27 October 2017
Happy Birthday Dylan Thomas
Work is continuing at Laugharne, on what we believe will be the best luxury resort in Wales – if not the UK. Like all our resorts, the accommodation and facilities at Laugharne will reflect the local area and draw on its cultural history, including the poet and writer Dylan Thomas who enjoyed a long and happy association with the town.
Each year Dylan Thomas’ life is celebrated at the Dylan Thomas Festival – an eclectic mix of events, talks, workshops, exhibitions, performances and special guests that starts on Dylan’s birthday (27th October) and finishes on the date of his death (November 9th).
Dylan Thomas was born in Swansea 1914 and died in Laugharne in 1953 aged just 39. His coastal upbringing had a profound effect on him and he also spent time walking along the magnificent coastline and sandy beaches of the Gower. Dylan’s love affair with Laugharne itself began in 1934 and it became his ‘on-off’ home from the late 1930s until his death. He lived first in a tiny fisherman’s cottage, Eros, then a grand house called Sea View before moving permanently to the Boathouse, which was to be his final home.
Dylan was always most productive when he was living close to the sea. The sights, sounds and smells inspired some of his most poignant works. From his small writing shed he had remarkable views and could watch the beautiful, ever-changing landscape. The view across the estuary to the wood on Sir John’s hill (which lodge owners and visitors to our resort will share) is regarded as milk wood which inspired his famous play ‘Under Milkwood’.
In 1944, Dylan wrote ‘Poem in October’ about a walk he took on his birthday to the shoulder of Sir John’s hill. The poem is simply about his love of Laugharne and getting older. Thanks to local enthusiast Bob Stevens you can enjoy the same walk along the shoulder of the hill. Bob’s themed Birthday walk divides the poem into ‘four panels’ with bench seating where you can walk in Dylan’s footsteps and interpret and see the view and context of the poem.
The walk is approximately 2 miles long and will take you uphill to enjoy the magnificent views of the estuary, Dylan’s boathouse, the Gower, north Devon, Caldey Island and Tenby. If you get a chance to complete the walk make sure you post your picture on the special facebook page.
