The following extracts are taken from the diary of the poet John Ceiriog Hughes (Ceiriog) for the year 1872. At the time, Ceiriog was employed as station-master in Caersws, Montgomeryshire, where he was responsible for overseeing the newly-opened railway line which ran from Caersws to the leadmining settlement of Fan.

J. Ceiriog Hughes (1832-87) was born in Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, Denbighshire. After working in Manchester and later as a railway clerk in London he returned to Wales in 1868 when he was appointed station-master at Caersws. Ceiriog had begun composing poetry as a young man, but it was not until 1860 that his first volume was published, entitled 'Oriau'r Hwyr'. Further volumes quickly followed, including 'Oriau'r Bore' (1862) and 'Cant o Ganeuon' (1863), which contained some of his most popular work. His songs in particular were extremely popular and some, such as 'Nant y Mynydd' and 'Alun Mabon' continue to be sung and recited at eisteddfodau and concerts.