Welsh Journals

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Another historic event has taken place recently, this was the opening of the new road link between the M4 and the Heads of the Valleys road. Michael Foot M.P. cut the tape to open the last 5/2 mile section from Abertillery to Brynmawr. This is the completion of a 22 year scheme costing £ 80 million which will provide easier access to the western part of Gwent and determine future development of the area. Because of the difficult terrain of this part of our county the task has involved some of the most complex civil engineering works in Britain including capping mineshafts, moving rivers, traversing active landslips, and to keep the disturbance to a minimum, building over part of the Monmouthshire canal and disused railways and carving a road into and retaining hillsides. In 20 miles of new road there are 45 bridges and 65 retaining walls. Among the engineering achievements is a 330 metre long and 15 metre high reinforced earth retaining wall near Risca believed to be the most extensive in Britain and a 17 span viaduct across the toe of an active landslip near Llanhilleth. At the A.G.M. the chairlady Betty Sage reported that on November 1st she had represented the Society at a service in Westminster Abbey, also attended by the Queen, commemorating the translation of the bible into Welsh by William Morgan. This edition of the Journal carries an article relating the story of this task. Reports from member organisations were received including the rather amusing (and worrying) tale from Pontypool Local History Society who had been sent a £ 250 bill by the Welsh Water Authority for premises which they only use 2 hours per month, and which has no tap or toilet facilities! The Society also reported that they had been bequeathed two sums of £ 500 and £ 100 by deceased members to continue their activities. Lastly, but not leastly, I am sorry to have to say goodbye to Adrian Babbidge who has been a fellow museum colleague of mine, a strong supporter and sometime chairman of the Gwent Local History Council and an active local historian in his role as Director of the Torfaen Museum Service, which under his leadership has established a number of museums. He leaves Gwent and the Valley Inheritance Centre in the stable block of Pontypool Park House to become Director of the East Midlands Area Museum Service with its headquarters in the stable block at Wallington Hall in Nottingham. We wish Adrian well in his job.