Cassin is one of Yr Ysgwrn’s seasonal staff and enjoys being able to walk to work from the other side of the valley.
Here she shares a little more about herself.
Where do you come from and how long have you been working at Yr Ysgwrn?
I am brought up in Trawsfynydd and live here now. Strangely, we didn’t come to the Ysgwrn when I was in Trawsfynydd primary school, but I do remember coming here with a friend and her parents. I had always heard of Hedd Wyn of course.
I started working here in 2019. I was looking for something part-time and as my house is opposite Yr Ysgwrn, I thought it would be nice to be able to walk to work.
So, I walked over one afternoon to ask in case they were looking for someone, and as luck would have it, they were and I got the job!
I think my biggest concern when starting here was speaking English. That really bothered me…my English is not very good because I don’t speak it often. But once I started making the tours around the farmhouse, I was fine.
I had to learn a lot when I started here, and I still learn every day…from the people who visit too.
Which part of your tour do you prefer?
I like to tell the story in the kitchen – I love that part of the tour.
Of course, I also like the black chair and its dark colour reminds me of oak timbers in the walls at home, made from old shipping masts. Those have also turned black as oak gets darker after being in contact with water.
What were you doing before working at Yr Ysgwrn?
I was working in an elderly home. I remember people at the home talking about the war, especially the men and to be honest, I wasn’t very interested in the conversation.
But since working here, I want to know much more about the wartime and the impact on rural communities such as Trawsfynydd.
Are there any visitors that have stayed in your mind?
I remember a young woman calling with her two children and her husband. She had been here as a child and liked the name Ellis – so much so that if she had a son, she wanted to name her child after Hedd Wyn (Ellis). But as she had two daughters, she named one of them Ffion Ellis.
Things like that get to someone’s heart.
Yr Ysgwrn has re-opened for a new season since the beginning of April – what are you most looking forward to?
What I’m most looking forward to is seeing people again – it’s nice to have a chat.