Tag Archives: Pontardulais

What’s a pandy? Who’s the tucker?

Posted on September 7, 2016 by

Wed. May 25th [1892]   ….After tea we took a walk to the coal pit from which place we could see the Pandy & Alltiago farm. We got a glass of fresh milk at the Alltiago farm….Continuing our walk we went … Continue reading →

Posted in genealogy, history | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Off to Wales with my great-grandmother’s diary

Posted on July 25, 2016 by

My mother gave me my first diary when I was 13. It had a yellow cardboard cover and a tiny lock and key. I welcomed the chance to put down my secrets, especially to spill out the doubts and longings … Continue reading →

Posted in genealogy, history, travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pilgrim versus tourist

Posted on April 7, 2016 by

In his book Spiritual Journeys of an Anarchist (Ardent Press, 2014), Peter Lamborn Wilson described “intentional travel” as a sufi tradition in which the traveler, to fix his itinerary, “waited for ‘signs’ to appear, coincidences, intuitions….” I read these lines … Continue reading →

Posted in genealogy, history, travel | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Pitman transcription reveals my great-grandmother’s secrets

Posted on May 10, 2015 by

Many thanks to my friend Josie Oppenheim, who responded to the previous blog post by locating a Pitman transcriber online. Tracey Jennings, a shorthand expert in the U.K., came up with translations of the four bits of shorthand text scattered … Continue reading →

Posted in genealogy, history | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wales: Castles and Glowworms

Posted on February 28, 2011 by

We descended a dark gloomy winding stairway not knowing where it would lead us, and found at the bottom the dungeon, a dark gruesome place, enough to make me shiver & remember with doublefold horror all the tales of cruelty … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

My great grandmother writes about Wales

Posted on February 21, 2011 by

1892   Wed. May 11th Left N.Y. at 15 minutes past four and slowly steamed up to the Narrows, waving our handkerchiefs frantically to the folks on Prop #15 until we could see them no longer, when we turned our attention … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments