Lifestyle

An inspirational story

Life has thrown many challenges at 65-year-old Frank Letch, who returns to his home of 20 years, Bala, for a new documentary…

 

A NEW series of documentaries to touch the heart start this week with a portrait of a larger than life, inspirational character from Bala.

Frank Letch is a retired teacher, gifted linguist and a father of five children. He is also a talented artist and currently the Mayor of Crediton in Devon, but he will also be remembered by many in Bala, where he taught French for almost 20 years.

He was also born without arms - but he hasn’t allowed his disability to rule his life.

In the documentary ‘O’r Galon’, (From the Heart), the cameras follow 65-year-old Frank, who was brought up in the East End of London, on a journey back to Bala. He left there in the mid 1990s after the death of his first wife, Helen. He lived in Scotland for a while before settling in Devon.

Frank is a unique person, who inspired the late Gwyn Erfyl to produce an award-winning documentary about him back in 1978. The new programme contains snippets of that 1970s documentary.

Programme producer Catrin Edwards says: “Frank is an amazing person - he’s good company and a very strong man. It was a privilege to be in his company as he returned to Bala.

“But, I know that returning to Cwm Cynllwyd near Llanuwchllyn was a very difficult and emotional experience for him.”

Frank enjoyed meeting up with old friends and former pupils.
“Bala’s High Street has changed a lot, but the people haven’t,” he says with a smile.
Although he left Bala at a sad time in his life following Helen’s untimely death at the age of 41, Frank is not a bitter man.
“You have to think about today and tomorrow, not yesterday.
“You can’t do anything about yesterday,” he says.

 

Now that his children have flown the nest, Frank says that he can relax and be himself in the company of his wife Natalia, whom he married in 2008.

“I believe in paradise,” he says.
“Having lost Helen, I lost paradise, but I feel I’ve found it once again.
“I feel happy every morning and look forward to the day ahead.”

‘O’r Galon: Frank Letch’ will screen on Tuesday, 12 January, 9pm, S4C (English and Welsh subtitles) and Sunday, 17 January, 10.20pm, S4C (with on-screen English subtitles).

 

Pictures, from top: Natalia and Frank with grandson, Andreas; Frank with son, Aaron; Frank with first wife, the late Helen; Frank and Natalia on their wedding day.