Welcome to our ‘What’s On’ page. This is the place to discover all you need to know about the Forum’s, as well as other locally organised, upcoming events relating to the rich heritage of this area.
WHAT’S ON – Events organised and presented by BGHF
THURSDAY 9th MAY
Free Talk – John Evan Thomas
A little bit of information which makes this talk all the more interesting for this area of Blaenau Gwent.
Alfred Homfray, Samuel Homfray’s nephew died in 1851. He was surgeon at the Tredegar ironworks where injuries were common and he often treated poor townspeople free of charge. As a result, he was greatly mourned by many widows and orphans when he died.
John Evan Thomas carved a relief portrait in roundel in commemoration of him which is still in St. George’s Church, Tredegar, today.
John Evan Thomas as one of Wales’ leading sculptors of the 19th century. His father, John Thomas, was himself a monumental mason and there are church memorials by him throughout Carmarthenshire and Breconshire.
At the age of 14 his father arranged for him to work at the studio of one of the most successful sculptors of the time Sir Francis Legatt Chantrey and this allowed him to progress to setting up his own studio in London. He then went on to develop a successful career creating busts and large public statues for many of the leading families of Breconshire.
William Gibbs was born in Crickhowell, Breconshire in 1944 and now lives just 4 miles away in the Usk valley. Hwe worked in mathematics education around the world; Sierra Leone, Zambia, Solomon Islands, Bangladesh and finally in the School of Education, University of Leeds.
Gibbs, who nis ow immersed in the art and history of Breconshire as a member of the cooperative that runs the Tower Gallery in Crickhowell, serves as chair of the Brecknock Art Trust. His latest publication is Artists of the Llanthony Valley for y Gaer, Brecknock Museum and Art Gallery, in collaboration with Elizabeth Siberry.
BGHF HERITAGE DAY 2024
Saturday 12th October
LAW AND DISORDER IN WALES
SPEAKERS
Chris Parry – China in Merthyr Tydfil
Tony Hopkins – Law and Disorder in Monmouthshire, the Quarter Session Courts
Elizabeth Belcham – Swansea’s ‘Bad Girls’, Crime and Prostitution 1870s-1914
Viv Pugh – Dic Penderyn
VENUE
Bedwellty House and Park, Tredegar.
Law and Disorder in Wales10.00am – 4.00pm
Ticket price includes a buffet lunch
WHAT’S ON – Events organised and presented by others
VISIT
Sunday 7th April (proposed starting date)
ST ILLTYD’S CHURCH, LLANHILLETH
Summer Opening
WALKS
Wednesday 10th April (starting)
North Gwent Ramblers – STEPPING STONES WALKS
CONFERENCE
Saturday 27th April 2024
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Oxford House Industrial History Group
SYMPOSIUM
Friday 17th May
This year’s programme is available here: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/llgcnlw/t-rpdpdek
Hosted by The National Library of Wales and held in partnership with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales and in association with the British Cartographic Society.
Tickets for the in-person event will include a buffet lunch and are available here: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/llgcnlw/t-rpdpdek
The symposium’s also being live-streamed over Zoom for those unable to get to Aberystwyth on the day,
Tickets for the online event are available here:https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/llgcnlw/t-nogoeje
FREE TALK
Wednesday 22nd May
TREDEGAR TOWN COUNCIL EVENT
Sunday 30th June
Armed Forces Day
Venue: Bedwellty Park, Tredegar
Start:12.00 noon
Varied entertainment and activities throughout the day including a performance by the Welsh Regimental Band
TREDEGAR TOWN COUNCIL EVENT
Sunday 7th July
Aneurin Bevan Day
Venue: Bedwellty Park, Tredegar
Start:12.00 noon
Varied entertainment and activities throughout the day
TALKS PROGRAMME 2024
Venue: Bedwellty House, Tredegar
Thursday May 9th
- Speaker – William Gibbs
- Topic – The Sculptor John Evan Thomas
Thursday June 13th
- Speaker – Huw Williams
- Topic – Artists in the Industrial Landscape
Thursday July 11th
- Speaker –
- Topic –
August – No talk
Thursday 12th September
- Speaker – Ceri Thompson
- Topic – Welsh Colliery Horses
Closely connected with coal mining since the early days of the industry, horses have been used to transport coal from the collieries to the customer, to power winding and pumping engines and to move coal from the coalface to the shaft.
Thursday 10th October
- Speaker – Keir Waddinton
- Topic – The Interconnections between Health and Pollution in Victorian and Edwardian Rural Environments. (This talk is BGHF contribution towards THE BEVAN FESTIVAL, Tredegar)
Saturday 12th October
- HERITAGE DAY – LAW AND DISORDER IN WALES
Thursday 14th November
- Speaker – Steve Keys
- Topic – Abergavenny to Merthyr Railway
December – No talk
MEETING DATES - 2024
Venue: Tredegar Library
Monday May 20th + postponed AGM
Monday June 17th
Monday July 15th
Monday August 19th
Monday September 16th
Monday October 21st
Monday November 18th
Monday December 16th
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY - 2024
BEVAN FESTIVAL, TREDEGAR – This annual festival in July is a key event set up to celebrate the founder of the NHS. Our contribution to this, is our talk on Thursday 10th October. (Booking difficulties have resulted in it taking place at a later date)
AUTUMN TRIP – September 2024
HERITAGE DAY – Saturday 12th October
This year we will be inviting four speakers who will be exploring the theme of LAW AND DISORDER IN WALES
CHRISTMAS LUNCH – Monday 16th December
Past Trips
Spring Trip 2024 –The Winding House and Llancaiach Fawr Manor
Autumn Trip 2023 – Nantgarw China Works and Museum
Spring Trip 2023 – Cyfarthfa Castle
Spring Trip 2022 – Blaenavon Ironworks
KEEPING WELSH HISTORY ALIVE