SIMON WALKER - OUR WARDEN IN 1990 AND 1991

It is with great sadness that I have to report this Xmas, the death of one of our Wardens, Simon Walker. His wife, Jan, tells me that he was diagnosed back in the early summer with cancer but that chemotherapy was unsuccessful. He died just after Xmas, on the 28 December. He was only 52 years old.

I have tried to contact all the people who I think were around on Council when Simon and Jan were on the island but let me know if you know of someone who would want to know and may wish to write to his wife Jan, or even attend the funeral. (No date yet arranged).

I am sure all our thoughts are with Jan and their young son Angus.

Bevan

Pumpkin Soup

Celebrating Hallowe'en on Bardsey? Yes, just because we are three miles off the coast of Wales, we aren't completely out of touch with the rest of the world - and the Wardens were given (we should have grown them on the island!) several pumpkins by the last visitors of the season. Hence the whole island was treated to Pumpkin Soup - a great way to get together - and the soup was delicious.

Gwyn Tracey took these photos of us all - who the bloke with the camera is I have no idea! Must be the ghost of Cristin!

Newyddion Ynys Enlli

I am going to attempt to bring you some news in Welsh - but hasten to add that I do not write or speak Welsh. However, I will have the help of other Ynys Enlli followers who will hopefully feed me with information and translate a few articles. It was Ann Own Vaughan who suggested we start with an article written by Emyr Roberts, who regular visitors to the island will know, as he is the Trust Warden who lives at Nant at the north end of the island. It is about his job on the island now and his previous travels before coming to the island four years ago. I will try to give a short summary after the article in English for non-Welsh speaking readers. Emyr is pictured above ringing the Chapel bell at Steve and Emma's wedding.

I would welcome other contributions in Welsh about the Island, its residents and its wildlife - together with short English summaries. During the next three months, of course, as the Observatory is not occupied, news direct from the island will be minimal (but hopefully some from Ben Porter), so it would be nice to get a few Welsh contributions. Please comment on the Blog too - in English or Welsh.

Emyr's article first appeared in Llanw Llyn in November

Cefais fy ngeni a’m magu yng Nghwpennaner gerllaw Cerrigydrudion. Cychwynais fy ngyrfa mewn Meithrinfa Tŷ Gwydr ar y Wirral.

Ymunais â Gwasanaeth Gwirfoddol Dramor (VSO) yn 1971 a threulio 2 flynedd fel rheolwr ar Gynllun Peilot Dyfrhau Tir yn Zambia ble ddatblygais ddiddordeb mewn planhigion trofanol a choed.

Treuliais y rhan fwyaf o 25 mlynedd cyn dod i Ynys Enlli yn gweithio ar wahanol gynlluniau tirlun yn Saudi Arabia. Roedd y rhain yn cynnwys dinas ddiwydiannol newydd yn yr anialwch, ac yna ar ysbyty milwrol. Am y 15eg mlynedd olaf gweithiais i’r Awdurdod Awyrlu Gwladol Saudi mewn gofal o gynllunio a chynnal y tirlun a’r cynlluniau dyfrhau oedd a’u pencadlys yn Jeddah.Yn ogystal a’r 25 maes awyr cartref(domestic) ym mhob cwr o’r wlad. Roeddwn yn arfer hedfan ac archwilio y gwahanol feysydd awyr yn wythnosol.

Y tro cyntaf i mi ymweld ac Ynys Enlli oedd ar ddiwrnod sych,tawel ac oer ym mis Ionawr 2005 i gael golwg ar yr ynys cyn derbyn y swydd o fod yn warden gydag Ymddiriedolaeth Ynys Enlli. Er fy mod wedi derbyn y swydd yn syth cymerodd tan fis Ebrill i mi fedru cyrraedd yr Ynys wedyn a dechrau gweithio oherwydd y tywydd garw!

Mae fy amser ar yr ynys yn cael ei rannu’n ddwy ran dymhorol amlwg. Yn ystod tymor y gaeaf (Tachwedd i Ebrill)

Rwyf yn cario ymlaen i drwsio, cynnal ac atgyweirio y saith tŷ sydd yn cael eu gosod gan yr Ymddiriedolaeth fel tai gwyliau, y Capel, Ysgol a’r Abaty ac yn gwneud yn siwr fod y tai i gyd wedi eu paratoi ac yn barod ar gyfer yr ymwelwyr.

Mae’r tymor gwyliau yn cael ei ymestyn o tua ganol Mai yn hwyr i’r Hydref. Fel arfer mae’r Sadyrnau yn brysur dros ben. Dyma’r diwrnod pan fo’r ymwelwyr yn cyrraedd a gadael. Rhaid gofalu fod y bobl iawn (a’u bagiau dillad bwyd a.y.y.b.)yn mynd ar y cwch iawn ar yr amser iawn.Yn ogystal rhaid llnau’r tai ac ail lenwi’r nwyddau e.e nwy, cyn i’r ymwelwyr nesaf gyrraedd.Y rhan fwyaf o’r amser rydym yn ei gael yn iawn ond ambell waith mae pethau yn mynd o chwith!

Mae gweddill fy amser yn ystod y tymor yn cael ei dreulio yn atgyweirio,cynnal a chadw mân bethau, gan ofalu am y gerddi a’r tir oddi amgylch y tai a’r adeiladau, hefyd gofalu fod yr ymwelwyr i gyd yn gyffyrddus ac wedi setlo i mewn. Does dim dau ddiwrnod byth yr un fath.

Roedd y tai (a’r adeiladau fferm) i gyd wedi cael eu adeiladu gan Iarll Newborough ( neu o leiaf ei weithwyr) yn y 1870au. Mae’r tai i gyd erbyn hyn wedi cael eu cofrestru fel adeiladau gradd 2 ac ychydig o iawn sydd wedi cael ei wneud i’w newid. Mae gan bob un doiled compost, dŵr ffynnon ar dap, stôf nwy ac oergell ond nid oes gan yr un ohonynt drydan na theledu.

Mae llawer iawn o’r ymwelwyr yn dod yn rheolaidd blwyddyn ar ôl blwyddyn i fwyhau y tawelwch ac yn bell o sŵn ceir a bywyd prysur bob dydd. Mae’n braf cael mynd yn ôl mewn amser i fywyd syml fel roedd yn y gorffennol.

Fel arfer ryw hanner hanner o Gymru a Saeson sydd yn dod i aros. Rydym yn cael cefnogaeth dda iawn gan bobl Sir Fôn ond ychydig iawn o drigilion Pen Llŷn rydym yn ei weld er fod llawer ohonynt gyda chysylltiadau teuluol â’r Ynys.Buasem yn hoffi clywed gennych ac fe fydd croeso yn eich aros yma.

Emyr Roberts

Mae Emyr hefyd yn artist yn tynnu lluniau bendigedig o flodau ac mae yn gwerthu ei gardiau draw ar yr ynys.Maent yn werth eu gweld ac os cewch gyfle ewch i weld ei ardd yn llawn llysiau a blodau

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Summary:

The above article was written by Emyr Roberts, Bardsey Island Trust Warden and describes his background before he came to the island and his work for the Trust.

He was born in a small village near Cerrigydruidion in North Wales. He trained on a nusery on the Wirral and then went out to Zambia working on an irrigation project for VSO. He then spent 25 years out in Saudi Arabia working on grounds and landscaping around a military hospital and a regional airport.

He first visited Ynys Enlli in January 2005 before starting work the following month. He describes his work preparing and maintaining the houses and maintaining the chapel, the schoolroom and the abbey. He talks about his love for the peace and tranquility of the island and of the visitors, many of whom return year on year to the beauty of the island.

A postscript adds information about his love of both vegetable and flower gardening and his skills as an artist drawing flowers.

The photo was taken back in 1978 - 30 years ago.

Yes, it does include my wife, Diane, on the left - and our young son Adam. Denise Healey (our Sales Co-ordinator) is front right in sunglasses. The two ladies are Jean Bellamy and Alicia Normand. So, yes you've guessed it, the pirate is non other than a young, slim Bob Normand - who of course denies he ever looked like that. A party of 13 of us from the Midlands spent two weeks on the island doing Voluntary Conservation Work.

Today we have had a Meeting at Penkridge in Staffordshire of the Observatory Council with members attending from the south coast, south Wales, Anglesey and North Wales, Manchester, London and Birmingham and the Midlands. Steve, our Warden and Emma, and the Chairman, came down from Lancashire. It was a long meeting but we covered a lot of ground, attempting to solve problems and make plans for the future running of the Observatory next year and years to come. You will be pleased to hear that Steve and Richard will be continuing as our Warden and Assistant in 2009.

The Observatory is now empty for the next 3 months but our friends Steve Porter and his family at the farm will be keeping an eye on our property to make sure everything is kept dry and in working order for our return in the spring.

We hope to get news of any birds than their son Ben records on the island as he has volunteered to take on again the task of being our bird recorder for the three winter months. Thank you Ben. I look forward to hearing your news and seeing any photos you take.

Bevan