A TOWN'S literary festival ended on a high note, the event's chairman has said.

Mold's Daniel Owen festival included a variety of events between October 20 and 26.

In addition to recognising and celebrating the works of the author who lived and worked in Mold, the festival also highlighted political and environmental matters.

An appreciative audience packed into Bethesda Chapel to hear Rhys Edwards deliver the annual lecture on behalf of his father, Dr Haydn Edwards.

The subject was ‘Daniel Owen the politician’ and the lecture in Welsh, with simultaneous translation by Sion Aled, covered the national and local political situation in Victorian Wales.

Mold was a lively industrial town at the time.

Mining was the main employer and men came from all over the British Isles to work in the mines.

Trade unionism developed in the coalfields.

Dr Edwards’s lecture pointed out that the gentry were distanced from the population by both language and religion.

Only landowners could vote for members of the local board, which was responsible for providing services in Mold such as cleaning the streets and sewerage.

Daniel Owen was not a revolutionary - he was a committed and unswerving liberal.

Poverty was the most obvious influence in his upbringing and a fear of having to rely on the parish.

Sudden poverty could come from all kinds of political change.

As a novelist Daniel Owen saw two classes of people – the masters and the workers - and he spoke out for the common person.

As a politician he worked for improvements in conditions for the working class (200 children a day were fed by Mold Urban District Council), improvements in education, and reducing the tensions and stresses which were damaging industrial relations.

He also promoted culture and championed the Eisteddfod.

On Wednesday there was a special evening at the Daniel Owen Festival featuring the environment.

Amy Green from North Wales Wildlife Trust gave a presentation on the Wild About Mold project and scientist and botanist Dr Goronwy Wynne talked about his book Blodau Cymru.

The evening ended with a recital from harpist and member of the Festival organizing group, Eirian Conlan, with Ieuan ap Sion.

On Friday politics and the environment were brought right up to date when Hannah Blythyn AM, Minister for Environment, addressed another full house at Loggerheads meeting room as part of the Festival.

She stressed the importance of the natural environment and in promoting its value and an understanding of this to all the people of Wales, so that it could be enhanced, protected and sustained for future generations.

She also outlined the triple challenge of climate change, a reduction in biodiversity and plastics pollution.

Two other speakers followed the Minister - Sarah Pratt, group head of corporate sustainability for Barratt Developments PLC, and Mair Davies, activist and chair of Llangollen Plastic Free.

Kevin Matthias, chairman of the Daniel Owen Festival thanked the speakers and said: “It has been a pleasure to hear our speakers tonight and it is a fitting end to this year’s festival to finish on such a high note.

"I am extremely pleased with the way the festival has gone over the week, the events have been very well supported by the public and our partners alike.

"I’d like to thank all the volunteers who make the festival possible including our small organizing team.

"I think the Daniel Owen Festival is going from strength to strength, and is continuing to promote the importance of Daniel Owen as a novelist and citizen of Mold.”