FUW presents Meirionnydd book to local school

The Farmers’ Union of Wales is helping staff and pupils of a Dolgellau secondary school to learn more about how local farms have survived over generations.

FUW’s Meirionnydd county executive officer Huw Jones has presented Ysgol y Gader with a copy of a bilingual book of evocative black and white photographs of 61 farmers of all ages living and working on traditional family hill farms in the surrounding Snowdonia National Park.

The FUW teamed up with renowned London photographer Chris Clunn, who now lives at Maentwrog, to produce and publish the book, simply entitled "Meirionnydd".

Mr Clunn started work on "Meirionnydd" a few years ago after meeting former FUW area officer Elfed Roberts who sold him insurance for the small, run down and derelict stable he has converted into a home.

The book contains a graphic record in words and photographs of an agricultural society and culture which continues to exist, as it has done for generations, in one of Wales’ most challenging and hostile farming landscapes.

"The school has already thanked the union for presenting a copy of the book to them and I was told it will be appreciated by many staff and pupils," said Mr Jones.