Wales' history is packed with peculiar customs and curious characters. Here you will discover alien landscapes, ancient druids and a Victorian ghost hunter. Find out why revellers would carry a decorated horse's skull on a pole door to door at Christmastime, how an eccentric inventor hoped to defeat Hitler with his futuristic ray gun, and why a cursed wall is protected by a global corporation for fear it might destroy a town. From the folklore surrounding the red dragon on...

Dear Sir or Madam is the autobiographical account of one of the unsung heroes among British transsexual people. Born a girl in wartime Britain, Brenda never fitted in as a child. The young Rees even looked like a boy. Thus it was that he finally found the means to permanently become a man almost thirty years later, in 1971. Whilst Mark was accepted by neighbours and friends, he rapidly found that his new embodiment was not accepted by the state. He would be unable to marry as a man and the...

Did you know?Richard Burton claimed that he would rather have played rugby for Wales at Cardiff Arms Park than Hamlet at the Old Vic.Local rivalries between choirs in the 'land of song' used to be so fierce that fights would break out following singing competitions.Roald Dahl was an RAF fighter pilot during the Second World War, and a near-death crash landing inspired his first published work.The Little Book of W...

In the Victorian age ghost stories made headline news, were used as evidence in the court room, and forced terrified families to flee their homes, while so-called psychic mediums plied their trade on the high street. This book reveals for the first time 50 terrifying – and in some cases, comical – cases dating from 1837 to 1901, unearthed from archive newspapers.They include chilling prophecies from beyond the grave, poltergeists who terrorise the God-fearing communities, spectral locomoti...

Did you know?The Wales Coast Path is the only continuous footpath in the world that runs the entire length of a country's coastline, a staggering 870 miles.Wales is home to the largest concentration of medieval castles in the UK, with four iconic castles – Caernarfon, Conwy, Harlech and Beaumaris – designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.St Davids, home to an awe-inspiring cathedral surrounded by Pembrokeshire's rugged coastal beauty, i...

Behind Swansea’s familiar streets and sweeping bay lies another city: one of heroic dogs, vanished chapels, haunted pubs, and seaside legends. Quirky Swansea uncovers the stories that give this city its distinctive character, celebrating the people, places and moments that make Abertawe unlike anywhere else. From roaring rugby and football stadiums, beloved local food, seafront promenades, and iconic landmarks, every corner of Swansea brims with life and history. Step inside Gower’s ancien...

Behind Cardiff’s familiar landmarks lies another city: one of lost chapels, ghostly legends, hidden treasures and secret passageways. Quirky Cardiff uncovers these stories, celebrating the people and places that make the city so unmistakably Cardiffian.Step inside the lavish fairy-tale chamber created for Sleeping Beauty; meet Captain Morgan, the real-life pirate of the Caribbean; and explore the childhood worlds of Roald Dahl and Shirley Bassey. The city has an uncanny edge too: D...

Swansea has long been a place of magic and mystery. Ruined castles with ghostly inhabitants dot the landscape, while the golden sands of Gower are steeped in Arthurian mythology and seafaring tales of smugglers and pirates. Yet it has also seen much upheaval and destruction, from the early Viking invaders to the Luftwaffe’s devastating ‘three-nights’ blitz’ during the Second World War. Paranormal Swansea and Gower takes the reader on a spine-chilling journey to dozens of supposedly haunted...

Wales is one of the most haunted countries in the world, and its capital city is no exception. Steeped in history, it has shaped and witnessed many of the country’s defining moments, from fierce clashes with invading armies to its leading role in the Industrial Revolution. The echoes of these events resonate through time, and the ghosts associated with them do not rest easy. Paranormal Cardiff takes the reader on a spine-chilling journey to dozens of supposedly haunted locations, from well...

A red and white dragon fighting tooth and claw in the moonlit sky; mischievous fairy folk luring unwary travellers deep into their underground lairs; a kind-hearted mermaid saving the lives of those in peril on the high seas; and a charmed boy who transforms into an otter and a bird to outrun a wicked witch. In Illustrated Tales of Wales, author Mark Rees explores the fantastical myths, legends and folk stories of Wales which have long fired the imagination of young and old alike. From the...

This second edition of the Rees’ book provides descriptions, illustrations and interestinginformation (much hitherto unpublished) on 80 categories of English tools.The tools are meticulously described and include prices (in English pounds). Includescollecting tips, toolmaker information, patents and registered designs, and more.,

“The book” of Christopher Gabriel, planemaker and tool seller in London from 1770 until 1809, has fortuitously survived to give those interested in tools and trades a unique insight into a family business in late 18th century London. From this andother sources it has been possible to draw a picture of a small but developing business in an uncommon trade—planemaker and tool seller—and to trace Gabriel’s connections with othertoolmakers of the time, both in London and elsewhere. Perhaps the ...