Llandeilo Rotary Club enjoyed a Christmas Dinner with a difference when their guest speaker Hywel Jones from Cwmdu spoke about his recent visit to Patagonia. Hywel's talk centered around the Province of Chabut, for it was in May 1865 that a total of 153 Welsh men, women & children left from Liverpool docks to journey to South America with the one aim of protecting their lifestyle and the initial extreme hardships these immigrants suffered following their 2 month journey across the Atlantic and their arrival in mid Winter in the valley of the Chabut river.
Hywel's party comprising of 10 people from Carmarthen and 30 people from the north of Wales left a lot later. Arriving in 2004, some 139 years after, virtually retracing the steps of the original settlers.
The group, who were met by Dafydd Wigley and Eleanor Bennett in Trelaw, the area's major town, heard about the fortunes of the Welsh Language from its decline to its resurrection in 1965 when today it is taught in all schools in the area.
Today it is estimated that there are fifty thousand people of Welsh descent in the area of whom some five thousand use Welsh as their first language. One of the similarities reminding the visitor of back home, is the many chapels in the region. It is said that when a Welsh person settles the first thing they will do is build a chapel.
Following numerous questions from Rotarians and guests Past President Ken Griffith gave the vote of thanks bilingually.
Following the talk a raffle with a total of 6 prizes, including a festive display of white chocolate winning second prize in its class at the Winter Fair, Llanelwedd, raised
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