Thanks so much for your response. I’ll reply more fully soon – in haste now. Your music is lovely! And yes, nice to be in touch with you.

Bye for now,
Fiona

I just read the review of your first book of poetry. It made me want to read it! Congratulations on a wonderful review!

I am now quite fixated on visiting Skanda Vale someday…

I suppose my connection to Welsh music started with Super Furry Animals 10 years ago. I was then exposed to Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci… From listening to both of those bands I was introduced to the music of Meic Stevens as well as some other Welsh musicians. Super Furry Animals (and subsequently Gruff Rhys) are my favorite band. I have read Gorwel Owen’s name many times as the engineer of records I love.

I do play and write music. If you’re interested in hearing any you can go to my myspace page (I do have a website, but it is shamefully neglected at the present time). http://www.myspace.com/candygirl

I would love to hear the album I just read about that you and your husband did together. Also, I would love to hear the band that you sang in. That is very cool that you are a musician too.. You are a very talented woman!

Really lovely to connect with you…

all the best,
Candy

Thank you so much for your message from over there in the USA and for your thoughtful comments about Shambo and the issue of taking ‘care’ of the ‘living, breathing’ creatures that we all are.

I am interested in your connection with Welsh musicians too – and do you play anything yourself?

Peace to you too. Thanks for taking the trouble to read the blog.

Warm Wishes,
Fiona

I came across your blog in a roundabout way. I live in the US, but have a fascination with several Welsh musicians. I was looking around Myspace and came across Gorwel Owen’s page, and then clicked on the band website address and was directed to a blog.

I started reading several of your entries and was really moved by the story of Shambo. I agree with the point you brought up about ‘a not so long ago time’ when human beings were seen as not having intrinsic worth.

It seems that if a group of people have the means and desire to give care to an animal who is ill, the government should not be able to come in and say that animal must be destroyed. It’s very sad that Shambo wasn’t given the dignity he deserved as a living, breathing creature. And yes, there was definitely a time when if Shambo had been a human, he too would have been sentenced to a similar fate. (Of course, I believe this is still happening in the world… but getting on the topic of my country’s failing health care should be avoided at this time).

Anyway, I just wanted to say to you how much I’ve enjoyed reading your blog this Sunday morning. I read your CV, and I’m very impressed. I am not surprised. I kept thinking “this woman writes so well”. You’ve inspired me to be more concise with my writing and thoughts. I am sure I have failed in this comment to you. I am afraid I am the product of the internet age. I believe my grammar and writing has taken a turn for the worse through posting on message boards and instant messages.

Peace to you… I hope you have a wonderful holiday season… stay warm!

xo
Candy

Thank you for your response. I have taken out your possibly libelous claim about Paul Flynn.

As I say in my posting, I think that what we have here are two ways of seeing the world – one model that grows animals on an industrial scale for ‘the market’ and views animals as having no intrinsic worth and another model that views animals as not that different from ourselves and therefore worthy of care, consideration, protection from harm and so on. I realise that the latter view is seen by the former as … well, you tell me! But do remember that there was a time when some human beings were not ’seen’ as having any intrinsic worth – it is only in our recent past that black people were kept as slaves! Nowadays, this is seen as abhorrent and most sane people would agree that an economy based on slavery was worthy of being seen as abhorrent … Interestingly, also, there were people at the time who spoke out against the ’slave trade’.

I gather that the issue of bovine TB being incurable is up for debate -? Isn’t it more the case that, because cattle are grown for human food, there are no risks taken – the policy is to kill to be on the safe side?

I agree with you that keeping Shambo separate from other cows for the rest of his life would have been an issue for consideration – but he didn’t look like he was suffering unduly to me -? Cows like company, but we all are capable of forming attachments to other species as well as our own, and Shambo would have, too.

You obviously have issues with Paul Flynn, but is this because he is simply speaking openly about views that you don’t agree with? I don’t see why he has ‘used this issue for his own petty ends’ -? Aren’t we all entitled, in our 21st century Wales/Britain – blessed as we are with freedom of speech – to speak up for what we believe in, especially when that which is being expressed is in the service of a fairer, more compassionate and non-violent way of life?

Thanks again for getting in touch.
Best Wishes,
Fiona

Re Paul Flynn – he is known for his anti farming stance, just look up his sick comments on farmers and shotguns a few years back for an example of that.

Getting back to Shambo, the beast had bovine tb for which there is no cure and under UK law had to be destroyed.

It was hardly humane to keep a social herd animal in isolation for the rest of its life.

Paul Flynn used this issue for his own petty ends.