A Romance made at the Dylan Thomas Centre

We’re delighted to publish a really moving guest blog from Arron Bevan-John, Swansea Council’s Community, Partnership and Destination Development Officer.

It was February 2018 and I had landed on my feet. Alex shared something in common with me that I thought I would never find in a partner; a love of poetry.

We met on the Saturday and by the Sunday, Alex and I were walking around the Dylan Thomas Centre chuckling at Dylan’s wit and admiring the fantastic artefacts put on display by Jo and her fantastic team. Alex had never been, so was astounded.

The Dylan Thomas Centre had long been a haunt of mine. I would even bring my mum, or ‘mam’ as Dylan might say, to the Centre from time to time. My favourite part is reading the letters sent back and forth in Dylan’s short life, never failing to have affright when Benjamin Zephaniah boldly reads ‘Do not go gentle’, followed by Prince Charles’ soft voice in the film booth behind.

For me, Dylan’s best piece of work is ‘Fern Hill’. It captures me and harnesses everything that was good about Dylan. The technical way in which the words are put together make me think of his work as a well-oiled machine, smoothly flowing.

I absolutely love the Dylan Thomas Centre. For me, it brings together everything that is great about Swansea. Its people. Its creativity. Its culture.

And it brought Alex and I together too.

Arron Bevan-John

This post is also available in: Welsh