Places are still available on this trip on Saturday 22 August. Only £10 for members and £12 for non-members to have a full day out including transport and entry fees!
Enjoy a behind the scenes tour of St Teilo’s Church at St Fagan’s with a senior curator, and a guided tour of St Illtud’s Church at Llantwit Major. There will be plenty of free time at both venues to explore.
Full details at HA Trip Saturday AUGUST 22nd
Saturday 18 April, Ocean Room at the National Waterfront Museum, 11.00, free.
Professor Daniel Power (Swansea University): Magna Carta and the Crises of 1214-
Trevor Fishlock – A Gift of Sunlight
Sun 12 April, 2.30pm, National Waterfront Museum
We welcome author, broadcaster and foreign correspondent Trevor Fishlock for a fascinating talk on his recent book dedicated to the lives of the famous Davies sisters.
Shy and fabulously wealthy, they poured their fortune into charity and famously collected a magical trove of paintings which they bequeathed to the Welsh nation.
However, for all their fortune and privilege, they lived lives honed by shyness and self-denial, and haunted by love…
Trevor has worked on assignment in more than seventy countries and was staff correspondent of The Times in India and New York, and Moscow bureau chief for The Daily Telegraph. He has written books on Wales, India, Russia, America and on nineteenth-century exploration, and has presented more than 150 television programmes about life and history in Wales.
You’ll also have the chance to buy Trevor’s book – A Gift of Sunlight from the Museum’s shop and have it signed by Trevor himself from 3.30pm onwards.
The Bluestocking transcription invitation was issued to the Historical Association’s Swansea branch. Caroline is looking for more volunteers – ultimately lots of volunteers! – and the Friends of White Rock are cordially invited to participate. If you know anyone else who may be interested please pass the invitation on.
Dear HA friends,
Ages and ages ago I proposed to the committee that the branch might like to be guinea pigs for my research project, and try transcribing a letter each (or more if they like) from Elizabeth Montagu (1718-1800) to one of her friends. This is to help us editors get through the 8,000 extant letters which we will digitize and edit over a couple of lifetimes! The initials of the transcribers will be included in the published edition and the HA Swansea branch will be acknowledged in the editor’s (Mike’s) introduction to the section on letters to Hester Thrale (Nee Salusbury and later Piozzi). Hester was a Welsh-speaking Welshwoman, a poet and travel-writer and of course close friend of Dr Johnson – but an interesting character in her own right. The transcriptions will all be checked by the editors and the transcribers can do as many letters as they like if they enjoy it.
You were all very positive about the idea when I suggested it to the committee, but I’ve been a bit busy and only just got round to doing anything about it. I am attaching an invitation and those who are interested can contact me and I’ll send them a copy of a letter each and instructions on how to go about it. I wonder whether you might circulate it to your friends and to any other Historical Socieities you are connected with? I can provide poster-size versions if anyone would like to put it on noticeboards for me.
Best wishes,
Caroline
c.franklin@swansea.ac.uk
Professor of English
Department of English Language and Literature
Swansea University
Singleton Park
Swansea
SA2 8PP
Tel: 01792 604304
Athro Saesneg
Adran Saesneg Iaith a Llenyddiaeth
Prifysgol Abertawe
Parc Singleton
Abertawe
SA2 8PP
Ffôn: 01792 604304
Dr Daniel Blackie will deliver the Branch’s monthly talk on Saturday 21 February,11.00 at the National Waterfront Museum. His topic is The Buried History of Disability in Britain’s Coalfield, 1780-1880.
Admission is free.
Robert Protheroe-Jones, Heavy Industies Curator at the National Museum of Wales, will speak on Working for Victory: Welsh Industry and the Great War as part of the World War One series of talks organised by the National Waterfront Museum and the Swansea Branch of the Historical Asociation.
National Waterfront Museum, Saturday 31 January, 11.00. Admission free.
17 January 2015, 11am, National Waterfront Museum. Admission free.
Professor Chris Williams (Cardiff University)
Cartooning the First World War
Professor Michael Franklin (Swansea University)
‘Orientalist’ Jones Heads West; or, Gwilym ap Shôn beside the Toaw and the Tivy
20 December 2014, 11am, National Waterfront Museum.
Admission free.
History fans can soon watch an online video about Swansea Castle if they’re in the area of the iconic landmark.
A new Wi-Fi hotspot that’s being installed means anyone with a smartphone, tablet or laptop within about 100 metres of the attraction will automatically get a web link to the film and other information as soon as they log on.
The video is the final part of a project to educate residents and visitors about the castle’s rich heritage. It includes aerial footage of the landmark and the sound of clanking swords from bygone battles. Also featured are actors playing apparitions of some of the key figures in the castle’s history, including William de Braose III, a former Lord of Gower who once lived in the castle in the late 13th and early 14th centuries, and William Cragh, a medieval Welsh warrior who was said to be miraculously brought back to life after being executed within sight of the castle in 1290 for killing 13 men.
You can see the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7__UbcSffR4
A Swansea Castle family trail can also soon be downloaded from the web link. Hard copies will be made available at the Tourist Information Office on Plymouth Street.
Other recent works have included the introduction of ornate paving to mark the location of the castle’s medieval well. Grass turf, pennant stone and a number of new seats have also been installed to help make the castle courtyard capable of hosting activities and acting as a meeting place for many years to come.
Funding of £300,000 has been provided from Cadw’s Heritage Tourism Project funded by the European Regional Development Fund, Welsh Government targeted match funding and the Welsh Government’s Regeneration Area programme. The work is part of a project called Castles and Princes that’s led by Carmarthenshire Council and overseen in Swansea by Swansea Council.
Cllr Robert Francis-Davies, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Enterprise, Development and Regeneration, said: “Swansea Castle is one of our most treasured historic landmarks. It’s vital we do all we can to preserve and celebrate it for the benefit of both local people and visitors to the city.
“The growing importance of heritage tourism across the UK can’t be understated, so we need to keep pace here in Swansea. Projects of this nature show we’re doing just that by conserving our rich history and offering a visitor experience that meets the aspirations and expectations of 21st century visitors.
“The combination of the video, the on-site displays and the family trail will help bring Swansea Castle back to life for many thousands of people in years to come.”
Swansea Castle was founded in about 1106 by Henry de Beaumont who was later given the Lordship of Gower by King Henry I. It originally consisted of earthworks and timber defences.
This scheme is available to all schools and further education colleges in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Powys. Download full details of the Essay Prize.
Entry is invited from students studying History at AS and A2 level in the academic year 2014/2015.
Each participating school/college may submit one or two of their very best essays. These may be those written as part of the AS/A2 course or on any Historical theme the student wishes, as long as there is a clear link to the marking criteria and is acceptable to the Judges.
Entries may be submitted in English or Welsh.
Entries should be word processed, and be between 2,000 and 3,000 words.
The Judges’ decision will be final. No correspondence will be necessary. Essays would not be returned.
Each essay should be submitted with the declaration form, signed by the student and the supervising History teacher, confirming that it is the work of the student.
Essays must be submitted by post by 5pm on Monday 23 March 2015 to:
Essay Prize Scheme 2014-2015
Historical Association Swansea Branch
c/o National Waterfront Museum
Oystermouth Road
Swansea
SA1 3RD
There will be a £100 cash prize to accompany the Historical Association Certificate for the winner. There will also be local media coverage and the result posted on the Historical Association Swansea Branch website. This, needless to say, would be very beneficial to the winner’s CV as well as being prestigious to her/his school/college.
The Historical Association will accept entries from non-affiliated institutions. However, affiliation has several benefits, helping History teaching at all levels. (See website for details: www.history.org.uk/member/register.php.)
Any queries, please contact Richard Lewis, the Essay Prize Scheme Co-ordinator: richardlewis54@googlemail.com.