Aber History Part 10: Aberystwyth Now

An Aber Alumni of note is 1926 graduate Gareth Jones.  This man was banned from entering the Soviet Union after reporting on the Ukrainian Famine.  The famine was caused by bad weather during the period of transition into collectivization and becomes a man-made disaster as the Stalinist regime continues to export food out of the region and disallowing any population movement.  Millions died in this period and it is academically accepted that this famine was a deliberate act of genocide that claimed over a fifth of the Ukraine's mostly rural population.  Gareth Jones was honored for his attempt to give coverage to these issues in 2006 with a plaque in the Old College. 

In 1938 one of the worst storms in Aberystwyth history occurs.  The storm lasted five days.  It reached its peak at around five in the morning and it is estimated that the wind peaked at 90 miles an hour.  Off shore, a Royal Navy Tanker was disabled by a large wave, a wave that was rumoured to be developing into a tidal wave, headed for the shores of Aberystwyth.  Paving stones, rubble, boulders, all were thrown towards the building along the Promenade.  Homes on Victoria Terrace had windows smashed as high as the second floor and doors were smashed to matchwood.  A portion of the promenade collapsed, along with a 20 foot portion at the end of pier. The storm took place in January of 1938, but repairs all the way into November, when they were hampered by a gale.

Storm Damage on the Prom

I want to include this crazy video of a storm in Aberystwyth, but be warned, the sound stinks because of the wind.  And, no the white stuff isn't snow, but sea foam.

During World War II Art treasures were secreted away to Aberystwyth.  In 1939, these pieces were hidden in a cave under the National Library whose only entrance was behind the Milk Marketing Board buildings off Llanbadarn Road, just opposite the cemetery's entrance.  It was a small thing that Aberystwyth could give in support, but one of the only things, being on the other side of the island.  

In the latter half of the 20th century, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, quite a bit of things were established and celebrated in Aberystwyth.  The University had quite a few things of note to celebrate.  In 1951, Pantycelyn Hall was opened, and later extended in 1953 and 1967.  Goronwy Rees becomes the only local to have been appointed Aberystwyth University Principal in 1953.  The same year the Welsh Plant Breeding Station moves out of the university to its own site 4km north of Aberystwyth: the queen arrives to open both this project and the, finally completed, National Library of Wales.  

Such a regal beauty.

The tide shifts only a few years later.  In 1956 the old town clock was deemed unsafe.  The town was forced to demolish the structure, but the old mechanism is still on display at the museum.  In 1957, Goronwy Rees is forced to resign.  Then the Royal Welsh Show at Blaendolau is flooded 1m deep, and the town hall burns and must be rebuilt into the incarnation we see today.  

The Town Clock before being demolished.

In 1962, the Welsh Language Society built its headquarters in Aberystwyth.  Until this turning point, Welsh had been largely regarded as a dying language.  With the establishment of this society, it opened the doors for the university to hold classes in the language.  The society would hold numerous protests, the first of which was in 1963 on Trefechan Bridge.  They would gain the right to use the Welsh language to be used in legal proceedings and official documents.  

It is introduced into the University curriculum when they make Pantycelyn Hall a Welsh language hall, but the students protest this, claiming it is in an example of apartheid.  In 1969, however, the Prince of Wales, Prince Charles spent the summer learning to speak the language in an effort to better understand his subjects.  Another step towards a stronger Welsh state, an Aberystwyth University physics professor Phil Williams becomes the first chairman of Plaid Cymru, and held the post until 1976.

There is a large part of history I deem necessary to skip.  It is long and not all noteworthy enough to have a full paragraph on.  Here's an overview, with probably a few exclusions.  The university campus was fleshed out with its more modern buildings, while some of the older buildings, both around town and on campus, were demolished as they were deemed unsafe.  There were a couple of earthquakes that caused little damage, and 8cm of snow that shut down the university for three days: other natural events occurred of interest, storms, mammatus clouds, etc. I don't feel the need to do anything more than this.

These clouds are named Mammatus for the protrusions from the bottoms of the clouds, instead of being flat (they apparently look like breasts).

In 2007 Aberystwyth won the right to secede from the University of Wales and become an independent university, but despite its break off and rebranding, it has chosen not to issue its own degrees, but those of the University of Wales.  The next year the Welsh Plant Breeding Station becomes part of the university of again.  And that may not be the entire story of Aberystwyth, but it is enough... I hope.  I you are interested in anything else, I am happy to try to research it for you and plop an article down on this here blog: feel free to let me know!

History is forever being written and thank goodness because that means we can make our history better.  Thank you guys for making it this far.  I cannot wait to get my packing piece up for you tomorrow, I plan to try a couple of new things and I am hoping that they will work out well so I can show you!