My latest book – A-Z of Swansea, Places, People, History – has been published by Amberley Press and you can buy a signed copy from the How to Buy Page by clicking here. The link should open in a new page and you will find A-Z of Swansea towards the bottom of the list. The book…
Category: News
Violet, Victor, Violence
My latest article in Welsh Country Magazine (July 2016) explores the story behind the murder of Violet Pick, strangled on the Vauxhall Bridge over the river Monnow in Monmouth by her boyfriend in 1910. When Victor was sentenced to death at the assizes a couple of months later, he waved to the public gallery shouting “Ta…
Frances Power Cobbe
My article in the May edition of Welsh Country Magazine is about Frances Power Cobbe (1822 – 1904). She was a fascinating nineteenth century personality- a journalist, a campaigner for women’s rights and a leading anti-vivisectionist. She is a buried in a quiet grave in the cemetery of St Illtyd’s church in Llanelltyd near Dollgellau,…
A-Z of Swansea now available for pre-order
My new book A-Z of Swansea Places People History now in production and is due to be published by Amberley Publications on 15 July 2016. If you would like to pre-order a copy then go to the How to Buy page where you can reserve one for £10.50, which includes postage and packing to all…
Gwent Family History Society
My next speaking event is for the Gwent Family History Society on Wednesday 25 May 2016 at 7.00 pm in the Civic Centre Newport. The title of the talk is ‘The Stories in the Stones’ and I shall be examining four local graves – one in Monmouth, one in Whitebrook and two in Newport. The…
Blackpill Local History Society 17 May 2016
My next talk is scheduled for Tuesday 17 May in the Vivian Hall at Blackpill. The title is ‘Swansea in the 1950s’ and I will be looking in detail at two issues taken from my book of the same name. The first will be the reconstruction of Swansea Town Centre after the extensive damage in…
Website issues resolved
I believe there have been some issues with the website but I now think they have been sorted. I apologise if anyone has been inconvenienced!
General Custer – Shenandoah 1864
Whilst researching some American issues as they appear in nineteenth century Welsh newspapers I came across this unexpected detail. It is from the Cardiff Times on 18 November 1864 which picks up and repeats a report about an incident during the American Civil War. To General Cluster, in the Shenandoah Valley, belongs the proud pre-eminence of having been the first to…
Size Zero?
An interesting story from 1929 – Revue Girls preparing themselves for the stage by regaining “curved beauty.”.
West Glamorgan Family History Society
I will be speaking at the Annual General Meeting of the West Glamorgan Family History Society on Saturday 27 February 2016. I have been asked to speak about my work on gravestones. The title of my talk is The Secret of the Stones and during the presentation we will be visiting Cadoxton, Felindre, Pant Teg, Tonyrefail, Trealaw, Barry…