Pennod 3....gwersi gynnar...

Yn yr wythdegau gynnar, ro'n i wrthi'n sefydlu gweithdy 'saer dodrefn' yn y ganolfan crefft (hen wedi diflannu)yn Mathew Street, Lerpwl. Ro'n i wedi bod yn gwrando'n gyson ar ddeg munud o 'Catchphrase' gyda Basil Davies a chwpl o ddysgwyr ar Radio Wales, ac yn sbio o bryd i'w gilydd ar 'Welsh is Fun', llyfr a digwydd bod yn y tŷ. Dwi'n cofio yn ystod y cyfnod hynny yn switsio radio y gweithdy drosodd o Radio 1 i Radio Cymru (amser 'Our Tune' gyda Simon Bates mwy na thebyg), yn y gobaith pell o wneud mymryn o synnwyr o'r hyn o'n i'n clywed. 'Sŵn' cyfarwydd oedd yr iaith a golchodd drosta i, ond dim llawer mwy nag hynny. Dwn i ddim be ro'n i'n disgwyl a dweud y gwir, efallai rhyw deffroad yn yr isymwybod, Cymraeg plentyn pedwar oed yn dychweled o rai cwr tywyll fy meddwl wedi tua hugain mlynedd heb ei defnydd? Mewn gwirionedd teimlais ddim ond dryswch o eiriau, a'r sylweddoliad, ni fasai'r tasg o fy mlaen yn mynd i fod un hawdd. Taswn i i gael siawns o lwyddo i ddysgu'r iaith, basai angen arnaf i fynd yn ôl i'r dechrau cyntaf...

In the early eighties I was busy establishing a cabinetmakers workshop in the Craft Centre (long since vanished) in Mathew Street, Liverpool. I had been listening regularly to 'Catchphrase' with Basil Davies and a couple of learners on Radio Wales, and looking from time to time at 'Welsh is Fun' which happened to be in the house. I remember during that period, switching the workshop radio over from radio 1 to Radio Cymru ('Our Tune' with Simon Bates time more than likely), in the distant hope of making some sense of what I heard. The language that 'washed' over me was a familiar sound, but nothing more than that. I don't know what I was expecting to be honest, perhaps some awakening in the subconscious, a four year olds Welsh returning from some dark corner of my mind after twenty years without use? In truth I felt only only a confusion of words, and the realisation that the task ahead wasn't going to be an easy one. If I was to stand a chance of succeeding to learn the language, I'd have to go bach to the very beginning...