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Jimmy Wilde - The Greatest Fighter of All Time ?
If you ask any boxing fan who they believe the greatest boxer of all time to be, some will prove endlessly popular draws - Muhammad Ali, Jack Johnson, Mike Tyson. Everybody has their favourites, but if you're talking pound for pound, and probably the hardest puncher the world has ever seen, one name stands head and shoulders above the rest, Jimmy Wilde, the ghost with the hammer in his hand. There will never be another one quite like him, born in Quakers Yard, South Wales in 1892, Jimmy began scrapping as a boy, and before he turned professional had beaten hundreds of opponents, many nearly double his size.
This in itself wasn't hard, for Jimmy's fighting weight was just 6st 10lbs. Whenever he entered the ring men laughed or abused the promoters, scared that this scrawny waif would get battered beyond recognition, maimed or even killed. By the time the bag of bones had finished his boxing career he was champion of the world, for years the biggest boxing celebrity in Europe (and the highest paid), the full list of his victories will never be known, Jimmy guessed he beat 864 - it's a good a guess as any. He was only beaten 4 times. On both sides of the Atlantic he became a legend.
HITTING AND STOPPING, HOW I WON 100 FIGHTS by Jimmy Wilde
Authorised Official Edition by PeerlessPress
Last year I decided it was important that we remember some part of the Jimmy Wilde phenomenon and to this end, I sought permission from the family of Jimmy Wilde to republish his first book, in which Wilde writes of his thoughts on boxing and the techniques that ensured that he won his first hundred fights by way of knockout.
The result is 'Hitting and Stopping, How I Won 100 Fights' which contains the original text of the book and much additional material and rare photographs. The book is currently available from amazon.co.uk in limited numbers, although I am making a special offer for those that would like to purchase a book from within the UK, and am making it available for 12.99 directly to customers with FREE shipping to anywhere in the United Kingdom.
If you are interested in securing a copy of this classic boxing book by Jimmy Wilde, please emailme at :
peerlesspress@gmail.com .
The book is also available for sale to buyers outside the UK, although shipping must be paid for for all non-UK orders. Email for detailsand shipping costs to your location.
A review of the book courtesy of Tracy Callis, the US based boxing historian of the International Boxing Research Organisation (IBRO) is below :
BOOK REVIEW by Tracy Callis - International Boxing Research Organisation
HITTING AND STOPPING - HOW I WON 100 FIGHTS By Jimmy Wilde
This book, HITTING AND STOPPING- HOW I WON 100 FIGHTS, about the fabulous flyweight champion, Jimmy Wilde, is an interesting and informative read. It has chapters written by the champ himself revealing his views and secrets of fisticuffs in the roped square. There are two major parts. The first has a preface, a very descriptive (wonderfully informative) introduction by Lawrence Davies, who edited the work, and the four chapters by Jimmy Wilde that entail 98 pages. The chapters are entitled Get In And Get Away, On Hitting, On Stopping, On Damaged Hands And Back Hand Punches.
After this is an Addendum that contains two works written by Jimmy that are named The Secret Of My Success and My Greatest Battle. Also, there is an article, How Wilde Developed His Skill, by Jim Driscoll and a work named Tales Of The Tylorstown Terror by Charles Barnett, a Welsh referee who officiated over many of Wilde's contests. Then, there is a brief section with Expert Opinions on Jimmy Wilde as a fighter. The men expressing their views of Jimmy as a fighter are Harold Alderman, J.G.H. Lynch, Fred Dartnell, Ted Lewis, Trevor Wignall, A.F. Bettinson and B. Bettinson, Charlie Rose, Denzil Batchelor, Viscount Knebworth, Eugene Corri, James Butler, Gilbert Odd, Norman Clark and Reg Gutteridge. This is a most knowledgeable collection of historians and boxing men evaluating one fighting man, but what a fighting man ! Jimmy's physical measurements follow this and then the career ring record of the man most often ranked as the greatest flyweight in boxing history is included at the end.
The book is easy reading with conversations, fight talk, boxing philosophy, fighting tips and instruction along with illustrated fight positions in rare photos of Jimmy.
All boxing fans know about the hitting prowess of Wilde. The amazing thing is just how he mustered the blasting technique with such a thin and non-muscular body. Nat Fleischer called him the #1 Flyweight in boxing history. Mike Casey, that splendid boxing historian and writer also identified Jimmy as the greatest flyweight in history. Gene Tunney called him "the greatest fighter I ever saw" and The Ring rated him as the #3 greatest puncher of all time.
Lawrence Davies is a Welsh boxing historian and author of the book 'Mountain Fighters, Lost Tales of Welsh Boxing' (Peerless Press, 2011), which explores the history and origins of the bare knuckle prize ring in Wales.
Here is a preliminary blurb :
For the first time in over half a century, Hitting and Stopping, the first book written by Jimmy Wilde, Flyweight Champion of the World has been re-published as a new, updated and expanded official edition :
'Jimmy Wilde was one of the greatest fighters the world has ever seen. He fought hundreds of times on the fairground boxing booths while still in his teens, often battling opponents nearly twice his size. Wilde went on to win his first 100 professional fights, most by way of knockout and defeated much larger men throughout his professional career. By 1916, Jimmy Wilde was universally acknowledged as the Flyweight Champion of the World, and held the title until 1923.
Wildes devastating punching power was such that he is regarded by The Ring magazine as being the third greatest puncher of all time. Boxing historian Nat Fleischer rated him as the No. 1 Flyweight in boxing history.
Jimmy Wilde was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990 and is today celebrated as one of the most gifted fighters to have stepped into the boxing ring. First published in 1914, Hitting and Stopping reveals the combative insights of a true boxing master. Jimmy Wilde explains the unorthodox methods and strategies that enabled him to emerge victorious on hundreds of occasions. Illustrated by many rare instructional photographs of Wilde demonstrating his techniques, this book is a must for any sports historian or boxing student hoping to understand the life and career of a man who was called The Ghost with a Hammer in his Hand due to his devastating punch and his uncanny skills in evading his opponents.This new official edition of Hitting and Stopping How I Won 100 Fights contains further additional written material and commentary as well as numerous photographs of Jimmy Wilde that have not been included in any previous edition.
Hitting and Stopping, How I Won 100 Fights by Jimmy Wilde Peerless Press
160 pages, softcover
Numerous photos, expert opinions of Jimmy Wilde, career record of Jimmy Wilde
ISBN : 9780957034211
Price: 12.99
This is interesting, informative and worth reading. Boxing fans who read this book will not be disappointed!!!
HITTING AND STOPPING HOW I WON 100 FIGHTS By Jimmy Wilde Review courtesy of Tracy Callis, Historian, International Boxing Research Organization
Remembering R.S.Thomas (1913 - 2000)
 | Celebrate R.S. Thomas's centenary with this excellent volume that draws together 52 poems (two previously unpublished) by Thomas to his wife, the distinguished artist Mildred E Eldridge - known as Elsi - from early meditations on their relationship to the elegies following her death.
This collection is edited by Damian Walford Davies and the foreword by Rowan Williams . This revelatory collection dramatises the changing dynamics of a complex and vitally creative relationship. Poems on marriage, cohabitation, birthdays, anniversaries, family and bereavement offer a candid portrait of emotional intimacy, desire, the painful process of ageing, and of loss. Elsi is a complex presence here: the 'to' in the title signifies not only 'addressed to' but also 'about', 'with an eye on', 'to be overheard by', and even in one case 'from'.Born in Cardiff on the 29th March 1913, this year will mark the 100th birthday of R.S.Thomas. Thomas and Elsi were married in 1940 and remained together until her death in 1991. Their son, Gwydion, was born 29 August 1945. Order your copy now at 9.99 or 7.99 if you are online book club member |
Do you subscribe to Poetry Wales?
 | Founded in 1965, Poetry Wales is a magazine with an international reputation for excellent poems, features and reviews from Wales and beyond. The forthcoming issue has poems by Carrie Etter, Damian Walford Davies and Duncan Bush as well as a feature on Dafydd ap Gwilym by Gwyneth Lewis and remembering the late Tony Conran. Single issue copies are only 5.50 and 20 for one year's UK subscription, including postage. With quarterly publication and high quality content this magazine is exceptionally good value. If you would like to read more, or purchase a copy please go to the Poetry Wales website |
On 31st March 1406, Owain Glyndwr composed the famous Pennal Letter to the French King, Charles VI, setting out his plans for an independent Wales. Pennal is a village on the north bank of the River Dyfi, near Machynlleth.
In the letter, Glyndwr asked for French help in his rebellion against English rule and called for recognition of Wales as an independent nation. He also stated his aims for establishing an independent Welsh church and university.
Glyndwr had been a loyal soldier for Henry IV of England and when in 1399 Henry did not support him in a dispute with Reginald de Grey, Lord of Ruthin, over land which de Grey had stolen from him, he rose up in rebellion on 16th September 1400, he rose up in rebellion, raised his standard outside Ruthin and was proclaimed Prince of Wales.
Thousands of Welsh people, angered by unjust English rule rose up with him, including Welsh students at Oxford and Welsh workers in England. Ruthin was attacked and the castles at Harlech and Aberystwyth were taken.
Henry retaliated by burning and looting across North Wales, forcing Glyndwr into the hills. Then in 1401, Glyndwr's supporters took Conwy Castle and he took the fight into Mid and South Wales, securing a significant victory at Pilleth near Knighton in June 1402, where he also captured the English leader Edmund Mortimer, who then became Glyndwr's ally.
By the end of 1403, Glyndwr was in control of most of Wales and in 1404 he called a parliament at Machynlleth in which he drew up treaties with France and Spain. The following year, Glyndwr made plans with Mortimer and Thomas Percy, earl of Northumberland and to partition the Kingdom of England and Wales with Mortimer taking South and West England, Percy taking the Midlands and North England and Glyndwr taking Wales and the Marches. Then in 1406 Glyndwr sent his famous letter to France.
The rebellion was now all out war, with the English launching attack after attack, which the Welsh defended by using hit and run guerilla tactics. However by 1415, the revolt was exhausted and Glyndwr forced into hiding. Glyndwr was offered and refused a royal pardon but was never betrayed and died uncaptured.
Born this day, 1944 in Caerwys, Flintshire
Myfanwy Talog , actress and long term partner of Sir David Jason.
Talog worked as a teacher before taking up an acting career, in which she appeared in the series Ryan and Ronnie and The Magnificent Evans with Ronnie Barker, she also did voices for Super Ted and the BFG episodes and sang the theme tune to Danger Mouse, which was narrated by David Jason. She died of breast cancer in 1995.
On 31st March 1920, the majority of the Welsh section of the Church of England became known as the Church in Wales.
The Church of England had been separated and disestablished in Wales and Monmouthshire by an act of parliament in 1914, which led to the creation of the Church in Wales. However, it's implementation was delayed until after the First World War and commenced on 31st March 1920. There were, however, a small number of churches within Wales, but close to the Wales - England border, that remained within the Church of England.
March 1944 saw the final air raid in Wales by the Luftwaffe.
The industrialised cities of Cardiff and Swansea bore the brunt of the attacks in Wales, with 355 people losing their lives in Cardiff and 227 in Swansea during an intense three-night raid in February 1941. However, there were also attacks in Caernarfonshire, which was on the flight path to Liverpool and Cwmparc in the Rhondda, where in April 1941 27 people were killed during a bombing raid.
Hywel Harris underwent a religious conversion on this day, 1735 while listening to a sermon by the Rev. Pryce Davies in Talgarth parish church. Harris then became one of the main driving forces of the Welsh Methodist revival in the 18th century.
Harris, who was born in Talgarth, Breconshire on January 24th 1714, had become a local schoolteacher and while listening to Pryce Davies's sermon, he came to the conviction that he had received mercy through the blood of Christ and converted to Methodism. Then, when failing to be accepted for ordination in the Church of England, he became a travelling preacher in mid and south Wales. William Williams, Pantycelyn was a follower of his.
He was a determined man of unshakeable beliefs, who was viewed as challenging the established order and provoked hostility, he and his fellow Methodists required considerable personal courage to carry on their ministry in the face of intimidation and violence, with one Methodist, William Seward being stoned to death at Hay-on-Wye in 1740.
Harris was effectively regarded as the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Wales, also known as the Calvinistic Methodist church and when he died, in 1773, twenty thousand people are said to have attended his funeral. Throughout his life, Harris kept a detailed diary, seen as a first eye witness of the Welsh Methodist revival, which is kept at the National Library of Wales. Coleg Trefeca nr Talgarth is a museum and conference centre dedicated to his memory.
Methodism is a branch of Protestant religion that originated in 1739 with the teachings of John Wesley. While studying at Oxford, Wesley and his brother Charles were instrumental in forming a group devoted to study, prayer and evangelistic preaching. They were given the name Methodist, because of their methodical approach to their religious affairs.
Because of their evangelistic methods, the Wesley brothers were barred from preaching in most Church of England churches, so they preached in homes, farm houses, barns and open fields and soon Methodism spread and eventually became an established religion.
On 30th March 1555, Rawlins White was burned at the stake on St Mary Street, outside Bethany Church. (Now part of the James Howell department store, where there is a plaque to his memory) for refusing to denounce his protestant faith.
Rawlins White was a fisherman from Cardiff who had become a devout Protestant in his late 50's and despite not being able to read and write, he had learnt large sections of the bible and begun to preach openly in Cardiff. However when Mary became Queen in 1553, Protestantism was suppressed and White who refused to stop preaching was arrested by the Bishop of Llandaff and sentenced to death by burning.
White who was determined to die bravely, broke down on his way to the stake when he saw his wife and children weeping uncontrollably. However, he regained his composure and struck his breast in defiance.
White then helped arrange the wood and hay for the fire, so he have a quick death and as the flames consumed him he shouted out to the large crowd, not to listen to a priest who was speaking the words of the liturgy and asked the Lord to receive his soul.
On 30th March 1555, Robert Ferrar, Bishop of St David's was executed by burning at Carmarthen.
Robert Ferrar, originally from Halifax, was an Augustinian monk at Nostell Priory, who because of the Augustinians policy of sending, at least, one monk from each of their houses to receive an education, became a student at Oxford University.
It was while at Oxford that he came under the influence of reformers and the works of Tindale. He was made prior of Nostell on his return, but still had sympathy for the protestant reformation, so that when the monastery was dissolved in 1539, he received a pension, eventually married and had three children. He was appointed the chaplain to Edward Seymour (the Lord Protector) and then Archbishop Cranmer.
Then in 1549, he was appointed as Bishop of St David’s, but came into conflict with his parishioners over his over-zealous policies and was imprisoned until Mary Tudor came to the throne.
Ferrar was now in difficulty as not only was he regarded as a protestant but also because he was married. Mary refused to recognise the legality of Ferrar’s marriage and he was deposed of his see. He was tried for heresy and found guilty. He refused to recant and was burned at the stake at Carmarthen on 30th March 1555. It is reported that he met his end with fortitude.
Born this day, 1973 in Cardiff
Mathew Pritchard, professional skateboarder and co-founder of the Dirty Sanchez crew.
Born this day, 1966 in Pontycymer, Bridgend
John Devereux, former Wales and Lions rugby union international and Wales and Great Britain rugby league international.
Born this day, 1913 in Cardiff.
R.S.Thomas - poet and priest who was noted for his nationalism, spirituality and deep dislike of the anglicisation of Wales. He was nominated for a Nobel Prize and awarded the Queen's Medal for Poetry. He is regarded as one of Wales's finest poets, with a career spanning fifty years, he was also a prolific campaigner on issues such as holiday homes, the Welsh language and nuclear disarmament.
Today is the feast day of St Gwynllyw.
Saint Gwynllyw, born c. 450 was King of Gwynllwg and an active and merciless warrior who in one raid accompanied by 300 men, abducted Gwladys, the beautiful daughter of King Brychan of Brycheiniog, with whom, he had a son, the famous Saint Cadoc.
To celebrate his son's birth Gwynllyw went on another raid stealing cattle from Caerwent. In adulthood, Cadoc was deeply religious and according to some sources, persuaded Gwynllyw to seek forgiveness for his sins and give up his life of violence.
Gwynllyw then had a dream in which an angel spoke to him and he saw a vision of a white ox. When he later saw the same ox as in his dream he founded a hermitage on the site of what is now St Woolos Cathedral on Stow Hill overlooking Newport.
On this day, 1461 the Battle of Towton occurred. It was an important battle during the War of the Roses.
The Battle and Welsh involvement
The Wars of the Roses were a series of civil wars between 1455 and 1485, that pitted the ruling Lancastrian monarchy against the house of York, they had arisen from the slow breakdown of English government under Henry VI, who, prone to bouts of mental illness, procrastinated on decision making, which resulted in factions being formed and enmities being deepened.
This drove Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, to assert his own claim to the throne, but when he was killed in December 1460, his son, the future Edward IV took up the fight.
* Wales played a central role in the War of the Roses, because many of the prominent figures, were of Welsh descent, or owned land in Wales. Wales in the 15th century was divided into two administrative entities.
1) The Principality of Wales, which was under the rule of the monarch and was divided into two groups of shires, centred at Carmarthen and Caernarvon and governed by a justiciar and chamberlain appointed by the crown.
2) The Marcher Lordships, in which each Lord had complete responsibility for government and neither Royal writs nor Royal officials, had any authority.
* The House of Lancaster had a blood connection from Henry VI's half-brothers, Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond and Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke and Lancastrian support was therefore strongest in the Principality.
* The House of York had a blood connection from Richard, Duke of York's maternal relatives, the Mortimers, who were one of the most powerful Marcher families. Edward IV was also the Mortimer heir, therefore, Yorkist support was strongest in the Marches.
The battle took place in snowy conditions, on a plateau between the villages of Towton and Saxton in Yorkshire, 12 miles south-west of York. It was the bloodiest ever fought on British soil, with casualties believed to have been in excess of twenty thousand which resulted in the fighting being frequently stopped to remove the dead bodies. The result was a crushing victory for the Yorkists and Edward IV.
On the 29th of March 1895, Dinas Oleu, a gorse-covered hillside in the Mawddach Estuary became the first property donated to the National Trust. The 4.5 acres of land containing rare species of plants and birds was given to the Trust by Mrs Fanny Talbot, a friend of Octavia Hill and Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley, two of the Trust's founders.
MEMORIES OF REVOLUTION Event 435 Sunday 2 June 2013, 4pm Venue: Digital Stage
Born this day, 1942 in Tredegar
Neil Gordon Kinnock - MP and Leader of the Labour Party, whose period as Leader of the Opposition between 1983 and 1992, was the longest in British political history to date.
Kinnock's grandfather and his political hero Aneurin Bevan were mining colleagues and after graduating from Cardiff University, he worked as a tutor for four years before becoming involved in politics, In 1970 he became Labour MP for Bedwellty and in 1983, he became the only Welsh leader of the Labour party, to date.
Despite a heavy defeat to Margaret Thatcher in 1987, the party kept faith with Kinnock and after Thatcher's resignation, Kinnock held the edge in the close-fought campaign of 1992, until the tabloid press pulled out all the stops, branding Kinnock as a Welsh windbag who would open the floodgates to left wing extremism. His subsequent defeat at the election spelt the end of his career in frontline British politics and he became a European Commissioner.
Neil Kinnock’s big speeches were always intensely emotional, such as his pre-election speech at Cardiff in 1987, which moved many party stalwarts to tears.
Born this day, 1981 in Bettws, Newport.
Gareth David-Lloyd - actor best known for his role as Ianto Jones in the British science fiction television programme Torchwood.
Born this day 1833 in Laugharne
Edward Wienholt, Australian pastoralist and politician.
Wienholt arrived in Queensland in 1853, where he and his partners rapidly built up one of Australia's largest pastoral empires, owning 289,966 acres by 1888. He also became involved in local politics and had a district in Murgon and a parish near Dalby named after him.
Pastoralism
Pastoralism is the branch of agriculture concerned with the raising of livestock and moving the herds in search of fresh pasture and water.
Despite the intention of Australia's founding fathers to encourage agriculture in the colony, pastoralism developed well before farming, with the introduction of sheep, cows and goats in 1836. However this development came at a cost to the native Aborigines, whose initial response was friendly and curious, but as competition for water and land between the indigenous people and cattlemen increased and the arrival of European diseases such as smallpox, measles and influenza swept from one Aboriginal camp to another, the Aboriginal response became fearful and violent, resulting in Aborigines being generally pushed into reserves or missions.
Captain Stephen Halden Beattie from Montgomery, a lieutenant-commander in the Royal Navy was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions at the St. Nazaire Raid, which took place on 28th March 1942 during the Second World War.
Beattie was in command of the destroyer HMS Campbeltown, which under intense fire, he deliberately rammed into the dock gates of the Normandie dry dock. The ship had been packed with timed explosives, which took the dock out of action and afterwards, forced German warships to return to home waters for repairs .
'When Kids Could Play Outside' - An Interview With Welsh Author Paul Mansell
By Ceri Shaw, 2013-03-27
Americymru spoke to Welsh author Paul Mansell about his first book, When Kids Could Play Outside. The book is set in the Cynon valley in the 1970's and offers a colorful picture of teenage life in the valleys in that decade. The book ( in electronic form ) can be purchased from the Americymru bookstorehere:- 'When Kids Could Play Outside'
Americymru: Hi Paul and many thanks for agreeing to speak to Americymru. Care to introduce your book 'When Kids Could Play Outside' for our readers?
Paul: Hi Ceri firstly many thanks for the opportunity and I hope you enjoyed the book.
When Tom, a 43-year-old man, goes on a quiet bicycle ride in the Cotswold, little does he expect that his life will soon be changed forever. Suddenly, he has a terrible accident and lies dying in a damp, cold forest, but when he takes his final breath, instead of passing over to the other side, he is reborn in the 1970s.
He gets a second chance and lives his life all over again as a 8-year-old boy. What ensues is a fast and furious account of growing up in the 70s, in a time with very little rules or restrictions, and when playing outside was an education in its own right.
Playing hard was a test of true character and survival where nothing was off-limits.
Tom relives an era full of danger and competitiveness, when pranks were the order of the day, and children experienced freedom and fun that the modern generation has been deprived of.
When Kids Could Play Outside will transport readers back to a time when computer games and the internet were still in their infancy, and childrens idea of fun was a simple outdoor adventure. This is a must read for those lucky enough to have grown up in the 70s, those who had to discover who they were the hard way.
Paul: The Cynon Valley and the beautiful countryside which surrounds it is nestled between The Merthyr and Rhondda Valleys, The Cynon Valley is situated within easy reach of the cities of Cardiff and Swansea and very close to the Brecon Beacons National Park.
Renowned for it's coal mining history, hospitality and beautiful scenery, the small village which I wrote about in the book Penycynon (name change) is only a stone throw from Pontypridd (the land of the voice) Tom Jones,
Americymru; In what way are conditions different for kids growing up in the 21st century? Are they missing out on something? If so, what?
Paul: For me the children of today have been deprived of so much fun and freedom due to ridiculous health and safety laws, hundreds of TV channels, Mobile phones, PC and internet.
If you recorded the top 40 off the radio, made a den, used jumpers for goal posts, got grounded if you were late, vandalised your school desk with a compass, climbed trees, made bows and arrows, rode a chopper bicycle, bought a 10 sweets mix for 10p, only had 4 TV channels, you must have been a Seventies kid !
Americymru: Where can people find your book online?
Paul: When kids could play outside can be found on Amazon - When Kids Could Play Outside
Americymru: 'When Kids Could Play Outside' is your first book. What's next for Paul Mansell? Any new works in the pipeline?
Paul: Well believe it or not I have just completed another chapter for 'Kids' named "Billy the Kid" which is about CB radio's, scrumping apples, sliding down grass embankments on cardboard sheets and entering the Miners show room to get my father.
I have started my second book, which is another true story about my father starting work in the South Wales coal mines at the age of fifteen but progress has been slow and it could take a few years to complete.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the members and readers of AmeriCymru?
Paul: After last weeks brilliant performance against the English, you realise that no amount of time away from Wales can make you forget where you're coming from ! So be proud to be Welsh! You can take the boy out of the valley but you'll never take the valley out of the boy!
March 1997 saw the launch of the "Welsh Language in Chubut" project, which was aimed at promoting and developing the Welsh language in the Chubut region of Patagonia in Argentina.
The initiative, which is funded by the Welsh Government, Cymdeithas Cymru-Ariannin (the Wales Argentina Society) and British Council Wales involves the appointment of a permanent teaching co-ordinator and three development officers in Patagonia, tasked with encouraging the use of Welsh, through both formal education and social activities.
A number of Patagonian Welsh language teachers are also funded in travelling to Wales to attend Welsh language courses and to participate in school observation visits.
Born this day 1950 in Cardiff.
Terry Yorath , former Wales soccer international, who captained the national side on 42 occasions. He was also a key member of Leeds United's championship-winning side in the 1973–74 season.
Born this day, 1912 in Portsmouth.
James Callaghan , who was a Cardiff MP for 42 years and Prime Minister from 1976 to 1979.
Callaghan joined the Labour Party in 1931 and was an active trade unionist, before becoming MP for Cardiff South in 1945.
He is to date the only politician in history to have served as Chancellor of the Exchequer, Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister. In 1983, he became the father of the house as the longest-serving MP and in a knight of the garter in 1987.
Josiah Boydell who died 27 March 1817 was a British publisher and painter, whose main achievement was the establishment of the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery.
Boydell was born 18 January 1752 in Hawarden, Flintshire and at the age of 14, moved to London to begin a seven-year apprenticeship to his uncle, John Boydell, during which time, he learned painting and mezzotint engraving.
Boydell went on to exhibit his work at the Royal Academy and drew a picture collection of Sir Robert Walpole prior to their export to Catherine the Great of Russia.
Released on 27th March 2013, Danny Boyle's film 'Trance' features music by Ammanford-born Rick Smith from the Cardiff band Underworld.
Underworld were also chosen to direct the music for the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics and also contributed two original tracks "And I Will Kiss" and "Caliban's Dream", for which they were awarded the 2012 Q Award for Innovation.
