HOBBITS IN CENTRAL PARK

Central Park is a feature of Gotham that was built by British architects Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould, along with the New Englander Frederick Law Olmsted. They created the best thing about New York. Over the years, a number of features were added, especially in the north end.

Having spent so much of my life in this part of the city, I decided to make a map, which was published in 2019 with the help of Robbi Robinson, a New York based singer. 

We decided to jazz up the map by naming some of the natural features in Welsh. Thus the large rock on the Upper West Side at 104th St. are named 'Clogwyn Rock'. The island in the Lake is named Gwydd Island, while the island in Turtle Pond is named Hwyaden Island. That in the Harlem Meer I took the liberty of naming as well: Duck Island. I leave it for the bilingual reader to see the joke.

In the Ramble, one of the Rocks I named not in Welsh but in English - Hobbit Rock; another is named Tolkein Rock. 

The only time I heard Welsh spoken in the street here was from an Indian gentleman who said Su mae to me. But yes I have heard Welsh spoken here, when visiting Liberty on West 35th St. - this pub hosts a Welsh speaking club - New York Welsh - that brings back memories of my days in Wales, often spent working on my publishing endeavours - Eryr Press was a small printing concern that I started to publish works on falconry which I illustrated. Most were sold by Coch-Y-Bonddu Books in Powys. 

All of the titles it produced were on Middle Eastern Falconry. Both the British and the Arabs have a long tradition of this sport - which is at times showcased in Central Park. 

This park is one of the many features of this city that the British have had a part in creating, and one of the few places that Welsh words are used to name features - I am wondering if perhaps there are other parts of New York City that have Welsh names to them?

CYMRU

Mae Central Park yn nodwedd o Gotham a adeiadwyd gan y penseiri Prydeinig Calvert Vaux Jacob Wrey Mould, ynghyd a'r New Englander Frederick Law Olmsted. Fe wnaethon nhw greu'r peth gorau am Efrog Newydd. Dros y blynyddoedd, ychwanegwyd nifer o nodweddion, yn enwedig yn y pen gogleddol. 

Ar ol treulio cymaint o fy mywyd yn y rhan hon o'r ddinas, penderfynais wneud map, a gyhoeddwyd yn 2019 gyda chymorth Robbi Robinson, canwr o Efrog Newydd.

Penderfynon ni jazzio'r map drwy enwi rhai o'r nodweddion naturiol yn Gymraeg. Felly gelwir y graig fawr ar yr Ochr Orllewinol Uchaf yn 104th St. yn 'Clogwyn Rock.' Enw'r ynys yn y Lake yw Gwydd Island, tra bod yr ynys yn Turtle Pond yn cael ei henwi'n Hwyaden Island. Yn yr Harlem Meery cymerais y rhyddidi enwi hefyd: Duck Island. Rwy'n ei adael i'r darllenydd dwyieithog weld y joc.

Yn The Ramle un o'r Creigiau a enwais nid yn Gymraeg ond yn Saesneg - Hobbit Rock; enw arall yw Tolkein Rock.

Yr unig dro i mi glywed Cymraeg yn cael ei siarad yn y stryd yma oedd gan wr bonheddig o India a ddyweddodd 'Su mae'. Ond ydw, rydw i wedi clywed Cymraeg yn cael ei siarad yma, wrth ymweld a Liberty ar West 35th St. - mae'r dafarn hon yn cynnal club Cymraeg - New York Welsh - sy'n dod ag atgofion yn ol o fy nyddiau yng Nghymru, a dreuliais yn aml yn gweithio ar fy ymdrechion cyhoeddi - Eryr Press yn bryder argraffu bychan a ddechreuais gyhoeddi gweithiau ar hebogyddiaeth a ddarluniais. Gwerthwyd y rhan fwyaf gan Lyfrau Coch-y-Bonddu ym Mhowys.

Roedd pob un o'r teitlau a gynhyrchodd ar Hebogyddiaeth y Dwyrain Canol. Mae gan y Prydeinwyr a'r Arabiaid draddodiad hir o'r gamp hon - sy'n cael ei arddangos ar adegu yn Central Park.

Mae'r parc hwn yn un o nifer of nodweddion y ddinas hon y mae'r Prydeinwyr wedi bod a rhan yn ei chrea, ac yn un 'or ychydig leoedd y mae geiriau Cymraeg yn cael eu defnyddio i enwi nodweddion - dwi'n pendroni a oes efallai rhannau eraill o Ddinas Efrog Newydd sydd cael enwau Cymraeg iddyn nhw?



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