Dai Woosnam
A Dreamer & Smiler & Trencherman in England, United Kingdom
Dai Woosnam
A Dreamer & Smiler & Trencherman in England, United Kingdom
Dai Woosnam, based in Grimsby, UK, is a veteran writer on a host of subjects. He has written for British and overseas newspapers, magazines and literary journals. He has been appearing in the pages of The Living Tradition ("TLT" in future references) since 1993, the year of its inception. He was born in the Rhondda Valley, the son of a coalface worker who died from black lung at just 56. Initially, Dai wrote a TLT column called The Tizer Test, and then followed that up for a few years with his double-page TLT 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 Peter Alliss the golf commentator tells you, trust me, we Welsh do not pronounce my name the Alliss '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.
*it expired in Jan 2016 due alas, to his ill-heath and the death of muse Rosalie Graham.