Tag Archives: education

When Wales was the envy of Russia

Posted on December 9, 2014 by bookvolunteer

To those of us who find it hard to resist the opportunity of wandering around a graveyard, a headstone will often offer a personal, privileged glimpse into largely undocumented lives. This inscription marks a grave in St Mary’s churchyard, Newport, Pembrokeshire. John Morgan, a … Continue reading →

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How long have you had your surname?

Posted on May 13, 2014 by bookvolunteer

I have been wondering why most of the common Welsh surnames end with an ‘s’: Jones, Edwards, Davies, Harries, Philips, Evans, Howells, Thomas, Williams, Owens, Hughes, Roberts, Jenkins, Stevens, Lewis, Richards and more. This observation lead me to think further about … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Welsh language | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

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 →

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Good teachers make a difference

Posted on October 1, 2013 by bookvolunteer

I have two sets of great-grandparents who were born and brought up in Dinas. They were born in the 1840s and I don’t know whether or not they went to school. Judging from John Hughes’ depressing account of Education in … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Welsh language | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments