Pennod 6 Wrecsam 'di Wrexham

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-Wrexham is looking to the future.

-Two years ago, North Wales's largest

-town witnessed a quiet revolution.

-The people of Wrexham came

-together in three enterprises...

-..with the aim of creating

-a better future for the town.

-An iconic Welsh brand

-has been revived...

-..at a time where there's more

-demand for local produce.

-The Welsh language can be heard

-once more on the streets.

-The Saith Seren pub

-is a new focus for the language.

-Wrexham Football Club is

-pioneering a new ownership model...

-..which is an inspiration

-to other clubs.

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-Aled Lewis Evans

-is a language tutor in Wrexham.

-Wrexham is a broad-minded town.

-It's a border town

-and an open, tolerant place.

-Chester and Wrexham

-are very different.

-Chester is anglicized and posh.

-Wrexham is very...

-What's the word?

-It's Welsh in its own way.

-It's also quite ordinary

-and down to earth.

-They're two different worlds

-although only ten miles apart.

-There's a kind

-of cliche about Wrexham.

-When I judge in an eisteddfod

-in a Welsh-speaking area...

-..someone will ask, "Are there

-any Welsh speakers in Wrexham?"

-There are 29,000

-in the county of Wrexham.

-We need to rectify the image of what

-it's like to live on the border.

-Aled is also a lay preacher.

-He's on his way to the Christmas

-Fair at St Giles's Church.

-What are you doing today?

-I'm putting in speakers

-for the music. That's it, really.

-Excellent.

-It hasn't really started yet.

-No. I'm not sure when it starts,

-in about an hour.

-It'll be very busy tonight.

-All the best. Well done.

-OK, thanks.

-Bye.

-In Wrexham, people said,

-"I wish I could speak Welsh."

-I never felt that people

-were opposed to the language.

-Perhaps they never

-had the opportunity.

-I meet students who have been

-through the second language system.

-They approach the language

-in a very fresh way.

-Hello Dawn, how are you?

-Fine, thanks.

-Hello Adele, how are you?

-Hello Adele, how are you?

-

-Fine, thanks.

-You've both learnt

-Welsh brilliantly.

-Thanks.

-It doesn't always feel like that.

-You're excellent.

-I hope we'll be fluent

-one day in the future.

-In my opinion, you are now.

-Merry Christmas.

-Marlene, who runs the chip shop

-with husband Gwyn...

-..has always lived in Wrexham

-but never learnt Welsh.

-People didn't speak Welsh in town.

-I can't remember hearing a word

-of Welsh for years when I was young.

-I'd have thought it was a foreign

-language, although it's my own.

-Late in life, maybe...

-..but I decided I would

-at long last do something about it.

-I have taken up

-a course of Welsh lessons.

-I can understand a lot of Welsh

-but I've never been able to speak.

-Too inhibited, I suppose.

-Nearby, Gwyn and their sons have

-restarted brewing Wrexham Lager.

-When the old Wrexham Lager

-closed 14 years ago...

-..it was a fatal blow to a leading

-local traditional industry.

-It's very important to Wrexham

-and to Wales now.

-Like Anglesey Sea Salt,

-it's world renowned.

-We've had supermarkets

-who would like to stock the product.

-It is a big decision. You've

-got to plan it into production.

-You've also got to make sure

-that when things pick up again...

-..you've got the capacity

-to do everybody else.

-It's no good saying you can't supply

-because we haven't got any product.

-We need to increase at least

-50% to 60%, maybe 100% in a year.

-We have done year on year up to now.

-The way things are looking,

-if we can keep the product right...

-..we'll be doing

-the same thing next year.

-As a family, we try and do our best.

-Hopefully, if we keep that up,

-the company will keep growing.

-The family owns several

-other businesses too.

-But at 80 years old...

-..Gwyn is thinking of handing

-over control to his sons.

-To be honest,

-I'm getting rather old.

-Old age hinders you

-from getting on with other projects.

-In most cases, I let

-the boys decide how to spend money.

-If I say too much, they get fed up

-and say I can't do this or that.

-I leave them alone now.

-One has to.

-Because of the fragile state

-of Saith Seren's finances...

-..Amanda the manageress had to go.

-Her daughter Hannah

-decided to work in another pub.

-But she still calls there

-to see her friend Kelly.

-Hey! Are you alright?

-Hey! Are you alright?

-

-Yes. And you?

-You're not busy, are you?

-You're not busy, are you?

-

-No.

-Have you had anyone in yet?

-Have you had anyone in yet?

-

-Yes, they just left.

-How is your Mam?

-How is your Mam?

-

-She's fine, keeping herself busy.

-She's been decorating my bedroom.

-Why don't you do it?

-She won't let me do it.

-The last time she let me do it...

-..I drank a bottle of wine

-while I was doing it.

-I ran out of matt paint

-and finished it with silk.

-There were splashes of silk

-on the wall, with shiny bits.

-It looked horrendous,

-because I was drunk.

-She wasn't happy with me.

-Hannah's forte is hairdressing,

-not painting.

-She hopes to start a business

-and is looking for a salon.

-What was the salon you saw like?

-I didn't like it.

-It was too small.

-You need room upstairs too.

-It was 800 a month.

-I didn't like it at all.

-It's gone up.

-It's gone up.

-

-Yes.

-I don't know what I want to do.

-I know I have to go somewhere else.

-I've been to see five now.

-I didn't like any of them.

-I think I'm going away

-for the summer.

-Are you going to Magaluf again?

-Are you going to Magaluf again?

-

-Yes.

-Why don't you come with me?

-You can work for the summer.

-It's sunny and by the sea.

-I did it last year. It was good.

-I want to do it again.

-I've got the bug now.

-The Magaluf bug!

-That's what you get!

-After another injury, Mark Creighton

-has made a difficult decision...

-..to end his playing career.

-It wasn't a decision I took lightly.

-It was the rest of my career.

-I just felt that I couldn't offer

-what I used to be able to offer.

-I don't really want

-to do myself that injustice.

-I don't want to let

-the management or the fans down...

-..and the other players.

-If I feel I can't give them 100%...

-..I'm not prepared

-to put myself out there.

-Manager Andy Morrell

-doesn't think Mark's time is up.

-He's like a bad smell,

-he never goes away!

-No, I'm only messing.

-He's a great lad.

-He's been fantastic for us.

-We felt that

-if we could keep him about...

-..and help his development for

-his future career, then we will.

-He's asked Joey and Andy

-if he can help with the kids.

-They're very willing

-to accommodate him.

-He's doing his coaching badges.

-There's no reason why we can't help

-and use his experience.

-The track record of players

-that come through our academy...

-..and play in the first team,

-we've probably got ten players.

-They've not cost us anything.

-Our future is bringing them through,

-playing them...

-..and hopefully they move on

-and do well in their careers.

-It's key, but also bringing that

-conveyer belt of kids is important.

-After running a Kung Fu gym

-in Ruabon for 20 years...

-..Pol Wong also looks to the future.

-I trained as a monk

-in a Shaolin Temple in China.

-It took nine years all told.

-Of course, for me now...

-..the training is still

-a big part of my life.

-It's important for me

-to carry on with the training...

-..and practise the Buddhist art.

-I want to pass the knowledge on.

-My dream is to open

-a Wales Shaolin temple.

-I've received permission

-from the Shaolin Temple...

-..to teach the real

-Shaolin Temple Kung Fu in Wales...

-..as a gift to the people

-of Wales from the Shaolin Temple...

-..a kind of cultural gift.

-I have to make the most of it.

-I just want to open a place...

-..where I can provide the same kind

-of training for everyone...

-..in North Wales.

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-It's that time to keep

-New Year resolutions.

-Hannah and Kelly

-are going to the gym.

-I come with Nain, Mam and Kelly.

-Nain and me

-were the only ones who came one day.

-I was talking to a member of staff.

-She said about Nain, "She

-lifts heavier weights than the men."

-"That's my Nain!" I said.

-Funny.

-Nain comes six days a week.

-She's gym manic. She comes more

-often than me and Mam.

-Forty-nine, fifty.

-The old lady is tired.

-My friends ask me, "Who's with

-you today?" I say, "Nain and Mam."

-It's nice to have

-three generations here.

-They're more like sisters

-than my mother and Nain.

-I look after them when

-we go out. They embarrass me!

-It's nice

-that we're so close as a family.

-Spencer Harris is a member

-of Wrexham FC management board.

-But he has other hobbies.

-Well done, Ems.

-He's giving his son Emyr

-a table tennis lesson.

-He's no novice in this field,

-either.

-Years ago,

-I played table tennis for Wales.

-I was the Wales

-Under 14 and 18 champion.

-I played

-in the Commonwealth Games...

-..and the European Championship

-in Yugoslavia.

-I played table tennis

-throughout my youth.

-That's what I did, and go

-to watch Wrexham, of course.

-It's January so

-we're halfway through the season.

-We're not in the play-offs

-or at the top of the league.

-That's where we wanted to be.

-It'll be difficult

-to reach the play-offs now.

-It doesn't look likely.

-But there's still hope.

-If we have a winning streak...

-..over the next month...

-..we'd have a chance.

-I hope that will happen. We'll see.

-Turn the lights off.

-Saith Seren is two years old.

-It's an opportunity for Marc

-and the team to celebrate.

-There are challenges ahead.

-We have to pay bills.

-We can't avoid paying bills...

-..for instance

-rent, rates and wages.

-We had to make one person redundant.

-We couldn't afford the wages.

-Things like

-repair work needs to be done.

-We've set aside money

-for those things.

-We find that we dip into that

-to pay bills.

-There's no money

-to publicize and promote the place.

-There are people

-who don't know we're here.

-They think we're a museum or

-don't know what we're trying to do.

-We have to persuade them

-it's worth coming here.

-There are more volunteers now,

-for example behind the bar...

-..from Monday to Thursday.

-I work the Thursday night shift.

-It's helped

-the board members and investors...

-..to understand what improvements

-need to be done.

-It's hard to understand until

-they come this side of the bar.

-Marc appealed to the public

-for financial support...

-..to ensure Saith Seren survives

-another year.

-We've always relied on

-our own resources...

-..our own money, labour and time.

-That's how we've come this far.

-We haven't had public funding.

-We've asked for donations

-to improve Saith Seren.

-We're doing it for ourselves again.

-We started the fund a week ago.

-I'm surprised

-by how many people have contributed.

-It's buying time

-to make the essential changes.

-It's a cup game at the Racecourse.

-The TV cameras are there.

-Wrexham had a disappointing season.

-The club is eight points short

-of the play-offs.

-Off the pitch, the financial

-situation is healthier.

-Yes, we've paid off the debt...

-..still in a budgeted and

-loss-making position this year.

-But we could break even.

-The financial situation is good.

-We can build the club from here.

-This is the fun time.

-We can build the club.

-But there's still

-a lot of work to do.

-The presence of TV cameras

-helps to fill the coffers.

-Former player Mickey Thomas

-is happy with the new regime.

-It's changed a lot

-since we were here.

-Financially,

-it's had a massive problem.

-Hopefully the good times

-are on the way.

-We've had the backing of

-the supporters, which is massive.

-It's in good hands.

-Without the fans,

-this club wouldn't be here.

-They love the passion

-and commitment.

-They kept going

-when the odds were against them.

-We had people in charge

-who were not right for the club.

-They stuck by the club

-and they've been magnificent.

-They've got a very good hard-core

-of supporters that love this club.

-I hope the good times return.

-These people that kept the club

-afloat deserve a bit of luck.

-Tonight, Wrexham lose 2 - 1.

-But despite the result, Don Bircham

-and Spencer remain optimistic.

-We're always disappointed to lose.

-It's been financially

-successful for the club.

-I think they deserved it, probably.

-They'll be disappointed,

-but we've had a good evening.

-We didn't win, but we'll go on

-to the next FA trophy.

-I hope we climb in the league

-before the end of the season...

-..and compete against the best.

-Saith Seren is filling up

-for the birthday party.

-Many familiar faces

-join in the celebrations.

-Mark and Gwyn have taken a breather

-from brewing.

-It's a chance to taste the lager

-from the other side of the bar.

-Because they now depend

-more on volunteers...

-..hard-working board members Arfon

-and Gwenfair are busier than ever.

-They give up hours of their time.

-I've started to work behind the bar.

-I've never done anything like it.

-I love it.

-I was initially frightened of using

-the till, but I'm over that.

-I volunteer on Wednesday nights.

-She still pulls a better pint

-of Wrexham than me.

-There's not enough to go round.

-It's important to create a demand

-for the language in Wrexham.

-It's full tonight.

-Everything is going well.

-We can look forward now.

-A crowd from the football club have

-come to celebrate the birthday...

-..to support the enterprise.

-# Where you'll find peace

-and a magical beauty

-# And rest for the body #

-This second birthday is a milestone

-for Saith Seren.

-I can't imagine Wrexham

-without the Centre now.

-I hope it continues...

-..because it's accessible

-to most of the people.

-The community spirit

-is alive and well in Saith Seren...

-..like the spirit of Wrexham folk...

-..and the goodwill towards

-the language.

-The football fans

-had no choice but to venture.

-They dug deep into their pockets

-and leapt into the unknown.

-Realizing a dream

-has been a tough journey for Marc.

-No-one would venture...

-..if they knew how much work

-and hassle was involved.

-I've never had to make anyone

-redundant before.

-I've been made redundant but I've

-never had to do it to someone else.

-It's not nice

-and I don't want to do it again.

-We've started something...

-..knowing that if we don't

-venture we'll never succeed.

-I'd rather venture and lose

-than not venture at all.

-# It's part of who I am

-# The story of our survival #

-Hi, are you OK?

-Hi, are you OK?

-

-What can I help you with?

-I'm looking to go away

-to Magaluf for the summer.

-That's my summer sorted.

-I'm not going forever, I'll be back.

-Wrexham's Wrexham.

-With only twelve games to go...

-..Wrexham's promotion dreams

-are fading.

-Andy Morrell resigned

-as the manager.

-Wrexham Lager

-is going from strength to strength.

-The future is brighter

-for Saith Seren.

-The fund is nearing

-its 10,000 target.

-S4C Subtitles by Gwead

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