Category Archives: books

What to get for the person who has everything?

Posted on May 20, 2014 by bookvolunteer

Doesn’t every family have someone who is a nightmare to buy for? They already have everything they need or don’t care much for possessions; they don’t want anything at all and certainly don’t want you spending any money on them. They … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Farming, Food, Nature | Tagged Celebration du Fumier, Dinas, Dinas Cross, Good ideas for a birthday present, manure, Maurice Lelong op, Pembrokeshire, Robert Morel Editeur, vegetable gardening | 4 Comments

Finden’s Splendid View of The Mumbles Rocks and Lighthouse

Posted on May 16, 2014 by bookvolunteer

If you want to see Swansea as it was known by the many Dinas mariners who were apprenticed to masters from that port, have a look at a copy of ‘Finden’s Views of the Ports, Harbours, Coast Scenery and Watering Places … Continue reading →

Posted in books, History, Sea | Tagged apprenticeship, Dinas, Dinas Cross, Docks, Finden's Views, Harbour, Master mariners, Pembrokeshire, Swansea, W H Bartlett, William Beattie | 2 Comments

Don’t let the sheep lead you astray

Posted on May 6, 2014 by bookvolunteer

Don’t let the sheep lead you astray when you walk on the mountain above Dinas. They won’t try to disturb walkers, in fact they are generally timid and scamper away even when you are keen to take a photo, but they … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Farming, History, Walking | Tagged Dinas, Dinas Cross, paths, Pembrokeshire, Preselis, sheep, Tegfan | 4 Comments

Welsh Ships and Sailing Men

Posted on April 1, 2014 by bookvolunteer

I have bought this delightful book and shall be adding it our collection. What a treat! Just the thought of it sitting expectantly on our shelves, should tempt you down to Tegfan to read it. J Geraint Jenkins, who was … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Crafts, History, Sea, Welsh language | Tagged Cwm yr Eglwys, Dinas, Dinas Cross, Fishguard, Newport, Pembrokeshire, Pwllgwaelod, sea faring, ship building, Tegfan, West Wales | Leave a comment

Dry Stone Walls

Posted on March 28, 2014 by bookvolunteer

Dinas has miles of beautiful old stone walls and even some relatively new ones. My favourite old walls are up the mountain where they are host to the vegetation that causes their eventual disintegration – and a richness of wildlife. … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Farming, History, Nature, Wildlife | Tagged Dinas, Dinas Cross, dry stone walls, Pembrokeshire, Preselis, Tegfan | 2 Comments

The risky business of researching your family tree

Posted on February 25, 2014 by bookvolunteer

Our local author, Patricia Watkins, comes from a literary family, but started writing in earnest when inspired by the characters she discovered in her family tree. Her research into the ‘Potter’s of Haverfordwest has lead to a new career and … Continue reading →

Posted in books, History | Tagged Dinas, Dinas Cross, family history, Haverfordwest, historical fiction, local author, Pembrokeshire | Leave a comment

A very local author

Posted on February 14, 2014 by bookvolunteer

Helen Carey is a very local author whose books have a double connection to our part of West Wales. Her Lavender Road series is set during the second world war and centres on a (fictional) South London street. My grandfather, … Continue reading →

Posted in books, History | Tagged author, Dinas, Dinas Cross, Pembrokeshire, romantic fiction, Tegfan, WW2 | Leave a comment

What books would you like to find in a holiday cottage?

Posted on January 14, 2014 by bookvolunteer

I’ve decided that our bookshelves need attention. The smart old hardbacks on the top shelf came from the library of our aunt, who bought Tegfan fifty years ago. Many of the other books have been left by visitors; some of these … Continue reading →

Posted in books | Tagged bookshelves, children's books, Dinas, Dinas Cross, everyman editions, fiction, holiday reading, paperbacks, Pembrokeshire, Tegfan | Leave a comment

Driven to reading

Posted on December 20, 2013 by bookvolunteer

Bridget and Barbara have been commuting through Dinas for the past four years, from their homes in Newport and Newcastle Emlyn to their beautiful ‘Seaways’ bookshop in Fishguard’s West Street. The shop has been there a long time, but was rescued … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, books, Crafts, Welsh language | Tagged advent calendar, bookshop, crafts, Dinas, Dinas Cross, independent, Pembrokeshire, Seaways, Tegfan | Leave a comment

What could another language do for you?

Posted on November 26, 2013 by bookvolunteer

When we drive from Cheshire to Pembrokeshire, there are language clues that remind us that we have crossed the border from England into Wales. There have been numerous studies that show how good language learning is for the brain. One … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Welsh language | Tagged bilingual, education, languages, Welsh | 5 Comments

Here are some Welsh words you already know

Posted on November 12, 2013 by bookvolunteer

I’ll confess to taking comfort from ‘to-do’ lists. Most of my lists are very long and get lost or abandoned well before they have properly outlived their usefulness. But when I’m feeling over-whelmed by the backlog of tasks that I … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Welsh language | Tagged BBC Wales, Derek Brockway, language learning, Welsh | Leave a comment

To Harrods for satin pantaloons

Posted on November 1, 2013 by bookvolunteer

In my role as a book volunteer in Wilmslow’s Oxfam shop, I’m constantly delighted by the enormous range, quality and quantity of donated books. When this wonderful book came onto my desk I lingered over it, remembering a childhood experience … Continue reading →

Posted in books, History, Sea | Tagged bloomers, Captain, Dinas, Dinas Cross, fashion, Harrods, mail order, master mariner, oil tanker, pantaloons, Pembrokeshire, Rotterdam | Leave a comment