54 years ago, at 9.15am on the morning of October 21, 1966, a spoil tip collapsed onto the Welsh village of Aberfan, engulfing Pantglas Primary School and other buildings. The disaster resulted in the tragic deaths of 116 children and 28 adults. After the landslide stopped, many local residents rushed to the school and began … Continue reading Remembering Aberfan

Back in March when we were told that the Archives team, like the rest of the University, would have to work from home due to COVID-19, my immediate panicked thought was, ‘How?’ The work that I do as a part-time archives assistant is mainly invigilating the Reading Room and the Archives wouldn’t be welcoming people … Continue reading Unexpected Company

An annual tradition since 2016, the 20th September is the International Day of University Sport. As we celebrate Swansea University’s centenary year, this blog will take a brief tour of 100 years of sport at the University. From the University’s foundation, sport has played a significant role in student life. In the 1920s, in February … Continue reading International Day of University Sport

During lockdown, I have been having a virtual party! I’ve socialised with the ex-servicemen of World War Two,attended Simon and Garfunkel’s concert with the hip Folk Club in Swansea,travelled the world far and wide,climbed the peaks of the High Tatras in Slovakia, and witnessed near-death experiences climbing on the Kurdistan-Afghanistan border,visited just about every pub … Continue reading Escaping lockdown with adventures in the past!

The 19th July marks the most significant event in Swansea University’s history - the laying of the foundation stone. I therefore thought it fitting to not only explore the University’s archives and relive that date, but also share how I discovered a family connection to the University’s early years. An invitation to the Laying of … Continue reading Foundations & Family History