Ioan Guile awarded Honorary Fellowship

Ioan Guile with Aled Rhys Jones, Pro-Chancellor of Aberystwyth University

Ioan Guile, a Welsh language tutor to adult learners, has been presented with an Honorary Fellowship by Aberystwyth University.

Ioan Guile, who has lived in Aberystwyth since he was seven, trained as a teacher at Bangor Normal College, gaining Certificates in Education and Bilingual Education. For over a quarter of a century he has been a tutor teaching Welsh to adult learners.

A keen performer on the stage, he has been involved with the Wardens Theatre Company in Aberystwyth for almost 50 years and has led a number of events in the community.

Ioan Guile was presented with an Honorary Fellowship by Professor Jamie Medhurst on 14 July.

The full conferral presentation is available below, in the language in which it was delivered.

Presentation of Ioan Guile by Professor Jamie Medhurst

Dirprwy Ganghellor, Dirprwy Is-Ganghellor, graddedigion, gyfeillion. Pleser o’r mwyaf yw cyflwyno Ioan Guile yn gymrawd Prifysgol Aberystwyth.

Pro Chancellor, Pro Vice-Chancellor, graduates and supporters. It is an honour and a privilege to present Ioan Guile as a Fellow of Aberystwyth University.

If you were to ask the ubiquitous AI to ‘make me Mr Aberystwyth’, then the person standing beside me now would be the result of that request.

Yn enedigol o Benrhosgarnedd, Bangor (ie, mae e’n ‘gog’), mae wedi byw yn Aberystwyth ers yn saith mlwydd oed. Fe gafodd ei addysgu mewn ysgolion cynradd Cymraeg lleol ac ysgolion Ardwyn a Phenglais. Aeth nôl wedyn i’r gogledd er mwyn hyfforddi fel athro yn y Coleg Normal gan ennill tystysgrifau mewn Addysg ac Addysg Ddwyieithog.

After studying in Bangor, thankfully for us he returned to Aber and has, for over a quarter of a century, been working as a tutor teaching Welsh to adults. Os oes rhywun wedi cyfrannu at y miliwn o siaradwyr Cymraeg erbyn 2050, wel, Ioan yw hwnnw. Dwi’n gwybod ei fod yn diwtor sydd wedi ennyn parch cymaint o siaradwyr Cymraeg newydd – mae ei frwdfrydedd heintus a’i angerdd dros yr iaith Gymraeg yn amlwg i bawb sy’n ddigon ffodus i gael astudio gydag e.

The passion, energy and enthusiasm which Ioan exudes in his work as a Welsh-language tutor also extends to his work on stage in pantomime. Oh, yes it does! Sadly, my one and only foray into Panto land – in the 1999 production of ‘Puss in Boots’ as King Roly Poly – was one of the very few years that Ioan did not take part on stage, so we have not had the opportunity to tread the boards together … yet! But whether it’s as Dame Nanny Myfanwy, Baron Hardup, Friar Tuck, or Widow Twankey, I quote from a review of this year’s pantomime: ‘The star of the show is undoubtedly panto royalty'.

In 2020, Ioan received an award from the National Operatic and Dramatic Association in recognition for his contribution to the Wardens Dramatic Society, a company with which he has been associated for almost fifty years.

Ond mae cyfraniad Ioan i Aberystwyth yn mynd y tu hwnt i'r llwyfan a'r pantomeim. Boed yn cynnal sesiwn ‘Desert Island Discs’ yn Eglwys Sant Ioan, Penrhyn-coch (mae llun o'r noson ar Facebook yn ei ddisgrifio fel 'yr Ioan Guile direidus'), yn arwain seremoni cynnau goleuadau Nadolig y dref yn flynyddol, yn cynnal digwyddiadau dirifedi yn yr ardal, ei ddiddordeb mewn hanes lleol ac achau teuluol, neu ei waith elusennol, mae ei gyfraniad at fywyd Aberystwyth dros y blynyddoedd wedi bod yn amhrisiadwy, ac rwyf mor falch heddiw ein bod ni'n gallu anrhydeddu popeth y mae Ioan wedi'i wneud dros ein tref ni.

Dirprwy Ganghellor mae’n bleser gen i gyflwyno Ioan Guile i chi yn Gymrawd.

Pro Chancellor it is my absolute pleasure to present Ioan Guile to you as a Fellow of Aberystwyth University.

Aberystwyth University Honours 2026

Each year, Aberystwyth University confers Honorary Awards on a small number of distinguished individuals in recognition of their outstanding achievements and contribution to their fields. More information about Aberystwyth University Honours 2026.

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