eisteddfod

Cymdeithas Eisteddfodau Cymru (Association of Welsh Eisteddfodau) honoured 25 people who between them had more than 900 years of service to their local festivals.

Cardiff council leader Rodney Berman said: "We don't have any problem with the city hosting Eisteddfodau.

Cymdeithas Eisteddfodau Cymru (Association of Welsh Eisteddfodau) officials have been handed a pounds 36,000 grant by the Welsh Government to help develop the network of festivals staged in village halls, community centres and chapels across Wales.

Asked whether Cardiff's residents would be tired of Eisteddfodau by May, he said: "If you ask the people of Cardiff, you would get lots of different opinions.

More than 30 volunteers, who have more than 2,000 years of service between them, were feted at the annual meeting of Cymdeithas Eisteddfodau Cymru (Association of Welsh Eisteddfodau) on the Maes.

The Urdd Eisteddfod differs from the National Eisteddfod in that district and regional Eisteddfodau are held during the Spring.

Now the Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded Cymdeithas Eisteddfodau Cymru (the society of eisteddfodau) pounds 55,000 to help reverse what it calls the 'worrying trend' of the past decade.

"This is important because without the smaller village eisteddfodau it will, eventually, impact on the National Eisteddfod.

"Mi fydd 'na ymdeimlad o nostalgia wrth inni edrych yn l ar rai o Eisteddfodau'r gorffennol," meddai Catrin Evans, un o gynhyrchwyr rhaglenni'r dydd.

And although I cringe every time I see the photo of myself holding a shield with my 'Lady Di' hairstyle and frilly collar, I also appreciate that I would never have been able to have the confidence to stand in front of a crowd if it wasn't for eisteddfodau. If anything, the small local eisteddfodau are as important as the national festivals.

"We hope staging the two eisteddfodau in Cardiff will inspire a generation to learn and use the Welsh language in the future."

With the Urdd Eisteddfod coming soon, this weeK we looK at various eisteddfodau, from local village ones, to National ones, and even one in Egypt of all places!

Normally the venue for subsequent eisteddfodau is fixed more than two years in advance, to allow early work to start on local fundraising while the Eisteddfod is in the region it will revisit two years later.

Youngsters across Wales are busy preparing for district Eisteddfodau to be held in the next few weeks, to be followed later in March by county Eisteddfodau.

Ac fel cynifer o Eisteddfodau Wrecsam, roedd hon yn weyl i'w chofio.