Artikelname: A Guide to Welsh Place Names
Artikelbeschreibung: The great majority of Welsh place-names, unlike English ones, make very good sense in thier present-day forms provided, of course, that you know something about Welsh itselfl This book is specifically designed to reduce the language problem to a minimum. Drawing on some 500 place-name examples, the author gives their meanings and analyses their different constructions in a simple and concise way; he also sketches in the linguistic and historical background to Welsh names, as well as pin-pointing some of the varied human interests that lie behind them (nor are Brythonic-based names in England overlooked). Although primarily a guide, the book will - ideally - assist readers to find their own way around the Welsh place-name field.

Artikelname: Barry
Artikelbeschreibung: In this collection of over 200 postcards and family snapshots, author Geoffrey North taps a rich vein of nostalgia for the past of Barry and the surrounding area. The book examines all those settings which have provided the background or stimulus for the many wonderful memories held by residents and holiday-makers alike. Several striking images of pleasure cruises, a packed Barry Island, or of the Docks heaving with ships testify to Barry's dual importance as both a focal point for leisure activities and as a thriving port, despatching the coal of South Wales to all corners of the globe. The cards also reveal the quieter corners as well as the busy town centre. All in all, this is a selection which should delight everybody who holds Barry close to their heart.

Artikelname: Barry: The Second Selection
Artikelbeschreibung: This second selection of photographs, taken mainly from the author's own collection, provides an insight into a place that is very dear to the author's heart, and a place with which he has strong family ties.The book will take the reader on a tour of the island, the town, familiar streets and some of the people who inhabited them. The reader is taken to Cadoxton and then down to the beaches and gardens of Cold Knap and Porthkerry. The book further illustrates the industries of Barry Dock, including scenes of barges unloading grain to be transported to the mills and the loading of coal which was exported all over the world from South Wales' numerous coalfields. The reader also experiences the myriad leisure activities available, and in particular, the cruisers that travelled to and from Barry.

Artikelname: Country Churchyards in Wales
Artikelbeschreibung: Churchyards are not mere collections of gravestones. They are nearly always older than the churches they surround and provide much evidence of social activities and local traditions when they were the community centres of the parishes.Which church is dedicated to seven sons born to a Pembrokeshire woman on the same day? Why are there huge churches in tiny hamlets? Where in Wales is a 9-acre village churchyard? Where are the steps in a churchyard wall to provide an easy route from the church to the tavern? These are a few of the strange questions answered in this book. Cock-fighting and Celtic crosses; dancing and sun-dials; prehistoric sites and the burial grounds of Welsh princes; games and lych gates; potent drinks and strange epitaphs - these are a few of the interesting things drawn to our attention. It also includes a personal choice of 130 churchyards described in detail with full directions on how to reach them. Enough to give you a taste of the different regions of Wales and hook your attention on these special places which are so valuable to anyone who has a sense of heritage and who can hear their tranquillity above the sounds of our modern world.

Artikelname: Fragments of Mine & Mill in Wales
Artikelbeschreibung: Industry in Wales was not confined to the Coal, Steel and so on, of the south and of the north-east. Throughout the country mining, quarrying and manufacture formed "islands of industry in an agrarian sea".The wealth of relics they left us are now fast vanishing. This book is intended to be a record of some that have gone and some that are going, leavened with others which are still with us, but are odd or unexpected.

Artikelname: Historic Shipwrecks of Wales
Artikelbeschreibung: Drama and disaster, tragedy and triumph, horror and heroism - this account of Welsh shipwrecks from the earliest times to the present day encompasses all these and more. Lost treasure, smuggling, wrecking, and the most gallant of attempts at rescue. In Dilys Gater's un-put-downable style, this is one book you will read enthralled to the last page.

Artikelname: Lovespoons,Traditional Spoon Carving in Wales
Artikelbeschreibung: By now, the lovespoon has become one of the representative images of Wales, a unique emblem of the culture. There's nothing like it anywhere else in the world. Every year, thousands of visitors take home with them examples of the lovespoon, and every year the lovespoon enjoys a prominent position in Welsh weddings. To tell the story of the lovespoon, this book starts with its humble older sister, the domestic spoon. Long before knives and forks were used for eating, and long before the availability of metal spoons, carved wooden spoons were in wide use, and their manufacture was a major occupation in the Welsh countryside. The craft of domestic spoonmaking developed into that of the lovespoon, and the author details the different styles that emerged, explains some of the symbolism of the designs, describes the woodworking craft from start to finish, and traces the growth, decline and rebirth of this uniquely Welsh craft tradition. Also included is a Gazetteer of Spooncarvers workshops worth a visit.

Artikelname: Taff Vale Railway Volume 1: The main line from Cardiff to Merthyr and Cardiff Docks
Artikelbeschreibung: Following the sucess of the author's two volume set on The Rhymney Railway, the natural follow on was to explore the history of the Taff Vale Railway. Such has been the depth of the author's research this project has resulted in a need for three volumes. Copiously illustrated with maps, ephemera and lineside scenes this series is sure to delight the enthusiast and those with an interest in local history.

The Taff Vale railway was absorbed by the Great Western Railway as far back as 1922 despite this the impact that the oldest and most extensive of all the South Wales colliery railways. It was constructed in several stages the first section from Merthyr to Cardiff was authorised in 1836 and the embryo Taff Vale company approached the now famous Isambard Kingdom Brunel to be the engineer responsible for construction. The 24 mile route was completed in 1841 and branches and extensions were added rapidly in the ensuing years. The demand for coal to feed the steel works was growing rapidly as was the need for coal throughout the rapidly growing industrial base of the United Kingdom. Lines gradually spread throughout the welsh valleys above Cardiff and the importance of the docks to serve a growing level of imports and exports led to rapid expansion of dock lines including a new dock at Penarth, Locations served by the Taff Vale included Dinas, Abercynon, Aberdare, Aberthaw, Cardiff, Bute, and many more too numerous to mention here - suffice to say that the Taff Vale Railway is still a significant presence in the valleys even today - there being many structures and historic links with the old company.

Artikelname: The Thirsty Dragon;Welsh Brewing and Distilling
Artikelbeschreibung: Wales and beer have always enjoyed a love-hate relationship.To many of our bards it was their life-blood, but during the Great War, Lloyd George announced that Wales had three enemies: the Germans, the Austrians, and strong drink. Of the three, strong drink was the worst. The chapel patriarchs of the temperance movement agreed. Yet it was a minister of religion who founded the Buckley brewing dynasty, and there is good reason to believe that the man who taught Arthur Guinness to brew was a Welsh priest. Today, only two major brewers remain in Wales, but our brewing heritage lives on, because when the Saxons invaded our land they also stole our beer, At least thcy showed good taste. Welsh Ale was recognised throughout the British Isles as being the best. This book traces the history of brewing in Wales and also touches on the making of mead, cider and whisky. So, iechyd da! Have a good read.

COPIES ALSO AVAILABLE IN WELSH

Artikelname: Wales at War
Artikelbeschreibung: People living in Wales during the Second World War have a fascinating tale to tell and in Wales at War Phil Carradice interviews people from all walks of life about their experiences. School children, evacuees, Home Guard, Land Army Girls, factory workers, Bevin Boys, soldiers, conscientious objectors and prisoners of war are all featured.

Artikelname: Welsh Woods and Forests: A History
Artikelbeschreibung: A new, updated edition of the story of how twentieth-century forestry developments completely changed the landscape of the Welsh countryside during the 20th century, including a detailed bibliography and references. 80 black-and-white illustrations, 15 maps and many diagrams and graphs.