In 1914, Emile de Vynck, his wife and baby arrived in North Wales. Their home in Malines, Belgium had been bombed. Lloyd George found houses for several displaced families in Gwynedd, and took the de Vynck family into his own home in Criccieth. #thread
On 16th October 1914, Emile was interviewed by The Cambrian News:
“I left Malines when the Germans bombarded it for the fifth time. Nearly everyone fled the day after the German brutes entered the town. In terror we rushed to another village. 2/
A kindly farmer hid us in his barn and we lay there on the straw. When we woke we escaped to Duffel and from there to Bruges where we arrived at midnight and found the town in darkness. Two ladies gave us hospitality and the next day at a very early hour we went on to Ostend. 3/
We stayed there only a quarter-of-an-hour and then took the boat for Folkestone. Everyone gave us food and dainties and when we arrived in London we were taken to St Giles Home where we stayed 4 days. Then they sent us down to Criccieth where we have been very kindly received. 4/
My wife and I and the baby (Pauline) thank from our hearts the ladies of the Committee for all their kindness to us and also the people of Criccieth. I desire to be excused, being a Fleming, for writing such a short account but I have done all I can to make myself understood”. 5/
Emile and his family eventually moved to a property of their own in the small village of Pentrefelin. Here, you will find the church of St Cynhaearn. Being a talented wood carver, Emile created beautiful objects for several churches in the area. 6/
At St Cynhaearn, he carved the cross above the altar. He carved items for St Beuno’s, Penmorfa. And at Tremadog, he carved a reredos in a Renaissance style that had been designed by C R Ashbee. 7/
The de Vynck family stayed in North Wales until the 1920s, when they returned to Belgium, but their legacy remains.
All images are of our church St Cynhaearn’s at Ynyscynhaearn.
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Red and yellow and pink and green ... most children can tell you that rainbows contain seven colours, and many of us use 'ROYGBIV' to remember them. But people haven't always seen rainbows this way.
Rubens' 'The Rainbow Landscape' of 1636 was painted just three decades before major new scientific theories about colour and light emerged. The rainbow lights up surrounding clouds with highlights of lemony yellow and blue.
In 1664, Robert Boyle conducted experiments with prisms, and in the 'artificial rain-bow' he produced, he observed five colours: Red, Yellow, Green, Blew and Purple. ...
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Here ‘leaves unnoticed thicken, hidden weeds flower, neglected waters quicken’.
Those are the words of poet, Philip Larkin. Larkin explored this area after he moved to Hull in 1955 to take up the position of librarian at the Brynmor Jones Library at the University of Hull. He lived there and held that job for thirty years, until his death in 1985.
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If there were more than 20 sheep in the flock, he could note the first 20 when he reached Figgit by putting a pebble in his pocket, and then starting the sequence from Yan again.
(info from 'Alex's Adventures in Numberland' by Alex Bellos)
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The 'Burying in Woollen Acts' required an Affidavit within 8 days of burial, proving before a JP that the law had been complied with. Those who didn't comply were fined £5, half of which went to the poor. This blog has some terrific examples of affidavits:buff.ly/3YkB33B
Many wealthy families preferred to simply pay the fine and bury their loved ones in clothing or shrouds of finer materials, such as linen.
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He became the patron saint of Ireland in the 7th century when the embellishment of St Patrick’s story began. Some of the biographers got quite creative, attributing all manner of miracles to the man – from snakes to sprouting staffs.