Pethe

Guto gets a break from his usual duties as External Affairs Director for the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, to present another short series of extended interviews with some of the most prominent figures in Welsh public life. Meredydd Evans, Eigra Lewis Roberts, Meic Stephens, Dafydd Elis-Thomas, Gwyneth Lewis, Jerry Hunter, Ann Clwyd, Gwyn Thomas and Aled Jones Williams have already joined Guto in the Pethe studio. The next series of programmes will be broadcast each Tuesday night at 9.30pm, from December 6th, with the names of the latest guests to be announced very shortly…

Watch Dr Meredydd Evans talk to Guto Harri on Clic

Philosopher, music historian, pioneer in the world of light entertainment, a former film star and a former pop star – throught his life Dr Meredydd Evans has bridged two worlds, the world of philosophy and the world of light entertainment – not an easy task as Dr Evans himelf admits, “There has been a kind of tension there at times,” he said.

He spent 10 years in the United States, lecturing at Princeton and in Boston. “Socially I was totally at home in America,” he said, “I didn’t see much of a difference it terms of living in the society, between Tanygrisiau and Blaenau Ffestiniog and America. I found the society in America easy, open and warm…it’s a country that I admire very much.”

But Dr Evans came back to Wales and despite his obvious love for his country and language, he judges the people who promulgate bilingualism harshly.

“However successfull bilingualism is, the Welsh language will not be healthy if there are no institutions in Wales that work exclusively through the medium of Welsh. Otherwise we will be slowly drowned…I have no doubt about that.”

During the coming weeks Guto Harri will be chatting to some of the nation’s foremost people – the novelist and dramatist Eigra Lewis Roberts is next followed by the author Meic Stephens.