Past Events

BALLAD COMPETITION CAPTURES SPIRIT OF REBECCA

On Friday 4th November 2005, poets from all over Wales brought the Rebecca Riots to life at the Bro Beca Ballad Competition, Bloomfield House, Narberth.

It was thanks to the imagination of Professor Hywel Teifi Edwards that the competition was launched. Professor Edwards issued a challenge to Welsh poets to compose new ballads that celebrate the history of the Rebecca Riots and kindly agreed to lead the proceedings.

Ten ballads were submitted in all, five in the Welsh category and five in the English. Many competitors had travelled a great distance to participate. All entries were emotive and provoking, highlighting the significance of such social protests in today’s society.

Adjudications of the literary content were made by Merêd Evans and Phyllis Kinney. Both are renowned practitioners and scholars of Welsh folk music.

The first two prizes in the English language literary section were deservedly won by local poets. First prize of £150 and a beautiful trophy crafted by Roy Thedvall of Crymych, was presented to Chris Stephens from Llawhaden for his ballad ‘A Call to Narberth Town’. Second prize £100 went to Keith Skipper from Maenclochog for ‘An Amazing Race’. The third prize £50 went to Alun Howell from Caerphilly for ‘The Fields of Gelli Fechan’.

In the Welsh language literary section the first prize of £150 and trophy was awarded to Myrddin ap Dafydd from Gwynedd for his entry ‘Beca a’r Dragoons’ Myrddin ap Dafydd has won the Chair Competition at the National Eisteddfod on two occasions. Aled Lloyd Davies from Flintshire, long term supporter and performer at the National Eisteddfod, collected second prize £100 for ‘Llosgwn Y Iet’. Recently published local poet Wyn Owens from Mynachlog-ddu was awarded third prize £50 for his entry ‘Merched Beca’.

The competition for ‘Best Performance of the Evening’ in both Welsh and English was adjudicated by Robyn Tomos, visual arts officer for the National Eisteddfod and Tegwyn Jones formally of the National Library of Wales Aberystwyth, both particularly knowledgeable on folk music in Wales. The trophies were awarded to Aled Lloyd Davies for ‘Best Performance of the Evening in Welsh’ and jointly to Ffion Thomas from Powys and Cath Morgan from Swansea for ‘Best Performance of the Evening in English’.

Photo: left to right, Keith Skipper, Tegwyn Jones, Chris Stephens, Robyn Tomos, Ffion Thomas, Cath Morgan, Hywel Teifi Edwards, Sarah Pugh - Bro Beca Project Officer, Aled Lloyd Davies, Alun Howell, Wyn Owens and Arthur Thomas on behalf of Myrddin ap Dafydd.

The Bro Beca Project would like to thank all of the judges for their time and energy in adjudicating the competition, a task which was made particularly difficult due to the high standard of entries. Thanks also to Ann Lewis for translation at the event.

Photo: Bro Beca Ballad Competition Trophy designed and made by Roy Thedvall.

Prize sponsors were - Texaco, Ivor Rees and Sons, Richards Bros, Midway Motors, Jones Login, Young Bros, Menter Iaith Sir Benfro and PLANED, without their contributions the evening would not have been possible.

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BRO BECA BALLAD COMPETITION LAUNCH

On Friday 8th July 2005 Mererid Hopwood, Tecwyn Ifan and Hywel Teifi Edwards joined local people from across Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire at Caffi Beca in Efailwen to Launch the Bro Beca Ballad Competition. Back in November 2004 Hywel Teifi Edwards issued the challenge that the people of Wales should be inspired to compose new ballads to uphold the legend of Rebecca. At the launch he reminded us that the Legacy of Rebecca has just as much relevance today as it did in 1839. Mererid Hopwood highlighted the importance of remembering and celebrating Welsh history so that our unique heritage and culture is not lost to the ages. Tecwyn Ifan inspired those present by performing a number of ballads which told the story of Rebecca, including one of his own composition ‘Ysbryd Rebecca – The Spirit of Rebecca’.

Photograph left to right Richard Meade ACTT, Tecwyn Ifan, Sarah Pugh Bro Beca Project Officer PLANED, Mererid Hopwood and Hywel Teifi Edwards.

RIOTS ON THE ROAD

During January 2005 the Bro Beca Mobile Exhibition, housed inside Trinity College’s marketing trailer, visited communities throughout Carmarthenshire including Efailwen, Whitland, St Clears, Carmarthen, Drefach and Gwynfe. The exhibition told the story of the Rebecca Riots illustrating why the people of rural west Wales chose to break the toll gates of the turnpike trusts, the targets they chose and the consequences of their actions. The exhibition also told the story of the characters involved in the riots and the punishment they received for their participation in the Rebecca Riots.

Bro Beca Project Officer Owain Davies invited local people from each community to come and share what they knew about the history of the Rebecca Riots in their area. Many brought along photographs of re-enactments, newspaper clippings, postcards of village scenes, maps and stories they had heard from their relatives long gone.

The Bro Beca project is still interested in looking at any information you may have on the history of the Rebecca Riots, including what life was like in your community during the period from 1839 to 1844. If you have any information you would like to share with us please call Sarah Pugh on 01834 862105.

Photograph- The mobile exhibition outside the West Wales Centre for the Crafts in St Clears.
Photograph- Owain Davies and a member of the Efailwen community.
Photograph- Community members looking at the exhibition in Whitland.

BRO BECA FESTIVAL AND EVENTS TRAINING

Throughout January and February 2005 the Bro Beca Project based at ACTT in St Clears provided free festival and events training to community members across Carmarthenshire. The training was aimed at people who wanted to enhance an existing festival or start a new festival in their community. The training covered areas such as planning, funding, publicity and promotion, licensing and risk assessment. Each participant was given an information pack produced by PLANED. The training took place one evening a week at Carmarthenshire County Council Rural Business Development Centre at Nantyci.
If you would like to find out more about festival and events training in Pembrokeshire call PLANED on 01834 860965.

HYWEL TEIFI EDWARDS RE-IGNITES THE LEGEND OF REBECCA

On the 26th November 2004 at Llanboidy Village Hall, Hywel Teifi Edwards reminded us that the legacy of the Rebecca Riots has just as much relevance today as it did in 1839. In his passionate talk about the characters of the riots, the hero’s and villains, Hywel Teifi Edwards pointed out that it is important to remember and celebrate our history by continuing in our literary traditions. Brian John has recently done just that and was present to tell us about his new book the fourth in his ‘Angel Mountain’ saga, ‘Rebecca and the Angels’ a fictional depiction of life at the time of the riots portraying the reasons why people became involved in the revolt. Enthralling extracts from the book were read by Lis Evans, which described the meetings in the build up to the riots and the consequences suffered by those who took part. Llanboidy Village Hall proved an excellent venue for the evening. Llanboidy has great relevance to riots as Muriel Bowen Evans pointed out in her introduction, the Maesgwynne Gate was the second to be destroyed, after Efailwen, on 15th June 1839 during the original disturbances. The Bro Beca Project was delighted to host the evening of Rebecca would like to thank Hywel Teifi Edwards, Brian John, Lis Evans and Muriel Bowen Evans for their wonderful presentations and continued support for the Bro Beca Project.

The Bro Beca Project is funded by EU European EAGGF Objective 1 and is based at PLANED in Narberth.

Photograph left to right – Lis Evans, Sarah Pugh (Bro Beca Project Officer Pembrokeshire), Brian John, Hywel Teifi Edwards, Owain Davies (Bro Beca Project Officer Carmarthenshire), Muriel Bowen Evans.

PROJECT LAUNCH

The Launch of the Bro Beca Project took place at Bethlehem Chapel Hall and the White Lion public house in Pwll Trap on Friday 22nd November 2002. The evening involved a re-enactment of the Ceffyl Pren and the burning of the toll gate, an incident that transpired at Pwll Trap 160 years ago almost to the day. Ray Gravell played Beca in command of an unruly mob led by Dafydd Hywel consisting of students from Trinity College Carmarthen and members of Hoelion Wyth from Efailwen.

The evening began in the Chapel hall. Mererid Hopwood introduced the Bro Beca Project, followed by entertainments provided by the children of Ieuenctid Clwb Cristnogol San Clêr and Hoelion Wyth. Ray Gravell then took centre stage as the re-enactment began. He led the audience to the garden of the White Lion. The mob passed by the toll house, especially constructed for the evening, and marched on to the gate where a pantomime in the form of a Ceffyl Pren took place. The gate was destroyed and the fragments of wood were taken to the bonfire and set light to. The action concluded with another song from Hoelion Wyth and riotous chanting from the assembled crowd.

The audience were then invited into the White Lion to enjoy the hot cawl and bread provided and to partake of ‘Blas Beca’, a beer especially brewed for the project. The evening was rounded off with folk music performed by a local folk band.
The event was covered by the media including BBC Radio Cymru, Agenda for S4C’s Wedi 6 programme and was reported in the Western Telegraph, Carmarthen Journal, Tivyside Advertiser and Carmarthenshire /Pembrokeshire Life.
The evening was thoroughly enjoyed by all and provided an opportunity to talk to communities already involved in the project as well as those who were interested in joining. It established that events such as this would be viable in the future of the project, St Clears Bro Beca group have shown interest in making the occasion an annual event.
Most of the invited guests were eager to wear the Beca costumes provided and many blackened their faces. They were representatives of local communities already involved in the project and representatives of the partners in the project. The costumes and the Toll House are now available to any community who may wish to hold a re-enactment.
The launch has proved to be a great success and both ACTT and PLANED would like to thank all those who took part.

Photograph - Ray Gravell and Dafydd Hywel breaking the gate at the launch of the Bro Beca Project Pwll Trap, St Clears 22nd November 2002.

Bro Beca began in 2002 as a joint project between Pembrokeshire Local Action Network for Enterprise and Development (PLANED) and Antur Cwm Taf Tywi (ACTT).

The project aimed to assist communities in Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire to uncover and interpret their history in connection with the Rebecca Riots.

Bro Beca has been funded by the Wales Tourist Board, European Union EAGGF Objective 1, and the RSTP Fund.

The Bro Beca Project continues in Pembrokeshire under PLANED's Sense of Place Programme, funded by the Welsh Assembly Government's Rural Community Action Fund.