Cities and towns -- Growth -- Fiction; Wales -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
"Well, we've been here a fortnight now, and I think we've all enjoyed
it. I have for one. Some of us has been up these grand mountains,
finding out how they were made, and some of us has been improving
ourselves among the rocks and on the shore. Some of us has botanised,
and some's collected butterflies, and one and all we've read the books
set down for us in the Syllabus. That's a job done, at all events.
"But I think we shall one and all admit that we've a great deal to learn
about Llanyglo yet. There'd still be something to learn if we were to
come here six, ten, twenty times. That's the grand thing about
knowledge--we need never be afraid we shall come to the end of it. When
we've read fifty books there's always fifty more. Ay, and there'll be
another fifty after that.
"But we've got other things besides knowledge at Llanyglo. We've got
health, health to keep us going for another year. And we've got friends,
new friends. I think we can say," here he laid his hand on Howell's
shoulder, "that we've all done the little bit that in us lies to break
down prejudices and dislikes and racial differences. We've had our
quarrels, us Welsh and English, in the past; no doubt there's been
battles fought on this very spot; but that's all over, and, speaking as
Grand Chief for the year, though unworthy to succeed Comrade Walker, who
occupied this same position last year at our Holiday Camp at Keswick, I
think I may say we've buried the hatchet now. So in the name of one and
all I greet these friends of ours. I think it does us both good to come
together like this. They're a bit--what shall I say?--on the poetical
side, perhaps; more romantic than us; we're just plain, practical folk
that has to tew for our livings; but what I mean is, it's a good thing
for both of us to get to understand one another. We do understand one
another now, and I'm sure we're all very glad to see them here."
(Applause, and cries from the Lancashire men of "Good old Wales!") "You
here that, Gruffydd--Comrade Gruffydd? That's hearty. That's Lancashire.
No flowers o' speech, but we say a thing and mean it. And we mean it
when we say we're very glad to see you indeed, and hope this won't be
our last visit to Llanyglo.--And now I won't take up any more of your
time. We've a long programme before us, and I see that the first item
is----" he consulted a paper in his hand, "----is the old favourite,
_There is a Tavern_. What's the key, Harry? C? (Doh, lah--lah, te,
doh----)."
And with the singing of _There is a Tavern in the Town_ the Pow-Wow
began.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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