Welsh Journals

covered are varied, and chapters are included on childhood, work, the streets of Aberystwyth and their shops and pubs, and memories of wartime. The sections which deal with education and popular culture are particularly interesting, and are of broader interest than simply local history. The last chapter is set aside entirely for recollections concerning Trefechan. This may seem peculiar at first to modern readers, but in doing this, William Troughton succeeds in giving a valuable insight into the way in which Trefechan was perceived as a distinct community in the inter-war period, with its own customs and strong parochial loyalties. Inevitably, some aspects of town life must be left out, and some will be disappointed to hear comparatively little about the University (as the author recognises in his introduction), linguistic tensions within society, religion, and the political life of the town. William Troughton has, however, provided us with a very stimulating and readable volume of oral recollections of Aberystwyth, which will be of wide interest. Furthermore, he has rendered the historical study of Aberystwyth and oral history in general a great service by ensuring that the majority of the tape-recordings of his interviews are kept for posterity and for others to consult at the National Library a valuable archive indeed. OWEN ROBERTS Aberystwyth