Last week it was snowdrops - today it's daffodils in flower despite the dreadful winds and teeming rain. A Welshman through and through, my father was always very upset if we didn't have daffodils out in the garden by Dewi Sant (St. David's Day, March 1st); well, ours aren't that far advanced as yet but seeing a whole clump of them in full bloom in a border in Shurdington this morning just made my day.
But yesterday I heard the news of the death of another Welshman, Nigel Jenkins, the acclaimed poet, author and academic who I was privileged to be tutored by on a course at Ty Newydd eighteen months ago. Quite apart from his literary talents - and his wonderful voice (listen to his reading of his poem "Creation" on You Tube!) - he was a lovely, funny, generous person. On our course he led a walk up Tre'r Ceiri, the Iron Age hill fort at the top of the Llyn Peninsula; the weather was typical of North Wales in August with bursts of rain and mist swirling all around us, but it was the most incredibly atmospheric walk you could imagine. I shall always remember him sitting on his haunches as he ate his picnic, back to what remained of the wall of a 2000 year old homestead, admonishing us to look at and to really feel our surroundings - it engendered some very powerful writing. Thank you for all your encouragement, Nigel, may you rest in peace.
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