Cymraeg

‘Dyddie dedwydd’ teithio ar drên i Gaerdydd

Published

11 years ago

December 30, 2014

PRYD fuoch chi ar drên ddiwethaf? Odych chi wedi bod ar siwrne drên hir yn ystod y mis diwethaf? Wedi mwynhau’r profi ad? Wedi cwrdd â theithwyr diddorol eraill? Am ffordd dda o hamddena ac ymlacio a theithio’r un pryd yn dyfe. Dyna wneuthum i ar ddydd Sadwrn yn ddiweddar. Parcio’r car yng Nghlunderwen, neidio ar y trên, ishte’n gyffyrddus yn darllen papur a gwylio’r byd yn mynd heibio trwy’r ffenestr nes cyrraedd Caerdydd. Wedd hyn cyn i’r tymor pêl-drwêd ddechre cofi wch a chyn i’r dwymyn siopa Nadolig gydio.

Clywn wragedd o’m hamgylch yn sôn yn afi eithus am y gwesty sba oedd yn eu haros yn rhywle ac am y priodase fydden nhw’n eu mynychu cyn hir. Claddu fy mhen yn erthygl Sadyrnol Lefi Gruffudd yn y ‘Western Mail’ a chynnwys y papure trymion wneuthum i. Darllen difyr. Pawb at y peth y bo. Ni chlywn y sgyrsie ffôn o’m hamgylch. Rhaid oedd cyfrif fy mendithion wrth gyrraedd y brifddinas.

Doedd dim rhaid i fi yrru. Doedd dim rhaid i mi fod yn effro i gadw llygad ar y drafnidiaeth ar hyd yr M4. Doedd dim rhaid i mi fod yn wyliadwrus rhag ymgolli mewn rhaglen radio a cholli golwg o droad neu gaffl o ar gylchdro. Doedd dim rhaid i mi whilo am le i barcio wedi cyrraedd pen fy siwrne a gwneud yn siŵr fod y taliad cwmws gen i. Doeddwn i ddim wedi blino fel y byddwn i pe bai rhaid i mi ganolbwyntio wrth y llyw.

Beth i’w wneud wedi cyrraedd? Treuliais getyn yn whilmentan ymhlith hen rifynne o’r ‘South Wales Echo’ yn y llyfrgell ysblennydd. Ond yn ofer. Pa ots? Mater o gadarnhau nad oedd y wybodaeth a ddeisyfwn ar gael yn hytrach na’i fod ar gael oeddwn i beth bynnag. Fel arfer cael fy llygad dynnu gan adroddiade eraill o achosion llys a digwyddiadau difyr yng Nghaerdydd a’r Cymoedd cyfagos nôl yn y 1960au.

Wedd amser yn hedfan. Doedd dim siom am na ddisgwyliwn ganfod yr hyn a chwiliwn amdano. Llymeitian wedyn o amgylch canol y ddinas a phen ucha’r docie gan ryfeddu at y newidiade a fu. Ceisio dyfalu ble’r oedd y tirnodau cyfarwydd y cofi wn i amdanyn nhw yn y 1970au a’r 1980au. Papaggios. Conossieurs. Barbarellas. Wedi difl annu.

Ond deil capel y Tabernacl yno. Rhaid mynd heibio i weld pa neges mae Denzil John wedi’i osod ar y baneri tu fas. Nid yn unig mae’r capel yno ond mae’n cyhoeddi ei bresenoldeb yn dalog. Negeseuon bachog gan amlaf yn tynnu sylw at rinwedde’r Crist. Tra bo’r siope’n tynnu sylw at fargenion y funud mae’r Tabernacl yn tynnu sylw at fargen pob oes. Wel, mae Giovannis yn dal yno beth bynnag.

A’r un teulu Eidalaidd wrth y llyw. Ma’ nhw’n cyfrannu at ddelwedd gosmopolitan ein prifddinas wrth i bob un ohonyn nhw barablu’n ddiedifar yn eu hiaith frodorol. Ma’ nhw’n chwerthin ei hochor hi. Mae’n rhaid bod yna dipyn o dynnu clun ar y gweill. Ma’ hynny’n ychwanegu at yr awyrgylch. Ni fedrwn beidio ag archebu gwydred o win coch gyda fy mhryd. Rhyw bobol o’r maestrefi wedi dod i mewn i siopa am y prynhawn oedd y gweddill o’r cwsmeriaid am wn i. Doedden nhw ddim yn awyddus i dynnu sgwrs.

Ceisia’r gŵr nesaf ata i ddarllen llyfr a oedd yn fi l o dudalennau yn ôl golwg ei drwch tra bwyteai ei basta. Canolbwyntiais ar fy ail lased o win. Erbyn i mi sychu fy swche roedd hi’n bryd dychwelyd i’r orsaf i ddala’r trên chwech. Ar fy ffordd nôl roedd hi’n braf dal pen rheswm â phobol o Shir Bemro. Roedden nhw’n teithio cyn belled â Hwlffordd. Cafwyd cyfl e i roi’r byd yn ei le. Doedd yna fawr o dro ers i’r Steddfod Genedlaethol fod yn Llanelli a rhaid oedd tafoli ei llwyddiant. Roedd y pâr o Gas-blaidd a’r pâr o Dremarchog yn wybodus yn y pethe ma.

Byrhawyd y daith. Gyferbyn â mi eisteddai dau strab oedd yn astudio’r Racing Post ac yn defnyddio ffôn mudol i fetio ar rasys ceffyle. Prin oedd eu llwyddiant. Cyfarchwyd pob ceiniog a gollwyd gyda’r geirie, ‘wel, na fe, dyddie dedwydd, dyddie dedwydd’. Cafwyd diwrnod dedwydd o siwrne drên i Gaerdydd ac yn ôl. Fe’i cymeradwyaf.

Cymraeg

Welsh Language and Education Bill becomes law

Published

3 days ago

July 7, 2025

Tom Sinclair

New Act aims to ensure all pupils become confident Welsh speakers

LANDMARK legislation designed to give every child in Wales the opportunity to become a confident Welsh speaker has officially become law today (Monday, July 7).

The Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Act received Royal Assent this afternoon, marking a major step forward in the Welsh Government’s ambition to reach one million Welsh speakers by 2050.

The Act places a renewed emphasis on the role of the Welsh language in education, with the long-term goal of ensuring that all pupils attending maintained schools in Wales leave as independent Welsh language users.

Speaking at the Bill’s sealing ceremony, First Minister Eluned Morgan said: “The Welsh language belongs to us all. This Act builds on the excellent work already happening across Wales. It gives children and young people a better chance to become Welsh speakers, bringing us closer to our aim of one million Welsh speakers in Wales.”

The legislation sets out a clear framework to strengthen Welsh-medium education and embed the language more deeply across all school settings.

Cymraeg

New research finds strong trends towards Welsh language place names

Published

3 weeks ago

June 18, 2025

Tom Sinclair

RESEARCH on how property, street, and business names are changing across Wales shows a clear shift towards using Welsh language place names.

The report commissioned by the Welsh Government collected a wide range of valuable evidence, including:

Local authorities received three times more applications for Welsh language street names than English language names between 2018-2023.
Most changes to property names do not involve a change in the language of the property name.
When they do change language, properties are at least three more likely to be renamed from English to Welsh than from Welsh to English.
In all regions of Wales, more house names are changed from English to Welsh than Welsh to English.
People report that Welsh house names give them “a sense of pride, place or nostalgia”.
Welsh Language Secretary Mark Drakeford said: “Place names help tell the story of who we are as a nation, and this new research helps us understand our linguistic landscape. I’m encouraged to see more people embracing Welsh property names, regardless of their background.”

The research focused primarily on property names, business names, and street names, with the need for further investigation into names for topographical features in the natural environment also highlighted.

As part of the Welsh Government’s wider work to promote and celebrate Cymraeg and our culture, it has established a network of Cultural Ambassadors to support the language in their communities. The Cultural Ambassadors will be able to draw upon the List of Historic Place Names of Wales, which includes over 700,000 names and is funded by the Welsh Government.

Mark Drakeford said: “I’m proud to launch the gold level of our cultural ambassadors course, where people can learn more about the language and our culture online. The course includes modules on a range of topics including place names. If you want to support the Welsh language in your area, or know somebody who would be an ideal ambassador, then go for it.”

Cymraeg

Welsh Language Commissioner publishes bold manifesto ahead of 2026 election

Published

3 weeks ago

June 18, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Parties urged to adopt key Welsh language priorities

THE WELSH LANGUAGE COMMISSIONER, Efa Gruffudd Jones, has published an ambitious manifesto setting out five key priorities for the future of the Welsh language—calling on all political parties to adopt the proposals ahead of the Senedd Cymru elections in 2026.

While acknowledging the financial pressures faced by public bodies, the Commissioner has identified areas where meaningful progress can still be made in strengthening the use of the Welsh language during the next Senedd term.

The proposals include extending statutory Welsh language duties to more public services, creating a new specialist unit to promote the use of Welsh in the workplace, and ensuring mandatory language training for all education professionals.

“My ambition as Commissioner goes beyond a narrow interpretation of my statutory role,” said Ms Gruffudd Jones. “This manifesto calls for action and leadership from the Welsh Government—regardless of its political makeup—and for wider support to enable key partners, including my own office, to help make a lasting difference.”

She emphasised the critical timing of the manifesto, with the forthcoming implementation of the Welsh Language and Education Bill and the recommendations of the Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities set to shape the language landscape in Wales.

“I am fully aware of the pressures on our public bodies. That is why we are focusing on five clear, practical priorities which follow the path outlined in our strategic plan. I am confident these areas can deliver measurable improvements in the use of the Welsh language.”

The Commissioner’s office now intends to meet with political parties to present the proposals in more detail and press for their inclusion in party manifestos ahead of the election.

The five priorities are:

Language duties – Extend Welsh language standards to more public services to increase the availability of Welsh-medium provision.
Community language planning – Strengthen the promotion standards to support coordinated, place-based language planning in Welsh-speaking communities.
Workplaces – Create a dedicated unit within the Commissioner’s office to support and increase the use of Welsh in the workplace.
Health and clinical care – Improve access to Welsh-language clinical care through targeted investment and policy intervention.
Education workforce – Introduce a five-year compulsory Welsh language training framework for all teachers and education staff in Wales.

The full manifesto is available to view via the attached document. Please note the embargo details contained within.