Trashed by Jordana

Sorry I’ve been a little M.I.A! It’s been a month!  
 
In the last few weeks I’ve been deep in Welsh bardic history (long story, swipe to see), fighting my landlord’s unlawful eviction attempt, keeping up with commissions, and doing what I do every day: being a full-time carer for my mum, the Site Manager. 
 
Oh, and apparently also watching the football. Priorities 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 ⚽️ 
 
The bardic chair story is genuinely one of the most extraordinary things I’ve stumbled into. A £15 eBay find that turned into 35 pages of provenance research and the interest of some pretty significant people in Welsh literary circles. More on that very soon. 
 
Anyway. I’m back. The cabin’s still standing. So am I. The Site Manager is thriving.  
 
Life is good. How are you?  
 
Jo 💋 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Welsh History | Bardic Chair | Bletchley Park | Furniture Art | Upcycled Furniture | Furniture Restoration | Sustainable Interiors | Vintage Finds | eBay Finds | Manchester Artist | Furniture Upcycling | Antique Furniture | Carer | Stroke Survivor

I bought a chair for £15 at a recycling centre in Manchester. No story, no provenance, nothing.... Just an old oak chair with a tiny engraved label nobody had bothered to read properly. 
 
That label said ‘Eisteddfod Gadeiriol, Dyffryn Elwy, 1966’. A Welsh bardic chair, the top prize in a poetry competition, won once and kept forever. 
 
Weeks of digging later: the man who won it was James Arnold Jones. First chair at thirteen. A published author held permanently by the National Library of Wales. A mathematician and classicist who taught at the first Welsh-medium secondary school in Wales. A wartime codebreaker at Bletchley Park’s Knockholt outstation. A poet fluent in seven languages who won twenty four bardic chairs across a fifty year career!  
 
History nearly consigned to a skip.... 
 
7343 newspaper articles, 27 emails, 4 Facebook reminiscence pages, hours & hours of internet sleuthing, 1 excellent book later, James Arnold Jones revealed himself to me.  
 
I’ll never forget you James. Thank you for your service. RIP 🙏 
 
bardic chair | welsh eisteddfod | furniture provenance | bletchley park history | antique oak chair | manchester furniture restorer | found history | Eisteddfodau | Cymru heritage | elwy | Wales

UPDATE The investigation continues!🪑 
 
An 𝐄𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐟𝐨𝐝 is a Welsh cultural festival celebrating poetry, music and performance. The Eisteddfod Gadeiriol is specifically a chaired eisteddfod, where the highest honour is the bardic chair, awarded to the winner of the chief poetry competition. 
 
I can now confirm this chair is NOT connected to Dic Jones like previously thought. Brychan Jones, Dic’s son, contacted me personally, spoke with his mother, and confirmed the family have kept track of all of Dic’s chairs. They are in Ceredigion, where they belong. He wished me “Pob lwc” and I will treasure that. 
 
The label reads Eisteddfod Gadeiriol Dyffryn Elwy 1966, a local eisteddfod held at the Neuadd Goffa in Llanfair Talhaiarn, northeast Wales. An eisteddfod running continuously since 1855 and still very much alive today. 
 
The hall hosts the Eisteddfod this very weekend and the organiser is asking around for anyone with memories of 1966. I have contacted the National Library of Wales, the Llanfairtalhaiarn Community Council, Welsh broadcasters, specialist bardic chair researchers and the Neuadd Goffa itself. This week the hall hosts the 2025 Eisteddfod Dyffryn Elwy and the organiser is asking around for anyone with memories of 1966. 
 
There is a forgotten northeast Wales bard waiting to be found. This chair was days from landfill. Its story will be told. 
 
Watch this space 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿  
 
Jo 💋 
 
Eisteddfod | Bardic Chair | Welsh Heritage | Cymru | Wales | Welsh Culture | Welsh Language | Cymraeg | Welsh History | Llanfair Talhaiarn | Dyffryn Elwy | Dic Jones | Bard | Poetry | Barddoniaeth | Antique Furniture | Furniture Rescue | Rescued From Landfill | Upcycling | Sustainable Living | Welsh Poetry | Celtic Heritage | Folk Art | Living History | Provenance | AntiqueFurniture | WelshHeritage | CymruAmByth

****𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓**** 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 - 𝐰𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬. After some research I believed this could be the bardic chair awarded to Dic Jones… however we’re now investigating further and the true winner may be a different northeast Wales bard. Watch this space 👀

Last night I paid £15 for a chair. Then I found the label & my jaw hit the floor!! 🏷️

On the front of what appeared to be a simple antique oak armchair, found in a Manchester recycling centre, was a small metal plate reading Eisteddfod Gadeiriol, Dyffryn Elwy, 1966.

After some research I discovered this is the bardic chair awarded to Dic Jones, one of the greatest Welsh language poets of the 20th century and Archdruid of Wales - for his winning poem Cynhaeaf (Harvest).

This chair was days away from landfill.

This antique has been appraised so I won’t be touching it with paint!

Dic Jones said of his life - “I farm for bread and butter. I write for some jam on it.”

He deserved better than a recycling centre in Manchester. This chair is safe now 🙏

Some things are meant to be found.

Jo 💋

Dic Jones | Eisteddfod | Welsh Heritage | Cymru | Bardic | Wales | Upcycling | Welsh Culture | Eisteddfod Gadeiriol | Dic Yr Hendre | Cynhaeaf | AntiqueFurniture | Restoration | Welsh History | Renew Hub Manchester

Client: You know I’m a matchy, matchy minimalist, HOWEVER, I love your bold pieces, especially the sleek black pieces you’ve refurbished....

Me: Hold my paintbrush, I’m going in 🎨🖤

Got my work cut out on this one! I’ve sourced 6 antique chairs for my client. One of which I’ve had appraised, so that one I will NOT be painting! Can you guess which one??

My client and I have an understanding, I’m allowed to go free reign.....stick around for the transformation 👀

Jo 💋

William Morris | Antiques | Furniture Refinishing | Restoration | Edwardian | Victorian | Vintage Home | Cottage Core | Black Painted Furniture | Wood Staining | Gold Leaf | Manchester Newyddion S4C S4C BBC Wales News BBC Radio Cymru People's Collection Wales

What’s more sophisticated, the art or the inspiration? 🐈‍⬛  
 
This piece is now in my summer sale. Cat NOT included. Link in bio 🔗  
 
Jo 💋 
 
Luxury Upcycling | Bar Cabinet | Cocktail Cabinet | Gothic Home Decor | Drinks | Furniture Refinishing | Old Charm | Oak Furniture | Manchester