Audrey Hicks was born on 25^th January 1901. She grew up in Angle, Pembrokeshire and was from a fishing family.

Audrey, like many local people, took advantage of a business opportunity that initially arose from the shipwreck on Freshwater West beach in 1879. It is said that crowds from Swansea came to witness the spectacle and were struck by the abundance of laver seaweed (porphyra umbilicalis) on the shore. Laverbread had long been a breakfast staple in Wales and was served with bacon or cockles. It was also eaten by pit workers, often with mutton.

The people of Swansea agreed to purchase as much seaweed as could be collected by the Angle women; an arrangement that lasted for over fifty years. Audrey and others waited until low tide to gather the seaweed from the rocks into baskets. This would then be transferred to sacks and carried on their heads to thatched seaweed huts for drying.

During this period, Freshwater West beach had up to 20 seaweed huts where the washed seaweed would be left to dry. The huts were built from driftwood, thatched with marram grass and their entrances faced away from the prevailing wind. The seaweed was turned each day to prevent mould and would be transported weekly to Swansea for processing into laverbread.

At Swansea, the seaweed was boiled for several hours until it reduced, turned black and became gelatinous. It was traditionally rolled in oatmeal or sold in a crock or tin.

Audrey Hicks was the last person left harvesting seaweed at Angle. After 50 years of work, she died in 1974 with just one drying hut left standing at Little Furzenip. This has subsequently become a listed building and has been preserved by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.

Ganed Audrey Hicks ar 25 Ionawr 1901. Cafodd ei magu yn Angle, Sir Benfro ac roedd yn dod o deulu o bysgotwyr. 

Manteisiodd Audrey, fel nifer o’r trigolion lleol, ar gyfle busnes a ddeilliodd o’r llongddrylliad ar draeth Freshwater West yn 1879. Dywedir bod tyrfaoedd o Abertawe wedi dod i weld yr olygfa ac wedi’u syfrdanu gan y digonedd o wymon lafwr (porphyra umbilicalis) oedd ar y lan. Roedd yn arferiad ers blynyddoedd yng Nghymru i fwyta bara lawr i frecwast a’i weini gyda chig moch neu gocos. Roedd mwyngloddwyr hefyd yn bwyta bara lawr, yn aml gyda chig dafad.

Cytunodd pobl Abertawe i brynu cymaint o wymon ag y gallai menywod Angle ei gasglu; trefniant a barhaodd am dros hanner can mlynedd. Roedd Audrey ac eraill yn aros tan y llanw isel i gasglu’r gwymon o’r creigiau i fasgedi. Byddai’r gwymon wedyn yn cael ei drosglwyddo i sachau a’i gludo ar eu pennau i gytiau gwymon to gwellt i’w sychu.

Yn ystod y cyfnod hwn, roedd gan draeth Freshwater West hyd at 20 o gytiau gwymon lle byddai’r gwymon wedi’i olchi yn cael ei adael i sychu. Adeiladwyd y cytiau o froc môr, to moresg a’r drysau yn cefnu ar y gwynt. Roedd y gwymon yn cael ei droi bob dydd i’w arbed rhag llwydo a byddai’n cael ei gludo yn wythnosol i Abertawe i’w brosesu yn fara lawr. 

Yn Abertawe, roedd y gwymon yn cael ei ferwi am sawl awr nes ei fod wedi lleihau a throi’n ddu a dod fel jeli. Yn draddodiadol, roedd yn cael ei rolio mewn blawd ceirch neu ei werthu mewn llestr pridd neu dun. 

Audrey Hicks oedd y person olaf i aeafu gwymon yn Angle. Ar ôl 50 mlynedd o waith, bu farw ym 1974, a dim ond un cwt sychu oedd yn dal ar ei draed yn Little Furzenip. Mae’r cwt hwn bellach yn adeilad rhestredig ac wedi’i gadw gan Barc Cenedlaethol Arfordir Penfro.