Pennod 2 04 Wal

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-Welcome to another compilation

-of 04Wal highlights from 2000.

-The theme of this programme is art.

-Art created by the homeowner

-or an art collection owned by them.

-We begin at the Lleyn Peninsula home

-of Valerie Wynne-Williams.

-There is a diverse collection

-of art in the dining room.

-Work by Jonah Jones, Richard Wilson

-and Kyffin Williams.

-Valerie has been friends

-with several artists over the years.

-The paintings and the furniture

-come from several periods...

-..but most of the pictures

-are modern.

-I've known Kyffin since the 1950s.

-We both lived in London.

-Kyffin let me borrow some

-of his work to hang in my flat.

-I tried to teach Welsh to him,

-and he tried to teach me about art!

-Those candleholders

-look rather special.

-Where did you get them?

-Where did you get them?

-

-I bought them in South Wales.

-I found out later that they were

-from The Ritz in London.

-I saw photographs of them

-in a magazine...

-..and a friend of mine said,

-"I'm sure those came from The Ritz."

-There they were, in the magazine!

-My Ritzy bit!

-This was your kitchen, wasn't it?

-Yes, there were kitchen units

-in here when I bought this house.

-And, again, lots of pictures.

-And, again, lots of pictures.

-

-Yes, quite a large collection.

-There's an interesting picture here.

-It's called Brenin Enlli

-by Brenda Chamberlain.

-I bought it in Portmeirion...

-..at an exhibition to raise money

-to buy Bardsey Island.

-I then received a phone call...

-..to say that Prince Charles

-was going to visit Bardsey Island.

-They wanted to give him a present...

-..and they asked me

-to sell it back to them.

-They wanted to present it

-to Prince Charles.

-I said no,

-and they were very disappointed!

-That chest of drawers

-is a work of art in its own right!

-Yes, and there's a piece

-by Jonah on top of it.

-Jonah Jones?

-Yes, Jonah lived next door

-to this house.

-His workshop was in a factory

-we had in Porthmadog.

-We made terrazzo in that factory.

-Valerie owns work by artists from

-George Chapman to Freddie Ullman...

-..and this picture

-of St David by John Petts.

-I went to a sale

-in a nearby village.

-I spotted a box that contained

-a cooker ring, some candlesticks...

-..and some ornaments.

-I could see St David's eyes

-peeping out at me.

-I knew instantly that it was

-the work of John Petts.

-I bought the contents of the box,

-including this very special picture.

-Did you tell them

-what they had in the box?

-No comment!

-Practically every inch

-of your bedroom walls...

-..is covered with

-David Jones's work.

-You were close to him.

-We got to know each other in London

-and became firm friends.

-He felt I was a link

-between him and the Mabinogion!

-Don't ask me why!

-He gave me a lot of his pictures.

-Things like this.

-He gave me this

-as a St David's Day present.

-'Blessed David, pray for

-beautiful Elri. March the first.'

-He called me Elri

-because Valerie wasn't Welsh enough!

-What about that one?

-That's Aphrodite or Venus.

-They're the same, of course.

-He called it Venus,

-but it's exhibited as Aphrodite.

-That's supposed to be me.

-Did you pose for that?

-Did you pose for that?

-

-My lips are sealed!

-My children always say

-that my legs aren't that long!

-Other things David gave to me,

-like a cameo brooch, a bracelet...

-..and a gold necklace,

-are all in the picture.

-John Petts to John Lennon,

-William Selwyn to Kyffin Williams.

-The study is Valerie's gallery.

-Most people buy a house,

-then renovate it...

-..but Meri Wells moved here in 1972

-and only bought it nine years ago!

-By then, she had done

-most of the renovation work.

-Now that she's here, she's reluctant

-to leave - not even to work!

-Meri Wells and Steve, her partner,

-work from home in this quiet spot...

-..in Aberhosan, near Machynlleth.

-There's plenty of room here

-to create, get new ideas...

-..and exhibit their unique ceramics.

-The wooden framed house

-dates back to the 17th century.

-Meri has worked hard over the years

-to renovate the place.

-This includes building a gallery

-in the old barn.

-It's a warm, convenient home

-that inspires Meri.

-This is your workshop.

-It's very close to the house.

-Do you enjoy working here?

-Yes, it suits me just fine.

-It's great to be able

-to get to work without travelling.

-All the materials I need are here.

-My home is a constant source

-of inspiration for me...

-..and that is reflected in my work.

-It makes sense for me to work

-in the place which inspires me.

-What about the front of the house?

-It had a breeze block porch.

-I'd had it for so long,

-I nearly kept it!

-The front and one side of the house

-were pebble-dashed.

-I decided to hack it all off.

-Things have changed over the years.

-Yes, buildings have a history

-of their own, don't they?

-This is your lounge, Meri.

-How much of this was standing

-when you moved in here in 1972?

-It was all here...

-..but most of it was hidden

-behind pegboard and wallpaper.

-There was an old Rayburn here,

-blocking the fireplace.

-You couldn't see the stone walls.

-It was in good condition

-under the pegboard.

-I knew it was an old house.

-The shape told me that.

-We were able to get it back

-to its original condition...

-..without too much trouble.

-Meri has created a colourful

-and contemporary atmosphere here.

-This old house

-doesn't feel like a museum.

-Pieces of modern art

-sit well in this ancient farmhouse.

-MUSIC

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-Welcome back to the highlights

-of 04Wal from the year 2000.

-Art enhances our homes...

-..especially when the owner

-is artistic.

-Our journey continues

-in Pete Telfer's house in Ceinws.

-Pete moved from the city to the

-village near Corris a few years ago.

-The house belonged to the manager

-of a nearby slate quarry.

-It's a big house,

-decorated to Pete's unique taste.

-Why did you come to live here?

-I wanted to move from Cardiff...

-..to a village that reminded me

-of the place where I grew up.

-You were raised in a village.

-Was the house in good condition

-when you bought it?

-It looked in good condition,

-but it wasn't!

-I've done a lot of work -

-work you don't see.

-There was a lot more to be done

-than I had anticipated.

-Were you disappointed?

-Were you disappointed?

-

-No, not at all.

-It's been a real struggle,

-but I'm very happy with the house.

-I want to live in this house

-for the rest of my life.

-When I first saw this house,

-I noticed all the artwork you have.

-There are bits and pieces

-everywhere.

-I immediately thought,

-"This is a man's house!"

-No tidy-minded woman or man

-has been anywhere near this house!

-Your life has been all over the shop

-and your house reflects that.

-My friend described it as...

-.."a teenage boy's bedroom,

-but it's a whole house."

-Pete used to work

-as a news photographer.

-He went out to Eastern Europe

-during the fall of communism.

-Pete is an enthusiastic

-art collector.

-His house is full of paintings

-and items bought when he was abroad.

-I feel that you're only

-a temporary keeper of a house.

-You're part of the house's history,

-as is everyone who visits you there.

-It's quite nice for people

-to leave something behind.

-I decided to take down

-the picture rail in here...

-..and I found some wallpaper

-underneath it.

-I don't know who put that paper up,

-but I've left that strip of it...

-..because you're too lazy

-to redecorate!

-No, the spirit of people

-who lived here in the past lives on.

-Pete's Bohemian spirit is apparent

-as you look around his house.

-The mixture of colours

-help to warm the dark rooms.

-The walls are full of works

-by Welsh artists...

-..including Mike Watts.

-The story behind this piece

-is that crows used to be white...

-..but they got burned

-and turned into black birds.

-The way Mike has done it,

-with smoke...

-..is a perfect way

-to tell that story.

-What's the idea behind this, Pete?

-What's the idea behind this, Pete?

-

-You leave something for the house.

-I'm sure the house would prefer

-flowers or chocolates!

-I didn't expect

-to contribute to the decor!

-You're part of the house's history.

-You're part of the house's history.

-

-I'll put this on the wall.

-There's plenty of paint there,

-in any case.

-Good one!

-Good one!

-

-What an artistic hand!

-Cardiff Road was built in 1904

-by the famous Solomon Andrews.

-He owned transport companies,

-shops and houses in Cardiff.

-He recognized Pwllheli's potential

-to become a holiday resort...

-..and he built a hotel

-and rows of houses...

-..including Catrin Williams's home.

-It's a massive house!

-It's a massive house!

-

-Yes, it was an eight-bedroom house.

-We now have five bedrooms,

-two workshops and a storage room.

-That was the idea. We wanted

-to work in part of the building.

-Its sheer enormity appealed to us!

-Is it too big?

-Is it too big?

-

-No, we use every square inch of it.

-That's what's so wonderful about it.

-We enjoy every room in the house.

-I'm downstairs all day,

-more or less...

-..and we go into the lounge

-in the evening to watch television.

-If we want some peace and quiet,

-we go into the piano room.

-We have no central heating...

-..so the children only play upstairs

-during the summer.

-Once they're in bed, I go to work.

-Bedwyr, Catrin's husband,

-is a graphic designer.

-Catrin works in a studio at home.

-Elis and Luned, the children,

-have a room each in this huge house.

-This is the lounge.

-The children come in here

-to watch television.

-The large window

-makes it a pleasant room.

-It took me ages

-to choose the colour.

-It works well because the paintings

-on the walls are so big.

-I chose the colour

-to match the lampshades.

-I wanted to keep them because

-they're original to the house.

-Bedwyr bought this from a fellow

-student of mine called Sue Roberts.

-He only paid 80 for it.

-It's wonderful.

-A lot of people like it.

-I've painted

-a series of portraits on plates.

-They're in the National Museum

-to promote 'Certain Welsh Artist'...

-..Iwan Bala's book.

-Luned and Elis painted those plates

-and I adore them.

-Very colourful.

-I have an Iwan Bala piece here.

-I think that yellow

-looks absolutely wonderful.

-I sit here every day to have a cup

-of tea and I look at that picture.

-I don't watch television!

-The work above the television

-is a Luned Rhys Parry piece.

-Bedwyr put it in a box and

-I think Luned's work is brilliant...

-..but putting glass around it

-takes it to another dimension.

-You can stay with me.

-I don't think they'll mind.

-Are you a good boy?

-Yes, you're always a good boy!

-Who painted those pictures?

-Who painted those pictures?

-

-Luned and Elis.

-Catrin's colourful work is on show

-all the way up the stairs...

-..which lead to the spare rooms

-and the studio on the top floor.

-Art is priceless and everyone should

-have original pieces in their homes.

-There are countless dark,

-three-storey houses in Cardiff.

-But knock a wall down

-here and there...

-..and you can light up

-even the darkest corners.

-Angharad Roberts is a set designer.

-Eric, her husband,

-is an opera singer.

-Their home has enough room

-for them both to work.

-They bought the house

-and started on the building work.

-Was the house in good condition?

-Was the house in good condition?

-

-No. I don't know why we bought it!

-It was in a terrible condition.

-It had been divided into something

-like seven tiny bedsits.

-It was dark and dirty and untidy.

-But we could imagine how it

-would look when we'd finished.

-Once we came up with the ideas,

-it was alright.

-For years, we lived with

-the ideas rather than the reality!

-We enjoy the house now.

-You've done some structural work

-on the ground floor.

-The first step

-was to knock down the walls.

-We then realized

-that the floors weren't even...

-..so we removed all the tiles

-that were on the floors.

-We found some wonderful soil!

-You could grow potatoes here!

-Yes, I went down to the soil...

-..and I bought enough cement,

-sand and hard core to fill it.

-There are wooden blocks

-on the floor. They're oak blocks.

-We got them from Ysgol Glantaf.

-I was teaching at Glantaf and these

-were on the tip, ready to be burned.

-We gave a donation to the school

-fund and carried them home.

-Eric then spent three weeks

-scraping the bitumen off them!

-Eric did a lot of this woodwork.

-Yes, that's right.

-You picked it up as you went along?

-You picked it up as you went along?

-

-Yes, I did.

-It's in your blood.

-My grandfather and great-grandfather

-were carpenters.

-The more I did, the more I learnt,

-and the more enjoyable it became.

-Do you spend a lot of time

-in this room?

-Yes, we live in here!

-We spend a lot of time in here

-and in the garden during the summer.

-There was a wall here.

-There was a long corridor,

-going from front to back...

-..and this room was very dark.

-It was a waste of a room,

-in one way.

-Opening it out like this

-made it a part of the house.

-It's been a great success.

-I'm very fond of it.

-The bedrooms are on the third floor.

-Branwen and Osian, the grown-up

-children, are loath to leave home.

-We threaten to sell up sometimes

-and the children go mad!

-They get really shirty!

-They say we have no right

-to sell their home.

-Fair play to them, they lived here

-through all the mess.

-Yes, fair play to them.

-So, you're here to stay?

-So, you're here to stay?

-

-It looks that way!

-S4C subtitles by Eirlys A Jones

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