It is said that exiles from Wales become more Welsh when they live away from the homeland. This was certainly true for one founder member of the Chelmsford and District Welsh Society. Remembering St David�s Day celebrations during her schooldays in Swansea, she invited some Welsh friends, including Mair Goodman and Rene Fox, sadly, no longer with us, together with another founder member Janet Wash (nee Laycock) and others to a small party at her home on 1st March. This continued in the following years of the late fifties, the friends, eventually, taking it in turns to hold the party in their own homes. In 1961 a colleague in the mathematics department of the Technical High School, Ben Evans, from S.Wales, enjoyed the party so much and was so impressed by the idea, that he met up with Mervyn Jones, Headteacher of Kings Road School and they organised a meeting on 28th February 1962 in Kings Road school hall. It was extremely well attended and a great success, Jean and Ken Davies, also founder members, were there. People have said that there had been a sort of Welsh Society in the past but, as far as can be ascertained, no record has been found.
A committee was formed, a constitution drawn up and monthly meetings started on the 4th Thursday of the month in the old Cathedral Hall, (to the West of the Cathedral) where they were held for nearly 30 years. Conditions varied in this wonderful old hall. In electricity cuts we even, on a couple of occasions, met by candle-light. We sometimes kept our coats and scarves on in mid winter when there was no heating BUT, never did we cancel a meeting! Our finances were at times, rather low and jumble sales were necessary to give these a boost. After some spasms of lean attendance over the years the Society is in a very thriving and stable state with a continuing annual increase in membership and very well attended meetings. |
