Siân James Adre

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-Today, I'm in the Llanerfyl area

-of the old Montgomeryshire...

-..to spend the morning with someone

-who lives in this lovely house.

-Let's hunt for clues...

-..to try to find out

-what sort of person lives here.

-Music is very important

-to this person...

-..especially the harp.

-This is a Gwobrau Roc A Phop

-Radio Cymru awards trophy...

-..for Best Female Artist

-from the year 2000.

-Bravo!

-This woman

-is a bit of a globetrotter.

-These come from China.

-There are items from many different

-countries dotted around the house.

-What a cutie!

-Do you recognize her?

-This woman is also an actress.

-She has appeared

-in Rownd A Rownd and Byw Celwydd.

-Yes, Sian James lives here,

-and here's a clip of her at work.

-# An age has passed

-since last I saw you

-# My son, are you in rude health?

-# If you cannot come to see me

-# Send a letter, sweet Deio #

-Hello, Sian James.

-It's wonderful to be here.

-What a glorious place to live.

-What a glorious place to live.

-

-Yes.

-We're high up,

-looking down at the village.

-It's tough in the winter.

-Snow?

-Snow?

-

-Yes.

-As long as it doesn't snow,

-it's fine.

-We walk a lot when it snows.

-When I think of you,

-I think of Montgomeryshire.

-What binds you to this old county?

-Why is this area

-so important to you?

-This place is undeniably

-very close to my heart.

-It's always been the case.

-How would I even begin to define it

-or explain the reasons for it?

-The people are wonderful.

-I have family here, my family

-has lived here for generations.

-This house is important to me.

-The Jameses

-have lived here since 1756.

-In this building?

-In this building?

-

-Yes.

-Well, not in this extension

-but in the old house.

-Wow!

-There's certainly a feeling

-of roots and continuity.

-A feeling of belonging.

-My accent is very much part of why

-people associate me with the area.

-The Montgomeryshire accent

-is very distinctive.

-It's lovely.

-Every Ah sound becomes an Eh sound.

-It's not an Ee sound,

-it's an Eh sound.

-Na becomes Neh.

-Mam becomes Mem.

-No, it's a longer sound.

-Mehm, not Mem.

-Cath becomes Cehth.

-Very often with Welsh words

-beginning with C...

-..we add an extra I sound

-before the A.

-Canu becomes Cianu,

-but never Ciehnu.

-Tell me a bit about yourself.

-You grew up here,

-but not in this house.

-Who lived here?

-As I said, generations of my family

-have lived here.

-My father was born here,

-in the parlour.

-He had four sisters.

-My grandparents lived here,

-of course.

-My grandfather

-was one of 14 children.

-My great-grandmother

-was constantly pregnant...

-..from the age of 17

-until she was 47 years old.

-Wow! How did women do it?

-Wow! How did women do it?

-

-I have no idea.

-She worked...

-..and she was widowed when Chris,

-the youngest, was six months old.

-She raised

-all those children on her own.

-Yes. She was a very special woman.

-I don't remember her, but I've heard

-lots of stories about her.

-My grandfather would say his mother

-wasn't a woman to be messed with!

-Let's talk about your work.

-You're a musician,

-a composer and a singer.

-You play the harp and the piano.

-You're multitalented,

-plus you're an actress.

-Where did it all start?

-Well, I suppose

-that the urge to perform...

-..stemmed from my days

-competing in eisteddfodau.

-That's true of several people

-who've gone into these fields.

-I started to compete in eisteddfodau

-when I was three years old.

-My mother put me and my brother

-on the stage to recite and sing.

-I yearned to learn

-to play musical instruments.

-I already sang and so on.

-I realized I enjoyed

-this idea of being creative.

-I didn't understand it...

-..but I'd go to the piano

-and fiddle around.

-From that fiddling around,

-I'd end up writing musical pieces.

-As I got older...

-..I combined composing music with

-writing arrangements of folk songs.

-Frances Mon Jones,

-my harp teacher...

-..encouraged me

-to sing with the harp...

-..and to write

-arrangements of folk songs.

-It was something she'd done too.

-I then went to college in Bangor,

-where I studied Music.

-Was the group Bwchadanas

-the start of things for you?

-It was my first band...

-..and my first taste

-of being around other musicians.

-I formed a strong bond

-with the band members...

-..and we're still close.

-Since your Bwchadanas days,

-you've released several solo albums.

-Yes, starting with Cysgodion Karma.

-I then released Distaw, Gweini Tymor

-and Digwsg on the Sain label.

-We then set up

-our own label and studio here...

-..and I released the albums Pur

-and Y Ferch O Bedlam.

-Tell me about the acting.

-I got my first acting job

-when I was still at college.

-I had the opportunity to be

-part of a series called Almanac.

-It was a series

-that was on before you were born!

-I was in an episode of Almanac...

-..about a visit

-that Mendelssohn made to Wales.

-More recently,

-you acted in Byw Celwydd.

-How was it?

-How was it?

-

-It was lovely.

-I hadn't acted for a few years...

-..and the Rownd A Rownd crew

-invited me to be part of the cast.

-That was my opportunity

-to get back to acting.

-Byw Celwydd came after that

-and it's been a complete pleasure.

-I play someone who's very different

-from my character on Rownd A Rownd.

-She was a happy woman

-who really took care of herself.

-Into tanning and so on.

-Into tanning and so on.

-

-And this one's the opposite.

-The character I play in Byw Celwydd

-isn't quite so jolly!

-But it's a challenge.

-Now then, will you let me

-have a nosey around your house?

-Of course.

-Let's start in the kitchen.

-Let's start in the kitchen.

-

-Yes. Great.

-I adore this room.

-This must be the original kitchen,

-with that lovely fireplace.

-Are the beams original too?

-Are the beams original too?

-

-Yes.

-This mantel beam is original too.

-It's huge, isn't it?

-It's huge, isn't it?

-

-Yes. Imagine lifting it there!

-Incredible.

-This is original but you have

-built an extension to the house.

-Yes. We decided to go for it

-a few years ago.

-The old extension was run-down.

-It was really cold in there.

-There was no insulation

-in the building...

-..so we had it all redone and built

-the extension down the side here.

-It includes new bedrooms

-and a new living room.

-This was the living room

-for many years.

-This part is new, isn't it?

-Yes. My grandparents'

-back kitchen was here.

-It was a block, to be honest.

-Just here?

-Yes, to the cupboard

-under the stairs.

-This is new, but the dresser isn't!

-It's an antique dresser.

-This came

-from my grandparents' home...

-..when they lived

-in Foel Ysgawen, Cefn Coch.

-It's really old, isn't it?

-It's really old, isn't it?

-

-Yes, it is.

-Are the plates old too?

-Are the plates old too?

-

-Yes, and there's a mixture there.

-These are hand-painted

-and they come from Asia.

-I'm not sure where in Asia.

-We use those.

-We also use these plain things!

-I think it's important

-that you do use them.

-There's no point

-putting plates in a cupboard...

-..but I am scared I'll break them.

-Just be very careful.

-If we go through here,

-we'll enter the lounge.

-Yes - the living room.

-Another lovely room.

-That's a nice view.

-That's a nice view.

-

-Yes.

-This is also part

-of the new extension, isn't it?

-Yes. This was

-my grandmother's garden.

-It wasn't an easy decision to build

-here, but there was no alternative.

-Upstairs, on the first floor,

-there's a bathroom...

-..and Sian and her boys' bedrooms.

-We're at the top of the stairs.

-How many rooms are there here?

-Four bedrooms.

-My boys' bedrooms.

-That's Gwern's room.

-That's Mabon's room.

-Llywelyn's untidy room is there.

-Are these new rooms?

-Are they part of the extension?

-Yes.

-This was the original wall

-of the old house.

-We added new bedrooms

-and a new bathroom.

-Your great-grandmother raised

-14 children in a two-bedroom house?

-Wow!

-Wow!

-

-It's incredible.

-Let's have a cuppa.

-Join us after the break, when we go

-for a wander around the area.

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-Welcome back.

-As it's a such a lovely day...

-..Sian and I went for a walk

-up the mountain behind the house.

-Do you remember coming up here

-when you were a little girl?

-Yes. I was forever at Gardden,

-with my grandparents.

-We often came up this mountain.

-It was part of the tradition

-of growing up here.

-We all went up the mountain.

-I know that my father

-and my ancestors...

-..came up the mountain too.

-It's part

-of the pleasure of being here.

-What a view!

-What a view!

-

-It's incredible.

-It's calming, somehow.

-People talk about

-magical Montgomeryshire...

-..and this is what they mean.

-It's beautiful.

-Do you come here when you

-need inspiration to write music?

-It's a tranquil spot.

-Lonely at times, maybe?

-I've never felt lonely up here.

-I was always happy

-to go off walking on my own.

-I often came up here on my own,

-but I never felt lonely.

-I certainly do gain inspiration

-from being here.

-Not just up here,

-but the Banwy Valley in general.

-It's got something to do with

-that sense of belonging and roots.

-I have travelled, and I still do.

-Coming back home always gives me

-an inner calm, without any doubt.

-This is where my heart is.

-This is Bryn Tanat,

-the house where you grew up.

-Yes, that's right.

-Your father still lives here.

-Your father still lives here.

-

-Yes. Dad still lives here.

-It's a huge house for one person.

-You give harp lessons in this house.

-Yes - in that room.

-There are two harps in that room,

-a pedal harp and a lever harp.

-I have eight students at the moment.

-Will you take on a new student?

-Will you take on a new student?

-

-Do you fancy having a go? Fantastic!

-I'll have you know

-I passed my Grade 1 exam.

-But that was 20 years ago.

-No, more like 30 years.

-That was the last time I played.

-It was fine. Try again.

-That was brilliant!

-Your thumbs stuck up beautifully!

-Are they meant to stick up?

-Are they meant to stick up?

-

-Oh, yes.

-Mrs Selway

-must have been a good teacher.

-I remember her tapping my hands...

-..because I plucked with my nails.

-Oh, it's nice.

-I'd love to be able to play.

-Will you play?

-I'll do the bass line

-and you do the top line.

-It'll make it sound better.

-Well done, Nia.

-That sounded nice, didn't it?

-That sounded nice, didn't it?

-

-You should take it up again.

-You can come here

-to have lessons from me.

-Oh, that's nice.

-I enjoyed that.

-We've had a lovely

-but a very busy day.

-It's nice to be back

-in the house, by the fire.

-I ask this question

-in every episode of Adre.

-Here's the question.

-What three things

-are close to your heart...

-..and you'd have to save

-if there were a fire here?

-I've thought long and hard,

-and the obvious choice is the harp.

-But it isn't here,

-it's in Bryn Tanat.

-Yes, so it's safe.

-Yes, so it's safe.

-

-It is indeed.

-So I thought I'd come up with things

-that have a family link.

-This is the first item I'd save.

-It's a really old photograph album.

-My mother's side of the family

-were seamen.

-They came from Llan-non, Ceredigion,

-not far from Aberystwyth.

-Generations of my family

-went out to sea.

-They travelled the world,

-buying and selling goods.

-In the house where I grew up,

-where my father still lives...

-..there's a huge collection

-of old relics from Llan-non.

-This is one of those items.

-I've brought it up here

-because I enjoy looking through it.

-May I open the album?

-May I open the album?

-

-Yes.

-That's pretty.

-This is hand-painted on silk.

-Yes, they painted on silk.

-This was all done by hand.

-The flowers, birds

-and little buildings...

-..make me think that this album

-probably came from Japan.

-I'm not sure.

-These are old family photographs.

-These are old family photographs.

-

-Can you name all these people?

-Yes. This is my maternal family.

-My grandfather was the first

-to break the tradition.

-He didn't go to sea,

-he went to work in the bank.

-He was the first

-to break the tradition.

-Your family history

-is important to you.

-You've travelled a lot...

-..and it seems to me that

-the urge to travel is in your blood.

-Yes, I think so.

-The thing I really like about it

-is the fact it's so detailed.

-These pictures are so evocative.

-Yes, so I'd rescue this.

-That's the first item.

-It's small enough

-for you to tuck under your arm.

-The second item?

-The second item?

-

-A pair of shoes.

-They're not my shoes, mind you.

-When we had the extension built,

-we gutted the whole place.

-The house hadn't been altered

-for generations.

-We decided to lay new floors

-in the original house.

-What did we find in the soil...

-..buried beneath the parlour

-where my father was born...

-..was these.

-Ancient children's shoes.

-Look at those!

-They're amazing.

-Apparently, it was a tradition

-to bury shoes in a house.

-To bring the owners good luck.

-And to bring children to the house.

-That certainly happened!

-That certainly happened!

-

-Yes, it did.

-Once they were out of the soil,

-they were bound to dry out.

-I decided

-not to put them on display.

-I just want to do

-as little as possible with them.

-That's why they sit in that box.

-They're beautiful, aren't they?

-They're beautiful, aren't they?

-

-A piece of history.

-Yes, so I'd take them with me.

-I thought for a second

-they were your dancing shoes.

-THEY GIGGLE

-What's your third item?

-That painting.

-This one?

-A painting of your home.

-Yes, that's right.

-It's by the artist Eleri Mills.

-She's a good friend of mine

-and she lives in the next village.

-Her workshop is down in the village,

-looking up at the house.

-She created this piece of art

-in charcoal.

-It's lovely.

-Yes, and the trees

-have grown since then.

-She painted this years ago now.

-You can't see the house

-from her workshop any more.

-It's pretty special to me.

-Thank you very much.

-I've enjoyed myself so much,

-I don't want to leave.

-It's been a pleasure.

-It's been a pleasure.

-

-Ah! She's lovely, isn't she?

-Come back again.

-Come back again.

-

-I will. You'll regret saying that!

-Thanks to Sian for the welcome

-and thanks to you for watching.

-Join me next time to snoop around

-the house of another famous face.

-Until then, goodbye.

-S4C Subtitles by Testun Cyf.

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