This blog started out to cover snippets of Radnorshire history - basically to show that the county was part and parcel of mainstream Wales and not, for example, as this offering would have it: "neither in Wales nor England, but simply Radnorshire." Well-meaning perhaps, but for me comments like this just play into the hands of our ill-wishers and have no real basis in historical fact.
Occasionally I've allowed myself a rant about some contemporary issue or other and this is probably why my blog got listed on Blog Wales, where it rubs shoulders with more mainstream political offerings. I feel a bit embarrassed by this. Do my new readers really want to be informed about some minutiae from Radnorshire's past? I'm tempted to tailor my material to suit the new audience but that's not really on. So apologies to anyone expecting a Radnorian take on NHS reform or Climate Change.
Over the years I've posted a lot about the Rebecca Riots in Radnorshire. Whereas in most of Wales these actions were done and dusted by the 1840s, in western Radnorshire they continued throughout the Victorian period and even as late as the 1930s. Tory magistrates thought better of convicting the Rebeccaites while Edwardian Liberal politicians found it expedient to praise them. Aimed mainly at the fishery laws, Rebecca's activities also encompassed actions against evictions and enclosures, over-pricing by shopkeepers and so on.
Knowing all this I was still a little gobsmacked to read about this action in 1916. With the socialists of Merthyr Tydfil competing to see who could be more jingoistic in their support for the war and Lloyd George on the verge of becoming prime minister, you'd imagine that red, white and blue would have been the order of the day. Perhaps Radnorshire is a world of its own after all.
Over the years I've posted a lot about the Rebecca Riots in Radnorshire. Whereas in most of Wales these actions were done and dusted by the 1840s, in western Radnorshire they continued throughout the Victorian period and even as late as the 1930s. Tory magistrates thought better of convicting the Rebeccaites while Edwardian Liberal politicians found it expedient to praise them. Aimed mainly at the fishery laws, Rebecca's activities also encompassed actions against evictions and enclosures, over-pricing by shopkeepers and so on.
Knowing all this I was still a little gobsmacked to read about this action in 1916. With the socialists of Merthyr Tydfil competing to see who could be more jingoistic in their support for the war and Lloyd George on the verge of becoming prime minister, you'd imagine that red, white and blue would have been the order of the day. Perhaps Radnorshire is a world of its own after all.
7 comments:
Goodness, what an event, and in 1916!
But as bad (?) - how could they come up with such a name as the "River Whey"?
I'm guessing that Hansard's stenographer was confused by the gallant captain's plummy accent.
That must be it :)
I think you should sell out, just so I can boast amongst your new fans about how I first heard you back in your 'Reeperbahn' and 'Cavern' days;and further admonish them for never having read an original copy of any of the 'Radnorshire Transactions'.
Ah but were you here when I was just an Innes Ireland fanboy?
"Do my new readers really want to be informed about some minutiae from Radnorshire's past? I'm tempted to tailor my material to suit the new audience but that's not really on. So apologies to anyone expecting a Radnorian take on NHS reform or Climate Change."
BlogWales was set up as a way of making it easier for people to read, share and (hopefully) interact with Welsh blogs. This is done by delivering the blogs to the timelines of people who follow/like the account on twitter/facebook. Or they could alternatively bookmark the blog page and use that as a link list.
Many people in Wales probably don't even know where or what Radnorshire is. That is why your blog is on there.
Currently there are around 50 blogs shared with more added every so often. People don't need 50 opinions on the same subject :)
Have you noticed an increase in traffic as a result of BW?
Anyway, I'll leave the robots back in charge now, hwyl fawr.
Yes, certainly got more traffic and not complaining, just wanted to explain to new readers the nature of the blog.
As you say Radnorshire will be a bit of a terra incognita to quite a few, so hopefully the casual reader will learn something new.
Great idea by the way and thanks for the inclusion.
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