28/02/2021
It’s a Dydd Dewi Sant Hapus to all our Welsh listeners for Monday. First of March is St David’s Day. The patron saint of Wales, David was the Bishop of Mynyw, a settlement now known as Saint David’s, during the sixth century. He was an important figure in the early church across Europe. His symbol is the leek, and as BCFM’s Roma Widger found out during her morning programme on Wednesday, a delicious blend of Welsh leek, cheese, mustard and traditional beer is the topping for Welsh Rarebit. For our listeners overseas, Wales was conquered by England in 1282, itself under the susentry of the Norman French. However, its language, literature and cultural institutions survived. Today, Wales has its own Assembly and some self governance. The BBC operates two national radio stations, one of which is available for 19 hours a day in the Welsh language. A commercial television staton, S4C, broadcasts from 6am to 11pm in the Welsh language as well. The literary scene and regional filmmaking are both enjoying a strong renaissance.