Dai Woosnam

A Dreamer & Smiler & Trencherman in England, United Kingdom

Dai Woosnam

A Dreamer & Smiler & Trencherman in England, United Kingdom

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Dai Woosnam, based in Grimsby, UK, is a veteran writer on a host of subjects. He was for 15 consecutive years a judge for the BBC https://tinyurl.com/3f3w38j9. He has written for British and overseas journals. He appeared in the pages of Britain’s leading folk music print magazine The Living Tradition ("TLT" in future references) from 1993, the year of its inception, until its sad demise, just after the end of the lockdowns of the 2020s. He was born in the Rhondda Valley, the son of a coalface worker who died from King Coal at just 56. Initially, Dai wrote lots for TLT including his double-page column, Daigressing. This latter was certainly a column that pulled no punches. In 1994 he started mailing a provocative potpourri of opinions (and most-importantly, counter-opinions!) and great jokes, to people all over the world. And this - approximately 17 times a year - mailing of his (now also called Daigressing), has changed with the times. Since 2005, it has become much less wordy and more "YouTube clip" orientated. He steadfastly refuses all requests to have a bells-and-whistles blog or a fancy website. He says "the Internet is full of the slick and the professional, but invariably these items leave you curiously empty after reading them. I am about providing proper mental food for people. And thus I happily rely on the very basic pared-down production that every Daigressing represents. And the fact that these Daigressings are not archived, is their very USP. It is their very TRANSIENCE that makes people read them. If you want to email me at [email protected] I will happily add you to my list of subscribers". But ask Dai what he is proudest of, and he will tell you that it's his relationship with TLT. "Pete Heywood stood by me when some members of the Folk Mafia were baying for my blood after I had trod on their toes in that flagship column. I will be eternally grateful for that support and remain deeply appreciative of the editorial integrity and professionalism of TLT". Incidentally, if you're wondering, his surname is not uncommon in Wales. Dai says: "whatever golf commentators tell you, trust me, we Welsh do not pronounce my name the 'Chinese' way, to rhyme with Fu Manchu. But in actual fact, the first syllable 'Woos' rhymes with the vowel sound in wood/couscous/should etc." Dai has been happily married to Dr. Larissa since 1992. Larissa is a former Clinical Director for Medicine at Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby.