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FUW member Wyn Owen with his son Carwyn[/caption]
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(l-r) Wyn Owen, former FUW Montgomeryshire county executive officer Susan Jones, Carwyn Owen, FUW stalwart Gareth Vaughan, FUW Montgomeryshire county chairman Mark Williams and FUW vice president Richard Vaughan[/caption]
The Chair for the National Eisteddfod, which has been sponsored by the Farmers’ Union of Wales Montgomeryshire branch, has been handed over to the organisers of this year’s National Eisteddfod (August 1-8).
20 year old Carwyn Owen, of Rhiwfelen, Foel, Welshpool, whose family have been farming here since the early 1960s, is notably the youngest person ever to have been tasked with creating the Eisteddfod Chair.
“I had so many opportunities to develop my skills as a member of the Young Farmers Club and have found a love for woodworking thanks to my grandfather Bryn, who has also made many chairs for the Eisteddfod,” said Mr Owen.
“I was inspired by the wood’s natural beauty and by the mountains in the area, steaming and bending the wood to enable me to create the shape of the mountains in the Chair.
“Both my grandfathers were keen craftsmen, and I was lucky to inherit a full workshop from one grandfather when I was young, and my other grandfather taught me the art of creating beautiful things from wood,” added Mr Owen.
Speaking after the presentation of the Chair, FUW Montgomeryshire county chairman Mark Williams said: “Carwyn has done a fantastic job and we are very proud as a union to be sponsoring the Chair for this year’s National Eisteddfod.
“This really is a family affair given the FUW’s long standing history with the Eisteddfod and of course also the past involvement of the Owen family in making Eisteddfod Chairs.
“I must thank our former county executive officer Susan Jones for bringing the Owen family to the Eisteddfod’s attention, as Carwyn has done such a wonderful job.
“Carwyn has a strong record of making Chair’s for the Eisteddfod, first of all as a competitor and he was then invited to build the YFC Eisteddfod Bardic Chair and also made the Chair for the Powys Eisteddfod, whilst he was still at school.
“The union has always been supportive of the Eisteddfod and all it stands for and this year we are once again proud to be supporting the Welsh language, Welsh culture and Welsh life,” added Mr Williams.