The Brecon Radnor Express Carmarthen and Swansea Valley Gazette and Brynmawr District Advertiser

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SHAKESPEARE AND THE SCHOOLS. Were it not foe ?,iie graver business in which the nation i.$uiigaged, we suppose j that every town and village throughout the land would have set aside a da,y for the celebration, in some way or other, of the Tercentenary of William Shakespeare. The ancient town of Brecon especially, as was pointed out in an interesting article in our columns last week. has a very strong claim, indeed, to an acquaintance with the im- mortal bard. We hope the local Chamber of Trade will take the hint given by the writer. This year Shakespeare scenes" will especially appeal to visitors, and as there is every reason to believe that the claim set up for Brecon is a remarkably strong one, it should be taken the fullest advantage of by the town. We rather think that bad another town, not a hundred miles away, possessed such an historical gold mine," not only England, but our cousins across the Atlantic, would have long ere this been made fully acquainted with it. At all events, we cannot but hope that the schools in Breconshire and Radnorshire will arrange a fitting programme, if not on Shakespeare Day (May 3rd, as other schools in England are doing), at any rate on some day during next month. We have no doubt that the local Education Authorities will see to it that the memory of Shakespeare is included in those lessons on patriotism which were issued sometime ago, founded upon the reading from Ecclesiasticus," Let us now praise famous men and our fathers that begat us." It is very necessary in these days that we should derive all the inspira- tion we possibly can from the Fves and deeds of our famous men," and few, if any, have given to his fellow-countrymen such bound- less love of country, and instilled into their hearts a truer patriotism than did the greatest of our nation's poets. Professor Gollancz, who has written the notes on the poet for the English schools' celebration, has given us a clear reason for paying tri- bute to Shakespeare's memory: "It were well," he says, if every year a Shakespeare Day were observed, when those who speak I the speech of Shakespeare might reverently pay homage to his memory, and be re- minded of all that he stands for on the roll of British fame, and of the universal recog- nition of his exalted genius. While all the world acclaims him, those who are privi- leged to be his fellow countrymen owe to themselves the high duty of gratefully re- calling, on this occasion ot the tercentenary of his death, some of the lessons he has left us, and, especially at the present time, how it behoves us as patriots to strive to play our I part in war as in peace, and how best to maintain our faith in the ultimate triumph of a noble humanity."

Notes and Notions. I Llandovery's rainfall for March was 2.39 inches. Llandovery Corporation' s accounts show a credit balance of X115. The "London Magazine" for May contains the third instalment of "'Seven Years at the German Court. The large-leaved lime grows really wild only in the woods of Herefordshire, the West Riding of Yorkshire and Radnorshire. Mr A. J. Glover (superintendent for the Pru- dential Assurance Company at Brecon for the last six years) has just removed to Eastleigh district, near Southampton. He has been succeeded by Mr F. Lambert (Wrcxham). Among Rhayader's lastest visitors from Fland- ers was Pte. GOrdOI Coutts, -he came over eaxly in the winter from Canada with a Canadian con- tingent. Pte. Coutts, then a member of a. Scottish Territorial Regiment, served in the South African War. Rev. J. Morgan Jones, M.A. (Merthyr), who described himself at the Socialist meeting at Cardiff on Monday as "somewhat of an oddity" amongst clerical gentlemen, was formerly minister at Bwlch Calvinistic Methodist Church in Breconshire, and also at Alexandra Road Church, Swansea. He has been in Merthyr nearly twenty years. Major R. E. Solly-Flood (Rifle Brigade), who has been made temporary lieutenant-colonel while acting as a First Grade GeneraJ Staff Officer, is a son of the late Major-General Sir Frederick Solly- Flood, of Porthmawr, Crickhowell. He has been mentioned in dispatches, and was given the ap- pointment immediately after finishing as a Second Grade General Staff Officer. The Raleigh Co. is experiencing a great de- mand for ladies' bicycles. Women are buying more largely than for many years. most of them requiring the machine for use in some phase of war work, and, therefore, the world-known re- liability of the all-steel bicycle specially appeals to them, as well as the graceful lines and many I practical special features of the machine which is I guaranteed for ever. || The late Mr Gilbert D. Harries, J.P. (eldest son of the late Canon Harries, Gelligaer Rectory and brother of Mr H. nry F. W. Harries, Brecon) was educated at Oxford, where he took his B.A. degree. He h.-ui lvsided at Llanunwas twenty- eight years, was vice-chairman of the Merthyr Bench of Magistrates, superintendent of the Coast Watchers, and president of the Solva Nursing As- sociation. Second-Lieutenant Howel Lewis (Royal Welsh Fusiliers) the well-known Welsh Internationalist, was married at Wern Chapel, Ystalyfera, a few days ago, the bride being Miss Annie Gwendoline Lydia Beynon, of Ystalyfera. Rev. R. W. James < k përfonued the ceremony, Lieut. Tom Lewis was best man, and the bridesmaids were Miss Carrie Lewis (sister of the bridegroom) and Miss Davies, Pen-arth (cousin of the bride). The three sons of 'Mr and Mrs Thomas Williams (Victoria House. New Road, Llandovery) are in the Army. Private Dd. John Williams, K.R.R., who had been through a good deal of fighting in France, was wounded in the leg, causing perman- ent injury, and is now awaiting his discharge. Private Evan Williams, of the 1/4 Welsh, took 4 part in the Snvla Bay landing and in the subse- quent fighting in Gailipoli. Private Peter Wil- liams lately joined the 3rd Welsh, and is now in training. Several salmon have been taken in the Uislc during the past few days. Col. King-Hunter had one of 181b. on the Brvn water, the Hon. F. J. Hamilton Russell one of 141b. at Pantygoitre, and General Sir A. Tulloch one of 9 lb. at Glasllya. Breconshire. On the Wye, Mr Lister Reade and party have had fish of 161b., 191b., 19ilb., 211b., and 22Wb. ritiiig of the late Mr John Hutchinson (Hert- ford), Brecon's well-known journalist. Mr Edwin Davies says :—" His death recalls many incidents of a time when I was in constant correspondence with him. extending over a period of some ten or fifteen years. Mr Hutchinson was a prolific writer. From personal knowledge, I can say his literary contributions were read and appreciated far ;tad wide. 1 published for him a little volume entitled •LLrdrindod Legends." "Ladylift" thought these v.ou d tickJc. tlw fancy of the many visitors to th;, well-known spa, who may be in search of sorie handy pieoe of literature to pass away the hours." J: A Dr. P. E. Ed I (medica; officer of health for the Crickhowell district) states that nine cases of ty- phoid fever were notified, affecting four houses, and one death occurred. The cases were confined to Llanellv. The doctor points out that the most common vehicle of typhoid was drinking water. As it seemed improbable that any hope could be entertained of a. new system of sewage being car- ried out by the Brynmawr Urban Council until after the termination of the war, it had suggested itself to him whether it would be possible to offer the inhabitants of Llanelly the use of typhoid vaccine. It was being used on a large scale by the military authorities as a means of rendering troops immune to this disease. 'T*he increasing tendency of the mother of present age not to suckle her child." the doctor states, "is a menace to the welfare, both of the individual and of the nation, which cannot fail to bring in its train a heavy re- tribution. Recent blizzards and snowstorms were bad enough, but things might have been worse. The following appeared in the "Hereford Times" of April 16th, 1836 :—"Our Breconshire correspond- ent says that the destruction of sheep and lambs on all the hilly farms is unabated-he mentions several farmers who have lost from 200 to 300 each. And he adds that, of the lambs, not one in seven will escape. There had been snow and sleet ,for five days successively, and it was still lying deep on the high grounds. Not a grain of oats had been sewn. and only a part of a field, here and there, ploughed. He states that in the spring of 178G (50 years ago) there was a similar season, when the first oats in his neighbourhood were sown on the 12th April. We are sorry to comfirm the above reports from accounts received from all the adjoining districts. Many thousand sheep have perished in the upper parishes of the three counties which meet at Ramny, and more than three-fourths of the mountain lambs. One correspondent says that he saw fourteen sheep dead in one small field, and the Coedcae. the Banwaun, and the Waun are strewn with them. The sarile season which is destructive to sheep kills the hares; and many of these are also found dead.—Welshman. The late Alderman James Straker, J.P.. C.C. (Abergavenny), the well-known auctioneer and es- tate agent, was born at Llanvapley. He came of a family honourably connected with the town for a great number of years. The records of his fam- ily in St. Mary's Church go back to 1656. Mr Straker entered the. solicitor's office of Messrs. Gabb -and Watford at Abergavenny in 1860, and, subsequently, started in business on bis own ac- count as an auctioneer and estate agent. He founded the auction sales at Abergavenny which have made the local market what it is to-day. An enthusiast in all Welsh matters, Alderman Straker was a liberal supported of the Eistedd fod. and it was mainly through his energy and in- fluence that Abergavenny was the venue of the national gathering m 1913. On this account he was elected Mayor for that year. He had pre- viously been Mayor of the borough in 1904, and in that year the bardic title of "Maer-y-Fenni" was conferred upon him by Hwfa Mon. then Arch- druid, at the Mountain Ash Eisteddfod. Alder- man Straker was, therefore, in name, if not in I fact, the permanent Mayor of Abergavenny. In his public capacity Alderman Straker did valuable work for the town. He had been secretary of the Abergavenny Horse Show Society from 1875 till a year or so ago, when his son, Mr Charles Straker, was appointed. He was a member of the Royal Agricultural Society, the 'Monmouthshire Chamber of Agriculture, and a Fellow of the Auctioneers' Institute. He was for over 25 years a member of the Monmouthshire County Council, and was el- ected on the local governing body at Abergavenny in 1898. At one time Alderman Straker farmed considerably in the counties of Monmouth, Brecon, Hereford, and Gloucester, and was a successful ex- hibitor at the local shows. He was a prominent Freemason, a past master of the Philanthropic Lodge No. 858. and P.P.G.D. of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Monmouthshire, as well as a member of the Charles Lyne Lodge (Newport). He leaves a widow, six sous, and four daughters.

HON. ROLAND PHILIPPS. AWARDED MILITARY CROSS. KILLS FOUR GERMANS. Captain the Hon. Roland Erasmus Phillipps, 9th Battalion the Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment), only surviving son of Lord St. David's, and prospective Liberal candidate for South Glamorgan, has been awarded the Military Cross for an act of conspicuous gallantry and de- votion to duty. The award was announced in a recent issue of the "London Gazette," the act for which the Cross is conferred being described as follows Although wounded severely, he kept his men well in hand, himself killing four of the enemy with his revolver. He stuck to his post and repelled three attacks. Capt. Philipps is now home on brief leave, and, by doctor's orders, taking complete lest. One wound still gives him trouble. The Hon. Roland Philipps is a great favourite in the neighbourhoods of Tir-Abad, Llanwrtyd and Llangammarch.

I RED CROSS HOSPITAL, PENOYRE. By the kind permission of Colonel King-Hunter, the band of the South Wales Borderers visited the hospital on April 8th. The patients and staff enjoyed a very pleasant afternoon listening to an excellent programme. Our thanks are also due. this month, to the Mayor of Brecon, Principal Lewis and party for giving a, delightful concert for the wounded at Penoyre. The hospital has benefited to the extent of R7 by the generosity of Mr Bown, who presented a beautiful cabinet of shells to be raffled for. Twenty-three fresh patients arrived on Thurs- day, and the hospital is now fuller than it has yet been. C. M. PARKINSON, b73 Commandant.