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White Rock Tump clearance, 29 September …

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The tump (aka the mound) was mowed by the Parks Department last week, but unfortunately the cuttings were not collected. As you can see from Rose Revera’s Welsh Wildlife Trust analysis below, the tump is an important ecosystem that needs management.

Rose has arranged for a team of WWT volunteers with appropriate tools to help clear the cuttings on Tuesday 29 September. We will start at 9.30am and finish when we are done, but certainly by 2pm.

If ever there was a case of many hands making light work this is it! Come along at any time during that window to help conserve an important new aspect to White Rock. Bring a rake if you have one for making piles of the stuff taken off the hill with the big rakes. Any questions to info@friendsofwhiterock.org.uk.

“The spoil heap tump at White Rock has this year been identified as a valuable wildflower meadow by ecologists from the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales. Over the summer months, the tump is covered in wildflowers including oxeye daisies, bee orchids and kidney vetch, which is the food plant for the fast declining small blue butterfly. Visit on a warm summer day and the meadow covering the spoil heap is alive with buzzing bees and beautiful butterflies.

“In the centre of Swansea, this gem is a haven for wildlife that should be preserved. The best way to manage meadows like this is to cut them as if they were going for hay, in late August or early September. If the cut material is left on the soil, it will rot down and enrich the nutrients. When soil is enriched, grasses, brambles and nettles find it easier to grow and out-compete the wildflowers, leading to a much reduced number of wildflowers.

“Therefore, it is essential that the cuttings are removed to help the meadow look as beautiful next year. The tump has been mowed in the last few weeks but now we need your help to rake off the cuttings and help the wildflowers to grow next year.”

Rose Revera, Welsh Wildlife Trust, 15 September.

 

The Gower Railway talk, 15 September …

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Tuesday, 15 September 2015, sees the first of the Swansea Railway Modeller’s Group Autumn lectures. It will be given at 7.30pm in the first floor former chapel at the Club’s premises, 300 Carmarthen Road, Swansea. SA5 8NJ by Rob Hulme. It is titled “The Gower Railway” and traces various attempts to build a railway between Killay and Port Eynon between the 1890’s and 1920’s to permit coal, other freight and passenger access to Gower to combat the deplorable state of the roads in existence during the period.

There will be no charge for the lecture and tea and coffee will be available in the Club’s top floor premises afterwards.

www.srmg.org.uk

 

British Science Festival 2016 in Swansea …

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British Science Festival 2016

Last night the British Science Association (BSA) made the exciting announcement Swansea University will host the next British Science Festival, from 6th – 9th September 2016.

The annual four-day festival is Europe’s longest-standing national event connecting people with scientists, engineers, technologists and social scientists, and we are delighted the BSA has chosen Swansea to hold this vibrant celebration of science, technology, and engineering.

Swansea University is driving knowledge economy growth and hosting this iconic festival will be a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the power of science to deliver social and economic transformation.

The British Science Festival 2016 will focus on an audience of non-specialist adults with a broad interest in science, delivering 100 events specially curated by the BSA in partnership with the University.

World-leading academics from Swansea, as well as other institutions and organisations across the UK, will present, discuss, and debate cutting-edge science – across the scientific spectrum including technology, engineering, and social sciences – at a range of different events, from talks to performances.

A Fringe festival for families and community audiences will also take place on the weekend of 10th – 11th September 2016, coordinated by the University, the BSA, and local partners across the city.

We are thrilled the BSA has recognised Swansea’s phenomenal success in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014), as well as our ambition to make even greater strides in the future through our new science and innovation Bay Campus development, which opens in under two weeks.

We look forward to welcoming the British Science Festival to Swansea in 2016, which will again shine the international spotlight on our world-leading research.

For more information, please visit the BSA website.

 

Digital Past 2016 …

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Digital Past 2016

New technologies in heritage, interpretation and outreach.

10th–11th February, 2016

St George’s Hotel, Llandudno

Digital Past is a two day conference which showcases innovative digital technologies for data capture, interpretation and dissemination of heritage sites and artefacts. Running for the eighth year, Digital Past 2016 will be held in the elegant St George’s Hotel in the Victorian resort of Llandudno. The event will offer a combination of papers, seminars and hands-on workshops and demonstrations to investigate the latest technical survey and interpretation techniques and their practical application in heritage interpretation, education and conservation.

Call for contributions.

We are seeking submissions from those working on innovative projects on the themes outlined below in a research or operational capacity, who can contribute to this forward looking conference. Contributions can be made through formal presentations, seminars or workshops, or more informally through the ‘unconference’ session or a show stand. Please find details of the various formats below.

Themes:

The two main themes for this year’s conference are Digital Survey: An Integrated Approach (topics including, but not limited to, BIM, GIS, digital archiving, Big Data, utilising the Cloud, intellectual property, digital publication) and Digital Heritage Tourism (topics including, but not limited to, digital storytelling, gaming, engaging children, heritage tourism and regeneration, sustainability, heritage tourism platforms, Digital Tourism: Is it working?)

Papers:

20 minute papers presented in a conventional arrangement of presentation and PowerPoint format. Each session will consist of 4 such papers, with a 10 minute question and discussion period at the end of each session. Due to the tightly packed schedule, a strict adherence to time will be followed.

Seminar sessions:

45 minute seminars designed to promote discussion of a particular issue or topic. Each seminar will be led by two or three speakers on one of the themes above, providing 5 minute presentations with 30 minutes general discussion from the floor.

Workshops:

To be held on the morning of the 11th February. Workshops should offer practical, hands-on demonstrations or training in a particular aspect of digital technology with heritage applications. Workshops may be either a single session of 90 minutes or two of 40 minutes.

To make a submission for any of the above, please send a short outline (100-150 words) of your proposed presentation/seminar discussion/workshop to susan.fielding@rcahmw.gov.uk together with details of your name and organisation.

Unconference Session:

A series of 15 minute sessions which can be booked by any delegate attending on a first-come, first-served basis.  Booking will be available from 9.30am on the first day of the conference only. These sessions will allow for presentation on any project, research or issue relating to the use of digital technology in heritage. Presentations may be pre-prepared using PowerPoint, or purely in response to other discussions/issues raised during the event.

Stands:

A limited number of Exhibition or Poster stands will be available for a two-day booking. Larger stands are available at a cost of £215 or a Poster stand at a cost of £165 and include the cost of one conference registration (prices are not subject to VAT). Booking will be available via EventBrite when conference registration is opened.

Deadline for Submissions

The deadline for the submission of papers, seminars and workshops is Friday, 2nd October 2015. Decisions will be made after consideration of the merits of the individual submissions and their fit into the overall programme, and applicants notified by Friday, 16th October 2015.

Free registration for the event will be extended to those presenting a paper, seminar or workshop. Please note that while we are happy to have submissions which include more than one speaker, we can only offer one free registration per submission. We regret that no further expenses can be offered.

For overseas applicants, presentation of papers via live-web streaming may be considered.

For further information or any questions please contact Susan Fielding at susan.fielding@rcahmw.gov.uk or on 01970 621219

www.digitalpast2016.blogspot.co.uk

#digitalpast2016

We look forward to welcoming you to Digital Past in 2016.

PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS MESSAGE TO ANY COLLEAGUES YOU FEEL MAY BE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING. APOLOGIES FOR CROSS-POSTING

The Digital Past Team

Connected Communities Festival film …

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Connected Communities Festival – Short Film Now Available / Community Engagement and Research News

I am delighted to update everyone that a short film documenting the AHRC Connected Communities Festival that took place at the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks on June 25th is now available to view here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9zq9Ub3xq0&feature=youtu.be

Made by our colleagues at the College of Arts and Humanities at Swansea University and contributed to by the Connected Communities team and community partners, the film discusses the many community research projects that the Connected Communities project supports and how we collaboratively continue to research and celebrate the heritage and history of the Swansea Valley.

The film also showcases the diverse range of community-focused and led activities, projects and future initiatives that will take place at the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks as the site enters into a new phase of development focused on creating a vibrant, multi-purpose place for work, education, leisure, and commercial activity in and around this hugely important industrial heritage site. For further information on the exciting developments at the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks please visit the website here: www.hafodmorfacopperworks.com

Also, Taliesin Arts Centre , in conjunction with its Associate artist Owen Griffiths and young people Hillside Secure Unit in Neath, are working on an arts project focused on food , growing and cooking . This project may also extend into activities in Usk. They are looking for an academic or postgraduate student who might be interested in looking at how these activities may form part of a research project.

We would also like to know whether anyone is interested in looking at the impact of the Vetch Veg project on community cohesion and involvement of residents from a BME background: www.vetchveg.co.uk

Hope you’re having a wonderful summer,

Kate
k.spiller@swansea.ac.uk

RISW History Day, 26 September …

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John Ashley will give a talk on White Rock at the History Day to be held on Saturday 26 September in Swansea Museum. The event is held in conjunction with the Historical Association’s Swansea Branch. Details of a very full day, including the launch of the latest Minerva, at the RISW web site.

 

Local & Family History Fair 2015 …

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The Local & Family History Fair 2015 will be held for the fifth year at the National Waterfront Museum on Saturday 10 October. Formerly Local History . . . Live!, the event has been expanded to reflect the varied interests of participants and visitors.

All organisations with an interest in local or family history (indeed any kind of history!) are welcome to exhibit at this free event. Watch out over the next couple of months for news of additional attractions.

Participation and entry is free. Enquiries and bookings to info@friendsofwhiterock.org.uk, 0770 9900 788.

The Local & Family History Fair 2015 is organised by the Swansea Branch of the Historical Association.

John Ashley, Chair

www.haswansea.org.uk

www.facebook.com/pages/The-Historical-Association-Swansea-Branch/150985911663644

Swansea Copper Folk cruise, 23 August …

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Andrew McKay & Carole Etherton invite you to come and join us on our next song and music trip aboard Copper Jack on Sunday 23rd August 2015.  All aboard by 3.45pm for 4pm sailing.  Bring your voices and instruments to make music as we cruise on the River Tawe for an hour and a half and then have more music until 6.30 while moored in Swansea Marina outside the National Waterfront Museum.

Cost is £5 per person.  Places are limited so please book early.

To find out more details and make a booking please visit our website:

www.copperfolk.wix.com/copperfolk