Forgetting old rivalries, it does appear to be looking good for tourism in the ‘valleys’. It could be a mixture of things like the nightmare of airports, the current value of the pound or the recession. People are probably realising that there is potential in visiting somewhere closer to home, and what that has to offer.

To an Englishman with ignorance the word is long and confusing and has little relevance to their life. For the initiated – the Welsh themselves – the word ‘Eisteddfod’ is synonimous with the identity of the nation. The word is ‘Eisteddfod’ is derived from the Welsh word ‘Eistedd’, which means ‘to sit’- setting the scene perfectly for a festival of this nature.