Sul y Cofio 2015, Aberystwyth

Roedd Sul y Cofio eleni’n un hanesyddol iawn. Am y tro cyntaf, roedd y prif seremoni yn cynnwys y pabi gwyn yn ogystal â’r pabi coch. Mae hyn yn dilyn trafodaethau calonogol iawn rhwng grŵpiau heddwch a’r Lleng Brydeinig Frenhinol (Ll.B.F.), lle cafwyd cytundeb da iawn rhyngddynt.

Mae’r pabi gwyn wedi bod yn traddodiad ers y 1930au, ac fe’i chychwynwyd i gofio pawb a fu farw/ dioddef mewn rhyfeloedd, yn ogystal â chyfleu neges glir o heddwch. Mae’r rhesymeg yn glir: pe waredir ar ryfel, gwaredir ar y dioddefaint sy’n canlyniad i ryfel. Mae’n werth nodi hefyd mae’r mwyafrif helaeth o ddioddefwyr ryfel erbyn heddiw yn sifiliaid, sydd yn wahanol iawn i’r sefyllfa yn y rhyfel byd gyntaf. Felly mae nifer o bobl yn teimlo fod angen ehangu coffáu drwy wisgo/osod pabi gwyn, yn aml yn ogystal a’r un coch. Mae’r dyfyniad canlynol gan ymgyrchwr heddwch, Pat Richards , yn amlinelliad da iawn o’r rhesymeg tu ôl y pabi gwyn a sut mae’n cyd-fynd a’r pabi coch.

“Mae gen i pabi coch i gofio marwolaeth dau hen ewythyr. Bu un yn farw yn llaid Paschendale, a’r llall yn yr Aifft ar 10fed mis Tachwedd 1918 wedi ymladd drwy’r rhyfel i gyd. Mae’r un gwyn rwy’n gwisgo, wastad yn dod a ffrind fy Mam i’m meddwl. Bu’r 2 menyw ifanc yn nyrsys yn Llundain yn ystod y Blitz, fe laddwyd ffrind fy Mam wrth iddi helpu’r cleifion i gyrraedd y cysgodfeydd.”

Trwy’r degawdau mae torchau gwyn wedi cael eu gosod wrth y Senotaph yn Llundain yn aml, ac mae torchau gwyn yn cael eu gosod ar bwys y rhai coch mewn sawl tref ar benwythnos y cofio. Yn Aberystwyth, mae’r Cyngor Tref wedi gosod torch gwyn yn ogystal a thorch coch bob blwyddyn ers 2004, ac mae sawl grŵp heddwch wedi gosod torchau gwyn hefyd, gan gynnwys Rhwydwaith Heddwch a Chyfiawnder Aberystwyth, Côr Gobaith a Menywod mewn Du. Serch hynny, tan eleni mae’r rhain wedi cael eu gosod mewn seremoni ar wahan, ar y dydd Sadwrn neu tua 1yp ar y dydd Sul.

Dw i wedi mynychu’r ddau seremoni bron a bob blwyddyn ers i mi gael fy ethol fel Cynghorydd Tref, ac dw i wedi sylwi ar faint sydd gan y seremoniau mewn cyffredin. Mae’r ddau yn nodi a chofio canlyniadau erchyll rhyfel, ac maent yn dawel, parchus ac yn teimladwy. Felly pan daeth y Ll.B.F. a’r grŵpiau heddwch at eu gilydd, mewn cyfarfod a gadeiriwyd gan y Cyngor Tref, i gytuno i gyfuno’r ddau seremoni o 2015 ymlaen, mi o’n i’n hapus dros ben.

Gosododd y Maer y torch coc, a gosododd y Dirprwy-Faer y torch gwyn. Yn y llun, dyma nhw (Endaf Edwards ar y chwith a Brendan Sommers ar y de) yn dal y torchau cyn dechrau’r gorymdaith. (llun: Cyng. Alun Williams)

Bu’r Cyngor yn archebu torch pabi coch arferol o’r Ll.B.F. O ran y torch gwyn, archebwyd sawl pabi gwyn o Gymdeithas y Cymod, ac mi wnaeth Columbine, y siop blodau ar Stryd y Ffynnon Haearn, cyfuno nhw mewn torch. Mae safon y torch yn dda iawn. O fy rhan i, finnau a ddyluniodd ac argraffodd y cerdiau a’r cefn i’r torch coch. Mae rhaid dweud, do’n i ddim yn sylwi pa mor amlwg fyddai’r rhain mewn sawl llun ar draws y cyfryngau a’r cyfryngau cymdeithasol!

Yn y seremoni gosod torchau ar ôl y cyfnod o ddistawrwydd, gosodwyd yr holl torchau ar risiau’r Cofeb Ryfel un wrth un, beth bynnag eu lliwiau. Gosodwyd un porffor gan gamgen lleol o Gymorth i Anifeiliad: mae hyn i gofio anifeiliad a fu farw tra’n gwasanaethu mewn rhyfeloedd.

(Gosod torch gwyn ar risiau'r Cofeb Ryfel yn y seremoni gosod torchau. Mae nifer fawr o dorchau coch hefyd yn amlwg, ac mae torchau'r Cyngor Tref yn y cornel top-chwith o'r llun. Llun: Cyng. Alun Williams)

Tynnwyd y torchau i gyd ychydig o amser ar ôl eu gosod eleni, i’w gwarchod rhag y gwyntoedd cryf iawn sydd ar y dydd sul a’r dydd llun, ond gobeithio byddant yn cael eu hail-osod yn fuan. Roedd yn diwrnod parchus a theimladwy, a gobeithio bydd y trefniant hyn yn parhau i gyfoethogi’r dref yn y blynyddoedd i ddod.

Remembrance Sunday 2015, Aberystwyth

Remembrance Sunday this year was a very historic one. For the first time, the main ceremony included the white poppy as well as the red poppy. This follows very heartening discussions between peace groups and the Royal British Legion (RBL), where a very good agreement was reached between them.

The white poppy has been a tradition since the 1930s, and it began to remember everyone who has died/suffered in wars, as well as communicating a clear message of peace. The reasoning is clear: if war can be stopped, the suffering that results from war will be stopped. It’s also worth noting that the vast majority of war victims by now are civilians, which is very different to the situation in the first world war. Therefore a number of people feel that remembrance needs to be expanded by wearing/placing white poppies, often in addition to the red poppy. The following quote by Pat Richards, a peace campaigner, is a very good outline of the reasoning behind the white poppy and how it goes together with the red poppy.

“I have a red poppy to remember the deaths of two great uncles. One died in the mud of  Paschendale, the other in Egypt on November 10th 1918 having fought all through the war. The white one I wear, always brings to mind my mother's friend. Both young women were nurses in London during the Blitz, Mum's friend was killed as she was helping patients to the shelters.”

Over the decades, white wreaths have been placed at the London Cenotaph frequently, and white wreaths have been placed alongside red ones in many towns on Remembrance Weekend. In Aberystwyth, the Town Council has placed a white wreath as well as a red one every year since 2004, and various peace groups have also place white wreaths, including the Aberystwyth Peace and Justice Network, Côr Gobaith and Women in Black. Despite this, until this year these have been placed in a separate ceremony, on the Saturday or around 1pm on the Sunday.

I’ve attended both ceremonies almost every year since being elected as a Town Councillor, and I’ve noticed how much the ceremonies have in common. Both note and remember the awful consequences of war, and they are quiet, respectful and poignant. So when the RBL and peace groups came together, in a meeting chaired by the Town Council, to agree to combine the two ceremonies from 2015 onwards, I was incredibly happy.

The Mayor placed the red wreath and the Deputy Mayor placed the white wreath. In the picture, here they are (Endaf Edwards on the left and Brendan Sommers on the right) holding the wreaths before the start of the procession. (Image: Cllr Alun Williams)

The Council ordered the standard red poppy wreath from the RBL. Regarding the white wreath, lots of white poppies were ordered from Cymdeithas y Cymod, and Columbine, the florists in Chalybeate Street, combined them into a wreath. The wreath is of a very high standard. For my part, I designed and printed the cards and the background to the red wreath. I have to say, I didn’t realise how prominent these would be in many photos in the media and on social media!

In the wreath laying ceremony after the period of silence, all the wreaths were placed on the War Memorial steps one by one, whatever their colour. A purple one was also placed by a local Animal Aid branch: this remembers animals that died whilst serving in wars.

(Placing a white wreath on the War Memorial steps in the wreath-laying ceremony. A large number of red wreaths are also evident, and the Town Council's wreaths are in the top left hand corner of the picture. Image: Cllr Alun Williams)

All the wreaths were removed a short time after placing this year, to protect them from the strong winds on Sunday and Monday, but I hope they’ll be replaced soon. It was a respectful and poignant day and I hope this arrangement will continue to enrich the town in the years to come.