Eisteddfod Pictures: Dinbych 2001

There are about 6,000 cars in the improvised car parks around the maes.

The best way to keep track of your car is to fix a flag on it, so you can find it again.

When you get through the turnstiles you find yourself in a huge tented city.

The Denbigh site was a very attractive one, with hills in the distance and oak trees around the maes.

All sorts of organisations are represented, including universities, charities, government bodies, trade unions and publishers. . .

. . .as well as dozens of shops. It’s a place to wander around, browsing, buying, chatting and meeting people.

You may come across an impromptu performance by a choir or dance troupe, or be accosted by. . .

. . .colourful characters advertising some cause or other.

The Eisteddfod has everything: police and ambulance stations, radio and television studios, a post office. . .

. . .and a bank, with the all-important cash dispenser.

Useful if you need to buy a harp. . .

. . .or just a pair of boxer shorts with the Welsh flag on.

Of course they don’t just sell harps and pants.

They sell everything from second-hand books to garden furniture. . .

. . .to speciality cheeses to grand pianos. . .

But unfortunately I only have pictures of harps.

But it’s not just shops. There’s a fully-equipped theatre, a dance venue, a sound stage and a meeting hall.

The queue outside the literature tent for one of the most popular events: the improvised competitive versifying contests. The weather is starting to look iffy, and with anything up to 200,000 visitors during the week, the ground soon turns into a swamp.

If you haven’t got your wellies, you can always do like the old ladies and tie plastic carrier bags on your feet.

But the whole place is dominated by the mighty Pavilion, where the central ceremonies are held. It holds 4,000 people, apparently. And a lot of druids.

Round the back are big changing rooms for the contestants and officials.

After the ceremonies you may catch a glimpse of the Gorsedd processing out.

The polystyrene cup is not part of the uniform.

I can’t remember what the woman in blue does exactly.

The sword that is used during the ceremony in that quaint mock execution ritual. . .

. . .precedes the Archdruid and the newly-crowned bard, chatting away.

Often they are button-holed by a camera crew for a quick interview.

. . .which makes a handy photo opportunity.

When you leave the site during the day they stamp you hand so you can get back in again. Useful if you suffer a sudden identity crisis too, and forget who you are. [Me = Mercher = Wednesday]

Here, the left-hand banner-carrier appears to recounting to the sword-bearer a certain episode involving one of the flower-girls, which he is rather proud of, but which she would rather forget all about.

You’ll probably just have to take my word for it, but this book describes this site as "one of the best websites for finding Welsh learning resources". [Julie Brake, ‘Y Gymraeg ac e-addysg’, in Cyflwyno’r Gymraeg: llawlyfr i diwtoriaid, ed. Christine Jones. Llandysul: Gwasg Gomer, ISBN 1-85902-903-5, £9.95]