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Llanelli Community Heritage

Annual General Meeting 2012

Venue - Function Room , The Metropolitan Bar, 1 Station Road, Llanelli SA15 1AE

Date -Tuesday 20 March 2012
Time - 7:30pm

'Myths and Party Poopers: Why History is Often Wrong'

A Talk by Dr David Davies

What connects the 'Machynys tunnel' to the creation of the USA? 1066 was the last successful invasion of Britain - true or false? Original documents are better than Wikipedia - yes or no? This talk examines how we study History and explains why many of the assumptions people have about the subject are often wrong. Along the way it examines some widely held beliefs about the histories of Llanelli, Britain and the world and demonstrates why these are actually misleading, and sometimes downright dangerous, myths.

Dr David Davies is a full-time historian and author, he is also the chairman of the Naval Dockyards Society, a vice-president of the Navy Records Society, and a member of the Council of the Society of Nautical Research. His first non-naval book, Blood of Kings: The Stuarts, The Ruthvens and the 'Gowrie Conspiracy' was published at the end of 2010. David has written many articles for Maritime Wales, The Carmarthenshire Antiquary, The Llanelli Miscellany and LCH's 'History Files', and he is currently writing a book on the Stepneys to coincide with the opening of Llanelly House to the public

Llanelli Community Heritage was launched to promote the Community's rich heritage through the creation of a heritage trail including Interpretive Heritage Panels and Blue Plaques in Llanelli and District.

As of 2011 nine Interpretive Panels have now been installed at Old Castle Pond, Furnace Village, Felinfoel Village, The Former Grammar School, Millennium Coastal Path Trafalgar, Llanelli Pottery, Seaside, Bwlch y Gwynt and Dafen. Llanelli Communuity Heritage is now working on two panels at Box Cemetery and one panel for Bryntirion.

The Llanelli Community Heritage Blue Plaque trail identifying historically important buildings, individuals, events and sites in Llanelli and District now boasts 44 blue plaques probably more than any town in Wales. Llanelli Community Heritage is mentioned in the latest English Heritage Publication as a group demonstrating good practice.

The Llanelli Community Heritage Project is in partnership with the Museum's Service of the County Council and the group would like to thank those individuals and organisations that have funded the project by sponsorship or grants. These include the St Elli Shopping Centre, Llanelli Town Council, Communities First, Awards for All Wales, Antur Teifi, Gronfa 1 Fund, Carmarthenshire County Council, CADW, Millennium Coastal Path, Tata Steel Europe and the Llanelli Rural Council without whose help and support we as an organisation would have been unable to develop the heritage trail in Llanelli.

Special thanks must also go to the committee and members of Llanelli Community Heritage who have unstintingly worked towards completing the first phase of the Llanelli Community Heritage Trail of Llanelli.