The Conversation
DGW - The first memory I have of him coming to Dalsarnau years ago. I was very young, and two men, if I remember correctly - Wmffra Williams and my father, going to meet him and carrying his harp up to Talsarnau and there was a concert at the school. I remember the concert and there was great fun there, with all kinds of singing, which pleased everyone.
Questioner - Were you raising funds at the time?
DGW - Yes, towards Soar Chapel.
Questioner - You don't remember which year?
DGW - It was somewhere around I would say 1910, maybe earlier. 1910 is quite close I'd say....I went to serve then....I served in Barmouth in 1916 and 1917 and I came into very close contact with him - I would get a parcel of clean clothes from Talsarnau from my mother and there was a girl coming to Barmouth School - Lili I called her - Lilian Davies was her name and Lilian would bring me the parcel and leave it in Dafydd Roberts' shop and I would go there to get it and Lilian would come and go like that when I was in Barmouth - when she was in school. Then there was a girl from Talsarnau, Magi was her name, sister of Wili Ifans, Cefntrefor Isaf, she was a helper in Dafydd Roberts' shop and I would go and see her and was always welcomed. Dafydd Roberts had come to know me and my voice from afar. I would just go into the shop and he would call out "Hello Deifi. How are you?" and always ask about Talsarnau and the minister every time - he was sure to ask after the minister.
Questioner - He thought the world about the chapel. You have a story about Colwyn Bay haven't you....
DGW - I would always go to the Wesleyan Chapel in Barmouth and to a provincial meeting and that was how I came into contact with him. He was at every provincial meeting and I had gone to the Colwyn Bay provincial meeting - staying with my sister in Old Colwyn and going to the meeting on Monday morning. When I went in the bus, who was sitting there but Dafydd Roberts, and I went to sit beside him. "Hello Mister Roberts" "Hello Deifi - is that you" "Well, yes" I said "Are you going to the provincial meeting?" "Yes" "Can I come with you?" "You're very welcome" I said. "All day" he said" "Yes until night if you like" I said...
And so it was.... He had a son (Dafydd Eilio) at the school as far as I can remember, Pendorlan at that time, who was a teacher and he wanted to go to the school. I don't think he wanted to go in or show himself to anyone there. I went with him to the school yard and described the school to him, ... "That's it then Deifi. Thank you very much" I was with him all day for lunch and tea and everything else. He knew everyone there. He made one mistake as far as I know...he mistook two brothers. Called one Enoc instead of Daniel, and Daniel instead of Enoc to the other. (Enoc is the Reverend Enoc Davies, Bryn Awel, Talsarnau)
Questioner - He had music at his fingertips.
DGW - Music was his world. We came back from Colwyn Bay and I accompanied Dafydd Roberts to the bus and after shaking hands, he was very grateful to me for being with him all day. "Well goodbye now Deifi and thank you very much. I've seen more of Colwyn Bay today than I've ever seen before."
Questioner - You had very pleasant experiences in his company when he came to Soar Chapel didn't you? You were a very young elder at that time.
DGW - In later life he often came to Soar to preach and usually stayed with Katie and Dafydd Elwyn in Gwndwn. which he enjoyed. They were very musical and had an instrument in their house and he enjoyed being with them. I went to Soar on Sunday and he had found that I was sitting not far from the pulpit. Sometimes he would not remember correctly. He would say all the hymns and read part of the scripture (obviously from memory). One Sunday he didn't remember very well, and he called to me "Deifi, please read such and such a chapter for me", and other times the hymn he didn't remember. But I sometimes thought that he was testing me! He disturbed me sometimes at the beginning, but I would always look forward to him coming. He was delighted to preach that Christ had come into his life and had shown him many things that we do not see today with our natural eyes.