Aled Rees a Dafydd Jones Cefn Gwlad

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-There's a shop on a square

-in Aberystwyth that everyone knows.

-It sells books

-and all kinds of Welsh goods.

-Yes, Siop y Pethe.

-The shop opened in 1968.

-It was the first shop in Wales

-to sell Welsh books and records.

-It was established

-by Gwilym and Megan Tudur.

-They had the vision

-to open a shop...

-..that would promote

-our culture here in Wales.

-Recently, two friends

-have joined forces...

-..to buy and run the shop.

-They are two farmers' sons

-with pokers in several fires.

-I'm keen to learn more

-about their venture.

-I've been here many times,

-but not since it changed hands.

-Aled Rees and Dafydd Jones.

-That's a good name.

-That's a good name, Dafydd Jones.

-How are you, boys? How's business?

-Yes, we've been very busy

-over the past 18 months.

-People may be surprised

-that I know your names.

-But I've grown up with your family

-in Llangwyryfon.

-You were a vet with us for years.

-I never thought I'd see you

-as the owner of a bookshop.

-Neither did I.

-Neither did I.

-

-The most famous shop in Wales.

-It's the oldest bookshop, I think.

-We run a few businesses.

-Between the two of us,

-we run six or seven businesses.

-How did it come about...

-..that you became owners

-of Siop y Pethe in Aberystwyth?

-I'd looked into the idea

-of buying it myself.

-I looked into a few other options.

-Like a lot of stories,

-things developed.

-I was sitting by a bar

-with Dafydd one night...

-..and I told him

-how I'd looked into buying the shop.

-I told him how I couldn't

-quite afford it myself...

-..and he said,

-"I'll buy it with you."

-Within half an hour,

-we'd shaken on it...

-..and off we went to try to buy it.

-We've had a lot of support

-to reopen the shop.

-It helps that we're both

-from this community, in a way.

-We both worked in the community,

-and Aled, obviously, is a local boy.

-That has been a big help.

-Aled grew up on Pencwm farm

-in Llangwyryfon...

-..some five miles from Aberystwyth.

-He's a successful businessman...

-..running travel companies in Wales

-and across the world.

-..while Dafydd is a director...

-..at a successful veterinary surgery

-in Aberystwyth.

-He's a Northwalian

-but was also raised on a farm.

-He loves going home often

-to help out on that farm.

-Well, John, Dafydd came down

-to Ceredigion as a very young man.

-Yes, straight from college.

-That was his first practice.

-He settled well...

-..in the area.

-We're lucky to have a sea,

-like you have here.

-Did he always want to be a vet,

-do you know?

-Yes, he said so at a very young age.

-He was hardly out of primary school.

-He's said that was his ambition.

-He took an interest

-in the animals here...

-..if any of them were unwell.

-Handy!

-Yes, it was!

-There's a practice

-in Chwilog, of course.

-He helped there for years

-while he was at school.

-He has two children now.

-You feel better off

-when grandchildren come along.

-Certainly.

-They took their time coming,

-then four came almost at once.

-Did they?

-That's the type of job it is.

-Once you start, it's hard to leave.

-No wonder he became a vet,

-having grown up on a farm.

-But where exactly is it?

-We're in Eifionydd,

-on the border with Lleyn.

-The village is Llanarmon,

-and the farm is called Bryn Rhydd.

-It's halfway

-between Cricieth and Pwllheli.

-You were fairly young

-when you left the area.

-Yes, I was 18, and I went

-to college in Cambridge.

-It is young, in a way.

-A veterinary degree

-takes a few years.

-Yes, I was there for six years.

-Six years in college isn't all bad!

-Avoiding work for six years!

-Did you always want to be a vet?

-Yes, I never really wanted

-to do anything else.

-I feel lucky and privileged

-to do what I always wanted to do.

-I don't remember

-wanting to do anything else.

-My parents say

-that's what I always talked about.

-The dream came true.

-You came down to us Cardis

-early in life.

-Straight from college.

-You left for a bit, then came back.

-Yes, we've settled in Aberystwyth

-and we're very happy there.

-I've been back

-for about four years now.

-We're very happy there.

-Cardis aren't all that bad.

-Cardis aren't all that bad.

-

-No, no.

-Yet, your wife is French.

-From France, yes.

-We met in New Zealand, oddly enough.

-She agreed to come back to Wales...

-..despite the rain, fair play.

-She's learning Welsh.

-She's learning Welsh.

-

-Yes, for a few years now.

-She's done the courses

-in Aberystwyth.

-She speaks French with the children,

-so they can pick that up from her.

-I speak Welsh with them, so we don't

-always understand each other!

-Do you have any other interests?

-I did before having children!

-But time...

-Yes, sports.

-I played rugby for years.

-I even played golf,

-but it's a matter of time now.

-I enjoy spending time

-with the children.

-By the time they've done what they

-want to, there isn't much time left!

-But they enrich your own life

-and the lives of your parents.

-The children

-are an integral part of life now.

-Oh, yes, my parents love them...

-..and, conversely, they think

-the world of Taid and Nain.

-Macsen wakes up in the morning...

-...and asks if he's seeing

-Taid and Nain that day.

-They love each other.

-As a vet, you're used to long days.

-You were pulling a calf for me

-at half past eight last night.

-It's not noon yet and we're here,

-by a river in the north.

-Yes, you get used to it.

-But it's the same for farmers.

-You give yourself to the job...

-..and the hours

-are sometimes beyond your control.

-That's never worried me,

-within reason.

-The work is always interesting.

-Evening work, weekend work,

-pulling calves.

-No two jobs are the same,

-so it's interesting.

-Siop y Pethe

-is also home to another business.

-Cambria Tours.

-Aled runs the business

-on the third floor.

-The company is going

-from strength to strength...

-..and attracts the world to Wales.

-We're at the top now.

-Not quite!

-There's one more floor.

-It's high up here.

-This is where you work,

-more or less.

-I'm involved

-with all the businesses..

-..but I probably spend more time

-with Cambria at the moment.

-It's an important point

-to spend time on the business.

-We work with a lot

-of tour operators abroad.

-We have a lot of tourists

-from North America, Canada, Germany.

-This year,

-I've been in Berlin, Shanghai.

-I'm going to Los Angeles

-later in the year.

-I'm meeting the companies

-who need...

-..we say they need

-to bring more tourists to Wales.

-It's important that we meet them

-and encourage them to come.

-We still organize tours

-for local people within Wales.

-We work with groups

-like Merched y Wawr, maybe...

-..or the Urdd and the YFC

-to organize things for them.

-I see these girls working here.

-Are they here full-time?

-Yes, we have Karolina,

-Gemma and Cerys.

-They have language skills,

-which is crucial these days...

-..given our target market.

-Cerys speaks German,

-Gemma speaks French.

-Karolina is from Lithuania

-and she speaks Russian and Polish.

-And it's also true that you both

-have wives from abroad.

-Two farmers sons with foreign wives

-running a Welsh bookshop!

-Yes, it works well.

-Aberystwyth is also home to Aled's

-other business, Tango Tours.

-This is a convenient spot.

-This is a convenient spot.

-

-Yes, very convenient.

-You can go in first.

-He runs this business

-with his Argentinian wife.

-She's a vital part of the company.

-Hello, how are you?

-Hello, are you OK?

-I don't remember your name.

-My name's Angeles.

-My name's Angeles.

-

-Angeles.

-It's lovely to meet you.

-Thank you.

-You've married a very busy man.

-You've married a very busy man.

-

-I know!

-I'm very proud of him.

-He works very hard.

-How do you say "I love you"

-in Spanish?

-Te amo.

-Ti amo.

-Perfect.

-That's not at all difficult.

-Your children were born here.

-What do you think of Wales?

-Are you happy here?

-Yes, I like the culture

-and the people.

-"Diwylliant" - culture -

-is a big word.

-You're doing very well.

-You're doing very well.

-

-Thank you.

-Angeles keeps Patagonian

-traditions alive over here...

-..by offering mate tea

-to anyone who enters the office.

-Well, here we are.

-Just like Patagonia!

-Just like Patagonia!

-

-Yes, here you are.

-Mate.

-Do you like this?

-Are you familiar with it?

-Are you familiar with it?

-

-Yes.

-They're like grass seeds.

-It's not unlike green tea, I'd say.

-This is stronger than I'm used to.

-This is stronger than I'm used to.

-

-Did you have sugar in it?

-I think I did.

-But it's fine, it's very nice.

-The Tango Tours office

-is also full-time, is it?

-Yes, we moved here a few months ago,

-almost a year now.

-Hello, Tango Tours, Teithiau Tango?

-The idea for Tango Tours came

-when we got married in 2007.

-We organized a trip to the wedding

-for family and friends.

-The 30 who came out

-to the wedding in Argentina...

-..came with us on honeymoon

-to Patagonia.

-My wife

-was a barrister in Argentina.

-Was she?

-When she moved over here,

-she couldn't do that.

-We needed a way for her

-to maintain a link with Argentina.

-While we're on the subject,

-how did you meet her? Through work?

-No, a very modern way. Online.

-No, a very modern way. Online.

-

-Online?

-I was trying to learn Spanish,

-she was trying to learn English.

-Yes.

-She speaks a lot of Welsh now.

-She does. I can't say anything,

-she understands everything!

-What are the children called?

-Mari, Iago and Ioan

-speak three languages, of course.

-Welsh, English and Spanish.

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-He's also part of an ambitious

-and innovative project...

-..offering temporary

-rural accommodation.

-These pods are located

-for the time being near Tywyn...

-..in a very pretty spot

-near Castell y Bere.

-This is Epic Retreats, an idea

-that's a bit outside the box.

-We as Cambria Tours

-came up with the idea...

-..along with Best Of Wales...

-..and George & Thomas

-architects in Machynlleth...

-..to do something different

-in the Wales Year of Legends.

-The character of each pod

-is different.

-I haven't seen the others close up,

-but I could like this one.

-Explain it to me.

-Does this rotate or what?

-The bed inside rotates.

-All the pods are mobile.

-The idea is that the whole camp...

-..will move from place to place

-around Wales during the coming year.

-We call it pop-up accommodation.

-Pop-up boutique hotels,

-with a manager always on site...

-..and people will come in to change

-the bed linen and to cook breakfast.

-This is some pop-up!

-Where did the idea come from?

-I think the partners and myself

-had a chat about a year ago.

-I'm sure it was over a pint,

-but this idea came up.

-We knew that 2017

-was the Visit Wales Year of Legends.

-We wanted to create

-something completely different.

-This has now featured in newspapers

-in Australia and North America.

-It isn't just these units

-that sell the package.

-You wake up in the morning

-to the magnificent Welsh scenery.

-That's something we do have.

-They tell us to diversify,

-do something different.

-What could be better?

-I feel different now

-than when I came into the field...

-..and saw that big sauce bottle!

-What if it's windy?!

-But it's great.

-When these are located elsewhere,

-will they be closer together?

-It depends on the site.

-It does depend on the site.

-A lot of people like to go off

-on romantic weekends nowadays.

-These are ideal, I'd suggest.

-As long as we point the windows

-the right way, they'd work!

-The first thing you want

-for a romantic weekend are curtains!

-No, they're great.

-They really are, honest now.

-Back in Aberystwyth...

-..I've been invited

-to visit Dafydd at the surgery.

-I've been here countless times...

-..but this time, they might see me

-in the same room as a cat.

-Here we are.

-It's not sleeping yet.

-I want help to hold a puppy!

-I won't come closer.

-This is closer

-than I've been in years.

-What's wrong with it?

-I only want a quick look.

-Can't you do that

-with the door closed?

-Come here now.

-There we are.

-Oops.

-Come on, come and say hello.

-It's a pretty one.

-It's a pretty one.

-

-Yes, it is.

-It's well-fed and it looks good.

-Does it pass the test?

-Does it pass the test?

-

-You can put it back now.

-Everything seems OK.

-Put it back then.

-Put it back then.

-

-In we go.

-You never know

-what will come in next.

-The work varies

-from day to day, obviously.

-You just take what comes.

-As one of the directors,

-you're here every day.

-But your wife works here as well.

-Yes, she works part-time here

-and also looks after the children.

-Yes, she works here.

-She's more cats and dogs,

-I'm more farms and horses.

-But as a practice,

-we have to be able...

-..to deal with whatever

-comes through the door.

-But we all have our own interests.

-Because there are a lot of us,

-we can all follow our noses.

-I daren't say at home that I've been

-in the same room as a cat.

-I'll meet you outside,

-in case that gets out.

-Dai, this is Diane.

-Hello there.

-How are you?

-Very well. How are you?

-Very well. How are you?

-

-I hear you're learning Welsh.

-A little, very slowly.

-The children speak Welsh.

-Yes, better than me.

-Yes, better than me.

-

-I wouldn't say that.

-Where did you two meet?

-At work?

-At work?

-

-Yes, in New Zealand.

-We went a long way to meet, yes.

-We moved to work in the same place

-and that's how we met.

-It was nice to see you.

-Keep learning Welsh.

-You're doing well.

-You're doing well.

-

-Thank you very much.

-Back we go to where Aled grew up.

-His upbringing is a big part

-of who he is today.

-He has vivid memories

-of growing up on the family farm.

-Pencwm Uchaf is my first home,

-where I was raised over the years.

-I lived here until I was 23.

-I lived here until I was 23.

-

-Did you really?

-My roots are here, and I have

-happy memories of the place.

-And my late mother, of course.

-We lost her a couple of years ago.

-Far too soon, a young woman

-who had worked hard.

-Mam was the mainstay of the family.

-There was food on the table

-whenever Dad had finished milking.

-She took us to and from school...

-..and kept everything going

-while Dad worked the farm.

-She milked herself

-until she was 50, I'm sure.

-I'm very proud

-to have called Priscilla Mam.

-The influences of the past remain,

-even at Siop y Pethe.

-When Gwilym and Megan

-sold the shop to Aled and Dafydd...

-..the vision

-was safe in their hands.

-There isn't much room here.

-But I'd like to see people

-popping in and out and chatting.

-They're welcome to linger.

-It's more than a place to buy,

-it's a place to meet.

-They were supportive from the start.

-We've been lucky

-to have taken over from them.

-They were here so long

-and made it a household name.

-It's nice to take over, in a way.

-This was their life, wasn't it?

-They were very happy

-that we wanted to keep it going.

-Not just the shop but the name too.

-The support we've had

-from everyone has been incredible.

-We couldn't have asked

-for better support.

-Everyone has been so positive.

-We took the shop over, changed it

-as well, but kept the ethos...

-..of what Gwilym and Megan

-built up over the years.

-It's an ideal place to sit and chat.

-Very comfortable.

-This serves its purpose.

-We wanted somewhere

-where people could meet.

-Somewhere they felt they could

-come and sit if the weather was bad.

-A place to have a cuppa or to rest.

-We wanted that.

-For anyone who knows Aberystwyth,

-it's somewhere...

-I always used to say,

-"I'll meet you by Siop y Pethe."

-No-one ever meets

-by Barclays or Boots.

-They meet here.

-They meet here.

-

-Yes, by Siop y Pethe.

-Now, I tell people,

-"I'll meet you in Siop y Pethe!"

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