Dewi Pws Cofio

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-# Remember

-# Remember #

-A warm welcome

-to another series of Cofio.

-My guest tonight is a comedian.

-He's also a unique performer,

-musician, poet and actor.

-He's a supreme joker,

-but I hope to rein him in tonight.

-You're known

-by a three-letter name - Pws.

-Why not Dewi Morris?

-Dewi Grey Morris.

-That came from my mother's side -

-Grey, as in Earl Grey.

-Right.

-As for Pws, I'll explain for

-those who haven't heard this before.

-I was in the Glan-llyn camp,

-with the Urdd, and it was winter.

-I'd taken my mother's fur coat,

-which she wore to chapel.

-I'd cut it up to here.

-I'd cut it up to here.

-

-Did she know?

-No, of course not. The coat

-was worth many hundreds of pounds.

-It was the period of the hippies,

-and everyone had fur coats.

-"Hey, man." I wanted to be a hippy.

-I had the long hair,

-so I cut the coat like that.

-I wore it to the camp,

-like this, so Pws it was.

-Gareth Mort from Cwmafan

-named me Dewi Pws and it stuck.

-Mam wasn't very pleased.

-Mam wasn't very pleased.

-

-No, and no wonder.

-Something else that's stuck

-in popular memory...

-..is the series Torri Gwynt.

-It was a ground-breaking comedy.

-Maybe, but for me and the crowd,

-and they were a great crowd...

-..it was like a holiday, you know,

-like six summer weeks in Glan-llyn.

-We'd come in to write scripts,

-having heard jokes down the pub.

-"Who's doing this one?"

-and 'Ey would do it and six more.

-It really was just like a holiday.

-It really was just like a holiday.

-

-Let's see some classic Torri Gwynt.

-Here I am back again.

-We've received millions of letters

-this past week.

-One asked if we do the show live.

-Of course, it goes out live.

-Nothing's pre-recorded.

-And so, now on to our next item...

-Torri Gwynt.

-'Ey, who am I then?

-I'm a seagull taking his books

-back to the library.

-LAUGHTER

-Morning, Mr Vosper.

-FARTING NOISE

-It was him!

-EXPLOSION

-Four-letter word, starts with S.

-A budgie does this in its cage.

-Sing?

-LAUGHTER

-Would you say that humour like that

-isn't used nowadays?

-I don't know.

-I still found those quite amusing.

-What about the whole PC business?

-I don't know. I've never been one

-who's PC. I tend to go against that.

-I find I do gigs sometimes...

-..when there may be racist jokes,

-against, well, the English, say.

-Poking fun at the English is OK but

-not at black or Pakistani people.

-Racist is racist.

-However, if it's funny

-and not nasty - it works.

-I crack jokes nowadays.

-We've moved to Tresaith...

-..where we have a small band

-which performs in concerts.

-I make outrageous comments,

-though never nasty nor racist.

-I just like humour

-so I utter such remarks.

-There are old biddies in the front.

-"Kiss of death," I think.

-"Heart attacks beckon".

-Then they start tittering like this.

-They're all enjoying themselves.

-The right or freedom to laugh,

-maybe?

-Our next clip...

-..is from a programme portraying

-community life in the Lliw Valley.

-The Eisteddfod was there in 1980.

-Let's see if you remember.

-Hiya, how are you?

-Hiya, how are you?

-

-Hello, Dewi!

-Have you had lunch?

-Have you had lunch?

-

-I'll just grab something.

-Would you like a cuppa?

-Would you like a cuppa?

-

-Yes, please, and a Welsh cake.

-Well, listen, tell me now,

-did you get that job?

-Well, I think I have.

-He's asked me back anyway.

-He's a chap from Cwmllynfell.

-What is the job exactly?

-A sort of fitter.

-Doing jobs...

-Oh, you wouldn't understand.

-It's work involving metals,

-non-ferrous. Thanks, fine, good.

-The guy knew Dad.

-The guy knew Dad.

-

-They all knew your Dad, dear me.

-Some sugar.

-Do you want food now?

-Do you want food now?

-

-No, just a couple of those.

-I only made them just now.

-Scones or Welsh cakes?

-You're sure you don't want lunch?

-Good grief!

-That was my mother, of course, yes.

-She was a character.

-She should have been on the stage.

-My humour comes from Mam.

-Dad was a very quiet fellow.

-Me smoking there!

-I don't remember that.

-You had no problem with smoking

-in your mother's presence.

-Dad and I both dealt with Mam

-in the same way...

-..trying to keep her quiet,

-but she was brilliant.

-Mam was a chapel-goer,

-along with others when I was young.

-She had a friend, Adi.

-The minister would ask questions.

-Is the devil a person or a spirit?

-Mam was quite sensible in chapel.

-"A spirit who tried to tempt Jesus."

-My Auntie Annie thought the same,

-and spoke of exorcisms, and so on.

-He then came to Adi, who was related

-to the late Rhydderch Jones.

-"He's a person," she said.

-"I live with him."

-They'd have a laugh.

-It was old-fashioned humour.

-My own humour's old-fashioned,

-and I think that's Mam's influence.

-Did you have a good relationship?

-Oh, yes, love-hate. Either loving

-or getting on each other's nerves!

-No, she was fantastic,

-but she had a stroke in later life.

-It was a really, really bad one.

-It was lovely. We moved her

-to the Brondesbury home in Cardigan.

-We brought Mam down there,

-and she had a very happy time.

-She couldn't talk properly,

-but her eyes still twinkled.

-She couldn't speak, only stutter,

-but her eyes said everything.

-You've asked to see the next clip...

-..as an example of humour

-that appeals to you.

-It's from I Lawr A Nhw, a comedy...

-..with Hugh Thomas and Mari Gwilym.

-The signals soon manifested

-themselves to the inhabitants...

-..of the surrounding country, though

-not of course to the soldiers...

-..by the immediate arrival

-of almost a thousand men.

-They commenced their operation...

-..by completely demolishing

-the Bethania gate...

-..and then proceeded

-to destroy two toll bars...

-..on the road from Llanelli

-to Carmarthen.

-This is mad. Shameless effrontery!

-More water, Mr Chambers?

-Hot water, sir?

-Oh, yes, and get on with it.

-This water's cold, girl.

-I can't do everything,

-what with Alice being ill.

-I've had to change the beds

-and bake the bread.

-I'm shivering. Get on with it.

-Aargh!

-What the devil are you trying to do?

-Turn me into a gelding?

-Oh, damn. I've lost the soap now.

-I'll find it for you, sir.

-Is it a small round thing, sir?

-No, the soap's large and square.

-Oh, yes. Here it is.

-Brilliant. You see the jokes coming,

-but you still laugh.

-Are they amusing

-because they're such stereotypes?

-And the acting quality.

-Hugh Thomas at his best,

-and Mari, are both brilliant.

-He was hamming it up so much.

-He was excellent.

-We had a wonderful time when

-we did it, just like Torri Gwynt.

-When you portray your TV characters,

-do you base them on people you meet?

-No, not really. Well, I suppose

-there was 'Ey - remember him?

-Behind you.

-Behind you.

-

-Yes, there he is.

-I created 'Ey, but I don't know

-if there was something subconscious.

-Afterwards,

-in every village I'd visit...

-..people told me the character

-was based on someone they knew.

-All villages seemed to have an 'Ey!

-But I think I remember the man

-who actually was my inspiration.

-I was picking blackberries,

-near Llannon.

-I was in the hedge and heard

-the noise of this car behind me.

-I turned to the sound of this voice,

-"'Ey!"

-The car window was down.

-You could only see eyes and ears.

-"Dewi Pws!"

-So, I said, "Hello, how are you?"

-"Rubbish.

-Rubbish, I watch you on TV.

-"Pobol y Cwm's good

-but as for that Wthu Gwynt..."

-Strangely enough, I'd created 'Ey

-two years before meeting him!

-"Those are my blackberries

-and my mushrooms in the field.

-"Rubbish, bloody rubbish,

-but come in to meet the wife.

-"She likes Pobol y Cwm".

-I went in and had tea

-and Welsh cakes. It was him.

-This next clip is an example

-of humour not working, in your view.

-It's not often that we in London

-have the chance to visit...

-..the Land of the White Gloves...

-..or, as we call Wales,

-Little Brother.

-Today, we can meet a man...

-..who's influenced

-not only the world...

-..but also England.

-Let's tell him This Is Your Life.

-Deedle-dee.

-Oh, the taxi's arrived.

-I'll bring you back a Madras later.

-Bye, love.

-Little did you guess

-that at this very gateway...

-..you'd meet a man saying,

-"Dewi, musician, miracle-worker...

-"..former hermit,

-and, of course, a saint...

-"..This Is Your Life."

-Blimey, here we go again.

-Are you from the taxis, Aqua Cabs?

-No, Dewi, I'm Amen Andrews,

-and you're on This Is Your Life.

-Come with me.

-O Na! was the name of that show,

-I think.

-HTV had been let down by someone.

-They asked for a comedy script,

-and I was asked to help out with it.

-I hadn't a clue what I was doing.

-We spent a week doing this show.

-It was just awful, and that's why

-I wanted to see it again.

-When it was shown, I told everyone

-to go out so no-one would watch TV.

-It was bad, but seeing it has made

-me wonder whether bits of it worked.

-At the time, I was so embarrassed.

-There's no need to be.

-We'll leave it there for now.

-In Part Two, we'll look at

-your travels to faraway places.

-See you in two minutes.

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-# Remember #

-Welcome back

-to our trip down memory lane.

-Dewi, back in 2003, you won

-a Royal Television Society award...

-..as best regional presenter

-for the series - Byd Pws.

-We have a clip of you searching

-for the original Crocodile Dundee.

-Why Crocodile Dundee?

-It's a long, interesting tale...

-..starting with Rod

-poaching crocodiles back in 1978.

-He calls them

-long salmon with big teeth!

-Accidentally,

-he gave birth to the whole saga.

-He still looks like a wild man,

-and he has some amazing stories.

-He's come out here to live...

-..with the Aborigines.

-He's been adopted as an Aborigine.

-I've not heard of anyone else

-who's done it, with all the ritual.

-The Aboriginal people...

-..are not different

-to European people in any way.

-In other words,

-there are greedy people...

-..there are also very generous

-people, intelligent individuals...

-..there's some

-that are thick as two bricks.

-They're just like Europeans.

-The main difference is the culture.

-Rod Ansell died

-not long after you filmed him.

-Yes, we went out to stay with him.

-We didn't really know. I think

-it was the first series of Byd Pws.

-Hughes and I went out there -

-we were given a ticket to Australia.

-They said,

-"Go and find Crocodile Dundee."

-We went and found him.

-It took a week or so...

-..via different places and people,

-before going out to the bush.

-There he was, a real wild man.

-We had a great time.

-He was a poet

-and a fantastic songwriter.

-We came back, and read in the paper,

-in the cafe in Llandaff...

-..a Western Mail report saying

-"Original Crocodile Dundee shot."

-He'd gone mad, shot a policeman

-and was shot dead himself.

-It wasn't great that he'd shot a

-policeman but it was an awful shock.

-You mentioned Hughes, your Byd Pws

-cameraman and co-traveller.

-You must have a special relationship

-with him now after all this time.

-Yes, we really do hate each other!

-Sometimes, we'd have lots of laughs,

-other times not.

-Five weeks in the Arctic

-and nerves get strained.

-It tests you.

-Hughes was skilful.

-He knew the shots to take.

-He irritated me by always wanting

-to film dangerous sights.

-"Let's climb this mountain now."

-It'd be a volcano, so I'd tell him

-to go up and I'd stay put. Good fun!

-You enjoy keeping fit,

-the outdoor life and the open air.

-Yes, I quite enjoy all that.

-I used to enjoy running...

-..around Tresaith and Brynhoffnant,

-but now golf gets me out.

-Is it true that your handicap's six?

-No, my handicap's sick!

-Sorry! No, I'm down to eleven now.

-I enjoy it, I love playing golf.

-It's great. People think it's

-snobby, but I hate that side of it.

-The boys I play with are great boys.

-I'd say you'd have had a lot

-in common with this next person.

-He was a comedian and a golfer.

-On the golf course back in 1951,

-here's Bob Hope.

-That was Porthcawl golf course.

-Are you funny on the golf course?

-Do you joke all the time?

-Some people may not find me amusing.

-I must say I enjoy having a laugh.

-I can't help myself sometimes,

-as you know.

-One story comes to mind.

-I was a member at a Cardiff club

-and we went up to Harlech.

-The club at Harlech is quite posh.

-There's a dress code,

-you had to wear socks...

-..up to the knee - neat and tidy.

-Your trousers came to here.

-I had a row. "Excuse me,

-your socks are around your ankles."

-I said sorry,

-but the boys were winding me up.

-They were Cardiff boys, from Ely.

-"You got a talking to, didn't you?"

-We were playing this par three.

-Time to get my revenge, I thought.

-They were all looking down

-the par three like this.

-I slipped behind them into a bush.

-I stripped off...

-..keeping on only my socks, shoes,

-my glove and my cap!

-There I was, stark naked.

-I said to them, "Terrible, innit,

-these rules about the socks?"

-"Yeah, yeah," said the Cardiff lads.

-"No, it is really awful," I went on.

-Then, they looked round,

-"Oh, my God!"

-They ran away, with me chasing them.

-The committee almost banned me for

-"bringing the club into disgrace."

-No, really?

-So, no, I don't. I don't.

-I don't take golf too seriously.

-We have a clip now. I don't know

-if you remember this one.

-It's an alternative version

-of your famous song, Nwy Yn Y Nen.

-This clip dates back to 1970.

-# The sun shines in the sky

-# The sweet dream now must die

-# The kids play, no longer scared

-# The kids play, no longer scared

-# How happily they sing

-# How pure a thing

-# Flowers are in bloom everywhere

-# There's no pain near or far

-# There's no worry, no scar

-# Peace reigns at last in our land #

-A garden gnome who could sing!

-I couldn't sing then either.

-What was that?

-What was that?

-

-You tell me!

-I'd say it was perhaps one I sang...

-..in a pantomime.

-I remember, not being good

-with make-up, and always late...

-..perhaps they recorded that

-from the pantomime.

-I had the two-spot job,

-as they called it.

-Two minutes to go,

-and I'd rush in.

-"The two-spot job, two-spot job...

-"..he's the fastest changin' actor

-in the world."

-Possibly, that was me

-adapting Nwy Yn Y Nen...

-..for panto, but I can't remember.

-What's your name again, dear?

-What's your name again, dear?

-

-I'll remind you later.

-Music's important to you. You were

-with Tebot Piws and Edward H Dafis.

-Here's a clip of you in concert

-in Corwen in 1976.

-# Farewell to fair Llangyfelach

-# And all the pretty young lasses

-# I'll find out where I want to stay

-# In this dear land, or far away

-# Fa-la, la-la,

-la, la, la, la, la, la!

-# A-marching I went to some house

-# Gold and silver was there awash

-# The fifes and drums

-all played their tunes

-# As I enlisted

-with the Light Dragoons #

-Looking back at that,

-can you believe the success?

-Was it so obvious at the time

-when you look back now?

-No, because we weren't really

-trying to do anything.

-Well, I suppose we had wanted

-to create a good Welsh rock band.

-We just enjoyed ourselves.

-That's all there was to it.

-The audience was part of the band.

-I believe in having them all

-in the band with you.

-We just strummed away on stage.

-I play minor gigs now

-with a local band - Radwm.

-I go with them, and I still,

-at rugby clubs and pubs...

-..sing the old songs, Milgi Milgi

-and Moliannwn, and people join in.

-People want to sing,

-not just sit and watch the band.

-If anyone out there needs a band,

-organize gigs, such as Sesh Bach!

-We just get the whole place

-laughing and singing.

-People come up on the stage

-to sing with us.

-I think this kind of thing

-is making a comeback.

-Small but growing Welsh groups

-get the audience to sing along.

-I think that's great.

-Well, Dewi Pws,

-you've had a very chequered life.

-Dewi Pws is in the past.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you very much.

-

-Thank you.

-Thanks for your company.

-Until next time,

-from all of us here, goodnight.

-# Remember

-# Remember #

-S4C Subtitles by Simian 04 Cyf

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