The Welsh church claimed by spiders and ivy: what do Britain’s derelict churches say about our health and happiness?

The series on abandoned buildings on St Tyfrydog’s church in Llandyfrydog on Ynys Môn, aka Anglesey, which has now been rescued by Friends of Friendless Churches, a charity that rescues and protects historic places of worship in England and Wales.

I have been an atheist since the age of 10, but feel that churches are important buildings on these islands, and have been to see gigs in them, including the trumpet and drums duo the Spaceheads. As Rachel Morley, director of the charity, who was brought up Catholic but is not religious, puts it:

“I just love that they are there, they belong to the landscape and the nation. Anyone can go in, for spiritual succour, or if you’ve been on a walk and you want to sit down and eat your lunch.”

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/ng-interactive/2026/apr/23/the-welsh-church-claimed-by-spiders-and-ivy-what-do-britains-derelict-churches-say-about-our-health-and-happiness

#AbandonedBuildings #Anglesey #YnysMon #ModernBritain #TheGuardian #Churches #Wales

Wildings in Newport, Wales: the grand department store that became an illicit cannabis farm

The first in an excellent series about abandoned buildings and what they reveal about Britain now concerns the decline of the grandest department store in Newport. Whilst online shopping is definitely a factor, out-of-town shopping and lack of convenient free or just cheap parking is also cited. It is probably going to be saved but converted into one ground-floor shop with the rest of the building flats.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/ng-interactive/2026/apr/16/wilding-newport-wales-grand-department-store-became-illicit-cannabis-farm

#AbandonedBuildings #ModernBritain #TheGuardian #NewportWales #Casnewydd

The Monarchs: King George V (1910-1936) – The First Windsor

George V was the second son of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, and he was born on June 3, 1865. He became King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India after the death of his father in 1910. George V’s reign lasted from 1910 to 1936

https://anglotopia.net/royals/royal-history/the-monarchs-king-george-v-1910-1936-the-first-windsor/

#InterwarPeriod #ModernBritain #RoyalHistory #TheMonarchs

Interesting Tidbits from Past Coronations

May 6th, 2023, will see an event that occurs once-in-a-lifetime for most, as King Charles III’s coronation takes place in Westminster Abbey.  The coronation is the latest in a long tradition that dates back to the Norman Conquest when William the Conqueror was crowned King William I.  In nearly 1,000 years, this c

https://anglotopia.net/royals/royal-history/interesting-tidbits-from-past-coronations/

#Coronation #ModernBritain #RoyalHistory

How many people saw the Queen’s coronation on TV in 1953?

Millions of people are thought to have watched the Queen’s coronation on television in June 1953 – but there are no reliable figures, making comparisons with TV ratings of today difficult.

Television was still in its infancy in the UK in the early 1950s and the same was true of the

https://anglotopia.net/royals/the-queen/how-many-people-saw-the-queens-coronation-on-tv-in-1953/

#Coronation #ModernBritain #QueenElizabeth

Charles made history when he watched the Queen’s coronation aged four

Prince Charles became the first child in British history to witness their mother’s coronation as sovereign when he attended Queen Elizabeth II’s 1953 ceremony at the age of just four.

The heir to the throne watch

https://anglotopia.net/british-history/modern-britain/charles-made-history-when-he-watched-the-queens-coronation-aged-four/

#Coronation #ModernBritain #QueenElizabeth #RoyalHistory #Royals #TheKing

Photos for every year of King’s life compiled to mark coronation

Photos from every year of the King’s life have been compiled to celebrate Charles III’s coronation.

The pictures, brought together by the PA news agency, show the monarch through the decades – from newborn baby and toddler to university student, naval officer

https://anglotopia.net/british-history/photos-for-every-year-of-kings-life-compiled-to-mark-coronation/

#BritishHistory #Coronation #ModernBritain #TheKing

Charles III added to new ruler of rulers by English Heritage

A British classroom staple – the wooden “ruler of rulers” with its timeline of kings and queens – has been updated to mark the reign of Charles III.

English Heritage’s version of the 30cm measuring stick, listing monarchs over the last 1,000 years, n

https://anglotopia.net/british-heritage/charles-iii-added-to-new-ruler-of-rulers-by-english-heritage/

#BritishHeritage #BritishHistory #Coronation #ModernBritain #TheKing

Prince and Princess of Wales meet survivors of Aberfan disaster

A survivor of the Aberfan disaster who was mistaken for dead and placed among the bodies of other children met the Prince and Princess of Wales during their first visit to the Welsh town.

Child survivor David Davies was buried alive when thousands of tonnes of

https://anglotopia.net/royals/prince-of-wales/prince-and-princess-of-wales-meet-survivors-of-aberfan-disaster/

#ModernBritain #PrinceofWales #PrincessofWales