3 Lle: Tudur Owen 3 Lle

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-Since this is the place

-I was raised...

-..it's where my roots

-are most deeply rooted.

-It's like an anchor to me.

-I do consider myself

-to be very lucky.

-I can return to Trefri

-whenever I want.

-My brother is the farm's tenant.

-That's a nice feeling.

-When I was younger,

-I couldn't wait to leave...

-..but now,

-I take every opportunity to return.

-I like the name Trefri.

-It suggests so much to me.

-Many people make the mistake

-of calling it Trefriw.

-It's not the same

-as the town in Vale of Conwy.

-Tre-fri.

-'Tre o fri' (a town of honour).

-It suggests the place

-has a long history.

-The buildings are very old.

-The house was rebuilt in 1721.

-The outbuildings behind me

-are even older than that...

-..a lot older.

-My family has run this farm

-since the 1930s.

-My father's father, Taid and Nain,

-moved here in 1934...

-..when my father was a young boy.

-It's a rather unique location.

-It's remote and stormy weather

-can rage from the sea...

-..but it's also sheltered

-because it's right on the coast.

-The terrain

-is both sandy and rocky.

-As I grow older,

-I have my own family now...

-..I can appreciate

-what Mam did when she raised us.

-We were five children

-living on the farm.

-I suppose it would have

-been hard to find activities...

-..to keep us entertained

-as children.

-I know it's hard

-to stop children becoming bored.

-My older brother and sister

-spent a lot of time together.

-At one time,

-I was youngest child...

-..and I was given

-a lot of attention.

-Then another two babies arrived,

-so cute in their pink and blue.

-They took all the attention

-and Tudur was left in the middle.

-My brother and sister didn't really

-want this little boy with them...

-..and I didn't want to be

-with little girls who liked pink.

-I was often left

-to my own devices on the farm.

-There was very little to do here.

-As far as the younger sisters

-were concerned...

-..he treated them as playthings.

-He would often make them cry.

-That was his aim most days.

-If he hadn't made

-both of them cry by lunchtime...

-..it hadn't been

-a successful day for him.

-I remember one occasion, he pinched

-them to try and make them cry.

-Mam decided she'd pinch him herself.

-He phoned the NSPCC

-but they didn't take him seriously.

-I often found myself alone.

-I had to keep myself occupied.

-I was an energetic child

-and I wanted a buzz and thrills.

-The only way I got a thrill...

-..was by taking dangerous risks.

-I'd climb onto the rooves

-of the buildings...

-..and onto the roof of the house.

-I'd climb the highest tree

-I could find...

-..and take my canoe down to the sea.

-I'd go as far as I could

-in the canoe...

-..without my parents finding out.

-As I was so mischievous...

-..Mam would worry about me.

-She'd get angry, I'd get angry...

-..and we'd have these huge quarrels.

-Tudur always pushed the boundaries.

-Mam valiantly tried to control him.

-She did a job

-but it was hard work at times.

-I remember him climbing

-the Scots pine in the garden.

-Mam was standing at the bottom with

-a brush, trying to get him down.

-She was incensed.

-She couldn't do anything

-because he was right at the top.

-I remember her looking at me

-through the window.

-She was checking to see

-if I was still at the top.

-She was just worried about me

-but she didn't admit to it.

-I came down when I was hungry.

-Not a word was said.

-I just ate my mince.

-The five of us grew up

-on a very remote farm.

-It was two miles

-to the nearest child.

-My brother and I were happy

-to help out on the farm...

-..but Tudur wasn't always content

-with his lot.

-He wanted more from life.

-One way was to find

-other mischievous boys.

-If there was a mischievous boy,

-Tudur would end up being his friend.

-I was in trouble all the time,

-in school and further afield.

-As I grew older, my world grew.

-There was far more potential

-for being mischievous.

-I was in trouble with the police

-on more than one occasion.

-I shouldn't really

-talk about this.

-One of the boys from the village

-and I...

-..took a motorbike

-without the owner's consent.

-Theft would be another word!

-We wanted to get somewhere

-so we took it.

-We got caught

-and ended up in so much trouble.

-It caused so many problems

-for me and my family.

-It was a fairly important time

-in my life.

-I wouldn't change it in any way

-because it made me who I am now.

-The fact that Trefri is so close

-to the sea is very important.

-I feel uncomfortable

-if I find myself far from the sea.

-I like being close to the sea.

-This area is remarkable.

-When I return to Trefri...

-..I call in

-to say hello to them all...

-..then make my way

-down to the sea as soon as I can.

-In the winter,

-when the sea is rough...

-..and the wind howls from the west...

-..it can be a terrifying place.

-It can make you feel very small.

-I love the sea's power.

-I love watching it

-being as angry as it can be.

-I'm racking my brain

-trying to work out how I ended up...

-..after being raised

-in a place like this...

-..doing the work I'm doing now.

-I owe a great debt to Mam.

-She encountered many problems with me

-but never gave up.

-Mam died two years ago...

-..but I'm glad she had the chance

-to see me realizing my dream...

-..of doing work I enjoy.

-I'm glad she saw me

-heading in the right direction.

-She'd be proud

-of the work I'm doing.

-That's a comfort sometimes.

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-I'm here, on Platform 1,

-Bangor train station

-Some of my earliest memories

-come from here.

-The station connects me to my past

-and I like that.

-So much has happened here. I love

-sitting down to wonder about that.

-I also like to reminisce about

-the times I came here as a boy.

-For a child, the steps at the front

-of the station were quite iconic.

-I remember thinking as a child...

-..the steps were the gateway

-to the rest of the world.

-That's what they were

-as far as I was concerned.

-In Bangor station...

-..more often than not,

-my journeys started or ended.

-There's a lot of emotion attached

-to this place - for me, anyway.

-As a family,

-we travelled a lot and still do.

-I'm always excited

-when I'm on the platform...

-..whether I'm meeting someone

-or saying farewell.

-There's a tunnel

-at either end of the platform.

-You could hear the train approaching

-before you could see it.

-The tracks made a whistling noise.

-We'd look into the darkness

-and see the light emerging.

-We'd know that Mam and Dad were home.

-I remember one occasion...

-..they went to South Africa

-for several weeks.

-That's one

-of the earliest memories I have...

-..saying goodbye to my parents,

-Elen and Richard.

-I was too young to go.

-I can remember holding

-my Auntie Katie's hand...

-..and hiding behind her shyly

-when I welcomed them back.

-Mam was so upset

-because I was so shy.

-A lot of romance

-is linked to this place.

-It's seen better days.

-The buildings

-need a lick of paint and some TLC...

-..but I like them.

-They provide a link to my past.

-I like sitting here imagining

-what's gone on here over the years.

-I've had so many experiences here...

-..welcoming people home

-and saying farewell.

-I love this place.

-I'm sitting in the set

-of the TV comedy show Ista'nbwl...

-..in Barcud's television studio...

-..in Caernarfon.

-I remember walking into the studio

-for the very first time.

-It was the set of a television

-series called Bacha Hi O 'Ma...

-..presented by Alwyn Sion.

-I was an assistant floor manager.

-I'll never forget the feeling

-of walking into the excitement...

-..of the rehearsals

-for the programme.

-I knew that's what I wanted to do.

-Dewi Rhys, the floor manager,

-was the main floor manager.

-Everyone in the industry

-calls him Magwa.

-One night, he said...

-.."Right, Tudur, you can

-welcome the audience tonight.

-"It's time you took

-the responsibility."

-Gulp!

-Looking back, it was nothing.

-All I had to do

-was point out the fire exits...

-..tell them

-we'd have a break in the middle...

-..and tell them to remain quiet

-during certain parts of the show.

-I was in pieces.

-I had to help them relax

-by saying a few jokes.

-I stepped out, told a joke

-and there were a few sniggers.

-It wasn't raucous laughter...

-..just chuckles.

-That was enough to make me realize

-they were listening to me...

-..and enjoying themselves.

-That same year, 1999...

-..a friend of mine,

-Dewi Rhys the actor...

-..Dyff in Pobol y Cwm...

-..told me about a comedy festival

-that was being organized...

-..to coincide with the

-National Eisteddfod in Anglesey.

-Mei Jones, Eilir Jones, Daniel Glyn

-and Huw Marshall were performing.

-He asked me if I wanted

-to perform a comedy set.

-For me, being a floor manager

-and controlling an audience...

-..was very different to stand-up...

-..but I still fancied

-a crack at being a comedian.

-The event was being held

-in the Glanrafon Hotel in Benllech.

-I walked on and stood there.

-Although I knew what to expect,

-I still felt very nervous.

-I performed my set

-and it went down well.

-People laughed

-and laughed out aloud.

-It gave me such a thrill.

-My set today

-is about two hours long in Welsh...

-..and about an hour long in English.

-It originates from

-the five-minute set in Benllech.

-I've been doing stand-up with Tudur

-for over ten years.

-He's doing far more than me now.

-I'm almost drawing my pension!

-He's enthusiastic

-and has boundless energy.

-He has the drive to do it.

-He'd do stand-up every night

-if he could.

-He keeps track of every gig

-we've done.

-He could tell you how a gig went

-in Blaenau Ffestiniog in 2004.

-He'd have marked himself

-eight out of ten...

-..and marked me two out ten again!

-He would remember specific gigs...

-..and that sort of memory is great

-as back-up.

-My earliest comedy heroes,

-without a doubt...

-..are two Welshmen -

-Charles Williams and Ryan Davies.

-I was fortunate enough

-to see both performing live.

-I love meeting old characters.

-Do you know

-who makes me laugh the most?

-People who make mistakes

-when they speak.

-His stories, as jokes, they aren't

-the funniest in the world...

-..but what's funny

-is the way he tells them.

-The delivery.

-He grabs your attention

-and builds the tension.

-His timing, when he delivers

-the punchline, is perfect every time.

-"Roberts, how are you?"

-"Very well, Charles."

-"We had a bad night last night."

-"Why, what happened?"

-"Dear old Mary Williams. She called

-for the amble-bus during the night."

-"Is that so?

-To take her to the hospital?"

-"Yes. She went to the hospital

-in the amble-bus."

-"What was wrong with her?"

-"She thought she had Glad-stones!"

-I also remember Ryan performing

-at Glantraeth many years ago.

-He was a different sort of comedian.

-He had all sorts of different skills.

-Charles was a great actor...

-..but Ryan was also

-a very talented musician.

-I remember hearing him

-singing songs...

-..and verses

-and making them humorous.

-He also created

-different characters.

-He created the female character -

-I can't remember her name.

-She reminded me

-of an old aunt I had.

-I remember thinking

-how clever he was...

-..using additional elements

-to create comedy.

-Oh, no, don't laugh.

-I've washed my hair.

-Creating comedy using a character

-is fascinating.

-I've had success with PC Leslie

-Wynne. People are very fond of him.

-It all started

-with the sketch shows - Mawr.

-Then I thought about the character.

-At the time, Richard Brunstrom was

-the Chief Constable of North Wales.

-He was a very chequered character.

-I wondered what it would be like

-if he had a right-hand man for PR...

-..and called him "the caring face

-of North Wales Police."

-I managed to create the conflict

-which is integral to comedy.

-Turning the idea on its head.

-Take the character - a naive,

-camp man...

-..and place him

-in the harsh, real world.

-If we move down to the groin...

-I regret not paying attention

-in biology lessons.

-I placed the character

-in situations such as a drug raid...

-..letting my imagination run wild,

-a sketch would write itself.

-I imagined Leslie Wynne knocking on

-doors calling, "Yoo-hoo, anyone in?"

-I think people enjoyed it.

-Any questions?

-She wants to know

-if he has a brother.

-It's great seeing him in action.

-I sit in the wings watching him

-and he's full of energy.

-He'll come off and say,

-"I wasn't good enough."

-He is a perfectionist.

-With me...

-..I just want to do it and go home.

-I just sweat it out

-and hope it goes OK.

-I can't imagine not performing.

-I often travel to gigs and say

-to myself, "Why are you doing this?

-"Why can't you find a normal job...

-"..which starts at 8.30am,

-finishes at 5.30pm with weekends off?

-"It would be so much easier."

-And it would be

-but this has a particular appeal.

-I think I just like the attention.

-I do like the praise.

-That's what laughter is.

-It's as if someone's saying,

-"Oh, you're good, you're so clever."

-That's what laughter is all about -

-someone massaging your ego.

-All performers have an ego.

-I've yet to find a performer

-who doesn't feel the same way.

-We are an insecure bunch.

-So, I have some

-very fond memories of this studio...

-..just because

-I can trace my story back...

-..to the moment I walked

-in front of that audience.

-A switch in my head

-went on that night.

-I remember thinking,

-"Yes, I can do this."

-Whatever I've tried to do...

-..and it was a pleasant feeling...

-..but I finally felt,

-"Yes, I've found my place."

-S4C Subtitles by Simian 04 Cyf.

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