A little boy from the Bala area is one of the stars of a popular television show for children.
Most lads of his age are happy building spaceships out of Lego or glueing together simple model aircraft but little Twm Rees-Roberts is a much more skilled craftsman than his contemporaries.
For although he is only seven years old he is in his element creating pieces of woodwork in his shed – and that special hobby has earned him a slot on a popular children’s TV programme to be shown next week.
Twm features in the first of the latest series of Y Diwrnod Mawr (The Big Day) on the Cyw slot on S4C on August 25.
The groundbreaking programme which was first screened in 2010 was the first documentary of its type aimed at pre-school children and it was nominated for a Rose d’Or award and the Celtic Media Festival Prize.
Each episode focuses on a child aged 4 – 7, highlighting a special event or occasion in his or her life.
Twm, a pupil at Ysgol O.M.Edwards, Llanuwchllyn, is the son of farmer Gwyn Roberts and his wife Lowri.
According to his mother Twm helps his father around the family farm, Dolhendre Isa, and has taken a particularly keen interest in the hydro-electric scheme on the land which came into operation in February this year. It generates enough electricity for about 74 houses.
“He followed the progress of the hydro scheme from the beginning but his real love is making things out of wood,” said Lowri.
“He uses his father’s tools and is very precise about the way he does things,” she said.
Among Twm’s creations are a picnic table and a playhouse for him and his sister Jini, aged four, and last week a birdtable of his came third at Llanuwchllyn Show in a class for youngsters aged under 11.
But it is one particular project which is comes under the spotlight in Y Diwrnod Mawr when Twm, who has another brother, Caio, 13, and sister Hana, 16, sets about building a kennel for his new pet dog.
“We have two sheepdogs on the farm – Sam and Cymro – and Twm likes being with them but we decided that it would be a good thing for him to have another dog of his own to keep him company while he’s in the workshop,” said Lowri.
The dog they chose was Bobi, a black Labrador pup, and as they had to wait several months to take delivery of him Twm got down to the task of building a kennel for him.
Bobi’s arrival at Dolhendre is The Big Day highlighted in next week’s programme, and he and Twm are now great friends.
“Labradors are very loyal and affectionate and Bobi and Twm get on really well together,” said Lowri.
Nia Ceidiog from TV production company Ceidiog, who produces and directs the programme, said the viewing figures were so good for the previous two series that it was decided to make a third and it was again a delight working with youngsters like Twm.
“He’s a real character and was only six when we were filming him,” she said.
In each of the programmes the children are the stars, with their jokes, stories and unique experiences.
“But what is so amazing is how confident most of them are in front of a camera and when being interviewed, possibly because so many of them are familiar with mobile phones and social media these days,” said Nia.
Future episodes in the series feature children from across Wales including two more from the Llanuwchllyn area. Their “Big Days” range from being a roadie at a rock concert and learning how to wear a Japanese kimono to taking part in a parade of vintage cars and making special sheepskin rugs.
