REFLECTING ON THE WELSH COMMUNIST PARTY: Is This The Way Forward For Wales?

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The Welsh Communist Party today is lead by Robert Griffiths, in the past he has been a Plaid Cymru Researcher and I believe one of the founders of a left wing nationalist magazine 'Y Saeth'. He was also member of the Welsh Socialist Republican Movement and had hand in publishing of Y Faner Goch a Socialist magazine for Wales. The WSRM at one time were involved in an 1831 Commemoration March in Merthyr which itself ended in some what of an infamous 'mini - pub riot'.

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Welsh Socialist Republican Movement - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Welsh Socialist Republican Movement was a short-lived political movement which was born out of frustration with Plaid Cymru's failure to oppose the ...
en.wikipedia.org/.../Welsh_Socialist_Republican_Movement - Cached - Similar

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In time he became one of the founding members of the W.C.P and today is their General Secretary, he is also a succesful author and an excellent socialist thinker and speaker. Well worthy of my proposal below:

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Robert Griffiths (politician) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

- 04:47

Robert Griffiths is the general-secretary of the Communist Party of Britain (CPB). He was elected by the CPB's Executive Committee in January 1998, ...
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BBC News - Communist leader Robert Griffiths on its bid for power

21 Apr 2010 ... Communist leader Robert Griffiths on the party's bid for power across the UK and how it plays a part in some international governments.
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/the_daily.../8634969.stm - Cached

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Communist Party of Wales - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Communist Party of Wales, also known as the Welsh Communist Party, is part of the Communist Party of Britain. The leader of the Communist Party of ...

Activities - Local elections - Party Organisation - See also

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Wales - Cached - Similar

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Ymgyrchu! - The Ballot Box - Minority Parties - Communists

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The Communist Party in Wales in the twentieth century. ... W. J. Rees translated the Communist Manifesto into Welsh in 1948, and certain communist policies ...
www.llgc.org.uk/ymgyrchu/Pleidleisio/lleiafrifol/.../index-e.htm - Cached

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1. Communist Party, Wales.

   The Welsh Communist Party's E-Bulletin latest edition is now out. With articles on: 1. UNITED AGAINST THE BANKSTERS! 2. THE 65TH PPPS AGM IN CARDIFF 3. ...
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2. COMMUNIST PARTY CLAIMS YOUNGEST ELECTION CANDIDATE - Communist ...

   The Communist Party, fielding candidates on all the regional lists in the forthcomingWelsh Assembly Election, claims the youngest candidate of all the ...
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MERTHYR INSURRECTION 1831 COMMEMORATION 2011.

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That is if I can find sponsors and local sympathisers to help to fund and organise? If wishing to help do contact asap. I of course do not wish to step on toes of the local Dic Penderyn Society and am willing to collaborate with they on all connected with this annual commemoration they have been marking with an exhibition for many years.

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FIRST LEWIS LEWIS COMMEMORATIVE 1831 ORATION 2010.

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The first Lewis Lewis annual public oration will, I hope be made on the 3 June 2011 in Merthyr, note this is a Friday. Possibly the oration will be part of an evening social event held in a convenient location close by. This with an earlier event at Plas 3 June 1831 to remember the 3 June 1831 'Merthyr Massacre'. These Friday events may inauguarate a weekend of events and activities to commemorate and celebrate the Merthyr Insurrection 1831. I am proposing that the above Robert Griffiths be invited to make this first annual oration, you may make other proposals if you wish which I will pass on to organisers of this event to make a final decision on.

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* I dedicate the above to my Mam and her Father a Coal Miner, mindful that he was involved in Socialist Struggles in Merthyr. He was eventually to be killed in an 'accident' underground, this after service in WWI being wounded once and also mustard gassed. My Mam told me that her Father would take her to the park to listen to radical orators on their Soap Boxes, then she would go off with other kids to carry out some real 'Revelutionary Action' sucking lemons in front of trumpet players in the band stand. To be chased away in time but not before the trumpet players lips had ceased to function as otherwise intended when playing that instrument.

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Suggested Programme:

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Saturday - 1831 Commemorative Red College with possible main subject themes as follows:

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* Morning: The Merthyr Rising 1831 and the consequences up to 1848 & beyond.

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Dinner.

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* Afternoon:

The workers Rising of 1911; Tonypandy, Llanelli, Cynon Valley.

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Break.

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* Evening:

Merthyr (and Llanelli) Socialists Opposition to the 1911 Investiture.

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Social.

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Followed by:

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Sunday 5 June - 1831 Red Picnic, maybe with entertainment in Parc Cyfarthfa with opportinity to visit Museum in the grounds.

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Fin!

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03 - 06 - 2010: REMEMBERING THE 'MERTHYR MASSSACRE' 3 JUNE 1831 - 26 Plus People Killed: Campaign To Name Historic Sites As 'PLAS 3 MEHEFIN 1831'.

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Illustrated below are an 1831 flag and Banners I have made with slogans used in the 1831 Insurrection 'Bara Neu Waed' and 'Trech Gwlad Nag Arglwydd' used in peasant 'Land & Liberty Struggles . Followed by photos of my Red Remembrancer Agit - Prop work in Merthyr to mark the 'Merthyr Massacre' of 1831. I am actually finnishing off this post the day after, too tired last night after a long day in Merthyr also researching family history plus having a walk around, not least following a pint here and a pint there. I know I am biased being born and lived there for five years. But I think Merthyr is a great town, not least it's fish & chip shops and the 'Battered Potato Fritters' there are fantastic! Such a sunny day so betime I got back to Cardiff, I was totally fin! Am seriously considering a retirement move back to Merthyr, if Ashford in 'Gwlad Caradog' did not offer the advantage of getting to European capitals quicker, a retirement ambition of mine being to do what I have for so long denied myself, take lots of holidays! Well personal predicament aside, what of Merthyr 1831 Predicament?............

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Spent a day around Merthyr, talked to a few locals who were aware of the 'Insurrection' but did not realise that this potential 'Red Week' Commemoration was this week. As for the staff at the local Tourist Office and 'Siop Cymraeg' staff, they were not aware that 3 June 1831 was anniversary of the 'Merthyr Massacre'. You would have though the 'Cymry Cymraeg/CyIG/Plaid Cymru' scene in the town would have rememberd the killing of so many, largelly 'Cymraeg Speaking' people, not even Bethan Jenkins aka 'Bethan Goch' Plaid AM, possibly at Yr Urdd Fest.

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However, lets not just pick on the 'Cultural Nationalists', why did'nt the Left/Socialists remember this day? Such as for starters the local Town Council, local Labour MP, MEP and AM or Labour Party and Trade Unions, inc here any number of 'Left' organisations as Welsh Communist Party, Socialist Worker, Socialist Alliance and the numerous 'Welsh Based' Anarchist Groups. Not least representatives of the Red Choir inc 'Red Ray' who some how manage to get themselves to nationalist events as the Cilmeri and Abergele Commemoration, how odd?

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Hopefully, one and all mentioned above next year can shift themselves to at very least send representatives to Merthyr annually on anniversary day 3 June 1831 to mark this important historical day in history of the working class. Not even the usual Dic Penderyn Society had their annual excellent exhibition up at the library. So, what's this Hong Kong Alley all about? I found whilst researching old maps in Merthyr Library, in 1898 there existed an Hong Kong Corn Mill in this area but still how such an exotic name, some one tell me. Why I put info here on this alley way, is because there is a mural on the wall depicting Lewis Lewis holding the 1831 Red Flag as I use on my posters below (actually designed and first used by my brother as a poster some many years ago). So at least something is being done (also see excellent Town Historical Information Installations, worthy of looking out for when in Merthyr) in 1831 connection. However, 'Merthyr Arts' what about a great big mural at 'Plas 3 Mehefin 1831' with Lewis Lewis as the central 'hero' figure, the constant use of Dic Penderyn is to some extent part and parcel of the whole 'Timid Taff' ethos you know. See on web my blog post and articles on this.

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Got really excited at the libray when checking the Electoral Registers, there were listed by Grandparents on my Mothers side, that was just a small footstep along road of looking into my family History. However, back to 1831 see at end info on future of this and a potential and possible annual 'Red Week Commemoration' at end of this post.

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So, what you going to do about this Merthyr 'Red Week' Commemoration and I do mean something on scale of the annual Tollpudle Festival and 1871 Paris Commune Commemoration? C'mon I have practically organised it for you, laying out the Initiative and related project ideas plus provided plenty of posters, flags and banners to use. Now all we need are some organisers. but because what I have in mind is something very big, it goes beyond what I consider DPS being able to handle, but I consider in respect to their work in this area, they should have first option of calling a meeting of reps of numerous organisations to discuss setting up of a broad 'Left of Centre' National Organising Committee regards this much needed 'Red Venture' asap. If DPS fail to move on this, then some other in Merthyr or further afield should 'Seize The Time' and get to it!

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Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival 2010

Come and celebrate the historic struggle of the Tolpuddle martyrs.
www.unitetheunion.com › News & events › Events - Cached - Similar

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Paris Commune - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Paris Commune (French: La Commune de Paris, IPA: [la kɔmyn də paʁi]) was a government that briefly ruled Paris from March 18 (more formally, ...

Background - Rise and nature - Assault - La Semaine Sanglante

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Commune - 19 hours ago - Cached - Similar

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Other than all this campaign for Merthyr Town Council to 'twin' with Belleville in Paris, see link >

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Belleville, Paris: Paris and Ile de France and more from Answers.com

During the Paris Commune of 1871, the barriers in Belleville were the last in the city to fall to the Versailles troops. .... When the Versailles Army came to reconquer Paris in May of that year, ... A commemorative plaque can be found at number 72. .... Copyright © 2010Answers Corporation Facebook Twitter YouTube ...
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I am not in position myself to move on much of this but am continuing with efforts re 3 June 1831 Commemoration of 'Merthyr Massacre'.

Next year I am going to organise something more than my small Agit- Prop activities, next year there will be a small event at Plas 3 Mehefin 1831. If interested in attending this event please let me know, especially if you can be of assistence with a few practical things I need to do to set the scene so to speak. I have a number of ideas in mind for next year, including launching the first Lewis Lewis Oratation, hopefully becoming an annual event. Am considering inviting Clive Griffiths, first Welsh Communist Party member to be elected as a Councillor for Hirwaun & Penderyn to do the honours, as this seems to me to be quite an appropriate choice regards connection of Lewis Lewis and Dic Penderyn with Penderyn and Hirwaun.

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WalesOnline - News - Politics - Politics News - Wales gets its ...

15 Apr 2008 ... Wales gets its first Communist councillor since 1970s ... “In Hirwaun, there's an old school building that the local NHS Trust would like to ...
www.walesonline.co.uk/.../wales-gets-its-first-communist-councillor-since-1970s-91466-20764172/ - Cached - Similar

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For further Information as to possibilities re a major annual 'RED WEEK' commemoration >

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1. RED REMEMBRANCER: Insurrection 1831: Annual Commemoration?

   Remember Insurrection 1831. . 2006 marked the 175th anniversary of the ..... In this areaLewis Lewis was caught in 1831, here also Llywelyn Bren ...
   redremembrancer.blogspot.com/.../insurrection-1831-annual-commemoration.html - Cached
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2. RED REMEMBRANCER: 1831 Insurrection: Plotters Prologue

   Lewis Lewis and other radicals ''Siezed the Time'' to march on the court of .... 4: Next stop for 1831 Insurrection Commemoration will be at Hirwaun on and ...
   redremembrancer.blogspot.com/.../1831-insurrection-plotters-prologue.html - Cached

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See below the Griffith Review, amazing what one finds researching the web, take a look at this >

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Welsh rarebit - Griffith REVIEW

The crowd was chanting 'Caws gyda bara'– Welsh for 'Cheese with the bread' ... or the transportation to Australia of the Tolpuddle Martyrs from Dorset in 1834 .... police service to spy on left-wing militants while Catholic 'groupers', ...
www.griffithreview.com/edition-24-participation.../224.../661.html - Cached

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Now to Dic Penderyn and a bit of a 'Red Reality Check' but where's this film? >

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Penderyn 'guilty' in Welsh Braveheart; PARDON: Politicians fear ...

For the...of the Merthyr Rising - was directed towards young private Donald Black, ... Wales) ...the speakers at tomorrow's commemoration to Welsh martyr Dic Penderyn. ... murder of soldier Donald Black during the Merthyr Riots of 1831. ...
www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-80914515.html - Cached

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Dic Penderyn's Trial [Archive] - urban75 forums

23 posts - 12 authors - Last post: 9 Jan 2007

In 1831, the year of his death, Dic was married with a baby on the way." ... -rising-martyrs-and-militants-dic-penderyn-in-his-pro.html ...
www.urban75.net › urban75 forums › Places › Wales/Cymru - Cached - Similar

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So, lets give Lewis Lewis the due he's long deserved, yes! Dic Penderyn was done wrong but the on going 'Timid Taff' O.T.T. But the continuing making of 'Dic Penderyn' a Martyr to serve the 'Usual Suspects' own self interest Pacifist and Political ends has done Lewis Lewis a great wrong. About time this was put right, the same regards 'Rebecca Rebel' David Davies aka Dai'r Cantwr and Edward Morgan. a leader of the 'Tarw Scotch'. I shall be doing an article/post on they and other real radical 'Rebels' & 'Revolutionaries' soon over on my ADFYWIAD GOCH CYMRU blog.

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That's it then, note next post on 'RR' soon, will be some other fotos I took around Merthyr Tudful yesterday.

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Gethin.