President mourns citys disappearing Welsh (From Western Telegraph)

President mourns citys disappearing Welsh

ST DAVIDS-born Jams Nicholas described being president of the day on Wednesday, in his address to the main pavilion, as one of the greatest honours that has ever befallen me.

But he mourned the loss of the Welsh language in the tiny city. Mr Nicholas said: And now the National Eisteddfod has arrived at St Davids of all places - at my old home, where I was born and raised. I never dreamt I would see the National Eisteddfod arrive here. Although he reflected on the natural beauty of the area, he went on to mourn the loss of the Welsh language there.

He said: It is a city where once there were Welsh homes and now there are shops and restaurants catering for tourists. But the biggest challenge so far is the disappearance of the Welsh language, which has ceased to exist as a first language in schools. It is a shocking experience for me when I return home to realise that part of our Welsh civilisation has been destroyed here within half-a-century.

Mr Nicholas is a former teacher at Pembroke School and ex-headmaster at Ysgol y Preseli.

He won the Chair at the Flint National Eisteddfod in 1960 and has been the Gorsedd Recorder since 1980, apart from the three years he was Archdruid.