A belated happy New Year to you all! In the weeks since I posted my last co-curation update, we’ve been on the road again co-producing audio-visual content for the Making History project. Working with various community groups and individuals, we've been creating short films based on the collections selected for display. These films will form part of the interpretation in the new galleries. Here's a quick overview of what we've been up to.

First World War

In December, I was invited behind the wired walls of Maindy Barracks to interview two serving members of 3^rd Battalion The Royal Welsh. One of the new galleries will include a display about the First World War, focusing on voluntary action, healing and remembrance. My brief was to capture a glimpse into Army life today and to record contemporary responses to century-old collections. Inevitably, the interviews touched on difficult subjects – separation, injury and death. Hearing first-hand testimony from the soldiers was a fascinating experience. It's going to be a challenge to combine and edit the interviews into a three minute film.

Miners’ Strike

Earlier this month, we shifted our attention to the 1984-5 Miners’ Strike. Working with colleagues from Big Pit National Coal Museum, we asked a group of Youth Ambassadors from Blaenavon to interview individuals who were involved in the Strike.

After a morning learning about the ethics and techniques of oral history, the young people formulated their own questions and spent the afternoon recording the interviews. We were conscious of the need to represent a diverse range of experiences; to give the young people the opportunity to challenge their preconceptions. With this in mind, we invited an ex-police officer to join the workshop, as well as former miners and others affected by the dispute.

You’ll have to wait until the new galleries open to see the results! Needless to say, the Young Ambassadors were natural interviewers – curious, probing and balanced. When asked to reflect on the process, Owen from Blaenavon said he'd been on “an extreme historical adventure”. I'll second that.

#MakingHistory #CreuHanes

The work with 3rd Battalion The Royal Welsh is supported by the Armed Forces Community Covenant Grant Scheme.

Llys Llywelyn yw ein hail-gread o Lys Rhosyr, adfail ar Ynys Môn sydd yn dyddio o’r 13eg ganrif ac un o lysoedd Brenhinol Llywelyn ap Iorwerth – Llywelyn Fawr. Yn ogystal â’r brif neuadd, rydyn ni’n ail-greu adeilad llai sydd hefyd wedi’i seilio ar waith archaeolegol ar y safle. Dehonglwyd yr adeilad hwn fel cegin, a bydd yr ail-gread yn ei ddefnyddio fel gofod amlbwrpas lle gall plant ysgol newid i’w dillad canoloesol a pharatoi bwyd ar gyfer eu swper. Dros y misoedd cyn y Nadolig codwyd fframwaith pren y to i’w le, ac wedi hoelio’r estyll, gorchuddiwyd y to â gwellt. Gyda tho ar yr adeilad, gall y gwaith dodrefnu ddechrau.

Ni fydd to ar y brif neuadd am dipyn fodd bynnag. Mae’r waliau carreg bron yn fetr o drwch a’r talcenni’n codi hyd at 9 metr. Ni fyddwn yn segur wrth i’r gwaith gario ymlaen – byddwn ni’n ymchwilio i drefn yr ystafell. Mae staff yr Amgueddfa yn gweithio gydag arbenigwyr cydnabyddedig er mwyn ail-greu dodrefn ac addurn yr oes yn gywir, yn ogystal â sut y byddai’r gofod yn cael ei rannu a'i ddefnyddio.

Dim ond ar benwythnosau mae Ffermdy Oes Haearn Bryn Eryr ar agor i’r cyhoedd ar hyn o bryd. Y rheswm am hyn yw’r trafnidiaeth trwm sydd yn deillio o safle adeiladu Y Gweithdy – un o’n orielau newydd. Mae ffermdy Bryn Eryr hefyd wedi ei seilio ar safle archaeolegol ar Ynys Môn. Er fod y gwaith bron â gorffen, mae’n rhaid plannu coed helyg ar y llethrau a chodi paneli cyll er mwyn amgáu’r safle. Cyn hir byddwn ni’n paentio patrymau o’r Oes Haearn ar wyneb mewnol y waliau, gan eu seilio ar ddarganfyddiadau archaeolegol, fel gwaith metel o’r cyfnod. Gan fod yr adeiladau ar agor yn ystod yr wythnos i ysgolion sydd wedi archebu ymlaen llaw, gallwn fanteisio ar y cyfle yma i ddeall yn well sut mae’r tai yn gweithio fel arddangosfa, a gwneud yn siŵr y bydd popeth ar ei orau erbyn i’r gwaith gael ei gwblhau.

Blwyddyn Newydd Dda Gyfeillion y Gwanwyn, gobeithio i chi fwynhau’r gwyliau. Sut hwyl sydd ar y cennin Pedr a’r Crocysau? Cyn y Nadolig, ysgrifennodd nifer o ysgolion ata i i ddweud bod y cennin Pedr a’r bylbiau dirgel yn dechrau gwthio drwy’r pridd. Beth yw hanes eich planhigion chi? Cofiwch, wrth anfon eich data, gallwch chi ddweud pa mor dal yw eich planhigion drwy ysgrifennu mwy yn yr adran ‘sylwadau’. Mae’n gyffrous gweld y planhigion cyntaf yn ymddangos bob blwyddyn!
 
Y llynedd, y dyddiad blodeuo cyfartalog ar gyfer y Crocws oedd y 7 o Fawrth a'r dyddiad blodeuo cyfartalog ar gyfer y Cennin Pedr oedd yr 16 Fawrth. Cafodd y blodau cyntaf eu hadrodd yn gynnar ym mis Chwefror, ond efallai y byddant yn ymddangos yn gynharach eleni. Gwyliwch yn ofalus, bydda nhw’n blodeuo toc! Cofiwch fesur taldra’r blodau ar y diwrnod byddan nhw’n agor. Byddwn ni wedyn yn casglu’r holl wybodaeth i roi dyddiad a thaldra cyfartalog. Bydd hyn yn ein helpu i weld patrymau, neu newidiadau dros y blynyddoedd. 

Cofiwch fod blodau yn angen golau'r haul, gwres a thwr i dyfu. Y llynedd, gwelwyd llai o law a thymheredd isaf nac yn 2014 a blodeuodd ein planhigion ychydig yn hwyrach. Sut dywydd ydych chi wedi ei weld? Ydych chi’n credu bydd y planhigion yn blodeuo yn gynt neu yn hwyrach na’r llynedd? 

Rwy’n edrych ymlaen i weld eich data yr wythnos hon! 

Rydych chi’n gwneud gwaith gwych Gyfeillion y Gwanwyn. 

Athro’r Ardd

Eich cwestiynau, fy atebion:

Prof Plant: There was a lot of news about the weather before and during the Christmas holidays. It was very interesting to read comments about how the extreme weather was affecting you. We have had a few comments about flooding from schools across the country. Thank you for sharing your stories:

Arkholme CE Primary School: A very, very wet week. Some local flooding, the playground was under water and our football match was cancelled.

St. John the Baptist Primary School: On Wednesday we didn't get out to play because of the rain and it is getting cold!

Staining C of E Voluntry Controlled Primary School: We have had local floods in Staining

Ysgol Rhys Prichard: River Bran flooded Monday and Thursday evening causing roads closed and cars rescued by the fire brigade.

Mellor Saint Mary CE Primary School: Internet down due to flooding.

St. John the Baptist Primary School: Storm Desmond made it very wet here and our pupil who lives near the Clyde had to put sandbags on the path near the river. The Clyde burst its banks near Ikea and flooded the motorway. Even though it has been quite mild this week, it was snowing in Lanark on Monday and we had hail here today - it is getting colder.

Ysgol Pentrefoelas: Cawsom lawer iawn o law dros gyfnod y Nadolig gyda llifogydd yn lleol. Tymheredd cynnes am yr adeg yma o'r flwyddyn.

Coppull Parish Primary School: On Tuesday we found a piece of ice in the rain gauge! It must have been cold!!! One day it was raining a lot and we had to bring an umbrella!!!We love doing this project and we wish you good luck on it.xxx

Prof Plant: Hi Coppull Primary, I’m glad to hear you are enjoying the project. Did you wait for the ice to melt to take your rain fall reading? Did you compare the volume of ice to the volume of water once it had melted? If so, what did you find? Ysgol Pentrefoelas also reported ice in their rain gauge: Ysgol Pentrefoelas: Bore oer a wedi rhewi Dydd Llun (dwr wedi rhewi yn y twmffat).

Stanford in the Vale Primary School: Another cold and wet week observed this week! We had a light dusting of snow Saturday morning!!!We have spotted our bulbs in the ground have started to poke through the soil...

Prof Plant: Exciting news about your plants growing Stanford in the Vale Primary! A few other schools have reported seeing their first shoots, including St Joseph’s Primary and Wormit Primary.

Stonehouse Primary School: We are doing this by ourselves now.

Prof Plant: Fantastic Stonehouse Primary, you are doing a very good job!

Shakespeare Primary School: Dear professor plant, we have had so much fun going outside during lessons. We have been running up and down the field.

Prof Plant: I’m glad you are enjoying the project Shakespeare Primary. You can learn anywhere and I hope being outside caring for the plants and studying the environment around you is helping to bring your lessons to life.

Wormit Primary School: Four of our pots have been vandalised at the weekend. We are going to ask parents to keep an eye out and ask our community policewoman to help as well.

Prof Plant: I’m sorry to hear that your pots have been vandalised Wormit Primary. Especially as I know how excited you were to see your first shoots before Christmas. I hope this won’t happen again. Your plants are very robust so hopefully they will still grow.

Stonehouse Primary School: When we came back after the holidays our water container had blown over and we think it had overflowed. A tree in our school garden has also blown over.

Prof Plant: Hi Stonehouse Primary. You must be having really windy weather if trees are being blown over! Did you think the rain gauge was overflowing because there had been a lot of rain? You could look at the MET office website to see the rainfall rate over the holidays: http://wow.metoffice.gov.uk/

The Blessed Sacrament Catholic Primary School: When we came back after the Christmas holiday our polytunnel had blown down so the bulbs had not been protected from the weather. However, they were all fine and many of them are showing shoots. The daffodils in the bed are all showing shoots and are already bigger than those in the pots. There has been so much rain that the ground is now getting very muddy. We will have to bring our wellingtons to school so we don't get too dirty!

Prof Plant: Hi Blessed Sacrament Catholic Primary. I’m sorry your polytunnel blew over, it must have been very windy! I’m glad your plants were Okay. They are very hardy and should be fine in all kinds of weather as the soil provides a warm layer protecting the bulbs from the cold. I’m glad to hear your plants have started growing. Why do you think the plants in the ground are growing quicker than the plants in pots? Keep up the good work Bulb Buddies.

Pontrhondda Primary School: Hello Professor Plant Over the Christmas holidays our class plants have been growing as well as they could be growing. The rainfall and tempriture has been ok over Christmas. How have you been over the holidays.

Prof Plant: Hi Pontrhondda Primary, I had lovely holidays thank you. I hope you did too. I’m glad to hear your bulbs are doing well. Keep up the good work!

St. Brigid's Primary School: Primary 7 were at Kilbowie this week, Primary 6 stepped up to the challenge to record this week’s results.

Prof Plant: Hi Primary 7, thank you for arranging for the weather readings to be taken while you were away. Thank you and well done to Primary 6 for recording the data! Maybe you will be taking part next year?

Cymerwch eiliad i gofio am ein seiri maen sydd wedi bod yn gweithio yn ddi-baid drwy'r tywydd oer diweddar. Maent yn ail-greu neuadd frenhinol o Ynys Môn ag adeiladwyd yn ystod y trydydd ganrif ar ddeg. Defnyddir rhai elfennau modern fel cymysgwyr calch a scaffaldwaith dûr, ond yn wir, bach iawn mae’r broses wedi newid ers yr oesoedd canol. Dim ond mater o osod un carreg ar ôl y llall nes cwbwlhau y gwaith. Mae waliau hir y neuadd wedi codi yw uchder gorffenedig ac mae’r ffenestri Normanaidd yn eu lle. Creuwyd ffurfwaith pren er mwyn dal cerrig y bwau nes i’r mortar galedu. Mi fydd y seiri yn cario ymlaen i godi talceni 9 medr yr adeilad nes bod y Carpenters Fellowship yn barod i godi’r ffrâm bren a fydd yn dal pwysau’r to.

Mae’r darlun ar y dde, a gynhyrchwyd gan Tim Potts o’r Carpenters Fellowship, yn rhoi cip olwg i ni o sut ddylai’r neuadd edrych ar ôl i’r ffrâm gael ei osod yn ei le. Mi fydd y ffrâm ynghyd a’r waliau cerrig yn ffurfio neuadd ystlys nodweddiadol o’r cyfnod. Mae cynllun y ffrâm yn cynnwys bwau hanner cylch a seiliwyd ar ddwy adeilad a oroeswyd: Palas yr Esgob yn Henffordd a neuadd Castell Caerlŷr. Seiliwyd y gwaith cerrig ar Llys Rhosyr yn Ynys Môn. Am fwy o wybodaeth ymwelwch â https://amgueddfa.cymru/blog/2015-11-09/Palas-yr-Esgob-Henffordd/ neu https://amgueddfa.cymru/sainffagan/adeiladau/llys-llywellyn/. Mi fydd y ffrâm bren yn edrych yn hyfryd, ond cofiwch y bwriad yw ei beintio mewn patrymau Romanesg nodweddiadol fel 'zig-zags' amryliw.

Mae gwaith ymchwil yn canolbwyntio ar ail greu croglenni a chelfi o’r cyfnod. Un o elfennau mwyaf anodd y gwaith yma yw cyfuno dau fyd gwbl wahannol. Ar yr un llaw rydym yn ail-greu byd Llywelyn Fawr, Tywysog Gwynedd 1200–1240 a pherchennog y llys yn Rhosyr. Ar y llaw arall rydym yn gorfod ateb gofynnion ein byd modern ni er mwyn cadw ymwelwyr a staff yn hapus a chytun. Heb os, hwn fydd y neuadd Gymreig gyntaf i gael system gwresogi tanllawr a system argyfwng o oleuo.

Cyn i ni ddechrau o ddifri ar y bennod nesaf ym mhrosiect @DyddiadurKate (oes, mae dilyniant!), yn y blog hwn mi fyddai’n ffarwelio â dyddiadur 1915 drwy gyflwyno stori Tomi’r Hendre.

Mae enw Tomi’r Hendre yn gyfarwydd iawn i’r rhai ohonoch sydd wedi dilyn @DyddiadurKate o’r cychwyn cyntaf. Ynghyd â’i chwaer Win, roedd Tomi yn ymwelydd cyson â Ty Hen – cartref Kate a’i rhieni – drwy gydol 1915. Fe’u magwyd yng Nghwm Main, ble roedd eu rhieni – John ac Ann Jones – yn rhedeg Siop yr Hendre. Mae llyfrau cyfrifon a thalebau’r busnes bellach yng nghasgliad yr Amgueddfa, ac os gofiwch chi, mewn blog blaenorol, fe fues i’n trafod ymgyrch John Jones i gael blwch post cyfleus i drigolion yr ardal.

Ond i droi nôl at Tomi’r mab, yn 1915 roedd yn fyfyriwr yn y Coleg Normal ym Mangor, ac eisoes wedi hyfforddi fel athro. Yn Rhagfyr y flwyddyn honno – tri mis cyn ei benblwydd yn 21 – ymunodd â’r fyddin. Nid oes cofnod o hyn yn nyddiadur Kate Rowlands.

Erbyn Ionawr 1916, roedd Tomi wedi ei leoli gydag 21ain Bataliwn y Ffiwsilwyr Brenhinol Cymreig yng ngwersyll hyfforddi Parc Cinmel. Wrth chwilota drwy archifau Siop yr Hendre, fe ddes i ar draws cerdyn post a anfonodd Tomi at ei rieni yn ystod y cyfnod hwn.

Derbyniais y parcel ond oherwyd[d] prysurdeb yr wyf wedi bod yn anabl i atteb [sic] o’r blaen. Yr wyf wedi symud i Hut 30 fel y gwelwch ac wedi cael fy ngwneyd [sic] yn ben arno ac felly yr wyf yn hollol gartrefol. Yr wyf yn hynod o hapus a digon o fwyd ac mewn iechyd rhagorol ac yn mynd yn dew ac yn gryf. Nid wyf yn med[d]wl y byd[d] yn rhaid imi byth fynd i’r front gan y byd[d]wn yn cael ein gwneyd [sic] yn officers… Gyrwch fy nghyllell boced a fy spectol mor fuan ag a alloch.

Er nad oedd yn rhagweld cyfnod yn y ffosydd, ym Mehefin 1916 roedd Tomi ar ei ffordd i Ffrainc. Llai na mis yn ddiweddarach, ar 20 Gorffennaf, fe’i hanafwyd yn ddifrifol yn ei frest ym mrwydr Coedwig Delville. Cludwyd Tomi i ysbyty yn Boulogne, ac yna i Ysbyty Ryfel Leith, ger Caeredin. Mae’r adroddiadau gan feddygon Leith yn anodd iawn i’w darllen. Dyma grynodeb o’i gyflwr pan gyrhaeddodd yr ysbyty ar 31 Gorffennaf.

Admitted from No 18. Gen. Hospt. Boulogne. There is a small wound size of 5/ on right side about the level of the 8^th rib. Dulness all over this side absolute at base, breath sounds faint over upper lobes. Pat. states that he spat blood but only very little at first. X-ray shows piece of metal at level of 8^th rib.

Bu farw Tomi’r Hendre o’i anafiadau ar 27 Awst 1916.

I hereby certify that No. 29606 Pte Thomas Jones… who died to-day of Empyeme and septicaemia… stated to me that he was wounded inaction [sic] at Delville Wood on July 20^th 1916. There was a wound in right side of the chest, haemothorax and X. Ray showed a piece of metal in chest. Patient was operated upon and portion of rib resected to allow of free drainage on the 13^th, but septic condition was very bad. L. Stewart Sandman M.D.

Mae’n dorcalonnus meddwl am fawredd y golled i’w deulu a’i gymdogion yng Nghwm Main. Cynhaliwyd ei angladd yng Nghefnddwysarn ar 31 Awst, ac mae’n debyg fod tad Kate yn un o’r rhai fu’n talu teyrnged iddo mewn seiat gyda’r hwyr. Cyhoeddwyd adroddiad manwl, di-flewyn-ar-dafod, am yr angladd yn Y Cymro (Lerpwl a’r Wyddgrug).

Angladd Tom yr Hendre yw y condemiad mwyaf ynddo’i hun fu ar y rhyfel yng Nghefnddwysarn… Y mae ei ysbryd caredig yng nghartref Caredigrwydd ei hun. Nid oes yno orfodaeth, nid oes yno glwyfo, nid oes yno ladd a llofruddio, nid oes yno neb yn cael ei gablu a’i regi gan ei salach. Yno y mae cydwybod yn rhydd, yno ni chlwyfir cariad mam, yno rhoddir ei le i gariad tad, yno ni chwelir cartrefi, ac yno ni thorrir calonnau.

Fel y byddai’n gwneud i goffau Hedd Wyn maes o law, cyfansoddodd R. Williams Parry – cyn ysgolfeistr y Sarnau –  englynion er cof amdano.

Ger ei fron yr afon rêd – dan siarad

Yn siriol wrth fyned;

Ni wrendy ddim, ddim a ddwed

Dan y clai nid yw'n clywed.

Ond pridd Cefnddwysarn arno – a daenwyd

Yn dyner iawn drosto;

A daw'r adar i droedio

Oddeutu'i fedd ato fo.