Rhys: Doctor, I can't stop singing the Green, Green Grass of Home. Doctor: That sounds like Tom Jones syndrome. Rhys: Is it common? Doctor: It's not unusual. Around March 1st you'll hear this. Why? It's St. Davids Day, of course. Let me tell you a bit about the man (Or myth!) St. David of Wales or Dewi Sant, was a saint of the Celtic Church. He was the son of Sandde, Prince of Powys, and Non, daughter of a Chieftain of Menevia whose lands included the peninsula on which the little cathedral town of St. David's now stands. St David is thought to have been born near the present town of St David's. The ruins of a small chapel dedicated to his mother, Non, may be seen near St. David's Cathedral. David became the Abbot of St. David's and died on 1st March 589. A.D. An account of his life was written towards the end of the 11th century by Rhygyfarch, a monk at Llanbadarn Fawr near Aberystwyth. Many miracles were attributed to him. One miracle often recounted is that once when Dewi was preaching to a crowd at Llandewi Brefi those on the outer edges could not hear, so he spread a handkerchief on the ground, and stood on it to preach, whereupon the ground rose up beneath him, and all could hear. He was buried in what is today St. David's Cathedral in Pembrokeshire. His holiness was such that medieval pilgrims equated two pilgrimages to St. David's were worth one pilgrimage to Rome - a great saving in journeying at that time! Fifty churches in South Wales alone bear his name. March 1st, St. David's Day, is now the traditional day of the Welsh. March 1 is the date given by Rhygyfarch for the death of Dewi Sant, was celebrated as a religious festival up until the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. In the 18th century it became a national festival among the Welsh, and continues as such to this day. The celebration usually means singing and eating. St. David's Day meetings in Wales are not the boisterous celebrations of that accompany say St. Patrick's Day in Ireland, but that may be because Welsh nationalism is kept in check..The singing of traditional songs followed by a Te Bach, tea with teisen bach and bara brith. Y Ddraig Goch, the Red Dragon, is flown as a flag or worn as a pin or pendant, and leeks are worn, and sometimes eaten. St David's Day is now celebrated by Welsh people all over the world. LEEK AND CHEESE FLAN INGREDIENTS 10 oz shortcrust pastry 2 large leeks Oil or butter to saute the leeks 3 large eggs 3 fl oz milk 3 fl oz soured cream A pinch of salt 6 oz cheddar cheese Ground nutmeg METHOD Set oven to 400F or Mark6. Line a 9 inch flan tin with the pastry. Slice the washed leeks and saute them in a pan until they are just soft; season with black pepper and cool. Whisk together the eggs, milk, soured cream and a pinch of salt and then add half the cheese and the leeks to this mixture. Pour into the flan case and sprinkle the remainder of the cheese over the top. Grate some nutmeg over, place on a pre-heated baking sheet in the oven and bake for 1/2 an hour until golden brown. AND FINALLY... Rhys Parry, a taxi driver, was taking an American tourist from Bristol to Cardiff. When they were going over the Severn Bridge, the American told Rhys that he had a longer bridge on his ranch in Colorado. When they arrived in Cardiff, Rhys showed the tourist Cardiff Castle. The American said that his garage in Colorado was twice as big and only took a week to build. When the tourist spotted the Millennium Stadium, he asked Rhys what it was. "I don't know, mate, it wasn't there this morning."