Remembering a World that Was

Posted on 4 April, 2011 by copperday

At Christ College Memorial Hall, Brecon, on 7 April Felicity Kilpatrick will be in conversation with international Rugby star and industrial history broadcaster Eddie Butler for an event in aid of Usk House: St David’s Foundation Hospice Care, a local charity which is raising funds for supporting people with long-term illness.

At this event Felicity will be reading from J Ramsay Kilpatrick’s Down the Memory Lanes of My Hafod talking about her work and showing slides of the copper industry and its community in the 1930s and 40s. It promises to be a ‘unique insight’ into the industry and the community that was sustained by it.

Thursday 7 April 2011 at 7pm
Christ College Memorial Hall Theatre, Brecon

Tickets £7.50 to include wine and canapes.
Available from Usk House (01874 611717) or the Usk House Shop, 29 High Street, Brecon.

Download Remembering a World that Was BLACK AND WHITE poster (PDF)

Remembering a World that Was COLOUR poster (PDF, 4MB)

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What did Copper Day mean to you?

Posted on 8 March, 2011 by copperday
Stephen Hughes tour, Copper Day, by John Davies

Copper tourists with Stephen Hughes on Neath Road, Copper Day (credit: John Davies)

We were overwhelmed by the support that turned out for Swansea Copper Day on Saturday 5 March. The day was organised completely voluntarily with, at the final count, contributions from 29 different organisations, groups and individuals. 29 activities and events took place at 13 venues.  Two important anniversaries inspired the festivities: 200 years since the first copper ingot rolled out of the internationally-famed Hafod Copperworks of Vivian and Sons, and the 50th birthday of the Lower Swansea Valley Project which began a pioneering post-industrial urban land reclamation scheme.

A passion for heritage

A shared interest in copper and its history resulted in unprecedented co-operation between public and private bodies and galvanised a diverse range of people into making this exceptional day happen. However we also want there to be a legacy. These new collaborations demonstrate the great appetite for heritage-led change in Swansea and will be an inspiration to other post-industrial regions that have for too long been ambivalent about their history. The sheer number that turned out on Saturday affirm even further the depth of feeling there is for the city’s heritage and history in general. We heard reports of visitors coming specifically to Swansea from as far afield as Derbyshire, Birmingham and Weymouth. This is astonishing for an event that was organised with very little time and the power of word of mouth working more effectively than many expensive advertising campaigns.

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Copper Day Programme–Some Changes

Posted on 2 March, 2011 by copperday

Please note that there have been a couple of changes to the Copper Day programme information.

Get updated Copper Day Programme

Swansea University student ambassadors will be available at most venues to help you find your way.

Summary of changes:

Swansea Museum:
We have been advised that copper craft workshops (Gilding with Copper) need to be booked in advance. Please enquire directly with Swansea Museum.

Swansea Museum Collections Centre:
Inspired by Industrial Art workshop will now be conducted by Paul Giuffrida.

Materials Research Centre, Swansea University CHANGE OF VENUE:
Copper in our lives today and Copper in tomorrow’s world will now take place in the SURF Room, Fulton House (building 17).

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How to Get to Copper Day

Posted on 2 March, 2011 by copperday

No. 4 ftr metro Swansea route map

No. 4 ftr metro purple bus route map (credit: First Cymru)

We have recommended that visitors to the various venues taking part in Copper Day use the purple bendy bus, service no. 4.

The nearest bust stop to each venue is now indicated on the How to Get Here page.

Please note that you should make travel arrangements to suit you. There is no special provision of transport or parking for Copper Day. Please enquire with individual venues for any further information you may require.

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Copper Industrial Heritage on Flickr

Posted on 23 February, 2011 by copperday

The ESRC Welsh Copper Project has established a Copper Industrial Heritage group on Flickr.

If you are a keen photographer and interested in the industrial heritage of copper, wherever it is in the world, please consider posting your photographs here.

Please also post your Copper Day photos to this group.

Join Copper Industrial Heritage on Flickr.

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Copper Day Programme at a Glance

Posted on 23 February, 2011 by copperday

National Waterfront Museum, Swansea

Copper Day begins at 10am at the National Waterfront Museum (credit: National Waterfront Museum, Swansea)

You can now view the full Copper Day Programme at a glance. It’s just over a week away to Copper Day. We look forward to seeing you in Swansea on Saturday 5 March!

View Copper Day Programme
View last minute changes at a glance

Download Copper Day Poster and Programme

Events begin in the morning at the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea’s Maritime Quarter (marina) at 10am where everyone is invited to celebrate the 50th birthday of the Lower Swansea Valley Project.

After a break at lunch time, events commence at approximately 1.30pm across venues in the city. Some exhibitions and displays will be on for longer than Copper Day so if you miss out on the 5th, please do look out for more.

Copper Day joins a week of cultural fun to celebrate the City and County of Swansea‘s St David’s Week. For other events this week visit www.saintdavidsday.com/

If you are far away but would like to comment about the day, please feel free to leave a comment or thought anywhere on this site.

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Why Copper Day is Important

Posted on 19 February, 2011 by copperday

View from White Rock

View from White Rock (credit: Tehmina Goskar)

Copper Day was an unexpected development of the ESRC Global and Local Worlds of Welsh Copper Project based at Swansea University. Read more about why we thought it was important and how it relates to the rest of the project on the Institute of Welsh Affairs’s Click on Wales site.

Copper Day demonstrates appetite for heritage-led change by Tehmina Goskar.

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Learn More about Copper for Copper Day

Posted on 16 February, 2011 by copperday

Swansea Community Boat

Swansea Community Boat (credit: Swansea Community Boat Trust)

There are several free resources available online that will help anyone wishing to know more about Welsh copper and its heritage. Here is a selection.

Swansea Industrial Heritage Research ‘Golden Mile’
A downloadable leaflet highlighting the six key institutions in Swansea that houses industrial heritage collections and information.

A Short History of the Hafod Copperworks 1810-1924 by Richard Porch
A free booklet written by local historian Richard Porch on the internationally-famed Hafod Copperworks.

Tawe River Navigation Heritage Trail
Produced by Swansea Community Boat Trust, a handy guide to the copperworks and other industrial sites you can find in the lower Swansea Valley.

The Copper Kingdom
Resources relating to the area of Amlwch, Anglesey, in North Wales, a copper mining industrial heritage site.

Research Resources: Welsh Metal Industry
A guide for those researching iron, steel, tinplate, non-ferrous smelting or metal mining history by the National Waterfront Museum.

Research Resources: Welsh Maritime History
A guide for those researching maritime history, including those with seafaring ancestors by the National Waterfront Museum.

Copper Development Association UK
Contemporary information about today’s copper industry and uses.

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Copper Day on the Buses

Posted on 14 February, 2011 by copperday

Copper Day advert for ftr metro Swansea Abertawe

Copper Day advert on the buses (credit: ESRC Global and Local Worlds of Welsh Copper Project)

Getting around Swansea can be difficult and time-consuming, especially on a Saturday. We are therefore encouraging people to use Swansea’s ftr Metro as an easy way to get to the Copper Day venues. This is the purple bendy bus you see around town. The route no. 4 takes you from Morriston to Swansea University via Landore, Hafod and stops in the City Centre including Swansea Rail Station, Orchard Street for the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery and the Civic Centre for the library and museums.

We will shortly by running an advert for Copper Day on all ten of Swansea’s purple bendy buses to raise awareness of the day.

Read more at How to Get Here on Copper Day.

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Leave Your Memories Here

Posted on 7 February, 2011 by copperday

New bridge over Tawe

New bridge over the Tawe (credit: Tehmina Goskar)

Copper Day is not just about one day of festivities. We want it to leave a legacy of increased awareness and understanding of the historic role copper has played in Swansea, Wales and the world. There is now a Memories section on this website to collect your thoughts.

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