Since retiring, I joined several writing groups and in 2020 was asked to submit a piece, along with other members of Porthcawl’s U3A writing group for a project run by the Awen trust called ‘Soundscape’.
Unfortunately, Covid halted the ‘live’ performance. However, I was asked to make some videos from photos and writings submitted for a join project between the Awen Trust and Bridgend County Borough Council entitled ‘Stronger Together Bridgend’, one of the first being my own piece ‘My Happy Place’ accompanied by my own photographs and original music.
The Stronger Together Bridgend project is all about recognising that you are not alone and that we were all in Lockdown, due to the Covid pandemic together. The aim being to reach out digitally beyond the borders of social distancing, asking people to engage their creativity and share it with others.
The next video was ‘Welshness’, written and read by Alun Evans. “No one can minimise my Welshness…and that is that!”
This was followed by ‘Without You’ by Doug Jones. This moving piece empathises with all those feeling the pain of separation that many are experiencing at this time and makes it personal. Both these videos featured the photograph of David Pearce.
‘My Landscape’ by Anne Rees, read by Cath Van Wyk and Mike Church and featuring photos by Pete Coombs and myself.
Be proud to be Welsh and experience togetherness even at this time of ‘social distancing’ was the theme of Bill Lenihan’s piece entitled ‘Cymru’, read by Mike Church.
Having used many of his photographs, in the next video, local photographer David Pearce takes us on a photographic journey through the Ogmore Valley.
Then followed ‘Land of Song’ by John Coutanche from Porthcawl’s U3A, a truly inspired poem extolling the virtues of Wales.
In ‘My Valley’ you can enjoy a poignant description of the changing of a Welsh Valley through the years, written by John Davis, with images of the Rhonda Valley/Bridgend and Vale and East Wales by David Pearce.
With secluded coves, alive with flowers, rock pools and sandy strands, ‘Welsh Coastline’ by Gerry Ezard, is a perfect description of our glorious stretch of coast.