Cambria Magazine - Editor's Letter Feb 2010

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Spring 2010

Editor's Letter Feb 2010

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Cambria Politico

CAMBRIA POLITICO

Editor's Letter Feb 2010

WE HAVE LOST A VERY DEAR FRIEND IN HYWEL TEIFI EDWARDS, AND WALES HAS LOST A PEERLESS PATRIOT AND A DOUGHTY CHAMPION. His absolute belief in Wales, his passion for Welsh history and for the nation’s right - destiny - of self-determination are a lesson and an inspiration to all. His humour, his turn of phrase and his mastery of the finest aspects and nuances of both languages are irreplaceable. Nobody can possibly have met him or heard him speak without having felt the profound imprint of his incredible personality. We are immensely privileged - and hugely honoured - to be able to say ‘he was our friend’.

We were incredibly touched when, early in the morning on Christmas Day in 2008, he rang Henry and I to tell us that he was dedicating his book, The National Pageant of Wales, to us both. This excellent book is essential reading to discover Hywel
Teifi’s views on what it is to be Welsh. This reminds me of the speech he gave at the 2005 National St. David’s Day Parade in Cardiff when he berated, in stinging, excoriating tones those still sitting in Cardiff ’s warm cafés (it was snowing) for not pouring out and joining us to celebrate our national day. I remember also how often he reiterated that it is not the English who are our enemies, or that all our problems can be ascribed to them, but it was down to our own apathy, our own weakness, our own failure of will, our own lack of patriotism; in particular, it was our own lack of backbone he hated so much. In the memory of this giant of a Welshman, come and join us on this year’s National St David’s Day Parade at 12.30 on Monday, 1st March outside City Hall.

The other day a man from the Valleys telephoned. He hadn’t been able to find Cambria in his local newsagent; he told me that, having seen a copy of Cambria in a friend’s house, it had answered a need he hadn’t realised he had, a thirst for knowing more about what he felt was his true history - the core of his being.
Hywel Teifi told us that we ourselves didn’t know how important Cambria was, how it spoke to people, moved them and inspired them. When Henry and our son Tomos visited him in hospital a few days before he died he told them - only half in jest - that he would miss his Cambria when he was gone. Cambria is here because of him, because of Gwynfor, and because of, and for, all of you who believe, and it is produced in honour of all the heroes of Wales, sung and unsung - today’s and yesterday’s. It is the spirit of Hywel Teifi that will make the Wales of tomorrow.

Henffych well, Hywel Teifi! Llewyrched goleuni gwastadol arno.