones who, we feel,
need and deserve privacy in mourning a terrible tragedy that will forever leave
a scar on the area and its population.
But, as was pointed out in this Summer issue of the
International Magazine Planet, Machynlleth is a town spiralling into rising
poverty and is in desperate need of regeneration so, the question begs to be
asked, why can’t Machynlleth capitalise on the privileged association it has
with Owain Glyndŵr, the most heroic
and enigmatic figure in the whole of Cymric history, to regenerate the town? And
why can’t the Committee of Canolfan Senedd-Dŷ
Owain Glyndŵr, who has been
blessed with a wonderful building and at least £316,000 in public funding in
the last two years already, make an
astounding success of the Centre in the same way that similar centres such as
the Robert the Bruce in Bannockburn, the William Wallace Visitor Centre in
Stirling and both the Athenry and Brian Born Heritage Centres in Ireland are
able to do?
A small proportion of the blame must rest with the Town
Council for their failure to publicise the all important Owain
Glyndŵr history and association with their town as aforementioned in this
statement. Another proportion of blame can rest at the door of ‘Cadw’ who,
quite obviously have not advised or assisted the Centre on how to be innovative
and imaginative in attracting people to
the Centre. Also Cadw have not publiced the existence of the Centre enough (if at
all/) since the exhibition was opened by Alun Davies AM but, the brunt of the
blame must rest with the Centre’s Committee members who, it seems, is content
with leaving it to the exhibition as the only means to getting visitors in
through the doors – that is, when the doors are open! Why have they not got Owain Glyndŵr associated events and activities
taking place throughout the year? They
can not even erect flag posts outside the building and fly Owain Glyndŵr associated flags from these poles
throughout the year to draw the attention of passers by to the Centre.
Henry Evans, the Chairman of the committee is hoping that
Cadw will step in and ‘maintain’ the Centre, we would suggest that even if Cadw
did so, it would be futile in regards to capitalising on the Owain Glyndŵr associated history in the town unless
Cadw was prepared to accept Owain
Glyndŵr as our greatest of national heroes rather than a ‘rebel’ - which they
never will more than they would be prepared to accept the ‘Glyndŵr Crown’ as a
symbol of our Sovereignty. They cannot because they are employed by the English
state so, their Sovereignty is the English crown and seeing as the ‘Glyndŵr
Crown is meant to be the central focus of
the major annual Gŵyl Coroni Owain
Glyndŵr we have proposed as a means of regenerating Machynlleth, they are
hardly going to physically or financially organise that are they? So, ‘maintaining’ the Owain
Glyndŵr Centre just so that the status quo can prevail would be a national
scandal after all the public money that has already been given to the Centre
and at a time when the National Assembly and Cadw have declined to buy Glyndŵr’s
Old Parliament House in Dolgellau for a measly £55,000 in order to save and
protect this other piece of Cymric heritage for the nation!
Embassy Glyndŵr believes that there is a more realistic
alternative that can save the Centre and do a lot in regards to regenerating
the town at the same time and that is for
the Centre Committee and The Town Council to really recognise the
potential of Owain
Glyndŵr as their ‘Redeemer’ and seriously get together with the owners of Cefn
Caer and any other local interested parties to form a strong and disciplined
committee to organise the annual ‘Gŵyl Coroni Glyndŵr as proposed by Embassy
Glyndŵr as far back as the year 2000. It should be noted that we did write a
constitution for a local committee who had organised the festival, on a small
scale in 2009 but, again, the passion, commitment and enthusiasm was lacking
and that committee seems to have filtered out of existence after but one year.
Next year is the 660 anniversary of the birth of Owain Glyndŵr in 1354. In this connection, Embassy Glyndŵr is
‘promoting’ this historic event as GLYNDŴR
660 – 1354 – 2014. Note, we are ‘only’ promoting the date in the hope that
communities throughout Cymru will use the date as a launching pad for a three
year commemorative programme that will lead to a 2016 conclusion on the
platform of the MAB DAROGAN - GLYNDŴR RETURNS 2016. Birth is about rejuvenation and, in the
concept of Owain Glyndŵr, about the coming of our MAB DAROGAN – OUR REEDEMER. With imaginative use of the concept and yes, a lot of enthusiasm
and hard work, the Canolfan Senedd-Dŷ could really get ‘rejuvenated’ and they
also, like Glyndŵr, can return victorious by 2016.
Embassy Glyndŵr is still happy to advise and assist in any
practical way that Canolfan Senedd-Dŷ Glyndŵr or Machynlleth
Town Council may deem necessary to see the suggestions in
this report fulfilled.
Siân Ifan
CEO Embassy Glyndŵr.
PS:
Pobl Glyndwr, if you really want to see our Prince Owain Glyndwr return to Machynlleth and 21 Mehefin 1404 commemorated and celebrated in a truly fitting way annually. Then on and about 21 Mehefin 2014 as part of the G660 - 1354 Anniversary is the best time for us to relaunch what should be our greatest Patriotic Festival, now if you want to contribute in this great enterprise here is what you got to do rally to the support of Embassy Glyndwr and fully support all we are attempting on the G660 1354 - 2014 Platform and Vehicle towards a major patriotic revival with MAB DAROGAN - GLYNDŴR RETURNS 2016. Can you do that? If so, let us know and as important let us know what you can bring to the G660 Table also what contribution you might make to the relaunch of the annual Machynlleth Dydd y Senedd 21 Mehefin 'Troad y Rhod' Commemoration. See links below to inspire and motivate your potential contribution, further idetails on G660 to be released soon on, you will be informed via Newyddion Llysgenhadaeth Glyndwr blog as to when and where.
