"This teapot belonged to Michael D Jones, the founder of the Welsh community in Patagonia. He organised the first group of 153 people from Bala who left for South America on the Mimosa in 1865.

It's been valued at £100, but its historical value is much higher. It was given to me by my uncle, who was a distant relative of Michael D Jones.

I moved to Wales in 1977, when I married a Welshman. My name before marriage was Mair Jones, and I was born in Gaiman, Patagonia. My father, Walter Gwyn Jones, went out to Patagonia in 1911, when he was 18. He was told that the dry climate would be good for his bad chest, and he worked as a miller, as he had done back in Melin Y Coed. He met and married my mother, who had also moved out there. She was from Bolton, though her family were originally Welsh, from Aberystwyth.

I still have family out there Luned Gonsales is a teacher, and Lewis Roberts is in the United States. My nephew Ifan and niece Eleri speak Welsh, and their children have learnt a little Welsh too.

I've often been stopped in the street in Gaiman and asked if Im Welsh. People who look Argentinean are proud to say that theyve got some Welsh blood in their family.

I love little Wales and Patagonia just the same. I will move back some day, but as the economy in Argentina is in crisis at the moment, I'm going to stay in Bala and help arrange tours to Patagonia for people from North Wales.

I've also brought along this family circle there was only ever two of them made, and I've been trying to keep it from falling apart as it's quite fragile. It was made in Wisconsin, and is about the family of Elias Garmon Owen, who I am related to by marriage.

We also knew him as Taid Gwyndy, and he died in Patagonia in about 1955. His nephew, Elias Garmon, also lived out in Patagonia for 73 years, after moving out there in 1911. He was originally from Capel Garmon, and returned to Wales before he died. He was related to the Talysarn family of Dr Kate Roberts."