Ifan Jones Evans 3 Lle

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-Pontrhydygroes, Ysbyty Ystwyth,

-Pantyffynnon mountain...

-..the Pumlumon mountains

-and Cwm Cell is a very special area.

-I was born and raised here.

-This is my home patch.

-Coming up to the top of Banc Bach is

-something I'll never tire of doing.

-I was born and raised

-on Ty'n Rhos farm...

-..which is just behind me.

-You can see the two chimneys

-and the shed roofs.

-I now live in my

-grandparents' house, Rhos y Rhiw.

-I grew up with Mam, Dad

-and my two brothers, Robyn and Dewi.

-I'm the youngest of the three.

-I went to

-Ysbyty Ystwyth primary school.

-We can see the school

-in the middle of the village.

-There were around 40 children there

-when I left.

-Sadly, it's shut now,

-like a lot of small schools.

-I had a very happy time there.

-I then went on

-to Ysgol Uwchradd Tregaron.

-I enjoyed every minute

-and made great friends.

-I wasn't going to go to university.

-I'd planned on coming home to farm.

-But CJD became a big problem

-in the industry.

-Market prices

-went through the floor.

-Mam and Dad said I should stay on

-until the sixth form...

-..after which things might improve.

-So I was going to come home to farm

-after the sixth form...

-..but then came foot-and-mouth

-disease, which was very bad.

-It reached Rhayader,

-just 20 miles away.

-We were worried it would reach here

-since we're only over the mountain.

-I came home one day

-on the school bus...

-..and Mam and Dad had put carpet

-with disinfectant on the road...

-..and a sign telling the postman to

-leave post at the end of the road.

-That's when I realized

-it was a serious situation.

-Mam and Dad said, "We don't know

-what'll happen. Go to university."

-So I went to Trinity College to

-study Theatre, Music and the Media.

-After that, I returned to the farm,

-did a variety of jobs...

-..and been lucky enough

-to do what I do now.

-There was never any pressure on me

-to come back to farm.

-My first job in television

-was a six-month contract in Cardiff.

-I wasn't sure what do to - move to

-Cardiff or not just before lambing.

-Mam and Dad told me to go for it...

-..and that they'd cope

-with the lambing for one year.

-I'll never forget the fact

-they gave me the opportunity.

-I phoned the production company...

-..to ask for a week or two off

-during lambing...

-..and they said, "Yes, no problem,"

-while laughing.

-I then asked if I could have a week

-off in June and a week off in July.

-The woman asked why.

-I replied, "Shearing in June

-and silage in July."

-This is Ty'n Rhos,

-where I was born and raised.

-It's a field's width

-from Rhos y Rhiw where I live.

-It's quite small

-compared to other farms nowadays.

-We have sheep and beef cattle.

-We don't have dairy cattle -

-we're too high up.

-The farm suits us

-and our way of life.

-I enjoy a lot of things

-about farming.

-I love seeing stock coming along.

-The way the lambs thrive

-during the summer...

-..how they develop from the time of

-docking to the time of shearing...

-..and when they're ready

-to be weaned.

-I just like to see nature at work.

-It's interesting how sheep come

-full circle, wanting a ram again...

-..and the cycle of life

-starting again in spring.

-We shear the sheep ourselves

-on the farm...

-..Dad, my brothers and myself.

-I learnt how to sheer

-when I was around 14.

-Dad taught me at first...

-..and then I went on a course

-at a nearby farm to learn properly.

-It's hard to learn how to shear

-from your parents...

-..as it's a bit like

-learning to drive.

-You don't really listen, you want

-to do what you think is right.

-Going to somebody you don't know

-to learn makes you listen more.

-When you're 14 or 15, you tend to be

-stubborn and want to do it your way.

-I love shearing. It's a complete

-switch off from anything else.

-You can just focus on what you're

-doing. It's good exercise too.

-I've been shearing for years.

-I've sheared at home...

-..and with a local gang

-when the call comes...

-..if our help is required.

-The biggest challenge

-for farms this size...

-..is sustaining

-more than one family...

-..especially if there are children

-who want to farm.

-The only way to do it

-is to try and buy more land.

-Land is very expensive

-in this area.

-IFAN WHISTLES

-I'm calling Nan, the bitch.

-She should be here any minute.

-Come on, Nan! Nan, Nan!

-In my view, farms like this one

-are the backbone of the countryside.

-It keeps the local garage going with

-tyres, the local shop with food.

-A lot of people depend on farmers.

-It's one big cycle and farming's

-an important part of it.

-Rhos y Rhiw is where Gwawr and I

-have lived since 2014.

-Little Heti was born last November.

-She's a bundle of joy. She's a

-character and she changes every day.

-She's filled the house

-and our lives.

-I'm very happy that Heti's

-being raised on this farm.

-This is my home

-and this is now her home.

-I love it here.

-It's a special place to me.

-Now the rain's come

-I feel even more at home!

-This is how it is most of the time.

-But rain keeps the dust down.

-Bont football club

-in the middle of Pontrhydfendigaid.

-We're here in the wind and rain...

-..but we play in much worse

-during the season.

-It's a special and unique place

-to me.

-I've chosen it for many reasons.

-The people who run the club,

-my friends at the club...

-..and what I've got out of it

-over the years.

-I started playing for Bont FC

-when I was 15.

-I think I was scouted

-when was 11 or 12...

-..by Ken Jones, a club stalwart.

-Ken would go around farms

-selling fertilizer.

-He'd come to the farm to sell.

-My brother Dewi and I would play

-keepy-ups in front of the window...

-..in the hope

-that Ken would see us and scout us.

-Sure enough, he did!

-He came out of the house one day

-and said, "When you're old enough...

-"..make sure that it's Bont you play

-for and not any other club."

-There are lots of clubs in the area,

-good ones too.

-But Bont is the closest in distance

-and the club closest to my heart.

-It's a unique club.

-Though I moved down to Cardiff

-for almost three years...

-..I still came back

-to play for Bont every weekend.

-People in Cardiff thought I was mad.

-"You're going home again?!"

-I couldn't explain why I went back

-every weekend and I still can't.

-Maybe it's because

-it's a family club.

-You want to play for the club

-because it has so much history.

-You want to do well for it...

-..you want it to succeed

-and to be a part of its history.

-I remember one match away in Corris.

-Brython Wilson played

-in midfield then. He was a hard man.

-I was playing alongside him.

-I pulled out of one tackle

-and Brython gave me a mouthful...

-.."Don't ever pull out of a tackle

-if you're wearing a Bont shirt."

-That's stuck with me.

-These photos were taken

-ten years ago.

-There are a couple of me here.

-That's Dickie Mint, who's now

-the club chairman. A legend.

-That was the day of the dinner...

-..when the old stagers

-played against the current team.

-That's Dylan Ebenezer.

-I'm not in the photo.

-I think I was shearing.

-I live for football.

-I'm football mad.

-A football fanatic.

-My wife says that playing football

-brings out a different side to me.

-She says

-it brings out the chav in me!

-I shout a bit more

-and I'm more mouthy, let's say.

-I've only had one red card...

-..and it happened the only time

-Gwawr came to watch me.

-She isn't keen on football.

-I said, "You're passing through

-Bont. Come and watch the game."

-So she and her friend came. This was

-when we'd started seeing each other.

-Within ten minutes, I'd had

-two yellow cards and been sent off!

-I told her, "Don't watch me again.

-I think you bring bad luck."

-So she hasn't been back

-and I haven't been sent off since!

-Bont are in the Cambrian Tyres

-Aberystwyth League.

-We're in Division One.

-We play against teams like

-Llanilar, Tregaron and Talybont.

-We've had a successful season -

-reaching two finals, winning one.

-We've been top of the table

-for most of the season...

-..but we've dropped points recently,

-so we're second now.

-Bow Street are top,

-but they've played all their games.

-We have one game left

-against Aberdyfi tomorrow.

-If we win that, we win the league.

-I'm on the radio every Saturday,

-from 11.00am-2.00pm usually.

-But tomorrow,

-for reasons beyond my control...

-..I'm on the radio until 2.30pm.

-Kick-off is at 2.30pm too,

-so I'll miss most of the first half.

-I hope to be back by half-time...

-..so I hope to get a runout

-in the second half...

-..and maybe lift the cup at the end.

-Tomorrow's

-going to be a big day here.

-I hope the weather's nice

-and the result even better.

-I said earlier...

-..that I have something exciting

-taking place this afternoon.

-Well, Bont football club, the best

-football club in the world...

-..are playing against Aberdyfi,

-and if we win, we win the league!

-Dickie Mint, the club chairman,

-if you hear this message...

-..I hope the pitch

-is looking at its best.

-I can't wait to join you later.

-If I'm lucky, I might get a game

-in the second half.

-The game started about 15 minutes

-ago so I hope it's going OK.

-I might try and phone Dickie Mint,

-the chairman, now...

-..to see how things are going.

-Hello?

-Hello?

-

-Minto, how are you? It's Ifan.

-How are you?

-I'm good. I'm on my way.

-How's it going?

-We're leading 2-0.

-It's ten minutes until half-time.

-It's ten minutes until half-time.

-

-Brilliant!

-Brilliant!

-Brilliant!

-

-See you later.

-I'll be there by half-time.

-OK. Thanks, Ifan. Ta-ra.

-Keep it up, lads. Thanks, Mint!

-Well done, lads. Good start. 2-0.

-Good times!

-Playing for Bont is important

-for a lot of the local lads.

-The parents of a lot of the lads

-playing now played for the club.

-It's a tradition in the area...

-..for the local lads to play

-for Bont like their fathers did.

-It's the heart of the community.

-In the local shop on Mondays, the

-discussion is about Bont's exploits.

-A lot of people

-who live in the village...

-..feel passionate for the club,

-which is nice.

-It's more like a family

-than a football club.

-There's a homely feel to it.

-That's what makes it special.

-I've played for the club

-for over 15 years now.

-It's days like this

-that stays in the memory...

-..winning the league on our own turf

-and seeing the support.

-It reinforces

-what's important to me about Bont...

-..friends and everyone socializing

-and celebrating together.

-That's why Bont football club

-is so special to me.

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-This is the Showground

-in Llanweledd.

-This place is very important to me.

-I've been coming here

-since I was a child.

-It was a holiday for us every year.

-We'd go to the Royal Welsh Show

-for the entire week in the summer.

-This is the Spring Festival.

-It's nice to see

-how it's grown over the years.

-I have lots of memories

-of going around the cattle shed...

-..seeing the incredible stock...

-..and wishing I had stock like that

-on the farm.

-It's a benchmark

-of where you want to be as a farmer.

-You want to produce stock like

-what you see at the Show.

-I like watching cattle.

-It's fair to say...

-..that a lot of people exhibiting

-at this show are smallholders.

-It gives me a lot of pleasure seeing

-the native and minority breeds.

-They go from strength to strength.

-It's important

-that people breed them.

-I'm enjoying myself here.

-One clear memory I have

-when I was five or six...

-..is getting lost with

-my brother Dewi on the Showground.

-We'd been buying toys. We turned

-round and Mam and Dad weren't there.

-We started to cry and began walking,

-probably in the wrong direction.

-A woman asked us what was wrong.

-We went into a building.

-Our names

-were broadcast over the tannoy.

-We can hear it in the background.

-Mam and Dad were there in minutes

-but it felt like a lifetime.

-It's a memory

-I don't like to recall much.

-"'Come by. Away.

-"'Lie down,'

-shouted Defi, the farmer.

-"It was a bright summer's day

-on Ty'n Rhiw farm.

-"The scorching hot sun

-filled the air."

-Around two years ago...

-..Gomer Press asked if I fancied

-writing a children's book.

-I agreed and they gave me a few

-ideas on what I could write about.

-I'd never done

-anything like that before.

-I hadn't written a story

-since secondary school.

-"Nan felt a lot better

-after a drink...

-"..even though the sun

-was still troubling her."

-I decided to write a book

-about my sheepdog, Nan.

-I then decided to write about Nan

-coming to the Royal Welsh Show...

-..for a special reason -

-I won't spoil the story for you!

-"As the Land Rover

-reached the farmyard...

-"..Nan got an idea."

-That's the end of chapter three.

-When I came here as a child,

-I'd pass the shearing shed...

-..and I'd say to Mam and Dad...

-.."One day,

-I'm going to shear on that stage."

-Seeing the shed packed out with

-thousands watching the shearing...

-..gave me a buzz, and still does.

-I've been lucky enough

-to shear on that stage, once...

-..against David Fagan,

-the World Shearing Champion.

-Even though it was for charity,

-I've still sheared on that stage.

-They're going to finish

-at the same time.

-They've finished at the same time.

-I started working in television

-as a runner originally...

-..on a programme called Rasus.

-I was helping to set up the trailers

-and things like that.

-I'd help out on location,

-making tea for the crew.

-The production team behind Rasus

-produced the Royal Welsh.

-They asked me to work on the

-programme, looking after Dai Jones.

-I'd make tea for Dai

-and carry tapes and boxes.

-That was my first taste

-of the industry.

-Once you're in the industry,

-you get to know different people.

-I got offered a screen test,

-an interview of sorts...

-..for a children's programme

-about machines.

-As I was a farmer's son who was fond

-of tractors and motorbikes...

-..I thought I'd give it a try

-and went for an interview.

-I got the job. It was for

-a programme called Peirianhygoel.

-In our spare time,

-us three love looking at tractors.

-Today, we've come to look

-for one tractor in particular.

-That tractor is...

-That tractor is...

-

-John Deere.

-9620T.

-I presented that and got offered

-a few other programmes.

-Mosgito was a live programme I

-presented on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

-I learned a lot in that period...

-..about presenting

-and how to interview people.

-I then completed the circle

-by presenting at the Royal Welsh.

-The most dramatic event at the Show

-every year is the Team of Five.

-What I most enjoy about presenting

-at the Show is the buzz.

-I feel proud

-presenting to the nation...

-..and presenting what we have

-at the Show to the nation.

-I get to show the best

-of what Wales produces...

-..in terms of stock and food.

-I get the honour

-of presenting it to viewers.

-I feel very lucky doing that.

-We're now in the sheep section

-at the Spring Festival.

-This is the Hardwick breed.

-It's not a popular breed

-but it is becoming more fashionable.

-It's always nice to see the sheep

-at any show.

-One thing that's nice is the green

-sawdust - I haven't seen it before!

-It looks good.

-It's incredible how the Show is now

-compared to 25 years ago.

-It's grown exponentially.

-There's more to do here.

-You don't have to be a farmer

-to enjoy the Show any more.

-You can come here

-without an agricultural background.

-There's plenty to do - the forestry

-section, a lake at the bottom...

-..and shops which sell clothes

-and all sorts.

-I'd say it's a national event now

-rather than an agricultural show.

-It's been nice to step back...

-..and think about what makes the

-three locations important to me...

-..and why I chose them.

-I had to choose the Showground as

-it's played a big part in my life.

-I've had incredible opportunities

-here, through work and socially too.

-I've felt a part

-of the agricultural community.

-Bont football club - what can I say?

-I love playing for them.

-I might not play again after missing

-all those chances in the last game.

-But the banter with the lads

-is very important to me.

-I have a lot of fun with them.

-At home on the farm -

-well, home is home.

-It's where I was born and raised

-and it's where I'll be.

-S4C Subtitles by Testun Cyf.