Owain Glyndwr could be a real blockbuster

I ENVY our brother Celts the Scots because of the high profile they and Scotland enjoy worldwide. What a contrast we are as Welsh people – unknown and invisible on the world stage!

As a patriotic and proud Welshman, I find myself spending half of every holiday abroad explaining to strangers who’ve asked me where I come from that Wales is a country and not an English county.

Kilts, bagpipes, haggis, whisky, plus the SNP and Nicola Sturgeon ensure that Scotland is never mistaken for part of England. And now Scotland and Scottish history is about to get another boost to its profile thanks to a newly released feature film called Outlaw King.

The film tells the story of Robert the Bruce, who fought the English to regain Scotland’s independence in the 14th century. Film critcs predict it will match the success of Mel Gibson’s Braveheart, which many pundits say gave so much early impetus to the SNP.

What a boost for Wales and our history would be a Hollywood blockbuster based on Owain Glyndwr! His story is in the mould of Robert the Bruce. Beginning his rebellion in 1400, Owain inflicted major defeats on the English and subsequently ruled Wales for many years. His published vision for the country included an independent Welsh state, law and Church; a parliament and two Welsh

universities, one in the north and one in the south. But despite the early successes and negotiating a treaty with France his star waned after 1410.

Despite enormous rewards being offered, Glyndwr was neither captured nor betrayed. He showed the world how a small country could frustrate a bigger imperial country. He is revered to this day as a true Welsh hero. That surely is a good basis for a film. Gerwyn Morgan Beulah, Newcastle Emlyn