This is a story of life (and death) in a quarry household over time, of the way in which the lives of women were 'hidden', of the gradual change from Welsh to English language, of the longevity and continuity of the household through the women (and through a connection with literature and art), and the interconnectedness of lives between past and present households in Nantperis.
The story is from Coed Gwydr, the house where I now live, and through researching it (initially inspired by digging the 'treasure' from the old middens in the backgarden), I feel like I've created myself a house genealogy. As Shannon Lee Dawdy says in her wonderful book Patina (with some apology to Lévi Strauss):
“genealogy created more by habitation than blood. This genealogy can gradually integrate willing newcomers but not the short-term, ill-informed visitor.”
This is me. This is my family. And as you see, it comes to life…
"Yma ywf finna i fod"
Lindsey Coed Gwydr
