THE Mayoress of Abergavenny was able to greet a prominent fellow countryman when the Argentinian Ambassador paid a visit to the National Eisteddfod at Castle Meadows.

Councillor Sheila Woodhouse, whose father hailed from a British-Argentine family, met with Ambassador R. Carlos Sersale di Cersiano on Monday.

Newly-appointed to the UK, Ambassador Sersale and his partner Mrs Linette de Jager were guests of the Eisteddfod’s honorary vice-president David Davies MP.

As chair of the Welsh Affairs Committee, Mr Davies led a successful parliamentary delegation to Patagonia two years ago.

Born in Buenos Aires in 1921, Councillor Woodhouse’s father left Argentina during the Second World War to volunteer with the Royal Air Force. Whilst in Britain, he met and fell and love with a Welsh girl.

“The rest, as they say, is history,” said Councillor Woodhouse.

“My mother and father went to live in Buenos Aires, where my sister was born, but my mother was terribly homesick.

“She returned to Britain and my father followed, working his way overseas. He was quite the linguist and could speak five languages, including Spanish and Portuguese.

“They eventually settled in Abergavenny and after he retired, my father went back to Argentina several times to visit family members.

“He was very proud to hold both a British and Argentine passport and would have been over the moon to have the Ambassador here.

“It is a wonderful time to visit when we have the town looking so delightful.

“I am currently working on a family tree with my cousin, who lives in Bahia Blanca. Ambassador Sersale was most kind to offer us help with this.”

Mr Davies added,“Argentina is the only place in the world outside Wales where it is possible to hear Welsh being used in daily conversation, albeit among two relatively small communities.

“I was absolutely delighted when Ambassador Sersale accepted an invitation to attend the Eisteddfod.

“It was a great honour to introduce him to Sheila and walk around the Monmouthshire tent, which brilliantly shows off our beautiful county.”

Ambassador Sersale also spent time on the Maes with Cymdeithas Cymru-Arianin, the Wales-Argentina Society.