³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

Every year thousands of Welsh sports fans stand with tears in their eyes as the band plays and the national team prepares to take on the might of England, Ireland, the All Blacks or whoever.

Welsh Anthem songsheet

They will bawl out the words - most of them only half remembered - and happily sing or hum to the tune of Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau. And they will never give a thought to the man who composed the music for what is, possibly, the most atmospheric and memorable of all national anthems.

James James was born in 1833 and died on 11 January 1902. These days he remains something of a forgotten man but this was the musician who composed our national anthem. And as if that wasn't enough it was his father, Evan James, who wrote the words.

James James was a musician of note. He competed in many eisteddfodau around the Pontypridd area and held the bardic name Iago ap Ieuan.

He lived in Pontypridd at the bottom of the Rhondda Valley and was heavily influenced by his surroundings. In fact, to begin with, his magical piece of music was actually known as Glan Rhondda. Under that title it was performed many times, in chapels or at eisteddfodau.

Only when the tune and its lyrics were included in a collection of manuscript music, Gems Of Welsh Melody, was the title changed to the one we know today.

James James was a harpist who was well known in the Pontypridd area. He ran a pub in the town and was a regular performer at other taverns where his music was always in demand for dancing. Indeed, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau was originally intended to be played at a much faster pace - to allow for dancing - but had to be slowed down when it was sung or performed by choirs.

Legend declares that James composed the piece in his head as he was walking alongside the river in his native town in late 1855 or early 1856. He then supposedly went home and hummed the tune to his father - a noted bardic poet - and asked him to put some lyrics to the tune. It took, so the story goes, just one night and by the following day all three verses and chorus were written.

The second and third verses of the anthem are rarely used these days. But they are clearly an attempt to invoke the patriotic spirit in all Welshmen:

"If the enemy violated my country underfoot
The old language of the Welsh is alive as ever,
The spirit isn't hindered by the awful, treacherous deed
Nor the sweet harp of my country."

The words are undoubtedly more powerful in Welsh rather than the English translation but they certainly make their point - in either language.

Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau was first performed (as Glan Rhondda) at Tabor Chapel in Maesteg in January 1856, the soloist being Elizabeth John of Pontypridd. It went on to be sung at many subsequent eisteddfodau and in March 1899 was one of the first Welsh language songs to be recorded on vinyl when a singer by the name of Madge Breese included it in a collection of songs she was recording.

In the years following its composition the song had become increasingly used at patriotic gatherings and gradually found itself metamorphosing into a national anthem.

In 1905, as a repost to the New Zealand All Blacks and their traditional pre-match haka, it was decided to encourage the crowd to sing Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau before the kick off. Up to that moment that moment there had been no history of singing national anthems before a game but there was such an impressive response (and, of course, Wales won) that it soon became traditional for all international sides to stand and sing their anthem before kick off.

James James died on 11 January 1902 in his 69th year. He was buried in the churchyard at Aberdare along with his wife Cecilia and daughter Louise.

There is a memorial to James - and to his father Evan - in Ynysangharad Park in their native Pontypridd. It takes the form of two figures, one representing music, the other poetry, and is a fitting tribute to the two men who gave Wales her National Anthem.

Find out more about Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau on the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Wales Music website.

The reign of Henry VIII was significant for many reasons, not least the break from Rome. This abandoning of Catholicism and the creation of the Anglican Church - fuelled by nothing more than Henry's need to sire a son - ushered in a period of religious and social discord that, ultimately, lasted for over 100 years.

Henry's religious settlement was, at best, a lukewarm affair. His interest was not theology, only to secure the Tudor succession, but during the short and tempestuous reign of that son, Edward VI, the Protestant religion was firmly established in Britain. So when, after Edward's death in July 1553, the Catholic came to the throne it was clear that great troubles lay ahead.

Mary quickly re-established the Catholic religion, re-introducing the Catholic mass and requiring everyone to acknowledge the authority of the Pope in Rome. Committed Christians, many of whom had only really known the Protestant religion, were faced with a terrible dilemma - a dreadful death, burnt at the stake for failing to recant, or the death of their immortal souls for accepting a creed in which they did not believe.

During Mary's reign nearly 300 people were burnt, including 55 women and a number of children. Many more died in prison whilst awaiting trial or execution.

The queen's revenge touched everyone, rich or poor alike. Archbishop Cranmer, architect of Henry's religious reformation, was one of them. And so, too, was a poor fisherman from Cardiff, by the name of Rawlins White.

White was executed on 30 March 1555, the fire that took his life being built outside Bethany Church in the centre of Cardiff. The site of the old church is now occupied by James Howells Department Store; a plaque on one interior wall of the shop marks the spot where White breathed his last.

Rawlins White was a fisherman who had little reading and probably spoke only Welsh. However, he was extremely religious and with the aid of one of his sons read the Holy Scriptures every night.

He was also profoundly influenced by the itinerant preachers who travelled the country and regularly came to Cardiff during the reigns of Henry and Edward. He certainly had a good memory and happily passed on the stories and doctrines that had been given to him by these preachers.

Once Mary had instituted her reforms, the Bishop of Llandaff, now strongly Catholic once again, tried to prevent Rawlins White from talking to the people - preaching to them would be too strong a word. White refused to stop, believing he was doing God's work. And, more importantly, he refused to accept the authority of the Bishop in Rome.

Faced by such a refusal, the Bishop had little alternative, although it has to be asked if, over time, White's nuisance value would simply have gone away. Rawlins White was arrested and imprisoned, first, at Chepstow and then in Cardiff Castle. He languished there for a year, the authorities clearly hoping he would change his mind and recant his Protestant views. The Cardiff fisherman did nothing of the sort.

Eventually, White was sent to a prison in Cardiff called the Cockmarel where conditions were at best primitive, at worst appalling. He still refused to recant and was eventually convicted of heresy and of spreading such heresy to others. His fate was to be burnt alive.

On 30 March 1555 White was conducted to the site of execution. He was escorted by many soldiers and apparently commented that they were not needed; he was not proposing to go anywhere. He showed no fear as he was chained to the stake but asked the jailers to make sure that the chain was tight in case his flesh was weak once the flames began. As preparations continued, White carefully arranged the wood and straw around his body in order that the flames should do their work as quickly as possible.

He wept when he saw his wife and children in the crowd but not once did he show signs or give any indication that he recanted his views.

The fire was lit, to cries of "Burn him, let the fire be lit" from the hundreds of watchers. It must have been a terrible death, the pain and anguish only too easy to imagine. White's legs burned quickly and his body slumped forward over the chain into the fire. Whether or not he was already dead will never be known.

Rawlins White was one of only two Welsh heretics burnt at the stake during the reign of Bloody Mary. The other was Robert Farrar, Bishop of St David's, who died on exactly the same day in Carmarthen.

The two executions mark an appalling and dreadful period in Welsh and British history when religion and the belief of many were used and abused to further the ends of the state and of those with the ultimate power - the power of life and death over their fellow men.

There are many significant dates in Welsh history, moments that we should remember and celebrate, but one that seems to have slipped under the radar - at least for lots of people - is 25 March. For on that momentous day in 1807 the opened, the first fee paying passenger railway service in the world.

Wales had already seen the advent of the first steam locomotive service. That was in 1804 when Cornish engineer Richard Trevithick built and ran a steam engine that was used to draw iron from Merthyr Tydfil to Abercynnon. This was, however, clearly a goods line and passengers never came into the picture, not as far as Trevithick was concerned nor the owners of the iron works. Trevithick's engine was not a major success and he soon left Wales to return to his native Cornwall.

The Mumbles Railway was built under an Act of Parliament in 1804, authorising the removal and carriage of limestone from the quarries at Mumbles to the docks area of nearby Swansea. From there the limestone would be sent to all corners of the world. Construction was completed in 1806 and services began. There was no formal opening ceremony and, to begin with at least, it was industrial product rather than people that was the important factor.

However, as Patrick Thornhill has written, the thrill of an illicit ride on this early railway soon became a natural part of the games of children from the area:

"What could be more fun for the children than a coach ride along the shore to Mumbles? One hears the thud of the horses' hooves, the gritting of sand between rail and wheel, the thunder and swish of breakers."

At this stage the operation was known as the Oystermouth Railway, only later acquiring the correct name of the Swansea and Mumbles Railway - or the Mumbles Railway as it was soon called. There was no road link between Swansea and Mumbles and, when they looked at the children hitching rides on the trams, it did not take local entrepreneurs long to realise that some form of passenger service, for people who wanted or needed to make the trip, could be something of a goldmine.

In 1807 permission was given for the line to carry passengers. Benjamin French, one of the early investors in the project, paid £20 for the right to run the line and carry passengers.

The concession was for one year only and on 25 March 1807 the world's first passenger railway began operations. It was a huge success, so much so that French and his partners quickly upped their offer to £25 a year in order to continue with the arrangement.

It was an amazing achievement for small investors from south Wales. George Stephenson did not open his Stockton and Darlington Railway (the first public railway to use steam powered locomotives) until 1825 and by then the Mumbles Railway had been running for nearly 20 years.

Despite the ground-breaking achievement of Trevithick's steam engine at Merthyr, the first passenger wagons on the Mumbles Railway were actually drawn by horses. Over the years several other means of transportation were tried, ranging from a short-lived attempt at sail power to steam and electric - more means of transportation than any other railway ever attempted.

However, towards the end of the 1820s a turnpike road was built between Swansea and Mumbles, the road actually running parallel to the railway line. The success of this road deprived the Mumbles Railway of much of its traffic and Simon Llewellyn, who was then running the railway, decided to stop carrying passengers after 1826 - by sheer coincidence, at the very moment when Stephenson's Stockton and Darlington Railway was gathering force and momentum.

For some years the line was almost derelict although it was still used for occasional deliveries of coal from mines in the Clyne Valley. Then, in 1855, George Byng Morris decided to take a hand and invest in the railway. He replaced the plates on which the original wagons had run with edged rails and installed standard gauge lines (four foot, eight and a half). A horse drawn passenger service was duly reintroduced.

Steam power replaced horse-drawn vehicles in 1877 although, for a number of years, horses were still used as a dispute between the railway and the Swansea Improvements and Tramway Company (which owned the locomotives) rumbled on.

The line celebrated its centenary in 1907 and was electrified in 1928. A full 'tram' service began in 1929 with eleven double decker trams, the largest ever built in Britain, being delivered for use on the Railway.

After World War Two it quickly became clear that the age of the tram car was nearly over as modern buses, more effective and efficient than trams - but not nearly so atmospheric - began to be introduced in cities right across the United Kingdom. In 1958 the Mumbles Railway was bought by the South Wales Transport Company. They ran coaches and buses in the Swansea area and it soon became clear what they had in mind.

On 5 January 1960 the last tram left Swansea for the Mumbles and the railway, which had run for over 150 years finally closed down. At the time of its closure the Mumbles Railway was the longest running railway in the world but that meant nothing to the businessmen who were concerned solely with efficiency and with profit.

There have been many talks about re-opening the railway/tramway but these have never got beyond the discussion stage. Wales - and Swansea and the Mumbles - can be proud, however, because this railway line will always be remembered as the first passenger railway service in the world.

Modern visitors, people from places like the USA and the Far East, men and women who know little or nothing about Welsh history, heritage and culture, might be excused for thinking that many, if not most, of our valleys were never industrialised at all.

Welsh miners at Tylorstown Pit, Rhondda, 1943

They might have heard stories about hymn singing Welsh miners on their way to and from the pit but where, they might ask, is the evidence?

Such is the extent of modern day de-industrialisation that in many places visitors invariably see only green hills and rugged mountains; the coal mines and iron works, the copper mills and the steel works, that once littered the valley floors might never have existed at all. And yet, as those of us who live in Wales know only too well, nothing could be further from the truth.

And yet it did not begin that way. Until the middle years of the 18th century it is fair to say that industry, where it existed in Wales, was decidedly small scale with a mixed and part-time work force.

Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, men, women and children would labour in the fields, on the farms, during the summer months and at harvest time.

But when agrarian needs were not so pressing they would move across to the coal mines and iron foundries to earn their daily bread.

The first reference to coal in the country came in 1248 but it was not until many years later, in 1695, that began to use the fuel to smelt copper in the area around Neath. It was a slow beginning of a process that took years to reach fulfilment.

Two of the driving forces behind the industrialisation of the country were war and a desire for improved social environments. Conflicts such as the costly Napoleonic War demanded new weapons - guns and cannon - while better wages and living conditions in cities like London meant that there was an urgent need for more luxury goods.

From the 1850s onwards, as the Industrial Revolution began to throw up an unprecedented demand for iron, copper and tinplate that people began to realise that Wales might be the answer to difficulties such as supply and demand.

By the middle years of the 1860s the Mona and Parys copper mines on Anglesey had been created and were employing no fewer than a thousand men - and women. The slate mines and quarries of Blaenau Ffestiniog and Llanberis gave employment to thousands more.

When a copper smelting plant was established at Swansea it created a community that soon became known as Copper Kingdom, its sailing ships travelling across the world with cargoes of the precious metal.

When, at the end of the 19th century, investors like John Guest and Richard Crawshay saw that all the materials needed to produce iron - iron ore, limestone, coal and wood - were readily available in Wales, there was a rush to the valleys of south Wales.

By 1820, just five years after the end of the Napoleonic War, under the leadership of men like Crawshay and Francis and Samuel Homfray, the ironworks of Wales were producing nearly half of all Britain's iron exports.

And coal? Until the 1830s Welsh coal had been used principally as household fuel. Then came the steam ships of the Royal Navy and the burgeoning of the new railway system. And coal, its production and delivery, became an industry in its own right rather than being simply an extra, an adjunct to the smelting of iron and copper.

In 1850 the Rhondda Valleys, both Fach and Fawr, boasted fewer than 1000 inhabitants. By 1910 the coal rush - for such it was - had increased the population of the two valleys to over 150,000. People worked long hours in difficult and dangerous conditions.

Wages, although no doubt better than would have been earned on the farms of the rural homelands, were low and many workers were paid in tokens that were only redeemable in the company truck shop - where prices were, of course, very high.

Almost overnight the valleys turned black from smoke and soot and grime. The angular arches of pit winding gear and huge mountains of slag littered the hills. Houses lined the valley sides and the delicate infrastructure of the communities was simply not able to cope.

Poor housing, awful sanitary arrangements, dreadful living conditions - they brought diseases such as cholera, typhoid and typhus. And, of course, it was inevitable that, sooner or later, discontent would be sure to raise its head.

The Merthyr Riots of 1831, which saw the death of more than a dozen rioters and the arrest and subsequent execution of , were just the tip of the iceberg. Bands of men, known as Scotch Cattle, were soon roaming the valleys and hillsides, supposedly punishing those who sided with the mine and foundry owners but, in reality, stealing, looting and bullying anyone with whom they did not agree.

The Chartist movement had begun in the 1830s. It was a movement dedicated to social and political reform and its members were committed to achieving fair representation for all working men.

Their six point charter of 1838 demanded, amongst other things, the vote for all men over the age of 21, a secret ballot and payment for all MPs. In Wales, with the appalling conditions of the industrial areas clear for all to see, the Chartists were well supported.

On 2 November 1839 Welsh Chartists planned a march to Newport. Men came from all the industrial areas of south east Wales and at the town's Westgate Hotel, with feelings running high on both sides, there was a full-scale clash between the marchers and soldiers. Twenty men were killed and the Chartist leaders - John Frost, Zephaniah Williams and William Jones - were arrested and later transported.

Welsh opposition to the mine owners and the drive to improve conditions in the mines, factories, steel and iron works of the country did not end with the failure of Chartism. Men and women continued to fight for their rights but, despite terrible conditions, it was not until the nationalisation of most of Britain's industries in the years directly after the World War Two that working conditions really improved.

As the 20th century drew to a close it was clear that the industrial valleys of Wales were also nearing the end of their working life. Coal seams were petering out, cheaper fuel was available from abroad and the iron and steel industries were but a shadow of their former selves.

Visitors to the now green-again valleys might applaud the process but it is difficult to know if those who spent their lives underground or working in the blast furnaces would agree or not.

Ten north Wales relics that are currently in storage or on display in museums from Chester to Cardiff have been brought back to life with the help of digital lasers.

The exhibition at Llandudno Museum

The relics have been created as holograms and are now a touring exhibition. The holograms were produced in collaboration with OpTIC in St Asaph (part of Glyndr University) in Denbighshire and View Holographics in Colwyn Bay.

Artefacts from the Burton Hoard, found near Wrexham, on the exposure table at OpTIC for the creating of the hologram.

The artefacts on show are:

• An owl shaped Tudor cup and ring
• a lead drove found at Vallecrucis Abbey in Llangollen
• A Bronze Age axe head found at Dinas Bran, Llangollen
• A 14,000 year old decorated horse jaw bone from Kendrick's Cae, Llandudno
• Roman brooches found in Rhyl
• The Bardsey Crows
• Roman beads found in Bangor
• Stone relief tablet depicting the Roman god Mars from the Roman Segontium fort near Caerarfon
• A decorated bronze plaque reputedly thrown into the waters of Llun Carreg Bach, Anglesey during the Dark Ages

The Holograms Exhibition runs at until Friday 8 April (excluding Mondays). Call 01492 876517 for details.

You can find out more about the technology used to create the Virtual Artefacts Touring Exhibition on the website. It also has a .

You can read more about the exhibition in .

At the end of the 19th century she was known as the Welsh Fasting Girl and regarded as a miracle: the little 12-year-old who had not eaten for over two years.

In an age where spirituality clashed with the new teachings of science, she was an undoubted phenomenon, but whether or not her "miracle" was of her own making or something that was forced on her by manipulative parents remains unclear.

However you view it, the story of Sarah Jacobs is one of fascinating and tragic proportions. In the end she was killed by her own fame, a fame that, to begin with at least, she seemed more than eager to grasp.

Sarah Jacobs was born on 12 May 1857 on a farm just outside the village of in Carmarthenshire. Her parents, Evan and Hannah Jacobs, held respectable positions in this rural community, Evan having been a deacon in the local chapel. At the age of nine Sarah fell ill with convulsions of some type.

As she recovered she was allowed to sleep in her parents bedroom, a warm and comfortable environment compared to the loft where she would otherwise have spent her days. There was no denying that lying in bed all day, composing poems and reading the Bible, was far preferable to looking after the animals on the farm.

Spoiled and cosseted, she began to refuse food. She was genuinely religious but whether her refusal to eat had spiritual undertones or was simply the machinations of a manipulative anorexic has never been clear.

She was a self-possessed and bright child and, whatever the cause, she soon began to see the value in what she was doing. Perhaps her parents encouraged her in what was clearly a deception that fooled virtually everybody. Evan and Hannah later claimed that their daughter had had no food whatsoever from 10 October 1867 until her death two years later in December 1869.

As the fasting went on Sarah became something of a local celebrity, with people from the village wondering at her refusal to either eat or drink. And so it might have remained if the local vicar had not written to the newspapers about this amazing miracle that was occurring in his parish.

Sarah's fame was assured almost overnight. Soon people were coming from far afield, from the English cities as well as Wales, catching the train to Pencader and walking over two miles to the farm to stand gazing in wonder at this young girl who was defying the laws of nature. They brought gifts and money for her, dropping their sovereigns onto the bedspread as she lay, surrounded by flowers, reading and quoting the Bible.

Everyone marvelled at her appearance, one visitor remarking: "Her eyes shone like pearls, as alert as my own - - - She had rosy cheeks and looked like a lilly amongst thorns."

To live for over two years without food or water is, clearly, impossible but in the Victorian Age people really believed they were witnessing a miracle. How Sarah got her food is not known.

Some believe her sister was feeding her, passing titbit's from her mouth whenever they kissed. Others are inclined to the view that Sarah fed herself, climbing out of bed when the rest of the house was asleep.

Her body would have become used to reduced amounts of food, and she had often refused to eat her lunch in the past. When at school she had asked her classmates not to tell anyone, her parents in particular.

With her case attracting more and more interest, the vicar and the medical profession decided to mount a watch over Sarah. This was to last for a fortnight. Evan Jacob agreed but the watch did not last both day and night and the findings were unclear.

As Sarah grew fatter and plumper, reaching full maturity despite her lack of food, people began to suspect fraud. Dr Phillips of decided to organise another vigil. Six nurses were brought in to mount a 24 hour watch on the girl.

And now Sarah's position became really untenable. If she had previously been able to slip out of bed to find food in the night, now it was impossible.

She could not admit to fraud or lying; pride or religious conviction, or even her undiagnosed medical condition, would not let her. And so she simply lay there, waiting to die, as the nurses watched and made notes in their diaries.

The experiment was cruel: the nurses were instructed not to treat or help, simply to mount a watch. If Sarah asked for food they were to give it but otherwise they were to do nothing. And, of course, she did not, and the tragedy was to be played out until the bitter end.

, the main journal of the medical profession, later commented that practitioners everywhere should be "filled with feelings of shame and indignation."

After four or five days Sarah lapsed into semi-consciousness and on 12 December 1869 she died. The 'miracle' was over.

An autopsy was held at the Eagle Inn in the village and a sticky substance and the bones of a small bird or fish were found in Sarah's stomach. Clearly, she had eaten something.

More tragic, however, were the grooves found on her toes - as if she had been trying to open the cap of the stone water bottle that had been placed in her bed, a desperate attempt to get water.

Evan and Hannah Jacob were subsequently convicted of manslaughter and spent 12 and six months, respectively, in Swansea prison. No-one could prove that they had deliberately starved and, eventually, killed their daughter but they - like the medical profession, although the doctors and nurses were never prosecuted - were certainly guilty of doing nothing to protect her. Perhaps they really believed they were witnessing a miracle?

So, Sarah Jacobs? A genuine miracle or a cynical exercise in fraud?

Many people call her Wales' first anorexic - and there are certainly elements of that awful condition in her history. But above all, this is the tragic story of a young girl on the threshold of life, a young life that was, because of her own personality or because of pressure from outside, cut brutally short.

There's an intriguing story in today's about the search for the remains of a circus elephant said to be buried in the grounds of a Welsh pub.

In 1848, a travelling circus called Batty's Travelling Menageries passed through the Tregaron in Ceredigion when its star of the the show fell ill and died. The elephant is said to have become ill after drinking local water that is suspected of being contaminated with lead.

The elephant is reputedly buried in the back garden of the town's Talbot Hotel. The tale of the dead elephant has since became part of the local folklore.

Gwilym Williams from the Talbot Hotel said: "There were large industrial works higher up the mountains which used a lot of lead and local water supplies would often become contaminated. It is thought that the elephant drank some of the contaminated water from the river."

In April, the will begin a week-long dig in the hope of tracing the elephant's grave.

Dr Jemma Bezant, from the School of Archaeology, said the Elephant Project would form part of their research investigating medieval history at Strata Florida's Cistercian Abbey and the region's wider history. She said:

"The project aims to collect the histories and stories relating to this event, engage the community in archaeological activities and generate content for the community web-site.

.

Iolo Morganwg remains one of the most intriguing characters of Welsh history. Many people remember him as the eccentric moving force behind the modern day Eisteddfod and, certainly, during the 79 years he was alive he was regarded as the leading expert on ancient and medieval Welsh life.

Iolo Morganwg

It was only after his death on 18 December 1826 that the truth was finally revealed - Iolo had forged many, if not most, of his manuscripts and ancient documents.

Born Edward Williams on 10 March 1747 in the village of , Iolo spent his childhood and early youth at Flemingston in the Vale of Glamorgan.

His father was a stonemason, a trade Iolo also followed, but the ambitious young man soon developed a love of traditional Welsh poetry and actually began to compose it himself. This was in the tradition of Welsh poetry writing where the practitioners were, largely, from the working classes.

He took the name Iolo Morganwg as his bardic name, thus commemorating his native county, and spent the years between 1773 and 1777 in London where he became closely involved with the London-Welsh clique. Returning to Wales Iolo married and, for a while, tried his hand at farming.

However, it was in the literary field that Iolo soon began to make his name. He began to produce manuscripts that proved the Welsh or Celtic druidic traditions had survived the trauma of the Roman conquest - and, indeed, the later barbarity of Edward I. Unfortunately, many of these documents had little or no relation to reality, having been conceived in the fertile mind and imagination of none other than Iolo Morganwg himself.

He developed his own rather mystical philosophy of life, helped perhaps by the fact that he was an inveterate and consistent user of laudanum. It was a strange creed, a coming together of Christianity and Arthurian legend, but it was a philosophy and a way of life that suited the lifestyle of this strange but compelling man.

Iolo even developed his own bardic alphabet, claiming that it was the system used by the ancient druids themselves. He regularly produced forged manuscripts and books, one of them being a book that he attributed to Saint Cadoc. He did find time to write some poetry of his own, a collection of his work, real and genuine, being published in 1794. After his death his son gathered together his various papers and produced them as The Iolo Manuscripts.

In 1789 Iolo published Barddoniaeth Dafydd ap Gwilym, supposedly a collection of poetry by the 14th century poet Dafydd ap Gwilym. The collection was well received but it has since transpired that the book included several poems that had no connection to the old Welsh bard. They were actually written by Iolo himself.

In 1791 Iolo went back to London and on 21 June the following year, at Primrose Hill, he was instrumental in founding the Gorsedd, the community of Welsh bards. The ceremony and the proceedings, Iolo claimed, were based on ancient druidic rites.

They were, of course, forgeries but at the time nobody seemed to notice. By the time the extent of his fabrication was discovered the traditions of the event were already far too well accepted by most enthusiasts to even consider a change.

Despite Iolo's efforts, it took time to establish - or re-establish - the Eisteddfod as a significant event in Welsh society. Not until 1819, when the Gorsedd of Bards held a special ceremony at the Ivy Bush Hotel in Carmarthen - the event is commemorated in a stained glass window in the hotel - and marched in full regalia through the town, was the imagination of the Welsh people truly caught by the idea of a celebration of art and culture.

The first modern Eisteddfod, in its present form, was held at Aberdare in 1860 and by then Iolo was long dead. Despite his forgeries but due, in large measure, to his enthusiasm it has gone on from strength to strength.

The real significance of Iolo Morganwg is not that he forged so many of his supposedly ancient manuscripts but that, when it was most needed, he provided the Welsh people with a cultural and historical re-awakening. Indeed, he is now viewed by many as one of the main architects of the Welsh nation. The Eisteddfod has survived his forgeries and so, too, has the concept of 'Welshness', something that has been an essential commodity over the years.

In many respects Iolo Morganwg was a far sighted and gifted individual. He was amongst the first to advocate a National Library for Wales - and, for that matter, a folk museum as well. He loved the Vale of Glamorgan and nearly all his activities were intended to assert the Welshness of south Wales, an area he considered had been unjustly Anglicised over the years.

Tuesday 8 March 2011 is a highly significant date. This is a global centenary, marking the 100th anniversary of the establishment of (IWD).

This world-wide celebration of women's rights and, significantly, of the part that women play in society has been held since March 1911 although it is only fair to say that conferences, demonstrations and campaigns on the subject had been organised in a variety of different countries - most notably the USA - for several years before that date.

In the late 20th and early 21st centuries the focus of the day has ranged from simply marking and commemorating mutual respect between men and women to a celebration of women's achievements in fields such as politics and economics.

In the early days, however, there were marked and serious political overtones to IWD.

The early years of the 20th century saw rapid industrialisation in many countries and the working conditions of most of the women employed in factories and on the production lines gave cause for considerable concern.

At the 1910 Copenhagen Conference of Working Women, the German socialist proposed the idea of a special day to celebrate the social, political and economic achievements of women. She went on to suggest that celebrations take place on the same day every year and although the very first International Women's Day (IWD) was held on 19 March 1911, it soon became accepted that 8 March would, in future, be the special day.

That first year over a million people, mainly women but some men also, celebrated the day with marches and lectures, rallies and meetings being held in countries such as Germany, Austria, Denmark and Switzerland. The United Kingdom, in these early days, was noticeably silent and absent from the major celebrations.

The outbreak of World War One in 1914 did little to enhance the significance of the day. However, it was still marked wherever and whenever possible. Demonstrations in support of IWD were actually an important factor in the success of the and Lenin, once he had come to power, declared the day a state holiday - even though nobody actually took time off from work until the 1960s.

International Women's Day soon became hugely influential and important in Russia and all of the countries of the old Soviet Block. In these states the day retained its social and political significance while in others, like Romania, it developed or changed into something rather like Mother's Day. In Italy men still present their partners with yellow flowers on 8 March.

The significance of the day, however, goes a lot deeper than presents of flowers and should never be forgotten. It is, after all, less than a 100 years since women in Britain were given the vote and these days it is all too easy to forget that for many years women, if not exactly second class citizens, certainly did not have the same rights and opportunities as men.

Wales has never been short of women who have demanded their rightful place in society, no matter how difficult it has been.

The idea of the Welsh 'Mam' is central to Welsh society as a whole while even the most cursory look at The Mabinogion will show that our legends and our history contain a wide range of notable and influential women. From the redoubtable Jemima Nicholas who helped defeat the French invaders in 1797 to Betsy Cadwalader who nursed alongside Florence Nightingale in the Crimea, Welsh women have often played a significant role in the memorable moments of our country.

Two Welsh women, in particular, seem to epitomize the ideals of the early organisers of International Women's Day. , who trained as a teacher, saw the poverty of the valleys first-hand when she worked in Trebanog and was determined to improve the lot of those she worked and lived alongside. Always socialist in outlook she quickly turned to Communism as the only way forward and made 13 attempts to get herself elected to the Council as a Communist. Finally, in 1955, she succeeded and spent 20 years serving on the Rhondda Council, becoming Britain's first Communist Mayor in 1979.

Elizabeth Andrews was born into a mining family at Hirwaun in 1882. One of 11 children, she was forced to leave school at the age of twelve to help out with the family but retained an active interest in women's rights and politics in general.

A member of the women's suffrage movement, when women were given the vote after the First World War she became one of four women organisers of the Labour Party. A tireless campaigner on the issues of health and education, she was constantly arguing for improved living conditions in the mining valleys.

In 1948 Elizabeth Andrews was awarded the OBE for her services as a JP and, more recently, was voted 100th in an on-line poll to discover the 100 greatest Welsh heroes of all time.

Both Annie Powell and Elizabeth Andrews were clearly women who were never going to take a back seat. The ideals of International Women's Day fit them exactly.

The way that the day itself has been organised has not always been without its critics. And sometimes there have been serious political and social fallouts. The London Borough of Tower Hamlets, for example, once closed its libraries to all men (staff and clients) on IWD, forcing any man who wished to use library facilities to journey elsewhere.

More seriously, in Iran in 2007 women (and men) who were planning a rally on the day, were attacked and beaten by police. Many women were flung into prison and forced to spend several weeks behind bars.

International Women's Day 2011 is a significant moment in history. The living and working conditions of women - and their status - have changed out of all proportion since that first special day back in 1911. And yet, in some parts of the world, women still have to endure oppression and brutality. Marking the day, in whatever way we can, might go some little way to making sure that, sooner or later, things are bound to change - all over the world.

³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Cymru Wales is marking the centenary of International Women's Day in a special, one-off way. Every English language service will be presented by a woman on that day. The intention is to mark the anniversary and celebrate the role of women in contemporary Welsh life..

Take a trip to the in Maesteg. Quite apart from the wonders of the building and the intricate clock mechanism high above the Hall, here you will find six startling paintings by one of Wales' greatest artists, the Maesteg-born Christopher Williams.

Christopher Williams. Image courtesy of .

They are on public view and they give a brief insight into the talent of a truly magnificent but now sadly neglected painter.

Christopher Williams was born in Commercial Street, Maesteg on 7 January 1873. His mother died when he was young and his father, Evan, dearly wanted Christopher to become a doctor. Christopher wanted none of it.

An innate talent and visits to art galleries had convinced him that his future lay in art. There was considerable conflict between the two men, Christopher later claiming that he had deliberately failed exams in order to forestall his father's ambitions for him.

And so an artist he became. He studied at the and at the and, to begin with at least, it was a severe financial strain for the young man. Despite Evan's thwarted aims, he was obliged to support his son for several years.

David Williams painting by Christopher Williams. Image courtesy of

He was rewarded with success when, in 1902, Christopher's painting Paolo And Francesca was hung in the Royal Academy. A portrait of Evan himself followed the year after. Despite his opposition to his son's chosen career, Evan must have been proud.

In 1910 Christopher was invited to become a member of the . Over the next 10 years he exhibited nearly 40 paintings in their gallery.

Real success, however, came in 1911 when he was commissioned to paint the investiture of the Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle.

Following up this breakthrough he went on to paint many members of the Royal family. Lloyd George, MP for Caernarfon Boroughs and later Prime Minister of Great Britain, loved his work, calling him "one of the most gifted of all Welsh artists."

It was Lloyd George who was responsible for what is arguably Williams' greatest painting. At the end of 1916 he was commissioned for a painting to commemorate the Welsh Division's attack on Mametz Wood during the Battle of the Somme. The Welsh Division (the 38th Division, to give it its proper title) had spent five days in the woods, engaged in fierce hand to hand fighting with the defending Prussian Guards before finally emerging victorious.

Christopher Williams visited the site of the battle and actually used soldiers who had taken part in the action to pose for him. The result is a startling and gripping depiction of war in all its horrors. Never had a bayonet charge been so realistically portrayed.

Indeed, so brutal and terrifying was the finished painting that, when it went on display in Cardiff, there was something of an outcry from people who had had their sensitivities jolted out of their stupor. The painting was withdrawn and did not see the light of day again until after the war. Now owned by the National Museum of Wales, it hangs in the in Caernarfon Castle, a suitable location for a magnificent and humbling piece of art.

Williams had become fascinated by Celtic and, in particular, Welsh traditions after a visit to Bangor to paint the portrait of one of the University professors in the years before the Great War. He was particularly fascinated by the Charlotte Guest translation of The Mabinogion. As he wrote to his wife Emily: "It is a goldmine untouched and full of Welsh fire and imagination."

The result was three outstanding depictions of female characters from the legend - Ceridwen (1910), Branwen (1915) and Bodewedd (1930). These, along with his painting of the Welsh attack on Mametz Wood, remain some of his strongest and most riveting works.

The painting of Branwen was presented to the in Swansea shortly before Williams' death in 1934.

Three years later there was an exhibition for the centenary of his birth, paintings being shown at the Glyn Vivian, the National Museum in Cardiff and at Maesteg Town Hall. A plaque, commemorating his birth, was duly erected in Commercial Street, Maesteg.

Christopher Williams was an artist of consummate skill and ability. Visit the Town Hall in Maesteg - or even the Museum of the Royal Welch Fusiliers in Caernarfon - and see for yourself the range and talent of this sadly neglected artist.

Kim Howells explores the dramatic story of Welsh art in the 20th century in Framing Wales.

If you missed Kim Howells exploring the work of Christopher Williams in ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Cymru Wales' three-part series on Welsh art called Framing Wales, you can watch the programme on the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Wales Arts website.

Also, you can read Kim Howells' latest blog on the Wales Arts website.