Beethoven and His Welsh Compositions | Mel Hopkins
It is just after the 250th anniversary of the birth of the composer, Ludwig van Beethoven. Perhaps one of the lesser-known facts about the world-renowned German composer was his adapting of a number of Welsh folk airs. Twenty-six Welsh folk songs were arranged by him. The story also connects two of Scotland’s greatest writers and […]
The Prince Who Was Not Allowed to Grow Up | Mel Hopkins
One of the most tragic stories of the history of these islands is the fate that befell a Welsh prince who was imprisoned as a child and was never given an opportunity to grow up. It is a story that reflects the cruelties and realities of 13th century politics. One of the last Princes of […]
The Welsh and English Tsunami of 1607 | Mel Hopkins
Many of you may have travelled along the M4 between Cardiff and Newport. As you travel, one of the lesser-known areas of Wales meets the sea: the Gwent Levels. The lowland area stretches between the two Welsh cities. Archaeologist Stephen Rippon describes some of the unique features of this amazing landscape. Megalithic footprints were found […]
The Turin Shroud: Were Two Welsh Priests the First from These Shores to Witness the Cloth Close Up?
In 1578, the patron saint of dieters, cardinals and bishops; Charles Borromeo came to Turin to pray at a shroud which was believed to have the image of Jesus’ crucified body imprinted on its fibres. There is a possibility that two Welshmen were with him, possibly the first from these shores to witness close up […]
The Visit of the Grand Master of the Knights Templar to England
Possibly everyone has heard of the Knights Templar. As Umberto Eco’s character Casubon in his novel Foucault’s Pendulum announces, ‘the Templar’s have something to do with everything.’ Ranging from lost treasures, guardians of great secrets and possession of the Turin shroud it appears a case for any conspiracy or lost fortunes can be linked to […]
