APOLOGIES

APOLOGIES 

for the non-appearance of  

CWMDERI DIARY

This has been caused by a week's holiday, 

followed by a wife with a broken collarbone.

I will catch up as and when I can.

24 September 2025

Rhys  is clearing up after last night

Rhys is at the brewery, clearing up some broken glass from the window which has was smashed in the last episode, when Kelly approaches.   

"What's going on?"

“What’s going on?” she demands and Rhys says that he was in a rush with the deliveries, 

"You look smart, Kelly"

then quickly changes the subject and tells her that she looks smart, assuming that she is going somewhere.

She has a second date

It appears that she has a second date with Deian ‘Monster Trucks’, this time in Tamed.   She asks whether Mathew was all right afterwards and Rhys lies that he was;  

"I got dragged into a mess between Mathew and Sioned"

“I just got dragged into a mess between him and Sioned.”

"Any chance of a cheeky shot?"

Kelly wonders if there is any chance of a cheeky shot to calm the nerves, but, as he does not want her to see the scene of destruction inside, 

"You don't want to keep Deian waiting"

he suggests, “You don’t want to keep Deian waiting, do you?”

"This might be the start of the love affair of the century!"

“I suppose not – you never know, the second date might be the start of the love affair of the century,” she comments and Rhys wishes her good luck.   She hopes that he does not get dragged into anyone else’s mess today.    

Rhys has a big job ahead of him

Then he goes into Ceffyl Du to start clearing up.

"Can we meet some time today

Gaynor has made a list of things to do and phones Ffion, wanting them to meet some time today;  “I just need to sort this, you know – it is important.”   

"We can meet in the Deri"

Ffion, who is in the deli, suggests that they can meet in the Deri, 

"Can you cancel that order, please?"

then cancels the coffee she has just ordered.

"You haven't been ghosted like me"

As she is about to walk out of the door, Kelly comments that she looks as if she has seen a ghost.   “At least, you haven’t actually been ghosted, like me – my date hasn’t turned up.”

"He may just be late"

Ffion suggests that he may simply be late;  

"What?   40 minutes?"

“What?   40 minutes – no text - no nothing – do you want to sit down?”   

"Sorry, I have to go"

Ffion is sorry, but she has to go.

"Is that table free?"

Kelly is now giving up hope, but at that moment Brynmor comes in, asking if that table is free.   

"I thought you'd swanned off"

“I thought you’d swanned off on a never-ending business trip,” Kelly remarks, 

"This detour's a bit of a pain"

but he replies that he is en route between London and Manchester and regards the detour as a bit of a pain.

"Thanks for gracing Cwmderi with your presence"

“But thanks for gracing Cwmderi with your presence!” she says, “Which is more than that I can say about my date!   

"A 'man-child' who's obsessed with Monster Trucks"

“Really – stood up by a man-child who’s obsessed with Monster Trucks – and, you know, the irony is, I didn’t even want a second date with him anyway!”

"Well, it's his loss"

Brynmor assures her that it is his loss, while Kelly decides, “I give up on men, Brynmor, I give up!”   He urges her not to paint them all with the same brush, but she continues, “It’s one let down after another.”

"Make it a hot chocolate"

He offers to buy her a cup of something, enquiring what she wants;  “Make it a hot chocolate and I might consider it – with marshmallows.”   as he goes to the counter, she smiles wryly.

Ffion arrives at the Deri

Ffion arrives at the Deri for her meeting with Gaynor, 

She is scared of what Gaynor will ask . . .

but is rather taken aback when the first thing which Gaynor asks is, “I want you to be completely honest with me.”

. . . but it is only about the wedding

However, all that Gaynor wants to know is which ‘mood board’ Ffion  would prefer for a winter wedding.   Although she regards this as a waste of time, 

"How about that one?"

Ffion selects one of the options, which is the same one that Gaynor prefers.   

"That's why I chose you – similar tastes"

“That’s why I chose you – similar tastes.”

"Helping with the wedding arrangements?"

Cassie comes across with a glass of red wine for Gaynor;  “You’re helping with the wedding arrangements, are you?” she asks Ffion.   Then she turns to Gaynor and continues, “You haven’t changed your mind, then?”

"Why would I do that?"

Gaynor wonders why she would do that

"Do you want a list?"

so Cassie growls, “Do you want a list?” and walks away.

"Does he really come across that badly?"

Gaynor asks Ffion, “Does he really come across that badly?” but is told not to take any notice.   “What do you think of him?   A lot of people obviously aren’t too sure about him.”

"It's what you think that's important"

Ffion insists that it is what Gaynor thinks that is important;  “He has always been very nice to me – always happy to do a favour and very open.”   Gaynor is glad that someone else sees the best in him.

"I just want to know you're safe"

Sioned is leaving another message for Mathew;  “It’s me again – listen, I know you don’t want to see me or talk to me at the moment, but I just want to know that you’re safe.”

"Well, I'm afraid that I have to go"

Brynmor gets up from the table in the deli;  “Well, I’m afraid that I have to go.”   

Kelly asks who he is meeting now 

"That's why I've got these expensive biscuits"

and he replies, “The council’s planning department – that’s why I’ve got these expensive biscuits.”

“Your life is scheduled to the hilt, isn’t it?” Kelly comments.   

"Don't waste time waiting for people"

He agrees that it is, but maintains that he is in control of it, advising that time is one of the most valuable things she has, so she should not waste it waiting for people who do not turn up.   

He leaves without his glasses, which are still on the table.

"Hey, Rhys!"

Then Kelly sees Rhys walking past and shouts to him;  “The date went well, then?” he imagines.

"Try 'not going at all'!"

“Try ‘not going at all’ – no-show – have you got time for a debrief?   Come on.”   

"Sorry, I'm busy"

He apologises that he is busy and she is disappointed to see him leave, 

Kelly picks up Brynmor.s glasses

then notices Brynmor’s glasses still on the table.

Dani makes a surprise discovery 

Dani is walking somewhere away from the village centre and comes across Mathew, 

Mathew is sitting on the ground

sitting on the ground in a very miserable state.   

"Come on – I'm not leaving you here"

“Are you OK?   Right, come with me – I’m not leaving you here.”   

He simply looks at her

He looks at her.

"He's not answering his phone"

Gaynor is trying to contact Tom to go to Llanarthur to try some suits, but he is not answering.   She puts her phone away in her bag, 

No – he is too busy phoning Ffion 

but then Ffion’s phone sounds with a call from him, which Ffion quickly rejects.

“I can understand that he’s busy with his work and everything, but, you know,” says Gaynor and again there is another call from Tom.

"Someone's very keen"

“Someone’s very keen – are you seeing anyone at the moment?”   

"It's rather complicated" — you can say that again

At first Ffion denies this, but then answers that it is rather complicated.   

"Someone will come along from somewhere"

Gaynor is confident that someone will come along from somewhere.

Now he wants to meet her at Llanarthur

Then a text message appears, inviting Ffion to meet him in Llanarthur;  

"I shall have to go"

she advises Gaynor, “I shall have to go – I forgot that I’ve got something on in Llanarthur.”

Gaynor would like a favour if she is going there, so Ffion explains that she has an appointment and that is what the call was about.   

"I need a swatch of dress material"

“I need a swatch of wedding dress material I've seen online to make sure it goes with this bag I have at home,” Gaynor goes on.

"You've bought a bag before the dress?"

“You’ve bought a bag before buying a dress?” demands Ffion in amazement, 

"I had it when I married Colin"

so it is explained that Gaynor got the bag as a present from her mother long ago when she married Colin.   She has to find the bag this afternoon

Ffion suggests that she is recycling it, 

"But I'm marrying the right man this time" — yeah, right!

with Gaynor confident that she is marrying the right man this time.   “Can you pop over with the swatch on your way home?” she asks, “I knew I could depend on you.”

Kelly goes to Quantum Hydro Works 

Kelly takes the glasses to Brynmor in the Quantum Hydro Works office;  

"You can't go without your specs"

“You can’t go in front of the council big wigs without your specs,” she tells him.   

"They cancelled the meeting in the end"

He is very grateful but discloses that in fact they cancelled the meeting in the end.

“So you’ve been stood up as well!” she exclaims, 

"And you came all the way from Monaco"

“And you came all the way from Monaco – or wherever you count your millions.”

"I've learned not to take it personally"

He points out, “That’s business – but I’ve learned not to take it personally.”

She looks around the office, and sits in the chair,  

"This is where the decisions are made"

“So this is where the big decisions are made, then.”   

"Would you like some shortbread?"

He wonders if she would like some shortbread.

"Shortbread?   No wonder they cancelled the meeting"

“Shortbread?” Kelly sneers, “No wonder they cancelled the meeting.”

"Are you going to drink it or just stare at it?"

Dani has managed to get Mathew from wherever she found him back to Maes-y-Deri;  she has made a cup of tea, which she puts down in front of him.   “Are you going to drink it or just stare at it?” she asks.

"I'm not sure I want tea"

He is not sure that he wants tea, but he is told that does not matter and that he should just drink it.

"It's none of my business"

“Listen, I’m not sure what’s going on, but it’s obviously something big.   I’m not going to ask because it’s none of my business,” she says.   Mathew is grateful for that.

"I've been there"

Dani continues, “I’ve been there, after everything – it feels like there are stones hitting you – but you know what?   

"I had to stop hiding and face it"

“I had to stop hiding and face it.   Feel the pain, the truth.”

"I don't know if I can"

He shakes his head and is in tears;  “I don’t know if I can,” he says.   Dani tells him that he has to, or he will explode.   

"I went away for a while, on my own"

She went away for a while, on her own;  “I’m never going to be fine, but things aren’t quite as difficult.”

He is not optimistic

He is sceptical about that, 

"You need a break, Math"

but she suggests that he needs a break.   

"It's not that easy, is it?"

“It’s not that easy, is it?” he asks, 

"It's easier when you stop fighting it"

but she maintains it is easier when he stops fighting it.

"What did I do with the boxes of wedding stuff"

Gaynor is speaking to Hywel on the phone;  “You don’t remember what I did with those boxes full of wedding stuff, do you?   

"No – when I married Colin"

“No – when I married Colin – I’ve kept them all.   Yes, I’ve looked in the attic – 

"I don't think I would have put them in the shed"

“the  shed?   I don’t think I would have put them in the shed.”

"Can you imagine how beautiful it would be?"

Brynmor is extolling the virtues of the Deri Lakes development;  “Can you imagine how beautiful it would be?”   

"Your vanity project, is it?"

Kelly demands whether this is his vanity project, 

"A great economic opportunity"

so he is quick to point out, “No, not at all – it’s a great opportunity for economic growth in the valley.”

She laughs at that and he never thought that someone like her would be so conservative.   

"What are you – a visionary?"

“And what are you, then?   A visionary?” she demands, 

"You're not very popular around here"

“’Cos, as you know, you’re not very popular around here.   Sorry to bruise your ego, but Quantum Hydro Works doesn’t involve the community enough.”

"You're here on behalf of the community, are you?"

“So you’re here on behalf of the community, are you?”   

"No-one like a dictator"

She continues that no-one likes a dictator when they are used to living in a democracy.   

"Listen to everyone and nothing will get done"

He responds, “The thing is, if you’re going to listen to everyone, nothing would ever get done anywhere.”

“Tough at the top, is it?   I thought you needed a good poker face to be a good leader,” Kelly tells him and he answers that can be difficult as well.

"If you lead on your own . . ."

“If you lead on your own, you can sometimes lose sight of the goal,” and she can appreciate that it must be difficult without anyone to share it with.

He wonders if she is now going to tell everyone that he is not that bad, 

"Don't get too needy now, Brynmor"

so she smiles, “Don’t get too needy now, Brynmor.”

Mathew is back at Ceffyl Du 

Rhys continues with the cleaning up operation and is surprised to see Mathew appear in the doorway, in a repentant mood.   

"I'm sorry, Rhys"

He walks forward and tells Rhys that he is sorry.   

"I've ordered replacements"

Rhys replies that he has ordered replacements and Mathew takes out a bundle of notes, urging him to take them for the damage;  

"Is £200 enough?"

“Is £200 enough?”

He puts it down on the table

does not reply, so Matthew puts the money down, 

"Look, I'm really sorry"

adding, “Look, I’m really sorry.”   

"And I'm sorry, Math"

Rhys is also sorry about everything that happened  before.

"Thank you for trying to help me"

“Thank you, Rhys, for trying to help me.”

"I'm just sorry that I couldn't"

He is just sorry that he could not do so 

Mathew leaves the brewery

and Mathew turns to go, while Rhys picks up the money and looks at it.

Kelly and Brynmor emerge from Quantum Hydro Works 

As Mathew walks past the Quantum Hydro Works office, Kelly and Brynmor come out of it;  this does not go unnoticed by Cassie, 

"Working for Quantum Hydro Works now, are you?"

who asks Kelly, “You’re working for Quantum Hydro Works now, are you?”

“As if!” is Kelly’s curt reply.   Cassie is aware that they misunderstood things in the Glyndwr, but never thought that Kelly and Brynmor would become such good friends.

“You are friends, aren’t you?”   

"Oh, Cassie!"

Kelly simply shakes her head and walks away.

Mathew is at the bus stop . . . 

Mathew is by this time sitting at the bus stop with his bag;  

. . . where Sioned spots him

Sioned comes around the corner and hurries towards him.   

"Math, what's going on?"

“Math, what’s going on?”   he replies that he is going away.   “You were going to leave without telling me?”

"I have to do something"

He maintains that he has to do something, 

"Where will you go?"

but she wonders what he is going to do and where he will go.   

"Everything's sorted with Griffiths and APD"

He explains that everything is sorted with Griffiths and APD, so she asks when he will be back, but he does not know the answer to that.

She begs him, “Please, Math.”

"Given Jac and Lili a kiss from me, all right?"

Mathew takes her hand;  “Give Jac and Lili a kiss from me, all right?”   

"Sioned walks away "

Sioned walks away.

Gaynor searches the shed . . .

Following Hywel’s suggestion, Gaynor is searching in the shed for the box of wedding stuff.   

. . . finding something at the back of a shelf

She pulls out a box from a shelf and notices a smaller box behind it, which she finds puzzling.

What she finds there . . .

Then she discovers its contents – 

. . . Cheryl's phone, still operational . . .

a mobile phone;  surprisingly enough it has enough battery power to turn on and she finds the wallpaper on the screen, which indicates the correct date, features a smiling Cheryl and Tom.   

. . . causes her a lot of concern

She finds this revelation very disturbing.