A CO-OPERATIVE LIFE IN SOUTH WALES 1890-1964

In his lifetime, William Hazell was a leading figure in the co-operative movement of South Wales, but since his death in 1964 he has been all but forgotten. In this book, Alun Burge has unearthed an authentic, but previously unknown, working-class voice of the South Wales valleys. This book charts the journeys of Hazell and the Ynysybwl co-operative movement through strikes, lockouts, personal tragedy, political turmoil, and two world wars. It is a unique and absorbing account of life in a South Wales village which also sheds a much-needed light on the forgotten history of the co-operative movement in Britain. Wi lliam Hazell is a key figure belatedly emerging from the history of the south Wales coalfield. His lifelong commitment to the co-operative movement was inspired by his vision of co-operation as a means of building a better future. He epitomised the deep and loyal relationship that developed between the people of the Valleys and their co-operative societies, and which became a central part of their way of life. A writer and a thinker, as well as a man of action, his powerful and articulate voice still resonates half a century later.

' a most impressive, important and original historical work which reconstructs a culture in its fullest sense. '  Neil Evans, Cardiff University

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alun Burge is a historian of the co-operative movement. He has worked with co-operatives since 1985 in a variety of national and international roles, including five years living in Nicaragua. After returning to Wales, he worked in the Welsh Government's Department of Social Justice.

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Ynysybwl in south Wales. Home of the co-operative movement.

In a brave new memoir, best selling author, Anthony Bunko from Merthyr Tydfil reveals all about the hilariously funny and scandalous world of the business consultant after spending 15 years in the job. Lord Forgive Me… But I was a (Business) Bullshit Consultant (published by Y Lolfa) is a laugh-our loud ‘consultant had enough’ memoir based on true events, and is a rollercoaster ride full of fist-fights, muggings, kidnapping, gun chases, ghosts, psychopaths. hookers, back stabbing, bullshit, weird sex, strong drugs and the odd plate of sausage rolls…….It was a bloody nightmare!!!

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“There are 100,000 business consultants in the world,” says Anthony Griffiths, who writes as Anthony Bunko. “For a fee, they enter organisations and watch their workers for a short period of time. They pull buzzwords out of the air, answer direct questions with other questions, and use flip charts to make them sound brainy so they can charge lots of money.

“When I landed by dream job I thought it would mean a life of travelling to exotic places, meeting interesting people and making lots of money,” explains Anthony. “15 years along the line, and at the age of 46, I woke up one morning in yet another hotel room in yet another city with yet another bag of Post-it notes in my briefcase. That’s when I decided there had to be more to life.

“Before breakfast, I emailed the other partners in one of the longest standing and most respected business improvement consultancy companies in the UK to inform them I was quitting my highly paid job to become a writer,” adds Anthony, author of Stuart Cable’s and Spikey Watkins’s autobiography as well as Hugh Jackman and Hugh Laurie’s biographies,

“My family, colleague and friends thought I’d gone mental (well more mental than usual). However they didn’t know the truth of what had brought me to the decision after ten years of living in the fast lane. What many considered to be a glamorous profession had nearly got me murdered in New York, kidnapped in Amsterdam, mugged by the fat police in Moscow, got me in a fist fight in Germany, arrested by the mafia in Italy and scared me half to death on seeing the ghost of a dead girl in North Wales, plus loads of other weird and funny adventures.

“In this hilarious laugh-out loud ‘consultant had enough’ memoir based on true events, I will spills the beans on what goes on in the two faced world of BMW’s, smart suits, flip charts and ever changing buzz words, while trying to cope with my mid-life crisis. There are loads of business and consultant books on the shelf but not many tell it like it really is.”

These are some of the reviews from some top welsh stars about the book:-

“ This is a cool and very funny exploration of an amazing life. It reads like a dream. Unputdownable! ” Boyd Clack , actor and writer, Satellite City and High Hopes

“ The way of the transgressor is hard. Don''t share this very enjoyable book with your children, ” Kevin Allen , director, producer and writer of cult movie, Twin Town

“ Quick witted and heartwarming, with a bona fide laugh-out-loud on every page, ” Rachel Trezise , awarding winning author and playwright

Anthony Bunko, was born in Merthyr Tydfil in 1962. He is the author of several highly acclaimed comedy fiction novels including The Tale of the Shagging Monkeys, and is also a poet and songwriter.

"One of the saddest and most inspirational sports autobiographies you''ll ever read"

The poignant story of Bryan ''Yogi'' Davies who, during a rugby scrum at a match in Bala in 2007, broke his neck and was paralyzed. The book follows his day-to-day struggle to come to terms with the horrific incident. "

Five minutes into a rugby match between Bala and nant Conwy on 21st April 2007, the first scrum collapsed leaving Bala hooker, Bryan ''Yogi'' Davies, with life changing injuries: a broken neck and damaged lungs.

This book tells the story of his life before the accident and his heroic fight for survival following the scrum that changed his life.

The book is set in three parts: part one of each chapter follows developments since his accident, part two looks back at Yogi''s life before the tragic scrum and his struggle against the odds even then, whilst part three conveys the thoughts and reactions of his wife Susan to events - the policewoman who has been a tower of strength throughout to Yogi and the children.

The book is full of humour and sadness, and is a picture of optimism and fortitude in the face of tragedy. Sadly weeks before publication, Yogi passed away. But, with a postscript, a tribute by his daughter and his final letter, the book should prove to be an inspiration to everyone.

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2006 Welsh Book of the Year winner Rhys Evans has just launched the biography of Gwynfor Evans, hailed by many as the ‘Welsh Gandhi’, at the Hay festival. The launch was chaired by newly appointed Director of Communications to Boris Johnson, Guto Harri. During the event at the Sky Movie stage Rhys was questioned on Gwynfor Evans and his vast contribution to Welsh politics.

Comparisons were made between the pressure Gordon Brown is presently under to what Gwynfor Evans suffered on numerous periods during his career. But Rhys Evans explained that Gwynfor just kept on going through thick and thin to become one of the main Welsh political figures of the 20 ^th century. Rhys Evans said: “For Gwynfor to be preseident of a nationalist party for 36 is unsurpassed anywhere in Europe as far as I know, except maybe for Tito in the old Yugoslavia!”

Regarding his contribution, Rhys Evans said: “Wales and Wales's position within a devolved UK would be unrecognisable were it not for the labours of Gwynfor Evans over four decades. The central argument of this book is that Gwynfor Evans should be critically regarded as one of the three Welsh architects of post-war Wales. Whilst the lives of the other two key figures, Aneurin Bevan and Lloyd George, have been dispassionately chronicled, this is the first attempt to tell the complex and often tortured story of Gwynfor Evans."

Gwynfor Evans propelled Welsh politics onto the UK stage. He was one of the rare politicians to have forced Margaret Thatcher to make a U-turn, when he threatened a hunger strike to campaign for a Welsh-language TV channel, and was the winner of one of the most famous by-elections when he became Wales’ first nationalist MP. His leadership of the Welsh resistance against the flooding of Welsh valleys gained Plaid Cymru UK-wide publicity, and he is credited with paving the way for our post-devolution UK-politics.

The 500 page hardback book, Gwynfor Evans: Portrait of a Patriot is published by Y Lolfa. The original Welsh version won Welsh Book of the Year award in 2006 and Hywel Williams in The Guardian described Rhys Evans’s “sumptuous new biography” as a “major event”. It has also been described as a “masterpiece, both comprehensive and extremely interesting” by International Politics lecture Dr Richard Wyn Jones.

Author Rhys Evans was born in Carmarthen and raised in Aberystwyth. He graduated at Hertford College, Oxford where he studied Modern History. He’s been a journalist in Cardiff for more than a decade and is currently BBC Wales’ Deputy Head of News and Current Affairs.

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