Gentleman, friend, – gentleman, adjudicator, – gentleman, presenter, – gentleman, chairman, – gentleman, president.

For me the above incorporates everything. It is difficult to deal with the loss. Glyn T was one of those rare people who could be called a renaissance man. His interests were legion, extending from the steam engine to chapel architecture but it was not in those contexts I got to know and admire him.

The first memory I have of him is of him dancing the Toby in the dance Ffair Caerffili with Parti Dawns Aelwyd Aberystwyth. After that, I think I competed against him in the Flint Eisteddfod back in 1970. In the world of dance I had the opportunity later on to get to know Glyn as a friend and colleague. He was a member of the Welsh National Folk Dance Society from 1978, and became vice-Chair in 1988. He was elected to the Chair in 1993 and was a diligent and wise Chairman until 2001. Nearly a decade of dedication and through it all he was firm of mind and sincere and polite of attitude. He became vice-Chair again for a while before being honoured as the President of the Society in 2010.

He was also an adjudicator at the National and the Urdd and all his adjudications were works of art. His observations were keen, and he kept to his principles regarding dance whatever the circumstances. He was ready to accept change, ready to accept variations and new interpretations but firm in his belief that the original Welsh folk dance should not be drowned by being staged or altered to answer the competition’s requirements. I had the pleasure of listening to him presiding at an Eisteddfod, especially the grand Cardigan Eisteddfod , an event very close to his heart. Glyn was the product of his square mile, his environment and he delighted in its talents and its people. That square mile will miss him and the gap will be very hard to fill.

The Gentleman Glyn T Jones