SWN Talks by Roger Evans
Roger Evans is a former civil servant, magistrate, Gwent County Councillor and school governor. Since retiring, he has researched a number of historical subjects, using personal knowledge and anecdotes to illustrate many of his talks. He is Chairman of Blackwood U3A
| 1. Sam Meekosha, VC. | The shy World War I hero, a Yorkshireman who lived his last five years in Oakdale, Gwent. A story of bravery, mystery and acrimony. |
| 2. Behind the Silver Screen | The story of Nine Mile Point Miners' Institute, Cwmfelinfach, and Valleys' institutes in general. Includes a 'behind the scenes' look at how cinemas operated in their heyday of the 1940s-50s |
| 3. Educating Gwent | A history of our local schools system, involving a bit of geography, tales of drunkenness, child cruelty, dodgy legal and financial dealings, and charity mismanagement. |
| 4. Power to the People | But not all of them, and not just yet! The fight for our modern democracy and a fairer voting system. How Britain came close to its last revolution and the Duke of Wellington was finally beaten, but not on the battle-field. |
| 5. What's in a Name? | Downing Street: What do we know of the man who built the most famous street in Britain? |
| 6. A Victorian Valleys Village School | The story of the first five years of Ynysddu Board School (1877-81) in the lower Sirhowy Valley, based on the recently-discovered School Log Book. |
| 7. Rebels, Rogues and Rakes -The English Civil War and its Local Connections | How two prominent Parliamentarians each made their mark, in quite different ways, on the former County of Monmouthshire. |
| 8. Monmouthshire Slave-owners | The story of some locals who prospered from the 'cruel trade' and also benefited from its abolition. |
| 9. Going Comprehensive – the Islwyn experience | In preparation |
| 10. Why Baptists? Why Presbyterians? It's all Greek to me! | At a time when churches and chapels are rapidly closing, discover the origins of two of the more popular local non-conformist denominations (no prior theological knowledge needed!). |