How many Reservoirs are there in the Elan Valley?

Oddly there could be several different answers!

To clear one thing up from the outset, I shall say we will include the 2 reservoirs in the Claerwen valley as being a part of the Elan Valley scheme.

In the original plans in the 19th century there were to be a total of 7 Dams, 4 in the Elan Valley and 3 in the Claerwen valley. However, of the 3 in the Claerwen valley only the foundations of the first one was built, Dolymynych. It was intended that 2 more dams would be built at a later date, but these plans were replaced in the 1940's with the much bigger scheme to build the Claerwen dam whose capacity is similar to the whole of the rest of the reservoir system put together.

Here is a description of the dams in the Elan valley scheme, from the top of the Elan river valley.

Craig Goch Dam has the rather picturesque bridge across it, and loos are available at the head of the railway track /cycle path where there are views over the Pen y Garreg reservoir. At the head of the reservoir is Pont Elan, possibly the remotest location for a traditional annual show and sheep dog trials, up stream of here is a rare example of river meanders in an upland setting, and dramatic glacial deposits at the foot of side valleys, clearly seen along side the road to Cwmystwyth.

Craig Goch Dam.

Pen y Garreg reservoir has an island that would not look out of place on a Scottish Loch and the Dam has a central tower which can be visited by walking along inside the Dam, on Dam open days when donations are collected for 'water aid'. Nearby are the Penbont house tea rooms and B+B. Below the dam are a selection of woodland walks.

Autumn in the Elan Valley - Pen y Garreg reservoir with its Island.

Garreg Ddu dam is hidden under water, below the road bridge between the Foel tower and the Nantgwyllt church. Its purpose is to maintain a minimum water level at the Foel tower, the outflow of the scheme to carry water to Birmingham. In exceptionally dry weather the level in Caban Coch Reservoir can fall low enough to expose Garreg Ddu dam, and it is only then that these 2 reservoirs appear to be separate bodies of water, normally they could be seen as being 1 reservoir.

Garreg ddu dam at a time of exceptionally low water. The water in the foreground is Carreg Goch reservoir. (picture from Wikipedia).

Caban Coch Dam is the first dam that most people would see approaching from Rhayader and the visitor centre, it is the largest of the original dams and there is a huge quarry beside it where stone was taken for in - fill for the construction of the Dams, the local stone was too hard for masons to work so stone was brought in from quarries in south Wales for the facing stones, every one of which is carefully dressed.

In the Claerwen Valley, the Dolymynach dam was begun in the 1890's so that water from the Clearwen river could be directed along a tunnel to just 'up stream' of the Garreg Ddu dam in the Elan Valley, to supply the Foel tower outflow. It was never intended to be completed at the time of the original scheme, but literally laid the foundations for expansion as and when it should be needed. As plans later changed, this means Dolymynych is the one body of water in the valley which always maintains the same level, benefiting wildlife with wetland areas at its fringes,and saving several farms from flooding.

In the 1940's it was decided that a single much larger dam could be built higher up the valley, instead of the 3 that were planned 50 years before. The Clearwen dam was built in a similar style to the older dams and has a bridge over the top. The reservoir floods an upland valley that would have been largely similar in appearance to the upper part of the Elan valley.

The View from Claerwen Dam.

There is another dam which has an unusual place in history, in fact just the remains of Nant Y Grow Dam now exist, there is now no reservoir as such. Originally built for a water supply for Elan village and the work shops during construction, it was blown up in the second world war as a part of the preparations for the Dambusters raids.

So there are 6 Dams, including Garreg Ddu - the one which is almost always submerged by the combined waters of Caban coch and Garreg Ddu reservoirs and including Dolymynych which is really only the foundations of an unfinished dam, but not including the remains of Nant y Grow Dam.

Since 1997 each Dam has been producing hydro electricity from turbines built at the base of the dams.

The question was "how many reservoirs?" and you may have noticed I have answered with the number of dams. The number of reservoirs could be said to depend upon the level of Caban coch / Garreg Ddu, but we'll count it as 2. So there are 6 Reservoirs; Craig Goch, Pen Y Garreg, Garreg Ddu, Caban Coch, with Doly y Mynych and Claerwen in the Claerwen valley.

In the 1970's, plans were made to massively increase the size of Craig Goch. This would have been such a massive dam it would have again roughly doubled the size of the whole scheme, dwarfing Claerwen and requiring a second dam to capture waters flowing into the upper Ystwyth to the North west. The plans were abandoned as projections for water requirements reduced and with increasing awareness of environmental issues.

For more information visit http://www.elanvalley.org.uk/dams-reservoirs/

If you are thinking of visiting Wales, contact www.cambriansafaris.co.uk and www.facebook.com/cambriansafaris

Able Seaman Richard Morgan died on Armistice Day, 11 November 1918 while serving on the destroyer HMS Garland. He was 26 years old. He was probably the last British Serviceman to die in the First World War. He is buried in the village of Defauden in Monmouthshire and is one of 40,000 Welsh servicemen to be killed during the conflict.  

On 11th November 1294, Madog ap Llywelyn defeated the forces of the earl of Lincoln in a pitched battle near Denbigh during the Welsh revolt of 1294-95 against English rule. 

After the death of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd in 1282, Edward I hoped that Wales would be pacified.  He had introduced the English shire system and English laws in The Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284 and poured an enormous amount of money and effort into both the rebuilding of damaged castles and the construction of new ones.  The Welsh, however, resented English rule and rebelled  unsuccessfully in 1287 and 1288. Welsh resentment fomented in 1294 when the demand for an unpopular tax was coupled with the conscription of Welsh troops for Edward's campaign in Gascony.

30th September 1294 -  Welsh soldiers assembling at Shrewsbury, due to march to Portsmouth for Edward’s campaign in Gascony, mutinied and killed their English officers. The rebels rallied around a distant cousin of Llywelyn, Madog ap Llywelyn and very soon every important Welsh castle was under siege.  

October 1294 - Edward  mustered an army at his customary base of Worcester to send reinforcements to a besieged Brecon Castle and the area south of Cardiff.

11th November 1294 - Madog ap Llywelyn defeated the forces of the earl of Lincoln in a pitched battle near Denbigh.

5th December 1294 -  Edward led an army to Wrexham, carrying the fight to the Welsh, who had  managed to push the English out of northern Wales into the city of Chester.As many as 10,000 rebels surrendered and were pardoned on condition that they serve the king in France. Madog however, managed to convince his followers that it was better to die defending their homeland than to die on foreign soil.

19th December 1294 - The Penmachno Document was drawn up by Madog ap Llywelyn at the height of his revolt against English rule. It is the only surviving document  in which Madog refers to himself as the prince of Wales.  

24th December 1294 -  Edward was joined at his new castle on the Conway Estuary by Reginald de Gray’s force of 11,000 men.

12th January 1295 - Edward sacked the town of Nefyn.  On the return journey, his troops were ambushed by Welsh forces near Bangor who retook the booty they had taken from the town. The King and most of his force survived and made it back to Conway, but were besieged, and because the rough winter seas prevented any fresh supplies from reaching the castle, they were forced to live off  salted fish and water flavoured with honey.

March 1295 - Madog led his army eastwards to threaten Shrewsbury and camped at  Maes Moydog, near Montgomery.  English spies raced to inform the commander of the central force, William de Beauchamp, of  Madog's location and Beauchamp  together with 2500 men from the nearby English town of Oswestry  approached the Welsh camp. 

5th March 1295 -  England and Wales did battle for the final time, at Maes Moydog. The Welsh  managed to repel the first English charge, but in response Beauchamp used archers to produce gaps in the lines of Welsh spearmen, allowing the English knights to smash their way through the line and rout the Welsh army. The English lost just 90 men, the Welsh 700.

10th March 1295 -  Edward detailed a small force of archers and knights to make a midnight sortie against the remnants of the Welsh camp. The Welsh lost another 500 men.

15th April 1295 -  Edward sent a force to occupy Anglesey and ordered the construction of Beaumaris Castle.  
Madog managed to escape, but the destruction of his army brought an end to the Welsh War.  Edward, triumphantly toured Wales, demanding surrender and allegiance. Madog became a fugitive, eventually surrendering and being imprisoned in the Tower of London for the remainder of his life.   

On 11th November 1854, the Ballarat Reform League was formed in Victoria, Australia, chaired by John Basson Humffray from Newtown, Montgomeryshire. He had been active in the Chartist movement before emigrating to the Victorian goldfields. He was prominent  in the Eureka Rebellion in 1854, being one of the leaders who campaigned for the diggers' rights, but he was essentially a man of peace who was not in favour of  physical force. 

The Eureka Rebellion resulted in the deaths of at least 27 people, most of whom were rebels. It was an episode of civilian disobedience in the Ballarat region during the Victorian gold rush and is commonly identified with the birth of democracy in Australia. 

Born on this day 1941 in Rhigos

 Dai Morris played rugby for Wales during the 1970s. A coal miner, he would often play rugby after completing a shift underground.

In one season alone he scored 22 tries for Glynneath, he played for Neath in over 400 matches and won 34 caps for Wales before dedicating himself to Rhigos RFC, his home village rugby club.

One of his closest friends, Max Boyce, said of him;

"He was one of the quietest, unassuming stars of Welsh rugby. In rugby terms, he is the definitive working-class hero and is one of the greatest players to wear the Welsh jersey.  Perhaps there have been more celebrated players in the history of Welsh rugby, but none that is more respected than this gentleman of rugby who's affectionately known to all as Dai."

In 2002, Dai was voted into an all-time greatest Welsh XV at the blindside flanker position.  

Born Mary Anne Evans in Tongwynlais near Cardiff, Mary Anne Disraeli, 1st Viscountess Beaconsfield (11 November 1792–15 December 1872) was a society figure, married to Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli. 

She was an unconventional and outspoken character who often scandalised staid society with her outrageous remarks, although Queen Victoria herself is said to have been often amused by her witticism. Her outward manner belied her shrewdness and intelligence, as she assisted her husband in writing and editing his books.

She is buried with Disraeli in the Church of St Michael and All Angels at Hughenden, close to the Disraeli family home in Buckinghamshire. The house, now open to the public, has been preserved as it was while occupied by the Disraelis.  

On 11th November 1978, Graham Mourie's New Zealand side beat Wales 13-12 at Cardiff Arms Park following a controversial last-minute penalty kicked by Brian McKechnie.

Wales was leading by two points with seconds left to play when New Zealand's Andy Haden threw himself out of the line out in a bid to gain a penalty.

The Kiwi captain later admitted that he had suggested the idea to Haden before the match. "I know that some of the players later regretted it and their part in it, but it was equally true that in that crucial, unforgiving minute in the searing heat of Cardiff Arms Park the match was won and the tour continued to its climax." 

Roy Bergiers (born 11 November 1950 in Carmarthen) is a former Welsh international rugby union player. He toured South Africa with the British Lions in 1974 and played club rugby for Llanelli.  He is best remembered for scoring the only  when Llanelli beat the All Blacks 9-3 at Stradey Park on 31 October 1972 in one of Welsh rugby's proudest moments.  

Labour politician Roy Jenkins was born in Abersychan, Monmouthshire, on 11th November, 1920.

After attending Abersychan Grammar School and Balliol College Oxford, Jenkins served in the Royal Artillery during WWII and also worked as a codebreaker at Bletchley Park. Following in the footsteps of his father, Arthur Jenkins, who was Labour MP for Pontypool, Jenkins was elected to the House of Commons in 1948, representing first Central Southwark, then Stechford in Birmingham. After the Labour Party won the 1964 GeneraI Election, Harold Wilson appointed him as aviation minister, and the following year, Jenkins became home secretary, facilitating the passing of private members' bills that legalized homosexuality and abortion. After Labour won the 1974 General Election, Jenkins once again became Home Secretary, leading a successful campaign for membership of the European Economic Community. He left the House of Commons in 1977 to become president of the European Commission in Brussels, where he advocated the idea of European monetary union, laying the foundation for the single currency adopted in 2002. In 1981, he joined Shirley Williams and David Owen in establishing the Social Democratic Party (SDP). As leader of the new party, he returned to the House of Commons in 1982 as MP for Glasgow Hillhead, although he was to lose his seat in 1987.

When he retired, Jenkins published several books including an autobiography, A Life At The Centre (1991) and two biographies, Gladstone (1995) and Churchill (2001). He died on 5th January 2003.

This is one of the best books I've ever read: Leap the Wild Water, by Jenny Lloyd. It's historical fiction set in rural,19th century Wales. Available in paperback and for Kindle.

Megan Jones tries to carve a life of her own, in a community where women are neither equal nor free. Her brother, Morgan, is a man in torment; his Mam has died and he is now desperate to make amends for the terrible wrongs he has done. But what if doing the right thing would lead to his sister's ruin? As Morgan wrestles with his conscience, Megan's past begins to catch up with her and threatens to destroy her life. Set in early 19th century Wales, Leap the Wild Water is a dark tale of treachery, secrets, and what it means to be free. From shifting viewpoints, the stories of Megan and Morgan unfold towards a terrifying conclusion.

Leap the Wild Water on Amazon

Born Richard Walter Jenkins on November 10, 1925, in Pontrhydfen, South Wales, Richard Burton became an acclaimed actor of stage and screen, appearing in over 40 films. He earned seven Oscar nominations for films including Equus, The Robe, Becket and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. He married Elizabeth Taylor in 1964, a stormy relationship that resulted in marriage, remarriage and two divorces. Burton died in Switzerland, on August 5, 1984. 

He was the son of a coal miner, a twelfth child whose mother died when he was two years old. A local teacher, Philip Burton, became his guardian and encouraged the boy into acting and the theatre. Jenkins adopted Burton as his surname, won an Oxford scholarship and served in the Air Force during WWII. After leaving the forces in 1947, he resumed his stage acting career, appearing in The Lady’s Not for Burning with Sir John Gielgud. Burton made his film debut in 1949 in The Last Days of Dolwyn. He married actress Sybil Williams and had two daughters. 

 Burton met Elizabeth Taylor on the set of Cleopatra (1963), and although each was married at the time, they began a tempestuous relationship that was to provide ample media interest in the years to come. They made 11 films together, including Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) and The Taming of the Shrew (1967). Burton appeared in Hamlet on Broadway in a 1964 production directed by Gielgud and continued to appear in films.

After a divorce, remarriage and a second divorce from Taylor, Burton married model Suzy Hunt in 1976. During the 1970s, Burton continued to make films, including Brief Encounter (1975) and was nominated for his seventh Oscar for his role in the 1977 drama Equus. 

In 1983, he and Taylor returned to working together for the Noel Coward theatrical work Private Lives. Burton's last film was an adaptation of George Orwell's 1984. Burton died from a brain haemorrhage in his Swiss home onAugust 5, 1984, at the age of 58.   

   "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" the now-famous greeting, was allegedly uttered by Henry Morton Stanley on 10th November 1871, upon finding missionary and explorer David Livingstone. 

Born as John Rowlands in Denbigh (28 January 1841 – 10 May 1904), Stanley was a journalist and explorer famous for his exploration of central Africa and his search for Livingstone. He was knighted in 1899. 

After a period in St. Asaph Union Workhouse for the poor, he travelled to the United States in 1859 where he was befriended by Henry Hope Stanley, a wealthy trader whose name he eventually adopted. During the American Civil War, he fought first for the Confederate Army in the Battle of Shiloh in 1862. After being taken prisoner, he joined the Union Army, then served on several merchant ships before joining the Navy in July 1864.

 When the war ended, Stanley became a journalist, organising an abortive expedition to the Ottoman Empire during which Stanley was imprisoned. He talked his way out of jail and was even compensated for damage to expedition equipment.

He travelled widely in Asia as an overseas correspondent for the newly-established New York Herald and in 1869, Stanley was given the task of finding the Scottish missionary and explorer David Livingstone, who had travelled to Africa but had not been heard from for some time. 

Stanley travelled to Zanzibar and kitted an expedition accompanied by 200 porters. During the 700-mile expedition through the tropical forest, his horse died after a bite from a tsetse fly, many of his porters abandoned him and most who remained were stricken with tropical diseases. On 10th November 1871, Stanley came across Livingstone near Lake Tanganyika in what is now Tanzania, greeting him, reputedly, with "Doctor Livingstone, I presume?"  Stanley joined Livingstone's exploration of the region, and wrote a book about his adventures on his return, entitled "How I Found Livingstone; travels, adventures, and discoveries in Central Africa".

Giro City, is a November 1982 film which was written and directed by Karl Francis, the renowned former journalist and film-maker from Bedwas, near Caerphilly. 

 Also known by the title And Nothing But the Truth, the film is a blistering indictment of government-sanctioned corruption, as well as the "facts of life" of the television industry.  

Today is the feast day of St Elaeth 

Elaeth (sometimes recorded as Eleth), now venerated as a saint, was a British king and poet from the 6th century. He was ousted from his lands in the north of Britain and retreated to Anglesey, where he sought refuge at the monastery run by St Seiriol at Penmon.  Some fragments of religious poetry from the period have been ascribed to him, and it is widely held that he founded St Eleth's Church near Amlwch, on Anglesey. 

Maria Jane Williams (died 10 November 1873) was a 19th-century Welsh musician and folklorist. She was born in Glynneath in 1794 at Aberpergwm House.

She received a good education, was a fervent supporter of the Welsh language and Welsh traditions and was a gifted musician. She was renowned for her singing and acquired the name ‘Llinos’ (the Welsh word for linnet).

In 1844, she published a collection of Welsh airs entitled 'The Ancient National Airs of Gwent and Morgannwg’, which has been acknowledged as a significant contribution to the knowledge of traditional Welsh music.

Robert Nicholas Jones (born 10 November 1965 at Trebanos) is a Welsh rugby union coach and former player. During his playing career, he was capped 54 times for Wales. He joins Mike Phillips, Dwayne Peel, Gareth Edwards and Rob Howley as the only scrum half players to have been awarded more than 50 caps for Wales.

Dylan Marlais Thomas died on November 9, 1953 while on a lecture tour of America. 

It had been an arduous tour, and Thomas had been liberally entertained by his hosts. He had been drinking heavily on the night he died in the White Horse pub in Greenwich Village, New York. When he eventually returned to his hotel he was in great pain and called for a doctor. He was given a large dose of morphine sulphate, after which Thomas lapsed into a coma. Apparently, his last words were: "I've had 18 straight whiskies......I think that's the record." His death, at 39 years of age, was tragically premature. He is buried in Laugharne, Carmarthenshire.  

Bryn Terfel Jones CBE (born 9 November 1965) is an internationally renowned Welsh bass-baritone opera and concert singer. 

Bryn Terfel, as he is popularly known, was born in Pant Glas, Caernarfonshire and is the son of a farmer. His first language is Welsh. Since his operatic debut in 1990 he has performed in great opera houses around the world, and is famed for his versatility and vocal range. He has won countless awards and honours, including a CBE in 2002 and was awarded the Queen's Medal for Music in 2006.

Despite international acclaim, Bryn Terfel continues to be committed to Wales, the Welsh language and Welsh culture. He is President of the Welsh homelessness charity Shelter Cymru and is Patron of Bobath Children's Therapy Centre Wales, a charity based in Cardiff which provides specialist  therapy to children with cerebral palsy.  

1910 Miners' Strike.

On 9th November 1910 troops were used in Porth near Pontypridd to disperse demonstrations by striking miners. Contingents were also sent to patrol Aberaman and Llwynypia. There are no verified records of casualties since most of the miners would not have reported their injuries for fear of reprisals, but it is estimated that over 500 citizens, including women and children, sustained injury. Miner Samuel Rhys died of head injuries, allegedly inflicted by a policeman's baton.   

The Battle of Holt Bridge 9th November 1643

Holt Bridge, a listed monument, is constructed of local red sandstone. The nine arched structure is on the English border, near Wrexham. The third arch has two arch rings, where a gatehouse and drawbridge were situated which defended the town of Holt. Its border location made it a strategic target during the Civil War, and a battle was fought here on 9th November 1643. The bridge and the town were taken by Parliamentarian forces, although Holt Castle was successfully defended by the Royalists.    

Rosemarie Frankland (May 17, 1943 - December 2, 2000) was a Welsh beauty pageant contestant, from Rhosllannerchrugog, Wrexham, who on 9th November 1961became the first British woman to win the Miss World title.

.....apologies for that. BUT you can still check out new content on AmeriCymru -

Phil Rowlands:-

When Our Characters Confront Us

Huw Llywelyn Rees:-

8th November

And don't forget the latest addition to the Welsh American Bookstore:-

Of all the great international tries scored by Wales, which is the best?

Artfinder have chosen one of my paintings to feature in their Art of the Day , hope you like it.

Every major city in the world is haunted by an unwanted underclass largely ignored by the rest of us like some secret shame.They are shadows in a dark room passing their days in a twilight world that exists somewhere between the living and the dead.

The great Victorian novelist Charles Dickens was one of the first authors to focus the light of his literary genius on their miserable existence. His social conscience would not allow him to pass by on the other side.

However it is one thing to wax lyrical about the homeless and destitute but quite another to be confronted with their plight first hand as I was to discover on my recent visit to Portland, Oregon. It was my first visit to America and during the drive from the airport I caught sight of an individual staggering from a store clutching a paper bag. Gaabriel, my host, explained that homelessness was a problem within most American cities and Portland was no exception. Where Portland stood in stark contrast to many others was the liberal stance it took towards this unfortunate section of society. Many States employ aggressive measures to clear their streets of the Great Unwanted and although there is no Government or State support for these individuals at least Portland has a Mission where fortunate individuals can get a bed and a roof for the night.

It is human nature to pass judgement on others. Most of us cannot help wonder how anyone gets to end up living on the streets. Hopefully very few of us hold the same views as those expressed by one of my characters, Ebenezer Clinton Scrooge III. Arriving at the steps of his Manhattan headquarters he is confronted by a less affluent member of New York City society.

" Scroogesmiled, this was no hired assassin sent on a mission to destroy only a common beggar chancing his arm, or what remained of it. A diseased symptom of the times. New York was infested with such hopelessindividuals seeking solace and oblivion in alcohol or drugs, authors of their own destruction, and as such deserving of no sympathy or special favours. Still they never usually surfaced in this district preferring insteadto haunt the more stagnant cess-pits of the city. Perhaps the fact it was Christmas Eve had emboldened this particular specimen into venturing further afield in the false hope that honest citizens would be moreinclined to lunatic displays of charity many being so imbued with festive spirits they would carelessly part with their hard earned dollars." ( A Christmas Carol Revisited ).

This is the dark side of the American Dream. Every good Doctor Jekyll has his own Mr Hyde to some degree or another. Perhaps it is how we react to the darkness that defines us as individuals and nations. Or is it if we are even prepared to confront that darkness in our society and in our selves? The 'hopeless individual' in the story is called Stephen, the 'hopeless individual' who confronted me on the streets of Portland was called Arnold.

We were down town waiting for a bus when Arnold approached. He was obviously distressed. Apparently he had been attempting to gain access to one of the toilets in the city precincts. It was locked and from what we could understand Arnold had been forcibly removed because he kept complaining that someone had hurt his arm. I learnt later that it was common practice to lock the toilets as they were in constant danger of being commandeered by the likes of Arnold on the lookout for somewhere dry and secure to sleep. It was also obvious Arnold had significant mental health issues. He insisted we call the cops otherwise he would kill someone.

I don't think anyone felt threatened but we all felt uncomfortable. I pretended to phone the cops but Arnold wasn't fooled for a second. Eventually the bus arrived and we got on board. Arnold followed. It soon became obvious Arnold was going nowhere until someone called the cops. As he became more distressed so his threats became more extravagant to the point he was now prepared to kill everyone on the bus. People began to get off not because they felt threatened but because they realised it would probably be quicker to walk home. Throughout the whole incident the lady bus driver spoke soothingly to Arnold and even provided him with a drink. Her compassionate attitude had a marked impact upon Arnold who became an increasingly less threatening yet more tragic figure by the minute. Eventually Arnold got his wish and the cops arrived.

'Street Roots' is a paper sold by the homeless on the streets and is Portland's version of the 'Big Issue'. The lead story the week I was there was regarding the way certain States were dealing with the problem of homeless people with mental health issues. Their solution was to provide these vulnerable individuals with enough food and money for a few days and a bus ticket to some place else. There they would duly arrive with no contacts or support and whatever provision they had left. Problem solved. It staggers me that large sections of American society still oppose ObamaCare.

It was with a sense of relief that we watched Arnold being escorted away. He was obviously known to the local police who dealt with him courteously and gently. Whether he got a nice dry, warm cell for the night is another matter. My thoughts often return to Arnold and I wonder how he possibly survives life on the streets. Could I have done more to help? There is a gulf between feeling compassion at some general esoteric level and acting upon that compassion at the subjective level of reality. If I am honest, Arnold was a burden I did not want to bear. He was not my responsibility after all. Like the Pharisee I shuffled by on the other side. It is not always a comfortable experience when our characters turn up on our doorstep.

The Tonypandy riots started on 7th November 1910 and continued unabated for almost two days. They involved violent clashes between striking miners and the Glamorgan Constabulary, reinforced by both the Bristol and Metropolitan police forces. Home Secretary Winston Churchill also sent in troops to the area to reinforce the police shortly after the riot, a decision that caused ill feeling towards him in south Wales.

The strike ground on for several months although the violence of the initial riots in Tonypandy was rarely repeated and finally ended in August 1911. It left bitter scars in the Rhondda, particularly as the miners were forced to return to work after agreeing to a paltry sum for the coal extracted. Churchill was, until his dying day, reviled by many as "the man who sent in the troops", and remains unpopular in the South Wales valleys to this day.

"Big Ben" is named after a Welshman.

Born on this day 1802, Sir Benjamin Hall, 1st Baron Llanover, a politician who as First Commissioner of Works was responsible for Government building projects. This included the rebuilding of the Houses of Parliament and the installation of the hour bell, "Big Ben", in the clock tower. The nickname "Big Ben" was given to the Great Bell in honour of Sir Benjamin, whose name is inscribed on it.

As MP for Monmouth, Sir Benjamin campaigned to have religious services in Welsh. He was also outspoken on the issue of the state of the Anglican church in Wales and deplored the exploitation of church revenues. He was married to Augusta Waddington, better known as Lady Llanover, the well known patron of the Welsh arts.

Born on this day 1986 in Newport.