Steps Back In Time:A Day Out At Llyn Eiddwen.

Another beautiful sunny Sunday. Where to today then?? Mmmmmm let's see now then...................................

Another beautiful sunny Sunday and Dai was outside giving his taxi the once over, he'd already cleaned the Mondeo and I could almost have used it as a mirror to apply my makeup. Dai always looks after his cars, inside and out!!

"Have you decided where you want to go yet!!?” I jumped as a voice came from behind me!!!!

"My goodness me, I don't look that bad do I??" Dai was stood right behind me bucket and cloths in hand.

"I didn't know you'd finished!!" I exclaimed "I'm sure you're trying to give me a heart attack "!!

"Give you a heart attack, that'll be the day!!" He says with a big grin on his face.

"Oh get away with you!" I say with a big smile on my face and pretend to wallop him with my dishcloth!

My next job was to fill the bird feeders.

Suddenly I had a brainwave(I don't get them very often so look out!!!)

"Dai, what would you say about us going to Llyn Eiddwen??"

"I would say that that was a very good idea!!" came the reply.

Llyn Eiddwen (Eiddwen’s Lake) was a small lake by a place called Tregaron.

I know what you're all thinking now; you are thinking that I must be really important because they have named a lake after me!!! Ha ha! Oh well it is nice to pretend isn't it??!

I had been to the lake when I was small but I didn't remember anything about it. if I remember rightly Mynydd Bach(Small Mountain) is also very near to it .

Oh great, Llyn Eiddwen here we come then!!!!!

We got ready in record time and were soon headed towards Aberaeron, a small seaside town which was about 18 miles from Cardigan. I love driving through these seaside towns, there's that 'smell' of the sea all around us and I'll never get fed up of it!! Maybe this has to do with the fact that I grew up by the sea 'Hmmmm'. Aberaeron is choc a block with visitors as it is summer after all. All too soon the winter months will be here and it will resemble a ghost town. Hmmmm now let me see there could be another story here..........!!

Here I go waffling again!!! We'll put that story on the back burners then.......... Watch this space....................!!!

About four miles out of Aberaeron we turned up on our right where we were definitely in the back of beyond!!! However I loved this expanse of unspoilt countryside. I breathed the air in deeply and could feel myself instantly relaxing. We carried on and on past desolate farms, sheep grazing freely, with no gates or fencing , no boundaries what so ever.

"Now then lady of leisure you're not getting away from it all scot free , you can read this map!!!"

Me read a map!!! I think my better half is auditioning for the comedians.

"Don't give up your daytime job." I hurl at him. Fancy waking me up from my daydream!!! Honestly what next!!!

"Read it properly now then." he dared to carry on.

He really is pushing his luck!!!

"Too late, I've seen the sign over there!!" he said with a smirk on his face!!

Thank goodness for that because I hadn't got past wondering which way I was supposed to be holding the blooming thing up yet. Ha ha ha it's nice to act daft sometimes isn't it?? It gets me out of doing all sorts.

I now saw a sign bearing the name TREFENTER!!!!

"Oh we must be nearly there?" I asked Dai.

"Straight through this village and then we should find LLYN EIDDWEN." came the reply.

"Oh my gosh, there it is, a beautiful oasis in the midst of wild desolate land. Obviously Mynydd Bach was the mountain that seemed to be almost bravely protecting the lake!! "

"Yes this is it, I looked at the sign nailed on to the fence opposite and take a walk over;

Llyn Eiddwen;

I now saw a sign bearing the name TREFENTER!!!!

"Oh we must be nearly there?" I asked Dai.

"Straight through this village and then we should find LLYN EIDDWEN." came the reply.

"Oh my gosh, there it is, a beautiful oasis in the midst of wild desolate land. Obviously Mynydd Bach was the mountain that seemed to be almost bravely protecting the lake!! "

"Yes this is it, I looked at the sign nailed on to the fence opposite and take a walk over to read the following words

Llyn Eiddwen;

Dr. Lizzie Wilberforce from The Wildlife trust Of South And West Wales is responsible for 21 nature reserves in Ceredigion. Here's a guide to Llyn Eiddwen, a site of special scientific interest near Trefenter.

Designation;

Site of Special Scientific Interested (SSSI)

National Nature Reserve (NNR)

Description;

This natural lake is a good example of upland, clean and low nutrient water. it is home to a number of locally rare water plants. The attractive surrounding common land is grazed mainly by sheep. The threatening water vole uses the lake's banks.

What to go and see;

Winter water fowl such as tufted duck and Whooper swans. Records in recent years also include Black throated Diver and Green-winged Teal.

We spent the next hour or so exploring the surrounding land and we then sat by the lake-side to eat our packed lunch!! The sun was now piercing through the fluffy white clouds and it created the most beautiful pattern on the calm lake!!! What a wonderful day!! I was so glad that we had decided to come here.

"If you've seen enough here, do you fancy a spin to Rhandir-mwyn??" Dai asked before adding "Do you remember 'Dan fish', well he's moved to a cottage there and I thought we could popover to see him and I could pick his brains about the best places to fish round here!!"

I did remember Dan, a lovely old man. One of yesterday's characters and I couldn't wait to visit him in his new cottage.

"Race you to the car!" I called to Dai.

I know I know I am 52 but I'm still a big kid at heart and thank goodness for that!!"

As we are travelling towards Rhandir-mwyn I was busy scribbling into my notebook. I mustn't forget anything that would enter my head whenever we went exploring. They were the gems that i would need whenever and whatever I was writing about.. I would never remember them if I had to rely on my memory.

"Well I believe we are here, and from what Dan told me I would say that that would be his cottage over there." Dai was sounding really excited as we got out of the car to stretch our legs.

I felt a sudden overwhelming urge to go exploring and said to Dai, "Would you mind terribly if I explored a little and I'll come over to Dan's after?" "I'm sure you men have got enough to chat about!"

"You go and explore babe." Dai said at the same time giving me a big hug.

"Don't get lost though; you know what your sense of direction is like!!"

"I'll be fine." I laughed in reply.

Twm Sion Cati.

I walk on towards a hillock and out of the blue I am engulfed by a very thick mist. I wave my arms around as if trying to claw my way out of it. As soon as it had come, it was gone............................

I stood still for a moment out of breath and brushed the moss from my knickerbockers and straightened my hat, oh dear I couldn't stay still for long or they would surely catch me but poor Bess needs a rest!!I said and patted my horse lovingly.

I'm sorry for being so rude, I must introduce myself; I am Twm Sion Cati. I think of myself as a lovable rogue although many of the gentry would more than likely call me something else, which I won't repeat here now as I'm sure you would be shocked!!

I was born in Tregaron in February 11th 1530, my mother is Cati Jones of Tregaron, a beautiful lady and my father is supposed to be Sion apDafydd ap Madog ap Hywel Moetheu of Porth-Y-Ffin, also near Tregaron. (ap means son of )

I am a protestant by faith. Therefore with Mary l of England, a Catholic as our ruler I had to gain an income somehow and I decided upon robbery as my trade!!!

Being a protestant would see me as a rebel anyway in the Catholics eyes. However I am held in great respect by many of my own kind and I can rely on any advantage or protection from others.

I will now tell you a story;

A farmer was hunting me for the theft of a bullock; he reaches my mother's house and asked if I lived there. He is told "Yes" by a beggar who answered the door. The beggar offers to hold the farmers whip and horse while the farmer goes into the house to sort out Twm. As he enters the house the beggar jumps on the horse and rides away. Yes yes you've got it I was the beggar. I then made my way to the farmer's house and told his wife that her husband is in trouble and needs more money urgently. I told her that he had sent me to pick the money up for him and had given me the horse and whip in order to prove that this was true. The farmer's wife pays up and I was now in possession of the farmer's money and horse. I hastily depart for London, and later I sold the horse.

My own people think a lot of me as I do of them. I take from the rich to give to the poor and I will continue to do so for as long as I may.

I have another story of when I was staying overnight in a inn and I soon realised that some people there were plotting to rob me the very next day after I set off!! I had a large sum of money with me.

The very next morning I behaved as if the money was in the packsaddle of my horse. When the highwayman drew up, I dropped the saddle in the middle of a pool. The highway man walked to the middle of the pool to rescue it and I took the opportunity to make off with the highwayman's horse. However it did get a little complicated when the horse listened to his owner's voice shouting at him to stop!!! Luckily in my terror I happen to shout a word that made the horse gallop again and I was conveyed to safety.

'Not many people could get the better of Twm Sion Cati' I said smugly.

However because of my 'employment 'I could not continue to live at my mother's house and I had to take to the highlands surrounding us here!! I dwell in a cave and they are never likely to find me there!!

Not the best of places to live but it suits me fine for this moment in time. It has been a pleasure meeting you all and telling you my story, however I must depart or the Squire and his men will come upon me.

Take care my dear lady

Goodbye Twm.

Oh dearie me when was this mist going to clear?? A soon as the thought entered my mind the mist disappeared I made my way towards Dan's cottage.

"Oh dear it is so nice to see you!" Dan says giving me a great big hug. I had always had a soft spot for Dan; I suppose he was the father that I'd never had.

After showing me all round his beautiful Olde Worde Home and giving me a boxful of gooseberries and rhubarb. He knew how I loved gooseberry crumble or rhubarb crumble.

After swapping promises to visit again we made our way to the car. As we drove away waving to Dan I looked up at the surrounding land and I screwed my eyes up as I saw what I could have sworn was a highwayman in black clothes on his horse waving at me before disappearing into the forest.

I must look for some information about Twm Sion Cati in the morning.

"Did you have a nice day babe?" asks Dai.

"Absolutely brilliant!" I answer. "What about you?" I ask.

"Great as always." He replies squeezing my hand.

I doze in total contentment on the way home!!

Early the next morning I sat at the computer typing in Twm Sion Cati and yes here it all was;

He had indeed been born February 11th 1530. He was bought up as an illegitimate son of Cati Jones.

He was indeed a protestant surviving in Queen Mary’s reign, who was a catholic.

He fled to Geneva in 1557 to escape the law.

However after the accession of the protestant Queen Elizabeth lst, he was able to obtain a pardon for his thievery, enabling his return to Wales in 1559.

He then wrote poetry and married the widow of Thomas Rhys Williams of Ystrad -Ffin.

Oh how I enjoy these happy ever after endings.