Welsh Journals

Nature in Wales was conceived in Autumn 1953 and the first issue was published by the West Wales Field Society in Spring 1955. The editorial address was R.M. Lockley's home: Orielton, Pembrokeshire. The journal's successful history over the first 25 years was given in the Summer issue for 1979 (vol. 16) and the onset of financial troubles leading to a complete change of sponsorship in the Autumn 1981 issue (vol. 17). The Journal was conceived in the year that the first 'Welsh' members of staff were appointed by the Nature Conservancy and when J. D. Watson and Francis Crick announced their discovery of the unscrambling of the shape of the DNA molecule (and a year or so after Mary Somerville pronounced that 'Television won't last: its a flash in a pan'). The Journal was inaugurated in the year when Wales was granted a capital city and Sony placed the first radio transistor on the market. Within one year, the first nuclear power station had been built in Britain at Calder Hall, and within two years the Common Market was established by the Treaty of Rome and the Russians had launched Sputnick I and II. The subsequent decades have amply confirmed the words of the eminent Scandinavian economist who maintained that: 'It is very dangerous to prophesy particularly about the future! If any formal justification is or has been necessary for a journal such as Nature in Wales, then the words used by John Ray in the Preface to his book The wisdom of God manifested in the Works of Creation, published over 250 years before the journal was even contemplated, would surely be acceptable to the journal's most fierce critic. 'In all Ages wherein Learning hath Flourished, complaint hath been made of the Itch of Writing, and the multitude of worthless Books, wherein importunate Scriblers have pestered the World. I am sensible that this Tractate may likely incur the Censure of a superfluous Piece. First therefore, in Excuse of it, I plead, That there are in it some Considerations new and untoucht by others: wherein if I be mistaken, I alledge Secondly, that manner of Delivery and Expression may be more suitable to some Mens Apprehension, and facile to Editorial their Understandings. If that will not hold, I pretend Thirdly, That all the Particulars contained in this Book, cannot be found in any one Piece known to me, but ly scattered and dispersed in many, and so this may serve to relieve those Fastidious Readers, that are not willing to take the Pains to search them out: and possibly, there may be some whose Ability (whatever their Industry might be) will not serve them to purchase, nor their opportunity to borrow, those Books, who yet may spare Money enough to buy so inconsiderable a Trifle.' As in all previous issues the current volume contains much new material 'untoucht by others' and the greater part of it is written in such a way that it is 'facile to' the understanding of the ordinary reader. It also contains 'particulars' that 'cannot be found in any one piece', but which 'ly scattered and dispersed. Because a special effort has been made in the 30th Anniversary volume to reflect the content and the context of all previous issues, it is appropriate to dedicate the issue to the people and the organisations responsible for the journal, and particularly the editors and assistant editors who together guided the journal through twenty-six of its thirty years' existence. The four senior editors were: R. M. Lockley, 1955-1959 and again 1967-1970; P. M. Benoit, 1959-1967; Dillwyn Miles, 1970-1979; and Dr. Brian John, 1979-1981 all members of the West Wales Naturalists' Trust. The Assistant Editors in rough chronological order, were: W. M. Condry, H.R.H. Vaughan, W.S. Peach and P.M. Miles, all members of the West Wales Trust, J. O. Evans of the Brecknock Trust, and L.S.V. Venables of the North Wales Trust. It is also appropriate to make special mention of the first editor, R. M. Lockley, 'without whose inspiration and perservance' to quote his collaborator and successor as Editor, Dillwyn Miles Nature in Wales would hardly have happened or survived'. Douglas A. Bassett