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Recent Posts
- Plant a tree in ’73 – View the scene in 2016
- Surprise visitor
- Undergrounding
- Red Kites in Dinas
- Our Aunt Emily
- Truly free range eggs in Dinas
- The Frenchman’s Feet
- Mudlarking at Newport
- Bara Brith – 5* review
- Sneak Preview
- Gedeon
- What would John James Esq think?
- Strung along in Dinas
- Threads
- A scattering of sheep
- Ty Twt: a little museum in Newport
- The best of all possible worlds
- At anchor on the heavenly shore
- Part 7: Unknown lives. Guesses, Slivers of Information and Cul-de-sacs
- Part 6: Friends
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Category Archives: History
Master of MV Laurelwood pining for home
Captain Joseph Francis of Eryl, Dinas Cross, decided to retire at the age of 53. He had just completed two stints as Master of the Laurelwood, one of the largest tankers in the fleet of John I. Jacobs and Co. of … Continue reading
Posted in History, Sea, Transport
Tagged Capt Joseph Francis, Dinas, Dinas Cross, Hescwm Mill, John I Jacobs and Co, MV Laurelwood
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Marie Elsie’s list of do’s and don’ts
When* the Scaramanga brothers entrusted a few thousand pounds worth of ship and cargo and a good percentage of their fortune to Captain Joseph Francis of Eryl, Dinas, you’d expect them to mention a few do’s and don’ts. The letter confirming his appointment is typed in purple … Continue reading
Posted in History, Sea, Transport
Tagged Captain Joe Francis, Dinas, Dinas Cross, Eryl, Marie Elsie, scaramanga brothers
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Ann Gent and Graham Coles invite you to rummage
From the outside you can’t tell that the Carningli Centre is an art gallery and a second-hand book shop as well as a destination for lovers of old railway signage, collectors and connoisseurs of oil lamps and indeed anyone who loves to … Continue reading
Posted in Art, books, History, Transport
Tagged antiques, Dinas, Dinas Cross, junk, Newport, railwayana, secondhand
2 Comments
Dinas County Primary School 1946
Back Row:- From the left in each case D.T.Lewis ( Master), Roy Davies, Derek Thomas, Meurig Harries, Norman Morris, Rhydian Harries, Denzil Rees, Selwyn Harries, Alfie Clark (evacuee staying at Cwm yr Eglwys), Noel Murrow, Roy Jones, Gareth Francis (son … Continue reading
Free university education for Welsh immigrants and their children
In the late 1930s about 9,000 young people, in total, graduated from UK universities per year: an experience that was out of the question for my father and his sisters – with my grandfather a fireman and recent economic migrant. But when his … Continue reading
You’re looking at the remains of Russia
Russia’s monolithic gateposts might lead you to expect a substantial dwelling, outclassing the cottages on the Dinas mountain. But no. The gatepost on the left was positioned (and broken?) by a JCB about 35 years ago when the farmer removed it from a dip in the … Continue reading
Posted in Farming, History
Tagged Dinas, Dinas Cross, Dinas Mountain, Pembrokeshire, Preseli hills, Rusha, Russia, small holding, The Preselis
2 Comments
John Cleal’s Herrings
This shoal of herrings darts through the air on the quay at Lower Town Fishguard. It’s an arresting image, reminding the passer-by of the historic importance of the herring catch to the economy of the town. The artist doesn’t get … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Crafts, History, Sea
Tagged Dinas, Dinas Cross, Fishguard, Glyn-Y-Mel, John Cleal, Lower Fishguard, Manorowen, Workshop Wales
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How Dinas out-shone London
These were the railings of my childhood. Growing up in postwar London, all we had were stumps where iron railings had been removed to aid the war effort. Thousands of tons of decorative iron work, as well as aluminium and … Continue reading
Posted in Crafts, History
Tagged Dinas, Dinas Cross, gates, iron railings, world war 2
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Our blue-eyed boy (and another mystery solved)
It would be churlish to ignore totally the little man on the left. He was the Secretary of State for Air, Howard Kingsley Wood, and his visit to RAF Kidbrooke in 1939 occasioned the arrival of the photographer and hence … Continue reading
Posted in History, Religion
Tagged blitz, Dinas, Dinas Cross, east end, evacuees, Llwyngwair Manor, Nevern, the Bowen Family, world war 2
9 Comments
Do you remember your classmates from primary school?
I love this photo of class 3, Dinas Primary School c 1953, and can give you the names of everyone in the class, including the four children who were absent on the day. Back row, from the left: David Stephens, Ken … Continue reading
Posted in History, Sport
Tagged 1950s, class 3, class photo, Dinas, Dinas County Primary School, Dinas Cross, Pembrokeshire, Primary school, school photo, Wales
6 Comments
Hedd Wyn (Blessed Peace)
In our Christmas 2014 exchange of letters, Gill (an old friend from Abergavenny) and I both wrote about films we had seen during the past year. Her chosen film was Hedd Wyn and she has inspired me to search it out to … Continue reading
Posted in Farming, History, Religion, Welsh language
Tagged anti war, Ellis Evans, film, first world war, Hedd Wyn, welsh language
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And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
By the time the photo* was taken in the 1960s, these walls had withstood the wild sea weather for 60 years at least and provided an apt example for the local Vicar to use when teaching the parable of the house built … Continue reading
Posted in History, Religion, Sea
Tagged castle, church, Dinas, Dinas Cross, Gerwyn Stephens, house, on the rock, Pwllcwn, Pwllgwaelod, Religious broadcasting, St Brynach's Church, Tegfan
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Tegfan, Dinas Cross 