Machynlleth, Owain Glyndwr's Old Town

Machynlleth. Hen Dref Owain Glyndwr (Machynlleth. Owain Glyndwr's old town)

(Extract)

16mm, 1937, 50 minutes, Black & White and Colour, Silent, Local Topical, Arthur Prince

This Eisteddfod notched up a few firsts: female stewards wore Welsh dress and it was decided that Welsh should be the festival’s official language after resignations by some ajudicators in protest both at the increasing use of English and the involvement of the Marquis of Londonderry (owner of Plas Machynlleth) who had set up the RAF Penrhos Bombing & Gunnery School. Once the Eisteddfod was safely over, protestors Saunders Lewis, Lewis Valentine and D J Williams, who had set fire to the bombing school, were released from prison, D J Williams having adjudicated from his cell. Lloyd George is welcomed to the Plas and the exhibition by the Chair of the Art and Craft Committee, E Haddon Roberts. Roberts is seen with other members of the committee at the opening of the exhibition: Howell J Williams (a building contractor who presented land in London to the movement Cymru Fydd/Young Wales), Clement Davies (Liberal MP), Ernest Bennett (Labour MP), Percy Thomas (Architect, President – ARIBA), D J Ashton (Chair of the Executive Committee) and the Davies sisters – Gwendoline and Margaret of Llandinam (art collectors).

Note: 'Machynlleth. Hen Dref Owain Glyndwr' is available for viewing on the BFI Player