Welsh Journals

than 15 per cent; most of these are now under 10 per cent, and four are below 5 per cent and thus truly marginal. Again, the book will tell you which these are. The statistics presented here are full of interest, though further comparison with England and Scotland would be illuminating. It would be valuable, too, in the edition following the next election (for this book must be the first of a series) to have some basic information on what the parties stood for, how they were perceived, and how they campaigned. Altogether, if Wales is a political nation, it will need this little book to hand on that October evening in 1991 (or is it June 1992?) when Mrs. Thatcher comes once more to judgement. PETER MADGWICK Oxford TIME AND THE VALLEY: THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF THE UPPER OGWEN VALLEY. By David Hubback. Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, 1987. Pp. 127. £ 4.50. The physique of Wales, hills and valleys, lakes and rivers, and numerous social patrimonies in many senses geographically determine the existence, prominence and dominance of localities. This sense of locality is often lost in larger more broad- ranging works and much of the 'hiraeth' of Welsh localness needs to be recaptured in locally geared texts. Moreover, many of our Welsh localities were until fairly recently socially and academically remote, sometimes only best studied in Welsh and sometimes only fully revealed in relatively obscure local works. The opening up of such localities to more general integrative works is a lengthy process. David Hubback's text is about the past, present and possible future of the Upper Ogwen Valley, one of the most dramatic and beautiful valleys in the high mountains of Snowdonia. The author who has known the valley for over sixty years surveys its history since it was formed by the Ice Age 12,000 years ago to its present when there are more rock climbers in the valley than sheep farmers, and outlines ways of fostering both upland farming and conservation in the future. Ten chapters unfold the chronological story: first is Maes Caradoc and Nant Ffrancon; then Nant Ffrancon and Nant y Benglog; from the Ice Age to The Roman Invasion; The Romans to The Tudors; The Changing Valley, 1500-1820; The Quarry and the Penrhyns, 1781-1914; The Present Century; Sheep farming and Rock Climbing in The Ogwen Valley; and finally Conservation. In a delightfully pleasant and personal way we are led through a named valley as though on a country walk. Although not an academic text, there are plenty of academic asides and useful hints. This teamwork production by a knowledgable local is a valuable companion both for the tourist and the visiting researcher. Unlike most texts of its character, it is forward looking and avoids the trappings of sentimentality. The final chapter informs us of The National Trust; The Snowdonia National Park; The Countryside Commission and local voluntary societies