The Cambrian Archaeological Association in the 19th century
The first society in Wales devoted to the study of archaeology, the Cambrian Archaeological Association, was founded in 1847, largely through the efforts of two Welsh clergymen, Rev. Harry Longueville Jones (1806-1870) and Rev. John Williams, ‘Ab Ithel’ (1811-1862). Longueville Jones, London-born and not a Welsh speaker, had led a varied life: he was educated […]
Getting angry about politics
I’m not sure what other people think, but on the whole I’d say I was a person of fairly equable temper. But recently I’ve begun to realise that I’ve started having angry conversations about contemporary politics, especially politics as practised in Britain. This goes beyond just venting exasperation, like growling at the television when BBC […]
‘Exhabiting that corricatore of a harss’: Anselm Kiefer and James Joyce
No one could accuse Anselm Kiefer of being a miniaturist. The White Cube in Bermondsey is a large space and it’s packed full with the huge displays of his new exhibition, a response to his long-time admiration for James Joyce’s unreadable masterwork, Finnegans wake. The Cube isn’t a cube at all, but an oblong. When […]
Jim Ede and Kettle’s Yard
Walking across the river and up the hill to Kettle’s Yard became a regular habit when I was a student. The afternoon was the time to go. After you the tugged the bell pull, a lean man of elderly years would come to the door and invite you in straight away. This was Jim Ede, […]
A black hole in green transport?
An anecdote is a dangerous base for an argument, I know, but today that’s not going to stop me from a grouse about public transport. Yesterday I needed to get from Mumbles to Cardiff Bay. These days I try to keep the car in the drive, unless there’s no reasonable alternative, and I didn’t think […]
Yn y Gororau
Nid yw’n bosib i Mike Parker ysgrifennu llyfr sych a difywyd, a dyw ei lyfr diweddaraf ar y ffin rhwng Cymru a Lloegr, All the wide borders, ddim yn eithriad. Mae i’r gyfrol strwythur diddorol. Tair rhan sydd ynddi, sy’n gyfatebol i’r tri phrif afon yn ardaloedd y ffin, Afon Dyfrdwy, Afon Hafren ac Afon […]
Glyndŵr’s Way, day 6: Dylife to Machynlleth
The three of us are delivered back by car from Pennant to Y Star in Dylife – coming this way you can appreciate the scale of the lead waste tips – and we wait for M-A and her family to arrive from Trefenter. Our host tells us that the worst part of this final day […]
Glyndŵr’s Way, day 5: Llanidloes to Dylife
It’s early on Saturday morning. Friday night has exhausted the inhabitants and the streets of Llanidloes are quiet as the four of us set out across the town. The Red Lion in Long Bridge Street is clearly a royalist stronghold, parading its union flags and coronation kitsch. On the other side of the street the […]
Glyndŵr’s Way, day 4: Abbey Cwmhir to Llanidloes
From Abbey Cwmhir we’ve three days of long walking. Today, on paper, is the longest, at over fifteen miles. In addition, the temperature is forecast to be higher; already the sun is shining and we’re down to T-shirts almost from the start. Our luggage is ready to be transported to our next stop. Yesterday we […]
Glyndŵr’s Way, day 3: Llanbadarn Fynydd to Abbey Cwmhir
Over breakfast in The Lion at Llanbister we chat with Mr T, whose farming family go back many generations in the area. He seems to share many of the conservative views for which Radnorshire people are known. We hear about many of the things he’s against: electric cars, the Welsh Government, climate change protestors, rewilding […]
