Sioni Winwns

Mae fersiwn Gymraeg o’r post hwn ar gael  o dan y Saesneg.

Many people will have fond memories of buying onions from ‘Sioni Winwns’- Breton farmers who were a familiar sight in Pembrokeshire on their bicycles selling strings of onions door to door.

An interesting article appeared in the Western Telegraph on December 31st, 1970 .

For over 40 years he has sold onions

‘Any onions please?’ I wonder how many of you have been greeted by these words when you have answered your door and found a friendly onion man standing there-with his string of onions and traditional ‘tam’?

During the 1930’s , about 25 French onion men came to Pembrokeshire selling their onions during the season between August and December. Unfortunately, this is a dying occupation and now the number of onion men can be counted on one hand.

However, in the north of the county, there is still one onion man – only one, but this particular ‘celebrity’ has been coming to Pembrokeshire for the past 44 years. He is 58 year old Auguste Cocaign. When he is in France, he lives with his wife Ivonne and their three children on a small farm in Brittany. He first came over in 1926 when he was only 14 years old with his Uncle Francis, an onion man for 50 years.

He told me he came over here as there was little work available in those days and his father’s farm was not big enough to support him as well as the rest of the family. During the 1920’s he made his way around on a horse and trap, although today he is able to use a more sophisticated method of travelling – a van.

He has little difficulty with the language, his English is really excellent for someone who is self-taught and has had to pick it up bit by bit. In fact, he can converse in three languages-French, Britonne as well as English. He can even understand a little bit of Welsh !

The only time Auguste and his fellow onion men could not come to Britain was during the Second World War. He joined the French Army in 1939 and when the Germans invaded France he was taken prisoner and remained in captivity until the end of the war. When the war ended he had difficulty in starting up again and it was not until 1950 that things began to get back to normal.

He covers a fairly wide area. As well as travelling around the district of Haverfordwest he goes to Fishguard on Thursday and Milford on Saturday.

Auguste’s biggest complaint is having to leave his home and family each year. True, he admitted, that he had made many friends and that they did everything to make him as welcome as possible but, ‘it is always nice to go home at Christmas and see my family again’. For the past three years he has been by himself. He did have a young helper but he did not stick it long. His brother accompanied him until 1938 but was unable to come again owing to an injury he received during the war.

What does his family think about him leaving home and coming over here? To this he replied with a smile : ‘They do not mind-they have had to get used to it’

Do you have any memories of Auguste that you could share with us, or of any other Sioni Winwns? 

Bydd gan lawer o bobl atgofion melys o brynu winwns gan ‘Sioni Winwns’ – ffermwyr Llydewig a oedd yn olygfa gyfarwydd yn Sir Benfro ar eu beiciau yn gwerthu rhaffau o winwns o ddrws i ddrws.

Ymddangosodd erthygl ddiddorol yn y Western Telegraph ar Ragfyr 31ain, 1970 .

“Ers dros 40 mlynedd mae un ‘Sioni’ wedi gwerthu winwns gan alw ‘Winwns os gwelwch yn dda!’

Tybed faint ohonoch sydd wedi cael eich cyfarch gan y geiriau hyn ar ôl ateb eich drws a dod o hyd i werthwr winwns cyfeillgar yn sefyll yno -gyda’i linyn o winwns a’i ‘tam’ traddodiadol? Yn ystod yr 1930au , daeth tua 25 o ddynion winwns Ffrengig i Sir Benfro yn gwerthu eu cynnyrch yn ystod y tymor, rhwng Awst a Rhagfyr . Yn anffodus, mae hon yn alwedigaeth sy’n marw, a nawr gellir cyfrif nifer y dynion winwns ar un llaw.

Fodd bynnag, yng ngogledd y sir, mae un Sioni yn dod o hyd – dim ond un, ond mae’r ‘seleb’ arbennig hwn wedi bod yn dod i Sir Benfro ers 44 mlynedd. Mae’n 58 oed, a’i enw yw Auguste Cocaign. Pan mae e yn Ffrainc, mae’n byw gyda’i wraig, Ivonne, a’u tri plentyn ar fferm fechan yn Llydaw. Daeth drosodd am y tro cyntaf yn 1926 ac yntau ond yn 14 oed gyda’i Ewythr Francis, a fu’n Sioni winwns am 50 mlynedd. Dywedodd wrthyf ei fod yn dod draw yma gan nad oedd llawer o waith ar gael yn y dyddiau hynny ac nid oedd fferm ei dad yn ddigon mawr i’w gynnal cystal â gweddill y teulu.

Yn ystod y 1920au gwnaeth ei ffordd o gwmpas ar geffyl a thrap, er heddiw, mae’n gallu defnyddio dull mwy soffistigedig o deithio – fan.

Nid yw’n cael fawr o anhawster gyda’r iaith, mae ei Saesneg yn wirioneddol wych i rywun sy’n hunan-ddysgedig ac wedi gorfod ei godi fesul tipyn. Yn wir, gall sgwrsio mewn tair iaith – Ffrangeg, Llydaweg yn ogystal â Saesneg. Mae hyd yn oed yn gallu deall ychydig o Gymraeg! Yr unig amser na allai Auguste a’r Sionis eraill  ddod i Brydain oedd yn ystod yr Ail Ryfel Byd. Ymunodd â Byddin Ffrainc yn 1939 a phan oresgynnodd yr Almaenwyr Ffrainc fe’i cymerwyd yn garcharor a pharhaodd mewn caethiwed hyd ddiwedd y rhyfel. Pan ddaeth y rhyfel i ben cafodd anhawster i ailddechrau ac nid tan 1950 y dechreuodd pethau ddod yn ôl i normal.

Mae’n teithio ardal eithaf eang. Yn ogystal â theithio o gwmpas ardal Hwlffordd mae’n mynd i Abergwaun ddydd Iau ac Aberdaugleddau ddydd Sadwrn.

Cwyn fwyaf Auguste yw gorfod gadael ei gartref a’i deulu bob blwyddyn. Gwir, cyfaddefodd ei fod wedi gwneud llawer o ffrindiau a’u bod yn gwneud popeth posib i’w groesawu ond, ‘mae bob amser yn braf mynd adref dros y Nadolig a gweld fy nheulu eto’.

Am y tair blynedd diwethaf mae wedi bod ar ei ben ei hun. Roedd ganddo helpwr ifanc ond ni arhosodd yn hir. Aeth ei frawd gydag ef hyd 1938 ond ni allai ddod eto oherwydd anaf a gafodd yn ystod y rhyfel.

Beth yw barn ei deulu amdano yn gadael cartref ac yn dod yma? I hyn atebodd gyda gwên : ‘ Nid oes ots ganddynt – bu’n rhaid iddynt ddod i arfer ag ef “

Oes gennych chi unrhyw atgofion o Auguste y gallech chi eu rhannu gyda ni, neu o unrhyw Sioni Winwns eraill?