Only a week to go!

After two years of planning and hard work by a lot of people, we are now just one week away from the opening of the National Eisteddfod in Ebbw Vale. Everything now seems to be in place and those of us who will be working there throughout the week (in the underground art gallery, in my case) will be touring the site tomorrow. At the official opening of Y Lle Celf (The Art Space) next Saturday, I will be making a short speech and presenting the prizes for fine art and architecture. For the rest of the eight days, I will be working as a steward in Y Lle Celf and sometimes in other parts of the Maes.

Today, I will be putting up some bunting outside my house - the only person in our street of about 100 houses to do so, and one of the very few in the whole town. 20,000 free tickets were given away in this area in a bid to attract local people, but it feels to me at the moment as though most of the 150,000 expected visitors will be coming from outside the Valleys, from the Welsh-speaking areas. Well, apart from all the other things to look forward, there will be a chance at last to speak Welsh all day every day for a solid week.