One of the joys of the Urdd Eisteddfod, and the National Eisteddfod as well, is that being a travelling festival you get to visit a different area every year.
I've visited Carmarthen several times in the past but have hardly ventured beyond the town limits.
And with the weather temporarily turning glorious yesterday I went for a drive along the A40 towards Laugharne, or Talacharn in Welsh, the village now forever linked with Swansea-born poet Dylan Thomas.
Laugharne lies on the estuary of the Afon Tâf and was the home of Thomas from 1949 until his death in 1953, and is thought to have been an inspiration for the fictional town of Llareggub in Under Milk Wood.
Thomas was born in Swansea 1914. His father David, who was a writer and had a degree in English, brought his son up to speak English rather than Welsh, the native language of Thomas's mother, Florence Hannah Thomas. He had one sister, Nancy, who was eight years old when he was born. His middle name, Marlais, came from the bardic name of his uncle, the chapel minister Gwilym Marles.
Thomas liked to boast about his drinking. He was known to comment, "An alcoholic is someone you don't like who drinks as much as you do." During an incident on November 3, 1953, Thomas returned to the Chelsea Hotel in New York during a tour to promote one of volumes of poetry and exclaimed "I've had 18 straight whiskies; I think this is a record."
He collapsed six days later after another heavy drinking bout and died. The primary cause of his death is recorded as pneumonia, with pressure on the brain and a fatty liver given as contributing factors.
His last words, according to Jack Heliker, were: "After 39 years, this is all I've done." Following his death, his body was brought back to Wales for burial in the village churchyard at Laugharne.
Thomas's home in Laugharne, the Boat House, is now a memorial to him.
But there's more to the village than Dylan Thomas.
The village is unique in being probably the only Irish-named place in Wales. Just as unique is Laugharne Corporation, possibly the last surviving medieval corporation in Britain. It was established in 1291 by Sir Guy de Brian, a Marcher Lord and is presided over by the Portreeve, wearing his traditional chain of gold cockle shells, the Aldermen, and the body of Burgesses. Courts are held on a regular basis, where administration of the common fields is dealt with. The Laugharne open field system is one of only two surviving and still in use today in Britain.
Customs associated with the Corporation include the Common walk, held every three years. This event is attended by most of the young and firm local population, their number swelled by many visitors.
The local pubs open at 5am and following a liquid breakfast the throng commence a trek of some 25 miles around the boundaries of the Corporation lands. At significant historical landmarks a victim is selected to name the place. If they cannot answer, they are hoisted upside down and ceremonially beaten three times on the rear.
The cockle industry was once a significant part of the Laugharne economy, and the well-established pickling firm Parsons have their origins in Laugharne.
Architecturally, Laugharne contains many fine examples of Georgian townhouses. Attractions in the town include the 12th-century Laugharne Castle, the town hall and the birdlife of the estuary.
After a pleasant evening wandering around the town and seeing the sun set it was back to Carmarthen.
This morning normal service has been resumed and the weather is wet and very cold.
