Washi Bach in his hey day.

by Delyth
(Penysarn)

My claim to fame is that I cut Washi Bach's hair and beard in our cow shed where we farmed on the Parciau estate.

I would have been about fourteen at the time and felt sorry for him. He was part of my childhood memories as he would often sleep in our hay barn.

Dad said that he would take all his clothes off before snuggling down among the loose hay which was on top of the chicken shed in the barn.

He has enjoyed many a Sunday lunch brought to the barn or shed wherever he might be. Once my father had to phone the doctor when he had pneumonia.

My mother's family came from Pen Llyn before moving to Gell Bach Marianglas. One day, my mother tells me Washi appeared in the yard where my grandparents lived, saw my grandparents and made a quick turn around thus never to return.

It is thought that he did not want to be recognized as he originated himself from Pen Llyn and knew my family.

It is a possibility that his spirit still lies in the hay barn of my old home as my niece told me some years ago that as a child when playing among the hay one day she saw a large dirty hand with dirty finger nails appear from nowhere in the hay. She was so sure of what she had seen that she insisted that my father went to see for himself but of course by that time the aberration had vanished.

When my niece told me the story of the hand the first thing that came to my mind was that of old Washi Bach...... well what would you think?