gyda John Ogwen Cofio

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-# Remember

-# Remember #

-Hello and welcome to Cofio...

-..where we take a trip down memory

-lane with some familiar faces.

-One of Wales's most famous actors

-is reminiscing tonight.

-A warm welcome to you, John Ogwen.

-Do you still keep busy?

-I do a little here and there.

-I enjoy writing and...

-Yes, I'm still around.

-Going from strength to strength.

-As well as your actual career...

-..you could have followed an

-alternative career, using your feet.

-I'd have liked that.

-I wanted to be a footballer.

-That would have been wonderful

-back in the day.

-Having said that, I'm not sure

-I would have been successful.

-At the time, when I was younger,

-I wasn't a bad player.

-Did you start playing as a young lad?

-I played in the village.

-We didn't have computers back then.

-We spent our time out in the fields,

-kicking a ball.

-We'd play cricket in the summer.

-I enjoy all sports.

-We start

-with a football clip tonight.

-It's a famous match

-that many people remember.

-One of the greatest shocks

-in European football...

-..happened in Bangor.

-I'm joined by Iorys Griffiths,

-Bangor's centre-back.

-Congratulations on your victory,

-Iorys.

-What did you think of Napoli?

-They were a good team but

-they weren't as good as I expected.

-They played well for 15-20 minutes

-but they fell away after that.

-The Napoli players were shocked to

-see supporters running on the pitch.

-After the match, we all went

-to the Plaza Cinema in Bangor...

-..and sat watching a film twice

-to see the Pathe News twice.

-We wanted to relive the great moment

-when a small team from Wales...

-..conquered the Italian giants, 2-0.

-Bangor lost in Italy but they

-played a third match in Highbury...

-..and lost that match, 3-1.

-Describe the atmosphere.

-Describe the atmosphere.

-

-Amazing.

-I was standing

-in front of one of the cameras.

-Napoli were a great side.

-Strangely enough, manager Tommy

-Jones died about two years ago.

-The captain who scored that penalty,

-Ken Birch...

-..paid tribute to him

-in the funeral.

-It was so funny -

-he had a Liverpool accent!

-He said, "I only saw Tommy worried

-once. That was against Naples.

-"They wanted our shirts

-and we only had one set!"

-Ken Birch's memories made us

-all laugh in the crematorium.

-Iorys is your cousin.

-Iorys is your cousin.

-

-Yes, he is.

-He was a hero of mine -

-and still is.

-He's still a hero.

-He's a few years older than me

-but a lot fitter.

-The fact was, I had a cousin

-playing in that match.

-I had a cousin playing for Bangor.

-Two local lads played for the team.

-Len Davies, the goalkeeper,

-had moved to live in the area.

-All the other players

-eventually settled around Bangor.

-It was an excellent team -

-excellent during that period.

-Those players would play

-at a higher level today.

-They make a lot of fuss

-about players with long throw-ins.

-Wilkinson and Birch used to do that

-in the 1960s in Bangor.

-There's nothing new in that!

-They're recycling old skills!

-You often meet Iorys.

-Next, we have a wonderful clip

-of Menai Bridge...

-..which dates back almost 70 years.

-It's 1940 - the year

-the toll-free bridge was opened.

-You often walk across that bridge.

-I often meet my cousin Iorys there.

-He's had a new hip and he walks

-a mile and a half every day...

-..across the bridge and back.

-Since giving up smoking, I walk

-to try and keep my weight down.

-I walk a lot more than I used to.

-We meet each other on the bridge.

-It's a beautiful bridge.

-I was walking back from Anglesey

-last week and the sun had set.

-The bridge was lit up beautifully.

-It's such a simple design

-for a bridge.

-It's the same now as it's ever been.

-It's iconic in its appearance.

-You gave up smoking

-about three or four months ago...

-..after smoking for 40 years.

-How's it going?

-How's it going?

-

-Terrible!

-It's a success so far.

-I don't think

-I'll ever say I've given up.

-Who knows what will happen?

-I'm rather proud of myself

-right now.

-You're one who likes to keep fit.

-You used to have

-a good pair of fists.

-I used to box when I was in school.

-I enjoyed boxing.

-My father liked boxing,

-so did Tom, my father-in-law...

-..and we all talked at length

-about boxing.

-My father never came to watch me

-playing football...

-..but he'd watch me box.

-Boxing was everything

-for Uncle Huw and Uncle Bob.

-Boxing, during that era...

-..was more important

-than football and rugby...

-..especially in Wales.

-We had a few great boxers -

-and still have good boxers.

-As it happens, we have a clip

-of one of your heroes now.

-Joe Erskine from Cardiff, the former

-British Heavyweight Champion...

-..being trained by Archie Rule

-from the Amman Valley.

-The greatest of all was Joe Erskine.

-Archie Rule realized

-when he started training Erskine...

-..that he had a boxer

-with a very quick brain.

-He trained a champion

-right from the start.

-I'd go in at 6.00am.

-"Come on, Joe."

-I was used to getting up early.

-"Come on, Joe."

-He'd run up Caerphilly Mountain.

-That's the run he used to do.

-Up he'd go, passing a farm

-called The Ranch on the right.

-Then he'd continue up,

-passing the lime works.

-We'd be back before 7.00am.

-Into the bath he'd go, a quick

-massage and back to bed until nine.

-Then he'd run down

-to train in the afternoon.

-Archie Rule taught him

-everything he knows about boxing.

-He trained him hard remembering how

-it paid dividends in his own career.

-You met him once.

-Well, yes.

-Tom, my father-in-law, and I

-were out in Cardiff one night.

-I can't remember precisely

-where we were, a club in the city.

-Joe Erskine was the bouncer

-on the door.

-My father-in-law

-recognized him immediately.

-"Mr Erskine..." And that was it.

-They sat together in the doorway

-talking about boxing.

-He was a very, very amiable man

-and a great boxer.

-My father-in-law met him

-a few times after that.

-You often see the more human side

-behind the public mask.

-Discipline was so important. Was

-discipline the attraction for you?

-It was done brilliantly -

-that was the attraction.

-You're attracted to something

-if it's done well.

-I can't dance at all

-but I appreciate it being done well.

-You can respect the art. We turn now

-to something more humorous.

-I know you're also

-very keen on rugby.

-This sketch takes us back to 1973.

-If at first you don't succeed...!

-In those days, people tried

-to get in without paying.

-On the day, Robin Griffith,

-the actor, and I were arrested.

-Robin wasn't a real policeman

-in the sketch.

-He'd dressed up

-to get in for free too.

-I see.

-I see.

-

-Two men were watching us filming.

-Suddenly, they got out of their car

-and arrested us.

-They were two

-plain clothes policemen.

-They asked if we had permission

-to dress up as a policeman.

-They arrested us.

-The story found its way

-into the Sunday Express.

-In the end...

-..the police realized

-that if they took us to court...

-..they would have looked so stupid

-so they dropped the charges.

-Robin was arrested

-for impersonating a police officer.

-I was arrested

-for aiding and abetting!

-Robin and I were good friends in

-college - we're still good friends.

-The memories are flooding back.

-All sorts of mixed emotions.

-I noticed that the BBC and HTV

-were involved.

-Keeping in with both sides.

-It's been difficult to choose

-one clip of you at work as an actor.

-We'll see one of your most memorable

-performances after the break.

-We'll be back in about two minutes.

-# Remember #

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-# Remember #

-Welcome back. I've been joined

-by actor John Ogwen tonight.

-You've chosen this next clip.

-It's a clip of you

-acting with your wife.

-Why is the next scene

-so important to you?

-It's a production of Tywyll Heno, an

-adaptation of Kate Roberts's novel.

-It's one of which I'm most proud

-for several reasons.

-It was one of the first television

-projects Maureen and I did together.

-The response was phenomenal...

-..greater than anything else

-we'd done for television.

-Curiously, Maureen chose

-the extract we're about to watch.

-The character she played - Bet...

-..was fond of Williams Parry's

-sonnet - Dinas Noddfa.

-Maureen is also fond of the sonnet.

-Let's watch the clip.

-Read Dinas Noddfa to me, Gruff.

-"When the stars

-cause your blood to shiver

-"And shake your beliefs like leaves

-"When the night feels the earth

-from which you were created

-"And its fears

-search the substance to the core

-"Or when you listen

-to the sorrowful rhyme of the sea

-"Which murmurs darkly

-its enchanting grievance

-"And the wind swirls

-around your door

-"Hoarsely through trees,

-lisping through bushes

-"Follow the wise

-and to you a fort will rise

-"Where you will find refuge

-from its mighty oppression

-"As lord of your nothingness

-"And architect of your own heaven

-"Or follow him

-when he builds a temple

-"Not by hand

-"But above the wonders of nature

-"And beyond"

-That obviously touched you.

-Yes, yes.

-It was an opportunity

-for you to work with your wife.

-It was one of the early projects

-we did together.

-We've worked together a lot

-since then.

-Maureen wrote the scripts

-for R Williams Parry...

-..W J Gruffydd

-and T H Parry-Williams.

-I portrayed the poets

-and she wrote the scripts.

-But that was a special piece of work

-as everything came together.

-David Lyn was directing

-for the first time...

-..Dafydd Hobson was the cameraman...

-..and all the cast and crew

-enjoyed the experience.

-Yes, I'm very proud of that.

-We'll lighten the mood now

-by featuring comedy.

-We'll hear about your interest

-in one particular bird in a moment.

-Do you remember this star

-who looked after another bird?

-# "Where are you going?"

-asked Dibyn to Dobyn

-# "Where are you going?"

-asked Richard to Robin

-# "Where are you going?" asked Don

-# "Where are you going?"

-asked the never beyond #

-Olgan Bowen, a Viking...

-..roaming the Carmarthenshire

-countryside isn't a common sight.

-How did it start?

-A friend of mine gave me four hawks

-about four years ago.

-I've taken a keen interest

-in hawking since then.

-The bird you've released

-is going off to hunt, is it?

-I wouldn't say it's hunting.

-It hasn't been trained to hunt.

-It's just gone for a short flight.

-What have you taught it so far?

-I've taught it

-to fly to my hand to feed.

-It can fly

-to and from my hand or the shed.

-It doesn't jump on anyone else -

-it listens to what I say.

-Tell me something

-about the clothes you're wearing.

-It's something I made myself.

-Your name - Olgan Bowen -

-sounds like a Viking name.

-Is there a connection?

-Some people say there is.

-I'm not so sure but it suits me.

-Everyone used to dress like that!

-Excellent.

-Why choose a clip about birds?

-I have a friend, a red robin,

-that lives in our garden.

-We're great friends.

-It speaks to me, literally.

-If I'm out in the garden,

-sweeping up leaves...

-..it knows I may uncover worms

-so it lands next to me.

-If I uncover a worm for the robin...

-..it whistles to me

-and we have a little chat.

-If I'm not out, it'll come

-to the door to wait for me.

-If I'm out in the garden for an hour

-and a half, it stays with me.

-How long has this been going on?

-How long has this been going on?

-

-I wouldn't like to say!

-For many years, to be honest.

-It makes its nest right by the door.

-It knows I know where it is.

-I understand

-the language of robins now.

-If I returned to this world,

-I'd come back as a robin.

-I wouldn't have to learn

-the language - I'm fluent already!

-We finish the programme with another

-giant of the Ogwen Valley...

-..and another one of your idols -

-Caradog Prichard.

-# A long time ago

-# A long time ago

-# Dear Caradog's

-not what he used to be

-# A long time ago #

-Since you're moving

-to live in Bethesda...

-..can we expect another book

-like Un Nos Ola Leuad?

-I sincerely hope so.

-I hope I can write

-another one like it.

-We all hope so too.

-We all hope so too.

-

-I'll give it a go.

-Let's have another song.

-Gorllwyn, get us all going.

-# It's not always a bed of roses

-# And here's what bothers

-our home town

-# And here's what bothers

-our home town

-# William Morgan's sheep

-# William Morgan's sheep

-# William Morgan's flock of sheep #

-Let me first applaud

-the four-voice rendition.

-That must have been quite a moment

-for you, to meet Caradog Prichard.

-Un Nos Ola Leuad

-was published when I was in school.

-We'd organized a tribute night

-to Caradog Prichard.

-I was in the sixth form.

-I was sitting on the pulpit with

-the moonlight shining down on me.

-Gwenlyn Parry was directing.

-Three young boys sat in front of me.

-He was sitting in the deacons' seat.

-I could see his face.

-He had a beaming smile

-and tears rolled down his cheeks.

-That was Un Nos Ola Leuad.

-You could cry when you laughed

-and laugh when you cried.

-It's a wonderful novel.

-Maureen and I

-made a tribute programme...

-..during the Lliw Valley Eisteddfod.

-I remember the response

-when Maureen spoke the line...

-..about his mother being in

-a mental hospital from 1922 to 1959.

-We didn't actually say 37 years.

-When Maureen spoke that line...

-..you could hear the audience gasp

-as they worked out the sums.

-She'd been in a mental hospital

-for 37 years.

-We then staged a theatre production

-of Un Nos Ola Leuad.

-Six of us went on tour.

-We had to do three performances

-a day in Bangor due to the demand.

-I recall arriving in south Wales...

-..for the first performance

-staged in Treorchy.

-We performed the choir scene...

-..where Gwyn Vaughan, Wyn

-Bowen Harries, Grey Evans and I...

-..sang in harmony on the stage.

-The audience joined in with us.

-Really?

-They even repeated the hymn

-while we were on stage.

-An audience of 700 in Treorchy

-singing part of the production.

-We were astonished.

-You couldn't have organized that.

-You couldn't have organized that.

-

-It took us a while to get over it.

-Something similar happened elsewhere

-too.

-When we performed

-in the Lliw Valley...

-..Maureen's line was "I turn back

-to God, the God you don't know."

-The audience gasped.

-That's what's so incredible

-about the novel.

-There's plenty of humour in it but

-there's an undercurrent of sorrow.

-Laughter and tears

-are never far apart.

-Thank you for joining me.

-It's been a journey of adventure.

-There was joy and heartache

-along the way.

-That's it until next time.

-Goodbye.

-# Remember

-# Remember #

-S4C Subtitles by Simian 04 Cyf.

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