Rhosllannerchrugog: Actor Mark Lewis Jones pays heartfelt tribute
His credits read like a list of recent iconic TV shows - The Crown, Game of Thrones, Keeping Faith, Man Up and Baby Reindeer.
His film career is equally impressive ranging from his memorable role as First Order Captain Moden Canady in Star Wars: The Last Jedi to his role in the recent film, Sweetland.
This week he is President of the National Eisteddfod which is being held in Wrexham, only a few miles from his home village.
He noted his sincere thanks to the grandfather for insisting that the Eisteddfod be "by everyone and for everyone".
In his speech he said: "My grandfather, Jonathan Dafis, sang in the pavilion many times as a loyal member of the Rhos Male Voice Choir, as well as helping to organise the festival when he came to the area in 1945, but somehow when I was growing up I didn't feel that the Eisteddfod was relevant to me.
"I was, and continue to be, a proud Welshman, brought up in a community that was Welsh even though we were so close to the border, but even so I didn't think the Eisteddfod was for a Welshman like me. And it took me a while to understand that I was wrong."
He added his wife, Gwenno, runs a clothes shop in Cardiff, and would regularly hire a stall on the Maes.
"One of my favorite memories of coming to the Eisteddfod (with Gwenno), was meeting and chatting with people who had travelled from afar to be part of the festival.
"It became clear to me how essential the Eisteddfod is, supporting and promoting the arts in our country. I now have four sons, each one appreciating the importance of the festival, and Jacob, the youngest, is working on the Maes this week.
"I have come to understand what Taid understood from the beginning - that the Eisteddfod is for everyone, for everyone. And if he was still with us I know he would be here, in the front row, with a proud smile on his face when he finally saw his grandson on stage."
Mark Lewis Jones also outlined how he chose to become an actor.
"I have been fortunate to be able to stand on several famous stages over the years - the Globe and the National in London, the Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford - but I have never been on the stage of the National Eisteddfod before," he said.
He went to Ysgol Morgan Llwyd in Wrexham and he had no idea what to do with his life.
"But at school there was a teacher called Gwawr Mason. And one day, for some reason, she asked me to be in the next school show? And for some reason I said - yes, ok," he said.
He came from a home without any connection with the arts, and a home where English was the main language.
"After taking part in that school show, my life changed completely. I wanted to act. My parents were unsure of course, but supportive nonetheless. After all, I had nothing to lose - I have two brothers who are carpenters, but I think my mother and father realised after seeing me handle a saw that there was no future for me in that field.
"So I went on to work with Clwyd Youth Theatre. I went to the College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, then to Theatr Clwyd and London.
"But I can definitely tell you that that would never have happened if Gwawr Mason had not offered a helping hand to a young, lost boy. Very sadly we lost Gwawr during lockdown and although I have thanked her many times for her support I don't feel I will ever, ever, ever be able to thank her enough," he said.
As President Mark Lewis Jones has a full schedule in the next few days but he is especially looking forward to taking part in the Stiwt theatre's centenary celebrations, an institution he has a very personal connection to, in his home village.
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The National Eisteddfod 2025 is well underway in Wrexham, where the annual festival is being held this year. Thousands are flocking to the event after staff and contractors transformed farmland at Is-y-Coed on the eastern outskirts of Wrexham, into a small town with a 1,500 seat pavilion. It also has a range of performance spaces and stalls as well as a temporary Gorsedd circle. Here is a round-up of the latest news from the National Eisteddfod today (Sunday August 3), to enjoy: The National Eisteddfod got underway on Saturday without any major difficulties the festival's chief executive said. Betsan Moses said the week-long event is being staged on farmland at Is-y-Coed on the eastern outskirts of Wrexham and is the culmination of two years of hard work organising and fund-raising. Speaking to journalists on Sunday Ms Moses said everyone was pleased with the arrangements that had been made. "The police were happy that traffic moved freely thoughout the day and the car parks were full. Stall holders and traders are happy with the expansive layout of the Maes and the footfall was good. "There are more stalls here this year because the Maes is larger than the one at Parc Ynys Angharad in Pontypridd in 2024. They are also not grouped in any particular way so people walking along the rows of stalls see them all." The weather was also favourable with warm sunshine and blue skies. She said the only complaints they had received were from people having difficulty what to go and see and do. "There was widespread praise for Y Stand, the concert in the pavilion which told the story of a family's connection with football. "The stage had been transformed into a football stadium and the Eisteddfod choir formed the crowd. We invited the audience to wear the red and white of Wrexham FC and we were extremely pleased to see many of them had done so. "All in all a very good start to the Eisteddfod," she said. Yesterday evening there was a varied evening of music enjoyed by large crowds on the Eisteddfod Maes. Anglesey singer and songwriter Elin Fflur and Diffiniad, which has close links with the Wrexham area, featured on the huge Llwyfan y Maes while Bob Delyn a'r Ebilliad played to a capacity audience in the smaller, intimate setting of Tŷ Gwerin. Meanwhile the audience in the Pavilion enjoyed a musical commissioned by the Eisteddfod. Y Stand was written by Manon Steffan Ros and the music composed by Osian Huw Williams. Diffiniad was founded by a group of friends, mostly from the Mold area, to perform dance music in Welsh. Bethan Richards, from Ammanford, joined as a singer, and her rich, deep voice lifts some of their most memorable anthems to the heights. Songs like Hapus, Hwyr Tan y Bore and their version of the Caryl Parry Jones classic, Calon had the large, appreciative crowd singing along. The audience had earlier been delighted by a set by Elin Fflur and her band. She sang songs old and new including "Harbwr Diogel" ("Safe Bay"). Written by Arfon Wyn she won the Cân i Gymru competition in 2002. Bob Delyn a'r Ebillion are a folk-rock group fronted by chaired bard Twm Morys. Their music combines an eclectic array of influences and instruments with more traditional Welsh folk sounds. Tŷ Gwerin is located in a large yurt and the group played a variety of folk songs from around Wales and further afield. Their set culminated with Twm Morys' song Trên Bach y Sgwarnogod (Little Hare's Train) which sparked dozens of the audience to join a conga around the audience led by saxophonists Edwin Humphreys and Einion Gruffudd. Y Stand is a brand-new show about football, about winning and losing, and about the special connection that comes from supporting a team. The Pavilion was transformed into a football stadium, alive with the sound, colour and the energy of the crowd. 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The well-respected journalist would tease the pair as they struggled to come to terms with some Welsh phrases. But this year has been one of significant challenges for Maxine who recently revealed she has just finished an intensive course of chemotherapy and faces further surgery immediately after the Eisteddfod. She said the diagnosis came shortly following the death of her father, John, late last year. Speaking on the Maes she said she was incredibly proud to accept the invitation to be the leader of the Wales and the World at the Eisteddfod. "And I was in hospital when the email came that I was to be inducted into the Gorsedd. I nearly fainted I was so happy. "It is such a great honour to be recognised by the Gorsedd, and as Leader of Wales and the World this year, and even more significant because the Eisteddfod is in Wrexham. I am so proud my father's family is from Wrexham and he would have been even prouder that this is happening here, his home town," she said. Maxine added she is heading back to the USA immediately after the Eisteddfod and undergoing surgery early next week. "The surgery was due to take place this week but I was able to explain to the surgeon that I needed to be here and he agreed to put it back a week," she said. She said she looks forward to the Eisteddfod every year. "I aim to come back to Wales in August with the boys to see the family members and go over to the Eisteddfod wherever it is being held. As well as being the Leader of Wales and the World I will be holding other sessions with the Welsh Government and students," he said. When she was young Maxine competed regularly and successfully in the National Eisteddfod. "The Urdd Eisteddfod and the National Eisteddfod were a big part of my childhood. I recited individually as a pupil at Ysgol Bodnant and at Ysgol Bryn Elian there was a lot of singing. I also danced and competed in gymnastics and I was happy to take part and enjoy," he said. 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"It was a privilege and a joy to be the youngest craftswoman to co-design and create the Eisteddfod Crown last year, and now, to be one of the first craftsman-designers to create it for the second year in a row. "Designing the Crown for the second time is not only a professional milestone, but also an extremely satisfying creative experience. There is something very special about taking a concept that rooted in place, history, and memory, and turned into symbolic wearable artwork. "This project holds deep personal significance for me. My great-great-grandfather worked in the Hafod collieries in Rhos, and my father grew up in the area. In addition, as I researched the industrial past of the area, I was particularly touched by the story of the Gresford Disaster in 1934, where 266 men lost their lives. The Crown honours their memory, and the enduring strength and resilience of the community that helped to be built." 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Being held in Wrexham for the first time in 14 years, hundreds descended on the Maes in Isycoed to celebrate Welsh culture and traditions. There were a host of competitions and shows taking place across the site, as well as activities for people of all ages. Traders showed off their produce at the dozens of stalls set up in the main area of the site, whilst numerous food vendors served up the best they had to offer. Into the night and there were a range of live performances across different venues at the Maes, from the pavilion to Ty Gwerin. Earlier in the day, Rhosllannerchrugog's very own Mark Lewis Jones addressed the crowd at the Maes. The famous actor from Wrexham has been named President of the Eisteddfod for the week and made a speech to kick the weeklong festival off. In his speech he said: "My grandfather, Jonathan Dafis, sang in the pavilion many times as a loyal member of the Rhos Male Voice Choir, as well as helping to organise the festival when he came to the area in 1945, but somehow when I was growing up I didn't feel that the Eisteddfod was relevant to me. Mark Lewis Jones at the Eisteddfod. (Credit: Aled Llywelyn) (Image: Aled Llywelyn) "I was, and continue to be, a proud Welshman, brought up in a community that was Welsh even though we were so close to the border, but even so I didn't think the Eisteddfod was for a Welshman like me. And it took me a while to understand that I was wrong." He added his wife, Gwenno, runs a clothes shop in Cardiff, and would regularly hire a stall on the Maes. MORE LIKE THIS: "One of my favourite memories of coming to the Eisteddfod (with Gwenno), was meeting and chatting with people who had travelled from afar to be part of the festival. "It became clear to me how essential the Eisteddfod is, supporting and promoting the arts in our country. I now have four sons, each one appreciating the importance of the festival, and Jacob, the youngest, is working on the Maes this week. "I have come to understand what Taid understood from the beginning - that the Eisteddfod is for everyone, for everyone. And if he was still with us I know he would be here, in the front row, with a proud smile on his face when he finally saw his grandson on stage."
