Sarah June Rees

Driver Jatt

I will admit to being one who is not very knowledgeable about historical figures. I struggle remembering names and keeping myself interested in their stories. Most statues are just part of the scenery you drive past, another piece of stone in a village square.

But here in Llangrannog, I stumbled across this one. A statue of a woman named Sarah June Rees. I stopped to look, just killing time between the long drive back to Birmingham. After a brief read of her bio on the plaque, I became a genuine fan. It is not often a bit of public art does that.

A Truly Strong Woman of the Day
Sarah was someone who defied every single societal norm for women at her time. We are talking about a different world. She fearlessly embarked on adventures across the seas, navigating uncharted waters and challenging every expectation placed upon her. Saying she went against the grain would be a slight understatement. In an era when women were told to stay put and keep house, she looked at the horizon and set sail. She was undisputedly, eternally motivating. An inspiration for us all, not just for what she did, but for the sheer nerve it took to do it.

Just take a read of the info in the pics. Her story is right there. It is worth your time.

A Connection in the Same Cove
It struck me, standing there, that I had heard another story of local resilience just the other day on this same stretch of coast. The fisherman who spoke of loss and survival, of hands cut on rocks. Llangrannog seems to hold these layers. Quiet beauty on top, and underneath, stories of people facing down waves. The waves are made of water for some, and for others, like Sarah, they were made of convention and closed minds.

Her statue is not just a monument. It is a fixed point. In a job where my whole world is moving, Birmingham to Wales and back again, it is powerful to stand still for a minute next to someone who moved the world instead. It puts the miles into perspective.

How to Help Her Legacy Grow
There is a project to create a community garden here in her memory. A living, growing thing to match her spirit. I think that is a brilliant idea. The link to support it is right here: https://justgiving.com/crowdfunding/llangrannoggarden.

Oh, and please do donate if you can. It feels like the right thing to do. This job shows you places. Sometimes it is just a postcode and a warehouse shutter. Sometimes, like here in Llangrannog, it is a place that shows you something back. A story of courage carved in stone, asking you to help plant a seed for it. So I am passing it on.