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Happy times in the tent?

"My gran couldn't understand why my friends and I had left the orange tent on that empty Eisteddfod Field. But after being soaked to our skins all throughout that wet and muddy week of camping, we had our reasons.

Gran was so concerned about the tent's wellbeing that she went on a quest to find it, with the full intention of bringing it back home with her. But the tent had disappeared off the face of Anglesey.

That tent had been an important part of my childhood. I sometimes envied my friends who would always jet off to faraway places on their exotic family hols. They'd get to meet Jason and Kylie on Ramsey Street, while I was left to entertain myself in much less glamorous company.

Our holidays were simple outdoorsy affairs that hardly broke my parents' bank account. Having said that, we ventured to what seemed to be every cwm and field in Wales. From the banks of Glaslyn to the cliffs of Aberdaron, nowhere in Wales was beyond our reach!

And it was always a rather sad day when the holiday ended and we'd pack the tent and place it back in its orange sack.

Perhaps, in those days, I didn't fully appreciate our humble tent, but now I can see how that simple canvas device was central to our holiday fun.

Maybe Gran was right. Maybe we shouldn't have abandoned the orange tent on that field in the wind and rain, with its fragile door open for the whole family."

Please tell us a little about yourself.
I work for an Arts Programme for S4C, Y Sioe Gelf, and I also write for theatre, television and radio.

What's your story about?
It's a story about my childhood holidays and my memories of camping in our great orange tent.
When I was a child, my family didn't fly off to faraway places. We would often camp in Wales in our simple tent. Looking back, I had so much fun during those long summer days, getting accustomed to my own country. We now live in the era of carbon footprints, and perhaps some of us will start to think twice before booking that next long-haul flight. I guess this story gives a glimpse at what I experienced here in Wales - a sense of place and belonging.

What did you find most rewarding about the workshop?
The most rewarding thing for me was the tutors' focus on the importance of listening to each other's stories, and the emphasis on taking hold of technology to do so. The course also reminded me of the importance of appreciating the seemingly small things in life. I would urge others to go on the course themselves in order to develop their own digital story.

Your comments

"We had a tent just like that, it died in Dyffryn Ardudwy, but I brought the bits back for a decent burial. My husband sat in the car and watched me pick up all the pieces.We never bought another tent.Thank God." Joy from Caerphilly.

"I enjoy camping, too, but not in the rain! I met a lovely young lady on the Mt. Snowdon train while traveling in Wales with my wife last June. She was with her Gran and they were enjoying each other's company in the train car. We sat in the same compartment and while we were chugging along I took the young lady's picture. She said her name was Luned Emyr." Jim DeClerck from California.

"We travelled from "Kylie and Jason terrritory" to Wales on a much-anticipated holiday (no friends or relatives there, just somewhere we always wanted to go.) I envy you covering all the areas in Wales on your holidays. I still haven't recovered from the sheer beauty of the place!Ramsey street just does not compare.Thanks for your story." p.t. from Australia.