Washi Bach..

by Andrew
(USA)

Things seem pretty much affirmed that the man known as 'Washi Bach' received warm welcomes from the "Felin Graig" Farm where ffermwr Williams lived with his wife and son. Washi Bach would be allowed to sleep in their 'barn' or equivalent.

Farmer Williams' son died young, so to speak in the mid 1960's, I said, giving my age away.

Farmer Williams, the elder, herded his last three or four Black Cattle - some breed I have never seen since - around the roads that ran like spaghetti through the new Pencraig housing estate.

A huge Black cow with long, wide horns was a stark feature, that and it's cumbersome large udder. He would drive them around the estate to graze upon the grass there.

Neighbours complained of the 'end-results' that often spattered the pavings! Nonetheless, he farmed until his last breath I'm sure, like the total farmer he was.

As a lad I walked once right into his home's narrow entry way. I found a dark room to the left, with what appeared to be a earthen floor.

Often he carried a whip. On the streets he would pick up oddities such as a plastic shoe that fell off a toy doll, a foreign coin, a brass shoe buckle, and other curiosities that didn't exist during his childhood I would imagine.

How far the farm went back into history's mists I could again only imagine somewhere in early Victorian scenes lent in imagery of those 'Torn Bodice' novels. That, and Anglesey's way of life that was. Before the first major bridge was built, in 1827 by the engineer Telford, spanning from the Welsh mainland to Ynys Mon. Anglesey the "Breadbasket of Wales".

One would think perhaps, that the newspapers of the day would have some record of who was Washi Bach was. I mean, to actually put a name to this face, some hint, some mensh'.

Maybe lend cause to more dots to become joined in terms of enjoyable research challenges which fond memories can evoke of Llangefni and indeed all Anglesey. Who was "Washi Bach?

Andrew