Members and guests of the Welsh Society of Western New England gathered at the Nutmeg restaurant in East Windsor, CT to celebrate the life of their Welsh patron saint, St. David on March 4, 2017.
The society welcomed many new members and guests to the event and whilst sampling appetizers from the food table they reminisced about good times and fond memories of their love for Wales and the Welsh culture while perusing the various displays and the information table. Many guests purchased souvenirs, books and Welsh items from the merchandise table. There was a silent auction for a framed cross-stitch of Welsh daffodils in a pot with the inscription “Dydd Gwyl Dewi”, hand-made by member Janet Taylor. Looking absolutely fantastic were Ed and Beth Brown dressed in traditional Welsh costumes, greeting and posing with guests for photographs.
The event was opened with a video message from the First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones. A prayer, by Mark Spencer, followed this.
Following the luncheon was a presentation by the guest speakers Illtyd and Dominic Barrett, owners of “Sunken Hundred (Cantre’r Gwaelod)” restaurant in Brooklyn, New York. Illtyd & Dominic presented a fascinating look at their life growing up in Wales and their life ventures leading up to the creation of a unique Welsh food based restaurant in New York City. Their presentation was both incredibly interesting and often very funny and kept their audience glued to their every word. Their journey and their creation of Sunken Hundred demonstrated their love of Wales, Welsh culture and Welsh foods and the Society wishes both Illtyd and Dominic the very best luck in the future.
The Annual General Meeting, including the vote to elect the Board of Directors for the forthcoming year, followed the presentation.
Next on the agenda was a Welsh quiz hosted by Magdalen Dowden. Participants had to answer questions based on Wales, Welsh history and Welsh people. Polo shirt prizes donated by “Fly2Wales” were handed out to the three winners. This was a huge success, all participants having a great time.
Congratulations to all the raffle winners, and to Mary Pallos for being the highest bidder in the auction for the cross-stitch.
The day was brought to a close with the singing of the Welsh National Anthem “Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau”
Huge thank you to Susan Davies Sit and the organizing team, Illtyd and Dominic Barrett and all the staff at the Nutmeg Restaurant and to all the attending members and guests for creating a truly memorable day – Diolch !