On 9 December 2025, Carmarthenshire Archives and West Wales Action for Mental Health marked a special milestone with a celebratory event for the successful completion of a second Change Minds Project. This achievement was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Welsh Government’s Regional Integration Fund (RIF), which enabled the delivery of an eight-week programme … Continue reading Celebrating Change Minds: A Journey of Heritage and Wellbeing
News
#CrowdCymru – digital volunteering with the archives of Wales
I last contributed to this blog back in February 2024 [read it here] when our project was nearing the end of its first year. It began with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund in the wake of the pandemic with an urgent need to modernise archive services whilst empowering people with new digital skills … Continue reading #CrowdCymru – digital volunteering with the archives of Wales
iPhones and Archives: How will we preserve photography of the future?
Currently, our digital collections represent only a tiny proportion of our overall collections. Going forward, though, collecting and caring for material which has been ‘born digital’ will become increasingly important if we want our collections to continue to reflect life in our area. Take one example, photographs. Like most archives, we have large collections of … Continue reading iPhones and Archives: How will we preserve photography of the future?
Explore Your Archive: Silent voices being heard
Written by Emma Towner, Assistant Archivist , National Library of Wales I’m currently archiving the Workers Education Association North Wales District Archive. It was established in 1925, and celebrates its centenary this year. Since starting work on this collection, I think a lot of how my life would have been 100 years ago. Growing up in … Continue reading Explore Your Archive: Silent voices being heard
Boots, Bricks and Gunpowder: a 19th Century Waybill Book reflecting life in the Glyn Valley, Denbighshire
On the first day of Explore Your Archive week, we are highlighting the work that goes into the conservation of archives and manuscripts. At North East Wales Archives we have received a grant from the National Manuscripts Conservation Trust (NMCT) to enable the conservation of a unique volume in our collections: a Waybill Book from … Continue reading Boots, Bricks and Gunpowder: a 19th Century Waybill Book reflecting life in the Glyn Valley, Denbighshire
One dark night: Tales of the ‘Cannwyll Corff’
With Halloween approaching, we take a look through the archives at this spooky Welsh superstition (Please note this blog contains themes of death and funerary rituals) It’s well known that Noson Calan Gaeaf is said to be an ysbrydnos, a ‘spirit night’ when ghosts walk among us and strange happenings abound. Superstitions were strong in … Continue reading One dark night: Tales of the ‘Cannwyll Corff’
Pride Portraits at Carmarthenshire Archives
This month, Carmarthenshire Archives proudly welcomed the deposit of a stunning collection of portraits captured during Carmarthen Pride 2024 — a fantastic celebration of inclusivity, unity, and joy. ©Carmarthenshire Archives The festival, held at St. Peter’s Civic Hall and St. Catherine’s Walk, treated attendees to an exciting mix of entertainment, community stalls, and interactive activities, … Continue reading Pride Portraits at Carmarthenshire Archives
VE Day – remarkable images from the end of the Second World War
On 8 May 1945, the Second World War came to an end in Europe. VE Day was a time of celebration. Since 1939 Britain had become a fortress nation. In a relatively short time, the landscape had dramatically changed as the country was put on a war footing. Now the country had to face up … Continue reading VE Day – remarkable images from the end of the Second World War
Piecing Together the Past: Archive-Inspired Jigsaws Now Available at Local Libraries
A unique and engaging way to explore local history has arrived at local libraries in Denbighshire! Thanks to a Welsh Government funded initiative, library users can now enjoy solving jigsaw puzzles based on our collections. These new puzzles have been designed by the team at North East Wales Archives. They feature visual parts of our … Continue reading Piecing Together the Past: Archive-Inspired Jigsaws Now Available at Local Libraries
The Stories in Historic Adverts
Exploring old posters, leaflets, and catalogues, we see glimpses of stories, from pier performances to the food people bought. The fact that these adverts weren’t designed to tell stories, but just to sell things makes them, perhaps, even more interesting. Let’s have a look at some items and see what we find. Events In a … Continue reading The Stories in Historic Adverts