Cleguerec

Last saturday morning I looked up the day's events and had thoughts of Wales on seeing a harp concert in the church at Hanvec, I did have a fleeting thought of going but it was only on for an hour between 9 and 10 at night which would have made it too late to go anywhere else, there was also the Filet Bleu at Concarneau, but I eventually decided on the all day music festival in the municipal hall at Cleguerec, it's not such a long journey now that there's a new road between Carhaix & Rostrenen. I drove to Gouarec and turned right on the Cleguerec road, this was a familiar drive because it was the road I came back on from Ploërmel after the 'Mabon' concert before Lorient. I've just finished reading two books on the iron industry in my home town of Merthyr Tydfil, which began in 1759 and comprised 4 works, 2 of which became the largest in the world and finally only closed in 1988, although steel manufacturing ended in 1936 when most of the Dowlais Works moved to Cardiff East Moors; I was intrigued when, just before reaching Cleguerec, I noticed a sign-post pointing to the forges, I kept on driving for a while, nearly turning back, thinking that I may have missed it, when I came across an interesting little chapel dedicated to Saint Berc'hed, or Brigitte, as they say in French, (it would be Santes Ffraid in Welsh) with its bell tower set apart, I was lucky that the door was left open, which isn't always the case these days. After taking a few photos, on coming out, I saw another sign for the forge. I pulled up a few yards further on to take a photo of the holy well before continuing. When I got there there was a sign advertising opening hours and entrance fees; I walked to the 'acceuil', explained my interest and where I was from, but that I didn't have time to visit on this occasion as I was on my way to the festival, but that I'd be back. French iron & coal is, or was, predominantly in the north of the Country, so the French wouldn't normally think of Brittany in this context, but here's a hundred years of history terminating in 1877, still with its school, chapel, forge and furnace, quite a surprise, right in the middle of the Quenecan forest. I drove on to Cleguerec and the first person I saw and spoke to was Ludovic who was the first person I drank with at the Stang in Landelo; after parking my car we met up inside at the bar hoping to consume one of the best Breton beers, that's the norm now in these Breton dance & music festivals, but to our shock and horror there was only one beer on tap, a Danish lager, he told me that it was Danish because he translated the word for brewery stamped on the barrel, I know nothing of the language although many years ago I had a girlfriend from Copenhagen. He went outside because of the loudness of the music, and it wasn't long before I walked to the village searching for a beer more to my taste, for the last 25 years since 'Coreff' was first brewed I only drink Breton 'real ale', preferably amber; I ambled around looking for the right signs but there were only the bars-tabacs, presses, restaurants, P.M.U.s, 'beer, beer everywhere and not a drop to drink', I walked back disappointedly resigned to my fate and reflected on the harp concert with 'Ysa' and accompianist, but there were positive aspects as there were a number of facebook friends (and family) there to raise my morale, including the sisters Valerie & Mireille; my Gilles Servat saviour Morgane; my new found drinking partner Ludovic; my nephew Glenn and the musicians Dom and Samson, plus Marie-Helene's son; the Parisienne who used to play in my pub a long time ago, who was intending to revisit not knowing about the fire; the boy from Guerlesquin in the photo, the girl at the bar with us, and finally Alain also in the photos. There was a lot of great music and dancing, Brittany's a great Country for dancing, particularly in the traditional 'round' mode, although I didn't participate, I still enjoyed what I saw, I'm more of an elbow on the bar man. You can take the man out of Merthyr....