Cymro a'r Celt Llundain

Notes and News. SOUTH WALES was visited by severe thunderstorms on Sunday and Monday last. Great damage was done to crops by hail and floods. MR. LLOYDGEORGE had a tremendous ovation at the Pontypridd meeting on Satur- day evening. Immense crowds had travelled to the town in the hopes of seeing or hearing the popular statesman. THOUGH the Government has promised to bring on a Welsh Disestablishment Bill at an early date, there are some Welsh Mem- bers anxious to upset the Cabinet arrange- ments by pressing the Prime Minister for further particulars before the end of the present Session. THE Guarantee Fund of the London National Eisteddfod of 1909 has already reached close upon a thousand pounds. Before the matter is settled at Swansea it is hoped that about CI,500 will be on the roll. ALTHOUGH no choir or parties from London will compete at Swansea this year, it is expected that several of our well-known soloists will enter an appearance. The meetings are held this year on very suitable days for Londoners, inasmuch as the holiday season will practically be at an end, en- abling tourists from the North to return via Swansea. ABERYSTWYTH seems to be doing the chief running for 1909 National Eisteddfod, with Llandrindod second, and Carmarthen third. But perhaps London will prove the dark horse after all. THE warm weather has cheered the hearts of the Welsh lodging house keepers, and visitors are now arriving at Aberystwyth, Llandrindod, Llandudno, &c., by every train. A CURIOUS fact about last Saturday's thunderstorm was that, whilst it rained in torrents at many districts-the roads and streets being practically impossible-it was quite dry in other places and not a raindrop fell. IN the Rhondda and Merthyr districts the roads and valleys were flooded, and our Editor, who was spending a week end in the Taff Valley, had a narrow escape, the house where he stayed being partially wrecked by a thunderbolt. Cardiff district, however, was left untouched, and the roads remained as dusty as ever. Such exceptions were mended on the following day, when the storm became pretty general all over the country. THERE has been a considerable influx of people into Cardiff this last week, and there are exceedingly few houses to let in the city. The opening of the new Dock and the general advertising of the city in the Press has, undoubtedly, caused hundreds of strangers to come and settle in the place on spec." MR. KEIR HARDIE, Aferthyr's Junior Member," has gone on a voyage round the world." To be a Socialist leader is quite an enjoyable business. MR. VAUGHAN DAVIES, M.P., has been taking much interest in military questions in the House of Commons. His constituents do not share his military enthusiasm. WHAT are groceries? A policeman, in giving evidence at a South Wales Police Court the other day, told the Bench that he saw the defendant "selling two cabbages and other groceries." Miss MAY JOHN, R.A.M., the popular vocalist, is spending a holiday at Llandrin- dod, prior to taking up an important series of concert engagements in the autumn and winter months in various parts of the country. ACCORDING to "Ap Rhys" of Ealing's interesting articles in the Glamorgan County Times the foxglove is known by two names in Welsh, i.e., "Bysydd y Cwn" (Dog's Digits) and Menyg yr Ellyll" (elfin or fairies' gloves). The latter seems to corres- pond with the English name, which he (Ap Rhys) is told is not foxglove but folks glove. THE Welsh National Agricultural Show, held this week at Aberystwyth, has made splendid progress. Indeed, if the present high standard continues, it will become the finest agricultural show in the British Isles. 11 GENERAL BOOTH'S visit to Wales is arousing much interest. At Portmadoc, we notice, the' United Sunday School children of the town will sing that beautiful chorus, 0 na bawn i fel Efe," when the venerable Christian leader arrives there.