'Y Faynol' (The Vaynol), a short story by Alwyn 'Taffy' Parry

Description

Historical Explanation:

Readers will appreciate that when trying to write a short story a little accuracy sometimes has to be sacrificed. So by way of explanation I would like to tell you another little story.

Back in 2011 New Zealand was host to the Rugby World Cup and there had been a special offer to join a cruise around NZ with the ship stopping in Wellington and tickets for the Wales v Ireland game provided. I had been unable to get a ticket despite living in Wellington so it took little persuasion of my credit card to book the trip. That Saturday night Wales having beaten Ireland I walked back across the road from the cake tin to the ship where she was tied up on the wharf not more than 500m away.

Naturally there was no way that I was going to change my red shirt with its P.O.W Feathers for dinner and so I ambled down to dinner. There was a lot of comments, clapping and laughter and another chap in red but embossed with a maple leaf called me over. He invited me to join him for a glass of wine to celebrate the win, but it was not long before he could not hide his pride any longer and he explained that his nephew had recently married a beautiful blond Welsh girl. He continued she was from a small village near Caernarfon and lived in a large manor house on a beautiful estate. You can imagine this Canadians reaction sitting on a ship in New Zealand when I said oh he must have married Myfyr and Gwenda’s daughter who lived in the Faynol.

So the story continues, how the Faynol Estate still has its influence on my life in a remarkable way and so for historical accuracy you will note that it was Eric’s sister and brother in law who actually lived in the manor house.