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master Iolo's logo, mine beneath that, and a padre island bow under that. This is all in leather, save for the gold cloth going across.
A few snaps of BBC S4C Springwatch/autumnwatch/Wild Wales presenter, opening the new visitor centre at the Glaslyn Osprey project.
from bit.ly/KEeeNY
He’s a new friend of ours, one that we’re proud to introduce to you! You see, “Stevie” is the affectionate moniker for the trophy given out by the American Business Awards every year. Or, trophies, rather, as a host of different companies are awarded for exemplary business practice in 44 different categories. They are:
-App Awards
-Company/Organizational
-Customer Service
-Human Resources
-Intelligence & Technology
-Management
-Marketing
-New Product
-Public Relations
-Website
This year is the tenth annual installment of the Stevies and QuiBids (after finishing as a finalist for New Company of the Year for 2011) is up for the year’s Fastest-Growing Tech Company award for companies that employ up to 2,500 people! We couldn’t be more excited about it! Our site’s been live for a little less than three years at this point, so to be honored twice so early in our existence like this is — well, we feel a lot like another young Oklahoma City-based team that’s enjoying a lot of success in their early goings!
We’re in the running against seven other companies; five are California techs (Epicor Software Corporation, FireEye Inc., iolo technologies, Quality Systems Inc., and YouSendIt) and two are based on the east coast (C2 Technologies Inc. and Verivo Software in Vienna, Virginia and Waltham, Massachusetts, respectively) so we definitely feel a bit like an underdog. The vast majority of tech companies start up out on the west coast, so it’s an honor and a privilege for us to get to represent the Midwest on the Stevies’ national stage!
Astute readers might notice that this isn’t the only distinction QuiBids recently garnered. Just last month we were named one of the 30 Best Places to Work in Oklahoma by okcBIZ magazine for the second consecutive year! Last year we finished fourth in the Small/Medium Companies category, so we really hope to improve on that showing at the Best Places awards banquet later this month!
Several of our executive officers also traveled to Tulsa to accept another award in April when Oklahoma City newspaper The Journal Record doled out their annual Innovator of the Year honors. The program was built to recognize trailblazing work by Oklahoma businesses, individuals, and non-profits alike, so you can imagine our excitement to be considered in such high esteem by our peers.
We won’t find out where we finished in the running for this year’s award until September 17 when the Gold, Silver, and Bronze honors are handed out at the new tech awards gala in San Francisco, so stay tuned to the QuiBids blog for the big announcement!
The Proclamation Ceremony
The visit of the National Eisteddfod and the Gorsedd of the Bards to a specific area has to be proclaimed at least a year and a day in advance. During the ceremony the Recorder reads the Proclamation Scroll and the first copy of the list of competitions for the following year's National Eisteddfod is presented to the Archdruid.
When Lord Rhys held a competition for poets and musicians at his court in Cardigan castle in 1176 it was noted that it had been proclaimed throughout Wales, Scotland, Ireland, England and the other islands a year in advance. This custom was revived when eisteddfodau were re-established in Wales at the end of the eighteenth century and likewise, in 1791, Iolo Morganwg chose to proclaim that the Gorsedd of the Bards of the Isle of Britain would hold its first ceremony on Primrose Hill, London, on June 21, 1792. This pattern has been adhered to ever since.
From pebbles to fake stones
The Proclamation Ceremony and other Gorsedd ceremonies held during the week of the National Eisteddfod are held within the Gorsedd Stone Circle.
The remarkable stone remains at Avebury in Wiltshire and Dyffryn Golych, in his native county, probably influenced Iolo Morganwg's vision of a Celtic druidic stone circle. Thus, the first Gorsedd in 1792 was held within a circle of stones, with a Maen Gorsedd at its centre. However when Iolo came to link the Eisteddfod and the Gorsedd at Carmarthen in 1819 all he had to hand was a fistful of pebbles. Only Bards were allowed within this sacred circle of stones.
In Glamorganshire the Maen Chwŷf, a huge slab of slate stone, near Eglwysilan, was seen as a natural gorsedd and several meetings of the Glamorgan Chair were held on it during the first half of the nineteenth century.
Towards the end of the century, in order to inform future gorseddau, the Herald Bard - Arlunydd Pen-y-garn made a detailed plan of the Gorsedd Circle, and this was followed in the Cardiff Eisteddfod, 1899. According to this plan the stone to the east, the Maen Cyfamod, and the two Portal stones formed the shape of the mystic mark. For a time it was fashionable to dress the stones with oak and mistletoe leaves. To facilitate holding the Gorsedd Circle on the Eisteddfod field itself during the week of the Eisteddfod, it was decided in 2004 to use fake (but realistic-looking) stones.
The Circle during Eisteddfod week
The Monday morning rites
The Hirlas Horn (the horn of plenty) is presented to the Archdruid and the Celts and other representatives from abroad are welcomed by the Gorsedd. The Recorder commemorates those Gorseddogion who have died during the past year and a hymn of remembrance is sung. Then the ceremony of admitting new members through examination or degree to the Order of Ovates or Order of Bards takes place.
The Friday morning rites
The Blodeuged (the gift of flowers) is presented to the Archdruid and the Floral Dance is performed. New honorary members are admitted to the Order of Druids in Gorsedd.
Admitting new members
The Gorsedd of the Bards has three orders/degrees:
The Order of Ovates: in green robes. Candidates who pass Levels 1 and 2 in Gorsedd examinations in poetry, prose, music, or the tests for harpists and singers are admitted into this order. Members can be admitted to the order as honorary members for contributions of national significance. Several members of the royal family, including Queen Elizabeth, the Duke of Edinburgh and King George, have been admitted to this Order.
The Order of Bards, in blue robes. Those who have passed the final Gorsedd examination are admitted to this order. Those who have gained a degree in Welsh or Music (and who can speak Welsh) can also be admitted.
Members are admitted to these orders during the Monday morning ceremony in the Gorsedd Circle. The Herald Bard and the Bearer of the Grand Sword walk towards the entrance to the Circle and hold the Sword across it to bar the way. Every new member places his/her right hand on the Sword's blade. After a new member has been admitted he/she is led by the Marshalls to the Mistress of the Robes to be invested with his/her Order's head-dress.
The Order of Druids: in white robes. The winners of the main competitions - the Chair, the Crown and the Literary Medal - are admitted automatically to this Order. Others are 'elevated' to be Druids from the green or blue Orders. Every year, too, those who have served the nation, the Welsh language and its culture are honoured by being admitted to the Order of Druids, among them world-famous singers and actors such as Bryn Terfel, Sian Phillips and Ioan Gruffudd; influential Welshmen such as the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Right Reverend Rowan Williams and star footballers and rugby players.
Iolo differentiated between the bardic orders in the first Gorsedd ceremony in 1792 although he also emphasised that they should be considered equal in status. By the second half of the nineteenth century there was real concern regarding the merit of Gorsedd degrees. The scholar, John Morris-Jones, was the severest critic, because, he claimed, 'candidates are admitted as members through an examination which is five times easier than the most basic University of Wales examination ...'. As a result candidates came to be examined more stringently in order to raise standards.
Iolo Williams spent a week filming at the WWT Llanelli for his programme on S4C - "Natur y Gwanwyn" - a Welsh version of Springwatch.
1 of the other pipits mates love Iolo Williams nick name for them mountain mars bars (everything eats them)
Thanks for all tyour comments,help and advice greatly appreciated!!
Sycharth is a motte and bailey castle in Llansilin, Powys, which in the late 14th and early 15th century was the home of Owain Glyndwr.
The site was described by Glyndwr's poet, Iolo Goch, as containing "nine plated buildings on the scale of eighteen mansions, fair wooden buildings on top of a green hill", and a "tiled roof on every house with frowning forehead, and a chimney from which the smoke would grow; nine symmetrical, identical halls, and nine wardrobes by each one."
(wikipedia)
In retribution for Glyndwr's rebellion, Prince Hal (later King Henry V) burned down the castle in May 1403.